Hello my wonderful readers, thank you all to who have reviewed! Enjoy this chapter, I am going to try and update soon.
(If anyone can name the song and the artist -must be both- I mention later on in the chapter I will try to work you into the story for a cameo appearence.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing, just the plot.
Hermione woke up in the morning to see a tawny owl at her window. She opened up the window and let the owl in so she could detach the letter from its leg. The letter was blank until Hermione tapped the paper with her wand and muttered a quick spell. Sure enough the letter was from McGonagall.
Hermione,
I am pleased that you put aside your differences with Mr. Malfoy and that you are letting him stay in your home; I hope that your parents do not mind the intrusion. I will arrive at noon to talk with Mr. Malfoy about taking care of his situation. I assume you will inform him of this. I only hope that his circumstances don't endanger you anymore than you already are.
Sincerely
Headmistress
McGonagall
Hermione walked out of her room, but not before putting on a black t-shirt that said 'I like you, you're different' and comfy pair of jeans. She walked down the hall to see if Draco was awake yet or not. She knocked lightly on the door and a muffled voice spoke within the room.
"Wake up silly, it's me. Do you want breakfast?" Hermione asked through the door.
"Blah, blah, blah," was all Hermione could make out.
"I can't understand you Draco, open the door please," Hermione politely asked.
Draco got off the bed and threw on a shirt and pair of shorts the Grangers had gotten him. He walked to the door and cracked it open, and he popped his head out the door.
"Yes? You woke me up from a pleasant dream Miss Granger, is there anything you need?" inquired Draco teasingly with a quirky half smile.
"I asked you if you wanted breakfast or not yet. I have some news from McGonagall by the way," informed Hermione.
"Oh, what did she have to say?" Draco questioned Hermione.
"She said she will be arriving at noon to talk to you about your predicament."
"Ok, well we can still hang out together before she gets here right?" asked a worried Draco.
"Of course, it is only 8:36. We have plenty of time to have fun before she arrives," Hermione reassured him.
Hermione and Draco scurried downstairs to see that Hermione's parents had already left for work but had left them a note. The note read:
"Hermione and Draco,
We know that you are up by now if you are reading this letter and you are probably hungry. There is a place within walking distance that you two can have breakfast at. Next to the note there is some money, have a great time dears!
Love,
Mummy and Daddy"
Hermione smiled at the note but realized that if Draco were to go out in public, the deatheaters might find him. An idea struck Hermione, 'I wonder…' she thought.
"Draco, I have an idea that could maybe solve our problems," said Hermione.
"Well, what is this brilliant idea?" Draco inquired.
"I think I could change your looks with a spell so that deatheaters can't recognize you," Hermione informed him.
"Really? Wow, that would solve one problem. But…" Draco started.
"But what, Draco?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I like the way I look now," Draco confessed.
"It would only be temporary," Hermione said with a reassuring smile.
"Are you sure?" He asked and when Hermione responded with a quick nod and a smile, he agreed.
Hermione drug Draco into the downstairs bathroom and grabbed another one of her spell books. She leafed through the pages until she found the right spell. She decided that she would change both of their looks a little just to be on the safe side. If they found her they would take her to use against Harry, normally she wasn't afraid but now that deatheaters would be looking everywhere for Draco, Hermione thought it was best to step up security.
"Ok, how about I give you auburn hair and I turn my hair black?" Hermione suggested.
"Hmm, how about I have black and you have auburn," He threw back at her.
"Oh, don't be difficult. I know you don't want to change how you look but if it keeps us safe then I believe we should do so," Hermione snapped at him.
"Alright, if we must," said a defeated Draco Malfoy.
Hermione made sure the spell was right and then said it with a flick of her wand. Draco's hair because an intense shade of auburn that accentuated his eyes and she also gave him a nice tan to top it all off. Draco was so pale that he would be easy to recognize but with the new tan he looked much healthier and Hermione could hardly believe the difference it made. Hermione then flicked her wand once again and her hair became an exotic shade of black and along with changing the color she also made her hair sleek and straight. No one would know it was her with out her curly mess of brown hair.
"Wow, we look much different," Draco said in awe while staring at their reflections.
"Good, but once we get back I'm taking the spell off, ok?" said Hermione.
"Alright, you ready to go now? I am starving," Draco informed Hermione right as his stomach rumbled.
"Yes, let's go get breakfast," Hermione replied with a little giggle.
And with those words the two left the security of the house and they walked down the street until they reached a little restaurant. When they went in a bell signaled their arrival and many of the workers said good morning to them. They chose a booth near the back of the building and their waitress came over and bid them a cheerful hello.
"Can I get you anything to drink dears," she asked with a sweet smile.
"A root beer please," Hermione answered.
"I'll take one of those too," Draco replied with an unsure smile.
"Alright, I'll be back in a minute with your drinks and I'll give you a few minutes to look for what you want," the waitress left the table and Draco looked at Hermione.
"What is a root beer?" he asked her under his breath. Hermione popped her head up from the menu she was holding.
"Oh, well… I don't know what it is exactly but it tastes really good. It has no alcohol in it, Draco don't worry you will like it," Hermione said smiling at Draco's lack of knowledge of the Muggle world.
When the waitress came back to the table, she set down the drinks and asked if the two were ready to order. They answered yes and told her their orders. Draco and Hermione waited for their food in silence until Draco spoke.
"Hermione, when are you going to tell Potter and Weasley about me staying at your house?" Draco asked almost self-consciously.
"After we talk to McGonagall today, I will figure out how to tell them without them exploding. Ron will, of course, throw a tantrum about it but Harry will be quiet and he will probably hold himself up in his room to think about it. He will then ask to talk to me in private and I will explain to him the whole ordeal again but this time he will listen. It is the pattern the guys take almost every time. But I am scared because I have never done anything this extreme and I don't know if they will follow their usual pattern," Hermione told him but he could see her confidence level dwindle as she spoke.
"Hermione, I don't want them to hate you, you don't deserve that. When McGonagall comes I will ask her to take me to Hogwarts. I'll be safe there," said Draco, he realized that he was becoming a different person. He was finally able to see how good it felt not to be selfish.
"Look at me Draco, I don't care what Harry and Ron do to me. Like you told me yesterday, if they are my friends they will deal with it," Hermione said sternly.
"Why do you care so much about me?" Draco asked; he was a little shocked at what Hermione said.
"You know what, I don't even know why myself. But Draco, I just don't want you to get hurt because I wasn't there to help you," Hermione said truthfully.
"Here is your food, darlings," The waitress said while placing their food down on the table.
Hermione had gotten waffles and hash browns while Draco had gotten sausage and eggs and toast. When they were done with their meal, they paid the bill and left the tip. Hermione and Draco somberly walked out of the little restaurant back to the house. They hadn't said much since the food had been brought to them. When they arrived at the house, they still had some time to sit and relax before McGonagall came. Hermione took the masking charms off and went up to her room after telling Draco she was going to take a shower.
Hermione turned the water on as hot as she could stand it and let it melt away all her troubles. Like most people, Hermione would sing in her shower when she was alone. She didn't get the luxury at Hogwarts because there was always a chance that someone could walk in and hear her. But what she didn't know was that she had left her both her bedroom and bathroom doors slightly ajar, allowing Draco, who was passing by at the moment to go to his room, to hear her song. It was a slow but pretty song which consisted of someone fighting to rid someone else's fears and pain but in the end being alone. Draco's heart dropped in his chest because Hermione did sound so alone while singing it. 'Maybe she wants me to stay because she feels like I am more reliable than Potter or Weasley,' Draco thought. 'I will be there for her, she won't be alone anymore,' and with that thought Draco walked to his room and sat on his bed. He was going to need some time to think.
That time was up when McGonagall, in her cat form, had come to the house and had knocked with her tailed. Hermione opened the door and looked down to see the cat and allowed it to come in. McGonagall changed right in front of their eyes. She looked sternly at the two teens and asked if they could sit down and talk. Hermione showed her the living room and the Headmistress took a comfy armchair while Hermione and Draco had taken their seats on the couch.
"How are you two doing?" McGonagall questioned Hermione and Draco.
"Honestly Headmistress, this isn't a little powwow about feelings. I need to tell you my story," Draco said trying to get to the point.
"Ok then, Mr. Malfoy, do proceed," said the Headmistress.
Draco told his story, from beginning to end, the same way he had with Hermione's family. McGonagall said in order to make sure that he was telling the truth , she would need to use a truth serum. This enraged Hermione whose face turned a livid shade of red.
"Why don't you believe him? He has done nothing wrong!" Hermione said coming to Draco's defense.
"Hermione, it's ok, I'll do whatever it takes to make you understand that I am fully done with the Dark Lord," Draco said firmly and confidently.
McGonagall put a drop of the serum into some water and made Draco drink the whole glass. Then she asked him to tell his story again. Amazingly Draco's story was exactly the same from top to bottom, no holes or pockets of information told this time that were left out last time. Draco was indeed a truthful wizard, and when McGonagall confirmed that he was being truthful Draco sent a smile towards Hermione who smile back in return.
"Mr. Malfoy, I think it would be best if you were to stay at Grimmald Place with Harry and the Weasley family. I believe you would be much safer there than here," McGonagall informed him.
"No, Headmistress, he is staying here. Draco would be torn to pieces by Harry and Ron and don't you deny it. We are not in any more danger together than we are apart because both of us have a bounty over our head. Voldemort wants both of us, but he doesn't know that Draco and I are here together. I believe he is safer to stay here," Hermione finished her little speech.
McGonagall's eyes narrowed and she looked at Hermione for a quick second before curtly nodding.
"Ms. Granger, maybe you are right. For now Mr. Malfoy can stay here, but we must inform the others about him."
"I intend to tell Harry and Ron soon, Headmistress, please leave that job to me," Hermione said with an air of confidence.
"Alright Ms. Granger, but you must tell them soon. If you do not inform them in three days, I will," And with those last words McGonagall transformed back into a cat and Hermione let her out with a quick goodbye. She looked over at Draco and a sense of relief flooded her body. She threw herself on the couch next to Draco. The whole encounter with McGonagall had taken about two hours and both of the teens were exhausted from the stress put upon them.
"You did a fantastic job telling her off Hermione," Draco said and in his eyes one could see how proud he was of Hermione telling the Headmistress to piss off (well though not exactly in those words).
"You did a mighty fine job yourself," Hermione said with a yawn. She grabbed one of the huge throw pillows from the night before and lay down on the carpeted floor. Draco stared at her with a smile before he too got a big pillow and laid down to rest next to Hermione. Both fell asleep and when Hermione's parents came home from work, they saw two teens dead asleep facing each other with slight smiles on their faces.
Cute ending to a revealing chapter. I hope the romance part isn't going too fast or too slow for all of you, it'll get there I promise. But for now enjoy the awkwardness provided. Thank you all for reading, if you like you can review, but no worries if you don't.
Love,
CLBisMe
