My Heart Belongs to You
Chapter 7
By Serene Riddle
A/N: Standard disclaimer applies.
Christmas morning was full of activity. Hermione had awoken early and bounded downstairs to wait for the others. Draco came down a few minutes later, yawning. Hermione giggled slightly and kissed him on the cheek.
"Morning, sleepy."
"Hey babe." Draco replied, wrapping an arm around her waist. Nacrissa and Lucius came down a few moments later, barely blinking an eyelash at seeing the two sitting together on the couch. Nacrissa gracefully took a seat on the floor near the tree.
"Good morning, my early birds."
"Morning mum."
"Good morning, Nacrissa." Hermione's pleased smile told it all. Nacrissa silently congratulated herself on putting that mistletoe above Hermione's door before handing out her presents to the others. Hermione was ecstatic over her new dress and robes. Draco was surprised at the size of the broom service kit that she bought him, not to mention a spell on how to engrave anything. Lucius smiled warmly at the book of charms he could use to teach.
Lucius handed out his presents next. Both teens were extremely pleased with the coupon for free butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks, to be used as many times as they liked. Nacrissa was quite happy with her new gardening kit and a rose that would never die.
Draco smirked slightly as he handed out his gifts. He had gotten Hermione two things, but was keeping one for when they were alone. To his mum, a set of new notebooks and a quill, since she loved to write besides garden. To Lucius, a set of dragon hide leather gloves and a new walking stick to replace the one that had broken. Hermione's other gift was a journal enchanted to write directly into a matching journal that Draco owned, so that they could speak in class without getting caught. Hermione laughed when she read the note.
"You trickster!"
"Hey! Slytherin!" Draco protested.
"Hey! Gryffindor!" Hermione replied teasingly.
"Yea, well, you obviously DON'T belong there." He smirked.
"Why, thank you!" Hermione grinned and handed her presents out to everyone. As Draco had done, she had gotten him two gifts. One for now, the other for when they were alone. Hermione twisted her hands, waiting for their responses. Nacrissa gasped lightly when she saw the hand carved pipe and sheet music to her favorite songs. Lucius raised his eyebrows at the wooden box he received, crafted to hold his wand, with forest green velvet lining. Draco's expression flashed with surprise when he saw the hand crafted Slytherin emblem on a box, which a note said would guard anything he found most precious or valuable.
"…Do you like them?" Hermione asked nervously.
"Like it? My dear, I simply adore it!" Nacrissa exclaimed, hugging the younger woman.
"This is very exquisite Hermione, did you make it yourself?"
"Yes." Hermione replied.
"Amazing. This is wonderful."
To give his thanks, Draco gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It's perfect. Now only if you would fit in it." He smirked.
Hermione blushed as Nacrissa clapped happily. "Finally! I was wondering how long it would take to get you two together!"
Hermione and Draco shared a look, then burst out in laughter.
Later on in the day, Draco and Hermione went outside to the pond to go ice skating. Each had the gift for the other in their cloak pockets. Pulling on the laces, Hermione got up and glided onto the ice. Draco came gliding out a few minutes after her.
"Hermione…I forgot to give you something this morning."
Hermione twirled on the skates to face him, a curious look on her face. "Hmm?"
"Here. This is for you. I saw it and I thought it would fit you perfectly."
Hermione took the box from him, a curious look on her face. Opening it, she gasped. Lying in the royal blue velvet was a silver necklace. Attached to the necklace was a silver snake wrapped around a heart. The snake's eyes were small emeralds, the center of the heart was garnet.
"It's….It's beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed. Draco smiled lopsidedly, taking the necklace out of the case and skating behind her. Hermione lifted her hair out of the way, and he placed the necklace around her slim throat.
"There." He said, coming back around to face her. Hermione smiled at him, and leaned up, kissing him softly. "Thank you…But I have something for you as well." She slipped the rectangular box out of her pocket, handing it to him. Draco cocked his head in puzzlement. Opening the box, a grin came over his face.
"This is amazing, Mione! How did you know?"
Hermione smiled, pleased that he liked it. "I saw you looking at it in the window when we were last at Hogsmeade. Your mother said you never did get it."
Draco slid the dagger out of the sheath, holding it up. It fit exactly right into his hand. The hilt was a dragon etched in black, as was his name in Japanese kanji. He slipped it back into the sheath and hooked it through his belt loop.
The two skated around the pond until they were frozen, then ran inside to warm up by the fire, laughing.
Saturday morning, Hermione was up and ready to go before anyone else. She could hardly contain her excitement. She got to see her parents again! Earlier, she had warned Lucius and Nacrissa that her parents were muggles, therefore did not know much about the wizarding world. Nacrissa had smiled and explained that she had once had muggle-born friends and knew what their parents were like. Nacrissa was sure they'd manage.
Once everyone was up and dressed, they headed out. Climbing into the car that Lucius had bought for occasions like this, they traveled to the Granger home. When they reached the house, Hermione leapt out of the car and ran into the house.
"Mum! Dad! I'm home!" She exclaimed upon entering.
Mary Anne Granger came out of the kitchen with a look of confusion. "Hermione? What are you doing here?" She asked, but smiled.
Hermione hugged her mother. Nacrissa and Lucius stood by the door, while Draco leaned against the wall.
"Mom, I would like you to meet the Malfoy family. They were kind enough to invite me to spend the holidays."
Mary Anne smiled warmly at the three. "Ah, yes. Lucius and Nacrissa, correct?" She asked the two adults. They nodded, and Nacrissa smiled, liking this woman immediately. Mary Anne turned to Draco. "And you must be Draco. I've heard so much about you all. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." She turned back to Lucius and Nacrissa. "I do hope my daughter wasn't a pain for you. I appreciate you taking her in over the holidays. I apologize, my husband Robert isn't home at the moment. He had to go to work."
"Oh, don't worry, your daughter's an angel! She's simply a treat to have around!" Nacrissa said, smiling brightly. Mary Anne returned the smile.
"Would you two care for some tea? Hermione, you can show Draco around the house if you would like." She said, giving her daughter a wink. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Muuummm!" She said, sounding childish and knowing it. The two shared a similar smile, and Hermione grabbed Draco's hand. "Come on, I'll show you around."
The adults went off into the kitchen for tea and to talk, while Draco and Hermione went upstairs. Hermione opened a door and grinned. "This is my room." She said, letting him in. Draco looked around, while Hermione jumped onto the bed. The room most definitely suited Hermione. A darker shade of blue, a full size bed covered by a gauzy blue material, furniture of cherry wood, a huge bookcase filled to the brim with different novels. Hermione looked up at him from laying on her bed. "Do you like it?" She asked.
Draco came over and laid next to her. "I like it. It suits you well."
She smiled and curled next to him. "Only two more days until we go back….What are we going to do?" She commented with a thoughtful look.
"About what? Potter and Weasely?"
"Yea… Them."
Draco looked thoughtful. "Well…we could keep it a secret. I mean, we do have the notebooks and you have the entire Slytherin population backing you up. We know how to keep secrets. Or…you could tell them and watch as the Weasel pounds me in."
Hermione pulled a face. "No way. I like you in one piece, thanks. Besides, they can suffer by not knowing."
Draco tilted her head up and kissed her gently. "Glad to know it, princess."
Hermione smiled impishly in reply. "My prince."
The two teens remained in Hermione's room until Mary Anne retrieved them. Hermione hugged her mother once more and wished her well before leaving, promising to write. Mary Anne hugged her daughter back and told her to have a good time. They would see her for the summer.
The last two days of vacation passed much too swiftly for the couple. Sooner then they realized, they were standing at King's Cross Station with their things, waiting for the train. It was the last few hours they would be able to be together without anyone knowing about 'them'.
Hermione, who had arrived at the manor with only one suitcase, was now returning with three more. Draco had laughed at it, saying he knew it would happen from the look on his mother's face. It happened to him all the time.
The couple boarded the train and found the compartment they shared on the first day, empty. Curling up on the seat, Hermione giggled. Draco looked at her curiously.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm trying to imagine Ron's face if I ever told him."
Draco snickered. "I think the poor weasel would have a heart attack."
"Ahh, yes. And Harry would think I was simply nuts for dating you, a ferret."
"Hey!" Draco protested.
"Well, you called Ron a weasel, so it's only fair."
Draco shook his head. "You're impossible, my dear."
Hermione grinned. "Don't you know it. But you love me anyway."
They arrived back at Hogwarts in time for the evening meal. Hermione had chosen to wear her robe open, showing off her black pleated mini skirt and baby blue top. Her hair had been pulled back into a loose bun with a couple strands hanging down. The necklace Draco had given her remained around her throat at all times.
Draco and Hermione had agreed to act as if they had created a truce on the train, but it broke once they arrived at the castle. Walking into the Great Hall, Hermione watched amusedly as the attention went to her and her boyfriend. Pretending to scowl at him, she turned her head and crossed her arms, sashaying her way over to the Gryffindor table. Harry and Ron stared at her in amazement.
"Hermione, is that you?" Ron asked for them.
"No, it's Professor Snape in disguise. Of course it's me!" Hermione joked, sitting down. She was actually wearing Draco's robe, so it was bit big, and the emblem had been removed. The robe was several sizes too big for her, but it was comfy.
"Why were you talking to Malfoy?" Harry asked.
"Oh, that? We had a truce on the train to be civil to one another, but it ended once we arrived."
Ignoring the boys' surprised faces, she turned to Ginny.
"Hey Ginny, how was Hogwarts over the holidays?"
The redhead girl smiled. She knew what had occurred over the break, being Hermione's best girl-friend. She only didn't know about the Dark Mark. But she kept the secrets well. "It was the same as usual. How was home?"
Hermione grinned. "It was wonderful. The place is gorgeous…" She proceeded to give Ginny a detailed explanation of her holiday, leaving out the things that had to do with Draco. She kept referring to Lucius and Nacrissa as her 'parents'.
Harry and Ron were trying to keep up. "Wait, didn't you go home for the holidays?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yes, why?" Hermione asked, looking at them.
"Cause you look as if you're describing a mansion with that dreamy look." Ron commented.
"Ohh! That's because my parents decided to re-do the house while I was gone." Hermione explained, lying easily.
"Oh.." The boys said in union and shrugged.
Hermione snuck a glance over at the Slytherin table and saw Draco smile at her. She smiled in return. Maybe this year would end up being really good.
