Chap. 55 The Letter Part I

Slytherin Table: Next Day at Breakfast

'Can you believe our Draco is back together with Granger?' Millicent Bulstrode asked Pansy, whom was glaring at Draco, whom was talking with Blaise cheerfully.

Pansy continued glaring, not comprehending that someone was speaking to her.

'Pansy?' Millicent asked again. 'Parkinson!'

'What!' Pansy retorted sharply, slowly taking her eyes off of Draco.

'Did you hear me?'

'No. What?' Pansy asked annoyed.

'I asked, Can you believe Draco is together with Granger again?' Millicent asked.

'Fucking Draco…doesn't know what he's doing…he's screwing up his life, and right when he has everything. He was the Dark Lord' s right hand man, did you know that?' Pansy asked, 'I was so proud when I found out…and now he blew it.'

'He got his dark mark already?'

'Over break, yes. My father told me.'

'Does Granger know?'

'How the bloody hell should I know!' Pansy cried in frustration, throwing her fork at her plate of half-eaten food.

'Are you going to be okay, Pansy?'

'Fine.' She growled, going back to stare at Draco.

'Wow, I sure am glad you and Granger made up…you were such a fucking mess.' Blaise told Draco.

'Yeah, I'm sorry about that.' Draco said, slight embarrassment washing over him.

'Its okay. It's kind of a relief to see you are human now.'

'What does that mean?' Draco asked giving Blaise a you-better-not-be-insulting-me look.

'Well, before Granger, you were still my best friend but you never showed emotion and it bugged the shit out of me. At least Granger taught you how to feel…finally.'

'I felt.' Draco protested.

'Maybe, but you never made it known that you felt anything about anyone.'

'I still don't get why you two argue so much. Whenever you do, you both become miserable without each other. Why don't you like…just agree with whatever the other person says? Even if you think what the other person is crazy, just go along with it. That way you won't yell, spilt-up, cry, boo-hoo, moan, complain, and bug the shit out of your friends?'

Draco laughed heartily at his friend's suggestion.

'You can't just go along with everything the other says…if I did everything Hermione wanted me to…I'd be dancing in the street with house-elves, or I'd be studying right now instead of getting useless advice from you.' He said with a smirk. 'Besides, we don't just fight about what the other says. We also fight about actions. She yells at me a lot because she sometimes accuses me of just wanting to be physical all the time.'

'Is she right?' Blaise asked with a evil grin.

'No. And stop picturing getting physical with my fiancée.' Draco said sternly.

Blaise laughed.

'Ha sorry fucker, but look at her,' Blaise said directing his head across the room to Hermione, who was laughing at something Harry said to her.

'I know I see her everyday.' He said. He scowled at Harry for making her laugh. He knew that they were just best friends, but he still couldn't help but feel a hint of jealously. He then saw her gently brush her hand against his arm. 'Why does she have to touch him?' Draco asked aloud.

'It's Potter. According to girls he's very welcoming and girls feel as if they can just go up and hug him.'

'What?' Draco asked in disgust.

'That's what Lavender said.' Blaise shrugged taking a swig of his butterbeer.

'Well, Hermione touches him too much.' Draco spat.

'Maybe you should go tell her that so you two can argue about it, break up, and then have passionate sex to make up for it…like usual.' Blaise said rolling his eyes.

'Shut up. We didn't have sex last night, did we?' Draco shot back, trying to prove that Blaise's stereotype of them was false.

'How the hell should I know?' Blaise asked.

'Well we didn't.'

'Okay…good to know, thanks, man.' Blaise said trying to hold back a laugh.

'I loathe you.' Draco stated, half-jokingly.

'Careful, that's what you said about Granger last year and now look what happened…' Blaise teased. 'Oh and by the way, Pansy has been glaring at you for quite some time now.'

Draco looked over to where Pansy sat and she quickly turned away from him.

'Oh…sometimes I wish she would just fall off the Astronomy Tower…' Draco groaned.

Blaise laughed.

'Yeah, me too. She gives me shit all the time for going out with Lavi.' Blaise told him. 'Lavender Brown is a gossipy, brown-nosing Gryffindor. Why do you go out with her? You know she's gone out with pretty much every guy here…' Blaise said in a high pitched squeal, imitating Pansy.

Draco laughed.

'Yeah…I can't wait until she confronts me about Hermione.'

Right after Breakfast

'Draco! I cannot believe you would sacrifice everything you have worked for your whole life and go out with that Mudblood!' Pansy screeched.

Draco leaned against the Great Hall door, his hand covering his face in annoyance as he listened to Pansy reprimand him.

'And I saw you slip a ring on her finger! What does that mean! Did she drop it and you were putting it back on? Did you dare and give it to her? What kind of ring was it? Does your father know? You know that you're father is going to be very disappointed in you!' She yelled, her finger poking into his chest.

'My father will be disappointed!' He cried.

'Yes! Very!'

'Well that'll be a change!' He shouted sarcastically. 'My father has never been proud of me anyway! So I'm really not risking anything there, am I, Pansy?'

She threw her hands into the air angrily and ran off to pout.

Draco shook his head and began to walk to the dungeons. Hermione caught up to him.

'This is really hard for you isn't it?' She asked him. 'Having everyone know I mean.'

'No. Pansy just overreacts…always has.' Draco said, 'I rather have it this way. I don't have to pretend I hate you anymore.' He smiled at her weakly. He then took her hand.

'What classes do you have right now?' Hermione asked him.

'I have arithimancy in an hour.' He responded, 'You?'

'I have ancient runes in a few minutes unfortunately.' She said solemnly. 'I wish I could spend more time with you, but I can't.'

'It's okay baby. I'll see you in DADA. We can show off our wicked gnome…' He said dripping with sarcasm.

'Good.' She grinned, 'We are going to get such high points because Mookie is the right size, shape, color and right on track intelligent-wise.'

'I am not so sure about that.'

She punched him playfully, then stepped up on her tiptoes and kissed him softly.

'One of these days I am going to get you tall heels.' Draco teased.

'Ha. Ha. I'm not too short, you're just too tall.'

'Hey, 6'1" is a good size if I do say so my self.'

'And I'm perfectly fine with my 5' 3".' She said defiantly.

He smiled and leaned down and kissed her lovingly.

'As am I.' He said in her ear. 'Now go on, get to your class.'

She smiled and turned to walk away, but before she got too far she felt a hand smack her butt softly. She turned around and saw Draco smirking seductively at her. She blushed furiously and ran off giggling to herself.

Draco turned and went into his common room he shared with his fiancée. He saw a raven owl perched on an iron chair inside. It was one of his family's owls.

'Mabuz?' Draco wondered. The owl hooted in response. The owl held a letter.

Draco took the letter and saw his father's wax seal on it.

'Shit…' Draco muttered.

Draco opened a desk drawer, took out some seed and gave it to Mabuz and then it flew off.

Draco opened the letter and read it quickly. He threw the letter down and collapsed his head into his arms in hopelessness.

Later on in the afternoon Draco waltzed off to DADA. He carried himself proudly but it was obvious something was bothering him.

Hermione walked into Professor Matherson's classroom and saw Draco in the back of the room, sitting down, arms folded, staring at the floor. He looked as if he was thinking about something troubling him. She walked to the back and sat down next to him.

'Hey, Draco…is something wrong?' She asked softly.

'What? Oh no. I'm fine.'

'Are you sure?' She asked.

'Yes. Nothing for you to worry about.' He told her.

She didn't believe it was nothing, but she ignored it. He obviously didn't want her to know right now and she didn't want to argue so she left it at that.

'How was ancient runes?' He asked her, changing the subject.

'Oh, it was fine. No homework today. How was arithimancy?'

'Boring. I finished my homework in class.'

'Pansy say anything else to you today?' Hermione asked.

'No, thank God.'

She smiled at him. Then she looked around.

'Where did Mookie go?'

'What?' He asked.

'Mookie.'

'I didn't see him with you when you came in.' Draco said.

She groaned and got up and walked into the hall. Mookie was sitting outside the door.

'Mookie! What are you doing?' Hermione asked picking him up quickly before Professor Matherson came.

'I was talking with a young, distraught girl and then she ran off.' He shrugged. 'She was complaining about a dirty blooded person stealing her boyfriend or something.'

Hermione snorted and sat back with Draco again.

'Where was he?' Draco asked dryly.

'Listening to Pansy complain about you and I.' She sighed.

'Oh. Sorry about that ol' chap.' Draco said to Mookie. 'Pansy will whine to anyone who will listen…or not listen, doesn't matter really. As long as she can hear herself talk.'

Hermione chucked.

'Not polite to make fun of others.' Mookie said.

'Oh god…when do we get rid off him, Hermione?' Draco asked impatiently.

'I am not sure what Professor Matherson will tell us to do with all the gnomes after we get our grades today.'

Suddenly Hermione and Draco only heard their own voices. No one else was speaking. Hermione and Draco looked around and saw everyone was staring at the entrance of the classroom. Professor Snape stood in the doorway, with Ron Weasley standing beside him.

'Ron…' Hermione whispered.

Ron caught her glance and looked away.

After a few seconds everyone, excluding Draco and Hermione, began whispering amongst themselves.

Then Professor Matherson came in after Snape.

'Mr. Weasley, take a seat here in the front next to Miss Abbott.'

Ron obeyed.

Hannah looked at him for a second and then spoke softly.

'Hello Ron.' She said kindly to him.

He smiled weakly.

'Hi.'

'All right class! Attention here!' Matherson called out as Snape left.

The students were silent and looked up at them, each pair holding their gnomes.

'I am going to go around the class and inspect each of your gnomes, while you wait, read pages 567- 589.'

Hermione opened her book and saw the title "Protecting Yourself Against Advances of Death Eaters".

'Oh this sounds useful.' Hermione said. She knew that Dumbledore must have told Matherson about her and Draco's situation.

After a few minutes of reading she heard Nevile sigh sadly.

'I'm afraid your gnome is definitely defected.' Matherson told Neville.

'Oh…but I tried so hard.'

'I'm sure you did, you will receive 10 out of the 25 points.'

'10? Really?' Neville asked excitedly.

'Yes. I'm not sure you should be excited about that though, Mr. Longbottom.'

'Usually I receive 0-5 points from Professor Snape!'

The class laughed.

'A real hard ass, this one.' Draco sneered, speaking of Matherson.

'If teachers asserted Neville, he'd probably do better. I think Matherson was wise to give Neville some points.' Hermione smiled.

Draco shrugged.

Matherson then stepped up to Draco and Hermione's table.

'How do you feel it went for you both?' He asked them.

'Fine.' Draco replied.

'I think it was a great experience! A good procedure to test responsibility and working together.' Hermione said.

Draco laughed. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

'Well I am glad you enjoyed the project.' Matherson said with a hearty grin.

He then directed his attention to Mookie.

'Well his size and colors turned out excellent.'

'Thank you.' Hermione replied.

'What is your name?' Matherson asked Mookie.

'Mookie.'

Matherson smiled and wrote a few things down on a pad of paper he held.

'Good. Now, what is her name?' He asked pointing to Hermione.

'Hermione Granger.'

Matherson nodded.

'And his?' He asked pointing to Draco.

Hermione and Draco held their breaths.

'Oh no…' Hermione sighed quietly.

'Draco Git.'

Hermione covered her red face and Draco's eyes widened. The class began to laugh.

Matherson also got a chuckle out of this.

'I'm just going to assume it wasn't Mr. Malfoy who taught him that.'

'No, Sir, it wasn't.' Draco gritted through his teeth.

'All right Mookie, last question. A student has to get an assignment done, however he or she left his or her books in a classroom and it is past curfew and can't leave the dormitories. What should the student do?'

'The student should ask a fellow student if he or she can borrow the needed book. If no students are around, then the student should go and get some quality sleep, wake up earlier, go get the book, and finish it before class.'

Matherson thought for a second.

'Excellent answer.' He replied smiling at Hermione and Draco. 'Full points to both of you.'

Hermione smiled widely.

'Thank you, Professor!'

Draco just nodded, acknowledging Matherson's grade for him.

Matherson then moved to the next partners.

'Draco! We got full points!' She said excitedly.

'Yeah.'

'Oh stop. I know grades are important to you, too. Stop acting arrogant.'

'They are important, I am not denying that. I just don't get excited openly over them. I'm having a party in my head, you just can't see it.' He said facetiously.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

After all students were graded Matherson informed them that if their gnome received at least half of the total amount of points, their gnome will go to the Ministry of Magic. If they received low points, the gnomes will go to Professor Sprout. After that class was dismissed with no homework. Classes were done for the day.

Hermione and Draco began to walk down the hall.

'Do you want to spend some time together now?' Hermione asked.

'I would love too but I called a quidditch meeting for today. After the long break I am going to have to remind my dense team what it is.' He chuckled.

'Oh all right. Will I see you at dinner, then?'

'Probably not, I'll probably make my team eat dinner in the locker rooms. I am going to have practice now, then meet about new strategies.'

'Oh okay.' She replied.

He looked at her sadly.

'I'm sorry, love. Now I feel like a bad fiancé. You wanted to be with me and here I go running off…'

'Don't worry about it, Draco. I know you have captain responsibilities. Just promise me you won't leave me alone all night.'

'I promise. I won't be gone later than 8. I assure you I'll be in the room before then.'

She smiled and nodded. He leaned down and kissed her cheek and then ran off.

Hermione made her way to their dormitory…

A/N: I've been impressing myself with updating. Wow. Well, thanks for the reviews! I went back and read my last chapter and I am proud to say I nearly made myself tear up. I don't want to sound cocky or arrogant but I think my last chapter was my personal best. By the way—Draco's family owl's name "Mabuz" is French. It was the name of a character in an Arthurian legend. He was ruler of death castle. It reminded me of Lucius, ruling the Malfoy Manor. REVIEW PLEASE!