Until My Dying Day
By Roni Black
Chapter Seven
Dear Harry and Ron,
Would you please come to visit me today? There is something important we need to talk about.
Hagrid
"So what do you think?" Harry asked Ron during Sunday breakfast, when Hedwig brought him the letter. Hermione was sitting across the table, but the boys ignored her existence. It was already a habit now. "Think we should go?"
"Sure, why not?" said Ron, chewing bacon.
So later that day, Harry and Ron made their way towards Hagrid's cabin. As they entered, Fang licked them both enthusiastically, then went back to eat a big piece of raw, bloody meat.
"What's up, Hagrid?" said Harry.
"Good, good," said Hagrid. "Sit down, I have some cookies for you."
"Thanks," said Harry and Ron politely and tried to eat the hard-as-stone cookies.
Hagrid sat across the table and watched them carefully as they chewed.
"Anything wrong, Hagrid?" said Ron, as he noticed Hagrid's glare.
"Nothing," mumbled Hagrid, and Harry said: "You know what, Hagrid? Two days ago, McGonagall asked us if we wanted another ball. Do you know why they make so many balls this year?"
"Must be because we're seventh-years, right?" said Ron.
"Guess so," said Hagrid, still watching them intently. "They always make balls for the seventh-years. Two or three balls a year."
"It doesn't bother me or anything," said Harry, who still hadn't finished his first cookie, "of course, as long Hermione doesn't dance with Malfoy..."
"Hey," said Hagrid loudly, "why can't she dance with him, if she wants to?"
Harry and Ron gazed at him, surprised.
"Come on, Hagrid," said Ron, "you don't really think Hermione is right when she's dating Malfoy, do you?"
"It has nothing to do with my own opinions," said Hagrid, "it has to do with you two, leaving your best friend because you think she's wrong."
"We left her?!" cried Harry loudly. "She left us!"
"Did she?" said Hagrid and gave Harry a long, tough look, that made Harry flinch a little. Still, Harry wasn't convinced.
"Look, Hagrid," said Ron, "Malfoy was the one who almost caused Dumbledore to fire you! Remember? Four years ago? Buckbeak? Do you really think he deserves Hermione's love?"
"If she loves him, he deserves it," said Hagrid explicitly. "I trust Hermione's judgment one hundered per cent, and I thought you appreciate her enough to do so, too."
"Everybody can make mistakes!" said Ron angrily.
"Of course they can," said Hagrid, "but our Hermione is too clever to let the mistake last more than three days. Do you truly believe she would fall in love with Draco, if he were still the same old jerk he once was?"
"He still is!" said Harry.
"What makes you say that?" asked Hagrid.
"People don't change, Hagrid," said Harry trough gritted teeth.
"Oh, don't they?" replied Hagrid. "Let me tell you, Harry, people do change. I see changes around me all the time. I have a various life experience, trust me on that, and I've seen people chnge completely. In fact, I haven't met one person who didn't change at all."
Harry and Ron exchanged looks.
"The bottom line," said Hagrid, "people change. Draco has changed. Give him a chance, boys, he deserves it. Hermione deserves it. Do it for your friend."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I want revenge."
Bellatrix Lestrange was sitting near the fireplace. This was one of those rare times she was not the form of a snake. She had become a human and sat on the armchair, talking to herself.
She knew she was going crazy.
"I will not let myself go crazy," she said out loud. "I will not let the young Malfoy escape. If I go crazy, I will not be able to hurt him. And I want to hurt him. I want to hurt him badly."
The only question was HOW...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"It's something I've never even dreamed of," Draco confessed. "Every time I see you, I love you more. I know it sounds totally lame, but it's true."
They were sitting in the back of the library, behind the big shelves and the thousands of books. Hermione liked this place. It was like heaven for her: books!
"I feel so too," Hermione responded quietly. "Listen, Draco, it's almost Christmas... would you like do come with me to my parents' house?"
Draco gazed at her. "To your parents' house?"
"Yeah, well... I just thought... it would be better than staying here. You could meet my family."
"I would love to meet your family," said Draco, elated. "Thank you."
"You..." Hermione bit her lip before deciding to go on, "you know they're all Muggles."
"They are?! I've never known that!" Draco joked. "Even when I called you a Mudblood, I had no idea your parents are Muggles!"
Hermione smiled nervously. "So... you don't mind... about this, right?"
Draco smiled and took her hand. "Listen, Hermione, I never cared about a person's origin. I only tried to convince myself I did, because my father used to brainwash me. Trust me, I love you, and I couldn't love you more if you were pureblood. I really don't care about it. Honest."
Hermione was relieved. "Thank you, Draco. I hoped you say that."
"So, Christmas is in three days, huh?" said Draco lightly. "I'd better pack, right?"
"Sure."
"So... I'll see ya later." He gave her a quick kiss and hurried away.
Hermione followed him with her eyes, then smiled to herself, got up and went to the owlery to send her parents an owl.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I will be home in three days. I can't wait to see you. I invited my boyfriend, Draco, to come over too. I really want you to meet him, he's wonderful, I'm sure you'll love him. He can sleep in my room. I'll set him an extra bed.
Love from
Hermione
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So we're staying here on Christmas?" asked Harry.
"Yeah," said Ron and shrugged. "Hermione's going home, and I have to replace her as Head Boy for this time. She's being as thoughtful as always, isn't she? Oh, and guess what," Ron twitched his face in disgust, "Malfoy is going with her."
"WHAT?"
"Yeah - Lavender told me. He's probably going to sleep in her room," said Ron and shook his head angrily, "and I wonder how she convinced him to come - why would he want to be in a Muggles house?"
"Isn't it time to loosen up a little?" asked Harry. "I mean, it's not that I understand Hermione, but after all, it's her choice. We can't choose for her."
"But why can't she make the right choices?" Ron demanded. "Why couldn't she choose someone who's normal? Why Malfoy?"
"Look, it's not that she wanted to love him..." said Harry.
"What do you mean?" Ron scolded.
"You don't choose to love someone," said Harry quietly. "It just happens. You can't control it."
Ron fumed at the wall and didn't answer. A few minutes later, Harry said quietly: "I think we should talk to her."
"NO WAY." Ron turned angrily to his friend. "How can you say such a thing? She's kissing the enemy, Harry! I will never accept that! You will see, Harry, very soon, sooner than you think, Hermione will find out the truth about Malfoy. Then she'll come and beg us to talk to her, and then MAYBE I'll forgive her, if her apology would be nice. But not before that!"
Harry fell silent. He decided to talk to Ron again about the subject during the holiday. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he had to convince Ron. He missed Hermione.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Roni Black
Chapter Seven
Dear Harry and Ron,
Would you please come to visit me today? There is something important we need to talk about.
Hagrid
"So what do you think?" Harry asked Ron during Sunday breakfast, when Hedwig brought him the letter. Hermione was sitting across the table, but the boys ignored her existence. It was already a habit now. "Think we should go?"
"Sure, why not?" said Ron, chewing bacon.
So later that day, Harry and Ron made their way towards Hagrid's cabin. As they entered, Fang licked them both enthusiastically, then went back to eat a big piece of raw, bloody meat.
"What's up, Hagrid?" said Harry.
"Good, good," said Hagrid. "Sit down, I have some cookies for you."
"Thanks," said Harry and Ron politely and tried to eat the hard-as-stone cookies.
Hagrid sat across the table and watched them carefully as they chewed.
"Anything wrong, Hagrid?" said Ron, as he noticed Hagrid's glare.
"Nothing," mumbled Hagrid, and Harry said: "You know what, Hagrid? Two days ago, McGonagall asked us if we wanted another ball. Do you know why they make so many balls this year?"
"Must be because we're seventh-years, right?" said Ron.
"Guess so," said Hagrid, still watching them intently. "They always make balls for the seventh-years. Two or three balls a year."
"It doesn't bother me or anything," said Harry, who still hadn't finished his first cookie, "of course, as long Hermione doesn't dance with Malfoy..."
"Hey," said Hagrid loudly, "why can't she dance with him, if she wants to?"
Harry and Ron gazed at him, surprised.
"Come on, Hagrid," said Ron, "you don't really think Hermione is right when she's dating Malfoy, do you?"
"It has nothing to do with my own opinions," said Hagrid, "it has to do with you two, leaving your best friend because you think she's wrong."
"We left her?!" cried Harry loudly. "She left us!"
"Did she?" said Hagrid and gave Harry a long, tough look, that made Harry flinch a little. Still, Harry wasn't convinced.
"Look, Hagrid," said Ron, "Malfoy was the one who almost caused Dumbledore to fire you! Remember? Four years ago? Buckbeak? Do you really think he deserves Hermione's love?"
"If she loves him, he deserves it," said Hagrid explicitly. "I trust Hermione's judgment one hundered per cent, and I thought you appreciate her enough to do so, too."
"Everybody can make mistakes!" said Ron angrily.
"Of course they can," said Hagrid, "but our Hermione is too clever to let the mistake last more than three days. Do you truly believe she would fall in love with Draco, if he were still the same old jerk he once was?"
"He still is!" said Harry.
"What makes you say that?" asked Hagrid.
"People don't change, Hagrid," said Harry trough gritted teeth.
"Oh, don't they?" replied Hagrid. "Let me tell you, Harry, people do change. I see changes around me all the time. I have a various life experience, trust me on that, and I've seen people chnge completely. In fact, I haven't met one person who didn't change at all."
Harry and Ron exchanged looks.
"The bottom line," said Hagrid, "people change. Draco has changed. Give him a chance, boys, he deserves it. Hermione deserves it. Do it for your friend."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I want revenge."
Bellatrix Lestrange was sitting near the fireplace. This was one of those rare times she was not the form of a snake. She had become a human and sat on the armchair, talking to herself.
She knew she was going crazy.
"I will not let myself go crazy," she said out loud. "I will not let the young Malfoy escape. If I go crazy, I will not be able to hurt him. And I want to hurt him. I want to hurt him badly."
The only question was HOW...
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"It's something I've never even dreamed of," Draco confessed. "Every time I see you, I love you more. I know it sounds totally lame, but it's true."
They were sitting in the back of the library, behind the big shelves and the thousands of books. Hermione liked this place. It was like heaven for her: books!
"I feel so too," Hermione responded quietly. "Listen, Draco, it's almost Christmas... would you like do come with me to my parents' house?"
Draco gazed at her. "To your parents' house?"
"Yeah, well... I just thought... it would be better than staying here. You could meet my family."
"I would love to meet your family," said Draco, elated. "Thank you."
"You..." Hermione bit her lip before deciding to go on, "you know they're all Muggles."
"They are?! I've never known that!" Draco joked. "Even when I called you a Mudblood, I had no idea your parents are Muggles!"
Hermione smiled nervously. "So... you don't mind... about this, right?"
Draco smiled and took her hand. "Listen, Hermione, I never cared about a person's origin. I only tried to convince myself I did, because my father used to brainwash me. Trust me, I love you, and I couldn't love you more if you were pureblood. I really don't care about it. Honest."
Hermione was relieved. "Thank you, Draco. I hoped you say that."
"So, Christmas is in three days, huh?" said Draco lightly. "I'd better pack, right?"
"Sure."
"So... I'll see ya later." He gave her a quick kiss and hurried away.
Hermione followed him with her eyes, then smiled to herself, got up and went to the owlery to send her parents an owl.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I will be home in three days. I can't wait to see you. I invited my boyfriend, Draco, to come over too. I really want you to meet him, he's wonderful, I'm sure you'll love him. He can sleep in my room. I'll set him an extra bed.
Love from
Hermione
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"So we're staying here on Christmas?" asked Harry.
"Yeah," said Ron and shrugged. "Hermione's going home, and I have to replace her as Head Boy for this time. She's being as thoughtful as always, isn't she? Oh, and guess what," Ron twitched his face in disgust, "Malfoy is going with her."
"WHAT?"
"Yeah - Lavender told me. He's probably going to sleep in her room," said Ron and shook his head angrily, "and I wonder how she convinced him to come - why would he want to be in a Muggles house?"
"Isn't it time to loosen up a little?" asked Harry. "I mean, it's not that I understand Hermione, but after all, it's her choice. We can't choose for her."
"But why can't she make the right choices?" Ron demanded. "Why couldn't she choose someone who's normal? Why Malfoy?"
"Look, it's not that she wanted to love him..." said Harry.
"What do you mean?" Ron scolded.
"You don't choose to love someone," said Harry quietly. "It just happens. You can't control it."
Ron fumed at the wall and didn't answer. A few minutes later, Harry said quietly: "I think we should talk to her."
"NO WAY." Ron turned angrily to his friend. "How can you say such a thing? She's kissing the enemy, Harry! I will never accept that! You will see, Harry, very soon, sooner than you think, Hermione will find out the truth about Malfoy. Then she'll come and beg us to talk to her, and then MAYBE I'll forgive her, if her apology would be nice. But not before that!"
Harry fell silent. He decided to talk to Ron again about the subject during the holiday. He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he had to convince Ron. He missed Hermione.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!