Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling nor do I own Harry Potter. See the first ten chapters.
Last time:
Draco coughed. "Sure Izzy, it's time for lunch." He turned to Hermione who was blushing profusely. "What are you in the mood for?"
Chapter 19
"Where have you been Hermione?" Harry's voice met her as Hermione walked into the common room.
"Out."
"Out?" Harry looked skeptical. "Out where? We looked everywhere for you. We thought it'd be fun for all five of us to go to Hogsmeade today. Eventually we had to go or we would've been left behind by the carriages." He paused, still waiting for an answer. "Hermione?"
"Hmm?" Hermione asked absentmindedly still thinking about the bizarre day she just had.
"So? Where were you today?"
"Oh. I went out into the muggle world," replied Hermione. Well, it's true.
"Why?"
Because I wanted to spend time with – was coerced by Draco Malfoy. "I needed to get a book."
"A book?" Harry was still looking at her closely, not fully believing her.
His stare was unnerving Hermione and she knew he would see right through her. It was time to turn her 'Hermione-ness' on full blast. "It's not just any book. It's written by this muggle author, Stephenie Meyer. The series is called Twilight and I absolutely love it. The newest one came out today and I had to have it. I couldn't wait! It's about vampires – "
"Okay, okay," Harry interrupted. He knew he needed to stop her when she started talking at light speed. When Hermione got excited about a book, she would ramble on about it until his ears fell off. "Let me guess, you would have been home earlier but you couldn't wait so you ended up reading the whole thing in the bookstore." Harry shook his head, smiling at his friend.
"You know me so well," Hermione answered, smiling back. She would have been home earlier if it wasn't for that movie theater they passed by on the way back from the restaurant…
"Why is it so dark? Are you planning to kill us?" Draco whispered to Hermione as she led them into the dark theater.
"Yes," Hermione replied sarcastically. "After spending all day with you, I'm leading you into a dark cave so that you won't recognize me. Honestly!" She scoffed. "Besides, would you really ask a potential murderer that? 'Excuse me, but are you planning to kill us?' 'Why yes, I am.' 'Oh, jolly good. We're going to run away now, then. Cheerio.'"
"Merlin! It's just a simple question Granger, no need to get snarky."
"This is a movie theater where we're going to watch a movie," Hermione said in her lecture voice. "I just thought it'd be fun to do something you and Sophie have never done before. Simple enough?"
"Yes, thank you." Draco replied, matching her proper tone. "What's a movie?"
"Shut up and you'll see."
Sophie laughed at hearing 'Shut up'.
"Language, Granger, language. There are little ears present."
Seeing a movie with the Malfoys was quite the experience to say the least. Obviously they had never been to a movie theater before (or had seen a movie for that matter) so they didn't know what to expect. Draco, to Hermione's amusement, actually whipped his wand out in defense when the screen first came to life. Luckily, because it was an old matinee movie, they were pretty much the only ones in the theater. Sophie thoroughly enjoyed it and in the end Draco reluctantly admitted that he didn't find it that bad either. By the time the movie ended, it was almost time for dinner so they decided to search for a restaurant.
"Hermione?"
"Hmm?" Hermione realized Harry was still talking to her.
"I said you were out pretty early this morning. Ginny and Genevieve said they didn't even see you in the girl's dorms."
"Oh yeah," Hermione answered nonchalantly. "You know me – I had to be first in line when the bookstore opened."
"I was looking forward to today too. We never hang out anymore. I thought it'd be fun to have the old gang back together."
Hermione felt a pang of guilt at Harry's wistful tone. "Well, how about tomorrow?"
Harry's face lit up. "Sure! I suppose homework could wait until later," he said with a grin.
oOoOoOoOo
"What is it with you and the tower?"
Hermione jumped at the voice and turned around. "I think it's my subconscious trying to gain some perspective. You know, the whole the-higher-you-are-the-wider-the-view kind of thing." She said, smiling at Draco.
He felt his stomach do a funny flip. "I had fun today, Granger."
"Yeah, me too," Hermione agreed. "Thanks for inviting me," she added with another smile.
She really needs to stop doing that or my stomach will run off and join the circus.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione asked, all traces of a smile gone.
"Um, I was just thinking – do you do this a lot?" Draco asked trying to change the subject.
"Do what?"
"Go to the tower in the middle of the night."
"I should ask you the same question." Hermione's face turned pensive. "I just…have a hard time sleeping sometimes." She looked at Draco, hoping he would leave it at that. He seemed to be deep in thought and contemplating a serious decision. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head.
"Tell you what," Draco finally said. "If you ever have…a hard time sleeping, you can go to Sophie's suite."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Well it's warmer, for one thing," Draco replied. "And more comfortable. Feel free to transfigure the couch into a bed or something. Just turn it back into a couch in the morning."
They both knew that it wasn't what she was asking, but neither clarified. She didn't because she wanted to change the subject. He didn't because if he was being honest with himself, he didn't know the answer.
And so the routine began.
oOoOoOoOo
Hermione went on with her life during the day. She attended her classes, did her homework and Prefect duties, and visited Sophie.
She still hung out with Harry and Ginny (and Ron and Genevieve when it was unavoidable). For all intents and purposes, the Golden Trio – now more appropriately a quintet – was back together again. Not that anyone aside from Hermione really noticed it had fallen apart, but at least that nagging feeling Harry sometimes got was appeased. Hermione, for her part, felt herself drifting farther and farther apart from her old friends. Ron and Genevieve were, or course, a hopeless case, but even her relationships with Harry and Ginny were slowly weakening. Maybe they were all changing and growing up but as time went on, Hermione started to notice more and more things about her relationships with them. Like how, instead of being the equally balanced trio she always thought they were, Harry really was more comfortable around Ron than he was around her. And how, with the exception of caring about the same people, she and Ginny had absolutely nothing in common. It was as if she had been looking through rose-coloured glasses for years when it came to her friends and the tint was slowly being stripped away. As time went on, Hermione felt more and more out of place. Ron and Genevieve aside, it was also hard not to feel like a third wheel when she was around Harry and Ginny. Things were a bit better when she was alone with Harry but she knew she couldn't be selfish and keep him to herself. Similarly, she still had a good relationship with Ginny but because they were so different, it was hard for them to really develop a strong bond – which is not to say that Harry or Ginny were bad people and Hermione hated them. It was actually quite the opposite and that's what made it so hard. Out of place or not, she still cared a great deal about them and she knows that they cared about her too. They, Harry especially, were still an essential part of her and she would not be the same without them. So she persevered through the awkwardness. There's also something to be said about the security of old friends which made Hermione want to hold on to them for as long as possible.
Throughout all this, Hermione had not forgotten about Cedric. She still thought about him but as time went on, it hurt less and less to do so. Sometimes, she would still catch herself watching the Hufflepuff table, trying to spot his brown hair or infectious smile. Her heart still quickened when approaching hallway corners or deserted classrooms expecting Cedric to pull her aside for a quick kiss and to tell her he loved her. And time can only do so much. She still had moments where it got so bad she would break down in Myrtle's bathroom. Her heart would feel like a thousand Hippogriffs were stamping on it with the pain of losing him. She would feel as cold as if a hundred Dementors surrounded her. During those times, she would cast strong silencing charms around the bathroom and cry her soul out. After being hit by a nasty burning charm after she told Hermione to 'go have a fit somewhere else', Moaning Myrtle learned to stay away from the bathroom when Hermione was in there. Hermione still had nightmares about Cedric's death at night, and as per the new arrangement, she now went to Sophie's suite instead of the Astronomy Tower.
It would be so late that Sophie would be asleep, so Hermione would come in, cast the one-way silencing spell Draco taught her, and transfigure the couch into a sofa bed. There was always a roaring fire in the living room which Hermione suspected Draco leaves for her benefit. Sometimes, Hermione would arrive to find Draco still there, working on homework or reading a book. When that happened they would talk well into the night. One of them would make tea or conjure butterbeer and they would discuss anything and everything – school, books, current events, history, their parents, even their childhood. Hermione would talk about what it's like to grow up in the muggle world and Draco would talk about what it's like to grow up in the wizarding world. Over time, they got to know each other better and they were surprised to find that they enjoyed each other's company. Hermione liked being able to discuss subjects like ancient runes and arithmancy with someone who was just as interested. She also liked having someone who challenged her ideas instead of just accepting them as fact simply because she was the one who said it. Draco enjoyed their banter and found it refreshing to talk to someone who can actually keep up with him. The two grew very comfortable around each other. Naturally, they learned to trust each other. Consciously or not, they became each other's confidantes. Both recognized that the other was just as screwed up as they were and had just as many issues. As a result, they were able to say anything without feeling like they were being judged or expected to be perfect. Hermione told him about the Head Girl Fiasco (he was, after all, involved in the aftermath) and Draco told her just how much of a role Voldemort played in controlling his life. By an unspoken agreement, some things were still off limits. Hermione never told him about Cedric and Draco never told her about what happened in the Manor after she escaped with the locket.
Early in the morning, Hermione would sneak back into Gryffindor Tower and pretend to wake up with everybody else. She was proud to say that she was becoming quite good at it. All those years of sneaking around with Harry and Ron now became quite useful.
oOoOoOoOo
"So my sister's birthday is on Tuesday."
"Right, she's turning five. Any big plans?" Hermione asked.
It was another night in Sophie's suite. As always, Hermione was glad to find that Draco was still there when she arrived.
"Actually, my mother's coming for a visit on Sunday," Draco answered. "We're planning to have a little party for her. You should come."
"Me?" Hermione asked in disbelief.
"Of course," Draco said. "It would mean a lot to Sophie. She'd be so disappointed if you weren't there. Besides, my mother knows all about you."
"All about me?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrow with a smile.
"Well you know what I mean – the whole befriending Sophie bit."
"And she doesn't mind that a mudblood is friends with her children?" Hermione asked seriously.
"That was a low blow Granger," Draco said in frustration. "You know we're past all that crap."
"I know." Hermione sighed. "It's just, it's your mother. She's this amazing woman who's done so much. I mean, that night in the Manor, with the locket –. " She paused. "Plus, all her life she's been taught to look down on people like me. I have to admit, I'm a bit intimidated."
Draco leaned forward and took her hands in his. "She already adores you," he told her earnestly. "She's grateful to you for taking care of Sophie when we were gone and for being friends with her. Anyone who can love that little brat is good in my mother's book."
Hermione laughed.
"Besides, you were pretty great in the Manor yourself," Draco added. He held Hermione's gaze. "That and you gave her prat of a son a chance instead of judging him outright."
"Well, the prat's habit of saving my life might have something to do with it," Hermione answered.
"Don't worry, so much. It's just going to be us," Draco reassured her. "Well, and Snape of course," he added with a smirk.
"Of course."
oOoOoOoOo
The night before Sophie's party, Hermione decided to not even try to sleep in her dorm. As soon as the other girls were asleep, she grabbed her stuff and headed for Sophie's room.
"What is all that?" Draco asked upon seeing Hermione walk in with an overflowing box.
"These, Mr. Malfoy, are supplies." Hermione answered.
"Supplies for what?" Draco took the box off her hands and placed it on the floor.
"The party tomorrow, of course."
"Don't be silly Granger, it's just us. Dobby and the house elves have prepared some food, we'll eat a nice meal, and Sophie will open her presents."
"That doesn't sound like much fun for a five year old birthday party," Hermione mused.
"And you're an expert at these things? Aww, have you only been invited to birthday parties for little kids?" Draco asked jokingly, earning a glare from Hermione.
"I'll have you know, Gryffindors throw the wildest parties in this castle." Hermione retorted.
"That's because you haven't been to a Slytherin one," Draco countered with a smirk. "So what did you have in mind, O wise one?"
"First we bake a cake."
"Bake? Why not just let the house elves do that?"
"Quit whining. House elves don't always have to do everything. Don't you want to do something for your sister?"
"I already got her a present. Speaking of which, what did you get her?"
"It's a surprise."
Twenty minutes later Draco and Hermione were well under way.
"So you just stir the batter like this," Hermione said showing Draco the technique. "You try."
Draco turned the spoon a few times. "Like this?" He asked Hermione.
"No," Hermione answered. She stepped closer beside him and grabbed his hand. "Deeper and more even strokes," she said guiding Draco's hand around the bowl.
Draco was finding it difficult to concentrate. She was so close he could smell the flowery shampoo in her hair and the vanilla that clung to her from baking. He was getting heady from the scent.
"Like this?" He asked, turning to her, his voice a low whisper. Mere inches separated their faces from each other.
"Yes," Hermione answered softly. She slowly let go of his hand. "Just keep doing that until the batter is smooth and you don't see any lumps," she instructed, turning away quickly to hide her growing blush. "I'll um, I'll start on making the icing."
oOoOoOoOo
Finally the cake was finished to their satisfaction. It was a two-tiered chocolate cake wrapped in pink fondant which Hermione further decorated with yellow and white flowers.
"Okay I think that's it," Hermione declared proudly. "Now we have to clean all this up."
"Clean up? Really? C'mon, can't we let Dobby do it?" Draco's voice was bordering on a whine.
"Spoiled brat," Hermione muttered. Suddenly, she felt something flick on her face. "What was that?" She asked reaching up to the spot. Flour. She looked up to find Draco smirking.
"I am not," Draco declared, flicking more flour at Hermione. "A spoiled brat."
"Oh you did not just do that Malfoy," Hermione said with a mischievous grin of her own. She threw some flour back at him and a flour fight broke out.
Hermione was hiding behind the couch when she felt arms grab her from behind.
"Gotcha!" Draco started tickling her. "Say you're sorry, Granger," he said pinning her down on the floor.
Hermione shook her head, laughing. Draco intensified his attack. Hermione was laughing so hard, she was starting to run out of breath.
"Stop!"
This time Draco shook his head with mirth and continued to tickle her.
"Draco!" Hermione screamed.
Draco stopped. His name falling from her lips stunned him. She had never said his name without disdain before, and he liked it. He couldn't help but think that he would love to hear her scream it again for a different reason. He searched her face, looking for something. He knew he was making a big deal out of nothing. But hearing her say his name was different somehow; important to him. Sure she didn't hate him anymore but Malfoy was his father's son – the evil prat, the future Death Eater, heir and slave to the Malfoy name. Draco, was his own. Draco had no past, no reputation, no associations attached to it. He could make it mean whatever he wanted to. She made him want to make it mean something good, something great. All that from the first time she said his name. Merlin, what is this girl doing to him?
Hermione, too stopped laughing after her outburst. The silence was tangible save for their heavy breathing. She looked at him as he searched her face, waiting for him to get mad at her. Grey met brown as she looked deeply into his eyes, their depths swirling with an intense, unknown emotion. When Draco gently reached up to brush some flour off her cheek and she shivered, Hermione decided to end whatever this was.
"We have to finish cleaning up," she whispered softly. Just like that, the spell was broken.
oOoOoOoOo
Hermione awoke feeling strange but comfortable, with an odd weight around her midsection. She slowly opened her eyes to find her face buried in the crook of someone's neck. Suddenly, the memories of last night dawned on her – baking the cake, the flour fight that followed, and the break they decided to take by the fireplace.
We must've fallen asleep.
Hermione moved her head back and found Draco's sleeping face. She realized that his arm was wrapped around her. Without knowing why, she found herself gazing mesmerized at his face, studying the high angles of his cheekbones, the way his hair fell unkempt across his closed eyes, and his full lips. Hermione felt warmth radiate from her chest at the same time that a shiver went through her. Listening to him breathe, she hadn't felt so secure in a long time. With that came another realization to her sense of peace.
No dreams. For the first time since her encounter with Voldemort, Hermione's sleep was uninterrupted by nightmares. While relieved, that realization also terrified her. She slowly turned away from Draco's face and tried to get up but his grip simply tightened. Not wanting to wake him, Hermione had no choice but to stay still in her current position looking up at the ceiling and hope that he'd wake up soon. She didn't have to wait long.
The first thing Draco noticed was the warmth. He didn't think he'd ever been that warm in his lifetime and it wasn't bad. Despite his usually cold surroundings, Draco had been under the most luxurious duvets in the world, improved by spells to keep him comfortable. But this was a different warmth, a different comfort. Better.
The second thing he noticed was the scent. A light combination of a floral and vanilla scent he tried to recognize. In an effort to do so, he slowly opened his eyes. What he found was a mass of brown.
Oh.
As with Hermione, he remembered what happened and where they were. He realized his arm was around her and he didn't quite know what to do. All he knew was that he wanted to stay that way. He looked past her hair and found Hermione staring at the ceiling. It didn't look like she had realized he was awake yet, allowing him a few moments to look at her face. She must have felt him staring because she looked down after a while, meeting his eyes.
"Good morning," she greeted softly. Her smile would be his undoing.
"Good morning," he answered just as quietly. Not a bad way to wake up.
Suddenly, she sat up.
"Merlin!" Hermione exclaimed. "What time is it?"
"Eight thirty." Draco answered, looking at his watch.
"The party!" They both exclaimed.
"Crap!" Hermione said, standing up to survey the room. "Your mother is coming in less than three hours and this place is a mess!"
While the cake was sitting prettily on the table, the rest of the suite was not quite up to snuff. Decorations were only half up, inflated balloons were thrown haphazardly everywhere, and there was flour all over the place including the walls.
Hermione started wringing her hands. "We have to clean this up, decorate, and change and get ready. We won't have time."
Draco grinned. A freaked out Granger was always fun to watch. He grabbed her shoulders and gently shook her. "Calm down, okay? We can get this done. Breathe. Ready?"
She nodded.
oOoOoOoOo
Narcissa Malfoy was excited. She always prided herself in being cool and composed and she hadn't been excited in years. But today, she was exactly that. Excited. After 7 unbearable months, she would finally get to see her daughter. Oh, how she must've grown! How much has she changed? Is she well? The last question she knew the answer to. Of course, Sophie was well – Draco was looking after her.
Draco. It would be nice to see him again and under better circumstances. She knew he had been through hell and back the last time he was at the manor. It pained her greatly to see the things they made him do. It was excruciating to see how much it affected him. To his credit, he never let anyone see how he felt. But she was his mother. She knew him. She knew just how much that girl's death tore him up inside. Oh she knew about that. Despite being confined to her private quarters most of the time, Narcissa knew everything that went on under her roof. So many times she wanted to go to his room and hold him. Comfort him. Protect him. But she didn't. She knew it wouldn't help either of them. It would only make things worse. Thankfully he inherited the Black stubbornness. Draco was strong. She knew that. He wasn't a little boy anymore but he was still growing. And if his letters were anything to go by, he's currently experiencing another milestone in his life - one involving a Ms. Hermione Granger. He just didn't know it yet.
To be honest, the Granger girl was a large reason for her excitement. Narcissa was quite interested to finally meet the exceptional witch who's managed to change her children's lives. Oh, they've met of course, at various points in time but they had never met under proper circumstances with the opportunity to actually talk and get to know each other. She had to admit, she was quite intrigued. She knew all about the girl's reputation of course – brightest witch of her age, Harry Potter's muggleborn best friend, etc. Dumbledore's praises were also not lost on Narcissa. But even if she had never heard anything about the girl, her stunt in the Manor surely caught Narcissa's attention and admiration. And now, putting all that aside, Narcissa was intrigued to find out more about the girl that occupied a large chunk of her son's letters.
So after telling Lucius that she would be visiting a friend in France for the day, Narcissa took the floo to France (so her steps would not be traced) and proceeded to floo to Hogwarts.
"Ah Narcissa! Good morning!" Albus Dumbledore greeted the Malfoy matriarch as she stepped out of his fireplace.
"Good morning, Dumbledore."
"Well, let's not keep them waiting. Shall we?"
oOoOoOoOo
"Mum!" Sophie immediately ran and gave her mother a big hug when she saw her come through the door. Narcissa picked her up and returned the hug.
"Oh, my Sophie!" Narcissa exclaimed, willing herself not to cry. She reluctantly put her daughter down. "My, how you've grown!" She said with a smile. "You're so tall now!"
"I know. It's because I'm five now," Sophie said proudly. "Soon I'll be as big as Drake."
"You're not five yet Izzy," Draco teased. "Your real birthday's not till Tuesday."
Sophie stuck her tongue out in response.
"Children," Narcissa said warningly though she was smiling.
"Hi," Draco greeted his mother sheepishly.
"Draco, dear," Narcissa said pulling him in for a hug. "How are you?" she asked seriously.
"Good," he replied. "You?"
"Alright given the circumstances."
"Mother," Draco began.
"No, Draco. I'm alright. Really. Don't worry about me okay?" Narcissa said reassuringly. "Now let's not ruin your sister's party." She stepped back, allowing Draco and Sophie to greet Dumbledore.
"Now, is everyone here?" Narcissa asked after greeting Snape.
"Hermione's not here yet," Sophie answered.
As if on cue, Hermione walked into the room after having changed into a casual dress.
"Hermione!" Sophie ran to greet her guest.
"Happy Birthday Sophie!" Hermione greeted, giving the little girl a hug and handing her a small wrapped gift. She stood up to face the others in the room.
Narcissa did not miss her son's awed gaze when Hermione walked into the room. Nor did Narcissa miss the blush that graced the girl's pretty face when their eyes met.
"Draco." Hermione greeted.
"Hermione."
Hermione blushed at hearing him speak her name. She felt herself wanting to hear him say it again.
Narcissa nudged her son. "Oh." Draco coughed. "Mother, I'd like you to meet, Ms. Hermione Granger."
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Malfoy," Hermione greeted graciously, extending her hand.
"Please, call me Narcissa," Narcissa said with a smile, shaking her hand. "I'm delighted to have you here Ms. Granger."
"Hermione, please." Hermione answered. "Professor Snape," she greeted upon noticing him.
"Ms. Granger," he answered with a nod.
Hermione was surprised to see Dumbledore there. "Hello Professor Dumbledore."
"Hello Ms. Granger," he answered with a broad smile. "I commend you on the decorations. They're quite festive. Well done."
"Thank you," Hermione said blushing. "Draco helped too."
"Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "I didn't know decorating was one of your hidden talents."
"I just followed Hermione's orders sir," Draco replied. "I didn't really have a choice. She can be quite bossy when she wants to be," he added smirking at Hermione.
"Draco!" Narcissa admonished.
Dumbledore laughed. "Intelligent move, Mr. Malfoy. Ms. Granger's instructions are always worth carrying out."
"I wouldn't go that far, sir." Hermione interjected with a modest smile.
"Neither would I," Snape agreed.
"Now, Severus, it's all in good fun," Dumbledore said laughing. "Who else is hungry?"
After eating a delicious lunch, Hermione and Draco brought out the cake. Sophie was delighted with the pink confection decorated with yellow and white flowers. She was even happier when she discovered that it was a chocolate cake after blowing out her candles. Needing to get back to work, Snape and Dumbledore bid their goodbyes after having some cake. After they left, Sophie opened her presents. Snape got her a small cauldron and potions set so she can "brew" her own "potions". To Narcissa's relief, she discovered that the cauldron is spelled to only be able to make delicious, harmless, juice drinks in a variety of bright colors. Dumbledore, to Sophie's delight, gave her a mini Hogwarts uniform complete with a cloak with the Hogwarts crest on it instead of a specific house.
"Now I can look like you!" Sophie exclaimed to Hermione with a smile.
Narcissa got Sophie a lot of new toys, clothes, and a pygmy puff to keep her company. Sophie immediately loved it and named it "Alby" because she thought it looked as funny as the headmaster. Draco's present was nothing short of brilliant. He gave Sophie what looked like a mini Pensieve. However, instead of memories, it would hold Sophie's thoughts – more specifically, her imaginings. He explained that since Sophie had a great imagination, he thought that this would be a great way for her to store the stories she was always creating. Later on, she could revisit these stories, much like a memory in a Pensieve, and see it come to life, exactly the way she saw it in her head. It was like having a notebook to write stories in, but much, much better. When Hermione learned that he had created it himself out of a basic Pensieve, she was left speechless. She knew it must have taken him months to manipulate such complex magic.
"What did you get me?"
Sophie's question reclaimed Hermione's attention. She stood up, grabbed a big wrapped box from the kitchen and brought it in front of Sophie.
"I hope you like it," Hermione said, glancing nervously at Narcissa and Draco. She thought her present would be perfect for Sophie but she wasn't sure if the rest of her family would approve of something so muggle.
Sophie eagerly opened the big box to reveal two strange looking things. "What is it?"
"It's a televison and a DVD player."
"What do they do?"
"Do you remember the day we went to the movie theater?"
Sophie nodded with a big smile.
"These let you watch movies in your own room."
Sophie's eyes went wide. "But I don't have any movies," she said after a moment.
"Where's the little present I handed to you earlier?"
Sophie eagerly ran to get it and opened it to find a DVD of The Little Mermaid.
"Is it –? "she looked at Hermione.
"Yes, it's the same story that we read," Hermione confirmed. "In fact, a lot of fairytales have been made into movies."
"Awesome," Sophie breathed with a broad grin. "Thanks Hermione!"
"You're welcome," Hermione said giving her a hug.
"Can we watch it now?"
Hermione looked questioningly at Narcissa and Draco.
"Go ahead, dear, it's your party," Narcissa said with a smile.
After setting things up in Sophie's bedroom, Hermione stepped out to give the family some time and started the clean up. However, Narcissa followed her out soon after.
"Thank you for the wonderful party dear," Narcissa said as she handed Hermione some tea.
"It was no problem Mrs. Mal – Narcissa," Hermione amended at Narcissa's warning look. "I had lots of help."
"Yes," Narcissa chuckled. "How you ever made Draco do chores is a feat in itself. You have to teach me some of your techniques."
Hermione laughed in response. She watched the brother and sister through the open door of Sophie's room. Narcissa followed her gaze.
"I hope the gift was alright," Hermione said.
"Yes, it was very thoughtful of you," Narcissa assured her. "In fact, you and Draco complement each other quite well." Hermione choked on her drink. Narcissa went on as if nothing happened but she inwardly smirked. "His gift makes Sophie's own stories come to life, while yours makes her favorite stories come to life. I guess great minds really do think alike."
oOoOoOoOo
"So, how did it go?"
A few weeks after Sophie's party, Draco and Hermione were discussing that morning's Career Fair in one of their late night talks. Hogwarts hosted an annual Career Fair for sixth years in order to help them pick the right prerequisite courses for their seventh year.
"Alright, I think," Hermione answered. "Harry forced me to look at the Auror booth with him. The guy practically fell all over himself trying to give Harry information." She laughed. Draco scowled. "You?"
"Okay I guess," Draco answered.
"Did you check out the architecture booth?" Hermione asked. A couple of weeks ago, Hermione came across some of Draco's sketches and she thought they were quite good. Eventually, she noticed that some of them were of Sophie's suite. When she asked him about it, he confessed that he helped design Sophie's suite and helped Dumbledore decide on what charms to put in place. Knowing his talent with manipulating and creating charms (case in point: Sophie's gift), Hermione suggested that he might like magical architecture, wherein the architect was responsible for not only the structure itself but the charms that protected and enhanced it.
"Yeah."
"And?"
"It was quite interesting," Draco replied. "There are a couple of good schools I'm interested in and I've made appointments to tour them this summer."
"That's great," Hermione said with a smile.
"How about you? How did it go at the booth?"
Hermione knew what booth he was talking about. She recounted what happened earlier that day.
"Well, as soon as the Auror guy captured Harry's attention, I made a beeline for the booth."
As with the Auror department, various Ministry of Magic departments had their own booths set up. Hermione headed for Foreign and External Affairs.
"How can I help you dear?" A plump, middle aged woman was manning the booth.
"Hi, I'm Hermione Granger."
"Matilda Bagin," the lady replied, shaking Hermione's hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you too. I'm interested in becoming an ambassador someday," Hermione answered.
"That's great! It's a great department. Interesting, too. You get to travel everywhere, meet lots of different people, learn about other cultures. Fascinating."
"That's exactly why I want to be part of it," Hermione said with a smile.
The two continued their discussion for some time.
"You should try out for our internship program. You actually get to work with our ambassadors: shadowing them, assisting them, and attending meetings with them. You really get to see and do everything. It's quite prestigious – only one student from each school gets to go. It gets pretty competitive."
"Sounds like a great opportunity."
"It is. It really is. What do your parents do?"
"They're dentists."
"Dentists? As in muggle?" Matilda asked incredulously.
"Yes, I'm muggleborn."
"Oh." Matilda's face fell.
That moment, Genevieve walked up to the booth.
"Excuse me," Genevieve greeted.
Matilda, grateful for the interruption, turned to her. "Matilda Bagin, what can I do for you?" she greeted extending her arm.
"Genevieve Harrington," Genevieve replied accepting the handshake.
At the mention of her last name, Matilda's face lit up. "Harrington? Are you by any chance related to the Harrington broom makers?"
"Yes," Genevieve replied with a broad smile. "George Harrington is my father."
Excited, Matilda started to discuss the booth with Genevieve, Hermione clearly forgotten. Before they got too far, Hermione decided to interrupt.
"So how do I apply for the internship?" she asked trying to reclaim Matilda's attention.
"Here, here," Matilda absentmindedly reached underneath and handed Hermione a stack of forms. "Here is the application form," she said without glancing at Hermione. She continued to talk to Genevieve.
Exasperated and a bit disappointed, Hermione walked away. As she did, she heard Genevieve say, "Internship? What internship?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Matilda gesture excitedly with her hands and heard Matilda reply "Oh, it's a great program. You'd be perfect for it!"
Hermione sighed as she finished her story.
Draco was silent for a moment. He could see how much the encounter bothered her. "You're still going for it, right?"
"What?"
"The internship, of course!"
"I don't know if there's any point."
"Come on, it's a great opportunity! What was it? Ninety –? "
"99% of interns get hired in the department after they finished school and a lot of them move up to become ambassadors. Over 3 in 4 ambassadors were once interns in the program," Hermione said in a flat tone.
"Exactly! You can't let an opportunity like this slide," Draco insisted.
"You heard what happened."
"Yeah but that lady was what? An assistant?"
"Secretary to the Russian ambassador."
"Whatever. Point is, she doesn't make the decisions so who cares what she thinks."
"Yeah, but what if she's not the only one who thinks that?" Hermione asked.
"Well, you'll never know unless you try."
"But Genevieve's applying too," Hermione added.
Draco inwardly sighed. He knew how insecure Hermione felt around the WonderBitch. Honestly, he didn't know why. Hermione was leagues above the pampered Pureblood. He knew her kind – Genevieve had her mother's social climbing techniques down to a tee. Unfortunately, the rest of the world didn't see it that way. He would never let Hermione know that though. And he'd be damned if he let her give up the opportunity of a lifetime without a fight.
"I'm sure she just did that to annoy you," Draco reassured her. "They'd be crazy not to pick you. Believe me, I'm an expert at Pureblood airheads."
oOoOoOoOo
Hermione surreptitiously looked over at the Slytherin table over breakfast and smirked. Draco had not made an appearance yet. What a lightweight.
She had received an invitation to be interviewed for the internship the day before and when she told Draco last night, they decided to celebrate over Firewhisky. Hermione, of course, had her fair share from Gryffindor parties. Slytherin parties, it seemed, were not quite as wild as Draco made them out to be.
She smiled as she thought of how her life was finally coming together. She got over losing the Head Girl position and had accepted her place at Hogwarts. She learned how to juggle and handle her relationships better, strengthening her friendships with Harry, Ginny, and Draco. She even rekindled her friendships with Luna and Neville, finding them better company than most people give them credit for. The ministry took her application seriously enough to grant her an interview and now her dreams are becoming closer to her reach.
The sound of ruffling wings pulled Hermione from her thoughts. She looked up to find the flurry of owls delivering the morning mail. Once she got her copy of the Daily Prophet, Hermione was surprised when another owl came to give her a letter.
Upon opening it, Hermione recognized her mother's handwriting at once. She read through the letter, dread filling her soul. She felt her stomach fall to the floor when she reached the end of the letter. She had to stop herself from letting out a strangled cry. She could feel tears well up and burn the back of her eyes and she knew she needed to get out of there before someone saw. Pretending she forgot a book in her room, Hermione ran out of the Great Hall and into the hallway.
oOoOoOoOo
Draco woke up feeling like his head was a bludger in a giant's quidditch game. Summoning a hangover potion (Thank you Blaise), he quickly downed it and felt much better. Noticing the time, he hurried to put himself together and get some breakfast.
He was hurrying down the hallway, spurred on by his rumbling stomach, when he collided with someone.
"Hey! Watch where you're – Hermione?" The sneer fell away from his face when he realized who it was.
Unlike her exuberant mood last night, Hermione looked like death warmed over. She was pale and shaking and Draco could tell she was trying hard not to cry. Worried, Draco looked around to see if anyone saw them and finding no one, pulled her into an empty classroom.
"Hey," he said softly. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Hermione looked up and seeing that it was Draco, she collapsed into him, hanging onto his robes for dear life. Draco instantly put him arms around her. Sobs wracked her body as she completely broke down, her tears drenching Draco's shirt. Draco held her tightly as he gently rubbed her back in an effort to comfort her, letting her cry everything out without a word.
Eventually, Hermione calmed down and Draco gently tilted up her face to his.
"What happened?" He asked quietly.
Silent tears were still streaming down Hermione's face. "I have to leave Hogwarts, forever."
A/N: Phew! Over 7,000 words! An extra long chapter to make up for my lack of updates. It's weird how my updates were more regular when I actually had school. I suppose it was because I wasn't at home so I could actually write in my spare time without being reprimanded for being unproductive. Anyway, hopefully this was alright. I know it's a bit of a change from my other chapters where I focus on one specific moment or day. I had to do it though to keep the story moving. Thanks for sticking with me! Let me know what you think =)
In other news, what did you think of HBP? Wasn't it absolutely epic?! Who wanted to give Tom a hug? I always want to give him one lol, but during the movie especially. And so much eye candy - is it just me or is everyone in that movie gorgeous? Oh and are we supposed to love Cormac that much?