Chapter 20: Learning From Mistakes
"Good night..." Hermione smiled and she disappeared around the corner. Draco let out a deep breathe and turned around to walk to the Slytherin Common Room, she was so beautiful and she made him nervous. It was a surprise that any girl would ever be able to do that, he was usually the dominant one but all things considering there really wasn't a dominant one in their case.
"Drakkie," Pansy squealed jumping up off the black leather sofa as Draco entered the Common Room. Draco was about to ignore her and just walk up to his dorm, but Pansy jumped in front of him, "you've been gone for so long. Where did you go?"
"To finish my Potions project Pansy,"
"Oh, well...that's no excuse,"
Draco sighed, "oh no, could you ever forgive me for doing my work Pansy?"
"Perhaps; you could come up to my bedroom, Millicent is in Gavin's room and I don't think she's coming back tonight,"
"Pansy, I don't think-,"
"Oh come on Draco," Pansy said wrapping her arms around his neck, "we haven't...you know, in a while,"
"Pansy, why do you keep this up?"
"What do you mean Draco?" Pansy asked and whispered in his ear, "You know you love the sex,"
Draco was revolted. Was this really what he used to be? Tonight he had been so close to such an amazing girl and not even once did the thought of sex or any thing related to what he ever shared with Pansy had crossed his mind. He was attracted to Hermione, but really attracted. Not this sad excuse of attraction and love, Draco and Pansy had done nothing but use each other for simple escape and a few minutes of impractical pleasure.
Every girl he had ever been with, every girl he had lusted over was just to bottle all of this up emotion that he kept inside. He was now letting his emotion out on Hermione, but he felt some thing for her and hopefully over time could have emotions better then these with her. Draco looked at Pansy's ugly face which was awaiting a yes, a trip to her room, possibly a condom and one minute of heaven for her and hell for him. But she would never get that again, not from him. Never would he do such gross and unnecessary things again, now that he had found some thing so much greater with Hermione. "Not tonight Pansy," Not ever, EVER again.
"Why not Draco, what is the problem? Are you having trouble down there?"
As if she is asking me this…"Pansy, is it possible that I'm just interested in someone different,"
Pansy laughed, "Who? Pamela Hamel? Lindsay Barnes? Hah, maybe it's even Sue-Ellen White! Come on Draco, you know that no other girl can satisfy you like I can,"
"That's not true, no other girl can make him sick like you can," Blaise said appearing out of no where. Draco sighed in relief, he was saved. "Draco I know you've had a busy night but I think you may have forgotten your package from home that is upstairs,"
"Oh right," Said Draco and suddenly the excitement of his night began to move to the back of his head as he felt the letter in his robe pocket; the letter that he received from his mother. "Thanks Blaise,"
"You better get up to it; I think it's really important,"
"It's not as important as what I want to do with Draco," Pansy defended.
Draco rolled his eyes and looked at Blaise. Blaise smiled, "what you want to do with Draco should be considered illegal in this country,"
"Blaise, that's why you're no fun," Pansy whined.
"Oh, Pansy that hurts," Blaise said trying to look hurt, "why don't I keep you company and you can apologize to me?"
"Why would I do that? I want to have some fun with Dr-,"
"Come a long Pansy," Blaise interrupted taking her arm, "I can teach you the term 'coming on too strong',"
Pansy squealed and Draco laughed, the things Blaise did for him were the most helpful any one did for him. The more his mind begged him to have Hermione in the center of his mind, the more his conscious felt obligated to only think about his mothers letter at the time. Draco waved to Blaise, who seemed to be already developing a headache, and walked up to his room.
Draco took the piece of parchment out of his pocket and stared at it. Draco sighed opening his bedroom door. Malficious was sleeping on the floor; Draco's package was on the bed, and the letter in his hand. Draco flung his backpack beside his desk and sat on his bed. He looked inside the bundle, thousands of silver and gold coins were inside. Draco wondered how Malficious was able to fly with it, but Augurey's were indeed very strong. Draco stood up and began to walk back and forth between his bed and the bathroom.
Over the hour he kept coming up with useless ideas. There were only a few problems. He couldn't go home to talk to her; it would be against her will. He didn't want her to be harmed. He didn't know what to reply to her. And last but not least…whenever he closed his eyes, he saw Hermione.
Draco sighed, he had to do some thing. He got out ink, a quill and a piece of parchment. He began to write,
Dear Mum,
I received your letter and I understand every thing. I have an idea of what I can do for the summer; the school is allowing four students to go on a trip to Rome. I don't know if I can go yet, but if you can convince father the professor's asked me to go he will not think I am avoiding him. I could even come home and talk to him briefly before I leave, even if I'm not accepted I could still go to Rome just for my own protection. I'm sorry this instance has put you in a compromising position; I don't want any harm to come to you either. I'm very confused about what has happened and how I feel about Hermione Granger now, I know you don't want to hear that but she's opened my eyes so much and I hope you can accept it. I love you and miss you, I hope you get this letter soon; write back if possible and I will try to be in touch.
You're son, Draco
"Malficious," Draco said, tapping the beast's snout. It twitched for a moment, but opened one eye and saw Draco. He immediately got to his knees (if he stood on his feet he would hit the ceiling), awake and ready for a command. "Go back to the manor, alright?" Malficious began to paw at Draco's hand, looking for some kind of letter or any thing to send back. Draco tucked the letter safely into the collar. He walked to his window and opened the latch, "Go back to the manor, and see my mum first. Try to make sure she is fine. If she's not, come back," The animal showed he understood by a nod and took off out of the window. Draco walked to his bed, picked up his mother's letter and folded it. He went and put it inside his desk and sighed.
That night as the anxiety of his mother's letter began to ease out of his mind, he let thoughts of Hermione re-enter. He had had a magnificent night and wanted to enjoy it as long as possible. That night he fell asleep forgetting all about his cares in the world, all except his newest care in the world; Hermione.
The next morning when Draco awoke, he heard Blaise singing. Draco opened an eye and saw Blaise combing his hair in Draco's washroom. Draco thought of any possibilities why Blaise would be singing, but couldn't find any. Unless-
"You didn't! Draco said sitting up in his bed.
"What is it Draco?" Blaise said and went on humming.
Draco jumped out of bed, "with Pansy, you didn't…did you?"
"For the sake of all that is sacred, no. What ever gave you that idea?"
"You're singing,"
"Yes, but not because of that; if that had happened, I would be crying, not signing. There's a difference."
Draco sighed, "Oh okay," He went to turn around but raised an eyebrow, "Wait, why were you singing?"
"Tell me what happened last night and then I'll tell you the great news!" Draco wondered what the news was, and was very curious; but he was also very aware he would have to tell Blaise to get the answer. "You could start off after I left," Blaise sat down and listened all the way till just before Ginny caught them and they actually go to work. "So you like her?" Blaise was asking a question he already knew the answer to, but the real question was, could Draco admit it to him?
"A lot more then I thought," Draco said, but he wasn't dreading it like the day he saved her life. Draco told Blaise the rest of the story up till when he saw him in the Common Room.
"And Ronald's sister really caught you?"
"Afraid so," Draco sighed.
"No need to worry," Blaise said, "girls have this kind of alliance, especially Gryffindors...they never betray each other,"
"We can only hope,"
"So what exactly is going on between the two of you now?"
"Magic," Draco sighed with a smile.
"I mean the situation…I'd like the definitive version that isn't all bubbly please!"
"I like her, Blaise. Not like Pansy, not like any girl before I have liked. I don't want to rush into it, rush into sex and end up with a mess. After Pansy and every other girl and after I found out the life my father set for me, I realized some thing. I don't want just any one, just any Slytherin. I don't want some one to sleep with and never really know; I want some one special. Even if it is next to the impossible, Hermione might be that someone. If she is, time will take its course. Because already I feel that connection with her, a bond that says its possible and its going to happen sooner rather than later. You can call it wish fulfillment or delusion of the highest adolescent order but I'm telling you, some thing primal is here and when I feel like it's more then primal I will not lose the chance to ask her to be with me,"
Blaise nodded respectfully, Draco had learned from his one big mistake: Pansy. If he ever had a primal moment with Pansy, they had sex right after it. "I guess my news will be even better then,"
"What is it?"
"You're application was accepted; you'll be in Rome with Professor Gibbs, two students and Hermione. You'll practically be spending a summer with Hermione,"