Jay Morris
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just the gremlins in my head.
"Chapter 6: Problems"
After the smoke cleared Draco and Hermione stepped into the living room of their new home for the next four months.
"Professor Devine wasn't kidding when he said nice," Draco said.
The house had three bedrooms, two of them master bedrooms, a spacious tile kitchen, a comfortable living room, and a dining room with an authentic chandelier. In the third bedroom there was a baby crib with mobile, and an empty dresser. The house also had a back porch with a patio and a pool a few feet away. And out in front was a dog fenced in by a fence going around the entire property.
On the dining room were two letters one addressed to Miss Hermione Granger, and the other to Mr. Draco Malfoy. Inside was the information for their occupations,(Draco was to be a worker in the Defense of Wizardkind Office, and Hermione an assistant in the local book shop), the amount they would have to pay for the house, and other such information. And that night there would be a meeting in the town hall, Professor Devine's residence, to answer any questions. All couples were to sit together. There were to be door prizes and also a special drawing.
"Allright Hermione" Draco began.
"Did you just talk to me without using my last name or insulting me?" Hermione was in shock. Malfoy never did this.
"Yes. Are you ready for a confession?" Draco asked. He hoped he could play his cards right. If she shot him down, the next four months might be cut drastically short.
"What, are you madly in love with me and that's why Devine put us together?" Hermione joked.
Draco didn't respond.
"Are you?" Hermione asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"Yes." Draco was ready to run, hide, and cry for the first time in his life, but something held him where he was.
"You're serious?"
Draco's voice failed him, so he nodded his head.
"Wow. I love you too."
Draco looked up, his eyes welling up with tears.
"You love me too? Even after all I've put you through?" Draco couldn't believe it. She loved him too.
"Yes, even after all that. I just always have. I first started loving you when I watched you duel with Harry."
"Well, there's something I need to ask you." Draco cleared his throat. "Are we going to let everyone else know, or are we going to 'play' on?"
"Who cares if they know?"
"My father. If he found out I loved a muggle born he'd be sooooo mad."
"Well, actually I'm not a full muggle born. When I started liking you I did some research in my family. My deceased grandmother was actually a full-blooded witch, a squib with non-magic children, but a witch nonetheless. So, technically, I'm a quarter witch. And that's why Professor Devine said that he and I are alike."
"Well, that's sort of a relief. I'm tired, you want to lay down for a while?" Draco's heart was racing but he knew he had to take it slow. He'd give her the Gryffindor ring when he proposed. What could be more perfect?
"After you answer a question."
"Okay. . . shoot."
"Are we going to carry this through, even after the four months are up?"
"I see no reason why not."
"Allright."
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At the town meeting all the couples put in the last name of the male, and took their seats. Every seat was labeled so Devine knew who was there, and who wasn't. Draco and Hermione were seated right next to Ron and Tanya.
Ron leaned over to Hermione and in a whisper asked, "Do I need to have a hex ready for Malfoy?"
"No, Draco is being very polite."
"Did you just call him Draco?"
"Yeah, got a problem with that?!" Hermione for the first time was actually ready to fight one of her friends.
"No." Ron turned his attention back to Tanya, who was looking at him dreamily. Tanya was an average girl with brown hair, and brown eyes. Her skin gave her an elegant hispanic look, and her attire hid nothing about her feminine physique. Hermione rolled her eyes and looked up to see Professor Devine stand up to begin the meeting.
"Welcome all. I hope you found all the information I left you in your houses. And I trust all of you found your houses comfortable enough. Now, we will have three door prizes for a bag of 50 extra Galleons to pay your expenses. And the first name is Mr. and Mrs. Potter. You can pick up your prize after"
Just then Harry, followed shortly by Ginny, came in at a sprint. Harry was still trying to get his shoes on, and Ginny was trying desperately to straighten her hair. Professor Devine suppressed a smile when he said, "But it looks as though you've already had your prize."
Hermione turned to Ron to ask how Harry's name got in the drawing when he wasn't even here, as Ron was shaking his head disapprovingly at Ginny, when she decided to not ask.
"Now, each of you will report to work tomorrow at the times given, and I urge you to not be late. Use the pot of Floo Powder by your fireplace. Also your pay will come in to you at week intervals, be careful on your spending. Gringotts Bank will not accept transactions from this point, and the money isn't real anyway. As some of you may or may not have noticed, this is an actual magic community. The witches and wizards here are all friendly to Hogwarts and are respected by many of the magic community, be on your best behavior. This is completely an experiment, and I want to be able to do this next year. Now, I believe that is all I have, except in answer to Mr. Potter's question regarding Quidditch; if you wish to attend matches and practice you must work that out with your partner."
"Professor Devine," Seamus Finnigan asked.
"Yes Mr. Finnigan?"
"Why do we have two bedrooms, do you not fully trust us?" A grin played at his lips.
"Let me think . . .NO!! The two master bedrooms are for one student only each, and the third is of course the baby room. Dates are highly encouraged. They are a good way to get to know your partner, and that will make the four months go smoother. Any other questions?"
"What's the special drawing?"
"Oh yes. The special drawing is for a house elf to help around the house. And that house will be Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom."
Neville looked relieved and Luna looked ecstatic.
"For the other two bags of Galleons, the winners are Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, and Mr. and Mrs. Defruell. And girls get used to being called by your partner's last name."
Hermione looked at Draco with a smile on her face. "Why would I mind?" Draco returned her smile with a squeeze of her hand.
Just then the doors burst open and who should walk through but Mr. Lucius Malfoy.
"Professor Devine I want to see you, my son, and that girl right now!" His voice rose high above the murmurs that preceded his entrance. Draco and Hermione were scared. Professor Devine's face had not changed from the moment Lucius had walked through the doors. His eyes were focused and deadly and his hand was fingering his wand.
"Very well. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy please remain, everyone else to your homes. Follow me please Malfoys."
Devine lead the way into a room with several chairs and a large space. Hermione and Draco sat down and waited for Lucius Malfoy to come in. Not knowing what else to do Hermione gave Draco a small kiss on the cheek and whispered, "It will be okay. Devine won't let us down." Draco tried to smile, but couldn't get it to stay on his face.
Lucius came into the room and started yelling, "What were you thinking putting my son with a mudblood!?!" His face was contorted with rage and his hand was itching to pull out his wand.
Devine remained calm but alert. "I don't understand the question."
"Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. I know you put the two of them together on purpose, and I want to know why!" Lucius was seething, almost unable to contain any rage.
"Lucius Malfoy, I must first ask you to contain yourself a little better. Secondly, I had nothing to do with them being paired. Just like in the Triwizard Cup, it was an impartial entity that selected the names. I just put them together in the order that they were drawn, and sent them to their houses."
"Then Draco will be repaired immediately. I will not have him be stuck in the same house as a mudblood."
"Say mudblood one more time and you will regret it for the rest of your natural life."
"Very well, the muggle-born, will be relocated at once. Is that clear?" Lucius had his eyes dead set on Devine when he said this.
"Crystal." Lucius turned to walk out when Devine continued. "But that doesn't mean I will do it."
Lucius turned to find Devine standing and staring at him.
"What did you say?"
"I said that doesn't mean I will do it."
"I am a school governor, you will do as I say."
"Oh yeah, that's right you forgot. I can tell you to go kiss a hippogriff and you can't do a thing about it." Devine's look was smug.
"You think so huh? Guess again. The governors have all agreed that Dumbledore gave you too much power, and we have power over you now."
"Once again, you have missed a by-law that Dumbledore wrote, and I quote, 'In the case that the school governors take complete control of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, all final decisions shall be made by the teacher and student in agreement.' So, Draco has a say in whether or not Hermione becomes someone else's partner and he gets another or not. Draco?"
Draco looked at his father, then at Devine, and finally at Hermione.
"She stays."
"So you say!" Lucius yelled. He advanced on Hermione with such speed even Draco yelled. But Devine leaped forward, grabbed the back of Lucius's robes, pivoted, and sent him flying to the other wall.
"You just committed an unpardonable act."
"No one will ever know!" said Lucius standing up.
"Oh really? And how do you plan that? Dumbledore is on his way right now, and he's going to be accompanied by three Ministry wizards. And if you want to try to take down this part vampire, be my guest, but you aren't gonna win." Devine's wand was on the ground, forgotten in the heat of the moment, and his incisors were growing into fangs.
"I could have you fired from Hogwarts for not reporting that you are part vampire."
Devine's fangs were fully bared and his voice had a thick tone to it now. "Dumbledore, and the faculty know. I have a potion owled to me weekly that allows me to persist on human food, and not seek blood. The fact that you governors never knew about it is beside the point really."
Just then Dumbledore, and three Ministry wizards came in with wands at the ready.
"Excellent timing Professor Dumbledore. Arrest Devine. He has tried to kill the children. Look his fangs are bared ready to attack," Lucius said. He straightened his robes and hair.
"Actually Mr. Malfoy, you are going to Azkaban prison. You have attacked a student, and threatened a teacher. We also found some interesting artifacts in your house that would be enough to get the Dementor's Kiss administered. Let's go."
"Wait!"
Everyone turned to Draco.
"He is still my father. Can you just let him slide this time, and the next time go the extreme on him?"
"No." Dumbledore looked sad. "I'm sorry, but some punishment must be made. And the least we can do is snap his wand, and send him into seclusion."
Draco lowered his head hiding tears. "So be it."
"Very well." Dumbledore turned to the three wizards who came with him and nodded his head. Lucius was soon led out of the building at wand point.
"I'll get you for this treachery Draco. You wait and see!"
"Don't be afraid Mr. Malfoy, with Devine here, no one in their right mind would attack you."
"I know, but he does have friends."
"As I too am aware. Feeling allright James?" Dumbeldore pointed toward Devine's shrinking incisors.
"Much better than I have actually. I forgot how much strength I have. But you may want to send me another dose for this week. That aroused inner heat."
"I will, and thank you for the promptness of your message."
"Any time . . . Albus."
Dumbledore smirked and walked out of the room leaving James Devine, an astonished Hermione Granger, and a sulking Draco Malfoy. Devine turned to look at Hermione who looked like she wanted to run, and Draco who looked like he wanted to cry.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Hermione. I know that scared you."
"No it didn't."
"You're either lying to me or yourself. I am empathic, immortal, super strong, an Animagus, and blood thirsty. I am a vampire, and so I will remain until I am killed or a cure is found, which isn't likely. My wife knew and loved me all the more. Draco, she was killed trying to defend me. Voldemort wanted me to bite him so he would gain my powers, and so I had to stay on the run. Now to bed with you, or I'll never hear the end of it from Dumbledore."
"I just sent my dad into exile, picked up a permanent roommate, found out my favorite teacher is a vampire, and you expect me to be able to go to sleep?" Draco yelled.
"Yes. If you need any help check the medicine chest in the lavatory. There's a powerful sleeping potion in there. Do you want me to take you back to your house?" Devine was picking up his wand and putting it away when he saw them shake their heads.
"Allright then. Go to bed."
Hermione and Draco walked home hand in hand, and in total silence. When they shut the door, Hermione did the only thing she could think of to cheer up Draco. She took his face in her hands and gave him the most passionate kiss she could.
"Wow. Wow."
"And there's plenty more where that came from. That was just to reassure you of your decision, not a request. Patience is a virtue, and marriage a necessity. So I'm going to bed, and if you aren't in bed in one hour you had better have a good excuse." Draco watched her walk up the stairs and her hips sway ever so slightly. He had made the right choice, and he could sleep in peace, dreaming of Hermione.