Graduation day.
It wasn't until this moment that Draco thought that he would be graduating from Hogwarts. Everything had been on the proper trajectory until Voldemort had come into the picture. When that happened, all daydreams about his future had crashed and burned.
And now they were alive again.
His mother couldn't be here, obviously, but both Blaise and Liliana had made the trip to Hogwarts and had been in the seats that replaced the large, long tables in the Great Hall. It shamed him to say, but Draco had been slightly jealous of his best mate. He had been implicated in Voldemort-related antics just the same as him, but he hardly suffered such harsh scrutiny as Draco did. Perhaps because Blaise had been in Italy for so long that people had forgotten him. Or maybe the fact that he wasn't a Malfoy had spared the Italian from the extra added punishment. Regardless, jealousy aside, it gave him some bit it of hope that maybe he could find some peace himself.
Well, technically speaking, he already had. Hermione was his peace. He couldn't deny that. She was the only reason he was able to sit in his seat where the teachers' table used to be with dignity. Normally the graduation ceremony would be on the Hogwarts grounds, but as it stood there were only forty adult students who had returned to redo their Seventh Year. And so, with a bit of magic to enlargen the platform, the Great Hall was the perfect place to hold the ceremony. It made it, to use Hermione's terminology, more intimate this way. Draco was inclined to agree.
He sat there and listened to various professors give long-winded speeches while letting his eyes scan the crowd. It was a pretty massive turnout considering the number of graduates, but this was the first graduation of the historic school in four years. Among the guests there were also reporters from the Daily Prophet and other newspapers and magazines. They made him feel anxious. He felt like their eyes were solely on him and thinking up wild stories to print in the next edition.
Just what was Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy –who is currently serving a lifetime sentence in Azkaban –doing among the graduates of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? One would think he would have a sense of decency not to show up at the establishment he had had a hand in destroying, but it seems that the Malfoy superiority complex rings true.
Draco snorted silently to himself. Were not being an Auror his true aspiration he could've made one hell of a writer. He did it in his spare time –in his head. He thought up what newspapers would say about him given the right situation. An unhealthy habit, yes, but one practiced so well that it was hard to break.
He sighed and caught Hermione's smile from the corner of his eye. It wasn't directed at the crowd. It was directed towards him. Draco smiled back, almost hearing her voice trying to soothe his paranoia. How in Merlin's name had he managed to keep his sanity in check these last few years without her? However that feat had been done he was just thankful that he'd been rescued from it.
"Hermione Granger," said Professor McGonagall.
Draco watched as Hermione got up from her seat and walked across the stage to greet her. The brunette was given a quick wand-wave and a gold and red sash appeared over her. It held the Gryffindor emblem as well as the Hogwarts' crest. She was absolutely beaming over it and walked back to her seat with what could only be described as a skip in her step. Draco heard a huge cheer from below that was distinguishable from the rest. There was quite a little gathering for her –and for the female ginger he expected. They were quite easy to spot with that bunch of red hair. Among them sat two people who he instantly recognized as his lover's parents. She was an absolute spitting image of her mother. And all at once Draco began to panic again. Did Hermione tell them about him? If so, what did she say? Would she want him to meet them? Were they even at that stage yet? What stage were they even at?
"Draco Malfoy,"
Draco had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he'd almost missed his name. The quiet that the school fell in was palpable. He took a deep breath and got up from his seat, crossing the same way that Hermione had until he was face to face with his professor.
"Congratulations," Professor McGonagall said to him as her wand produced a green and silver sash. Her face was impressively unreadable, but, if he wasn't mistaken, there was some sort of smile playing on her lips. Draco thanked her and he awaited the awkward clap that would be the sound of two pairs of hands from the audience. And yes, it was painstaking to just hear Blaise and Liliana, but then he caught a pair of hands going wildly to his left and he grinned when he found Hermione on her feet and cheering him on.
This woman… Draco thought to himself. Something about her held the power to make things happen, because soon the entire Great Hall was also clapping for him. They were hardly as enthusiastic, of course, but an applause was an applause. Draco was able to go back to his seat thoroughly embarrassed while his other half seemed to be enjoying it as she sat down.
Three more names and a shot of festive sparks later and everyone atop the stage were officially Hogwarts graduates. Draco found Hermione quickly and swept her up in his arms, giving her a little spin as he did so.
"You do realize that your spectacle attracted the eyes of several reporters, don't you?" Draco asked her once he put her down. Hermione smiled.
"Oh and this hug on an elevated platform hasn't?" She countered. "Besides, I think what we've done confirmed suspicions rather than brought up new ones."
Hermione took a moment to look out into the crowd. She could spot her company easily, and many wore confused faces. Ginny had told her that Ron had informed them all of what had happened when he and Harry had gone to visit. Even if she hadn't, the letters from various Weasley family members would've told her that. The shock on their faces were no less understanding despite having known for at least two weeks. And then there were her parents who wore very inquisitive gazes as to who was the man that currently held her attention and, well her, seeing as how his hands were still wrapped around her and there was very little space between them. Hermione did remember Zabini from school and his smirk was the most Slytherin-worthy thing she'd ever seen aside from Draco's. There was no malice behind it though, and he looked quite sincere.
"The headlines will be wrought with speculation by tomorrow morning." Draco said as he took note of the flashing cameras.
"You mean by tonight." Hermione corrected. "They're putting out a special edition because it's Hogwarts' first graduation since the war."
"Right," he said with a slight frown. "I'm sorry in advance for-"
"Don't you dare." She stopped him. "There shall be no brooding from you today."
"Fair enough." Draco laughed. "You'd better get to your lot before they pry you away from me in an embarrassing display."
"I suppose so. I can already see the Weasleys plotting your death from here."
"How charming," he scoffed. "Regardless, don't leave with them too quickly, will you? Blaise won't let me hear the end of it if he doesn't get the chance to talk to you."
Hermione chuckled. "Got it."
Draco watched her walk off towards her group while he went off to his own. Blaise was his usual, jolly self and he welcomed him with a clap on the back.
"Merlin, you two don't know a thing about keeping a low profile, do you?" Blaise said as he gestured to the mass of reporters. "I can't wait to see the Daily Prophet tonight."
"Nice try, Blaise." Draco said after giving Liliana a hug. "But you don't get the Daily Prophet in Italy."
"True, but for the right price you can get just about anything." He winked. Draco rolled his eyes before catching sight of Liliana's worried expression. He followed his gaze and felt his lips tug downward at what he saw.
"Your girlfriend isn't fairing too well over there, is she?" Liliana said.
Draco shook his head. "Apparently not." He could see her. Hermione was completely red in the face as she spoke to one of the Weasleys while her parents stood perplexed by her side as to why the redheaded family was so upset.
"And to think," Blaise commented as he watched the scene. "We purebloods are the tolerant ones."
"That's because we're one of a kind." Draco said as he saw Potter and his girlfriend interceding. "Some of us aren't that tolerant."
"Unfortunately… but we'll kick their arses when the time comes for it. No problem."
Two Slytherins coming to the aid of a muggleborn Gryffindor. Salazar must be fussing in his grave.
Draco continued to watch the argumentative seen all the while seeing a flash of light from his periphery. Yes, the Daily Prophet would be more than interesting come tomorrow –no, tonight. It did give him some satisfaction that the Weasleys might be portrayed in an unfavorable light what with their red faces and exasperated mannerisms. The brunette soon diverted her attention to her parents, talking to them in much calmer tones, motioning over to Draco once, and then watching the elder Grangers smile and let their daughter leave their side.
"I hope that none of you could hear the chaos that went on over there." Hermione spoke once she had reached them. "I scolded them all, I promise."
"I'm sure you did, Granger. You were always a quick with the tongue." Blaise said with a smile as he introduced himself with a shake of her hand. "Pleasure to properly meet you. Hope you don't mind if I stick to the surname. Figured it'd be a bit inappropriate to go with the given considering Draco hasn't had the balls to do so himself just yet."
"Blaise!" Draco admonished with a deep, embarrassed reddening of his cheeks. Blaise laughed as he suffered a playful slap on the arm by his wife.
"Please forgive his crassness," Liliana said to Hermione with a sideways look to her husband. "He can be a bit uncensored. I'm Liliana."
"Wonderful to meet you." Hermione replied, her smile just as wide as Blaise's. "And there's no need to apologize. I have to deal with him all day." She threw a thumb towards Draco. "So no worries."
"Hey," Draco frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing for you to bother yourself about." Hermione said and kissed him on the cheek. There went yet another camera flash.
"Something tells me the papers won't address the graduation one bit." Liliana said as she covered the side of her face from the bright flashes.
"Most likely," Draco said, trying his best to keep his sneer in check. Hermione noticed and hugged him around the midsection.
"And we'll handle whatever it says." She reassured him. Both she and Draco missed the soft, knowing looks of the Zabinis while the husband cleared his throat.
"Alright, you two, break it up before you need a room."
Liliana placed her hands on her hips. "Honestly, do you ever think before you speak?"
"In his presence?" Blaise asked as he gestured to Draco with a head nod. "Not at all. And speaking of that, Draco," he addressed. "I'll have to borrow Granger for a moment."
"Me?" Hermione asked. Draco only groaned.
"Must you?"
"Absolutely. You know the drill."
"I'm sorry," Hermione piped up. "But what drill?"
"Basically," Liliana answered. "These two are married. Neither can do anything without approval from the other, so Blaise has to talk to the young woman who's stolen his husband's heart. I had to go through the same, already married or not." She added with a laugh.
"And nothing we say is ever discussed with the third party." Blaise said, then turning to his wife. "No matter how hard you beg."
"Of course not," Liliana smiled.
Blaise shook his head and let her walk off with Draco some several feet away. Although the Great Hall was noisy enough with all of the graduates and guests, the Italian still used his wand to put up a Silencing Charm around them.
"Alright," Hermione said, clearly intrigued by his and Draco's arrangement. "So, what's the talk going to be about?"
"No talk, really." Blaise told her. "I may not know you personally, but I do know of you, and you're pretty much a saint."
She chuckled. "And I still have to go through an interrogation?"
"Not an interrogation either. It's more of a…favor that I have to ask of you."
"A favor?" Hermione asked with a tilted head. "Um, I guess. What is it?"
"It's about Draco." Blaise said a bit hesitantly. It was amazing, really. The man was calm and so easy-going that it was hard to envision him so timid and unsure of himself as he had now become. "He…he's my best mate. I've seen him at his best and I've certainly seen him at his worst. He's been through a lot, Granger, and if I'm to be honest? The happiest I've seen him is when he's been with you. So, I guess the favor I'm asking is just… Don't hurt him, okay?"
"Hurting him is the last thing I want to do." Hermione said earnestly. "You have my word on that."
"Good." Blaise nodded. Then he grinned. "And if you could help make him less of an arse too, that would be great."
Hermione laughed. "No promises on that one."
Author's note: They're graduates! And I'll admit it, Blaise is my absolute favorite character to write in this. He's the best friend everyone should have.
Thanks for reading guys!
-WP