Chapter 30- Defense Before Class
"I will never enter a forest again," Draco stated. He and Hermione had just returned to their dormitory from the hospital wing.
"I can understand that. I mean, you didn't like them before, now…you must…"
"How did you know?" He asked sharply.
"First year, remember? That detention we all had with Hagrid."
"Oh, yeah." He glanced at her. She was staring expectantly at him. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll tell you why. My father has been using the Cruciatus Curse on me for years. The first time he ever did it, I was in a forest. I was three years old."
"Three years old?" Hermione repeated breathily, her eyes wide. "What kind of a man would do that?"
"The kind that's named Lucius Malfoy," Draco replied. For the something-eth time, he wished he had been born into a different family. "Hermione, I am sorry for the way I've been acting. I was such a jerk."
"I know," she said. "It doesn't matter. We can be together now."
"It does," he insisted. "I want you to know why. Not far into the summer, my father came and offered me a position in the ranks of Voldemort. I refused, and…we both got angry. I accidentally told him that you and I were together. As I was leaving, he threatened to hurt you. I believed him- and I still do. He is trying to spite me. That is what this whole thing last night was about. They still want me to become a Death Eater."
"Oh, Draco. I'm so sorry." She threw her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you. I'm sorry it took something like this for us to get back together."
"Were we broken up?"
"Well, not exactly. But I was afraid to be with you. I was afraid of my own feelings. Now I admit them whole-heartedly."
"I'm glad," he said quietly. "Now, should I go get us some lunch?"
"I think yes."
Draco walked to the door exit. Potter and Weasley entered as soon as he tried to leave, pushing him back into the room. "No! Ron, stop it!" Hermione shouted.
Ron paid no attention. He was fighting against Harry's hold to get at Draco. Draco was busy wrenching his arm free of Ron's grip. They each managed their feats at the same moment, and they toppled to the floor.
Draco did not manage to get out his warning for Hermione not to come any closer, and she and Harry tried to break up their fight. Ron's arm went up, hitting Hermione's jaw firmly. Her eyes watered, and she staggered back against the wall.
When Ron realized what he had done, he let Harry pull him away. Draco ignored the other two men in the room, and went to Hermione. She was sitting on the floor, holding her face gently in her hands. It looked like it was hurting her to cry. She succumbed to his arms as he encircled her in a comforting embrace. He glared at Weasley, who stared at Hermione with a look of deep remorse.
"Hermione…I'm sorry."
She just shook her head, still unable to speak, and wiped at her nose. "Do you need some tissues?" Draco asked her. She nodded, and he went to his bathroom to retrieve some. She accepted them, and cleaned herself up.
"Now look what you've done, Weasley," Draco snarled. "You should just leave us alone. We have the right to do whatever we want without your interference."
"Draco. No," Hermione said, slowly and quietly. Ron must have really injured her.
"He could have seriously hurt you, Hermione, and he was definitely bent on doing the same to me. What is his problem, anyway?"
"I thought you weren't going to see him anymore, Hermione! I mean- well, he's Malfoy!"
"I'm sure she noticed," Draco said, feeling offended.
"Draco is right, though, Ron," Hermione said. "You cannot tell me who to be with. I am in love with Draco, and you need to accept that."
"The whole school is finding out about you two as we speak, from Parvati and Lavender. Soon everyone will know. What will they think of you, Hermione?" Ron seemed committed to making her unwilling to stay with him.
"Let the entire world know," Hermione said, as firmly as she could manage without wincing. "We love each other. It does not matter who knows anymore. But you, Ron, and Harry as well, you need to understand that Draco is no longer an enemy. He never was, really. You do not have to like each other. That cannot be forced. But I will not allow you to fight. Even if you don't like each other, you will *respect* each other, and you will be civil, because we are all on the same side."
Draco could not believe what he was hearing. He was supposed to respect Potter and Weasley. "I might have to work on that," he muttered.
"I can handle that," Harry said, in a quite surprising move. "But for Ron it will take some time. Right now I think I have to drag him from the room. See you later, Hermione."
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron said again as Harry did just what he said he would.
When they had gone, Draco turned to Hermione. "Are you all right, sweetie?"
She broke into a grin. "You've never called me that before. Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to give Ron a hard time. You know, he's being such an insufferable git about the whole thing. Harry's been good about it, but I think Ron is just crazy."
"It took you that long to figure it out?" he asked, half serious.
"I guess so."
"And they say you're smart."
"Hey! That is not nice."
He reached out with his magic, and he lifted her about a foot off the floor. Her eyes were level with his. "Is this nice?"
She did not look happy, but she did not say no. He stepped forward, and took her in his arms as though plucking her from the air. He did not let her down to the floor until their lips had been locked for a few long minutes.
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Hermione found the whole situation with Draco to be a lot easier now that they did not have to hide it. Their biggest problem, at that point, was mealtime. Draco was not welcome at the Gryffindor table. While Draco ruled the Slytherins, Hermione was not comfortable sitting among them. As a result, they could not eat meals together in the Great Hall. Sometimes they would purposely do their work as Head Boy and Girl during meals, so they could have the food brought to their dorm.
Classes were different. Once everyone knew, they started sitting together, working together, choosing each other for partners. They held hands in the halls, stealing kisses in plain view of the entire student body. They saw no reason to hide their relationship, just as Harry and Ron stopped waiting until they were alone when everyone found out about them.
One day, when they were waiting outside Snape's classroom, Pansy Parkinson decided to test them. "Wow, Draco, I never would have expected you, of all people, to take up with a Mudblood. You're just using her for her brains, aren't you?"
Draco's face became suddenly expressionless. Hermione was afraid he might actually kill Pansy. He stepped up to her. "First," he said quietly, menacingly, "The only reason I love Hermione's intelligence is that it makes her superior to people like you. I love her caring, her compassion, her hardships and heartaches, everything about her. And second, if you ever call her that again, I will not be responsible for my actions."
Pansy whimpered involuntarily. Hermione was staring at Draco in wonder, loving him more every moment. She pulled him closer to her, and he entwined his fingers in hers. They filed into the classroom behind the rest and sat down at the only empty table.
"You will be reading today, from the copies on your tables. You will not be doing anything but learning the theory of these potions. Start now, and don't talk."
Under the gist of taking notes on the potion, Hermione wrote to Draco, ~*Thank you.*~
He looked at it for a minute before responding. ~* I would not have let anyone talk about you like that, especially Parkinson.
H: Well, I still get to thank you, don't I? It was a very sweet thing to do.
D: You're welcome.
H: All right, now pay attention.
D: Me? You're the one who started this note.
H: You're the one who's continuing it.
D: I can't believe we are now proving my point again.
H: Which one?
D: The argument one.
H: Oh, that. No, this is completely different.
D: How? If Snape catches us, he'll read it aloud to the class?
H: He wouldn't do that to *you*, his star pupil.
D: You're the star pupil, he just won't admit it because you're in Gryffindor.
H: He just looked this way. We had better get to work.*~
Hermione was very intrigued by the potion they read about. She would have to do more research on it.
End Chapter 30
What *was* that last sentence about? Does anyone know?????
Yes, this chapter was short, and there is not much to comment on, but please review anyway. I have needs to be met. If I don't get my daily fix of reviews I might *die*. And then you would never know how the story turns out.
Also, if you review you get apple-kiwi-strawberry confetti!! …because that's the flavor of the juice I'm drinking right now.
"I will never enter a forest again," Draco stated. He and Hermione had just returned to their dormitory from the hospital wing.
"I can understand that. I mean, you didn't like them before, now…you must…"
"How did you know?" He asked sharply.
"First year, remember? That detention we all had with Hagrid."
"Oh, yeah." He glanced at her. She was staring expectantly at him. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll tell you why. My father has been using the Cruciatus Curse on me for years. The first time he ever did it, I was in a forest. I was three years old."
"Three years old?" Hermione repeated breathily, her eyes wide. "What kind of a man would do that?"
"The kind that's named Lucius Malfoy," Draco replied. For the something-eth time, he wished he had been born into a different family. "Hermione, I am sorry for the way I've been acting. I was such a jerk."
"I know," she said. "It doesn't matter. We can be together now."
"It does," he insisted. "I want you to know why. Not far into the summer, my father came and offered me a position in the ranks of Voldemort. I refused, and…we both got angry. I accidentally told him that you and I were together. As I was leaving, he threatened to hurt you. I believed him- and I still do. He is trying to spite me. That is what this whole thing last night was about. They still want me to become a Death Eater."
"Oh, Draco. I'm so sorry." She threw her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry this had to happen to you. I'm sorry it took something like this for us to get back together."
"Were we broken up?"
"Well, not exactly. But I was afraid to be with you. I was afraid of my own feelings. Now I admit them whole-heartedly."
"I'm glad," he said quietly. "Now, should I go get us some lunch?"
"I think yes."
Draco walked to the door exit. Potter and Weasley entered as soon as he tried to leave, pushing him back into the room. "No! Ron, stop it!" Hermione shouted.
Ron paid no attention. He was fighting against Harry's hold to get at Draco. Draco was busy wrenching his arm free of Ron's grip. They each managed their feats at the same moment, and they toppled to the floor.
Draco did not manage to get out his warning for Hermione not to come any closer, and she and Harry tried to break up their fight. Ron's arm went up, hitting Hermione's jaw firmly. Her eyes watered, and she staggered back against the wall.
When Ron realized what he had done, he let Harry pull him away. Draco ignored the other two men in the room, and went to Hermione. She was sitting on the floor, holding her face gently in her hands. It looked like it was hurting her to cry. She succumbed to his arms as he encircled her in a comforting embrace. He glared at Weasley, who stared at Hermione with a look of deep remorse.
"Hermione…I'm sorry."
She just shook her head, still unable to speak, and wiped at her nose. "Do you need some tissues?" Draco asked her. She nodded, and he went to his bathroom to retrieve some. She accepted them, and cleaned herself up.
"Now look what you've done, Weasley," Draco snarled. "You should just leave us alone. We have the right to do whatever we want without your interference."
"Draco. No," Hermione said, slowly and quietly. Ron must have really injured her.
"He could have seriously hurt you, Hermione, and he was definitely bent on doing the same to me. What is his problem, anyway?"
"I thought you weren't going to see him anymore, Hermione! I mean- well, he's Malfoy!"
"I'm sure she noticed," Draco said, feeling offended.
"Draco is right, though, Ron," Hermione said. "You cannot tell me who to be with. I am in love with Draco, and you need to accept that."
"The whole school is finding out about you two as we speak, from Parvati and Lavender. Soon everyone will know. What will they think of you, Hermione?" Ron seemed committed to making her unwilling to stay with him.
"Let the entire world know," Hermione said, as firmly as she could manage without wincing. "We love each other. It does not matter who knows anymore. But you, Ron, and Harry as well, you need to understand that Draco is no longer an enemy. He never was, really. You do not have to like each other. That cannot be forced. But I will not allow you to fight. Even if you don't like each other, you will *respect* each other, and you will be civil, because we are all on the same side."
Draco could not believe what he was hearing. He was supposed to respect Potter and Weasley. "I might have to work on that," he muttered.
"I can handle that," Harry said, in a quite surprising move. "But for Ron it will take some time. Right now I think I have to drag him from the room. See you later, Hermione."
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Ron said again as Harry did just what he said he would.
When they had gone, Draco turned to Hermione. "Are you all right, sweetie?"
She broke into a grin. "You've never called me that before. Yes, I'm fine. I just wanted to give Ron a hard time. You know, he's being such an insufferable git about the whole thing. Harry's been good about it, but I think Ron is just crazy."
"It took you that long to figure it out?" he asked, half serious.
"I guess so."
"And they say you're smart."
"Hey! That is not nice."
He reached out with his magic, and he lifted her about a foot off the floor. Her eyes were level with his. "Is this nice?"
She did not look happy, but she did not say no. He stepped forward, and took her in his arms as though plucking her from the air. He did not let her down to the floor until their lips had been locked for a few long minutes.
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Hermione found the whole situation with Draco to be a lot easier now that they did not have to hide it. Their biggest problem, at that point, was mealtime. Draco was not welcome at the Gryffindor table. While Draco ruled the Slytherins, Hermione was not comfortable sitting among them. As a result, they could not eat meals together in the Great Hall. Sometimes they would purposely do their work as Head Boy and Girl during meals, so they could have the food brought to their dorm.
Classes were different. Once everyone knew, they started sitting together, working together, choosing each other for partners. They held hands in the halls, stealing kisses in plain view of the entire student body. They saw no reason to hide their relationship, just as Harry and Ron stopped waiting until they were alone when everyone found out about them.
One day, when they were waiting outside Snape's classroom, Pansy Parkinson decided to test them. "Wow, Draco, I never would have expected you, of all people, to take up with a Mudblood. You're just using her for her brains, aren't you?"
Draco's face became suddenly expressionless. Hermione was afraid he might actually kill Pansy. He stepped up to her. "First," he said quietly, menacingly, "The only reason I love Hermione's intelligence is that it makes her superior to people like you. I love her caring, her compassion, her hardships and heartaches, everything about her. And second, if you ever call her that again, I will not be responsible for my actions."
Pansy whimpered involuntarily. Hermione was staring at Draco in wonder, loving him more every moment. She pulled him closer to her, and he entwined his fingers in hers. They filed into the classroom behind the rest and sat down at the only empty table.
"You will be reading today, from the copies on your tables. You will not be doing anything but learning the theory of these potions. Start now, and don't talk."
Under the gist of taking notes on the potion, Hermione wrote to Draco, ~*Thank you.*~
He looked at it for a minute before responding. ~* I would not have let anyone talk about you like that, especially Parkinson.
H: Well, I still get to thank you, don't I? It was a very sweet thing to do.
D: You're welcome.
H: All right, now pay attention.
D: Me? You're the one who started this note.
H: You're the one who's continuing it.
D: I can't believe we are now proving my point again.
H: Which one?
D: The argument one.
H: Oh, that. No, this is completely different.
D: How? If Snape catches us, he'll read it aloud to the class?
H: He wouldn't do that to *you*, his star pupil.
D: You're the star pupil, he just won't admit it because you're in Gryffindor.
H: He just looked this way. We had better get to work.*~
Hermione was very intrigued by the potion they read about. She would have to do more research on it.
End Chapter 30
What *was* that last sentence about? Does anyone know?????
Yes, this chapter was short, and there is not much to comment on, but please review anyway. I have needs to be met. If I don't get my daily fix of reviews I might *die*. And then you would never know how the story turns out.
Also, if you review you get apple-kiwi-strawberry confetti!! …because that's the flavor of the juice I'm drinking right now.