Disclaimer: Not mine, never been mine. I'm not making a single knut.
"MY MAP IS GONE!" Harry's patronus dissolved in Draco and Hermione's common room. Both occupants, who had frozen and stared when the stag emerged in their room, now looked at one another wide eyed. A few minutes later, their door opened and Harry burst in.
"What do you mean your map is gone?" Hermione asked. "Did you lose it?"
"I've never lost that map, Hermione. And I usually use a summoning spell on it. Now it's not working. It's gone."
"Well, if your spell wasn't enough, this just proves it was a Gryffindor. But how many people actually know about it?" Draco asked, sitting down on the couch. At that moment, their fireplace roared green and Dumbledore walked out of it. A few seconds later, Snape walked through their door.
"What happened, Potter? Are you sure you didn't lose it?" Snape asked, striding over to where Hermione leaned against the wall.
"I'm sure of it. And as I just told them, no summoning spell is working like it always does. Someone has it protected. And I was just about to tell Draco that only a handful of people know about that map." Harry said calmly.
"Yes, but Harry, how many people have SEEN you with it? Or heard about it through the grapevines? The last few years you never exactly tried to hide it. Even if only a couple people know how to use it, it doesn't mean that people don't know what it does," Hermione pointed out.
"Very true, Miss Granger," Dumbledore added, sitting down on Hermione's recliner chair.
"The only people alive who know how to work it are the people in this room, Remus, Fred, George, Neville, Luna, and Ginny."
"And almost everyone that was in the D.A. our fifth year, Harry. When you used to use it to get the students back to their dorms without being caught, you would use it," Hermione added.
Harry swore. "Yeah. But I can't see Neville or Seamus or Dean taking it."
"You can, however, see Miss Weasley doing it," Snape said when Harry hesitated. He glanced at him and then nodded wearily.
Dumbledore sighed. "Well, we must assume the worst case scenario that Lucius now had it, or his spy, and knows how to use it and is watching Hermione's every move."
"Great," Hermione grumbled and Snape nudged her and smirked.
"I wonder how long they've had it, and how long they've been watching," Snape said, trying to hide his smirk as Hermione blushed.
"Again, let us assume the worst and say they've had it for some time now. From now on, Miss Granger, you are to be super careful; more careful than you've been before. Now, Lucius has ways of seeing when you're completely alone. I will see you all at lunch," Dumbledore said and nodded to everyone before he went through the fireplace.
"Come on, let's get ready for Defense," Draco grumbled and Harry nodded. He looked at where Snape and Hermione were still standing and grabbed Harry and dragged him into his room.
"The Headmaster is right, you know," Snape said once they were alone.
"I know. I'm better this time than the times before. I know what's at stake. It doesn't mean I have to like it any more. But you don't have to worry about me sneaking off alone again," she said as she wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up.
"Good. That was a hassle trying to find you," he said and smirked, lowering his mouth to hers. He thought he would never tire of the feeling of her lips against his. Hers were full and supple, whereas kissing him must feel like kissing a fish.
When they broke apart, Hermione laid her head against his chest. "How did I get lucky enough to get you?" she asked quietly.
"You didn't; you were forced into it and made the best of a bad situation," Snape said, shrugging.
"Prat."
"I never claimed to be anything different," he replied, still smirking. He leaned down to kiss her again. "Come now, go get ready for class. I need to be there early to set up with Lupin." He disentangled himself from her. "You both can come out now!"
A few minutes passed and finally Draco's door was thrown open. Both men tried to look nonchalant, but both of their hair was mussed and in disarray.
"Nice shirt, Potter," Snape said, and nodded to both boys before he walked out of the room.
All three looked at Harry's shirt and started laughing: it was on inside out with the tag in front.
"Smooth, Harry, real smooth," Hermione laughed.
XXX
The three friends were walking to dinner later on that night when Harry saw her. The anger swelled inside him faster than an inflation spell, and after the last month he could not hold it back.
Draco and Hermione didn't see her; they only noticed something was amiss when Harry stopped walking and turned to the side. When they looked back, he was walking straight towards someone, and when they saw who, both pairs of eyes widened and they hastened to catch him.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded as he reached the couple who had been talking quietly. His eyes were ignoring the first in favor of glaring at the fat toad-like woman.
"Temper, Mr. Potter," Umbridge said. "I am a Ministry official, and as such, it is my job to see to the workings of this school."
"By taking random students to a dark alcove and whispering to them and using privacy spells? Seems awful shady to me, Delores. Normally, Ministry officials use the proper channels, via Professor Dumbledore, and talk to the student in question by having them in a secure classroom or office and with a chaperone," Harry spat at her, still ignoring the student she was talking to. "But, of course, you've always gone against the grain when it comes to acting accordingly, haven't you? Veritaserum, slapping, threats of Crucio, carving words into minor's hands…you were definitely creative."
Umbridge turned an ugly puce color. "Leave now, Mr. Potter. You're still in school, so I cannot touch you, but the moment you step foot off these grounds when you graduate, I will be on you. I won't rest until I find a charge to bring you in on."
"Is that a threat?" Draco asked, eyes narrowed into slits as he stepped forward.
Umbridge looked up at him and smiled. "Why, yes it is, Mr. Malfoy, and just try to catch me on it."
Draco rolled his eyes in disgust. "Come on, Harry."
But Harry was finally acknowledging the student Umbridge had been communicating with and had turned the full force of his glare on her.
"Why?"
"Why, what, Harry? I was talking to a ministry official. There's nothing wrong with that," Ginny said, taking a step back.
"How could you do this? Be a part of this? What happened to Ginny? To the Ginny I knew? I don't know you anymore. All I know and see is a skinny little spoiled red headed brat who throws fits when she doesn't get her way," Harry said quietly, unknowingly adopting Snape's angry way of speaking.
"Harry-," Ginny began, hurt and anger on her face, but Harry cut her off.
"Fuck off, Ginny."
He turned and grabbed Draco's hand, laying his other hand on the small of Hermione's back, and guided them all to dinner.
XXX
Back in the Head student's dorm after dinner, Harry was trying to calm himself down.
"What the hell is Umbridge doing here?" Harry asked for what seemed like the millionth time.
"Harry, you know she was here trying to dig up dirt on me," Hermione said without looking up from the essay she was working on.
"Yeah, but still…," he trailed off looking put out.
"We have bigger things to worry about rather than that toad," Draco said, sitting pensively next to Harry and staring into the fireplace, watching the flames dance. "You seem to be wound up tighter than usual. I haven't seen you this way since before the battle. Something is coming, isn't it?"
Harry was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure; this isn't exactly like last time. At least with Voldemort I was connected to him so I had a sort of sixth sense about him," he said quietly. "However, I think it's safe to say with our track record that it will happen somewhere close to the end of the school year."
"Why then?" Draco asked, looking confused.
"Simple: nothing good happens at the end of the school year. My first year, for instance, I almost got eaten by a three headed dog, strangled by a plant, crushed by giant chess pieces, impaled by flying keys, could've gotten poisoned if it wasn't for Hermione, and then I met up with a teacher who confessed to attempting to kill me while I was playing Quidditch and also had Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head. Woke up some time later in the infirmary with Dumbledore telling me I almost died," Harry said nonchalantly.
"You're a muggle shrink's worst nightmare, you are," Draco laughed.
"Second year you almost got killed by a basilisk and by a memory of a teenaged Voldemort, too," Hermione added, still looking at her paper.
"Third year I almost got bit by a werewolf, let a murderer run free, helped to knock out Severus Snape, and almost had my soul sucked out of me by hundreds of dementors. Luckily, I saved myself using some time travel rules I don't fully understand but I'm happy exist anyway," Harry said, smiling slightly.
"Fourth year I seem to remember you getting kidnapped in the middle of a maze, only to be transported back with a dead student and claims of dueling Voldemort who you had seen risen, correct?" Draco said with amusement in his eyes.
"Yep, and fifth year I decided to grab a group of my friends and head off to the ministry where we decided to attempt to duel a group of death eaters, which led to my godfather dying."
"And then the last two years have been marred by death eater attacks, deaths, and other mayhem," Draco finished.
"Basically, yes. So I'm fairly sure that Lucius will wait until the end of the year," Harry said.
"You don't think he'll guess that and try to surprise us before?" Hermione asked, finally looking up.
"No. Thinking about it, I think Harry's right. He thinks you're off kilter now, so you'd be expecting it. But if you make it all the way to the end of the year, then you'd be letting your guard down. But honestly, it's best if we don't put too much faith into just one option with him," Draco said gravely, going back to staring into the fire.
XXX
"I swear, this is the last one," the Headmaster said, holding up his hands in surrender.
"Sir! Honestly, I understand that you want to boost morale but ANOTHER BALL?"
"Draco, calm down; you sound close to squeaking," Hermione said, and looked into her bag for a piece of parchment to take notes on.
"I have it covered, don't worry," Draco said, pulling out a small silver rectangle from his pocket and enlarging it; it was Hermione's laptop. "And I don't squeak."
"Of course not, love," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
Draco booted up the laptop and got the word processing program up and going.
"Clever, Draco," Dumbledore said, eyeing the computer with interest. "Now, you can hardly be surprised by this; I mean it is Valentine's Day soon. This will be only for fifth year students and up. The feast will be for all ages but when the dance begins, I'm thinking at around 9, all other students will be back in their dorms."
Draco was clacking away on the laptop, having gotten very fast at typing once he got the hang of it. "Dress code?"
"Ah yes, dress code. Well, I believe the rule of no brothel-like outfits sticks, but I am also not naive and I understand that the students will want to look attractive. I believe we can call it, erm, 'Tastefully Sexy,'" Dumbledore said, smiling. "I'm just taking advantage of the 14th falling on a Friday. I doubt I'll have this much luck organizing fun next year. And before you ask, YES, Draco, you must attend."
Draco grumbled behind his laptop and Dumbledore and Hermione chose to ignore him.
"No fat cupids again this year, right Headmaster?" Hermione asked, fighting a smile and losing.
"No no, I believe it will just be straight forward. The students have almost two weeks to get ready, and this Saturday is a Hogsmeade weekend," the Headmaster told her, and Draco typed it all down.
Sighing the sigh of someone long suffering, Draco returned the computer back to matchbook size and transferred it back to his pocket as he stood up. "While I can't say I look forward to it, I will definitely pass on the information." Both Head students nodded to Dumbledore and they left.
XXX
"So, will you wear red?"
"Absolutely not."
"Pink?"
"You're trying my patience, woman," Snape grumbled into her bare shoulder as they lay in bed.
"At least pin a tacky heart to your robes," she joked. He raised his head long enough to glare at her before dropping it back onto her.
"I will be presentable, and that is all. No more is asked of me, no more will be given," he grumbled.
"At least he promised no fat cupids this time," she commented.
"Small consolation."
"He said 'tastefully sexy' but I don't have even an idea what to wear."
"Hermione, for the love of Merlin or whatever deity you may look to, if you ever want to have a repeat performance of what just took place again, don't ever talk about Albus saying the word sexy. I don't want to think about Albus saying anything close to sexy, especially not while I'm naked in bed with a woman!" He turned onto his back and dramatically threw one arm over his eyes. "Oh god, now I'm picturing him saying sexy while dancing in a strapless gown, and before you ask why I chose a strapless gown, I don't know. But I feel nauseous, and it's your bloody fault if I can never get hard again."
XXX
Valentine's Day had come and the three friends entered the Hall at breakfast time and groaned in unison. There were no fat cupids running around, true, but it appeared Dumbledore couldn't hold back his enthusiasm for decorating. Tiny confetti hearts were falling from the ceiling, stopping just short of the tables and disappearing so as not to get in anyone's food, the stones on the walls were tinted pink and white, and all the silverware was red.
"It could be worse," Harry mumbled, trying to stay optimistic. Draco just snorted and the friends continued to walk to the table.
"Oh look, my toast is in the shape of a heart. How cute," Draco said dryly before biting into it.
Soon, the owls started arriving carrying much more than usual. The normal mail was delivered and then all the valentines from friends and admirers.
Hermione heard a soft gasp from next to her. She looked at Draco, who was wide eyed, and then into his hand where he held a small ring box.
"Listen, I know it's terribly cliché and all to give you something like this on Valentine's Day, but I figured I might as well. It's nothing extravagant," Harry said, looking at the blonde. "This isn't an engagement ring or anything. Not yet." The last two words were said so soft, Hermione wondered if they were supposed to hear them. "This is just to show everyone that you're taken and they can damn well keep their hands off of you. This is to show that I want EVERYONE to know that you are with me."
Draco slowly lifted the lid and looked silently at the silver and gold band lying within. He took it out and placed it on his finger before turning to finally look at Harry. Harry's eyes had closed briefly in relief when Draco put the ring on; before, Hermione was able to see the nervousness in his eyes as he waited.
"I love it. I love you," Draco said, and leaned in for a quick but passionate kiss. Suddenly, their end of the table erupted in cheering, clapping, and cat-calls. The couple broke apart and looked around with reddened cheeks.
"That was beautiful, just beautiful!" Seamus laughed, clapping.
Dean whistled through his fingers, and Neville laughed as he joined in clapping. Soon, the whole table was clapping for them before going back to eating.
"Famous Potter, can't even get through breakfast without making a spectacle of yourself," Draco said, adopting the scorn from years past in his voice. Hermione and Harry just laughed.
"Hermione," Harry said, nodding at the falcon who had just swept in.
"A bit melodramatic, isn't he?" Hermione sneered, looking down at the pure black rose. The falcon had dropped it and continued flying back out a window. She touched her wand to it and incinerated it.
"Now who's dramatic?" Draco laughed.
"Hermione, there's you again I think," Harry said, nodding once more but this time to an owl heading towards her with a small parcel. Instead of dropping it on the table like other owls, this one landed and placed the parcel in front of her before taking flight again.
She poked it with her wand a few times, muttering incantations to reveal anything wrong, but nothing showed. Hesitantly, she reached out and pulled the parcel towards her and started to unwrap it.
Inside, there was a beautiful dark red rose preserved with charms so as not to get crushed inside the packaging. The rose was lying alongside a box with a piece of folded parchment on top.
Picking up the note, she smiled as she read it, finally laughing:
Hermione,
Romance is not my forte and I cannot promise you that it ever will be. However, I do care for you and I wanted to give you something, even if it's small, because of what you've given me. You've given me happiness this year that I never thought I deserved.
Happy Valentine's Day…although I don't understand why we really celebrate it. All the stories surrounding the legend of St. Valentine's Day are murky, but they all end with Saint Valentine dying. It never seemed very romantic to me.
Of course, if you wanted to get traditional, we could celebrate the ancient Roman way and have a festival and sacrifice a goat (for fertility) and a dog (for purification). Then I could slice the goat hide into strips, dip them in sacrificial blood, and slap you and some crops with them. The ancient Roman women believed that being touched with the hides would make them more fertile…but maybe we shouldn't do that, now that I think of the problem extra fertility might cause us.
Ah, well, if you don't feel like being traditional, then I hope my gift satisfies.
Yours,
Severus.
"Well, he's right about not being romantic," Draco said as Harry and him finished reading the letter she handed them. "Go on, open the box!"
Carefully, she lifted the lid of the box and gazed down at the contents. Inside, nestled perfectly into six different places, were beautiful handmade chocolates.
"Talk about cliché. Hey, now you shouldn't feel so bad, Harry," Draco said, nudging his boyfriend. He went to pick a chocolate out of the box and pulled his hand back lightening fast when he was shocked. "What the hell!"
Hermione and Harry laughed. "Serves you right," Hermione said. "He must've made sure that no one else could have them. I wonder what kind they are."
"Look at the top inside the box," Harry said. "It looks like there's a table telling you."
Hermione inspected the inside lid of the box. There were lines drawn that separated it into six different squares. However, she was expecting them to read off like "dark chocolate", "milk chocolate with nuts", or "truffle." Instead, the first square said "The protectiveness I feel when I think of Lucius."
Intrigued, Hermione picked up the first chocolate and popped it into her mouth and closed her eyes at the taste. It was delicious and had the texture of a truffle, and bitter, almost like dark chocolate. As it melted in her mouth, she felt a surge of passionate protectiveness wash through her. In that instant, it was like she was connected to his feelings and she felt that if anyone tried to harm her, they would meet an unfortunate end.
She opened her eyes slowly and looked at her friends who had been staring at her with amusement.
"Wow, you look like you just had the best orgasm ever. That must be some chocolate!" Draco said.
"What did it taste like?" Harry asked.
"Like…his emotions. I don't know how, but somehow he channeled his emotions into the chocolate. I just felt how he feels whenever he thinks of Lucius threatening me," she tried explaining, and felt her eyes tear up. "Sorry. It's just…it was beautiful, in a way. To know that he feels like that, it's just…I don't know. Beautiful."
"Damn, I need to ask him how he makes those," Draco said.
"What do the other ones say?" Harry asked, smiling at his friend softly.
"'How I feel during our discussions', 'Happiness', 'The Holiday', 'The End of the Masque", and… 'My Birthday', she said, and then blushed. She could only imagine how that one felt just knowing what she had felt that night. Draco seemed to know what she was thinking.
"Maybe you should wait to eat that one; although, it would make for an interesting class period," he said, smiling at her. She rolled her eyes as she returned the smile and picked up the one about their discussions.
This one was creamier, and not as bitter, but still delicious. She closed her eyes waiting and suddenly felt a few emotions wash through her: faint amusement, faint irritation, enormous amounts of intrigue, and they were all layered with a feeling of pride and respect.
When she finished that one, she smiled widely at her two friends who were still staring at her in amusement.
"Yeah, I think I'm going to save some. I don't want to have an emotion overload right now," she laughed. "But now I don't feel bad for having sent him something this morning, even if it completely pales in comparison to his. I sent him rose extract that Neville helped me with. He had grown them in the greenhouses as part of an extra credit project and had leftovers. Then he showed me how to properly strain them and get the extract. It's an incredibly useful potion ingredient. I sent it with a note and a house elf was supposed to have placed it on a place he would see. I thought he'd think it was funny, since most give roses."
XXX
"So did you owl order your dress again?" Harry asked Hermione later during their free period. Next was dinner, then they were going to get dressed for the dance.
"Yeah, it seemed easier. What are you wearing?"
"The same robes I wore for Christmas. I'm not about to buy ANOTHER set."
"Cheap bastard, you bought those in fourth year and Dobby fixed them this time," Draco said, laughing.
"Exactly, and how many times have I used them since I bought them? Twice, and both for Yule balls. No way am I wasting galleons on another set that I won't wear for another four years," Harry laughed.
Hermione was laughing with them as she pulled out her box of chocolates. She had already eaten the one for the Masque and for the holiday. They both had made her want to cry again because of how happy and sweet they were. Now all she had was simple 'Happiness' and his birthday. She popped the happy one in her mouth.
Suddenly, there was a huge smile on her face.
"That good?" Draco asked, winking.
"That good," Hermione answered. It was beautiful.
"Eat the birthday one," Harry said with a wicked grin.
"No way," she laughed.
"Come on, you have to do it sometime, so do it now!" Draco said, nudging the box towards her with his wand.
Hermione sighed and picked up the last chocolate. It was a dark brown, darker than any of the others had been. When she bit into it, the middle exploded in her mouth with the taste of strawberries, mixing with the chocolate. It was so good; Hermione couldn't help but moan and close her eyes.
By the end of her emotional journey with that chocolate, her eyes were dilated with desire. In the back of her mind, she thought something had been off with that one, though. She felt the lust and the other emotions perfectly, but there was an overlapping emotion that was on top of them all that she couldn't place, but she also couldn't feel very strongly. It was as if she knew what it was and could feel it, but it wasn't making an impact on her.
"Wow," she heard Draco whisper. She opened her eyes and looked at her two friends who had been staring at her the entire time.
"I'm completely jealous," Harry said, nodding.
"I'm completely horny" Draco added. That broke the tension in the room and all three of them laughed.
XXX
"Come on, Hermione! It can't take you THAT long to get ready!" Draco yelled through the door.
"Just because you two have a house elf to help you reuse your robes doesn't mean I do the same!" she yelled back. She looked at where Winky was sitting on her bed and winked.
"Winky is going to finish your hair, and then Miss will be done," Winky said. She looked at Hermione critically, cocking her head to the side, before snapping her fingers. Hermione looked in the mirror and smiled.
She had ordered a very simple red satin dress, but it was more beautiful because of the simplicity. It tied up in the back like a corset with the ribbons being white. The bottom of the dress ended in a diagonal cut, with the longest part ending right above her right ankle, and the shortest ending right below her left knee. Winky had turned the shoes Snape gave her red and satin to match, and then made her hair hang over one shoulder in a twisty sort of way.
"Miss is beautiful," Winky said. Hermione thanked her for her help once more and then the elf apparated back to the kitchens.
"Ok, I'm ready," she said, and opened the door.
XXX
"Miss Granger, you look beautiful."
"Thank you Headmaster. You look quite smashing yourself," Hermione replied, sipping her cider and watching the students dance.
Dumbledore gave a small bow to show his thanks. "I believe there will be only a few more songs and then we will call it a night. Please let Draco know, and the Prefects, so we can help herd all students back to their dorms."
Hermione frowned slightly and checked her dainty watch on the wrist opposite of the bracelet Snape gave her. It was barely 11:30pm; she had expected the party to last until at least 1am.
"Sir, is everything alright?" she asked quietly.
Dumbledore waved his hand airily, as if lazily swatting a fly, but Hermione felt the strong wards go up around them.
"I'm not sure, Miss Granger. I have a strange feeling that not all is well tonight in this room or on these grounds. I have no proof, but very rarely are my feelings wrong. I do not wish to cause a panic, however, so I am ending the ball after a few more songs rather than right away," he explained, all the while keeping his sharp eyes on the crowd.
"Yes, sir. I will go talk to Draco now. Have you told Severus?"
"Yes, I just finished discussing it with him. It seems that he had the same feeling. Inform Harry as well," Dumbledore said before waving his hand again and striding off.
Hermione scanned the room quickly and her eyes landed on the platinum blonde head of Draco in no time. She made her way over to him where he was, unsurprisingly, with Harry. They were talking to Seamus and Dean.
"Excuse me, I need to borrow my friends real quick," Hermione said, cutting in. Seamus and Dean just nodded and started talking with each other.
"What's up?" Harry asked. Draco raised his eyebrows when she cast the privacy spell Snape had used over the holiday. Hermione quickly filled them in on what Dumbledore had said, and Draco was already adjusting his galleon to let the Prefects know.
"I'm going to go find Severus," Hermione said and broke the spell. Harry and Draco nodded and started walking towards a few Prefects. Hermione scanned the room looking for Snape and sighed in relief when she saw him. Almost as if he could feel her stare, he turned to look at her.
Their eyes met from across the room and she took a step towards him.
That was when the screaming started.
Suddenly, Hermione knew only pain, and tried to find Severus' eyes once more and failed, before everything went black.
XXXXXXXXX
A/N: Wow, so, I'm super sorry it took so long. I don't have internet at home, so I write most of the chapters at home or work and then wait for my days off when I can head to the library to post them. This chapter took me a bit longer because I wanted to speed the story up but I didn't want to rush at the same time.
Thank you all for your wonderful feedback. You can note that I started putting X's between pauses; apparently when I would make a line or star or any other marking of some sort it wouldn't show. So I tried X's and they stuck. The next chapter should be coming soon. I wanted to try to update with at least 2 chapters each time but I feel like I let ya'll wait long enough so here's one…although, with the way it ended you probably will yell at me to post the next lol. Remember, you don't have to wait until the last chapter you read to review. I thrive on reviews. I already have ideas on a second story, but I crave reviews to help me on my way since I'm so new at this lol. I'll give you a cookie.