Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine :D
A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update! I had some important business yesterday and I went hope quite late and tired already. I wasn't able to finish typing the review responses yesterday so there. It's here, anyway. I do hope that everyone will enjoy.
So, without further ado, I now present to you the thirteenth chapter of Only a Pretense. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen: Surprise Visitor
"Umm… Professor?"
Hermione took a peek inside the Headmaster's office. Her eyes landed on the aged man behind his desk, obviously busy as he scribbled important things on his parchment.
Dumbledore looked up from his work and smiled at the brunette. "Miss Granger, what a pleasant surprise," he greeted, placing his quill inside the ink bottle. "Please do come in."
"Umm…" she mumbled, gently closing the door. She strode towards his desk and sat down when he gestured on the chair across from him. "Ah… I'm sorry for suddenly intruding. I assume that you're busy." She timidly ruffled her hair, eyes downcast. "Uh… I should have told you through a letter or something." She paused, gulped, and then suddenly shot up from her seat. "I'm sorry! I'm going to go back next time! Please excuse me."
Hermione scuffled towards the door, her cheeks inflamed with discomfiture. Professor Dumbledore, on the other hand, stared at his obviously frazzled student in amusement.
"Miss Granger, I'm perfectly free," he said, halting Hermione in her steps. She sheepishly turned around to look at him. "Please. Do come back and sit down. Allow me to finish this letter I have to urgently send to the Minister of Magic."
"Oh no, Professor, I'll just…"
"Miss Granger," he repeated once again, a look of finality on his face. Hermione faltered and then frowned, finally following the orders of the Headmaster.
She resumed her position on the chair across from his and was silent the whole time.
It took exactly thirty minutes before Dumbledore finished writing the letter. He excused himself to seal his letter and send it off to the Minister.
When he came back, Hermione was noticeably nervous. "Is there something bothering you, Miss Granger?" he asked. "You were silent the whole time. And…" He looked at his watch. "It's lunchtime. I believe you are supposed to be eating in the Great Hall right now."
"Ah," she started whilst intertwining her hands. "Um… do you want me to go back?"
Dumbledore released a soft chuckle, his eyes twinkling brighter than before. "Something is obviously bothering my student. The least I can do is to listen to her," he assured. He also intertwined his fingers and placed his chin on top. "Please, if you are ready to talk, do so."
Hermione fidgeted on her seat, cursing herself for suddenly deciding to intrude into the Headmaster's office just to ask a bloody, silly question. She nervously bit her bottom lip, diffident eyes firmly glued on the professor. "Um… I was wondering, professor…"
"Yes, Miss Granger?" he encouraged. He voiced out his curiosity.
"Err…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I was just wondering… what the real reason why Draco Malfoy changed sides was!" She said the last part in a total rush Professor Dumbledore almost did not catch it. Almost.
Hermione's cheeks instantly inflamed after asking her question and she looked away, embarrassed. "I… I mean, he's my roommate and all… probably an acquaintance? ('Yeah right, he's so gonna kill you if he heard that.') And I think it's just right if I knew more about the people I deem necessary for my mission to succeed."
Dumbledore was beyond amused now, although he hid it from the brunette. "Mister Malfoy, you ask?" he said, a thoughtful look settling on his face. "Why suddenly ask that, Miss Granger?"
The brunette blushed deeper and she looked away. "Err… li-like what I've said, I think it is important to know more about the people I deem necessary for my mission to succeed," she repeated, a small pout now gracing her features. "I… I mean, I think it will be… um… easier to interact with Draco Malfoy if I know something about his… personal life."
"You do realize that you could have asked Mister Malfoy himself, right, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked, and smiled in amusement as Hermione bristled on her chair.
"B-but, Professor!" she stuttered aloud. "He'll be undoubtedly furious if I suddenly poked into his personal business. A-and besides, if he discovered that I know that he's a spy for you, he'll ask questions about where the heck I learned that valuable information. I will have no choice but to confess that I am Hermione Granger and that will blow my cover!"
After her little tirade, Professor Dumbledore released a soft chuckle. "Of course, I know that all," he informed.
Hermione made a face on her seat, unable to repress a glare. She respected teachers with all of her heart. After all, it was extremely hard to teach teenagedstudents. But sometimes, Hermione couldn't help but think that some were turning… unbearable at times (Just look at Professor Trelawney).
'Is he fooling around with me?' she asked herself, staring at Dumbledore at the corner of her eyes. 'I swear, he's fooling around with me.'
"Miss Granger," he started, cutting her off her musings. The Headmaster leaned slightly forward, his eyes firmly fixed on Hermione. "Have you heard anything about Narcissa Malfoy?"
Hermione looked surprised. "Uh, Narcissa Malfoy?" she asked. Her eyebrows knitted together in contemplation. "Well… I know that she is Draco Malfoy's mother. I… haven't seen her for a while. The last time I saw her was during the Quidditch World Cup on the summer before the start of our fourth year. But that was it… I haven't heard anything about her since."
Dumbledore sighed, a small, forlorn smile on his face. "You are aware that Mister Malfoy changed sides last summer," he said. Hermione nodded in reply. "Exactly on the day he changed sides, he came to me in this school, distressed, to seek help."
"Did…"
"Her mother was placed under a dark curse… a curse, if not broken, will cost her life," he continued, eyes turning pensive as he reminisced that day. "It was truly a heartbreaking moment, Miss Granger. I am aware how he used to torment you and your friends before but I know that you will agree with me in saying that he's just… a boy. For him to have a dying mother was too much for his young heart."
Hermione kept on staring at her hands. "Who…" she said, voice cracking. She cleared her throat before continuing, "Who cursed Narcissa Malfoy?" In her heart, she had suspicion.
She heard Professor Dumbledore sigh, and then, he confirmed her guess. "Lucius Malfoy."
Silence ensued with some constant squawking from Fawkes, who was innocently perched on his branch.
"And so," Dumbledore started, breaking the silence, "I promised to help and protect both of them and he, in return, promised his loyalty. And now, he is acting as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix, alongside Professor Snape."
After the Headmaster's revelation, Hermione stayed silent to contemplate.
Somehow, she couldn't help but think that they shared one similarity. Both of them were willing to put themselves into danger, her being a disguised Slytherin and him being a spy for the Order, just so they could protect the most important people in their lives – their parents (well, in his case, his mother).
A small smile appeared on Hermione's face, not believing what she had just discovered. Maybe, her animosity towards her roommate slightly… diminished.
Her mind then drifted back on the time when Draco Malfoy started to boggle her. She lifted her eyes and stared straight at the Headmaster, a curious look adorning her disguised face. "Um… Professor," she started. "On the day of our last Hogsmeade day, the one where you had an appointment with Malfoy, was it something about his… mother?"
Dumbledore merely stared and Hermione realized her sudden nosiness. "Err… I'm sorry. I'm being a bit privy, now, right? It's all right if you d…"
"Yes," he said. Hermione's voice faltered and she stared back at the professor.
"Hmm… I see," was her simple reply.
'So that's the mystery behind Malfoy's sudden change of heart, eh?' Hermione asked herself, trudging in the Forbidden Forest.
She just ended her unexpected meeting with Dumbledore and she found herself having the sudden urge to visit her fake grave once again, just so she could be away from the startling turn of events in her life.
Her mind often drifted to Dumbledore's revelation and the blond himself. It was distressing indeed, as what Dumbledore had told her. He was right in saying that despite Malfoy's bullying nature, he was still a boy and for him to have a dying mother was too much for him to bear.
Hermione's mind then drifted to her parents and she was genuinely thankful they were just the way they were. She would admit that there was once a time when she couldn't help but blame them for her being a Muggle-born. That was also the time when people were still skeptical about her abilities… thinking if she was fit to be a witch or not. And so, she had proved herself by studying and striving to be crowned as the smartest witch of her age.
But her parents… they understood her anger and still forgave her. After all, that was what parents do. Hermione was so ashamed of herself and after that phase in her life, she swore that she would love her parents with all of her being and protect them from harm.
And so, on the time when Professor Dumbledore was looking for a Keeper for all of the Secrets of the Order of the Phoenix, she couldn't express the sudden fear and anxiety when her parents volunteered themselves. They had started going to the Order meetings just so they could understand more about the current situation of not only the Wizarding World but also the Muggle World. If they were well-informed, they could at least help their Muggle neighbors.
Hermione voiced out her indignation, knowing that being Keepers of Secrets was a dangerous job. Mr. Granger, the ever voice of reason, assured her that they would be fine… that they were the last person Voldemort would think of. And Hermione did the most idiotic thing she had ever done in her whole life – she relented. And so, she allowed herself to place the incantations on her parents, forever sealed from harm.
And now, look at where her stupidity and recklessness brought her – she was a bloody disguised young man named Hermes Austen and was about to visit the fake grave of Hermione Granger.
'I guess my life just got messed up more than I thought,' she said to herself. 'I mean, I knew my life would be messed up once I befriended Harry Potter… but not like this. My parents are supposed to be safe at home.'
There it was again. That word – home.
Hermione released a rueful sigh, making a silent prayer to the mighty powers above, that at the end of all these ruckus happening in her life and her friends, she still would be able to go back to a place she could call as 'home'.
'Does Malfoy call his grand Malfoy Manor… home?' she found herself asking, frowning at the mere thought.
She had seen Lucius Malfoy countless times before and she wouldn't classify him as the 'loving and caring' father type. He was cold, even colder than his son, and Hermione wondered how he acted when he was at the Malfoy Manor together with his so-called wife and so-called son.
Hermione found herself pitying her blond roommate more. Who wouldn't after discovering that he had a dying mother cursed by his bastard father? It was depressing to think that he had to undergo such trials at a tender age of seventeen. But then again, he had been living with such a father ever since he was born and Hermione wondered if there were similar instances that happened to the teenaged boy.
Unable to repress it, a sad smile formed on her face. No matter how much she looked at the angles, they were undoubtedly similar in many ways. It was enough for Hermione to thank anybody that still, someone was experiencing such trials as challenging as hers. Not that she was being sadistic or something.
The brunette then shook her head, ridding of such ridiculous thoughts in her mind. She should stop wallowing in self-pity and pityingothers. There was no time for that. Her time was limited… eight and half months to be exact. She had to already start thinking about plans she would do to save her parents.
But for now, she just wanted to visit her grave.
She was nearing her said tomb and an unknowing smile graced her features. She knew that in that place, she could be whoever she wanted to be.
But then, the next thing she knew, she was standing rooted on the spot as she stared with an open mouth at the least person she expected to see, standing in front of her grave.
"Malfoy?" was her breathless greeting and her eyes widened more as the blond tensed, slowly turning around to see the new person in the area.
"Austen!" was his surprised greeting, mimicking her features. "What are you doing here?"
Hermione snapped out of her surprise and strode towards the blond, just a few feet away from him. "What are you doing here?" she asked back. Her eyes landed on a tulip firmly clutched on his right hand, which he hastily hid behind his back. She then averted her eyes on her grave and then placed two and two together.
Draco Malfoy was her mysterious faithful visitor.
"You… you…" she sputtered out, unable to suppress her astonishment. "You… you've been visiting her grave ever since?"
To her utmost surprise, he turned a terrible shade of red. "Wh-what are you talking about?" he asked with a stutter. "It's my first time to visit her grave." He nervously ruffled his hair, averting his eyes away from his roommate. "Well… maybe my second or third… but that's not the point!"
His eyes landed back on the disguised Slytherin and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked once again. He inconspicuously laid the tulip on top of her fake grave, making sure she wouldn't see. Unbeknownst to him, Hermione had seen everything.
Once his hand was free, he defensively crossed his arms. "It's lunchtime, Austen. You're supposed to be eating in the Great Hall right now."
Her eyebrows raised in mild amusement. "Hmm… that's why it's surprising to see you in this place at lunchtime, too, Malfoy," she replied back, taking a few steps towards her fake grave. "And what the hell are you doing here? This is Hermione's grave."
She wasn't able to see the flinch he did upon hearing her name. "I-I'm visiting her, obviously," he replied with a slight tremor in his voice. "What do you think am I doing?"
Hermione looked at him in surprise, her eyebrows knitted in deep contemplation. "But…" she started then faltered in the end, unable to find words to finish her sentence.
"Anyway, you still haven't answered my question," he said. "What are you doing here?"
A lie immediately formed in Hermione's head and she looked at him squarely at the eyes. "Hermione Granger's a close friend of mine," she said. "Remember, I studied in Durmstrang and Viktor Krum's one of my closest friend, too. He introduced me to Hermione when she visited Bulgaria. After that, we stayed in contact."
He sneered. "A chummy friend of hers, aren't you?" he spat, a scowl now formed on his face.
Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "And what are you to her?" she inquired. Her forehead scrunched up, feigning thoughtful. "I haven't seen a name Draco Malfoy in one of her letters before. It mostly consists of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." She smirked upon seeing the ashamed blush on his cheeks. "Oh, wait! I remembered her mentioning one incident when she had to puncha certain blond during her third year."
His scowl deepened and he glared at her darkly. "Shut it," he said. "It's none of your business whatever I am to Granger."
Hermione smiled. She had sorely missed being called 'Granger', and dare she say it, especially if it was uttered by Draco Malfoy.
"Well, it's just a surprise to see you here," she said. "I mean… I never knew you'd be visiting her grave."
He abashedly rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I'm free so I thought… you know."
Silence ensued and Hermione took her time studying Draco Malfoy at the corner of her eyes.
It was a huge surprise for her to see him here, especially now that she concluded that she was her faithful visitor. 'Who would have thought?' she mused inside.
Draco Malfoy never ceased to surprise her. Firstly, he saved her and not once, but twice. And now, she owed her life to him. If he was not there to save her from those horrendous hags, she might be a bloody sex slave and serving them with her body. If he was not the Seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team, she would still be badly injured in the infirmary or worse… dead.
And now, he was surprisinglyvisiting her grave every day and never forgetting to leave her favorite flower on top of her grave.
"I missed her so," she proclaimed out loud, watching to gauge any emotion from Draco. He remained perfectly emotionless. "I mean… she was such a lovely friend, a good advisor. She used to give me good advices when I have… you know… girl problems. And she's such an intelligent witch, too. I used to owl her to help me on some of my homework."
She darted her eyes away from the blond and stared at her grave instead. "You… do you miss her?" she asked.
He was silent for quite a while Hermione thought he wouldn't answer back at all. But what he answered shocked her to the core.
"Yes."
Her head whipped around and she stared at the blond, her mouth agape. He was staring at her grave with a strange look in his eyes. Hermione couldn't decipher it at all.
But then, he shook his head to snap out of a stupor, his cheeks instantly coloring. "I mean," he started, sounding a bit defensive. "She was a… good entertainment for me."
"An entertainment, you say," she said, amused.
His cheeks darkened. "She… she's a bloody annoying thing, if you must know," he quickly added. "Such an annoying woman and… and… she was the only woman in this whole school that can properly talk to me. If you get what I mean."
'Oh, I do,' she thought, a huge smile on her face. So she was like that to Draco Malfoy, huh? Not necessarily a compliment, but… for him to begrudgingly admit that she was the only bloody woman in the whole school that could properly talk to him without swooning or blushing or stuttering… well, it still meant something for Hermione.
"Annoying?" she exclaimed aloud, grinning at him. "Hermione's quite the contrary! She's… she's a good friend, you know."
"If she's not lashing out her tongue," he said. And to her surprise, she couldn't help but release a small chuckle.
Draco looked at her in amusement and shook his head. "You should have seen her bickering with some of our Housemates or mostly with me… just… weird."
"Weird? How so?"
"Well…" he continued, absentmindedly running a hand through his hair. "She's a girl…"
"And?"
"Well, it's weird for a girl to have such a sharp tongue," he concluded.
She was beaming so brightly now. "Mmm-hmm."
"Don't you 'mmm-hmm' me, Austen, just because you're a good friend of hers," he said with a glare. Hermione merely chuckled.
"If you're not a good friend of hers, how will you explain the tulip that you just placed on top of her grave?" she asked testily.
To her surprise, his blush came full blast, this time ten times darker than before.
"You know…" Hermione continued, "Tulips are her most favorite flower in the whole world."
Draco scowled, despite his burning cheeks. "It's none of your bloody business, Austen," he snarled. He chanced a look at his watch. "I better go… classes are about to resume." And without any further ado, he returned back to Hogwarts. Hermione watched him go, amused at his great speed.
Once he was out of her sight, she sighed and looked back at her fake grave. She stared at the tulip sitting innocently on top of her grave and a small smile grew on her face. Hermione bent down and gently grasped the tulip. She brandished out her wand and charmed it everlasting.
Hermione finally pocketed the tulip in her pocket and with one last forlorn look on her fake grave, she swiveled around and returned back to Hogwarts.
The brunette stretched her arms as she walked inside Great Hall, thankful that the last class for the day had finally ended. Her stomach had been complaining to her for ages, having skipped lunch, and she was excited to finally eat her dinner.
She spotted Blaise and Teddy (with the help of Teddy's enthusiastic waving of hand) and she smiled, approaching their place. Teddy and Blaise sat side-by-side, and so, she had no choice but to sit across from them, just in front of Teddy.
"Where were you a while ago?" Teddy inquired as soon as Hermione sat on the bench. "We were waiting for you to arrive. Did… something happened?"
Hermione nonchalantly shrugged, already gathering food on her plate. "I had an urgent meeting with Dumbledore," she smoothly lied. "It's something about my adjustment in Hogwarts and how I am coping with the new curriculum. That's all."
She ate her steak a bit greedily, although making it a point to still have manners.
"Draco was not here during lunch, too," Blaise pointed out.
"Oh, he was with me," Hermione added.
The Italian raised an eyebrow. "He was?" he asked, sounding a bit skeptical.
"Yeah," she replied back. "We had a… talk."
"Really now?" Blaise asked, his skepticism heightening.
Hermione's fork paused mid-air, realizing what she had just said. Her cheeks colored and a sheepish smile formed on her face, slightly embarrassed. "We-well," she started with a stutter, "he… needed to meet with Dumbledore, too, so we met on the way. Though, I don't know what they talked about."
A thoughtful look merely settled on Blaise's face as he returned back to his meal.
"Oh, by the way, Hermes!" Teddy exclaimed, diverting Hermione's attention to him. "I just want to say that you were awesome during our Transfiguration class. I mean, that spell was seriously challenging but you were able to do it on your first try!"
"Come on, Teddy," Hermione said, beaming because of pride. "You did well during our Transfiguration class, too! You were able to do the spell on your second try, and that was still saying something."
The brunette returned to her meal, unable to see the sudden blush that splashed on the Slytherin's cheek.
Teddy puffed his cheeks, a proud smile gradually growing on his face, as he rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "Not as good as you," he mumbled under his breath, absentmindedly poking his flaming cheeks.
Just then, their blond roommate came in, hiding his face behind his Potions book. He gestured Hermione to scoot a little to the right without looking up from his book. Amused, Hermione followed him and watched as Draco plopped down beside him. He grabbed the nearest food he could get, which was an apple, and started munching it.
"Aren't you going to eat properly?" Blaise asked, an amused smile on his face.
Draco dismissively shook his hand. "I'm too busy," he replied back. His eyes were still firmly glued on his book. "I still haven't finished doing my Potions essay that's due tomorrow and I can't finish it later because I have a Quidditch Captain meeting with the other captains and Madam Hooch."
From beside him, Hermione snorted.
The blond averted his gaze away from his book to Hermione for the first time. "Getting cheeky now, are you, Austen?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hermione merely frowned and went back into eating.
"Ignoring me now?" he asked with a scoff. "Just because not everybody enjoys doing their homeworks earlier than the due date doesn't mean you can laugh at them." His eyes narrowed whilst an idea dawned on him. "Wait, since I saved your life twice and you owed me your bloody life, then as a partial payment, you do my Potions homework!"
The brunette looked indignant, a small glare now seen on her face. "That's cheap, Malfoy!" she spat back, absentmindedly plucking a grape from a fruit bowl and hurtling it towards the blond. It had hit him squarely on his forehead.
"Why you - ! You bloody nuisance!"
As the two continued to bicker, Teddy directed his frowning face towards Blaise. "They seemed to be getting along already, yeah?" he asked. "After Hermes' accident, Draco seemed to be a lot less… hostile."
Blaise only nodded his head.
And for some twisted reason, he felt apprehensive… how come?
Review Responses:
Tiny Cherie: Gay!Draco… let me think about that *evil laugh* - ahem -… Anyway, aww, I perfectly understood your feeling upon reading the part wherein Blaise started to jab Draco's wound. XD I mean, men do not really like to show their true feelings, yeah? Especially to their guy friends (since some people might think they swing the other way *wink* *wink*). But I thought it was adorable for Blaise to show his brotherly love to Draco. After all, love hurts… crap, that was a bad joke. Haha. Anyway, thanks for your review!
CheshireCat23: No worries! Draco was asleep when Madam Pomfrey called her by her first name. And besides, the two Slytherins were the only ones in the infirmary. Hmm… but you're actually right. Haha, I guess I'm being reckless. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review!
Voldyismyfather: *Bows* Thank you for thinking that this story is actually good. And oh, are you trying to squeeze out some information from me? You will know when, how, and where Blaise will tell Hermione that he knows someday… or will he even tell her? Ooh, the suspense is killing me. Oh wait, I am the author. Of course I know when! Hahaha, I'm sorry. I'm just messing around with you. On a more serious note, I'm telling you that I'll reveal the answer to your question someday. Don't worry. I want to satisfy my readers and not leave them frustrated and all. Anyway, thanks for your review!
wolfsong12: Aww, I try to make Draco canon-like, you know. Good god, his bad boy habits were the reason why I fell in love with him in the first place (well, fell in love with the idea of him being with Hermione, I mean). But I'm warning you, there were times in my story when I wanted to act him ridiculously adorable to the point of being a little… un-Draco-like. So, yeah. As for your question, of course it's Dramione! The shipping thing says so. So sorry for making it a little "agonizingly slow". I do want a slow progress, you know. Enemies to acquaintances to friends to best friends then finally to lovers. I do enjoy stories wherein their relationship is gradually growing so I wanted to write one myself. OH, and thank you for the compliment. I do know that there are so many stories out there with the same idea as mine – disguise Hermione, put her into the Slytherin House, and then make her fall in love with Draco. I know, I know, it's very cliché, but the details do matter to me. I'm a detail-freak, to tell you the truth. I wanted to have things that differ from other stories, so there… WOOH, I got carried away responding to you. See, it's quite long! Haha, thanks for the awesome review!
Nicconicco: Haha, in love already? You think so… bleh, I'm not gonna answer that either. Haha, I'm sorry for messing up with you. You have so many theories; they're actually making me laugh. And you think Teddy's gay? You really think so? As in, really, really think? A hundred percent sure? HAHAHA, here I go again. Sorry, can't help it. I'm in a good mood and I feel like messing around with everyone. Aww, but it made me go "aww" when you said that you'll accept Teddy whatever his gender is. I mean, come on, he's TOO cute to hate. Well, that's my opinion :D Haha, anyway, thanks for the lovely review!
Isabella120: Thank you, I actually thought that chapter 12 was so far the best chapter. Haha, "hold on tight" was just a spur-of-the-moment. I was thinking of something Draco could say and BAM! "Hold on tight was born". Do you think Draco knows? What do you think? Haha, thanks for reviewing!
fantasia-49: Thank you for loving last chapter. Oh, I'm always right, darling *conscience smacked me for being too egotistical* Haha, sorry, sorry. I told you Blaise having a crush on Hermione was too simple… or is it really? What do you think? Anyway, thanks for the review!
bbyebiebercozoftattoo: Haha, I loved that part, too! Blaise was just being too cute. Eh, but Draco will always be number one in my heart. Also, Draco couldn't think of anything to call Hermes Austen and I guess "being" was the first thing that came up into his mind. Goodness, maybe he thought she was an alien in disguise who came down from earth to spread its klutziness. Oh well XD Thank you for your review!
Rosita: Haha, it really is based on a Korean Drama. I've said it twice already, you know. This story is based on "You're Beautiful" and Blaise's and Teddy's characteristics are basically from the two members of the band :D But this story is loosely based, I tell you. There will be scenes that were similar but that's all. The whole idea and plot are mine. Anyway, thanks for your review!
flamingbunnies: I know right! Sweet!Draco always make my heart melt *Swoon* As for the prom thing, it's sad that you had a date that has a girlfriend. Yeah, well, I know it's not bad and all but it's kinda awkward, don't you think? Especially if his girlfriend is also in that particular dance (oh the horror). Thank goodness my prom date's single. Nobody will come bashing me XD Anyway, thanks for your review!
Lalia x: Haha, your first feeling was absolutely right! Draco is really the one who puts the tulips on Hermione's grave. Well, you're one of the few who thought so, too. As for your second feeling, you really think Draco knows Hermes Austen's true identity? As in, really, really? Haha, you just have to wait for my future updates, then. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Cinna16: I loved the first scene, too! Harry was as usual being an awesome best friend. True friends laugh at each other's mistakes, you know. Well, in my opinion. That's what my friends and I do. But we do love each other, anyway. Gah, so you don't know if you're Team Blaise or Team Draco, huh? I'll be Draco's fan, through and through, by the way. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Infatuation-x: Don't worry, darling, my chapters will be longer and longer as the story progresses. My longest, all in all, is Chapter Thirty-Two! XD I'm so sorry, I can't really update twice a week. Updating during Thursdays is very hard too, you know. But I'll try my best as soon as summer approaches! Wooh, two and half more months and I'm done with my junior year! By the way, thank you for your tips for prom. I do want to look good during prom. I mean, it's once in a life time and it's very rare for me to doll up and all. But, I don't really care about what other people think. Anyway, thanks for your review!
jtrem: *Blushes* Thank you for the compliments. I feel awesome every time a reviewer of mine tells me I'm a talented writer. Thank you, I try really hard. Writing is my passion and although it's being stifled in school (I hate writing stuff for school, I swear), I still practice and all. I'll keep going, don't worry. Again, I've finished the whole story! I'm just not done editing it. Anyway, thank you for the review!
Karate Chic: My readers reviews always brighten my day, too, you know :D. I do love Harry, too. I kinda find the canon Harry a little brooding and gloomy. I get the fact that so many bad things happened to him and blah blah blah. But still, so gloomy! Although I also like him in the original story, I love my version better. Haha, Draco saving Hermione was just too cute, don't you think? Who knew even he has a Gryffindor side in him. Anyway, thanks for your review!
Kathy T: Aww, I do love Harry in my story! I actually want a guy best friend that's like him! And Hermione slowly falling for Draco's smile… hmm, I wonder *wink* *wink*. Hahaha, Draco thinking he's slowly swinging the other way is so cute XD. I wonder if I included it in my story. Ooh, I'm playing some mind games. So sorry for messing around, lol! Isn't it awesome, I'm making you thinner through my stories! Yay for laughing! As for your prom tip, I was actually thinking of wearing flats. I mean, come on, I know wearing heels is prettier and all but my comfort always comes first. Anyway, thank you for your review!
Anigen: Yup, Dramione will always be number one in my heart. I do love Dramionaise (cracks me up just typing that name) love triangle but Hermione should always end up with Draco! Eh, truth be told, I kinda rushed the Quidditch match scene because I was so excited to type the next scene, which was the infirmary one. XD Uh-huh, Blaise is acting so much like a big brother/protector and all. He kinda said that on the chapter where Hermione was almost turned into a sex slave, you know. And Draco drawn to Hermes Austen? That's an interesting thought. You just have to wait for my updates to know the answer, yeah? Thanks for your review!
HotelRoomService: Patience, darling, patience. Hermione will turn into her true self, which is a girl, once in a while. You just have to wait. Although, I'm nowhere near that scene. Just wait, okay? Haha, thanks for your review!
SHChevalier: I adored the subtle moment between the two, too. Draco can be so sweet, who would have thought? As for your prom suggestion, that's awesome you enjoyed! I do have a prom date already so I can't go stag. I just hope that nothing will be awkward between us during that time. Anyway, thank you for your review!
Fawzie: Thank you for loving my story *GRINS*. Gay!Draco is a funny image. I can't stop laughing just thinking about him being gay. The answer to your question ("Is Draco going gay or something?") will be revealed soon. Just patiently wait, okay? Don't worry, there will be some chapters/scenes wherein it will be his point-of-view. It's mostly Hermione's since she's the primary protagonist. Anyway, thank you for your review!
A/N: Wooh, a whopping twenty review responses! I do hope that I answered some of your questions… well, I try my best to answer them. I hope you liked this chapter! Ha, I bet many of you cried a resounding "I KNEW IT!" when it was revealed that Draco's Hermione's mysterious tulip-giving visitor. *Grin* I do wonder why he gives the tulips, though.
Anyway, thanks for all those who gave me some pieces of advice regarding prom! I actually can't wait and have fun.
That's all for now, I guess. I'm not going to be that busy next week so expect an update Thursday, next week.
With love,
2booklover4