Chapter Nineteen
Into Reality
Draco, and Hermione emerged from the green flames entering Dumbledore's study, Dumbledore himself appearing from the flames a moment later.
"Welcome home," he was jubilant.
"Thank you, sir," Hermione felt sick.
"If you don't have any questions, you both should go to your common rooms. Your houses are on the edge of their seats waiting for you."
Draco, and Hermione nodded, and gave him the last of their thanks. Down the spiraling staircase, and into the entrance hall. Hermione didn't remember the castle feeling so cold, and unwelcoming. She turned to Draco.
"I guess I'll see you around."
Draco took her hand pressing a kiss to her fingers. Then pulled her in for a real kiss. He gripped her waist as if he wouldn't let go, but he did, and they stood there breathless for a moment. With grimaced smiles they went their separate ways, him to the dungeons, and her up seven more staircases.
Hermione came to a halt in front of the Fat Lady portrait, being greeted by nagging. "You've been gone so long you probably don't know the password!"
Dumbledore had told her, and Draco their passwords before they left for Hogwarts. "Proud Lion," she informed.
The Fat Lady snorted with disgust, and swung open.
Hermione stepped through the portrait hole, and was deafened. The sound erupted suddenly like a crack of thunder. There was whoops, and yells, clapping, and banging. The common room was just as she had remembered, but there was a banner over the fireplace that Dean Thomas had obviously drawn, her name curved in a fancy fashion with a lion on each side.
Everyone was there greeting her, but Harry, Ron, and Ginny were the first to hug her, Harry kissing her cheek, Ron her forehead. She had never felt more loved than she did right then in the middle of all her friends. She knew it would end soon. By tomorrow they would all know her betrayal. For however long it lasted she would enjoy it.
Hermione usually looked down on their celebrations because of the disturbing amount of noise they produced while she tried to study. This time she joined in. She didn't realize how much she had missed them. She truly was home now.
Two pumpkin pasties, and three butterbeers later they were all turning in. Slowly their classmates ascended up the stairs to their dormitories. Hermione quietly asked Harry, Ron, and Ginny to stay. If she was going to tell them she might as well tell them then in case it leaked out from Draco. She didn't want them to hear from the uproaring Slytherin's, even if she knew they wouldn't believe them.
The common room was a mess. Bottles, and wrappers laid all over the place. She resisted the urge to clean up, and sat on the familiar red couch with Ginny beside her. Harry, and Ron took seats in the chairs by the lively fire.
Hermione glanced from Ginny, to Ron, and she felt like she was going to cry again. She held it back. She couldn't do that in front of them, not in their pain. "I'm sorry..."
Ron looked into the fire; Ginny hugged her. "He had a smile on his face," Ginny's voice was throaty with emotion.
"Harry -" Hermione started.
"It's alright, Hermione. Lets not talk about it. You're home... Lets focus on that. We really missed you."
"I missed you all too." She looked worriedly over at Ron.
He faced her with a forced grin. "Do I get to curse Malfoy?"
She directed her eyes down. Now was the time. She had to tell them.
"Hermione, what's wrong? Did something happen? Did he do anything to you?" Ginny questioned her, but all Hermione could do was shake her head.
Carefully she chose her words. "I hated Malfoy, you all know that." They nodded in agreement. She went on. "We had these rules, and we followed them for a while... It just happened... We were fighting, and I almost fell back on the stairs... He saved me... And..."
"Did you snog?!" Ginny blurted out.
Hermione nodded refusing to look at them still, staring interestingly at her hands.
"You did not!" Ron yelled.
"Hermione! How could you!" Harry fumed.
She shushed them not wanting the rest of the house to hear, but suddenly felt the need to explain, and the words tumbled out of her mouth in a rush. "We didn't mean to, but we did, I'm not sorry for it!"
"You're not," Ron said angrily. "He's Malfoy! You snogged him! Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick."
"I found his journal. It was by accident, and I read about him... He's not the person we thought he was. I'm not defending what he's done, but he's trying to be better. He is!"
Harry had gone considerably pale by this time. "Hermione, please tell me, you're not seeing him? Please tell me this was only a one time thing." She said nothing, giving herself away, and he groaned.
"How's his snogging?" Ginny asked, seemingly unphased.
Hermione chuckled amused. "Amazing," she admitted.
"Interesting..."
"Ginny," Ron scolded. "He's a deatheater. He's part of the same group that killed..." He stared back into the fire, his blue eyes wet.
"I'm not defending him either, Ron. But we don't know him. He's been with Hermione for months, maybe he has changed."
"Doubtful."
Hermione was near tears again. One moment she was laughing, the next crying. She couldn't decide which emotion would be appropriate. "If he was really one of them, I would be dead right now! He saved my life!"
"He was going to kill you!"
"But he didn't!"
"He's
done something to you! Slipped you a love potion, or
something!"
"Oh, for Merlin sakes, Ron, why would he do
that? He has no reason to!" She found that they were both
standing now so close they could feel the heat off each other. They
were both red in the face.
Harry, and Ginny stood then. Ginny pushed her brother away, and Harry pulled Hermione back a couple of steps.
"I won't forgive you for this," Ron snarled shrugging himself out of his little sisters grip, and stormed up to his dormitory.
Harry, Ginny, and her stayed in Ron's wake. They were quiet for a moment, but Ginny quickly spoke what was on her mind as she always did.
"Don't worry, he'll come around. Eventually..."
"Malfoy, eh?" Harry frowned. "Do you really believe him?"
Hermione gazed hopefully at him. "Yes, I do. I know you hate him, Harry, I used to too. I'm not asking you to forgive him, or even give him a chance, but -"
"No matter what you decide, I'm here for you. Don't worry about me, but I swear, Hermione if he does anything I'll curse him into oblivion."
"Me too," Ginny was enthusiastic. "You have to give me details, you know. A Slytherin... It'll be interesting."
Harry
looked at his girlfriend with a raised eyebrow, but turned back to
Hermione. "What're you going to do?"
"We're not
going to hide it if that's what you're asking."
"Brave," he said
"I am a Gryffindor."