Title: An Inevitable Fate
Chapter Twelve: A Special Gift
Author: KissThis
--
Rating: R - if not now, then later.
Pairing: Umm...duh?
Setting: 6th year in Hogwarts.
--
Disclaimer: I spilled my Orange Mocha Frapuccino on the documents proving that I owned Harry Potter and now they won't accept them as"Legitimate"
--
A/N: The end of Hermione's birthday! And I know some of you were kind of disappointed that there wasn't much Hermione/Draco action...not that they're the pairing (lol)... but rest assured there are much yummy scenes in this chapter with a twisty little end! And now that I've said that...no skipping to the end!
--
Special Thanks: Thanks a bunch to RememberingME! She helped me brainstorm a bunch of plot points for the story and deserves an honorable mention. *coughcough*readherstories*coughcough*
--
"Come on, Hermione! Let's dance." Draco grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet.
Hermione quickly set down the book Neville had gotten her as she was dragged away from her pile of unwrapped presents. Hermione took a firmer grip on Draco's hand and the two of them threaded their way through the throng of bodies. They passed Padme and some other Ravenclaws and the raven-haired girl gave Hermione a pointed look to which Hermione blushed.
As they passed by students from all houses that had been invited into the Gryffindor Common room Hermione smiled faintly. Only a year ago she would have found this bizarre and immensely improbable. The four houses just didn't mingle. And now...
"Oh, Blaise!" She exclaimed pulling the Slytherin into a hug. "Thanks so much for the present!"
He smiled and gave her a hug back before he relinquished her back to Draco's grasp, "You're welcome. Happy Birthday, 'Mione."
Draco nodded at Blaise and continued on past the group of dancing people. Reaching the common room door he pulled it open and started to walk through. Hermione didn't budge.
"But, Draco. I thought we were going to dance."
Draco grinned, "Ok, so we're not going to dance, but I want to show you something."
Hermione looked at him curiously.
"Don't you trust me?"
She hesitated a moment and then smiled. Draco smiled too and led her out of the common room.
---
Hermione held one hand searchingly out in front of her while the other remained clasped firmly in Draco's. A blindfold had been placed over her eyes and she was being guided blindly to God knows where, and her solution to it all...was to babble.
"Maybe we should have told someone we were leaving. I mean, I am the birthday girl. Someone must've noticed I'm gone by now. And I don't want anyone to worry. I should've said something because they're probably looking for me rather than enjoying the party and I really want them to enjoy the party. Maybe--"
"Hermione." Draco said suddenly, cutting off her tirade. "I think everyone has had one-too-many Butterbeers to notice your short absence."
Hermione couldn't see his face, obviously, but she could hear him chuckling and felt slightly relieved. He squeezed her hand then, and it was so quick and soft that she thought for a moment that she might have imagined it. She turned to look at him. Tilting her head slightly she gave him a puzzled expression before remembering that she was blindfolded.
Blushing faintly at her minor lapse in memory she turned her head away and resigned herself to be led quietly to wherever their destination might be.
---
When Draco finally stopped, Hermione had only the faintest clue where they were. All she knew was that they were outside. Easily deduced by the soft breeze and the tickling of grass through her high heels. But as to where or how far they had walked she had no idea. She thought she was going to burst with curiosity.
He dropped her hand and Hermione heard him move behind her. As he toyed with her blindfold the anticipation mounted and she bit down on her lip to keep from squealing in excitement. The feeling of his fingers moving through her hair was almost enough to distract her, but when he finally untied her blindfold all thoughts were of what she would find when she opened her eyes.
"Oh, Draco!" She gasped.
She was standing in the middle of the gigantic Quidditch stadium. The stands loomed high over her head and the pitch seemed so much bigger when you were actually standing on it. Hermione turned around and around again taking in every breathtaking detail. Draco watched her spin with unbridled feeling. Her whole body shimmered in the moonlight that filtered down through the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and her face was filled with awe.
"Do you like it?" He drawled. His hands fell into his pockets and he rocked back and forth on his heels. She whirled around to face him. With a beaming smile she ran to Draco and embraced him.
"Oh, I love it!" She murmured. Releasing him she took a step back, and had another quick look around at the empty stands. "It's gorgeous."
"I hope you're hungry." He said.
Hermione nodded, "There were just so many people to greet and presents to open that I didn't have time to grab anything to eat." She replied as she gazed up at the cloudy sky framing the bright moon.
Draco chuckled, "Good." Grabbing her shoulders, Draco turned her around, as he would a small child, and directed her gaze downwards.
A small table was erected upon the grass. Tall, green candles illuminated the white tablecloth and made the silver dinnerware upon it shine. Crystal goblets were half-filled with a rich, red liquid that from this distance Hermione could not put a name on. Movement caught her eye, distracting her from her scanning of the table, and she looked over at Draco who had executed a dramatic bow. She giggled even more as he gallantly pulled out her chair and gestured for her to sit. Sit she did and found the chairs to be more comfortable than they had first appeared. She would have thought she was sitting on a pillow if she hadn't seen the chair for herself.
Draco sat down opposite her. "Dinner is served," Reaching over he pulled the lids off of the different foods and then banished the covers back to Hogwart's kitchen. He watched in satisfaction as Hermione's eyes lit up upon seeing her favorite foods.
"Chinese! How did you know?" She exclaimed. The steam billowing up from the dishes and the tempting aromas they released became too much for Hermione and she reached for the plate of sesame chicken.
"I confess. I asked Ginny and she told me."
Hermione laughed and grabbed some garlic breadsticks. "That's alright, Draco. It's the thought that counts." She paused to take a bite of her chicken. "Mmm...this is delicious!"
"That is my doing. I cooked the food myself."
He bit into a strawberry and licked the sticky fruit juice off his fingers. Hermione practically choked on her food. Forcing herself to take the time to chew and swallow she accomplished both in record time. "You cooked?!" She asked in amazement. A faint pink rose in his cheeks as he flushed in embarrassment.
"Sure...well the house elves helped a little bit..."
Hermione laughed out loud at his obvious discomfort finding his sudden humbleness something to giggle about. Draco scowled at her and stabbed angrily at his food. Fearing that her laughter had given Draco the wrong impression, Hermione reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. He lowered his fork and looked up at her in surprise.
"It was a nice thing that you did for me." She told him earnestly, "And I appreciate it." Her amber eyes were wide and they sparked with light.
"Anything for you, 'Mione." He returned with a smirk characteristic of his usual snarky persona.
---
They had passed the, surprisingly, scrumptious dinner with easy and comfortable conversation. Every time a topic ended another one was brought up immediately after the other leaving no gaps for awkward silences of any kind. The theme of discussion varied from potions, to books, to embarrassing moments. Anything they could think of, they talked about.
As Hermione listened to Draco summarize a book on Transfiguration he had read over the summer she thought about how easy it was to just sit here and talk with him for hours. It wasn't like with any of her other friends. They shared the same opinions, the same tastes. Even their interests were the same -- well unless you counted the fact that Draco's highest interest was becoming an Auror. True, being an Auror would be nice, and it was a job that she was seriously considering, but she thought 'saving the world' pretty much took the number one spot.
"Oh no..."
Hermione was broken from her reverie and the first thing she saw was Draco scowling up at the sky with his hands uplifted. Large beads of water splashed onto his face at slow intervals that were quickly becoming few and far between.
Her mind rooted through thoughts at lightening fast speeds; linking things together. The sky had been overcast all day and yet she hadn't given the obvious signs a second thought. Well, until now of course.
"Don't worry, Draco." She tried to push back her chair, but found the grass to be resistant to her efforts, so she slid off the side and lifted the chair up and backward to give herself room to move about. Moving quickly she started to recover all the plates, and remembered, half a moment later that Draco had magicked them away at the beginning of the dinner.
"Leave them," Draco told her with a low chuckled. A draught of wind across the open field sent strands of her hair floating across her cheeks and bare neck. Hermione blinked several times as if she couldn't comprehend the two simple words he had said, and ran her hand though the wildly curled, sepia fleece of her hair. Straightening ever so slowly her eyes flickered from the hand he held out to her and the sly smile on his face.
"What are you up to, Malfoy?" She asked suspiciously. A smile danced on her pale lips.
"Just give me your hand, Granger." Was his reply. The way he stressed his switch to her last name made her smile widen. Her nose crinkled up in curiosity and when she laid her hand in his she was pulled quickly away from the table and into the open expanse of the Quidditch Pitch.
The drizzle was drizzle no longer; heavy raindrops splashed against her dress, threatening to turn it into a waterlogged burden, and darkness dropped across the stadium. Yet, oddly, Hermione was unconcerned.
The sky continued to pour its liquid tears...
The white material of Hermione's dress became thin and sheer...
Draco's platinum locks fell over his eyes and tiny rivulets of rainwater dripped off their tips...
The sudden darkness was only illuminated by the candles still sitting upon the table...
Silent music began to play...
The candles' flames sizzled and went out...
And bodies close together...they danced...
Review please! Much love to everyone who has been so patient while I try to continue this story while juggling my summer job at the same time.
KissThis