Chapter 16 Dating and Other Perilous Diversions!

After a glorious New Year, they returned to Durmstrang via Tarooj. In her room, Hermione found out why she needed protection the moment she entered. On her dresser mirror, a message appeared in fiery letters . "Welcome Back Mudblood!"

Moments later, Ginny arrived and gasped at the sight. "We need to let Professor Snape know at once!"

"No need to worry anyone," Hermione assured her. "Look, it's already fading. Besides, I'm sure it's only a prank."

Too late, Ginny had run out and brought Harry, Ron and Professor Snape back. "We're going to reassign you to a different room once I speak to Karkaroff."

Seconds later, Draco rushed in. Despite the dignity decree, he put his arm around Hermione and kissed her forehead. "I won't let anything happen to you." Everyone's jaw dropped as they stared at Draco's arm around Hermione's shoulder. "We're dating. We were going to tell everyone at dinner, but I guess you know now." Immediately, Ron stormed out, followed by Harry and Ginny while Draco shrugged. "Anyhow, no one else has reported any incidents." Hermione tried to leave, but Draco refused to let go.

"The guilty party had an entire semester to do this, but waited until now but and directed it towards her in particular. This leads us to conclude that it is directed at Miss Granger because of her prominence, or some other reason." Snape censoriously looked at their closeness.

"We only started dating on New Year's Eve. How could anyone have known, except for the folks in Rome? Well, there were some pictures in the society pages of the local paper but that was only in yesterday's edition."

"Oh please," Snape drawled in an icy deep tone. "Even a blind wizard would have noticed the way you two have been dancing around each other with your teenage goo-goo eyes; a rather sickening spectacle I might add." Briefly, Snape shifted his disdainful gaze from the couple so he could direct his derision at the door though which the troubled trio had passed. "Only your friends seemed shocked, which speaks well for their powers of observation."

Draco held her very protectively. "I'll arrange for a change in quarters, as well as someone to guard her between classes and certain other times."

With the wizards planning her agenda, Hermione became quite fed up. "Look, I can take care of myself. This is just a prank."

"I'll speak to Karkaroff." Giving them one last sneer, Snape rolled his eyes and left.

"Maybe it is a prank, but I can't risk your safety." Softly, Draco's lips touched hers with a kiss that deepened to where her knees weakened, until they heard someone clearing their throat.

In the doorway stood Nayden Krum along with several of his teammates. "Karkaroff will be here any moment. Snape said you needed us."

"Yes, someone threatened Hermione so I was wondering if you all wouldn't mind keeping a close eye on her."

Everyone nodded while Nayden commented in a rather thick Germanic accent. "It's about time you two got together. So, what do you have in mind?"

"I think she'll be fine in classes and such but we need to check her room in the evening, and escort her so she's never alone." They nodded. "Hermione, this is Trifon." A small, sandy blond boy stepped forward. "Arnost," he added. A brown-haired, lanky player stepped forward. Twins with shaved heads stepped forward. "This is Branimir and Desislav. Not only are all of them my friends and teammates, but they're Dark Arts Combat Experts so they'll be able to keep you safe." Together, they planned her days like plays in Quidditch.

Crossing her arms, Hermione tapped her foot loudly. "Do I have any say in the matter?"

"No," they replied in unison.

After the events that transpired, Hermione knew she had to clear things with Ginny and, more importantly, Ron. Branimir escorted her to Harry and Ron's room where Ginny and Harry consoled Ron, who seemed more angry than hurt. "Guys, I'm sorry you found out the way you did. I was going to tell you. I didn't mean to hurt you, but things just happened."

Hurt and concern crossed Ginny's face. "Can you trust Draco?"

Ron's eyes glared into Hermione. "You've seen the articles about his family. Why are you interested in him and vice versa?"

"We're dating because we care about each other and we have fun together. As far as the articles are concerned, why don't you get to know Draco, instead of believing those articles blindly? Those articles are about events in London that happened years ago, and about his parents who haven't been around to defend themselves. Draco's been living in another country, and has just recently reached adulthood. How can you judge him like this?"

While Harry stepped nearer to Hermione in a show of modest support, Ginny sat next to Ron and held his hand. "Hermione, I've known you long enough that I trust your judgment, and Draco does seem nice, but I agree that you should have said something to Ron first. That's all." Ginny and Ron looked hurt still.

Despite all her protests, Karkaroff moved Hermione and Ginny to a more secure location. Between classes, different members of the Quidditch team escorted Hermione around the campus. While she didn't feel endangered, "The Daily Prophet" featured more stories about Voldemort's return due to more sightings, coupled with several Muggle-born disappearances. However, the Ministry assured everyone that if Voldemort did return, they would once again defeat him. Often, Hermione doubted the validity of the newspaper articles because of ephemeral comments Draco made about Voldemort's true defeat.

Over the next few weeks, for their dates, Draco bedazzled Hermione with the Dolphinarium, fancy restaurants, laser light shows and nightclubs. One Sunday afternoon's date day, Draco picnicked with her at a picturesque but modest Spanish villa, featuring several acres of land with a crystal pure babbling brook. In spite of the slightly cool weather, they relaxed on the grassy pasture of the rustic Muggle villa. "This is a wonderful picnic."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. Every now and then, I try to enjoy the simple things in life."

During the course of their dating, Hermione got to know the real Draco more and more, preferring that to the bedazzling he tended towards. "So, tell me one of your dreams or goals that no one else knows; something unexpected."

Picking a small yellow dandelion, he tapped it on her forehead. "You first."

"Well, I've often thought about becoming the Minister, but I'm not sure I would be right for it. Silly, right?"

"Not really, I think you're more than capable. You'll need to thicken your skin to handle the critics and make the tough decisions."

"Thank you." Knowing him like she did, if Draco didn't think her competent, he would have said so.

"My father once tinkered with the idea of running, but he decided he liked making money more."

For a moment, Hermione thought the idea to be ludicrous but then she reconsidered it. While Lucius had been rumored to bribe officials, it's doubtful he would have taken bribes since he had plenty of money. Speaking of money, considering how much trouble the Ministry is in with it's deficit spending, could a successful businessman do any worse? Not to mention, that he could cut through endless bureaucracy. My studies of the Ministry shows me how much trouble they're in. hmmm….

Now she wondered about Draco."So, what's your dream? You can't say managing your inheritance, because that's a given."

"Well, yes that is one of my dreams but you'll think the other is crazy."

"C'mon tell me," she urged as she nudged him. "I told you mine." With the same flower, she tapped his forehead. "Tag you're it."

"I want a large family." With a bashful grin, Draco looked down while rustling some grass with his fingertips. "The Malfoys always have sons, so I will have several boys. To balance out the family, I want to adopt girls from my distant relatives."

"That's odd. I thought the Malfoy's kept their numbers small. What brought this on?"

"Before my parents died, Bianca and I bonded as brother and sister. That sibling bond helped me deal with their deaths. Because of that, a couple of years ago, I decided I wanted a big family so my children will have playmates. With discipline, it can be done."

"That is so sweet." I wonder if he has considered me in that plan. How serious will this get?

"Don't tell anyone. I don't want to be embarrassed." Draco rolled his eyes before finishing his sandwich.

For a little while they ate in silence, give Hermione the time to pluck up the courage to ask something more. "Draco, do you mind if I ask a question that I've been dying to know the answer to?"

While his brow furrowed a moment, Draco looked about in contemplation. "As long as you let me enjoy some mango afterwards, fire away."

"You said that rebels didn't kill Voldemort, but that you knew what actually happened. Will you tell me?"

"Voldemort's own followers killed him." Hermione gasped at the unknown bit of history. "At first, my father followed Voldemort loyally, and recruited most of the pure-blood families throughout Europe to the cause. Then he realized that Voldemort didn't care about keeping pure-blood traditions but loved carnage and nothing more. Plus, his instincts told him that Voldemort would eventually betray him." Draco poured some sparkling apple juice for her and himself before taking a sip. "At that point, my father gathered three other like-minded dark wizards who also followed Voldemort. Those wizards swore allegiance to my father. Only my father knew all their identities, which he kept secret by nicknaming them: war, famine and pestilence, with his nickname being death. Together, the four wizards of the apocalypse killed Voldemort, but they did it in a very unique way."

"Why didn't your father just use the killing curse by himself?"

"Because Voldemort created several Horcruxes, my father knew those had to be destroyed as well. My father researched an ancient killing curse that had a twist. Four wizards simultaneously casting that curse killed Voldemort and destroyed his Horcruxes. Also, the curse erased Voldemort's memories of the events leading to his death. In case something went wrong, Voldemort wouldn't have a clue as to who killed him so he couldn't take vengeance. All four wizards had to give up a fraction of their life force to destroy the Horcruxes."

"They sentenced themselves to die young." Hermione sipped some more of her apple juice while she listened intently.

"No, just a couple of years," Draco replied.

"Do you think that any of the Horcruxes survived?"

"Only if one of the four didn't make the sacrifice," Draco replied. "They also kept their identities secret because the magic they used broke several laws and they didn't want to end up in Azkaban."

"Do you know the identities of the other three wizards of the apocalypse?" When she thought of their names, Hermione stifled a smile.

"Well, I have my father's sardonic wit so I have my own hypothesis. If I tell you, you have to give your solemn word that you won't tell anyone, and I mean not even your best friend." Enthusiastically, Hermione nodded. "Death refers to the fact that my father preferred to wear black. War refers to a wizard with a belligerent attitude sometimes. That, I think, is Karkaroff. Famine, knowing my father's sense of humor, could refer to scarceness of a life, of a sense of humor or exposure to sunlight: in other words, Snape." Hermione gasped. "Snape seems alright though I don't know him very well. As to pestilence, that might be someone who has some sort of disease." Draco held a bite of mango to Hermione's lips.

"Thank you for confiding in me." She took a bite of the mango and chewed it thoughtfully, waiting for Draco to give his theory as to who the fourth member was. "Any idea who the fourth is?"

"Not a clue," he replied. Draco then touched a piece of mango to her neck before he ate the fruit. As he leaned Hermione back, he nibbled her neck, licking the mango juice from it, causing Hermione to gasp with pleasure. Beneath the mid-day sun, Draco unbuttoned Hermione's shirt and drizzled mango juice onto her nipples. He delighted in tasting mango while Hermione softly moaned. That Sunday afternoon's date ended with Draco enjoying the delicate flavor of Hermione's lips.

A/N - Thank you to all you readers and reviewers. Any guess on the fourth wizard? Do you like my dark wizards who kill the darkest wizard? In other news, within my more JKR based series, Of Wine and Revenge will be updated shortly.