"That is cheating Malfoy!" Hermione squealed.
"It is not!" He replied wearing his trademark smirk.
"It is so you prat!" She said.
"I am an extremely honest and trustworthy gentleman and would never cheat in a game of wizards chess!" He said not even attempting to hide his false declaration.
Hermione snorted. "Yeh and pigs can fly."
Draco looked at her puzzled.
"What are you talking about? Since when?" He said. "You are absolutely bonkers!"
"Oh for goodness sakes it's a muggle saying! Meaning… oh never mind." She said suppressing a smile as she shook her head.
It was Saturday and Hermione and Draco had decided it was in their best interests to avoid any chances of running into an angry Slytherin by shutting themselves off in Draco's dorm for the day playing wizard chess and catching up on lost schoolwork.
All of a sudden the door burst open and McGonagall came rushing in.
"Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy come with me please."
Hermione looked at Draco. 'Surely we can't be in that much trouble simply because I am in his room?' But she and Draco stood anyway and followed her out into the corridor and towards the Headmistress' office.
They opened the doors and Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.
"Harry! Ron!" She squealed and ran up and threw her arms around the two boys.
"Hermione! Thank goodness you're okay!" Harry said as he squeezed his friend tightly.
We've been so worried bout you 'Mione!" Ron said.
"I know, I know but I didn't have a choice! I'm terribly sorry!" Hermione said
"It's alright as long as you're safe. Harry said smiling broadly. Draco stood awkwardly at the door still unsure of why he had to be brought along for the golden trio's special little reunion. He still couldn't stand the sight of either of the two boys and had always felt a twinge of jealousy over the fact they were so close when he had never had a friendship like that, but now a new type of jealousy was stirring. Jealousy over seeing Hermione embrace someone else.
"What happened!? All we got out of that death eater was that they were chasing Malfoy and that… " Harry's gaze flicked onto Malfoy.
"You! What are you doing here!?" Ron screamed as he stormed towards Draco finger pointed sternly at his chest. Draco moved quickly away from the steaming red-head.
"I'm not quite sure but I was called up too." He said.
"No what are you doing at Hogwarts!"
"Oh, well... I came with Hermione." Draco said.
"Hermione!? Hermione! Why the fuck did you jus call her that! You're wanted by both sides for Merlin knows what reason and you decide to start cuddling up to my best friend and diddle daddle back to school.. Well I thi…"
"Ron stop it! You're making a fool of yourself you have no idea what's going on!" Hermione fumed.
"Well please tell us what is going on Hermione because this is bloody confusing!" Harry said.
Hermione explained it all to the two boys as Draco wandered around the office, from when she found Draco up till being attacked by Pansy and Blaise in the Transfiguration classroom a few days earlier. She conveniently left out any physical things that happened between her and Draco but simply said they were now friends.
Harry and Ron sat there silent the whole time, their eyes growing larger and jaws dropping further with every word.
They sat in silence for a moment after Hermione finished unable to think of something to say in response.
"You…. You mean. Malfoy saved Nev… You saved Neville!" Ron said staring at Draco wide-eyed and gobsmacked.
"Yeh well… I… Weren't you listening to Granger when she told you? I don't see why you have to ask again." Draco said annoyed.
"It's just… just…. Whoa…" Ron said.
"And so… you didn't… you didn't get… branded?" Harry asked.
"Merlin was either of you actually listening to Hermione when she said all this!? You think she was lying and you need me to tell you the truth? Last time I checked she was much more reliable!" Draco said flinging his arms up in frustration.
"Alright, alright! No need to get your wand in a knot for Merlins sake!" Ron said.
"Okay we have to go. Nobody knows we're at Hogwarts apart from Professor McGonagall and we don't want to risk the ministry finding out so we best be off."
Hermione nodded and Draco sighed in relief to see them leaving so he could have Hermione all to himself again.
"Hermione an elf has gone to pack your things up." Harry said standing up.
Before Hermione had time to reply Draco butted in.
"What!? She's not going back!" Draco yelled.
Harry and Ron looked at each other puzzled.
"Why not!? We need her!" Ron replied.
Hermione tried to butt in but to no avail.
"I promised her father I would keep an eye on her!" Draco said. That may not be the real reason he wanted her to stay but it was at least one of them.
"We can do a much better job of that than some…some almost death eater ferret who doesn't know a thing about her!" Ron screamed back. Draco felt his blood boil.
"I AM NOT A DEATH EATER! And you hardly did a good job the first time round! All you did was lea…."
"Draco shut up!!" Hermione yelled.
Ron snorted. "C'mon 'Mione." He said and made to grab Hermione's hand.
"I'm not leaving with you two." Hermione seethed. Draco smiled broadly.
"But Hermione I thou…." Ron started
"You don't need me! I never did anything when I was there! You just made me sit around in the tent for weeks on end! You never listened to a word I had to say and I was beginning to feel claustrophobic! Besides, I have promised my parents I would not return to the quest."
"But Hermione..." Harry said softly. "We want you with us."
"You just want me there to tent sit! I'm not a bloody house wife!" She screamed.
"Just go! I'm not coming! I'm staying here with Draco and finishing school!"
Harry turned to Draco and shot him a look of disgust.
"People may think you've changed ferret, but people like you don't change. Once a death-eater, always a death-eater." Harry seethed. Draco lost it at this.
"I WAS NEVER A DEATH EATER YOU IMBECILE! I DON'T KNOW HOW HERMIONE PUTS UP WITH YOU TWO AS IT SEEMS NEITHER OF YOU EVER LISTEN TO A WORD SHE SAYS! AND MAYBE IF YOU ACTUALLY DID ONCE IN A WHILE YOU'D BE A LOT FURTHER ALONG IN YOUR FUCKING QUEST TO SAVE THE WORLD!!!" Draco screamed at him.
Harry was taken aback but murderously angry. He drew back his fist before punching Draco square in the jaw. "That was for Dumbledore you bastard." Harry said.
Draco had been thrown to the floor in the one powerful punch.
"Harry! What are you doing! Both of you just leave already! Just… Just leave and don't come back!" Hermione screamed at the two fuming testosterone fuelled boys.
"Fine!" They both yelled and apparated away. McGonagall had made special allowances for the two boys for apparition into her office.
Hermione burst into tears as soon as they were gone and ran to Draco's side.
"I inent kill Umbelor Mione." He mumbled as he sat up n massaged his jaw. Hermione was sobbing heavily and she tried to examine Draco's jaw through her bleary eyed tears.
"I know. They know that too. They're just.. just.." She couldn't finish as she was sobbing so heavily. Draco felt he was capable of murder right now thanks to those two. He felt like he had been hit by a train for the third time this week, but more importantly… Hermione was distraught due to the fact she felt she had lost her two best friends and Draco knew that.
"'Mione op fussin! Ill be fine." He said and swatted her hand away from his jaw. He took the hand in his and brought her in close to his chest and tried to soothe her heavy sobs. Draco held her tightly unsure of what to say. Somehow he felt the best thing was to actually not say anything at all. And Hermione cried heavy tears into his shirt until she was completely dried up.
…………………………………………………………………………………
That night Hermione and Draco lay out on the living room floor of Draco's dorm.
"Okay I have one…. What would you do if you were stuck in a room with no wand and an emotional pallopuff to keep you company?" Hermione said casting the shapes of stars on the ceiling above her.
"Hmm… difficult. It depends why she was emotional I guess. If she suffered a bad break-up I guess I would comfort her in sorts but if it was be…"
"Draco she would eat you!" Hermione laughed swatting Draco in the chest.
"Maybe! Maybe not, maybe she was emotional because everyone thought she would eat me so she just wan…"
"Oh just shut-up already." Hermione said giggling. "You're turn."
Draco sat quietly thinking for a second.
"What would you do if you had a chance to go back to the start of the year and choose between going on the quest or simply heading back to school?"
"I… I would still have gone on the quest." She said looking over at Draco who was conjuring shooting stars in their magic-made night sky on the ceiling.
"Because otherwise… I wouldn't have found you. And you would have died. And I would have continued to detest you for eternity without ever getting a chance to know you. And now that I do know you, I couldn't possibly live with you dead." Hermione said softly.
Draco looked over at Hermione and smiled. She cleared her throat and felt a blush rising up her cheeks. "Okay, my turn." She said.
"What.. would you do if… if you had a chance to go back and choose between saving Neville or taking the dark mark?"
Silence ensued for a moment before Draco replied.
"I would do exactly the same thing I did this time around. All the pain that I've earned through out this is still better than getting branded and slaughtering innocents. And besides… All this pain I probably deserved for all the terrible things I have done in the past." He said looking away from her and staring up at the night sky.
Hermione wasn't sure what to say. He had done horrible things in the past as she very well knew considering she had all too often been the victim of these things. But he never did anything terrible enough to deserve the pain he had received this past week.
Hermione rolled onto her front and shuffled closer to Draco. She put one hand to his face and gently traced the outline of his jaw which had been set right by Madame Pomphrey that afternoon. He looked so handsome in the light of their faux night sky. For the first time Hermione could see his pain through his eyes. They were usually guarded not allowing anyone entry to his soul. But he had lowered his defences for Hermione and bore all for her to see. He pulled her over kissed her forehead.
"And if I hadn't ran. I never would have been found by you. I wouldn't be here right now… with you." He said softly.
Hermione's heart was pounding harder than it ever had before. All these years she thought she was in love with Ron. But simply by being this close to Draco she thought she would possibly collapse from the sheer amount of love swimming within her. It felt so right. She leaned in and met his lips with hers. Was it possible to fall for someone so quickly? It was so surreal Hermione was having a hard time comprehending it. So for the first time in her life Hermione ignored her brain and followed her heart deep into the depths of Draco's mouth and met him with a passion she never new existed within her. The kiss was pure bliss.
A/N: What'd you think? I'm trying to avoid the whole cliche. Love at first site thing because i don't think that they will go straight from enemies to "lets have babies" in the blink of an eye. So they have yet to confess their undying love to each other. But we all know it's there! Review please. I have one more trich up my sleeve but its how to put that trick into action. Oh dear!! If you have any thing you'd like to see happen leave a review. i'm not promising anything but maybe it will spark a good idea and you will be thanked a thousand times over for it!!! xoxo