Great news: I have a beta! special thanks to the wonderful wisecrackerme for helping me out. Any remaining mistakes are my own!
I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year, so I won't have all that much time to work on this story, but I have most of next chapter written so you shouldn't have to wait too long for that one. If anyone is participating as well, feel free to add me as a buddy! My username there is the same as here.
"I get it, Granger, you're pissed, but honestly, what did you expect? I thought you knew he was a bit of an idiot when you befriended him!"
"Parkinson, you're really not helping your case. I don't even know why you insist on inviting him, anyway!" Hermione protested.
"Because Ginny says she and Harry will only join us if Ron is invited too," Pansy said, waving her hand around as if she could chase away the problem with a simple gesture. "Listen: when you have a fight with your friends, there are only two proper ways of handling it."
"Oh?"
"The first one being that you throw them out of your life forever, and you talk shit about them to everyone to such extent where all of your other friends dump them too."
"That sounds a bit drastic," Hermione noted.
Pansy sighed. "It's a necessary evil, Granger. Sometimes, you just have to put yourself first."
"Do you ever NOT put yourself first?" Hermione asked, unable to hide the amused smile on her face.
"I'm here, trying to help your ungrateful arse, aren't I? Now hush, here comes option two: you make them pay for what they did or said, and once they have suffered enough, you forgive them and let go of it. None of that ignoring nonsense, it lacks character."
"Pansy, we're both adults. We can talk it out."
"You're such a dreadful bore," Pansy drawled. "But whatever, if you insist. But do that by Saturday, then, because we are all going to Hogsmeade together. Oh, do you think you could ask Longbottom to join us?"
"Since when were you interested in getting to know Neville?"
"I'm not. At all. But I'm getting tired of seeing Theo staring at him with that sappy look in his eyes, so I figured if we throw them together that he'll either get over it or they'll fuck it out, you know?"
"Ew, Pansy. I'll ask him, but for Theo's sake. Not because you asked."
"Whatever, Granger. Now let's go back to not talking to each other, shall we?" Pansy stood up from the bench they had been sharing and strode back inside the castle, shoulders straight despite the disparaging looks of some of the younger students.
After that odd conversation, Hermione headed towards Draco, who had been sitting a bit further with a book, pretending not to watch them.
"I'm beginning to feel worried about how good you and Pansy are getting along," he said, dropping his book when she reached him and immediately burrowed into his shoulder for warmth.
Hermione chuckled. "I thought you'd be happy about that."
"I am," he admitted. "Pansy can be difficult to appreciate, but she's one of my best friends. I'd hate for you two to be at odds."
"No, I can honestly say that she's growing on me. She's still a bitch, though."
"Yeah, I suppose she is."
"Now if only you could give my friends a chance, we'd be making actual progress here," Hermione said.
"I like Ginny well enough!" Draco defended himself. "And Lovegood is rather amusing. Even Potter I can tolerate, but how do you expect me to be civil to Weasley after he called you a slut?"
Hermione looked up sharply. "Theo told you."
"Of course."
"Draco, please don't get involved in this. I know you have some weird protective streak that came into existence once we got married, but this you need to let me handle on my own."
"Some men consider it their duty to protect their wives' reputation," he responded, angry.
"Yes, well, welcome to the present, we strive for gender equality nowadays. If I need your assistance, I'll ask for it, but he's my best friend. I'll handle it." It took some effort not to show how much pain she still felt at the thought of it, but Draco was incensed enough as it was, no point in angering him further.
"You're impossible, you know that?"
She grinned at him. "You married me anyway, didn't you?"
"Only because I took pity on you, knowing as I did that no one else would ever deign to wed you."
"Hey! I'm the popular war hero in this relationship!" Hermione protested, laughing.
"Sweetheart, don't you know? Popularity is temporary. Being an aristocrat, however, lasts forever." He lifted his nose in the air and looked down at her, batting some imaginary dust from his shoulder.
"You know, Draco, I never knew you were like this."
"I'd say there was quite a lot you didn't know about me before this year, expect of course for the fact that I was a prat."
She nodded. "True. But still, I never pegged you as the funny type."
"You must've been blind and deaf then," Draco replied promptly. "I am and have always been hilarious."
"Gods, Draco! It's a miracle you can get through doors with that humongous ego of yours! Anyway," she said loudly, interupting his protests. "We're going to Hogsmeade with all the Slythindors this Saturday. That was what Pansy was telling me."
"Please tell me you didn't just say Slythindors with a serious look on your face," said Draco, looking as if he'd just eaten something far too sour to be good.
"I... Oh shit, I really did, didn't I?"
Draco snickered. "That Lovegood really is something. Even Daphne, who used to be one of the most rational, down-to-earth people I know, is starting to talk about Spartwucks or something."
"Wrackspurts," Hermione corrected him automatically. "They're invisible and make your brain go fuzzy."
"Please tell me you don't believe in that stuff."
"Of course not! Their existence has never been proven in any way, and there are more than enough fascinating magical creatures to learn more about that it is in no way necessary to make even more up. But still, Luna believes in them, and she's far more perceptive than most people give her credit for."
Draco snorted. "Sure she is."
"I used to think like you," Hermione told him. "Until I got to know her better. I'm sure you'll change your mind in time."
"Although, when you think about it, the abbreviation isn't correct," said Draco. "Lovegood is a Ravenclaw, so Slythindor makes absolutely no sense."
"Slythindorclaw sounds even worse though, doesn't it?"
"Oh Salazar, please don't give her any ideas."
"'Mione, can we talk?" Ron asked, after finding her in the library. He was standing by her table, not quite daring to sit down and looking highly uncomfortable. When she gestured at the chair facing hers, he sat down, offering her a sheepish smile.
"Why? So you can insult me some more?"
Ron reddened and dropped his gaze, taking hold of one of her quills and toying with it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things."
Silence fell over them for a very long time. "I—" Hermione started. "I know, but I didn't expect you to admit it so easily."
"Yeah, well, we all grow up, don't we?"
"Did Pansy get to you?"
Ron blushed even more. "Maybe."
"How did she convince you to apologize?"
"Hermione, can you just let it drop? The important thing is that I'm apologizing, no?"
"Ronald, answer the question." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, trying not to show just how curious she was.
"Fine. She said she'd make Ginny write to mum about what I said if I didn't make amends before Saturday."
"Damn, that's brilliant," Hermione muttered. "That woman sure doesn't give up."
"She's terrifying, is what she is. But I would have told you I'm sorry, anyway," Ron said. "I don't know why I said all those things. I just felt so... betrayed, and angry. It was the Yule ball all over again. Which is ridiculous, because we both know we're better off as friends, and I'm not in love with you anymore, but I guess sometimes old habits die hard."
"I'm glad to hear your apology Ronald, but you really did hurt my feelings. You were way out of line."
"I know. But come on, you and Malfoy!"
"Don't even start!" Hermione stopped him, speaking through gritted teeth. "What Draco and I do is none of your business. I'm a grown woman, and I can make my own decisions. Moreover, you are the only one who hasn't even carried out the slightest effort to give the Slytherins a chance, because if you did you might have noticed that they're not that bad after all!"
"You sound like Ginny," Ron answered. "Look, 'Mione, I'm doing what I can, but we can't all be as forgiving as you and Harry are. And I worry that Malfoy is going to hurt you, I can't help it."
Hermione sighed deeply. "I know, Ron. Worry all you like, but can you please at the very least treat him with civility? And maybe stay out of his way for now, because he's itching to fight you after he heard what you said to me."
"You told him?" Ron exclaimed, shock written on his features. Hermione hushed him, looking around in fear of Madam Pince. Only when she was certain that the severe librarian hadn't noticed, she deigned to answer.
"No, I didn't, actually. I told Theo, who then proceeded to tell Draco. I would be cross with him for it had I not known how persuasive Draco can be."
Ron grimaced. "Godric, you sound like you're half in love with him already. Have you forgotten all that he's done to us?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Hermione protested, a tad too quickly. "And no, I haven't, Ron. I have an excellent memory."
"I'm not sure how to handle this, 'Mione," Ron admitted. "Harry said I should stand by you, no matter your choices, and I know he's right, but I don't know how to deal with this."
"If you think this is easy for me, then you have it all wrong. Ron, I have enough to think about without you acting like an arsehole all the time, so please, get your shit together." There was a steely undertone in her voice that Ron knew all too well. It told him that there was no use in trying to change her mind.
He chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll do what I can. You'll always be my best friend, you know that right?"
"It never hurts to hear it again," she said. "I suppose we can act civil for the duration of Hogsmeade, Saturday, but you're not forgiven yet."
"I know."
The week went on, filled with poor Harry trying to convince Hermione to forgive Ron and attempting to divide his time between his friends as equally as possible. Ginny was highly amused at Ron's grovelling, as were Theo, Pansy and Blaise, but Draco was still fuming every time he so much as saw the redhead.
"Draco, you will behave in Hogsmeade," Pansy told him sternly. "Remember that the press will most likely be there, so we can't have any fights. Granger's best friend and husband dueling would be terrible publicity."
"Fuck off, Pans," was Draco's reply. The warning stuck, however; you couldn't be raised by Narcissa Malfoy and grow up without the strongest distaste of public scenes.
Believe it or not, but his flair for dramatics came from his father, who could be quite theatrical in the privacy of his home.
Draco sighed. He tried not to think of it too much, but he did miss his father. Although it was probably a good thing the man was locked up in Azkaban, because otherwise he would have killed both his son and daughter-in-law for their stupidity.
"If you're done staring vacantly into the air," Blaise said, waving his hand in front of Draco's face. "Let's go to Hogsmeade!"
Having agreed to meet up with the Gryffindors later, at the Three Broomsticks, they spent some time buying far too many sweets at Honeydukes, and wasting their money at Zonko's (Blaise especially), before heading there.
"It's strange without Greg and Vincent," Draco whispered to Pansy. "It feels kind of wrong, you know?" Thinking about his old friends was enough to darken his mood considerably, and he was glad for Pansy's familiar presence.
She nodded. "Are you still in touch with Greg? I haven't heard a thing from him since he's started at Durmstrang."
"No. The last time I've seen him was at Vincent's funeral."
"You know he wouldn't want anything to do with you anyway, now that you're with Granger."
"Probably."
Dejected, they both walked a bit behind their friends. When Draco was once again confronted with his past sins in the form of Madam Rosmerta, he had a hard time fighting the impulse to turn around and leave.
"Hermione asked her if she was okay with you coming here, you know," a dreamy voice said from behind him. Luna stepped up next to him, staring at the busy woman at the bar.
"What makes you think that matters to me?"
She looked up at him, then, in a way that made it clear that his question was a stupid one.
"Forgiveness is a powerful tool, Draco," she continued. "For the person being forgiven as well as the person wronged. Hermione knows that, Harry knows that, and so does Madam Rosmerta. You have nothing to fear."
"I'm not afraid," Draco stated half-heartedly.
"Everyone is afraid. That's because of the amount of Sneezerbinjes that surround humans. You can't let them consume you, though. Tell me, Draco Malfoy, why is it that you persist on keeping others at a distance, even when they are willing to try their hand at friendship?"
"Is this your attempt at befriending me? Because you really need to learn how to be subtle," Draco said, his eyes fixed on Hermione who was giggling about something with Pansy.
"So do you," Luna responded, a mocking tilt to her lips. "If you can't even open yourself up to a potential friendship, then how do you expect to react when someone wants a real, honest relationship? It takes some practice, you know."
Draco looked startled and dropped his gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, but he didn't even sound convincing to his own ears.
Luna patted him on the arm gently. "Don't worry, Draco. I'm sure you will figure it all out one day."
Feeling a bit disoriented by this unexpected conversation with Lovegood, Draco walked over to Hermione who welcomed him with a brilliant smile.
"Hey there! What were you talking about with Luna? You look a tad peaky," she said curiously.
"I'm fine," Draco replied. "Can I talk to you?" He added hesitantly.
Looking a bit worried, Hermione nodded and followed him to the corner of the room, far enough from the rest not be overheard.
"Did you ask Madam Rosmerta if she was okay with me coming here?"
"I did," Hermione answered uncertainly. "Should I not have done that?"
"No, it's just... I didn't ask you to. Why did you even think to do that?"
"I... It's just that you seemed so uncomfortable last time, and I didn't want you to feel even worse should Rosmerta have said something to you. She told me you apologized after the war."
That last sentence escaped Draco's notice, he was too busy being overwhelmed by his own thoughts. He was not used to people going out of their way to make him comfortable without even wanting to take credit, and now the woman he used to bully was making sure he wasn't saddened even though he so obviously deserved to feel the guilt.
Draco had always been taught to protect himself, to keep his walls high, to guard his heart. Self-preservation was highly valued by both Slytherins and Malfoys, and opening up meant getting hurt or blackmailed. Trusting others was mere foolishness, and a mistake with anyone outside of his immediate family.
But perhaps it didn't have to be that way anymore. Perhaps with his caring, warm-hearted wife he could let go of his father's demands and rules. It was worth the risk, wasn't it? She was worth the risk.
"Draco? You're not cross with me, are you?" Hermione asked, a worried pucker appearing between her eyebrows.
Instead of answering he leant down and pressed the softest, gentlest kiss on her lips, a kiss like he'd never given before. It gave Hermione the strangest feeling, as if she didn't really fit in her own skin anymore.
"Wow," she breathed when he let her go. "I take it you appreciated the gesture, then?"
Draco chuckled, still reeling from his revelations. "I appreciate you," he said honestly.
Hermione blushed with pleasure. "Sweet Merlin," said she. "Luna really did a number on you, didn't she?" She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, with a similar intensity. "I appreciate you too, you know. More and more with every passing day."
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