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Last time on LGG:
"Hello? Hermione? Lucius?" called the unmistakable voice of Draco Malfoy from the drawing room, and Hermione's head snapped up. She moved to stand, but Lucius stopped her.
"No," he said... shaking his head. "Watch..." Again, Hermione turned back to the box. It wasn't a minute before Draco joined her, being forever shushed by his father. Confused, he knelt down beside Hermione while Lucius occupied the space across the way. Draco looked confusedly at his girlfriend, not bothering to first look into the box.
"What's going on?" he asked softly and Hermione turned to him, grinning.
"Look," she said, repeating what Lucius had told her. Draco looked confused, but he placed his hands on the edge of the trunk and leaned in to look inside the poster-board box. Hermione giggled softly at the look of surprise on his face, and ducked below his arm to lean herself against his chest. "They're beautiful."
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE: Too Far
The second week of suspension went by much less eventfully than the first. Hermione spent her days with Lucius, teaching him muggle games and coaching him on his relationship with Narcissa. The Malfoy household was in a considerably lighter mood; even Jasper and the house elves could be found smiling. It seemed all they needed was a little sex between masters. Draco, however, was a different story. He had hardly talked to Hermione since his conversation with Narcissa. He simply had no idea what to do.
When Sunday rolled back around and both he and she were up early, gathering their things and making ready for departure, Draco had made up his mind to simply talk to her about it on the train. He knew she'd be willing to marry if asked... but he didn't want her to answer that quickly. What he didn't plan on, however, was Hermione's cold shoulder. Evidently, she hadn't been very understanding to his silence the last few days and was taking his avoidance personally. As she entered the lobby where Lucius and Narcissa stood with their son, waiting to say goodbye, Hermione didn't even spare Draco a glance. She gave her bag to Jasper, then went directly to Narcissa, letting the older woman give her a hug. After this, Hermione hugged Lucius and kissed his cheek, making him promise to write whenever possible. The older man looked devastated to see her leaving again, but Hermione knew he was at least relieved that she'd said goodbye this time. When her farewells were finished, Hermione gave a fleeting wave and stepped through the entry doors, heading for the limo that would take them to the train station. Draco sighed as she disappeared.
"She's mad at me, isn't she?" he asked, turning to his mother, who gave a silent shrug.
"I know nothing," she vowed, although it was a lie. Hermione had confided everything to her, and she'd promised not to spill a drop to anyone. She had, of course, tried to convince Hermione that Draco was just confused and angry at his mother... and it seemed to work for a while, but by the three day anniversary of their last conversation, she'd had enough. With a sigh, Draco bid goodbye to his parents and followed his girlfriend's path to the car. He opened the door and sat across from her, but she slid down to be as far from him as possible. Feigning happiness, she rolled down the window and waved to the blonde couple in the doorway. Lucius waved animatedly back, and Hermione smiled to herself as she watched him whisper something in Narcissa's ear, which made her blush crimson. Draco sighed and decided it would be no use to talk to her now; she was too busy charadeing to understand his words anyway.
When they boarded the train, Draco followed Hermione into a compartment, but she left again almost before he could close the doors, and gave him a fiery look before starting down the hall. Draco sat down with a sigh, taking a little black velvet box from his robe pocket. Inside was a simple marquise cut diamond, set on a simple platinum band. If they both agreed, he planned to give it to her. Draco had spent almost an hour in the same jewelry store he'd bought her shielded belly ring, looking over various cuts and metals, trying what seemed like a thousand combinations... even including colors at certain points, but in the end, it was this simple style that reminded him most of her. To most, she would seem common... but he found her beautiful.
With a sigh, Draco slipped the box back into his pocket, deciding he had to go talk to her. He had no idea what she was thinking at that moment, and the possibilities scared him. Sweeping out of the compartment, Draco began to quietly slide open every door. He didn't want her to hear him coming. It wasn't until he made it to the other end of the train that he found her, in the compartment next to the bathrooms. She was hunched in a corner, scribbling in that godforsaken notebook... the metallic smell of blood lingering in the air. Just the sight made Draco's heart wrench... he hadn't meant to upset her that much...
"Hermione," he said softly, and she nearly jumped out of her skin, stopping mid-sentence... maybe mid-word, and slamming her book closed. Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes, wondering why on earth he'd come to see her. When the initial shock wore off, she turned her head down, letting a curtain of ebony tresses block her face from view.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice holding no malice, only the quiet discomfort of emotional turmoil. Draco, before answering, assumed the seat beside her. Hermione, being her stubborn self, tried to stand up and move away, but her boyfriend gently took her wrist.
"Please," he said, sounding entirely desperate. Hermione, slowly, retook her seat. "I think we need to talk."
"Oh, so now you want to talk? Alright, Draco. Whatever's convenient for you." Draco frowned.
"You know it's not like that," he said, but Hermione didn't answer him. "Why does this upset you so much?" She turned around, looking disgusted.
"Don't ask stupid questions," she scolded and Draco gave a soft nod. She was right... he knew what this was about as well as she did. When he didn't speak, Hermione took the opportunity to vent her frustration. "Why, Draco? That's all I want to know. Am I that horrible that it took you a week to choose between me and Parkinson? I must say I was mistaken about our relationship, then..." Draco couldn't help but let out a surprised laugh.
"Is that what you think? Lord, Hermione..." She glared slightly.
"Well, you tell me what I'm supposed to think. Everything is perfect... better than perfect... then your mother tells you to pick someone to marry... and suddenly it's like I don't exist anymore... Draco, I haven't seen you since Wednesday, nor spoken since we watched the butterflies with Lucius. I could understand not being your first choice... but I'd assumed I'd at least be in the running," Hermione spouted, then looked away, as if ashamed to have spoken so freely... but the thoughts had been eating away at her for days. Draco shook his head.
"Hermione... if I'd known you thought that way... gah... trust me, there is no contest between you and Pansy... I'd much rather marry Longbottom's toad." Hermione looked up, slightly angered, but overly confused.
"So if Trevor falls above Pansy... who beats me? Hagrid's freshest shipment of dragon dung?" Draco, chuckling softly, shook his head.
"No one." The glare on Hermione's face softened.
"What?"
"There is no one I'd rather call mine than you, Mya," he insisted, but it only served to confuse Hermione.
"Then... why?"
"I was trying to decide which way would be the lesser evil, ruining your life, or both of ours." Hermione looked entirely baffled, and Draco sighed. "On one hand, I ask you, and, if you say yes, then you're stuck with me for eternity, whether you like it or not... and on the other hand, I marry Pansy, live my life in misery, and leave you to fend for yourself against all the evils of... well, everywhere. Not to mention make you think I feel nothing for you, which is light-years from the truth... I've recently decided it might be best if you chose for me." Hermione, heart considerably lighter, shook her head.
"Don't be so blind. I'd marry you even if it weren't for this stupid betrothal... I love you, Draco... I don't know how you could ever doubt that." Draco couldn't help but grin... this was turning out much better than he ever could have hoped for.
"Are you sure? I mean... you can still say no..." Hermione laughed and nodded. Draco sighed. "Alright... erm... now, how to say this..." With a smirk, Hermione interrupted.
"Allow me. Draco Malfoy, will you permit me, Hermione Granger, to be your ticket out of a marriage to Pansy Parkinson, if for no other reason than to see the look on her face?" Draco laughed and took her face lovingly in his hands.
"Trust me, there are a million more reasons," he assured, mere seconds before kissing her full on the lips, tasting something which seemed forbidden the last few days. When they broke apart, Draco pulled her to him, trapping his fiancée in a warm embrace. He breathed in the scent of her hair and smiled into her shoulder. "I missed you," he admitted and Hermione laughed.
"I was barely a hundred feet away from you most of the time," she said, conveniently forgetting to add in the fact that she too had missed him. At least, back at the manor, she'd had Eglamour to confide in.
"Mmm... too far." Hermione laughed and pulled back. She looked around the compartment as if following a fly, grazing her eyes over everything. It was Draco's turn to laugh. "What are you doing?" Hermione didn't answer, but discontinued her random gaze.
"Oh," she said, as if remembering something, and pulled her little black backpack toward her. Draco watched with a raised eyebrow as she opened it and rummaged around, finding such behavior odd after such an occurrence. Hermione triumphantly pulled a ball of yarn from the bag, which Draco recognized as Eglamour's, and snapped off a piece about four inches long. "Here," she said, tossing the ball back in and holding out the little piece. "Tie this around my finger." Draco, curious, took the small piece of string and slowly went about his requested task, keeping his eyes locked on Hermione's, although she was looking at her hand. When he finished, Hermione took her hand away, admiring the string as if it were something special, which frankly worried Draco.
"Care to tell me why I just did that?" he asked, and Hermione laughed, holding up her hand and wiggling her fingers.
"It's my engagement ring," she said as if it was something to be proud of, and Draco felt a smirk fall onto his lips. He'd forgotten about that part.
"Oh," he said shortly, then took her hand in his as if to admire the 'ring' himself. Hermione grinned widely... until he took the end of the bow in his fingertips and pulled out the knot, leaving her finger bare and oddly incomplete. She frowned and looked up at him, but Draco was still smirking. "I have a better idea," he said, causing his bride to look considerably confused. That is, until he pulled the little velvet box from his pocket once more. Hermione's eyes widened and she looked nervously from the box to his face, almost as she had that night at Hades' Lair. This time, however, she was twice as surprised at the contents. When Draco opened the box, she stopped breathing. Pretending to take no notice, Draco pulled the ring free from its holster and slid it delicately onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Hermione gawked for a moment, then looked up.
"But..." Draco frowned slightly.
"You don't like it?" he asked, but Hermione shook her head furiously.
"It's beautiful... I just don't understand..." Draco smiled.
"I may not be my father, Miss Hermione, but I am still a Malfoy and a Malfoy would never allow his fiancée to wear a silly piece of string around her finger." Hermione laughed and looked up at him with admiring eyes. Draco gave her a warm smile. "I picked it out for you, you know. Had you'd said no, I would've gone to Hogsmeade and found the absolute most horrendous ring I could find... the perfect fit for Pansy." Again, Hermione laughed, but slapped him softly, eyes still on her ring.
"That's terrible," she said, and Draco smirked.
"Like I said... perfect fit."
"Speaking of which," Hermione said, looking up, "How did you know my size?" Draco grinned.
"Oh..." he said, and plunged his hand into his back pocket once more, and, again, produced a ring. A black ring, charged with magic. "I've been meaning to give this back for a while... but I suppose it's a good thing I'm forgetful, hm?" Hermione grinned.
"Oh yes... terribly forgetful," she said and sighed. "I can't believe this... I hated you four weeks ago... and now we're getting married. It's like the Twilight Zone or something." Draco shrugged.
"You don't have to; you've still got about a year to decide." Hermione tilted her head, looking curious.
"Why is it your eighteen and a half-th birthday and not either eighteen or nineteen?" Draco shrugged.
"I really don't know, but if I had a guess, I'd say because that's about a month after Pansy's eighteenth, and they figured they might as well wait." Hermione laughed.
"Yeah, well... I suppose that's a good thing, because otherwise I'd be underage and would need parental permission... and I highly doubt Daddy'd let me marry you." Draco shuddered.
"Some people I've got for in-laws." Hermione laughed.
"You? What about me?"
"Oh, everything's about you, isn't it?" Hermione smirked.
"You're learning quickly, Draco."
~*~*~*~
"Of course," Hermione stated as she got off the train, followed closely by Draco. "It had to be Hogsmeade weekend." And, indeed, the little town of Hogsmeade was full to the brim and buzzing with people. Hermione looked around at the familiar faces with disdain.
"Well," he said, sighing, "We can stay or we can go, it's your choice." Hermione took his hand and led her boyfriend from the train station. The streets were even more crowded than they seemed from a distance. She sighed.
"There are a certain few people I don't quite want to see yet, so I vote for going back to the..."
"Hermione!" called a familiar voice, stopping Hermione mid-sentence. She cringed; Harry. Putting on a perky face, she turned to her former friend.
"Potter," she said, a fire in her voice. Harry stopped as he came close to her and was followed almost immediately by Ron. Harry frowned at the use of his surname.
"Aw, you're not still mad about the cat thing, are you?" Hermione sighed.
"What do you want, Harry?" she asked, the same glare in her gaze. Harry looked to Ron, then back, as if confused.
"To meet you... you've been gone for two whole weeks, Mione," he said and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Potter, you listen and you listen good, because I'm only going to say this once. Leave. Me. The. Fuck. Alone. How stupid can you possibly think I am? You think I don't know what you two have been plotting against me? You think I FELL for that stupid letter you sent?" Harry and Ron were both speechless; watching her with mouths hung open like codfish, which Draco found quite amusing. Hermione, nowhere near done with her rant, brought gesturing into play by pointing directly at the bridge of Harry's nose with her left pointer finger. "If you did, I honestly think you may want to look into depth counseling. Now, I never want to see either of you again, understood? I don't want to sit with you, I don't want to help with your homework, nor talk to you, see you, or play fucking chess. I. Do. Not. Want. You. Near. Me. Have I made myself clear, or do you blockheads need a demonstration as to how things may go if I am misunderstood?" The fire in her eyes got the message through for Ron, who nodded stiffly, swallowing as if he had a rock in his mouth. Harry, however, seemed not to be listening. "What about you, Potter?"
"What's that on your finger?" he asked and Hermione's heart dropped. She immediately shot her hand behind her back.
"Nothing. Now, do you understand me?" Harry now seemed more curious than intimidated. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, wrenching it forward. Hermione gave a soft gasp of pain and Draco stepped forward, placing a hand on her arm and glaring daggers at Harry, who was gawking at Hermione's ring. He looked up moments later, eyes as narrowed as Draco's.
"I see what's going on here," he said, sounding as if he'd been betrayed. Then, he nodded, as if coming to terms and let go of her. "Fine... that's how you want it to be, we won't stop you. Go ahead, Hermione. Waste yourself. Just don't come crawling back. Come on, Ron," he said, then turned away and started off, pulling Ron behind him. The redhead waited until there was a good amount of people between them and the couple they'd been conversing with.
"Harry... what just happened?"
"Granger's engaged to Malfoy," Harry said, sounding angry, but Ron knew it wasn't for Granger's sake as much as his own. He stopped dead in his tracks, letting a fuming Harry Potter make his way through the crowds. It wasn't long before Lavender located him and approached Ron, licking happily on a vanilla ice cream cone.
"Hey Ronnie. What's up?"
"Granger's engaged to Malfoy..." he said as if in a trance, and Lavender stopped licking instantaneously.
"What?"
"I have this strange feeling Operation Secret Decoder Ring... backfired."
~*~
As soon as Harry and Ron were out of view, Draco turned Hermione toward him, as she'd been gazing in their direction of departure for some time.
"Hermione," he said, breaking her from her heated trance. Although, she was still fuming. "Are you okay?" Draco asked, bringing a hand to her cheek, and Hermione sighed, nodding.
"They just make me so damn mad..." Draco laughed.
"I know. They don't mean anything... and they're gone now, right? Potter said so himself, they won't bother you." Hermione shook her head.
"I don't think it's going to be that easy."
~*~*~*~
"Alright, Draco, come on, we have to get working," Hermione said as she burst into the loft, holding a folded piece of paper and a dreadful look on her face. She'd been slightly on the evil and angry side ever since her confrontation with Potter.
"On what, pray tell?"
"Surely you haven't forgotten this," she said, and handed him the paper as she sat down beside him on the couch. Draco sat up a bit and unfolded the parchment.
1)Mrs. Norris
2)Arenz and Gouvas
3)Harry and Ron
4)Filch...
Draco didn't need to read on.
"The list," he said, a smirk appearing on his face. "Of course I haven't."
"Alright then," Hermione said and took the paper back into her possession. "Let's see... who to target first..." With a slight shrug, Hermione closed her eyes and placed a finger on the parchment. The names beneath it were Lavender, Ginny, and Hannah. She grinned. "An unorthodox first choice, but a feel-good nonetheless." Draco nodded his agreement.
"Can I see that one more time?" Hermione gave him the parchment without protest. "Hm... I think we need to make a few changes," he said, and Hermione lifted an eyebrow.
"And your suggestions would be?"
"Firstly, take off Brocklehurst and MacDougal. They could prove useful, and I sort of have a soft spot for them... I mean, they never really did anything wrong." Hermione contemplated this for a moment, then shrugged.
"If you want, Draco," she agreed and crossed out the names with the quill Draco had been using moments before. "Anything else?" Draco read it over one more time.
"Didn't we put Snape back on?" Hermione gave him a lopsided smile.
"Well... you let Lucius off the hook, and our deal was that if he goes, Snape goes."
"But I got Lucius... cookie closet, remember?" Hermione laughed.
"I hardly think that counts. The proper etiquette is that they must either A) cry B) punish if in authority C) be ruined for life or D) swear revenge. Stealing easily replaceable cookies doesn't seem to fall into any of those categories." Draco shrugged.
"Well, whatever you say... everything's about you, after all." Hermione gave a nod.
"Agreed. Now, for our lovely trio of trendsetters... I think I know just the thing. And, good news is, it's already prepared."
"I'm intrigued. Do tell."
"Well," Hermione started, "Remember that potion I was making for Harry and Ron?" Draco thought for a moment, then a smirk crept onto his face.
"Indeed."
A/N: Now that babysitting is over, I seem busier than ever! Ah! It's taking me so long to do all this! I'm so sorry! Remember the good ol' days when I'd update every day? Ha. Well... I actually didn't write another chapter before posting this. Usually I'm two ahead. While you guys wait for 26, I write 28.... that sort of thing... but I feel bad for ya'll... and I write PS one chapter at a time, so I'll be okay. I'm still one ahead. I'm sorry if you guys are starting to hate this... I sort of am too. I think I'm just getting bored with it :o/ I never got bored of MPES, but I started that later... well, adding on, anyway :oD
Last time on LGG:
"Hello? Hermione? Lucius?" called the unmistakable voice of Draco Malfoy from the drawing room, and Hermione's head snapped up. She moved to stand, but Lucius stopped her.
"No," he said... shaking his head. "Watch..." Again, Hermione turned back to the box. It wasn't a minute before Draco joined her, being forever shushed by his father. Confused, he knelt down beside Hermione while Lucius occupied the space across the way. Draco looked confusedly at his girlfriend, not bothering to first look into the box.
"What's going on?" he asked softly and Hermione turned to him, grinning.
"Look," she said, repeating what Lucius had told her. Draco looked confused, but he placed his hands on the edge of the trunk and leaned in to look inside the poster-board box. Hermione giggled softly at the look of surprise on his face, and ducked below his arm to lean herself against his chest. "They're beautiful."
~*~*~*~
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE: Too Far
The second week of suspension went by much less eventfully than the first. Hermione spent her days with Lucius, teaching him muggle games and coaching him on his relationship with Narcissa. The Malfoy household was in a considerably lighter mood; even Jasper and the house elves could be found smiling. It seemed all they needed was a little sex between masters. Draco, however, was a different story. He had hardly talked to Hermione since his conversation with Narcissa. He simply had no idea what to do.
When Sunday rolled back around and both he and she were up early, gathering their things and making ready for departure, Draco had made up his mind to simply talk to her about it on the train. He knew she'd be willing to marry if asked... but he didn't want her to answer that quickly. What he didn't plan on, however, was Hermione's cold shoulder. Evidently, she hadn't been very understanding to his silence the last few days and was taking his avoidance personally. As she entered the lobby where Lucius and Narcissa stood with their son, waiting to say goodbye, Hermione didn't even spare Draco a glance. She gave her bag to Jasper, then went directly to Narcissa, letting the older woman give her a hug. After this, Hermione hugged Lucius and kissed his cheek, making him promise to write whenever possible. The older man looked devastated to see her leaving again, but Hermione knew he was at least relieved that she'd said goodbye this time. When her farewells were finished, Hermione gave a fleeting wave and stepped through the entry doors, heading for the limo that would take them to the train station. Draco sighed as she disappeared.
"She's mad at me, isn't she?" he asked, turning to his mother, who gave a silent shrug.
"I know nothing," she vowed, although it was a lie. Hermione had confided everything to her, and she'd promised not to spill a drop to anyone. She had, of course, tried to convince Hermione that Draco was just confused and angry at his mother... and it seemed to work for a while, but by the three day anniversary of their last conversation, she'd had enough. With a sigh, Draco bid goodbye to his parents and followed his girlfriend's path to the car. He opened the door and sat across from her, but she slid down to be as far from him as possible. Feigning happiness, she rolled down the window and waved to the blonde couple in the doorway. Lucius waved animatedly back, and Hermione smiled to herself as she watched him whisper something in Narcissa's ear, which made her blush crimson. Draco sighed and decided it would be no use to talk to her now; she was too busy charadeing to understand his words anyway.
When they boarded the train, Draco followed Hermione into a compartment, but she left again almost before he could close the doors, and gave him a fiery look before starting down the hall. Draco sat down with a sigh, taking a little black velvet box from his robe pocket. Inside was a simple marquise cut diamond, set on a simple platinum band. If they both agreed, he planned to give it to her. Draco had spent almost an hour in the same jewelry store he'd bought her shielded belly ring, looking over various cuts and metals, trying what seemed like a thousand combinations... even including colors at certain points, but in the end, it was this simple style that reminded him most of her. To most, she would seem common... but he found her beautiful.
With a sigh, Draco slipped the box back into his pocket, deciding he had to go talk to her. He had no idea what she was thinking at that moment, and the possibilities scared him. Sweeping out of the compartment, Draco began to quietly slide open every door. He didn't want her to hear him coming. It wasn't until he made it to the other end of the train that he found her, in the compartment next to the bathrooms. She was hunched in a corner, scribbling in that godforsaken notebook... the metallic smell of blood lingering in the air. Just the sight made Draco's heart wrench... he hadn't meant to upset her that much...
"Hermione," he said softly, and she nearly jumped out of her skin, stopping mid-sentence... maybe mid-word, and slamming her book closed. Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes, wondering why on earth he'd come to see her. When the initial shock wore off, she turned her head down, letting a curtain of ebony tresses block her face from view.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice holding no malice, only the quiet discomfort of emotional turmoil. Draco, before answering, assumed the seat beside her. Hermione, being her stubborn self, tried to stand up and move away, but her boyfriend gently took her wrist.
"Please," he said, sounding entirely desperate. Hermione, slowly, retook her seat. "I think we need to talk."
"Oh, so now you want to talk? Alright, Draco. Whatever's convenient for you." Draco frowned.
"You know it's not like that," he said, but Hermione didn't answer him. "Why does this upset you so much?" She turned around, looking disgusted.
"Don't ask stupid questions," she scolded and Draco gave a soft nod. She was right... he knew what this was about as well as she did. When he didn't speak, Hermione took the opportunity to vent her frustration. "Why, Draco? That's all I want to know. Am I that horrible that it took you a week to choose between me and Parkinson? I must say I was mistaken about our relationship, then..." Draco couldn't help but let out a surprised laugh.
"Is that what you think? Lord, Hermione..." She glared slightly.
"Well, you tell me what I'm supposed to think. Everything is perfect... better than perfect... then your mother tells you to pick someone to marry... and suddenly it's like I don't exist anymore... Draco, I haven't seen you since Wednesday, nor spoken since we watched the butterflies with Lucius. I could understand not being your first choice... but I'd assumed I'd at least be in the running," Hermione spouted, then looked away, as if ashamed to have spoken so freely... but the thoughts had been eating away at her for days. Draco shook his head.
"Hermione... if I'd known you thought that way... gah... trust me, there is no contest between you and Pansy... I'd much rather marry Longbottom's toad." Hermione looked up, slightly angered, but overly confused.
"So if Trevor falls above Pansy... who beats me? Hagrid's freshest shipment of dragon dung?" Draco, chuckling softly, shook his head.
"No one." The glare on Hermione's face softened.
"What?"
"There is no one I'd rather call mine than you, Mya," he insisted, but it only served to confuse Hermione.
"Then... why?"
"I was trying to decide which way would be the lesser evil, ruining your life, or both of ours." Hermione looked entirely baffled, and Draco sighed. "On one hand, I ask you, and, if you say yes, then you're stuck with me for eternity, whether you like it or not... and on the other hand, I marry Pansy, live my life in misery, and leave you to fend for yourself against all the evils of... well, everywhere. Not to mention make you think I feel nothing for you, which is light-years from the truth... I've recently decided it might be best if you chose for me." Hermione, heart considerably lighter, shook her head.
"Don't be so blind. I'd marry you even if it weren't for this stupid betrothal... I love you, Draco... I don't know how you could ever doubt that." Draco couldn't help but grin... this was turning out much better than he ever could have hoped for.
"Are you sure? I mean... you can still say no..." Hermione laughed and nodded. Draco sighed. "Alright... erm... now, how to say this..." With a smirk, Hermione interrupted.
"Allow me. Draco Malfoy, will you permit me, Hermione Granger, to be your ticket out of a marriage to Pansy Parkinson, if for no other reason than to see the look on her face?" Draco laughed and took her face lovingly in his hands.
"Trust me, there are a million more reasons," he assured, mere seconds before kissing her full on the lips, tasting something which seemed forbidden the last few days. When they broke apart, Draco pulled her to him, trapping his fiancée in a warm embrace. He breathed in the scent of her hair and smiled into her shoulder. "I missed you," he admitted and Hermione laughed.
"I was barely a hundred feet away from you most of the time," she said, conveniently forgetting to add in the fact that she too had missed him. At least, back at the manor, she'd had Eglamour to confide in.
"Mmm... too far." Hermione laughed and pulled back. She looked around the compartment as if following a fly, grazing her eyes over everything. It was Draco's turn to laugh. "What are you doing?" Hermione didn't answer, but discontinued her random gaze.
"Oh," she said, as if remembering something, and pulled her little black backpack toward her. Draco watched with a raised eyebrow as she opened it and rummaged around, finding such behavior odd after such an occurrence. Hermione triumphantly pulled a ball of yarn from the bag, which Draco recognized as Eglamour's, and snapped off a piece about four inches long. "Here," she said, tossing the ball back in and holding out the little piece. "Tie this around my finger." Draco, curious, took the small piece of string and slowly went about his requested task, keeping his eyes locked on Hermione's, although she was looking at her hand. When he finished, Hermione took her hand away, admiring the string as if it were something special, which frankly worried Draco.
"Care to tell me why I just did that?" he asked, and Hermione laughed, holding up her hand and wiggling her fingers.
"It's my engagement ring," she said as if it was something to be proud of, and Draco felt a smirk fall onto his lips. He'd forgotten about that part.
"Oh," he said shortly, then took her hand in his as if to admire the 'ring' himself. Hermione grinned widely... until he took the end of the bow in his fingertips and pulled out the knot, leaving her finger bare and oddly incomplete. She frowned and looked up at him, but Draco was still smirking. "I have a better idea," he said, causing his bride to look considerably confused. That is, until he pulled the little velvet box from his pocket once more. Hermione's eyes widened and she looked nervously from the box to his face, almost as she had that night at Hades' Lair. This time, however, she was twice as surprised at the contents. When Draco opened the box, she stopped breathing. Pretending to take no notice, Draco pulled the ring free from its holster and slid it delicately onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Hermione gawked for a moment, then looked up.
"But..." Draco frowned slightly.
"You don't like it?" he asked, but Hermione shook her head furiously.
"It's beautiful... I just don't understand..." Draco smiled.
"I may not be my father, Miss Hermione, but I am still a Malfoy and a Malfoy would never allow his fiancée to wear a silly piece of string around her finger." Hermione laughed and looked up at him with admiring eyes. Draco gave her a warm smile. "I picked it out for you, you know. Had you'd said no, I would've gone to Hogsmeade and found the absolute most horrendous ring I could find... the perfect fit for Pansy." Again, Hermione laughed, but slapped him softly, eyes still on her ring.
"That's terrible," she said, and Draco smirked.
"Like I said... perfect fit."
"Speaking of which," Hermione said, looking up, "How did you know my size?" Draco grinned.
"Oh..." he said, and plunged his hand into his back pocket once more, and, again, produced a ring. A black ring, charged with magic. "I've been meaning to give this back for a while... but I suppose it's a good thing I'm forgetful, hm?" Hermione grinned.
"Oh yes... terribly forgetful," she said and sighed. "I can't believe this... I hated you four weeks ago... and now we're getting married. It's like the Twilight Zone or something." Draco shrugged.
"You don't have to; you've still got about a year to decide." Hermione tilted her head, looking curious.
"Why is it your eighteen and a half-th birthday and not either eighteen or nineteen?" Draco shrugged.
"I really don't know, but if I had a guess, I'd say because that's about a month after Pansy's eighteenth, and they figured they might as well wait." Hermione laughed.
"Yeah, well... I suppose that's a good thing, because otherwise I'd be underage and would need parental permission... and I highly doubt Daddy'd let me marry you." Draco shuddered.
"Some people I've got for in-laws." Hermione laughed.
"You? What about me?"
"Oh, everything's about you, isn't it?" Hermione smirked.
"You're learning quickly, Draco."
~*~*~*~
"Of course," Hermione stated as she got off the train, followed closely by Draco. "It had to be Hogsmeade weekend." And, indeed, the little town of Hogsmeade was full to the brim and buzzing with people. Hermione looked around at the familiar faces with disdain.
"Well," he said, sighing, "We can stay or we can go, it's your choice." Hermione took his hand and led her boyfriend from the train station. The streets were even more crowded than they seemed from a distance. She sighed.
"There are a certain few people I don't quite want to see yet, so I vote for going back to the..."
"Hermione!" called a familiar voice, stopping Hermione mid-sentence. She cringed; Harry. Putting on a perky face, she turned to her former friend.
"Potter," she said, a fire in her voice. Harry stopped as he came close to her and was followed almost immediately by Ron. Harry frowned at the use of his surname.
"Aw, you're not still mad about the cat thing, are you?" Hermione sighed.
"What do you want, Harry?" she asked, the same glare in her gaze. Harry looked to Ron, then back, as if confused.
"To meet you... you've been gone for two whole weeks, Mione," he said and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Potter, you listen and you listen good, because I'm only going to say this once. Leave. Me. The. Fuck. Alone. How stupid can you possibly think I am? You think I don't know what you two have been plotting against me? You think I FELL for that stupid letter you sent?" Harry and Ron were both speechless; watching her with mouths hung open like codfish, which Draco found quite amusing. Hermione, nowhere near done with her rant, brought gesturing into play by pointing directly at the bridge of Harry's nose with her left pointer finger. "If you did, I honestly think you may want to look into depth counseling. Now, I never want to see either of you again, understood? I don't want to sit with you, I don't want to help with your homework, nor talk to you, see you, or play fucking chess. I. Do. Not. Want. You. Near. Me. Have I made myself clear, or do you blockheads need a demonstration as to how things may go if I am misunderstood?" The fire in her eyes got the message through for Ron, who nodded stiffly, swallowing as if he had a rock in his mouth. Harry, however, seemed not to be listening. "What about you, Potter?"
"What's that on your finger?" he asked and Hermione's heart dropped. She immediately shot her hand behind her back.
"Nothing. Now, do you understand me?" Harry now seemed more curious than intimidated. He stepped forward and grabbed her wrist, wrenching it forward. Hermione gave a soft gasp of pain and Draco stepped forward, placing a hand on her arm and glaring daggers at Harry, who was gawking at Hermione's ring. He looked up moments later, eyes as narrowed as Draco's.
"I see what's going on here," he said, sounding as if he'd been betrayed. Then, he nodded, as if coming to terms and let go of her. "Fine... that's how you want it to be, we won't stop you. Go ahead, Hermione. Waste yourself. Just don't come crawling back. Come on, Ron," he said, then turned away and started off, pulling Ron behind him. The redhead waited until there was a good amount of people between them and the couple they'd been conversing with.
"Harry... what just happened?"
"Granger's engaged to Malfoy," Harry said, sounding angry, but Ron knew it wasn't for Granger's sake as much as his own. He stopped dead in his tracks, letting a fuming Harry Potter make his way through the crowds. It wasn't long before Lavender located him and approached Ron, licking happily on a vanilla ice cream cone.
"Hey Ronnie. What's up?"
"Granger's engaged to Malfoy..." he said as if in a trance, and Lavender stopped licking instantaneously.
"What?"
"I have this strange feeling Operation Secret Decoder Ring... backfired."
~*~
As soon as Harry and Ron were out of view, Draco turned Hermione toward him, as she'd been gazing in their direction of departure for some time.
"Hermione," he said, breaking her from her heated trance. Although, she was still fuming. "Are you okay?" Draco asked, bringing a hand to her cheek, and Hermione sighed, nodding.
"They just make me so damn mad..." Draco laughed.
"I know. They don't mean anything... and they're gone now, right? Potter said so himself, they won't bother you." Hermione shook her head.
"I don't think it's going to be that easy."
~*~*~*~
"Alright, Draco, come on, we have to get working," Hermione said as she burst into the loft, holding a folded piece of paper and a dreadful look on her face. She'd been slightly on the evil and angry side ever since her confrontation with Potter.
"On what, pray tell?"
"Surely you haven't forgotten this," she said, and handed him the paper as she sat down beside him on the couch. Draco sat up a bit and unfolded the parchment.
1)Mrs. Norris
2)Arenz and Gouvas
3)Harry and Ron
4)Filch...
Draco didn't need to read on.
"The list," he said, a smirk appearing on his face. "Of course I haven't."
"Alright then," Hermione said and took the paper back into her possession. "Let's see... who to target first..." With a slight shrug, Hermione closed her eyes and placed a finger on the parchment. The names beneath it were Lavender, Ginny, and Hannah. She grinned. "An unorthodox first choice, but a feel-good nonetheless." Draco nodded his agreement.
"Can I see that one more time?" Hermione gave him the parchment without protest. "Hm... I think we need to make a few changes," he said, and Hermione lifted an eyebrow.
"And your suggestions would be?"
"Firstly, take off Brocklehurst and MacDougal. They could prove useful, and I sort of have a soft spot for them... I mean, they never really did anything wrong." Hermione contemplated this for a moment, then shrugged.
"If you want, Draco," she agreed and crossed out the names with the quill Draco had been using moments before. "Anything else?" Draco read it over one more time.
"Didn't we put Snape back on?" Hermione gave him a lopsided smile.
"Well... you let Lucius off the hook, and our deal was that if he goes, Snape goes."
"But I got Lucius... cookie closet, remember?" Hermione laughed.
"I hardly think that counts. The proper etiquette is that they must either A) cry B) punish if in authority C) be ruined for life or D) swear revenge. Stealing easily replaceable cookies doesn't seem to fall into any of those categories." Draco shrugged.
"Well, whatever you say... everything's about you, after all." Hermione gave a nod.
"Agreed. Now, for our lovely trio of trendsetters... I think I know just the thing. And, good news is, it's already prepared."
"I'm intrigued. Do tell."
"Well," Hermione started, "Remember that potion I was making for Harry and Ron?" Draco thought for a moment, then a smirk crept onto his face.
"Indeed."
A/N: Now that babysitting is over, I seem busier than ever! Ah! It's taking me so long to do all this! I'm so sorry! Remember the good ol' days when I'd update every day? Ha. Well... I actually didn't write another chapter before posting this. Usually I'm two ahead. While you guys wait for 26, I write 28.... that sort of thing... but I feel bad for ya'll... and I write PS one chapter at a time, so I'll be okay. I'm still one ahead. I'm sorry if you guys are starting to hate this... I sort of am too. I think I'm just getting bored with it :o/ I never got bored of MPES, but I started that later... well, adding on, anyway :oD