Here it is!! chap 9...this is all the updateing i'll do today unless i write chap 10 today but i would still have to send it to my beta, so it'll be a while..i still have homework...stupid teachers...
Draco and Hermione looked both turned to look at the window. An all black owl was perched on the windowsill waiting patiently.
"It's my family owl," Draco said as he opened the window to let the beautiful bird in. It landed gracefully on his shoulder and stuck out its leg. Draco took the letter and petted the bird before it flew off.
"Your mom?" Hermione asked over his shoulder.
"Yes," he said as he grabbed Hermione and sat her down by him on the couch to begin reading the letter. A huge triumphant grin spread across his face; Hermione tried reading the letter but he wouldn't let her see it, laughing at her when she tried.
"I want to see," she pouted; Draco kissed her.
"It's just I asked my mom something and she said yes," he said as he went in for another kiss; this time she moved her face.
"What question?" Hermione demanded to know.
"I asked her if you could spend Christmas break with us," Draco stated
matter-of-factly and swooped down for a kiss; Hermione was too shocked to move.
"Have you gone mad?" she asked, her voice shaking.
Looking deep into her eyes, he responded, "For you."
"Draco, I can't spend break with you," Hermione said as she began to pace in front of the fireplace; Draco looked at her with disbelief.
'WHAT??? Here I thought my mom wouldn't agree! And she's saying no? WOMEN!!!' he thought as he watched her pace. "Um...HUH? What do you mean you can't?"
Hermione stopped pacing long enough to look at him as she said, "I don't know, I just can't. Me at Malfoy Manor? Are you mad?"
"My answer remains the same, but of course you can come. My mom said it was fine," he said, trying to convince her that it would be okay.
"Wait a second, your mom knows about us?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"Yes, she does, and she's fine with it. My mom was never the pureblood/mudblood type. That was my father. She doesn't care as long as I'm happy…and since I am…" Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione forcing her to look him in the eyes,"…there's no problem. That is unless you don't want to spend Christmas with your handsome boyfriend?" He bent down and kissed her lightly, hoping she'd kiss him back; she did.
"I am just shocked," Hermione whispered.
Draco smirked and said, "I noticed."
"Your mom is really ok with us?" she asked, still in disbelief.
"Yes. She's more then ok, she's happy for me. So does this mean that I will be having the best Christmas this year?" Inside Draco hoped it wouldn't be the only one.
"Yes, but I'll have to run it by my parents. I doubt they'll have a problem…that is except my dad. He won't be too happy with me spending my break, alone, with my boyfriend." She smiled at him.
"He's right too, I'm dangerous." He smirked and captured her lips in his. The kiss was passionate, demanding, and possessive, it was numbing; breathtaking.
"I love you," Draco whispered before he picked Hermione up in his arms and carried her into his bedroom.
"Love you too."
The next morning Draco still didn't like it that Hermione was talking to Harry, but he refused to have a fight over it, so he didn't mention it.
That day during lunch Ron finally got around to inviting Harry and Hermione to the Burrow for the holiday. This led to a scene where Hermione declined.
"But, why can't you go? It's our last year at Hogwarts. You have got to go," Harry was saying.
"I just can't. Mrs. Weasley will understand; you do right, Ron?" Hermione looked hopefully to her friend.
"Yes, Hermione, don't worry about it. We'll miss you but there's no need to go insane about it mate," Ron answered looking at Harry; hoping he got the message. He didn't.
"Well, I don't understand! Why you can't come with us? I doubt your parents will get upset if you spend one year without them."
"It's not that," Hermione answered, lowering her voice hoping Harry would too.
"Well then, what is it?" he demanded, missing her cue.
"I already have plans," Hermione answered looking at her lunch and eating some of it.
"What plans? Do you have to go see family in America or something?" Harry couldn't understand what would be more important then spending the holiday at the Burrow.
"No…it's just..."
"It's just WHAT?"
"Harry Potter, don't you use that tone with me! I am not your child I have no reason to explain to you or anyone my plans," Hermione stated, turning a rosy red. She failed to notice her boyfriend getting terribly aroused by her state.
'Damn she looks gorgeous even when she's upset. I wonder what Potter has done now?' Draco thought missing the whole point to Crabbe's conversation.
"Sorry, but what is it?" Harry asked.
"I'm going to …um...well I'm going to spend my holiday with a friend." Hermione really didn't want to cause things to get worse; she just hoped that Harry would leave it at that. No such luck.
"What friend?" he demanded.
"Draco Harry. DRACO. I'm spending the holiday there. Happy?" She whispered.
"WHAT?!!" he screamed.
Hermione glanced around the hall and tried to calm him by saying, "Shut up Harry! Everyone is looking at us."
"I don't give a rat's arse if the whole world is looking! You can not, I repeat, can not do that," Harry screamed again.
"You know what POTTER? I don't care what you think! This has gone far enough! I get it; you want to protect me. WELL STOP! You're getting out of hand," Hermione said, fire in her eyes.
"But I love you," Harry replied, his voice dying down to barely a whisper.
"Harry, I'm sorry but I can't say I feel the same way because I don't. I'd never wanted to hurt you but I can't pretend to feel something I don't," Hermione said, sympathy leaking into her voice.
Harry didn't look at her when he said, "Fine Hermione don't love me. But him? Why?"
"I DON'T KNOW WHY!!! Now leave it alone," Hermione said, her anger rising again.
"No!" he demanded.
"Yes, Harry leave it alone," she tried again.
But Harry would not let it rest. "You can't love him, it's just not possible."
By now, every eye in the Great Hall was fixed on the fighting friends. Harry and Hermione were standing yelling back and forth while Ron tried to make Harry sit and stop but it wasn't working. Draco was staring with such hatred; one would think he was going to kill Harry by just the dirty looks he was sending his way. It was taking a whole load of control and reminders that she was his for Draco not to get up and beat the bloody pulp out of Harry.
"It is possible Harry, and now you need to grow up and leave it at that. I'm tired of feeling bad because of you. Harry, you have been a brother to me with Ron, and I'd do anything for you. But this…this is my life; the person I love and I don't want to live without. Please, be the friend I have been to you and let me be happy." Hermione's anger had died down; she hated fighting with Harry and she felt so bitchy right now.
"I can't, Hermione, I just can't. I've accepted that you'll never be mine, but I don't understand why you're with him," Harry implored.
"Harry, I don't know how to explain it. All I know is I can't not be with him. So please, just leave it alone. You don't have to accept him, or like him, just leave him alone. I'll refrain from talking about him around you so I don't cause more pain."
"But, Hermione, you're choosing him over us."
"I am not."
"Yes you are! You're spending the holiday at MALFOY manor instead of with your friends." At this point a couple of people spit up pumpkin juice, Professor Snape choked, Dumbledore clapped, all girls gasped, and the male population sat there, jaws on the table.
"Well now that you have ANNOUNCED IT, I need to get to class." Hermione grabbed her things and turned and left, her steps echoing all the way to the large doors where Draco was standing; smiling at her.
"Need an escort?" he asked
"I'll always need you," Hermione answered as he grabbed her hand and led the way. They left to more choking noises and a large number of girls sighing…they all believed it was extremely romantic.
"Well, Professor Flitwick, I believe you owe me 5 galleons," Professor Dumbledore said smiling.
"Oh Albus that is cheap. I said they wouldn't announce it, which they clearly didn't since Mr. Potter was the one to spill the corn...or beans whichever."
"Ah. But I stated, and I quote, 'that before the holiday Hogwarts would know of their romance'...which they do."
"Tricky Albus. Very tricky." The small professor paid up and walked off to his classroom. He doubted anyone would actually learn this week though.
"Headmaster. It's not true, right? My godson and the Gryffindor? It can't be," Professor Snape spat out, barely recovering from his shock.
"Severus, please calm down. Yes, it is true. And I'd expect you to be happy for young Draco whom you love so much."
Snape glared at him, "Like the son I never had, but Ms. Granger? They despise each other! I've seen them fighting and I've been witness to the hexes. Please, what is going on? Stop SMILING!"
"Oh Severus, I am a hopeless romantic and this has to be a romantic's dream. So please don't spoil it with your jibber jabber. Be happy for Draco. Have you ever seen him this happy?" With that the headmaster left with a small skip to his step.
There was no need to say it, but the school was all talk. Even the portraits were found huddling with other portraits talking about the romance and what they thought was to happen.
Hermione was sure she'd go insane by the end of the day. All the girls were asking how her sex life was with Draco. They wanted to know if he really was that good. 'At least they're not ticked,' Hermione thought.
Draco, on the other hand, was being praised by all the males in Slytherin and some other houses for "breaking" the Gryffindor virgin. Draco wasn't saying anything, but he did feel good now that everyone knew Hermione was his. He doubted any of the guys would have the balls to try to take Hermione away from him.
Draco had just finished his last class and was off to his bedroom to see Hermione when his head of house stopped him.
"Draco, I need to speak with you immediately."
"All right," he said. They changed direction and headed for the professor's office. Draco knew what this was about; he just wondered what his godfather would have to say.
"Draco, have you gone INSANE?!" Snape said, pacing his office. "GRANGER? Hermione GRANGER?? The best-bloody-friend of Harry Potter? As we all know he's in love with her. What on earth are you thinking boy?"
"Well, I'm not sure what I was thinking, except she's got too be mine." Draco said smiling when his Godfather groaned in frustration.
"Draco, you can have anyone. Please just let this be. Potter won't give up until he has her, and then you'll be hurt. And I can't stand to see you hurt." Severus only cared for Draco and he'd be damned if he had to go through heart break on top of everything he already gone through.
"Thank you Severus, but you're mistaken."
"Oh really?" Severus said, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"Yes. Hermione is mine and only mine. Potter will never lay a hand on her. She loves me, whether you, or he for that matter, like it or not," Draco said with conviction.
"Are you sure? Can you be 200 sure she won't wake up one day and realize she's in your arms and not in Potter's?"
"No, I'm not 200 sure. I'm 700, no all the percent in the world, sure that she would never wake up thinking that," Draco said, beginning to lose his patience.
Severus could not believe the stupidity of the child in front of him, "And how can you be so sure?"
"If I have ever learned anything from my father, it's that. No matter how evil he was, he loved my mother. I could tell by the way he would make sure everything was done the way she wanted. He worshipped the very ground she walked on, the air she breathed and he managed to continue loving her even when he was working for Voldemort. The way my mother looked at my father is the way Hermione looks at me. The way my father felt towards my mother is how I feel for her. I can't picture life without her, Severus. I can't breathe with just imagining that I might wake up one day and she won't be there. I can't sleep if she's not in my arms, and I know this sounds stupid and completely not me, but it's how I feel. I'm still cold and arrogant, I always will be, but she just brings some warmth to my life. She brings out the love in me, and she's the only one who has, and ever will."
'He really does love her.' Severus was shocked. "I accept this Draco; I just hope you don't get hurt."
"I won't. And please don't repeat any of what I just said." Draco turned and left.'Did that really come out of MY mouth?! I've lost it' He needed to see Hermione because after saying what he said, he realized just how much he loved her. He had known before but now he knew the extreme depth of it. And he would be damned if he'd let her out of his sight. This Christmas would be full of surprises.
Draco Malfoy smirked as he jogged up the stairs. Everyone was still intimidated by this smirk, but if they had taken the time to look longer, they'd have seen the slight twinkle in his eye, the small smile trying to break through. However, that smile would not break through until he saw her; his love.