Disclaimer: Two words: Not. Mine.
A/N: So, here's the promised chapter thirty-nine! MY GOD, it's midnight here and I'm officially seventeen-years-old! A year more and I'm a legal adult… then I can be sued XD Haha, anyway. I will keep this short! Again, it's un-Beta-ed, so bear with my grammatical errors.
Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Resurrected Heroine
Hermione Granger was never a fan of fainting. Whoever thought that it was romantic, what with all the catching and all that rubbish by a handsome, to-die-for Prince, must be off her rocker. It was never a pleasant thing for the brunette, having experienced it countless times, since being the best friend of Harry Potter (who was surely hungry for dangerous adventures) had its perks (and do mind her sarcasm… please).
One thing she hated about fainting was the fact that her brain seemed to instantly shut down, all thoughts coursing through her brain would be halted. She loathed the feeling of restlessness… of weakness as she slumped down on the floor, unconscious.
Oh, and it was not everyday somebody was there to catch her. For Merlin's sake, movies just made it look all the more romantic if the swooning girls were caught by their one, true love before they completely hit the floor. But this was reality and in reality, most of the time, boys had slow reflexes (no offense), except if he was a Quidditch player. And so, instead of 'gracefully falling down into the arms of Prince Charming', often, Hermione would just fall on the floor, her head hitting the stone pavement, and completely knocking her off from consciousness.
And lastly, the inevitable waking up. Her head always seemed to have its vengeance every time she woke up. Riotous, metaphorical hippogriffs would stomp their feet all in unison, worsening her already worse headache.
Like now.
Hermione slowly opened her eyes, vaguely aware that she was in the infirmary. The white, cracked ceiling was a dead giveaway. She shifted on her side, emitting a small pained groan, before shielding her eyes. The room was awfully bright than usual and it did not help her pounding headache.
"Hermione?" an airy voice said from above. She released a groan, trying to shake the sleep from her ears.
"Hermione?" the same voice repeated again. "Are you awake?"
She forced her bleary eyes to open and finally focused on Blaise Zabini, sitting worriedly at the side of her bed. She opened her mouth, about to say something, but gulped instead. She was parched; her throat dried up after being unconscious. Thankfully, Blaise seemed to get her need for he had thrust a cool goblet in her hand, water filled up to the brim. She greedily gulped it as if she was a wanderer in a desert who finally found an oasis, before giving the goblet back to the Italian.
"Thanks," she murmured, slowly rubbing the sleep off her right eye.
"You okay?" he asked, flashing his charming smile.
The brunette nodded, trying to sit up from her bed, and was soon aided by Blaise. "I guess," she said. That was when she noticed a bandage covering his tan, left cheek and she frowned. How come Blaise had a wound?
"Good to see you awake now, nuisance," a silky voice from her right announced and she froze, eyes widening.
Memories from last night came rushing to her head like a tsunami and despite her pounding headache, she let it come. Polyjuice Potion… Macnair… her parents… Voldemort… a huge gash on Blaise's cheek… and Draco…
Draco with a broken arm.
Draco with a black substance leaking from his mouth.
Draco unconscious.
Horrified, she whipped around so fast blood rushed to her head and she moaned, clutching her temples as she doubled over.
"Really, Granger, you've been dead to the world for two days. You should know that your body is still not capable of such strenuous activities," Draco drawled and unknowing tears prickled her eyes.
Slowly, she looked up and met the soft mercurial eyes of Draco Malfoy she came to like. His infamous smirk was glued on his face and she shakily smiled back, relieved.
Hermione really thought he had... died. The dark liquid gushing out from his arm and mouth looked terribly awful she was afraid he would not be able to make it. And to see his smirky face looking down at her had prompted the gathering tears in her eyes to roll down and drip to her quivering chin.
The smirk on Draco's face instantly disappeared, slight horror replacing his haughty appearance. "Merlin, Hermione, are you crying?" he exclaimed.
Blaise, alarmed by Draco's exclamation, jogged to the other side and peered down on the crying brunette. "What is it?" he asked, sounding almost panicky. "Are you all right? Are you feeling any pain?"
She shook her head, shakily chuckling at her ridiculousness, and haphazardly wiped away her tears; some landed on her forehead. "I-I'm sorry," she said. "I-I'm fine."
Draco snorted, his smirk coming back full-force. "Maybe your fainting had messed up with your brain," he offered, although the usual mocking tone was absent.
Hermione smiled, almost agreeing. She silently surveyed Draco from head to toe. He seemed worse than Blaise, seeing that the Italian merely had scratches and little scars around his body, save from the bandage covering his huge gash at the side of his face. Draco, on the other hand, had a little sling on his left arm… the broken arm. Looking at it was almost painful. She knew that healing broken bones was still difficult; it could take a while but faster than the Muggle means. She also noticed that the bridge of his nose was slightly purple, the angry bruise marring his once flawless skin.
"What… happened?" she asked, almost breathless. Her eyes lingered on his healing arm before looking back into his eyes.
"Oh, some dark curse," he said flippantly. Hermione bristled on her bed and glared. Draco, catching her glare, rolled his eyes. "Granger, really… I'm perfectly fine now. No need to be so fussy when it's you we are supposed to be fussing over."
She huffed and crossed her arms. She could not believe this smirking boy beside her! He was about to die on that night and he was so casual about it?
Brooding, she then noticed that her left wrist was bandaged. She could not remember breaking this specific bone but then again, the brief battle was very hazy in her memory. All she could remember were the shouts and the blood pumping loudly in her ears, forcing her to run towards the others and apparate them away from harm.
"You have another bandage at the back of your head," Blaise piped in, noticing how she thoughtfully looked at her wrist. "Madam Pomfrey reckons it was a stray stone. And of course, after the Cruciatus…"
She winced and bit her bottom lip. A terrified shiver ran down her spine as the vestiges of the Unforgivable came back into memory. The brunette had never been hit by any Unforgivable and to be the receiving end of the most painful one was not exactly a pleasant thought.
Hermione dismissed it and gingerly felt the back of her long mane. She gently touched her bandaged head and swore, eyes momentarily blinded by sheer pain. She closed her eyes and took a sharp, deep breath.
"You're not supposed to poke your wound, you know," Draco offered, watching in amusement as she released another colorful string of words.
"Shut up," she growled, looking back at him. He merely innocently smirked back.
With a sigh, Hermione tired rubbed her face and looked at Blaise. "What happened? After I fainted?"
He grinned. "I knew you'd ask that," he said. "Well, let me see… that other Patil twin screamed bloody murder. Macmillan peed on his pants. Oh, and Snape fainted with overwhelming surprise."
"Wait. What?" Draco exclaimed, looking at Blaise as if he'd grown another head. "Snape… fainted?"
"Yeah," Blaise said, smiling as Hermione chuckled in disbelief. "'Twas a funny sight. McGonagall was the only sane one who sent her Patronus to Dumbledore and Pomfrey for help. I swear, back there, the Headmaster almost laughed."
Draco slyly grinned, rubbing his hands as if scheming an evil plan. "I have another secret information to blackmail Uncle Sev if he's being insufferable," he said.
"Oh, honestly, Malfoy," Hermione reprimanded, although she couldn't fight the grin that grew on her face. And then, a sudden memory had hit the brunette like a Bludger. Her eyes widened as she stared back at Blaise, alarm in her features. "My parents!" she cried. "What about them?"
Blaise smiled reassuringly. "Oh, they are fine," he said, giving her a pat on her hand. "They were immediately brought to St. Mungo's. Dumbledore had never looked so relieved before upon seeing your parents, alive yet unconscious. According to the Headmaster, they are recuperating wonderfully. Thankfully, the curse that was cast upon them – err… I can't remember but it's a mouthful - ."
- "Totus specialis ostendo sum." –
" – Right… uh, where was I?" Blaise blinked, thoughtful. "Oh, um, the curse that was cast upon them actually has a cure. Apparently, Grindelwald had used exactly the same thing during his reign. And so, Dumbledore said they would soon be fine, although it might take weeks. The latest would be two or three months."
Hermione nodded, smiling brilliantly. "That's good to know," she said. And she meant it. After months and months of worrying over her parents' welfare, knowing that they were finally safe from Voldemort and his minions was a great relief.
"But Granger," Draco piped in. "You have one, tiny problem."
She looked at him, confused. "What is it?" she asked.
"Oh, don't fret," Blaise said, throwing a glare towards Draco's direction. "It's something you can handle. Promise."
Draco rolled his eyes and ran his unscathed hand through his hair. "The whole school knows about the deception you made," he finally announced. Hermione's eyes widened, the meaning of his words finally sinking in. "Well, it's not really surprising, actually. Parvati Patil, one-half of the Gossip Duo, had seen you for real and so, knowing her, she had spread the news all over the school."
"Oh no," she said, softly groaning. "I… ugh, Parvati! I actually wanted to reveal Hermes Austen's true identity without the help of any gossip queens."
"A lot of people had been meaning to see with their own eyes that you're alive," Blaise continued. "They'd been flocking outside the infirmary. Some impudent ones even camped outside until they were permitted to enter. Thank Merlin for Madam Pomfrey. One evil glare from her and they all scampered away."
Hermione, despite the dread in her heart, chuckled.
"But that's not the end, nuisance," Draco butted in, attracting Hermione's attention. Once her eyes were on him again, he retrieved the latest issue of the Daily Prophet from his back pocket. "Read this."
The brunette, curious, looked at the front page of the famous Wizarding newspaper. Her stomach dropped upon seeing a huge photo of her taken during her sixth year by one Colin Creevey, smiling widely and waving at the camera.
Her eyes strayed to the headline and frowned.
RESURRECTED HEROINE
Hermione Granger, Brain of the Golden Trio, is back and very much alive
By: Edna Mellark
"Resurrected Heroine?" she echoed, snorting in a very unbecoming manner. "They're making me sound like I'm some Muggle superhero."
"Read it," Blaise urged, which Hermione promptly did.
It was common knowledge that our beloved only female of the Golden Trio, [1]Hermione Jane Granger, died on August 5, 1997 due to the unfortunate fire in her Muggle home started by the Death Eaters. Thus, imagine the huge shock of the whole Wizarding World when it was officially declared by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, that indeed, Hermione Granger is very much alive.
"I saw her with my own eyes, I swear. I could not believe it! I thought I was seeing a ghost," claimed by Parvati Patil, current Head Girl of the same school and roommate of Miss Granger. "She was bloodied and hysterical before she fainted.
Hermione paused and rolled her eyes. "Trust Parvati Patil to be overly dramatic," she muttered under her breath before resuming her reading.
Together with her unannounced arrival was Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, Slytherins on her same year, and Miss Granger's unconscious parents. When asked about this suspicious, yet very astonishing group, Dumbledore merely gave a serene smile.
Hermione Granger had disguised herself as Hermes Austen, a Slytherin claiming to had once studied in Durmstrang before transferring to Hogwarts. When inquired by this surprising detail, Headmaster Dumbledore only answered that Miss Granger had her reasons for being incognito…
(Cont. p 3)
"Well, I knew my secret would be announced sooner or later," she said, folding the newspaper into neat squares. "Though, I wished for the latter."
"Wait, there's something more interesting in that edition," Draco said, nodding his head at the Daily Prophet. "Go to page two."
With knitted eyebrows, she slowly opened the newspaper on the supposed page and gasped.
Death Eater Attempted Attack, Halted!
By: Elphaba Green
Last Sunday –
"That was the day after we rescued my parents!" she cried, looking up at them with huge eyes.
"Just read," Draco urged.
With a nod, she resumed.
Last Sunday, it was reported that Death Eaters, followers of the infamous He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, attempted to attack oblivious Muggles at the heart of Muggle London but failed miserably in the end.
Members of the Order of the Phoenix, headed by Albus Dumbledore, also Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, spearheaded the counterattack and imprisoned almost all of the present Death Eaters during that time. No battling had commenced; the dark wizards were immediately brought to Azkaban after a brief trial by the Wizengamot. Thankfully, all Muggles were unscathed.
When Headmaster Dumbledore was interviewed about their knowledge of the supposedly surprise attack of the Death Eaters, he stated, and I quote, "I have my most trusted spies."
Hermione, yet again, looked up, eyes shining in mirth. "The alarm that you installed worked, didn't it?" she asked, glancing at Blaise. The Italian was smiling brightly Draco couldn't help but scowl. "I…" Her grin widened. "... I can't believe our successful mission had saved a million lives."
Here is a complete list of the imprisoned Death Eaters…
The brunette skimmed the whole page, recognizing some familiar names, when her eyes stopped on one particular name. She looked up, all mirth gone from her eyes, as she stared back at the pensive mercurial eyes of Draco. "Your… father's name is here," she carefully said, uncertain with Draco's reaction.
He raised an eyebrow. "I know," he said. "I've read that countless times already."
"Draco…"
He sighed and rolled his eyes, running a hand through his hair. "What, you expect me to be weepy or something?" he asked. Upon seeing her frown, he glared. "Granger, I was enraged when he was imprisoned during our fifth year, okay? But now… now is different. He cursed my mother. He deserved it."
Still a little skeptical, Hermione's eyes went back to the article and continued to read.
Mister Dumbledore was asked to state his opinion over the alleged attack. "Tom was enraged," he said, complete with a small smile on his face. "He just lost an extremely valuable weapon that will aid him on his coveted victory." When asked to elaborate, the Headmaster did not wish to disclose any further information.
After reading, Hermione once again folded the newspaper into neat squares before looking back at the other two. "So, our rescuing mission last Saturday had triggered this?" she asked, gesturing at the Daily Prophet. She shivered, imagining if the alarm Blaise had placed in the abandoned shack did not work.
"Let's just thank Merlin Zabini's alarm properly functioned," Draco said, diminishing any further graphic imaginations in Hermione's mind.
She absentmindedly nodded and wistfully looked at the newspaper. "This is for real, isn't it?" she asked, unconsciously tracing a finger at the headline. "I've finally saved my parents."
Blaise and Draco, unable to think of the right words to say, merely stayed silent.
Hermione then looked up, a smile on her face that conveyed all of the emotions she was currently feeling now. "Thank you," she said, regarding them with such warmth and gratitude. "For helping me."
"Don't be ridiculous, Hermione," Blaise said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "We helped you because we care for you. You do not need to thank us."
"But still," she insisted. "Thank you. Before, saving my parents seemed like a vague dream and now, it's actually real. They're safe." Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her tired face. "The idea's still sinking in, though."
She grew silent for a while. The comfortable silence hanged over them and it was Hermione who broke it. Grimacing, she placed a hand on her stomach. "Anyone fancy some breakfast?" she asked. "I'm famished."
"Right," Draco said, standing up from his chair. "We are to 'escort' you to the Great Hall. Apparently, the old cow's worried you'll be stampeded by the buffoons you call friends and so, she called for us."
Blaise gave her some spare clothes. She asked them to turn around so that she could change into her clothes. Instantly, identical, sickening smirks appeared on their faces but with Hermione's infamous evil eye, they obliged with begrudging sighs.
"I'm done," she announced. The two nodded and together, the three walked out of the Hospital Wing.
"Stop fidgeting, nuisance," Draco snarled. "It's annoying."
She glared up at him, although her cheeks were still a sickening shade of white. "A little moral support will suffice, you know," she said, nervously worrying the hem of her sweater.
"You'll do fine," Blaise assured with a sigh, patting her arm for comfort. "Where's all that Gryffindor bravery you have?"
Hermione nervously smiled and started to wring her wrist.
They were on the first floor now, approaching the Great Hall. The oak-wooden doors could already be seen and the brunette's nerves started working overdrive. Thankfully, their trip from the infirmary to the Great Hall had been uninterrupted, seeing that most students were already in the Hall, eating their first meal of the day.
"I'm kind of… scared," she said. As proof, she widened her eyes comically. "Shitless."
She stopped wringing her wrist and looked from the blond to the other. "Hold my hand?" she meekly asked, reaching for theirs.
"Oh, for heavens' sake!" Draco growled, but did not comment further when her small hand covered his.
Blaise, with a pleasant smile, gently reached for her other free hand.
They continued their journey. As they neared the door, Hermione's grip with their hands tightened. Not that they were complaining, of course.
Just then, the Great Hall burst open, freezing Hermione right there and then. She distinctively heard the loud chattering in the Hall before it became muffled once again as the door swung close behind the newcomers.
Her breath hitched upon seeing who just came out from the Great Hall: Ron and Ginny.
Apparently, they were having a small row when their words died down from their mouth, both stock-still as they stared at Hermione.
The brunette instantly paled, feeling Draco squeezing her left hand for comfort.
"Ginny…" she started, almost breathless. Tears started to gather at the corner of her eyes once they landed on the other redhead beside the younger Weasley. "Ron…"
"Her-Hermione?" Ginny gasped out, tears now trailing down from her baby blue eyes. "It's really you, isn't it?"
She cracked a watery smile and vigorously nodded, ignoring the dull throbbing of her still painful temples. "Of course, Gin," she said.
A sob escaped from the she-Weasley upon hearing Hermione's endearing nickname for her.
"You… I-I-I… erm… Her-Her…"
Draco smirked at Ron's obvious discomfort. "Speak English, Weasel," he shot back. He instantly shut up when Hermione's watery eyes glared up at him. Heck, the brunette looked obviously distressed and he did not want to further ruin this seemingly 'lovely' reunion among three friends.
"You… You're alive?" Ron asked, breathless. His eyes were strangely glossy as Hermione gave him a smile. "I… I saw you buried a-and…" A tear streamed down from Ron's eye. Both Blaise and Draco looked away simultaneously, obviously feeling odd seeing Weasley cry. They always deemed him as a temperamental git but emotional? Never emotional. "H-how… wh-why… what the fuck?" He broke into the brightest, widest smile Hermione had ever seen and opened his arms. "Come right here this instant, Hermione Granger, for I want to hug you so tightly now."
Hermione let go of both of the Slytherins' hands and launched herself into Ron's welcoming arms, releasing throaty sobs on his shoulder. "O-oh Ron," she cried. "I missed you so."
Ginny joined their heartfelt embrace while Draco sighed.
"Best leave them alone now, huh?" Blaise asked, awkwardly rubbing the hairs at the back of his neck.
Draco glared at the Weasel, feeling ridiculous for the jealousy that erupted at the pit of his stomach, before finally nodding. "Yeah."
And with that, the two Slytherins walked inside the Great Hall, leaving the reunited Gryffindors alone.
Exactly three days had passed ever since Hermes Austen revealed his deepest, darkest secret and removed his disguise, declaring that he… she was in actuality the one and only Hermione Granger.
The brunette's three days had been exhausting so far. Her Gryffindor Housemates had instantly flocked her side after she reunited with Ron and Ginny, millions of questions escaped from their lips, worsening her headache. For that day, she made it clear that she did not want to answer any questions and thankfully, her Housemates had backed off and allowed her to peacefully eat her breakfast.
To say that the whole castle shook with chaos was a big understatement. Everybody was itching to know the real reason why she disguised herself as Hermes Austen, why both Draco and Blaise were with her on the day she was found outside the Hogwarts ground, and why her parents, unconscious, were there, too. But once again, Hermione did not break her silence and only reacquainted herself with her friends.
"Ron, please pass the extract of the sopophorous beans," Hermione said, daintily wiping the sweat from her forehead, careful not to drop some into their simmering cauldron.
The Gryffindor nodded, passing her desired ingredient, before Hermione gently threw them inside the cauldron.
Despite the somehow exhausting days for Hermione Granger, classes resumed. Currently, they were having Potions. Hermione still had not moved from the Slytherin common room (scorned by Ronald Bilius Weasley), stating that she wanted to spend a few more days in the House she came to love. Surprisingly, the Slytherins accepted her revelation whole-heartedly (except those who were really close-minded). In fact, most thought that what she did was absolutely wicked and like the Gryffindors, they had bombarded her with constant questions.
Her mind snapped back into the present when their potion soon changed into a light shade of lilac. With a satisfied smiled, she leaned back against her chair and sighed. Their Draught of Living Death, the potion that would be having a huge percentage in their end-of-term grades, was almost done. Snape harshly barked that their potions were due today and most of the class grew panicky.
"Ron, be a dear and stir the potion counter-clockwise seven times," she said. Ron nodded and did as he was told.
On her place, she caught sight of Blaise looking at her and she smiled. He gave her with an equally charming smile of his own and returned back to his potion with Seamus Finnigan. The bandage that was plastered on his cheek was now gone. The proof that the wound had once been there was a long scar against his tanned cheek.
Craning her neck, she looked behind her and caught sight of Draco, scowling at Lavender Brown's constant whining. The bruise on his nose was now gone, reverting back to its flawless, milky color. The sling on his arm had been removed already, which had driven him to release a loud 'whoop'. No sling meant he could play Quidditch already.
She fondly smiled, secretly thinking he looked ridiculously adorable, but quickly masked it into a smirk when he looked up and caught her eyes.
He rolled his eyes, glaring at Lavender's direction, but she merely stuck out her tongue at him. Draco huffed at her immature behavior and she grinned.
"Merlin, Hermione, pay attention," Ron said from beside her and she whirled around, looking at the slightly annoyed face of her best friend. "Who are you looking at any… Oh." He frowned and glared at the direction behind Hermione's head. "Bloody Malfoy."
"Now, now, Ronald," she said in a reprimanding tone. "Draco's my friend. You can't insult him anytime you want."
He pouted, stopping his stirring. Their potion then turned into a clear shade of white, satisfying Hermione. It was already done and she grabbed a stoppered vial.
"I still can't believe you managed to live with those bas – blokes for almost ten months, 'Mione," the Weasley said, quickly covering up his momentary slip. "I mean, Malfoy, Zabini, and – bless his soul - Nott?"
"They're not that bad, Ron," she said, frowning. "They're actually nice once you get to know them. Actually, almost the whole Slytherin House is not that bad."
Ron snorted. "Yeah, if they think you're in disguise," he said, pointedly staring at her. She looked back at him with an innocent smile on her face as she corked their already filled vial. "You know what? I still haven't forgiven you for hexing me after accidentally putting an extra pound of belladonna in Zabini's potion."
She sighed exasperatedly. "Ron, that was ages ago," she said, walking out of their table towards Snape's desk. Ron followed closely behind. "And besides, who said it was accidental? You and I both know you did it on purpose!"
The redhead made a face. "You're siding with them," he accused. Before Hermione could answer, the school bell rang, signaling the end of their class.
"Who's siding with who?" Harry said, sidling up beside Hermione. He casually swung an arm over her shoulders, discreetly shooting a smirk towards a scowling Blaise and a seething Draco.
Ron jutted a thumb towards Hermione. "Her," he said, shouldering his book bag while Hermione carried her own. "She's siding with her Slytherin friends."
"Oh, honestly," she spat, glaring, and shrugging off Harry's arm. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I am to be accompanied by Blaise and Draco now." True to her word, the two Slytherins were waiting for the brunette, glaring at her other best friends.
"Do you really have to spend some time with them?" Ron whined, catching Hermione's arm. "I haven't spent nine months with you!"
"Stop testing me, Ron," she threatened with a Slytherin-like sneer on her face before whipping around and stomping towards her roommates. "And besides I'm moving back later."
"And now she's acting like a true Slytherin," the redhead murmured under his breath, ears red because of frustration. "Oi! If you hurt her, I am going to kill you!"
Blaise gave him a really rude gesture, which was surprising for Ron, seeing that he once deemed him as an extremely polite Slytherin, albeit bigoted. Malfoy, on the other hand, scowled at him, before ushering an irate Hermione away from the dungeons.
Harry looked at the scene with amusement written all over his face. Ron looked at him with a frown.
"You're okay with this, Harry?" he asked. "With Hermione spending the rest of her day with them?"
"Oh, give them a break," The-Boy-Who-Lived said, grinning. "They're still bastards but they did take care of Hermione when she was still incognito, you know."
Ron's face darkened. "Right, I forgot that you were having clandestine meetings with her behind my back," he spat.
Harry sighed. "Ron…"
The redhead's face softened and he waved a dismissive hand. "I know, I know," he said. "I'm sorry for blowing up. It's just that…" He looked wistfully towards Hermione's retreating back, smiling cheekily over something Malfoy had said. "I missed her. That's all."
"Didn't we all?" he asked. "It's just good to see that she can freely roam around as Hermione Granger now and her parents sa - " His words died down from his lips as he hissed, hand shooting up to his forehead. With a scowl, he massaged his throbbing scar.
"Merlin, it's hurting again?" Ron asked, eyeing his scar warily. "That's the fifth time today, Harry."
"No shit, Ron" he grumbled. "Voldemort's enraged." This time, he quirked a smile. "Did not see her coming, really. And to know that two of his best Death Eaters were actually spies for the Order. But damn, my head is killing me."
"The war's really looming now, huh?" Ron asked, shivering at the thought.
Harry absentmindedly nodded, growing pensive himself. "Yeah," he answered back.
Ron sighed. "Well, want to go to Dumbledore?" he offered. "Didn't he tell us to go to him once your scar starts hurting again?"
"Well, we might as well," The-Boy-Who-Lived said.
And together, the two strode up to the Headmaster's Office.
"Is Weasley being a git again?" Draco asked, scowling at a cowering first year.
Hermione rolled her eyes at his absurdity. "He's just being his usual self, Draco," she said. "And besides, he just misses me - ."
- "Right." –
- "It's true!" she cried indignantly, glaring at him. "You should hear him whine about how he was against with my still hanging out with the likes of you and spending some of my free time in the Slytherin common room."
"He's being a prat," Blaise offered.
"Well," she said with a huff, "he can't be blamed for being wary now, can he? Slytherin had a not-so-good reputation in the Gryffindor common room. No offense."
"Hence, proving that you Gryffindors are close-minded," Draco piped in, which was promptly scorned by Hermione.
"Um… I think you're quite forgetting one important information," she said. "Your House is the most bigoted, prejudiced House in the whole school."
"Which is your current House right now," Blaise said with an innocent smile. "Wait 'til they hear that you're backstabbing your own House."
A chuckle of disbelief escaped from Hermione as she shook her head, her brown tresses flying wildly around her. "Oh guys, you are impossible," she said, eyes twinkling in delight. "If you don't stop acting like immature gits, I'm going to leave you both and find Harry and Ron."
"Oh, right, nuisance, I'm scared," Draco snarled sarcastically, crossing his arms like a petulant child. "Like I care."
A gorgeous smile appeared on his face. "Want to see me try?" she asked challengingly.
He glared.
"I didn't think so," she said, sighing in contentment as she swung her arms freely. "Now, how were your potions?"
"Fine," Blaise said while Draco made a noncommittal noise.
Hermione frowned, placing her fists against her hips. "Now, now, you can't be casual over this," she scolded. "It's one-third of your final Potions grade; thus, if you messed up, big time, kiss bye-bye to your futures."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Nuisance, we're his favorite students," he stated matter-of-factly. "Snape won't dare fail us."
She scoffed. "You Slytherins are sickening," she spat. "Being advantageous and all."
"Again, what's with the backstabbing?" Blaise quipped.
"Oh honestly," she said, yet again, rolling her eyes.
They finally arrived at the Slytherin common room and passed by some of their Housemates. The brunette cheerfully greeted them, her heart swelling upon seeing that they greeted back. She had previous nightmares about their reactions after discovering her true identity but now seeing them greeting her back, equally pleasant, she was just at awe. Who knew Slytherins would be more accepting than what she had thought?
As soon as they stepped in, second year Mina rushed towards the trio, her face scrunched up into a painful expression. "Is it true that you'll be leaving tonight?" she asked, sounding almost tearful.
Hermione, with a forlorn smile, nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Being in Slytherin is only part of my mission. And now that it's accomplished…" She left her sentence hanging, heart breaking into two as soon as Mina started crying.
"You'll visit, won't you?" she asked hopeful.
She looked around, looking at the onlookers. "If they want me to," she said, smiling.
A murmur of agreement ran rampant all over the room and her smile grew. There were a few disgusted 'nos', mainly from one Gaston Gray, but one piercing glare from Draco had shut them up. The blond might now be considered as a blood traitor, a bloody muggle-lover ('You have no idea.') but crossing him was still a very terrifying idea.
"Then I will," she said, fondly patting her head.
"No need to be so weepy now, kiddo," Draco said, frowning. "She's not worth your tears."
"HEY!" Hermione cried, glaring sullenly when he gave her his infamous smirk.
Mina chuckled and wiped her tears. "I'm glad I met you, Hermione Granger," she said. And then, cheeks splattered with red, she smiled shyly. "Can I… can I call you 'Lady Hermione'?"
Draco snorted, quickly covering it into a cough when Hermione elbowed him. She met Blaise's amused eyes and she shook her head, disbelieving. "Of course," she said, heartwarmingly remembering that she used to call Teddy 'Lord Theodore'.
The second year's face literally lit the whole room when she smiled. "Thank you, Lady Hermione," she said, even bowing. As soon as she stood up, looking at the stunned expression of the brunette, she bounded off to Merlin-knows-where, leaving the three alone.
"The girl sure loves her medieval history," Draco commented, leading the two back to their room. "Lady Hermione? Oh, that's rich."
"You're just jealous because somebody devoted her whole life to her, isn't he, Hermione?" Blaise said, a silly grin on his face when Draco glared at him.
"Really, I have no time for your bickering, you two," she said, crossing their threshold and immediately stalking towards her bed. "I have some packing to do."
"Do you really have to go?" Draco asked in annoyance, bordering whiny. "Granger, there's only a month left. What's the difference in spending your last month in Hogwarts as a Slytherin student?"
She pointed at her uniform, now bearing the Gryffindor badge. "I've been a Gryffindor longer than a Slytherin, Draco," she answered back. Worry washed over her features as she knelt down, opening her sock drawer. "And besides, the war's impending. Harry's having constant fits now. You know, his scar hurting and all. I just… I think they need me closer now."
Blaise came down beside her and opened her pajama drawer, cautiously collecting them and placing them in her trunk. Hermione looked up at him and gratefully smiled.
"Why don't you stay here for the night?" the Italian asked wistfully.
"Ron will have a fit," she said, shaking her head. "He has monumental fits when he wants to. And… I promised them that I'll be back tonight."
Draco sighed then waved his wand, all of Hermione's shoes shrinking into his desired size before scooping them up and placing them in her trunk pocket. "Who knew Gryffindors can be selfish, too?" he murmured sullenly, sitting down on top of her bed. He grabbed her teddy bear and played with it, poking its beady eyes.
Hermione smiled. "Oh, you guys, stop moping around," she said. "I'm merely moving dormitories. I'm not migrating to the other side of the world. I can still see you, you know."
"You be good," Blaise said, watching as she started closing her trunk.
"And if Weasley and Potter are being rightful gits, tell me," Draco piped in. "My knuckles are itching to have a reason to punch them."
"Draco…"
He rose up his hand in defense, slightly smiling. "I'm joking, Hermione," he said.
She shook her head and finally latched her trunk. She turned to her bedside table and opened the first drawer, frowning upon seeing that her butterfly hairclip was missing.
'Funny,' she thought. 'I can't remember removing it.'
"Are you missing something?" Blaise asked. The butterfly hairclip in his pocket seemed heavier than before.
Hermione looked up at him, and then spared a glance at Draco. Dread grew at the pit of her stomach and she groaned internally. 'If Draco discovered that I lost his gift, he's going to have my head.' "None," she smoothly lied, perfect with a little smile.
She hoisted up her trunk and shrunk it until it could fit her pocket. "Well, I'm all set," she said, rounding at the other two. Her smile slightly fell, at loss of what to do. "I guess I should be… going now."
"Of course," Draco said, sounding a tad bitter. "Don't want Weasley to wait."
Hermione smiled. "Right," she said. She awkwardly tucked a stray hair behind her ear and sighed. "Thank you," she said. Upon seeing their eyebrows rise, she elaborated, "For accepting me."
Suddenly feeling awkward, the blond looked away from her and absentmindedly nodded. Blaise, on the other hand, answered a whole-hearted, "You're welcome."
She stood before them for a few more minutes, hands clenching and unclenching, a request at the tip of her tongue but she refused to relent. But then, knowing that she would probably spend a lesser time with them had fueled the stubbornness of her deranged side (yes, breaking news, she has one), and finally took a deep breath.
"Oh, this is preposterous but…" Her cheeks colored while she cleared her throat. "Can I hug you both?"
The two looked fairly surprised, darkening her cheeks. "Yeah, well… I was just kid - ."
"Of course," Blaise said with his usual charming smile, opening his arms. "Come here."
For some twisted reason, her eyes slightly watered, as she launched herself into Blaise's beckoning arms and held him tight. His arms instantly wound themselves around her waist and fondly patted her back, chest vibrating because of his soft chuckles.
"I'll miss you, Blaise," she sputtered out, throat oddly hoarse. "You and your weird nightly rituals and strange fetish for tea."
"You're merely changing dormitories," he reminded her. "You said it yourself."
"Of course," she said, chuckling. Hermione pulled away, a tear sliding down from her eye. Before Blaise could catch himself, he gently rubbed the tear away using the pad of his thumb. The brunette looked surprised with his affectionate gesture but smiled back, nonetheless.
Blaise looked up at Draco, noticing how his nostrils flared, and rolled his eyes. "Heads up," he said, pushing Hermione not-so-gently away from him. The brunette released a shout of surprise and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of the floor, when a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around her waist, stopping her fall.
"What the hell did you do that for, Zabini?" the blond snarled, glaring at the Italian.
He gave him a knowing look, which Draco pointedly ignored. He released a tired sigh, his glare darkening.
"Granger and her infamous clumsiness," he said, looking down at the mass of russet hair in his arms. "Funny how I used to hate your guts because of your klutziness."
She looked up at him and his breath hitched, thinking that with all of her watery-eyed, nervous smile, and pink cheeks glory, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his whole life.
"I guess you did not have the heart to stay mad at me, then," she pointed out, her arms wounding themselves around his torso.
He blinked.
Her eyebrows knitted together. "Draco?" she asked, prodding his back.
He flinched and discreetly shook his head, getting rid of rubbishes in his mind, before absentmindedly patting her back. "Yeah."
She peered up at him through her wet eyelashes and he had to restrain himself from roughly grabbing her face and furiously kiss her like there was no tomorrow. "You okay?" she asked, nudging her nose against his collarbone.
A pleasant sensation ran down from his spine – a sensation that spread all throughout his body even to the tips of his hair strands. Draco averted his eyes and discreetly gulped. "Dandy," he monotonously said, scowling as his cheeks heated up.
She looked skeptical for a moment but then dismissed the topic. Hermione slowly pulled away from him, her arms slowly slipping away from his torso. Draco had to grit his teeth just to stop himself from clenching the back material of her school robe, prolonging their embrace.
"I guess I should be going now," she announced, a charming smile on her face. Draco, mesmerized by the expression on her face, overlooked the fact that her cheeks were flared up.
But Blaise didn't.
He noticed.
Thus, he looked away.
Blaise still had no idea what possessed him to push her away when his heart had told him to hold her tight until she was the one who pulled away first. He suspected she would have hugged him for a while, seeing that she was slightly emotionally unstable and even professed that she would miss him.
"Blaise?" Hermione called.
"Yeah," he said, whipping his head around and tried to put a smile on his face.
She smiled back. "I'll see you," she said. "You, too, Draco."
Before he could stop himself, Draco uttered a question he wished he hadn't at all. "Do you want me to walk you up until the Gryffindor portrait?"
Hermione's eyes widened and he was sure he was mirroring her expression.
"Um… thanks but… no," she slowly said.
A quick retort came up in his mind. "Afraid that I'll know where your common room is?" he asked, complete with his haughty smirk.
She rolled his eyes. "Bingo," she muttered, willing her cheeks to go back to their normal color.
"Aw, come on, Granger, I've known where it is located ever since freshmen year," he said, his smirk turning into a full-blown grin.
Hermione still shook her head, slightly smiling. "Harry and Ron are probably waiting outside the common room. And yes, Malfoy, they've known where the Slytherin common room is ever since freshmen year, too."
She surveyed her room for nine months for the last time before giving them a wave for her farewell, walking out of her soon-to-be ex-room.
As soon as she was gone, Blaise looked at Draco appraisingly. "Really, Draco, walk her to her dormitory?" he asked, teasing (yet bordering sarcastic). "How… gentlemanly. I used to think you were a cad. No offense."
"Sod off, Blaise," he said, still reeling from the emotions that almost overwhelmed him a while ago. He started for the loo and softly muttered to himself, "I need a cold shower."
Blaise watched him go, a frown slowly growing on his face. He had this feeling that if he wanted Hermione for himself, he had to act now. And fast. Real fast.
[1] Hermione Jane Granger: I know, I know. JK already said that Hermione's middle name is "Jean". But I think I've used "Jane" all throughout this story. Therefore, I'll just stick to that, okay?
Review Responses:
supbrawh: Haha, actually, I'm quite confused as to what course I'd take in college. But anyway, I still want to think that I don't have to make a decision 'til a new decade has passed XD And yup, I am going to Spain because of the World Youth Day. And when you say, and I quote, "See you there", then, does that mean you're going, too? IF YES, then that would be TOTALLY AWESOME! See you there, then! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
Someonewholovesthisstory: So when I saw your review, I almost shed tears of joy. My god, I'm such a sucker for long reviews. But anyway, on to your response! Haha, glad I made you pleased with my early update. And yeah, the previous chapter was one of my favorites, too. But, although it was epic for me, it was still hard to write. I was struggling, wanting to make the "saving" scene worth reading =)) It was actually my first time writing something like that. And yay for Hermione and Draco's budding relationship! And to think it was all thanks to Pansy Parkinson… *grins goofily* Blance and Druella were actually a spur-of-the-moment and I'm glad I thought of them XD Even I was cracking up while typing that particular scene. Aww, and I had fun writing Draco's inner dialogues. Made me love him all the more. Haha, I was actually hoping that some of my readers would once again think that they're plan would fail, and then surprise them in the end. Glad that you're one of them *blows raspberry* Aww, and yeah, Draco's being all Teddy with Hermione because of that sweet sacrifice he made. As for Hermione's parents adoring Draco… *grins evilly* Haha, it would actually be my first time going to Spain and I'm inexplicably excited. Anyway, thanks for your lovely review! And next time, can you drop a name or something? I would love to call you by your name or penname, you know XD
happyhippy: Yay! A new reader. Or probable a new reviewer, I don't know. But welcome, anyway! And thank you for reviewing!
Marama: Demanding much? XD Haha, dear reader, don't worry; I shall update on Friday! You'll know more, I swear. Patience is a virtue *wink* *wink* Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
maya: Thank you for the assurance *sniff* *sniff* One of my goals in FFnet is to really get a thousand reviews for at least one story of mine. Aww, thank you. Since you've cried when Teddy died, then I guess his death and how I described it was effective. Haha, I KNOW! Sometimes it's so frustrating to always log-in just so you could review a story. But thank you for dropping a name! Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
A/N: And, done! How did you like it? I personally liked the end part *blush*
Anyway, once again, I must tell everybody that I will not be able to update for two weeks because I'll be in awesome SPAIN! XD I'll be going on Monday and will be back on the 24th of August so yeah :D
I think I'll keep this short. I'm panicking inside since I have numerous tests tomorrow and a college entrance exam coming up on Saturday and I MUST STUDY HARDER XD
So, review please!
With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe
P.S. Have you gotten in to Pottermore? OMG, I was able to register and now I am only waiting for my Welcome Mail! SO EXCITED! Love, WAM :D