Chapter Nineteen
Birthday Surprise
Draco looked up as he heard the roar of flames.
"What the hell are you doing?" Pansy snarled, coming out of the fireplace with her arms crossed.
He tapped the book resting in his lap.
"Reading."
His friend snorted, coming over to him and slamming the book shut.
"You should be at my party. Hermione's been there for a while now."
"Oh, really?" he murmured nonchalantly, lifting his brow and leaning one arm against the back of the white sofa with a serious look on his face.
"Yes, she arrived with Luna," Pansy replied, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "Are you still angry?"
Draco stood up, walking past her as he gave her a wicked look.
"No, Pansy. Everything's all right."
He soon disappeared into the green flames. Pansy swallowed, glancing sideways at the orange cat lying on the sofa.
"I don't trust him one bit. He's up to something."
Crookshanks purred.
"What do you know? You're just a cat," said Pansy, combing her black hair with her fingers and walking to the fireplace.
Hermione smiled as she felt two arms curl around her waist.
"Hello."
Draco's chin rested on her shoulder.
"Hi."
"You're late. Where were you?"
"I had to talk to Blaise," he replied, leaving a kiss on her cheek.
"Hello, Draco."
"Luna," he murmured with a nod. He turned to face Hermione and his lips curved as he looked her up and down. "You look beautiful, love. Much more than you did that night."
She tangled her finger in one of her curls, blushing at the compliment.
"Thank you. You too," she said, sweeping her gaze over his dark grey suit.
"And you don't say anything to me?"
Draco chuckled softly, averting his gaze to the blonde girl. Her silver dress was floor-length.
"You look beautiful, too. Your eyes shine brighter than the star you share a name with."
Luna smiled.
"You always know how to say the perfect words."
He winked at her, glancing back at Hermione.
"Will you save your first dance for me?"
She nodded with a smile. Draco took a step closer, wrapping his arms around her and bending his head down to speak in her ear.
"Or rather, save all the dances for me. I'm not sharing you with anyone while you're wearing this dress."
Hermione rolled her eyes, still smiling. Her heart was a traitor and it raced whenever he said things like that to her.
"I'll think about it."
"Do it. And I'm warning you, I'll take it off with my teeth later when we're alone."
A shiver ran down her back and she turned away from Draco, frowning and with her cheeks flushing.
"You can't talk like that when we're surrounded by people," she whispered, tapping him gently on the shoulder.
He gave her a mischievous smile.
"I can, and I will."
Hermione folded her arms and Draco chuckled again.
"You two are very funny," Luna commented, taking a sip from her champagne glass.
"Did you hear that?" she asked in surprise.
"No, but it's easy to guess what he said. You look very fetching in that dress."
Draco laughed louder and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I'm going to get something to drink. I'll be right back," he said, squeezing her hand before releasing it and losing himself in the crowd of people that were in the rectangular room.
The walls were adorned with green tones and coloured glitter fell from the ceiling, sparkling and shimmering as it touched the skin of the guests. On each wall were several tables with plates that filled themselves with food, and silver trays with different types of drinks floated around the room.
At the front was a small stage where several musicians were playing classical music and in the centre was the cake, which was so large and elaborate that it looked exactly like a wedding cake.
Hermione sighed at the thought that she was probably the only non-pureblood invited to the birthday party. She had chosen that day to wear the diamonds Draco had given her, and she was also wearing the periwinkle dress she had bought for the Triwizard Tournament Yule Ball.
Luna had helped her lengthen it by a few inches and it looked as good as it did in fourth year.
Draco had asked her to wear it that night so he could see it up close. Ever since he'd found it in her wardrobe, he'd wanted to dance with her while she wore it.
"Hermione!"
"Ron! What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.
Her red-haired friend stopped next to them.
"I'm here with Marissa," he said, intertwining his fingers with his girlfriend's as he smiled.
"Hi, girls," she greeted. "Are you having a good time?"
Luna nodded and Hermione tilted her head to the side.
"I am, actually, but this whole thing seems a bit..."
"Excessive," said Ron, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah."
"Have you tried the food, Hermione? Those are the best prawns I've ever tasted. I think I've eaten over fifty and I still want more," Ron commented, pointing to one of the tables filled with all kinds of food.
Hermione giggled and Marissa snorted.
"You can't eat anymore. You'll make yourself sick."
"Just one more?" Ron asked with bright eyes.
He walked away to the table and Marissa rolled her eyes, waving goodbye to them both and following in his footsteps.
Just then Theo and Draco appeared at the same time. He clapped Draco on the shoulder to greet him.
"What are you all doing here so far apart?" he asked, stopping next to Hermione and stealing the canape she was about to pop into her mouth.
She grunted a curse under her breath and Theo winked at her as he chewed. Luna let out a gleeful giggle.
"Waiting for the show to start," Draco replied, his gaze fixed somewhere to his right.
Hermione's brow furrowed as she didn't understand what he meant. She took a step back when Theo cleared his throat and pointed his chin at Luna.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Hermione?"
"You already know her. She's Luna Lovegood."
"Lovegood?" he repeated, trying to hide his surprise. "I didn't recognise her without the Hogwarts uniform."
"Nice to meet you, Nott. Draco's friends are my friends," she said, holding out her hand.
Theo took it, lifting it and kissing her knuckles without taking his eyes off her face.
"And Hermione's friends are my friends."
Hermione and Draco exchanged a glance.
"Then we'll get along just fine," Luna replied with a smile.
Theo turned to stand between her and Hermione.
"What were you two ladies talking about before the blond and I interrupted you?"
Draco gave him a dark look at the nickname that he ignored. Luna waved a hand, pointing to the room. The musicians had just changed and the tune started to become more upbeat, inviting the audience to dance.
"We were talking about how nicely Pansy has decorated the place, and Hermione had just asked me how my date with the magizoologist Rolf Scamander went last week."
Theo cocked his head, taking a sip from his glass.
"That sounds promising. He's Newt Scamander's grandson, isn't he?"
Luna nodded.
"Well, he was quite boring. I ended the night in a Muggle street in central London full of pubs where I met a lovely girl, Kate, who I spent the rest of the night with."
Draco furrowed his brow, staring down at her.
"Kate?" he repeated, quizzical.
"I don't know what I liked more about her, her personality or her body."
Hermione and Draco choked on their drinks. Theo's grin widened and he draped an arm over Luna's shoulders, tilting his head towards her.
"Tell us more, Lovegood. What happened between you and Kate?"
She gave him a mocking look, arching an eyebrow.
"The same as between you and Zacharias Smith."
Theo gasped, holding a hand to his chest.
"And you know all the best secrets! Where have you been all my life?"
Luna laughed softly, raising her champagne glass to her lips.
"I saw you hiding behind the tapestries on the third floor with him more than once."
"And I thought you were clueless. You had me fooled, Lovegood," Theo said, shaking his head.
She smiled again.
"Call me Luna."
"Only if you call me Theo."
"It's a deal, then."
Luna looked back at her two friends, laughing as she saw their surprised faces.
"What? She wanted to try it and I felt like it too at the time. It was a very interesting night and, besides, in her Muggle flat I saw what looked like a mummified doxy though she called it a 'fossil'."
Draco and Hermione were still staring at her with their mouths hanging open, not knowing what to say to that. She was the first to react, clearing her throat.
"So... You're interested in girls now, Luna? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I had no idea," her friend admitted, shrugging. "It was fun, but I think I prefer boys."
Draco stood next to his friend, who couldn't take his eyes off Luna.
"She's the female version of you, Theo. I hadn't thought about it before but you two are very similar," he whispered in his ear, glancing sideways at Hermione.
She smiled at his words.
"I know, man. I think I'm falling in love," Theo murmured, his green eyes still fixed on her.
Draco chuckled and turned away again, returning to Hermione's side.
"I hope you'll tell us all the details another day, Luna."
"Sure," she agreed, raising her glass in his direction and taking a large gulp.
Theo ran his tongue over his teeth, deep in thought. He averted his gaze to his friend's girlfriend and arched an eyebrow.
"What do you think, Hermione? Do I have your blessing to try and woo this unique girl?"
She looked back at Luna, who was staring up at the flying glitter with dreamy eyes and didn't seem to be listening to their conversation. Theo was also watching her with a big smile on his face.
"Ask her to dance and take good care of her, Theo."
"Of course," he said, stepping in front of Luna and offering her an arm.
She accepted it, smiling, and the two of them moved to the centre of the room where people were dancing in pairs.
"Oh, it's starting," Draco commented in a mocking voice, snaking an arm around her waist.
Hermione followed his gaze and saw Pansy across the room. She was wearing a black dress and was still greeting the guests.
She reached Blaise and hesitated for a second, but took a step towards him and the two shared a hug. He whispered something in her ear and Pansy's shoulders tensed.
She pulled away from Blaise a few inches and stared up at him, blinking several times as she spoke. He pursed his lips and pointed at Draco with a jerk of his chin.
When Pansy found him in the crowd, the look she gave him could have killed him. Draco bit his lip to keep from smiling.
"Here she comes. Can I use you as a shield?"
Hermione snorted.
"No."
Pansy came at them like a whirlwind, her eyes sparkling. Draco took an unconscious step back, tilting his body until he was half covered by Hermione.
"What's wrong, Pansy?"
She raised a threatening finger in his direction, gritting her teeth.
"Don't play dumb with me. Blaise smells bloody good and he says it's the same with me. What have you done?"
Draco's lips curved upwards and he lowered his head slightly, piercing her with his grey eyes.
"You're both wearing a few drops of the cologne you gave me."
She gasped in shock.
"What?"
Hermione frowned.
"You did what, Draco?" she asked, looking at him.
"I'm just proving to them what we all already know," he commented, shrugging and looking back at his best friend. "This proves that you're each other's perfect match, Pansy. You can't deny it any longer."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"How could you do this to me?" she muttered, taking a step back.
She bolted for one of the doors and Draco let out a long sigh.
"Shit. She's too dramatic."
"Look who's talking," Hermione added quietly.
Draco exchanged a glance with Blaise and his friend moved towards him.
"I'll be right back, Hermione."
The two boys disappeared through the doorway Pansy had just walked through, following in her footsteps. Hermione sighed, setting her empty glass down on one of the floating plates.
"The ferret left you alone?"
Hermione groaned, glaring at her friend.
"You need to stop calling him that. His friends need him, but he'll be back soon."
"Would you like to dance with me in the meantime?" he said, offering her his hand.
Hermione accepted with a smile and Ron placed his other hand on her waist, turning to the centre of the room.
"I still remember the steps we rehearsed for that bloody ball," he murmured, chuckling.
"Me too," she replied with a smirk.
"You looked very pretty that night. You were wearing this dress, weren't you?"
"Yes."
Ron wrinkled his nose, snorting softly.
"I acted like a swine. I was jealous."
"I know. You ruined my night, Ron."
"I'm sorry."
"It's been so many years. It's already forgotten," Hermione replied, patting his cheek affectionately.
He smiled.
"I just hope you've learned from your mistakes and are treating Marissa the way she deserves."
"I hope so, too. I think she's the one, Hermione," he admitted in a whisper, sighing.
She gave him a sincere smile.
"She's a great girl."
"Just like you. I'm surrounded by wonderful girls," Ron commented, lifting her with both arms as they spun around.
Hermione giggled, shaking her head.
"Don't butter me up."
"I'm just telling the truth," he replied with a shrug. "And I hope Malfoy appreciates what he has, too."
She let out a shaky sigh.
"He's always saying I'm too good for him."
"And he's right."
"Ronald!" she hissed, punching his shoulder.
He laughed, pressing her against his chest until she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Are you happy with him?"
"Yes. Very," Hermione whispered with a nod.
Ron smiled, kissing the crown of her head.
"That's all that matters to me."
Hermione blinked as she felt tears well up in her eyes.
"Thank you, Ron."
They both passed Marissa, who was dancing with Pansy's older cousin. She smiled at them and blew a kiss in Ron's direction.
"She is lovely. She's never been jealous of me, right?"
Ron shook his head.
"Marissa says jealousy is pointless if you really trust the other person, and she trusts me."
"Don't screw it up, Ron."
"I won't."
Luna and Theo passed nearby with him holding one of her hands as they danced weirdly. Hermione burst out laughing at the sight of them and Ron joined her.
"We can stop by that table over there and grab a couple more shrimps while we're at it," he commented, raising his brow and grinning.
Hermione rolled her eyes and she couldn't help but laugh.
"Marissa's forbidden you to eat anymore, hasn't she?"
"Exactly, but I know you'll keep it a secret."
"You're too gluttonous, Ron."
"It's been years since I've seen so much food together. It's like one of the Hogwarts feasts in here," he added with sparkling eyes as they spun around the room.
She smiled.
"All right, I'll keep your secret. Though if you get sick, I don't want to know about it."
Ron's grin widened and he turned again, dancing in the direction of the table as he made sure Marissa was nowhere near them.
Draco and Blaise knocked on the door of Pansy's room.
"Leave me alone."
The two looked at each other, rolling their eyes.
"Come on, Pansy. Let us talk to you," Blaise asked in a deep voice.
The latch on the door clicked, opening on its own. They both entered the dormitory to find their friend leaning on the edge of her desk.
Draco frowned as he saw the tear marks on her cheeks.
"I don't want you to cry."
"Well, too bad," she said, clenching her jaw and avoiding their gazes as she sat down on the mattress.
Draco sighed, crouching down in front of her and offering her a handkerchief. Blaise leaned one shoulder against the bedpost, crossing his arms and watching them with a serious face.
"Pansy explained about the cologne. You shouldn't have done that, Draco."
"I just wanted to do what she did. I'm trying to help you both."
She wrinkled her nose, placing the white handkerchief under her eyes.
"Well, all you've done is spoil my birthday party. My makeup is ruined and I'm not leaving this room."
Blaise snorted.
"You know I can fix your makeup."
"And so can I. I've learned from watching Hermione do it in the mornings," Draco added, pulling out his wand and holding it between his fingers.
Pansy let out a shaky breath.
"This sucks. I miss Blaise and I'm still confused. Plus, I feel terrible since we argued."
"I miss you, too," he muttered, pressing his lips together.
Draco watched them both for a moment before speaking.
"You also deserve to be happy, Pansy. You both do."
"I'm not so sure about it," she said, handing him back the black-stained handkerchief.
Draco cleaned it with a wave of his wand and put it back in his pocket.
"We're always blaming ourselves for all our mistakes and we need to stop doing that. We need to move on as Hermione says."
"It's true, Pansy. I want you to be happy, even if it's not with me," Blaise added, sitting down next to her and biting the inside of his cheek.
Pansy blinked as she tried not to cry again.
"You're a sweetheart even for this, Blaise... But I don't know if I can try."
Draco got to his feet and sat on her other side, placing a hand on her knee.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm scared!" she admitted with a hiccup.
Blaise held one of her hands and looked into her eyes.
"Scared of what?"
"Of doing something wrong. Of losing you forever," she added in a whisper, shaking her head.
Blaise grabbed her other hand.
"You can't lose me, Pansy. That's not going to happen, you have my word."
Her bottom lip trembled and Blaise sighed, hugging her.
"Take a deep breath."
"What if I'm not good enough for you?" she asked, hiding her face in his chest.
Blaise grinned.
"That's for me to decide, not you."
Draco placed a hand on her back, bending down slightly.
"I think I'm not good enough for her too. Give yourself a chance, Pansy. I know you feel the same way about Blaise," he breathed in her ear.
He stood up and her glassy eyes followed him out of the room. He closed the door softly, leaving them alone.
A pale hand appeared on Ron's shoulder.
"My turn, Weasley."
He stepped back, releasing Hermione.
"All yours."
She smiled as Draco wrapped his arms around her, lowering his head until their lips brushed.
"Everything alright?" Hermione asked softly.
He nodded.
"It seems so."
Her eyes widened as she saw Pansy and Blaise walk in together, holding hands.
"Are they going to give each other a chance?"
"Yes... finally. They're both stubborn," Draco commented, rolling his eyes.
"I think that's something you Slytherins all have in common," she added, smirking as she stroked his cheek.
He gave her a crooked grin.
"And some Gryffindors, too."
Hermione spun in his arms until her back was pressed against his chest. Draco held her hands, placing them on her waist and moving their bodies to the music.
"Did she bother you?" he asked, averting his gaze to the corner where Millicent was standing.
"No."
"Good. If she gives you any more bollocks, let me know," he murmured as he spun her around again.
"Don't worry about me," Hermione said, lifting her chin to look him in the eye and giving him a small smile.
Draco pressed their foreheads together, letting out a sigh.
"I will always worry about you, Hermione."
She smiled, feeling herself blush, and hid her face in the crook of his neck. She let herself be carried by him as they moved around the room, closing her eyes and enjoying his warmth.
She'd never thought she could have such a good time at Pansy Parkinson's house.
