Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter; all I own is the North family.
Wow, I didn't think that some of you were still reading my story, but it turns out that quite a few of you still are! Thanks to those dedicated enough to stick with me on my break for school. I will give thank yous at the end of this chapter for the chapter 8 reviewers. A special thanks to Lulu and Melody, you guys are the greatest betas ever. Please review and enjoy this long awaited scene (long awaited for me anyways, I don't know about the rest of you though.)
Chapter 9
Finally, Pansy and Millicent straggled into Care of Magical Creatures just as Hagrid was heading up to the front of the class having finished a conversation with Hermione. Hermione was channeling through Harry and Draco, but with one less flashback, it seemed to lessen the intensity incomprehensibly. He beamed at the class as he turned around to face them.
"I've got a real treat for yeh today class! Now come with me. Hurry up!" said Hagrid as the class made their way to the back of Hagrid's hut. There was a few crates waiting at the back of the hut, many of them feared that they'd have to do another unit on the Blast-Ended Skrewts because they'd had enough after one time.
"Now, can anybody tell me wha' a Runespoor is?" said Hagrid finally.
Hermione, like always, let go of Harry's hand and shot her hand as high in the air as she could get it because they were near the back of the crowd and there were several taller people in the way. Hagrid, though he could barely see her through the crowd, knew that Hermione was the only one raising her hand.
"Hermione."
"Runespoors are three-headed serpents that used to be a favorite pet of dark wizards because of its frightful appearance. They can grow up to about nine feet long and a vibrantly colored. Each of the heads represent a different emotion, and this sometimes causes one head to fight with the other, and sometimes, two of the heads will kill one of the others."
"Very good Hermione, ten points ter Gryffindor!" he said proudly. Hermione would always pull through even when she was in horrible pain or not in her prime.
Hermione smiled a brilliant smile at his compliment then grabbed Harry's hand again. "Now, yer assignmen' will be to take care of a baby Runespoor fer a week, so it'll only be abou' three foot or so, and to draw it and write which head is which emotion. All of yeh will be in groups o' three and I will assign the groups so tha' there'll be no arguin'. Harry, Hermione, an' Malfoy, yeh'll be the first group so go pick out a Runespoor from one o' those crates over there."
The three of them made their way to the hut. Many people let out groans because they knew that Harry was a Parselmouth and even if he didn't know the answers, he could just talk to the heads and get them, Hermione already knew this stuff anyways so it was like she didn't even need to show up for class, and Draco had once owned a Runespoor and knew his creatures well. That was just plain unfair to the rest of them, they thought, because that would mean they'd have to actually research and study the Runespoor instead of just having the go to person at their every beck and call because Hagrid would keep a close eye on them.
The trio didn't pay attention for the rest of class; they just took their Runespoor of their entire liking and went to the other side of the hut to do whatever it was they were going to do. Harry was talking with the Runespoor all the way asking it all sorts of questions that the other two would never be able to interpret and knew that he probably would be a while if he was going to. They spent the rest of the class watching the Runespoor, which had taken quite a liking to them. They also watched as the rest of the class had a horrible time of even trying to get their Runespoors to stay near them and some of the Runespoors really hated the people watching them and became somewhat hostile towards their temporary owners. The three laughed as they saw Pansy, Millicent, and Blaise all running from their Runespoor, which had taken an instant disliking to all of them.
The class seemed to go by in a flash and they were off to lunch. Harry volunteered to take care of the Runespoor for a while because the two had really taken a shine to each other, and Hermione could tell that Harry seemed to just really like having responsibility over something for once in his life, so they let him take it.
Draco went his separate way as they entered the Great Hall. Hermione and Harry sat in their usual spot and waited for the rest of the people to come in for lunch. One of the first people to enter was Colin Creevey, whom immediately went to Harry and Hermione.
"Hiya Harry, hi Hermione!"
"Hello Colin," they said together.
"Would you two mind if I took a picture of you with the Runespoor?"
"Sure Colin," said Harry.
So Harry moved closer to Hermione and put his arm around her shoulder and held up the Runespoor's heads while Hermione held the tail, which seemed to naturally wrap slightly around her hand. They both smiled and Colin took the picture.
"Thanks you guys! That'll definitely be a keeper! Well, got to go find some more people to take pictures of. Bye Harry, bye Hermione!" said Colin running off in the direction of Parvati and Padma Patil and Lavender Brown, whom also had managed to have a docile Runespoor with them. Colin snapped a picture of them and was off again.
The rest of the day went by very quickly and soon classes and dinner were over and people were just hanging around or doing homework, and for once, Hermione was not one of them. Draco had convinced her to go on a walk with him because she was getting so stressed and needed something relaxing to do. So they walked towards the lake hand in hand (channeling obviously!)
"It's a beautiful night tonight, isn't it?" asked Hermione finally breaking the silence that had enveloped them. It truly was; the moon was full and bright, the sky a velvety, midnight blue and littered with hundreds of stars, which all twinkled brightly. It was really a sight to see.
The cool breezes of the evening brushed against their faces. As they went farther out, quietness spread out, and their voices seemed loud in the silence. They walked for what seemed like hours even if it was only minutes. "Hey Hermione, let's pretend that this is your favorite place to go," stated Draco out of the blue as they were heading back to the school.
Hermione looked up towards the sky and closed her eyes as she said, "I suppose that my favorite place to go was Ireland, I have family there, well foster family back there . . . I remember going there as a little girl, and every night I would look up at the sky and wish that I could be something more . . . that my life did have meaning and that I wasn't just imagining all of the things that were happening because my 'family' wanted to institutionalize me for all the things I'd been saying were happening. . . I suppose that I was beginning to believe it myself . . . that place also has bitter memories for me . . ."
They opened the door and Draco said, "I'm sorry Hermione."
"It's all right, I suppose you've been many places before?"
"I've been to many places before - but I suppose places are all about the same, and in some ways, so is life." He hesitated as they continued walking back to the Head's Hall, which was very close by now, and looked down at her and added softly, "People are born, they grow up, they fall in love -" he paused to watch her face for her reaction. Finally he smiled and went on, "- then they marry, they die - and that's what life is. Isn't that what you want with your life?"
They stopped in front of Hermione's door and Hermione replied, "I just don't know. I really don't know Draco, how am I supposed to love a man most and love everyone else as well? That just doesn't seem possible to me, it doesn't make any sense." It seemed to shock her that she had said something like this so bluntly, and she gave a little gasp and started to draw back.
Draco Malfoy was never a man to miss a golden opportunity like this. He drew her close with a smooth, practiced motion - not so recklessly that he would frighten her, nor so gently that she could pull away. Her eyes opened wide as he pulled her into his embrace, and she seemed unable to move as his body pressed against hers. Her lips opened slightly in shock, and he strongly suspected that never before had Miss Hermione Morgan ever felt as she was feeling at this moment. "Love isn't supposed to make sense," he said to himself. He lowered his head and let his lips fall upon hers. Her lips were soft by nature, and soft as a result of the surprise and shock that came to her as his arms met, closed around her.
At once a resistance stiffened her backbone, but as the warmth of Draco's lips touched hers, it seemed to spread like a fire through her veins; he felt her resistance melt, and she allowed him to pull her even closer. Hermione's heart was beating fast; unconsciously, her arms raised and went behind the back of Draco's neck, and for one moment they stood there embracing, caught in the powerful magnetism between a woman and a man.
Then she drew back with a gasp, her eyes staring; her face at first pale, took on a crimson flush starting at her throat and sweeping up over her face. Then she put both hands to her face and turned blindly away.
Draco instantly took her arm and said what he knew must be said. "Hermione, forgive me - I don't know what came over me . . ." They were both silent for a moment.
He continued apologizing; finally she stopped and turned to face him, her composure restored to some degree. Her eyes were still wide and her lips trembling, but she did not appear to be angry. She was, Draco perceived, shaken from her complacency, and he rejoiced to see it. Finally she said, "We were both wrong, Draco."
Draco shook his head, "There can be no wrong on your part! I have never known a girl who has such depth of spirit; I must say the thought that came to me when I first saw you: a women of virtue and of such beauty is a pearl of great price."
Hermione touched her cheek with one hand, then, confused, turned away from him and went through the doorway as she said the password (pixie dust,) leaving Draco standing outside. He stood there for a few moments; then a broad smile flashed across his lips and he said under his breath, "Well, Hermione, my dear! Underneath that innocent exterior and strict moral behavior lurks a tiger! I'm glad to discover it; and it will be my pleasure to tame the beast!" As he followed her into her room, he knew he had won the game . . .
Author's Note: Yea! Finally some Draco and Hermione action! Well, I have some thank yous to take care of now!
Blue-Dreamz - Yes, Draco is in love with Hermione, and yes his father did plan that, not the Draco being in love with Hermione of course, but he did plan the betrothal to be in Draco's last school year, but that will be elaborated on later on in the story. I will hopefully have this updated soon, but my computer is getting progressively more retarded and freezing so much and it won't allow me to actually get on the internet to post or this stuff would be up faster.
LinNicole - Thank you so much for reminding me about that, I completely forgot about Hermione and Sirius action. I will definitely put some in soon. And Thanks so much for sticking with me during my long hiatus.
Eminem-Chick2 - It is horrible that all the stuff that her 'father' did to her happened, but I wanted to try something different, and this is definitely different from my usual writing style. I feel sorry for them about going through that too, but I think it makes for a stronger plot. And thanks!
Draco Amant - Yeah, I have been very busy lately, but I'm trying to work around it to the best of my ability. I won't abandon my story, it's my baby! I'm glad that you were willing to read a different style than you usually would, it's good that you did that, you have no idea how good that makes me feel about my writing. Thanks!
Blue-Dreamz - Um, Draco doesn't tell Hermione because he doesn't want her to find out. Like I said in the last chapter, Pansy and Millicent are going to play a huge part in this because of that . . . I don't want to give too much away though. I'll update as soon as I can. Thanks a million!
Sweetie2 - Thank you very much!
Wow, I didn't think that some of you were still reading my story, but it turns out that quite a few of you still are! Thanks to those dedicated enough to stick with me on my break for school. I will give thank yous at the end of this chapter for the chapter 8 reviewers. A special thanks to Lulu and Melody, you guys are the greatest betas ever. Please review and enjoy this long awaited scene (long awaited for me anyways, I don't know about the rest of you though.)
Chapter 9
Finally, Pansy and Millicent straggled into Care of Magical Creatures just as Hagrid was heading up to the front of the class having finished a conversation with Hermione. Hermione was channeling through Harry and Draco, but with one less flashback, it seemed to lessen the intensity incomprehensibly. He beamed at the class as he turned around to face them.
"I've got a real treat for yeh today class! Now come with me. Hurry up!" said Hagrid as the class made their way to the back of Hagrid's hut. There was a few crates waiting at the back of the hut, many of them feared that they'd have to do another unit on the Blast-Ended Skrewts because they'd had enough after one time.
"Now, can anybody tell me wha' a Runespoor is?" said Hagrid finally.
Hermione, like always, let go of Harry's hand and shot her hand as high in the air as she could get it because they were near the back of the crowd and there were several taller people in the way. Hagrid, though he could barely see her through the crowd, knew that Hermione was the only one raising her hand.
"Hermione."
"Runespoors are three-headed serpents that used to be a favorite pet of dark wizards because of its frightful appearance. They can grow up to about nine feet long and a vibrantly colored. Each of the heads represent a different emotion, and this sometimes causes one head to fight with the other, and sometimes, two of the heads will kill one of the others."
"Very good Hermione, ten points ter Gryffindor!" he said proudly. Hermione would always pull through even when she was in horrible pain or not in her prime.
Hermione smiled a brilliant smile at his compliment then grabbed Harry's hand again. "Now, yer assignmen' will be to take care of a baby Runespoor fer a week, so it'll only be abou' three foot or so, and to draw it and write which head is which emotion. All of yeh will be in groups o' three and I will assign the groups so tha' there'll be no arguin'. Harry, Hermione, an' Malfoy, yeh'll be the first group so go pick out a Runespoor from one o' those crates over there."
The three of them made their way to the hut. Many people let out groans because they knew that Harry was a Parselmouth and even if he didn't know the answers, he could just talk to the heads and get them, Hermione already knew this stuff anyways so it was like she didn't even need to show up for class, and Draco had once owned a Runespoor and knew his creatures well. That was just plain unfair to the rest of them, they thought, because that would mean they'd have to actually research and study the Runespoor instead of just having the go to person at their every beck and call because Hagrid would keep a close eye on them.
The trio didn't pay attention for the rest of class; they just took their Runespoor of their entire liking and went to the other side of the hut to do whatever it was they were going to do. Harry was talking with the Runespoor all the way asking it all sorts of questions that the other two would never be able to interpret and knew that he probably would be a while if he was going to. They spent the rest of the class watching the Runespoor, which had taken quite a liking to them. They also watched as the rest of the class had a horrible time of even trying to get their Runespoors to stay near them and some of the Runespoors really hated the people watching them and became somewhat hostile towards their temporary owners. The three laughed as they saw Pansy, Millicent, and Blaise all running from their Runespoor, which had taken an instant disliking to all of them.
The class seemed to go by in a flash and they were off to lunch. Harry volunteered to take care of the Runespoor for a while because the two had really taken a shine to each other, and Hermione could tell that Harry seemed to just really like having responsibility over something for once in his life, so they let him take it.
Draco went his separate way as they entered the Great Hall. Hermione and Harry sat in their usual spot and waited for the rest of the people to come in for lunch. One of the first people to enter was Colin Creevey, whom immediately went to Harry and Hermione.
"Hiya Harry, hi Hermione!"
"Hello Colin," they said together.
"Would you two mind if I took a picture of you with the Runespoor?"
"Sure Colin," said Harry.
So Harry moved closer to Hermione and put his arm around her shoulder and held up the Runespoor's heads while Hermione held the tail, which seemed to naturally wrap slightly around her hand. They both smiled and Colin took the picture.
"Thanks you guys! That'll definitely be a keeper! Well, got to go find some more people to take pictures of. Bye Harry, bye Hermione!" said Colin running off in the direction of Parvati and Padma Patil and Lavender Brown, whom also had managed to have a docile Runespoor with them. Colin snapped a picture of them and was off again.
The rest of the day went by very quickly and soon classes and dinner were over and people were just hanging around or doing homework, and for once, Hermione was not one of them. Draco had convinced her to go on a walk with him because she was getting so stressed and needed something relaxing to do. So they walked towards the lake hand in hand (channeling obviously!)
"It's a beautiful night tonight, isn't it?" asked Hermione finally breaking the silence that had enveloped them. It truly was; the moon was full and bright, the sky a velvety, midnight blue and littered with hundreds of stars, which all twinkled brightly. It was really a sight to see.
The cool breezes of the evening brushed against their faces. As they went farther out, quietness spread out, and their voices seemed loud in the silence. They walked for what seemed like hours even if it was only minutes. "Hey Hermione, let's pretend that this is your favorite place to go," stated Draco out of the blue as they were heading back to the school.
Hermione looked up towards the sky and closed her eyes as she said, "I suppose that my favorite place to go was Ireland, I have family there, well foster family back there . . . I remember going there as a little girl, and every night I would look up at the sky and wish that I could be something more . . . that my life did have meaning and that I wasn't just imagining all of the things that were happening because my 'family' wanted to institutionalize me for all the things I'd been saying were happening. . . I suppose that I was beginning to believe it myself . . . that place also has bitter memories for me . . ."
They opened the door and Draco said, "I'm sorry Hermione."
"It's all right, I suppose you've been many places before?"
"I've been to many places before - but I suppose places are all about the same, and in some ways, so is life." He hesitated as they continued walking back to the Head's Hall, which was very close by now, and looked down at her and added softly, "People are born, they grow up, they fall in love -" he paused to watch her face for her reaction. Finally he smiled and went on, "- then they marry, they die - and that's what life is. Isn't that what you want with your life?"
They stopped in front of Hermione's door and Hermione replied, "I just don't know. I really don't know Draco, how am I supposed to love a man most and love everyone else as well? That just doesn't seem possible to me, it doesn't make any sense." It seemed to shock her that she had said something like this so bluntly, and she gave a little gasp and started to draw back.
Draco Malfoy was never a man to miss a golden opportunity like this. He drew her close with a smooth, practiced motion - not so recklessly that he would frighten her, nor so gently that she could pull away. Her eyes opened wide as he pulled her into his embrace, and she seemed unable to move as his body pressed against hers. Her lips opened slightly in shock, and he strongly suspected that never before had Miss Hermione Morgan ever felt as she was feeling at this moment. "Love isn't supposed to make sense," he said to himself. He lowered his head and let his lips fall upon hers. Her lips were soft by nature, and soft as a result of the surprise and shock that came to her as his arms met, closed around her.
At once a resistance stiffened her backbone, but as the warmth of Draco's lips touched hers, it seemed to spread like a fire through her veins; he felt her resistance melt, and she allowed him to pull her even closer. Hermione's heart was beating fast; unconsciously, her arms raised and went behind the back of Draco's neck, and for one moment they stood there embracing, caught in the powerful magnetism between a woman and a man.
Then she drew back with a gasp, her eyes staring; her face at first pale, took on a crimson flush starting at her throat and sweeping up over her face. Then she put both hands to her face and turned blindly away.
Draco instantly took her arm and said what he knew must be said. "Hermione, forgive me - I don't know what came over me . . ." They were both silent for a moment.
He continued apologizing; finally she stopped and turned to face him, her composure restored to some degree. Her eyes were still wide and her lips trembling, but she did not appear to be angry. She was, Draco perceived, shaken from her complacency, and he rejoiced to see it. Finally she said, "We were both wrong, Draco."
Draco shook his head, "There can be no wrong on your part! I have never known a girl who has such depth of spirit; I must say the thought that came to me when I first saw you: a women of virtue and of such beauty is a pearl of great price."
Hermione touched her cheek with one hand, then, confused, turned away from him and went through the doorway as she said the password (pixie dust,) leaving Draco standing outside. He stood there for a few moments; then a broad smile flashed across his lips and he said under his breath, "Well, Hermione, my dear! Underneath that innocent exterior and strict moral behavior lurks a tiger! I'm glad to discover it; and it will be my pleasure to tame the beast!" As he followed her into her room, he knew he had won the game . . .
Author's Note: Yea! Finally some Draco and Hermione action! Well, I have some thank yous to take care of now!
Blue-Dreamz - Yes, Draco is in love with Hermione, and yes his father did plan that, not the Draco being in love with Hermione of course, but he did plan the betrothal to be in Draco's last school year, but that will be elaborated on later on in the story. I will hopefully have this updated soon, but my computer is getting progressively more retarded and freezing so much and it won't allow me to actually get on the internet to post or this stuff would be up faster.
LinNicole - Thank you so much for reminding me about that, I completely forgot about Hermione and Sirius action. I will definitely put some in soon. And Thanks so much for sticking with me during my long hiatus.
Eminem-Chick2 - It is horrible that all the stuff that her 'father' did to her happened, but I wanted to try something different, and this is definitely different from my usual writing style. I feel sorry for them about going through that too, but I think it makes for a stronger plot. And thanks!
Draco Amant - Yeah, I have been very busy lately, but I'm trying to work around it to the best of my ability. I won't abandon my story, it's my baby! I'm glad that you were willing to read a different style than you usually would, it's good that you did that, you have no idea how good that makes me feel about my writing. Thanks!
Blue-Dreamz - Um, Draco doesn't tell Hermione because he doesn't want her to find out. Like I said in the last chapter, Pansy and Millicent are going to play a huge part in this because of that . . . I don't want to give too much away though. I'll update as soon as I can. Thanks a million!
Sweetie2 - Thank you very much!