Author's Note - Hehehe! This chapter is mostly in response to CheshireCat23's review on how can Hermione and Draco be paired, if Hermione is really a Purebood. Well, I've actually had that all sorted out before (in my head) and talked it out with kGIRLsongbird on how to explain it, I just wasn't sure how or when to and so I've decided, no time like the present!
P.S. I hope this makes sense... XD
Chapter twenty-two.
Hermione groaned as she flopped onto the couch beside Alice, who limply waved a tired hand at her.
"I hate jet-lag."
"I hate second years."
Alice giggled, "Oh, yeah, how did that happen?"
"Those two boys decided they'd fight for my honour during class. By the way, how are they?"
"Oh, fine, we reversed the spells pretty easily, Poppy is keeping an eye on them for the night in case they revert back or there are some side affects we didn't cover for. Why did they- I mean what put that into their mind? A duel during transfiguration?"
"My guess is that they'd just came back from D.A.D.A where Harry's been giving them lessons in duelling and telling them those traditional stories, such as wizards duelling for the lady… Ugh, I'm going to kill Potter! He better have a kick-ass witch that doesn't need saving in his next story or he is DEAD!"
"Ohh! Can I watch?"
"What? When I kill him?"
"Yeah!"
"You're the Healer and his fiancée! You shouldn't be encouraging me!"
"Eh, I don't really care." She shrugged leaning back and smiling with a laugh in her eyes.
"You say that, but you don't mean it!" Hermione said desperately, looking worriedly at the girl.
"Of course! Granger, you really need to visit Australia or New Zealand. I don't think you'll understand any of my jokes otherwise!"
Hermione blushed, unused to not knowing something or being thought in need of more education, even if it was in the black humour of the Aussies.
"I know! Have Christmas with us!"
Hermione snapped her head around, "What?"
"I'm gonna try and get Potter to have Christmas in Australia with me and my mates. We usually have a huge shindig, and the food is glorious! My sister will be cooking and no-one, not anyone, passes up an opportunity to have some of her food! Besides, Draco will be there, he hasn't missed a Christmas yet, so he'll probably be making you come too!"
Hermione frowned, "I dunno, I usually have Christmas at the Burrow and I might be asked to look after the students over the break…"
"Nah, they only ask that after someone has been teaching for at least 10 years here…"
"How do you know that?"
"Duh, the only relation I have that is close to my age is Draco and his Godfather is Severus-"
"Snape?" Hermione inquired.
"Yep – And when he didn't rock up to some of the Christmas parties he told us why."
"Oh, fair enough, I guess…"
"Besides!' Alice interrupted, her sleepiness gone and enthusiasm took its place, 'the place we go to is HUGE! It's at Charters Towers and there's enough space for everyone! We usually take our tents and pitch it up because there's not enough room in the house, so all the people who go to the Hovel-"
"Burrow."
"Right, they can come too!"
"I dunno, Molly usually likes to do the cooking…" She was grasping at straws now.
"She can help my sister, she's always complaining about how no-one helps, but then goes ballistic if anyone does who doesn't have the utmost skill in it."
"Still, there's a lot of people that go to the Burrow for Christmas and then there's my family as well."
"Mate, what did I say? Lots of space. Plenty for everyone! We have a fiesta way into the night! And our neighbours are a couple of kilometers – sorry, miles – away, so we go loose with the magic and just have the best time-"
"Wait, did you say camping? At Christmas?"
"What is it with you Brits? Yes, camping at Christmas, Easter, holidays, weekends, skipping school, anytime we can! It's hot in Australia in some parts, cool in others, but no matter where you can go camping pretty much anytime, anywhere… Except March. That's when the March flies are out and they HURT." Alice mused.
Hermione sighed, "I know, I'm sorry, I'm just not sure."
"Hey, you don't have to live there mate, just visit for a bit and if you don't like it, you can leave anytime you want. People are comin' an' goin' all the time."
Hermione smiled, "I'll think about it and I'll ask the others if they want to come too."
"Cool, no worries then! I'll do that too-"
Alice was interrupted when Draco burst through the door, he searched the room wildly before his eyes landed on Hermione. He walked up to her, a crazed and confused look in his eyes. Alice rolled her eyes and picked up the hot chocolate she had gotten from the kitchens on her way to the commons.
"My mum has been talking to your mum-"
"What? Why?" Hermione looked worried.
"THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT!" He yelled, still confused and now annoyed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alice subtly shake her head and raise an eyebrow and he sighed, chagrined, "Sorry Granger, wedding stuff I think. Anyway, I've found out that you're not really muggleborn…You've got wizarding ancestors."
"Yes, I already know that. Where are you going with this?"
"Don't you see! This is our way out! We're both Purebloods! They can't-"
He stopped when he saw Hermione slowly shaking her head, "Why not?"
"Because, I'm a registered Muggleborn. You know how my family are all squibs?"
"Yeah, but-"
"And my grandparents before that were squibs too."
"Yeah, but-"
"Now, my Great-grandparents were wizarding, but because the last two generations were squibs, my generation is classed as muggles. Therefore, even though I have a Pureblood ancestory, the ministry view as a Muggleborn. Do you understand Draco?"
"-No."
Alice sighed and put her chocolate down, "Drake, do you remember when I told you about the Muggle World Wars?"
He nodded slowly.
"And you remember how Hitler decided to eradicate all the Jews, because he had a personal vendetta against them, well, sort of?"
He nodded again, remembering the time when they had found each other on the Battlefield of Hastings, luckily not on different sides. As soon as he'd found out that she was planning on coming over to Britain to fight against the Dark Lord, he'd joined the Order as a spy and he'd gotten his first mission; get the Death Eaters into the castle and kill Dumbledore. Anyway, he'd commented that there had probably never been this much blood shed before, with so many people across the world being involved. He'd fought with Canadians and Indians, as well as many others from Britain's colonies, even some Americans had been coaxed out of their shell to help. She'd turned to him with large sad eyes and told him the story of the World Wars. He had never been so surprised at how closely the wizards and the muggles resembled each other.
"Yes."
"Well, do you remember how they defined the Jew?"
"Ah-"
"If they found a Jew, he was obviously a Jew, but if they found a Jew, they were considered a half Jew, so they took them, but if they found the grand-child of a Jew, they were considered to only being, like, one-fifth of a Jew, so they weren't taken and recorded as one. The same thing applies here, because Hermione's parents and Grandparents weren't magical but were descended, by the time 'Mione came along, she was a muggle."
Draco sighed, "Damn, ah well." And sat on one of the overstuffed chairs.
All three sat in silence, dreamily staring into the fire, thoughts off into the distance, then suddenly.
"Hey Al, this year's Christmas party is at Uncle Roy's place, right? Not at Aunty Nell's in New Zealand?"
"Nah, Aunty Nell's hosting next year. You comin' right?"
"Course! I mentioned it to Blaise and he and Luna are comin' too."
"Great! I can't wait to meet them! Oh! Potter's coming too, of course and Hermione wants to bring everyone from the Hovel-"
"Burrow."
"Right, sorry, Draco kept telling me that was what it was called, but he was obviously wrong about that-"
Alice chatted cheerfully on about who was coming, listing various people, quite obviously other friends and relations from around the world and so she missed the daggers Hermione glared at Draco, who just smirked at her before joining the conversation with Alice, informing her of others who she either laughed in delight at, eagerly saying she couldn't wait to see or met them, or wrinkled her nose at, clearly sending the message that they were rather annoying.
Hermione smiled softly at last, after she had finished being mad at Draco. Alice was right, right now, Hermione couldn't see any of that selfish, spoiled little boy that tortured and taunted her for years. Here was a young man, laughing and enjoying himself, she was seeing a side of him that not many people saw…and she liked it.