Chapter 20

Hermione and Draco walked up to her front step, both of them feeling rather tight in their jeans. The mist hung in the air, giving the normally cheerful neighborhood a rather eerie and ghostly feeling. The florescent street lamps shone through the mist, dimly lighting their way. Her house glowed, and she could see her family, as well as Cho, talking animatedly at the dining table.

"Thanks for accompanying me home," she said quietly. "I appreciate it."

He smiled. "I have to get you to forgive me somehow."

She grinned. "Well, you're doing pretty well. I have to admit, that necklace helped a great deal."

"That's what I thought," he said smugly, taking her hand.

"I hope you don't mind," she said suddenly. "But I offered it to Pan. It was her mother's, after all."

He seemed a bit surprised, but not upset. "That's fine, I understand. I was under the impression that she didn't want it though."

"She didn't," Hermione said quietly. "And I'm glad she didn't. It's very beautiful."

"Promise me you'll wear it to the end of the year dance," Draco said suddenly, tightening his grip on her hand. "Promise?"
"Of course," she said, smiling at him. "Along with the ruby ring. But if I have to promise to wear the necklace, you have to promise to wear those blood red dress robes, you know how much I love those."

"Promise," he said. "How could I deny you anything?"

She laughed. "Watch, one day I'll ask you something you won't wan to do, and then you'll take that back."

He smiled and looked down at her with such love and adoration that she was surprised by his fervor. She felt a chill run down her spine, and her cheeks flushed.

He leaned in to kiss her, and when her lips touched his she felt as if someone had shocked her. She kissed him with such abandon that when they pulled away, she had astounded even herself.


Hermione let herself into the house, where her family was clustered around the table. Draco had already Disapparated, and she hoped that her mother hadn't seen them kissing. She took her usual seat by her father and brother, who was sitting across from Cho.

"How was dinner?" her father asked, taking a polite sip of his red wine, leaving a faint film of wine on his upper lip.

"It was great," Hermione replied, aware that Cho was studying her closely.

"How are Ron and Harry?" Ms. Granger asked politely, passing Hermione a cup of tea. "And you said something about Professor Dumbledore."

"Ron and Harry are well," Hermione said a bit vindictively, glaring at Cho for a second. She looked back at her mother. "And Professor Dumbledore couldn't make it to dinner."

"Oh that's too bad," Ms. Granger said, quite polite. "And how are Pandora?"

"She's great too," Hermione said, about to take a sip of her tea.

"And Draco?" her father said darkly.

Hermione burned her mouth on her tea and yelped.

"He's fine," she rasped, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. He raised an eyebrow, while Gaelen grinned at her.

"Humph," Mr. Granger said, taking a sip of wine. "That's nice. He'll have to spend more time here if you two are serious."

"Why do you get on my case?" Hermione grumbled. "I don't notice you critizing Gaelen about his girlfriends."

Gaelen coughed uncomfortably.

"Actually," he said, clearing his throat. "Cho and I have some news that we were going to tell you tonight, but you sort of disappeared before we could."

Suddenly Ms. Granger was beaming, and Mr. Granger had puffed up slightly, a very proud and fatherly expression on his face. Hermione felt her stomach twist up.

"Don't tell me-"

"We're engaged," Cho interrupted.

Hermione had twisted her face up before she could help it. She quickly removed her expression of distaste, and adopted a smile.

"How… sweet," she managed, taking a sip of her tea. "When are you going to have the wedding?"

Cho looked at Gaelen and they smiled at each other. Hermione's stomach twisted even more.

"We're planning on it as soon as Gaelen graduates in June."

"Isn't that a bit soon?" Ms. Granger said, biting her lip, and clinging to the tea-pot. "I mean, don't you think you should wait a bit?"

Cho shook her head. "With all the killings-" Suddenly she looked stricken; she had given herself away. Mr. and Ms. Granger looked at each other, and then at Cho. Hermione couldn't help but smirk.

"What do you mean?" Ms. Granger asked, putting down the tea-pot. Her knuckles were white. Hermione folded her arms across her chest, wondering how Cho would cover.

Cho played stupid. "Oh, I've been hearing about all these killings all over the world, where people just keel over dead. There have been normal healthy people about middle age just dying. If anything were to happen to me, or to Gaelen, I want to be with him as long as possible."

Hermione rolled her eyes. But this explanation seemed to satisfy Mr. and Ms. Granger, who had heard about the killings, but hadn't really taken any stake in them.

"I understand," Ms. Granger said, looking at Gaelen with tenderness. "We understand perfectly. Anything to make you both happy."

Gaelen suddenly seemed rather uncomfortable, and Hermione couldn't blame him. She swished her tea around in her cup, staring at the little flecks of leaves that were drifting around.

"And you Hermione," Mr. Granger said grumpily. Hermione looked up. "You must start thinking about getting married."

"Married?" she said indignantly. "I haven't even graduated from school! What are you gabbing about?"

Mr. Granger cleared his throat angrily. "We'll discuss this later."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So much for progressive parents."

"Got that right," Gaelen muttered.

"What was that?" her father boomed. Hermione found herself giving Cho the evil eye, and thinking that it was all her fault. Even though she knew perfectly well that Cho had nothing to do with it in the slightest.


A/N: ERgghhh. Sorry, but I really don't like Cho... can you tell? But she'll be more of a sympathetic character later on, I promise. Please leave a review. :)