ADMIRE YOU
CHAPTER 8
By: hermioneeeeeee
Hermione remembered that Cormac had promised to write back and forth to her and it had been a week since Cormac's departure and Hermione was ready to write. She dipped her pen into the ink and let the word flow out...
Dear Cormac,
I hope you are well and that Switzerland is fantastic. Things here haven't changed, especially my missing you. Tell me about your new life, school, any new friends or anything! Write soon!
Love,
Hermione
Hermione smiled satisfied at her brief letter. She walked it up to the Owlery and sent it off.
Cormac sat in his room until an owl came by the window. He unlocked it and took the letter from it. It was from Hermione! He read it quickly and began on a letter himself.
Dearest Hermione,
I am fine and Switzerland is fine. Things here aren't too crazy. I still miss you a lot, though. We have a house and I am already at a school. I've made friends with a girl from Africa who went to Uagadou and has been sent here by her parents because the job opportunities here were better. I've also befriended a boy from Australia. Everyone here is nice and polite but I miss England a lot. The work we do isn't too difficult but I miss our study sessions ;). I hope to hear from you soon!
Love,
Cormac
He sent his letter back with the owl and went to bed sleepily.
Hermione walked into Charms early again and saw Draco sitting at his desk. She went over to him.
"Haven't seen Cormac for a while." he noted with a hint of happiness.
"No, he moved to Switzerland." she said.
"What? You didn't tell me!"
"He didn't want anyone else to know."
"Are you free tonight?"
"Yes..."
"Can you meet me by the Black Lake at 5:30?"
"Sure, I'll meet you."
Draco tried his best not to look surprised and waited until Hermione had turned her back to do a victory punch.
Walking to the Black Lake, Hermione thought of whether or not this was really a date. She saw Draco already there and smiled.
"What's all of this?" she asked, gesturing to the picnic laid out.
"Dinner. We don't have to eat now but, I thought it would be kind of nice." Draco replied, embarrassed.
"Very sweet of you."
"No problem. Now, I've got something to ask you."
"Okay..."
"Will you be my girlfriend?"
"Draco!"
"What? Cormac's not here anymore!"
"True. But, I need to ask him first."
"Hermione, you don't need to ask him."
"I know, I'm sorry. Can you give me time to think about it?"
"Absolutely. I won't force you into it."
Hermione took a bite of a strawberry and slid herself into Draco's lap. He smiled and ate a sandwich. They spent hours talking and Draco brought up a random subject.
"The Giant Squid never comes out." Draco noted.
"Yeah, I've never seen it before." Hermione agreed. The lake rippled peacefully. Then more. Suddenly, a dark figure seemed to be looming closer.
"Draco, what's that?"
"I don't know."
The figure moved even closer and... clutched Draco in its tentacles!
"It's the Giant Squid! Draco!" she screamed.
"I'm okay! I'm-" Draco started but he couldn't finish. The squid had dragged him underneath the water. Hermione dived in and went to find him. The squid moved quickly and it was hard for her to hold her breath. Draco already looked unconscious and Hermione swam as fast as she could. The squid looked at him curiously, curled up, and fell asleep immediately. Hermione cast a bubble-head charm on herself and breathed in deeply. She swam faster and detangled Draco from the squid's tight grip. The Giant Squid woke up and snatched him back. Hermione cast a stunning spell and the squid was blasted back momentarily. She held onto Draco's hand and cast 'Ascendio' but not before the squid could latch on and go up with them. All three of them were blasted out of the Black Lake and onto the grass. The squid landed next to him and tried to move but was unable to. Hermione used her wand to move it back to the lake and into the water. Draco remained unconscious. Hermione poked him but he didn't move. She rolled him over, she used spells but nothing would work. Finally, she resorted to the fairytale method. She bent down and kissed him on the lips. Draco returned the affection and soon, the two were in full snog mode.
"You weren't unconscious when we got out of the lake." Hermione realized.
"Nope. But it got you to do what I wanted you to." he smirked.
Dear Cormac,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, I am breaking up with you. I hope that you aren't mad! It's just, a long distance relationship won't work out. I know you'll find another girlfriend sometime; you're so thoughtful and kind.
Best wishes,
Hermione
Hermione finished her letter and walked up to the Owlery. She sighed as she tied the letter to the leg of the owl and watched it fly away.
Cormac smiled as he took the letter from the owl. He ripped open the envelope and his happy mood immediately turned sad. He did understand, though. It was just hard to come to grips with reality. He dipped his pen in ink and wrote back.
Dearest Hermione,
Thank you for your news. It may be disheartening but, I get it. We would barely ever get to see each other. I'm not mad at all and I hope that you are happy now.
Sincerely,
Cormac
Hermione read. She smiled lopsidedly and tossed it into the recycling receptacle. She cast her patronus, sent a message, and let her otter go swimming away to find Draco.
Draco walked quickly to the Room of Requirement. He saw Hermione waiting there, thinking about the room she wanted. Draco stepped up and held her hand as they went in.
"What did you want?" he asked.
"To tell you something." Hermione replied.
"What exactly."
"About Cormac."
"Let me guess."
"Go for it."
"You didn't break up with him and you're meeting up during the spring." Draco answered, assuming the worst.
"Wrong and wrong."
"Really?"
"Yes. I did break up with him and I'll probably never see him again."
"Brilliant!"
"Draco..."
"Sorry."
"It's okay."
"We can be together now, though."
"Yeah, we can!"
Draco was so happy that he picked her up and swirled her around. He brought her down into a kiss until they had to break apart for breath.
"You've got to meet the others." Draco insisted. He grabbed Hermione's hand and led her into the Slytherin Common room. The other eighth year Slytherins looked up from whatever they were doing and stared creepily at Hermione.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked them. Pansy approached him with a sour look on her face.
"You chose this one?" Pansy said, looking at Hermione like she was a foul-smelling piece of trash.
"Yeah. Problem?"
"Obviously! She's a mudblood. Don't you remember what that means?"
"Of course I do."
"Then why are you with her?"
"Pansy, I can be with whoever I want."
"I didn't ask you that."
"Fine. I'm with her because she's smart, fun, and actually a nice person. All things you aren't."
"Perhaps. I'm probably better at snogging though."
"Doubtful."
"Oh really?"
"Yep. Absolutely."
"We'll see about that." Pansy said, leaning in to kiss him.
"Woah! You broke up with me, Pans!"
"Idiot! I'm trying to prove that I'm better than her at something."
"You are. Better at being annoying."
"You forgot to mention prettier."
"I don't think I did."
"How can a mudblood be anything but ugly?"
"She doesn't look ugly to me." Blaise said whistling. Hermione blushed and Draco looked at his friend with raised eyebrows.
"What? It's true!" he defended himself.
"I know that." Draco said. Pansy rolled her eyes and went to the girls dormitory, muttering something that sounded along the lines of: "You don't deserve him.".
"Is it true, what Pansy said?" Hermione asked meekly.
"What?" Draco asked softly.
"She said I don't deserve you."
"No! Of course it's not true!" Draco answered angrily. Hermione nodded slowly.
"Well, I don't think that went as well as planned." Blaise stated. Draco shook his head.
"Never mind." Draco said, waving it off. He and Hermione left the Slytherin Common room.
"I'm sorry about her. She feels threatened easily." Draco said.
"It's okay. I've learned to block it out." Hermione answered quietly. He put his arm around her and the two walked out into the sunlight.