Chapter Four
Plans
"I cannot believe that it is almost Christmas. How is the dance planning coming?" Asked Ginny
"Fine, Draco has not been too much of a help. He has been busy with Quidditch practice and games. Furthermore, he is constantly hanging out with Harry, Ron and Blaise. It is as if he decided that he wanted to be "good" this year. Too little too late in my opinion to forget what he has done. That and I have to suffer with him Christmas Break McGonagall demanded it. Speaking of that, we all have to get together sometime soon and finalize what we plan to do."
"Okay, what are you doing later?"
"Probably finalizing things for the Dance, I want it to be better than last years first dance. Why, what do you have planned?"
"Well, since Draco is hanging out with Harry and Ron he should be easy to find. That and I know where Blaise is because wherever Draco is Blaise will be. It seems to me that Draco has stopped hanging out with his "usual suspects" and reformed. I know that you said that it was too late but in my opinion, better late than never."
"Okay you have a point. Later would be good to discuss what we are going to do."
"Okay, we'll stop by after we have something to eat."
"Sounds good."
Ginny left to find the Four. The school has taken to calling them that since they are hanging out with each other so much. It used to be that Harry and Draco could not be in the same room without fighting but times have changed. Maybe there was something going on behind the scenes that she did not know about. Maybe, but how and when was she going to find out this information?
In no time at all she found the Four, they were playing wizards chess. It seemed to Ginny that everyone knew how to play. She got the gist of it but was not as good as Harry was, or Draco for that matter, who was playing Harry when she found them.
"Ron, after they get done playing, will you please tell them that Hermione wishes to see them in the Heads Room. She wants you and Blaise to go too. I'll see you there." Whispered Ginny
"Wouldn't have been more efficient to send us all messages instead of her messenger?"
"Bloody hell, Ron get over yourself. Just do it okay, she said it was important."
"Fine, we'll be there."
"Good."
After Ginny left the Four, she went back to the Heads Room to find Hermione deep in thought. She had never seen Hermione concentrating on something this hard other than schoolwork. It seemed to Ginny that Hermione was in her own little world.
"Hermione. Hermione! HERMIONE!" Yelled Ginny
"Huh, what?"
"I just wanted to let you know that the guys will be here soon. What were you thinking about?"
"I was half planning what we should do. Obviously, you and Ron are going to go home first, then meet us at the airport. Harry is going to go home, and then to the airport. Draco, Blaise and I are going to go to my house and then the airport in Las Vegas."
At this precise lull, the boys walked into the room.
"I am glad that you could make it. We need to discuss our plans for break." Stated Hermione
"Sounds good. What do you have planned?" Asked Draco
"We are all going to go home as expected, except you and Blaise, Draco. You are going to come home with me; you can consider it your crash course to the muggle world. Then we are all going to meet at the airport in Las Vegas. I figured this would be best because meeting at an airport somewhere else is just not conventional. Anyway, after we are all in Vegas we are going to find a hotel that has vacancies, or I can make reservations for one before I leave for Las Vegas, and then have everyone reimburse me when we get there." Stated Hermione
"That sounds better; we need to have a place already set up before we get there. A sure thing, we do not want to be out in the cold." Said Ron
"Yeah, no need for us to be sweating about anything mundane as a hotel room, and whether or not we can find one." Stated Draco
"Okay, I will do that first thing when I get home. As for finding the Evil Trio, that may be easy but we do not want to make it obvious that we are there looking for them, we are going to have to play tourist. Throw them off our trail." Stated Hermione
"First off Hermione, who is them?" Asked Draco
"Harry and Ron know so this is not news to them. Ginny already guessed whom. I am surprised McGonagall did not tell you Draco, HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED, Professor Snape and your father are whom them are." Replied Hermione
"My father, I thought he was dead. How am I going to fight my own father?" Asked Draco
"I am sure you can find a way mate." Said Blaise
"You're right I can, he abandoned me and my mother. He does not deserve to live."
"That's more like it mate." Stated Blaise
"Okay, back to topic, we need to think of a muggle way to defeat them, magic is not the answer unless we can get them alone in a back alley somewhere." Stated Hermione
"The only muggle way that I can think of is a gun; it is the most powerful weapon that the muggles have." Stated Harry
"That's good Harry. Of course, I already knew that, but no one else did. Can we buy one?" Replied Hermione
"I know you did, I was just saying. Yes, I think Draco can. I will come with you and help you pick one out, and let me examine it because I know what I am looking for and you do not. I am not being mean, just honest." Said Harry
"I know, and if we have do this, yes I am more than willing to let you help me buy something that I know nothing about." Replied Draco
"Okay, we have the meeting place, what we are going to do with rooms, and weapons. One more thing, about the rooms, who is sharing?" Asked Hermione
"Oh, wow. I never thought of that. How many beds come in each room?" Asked Ginny
"Usually two but you can get it to where you have one. So, again, who wants to share?"
"I think Ginny and I should share one." Said Blaise
"Don't you do anything with my sister if you get your way." Stated Ron
"Sure thing, mate."
"Well, I am used to bunking with Ron, so I guess that will work for me." Said Harry
"I wouldn't mind sharing with Hermione; we share now as it is." Stated Draco
"If everyone is happy with this, and you don't count Ron, then it is settled."
Since no one complained about the arrangements, they were set. This should be interesting.
"Okay, now how many beds does each person want?" Asked Hermione
"Well, Ron and I should have our own beds." Stated Harry
"I would say one for me and Blaise but Ron would have a cow so, two it is." Said Ginny
"Depends on how close you want to be to me. Either way does not matter to me." Stated Draco
"We are going to have our own beds."
"Fine, have it your way."
"Thank you, I will. If there are no objections, this meeting is adjourned and we can now go to the Great Hall for dinner."
Since no one objected, they all left and walked to the Great Hall together. Before Draco and Hermione entered, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
"I just wanted to let you know now, that no matter what happens over break, I like you, and have for a while. I wish you would have allowed us to share a bed, but do not worry, I can be persuasive. We should go in now."
With that, he left her standing there, stunned. She recovered quickly though and hurried in behind Padma and Penelope.
"You don't look so hot Hermione, and I should know, what is wrong." Asked Penelope
"Oh, I just found out something that stunned me. You look like you were having fun."
"Yeah, we were but we got hungry, foreplay can be exhausting." Replied Penelope
"Foreplay, I had no idea. You hide it well." Stated Hermione
"Pen, you promised you wouldn't say anything. My sister does not even know Hermione, you cannot tell her. You have to promise, not to."
"Padma, I won't tell her, I promise. I plan to be busy anyway with it being so close to Christmas; I have a lot to think about, and do. That leaves no room for gossip."
The next few days breezed by, and Hermione was right, gossip was not even near the forefront of her brain. She had studying to do, a dance to put together, and the Break to worry about. Finals passed quickly enough and the night of the dance approached too fast.
Hermione was busy getting ready when she heard a knock on her door.
"Come in."
"Bloody hell, Hermione, you look great."
"Draco, what are you doing here? I thought you were Ginny, you should go."
"Yeah, I should but my better judgment is not working at this present moment in time. I like the way you look naked and definitely would not mind if something happened between us in the future."
"Thank you Draco," said Hermione as she walked to him, "and you are right about something happening in the future, but now is not the time."
She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. He grabbed her and deepened the kiss, almost walked her to the bed, but she was right now was not the time for anything major to happen, too much was at stake.
"Hello. Hello!" Said Ginny
"Oh, hi Ginny, how are you?" asked Hermione
"Obviously not as good as you. You should finish getting ready Hermione. The dance starts in thirty minutes."
"Oh, right. Sorry, Draco but you really have to leave."
"We will continue that, Hermione."
"Yes, Draco, we will."
As soon as Draco was out of earshot Ginny gasped loudly.
"How come you never told me?"
"Told you what?"
"About you and Draco. God, Hermione, how much more is going on that I do not know about?"
"Nothing is going on and it just started yesterday. He told me how he felt and I acted on my feelings finally."
"I know you said you had a thing for him, but I never knew it was serious."
"And your feelings for Blaise are not serious. I have only been talking about liking him for I don't know how many years."
"Okay, point taken. Sorry. You look good covered up; I hope never to see you naked again."
"Sorry about that."
"Yeah me too, I never meant to break you up but you had to get ready."
"Well thank you for being concerned. Now let us go to the Great Hall."
When they walked into the Great Hall, their friends were dancing. Ron with Lavender, Harry with Parvati, Padma with Penelope (there dancing was more explicit though), and Draco and Blaise were waiting for their girls to arrive. Not but two minutes after they arrived they were swung into a dance.
"Hermione did a great job with the decorations, music and refreshments. I am glad she made Head Girl, this dance is way better than last years."
"I think this is the best dance I have been to, except for the one where we had visiting schools here, that one was a lot of fun too."
"Well, thank you, but don't I get some credit, I mean I am Head Boy and was helping too."
"Not that much, but yes you do. You let me plan it all by myself."
With that, two couples laughed and danced. With some skill Draco managed to get Hermione into a corner.
"They are right you know, you do know how to throw a good party."
"Thank you." Hermione said as she kissed him. With little effort, he deepened the kiss and had his hands digging in her hair. She too had her hands roaming over his body.
McGonagall decided that it was time to break up some couples before they started doing things in public.
"I would like to thank the Head Boy and Girl for putting this dance together." with that Hermione and Draco separated like kids caught doing something bad, "I would also like to say to everyone, I wish you a happy and safe Christmas Break. I hope you all return safe after the two weeks. Classes will resume the day after you return. Goodnight."
After McGonagall left, so did all the decorations, music and refreshments. That was everyone's cue to go to their houses and get some sleep before they left for Christmas Break tomorrow.
