A/N: I've finally got the revisions finished. I think that should just about cover the deepening of the feelings. After all, the line betwixt love and hate is a thin one, and Hermione and Draco have just walked it too long to know when they crossed over for sure...so I'll leave it be at that. And now, ON TO CHAPTER SIX.
Chapter Six
"Mya! Come on! We'll be late for breakfast and I want some waffles!" Draco shouted up the stairs.
"Hold your ASS, Malfoy! Getting ready takes time, you know!"
"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR AN HOUR AND A..." He trailed off when she walked down the stairs. Her beauty captivated him, as it always did, and Draco smirked as he walked forward to offer her his arm. "Milady, would you do me the honors of accompanying me to break our fast on this lovely morning?"
She rolled her eyes and smacked him. "Idjit."
"Dipshit."
"Old-fashioned Geezer"
"Oh, I'm so wounded..." Draco grabbed his chest, staggering to his knees and then rolling over to flop down on his back.
"Oh get over it." Hermione laughed as she ran out of the portrait-hole, shouting. "LAST ONE THERE IS A HIPPOGRIFF'S CHEWTOY!"
"NOT FAIR! YOU GOT A HEAD START!" Draco struggled to his feet and took off after her.
Imaginary Line
"Soon, my lord?"
"Yes, Lucius. Soon. Soon your son will be brought before us. Soon his loyalties tested. Soon."
"Yes, my lord."
"Bring him on Christmas Eve to bow before me, Lucius. He recieves the Mark then."
"Yes, my lord."
Imaginary Line
"Harry!" Harry looked up just in time to get a handful of snow shoved into his face. Ginny squealed and took off across the snow as Harry gave chase, laughing.
"Run run as fast as you can, can't catch me I'm the Ginger Bread Man!" Ginny howled with laughter as Harry tackled her, proceeding to thoroughly white-wash her.
"Hey Potter!" Harry glanced up...just in time to get a snowball in the face.
"Man, what is it with people and hitting me in the face with snow?" Harry groaned. Another snowball hit him in the chest, and he laughed and grabbed snow, packing it desperately and chucking it back at the laughing blonde couple.
"Missed!" Hermione taunted, just to be hit in the back with a snowball. "Hey!" She whirled around to see a laughing Ron with his arm around Lavender. Grinning, she grabbed a snowball from the pile at her and Draco's feet and chucked it at the couple. What was to follow was the fiercest, most violent snowball fight that Hogwarts, in all of its splendor, had ever seen...including not only all of the Gryffindors, but the Slytherins as well. Even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw joined in, followed shortly by a few of the younger, more funloving teachers. Well, more funloving. Dumbledore couldn't exactly be called young, per se.
And so it was that the great school was united, the threads of fate pressed into motion, the tables set, the wheels beginning to turn...
For what, you may ask?
...For the gravest battle that the world had ever known. Love would be torn apart, Darkness would press mercilessly...
And a lone candle was all that protected the lives of millions from the greatest darkness of them all.
Chapter Six
"Mya! Come on! We'll be late for breakfast and I want some waffles!" Draco shouted up the stairs.
"Hold your ASS, Malfoy! Getting ready takes time, you know!"
"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR AN HOUR AND A..." He trailed off when she walked down the stairs. Her beauty captivated him, as it always did, and Draco smirked as he walked forward to offer her his arm. "Milady, would you do me the honors of accompanying me to break our fast on this lovely morning?"
She rolled her eyes and smacked him. "Idjit."
"Dipshit."
"Old-fashioned Geezer"
"Oh, I'm so wounded..." Draco grabbed his chest, staggering to his knees and then rolling over to flop down on his back.
"Oh get over it." Hermione laughed as she ran out of the portrait-hole, shouting. "LAST ONE THERE IS A HIPPOGRIFF'S CHEWTOY!"
"NOT FAIR! YOU GOT A HEAD START!" Draco struggled to his feet and took off after her.
Imaginary Line
"Soon, my lord?"
"Yes, Lucius. Soon. Soon your son will be brought before us. Soon his loyalties tested. Soon."
"Yes, my lord."
"Bring him on Christmas Eve to bow before me, Lucius. He recieves the Mark then."
"Yes, my lord."
Imaginary Line
"Harry!" Harry looked up just in time to get a handful of snow shoved into his face. Ginny squealed and took off across the snow as Harry gave chase, laughing.
"Run run as fast as you can, can't catch me I'm the Ginger Bread Man!" Ginny howled with laughter as Harry tackled her, proceeding to thoroughly white-wash her.
"Hey Potter!" Harry glanced up...just in time to get a snowball in the face.
"Man, what is it with people and hitting me in the face with snow?" Harry groaned. Another snowball hit him in the chest, and he laughed and grabbed snow, packing it desperately and chucking it back at the laughing blonde couple.
"Missed!" Hermione taunted, just to be hit in the back with a snowball. "Hey!" She whirled around to see a laughing Ron with his arm around Lavender. Grinning, she grabbed a snowball from the pile at her and Draco's feet and chucked it at the couple. What was to follow was the fiercest, most violent snowball fight that Hogwarts, in all of its splendor, had ever seen...including not only all of the Gryffindors, but the Slytherins as well. Even Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw joined in, followed shortly by a few of the younger, more funloving teachers. Well, more funloving. Dumbledore couldn't exactly be called young, per se.
And so it was that the great school was united, the threads of fate pressed into motion, the tables set, the wheels beginning to turn...
For what, you may ask?
...For the gravest battle that the world had ever known. Love would be torn apart, Darkness would press mercilessly...
And a lone candle was all that protected the lives of millions from the greatest darkness of them all.