Chapter 41- The Return of Eros
Having planned the feast, Hermione and Draco knew that it would be worth attending. Their hands clasped tightly, they exited their dorm and made for the Great Hall. Draco smiled as they passed the decorations that they had worked so hard to put up. It was worth the effort when a student stopped to wonder at the shimmery shruvewips.
In the center of a rather massive table was a ten-foot roast turkey. Side dishes to satisfy anyone's palate surrounded the main course, garnished with all kinds of fancy leaves and trimmings. Most of the students had arrived for dinner when Hermione and Draco walked in, but two seats had been saved near Dumbledore. They went to these. Draco pulled her chair out, seating her like a true gentleman, and he kissed her hand lightly as he sat down himself.
"New rings?" Dumbledore winked slightly. He turned back to the feast, and he magicked some turkey onto his plate.
Draco thoroughly enjoyed the meal. "I think we're good planners, don't you?"
"Only when we have the right inspiration," Hermione answered with a suggestive smile. She picked up her goblet, which contained a very light wine, and sipped daintily at the savory liquid.
"I have some quite inspiring tricks to show you when we get back to our dorm," he grinned. He knew that she was dying to slap him with a napkin, or something. But she did not. She was visibly embarrassed, however, for a few minutes.
"My compliments on this most excellent turkey," Dumbledore sent in their direction. "I cannot remember tasting its rival. And what an impressively massive turkey."
"Thank you, sir," Draco sent back. "We weren't sure whether we wanted one gigantic turkey or personal miniature turkeys for everyone. Then we just figured, why not get the one no one will be able to see over. The giant turkey won."
Hermione snorted into her plate. Draco glanced at her in amusement, and she shot an affectionate glare at him. He leaned toward her to whisper in her ear. "After this, will you come to the Astronomy Tower with me?"
"Well, of course." She smiled warmly. They both turned back to their desserts- Draco's a varied selection of gourmet fudge. As he bit into a square, he thought, *Well, there are definitely advantages in planning everything*.
When at last the feasts final remnants had disappeared, Draco took Hermione by the hand, leading her from the Great Hall. They wandered through the halls for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet of the night- for the noise was contained within each House's respective common room.
When the time was right, Draco suggested that they start toward the Astronomy Tower. Hermione acquiesced curiously, still not having guessed why he had asked that they go there. She probably assumed that he wanted to snog. Which he did, but that was not the main reason.
Draco closed the door tightly. "What are we doing here?" Hermione asked.
"You'll see," he replied.
"Before you do anything, Draco, I feel I should tell you I'm still not ready."
So she did think he had brought her here to seduce her. He laughed. "That's not why we're here, love. I told you I would wait until you were ready."
"Well…why are we here, then?"
"In about…half an hour, you'll see."
Half an hour later, Draco brought her to the window and looked up. "There it is," he said, a grin crossing his face. "Look up."
Hermione did as he said, and gasped. He saw the smile touch her lips, then turned his eyes back to the sky. He did not want to miss this, after all. It was not every day a man got to see Aurora Borealis.
When finally they were too tired and strained to look any longer, they stepped away from the window. "Just a little present from my friend Boreas," Draco told her.
"Are you serious?"
"Well, not really. I just happened to *listen* in class when the professor told us we would be able to see Aurora Borealis from the tower on Christmas night."
"Oh, leave me alone, Draco. If you must know, I was watching *you* that night."
"Hermione Know-It-All Granger, *not* listening in class? What is the world coming to?"
"It's your fault, so don't give me that."
"How is it my fault?" He pretended to be hurt by her accusations.
"You looked so *good* that night. I just couldn't help it."
Draco looked down as they walked, embarrassedly scratching the back of his head. "Bloody- well, if you must know, I only heard that much of what she said. The rest of the time I was thinking about you."
"Ah, so that explains the goofy grin." Hermione proceeded to open her mouth as wide as she could in imitation.
"That isn't funny."
"Yes it is."
"And so is this," he shot back, lifting her from the floor with wandless magic. He loved doing this to her, if for no other reason than she could not do the same to him.
"No, it's not, Draco."
"Sure it is."
"No It's NOT!!!!"
He set her down, sticking a finger in his ear. "I think my eardrum just popped."
"Well, now you know not to do that any more." She took his hand and kissed it.
"Aren't we just an odd bundle of emotions today?"
"The ring made me do it," Hermione said, smiling sweetly. They both laughed. Draco leaned down to kiss her, and she jumped into his arms.
For the whole vacation, they were out of each other's sight only when they had to use the bathroom. They slept in the common room for the remainder of December, and into the first few days of January. Draco would have loved to keep sleeping with Hermione for the rest of his life.
A week had gone by since Christmas, and Hermione and Draco were just getting into bed to talk. Suddenly, Draco heard a very annoying voice call, "Hey, lover boy! Over here! Can you figure it out on your own this time?"
Rolling his eyes, Draco wandlessly opened the curtains of the window facing the bed, and Eros smiled down at them, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "How goes 'it', Drakie?"
"Why won't you let me call you Drakie?" Hermione wondered, with a jealous edge to her voice.
"You can call me whatever you want, Hermione," Draco replied, planting a kiss on the end of her nose. "But you, Eros, I never gave permission for that."
"Come on, Drakes, I think you owe me a little something after what I did for you."
"That's Eros? The god of love?"
"Ah, intelligent one you have there. Smarter than you, anyway." Eros laughed, and Draco heard Hermione cough. It sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
"What are you doing here, Eros?" Draco asked sharply.
"I wanted to see how my little lovebird was doing," the boy in the window replied, making a motion as though pinching Draco's cheek. At the same moment, Draco felt his cheek pinched.
Draco almost rose, before he realized that if he attacked Eros he would break the window. He settled back down, growing more sour by the second. "So why did you take so long to come by?"
"Hey, you're not the only people in love in the world. Stop thinking about yourself. I have many other people to take care of. Anyway, so how are you lovebirds, then?"
"In love," Hermione said.
"Obviously," Eros replied. "Well, go on. I have to make sure you're telling the truth."
"Our rings aren't enough proof?" Draco said, holding up his hand.
"Well, fine. But I want to test something."
"What? Why can't you just leave us alone?" Draco again fought the urge to punch the young immortal.
"Just give her a little kiss, and I will."
Sighing, Draco kissed Hermione, softly and deeply at once, then pulled away. He returned her smile before confronting Eros again.
"Now will you leave?"
"Nope."
"You said you would leave if I kissed her!"
"Oh, yes, I know. But I never said *when* I would leave." A smirk played on his lips as he seemed to settle down to watch them. Draco closed the curtains again, blocking him from view.
Draco and Hermione talked for a while, about anything they could think of. Periodically they would hear muffled sighs, which continued long after they had settle down to sleep. Suddenly, Draco heard from the direction of the window, "Ah, young love."
With a surge of annoyance, Draco threw a pillow at the window. "Shut up!"
Hermione, ever-resourceful, put a Silencing Charm on the window when Eros did not do as Draco requested.
"Thanks, sweetie," he said, kissing her.
"Anytime, googly-bear."
End Chapter 41
Sigh. Young Love. Well, seeing as a few people commented on Cupid/Eros, I would expect those same people to enjoy this chapter…
Be prepared for a short and very odd chapter 42.
Review for turkey confetti!!!
Having planned the feast, Hermione and Draco knew that it would be worth attending. Their hands clasped tightly, they exited their dorm and made for the Great Hall. Draco smiled as they passed the decorations that they had worked so hard to put up. It was worth the effort when a student stopped to wonder at the shimmery shruvewips.
In the center of a rather massive table was a ten-foot roast turkey. Side dishes to satisfy anyone's palate surrounded the main course, garnished with all kinds of fancy leaves and trimmings. Most of the students had arrived for dinner when Hermione and Draco walked in, but two seats had been saved near Dumbledore. They went to these. Draco pulled her chair out, seating her like a true gentleman, and he kissed her hand lightly as he sat down himself.
"New rings?" Dumbledore winked slightly. He turned back to the feast, and he magicked some turkey onto his plate.
Draco thoroughly enjoyed the meal. "I think we're good planners, don't you?"
"Only when we have the right inspiration," Hermione answered with a suggestive smile. She picked up her goblet, which contained a very light wine, and sipped daintily at the savory liquid.
"I have some quite inspiring tricks to show you when we get back to our dorm," he grinned. He knew that she was dying to slap him with a napkin, or something. But she did not. She was visibly embarrassed, however, for a few minutes.
"My compliments on this most excellent turkey," Dumbledore sent in their direction. "I cannot remember tasting its rival. And what an impressively massive turkey."
"Thank you, sir," Draco sent back. "We weren't sure whether we wanted one gigantic turkey or personal miniature turkeys for everyone. Then we just figured, why not get the one no one will be able to see over. The giant turkey won."
Hermione snorted into her plate. Draco glanced at her in amusement, and she shot an affectionate glare at him. He leaned toward her to whisper in her ear. "After this, will you come to the Astronomy Tower with me?"
"Well, of course." She smiled warmly. They both turned back to their desserts- Draco's a varied selection of gourmet fudge. As he bit into a square, he thought, *Well, there are definitely advantages in planning everything*.
When at last the feasts final remnants had disappeared, Draco took Hermione by the hand, leading her from the Great Hall. They wandered through the halls for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet of the night- for the noise was contained within each House's respective common room.
When the time was right, Draco suggested that they start toward the Astronomy Tower. Hermione acquiesced curiously, still not having guessed why he had asked that they go there. She probably assumed that he wanted to snog. Which he did, but that was not the main reason.
Draco closed the door tightly. "What are we doing here?" Hermione asked.
"You'll see," he replied.
"Before you do anything, Draco, I feel I should tell you I'm still not ready."
So she did think he had brought her here to seduce her. He laughed. "That's not why we're here, love. I told you I would wait until you were ready."
"Well…why are we here, then?"
"In about…half an hour, you'll see."
Half an hour later, Draco brought her to the window and looked up. "There it is," he said, a grin crossing his face. "Look up."
Hermione did as he said, and gasped. He saw the smile touch her lips, then turned his eyes back to the sky. He did not want to miss this, after all. It was not every day a man got to see Aurora Borealis.
When finally they were too tired and strained to look any longer, they stepped away from the window. "Just a little present from my friend Boreas," Draco told her.
"Are you serious?"
"Well, not really. I just happened to *listen* in class when the professor told us we would be able to see Aurora Borealis from the tower on Christmas night."
"Oh, leave me alone, Draco. If you must know, I was watching *you* that night."
"Hermione Know-It-All Granger, *not* listening in class? What is the world coming to?"
"It's your fault, so don't give me that."
"How is it my fault?" He pretended to be hurt by her accusations.
"You looked so *good* that night. I just couldn't help it."
Draco looked down as they walked, embarrassedly scratching the back of his head. "Bloody- well, if you must know, I only heard that much of what she said. The rest of the time I was thinking about you."
"Ah, so that explains the goofy grin." Hermione proceeded to open her mouth as wide as she could in imitation.
"That isn't funny."
"Yes it is."
"And so is this," he shot back, lifting her from the floor with wandless magic. He loved doing this to her, if for no other reason than she could not do the same to him.
"No, it's not, Draco."
"Sure it is."
"No It's NOT!!!!"
He set her down, sticking a finger in his ear. "I think my eardrum just popped."
"Well, now you know not to do that any more." She took his hand and kissed it.
"Aren't we just an odd bundle of emotions today?"
"The ring made me do it," Hermione said, smiling sweetly. They both laughed. Draco leaned down to kiss her, and she jumped into his arms.
For the whole vacation, they were out of each other's sight only when they had to use the bathroom. They slept in the common room for the remainder of December, and into the first few days of January. Draco would have loved to keep sleeping with Hermione for the rest of his life.
A week had gone by since Christmas, and Hermione and Draco were just getting into bed to talk. Suddenly, Draco heard a very annoying voice call, "Hey, lover boy! Over here! Can you figure it out on your own this time?"
Rolling his eyes, Draco wandlessly opened the curtains of the window facing the bed, and Eros smiled down at them, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "How goes 'it', Drakie?"
"Why won't you let me call you Drakie?" Hermione wondered, with a jealous edge to her voice.
"You can call me whatever you want, Hermione," Draco replied, planting a kiss on the end of her nose. "But you, Eros, I never gave permission for that."
"Come on, Drakes, I think you owe me a little something after what I did for you."
"That's Eros? The god of love?"
"Ah, intelligent one you have there. Smarter than you, anyway." Eros laughed, and Draco heard Hermione cough. It sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
"What are you doing here, Eros?" Draco asked sharply.
"I wanted to see how my little lovebird was doing," the boy in the window replied, making a motion as though pinching Draco's cheek. At the same moment, Draco felt his cheek pinched.
Draco almost rose, before he realized that if he attacked Eros he would break the window. He settled back down, growing more sour by the second. "So why did you take so long to come by?"
"Hey, you're not the only people in love in the world. Stop thinking about yourself. I have many other people to take care of. Anyway, so how are you lovebirds, then?"
"In love," Hermione said.
"Obviously," Eros replied. "Well, go on. I have to make sure you're telling the truth."
"Our rings aren't enough proof?" Draco said, holding up his hand.
"Well, fine. But I want to test something."
"What? Why can't you just leave us alone?" Draco again fought the urge to punch the young immortal.
"Just give her a little kiss, and I will."
Sighing, Draco kissed Hermione, softly and deeply at once, then pulled away. He returned her smile before confronting Eros again.
"Now will you leave?"
"Nope."
"You said you would leave if I kissed her!"
"Oh, yes, I know. But I never said *when* I would leave." A smirk played on his lips as he seemed to settle down to watch them. Draco closed the curtains again, blocking him from view.
Draco and Hermione talked for a while, about anything they could think of. Periodically they would hear muffled sighs, which continued long after they had settle down to sleep. Suddenly, Draco heard from the direction of the window, "Ah, young love."
With a surge of annoyance, Draco threw a pillow at the window. "Shut up!"
Hermione, ever-resourceful, put a Silencing Charm on the window when Eros did not do as Draco requested.
"Thanks, sweetie," he said, kissing her.
"Anytime, googly-bear."
End Chapter 41
Sigh. Young Love. Well, seeing as a few people commented on Cupid/Eros, I would expect those same people to enjoy this chapter…
Be prepared for a short and very odd chapter 42.
Review for turkey confetti!!!