A Chance is All One Needs.
By granger2malfoy
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Believe me that if I owed Draco, Harry, Sirius or Snape, the last thing I'd be doing was sitting at a computer writing to a fic challenge.
Summary: Hermione and Draco are given a chance to fall in love. On her last night at Hogwarts, Hermione looks back on her seventh year and the Slytherin that she has new feelings for.
A/N: Contra Veritas and dramione community developed The Last Night for Love Challenge. The story has been added to and will have a total of three parts. Thanks to my betas and friends: Texy, Rachel, Sam, Alex, and of course Sil.
Part One: A Chance is All One Needs
Hermione Granger sat up in her four-poster bed and swung her legs off to the side. She slowly stretched her arms over her head. With a heavy sigh, she read the time on her clock to be ten in the evening. Hermione lifted herself out of bed and walked over to her standing mirror.
"Considering I only slept an hour, I feel rested. My hair always seems to get three times worse once my head hits the pillow," she voiced her frustration with her unruly brown hair, a black scrunchy from her vanity was the weapon of choice against it. After pulling her hair into a ponytail at the nape of her neck, she looked again at the mirror. Hermione was not a frilly girl; occasionally, she wore a maroon silk slip nightgown but tonight she wore her favorite nightwear, a pair of comfy hip-hugging black sweatpants and her favorite shirt made of stretchy cotton material with spaghetti straps. Between the low-riding pants and the cropped shirt, her lean stomach showed itself off very nicely.
Many mornings the Head Boy complained about her choice in sleepwear. She wasn't sure why he truly hated the outfit. He said it was the color of the shirt--ok, it was dark green, no big deal. She figured either it was really the display of her navel in front of him or it wasn't sexy enough for his taste. Either way, he never said what he truly disliked about it. Nothing of a romantic nature had ever happened between them; she just didn't see him like that, but she loved to make him uncomfortable when she wore this outfit. It was also one sure way of clearing Ron from their shared living area throughout the year. He would always blush; then state that he needed to get ready for class and leave the room rather quickly.
On her well-used desk, she saw the wide black shoebox she'd placed there earlier before she turned in for bed. Hermione strolled over to the desk to grab the box and then headed for the private living room. These rooms had been her home for a year and she was truly going to miss them--actually, she was going to miss everything about Hogwarts. Earlier that morning, Hermione had graduated with her friends of the past seven years. It was her last year at Hogwarts and her last night in this castle, but she hoped to come back some day in the future.
She sat her body down on the soft red rug on the floor in front of the fireplace; with a quick flick of her wand, a fire started and she felt the warmth start to surround her. The top of the cardboard box came off with a swift movement. The it held a few of her keepsakes from her seventh year, the first item she pulled out of the box was a folded newspaper clipping from last June, a couple weeks after she had left Hogwarts. Her heart started to tighten as she opened to read it for the hundredth time since its publication:
FUDGE MURDERED, PRISONERS ESCAPED,
Yesterday afternoon, our Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge went to Azkaban Fortress to conduct his monthly rounds to check on the security measures placed in and around the prison. The Minister personally checked on several different prisoners, the last being Lucius Malfoy, sentenced to ten years for his role in Voldemort's return, at which time it was discovered that he had been an active Death Eater since the Dark Lord's first reign of terror. During a conversation, Malfoy managed to obtain the Minister's wand and with it used the Unforgivable killing Curse on him.
After slaying the Minister, Malfoy killed the few Aurors near his cell, freed the other known Death Eater and then he approached a select dozen inmates for recruitment. His offer was of lifetime service to his lord or instant death; only three people turned him down. The escaped prisoners' whereabouts are currently unknown.
The Assistant Minister of Magic, Barnabas Collins, is already stepping into the position of Minister of Magic for the time being. He states," I know this comes as a great shock to all, but we need to remain calm in this situation. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen Aurors. Also, the three prisoners who died by Lucius Malfoy's hand were pardoned and their families have their honor back, as their debt has been repaid to the highest degree.
"Now, everyone needs to keep their eyes and ears open for evidence of any of the escaped prisoners. Their names, ages and descriptions will be in the Daily Prophet tomorrow. If you do see any of them, please inform the Ministry at once. Do not attempt to capture these very dangerous men and women, as we assume they are already armed and dangerous. I will be meeting with foreign leaders, as well as the muggle Prime Minster, later this afternoon."
Hermione refolded the slightly faded clipping and placed it back into the box. The public had finally started to deal with the fact Voldemort was back and had grieved for their murdered Minister of Magic. Barnabas Collins exceeded Fudge in most ways; not only had he proven he was wise and levelheaded, but he was obviously not out to keep the public happy yet naïve. Their safety was his first concern; he did not turn a blind eye to the things going on in the world, instead putting policies and procedures in place for the public and the Ministry itself in case of attack. People respected him a great deal. After a meeting (shortly after the prison escape) with all Ministry department heads, he had been officially named Minister of Magic. Mr. Weasley had been appointed Assistant Minister of Magic.
The Ministry and the Order of the Phoenix started to work together hand-in-hand. Most of the hush-hush spy business was still up to the Order, but the new Minister and his assistant were kept aware of everything. Death Eater-related incidents had begun occurring throughout the country, but they had been small with no heavy death tolls. In each case, it was not a question of who had done it… but rather why? Even the Order's insiders saw no rhyme or reasons for the deaths, thefts, abductions, etc.
Voldemort's planners were within a new, tight inner circle around him and the Order had no way to get the information from there, as even Professor Snape wasn't high up enough in Voldemort's ranks. Dumbledore had one hope for a connection to the pulse of the Death Eaters: Draco Malfoy.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron (whose mother completely objected) all had become members of the Order first thing that summer. Dumbledore had asked Hermione to join McGonagall at Hogwarts during the summer to get the school ready for a brand new year and to do whatever was needed for the Order at the castle. After two final weeks at the Dursley's, Harry had left for good and began staying at Grimmauld Place with Ron and the rest of the Order. Hermione had moved into her new Head Girl dorms at the castle two days after Harry came back.
Hermione had seen Draco Malfoy a few times that summer inside the halls of Hogwarts, usually as he walked down the dungeons to Professor Snape's office. The Order had found out that Narcissa had moved to one of the family's private villas, located in Sweden; Draco had stayed at the manor alone during the summer holiday. Lucius Malfoy had not been seen that summer since his breakout; many had assumed that he was hiding out at the manor, even though it had been raided many times both before and after his escape, with no clues as to his location afterwards. His own son did not know where to find him.
Only a select few members of the Order knew that Draco Malfoy had turned to Dumbledore's side at the end of his sixth year. Since most people thought Lucius was with his son, many Death Eaters not in Voldemort's inner circle came to him for help. Draco came periodically to Hogwarts to pass along any information that came his way to Snape. When he and Hermione saw each other, Draco never said anything to her. He gave a simple nod of the head to acknowledge her and she would return it… sometimes with a slight smile.
Hermione still sat on the floor with the box on her lap. Then she pulled out a long green ribbon and, while weaving it in between her fingers, closed her eyes and thought back to the night before the rest of the students had arrived back at Hogwarts. She'd dropped off some supplies for Snape from Professor Sprout…
Hermione put some supplies down on Professor Snape's black lab desk and attached a note. As she was about to leave, she heard a noise come from Snape's office.
She called out, "Are you all right, Professor?"
However, no answer came.
Hermione gently pushed the wooden door open a little bit more, but did not see anyone in the room. As she turned to leave, she heard a barely recognizable sound of breathing. She walked around Snape's desk and found Draco Malfoy on the floor in front of the fireplace.
He seemed unconscious, with a trace of Floo Powder on his black cloak. His arms clutched around his stomach, and Hermione noticed that the area around his entire left eye had started to turn a purple hue. Her assessment was that he must have arrived by the Floo Network; then collapsed on the stone floor. She shook him by his shoulders but he did not respond. As Hermione didn't know how bad his injuries were, she decided that it was too risky to move him down or to call Madam Pomfrey. There were only two men that could help the younger Malfoy.
With a handful of Floo Powder thrown in, she leaned into the fireplace and shouted, "Headmaster's office." Her head looked into the room, then she spoke, "Professor Dumbledore, are you there?"
The Headmaster appeared from around a sidewall of his office. His gentle smile appeared and he spoke, "Yes, my dear child, I am here. What …"
She interrupted him. "Sir, please come here immediately. I am in Professor's Snape's office," She saw Snape come into view behind Dumbledore with a confused look on his face. Hermione decided to use Draco's code name just in case anyone else was there and continued, "Silverfox is here and badly hurt."
The Headmaster nodded and her head pulled back out of the fireplace. A minute later when her head had stopped spinning, both professors entered Snape's office; Dumbledore stopped short when he saw Draco Malfoy on the floor next to Hermione. Both looked surprised and concerned to see the young man on the floor.
Snape pointed his wand at one of the stone walls, revealing a hallway that appeared to lead to his private rooms. He muttered, "We'll use the first guest room to the right." He levitated Malfoy into the air and both professors followed his body into the room.
Dumbledore turned to Hermione before entering. "Please wait right outside the office door. Professor Snape is going to need some supplies. If anyone comes in, please tell him or her that we will get back to them later. Do not mention what you found, or who else is in this room with us." He stepped into the guestroom and closed the door behind him. Hermione walked into the hallway and stood by the door to await instructions.
After about ten minutes, Professor Snape came out of the room and handed her a list; she went to the potion storeroom and brought back to the office everything requested, as well as some other things she thought they might need.
"Thank you, Miss Granger," Snape intoned, "please come with me," and walked back into the guestroom. He conjured up a table next to the bed, "Place everything here and go get some towels from the bathroom." Hermione placed the necessities on the metal table. Before heading in the direction he had pointed out for the bathroom, she caught a glimpse of Draco Malfoy's body on the bed. His clothes had been removed, and he lay still with a white blanket covering him up to just above his hips.
Dumbledore said, "I want to be informed the moment young Mr. Malfoy wakes. I know I am leaving him in good hands." He gave her a wink and left the room.
Snape remarked, "Miss Granger, I could use some help here." She went to stand next to him as he muttered some spells to heal the cuts and abrasions. "All of the wounds are now taken care of, though is still temperature is dangerously high and needs to be manually lowered. I need to go to my office…. I am sure you are quite capable of doing this uncomplicated task. Simply wipe down Mr. Malfoy's face, arms, and chest with cold water until you get his temperature lowered," he instructed her and left the room to go to his office.
"Yes, Professor Pain-in-the-Arse," muttered Hermione under her breath as she sat on the soft bed next to the pale Slytherin. She took his temperature with her wand, as she had learned from Madam Pomfrey over the summer. She was extremely worried about him but refused to let her emotions get in the way of things, so she started to wipe him down, noticing his well-defined physique as she moved the cold damp cloth in her hand. His lean build and hard muscles …
"Hermione, pull yourself together. The guy is on his sick bed and you're thinking about his hot body. You need to get out more, girl," she chastised herself.
While she wiped down his left arm, Hermione noticed the Dark Mark. She had never seen one up close before, and she mentally compared it to the one she'd seen on Snape when he'd revealed his to Fudge after Voldemort's true return. The symbol was a very dark black.
"I wonder when he got this," she whispered while she ever so lightly traced the outline with her fingers. It gave her chills at first, but she understood that he had to have it to be a double-agent like Professor Snape; the knowledge and information that the two men provided helped their side tremendously. As she worked, she decided to talk to Draco aloud, as she had once heard that talking to people in comas helped bring them around. Therefore, that might work for him as well. She talked about the new things she had learned from the different professors during the summer holiday, as he lay there still unconscious.
Hermione rose from the bedside to rinse out the bowl and wash out the white terry cloth towel in the small bathroom adjacent to the guestroom. With the bowl half-filled with more ice-cold water, Hermione re-entered back into the room and placed the bowl on the table by the bed, noticing as she did so that there was also a green ribbon with some blood on it laid there. She found herself compelled to touch it. This ribbon held his hair back somewhat when he arrived; it was soft as silk except for where the few small spots of blood stiffened it. She placed the ribbon in her pocket and resumed wiping him down with the fresh cold water.
Malfoy's temperature finally broke after an hour's worth of her work. She began reading out loud to him from a book she'd found on a shelf in the room. Snape came in about an hour later and stopped to lean on the doorframe as he commented on the scene.
"Miss Granger, it is not necessary to read to him as though he were a child… though perhaps he might wake just to tell you to shut up."
Why thank you, snarky bastard. She shrugged her shoulders at his comment. Snape stalked across the room to the bed and said, "I shall stay here with him for the remainder of the night or until he wakes."
"That's not necessary, Professor. I'm still quite awake and I'm comfortable here. I would prefer to stay, sir…. since I'd just be awake and worried up in my room, I might as well make myself useful here," she stated as she rose from the bed to stand before him.
After a few moments of silence, Professor Snape gave his decision with a raised eyebrow, "Very well. I shall be lying down in the room across from this one with the door open. You are to wake me the moment Mr. Malfoy wakes up. You are not to ask any questions of him, just come and get me immediately. Do you understand?"
She tried her best not to look overly pleased that he was letting her stay and only replied, "I understand completely." With this said her snarky professor and his billowing black robes left the room.
Four more hours passed, as Hermione remained seated next to the young man on the bed. Somewhere during that time, she ended up with her hand holding his hand as she read to him. When he awoke at five am and gently squeezed her hand, she was startled but happy. He had a sly smile on his face, but his eyes were still closed.
She spoke softly to him, "Don't try to move; I have to go tell Snape that you're awake, if I don't he'll have my head." His smile grew and he gave her hand a hard squeeze before releasing it. Hermione's body felt a lot lighter and her heart felt very relieved.
She left and came back into the room with Snape, who instructed, "Call Dumbledore from my room, and stay put in there until I come back for you." Hermione quickly went to call Dumbledore to tell him Malfoy had awakened. After she delivered the message, she sat in Snape's black leather chair by the fire to wait for an update. Due to the chair's being so comfortable and her having stayed up all night, she fell asleep there. She awoke around one o'clock in the afternoon and found Snape at his desk in his office. She asked, "Sir how is Malfoy?"
Professor Snape looked up at her and then went back to writing. "Mr. Malfoy is just a little sore, but he will be fine. He is on the train back to Hogwarts, as though nothing happened. And as far as everyone else is concerned, nothing did happened."
After a minute, she found the nerve to ask, "What did happen, sir?"
A long silence followed, after which he raised his head to stare at her, probably hoping this would make her back down. She decided to clarify her previous question, "I don't need to know any secrets or the gory details, but a brief summary… something… anything."
The professor leaned back into his chair and folded his hands together. "Mr. Malfoy's father finally made an appearance to him at the manor last night. Lucius wanted to remind his son about being a proper Malfoy at school and to not let him down. He also made it a point that he was very disappointed in Draco for not being made Head Boy and allowing a Weasley to receive the honor instead.
"Thank you for your helpful services last night. Now, go get something to eat from the kitchens and get ready for the students' arrival tonight."
Hermione left the dark dungeons, ate a snack in the kitchens, and went to her Head Girl's room for a quick shower. When she arrived in her room, she found a small note from Draco Malfoy.
Granger,
Thanks…. Oh, by the way, you have my word I won't tell Professor Snape you called him Professor Pain-In-the-Arse.
DM
Her breath caught in her chest. "He heard me say that. Oh Merlin, I hope he missed the comment about him having a hot body." She flung herself back upon the bed and hid her eyes with her arm. Then a smile appeared on her mouth that matched the one he had given when he had awoken.
In the days that followed, Malfoy acted like nothing had happened. He did not acknowledge her in the halls as much as he had when they'd been the only students in the castle. But he would show a smile from time to time when he seemed to think it was safe.
Being Head Girl, Hermione found herself quite busy; she managed to spend some time with Ron, but he tended to be most focused on being the best at Quidditch team captain and Head Boy. He mentioned after he received the letter, that he didn't want to screw it up; he worked harder on his studies, really trying hard to figure things out before he asked for her help. She was very impressed by his new attitude toward schoolwork, but also felt lonelier as a result.
Hermione and Harry spent some time talking right after meals, but he also seemed very busy. Harry now trained one-on-one with the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher two nights a week, plus Quidditch practices on top of that. When he wasn't doing either of those, Harry studied with Ginny. They actually made a good study pair, as she had a knack for being able to tell when he needed a study break, during which they go for a short walk on the castle grounds or grab a bite to eat in the kitchens.
Ginny had mentioned once that Harry gave the best foot rubs while she read. They made a nice couple, though Harry made it very clear that he didn't want to take it to a more romantic level yet since he was concerned about the whole Voldemort thing. At first he'd refused to have any girlfriend at all because she would be a target, but Ginny had reminded him that she'd already been a target of Tom once, and said that no one could be more understanding about the whole situation than she could. Which the girl had a point.
Hermione had to study in her own room or in the library; Ron studied a lot now also, but he talked to himself when he had to work through a concept or memorize a spell and this drove her nuts. Often, she would end up by herself in the library. Malfoy sometimes came in but did not sit next to her, only close enough for her to feel his presence, and somehow soothed her heart. He hadn't had his two thugs around since the beginning of their sixth year; they now hung around Pansy Parkinson and became her cronies.
He seemed to have withdrawn himself from the other Slytherins; the only time she noticed him talking with them was during meals or before class started. The rest of the time she saw him he was alone, either with his nose in a book or writing notes. She wondered if he was as lonely as she was.
One night before Halloween, after a few hours of study time in the library with Malfoy near her, she remembered that she had once found a spell to make two separate pieces of paper communicate with each other. As soon as one person would write or draw something, the other parchment would automatically reveal it. She decided to enlist Mrs. Weasley's help and asked her to send two matching non-magical journals, perfectly plain set of journals with two quills to match; Mrs. Weasley did not ask any questions and said that she was happy to help.
After receiving them, Hermione enchanted the journals to only be able to communicate with the companion journal, and saw to it that only the designated owner could use their special quill to make an entry. For anyone else using the quills or journals, they would simply write like normal journals. She also made sure that the pages would only show what was actually written to the owner of the journal so that if Ron or a random Slytherin happened to pick up either journal, all they would see would be false journal entries. Only Malfoy or herself could simply touch any page to reveal the true contents.
Before a Prefect meeting, she planted one of the journals under Malfoy's usual seat. Afterwards as he got up to leave, she spoke, "Malfoy, you dropped something."
He bent down to pick it up and saw his name on it. With a raised eyebrow he said, "Thanks." and shoved it into his school bag.
Malfoy was not totally open to the idea at first. After he laid down a ground rule, Hermione was not to bring up the subjects of Death Eaters or his family; he was fine with the idea of having private conversations with someone who possessed intelligence matching his own.
Sometimes they would write back and forth talking about professors, Quidditch or who was going to get the highest grades on tests or homework assignments. Sometimes either would write a journal entry just to vent feelings. The other would write back with understanding, advice, comfort, or a witty comment. From time to time, Draco doodled in the journal. He possessed a lot of artistic talent. He drew things like birds, scenery, shapes and many roses. He'd draw quick little versions of a single rose in the corners when he wrote. Hermione once asked him why he'd sketch roses. He made a comment about to the fact it was the first thing he learned he could draw well. So, whenever he needed to concentrate or found his mind was wondering, he found he unconsciously drew them.
Hermione noticed she'd write lyrics of the songs that were stuck in her head. Sometimes she'd write quotes from books that she'd suddenly remember. There were times he'd ask where it was from if curiosity got to him, but other times he didn't mention it. Neither saw the journal as an obligation to write. It seemed more as an escape to them from the daily life. If one of them didn't write for days, not a word would be said about it.
Hermione's favorite time happened to be when they would be a desk or two apart in the library and carrying on conversations through the journals. He'd make his arrogant, typical-Draco Malfoy statements and she'd write down her witty comebacks. One time after about an hour's worth a funny insults and put downs, they were cracking up so hard Madame Price separately threaten to throw each of them out, if they could not control themselves.
Hermione decided to stay at Hogwarts that Christmas since it was her last year there. The fact Harry, Ron and Draco stayed did help her make the decision. She knew her parents would understand her sentimental reasoning. On Christmas morning, a school owl delivered a brown wrapped box with a small hand drawn rose as the signature. Ron and Harry took several minutes going through a list of possible 'suspects' but they were nowhere near the true identity. Draco gave her two old books. What is the deal with everyone getting me books? Well, I guess it makes me all that easier to buy for. The first was a leather bound first edition copy of Moste Potente Potions and the hardbound copy of her favorite musical Camelot. I guess he figures I liked it since I kept writing the lyrics throughout the journal.
She anonymously sent Draco a black enchanted sketchbook with his monogram in silver on the back. When the artist tapped their complete sketch with their wand, it would be projected on to the wall in front of them.
He stayed the studious student all through the year. They become each other's competition in the educational aspects of Hogwarts. No one else knew just how smart Draco Malfoy was except his Professors and Hermione. They would compare grades on the assignments of the classes of their common classes through their journal entries. She noticed he did speak up more in the few classes they shared, but of course, it was usually to give more specific details to an answer Hermione just finished giving. One time it was so bad in Transfigurations, they had a heated debate over the practical uses of transfiguring colors of an object. Then Professor McGonagall told them to both wrote their arguments in essay form and to turn them into her by that Friday. She stated she would not allow them to waste any more of her class time with their debate. The 'relationship' they shared made their year go by much easier.
She knew of the things happening in the world outside Hogwarts. It was a forbidden subject in their personal getaway of their journal. Deep within her, she had known Draco being a Death Eater (even just as a spy) still had to do things any other Death Eater was expected to do. His personal demons had to be just as bad as Snape's must be. She realized how much it must kill him to do the vile things that were going on outside of Hogwarts. Somehow she could tell when he had been to a revel. It was usually the first Saturday night of the month, as he wouldn't usually write the next day. He would read what she wrote and make little doodles along the margin. It pained her to know he was hurting and she could not go to him. So often, she wanted to go to Draco's room just hold him and tell him everything was going to be ok.
She had to be strong for his sake. She couldn't let her depression about his spy work show in the journal. She had to write things to get his mind off the activities from the night before. Sometimes when she could not find those words, she let the songs that filled her mind flow into the journal, hopefully into his heart. Neither spoke of love… yet, they knew it was there. It just went unsaid. Yet, if an outsider could read those entries, they would see between the lines and know something was going on between the pair.
Hermione pulled out her purple journal from the cardboard box. She flipped through the journal and came across the rose he had drawn for her on Valentine's Day. The rose started as a bud then magically slowly started to bloom. Then once it was a full bloom the process would start again. When the rose was in full bloom, a single droplet of water laid on an outer petal. She knew that the drop was a symbol of a tear. He never wrote of love or his feeling for her. However, he spoke them through drawings and between the lines in his entries.
When spring had hit with the warm weather, Hermione decided to take her studies for NEWTs down by the lake. Her favorite spot had a tree for shade and a large flagstone rock next to it. She alternated between her favorite spot in the shade from the tree and on the smooth surface of the large rock.
One day she arrived to her usual spot after her last class for the day. She pulled her Arithmacy book out of her bag and went to lie down. She noticed something new on the stone underneath it. She lifted her book to reveal a painted white rose on the stone. She smiled and gently traced the outline of the rose with her fingers. She knew this rose and the artist well.
Gradually, the smile transformed into a slight frown. Her heart felt like a weight in her chest. She came upon a realization and determined to express them with that rose. She pulled out a quill with ink and wrote above the beautiful rose 'Against All Reasons' and below 'There Stands a Chance.'
She put her tools and books away and pulled her knees up to her chest to stare over the lake. Hermione spent the rest of the day to contemplate when they would get their chance.
So, that brought Hermione back to the present. It was her last night at Hogwarts and they still had not gotten their chance. They all had officially graduated and considered fully trained witches and wizards. That was not too reassuring now because tomorrow would change their lives forever. She shook her head to stop the thought process. She was not thinking of that now. She opened the parchment she received from the ceremony earlier that day. She couldn't help but smile at the first few lines.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Class of 1998
Head Boy: Ronald Weasley (Gryffindor Quidditch Captain)
Head Girl: Hermione Granger (highest number of OWLs and NEWTs in fifty years)
Valedictorian: Draco Malfoy (Slytherin Prefect)
Hermione felt so proud of both of them. All three of them worked very hard at their studies. Ron finally became the person he wanted to be - Head Boy and Quidditch Captain. Once he realized when he wanted something that bad enough, he did anything he could to achieve his goal. It may have taken her years to get her best friends to study, but she was glad they both came around in the end.
As the class's valedictorian, Draco Malfoy had given a speech to the crowded Great Hall. He stood at the podium the room silenced immediately. Professor Snape looked like a proud papa. Not only did the Slytherin House have the valedictorian but also the House Cup for the first time in six years, by five points. Professor McGonagall was equally pleased. Gryffindor held both Head Boy and Head Girl and the Quidditch Cup.
Hermione couldn't remember Draco's entire speech. He spoke of the time of change and of the unknown future. The speech was simply beautiful and masterfully written. He knew he had to please both sides of the war. He couldn't proclaim, right there on the stage, against Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He also could not push Voldemort's values and ideals. His speech did not go into details; he let the individual conclude which chances and future he meant. She almost thought the speech was about their 'chance' at a relationship and their 'future'. But only the speaker knew the real thought behind it.
She scanned down the paper and laughed when she got to some of the lines at the bottom.
Next Minister of Magic-Anthony Goldstein (Ravenclaw)
Most told her she was a close second. She figured it was because she was muggleborn. Oh well, I wouldn't want the job anyway. They can keep the fame and glory! Thank you very much.
Most Changed- Neville Longbottom (Gryffindor)
Yes, he certainly did. He went from a boy most thought was a squib to the first picked to go into Auror training. He was the fastest with his wand that year… well, second to Harry that is. He was the quiet know-it-all of the class… well, second to her that is.
Hermione started laughing when she thought about how much Goyle changed too. Of course, it was due to the fact sometime in the 6th year he announced he was in love with Crabbe. Then he used an irreversible spell to turn himself into a girl. The only thing uglier than Goyle as a boy was Goyle as a girl. Professor Snape was so pissed off and was actually speechless. It was hilarious sight with the Head of Slytherin house stood in front of him with terror, rage, and disgust all at once in his face. She was glad Colin got a picture of that for their common room bulletin board.
Most Likely to Succeed -Hermione Granger (Gryffindor)
She had many choices on what to do with her future. She had two universities offering her a full scholarship. The ministry offered an apprenticeship to the department head of her choice. Dumbledore even hinted that she would be the first person he would contact for the next open professor position.
Most likely to be featured in a Witch Weekly Scandal-Pansy Parkinson (Slytherin)
Of course, there was no doubt about that. She had slept with tons of boys from all four houses. The only standard she had was that the boys had to already have a girlfriend. She preferred the excitement of being the other woman. With that, she spent more time in the hospital wing recovering from hexes from furious girlfriends, than all the Quidditch players from all four houses put together.
Most Likely to Play Professional Quidditch-Harry Potter (Gryffindor)Her best friend was a natural at it. He managed to catch all the snitches in through his seven-year of being Seeker, except three. He had three offers in his hand by the time he entered his 7th year from professional team, who wanted him right then and there. He told them he would let them know as soon as the war was over. Due to the fact, he was not sure if he'd…
She placed the flyer from the ceremony in her keepsake box. Hermione muttered a spell to shrink all her packed belongs and placed them in a small jean purse hanging on her bedroom door. The clock near her four-poster bed read twelve a.m. She rubbed her neck as she proceeded into the living area. She was glad she took that nap before dinner for it was a painfully long day….
The Order's sources told Dumbledore right after the leaving feast; the fact Voldemort was going to start the last battle of the war by attacking Hogwarts at dawn. Dumbledore had called a meeting right before that and told the prefects, Ron, Harry, and her. Harry seemed a little shaky but determined. He came over to place a kiss on the check and said he was going to stay in the Headmaster's office, which was now the Headquarters within Hogwarts. Ron told him he was going to come back later to check on him. He was going to be right there for him. Head Boy or not; Ron was a best friend first. Hermione was proud of how Ron took all of this. He may have been The-Boy-Who-Lived's 'sidekick', but he could be a leader when he needed to. Hermione helped the Headmaster place the security wards on all the entrances into the castle and from the towers' tops.
The Heads of all four houses were told to send all DA members (members fifth year and up) down to the Great Hall. With the professors by his side, he relayed news to the gathered students. He wanted to give them time to mentally prepare for the events they were about to go through. The plan was any DA members willing and able to fight were welcome on the back lines on the school grounds. All other DA members not outside would be stationed throughout the castle.
All members received a special device to alert the Order, if they saw any trouble. The device was slightly bigger than a galleon and dark blue with the letters DA on them. All they had to do was break the device, the thickness of the heavy cracker, and the Headquarters became alerted and someone would be there very shortly. The device also acted also as a locator for the students. Hermione was proud of the fact they decided to continue DA. She created those devices and hid them for the past eighteen months in Dumbledore's office. Only the highest members of the DA knew about them. Hermione made enough for all of the student body, just incase there was an unexpected invasion upon the castle.
The remainder of the students, who were not aware of what the dawn brought, was given hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies with a sleeping potion in them. The Slytherin common room received more tempting goodies of butterbeer and brownies. The sleeping children were to be brought together and held in a very heavily guarded room. They would not be woken until everything was clear.
All of students that decided to fight signed up with any Prefect, Head Boy, Head Girl, or any professor. In addition, if they were to later change their mind before they go outside, it would be perfectly understandable. It was just as brave to be on the inside as it was to be on the outside. They were to stay in the Great Hall until the younger students had been taken care of. The house elves provided pumpkin juice and sandwiches. They mingled as they waited and some had questions for the professors.
Hermione settled herself into the warm red lounge in the Head living room. The Ministry already arrived with their Aurors. They patrolled around the castle, the grounds and the Forbidden Forest. The other students were tucked away in a second, more secret Room of Requirement. Only the Head of Houses, Madam Pomfrey, and the Order of the Phoenix knew its location. She had helped to get the room prepared over the summer with enough cots for the entire student body and emergency supplies. Professor McGonagall was to be stationed there and kept watch within the room.
She wondered what Draco was doing tonight. He wrote yesterday that he would not be able to write that day. He gave no reasons why. She had not seen him since the graduation ceremony ended. He quickly followed Professor Snape out of the Great Hall. He gave her a fleeting glance as he walked out. Their eyes held each other's only for a few seconds. To them, it seemed like an eternity and yet still not long enough. Their eyes said all the things they had not spoken. She wanted him to hold her and tell her he was going to make it back. She wanted him speak what his heart felt.
Hermione was very worried about what tomorrow … no, it was past midnight, what today might bring. Tears started to roll down her checks and she made no effort to stop them. She tucked her cold feet under her and leaned over the arm of the furniture. Hermione never thought about the fact Draco might not survive this war.
She needed to think the thoughts she had forbid herself to think of since their relationship started. Her mind went through all the things she had not said to him. Or all the things she had not done with him. They balanced each other out. She could never pass the sarcastic comments with her two best friends, the way she did with Draco. Who was going to challenge her mind, if he never came back? No one else made her face light up, like the sight of him in the room.
Draco made her feel special by … well, just the little things. The comments he would never make to anyone else. He had shared his insecurities with her. Before this year, she thought the arrogant prat never would've had any doubts about himself. Then there was also the touching things he did to show her how he thought and cared about her without use words. She would have to speak to Dumbledore about taking that rock by the lake with her. Hermione often found herself outside to just see the white rose. How could I go on living knowing I am never going to hold or kiss the man I love with all my heart?
Her body shook with the heavy sobs she had held in for so many months. Hermione felt as though every bit of her strength had left her body. She needed to calm herself down because this was getting her nowhere. She spoke aloud to herself, "Granger, pull yourself together. You were sorted in the Gryffindor for a reason. You need to be brave for your sake and Draco's."
She was so swept up in the grief that clenched her heart that she did not hear a noise come from inside her bedroom. Her hands reached up to dry the tear lines on her face. However, a firm hand stopped them. She closed her eyes and made a silent prayer that it was him with her now, not just her imagination playing a cruel joke on her. Hermione felt her head being raised by a warm hand lifting her chin. "Hermione, open your eyes," a male's voice huskily requested as he called her Hermione for the first time.
She opened her eyes to immediately see her only love knelt in front her. His silver orbs looked deeply into her chocolate ones. She felt him reach her very soul by his deep gaze. Draco's pale hand moved to caress her soft check. She nuzzled her face into his soft hand and brought her hand up to hold it in place. She could hardly believe Draco Malfoy was finally with her tonight.
He still wore the clothes he had on for the graduation. His gray dress shirt made of silk and black slacks. He looked to be worth a million galleons. The sight of him in front of her on his knees took her breath away. Her blonde companion with the body of a Quidditch player looked incredibly sexy. The look in his eyes spoke compassion and love. This alone sent serge of heat through her body. His trademark smirk appeared on his lips, as she looked at him, knowing how good he did look. Yes, the word arrogant came to her mind. The fact was true, but he was still arrogant and one of the many reasons she loved him.
Draco maneuvered himself next to her on the red lounger. His arms snaked their way around her body and pulled her close against him. She placed her hands on the silky material feeling his heart beating very fast under his shirt. She rested her head on his chest, as he ran his long thin fingers through her curly locks. Hermione could've stayed there in Draco's arms forever. The sound of his heart sounded like a lullaby made only for her. She wanted to take in every detail of being in his arms: the smell of his expensive cologne, the warmth his body gave off, the soft hum that came from him to sooth her and the perfect way their body fit together, like two pieces of a puzzle interlocked together.
Hermione felt him lean slightly back from her body. She moved her head off his chest to look at him. Draco moved his hand to the back of her neck and whispered, as he pulled her forwards, "This is my last chance."
With this statement, he captured her lips. The feel of his soft thin lips against her own was heavenly to say the least. He pulled his lips off hers only a little, but only just to recapture them repeatedly. His kisses left her only craving more. She never got enough of them. Hermione felt a slight moan escape from the back of her throat, as he deepened the kiss. This only pushed him along and his hold on her tightened. She could tell he made efforts to slow down the kisses from soft and gentle to hard and demanding to light and tender again.
Moments later, they pulled apart breathless and held each other. His hand slowly ran up and down her side. They silently held each other and looked out her window to the starry sky.
After a few moments, he pulled himself out of her hold suddenly. His face looked full of pain as he grasped his left forearm. Oh no, he is being summoned. She saw the pain in his face start to subside. They did not say anything to each other; such a fragile moment one word might shatter the magic of the night. He rose from the lounger and offered his hands to her to help her up.
Once on her feet, he gave her a mischievous smile and bent over to pick her up into his arms. Draco carried her back into her bedroom and laid her down on her bed. She started to speak but he silenced her with a single finger to her lips. He took her hand and held it in his; as he did when he awoke, after she took care of him the night his father paid a visit to him. He raised her hand to his lips. Draco delicately placed a kiss on her hand and whispered to it, "My love."
With that, he swung his cloak over his shoulders and did not to look back to her. He threw the powder into her fireplace and spoke, "Professor Snape's private office." With a flash of green flames, Draco Malfoy left behind the warm and love of her to the cold future unknown.
Hermione sadly watched him disappear into the fireplace. She let out a heavy sigh and wrapped her arms around herself on the cozy bed. In her mind, she replayed the short time period that they were together and cherishing it. As she turned over to face away from the fireplace, she heard a small clink from beside her head. She lifted her head and found a small silver box next to her. Hermione opened the lid up to reveal round silver pendant on a long chain. On the front, she saw his white rose engraved on the front. She turns it over to read the inscription, 'Against All Reasons. There stands a Chance.' She pulled the chain over her head letting the pendant fall right above her bosom. She spoke in a soft tone with a slight smile; "A chance is all one needs."