Chapter Eleven:
Flabbergasted
"Thank god you're better, Hermione. We were starting to get worried." Ron said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. Hermione smiled at Harry and Ron, feeling much better. The strength in her legs returned three days after Dumbledore gave her the potion. She had been growing restless, saying that if Apparation were allowed in Hogwarts, she'd be able to go to class. Draco had teased her about her longing to get back to class, but his taunting always transformed into kissing.
"It's good to be back." She replied, drinking some pumpkin juice. Harry elbowed Ron, who coughed violently.
"Oh yeah, Hermione, there's something Harry and I want to ask you about." He hedged when he had finished his coughing spell. Hermione froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. God, is it time already for me to tell them about Draco? I haven't even been with them for ten minutes. She sighed and looked at them expectantly.
"Go ahead, Harry." Ron nudged the green-eyed boy. Harry glared at Ron quickly before turning back to Hermione.
"Well, Hermione, you see, Ron was just wondering-"
"Oh come on, Harry, you were wondering too!"
"Will you two just quit arguing before-" Hermione interrupted, but stopped when the food cleared off of their plates. "Now it's time for class. Ask me later." She sighed with a mixture of disappointment and relief. She rushed out of the great hall, not wanting to endure an inquisition on the way to Potions. Turning a corner sharply, she ran directly into a solid figure. She stumbled backwards a few steps, but the blonde Slytherin caught her.
"Sorry, love. I didn't see you coming." He smiled at her, dropping a short kiss on her cheek. Hermione managed to smile back.
"It's okay. I wasn't really paying attention."
"Are you all right? You look distressed." He paused and lowered his voice. "Did you talk to Potter and Weasley?"
"They tried to talk to me, but they didn't get a chance to ask me before the food disappeared. I pretty much fled the scene, because I was scared to death."
"You can't run from them for long, sweet heart."
"I know. Can't I run just a little longer?" Hermione sighed, staring at the crowds of students pouring out of the Great Hall.
"Well run in the direction of the dungeons. Snape would only be too happy to deduct points for the lateness of the Gryffindor Head Girl." Draco advised, steering her down the stairs. They were the first to enter the empty Potions classroom. Snape was no where in sight.
"So much for that." Hermione winked at Draco and leaned against the wall.
"Well we could make something of our free time." He approached her slowly, and she eyed him suspiciously.
"What are you doing, Draco?"
"This." He replied softly before quickly capturing her lips in a fervent kiss. When he pulled away, they were both at a loss of breath.
"Why does it feel like I haven't done that in years?" Draco wondered aloud, brushing his fingers across her face. Hermione still shivered at his touch.
"Because every minute we're alone feels like a year?" She suggested. Draco sighed and nodded, not caring about his inquiry anymore. He claimed her lips with his again, and slid his tongue between her lips. While the two Heads snogged, Professor Snape entered the classroom, going unnoticed by Draco and Hermione. Upon seeing the sight that almost made him smile, Snape exited the room as quietly as he had entered. Making a distinct amount of noise on his reentry, he gave the Heads time to compose.
"Morning, Draco. Hermione." He nodded to them both curtly, pretending as though he hadn't just witnessed their illegal activity. It wasn't like him to do something such as this. Normally he'd be thrilled to take points from Gryffindor. Something about the mismatched lovers made him go soft. He was in complete awe of their pairing, and he never would have predicted it in a million years. This unlikely couple warmed his heart unlike anything else. But it was better that no one knew that. More students began filing into the classroom, and Snape ceased to dwell on the soft spot in his heart.
"Clear your desktops. Take out your quills." He ordered, picking up the stack of highly difficult tests he had made up. Glancing at the first page, he knew that the only students that would get decent grades were Draco and Hermione. He wondered why he bothered teaching them if he was just going to give them A's in the end. A smirk slipped onto his face as he watched Ron Weasley spill his ink all over the floor.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for your clumsiness, Weasley." As he watched the red head's mouth form a silent curse, Snape felt normal again. As long as he kept taking points from Gryffindors, his soft spot wouldn't weaken his rock solid exterior. His eyes darted across the room as his students took the extremely challenging test. He almost got enjoyment out of seeing the puzzled expressions on most of the student's faces. He watched Draco hesitate only once as his quill flew across the parchment. Hermione didn't hesitate at all. When the class had ended only Draco and Hermione had completed the test. Surprise, surprise.
"Quills down. Pass your tests forward. Weasley, I said quills down." He dismissed the class when all the tests were in his possession. He watched as Draco held the door for Hermione, and that's when he noticed it. A gold band around Draco's left ring finger. Snape narrowed his eyes and caught a glimpse of gold on Hermione's hand as well. He shook his head in disbelief, grabbed some Floo powder and tossed it into the fire. Professor McGonagall was shocked to see Professor Snape enter her office through the fireplace.
"Severus? What brings you here?"
"When do you have class with Malfoy and Granger?"
"They should be entering the classroom any minute now. Why?"
"Pay close attention to the rings on their left hands."
"Severus, you don't suggest that-"
"I do, professor." McGonagall stared at Snape for a moment, thinking that any moment he would say he was just kidding. But it wasn't in Snape's character to joke.
"I shall owl you after my class, Severus."
"Thank you." Snape nodded in thanks and disappeared back into the fire. McGonagall was eager to discover whether Snape had been telling the truth or not. She hurried into the classroom to see all of the students seated and waiting for her.
"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Professor McGonagall." They chorused.
"Mister Malfoy, would you please assist me in handing out your homework assignment?"
"Certainly, professor." Draco replied, rising and walking to the front of the room. As McGonagall handed him the stack of papers, she glanced at the ring on his left hand. Her eyes widened slightly, and Draco eyed her curiously.
"Is something wrong, professor?" He asked her. She managed a smile and nodded, sending him off to distribute the homework. Still not sure that she believed it, she addressed Hermione.
"Miss Granger, would you please hand out the exams from last week?" Hermione nodded and headed towards the front of the room. As she picked up the stack of exams, McGonagall gasped aloud at the ring on Hermione's finger.
"Oh my goodness." She whispered, still in shock. Hermione stared at her professor and exchanged confused glances with Draco, who had returned with extras.
"Are you feeling all right, professor?"
"Maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey." Draco suggested. McGonagall stared at the students in front of her. She had heard rumors that the Heads were involved, but she wasn't sure if she believed them. It was all Professor Vector was talking about during meal times. She always bragged about how she had been right all along, but McGonagall still wouldn't believe anything until she saw proof. Now, staring directly at Draco and Hermione, it appeared as though the rumors were true. She took one more glance at the rings on their fingers and took a deep breath.
"I apologize for my behavior. I was up late last night grading papers." McGonagall said quickly, and waved them back to their seats. They both shrugged and sat down. Wondering how she was supposed to teach a lesson when she was in such shock, she paused for a few minutes. Somehow, she made it through the lesson. When the students were dismissed, she sent an owl to Snape and collapsed in her office chair. A soft knock came on the door and tiny Professor Flitwick entered.
"Sorry to bother you, Minerva, but I just heard the most peculiar news from Severus."
"It is very peculiar, but it appears to be the truth."
"A most interesting match, wouldn't you say?"
"Very intriguing. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go inform Professor Dumbledore about this turn of events."
"Of course, but I imagine he already knows."
"Malfoy and Granger?"
"I never saw it coming!"
"The two Heads together? How wonderful!"
"Are you sure about this?"
"When did it all start?" The faculty lounge was abuzz with the news of Draco and Hermione's pairing. Dumbledore raised a hand to silence the group.
"I know this is exciting news for everyone, but this can not get out to the student body. It is their choice when to tell their friends. Therefore, I would appreciate it if discussions were kept to a minimum." The other teachers grumbled their consent. Professor Trelawney rose from her chair.
"I'd like everyone to know that I have predicted this match since the third year. I have not voiced my opinion to save myself from ridicule." McGonagall didn't try to hide her eye roll and groan.
"I'm sure you did, Sybil." Trelawney shot McGonagall a glare.
"I didn't want other professors laughing at me, like they laughed at poor Professor Vector." Trelawney gestured to the Arithmancy professor, who looked up at her mention.
"It wasn't terrible, Sybil. I'm sure you could have handled it." Trelawney decide it would be best if she kept her mouth shut for the rest of the meeting.
"If we are all finished with our side conversations..." Dumbledore interrupted. "Now then. One of our staff has proposed a graduation ball for our seventh year students. I think that this would be a lovely idea. Does anyone have any objections or comments?" The professors all nodded in agreement. "If anyone has a suggestion for the ball, come to my office whenever you can. This meeting is adjourned." As soon as Dumbledore disappeared from the faculty lounge, the chatter about Draco Hermione started again.
Hermione headed to the library by herself. Draco was still at Quidditch practice. As she settled in a cozy armchair with a large textbook, a shadow blocked her light. She glanced up to see Harry standing there.
"Hello, Harry. What brings you here?"
"You."
"Okay...what did you want?" Hermione already knew. She closed her book and stared directly into Harry's green eyes. He sighed.
"I think you already know." When Hermione didn't answer, Harry took her left hand and fingered the engagement ring. "Is this what I think it is?"
"What do you think it is?"
"Come on, Hermione, work with me." He groaned and rolled his eyes. Hermione bit her lip, knowing that she wasn't being fair to her best friend.
"Sorry, Harry. It's not easy for me to say."
"It isn't easy for me to ask either. I'm hurt that you'd keep this from Ron and me."
"I'm sorry, Harry! You'll understand why."
"Well, right now I don't care about why you never told us. Right now I care about whom you're engaged to."
"You don't want to guess?" She asked, trying a feeble smile. Harry rolled his eyes again. Hermione sighed.
"Come on, Hermione. It's just me. We've been best friends for seven years. It can't be so bad that you have to lie to me."
"You don't know that."
"Nothing you can say will make me hate you...unless you're engaged to Malfoy. But that can't be." Hermione's eyes filled with tears and her cheeks flushed red. Harry paused and his mouth fell open.
"Oh my god...you are engaged to Malfoy." She nodded, letting the tears fall down her cheeks. Harry hated her. She knew it. An awkward silence immersed them, and Hermione just cried. Harry stared blankly into the fire, his mouth still agape.
"I've got to go." Hermione finally managed to mutter. Before Harry had a chance to say something or stop her, she was running out of the library. She didn't stop running until she got to her bedroom. Then she threw herself down on her bed and sobbed. Draco walked in from Quidditch practice ten minutes later. He heard her sobs and dropped everything he was carrying. He rushed into her room and approached her cautiously. Upon seeing him, she sat up and threw her arms around his neck. Draco dropped onto the bed and leaned against the headboard, still holding her in his arms. She cried into his chest for awhile. Soon her body stopped convulsing with her heavy sobs, and her breathing slowly steadied. Not sure if he should ask her what happened, he tightened his grip, hoping that she'd break the silence first. She did.
"I told Harry." Draco sighed, he knew that this moment would come.
"I assume that it didn't go well."
"He hates me, Draco."
"I'm sure he doesn't hate you, love."
"He does. I saw it in his eyes." She broke out of Draco's embrace and wiped her face with her hands. She laughed wryly. "And I haven't even told Ron yet."
"Maybe Potter will tell him." Hermione bit her lip and stared into the fire.
"I hope not. I want to tell him personally." Draco watched her eyes fill with more tears, and she turned to look at him. "I love you, Draco." She whispered, hugging him tightly.
"I love you too, sweetie." He replied, holding her close. He would go have a talk with Potter. It broke his heart to see Hermione so upset.
"Potter!" Draco called to the raven-haired boy. When his emerald green eyes settled on the blonde Slytherin, his expression turned dark.
"What do you want, Malfoy?"
"I want to talk to you."
"About what?"
"Hermione." Potter froze and glared up at Draco.
"What did you do to her?" Draco was confused.
"I don't understand you, Potter."
"She seems to think that marrying you is a smart thing to do. What did you do to her? Did you drug her?" Draco almost grinned at the idea of drugging Hermione to get her to marry him. It was preposterous.
"I didn't do anything to her."
"I don't believe you."
"Accept reality, Potter. Hermione and I are getting married on June 21st. You can come and be supportive of your best friend, or you can stay home."
"My so-called best friend has been lying to me."
"Why do you think she did that? Would you have been any more receptive a few months ago?" Draco demanded. He knew that he was right, and so did Potter.
"I'm not ready to accept it right now, Malfoy."
"But you'll learn to live with her decision?" Draco pressed. Potter sighed and appeared to be thinking very hard about the question.
"Eventually."
"Good. Go tell her that yourself."
"Why?"
"Because she's under the impression that you hate her guts." Potter's face softened at this news. Draco was slightly surprised. It was a side of his enemy that he had never seen.
"All right...I'll tell her."
"Thanks, Potter. One more thing, don't tell Weasley. Hermione wants to."
"Do you think that's wise?" Potter asked, raising his eyebrows.
"No, but it's what she wants to do." Potter shrugged and nodded.
"Well, I'll see you around, Malfoy. Congratulations, by the way." Draco had to stop his jaw from hitting the ground. Potter had just congratulated him on his engagement...something he hadn't planned on happening.
"Thanks, Potter. See you around." Draco turned and left, heading for the library. He knew she'd be there. When he entered, he saw her getting ready to leave.
"Hey." He greeted her. She smiled at him, weakly. "Where are you going?"
"To meet Ron." Draco felt his heart beat harshly for her.
"Good luck, love."
"Thanks, Draco. I'm preparing myself for the worst though."
"The best defense is a good offense." Draco replied, picking up her book bag and carrying it for her. She gave him a mock glare and he grinned at her. She hated it when he carried her books for her. She always insisted that she was perfectly capable of carrying them herself. Draco would always reply that it would strengthen his muscles for Quidditch. After awhile, Hermione stopped arguing. He always ended up carrying her books anyway.
"Where are you meeting him?"
"The rose garden."
"I'll walk you to the doors."
"Okay. Thank you." The rest of their walk was silent. Draco knew she was emotionally preparing herself for what was about to happen. He watched her lips moving slightly as she practiced what she wanted to say. When they reached the doors, he gave her a hug. She didn't seem to want to let go, but reluctantly, she released him. She took a few deep breaths and placed her hand on the door handle.
"I love you." Draco said as she turned to shut the door again. She gave him a genuine smile just before the door snapped shut. Quickly, Draco turned and rushed to the window over looking the rose garden. He saw Weasley waiting for her. Hermione saw Ron pacing the garden and the knot in her stomach tightened. She was suddenly afraid of losing her lunch. The thought of turning around and running back to the castle entered her mind, and sounded very appealing. But Ron turned at that moment when she was about to run away and spotted her. He waved at her, grinning, and she tried to return the smile.
"Hermione! I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" He said as she approached.
"I know." She replied shortly, trying to remain calm. Ron noticed her fiddling with the ring on her hand and his expression turned serious.
"This is about your ring, isn't it?"
"Nothing gets past you, Ron." She sighed, wanting to hit herself for having drawn his attention to her hand.
"Who gave it to you?"
"Look, Ron, there isn't really an easy way for me to say this-"
"So just say it! I've been dying to know!"
"It doesn't work that way, Ron."
"Is it someone from Gryffindor?" Hermione shook her head slowly. "Hufflepuff, then? There are some decent fellows in that house, I think."
"No, it's not someone from Hufflepuff."
"Then it must be Ravenclaw. Mmm, who do I know from that house? That Terry Boot chap! Yes, it must be him!"
"It's no one from Ravenclaw, either." Hermione whispered, looking down at the ground, knowing Ron would hit the roof when he realized it was someone from Slytherin. He would be positively fuming when he discovered who the someone from Slytherin was.
"Oh no, Hermione. Not a Slytherin."
"Yes...a Slytherin." She replied weakly, not daring to look into Ron's eyes.
"Hermione...if the Slytherin I'm thinking of is who you're going to marry, I'm taking you to the hospital to have you checked out."
"I'm engaged to Draco Malfoy." Hermione spit out quickly, wanting to get it over with now. She snuck a peek at Ron, and his ears were turning red.
"WHAT? Hermione, have you gone DAFT?" He bellowed, his voice echoing off the courtyard walls. Hermione winced at the volume.
"I love him, Ron."
"YOU LOVE HIM??? OH THIS JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER." He shouted, furiously. Hermione began to cry, and that's when Draco left the window. He rushed through the front doors of the castle and hurried to the rose garden. Ron was in the middle of a rant when he spotted Draco coming towards them. His face went white.
"That's enough, Weasley. Now leave her alone." Draco demanded, taking Hermione into his arms. Ron watched in disgust.
"This is outrageous! What have you done to Hermione?"
"I haven't done anything to her, Weasley! Now let's drop it for today, you've caused enough damage." Draco snapped, ushering Hermione back towards the castle. Hermione managed to calm herself down as they climbed the flights of stairs to the dormitory. Draco led her to her room and sat down on the side of her bed. She gratefully slipped under the covers and closed her eyes. Draco stayed with her until she was sleeping. When he was sure she had finally drifted off, he left her room. He sat down at his desk and wrote a quick message to Potter. He sent Poseidon off with it and collapsed onto his bed. Maybe Potter would be able to calm Weasley down enough so that he can begin the initial stages of acceptance.
Hermione woke up with the worst headache of her life. For a few wonderful moments, she forgot completely about what had happened the day before. Then reality floored her, and she felt like she wanted to die. Harry hated her, and Ron was furious. At least Draco still loved her. And Ginny, god bless her, seemed to understand. Her door opened and Draco poked his head in.
"Ah you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"I have such a bad headache and both of my best friends hate me."
"Potter doesn't hate you."
"Yes he does, Draco. I know he does. He has a reason to hate me anyway." She muttered, staring out the window at the dark sky. Rain began pelting down, hitting the windows in a rhythmic fashion. Draco sighed and slipped under the covers next to Hermione.
"I talked to him yesterday. He doesn't hate you." Draco admitted. He would have wanted Potter to tell Hermione himself, but she looked so devastated. Hermione turned her head to look at him.
"He said that?"
"He said that it's going to take some time, but eventually he's going to accept your decision." Draco replied, wrapping his arms around her. She felt small and fragile in his arms. He wanted to hold her as tightly as he could, but she was so delicate, he was afraid he'd hurt her.
"I hope Ron is as forgiving."
"He'll get over it. It's just the initial shock that's hard for him."
"I suppose." A loud knock came from the common room. Draco frowned and let go of Hermione. Whoever disturbed their moment would be very sorry.
"I'll be right back, love." He said to Hermione as he went to answer the door. The knock came again and Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm coming, I'm coming." He opened the door and froze.
"Hello, Draco. Nice to see you again." Evelyn smiled coldly at him. Draco narrowed his eyes at her.
"What do you want?"
"I want to know if it's true."
"If what's true?" Draco asked, though realizing deep inside of him what she was going to ask. Evelyn seemed to stare right into his thoughts, and Draco shifted uncomfortably.
"Are you really going to marry that mudblood?" Draco's temper went on fire.
"Don't you dare call her that."
"Well I suppose you can redefine the Malfoy name since you're the only one of them left." Something that looked like loathing flashed through her eyes. "Personally, I wouldn't have disgraced the name by bringing something like her into the family."
"Well it's not your choice to make, is it?" She raised an eyebrow, and Draco once again got the distinct feeling that she knew something that he didn't.
"We'll see." She gave him one last cold stare and left. Draco wondered if she got pleasure out of walking all the way to the Head dormitory to have a five-minute conversation, then leave. Shaking his head in disgust, Draco shut the door and returned to Hermione.
"What was that all about?"
"It was nothing." Draco lied, not wanting to burden Hermione even further.
"I heard everything, Draco, so don't tell me it was nothing."
"I'm sorry, love. I just don't want to worry you, especially since you have enough on your mind right now." Her face softened and she beckoned him over. He slipped back under the covers and took her in his arms.
"Do you think that she knows something?" Hermione asked, softly.
"Yes...but I can't figure out what it is."
"Maybe that's why she gets so much enjoyment out of walking up here. She wants to see us squirm." Draco sighed and decided that he didn't want to worry about it now.
"Let's not think about her right now. Let's think about our honeymoon." For the first time in what seemed like forever, Hermione smiled.
"Where should we go?"
"Paris, the city of love?" Draco suggested. "I've always wanted to go to Paris."
"What about the Bahamas?"
"The what?"
"It's an island in the Caribbean. It's supposed to be gorgeous, and I've always wanted to go. Maybe we could take a cruise or something!"
"A cruise?"
"I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you don't know anything in the Muggle world. A cruise is a boat trip to a bunch of islands. It's like a gigantic hotel that floats on the water."
"Sounds interesting."
"They're a lot of fun. That way, we can go to a whole bunch of islands instead of just one." Hermione smiled with content.
"Good. We'll do one of those. Can we still go to Paris?" Hermione laughed.
"Sure we can. We can go everywhere with that money you inherited." Draco nodded, but felt a slight twinge of sadness. He would give all the money back to have his mother alive. When it came time for classes, the two Heads had finished breakfast in the common room and were cleaning up.
"I have Muggle Studies this morning. We won't see each other until Potions."
"Damn. Well, I can't wait until then." Draco kissed her gently before heading off towards Divination. Hermione walked to her Muggle Studies classroom and sat down. A few girls in the back of the room started whispering to each other and looking at Hermione. She shook it off as paranoia. It became increasingly harder to ignore. As she walked to History of Magic, one Ravenclaw girl approached her.
"Are you Hermione Granger?"
"Yes...why do you ask?"
"No reason." The girl gave her a quick smile before hurrying over to her group of friends. Hermione heard her whisper to them, "That's her! The one who's marrying Draco Malfoy!" Hermione felt her heart sink as she realized that Harry or Ron must have let something slip to another Gryffindor. Whispers followed her as she sat down in History of Magic. She dared to look over at Harry and Ron. Harry was looking back at her, but stared quickly down at his book when she looked over. Ron was pressing his quill down so hard as he wrote something, the tip snapped off and he cursed loudly. Some of the other Gryffindors gave her nasty looks, as though she had betrayed them all. She wanted to curl up in a corner and stay there until the end of the day, when she could be with Draco for the entire night. After History of Magic, which she found hard to pay attention to, she shuffled off to the bathroom. Shutting herself in a stall, she cried as silently as she could. She heard the door creak open and two girls entered. Hermione covered her mouth and tried not to make a sound.
"Can you believe that Hermione is going to marry Draco Malfoy?" Hermione identified the first speaker as Lavender.
"No! I can't believe she'd do something like that! Doesn't she know that Harry and Ron despise him?" The second speaker was Parvati. Hermione should have known that it would be them. They were usually inseparable.
"Well, they were certainly a sight last night. Ron was screaming so loudly, I thought he'd pass out. And poor Harry tried to calm him down when he was a wreck himself."
"You can't really blame them though. After all, their best friend is sleeping with the enemy." Hermione bit her lip to keep from screaming that she wasn't sleeping with Draco.
"Draco is pretty sexy. And Hermione has to live with him, so I guess I can understand how something would happen."
"I can't. If I knew my friends hated a guy, I wouldn't marry him."
"Well she must have a good reason to marry him. It takes a lot to go against your best friends. Maybe she really does love him."
"She might love him, but he probably doesn't love her. He's just stringing her along to get sex. That's how Draco Malfoy is." Hermione bit her lip even harder to keep herself from defending Draco.
"Well he must be pretty desperate if he had to give her a ring to get her to get in bed with him. I don't think he's using her for sex. He could get it cheap from Pansy if he really wanted it."
"Whatever is going on between those two, I hope Hermione knows what she's doing. If their relationship ends up not working out, she better pray that Harry and Ron are willing to forgive her." Their conversation got dimmer as they left the bathroom. Hermione took a few deep breaths and left her stall. She stared at her reflection, despising what she saw. Parvati and Lavender were right. How could she do this to her best friends? But she could never give up Draco. She knew she wouldn't do that to him or to herself. After washing her face, Hermione left and headed for the Study of Ancient Runes. As she entered the classroom, most of the girls erupted into whispers. Hermione found them easier to ignore as the day went on. When Potions finally came, she wanted to collapse in Draco's arms and stay there forever. But the last thing she wanted was everyone seeing their public display of affection. Then no one would be whispering anymore. They'd just talk out loud as though she couldn't hear them. Draco looked up as she entered. He gave her a tiny smile, and she tried to return with a weak grin. Her eyes were reddened, and her cheeks were flushed. Draco watched the glares that some of the Gryffindors gave her. He heard the whispers between two blonde girls. He felt the pain Hermione felt when Ron sent her an ice-cold glare.
"Heads, work together." Snape called out. Every eye focused on Draco as he gathered his things and moved to sit next to Hermione. When everyone had stopped staring the pair down, Draco moved his hand over hers. She glanced at him with teary eyes and her bottom lip started to tremble.
"Draco-"
"Shh...it's going to be all right, love. I promise." Draco whispered, wiping the tear that had fallen onto her cheek. She nodded and wiped her own eyes with her hands. They worked in silence, ignoring the glances and whispers directed to them. When they had finished their assignment, Draco handed in their vile and Hermione cleaned up. When he returned to help her, she stopped and looked up at him. He stared back into her beautiful brown eyes and wanted so much to hug her. She touched his hand gently and smiled at him.
"I love you, Draco." She whispered. He took her hand in his and returned her smile.
"I love you too, sweet heart." They finished cleaning up and sat down in their chairs, waiting for class to be dismissed. Hermione spoke quietly about how her morning had gone, and Draco felt bad that he couldn't have been there for her. When Snape finally dismissed the class, Draco and Hermione left together and walked to Transfiguration side by side. As was the norm, whispers filled the corridors and followed them as they walked. When they stepped inside the classroom to see it empty, Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione. She hung on tightly to the only person who could make her smile on her worst day. Professor McGonagall entered suddenly, and the couple split apart quickly.
"Good afternoon, Miss Granger. Mister Malfoy." She greeted them. She took note of Hermione's red eyes and paused. "Is something wrong, Miss Granger?"
"Yes, ma'am. You see, somehow it got out that Draco and I are to be married, and it hasn't been going too well with my fellow Gryffindors." Hermione explained, finding it somewhat odd that she felt comfortable confiding in Professor McGonagall.
"I am sorry to hear that, Miss Granger. If there is anything I can do to help, just ask."
"Thank you, professor, but I think we just have to deal with the whispers for now." Hermione replied, taking her seat. McGonagall nodded and began leafing through some papers on her desk. More students filed into the classroom, and the whispers started when they saw Draco seated next to Hermione. McGonagall looked up from her work and caught some of the whispers being uttered.
"Can you believe that?"
"She's such a traitor-"
"How could she do that to us?" McGonagall was struck with pity for Hermione. The poor girl had to deal with ridicule that she didn't deserve.
"Settle down, class." The class went silent, and McGonagall planned on keeping it that way for Draco and Hermione's sake. "Turn to page 504 and complete the exercises on page 510. You may work with a partner." The class paired themselves up and began working on the assignment. McGonagall listened carefully for conversations unrelated to the given assignment. Finally, she heard Lavender and Parvati say something about Hermione.
"Miss Brown, would you like to share something with the rest of us?" Lavender turned slightly pink and looked down at the floor.
"We were just discussing the assignment, professor."
"Were you? Since when does the textbook say anything about Hermione Granger?" Hermione looked up at her mention. Draco took her hand quickly and wondered what McGonagall was doing. Lavender turned a darker shade of red.
"It doesn't, professor."
"No, it doesn't. From now on, anyone talking about something other than the assignment given will be given a detention. Continue working, please." Draco felt a sudden rush of respect and gratitude for Professor McGonagall. Hermione wanted to hug her teacher, because for the first time all day, the whispers ceased. At the end of Transfiguration, Hermione packed up her things slowly so that she would be the last to leave. Draco hung behind as well. No one said anything about that until they were out of McGonagall's earshot.
"Professor McGonagall, I think I speak for both of us when I say thank you." Hermione said, gesturing to Draco, who nodded in agreement.
"It was the least I could do for the prized students of Hogwarts. I've taken the liberty of sending a memo to your other professors. None of them will stand for the gossip either."
"Thank you so much, professor." Hermione murmured, still in awe that most of the Hogwarts faculty knew about the engagement. Draco said his thanks and ushered Hermione out of the classroom.
"Do you think the entire staff knows?" Draco wondered aloud.
"I wouldn't doubt it. You saw how fast gossip traveled in this castle."
"Then it could have been a teacher who let something slip." Draco suggested, but Hermione shook her head.
"No...I heard Lavender say that Ron was screaming his head off in the Gryffindor common room last night. Someone must have heard that."
"Well, it doesn't really matter who gave it away. It just matters that it's out." When the final class was dismissed, Draco and Hermione rushed back to the common room. Hermione was more than eager to leave the whispers behind, although they had distinctly decreased after McGonagall's threat. Draco collapsed onto the couch and held out his arms. Hermione quickly entered his embrace and held on.
"And this is only the first day." Hermione muttered, groaning.
"Well let's think of the good." Draco suggested, not wanting Hermione to burst into tears again.
"There isn't any."
"Of course there is. Now we don't have to hide our relationship. We can be publicly affectionate without worrying about people finding out since they already know."
"I suppose there's that." Hermione admitted, snuggling closer to Draco. "But then people will whisper about us even more."
"So? Let them whisper. They're only jealous."
"They're only jealous because the sexiest man in Hogwarts is now tied down." Hermione pointed out, kissing his cheek. Draco laughed.
"That may be, but I'm sure there are other guys out there who wish they had seen you first." Hermione snorted at this.
"I doubt it. Everyone sees me as a bookworm. You're the first person who hasn't. Even Harry and Ron have seen me as a bookworm. They always ask me to help them with their homework-"
"So do I."
"But you ask me other things as well. My interests, my passions. Few people realize that I have a life beyond school."
"Well they may see you as a bookworm, but they have to see you as a beautiful bookworm." Hermione laughed at this, and Draco was proud of himself.
"You're just saying that to make me feel better."
"I'm saying that because it's true."
"Sure." Hermione rolled her eyes sarcastically. Draco laughed and kissed her.
"Even if I was just trying to make you feel better, it doesn't even matter. Who cares what everyone else thinks? Are we happy together?"
"Very."
"So there's no problem." There came a knock on the door. Draco glared at it, expecting it to be Evelyn again. Hermione rolled off of Draco and went to answer it. Harry was standing in the doorway, and Hermione froze. Draco slipped out of the common room, escaping to his bedroom to let them have privacy. When Hermione had found the strength to move aside and let him enter, she was able to speak.
"I'm surprised to see you here."
"I'm almost surprised to see myself here, but I needed to talk to you."
"Go ahead, Harry." She urged him on, sitting down in an armchair. Harry took a seat on the couch and put his head in his hands.
"Hermione, I know you would never want to hurt me or Ron, so I suppose I can understand why you wanted to keep this a secret for so long. I'm not really ready to accept the fact that you are going to become Malfoy's wife, so I need you to understand that I need some time. Ron will probably need a lot of time. He's pretty furious with you."
"I know, but he has every right to be."
"I don't know about that, Hermione. I was mad at first, but then it just turned into shock. I just need to get over the shock, and I'll be fine."
"Thank you for understanding, Harry."
"Anything for my best friend." He stared at her seriously, and Hermione felt as though a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"And thank you for stopping by to tell me that. I was worried that you hated me."
"I won't lie, I did hate you for a moment there, but that didn't last very long. You were crying, and I knew that you probably didn't have much control over your feelings at this point. You couldn't just stop liking Malfoy because Ron and I didn't want you to. That's when I knew that I had to understand. I didn't want you to have to choose between your friends and your fiance." Hermione wanted to cry tears of happiness and relief. Instead, when Harry stood up, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back, and they remained this way for a long time. Finally, Hermione let go and smiled at Harry.
"You're the best friend anyone could ask for, Harry Potter."
"You aren't bad yourself, Hermione Granger." Hermione shook her head, slightly.
"Take care of Ron for me, Harry." Harry nodded and disappeared down the stairs.
wow that was a long one. I didn't realize this chapter was a novel in itself, but you guys probably don't mind anyway. Thanks for your reviews! They're much appreciated!