A/N: Sorry for the wait! It's just that with Christmas, I had to return back to my parent's home, only to realise that I've forgotten to bring my laptop. So this entire chapter had to be typed on my phone as I gave it to one of my friends to post.
This chapter was inspired by my cousin who brought this to my attention when we were watching the Notebook the other day. Her thoughts actually helped me to carve out this part of Tracey which is good as it will help to bring in her backstory.
I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed the story! Haha, just in case anyone is wondering, I'm sorry but this won't be a triad fanfic. I do appreciate the suggestion, though, so thank you! This story will have a slow burn Dramione and Harmione to it but no harem or threesomes. But I'm glad that you guys are taking an interest in it! Thank you! Please forgive my grammatical errors though. It's difficult to type out on a phone.
With that, here is chapter five! Hope you enjoy it and if you don't mind, please review! Thank you for reading my fic!
Disclaimer: It ain't mine. It's JK Rowling's.
WHAT'S LOVE, GOT TO DO, GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Chapter 5: The Problem with Romance
"Ron, are you sure about this?" Harry said as he and Ron waited at the Entrance Hall. Ron nodded his head, not listening to a word Harry was saying. Over the past few days, Ron's mind was clearly only on one person. Someone whom until very recently became available and yet, he, Ron Weasley, could not make a move on her.
Hermione Granger
Ever since Ron and Harry had, in Hermione's own words to him during their fourth-year, realised that she was a girl, Ron realised he had started to fall for his best friend. When Harry confessed to having feelings for Hermione, it was like a bomb had just been dropped on him. While Ron admitted to himself that he should have seen it coming, it was still no less painful than to hear the words coming out of Harry's mouth. At that moment when Harry confessed, Ron wanted nothing more than to scream and yell at his best friend for even thinking such a thing and yet the more he stared at Harry and the more he thought about it, Harry did seem like a better match for Hermione.
Harry was the Captain of the Quidditch team as well as a prefect while Hermione was Head Girl. They both had links to the Muggle world and could talk about more things than Ron and Hermione ever could. Not to mention that Harry was good-looking and though he wasn't as tall as Ron, Harry did manage to turn some girl's heads as well. The thought of Hermione with Krum had sort of diffused any anger and jealousy towards Harry and instead, brought on a wave of guilt having the same crush as his best friend. Knowing that Hermione wouldn't possibly stay with Krum forever, Ron took matters into his own hands by dating Lavender.
Ron knew in his heart that Lavender and he weren't perfect and yet, for a sixteen-year-old boy who just wanted to experience someone loving and caring for him, Lavender did exactly that. Yet it was a relationship built on lust and desire and as soon as the attraction wore off, Ron ended things with Lavender. Yet this brought him straight back into his original dilemma. Though Tracey's project did make Ron seemed uncomfortable, it did also provide him with some added impetus not to let Hermione end up with Draco, a thought that was unimaginable in his mind. Whatever it was, Ron knew the reason why he was doing what he was doing.
I'm doing it for Harry
"RON!" Harry yelled as he tapped Ron hard on the shoulder, breaking the redhead's concentration.
"What?"
"I'm going to go see Hermione. See if she wants anything from Hogsmeade."
"Ok fine…wait..no!" Ron said as he grabbed Harry's robes. "You can't do that, mate!"
"Why not?!" Harry asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Because Seamus said you might do something like this and to stop you if I have to." Ron sighed as Harry struggled to break free. "Look, mate, you need to show her that you don't care about her…"
"But I do care about her!" Harry snapped.
"I know that!" Ron snapped back. "But you need to calm down and just put Hermione out of your mind for the moment. Right now, Hermione is probably wondering why you and I just skipped out to Hogsmeade without saying goodbye. That's how we start making her jealous. Please, mate!"
"Fine!" Harry shouted before letting out a resigned sigh. "Where the heck are Tracey and Daphne anyways?"
"They should be coming… Damn." Ron said as he glanced down the corridor to see two girls walking towards them. The first was a blonde-haired witch with a lean figure who had every boy wizard doing double-takes with some even whistling out loud. The second was a brown-haired witch in a hairband smiling at Ron as she waved.
"You know what, mate. Maybe this isn't so bad." Harry said as he smirked at Seamus who stood nearby ogling the figure of Daphne Greengrass. "Seamus probably wishes he could join us."
"Yeah, probably." Ron said as he waved back at the brown-haired girl, his eyes firmly fixed on Tracey Davis.
…..
"So what did you tell Hermione when you said you had to go to Hogsmeade with me and Daphne?" Tracey whispered to Ron as the four headed towards the Three Broomsticks. For some reason, Daphne had trailed behind with Harry as Ron caught her giving Tracey a wink.
"Nothing. Hermione came to us saying that she can't go to Hogsmeade because she had work to do. Naturally, Harry wanted to stay but I convinced him to come with us. Hermione has no idea that we're out together with you two."
"Wait, you didn't tell her?! Then how are you supposed to make her…oh wait…that's good!" Tracey said as she clapped her hands. "Draco is probably going to tell her and Hermione will be gobsmacked to think the both of you are out on dates…Not that this is a date, of course!" Tracey said hastily as Ron nodded. The four reached the Three Broomsticks and found a table. Tracey could see that all eyes were on them, many of their schoolmates whispering amongst themselves while some boys looked at Harry with envy at being able to sit together with Daphne.
"Hey, Ron," Daphne spoke up, much to the surprise of both himself and Harry. It was strange enough that Daphne was even speaking and hanging out with them, let alone using his first name. "Yeah, Daphne?" Ron said
"Why is your ex looking at us like she wants to kill us or something?" Daphne exclaimed as she pointed towards the group of Seamus, Dean, Lavender, and Parvati. Ron groaned as Harry snickered as Lavender appeared to be glaring at Tracey who was seated next to him. Before Ron could say anything, Tracey spoke up.
"Ignore her," Tracey said dryly as she glared back at Lavender. Ron could feel the Slytherin stiffen up in the booth next to him as he looked to Harry for help. Harry shrugged his shoulders in response.
"She's just being a bimbo. Seriously, Ron, you could do better." Daphne said as she took a sip of her Butterbeer.
"Errr… thanks." Ron replied, unsure of how to take Daphne's compliment. This was followed by a moment of awkwardness, to which Harry became the one to break the silence.
"So, Tracey," Harry spoke as he turned to the Slytherin. "Ron tells me that you and he are working on a Muggle Studies essay about love."
Daphne snorted in her drink as Tracey turned to glare at Ron who nodded at Harry. "That's right; we are working on that essay together."
"Love? Seriously, Tracey? That's what you and Ron have to work on? Imagine that." Daphne giggled as she winked at Tracey who groaned in response.
"So what exactly do you have to write about? I mean, the topic is quite vague, isn't it?" Harry asked.
"Well," Tracey said as she composed herself. "Ron and I are working on the idea of love and our focus group are on teenagers such as ourselves. How do we as teenagers deal with love? How do we cope with it? How does one go around pursuing love?"
"Ahhh." Harry nodded as he smirked at Ron. "I see. So tell me, you honestly believe that if I were to stay away from Hermione, it would help me get her in the long run?"
"Honestly, yes," Tracey said as Daphne gave her a questioning look. "I mean, think about it. When Muggle or wizarding movies and books talk about love, the one pairing that many go for is the idea of you falling for your best friend. Yet, this only works if your best friend has feelings for you. Most stories just skip over it or rush this process so that they can get down to putting two people together who, in reality, should have nothing but platonic love for each other."
"Really?" Harry sighed as he fiddled with his wand. "But wouldn't it be dangerous? I mean, if I were to spend time away from her, wouldn't that just push her into the arms of someone else?"
"If that's the case, then maybe she never was the one for you," Tracey replied. "Honestly, if a girl likes you, she would eventually have these feelings but if Granger were to make a move, she would have done so by now. What you need to do is to stay away from Granger so that you move from being that clingy, emotional punching bag to a viable love interest."
"That explains why Harry is here with us," Daphne whispered to Tracey. "You just want him away from Granger, not as back up for your date. What kind of game are you playing here, Tracey?"
"Firstly, this is not a date!" Tracey whispered back. "Secondly, I'm not playing any games. Ron wants Harry to end up with Hermione so I'm helping him."
"Really? So you have Weasley's best interests at heart, do you?"
"Shut up!"
"Guys?" Harry said as he and Ron stared at the two witches awkwardly. "What are you all whispering about?"
"Nothing!" Daphne cried rather sharply as Harry flinched slightly in his seat. "Let's change the topic, shall we?"
"Okay," Ron replied as he turned to Harry. "Mate, we have to include Muggle sources in our essay. Can you recommend any muggle movies about love that we can refer to?"
"Hmmmm." Harry thought for a moment before smiling. "Well, off the top of my head I would have to say the Notebook comes to mind."
Tracey lets out a snort of derision.
"What?!" Harry said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. "What do you have against the Notebook?"
"Excuse me, but for the two Pureblood people at this table, can someone tell us about the Notebook?" Daphne spoke as Ron nodded.
"The Notebook is a romantic story about two lovers, Noah and Allie," Harry explained as he glared at Tracey. "In 1940, Noah who comes from a poor background meets Allie, an heiress from a wealthy family, at a carnival. They have a summer love affair where they both fall madly in love with each other. However, Allie's family gets news of their romance and after an argument; Allie is banned from seeing Noah again by her family who feels that their daughter isn't good enough for him. Her parents take her away and Noah, unable to be with Allie, enlist for service for the war. Noah tries to write letters to Allie but they get intercepted by her mother, Anne, who hides them."
"The war?" Ron asked.
"Muggle war, Ron." Harry continued to elaborate. "Anyways, while Allie was away from Noah, she meets this captain named Lon Hammond Jr. After a few years, they become engaged and her parents couldn't be happier. During their engagement, Allie sees a newspaper where a man has restored a house she loved to her specifications. That man is Noah and she goes to see him. Allie goes to see him and they rekindle their relationship with approval from her mother. Later in the future, when they're old, Allie has dementia and Noah tells her the story of how they came to be every day until one day, they both passed peacefully in their sleep. The Notebook is like the quintessential story for romantic love of the ages, the heart-aching story of enduring love. I don't see how you could possibly have a problem with it, Tracey."
"That's because you might have skipped over a part," Tracey said icily as she clenched her fists.
"What part?" Harry asked.
"How about the part when Allie returns to see Noah, they rekindle their romance and make love to each other WHILE she was engaged to Lon Hammond Jr?"
"Allie had doubts about leaving Lon for Noah! She was conflicted! That's what makes the Notebook so good." Harry argued as Tracey slammed her fists on the table.
"It's cheating. She cheated on Lon to be with Noah!"
"She was always meant to be with Noah. Noah was who Allie loves."
"You don't get it, do you?" Tracey sighed as she stared at the other three. "Let's look at the story from another perspective. Let's say you're Lon Hammond. You serve your time in the war and develop this heroic reputation and you fall for this girl named Allie who says she's moved on and agrees to be engaged with you. Then she asks to go away for a while and you let her because you trust her only to realise she's been having an affair behind your back and cancels the engagement because you aren't the person whom she loves despite agreeing to be engaged to you. Your romantic movie just glosses over the fact that Allie cheated because you and I and everyone who is an audience to this love story just want Noah and Allie to be together at long last. In other words, it's okay to cheat so long as you're in love."
"Well, technically, she was engaged so she didn't exactly… cheat?" Ron said, hoping to appease Tracey who turns her glare towards him.
"Really, Ron? Really?"
"She didn't expect to see Noah again! It's not her fault that her true love suddenly appeared." Harry replied, his expression softening after Tracey's speech.
"Okay then, let's just say Lon and Allie had gotten married. And they have kids. Would you be sympathetic to Allie if she were to go off with Noah?" Tracey replied.
"But they didn't get married nor did they have kids!" Harry retorted.
"Exactly! The author saves us from having to be in this predicament simply because he wants us to sympathise more for Allie and Noah!" Tracey snapped. "That's the problem with love stories that have infidelity, ain't it? They so badly want to put two characters together so they do their best to portray these characters as sympathetic so that we would root for them. Think about it. In these stories that involve cheating in order to achieve true love, how are the partners that get cheated on portrayed as? Bad people! They're often seen as abusive and uncaring individuals who in most stories are the ones who cheat first so that we as the audience feel justified that we are supporting the cheaters. I have to give credit to Nicholas Sparks, the one who wrote the Notebook, for not portraying Lon Hammond as some abusive and ungrateful individual who is a cheater himself but it doesn't change the fact that my point still stands, that we as a society, can accept infidelity in the face of true love because it has been romanticised to a point that we no longer feel guilty for doing so."
Harry and Ron said nothing as they exchanged looks with each other. Out of the corner of her eye, Tracey could see Daphne giving her a sympathetic look. Releasing a sigh, Tracey's expression began to soften.
"I'm sorry I got so carried away," Tracey replied as she took a swig of Butterbeer. "I just get so tired of stories always talking about true love and glossing over facts such as infidelity and not realising the impact it has on relationships. Relationships used to be sacred, like getting into one means that you truly love the person even if you have previous or other possible love interests and that breaking one off or cheating in a relationship shouldn't be something we all just gloss over."
"But what if you really love someone who is in a relationship? Shouldn't you fight for the person?" Harry asked as Tracey gave him a bittersweet smile.
"You can, of course," Tracey said with a sigh. "If you don't mind being the villain."
…
If there was one thing Draco Malfoy hated, it was being stuck in his room on the weekend. Normally, this would be the time when he would go to Hogsmeade to hang out with his friends or even take a Portkey home, even if it meant just staying there for the night. It wasn't allowed, of course, but his father had many connections to black market Portkey traders, some of whom lived at Hogsmeade. Yet today he was being forced to stay in his room while he and Granger worked out schedules for the prefects as well as other school matters.
Being with Granger both came with positive and negative issues. On the plus side, Draco relished the chance to be alone with one of the prettiest girls in Hogwarts in his room, though sadly, unlike many who preferred the comfort of his bed, Granger and he were working at his table in the middle of the room. The thought of having Butterbeer in Hogsmeade did make him slightly regret the stupid bet he had with Blaise and yet, staring at Granger as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, Draco couldn't help but admire the beauty that was right in front of him.
The problem with puberty, Draco thought, was that you can't ever tell if a person was going to remain a toad the rest of their lives or if they were to blossom into the princes and princesses you see before you. He often considered Granger to be the worst out of the Golden Trio, a nickname given to the group of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. While Potter was a half-blood, he did come from a respected family of Purebloods through his father and Weasley's family, despite their poor status, was Pureblood as well. Granger, however, was not and it incensed him even further that this lowly witch would continue to beat him in every area of his studies to the point that Draco was forced to take up subjects like Divination and Muggle Studies just to keep up with her. He had hated her in his first few years at Hogwarts, the hate boiling over when she attacked his face during the time of Buckbeak's execution and yet the past two years had forced him to develop another perspective of Hermione Granger, one that was further helped by her suddenly blossoming into a gorgeous creature.
It was when Draco was taking a sneak peek at the buttoned-up collar of Hermione and wondering just how she would look if she showed her cleavage more that Hermione let out another grunt of frustration, one that Draco knew was not because of the work they had before them.
"What?" Draco asked, wanting to sound annoyed but coming across as slightly more concerned than usual.
"Nothing." Hermione snapped as she proceeded to press her quill so hard on the parchment that the tip pierced through. "Oh, for Merlin's sake!"
"Maybe you should take a break," Draco replied as Hermione glared at him.
"And what? Leave you to do this all by yourself? No thanks, the last time I did that, you made sure that the other houses had more places to patrol while you get to roam about the kitchens."
"Then stop with the whining and get back to work!" Draco retorted as Hermione threw her quill down on the desk.
" .Not. Whining!" Hermione roared as Draco rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. You Gryffindors are such babies."
"Compared to you Slytherins? Please."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that you're one to talk about whining especially when you lot always run to Professor Snape to ask for his help every single time!"
"That's because unlike you Gryffindors we don't break the rules and then try to cover it up. We actually take responsibility for our actions."
"Right! So when Blaise and Pansy hexed Eloise Midgen two days ago, telling Professor Snape that you thought she was going to attack them was taking responsibility was it? Especially since she had no wand with her and it was a pre-meditated attack!"
"Whatever, Granger." Draco scoffed. "I don't have time for this nonsense."
"Then leave why don't you?" Hermione growled. "I can finish this all by myself."
"I know you can, Granger, but you see, I don't want my schedule being tarnished by a…"
"By a what? A Mudblood?" Hermione snapped as she glowered at him. "That's what you were going to say, weren't you?"
"Actually, I was going for either Gryffindor or girl but I can do both," Draco smirked as Hermione glared at him. "I'm not the one going to call you a Mudblood."
"Why not?" Hermione asked. "You never had a problem with it before."
"Things change," Draco said as Hermione snorted. For some reason, this made Draco feel agitated as he threw his quill down on the parchment.
"Okay, I've had it. What is your deal with me, Granger?"
"My deal is that I find it hard to believe that someone who has been calling me names since my first year now that doesn't want to do anymore."
"In case, you haven't noticed, I've been doing it for a while. Not calling you those names." Draco responded as Hermione gave him a curious look.
"That is…. true," Hermione said, her expression switching from anger to curiosity. "Why did you stop calling me Mudblood?"
"I just…can we just get back to work?" Draco sighed as he took up the schedule. "Okay, so Goldstein and Patil will do the fifth and sixth corridors of – "
"Hang on a minute," Hermione spoke as she pushed the schedule down on his desk. Draco could see her silently judging him as she continued to stare. At the back of his head, he could hear Tracey calling out to him.
She needs to see you a new light!
Draco let out a sigh of frustration. "Fine, Granger. Do you really want to know the truth?"
"Yes. I would."
…..
Three years ago
"Quite a game, wasn't it?" Lucius said to Draco as Draco beamed at his father. "Who would have thought that the Irish would win, eh? But then again, they are the superior team."
"Krum was good," Draco replied as Lucius nodded.
"He comes from a very well-to-do family, not to mention a very respectable school. I had wished to send you there instead but alas, for appearance's sake', I needed to send you to Hogwarts. If only Salazar was still alive to see what has become of his beloved school."
"So Krum would be coming to Hogwarts, won't he? I mean, he's still a student in Drumstrang." Draco said as Lucius smiled as they walked towards their tent. Unlike others around him, the Malfoy's tent was quite a sight to behold when it came to the sizes of tents. Outside the tent looked like a small house while inside, it had the space of two ballrooms not to mention, several floors. As they entered, Draco saw a few of his father's friends waiting for him.
"Is it prepared?" Lucius asked calmly as one of the friends, Macnair, smiled as he nodded to the staircase that led down below. Lucius nodded his head before turning to Narcissa. "Take Draco to his room," Lucius said as Narcissa nodded while motioning Draco to follow her. As the pair walked to his room, Draco could see most of the wizards and witches who were waiting for his father follow him downstairs while a few lingered on top.
"Join you guys in a moment. Got to liven the party outside." One of the wizards yelled as he and his friends walked out of the tent.
"Mother, what is Father doing?" Draco asked as Narcissa gave him a strange look. Putting a finger to her lips, Narcissa led Draco into his room.
"Your father has some business he needs to attend to," Narcissa spoke as she closed the door behind her. Draco sighed for a moment before pacing about the room. He had often wondered what his father and his mates get around to during their private meetings. Who knew what his father was discussing? Business, perhaps? But shouldn't he, the heir to the Malfoy empire, be present so that he could be prepared to take over once the time came. Draco deliberated for a few more minutes before deciding to take action.
Sneaking out of his room, Draco tiptoed down the stairs. The tent had four floors with two of its floors comprising the basement. As Draco descended down the stairs, he could hear his father's voice booming and what sounded like a hard bang on a table as gales of laughter ascended towards him. Not wanting his presence known, Draco crept down to a landing just before the final set of stairs as he peered into the basement. There, he could see his father standing in front of a large desk while most of his friends sat in front of him, each with wands in their hands.
"Do I hear seventy?" a wizard, seated next to Lucius spoke as another witch raised her wand. Draco stared at his father who held what looked like a large egg-shaped ornament in his hand. The wizard, who had spoken, looked familiar to him. Only with a second look, did Draco recognised Mr. Borgin, co-owner of Borgin and Burkes seated next to Lucius.
"Going once, Going twice. Sold to Mrs. Sarah Bulstrode, now the owner of the fabled Faberge egg blessed by the Great Rasputin himself." Borgin yelled as the witch, who Draco now recognised to be Milicent's aunt, smiled happily as the other witches and wizards cheered on.
"It's an auction!" Draco whispered excitedly to himself. Draco felt glad about his decision to sneak in on his father. If anything, the auction provided him with a means to understanding how his father ran his businesses.
"We now come to the last item on our list," Lucius spoke gravely as the other wizards and witches who had been murmuring out loud now drew silent. Draco could sense a tension in the air as he stared at the expectant faces of those below him. Whatever the last item was, it was evident that this was the one everyone had been waiting for. Lucius nodded to Borgin who nodded and disappeared to some dark corner of the basement.
"Now, as you all know, there was difficulty in procuring such an item," Lucius whispered as Draco felt goosebumps all over his skin. "This one took us many weeks of planning especially with the Ministry's eyes on us at all times. Because of this, some of you have complained to me about the scarcity of such an item and I'm here to tell you that if you are successful in purchasing it, you know the responsibility that comes with it. Never let it out of your sight and should you be done of it, dispose of it discreetly. We are not responsible for anything that may befall you should the Ministry catches you with it." Lucius spoke in the authoritative tone that Draco had come to respect. He could see his father glaring out into the crowd.
"I only have one this time around…SILENCE!" Lucius roared as the others who had been giving shouts of displeasure immediately became quiet. "Let's us not forget what happened to our dear friend Pyrites" Lucius whispered as Draco could see looks on unease on many of their faces.
Pyrites sounded familiar, Draco thought as he watched Mr. Borgin struggled to levitate what looked like a large bundle of cloth. Pyrites…Pyrites…wait…wasn't he the one caught with a…
"Is the item in acceptable condition?" someone spoke, interrupting Draco's thoughts.
Lucius smile. "Slightly less than twenty."
Hoots of joy were heard as Draco peered through the staircase. Borgin had finally brought the bundle of cloth before the crowd. Draco could see him waving his wand as the bundle of cloth dropped down to reveal…
"What? What did you see?" Hermione asked as Draco grew silent, his body trembling as he recalled the story. For the first time in her life, Hermione felt a strange sense of sympathy for Draco as she watched the blonde haired wizard shake his head.
"I can't say. Not now." Draco whispered as he stood from the table. Without saying a word to Hermione, Draco threw himself on the bed. He could feel the tears building up on his face as Draco stared up at the ceiling. Not wanting Granger to see him cry, Draco turned to his side as he tried desperately to hide his tears away from the Gryffindor witch.
Hermione stared at him as she stood up from the table. In seven years, Hermione had seen many expressions on Draco's face. She had seen the arrogant sneer Draco would give to anyone he thought to be beneath him. She had seen the wicked grin he would give as he continued to bully anyone he felt like bullying. She had seen his look of pure anger as he glared at her after she slapped him back during that third year. She had even seen the look of lust on his face as he admired her figure from far. Yet of all the expressions and emotions expressed by Draco, seeing Draco like this was something completely new.
He's actually crying Hermione thought as she stared at him, seeing how the once mighty and powerful Draco was now reduced to a ghost of his former self as the wizard in front of her looked to be extremely fragile. Unsure of what to do, Hermione walked over to Draco's side.
"Draco, it's okay," Hermione whispered as she sat next to him. Aware of Hermione's presence next to him, Draco sat up as he wiped away the tears from his face.
"Sorry," Draco said as Hermione could hear alarm bells ringing in her head. Draco Malfoy is apologising
"It's okay. You don't have to tell me about what you see." Hermione said as she gave him a smile. To her surprise, the blonde hair wizard stared back at her, his lips contorting into a smile as he stared into her eyes. He actually looks quite nice when he smiles.
"Thank you." Draco sighed as he averted his gaze away from her. "It's not that I don't want to, Granger, it's that I guess I haven't quite dealt with it yet."
"Hermione."
"What?" Draco said as he turned to face her.
"You kept calling me Granger. That's getting old. If I can call you Draco, you can call me Hermione." Hermione replied, her face holding a stern expression of determination. Staring at her stoic expression and noticing her folded arms, Draco couldn't help but snigger.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked as Draco continued to chuckle.
"Sorry, it's just that your expression. It's so serious. Call me Hermione!" Draco spoke, mimicking McGonagall's voice.
"I do not sound like that!" Hermione retorted.
"Trust me, you do. I almost expect you to take points away from me." Draco replied as Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
"Well, if you're suggesting that I sound like Professor McGonagall, then I supposed to I should take it as a compliment," Hermione replied huffily as Draco shook his head.
"You know, you do take things too seriously. You need to lighten up, Hermione." Draco said as the last word as Hermione gave him a small smile.
"Do you want to get back to work?" Hermione asked as she motioned towards the desk. Draco nodded his head. "Just give me a moment," Draco said as Hermione nodded before walking over to the desk.
"Hey, Hermione?" Draco spoke as Hermione turned to face him. "Thank you. For not pushing me."
Hermione said nothing as she beamed at him before walking back to the desk. Wiping the remainder of the tears left on his face, Draco took a deep breath as he made his way back to the table. Inside his head, he could picture everything that happened three years ago. Yet as haunting and despairing as that memory was, it paled in comparison to the one that came almost a year later.
It's about your father his mother's voice spoke to him as Draco took a seat next to Hermione Granger.
…..
"So what do you think they're talking about?" Tracey asked as she nodded back to Daphne and Harry who had lingered behind them during their walk back to Hogwarts.
"Probably about us," Ron said with a shrug of his shoulders. "It seems like that's what everyone wants to talk about now."
"Tell me about it." Tracey sighed as she walked alongside the redhead. Tracey noticed that she and Ron were walking rather close to each other as every time his fingers brushed gently against her side, she could feel a slight tingle pulsating through her body. The thought of his hand taking hers made Tracey blushed as she looked away to gaze at the trees. Get a hold of yourself, Tracey!
"I thought about what you said back at the pub." Ron blurted out as Tracey drew herself away from her thoughts.
"You mean about romanticising infidelity," Tracey replied as once again, her past entered her memory. "What about it?"
"Well," Ron said as they reached the castle. "While I do feel sorry for those like Lon Hammond, I don't blame Allie from wanting to be with Noah. I mean, she really did love him and he did love her."
"So what, Ron?" Tracey replied curtly. "If she really did love her, does that mean her love for Hammond was a lie?"
"No, maybe there was something there but it pales in comparison to what she had for Noah," Ron said as Tracey grunted out. "I mean it! What was Allie supposed to do? Not be in a relationship with Noah when she clearly loved him?"
"No, but she shouldn't have been with Lon in the first place when she's clearly not over Noah." Tracey snapped.
"Why are you taking this so personally?" Ron asked as he stared at her. "Did something happen to you?"
"No!" Tracey replied sharply. "I just don't see how you could make a promise to someone to love them only to break that promise once the prospect of someone else comes into play. A relationship is supposed to be something special, not something you just throw about because you realise you love someone else? If that's the case, why even be in a relationship? I just hate how love stories have evolved to become like this. You're in a relationship but hey, someone else comes along, someone you fall in love with and you're like, I'm done with my relationship. I want to be with that person now. But what about the people who get hurt on the way? Who sympathises with them? Who cares about their story? Oh, that's right. No one! No one cares!"
"Tracey, are you okay?" Ron said as he stared at the witch. Touching her face, Tracey could feel her cheeks becoming wet. She hadn't even realised that she had been crying.
"I'm fine," Tracey said hastily as she motioned at Daphne. "I have to go, Ron. Thanks for today." Tracey replied as she grabbed Daphne's arm before taking off. Ron turned to a bemused Harry who stared after the pair.
"Girls, mate." Ron sighed as he shook his head. Before Harry could utter a word, a figure jumped on him as Ron watched Harry being squeezed by two small arms.
"Harry!" Hermione cried as Harry hugged her back enthusiastically. Ron watched as Hermione's hug seemed to linger slightly longer than necessary as he felt a small pang of jealousy enter his heart.
…
"Wait? So she told you all that?" Hermione asked as Harry nodded his head while the trio walked climbed up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower. Hermione gave Harry and Ron a thoughtful look.
"You know what? Tracey does have a point." Hermione explained as they walked up the steps. "Muggle movies do this quite a bit. Serendipity, Sweet Home Alabama, Made of Honour, Imagine Me and You, Notting Hill, The Wedding Singer, You Got Mail, Letters to Juliet, Leap Year. I mean, most romantic comedies or shows often rely on the unfaithful formula and even if it's justified, it's still cheating. I just, I never really thought about it that way."
"I know. It's like in order to find your true love, you have to fall in love with someone else first. Or at least be in some sort of relationship." Harry reasoned as Hermione smiled at him before turning her attention to Ron.
"Of course, the next common thing in love stories is the star-crossed love formula," Hermione said as Ron gave her a strange look.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, the idea about lovers from different backgrounds, different social classes or in some cases, different houses get together is fairly common in romance stories." Hermione said as Ron noted her emphasis on the word ' houses'. Ron groaned out loud. Before he could say anything, he noticed how Harry and Hermione were standing awfully close to each other just outside the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Oh, bloody hell! If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times. There's nothing going on with me and Tracey!" Ron snapped.
"Mate…" Harry said, looking alarmed.
"I'm just getting a little sick and tired of people putting me and Tracey together." Ron sighed. Hermione and Harry exchanged looks before Hermione whispered something into Harry's ear. Harry nodded as he turned to enter the portrait while Hermione turned to face Ron.
"Ron, are you okay?" Hermione said as Ron looked at her. He could see her concerned brown eyes staring at him as Ron felt his heart tugging painfully in his chest, turning his thoughts back towards the pub.
"But what if you really love someone who is in a relationship? Shouldn't you fight for the person?" Harry asked as Tracey gave him a bittersweet smile.
"You can, of course," Tracey said with a sigh. "If you don't mind being the villain."
"I'm fine, Mione." Ron sighed as he leaned against the wall. "I'm just tired of all these rumours about me and Tracey going about."
"So they're just rumours, then?" Hermione asked. "Nothing to it?"
"No, of course not."
Hermione sighed before offering Ron a smile. "Well, then I'm sorry for believing in them. It's just that after the whole Lavender incident, I didn't want you to think that I'm not going to be supportive in your relationships, Ron. Whoever you choose to be with, I promise I will stand by that decision." Hermione said as she gave him a hug.
Ron tensed up a little as he felt Hermione's arms around his neck as he leaned in to hug the witch. He could hear his heart pounding loudly in his chest as the butterflies in his stomach started to flap furiously.
"Anyways, how was your day out with Tracey and Daphne?" Hermione asked as she pulled away, leaving Ron feeling slightly disappointed at the loss of contact.
"It was okay. No fun without you, though." Ron laughed uncomfortably as Hermione beamed at him, unaware of his feelings. Turning around to give the password to the Fat Lady, Hermione turned to face him.
"Ron, is Harry interested in Daphne?" Hermione asked softly as the butterflies that were in his stomach started to fall into pieces.
"No, he isn't," Ron replied, his voice a little hoarse as he cleared his throat. "I think she and Harry came along as a backup for me and Tracey."
"Oh," Hermione whispered before giving Ron a smile. "That's good to hear."
"Why is that?"
"Oh, nothing!" Hermione cried hastily as the portrait flew open.
"You go ahead!" Ron blurted out as Hermione gave him a look of confusion. "I'm going to head down to the kitchens. Get myself something."
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione replied as she rolled her eyes. "Is food all you think about?"
"What else is there to think about?" Ron replied while putting on a smile as inside his head, he could hear his thoughts screaming at him.
….
"You look like shit," Blaise said as Tracey pointed a crude gesture in his direction. She hadn't gotten enough sleep last night as she tossed and turned about in bed. Her last conversation with Ron had brought about those bad memories as they invaded her dreams. Twice in the night, Tracey had gotten up in tears as she clung tightly to the pillow in her hand.
She could see Pansy smirking at her as she reached the Slytherin Table for breakfast. Tracey took her usual seat next to Daphne as she helped herself to a couple of bacon sandwiches, courtesy of a nice spread put forth by the Hogwarts elves. As she munched on a sandwich, she could feel all eyes staring at her as she looked up from her plate.
"What?" Tracey asked irritably as she looked around the table. Daphne seemed to have a sympathetic expression on her face while Draco looked uneasily at her as well. Blaise had his usual smug expression while Crabbe and Goyle seemed to be deep in conversation, though Tracey doubted that the nature of the conversation would be thought-provoking in any way. Pansy, however, seemed to sneer in delight at Tracey as she nudged against her arm.
"Can I tell her?" Pansy said as she gazed at the group. Daphne gave Pansy one of her famous, smoldering glares.
"What?" Pansy said as she raised her hands upon noticing Daphne's expression. "She's going to find out sooner or later."
"What am I going to find out?" Tracey said, ignoring Pansy and turning to her best friend. Daphne gave her a sigh.
"Look, it's just on the grapevine and to be fair, I doubt even he would be stupid enough to stay in it for long."
"What in Merlin's name are you talking about?!" Tracey said, growing impatient. Daphne said nothing as she pointed her hand towards the Gryffindor table.
Tracey turned towards the table where Potter and his usual gang of friends were seated. They seemed to be laughing and chatting away. There seemed to be nothing quite unusual going on as Tracey's vision zoomed in on a particular redhead. She could see Ron talking with Harry before locking his eyes at her. Tracey waved her hand at him but instead of waving, Ron merely looked away as if trying to pretend not to notice her.
"What's his deal?" Tracey said as she glared angrily at Ron. "This better not be the whole Gryffindor, Slytherin nonsense thing."
"It's not," Daphne said quietly as she motioned for Tracey to stare at the person seated next to Ron. Tracey gasped in shock. Ron was seated next to a witch whose blonde hair was similar to Daphne's and yet their personalities were as far apart as you can imagine as the witch continued to giggle while playing with Ron's red hair.
"What's he doing with that bimbo?" Tracey asked angrily as she glared in the direction of Lavender Brown.
As if she could hear Tracey's question, Lavender turned to face the Slytherin table before noticing Tracey glaring at her. The Gryffindor gave Tracey a wink before placing a hand on Ron's cheek.
No, just no, please no! Tracey thought as she realised what was happening.
Before she could react, Tracey Davis could only watch in horror as Lavender Brown pulled Ron Weasley away from his conversation as she captured his lips with a tender and loving kiss.
….
A/N: Stay tuned for more. We're just getting started.