A/N1: (Nothing new, just doing some editing!) WOW! You guys are absolutely amazing! I didn't even expect to get to 361 reviews, but I got up to 367!! Whoo-hoo! I love you all! :D And thank you missycary12 for being the 361st reviewer!! Your chapter of Bittersweet Lullabies (chapter 13) will be up soon! I just have to finish some writing on it...
BTW: The 380th reviewer will get a little Dramione drabble written for and dedicated to them and it will be added to Bittersweet Lullabies. So review!
Disclaimer: Me? Own Harry Potter? Pshhh, no way! Hah! Only in my dreams.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hey Hermione.
Wait—what do you mean by 'it figures that I would do that?' Is there an insult there, or perhaps a stereotype against Slytherins hidden there?
Spencer...hmm why does that name ring a bell? Wait—she's a Slytherin...so she's the one who...ohhh. Ok, well now I get it. She's the one who was having the lovesick staring contest with Blaise that one day at lunch and it was HER who punched me. Yeah, I know her. So that's who Blaise is dating.
Hah! She has a point. I'm glad I'm not in Gryffindor either. I'm starting to actually respect her. She seems very smart especially because she has Slytherin pride: anyone who has that is smart.
I think I've established the fact that she hit me...you don't need to bring it up. That was a memory I'd rather forget. Being hit by a member of the fairer gender is rather embarrassing. (Yes—I am also referring to third year. Gloat all you want, just not in the letter!)
I didn't find your prank all that hilarious actually. I believe that I am scarred for life. That was the craziest moment I've had for a while. I thought I was as loony as well, Luna for a second.
Gee, that's wonderful...tell Spencer I don't appreciate being compared to Weasel; although she probably knows already and compared me to him because of that.
Oh but don't you see, I DID get revenge. You just didn't realize it. I made you paranoid. I built up suspicion and foreshadowing that I was going to something huge, only to do absolutely nothing. I'd bet every book in my library that you were paranoid for months! And that is why my plan was brilliant: I got my revenge and I didn't have to lift a finger. Very clever, right?
Who said I have a soft spot for Gryffindor bookworms? I most certainly do not! I just happened to be in love with one. She's very smart, very pretty, and extremely friendly and she also gets good grades. Her name is Parvati, do you know her? (Just kidding! I got you there didn't I? You believed me for a while didn't you? You can deny it to me, but at least don't lie to yourself!)
...I am very surprised and yet somewhat pleased. You have a sick mind. I never would have guessed that about you. I'd have sooner thought that Pansy didn't resemble a pug than to think that you would ever have a sick mind! (And in case you haven't noticed—you would have to be blind not to—Pansy does indeed, look like a pug!)
Again with me being compared to the Weasel!! Why do people insist on doing that?!
Ok, gosh Hermione...don't get so defensive. You realize I was kidding right?
Haha, you are absolutely hilarious. I wish you could have seen me split my sides at that hilarious comment. Just as I wish you could hear the sarcasm oozing out of those last words. You're calling me melodramatic? Me? Isn't that rather like the pot calling the kettle black?
Wishing for something entertaining to do,
Draco.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The days seemed to blur together to Hermione. When she had nothing to do all day, she basically just read, and keeping track of dates and days of the week just wasn't important nor was it a major priority. So when she looked at her calendar and saw that she and Draco had been exchanging letters about once or twice every week or so, and that it was already the first week of August—she flipped. The summer was going by faster than she thought. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but a small part of her enjoyed the letter exchanged with Draco and would be sad to go to school and have their indifference towards one another come back. In the letters they got along more than they ever really did in person. Yeah they had their arguments, but they were fun and more like that day Hermione ran into him outside of Dumbledore's office. It was teasing; there was no venom in their insults. Draco is different than I thought he was...ok well maybe not, he's just changed his attitude towards me. He hasn't suddenly had a change in heart or discovered that he's been in love with me since we met, that'd be creepy. He's just a different person to me; he's not so 2-dimensional. As clichéd as it sounds, there's more to him than meets the eye.
Hermione read Draco's letter and started laughing. Who knew he had a funny side? She got a slightly painful twinge in her stomach when she read about him being in love with Parvati, but when she read his 'just kidding,' the slight twinge disappeared before she could analyze it. Maybe I'm coming down with something.
Yeah, like jealousy?
Already having learned how to shut out that annoying voice, Hermione quickly grabbing a piece of parchment and quill, Hermione began furiously writing a reply to Draco. She was about to sign it and give it to her owl, Kerny, but her parents walked into the room before she had a chance to.
"Honey," Her mother ventured quietly, "I'm afraid we have some bad news for you."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDRACO! THREE WEEKS LATER!XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It had been a little more than two weeks and Draco still hadn't gotten a reply from Hermione. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was worried about her. He had a feeling that something must have happened. Call it intuition, but he just seemed to have a feeling that she wasn't purposefully ignoring him. He also got the feeling that she enjoyed their correspondence as much as he did. He would never admit it to anyone, especially to her, but their letters were the highlight of his summer. The loneliness would have driven him crazy. Malfoy Manor is huge and all he did when Blaise wasn't over was roam the halls or read in their second story library, something Hermione would be thrilled to do; he was sure of it. In fact, he was so sure of it that Draco had been pushing around the idea of inviting her to Malfoy Manor for a day. It would be fun to just hang out with her now that they were better friends, and another positive thing, his parents—especially his father—would roll in their graves knowing that someone they considered "impure" was in their house.
No longer did Draco consider Hermione below him. Maybe he never really did; but regardless, he considered her someone he could easily get along with. I don't think the soul-mates situation is as bad as I thought. Hermione is one-of-a-kind. I can see why we were paired as soul-mates. As different as we are, I can see some similarities. She's quite the little spitfire. I could imagine waking up to see her face every morning. Whoa...I went way too far. I was only thinking about inviting her over to the library and how much she would love it. How did it get to our 'situation'?
It got there because you lo-oove her!
Not you again! Go away. I'm thinking about how much Hermione would enjoy our huge library.
Our? Hmm our as in mine and yours or our as in hers and yours?
As in hers and—wait what?
Oh I see, you want to marry her now. Okay well when you propose to her, at least make it semi-romantic and clever.
Hey! Who said anything about marriage and proposing? I don't even like her.
You did, dumbass; and yes you do it's pointless to hide it from me. I am in your mind, I see every thought. You like her.
Yeah, as a friend; she's fun to talk to. But that still doesn't answer where the hell you got marriage. Wait, never mind. I don't want to hear it.
If it is her library and your library, then that means that you guys are married and sharing the library for you both would live in Malfoy Manor.
No. Stop.
What if I don't feel like it?
Draco, while trying to ignore the little mental conversation he was having with himself, figured that something serious must have happened to Hermione but he didn't want to seem over eager to talk to her and then write her another letter. He decided to give it at least seven days before he would try to write something else to her. Five days went by, and Draco was about ready to tear out his hair out over nervous-ness and boredom. He was now officially worried about what was going on with Hermione. Screw seven days; I'm going to write to her now! Without waiting another minute, Draco grabbed some parchment, a pen and hastily wrote a quick note to Hermione.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Hey Hermione, are you okay? Is anything going on? Ask me later and I swear I will deny it, but I'm kind of worried about you. You haven't written back for nearly three weeks. Is everything alright? Please respond as soon as it's convenient.
Yours truly,
Draco
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
He didn't know why he added the 'yours truly' at the end, it was much more...intimate than what he had been closing with before. But somehow it seemed fitting. He quickly tied the note to his owl's leg and sent it to Hermione, hoping that he would get a fast response. About two days later, his owl flew in his window and Draco nearly attacked it to get Hermione's reply; angered by his master's rough treatment, the owl nipped Draco's finger before flying back outside to hunt. At that point, Draco couldn't care less about his owl; he just wanted to read the note that he'd been waiting for. He ripped it open and began reading. What he saw on the page made his heart ache for Hermione.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A/N2: Oohh what happened to Hermione? Do you wanna know? Ok good, then REVIEW! :D
Lovelove, Amanda
PS: The end is near! Only two chapters left including the epilogue if everything goes as planned! Want the story to be longer? Review and I'll consider it! :D
And don't forget: reviewer 380 gets a drabble/one-shot written for them and then added to Bittersweet Lullabies.