Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING THAT YOU RECOGNIZE!
Disclaimer 2: This is my first attempt, and I want alll criticism! no holding back! i want to know if it totally blows! Thanks! Da Goose
"Oh, my god!" I said collapsing onto a chair. He was right. I'd been so floored by what Draco had been telling me that it hadn't even occured to me that Sirius was dead. "But...but." I stammered. I didn't know what to say. 'He's right. Sirius died not even two years ago. I don't understand. Why would Draco say he had seen him? I don't believe that he lied to me. He didn't...did he? The letter...he'd heard from Tonks...it couldn't have been a fake could it have been? Something's seriously wrong here!'
"Hermione. Don't give up on him just yet." I looked up to find Hagrid watching me with a puzzled look on his face. 'How did he know? Am I that obvious?' I gave him a questioning look and he sighed deeply, and we all gave him our attention. "Alright. Yer not supposed to know this yet, but it seems as if no one told Malfoy. Harry, Neville, Ron...Hermione was right. Sirius is alive...but just barely. He was found unconscious lying in a field, naked as the day he was born, near Surrey. We think that he was trying to find you Harry. The guard was called, he was brought into one of them stations were they took his fingerprints and as Fudge hadn't known he was innocent they still had that he was being searched for.
So they handed him over to the Ministry. Madame Bones, who's been the minister for over the past year knew everything and immediately handed him over to us. Since most of our world still believes him to have murdered all those people we couldn't bring him to Mungo's. He's bin stayin' at his home as he recovers. Ye weren't to be told in case he didn't make it and it was also supposed to be a graduation present for Harry here." He stopped and look around the group and I was too shocked to turn and look at everyone else. 'Sirius is really alive. Draco was telling me the truth. Thank God!' Finally I turned to look at the guys. Harry was shocked but had a large smile on this face. Ron looked angry, I guess because no one had told us, and Neville...was simply nodding with a smile on his face.
"He...He's alive?" Harry asked tentatively...hopefully. Hagird nodded and Harry's mouth split into a large grin. "But how? Does anyone know what happened to him?"
"No," Hagrid shook his head. "Won't talk about it. Said he's not ready. We just need to give him time."
"Can I visit him? At least over holidays?" Harry asked anxiously.
"Ye'll have to ask the Headmaster. Go talk to him when ye leave here. But don't go just yet. Hermione is there more to what you needed to say?" He asked me...almost prodded. 'Maybe he had guessed how I felt about Draco. I guess it's like ripping off an bandage, better to get it over with all at once.' I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
"I'm Draco's girlfriend."
Dead silence met my statement. I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was Hagrid's face. He was smiling down at me through his bushy beard and his eyes twinkled. 'So he had known. Or at least suspected.' Next I moved my gaze to Neville's face. He sat there staring at me, his face blank, devoid of all emotion. His and Hagrid were the best out of the four. Harry's face was ashen white as if the world had been turned upside down. Maybe to him it had. One of his best friends was dating someone he'd considered an enemy and he's just found out his godfather was still alive. Ron...Ron was red. His faces, ears, neck, everything was red except around his mouth which was white from where he was pressing his lips so hard together. Ron's reaction was the scariest of al four.
"My God Hermione are you crazy? This is guy who called you bad names, hasn't said a nice thing to you, and hit you in the head with a book! What are you thinking? A person cannot change magically in a summer! He's MALFOY! He's an ass!" Ron practically yelled me and I could tell he was just getting started but I tried to stem it.
"Ron, please just listen to me. Harry, Neville, Hagrid, you too. This summer Draco met Tonks, you all know her. Tonks and Malfoy are cousins. Their mothers are sisters. When Tonks told Draco what had happened because Tonks' mother had married a muggle Draco was disgusted and it was the final straw, he didn't return home that day. He told her all about the feelings he had for me. He even wrote her a letter very early this morning telling her what had happened. She wrote back. I read the letter, he told me the truth."
"Hermione if course he told you he was related to Tonks. He's just done his homework and he could have easily sent a letter to himself claiming it was his 'cousin' Tonks." Ron shouted at me.
"Ron they are cousins." a firm voice said, but it wasn't mine, it was Harry. "Sirius has a tapestry of the Black family and who they're related to. Tonks' mother was blasted off of it when she married a muggle man. But he told her the truth." I looked at Harry but while he was looking slightly ashen he was beginning to get some color back. "Hermione you said we could write letters and talk to Dumbledore and it will all back up what you've said." I nodded. "Then that's what I'm going to do."
Harry got up from his seat and walked over to the door. When he opened it Draco was sitting on the steps outside and Harry caught himself just in time before he fell over him. "Hi, um, Harry." Draco said and Harry looked surprised that he'd used his first name. "I'm sorry. I know I've been an arrogant ass and a jerk and you have every right to hate me for the rest of your life. But I care for Hermione and I don't want to be punished for my father's sins. I am not him."
Harry looked him up and down. "You sound sincere. I believe you care for her. I'm still going to check because I may not have romantic feelings for her but she is just like a sister to me and I don't want her hurt. I accept your apology but I'm not going to make one to you."
Draco nodded. "Thank you and I would never had expected an apology from you. Check with whoever you want. I'm here and I'm for real and you're going to have a hard time getting rid of me." He grinned at me and I grinned back feeling happy that Harry was already beginning to forgive Draco. Ron was another story.
"I don't trust you. I'm going with Harry because I want to know what you're really up to. I don't like this. I don't trust you but for some reason Hermione does, and so did Crookshanks. And both of their opinions count with me. We'll see but for right now, I still don't like you." He and Harry left practically running toward the castle. Draco still stood on the step outside the door and Hagrid, Neville, and I were all standing inside.
"Hermione," I turned to look at Hagrid who was smiling still. "I trust your judgement and Crookshanks obviously likes him too." A sudden thought seemed to have struck him. "What happened to Crookshanks?" 'Oh no! Where did he go?'
"He's right here. He was keeping me company while we listened to Ron yell." Draco said stooping he picked up the ginger cat cradling him in his arms.
"See, like I said," Hagrid continued. "Crookshanks likes you and so did Fang. Dumbledore likes you, Tonks, Lupin, Sirius, and the Weasleys all like you. So you pass all my tests, even if you did give me up to McGonagall in yer first year...poor Norbert." he said sadly reflecting for a moment. "Now, I think you'll make a great couple. Now leave me be so I can git ready for me next class."
We left the hut and started for the school with me in between Draco and the still silent Neville. Draco took the opportunity to talk to him. "Neville, I want to apologize to you too. I know I've been mean and said nasty things about you. I'm sorry. I wanted Hermione to tell you that you were great in Herbology, but she told me do it myself." Just as we were nearing the front steps Draco grabbed my hand, holding it in his, knowing people would be inside to see it.
"Neville you are great in Herbology. You're very brilliant and I think you should pursue a career in it. I think you'd make a really great teacher. You helped Crabbe and Goyle understand something and Madame Sprout can't always do that!"
Neville stopped just before the door, looked at Draco and finally spoke. "Thank you. I appreciate the apology. I'm thinking about becoming a teacher and thank you for the encouragement but just know this, " he said his voice now become cold and fierce, "I'm giving you a second chance. I'm not entirely sure that you deserve one but I know Hermione and you make her happy. But if you hurt her...I will make your life hell." Neville opened the door and walked inside calmly leaving Draco and I standing on the front steps gawking at the now closing door.
Lady of the Moon, yes quite an interesting twist. Let's see where it goes shall we?
Jaleo, then again maybe Sirius isn't dead :) just keeping everyone on their toes
Artemesia, I"m glad you liked it. Now you know about Sirius, what do you think?
Blu Kali, I know you're not trying to get him killed, what would a Hermione-Draco story be without Draco?
Dracosgirl, Welcome! I'm so glad you're reading my story! I love your writing and can't wait to here what you have to say about mine! Nah, not a whore...you just have really good taste in men :)
Malfoygal, welcome! Do you know that you are the first person to call me an author? And I was like "What? Who? Me? Whoa!" I've never thought of myself as an author, but I'm glad you have!
Krickette, yeah sorry I have troubles with the keyboard sometimes. It's these laptop, I hit other button and make up new words sometimes!
Gothhottie, well, now you know...was this worth the wait?
Eliot Z. Wheatherbee, quite a cool name. Welcome! Have you ever missed something completely because you were thinking about something else? I've done it!
Michelle, then read more! I'm updating twice today since it's been so long!