A/N: This is the chapter that explains almost all weird things in this story - Draco's reasons, George's weird OOC behaviour and things like that. If you liked that Drarry thing in the last chapter - I'm sorry I'm not really going to write more about that, after all this is not a Drarry fic. If you didn't like it then don't worry, not too much gayness to come.

Chapter XIX

Draco was still in deep shock. Two weeks have passed since THE day. He still couldn't name the actual act, even in the privacy of his own thoughts. He haven't seen Potter (he still couldn't say "Harry" - it sounded somehow foreign in his mind) since then and he was rather glad for that. He didn't think he could face the man in the current state of things. He was still unsure as to what exactly made him do what he did. He could blame it solely on the pure need to get some reaction from his nemesis, but even he wasn't stupid enough to think that THIS was the absolutely best way to do it.

He couldn't deny that he did feel something. It was like electricity, like a thunder, like something he never felt before. Maybe because you never did it with a guy before... Oh shut up brain, just shut up.

He never really doubted his preferences. He never really had a girlfriend either. At school he was too busy with schoolwork and the Dark Lord, and afterwards he was to busy with getting his reputation back and running the legal office. He didn't even doubt them when he stole Pansy's Playwitch one day when he was bored - he always thought it was just out of curiosity - completely normal. It was bad luck that Weasel just had to appear on the Astronomy Tower that day and see him with the magazine. He started to make fun of his "queer tendencies" as he called it and didn't want to hear any of what Draco had to say about the matter. He just had to obliviate the guy, no one could blame him for that, or could they? Well, what's done is done...

Even though Weasley had no recollection of that day, Draco still felt the need to get back at him, he still felt as if Ron knew somewhere deep down, as if he still made fun of him with just looking at him. Well he did get back at him, he has finally gotten his revenge. Now he had different matters to think about.

George and Hermione soon forgot about the Ron-Draco matter altogether. They had much better things to do. They were finally happy and it seemed as if nothing could ever disturb them. It wasn't until late May that something out of ordinary happened.

They were sitting by the fireplace as usual. Fireball who was very happy to have her mistress back was sleeping heavily on Hermione's knees while she was petting the soft ginger fur. They looked like a perfect little family when a lightning flashed right outside their window and they heard a loud thunder. Rain started to fall at such speed that when Hermione jumped to close the nearest window she saw that Diagon Alley was rapidly turning into a Diagon River. After she closed all the windows she went to the couch and sat next to George.

"You could've helped me with the windows you know, there was a puddle on our bedroom floor, luckily I vanished it before it destroyed the carpet... George? George?" Only when he didn't answer did she notice that his eyes were closed and he was trembling. "George? Hun, what's happening? George?" She was getting really frightened now. What's going on? God, George, what's happening to you? Then it dawned on her that maybe he's afraid of the storm. What to do, what to do? Then she remembered "My mum always used to give me cocoa when..." When there was a storm perhaps? She ran to the kitchen and made some hot cocoa. She sat on the couch again and gave him her favourite mug with the orange cat. "Here, sweetheart, maybe this will help you" He managed to take the mug from her and looked at her gratefully. She snuggled closer to him, covered them with a blanket and put her hands over his ears. Her mother used to do that when she was little and afraid of the thunder. Se grew out of that fear... Why didn't he?

The storm slowly went away and they fell asleep in front of the now cold fireplace. Hermione decided to inquire him about it the next day.

She was very reluctant to ask since he didn't really say anything about the previous night, but she just had to know, call it her Hermioneness or whatever but she just had to, her curiousity was getting better of her. Curiosity and worry, what if it happened again?

"About last night..." She started quietly. He took a deep breath. She waited not wanting to push it. After a moment he started talking.

He was six, maybe seven. Fred was sick with flu and was sleeping upstairs. Mother and father had to go for some ministry function and they left them at home with a nanny. A very old one. They always liked her because she used to fall asleep right after she came and wake up right before their parents return. They thought she had some kind of charm to warn her beforehand. That night there was a storm, and they had to take the loundry from the rack that was outside before it started raining. They quickly did rock paper scissors to decide who would get the "honour". It was him that time. He didn't have time to dress because the rain was getting heavier so he run out of the house and collected the laundry. When he tried to get back to the house the door was locked. He pounded on the door but no one answered. He run to the window to see his other brothers on the other side. They were laughing at him and told him that they are very sorry but it seems that they're unable to open the door at that time and to try again later. He ran to his father's shack in the garden and hid there with the laundry. The rain was leaking through the roof of the shack, it was cold, dark and uncomfortable. The lightnings were flashing outside illuminating small parts of the room, creating weird, scary shadows on the walls. He was sitting with his knees close to his chest and trembling. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't see the shadows but he could still hear the thunder and he jumped every time the noise echoed through the night.

He only remembered being picked up by his father and being given a mug of hot cocoa from his mother. She was seething. He never saw her so angry before. His brothers were grounded for weeks after that day and she made them to be at his every whim, the regretted their actions very much... They didn't know that what they did was about to change his entire life. Ever since that day the only person he could fully trust was Fred, since he didn't have anything to do with their prank, being sick and all. He was haunted by the memories of that night everytime there was a storm. His mother always gave him cocoa and tried to soothe him. She always took him to the kitchen and cooked while he was sipping his hot cocoa. This is probably why he loved cooking so much. He always thought it was his mother's way to calm him, so he started to associate cooking with being calm and content. Ever since that incident he couldn't stand to be alone. He was afraid of the feeling of emptiness and fear when being alone.

"That's why I couldn't stand the thought of living alone... It may seem childish, my childish fears, but for me, they're very real, even now... It was the worst night of my life." His shoulders were hunched and he wasn't looking at her instead trying to burn hole through the table. She stood up and hugged him from the back.

"It's not childish... During moments like that... Just remember that I love you, and that I'll be here with warm cocoa in tow." She kissed his cheek and buried her nose in his ginger hair. It smelled nice.

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me." He whispered.

"I know." She gave the back of his head a grin and kissed his cheek again hugging him from the back as hard as she could.

"Marry me." Came another soft whisper. Hermione felt a familiar tightening in her groin and tears started welling up in her eyes. Even though he wasn't even looking at her, he didn't kneel before her and neither did he present her with a huge diamond ring, this was the most romantic proposal she could think of, just like that, with him sitting at the kitchen table, with her hugging him from the back. It was perfect, he was perfect, they were perfect. She cried.

"Of course." To him, it sounded like the most romantic reply.

~ End of Chapter XIX ~