CH. 4 - Date
A/N: Hint of Harry and Ginny. As always, read, enjoy and review. Oh, and if I didn't already say so, I'm not JK Rowling, therefore this multi-billion dollar franchise is not mine.
"You do realize this is the stupidest idea you've every had right? Even dumber than the time you decided to take a look under one of Charlie's Romanian dragons to see if their scales really did change color and got smack in the face by its tail," Ginny said to her brother as she tucked her legs underneath her in the common room, as Ron paced back and forth trying to formulate a plan to win over Hermione. Harry had filled her in on the discussion as soon as Malfoy and Hermione left to finally go to dinner and she returned from the library.
"Ginny, she's dating Malfoy, don't tell me you support this unholy union," Ron said as he continued to pace.
"Well...," she thought, "I don't like Malfoy, but he seems to make Hermione happy and I'm all for her happiness."
"Oh no, not you too," he huffed, "Can't you both see that she's making a huge mistake, Malfoy has been nothing but a pain, and I know he'll cause her emotional as well as physical pain if she doesn't do what he says."
"Don't you think that's taking it a little too far," Harry spoke, "As much of a annoying git Malfoy is, he does have a sense of self-control. He's more bark than bite really."
Ron huffed again, ruffling his red hair, "All I'm saying is, I'm trying to protect Hermione before she gets really hurt. And the best way is to get away from Malfoy and together with me."
"Ronald!" Ginny raised her voice and shifted her position into one more menacing, "Hermione is a big girl she doesn't need you looking out for her, and certainly doesn't need to prying into her love life and potentially messing up a great thing for her. Besides, dear brother, if she wanted to date you she would've, but you saw no interest in her until Malfoy came along, so I'm warning you if my best friend gets hurt because of you or your stupid plans, so help me that I don't hex you into the next millennia." With that she stomped up stairs.
Ron stood stunned before he half-yelled, "Can you believe her?" in Harry's direction.
"Sorry mate, she has a point. Until Malfoy came along, she was just a friend, now you suddenly want her. That's not the way things should be."
"Then tell me Harry, what should I do?" The anger still evident in his voice.
"Let her be."
At those words, Ron's face soured even more and he left the common room.
(***)
Hermione and Draco sat eating the dinner they grabbed from the Great Hall by the lake on a napkin Draco transfigured into a picnic sheet.
After swallowing a bite of her Roasted Pheasant sandwich and taking a gulp of pumpkin juice, Hermione turned to Draco, who was eagerly stuffing away a Steak and Kidney pie, although with better manners than Harry or Ron.
"Draco...," her voice was soft barely audible, he turned wiped his mouth and had a look of concern on his pale features.
"What is it?"
"Why?"
Still confused, "Why what?"
"Why did you set me up on date with Ron? I thought this went against your whole 'Touch-her-and-I'll-kill-you' policy, and knowing your temper and me knowing Ron's stubbornness he won't stop trying to win me over."
He smiled, they didn't call Hermione the 'smartest witch of their time' nothing she had already figured out what Weasley might do on their date. But she forgot one important thing. She caught his smile.
"What's so funny?"
"Have people told you, you are the smartest witch of our time?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"Because for the, and I quote 'smartest witch of our time' you're not very smart when it comes to love are you?"
She felt insulted, she turned away from him. He cupped her chin turning her back to face him.
"Remember your unbreakable, irreversible love spell?" He waited until it dawned on her.
When it did, her first reaction was, "You prat, you made me worry about nothing." And she punched him in the arm. He feigned hurt, rubbing his arm, but smiled at her, she smiled back.
"Don't worry Hermione, it took me too long to get you, I'm not going to let you go, ever, no matter who gets in the way." Draco stroked her brunette curls as she leaned into his chest.
Hermione looked up at him, "You really mean it?"
"A Malfoy always keeps his promises."
They sat in quiet embrace for a few more minutes before deciding to finish off dinner, this time, feeding each other.
(***)
The Friday before the 'date' with Hermione, where Ron swore he would win her back from Malfoy at all costs, was now upon them.
Ron was in his room finalizing his plan to win over Hermione.
It was quite early and he looked like he hadn't slept. He was scribbling on a two foot long piece of parchment muttering, "Yes", "That's perfect", "Oh yeah", "She'll love that", and "That's bloody brilliant". To the casual observer it would look as if Ronald Weasley had gone insane or at the very least having the makings of turning into a cliché comic book villain. And it just so happened that the casual observer or rather, observers happened to be Ginny and Harry.
"Ron, mate what are you doing?" Harry asking taking a cautious step toward him.
Ron didn't look up, instead he said, "Oh just finalizing plans to win over Hermione," as if it was the most normal thing to say in the entire world.
"Ron...," Ginny said her voice not hiding its slight agitation toward her brother.
"Don't worry Ginny, all it'll do it is will make Hermione come to her senses about Malfoy, no magic involved."
She narrowed her eyes at him, not completely believing him.
Harry had stepped in close enough to look over what Ron was writing down, but not so close as to make it obvious or to get caught. Once he read enough, then slipped back toward Ginny and told Ron, "Well, just make sure she's safe," before tapping Ginny on the shoulder.
They both exited, leaving Ron to continue his transformation from wizard to comic book villain.
(***)
"What Harry?" Ginny asked as soon as they were in the common room.
"Shh, not so loud."
"Well then tell me."
"I think we should follow Ron and Hermione tomorrow."
"Harry!" She admonished in a whisper.
"Listen, some of the things Ron has planned aren't exactly pleasant and I just think that we should follow them to make sure Hermione isn't emotionally scarred."
Ginny's face brightened, "Why Harry Potter, if I didn't know better I'd say you wanted Hermione to stay with Malfoy," she smirked, one very reminiscent of the aforementioned Slytherin.
Harry's face scrunched up in disgust. "Never, say that again," he towered over her staring daggers into her blue eyes from his emerald-blues.
She visibly flushed a tint redder. Eventually she spoke, "Do you think Hermione's going to be in that much trouble?"
"From what I saw I think it's our best course of action, I hate, and I emphasize hate Malfoy, but I'd do anything for Hermione."
Ginny smiled. "Okay, so we'll shadow them. Meet me in the common room at 9?"
"It's a date." Harry smiled.
Her blush from a few moments ago returned to even fuller effect.
"We should get ready for classes."
Ginny just nodded.
(***)
Hermione meanwhile had been up since the crack of dawn, she used this time to catch up on homework or as Ron and Harry call it, 'Grade Squeezing' as they knew Hermione was simply going over every single assignment to see if she could find a mistake. They both knew, she could every well not turn in another assignment for the rest of the year and still have the best marks in the entire school.
Once she had inspected every last piece of homework parchment, she took out an enchanted quill and parchment set and began writing.
"Morning sleepy head." She then drew an 'St' at the end and the words disappeared.
A reply came a few minutes later, "Argh, do you realize what time it is?"
She giggled, she knew the sender liked to squeeze in as many minutes as he could, "It's 7:30." She drew another 'St'. and it disappeared again.
Immediately a response came, "That was a rhetorical question. So to what do I owe this morning Magic Messaging session?"
"Just wanted to say 'hi' and that I love you."
"Really, seriously Granger you just couldn't wait until breakfast?"
Her lips curled up at his last message, it was written with a sarcastic charm attached.
"No, I just couldn't wait, that's why I'm MMing you to tell. But also to tell you, I want you, I want you NOW!" She cast her sarcasm and a playful charm on the message and sent it.
The response was immediate, "Granger... I'm warning you... Do. Not. Tease. Me. In. The. Morning.
She giggled again as she knew what her words were doing to him.
"Granger? Since when are we back to surnames, Malfoy?"
"Since you started playing a sick and twisted game of witch tease, at 7 bloody 30 in the morning."
"Hahaha," was all she could send. She was really laughing so hard.
"Hermione..."
The way his message emphasized her name melted her heart.
"I'm sorry Draco, I have the date with Ron tomorrow and I'm nervous, are you absolutely sure you're OK with this?" She changed the subject.
"Hermione remember the spell, we are now bonded forever, nothing the Weasel does can stop it. Just make sure he knows that you have no interest and have fun. I'll show you how I feel when you get back."
She sighed dreamily, that probably means an extra intense snog session.
"Love you, Draco. Meet me for breakfast in front of the Gryffindor Common Room?"
"All right, give me 30 minutes."
"What? It doesn't take me 30 minutes to get ready."
"Ahh, because you're already perfect, while I have to make myself perfect for my lady love."
Another dreamy sigh, if she didn't already love him, those words would have made it so.
"All right, but hurry."
"Faster than you can say 'Salazar Slytherin'."
"All right, I'll see you in a bit."
"Until then, my love."
Hermione was still getting used to romantic-Draco, since she had been terrorized for 4 years by evil-Draco. But she was loving it. She quickly got in her uniform then her House robe, then did a quick hair spell to ease the frizziness of her hair down to manageable soft waves and grabbed her books.
She stepped out of the portrait hole only to find a tall blond, with handsome pale features, piercing grey eyes, "bedhead"-styled hair with a green and silver tie peeking from his House robe over his uniform, standing in front, waiting.
"That was not 30 minutes."
"I couldn't wait that long."
She smiled, and leaned into give him a quick good morning kiss.
"Shall we?" He offered his arm.
She took it.
(***)
Saturday. it was finally upon them. Hermione went to bed on Friday content after constant reassurance from Draco that Saturday wouldn't do anything to change how they feel about her. Now though, butterflies were starting to flutter in stomach. As much as she loved Ron as a friend and then spent some time dropping hints, which he never pick up on, she was now nervous because she was afraid of what this date could do to his psyche. She knew Ron was a volatile person, one who angered easily, one who saw things as black and white. So she was nervous that Ron might think that this date could be his shot at trying to convince her to be with him, something that she was having no part of.
Waiting by the portrait hole, Ron was convinced that his plan to show Hermione the "error of her ways" was bloody brilliant. He smile and thought about how by the end of the day she'll be his.
When Hermione came down she looked as natural and as beautiful as he'd ever seen. Was she always like this? How could he have been so blind? She wore a simple t-shirt and light blue cardigan paired with jeans and trainers. Her long frizzy hair was tamed into soft waves that cascaded down just past her shoulders. She wore no make-up save for some lip gloss, but looked amazing. Like Aphrodite reincarnated. And then there was her scent a scent that was uniquely Hermione, textbooks and vanilla.
"Hermione you look... amazing." Ron gaped.
She didn't thank him, instead, "Shall we go?"
He nodded obediently.
As they walked toward the carriages, Ron kept glancing at her, occasionally striking up friendly conversation or complimenting her for nth time. She responded politely, she made light conversation back, and finally thanked him. When they boarded, Ron decided to be a little bit more daring, sitting as close to her a possible and putting his arm around her. Begrudgingly, she allowed it, she didn't want their outing as friends to be ruined before it even began. It was when the carriages were well under way that Ron became even bolder. Stroking and playing with her hair as if it was the most natural thing to do, but she put a stop to it.
"Ron, please stop playing with my hair."
He looked at her as if she'd refused to let him copy her homework, "What, why?"
"Because that is an intimate gesture and I told you we are only going as friends."
"So you let Malfoy play with it?" He snipped.
"Yes, he is my boyfriend after all."
Ron grimaced at her referencing Malfoy as such. "You know he won't love you as much as me, right?"
"I don't know that Ron, all I know is that I'm happy with him."
"Why can't you see he's just playing you, Hermione?"
"Because he's not," her tone was sharp.
Ron's face was now a shade lighter than his hair, but his voice was still calm—for now, "He's just using you, Hermione, I don't know what his doing but, I'm determined to find out."
Hermione was about to respond but the convoy of carriages had stopped at Hogsmeade Station.
"Let's just have fun, okay?" Hermione finally suggested.
"All right. I have our entire day planned." Ron said holding up a notebook and smiled at her. The anger on his face from a few moments ago had dissipated.
She simply rolled her eyes.
As they disembarked, they walked along at a leisurely pace, both unaware of two shadows watching their every move since they boarded the carriages.
Ron and Hermione made there way to a shop Hermione didn't recognize, so she was skeptical when he said they should go in, she became even more wary when he asked her to close her eyes as this was a surprise.
She made a quick pro and cons list in her head before finally deciding to humor him.
Ron guided her in, making sure she didn't peek.
When he stopped she asked if she could open her eyes, he told her not yet.
Suddenly Hermione felt a slight cold chill flow through her body. "Ron?" She asked.
"Okay, Hermione you can open your eyes now," and she did.
What she saw shocked her. She was standing in Flourish and Blotts, but something was off, since she couldn't pick up any of the books and people seemingly didn't know she was there. She was about to ask why until she saw Harry and Draco, his father and her standing in front of each other. She then realized she and Ron were in a Pensieve and that she was reliving her first encounter with Lucius Malfoy where she told him about 'fear in a name' about He Who Shall Not Be Named. She then turned to Ron, "Ron why are we here, and why am I reliving this memory?"
"Because today I'm going to show they every instance that Malfoy, his family and his friends have made made our lives a living hell."
"And just what do you think you'll achieve by doing this?"
"To make you see the light, to make you remember that Malfoy is our enemy, that he hasn't change, that I'm better for you than him and that we belong together."
Hermione shook her head, "No Ron, get me out of here."
He grabbed her wrist, tightening his grip, "Sorry, Hermione this is for your own good."
Signaling for the next memory to start, he doesn't loosen his grip, despite her struggles.
She reluctantly relives several memories, from the time Draco called her a Mudblood, to the time he nearly had Buckbeak killed, to the time his father nearly killed Harry, following Dobby's emancipation. Then she saw a future memory, one that brought her to tears, not because it was sad or happy, they were tears of remorse, it was her and Ron much older, seeing off their children at Platform 9¾. It was when her future self looked at Draco that she felt empty. She knew this future wasn't right, she doesn't love Ron and surely would not be married to him or bear his children.
It was when she couldn't take anymore that Ron, signaled for the Pensieve to end.
When they were back in the shop, she fell to the ground on all fours, tears streaming out uncontrollably.
Ron felt a pang of guilt for making Hermione relive what he thought were terrible memories enough to make her cry. Except he didn't realize that she didn't start crying until the last one. And he didn't realize these tears were not for him.
"Hermione?" Ron asked cautiously, helping her up.
She slapped his hand away and stood up on her own.
"I'm sorry for making you relive those terrible memories of Malfoy, I know it was probably hard for you to remember just how horrible a person he is. I just want you to know I'm here for you."
Hermione was seething mad now, the waterworks from a few minutes ago, were now dried thanks in large part the hotness of her face. She was absolutely livid. How dare he? How dare he believe that what he showed her caused her that much grief?
She stood calming herself, as he pulled her into an embrace.
She shoved him away immediately, and her hand connected with his cheek.
"What was that for?" He yelled angrily.
"You incomprehensible, petty, little excuse of a man," she bellowed, "Did you honestly think that showing me past memories of Draco would change my mind, especially when I know what he's like now. Did you honestly believe that I was crying because I was terrified at his words and actions? Did you?"
Ron nodded sheepishly.
"Well I have news for you, Ronald Weasley, your little plan didn't work, in fact, it's just as Draco said, this has proved to me how much more I love him."
"B-but you were crying."
"They weren't tears of horror or sadness Ronald, they were tears of remorse. Remorse at your future memory. I realize that if I were to break up with him I would end up regretting it. What you just showed, is exactly the opposite of what will happen."
"B-b-but...,"
"No buts Ronald, I'm sorry but, you've just proved to me that you are as immature as ever. Draco's changed for the better, you haven't."
Ron was tensing up now, his plan had the opposite effect? No, he just couldn't lose her now. He grabbed her wrist again.
"Let go," she said darkly.
"No," he replied likewise, "I'm not going to lose you to him."
He pushed her up against a wall, effectively pinning her, as he smirked, he now had both wrists held over her head and slowly he leaned in, the smirk giving way to puckered lips.
Just as he was going to press his lips to her, he was thrust back by an extreme blast of cold. It felt like he was in the middle of a blizzard. The force of the blast pushed him back a good 5 feet from her, culminating in his landing on his bum with an indignant oomph.
When he finally regained his bearings, Ron stood fuming, yelled and began to charge back toward her, "What did you do, you bitch!"
Hermione was shocked at Ron's language toward her, but more shocked at the two people who were now in front her, wands drawn.
"Harry, Ginny?" Hermione asked in surprise, now massaging her wrists.
"You all right, Hermione?" Harry asked looking back briefly with a look of concern, before turning back toward Ron.
"Yeah I'm fine."
Ron ignored their presence, and asked Hermione through gritted teeth, "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything. It was the spell I put on Draco and myself." Hermione crossed her arms.
"What spell?" Ron asked. Harry and Ginny looked back in anticipation as well.
"Semper Amamus, a forever love spell. One that is unbreakable, irreversible, only works on those meant to be together and the best part it's also a protective against infidelity as well. Which means Ron, you can't do anything to break up Draco and I," She smiled coyly.
"Just because it works on you doesn't mean it works on him," Ron countered.
"Sorry to burst your bubble Ron, but it protects Draco from other girls' advances as well."
Ron now focused his attention on Harry and Ginny who still had their wands at the ready.
"Harry, Ginny, put down your wands and move." Ron ordered.
But his best friend and little sister stood their ground.
"This doesn't concern you two," He added.
"Like hell, it doesn't, you forced Hermione to go into a Pensieve, made her cry, pinned her against a wall, probably bruised her wrists and worst of all you called her something I never thought you ever would," Ginny told him forcefully, raising her wand higher. "You hurt the one person that's like a sister to me."
"Well, I'm your brother and I'm telling you and Harry to move."
"We can't do that, Ron," Harry said.
"It's okay guys, thanks for the help. I can take it from here," Hermione told her two bodyguards softly.
They lowered their wands, each stepped to the side flanking her on each, but didn't put their wands away.
"See, even Hermione says this doesn't involve you two," Ron said, walking toward her arms extended. Hermione whipped out her wand. "Not another step, Ron."
He held up his hands in surrender but didn't retreat. He just smirked softly at her attempt at bravado.
"Please Hermione, put the wand down, I jut want to hug you," he sounded sincere. But she wasn't buying it. He was now just a wand's length away, when he slowly dropped a hand. Hermione gripped her wand tighter, Harry and Ginny raised theirs once more.
Just as Ron was going to embrace her, another blast of cold hit him, causing him to fall back again.
Harry, ginny and Hermione chose this moment to run away. Hermione casted a timed door seal allowing them enough time to get back to Hogwarts before it broke along with the Anti-Alohomora Charm.
xxx
When the trio reached Hogwarts grounds via the Shrieking Shack Harry checked Hermione's wrists for any signs of bruising.
"How is it?"
"I don't know, doesn't look to be any surface bruising, but let's go to Madam Pomfrey just in case.
Hermione smiled at him as the trio started to walk toward the Infirmary.
Along the way, Ginny spoke up, she had been quiet since they left Hogsmeade, which for her is an achievement.
"i'm going to kill Ron, or better yet, let mum do it."
Hermione was now a little confused, over the course of the last 30 minutes she hadn't questioned Harry and Ginny showing up, But now it nagged at her.
"So Gin, Harry," she turned to face them while walking backwards, "How did you know where I was?"
Sheepishly, "We followed you, since the carriages," Harry said, blushing.
"You followed me?"
"Harry, thought it would be necessary since he took a peek at what Ron had planned," Ginny said in his defense.
A slow smile began to form on Hermione's features.
"Thank—" Oomph. She bumped into someone, she was reeling, but two hands grabbed her before she could fall.
"Hermione?"
She recognized that voice anywhere and blushed a deep pink. Her one and only. Draco Malfoy.
"What are you doing back so soon, it's barely noon? And why are you with Potter and the Weaselette?"
Ginny hated that nickname that the Slytherins had graciously bestowed on her. "We were just helping back to Hogwarts, you git."
Concern flashed over Draco's face. "What happened?"
"Nothing," Hermione said quickly shooting Ginny a glare.
"Come now Hermione, we both know your a terrible liar, what happened?"
She sighed, "Okay well, Ron got a little bit too touchy on the date which wasn't really a date, more like a Malfoy-ish attempt to win me over."
Several emotions ran across Draco face: anger, amusement and finally concern once more.
"What exactly did the Weasel do?" Draco asked calmly.
Another sigh from Hermione, "He took me into a Pensieve showing me memories of your past behavior toward me and the group, he pinned me against a wall, tried to kiss me and Harry thinks he may have bruised my wrist when he grabbed it."
Draco was now enraged. "HE DID WHAT? I'M GOING TO AVADA HIS ARSE!"
Hermione placed a calming hand on Draco's cheek and spoke softly, "Calm down Draco, the Semper Amamus didn't let him kiss me, Harry and Ginny were there, wands ready if Ron was going to try anything and we don't even know if he did bruise anything, except maybe for his ego."
At his girlfriend's calming voice, most of the anger dissipated. "Weasley, I know he's your brother, but I can't promise the next time I see him that you'll recognize him," Draco said to Ginny.
"That's fine by me, he deserves it, the git."
"Stop it, you two," Harry finally spoke up, "Ron's made a mistake but violence isn't the answer."
"Typically Potter," Draco sneered.
"Watch it, Malfoy," Harry replied with darkening eyes.
"Harry's right Draco, please let me handle it," Hermione said holding his hands and looking at him with pleading eyes.
"All right Hermione, I'll back off for now—for you, but if the Weasel pulls another stunt like today or hurts you in any way from here on out, he'll find himself in the Intensive Care Unit at St. Mungo's."
"Draco...," she plead.
He just smiled. "Come on, let's get that wrist checked out."
E/N: It was really hard to write an angry Ron, which was the reason for this delay. I admit I'm not good at writing drama, but I try my best. The rest of this story will be lighter on the drama save for a couple of scenes in the next chapter.