The next morning, everyone in the Great Hall was tense. They'd seen the papers and even the first years knew that there were going to be some angry letters that day. Hermione pushed the eggs around on her plate as she waited for their death sentence. Well, it wasn't a death sentence, but she knew that one of her friends was going to yell at her. And that would hurt more than a death sentence.
Draco sat next to her. He wasn't the least bit tense. In fact, he was telling Blaise a joke. Wasn't he worried about what his parents were going to say? That was another thing she was worried about. Not many people crossed the Malfoy family and come out unharmed. Maybe he was certain his family wouldn't him. She wished she could be so certain.
The sound of fluttering wings flew through the windows as the owls arrived. A few left letters at the other tables, which were ignored as everyone was watching about fifty owls landing at ht Slytherin table.
Hermione stared at the letters, her eyes wide. She'd quickly taken the letters from Headwig before the other owls had dropped theirs on her plate. After a quick scan of the envelopes, Hermione realized she didn't know half of these people. She did, however, notice multiple letters from magazines and a few from some pureblood families that were really high up the social ladder.
Draco leaned over and picked up the magazine letters. He opened on and said, "They're asking for an interview from Draco Malfoy's newest girlfriend."
She stared. "We're not even dating," she said.
Draco opened another and gave a quick chuckle. "This one is asking for an interview from Draco Malfoy's latest conquest. They want details on when we make love," he said.
Hermione grabbed the letter and stared. "What?" she said, growing angry. "PlayWizard Magazine?"
Pansy chocked on her eggs and started laughing. "A men's porn magazine wants to interview you?" she said, tears welling in her eyes she was laughing so hard.
Hermione crumpled it in her hands and tossed it aside. She collected all the magazine letters and tossed them with the other one. She wasn't giving anyone an interview about anything. She scanned the letters and finally relaxed when she saw that there wasn't a single letter from the Malfoys. The ones before her were threats, basically 'Get away from my Draco, you skank', which didn't bother her; and a few lewd ones that were making offers for her. All of which, she tossed into a pile.
She looked at the letters from the Weasleys and Harry. Mrs and Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ginny had sent her a letter. It sounded like a mix between happiness that she'd found someone, concern that it was Draco, and support for the new relationship. There was no relationship, but the thought and feeling behind the letter made Hermione feel stronger. Harry's was the same way, saying that if Draco ever broke her heart, he'd Crucio him. Slowly. Hermione laughed and showed it to Draco. He said something that sounded like "I'd like to see him try," under his breath.
Hermione turned to Ron's letter. She wasn't looking forward to it in the least. He was one of her best friends, not to mention he was massively crushing on her. She didn't want to loose his friendship over her making new friends.
She opened it and braced herself. She read the first few sentences and ground her teeth. "Oh!" she said. "That insufferable, bloody git."
"What?" Pansy said. Hermione handed her the letter. " 'What the bloody hell is this about you dating ferret face? Don't you see that he's just using you? You can't date him, Herms. I absolutely refuse it. If you want my friendship, Herms, you'll break up with him. I demand you choose. Him or me.' " Pansy looked up. "He 'demands'?"
"I know, right?" Hermione said. "Just because I'm with Draco, Ron's got to try and control my life."
"You're 'with' me?" Draco said, smirking.
Hermione shook her head and said, "Sorry. It slipped."
"I think you two should actually date," Blaise said. "You'd be good together."
Hermione stared at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Yeah, Blaise," she said sarcastically. "Draco and I will date, fall in love, get married, get a house in the country, have tons of kids, and all with the support of dear friends and parents."
"That's the plan," Blaise said, raising a goblet of pumpkin juice to his smiling lips.
Hermione stared for a moment, then turned to Pansy. "I think he's lost it," she said. Pansy only shrugged. Hermione picked up the letters she'd received, and threw them all into the fire on the wall, except the Weasleys' and Harry's. They were the only kind things she'd received that day that meant anything to her. She slipped those into her pocket.
Draco came up behind her as they left the Great Hall, and put a comforting hand on the small of her back. "Ron will calm down and see that he can't control you," he said. "You won't have to lose him."
She looked at him and smiled. He hated Ron as much as Ron hated him, yet he was comforting her over the almost loss of a best friend. He was strong and firm; relaxed against everything that could go wrong.
They got to the stairs leading toward the Dungeons, since Hermione hung out there most of the time these days, when Hermione placed a hand on Draco's arm. He stopped next to her, one foot on the step below them. He turned to her and she leaned forward. She brushed her lips across his cheek. "Thank you," she said.
Draco smiled and cupped the back of her neck. He ran a thumb over her bottom lip and Hermione felt a thrill go up her back. She shivered and saw Draco's eyes narrow. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. He nibbled on her bottom lip, licking away the sting. Hermione moaned as his fingers ran over her scalp. She pressed closer to Draco and licked his own lips with her tongue. He groaned and wrapped an arm around her waist. He pulled her closer against his chest and deepend the kiss.
Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and felt him lift her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gasped as her back hit cold stone. Draco took the opportunity and plunged his tongue into her mouth, caressing hers and across her teeth. His hands traveled down the her back and cupped her ass, pulling her harder against him. She moaned as she felt his hard self rub against her center.
She didn't know what was coming over her, but all she could figure out was that she was lost. She could feel her body grow hot and yearn for release as Draco moved against her. The friction caused by their clothes was rubbing her in all the right places, driving crazy. Her breath became ragged and choppy. Draco pulled his lips from hers and trailed kisses down her neck. He nipped at a spot behind her ear and her legs clamped tighter around his hips. His groan vibrated against her skin and she sighed.
"Draco," she whispered, her fingers tangling in his hair. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked. "Draco," she said, a little louder, pushing on his shoulder. He pulled back reluctantly and met her gaze. She pointed to their left and he looked.
He almost dropped her, he was so surprised. "Father, Mom," he said, his face turning pale. "What are you doing here?"
"Waiting for you to finish with the young lady and let her down," his mother said with a smile.
Draco looked back at Hermione and blushed. He gently lowered her so she was standing on her own feet again. Her face was bright red.
Lucius walked forward and tilted her chin up with his walking stick. He looked her over and said, "So this is the girl you've chosen, Draco? Not much to look at, I must say."
"We're just friends, father," Draco said. His eyes stayed on his father. That walking stick held his father's wand and it was currently pointed at Hermione's carotid artery.
Lucius raised an eyebrow. "You push all your friends against the wall and have at them?" he said. "I don't remember you doing this for Ms. Parkinson. Or Mr. Blaise."
Draco flushed a bit and saw Hermione's lip twitch. "You think this is funny?" he hissed.
She met his eyes and said, "I'm laughing at the image of you 'have at' Blaise."
Draco's eyes widened and Narcissa giggled. "She does have a point, Draco," she said. "It is funny."
Hermione lifted her chin away from Lucius' cane and said, "Mr. Malfoy, you believe that Draco and I are together as a couple. That is not true. We are just two enemies who are turning over a new leaf." He pointedly looked at the wall behind her. She refused to blush, but did feel her neck turn a bit red. "That was unplanned," she said.
Lucius smirked. Now she knew where Draco got his damn smirk. From his father. But it wasn't nearly as cute as it was when Draco did it. It didn't make her heart skip a beat and make her angry when he ignored her. Since the first time she'd seen that adorable smirk on his lips, she'd...Hermione paused in that thought. Always, before, she'd thought his smirk was stupid and arrogant. When did she start thinking it was adorable? And the answer popped into her head right away. Always. That meant...she'd liked Draco from the very beginning. Even when they'd been enemies and snapping at each other. The time they'd spent together had only deepened her feelings. She loved Draco.
"I do think she's about to have a revelation," Narcissa said.
Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and looked at them. They were watching her closely. She cleared her throat and said, "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do for the Christmas Party. It was nice to meet you Mr. Malfoy, Mrs. Malfoy." She kept her head turned from Draco as she said, "I'll see you later, Draco." With that, she turned and left.
She rounded the corner and leaned against it, willing it to keep her up. She loved Draco. All those years of fighting with him...that had been flirting? It made sense, actually. Her heart always beat faster when he was around and she got flustered. She'd always written it off to hating him, but, when she thought of how her body sizzled and burned when he touched or kissed her, it was clear that she had deeper feelings for him. She loved him.
"There's nothing between us, father," she heard Draco say.
"That didn't look like nothing," Lucius said.
"I'm seducing her," Draco said. Hermione felt her body grow cold. "I'm sure you heard about the incident at the last Quidditch game. We fell off our brooms and she kissed me. I wanted to take her down a few notches, a muggle-born kissing me, and such. So, I figured I would seduce her, sleep with her, and then toss her out while telling the school about when we slept together." Hermione felt her heart freeze and stop. How could he? He just wanted to make her another conquest and humiliate her.
She let out a sob and clamped a hand over her mouth, hoping no one had heard her. She was unlucky. A second later, Draco came around the corner. She saw his gaze look over her. "Hermione," he said, reaching out for her.
She pulled away from his touch. She sobbed once more before turning and running away from him. Inside, her heart was breaking.
Draco watched her go. He'd seen her tears and hurt in her eyes and felt his heart hurt.
"You love her," his mother said, coming to stand next to him. "Don't you?"
Draco nodded. "I don't want to do what I said, anymore," he said. "I just want to love her."
Lucius was silent for a moment. "Then you better fix this up, son. I have a feeling you're going to be in for one hell of a fight."
AN: See? I told you that there'd be a fight in good time. What do you think? Good? Great? Tell me; review.