Hello Dears!
As promised, since we finished our editing early, we are uploading an all new chapter! We hope that you love it!
Disclaimer:
As always, we own none of the original characters. Just the few we add here and there. Everything is the intellectual property of JK Rowling.
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Trouble in the Golden Paradise?
Rita Skeeter
It's the day after, so you know what that means! Typically, I wouldn't bother writing about the Anniversary Gala outside of who showed up and what they wore. However, last night gave us exactly what we were looking for. Speculation has been brewing in regards to the relationship status of two very high-profile individuals, and they managed to shut all of the rumors down while simultaneously sparking new ones.
Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy did indeed attend last night's ball together. Gasps could be heard throughout the ballroom when Ms. Granger appeared, clinging to Mr. Malfoy. Ever the gentleman, he helped her onto the stage, and never took his eyes off of her. Even when accepting her awards, she was looking for him.
"I couldn't believe it. If I hadn't been here, I'd have called everyone a liar."
"Of course, she is just trying to make Ron jealous. He did just announce his wedding after all. What better way to do so than to flaunt his enemy in front of him?"
"I don't think she's imperiused. She actually seems… happy."
"I heard that she and Harry have a secret affair going on. Maybe he's Ginny's lover and they are all swingers?"
"Ron doesn't need to be jealous. He has Lavender and she is twice the woman that Granger is."
"Has anyone else noticed him constantly whispering to her? It's weird."
"They can't seem to keep their hands off of each other, can they? I mean, it seems like they'd keep their intimacy private."
"Mr. Malfoy is an upstanding citizen. If he is who Ms. Granger chooses to spend her time with, it is none of our business. I say we go about our own lives."
Naturally, everyone had something to say about the evening's it couples, but the stars of the show seemed to be the enemy's turned lovers. You heard it first here, they danced, laughed, kissed, and had what seemed to be a lovely time.
Until the scene of course.
Ms. Granger was seen pushing away her former flame during a dance and crying. Did she perhaps hope that he would take her back? Did he deny her? Shortly after she walked away, it seemed that everyone in the party left as well.
Ms. Brown could also be seen leaving with angry tears streaming down her face. Did Mr. Weasley perhaps make an unwanted advance on Ms. Granger, causing issues between the two women?
I do intend to find out the answers to your burning questions. Stay tuned, I have a feeling that this is far from over.
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"I cannot believe that retched, foul woman! And who are these supposed sources that commented on everything? I'd like to have a word with them as well!" Hermione fumed.
She threw the newspaper at Draco.
"Must you abuse me so early in the morning? I'd hoped to sleep in." he yawned, stretching.
"How can you sleep when people are saying the things they are. I'm going to report her tomorrow when I go in. Kingsley will handle it." She huffed, falling onto the window seat.
"Or we could let her go a little longer and further solidify this thing. If everyone truly believes it and she has a little more evidence, we could completely be in the clear."
"Ginny got word that I am no longer invited to the wedding."
"Good grief. How long have you been awake?"
"I didn't really sleep, if I am honest."
"Does that bother you? That you're not invited to the wedding."
"Not at all. But our arrangement was only for the gala and the wedding." She said while picking at her nails.
"Ah yes. The arrangement." He said bitterly.
Draco got up and started gathering all of his personal items.
"I just mean that seeing as how I no longer need an escort for the wedding, you are now free to do as you want. You no longer have any kind of commitment to me. We can end the speculation if you want."
"Is that what you want?"
"Well."
"I see. Well, I guess that's that then." He said forcing his way through the door.
"Draco, where are you going?"
"I am no longer needed, so I am going home. Goodbye, Granger."
"Draco, wait."
"Morning, Malfoy. Where are you go-."
Green flames ingulfed him as he left for the manor.
"What was that all about?" Ginny asked.
"I. I'm not sure." Hermione said.
"Well, tell me what happened." Ginny said, patting the spot beside her.
"We were talking about our arrangement, and I told him that since I no longer needed an escort to the wedding that he was free from his end of the deal. He got mad and stormed out. He just quit talking to me."
Ginny only looked at her friend. The poor girl was oblivious to everything around her and sometimes had to have things spelled out for her. Honestly, it was Ron's fault. He destroyed any confidence that Hermione had, even before he assaulted her.
"I see."
"You see what? I don't see anything."
"You told him you didn't need him any longer, so he left?"
"That's not entirely what happened, but yes. I suppose so."
"Did you not pay any attention last night?"
"Pay attention to what? Ginny, what're you going on about?"
"He likes you Hermione. A lot from what I can tell. He never took his eyes off of you last night. The two of you got quite cozy at dinner, and don't even get be started on when you were dancing. I'm sure you didn't notice, but he couldn't keep his hands off of you."
"You're insane." Hermione shook her head.
"We had an arrangement. That's all. He doesn't think of me in any other way than that of a friend."
"Now you're just being stubborn. If I saw correctly, you were having a great time before all of the drama began. That was because of him. The two of you were quite chummy. Skeeter may not be completely off on the whole enemies to lovers thing." Ginny smirked.
"I hate that woman." Hermione groaned.
"Floo him. Better yet, write him. You were always better and writing what you were thinking than actually expressing how you feel." Ginny suggested.
"Okay. I'll go do that. I. I don't want to lose him from my life Gin. I'm not sure what's going on, but I don't want him to just walk away. He's- he's become important to me recently."
"I think he's been important to you since that year, you just hadn't realized it yet."
Hermione just nodded to herself and made her way back up the stairs.
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"Honestly, Blaise. She's just so bloody frustrating!" Draco whined.
"I can tell." His friend smirked at him.
"I just don't know how much more obvious I could have been. I called her my family for Merlin's sake! She invited me to stay with her. I understand that she's been closed off since everything happened, but to just dismiss me as though I was nothing more than a business arrangement?" Draco said taking another swig of his bourbon.
"I'm glad to see you made it home safe." Narcissa said from the door.
"Not now, Mother. What do you want?"
"This just came for you." She said handing him a small envelope.
"Why'd you get it then?"
"It came with my formal invitation to a weekly tea with Mrs. Potter and Ms. Granger."
"Ah."
"You could've just told her how you felt instead of coming home and drinking."
"Mother."
"I'm aware. It is none of my business." She said walking away.
"Do you want to read that alone?" Blaise asked.
Draco just looked up at him.
"Got it. I'll be in the kitchen. I must get Quaff to show me how he makes those little eclairs."
Blaise got up and walked out of the room. Draco looked down at the small letter, tracing her handwriting with his finger. Downing the last of his drink, he rolled his eyes and opened his mail.
Draco,
I'm often referred to as the 'brightest witch of our age'. Why then, is it that I seem to have little to no common sense? Especially when it comes to anything concerning you. I won't lie to you and say that I understand any of this or what is going through your head. Ginny told me that she noticed how we acted with one another yesterday. She said I looked happier and more at ease than I have in years. She said it was because of you. At first, I dismissed it as her just meddling. Then, I sat back and actually looked at things from her perspective. While I understand that most of our correspondence has been through letters, or the random run ins, I did come to one important conclusion.
You have somehow found your way behind my some of my walls. I know that I can trust you. I haven't been able to do that in quite some time. I think I have trusted you since that night. I don't want you to lose your trust or faith in me because I am incapable of expressing the correct emotion or saying the right thing before it is too late.
I do hope that I am not too late. I don't want to lose this, whatever it is, between us. I don't want you to just walk away and be upset. I may need you to explain things in the greatest of details, but I've never done this before. All of this to say, I hope you'll forgive me. I assumed some things on your part, and I should not have done that. I'm sorry, Draco.
Hermione
Draco looked down at the letter with awe. Laying the paper on the top of his desk, he leaned on his hand trying to think of the best way to approach the situation. On one hand, she had apologized and said that she didn't want to lose this. On the other hand, she hadn't come straight out and said that she cared for him in any way other than a friend and confidant. He wasn't the kind of guy who just wore his heart on his sleeve, but he had come damn close to being like that with her. How could she not understand after all that? They had flirted at the gala! He called her Dear. He didn't use terms like that lightly and with just anyone. He couldn't even explain what it was that was going on between the two of them any better than she could. Still, he had to try. As she had said with him, she was now behind some of his walls. Choosing for the safest option, he picked up a quill and chose to respond.
He hadn't gotten farther than four words before there was a knock at his door.
"I'm busy, Blaise. This better be important."
"I'd like to think it is." A small voice responded.
"Hermione. What are you doing here?" he asked, shocked to see her standing there.
"It had been hours and I was worried that you had just written me off. So, I came here so you could tell me to my face." She said, her bottom lip trembling.
"You can come in and sit, you know." He answered, motioning to the chair in front of him.
Hermione made her way across the room, never looking away from the floor.
"You said you were busy. I can always leave if I need to. Your mother said you would be here."
"Just sit down, Hermione."
"Sorry."
"Quit doing that."
"What?"
"Apologizing."
"Oh. So-." She stopped herself.
After a small bout of awkward silence, Draco cleared his throat.
"We need to go over a few things."
"Okay."
"First of all, I am not Weasley. I would not just 'write you off' as you said. You sent your letter with to my mother, so I had only just gotten it."
"I didn't know that you would read it if I had sent it directly to you."
"That's the second thing. I was not raised to just ignore any personal mail. I would have gotten around to responding eventually. In fact, I was just writing my answer."
"Oh?" she asked surprised.
"Yes. But seeing as how you are now here, I guess I don't have to send it after all." He said, making a show of throwing the parchment into the bin.
"No! Wait. I want to know what you were going to say."
"But you're here now. Why bother with the parchment?"
"Please."
Draco smiled and slid the parchment over to her. She timidly reached over and grabbed it. It didn't take her long to read what he had written.
Hermione,
I forgive you.
"Really, Draco? That's all you had to say?" she asked.
"You interrupted me."
"No, I didn't.'
"Yes, you did. If you recall, I said I was busy when you knocked."
"Oh." She blushed.
"Do you mean it?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"You're frustrating, you know."
"Really?"
"Yes. I left this morning to come home and you followed me like some lost puppy. If you had wanted me to stay, all you had to do was ask." He smiled, deciding to joke with her.
"You left! I tried to get you to stay to talk and you ignored me! You disappeared!"
"Yes, I suppose that was rather rude of me."
"You think?"
"I think we should talk, Hermione. Seriously. Right now. We should have a serious talk. No apologies, no arguing, no screaming. Simply talk."
"I agree. I am not entirely sure where to start though."
"Do you still love Weasley?"
"Absolutely not! How could you-."
"Ah ah. No screaming." He reminded her.
"How could you even suggest that. Especially after everything you have witnessed firsthand?" she asked sadly.
"Your reactions say something else. You insist you don't have any feelings for him, but you began sobbing at the gala."
"He kept saying that you were trying to hurt me. That you were evil and I needed to wake up and get away from you. My tears were a mixture of stress and anger. He lost every right to say anything about my life years ago. I haven't even seen him alone since then."
"Why were you angry?"
"He doesn't even know who I am anymore, let alone who you are. He is the only one who has ever tried to hurt me. It hurt hearing him all but accuse you of what he did."
"Why were you being protective of me?"
"We had had such a good time before that. I should have never insisted that you go dance with Narcissa. If you had stayed with me, he wouldn't have even approached me. I forgot that he was there. You helped me forget."
"I see."
"Do you? I'm rubbish at trying to explain things sometimes."
"Do you like me, Hermione?" Draco smiled, teasing her.
Her face turned red and she began spluttering.
"I. Well. How? Ugh! You're so frustrating!"
"Am I now?" he asked, coming around his desk.
"Absolutely." She said.
He grabbed her hands and sat back on the edge of the desk. Slowly he began rubbing soothing circles on the backs of her hands. She could only stare at her hands in his.
"Knut for your thoughts?"
"You have large hands. I hadn't noticed last night, but mine are so tiny compared to yours." She said still staring.
He let out a laugh.
"Hermione. Look at my face, not my hands." He said gently.
"Are you comfortable with me?"
"Yes."
"Do I make you nervous?" he asked squatting in front of her chair, bring their eyes level.
"Not in a bad way." She answered.
"How so then?"
"Butterflies."
"You do the same to me."
"Really?"
"You also infuriate me, challenge me, trust me, and leaving you this morning was probably one of the dumbest things I have ever done."
"Draco?"
"I am going to ask one more time. Do you like me?"
She adjusted so that one of his hands were in both of hers as she rested her cheek in the other.
"Yes." She whispered.
"Good." He brought her forward and kissed her forehead.
"Then the rest will fall in line. We can figure this out one day at a time."
"What exactly is this?"
"You don't have to label it, but we both know." He responded, resting against the desk again.
"You really forgive me?" she asked standing up,
"I have a feeling I always will."
She stood up, hesitated for just a moment, and the walked forward to wrap her arms around his middle. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.
"Did you mean what you said last night? Like, really mean it?"
"I said a lot of things, you'll have to be more specific."
"That you'd protect me and that I am your family."
"Yes. I meant both of those things."
"Would you help me commit an innocent crime?"
"I'm not sure that crime can ever be innocent. What did you need help with?"
"So here is my plan for Skeeter." She started, pulling away with a smile on her face and a glint in her eye.
"Oh goodness."
"Kingsley has already insured she is retiring. I say we give her a scoop."
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My Dear Loyal Readers,
This will be the last time that you will ever hear from me. At my age, I have decided that it would be best for me to turn in my quill, and instead retire. I will be heading to a small beach, where I can enjoy the sun, and time alone. Many people don't know this, but reporting can be so tiring and stressful. It has been an honor bringing you all the latest news and gossip for the last 35 years.
That said, I am pleased to say that I will be leaving you all with this last juicy tidbit. I had the pleasure of meeting with Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy yesterday. They approached me when they heard of my retirement and offered to give me the exclusive! They are indeed an item, and even have the blessing of not just his mother, but both Mr. & Mrs. Potter! It looks like everyone is getting their happily ever after.
So, for the last time, goodbye my lovelies. Go off and enjoy your lives. Be happy, be healthy, and remember to always smile!
All My Love & Many Thanks,
Rita
"There. Is that straight enough to the point for you? It'll go out with tomorrow's special edition." the blonde witch scowled.
"Thank you, Rita. It is lovely. I do hope you enjoy your retirement."
"Yeah yeah."
"Don't forget, you are now registered. After your 35 years of, loyalty, I would make sure that small beach is secluded and not easily accessible." Hermione smiled.
"I hope that you don't forget that I am not the only reporter who would have been all over this. There are ten reporters for every one of me. And I was definitely not the worst."
"Goodnight, Ms. Skeeter." Draco responded, grabbing Hermione's hand and walking out of the office.
The two made it to the alley beside the building before erupting in snorts and giggles.
"You know she will never forgive me for going to Kingsley. Not to mention the fact that you bought the Prophet and forced her into an early retirement."
"You could have always just made her leave, but you chose to let her have one more article. That was kind of you."
"I couldn't have the last thing she ever wrote about me be speculation. At least she was nice, this time." She said before pulling him into a hug.
The news would be broken tomorrow. Knowing the backlash and fallout that it may cause, Hermione had reached out to Harry and asked if Draco could hide out with her at Grimmauld Place.
"Work will definitely be interesting tomorrow." Draco remarked.
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Author's Note:
Hermione finally got her revenge against Rita! How fun?
We hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. Things are definitely going to be moving quickly in the story and there will be time jump. We only plan on 22 chapters all total, so we have to get things going.
Leave a review and tell us what you think!
Lizzie & Cat