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Chapter 22
Draco Malfoy sat at his normal seat at the Slytherin table at dinner, musing about the last week. When he and Hermione had been sitting under the tree the previous Sunday, he had felt like they had grown extremely close. Then McGonagall had come over and Hermione had found out about the stupid git and his lie. Since then, Draco hadn't had a moment alone with the beautiful Gryffindor. And that irritated him to know end. He was use to getting what he wanted, when he wanted it and he defiantly wanted Hermione Granger.
"What's got your broom in a twist?" Blaise asked his best friend after the blonde had sighed for the fourth time since sitting down for dinner.
"Nothing," Draco declared, stabbing forcefully at the piece of pork that was on his plate.
Blaise smirked, knowing exactly what was wrong. "Still not get her alone?"
"No," he admitted reluctantly, really not wanting to admit it. He wasn't in the mood to be the brunt of any teasing.
"You'll figure something out," Blaise replied, shrugging as if it were no big deal. "You're Draco Malfoy."
The blonde smirked, appreciating his friend's confidence. He instinctively looked over to the Gryffindor table to see the object of his affection taking her seat. She was grinning widely as she talked with her friends; looking happier then she had looked at the beginning of the week. It made his heart skip a beat, seeing her so happy. I wish I had been the one to make her that happy, he found himself thinking.
Just then, before he could scold himself for thinking such things, a gigantic hawk flew into the Hall, landing in front of Hermione.
"Who do you suppose would have a bird like that?" Blaise wondered, watching as she untied the piece of parchment.
"I have a suspicion," Draco muttered, extremely angry. If what he had over heard some fourth and fifth years talking about earlier in the day was true, then he had a much bigger wizard to worry about than some Weasleys. He now had some major competition.
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"I'm sorry, Ginny. I must have heard you wrong. I thought I just heard you say that Hermione has another petition," Ron said to his sister.
"No, you heard me just fine, Ronald. This is another petition," Ginny informed him.
"Bloody hell," the red headed man breathed, looking over at his still shocked best friend.
"Who's left to petition her?" Harry demanded, extremely irritated. He knew that Hermione was already a mess, not wanting to hurt anyone as she made her decision. It had been extremely difficult for her to give Charlie back his petition and they had hardly known one another. As she was growing closer to the twins and Malfoy, he knew it would just get harder for her. And now, this man had decided to throw her another option! He had half a mind to go and give this wizard a piece of his mind.
Ginny looked over at Hermione, who still sat in a state of shock. It wasn't her information to pass on, so she shook her head at Harry, trying to get him to calm down and give Hermione time to process. The boy who lived, however, wasn't so patient.
"Mione, whose it from?" he asked, a little more calmly.
Hermione looked up at Harry, then over to Ron, Luna, and finely over at Ginny, who smiled at her and handed back the piece of paper. Sitting here, dumb struck is not going to change the fact that you got another petition, she told herself as she took a deep breath to steady herself. She then looked over at Harry and answered with one word.
"Viktor."
"Bloody hell!" Luna exclaimed in a very non-Luna like way. Ron raised an eyebrow at his fiancée, smirking as she shrugged her shoulders. "That one surprised me, that's all."
"What are you going to do?" Ginny asked, gently, knowing that her feelings were all over the place. She remembered back in her own third year when Viktor had first showed interest in Hermione and asked her to the Yule Ball. She had been shocked when the most gorgeous boy ever had asked her, the book worm. Ginny remembered how Hermione had twirled around and around in her dress when she and Ginny had turned up in the common room around the same time that night and how happy she had been. She remembered how Hermione had told her at the beginning of the next school year that she had spent a week with Viktor and his family and how he told her he loved her, about how he called her 'my princess'. But most of all, Ginny remembered that Christmas, when Hermione had cried on her shoulder when Viktor wrote and told her that he couldn't be with her any longer, because he needed to focus on Quidditch. She knew that he had been her first love and it was difficult to forget about your first love.
"I honestly don't know," she answered, looking at Ginny with wide eyes, silently trying to ask her what she should do. Other than her parents, who would no longer have anything to do with her anymore, Ginny was the only one who knew how close she had been with Viktor. She hadn't told Harry or Ron, because she knew they would make a big deal and threaten to hurt him if he ever hurt her. And he had hurt her, but she understood that his work had to come first. Viktor had told her several times that he wanted to make his own way in the world and not depend on his parent's wealth. That was one of the things that she had loved most about him. For a long time after he had sent her the letter, she often found herself wishing for just one more hug and one more kiss. She promised herself that if he ever wanted her again, that he would give him another chance. She knew that a lot of people would be shocked that such an independent woman would run back to the man who had left her, but he was her first love. He was the first guy that saw her as a girl and not just a know it all. It meant a lot to Hermione then. It still meant a lot to her.
"Have you even talked to him lately?" Ron wondered.
"And why is he sending out petitions? He's not even in England and I know that the Bulgaria ministry didn't pass a marriage law," Harry said, not liking the look that was on his best friends face. It was the same look she had worn the latter part of their fourth year and the first part of their fifth. He had been too busy with his own issues back then to wonder what it was about, but now that he saw it on her face moments after the letter from Viktor, he knew it had been something to do with the Quidditch star.
"Actually, he was traded to the National team here in England. The trade went through late last night," Neville Longbottom informed the group of friends. He had been sitting close to them and couldn't help but over hear the conversation.
"What?" Ron exclaimed.
"That cannot be true," Ginny insisted.
"But why would the Bulgarian team trade him?" Harry wondered. "He's been their star for years and he's getting better every year."
"They didn't want to trade him," Neville replied, pulling out his copy of the Daily Prophet from his knap-sack, handing it over to the group.
Hermione snatched the paper up before anyone else had the chance. There on the front page was a picture of the man she hadn't seen in three years, shaking hands with the owner and the coach for the National team. He hadn't change a lot in those years. He was still one of the most handsome men she had ever laid eyes on.
"He's still gorgeous," Luna observed, earning a look from Ron. "He's not my type, Lover. I'm just stating a fact."
"He asked to be traded to the National team!" Harry exclaimed, shocked.
"'When asked why he wanted to be traded, the star Quidditch player replied, 'I have always loved this country. When I was here for the Tri Wizard tournament, I didn't want to leave. I left a part of my heart here and I hope to get it back, now that I have the chance.' When asked if he was aware of the Marriage Law that had recently passed and if he understood that he would be required to find a wife soon, the Quidditch star shared a grin with the reporters, something that was extremely different for him. 'I am aware and I am looking forward to seeing my princess.'" Harry read aloud.
Ginny and Hermione gasped at hearing the phrase 'my princess.' Hermione looked as if she had just seen a ghost.
"Bloody hell," Ginny whispered.
"What? What aren't you telling us?" Harry wondered.
Hermione looked at Ginny and nodded, silently telling her to tell them.
"He asked to be traded so that he would have to be a part of the Marriage Law," Ginny started.
"Why would he do a crazy thing like that?" Ron asked. Harry's eyes widened, finally realizing what was going on.
"He moved here to be with Hermione," the Boy Whole Lived said, shocked.
"How do you know that?" Ron wondered. "There could be someone else here that he wants to be with. Or maybe he really does like the National team."
"I'm his princess," Hermione said quietly, looking down at the picture of Viktor. He had moved away from his home, away from his family, for a chance to be with her? It couldn't be.
"That was his name for you," Luna replied, understanding written all over her face.
"Yes," the brown haired witch answered.
"You dated him, after he left, didn't you?" Harry asked quietly. Hermione nodded, not trusting her voice.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron wondered. He felt a little hurt that he hadn't known that she had been with the star Quidditch player longer then what they had known.
"Because it was none of your business, Ronald," Ginny answered, putting her hands on her hips in a very Mrs. Weasley type way.
"We are her best friends, of course it was our business," Ron insisted.
"There was so much going on at that time," Hermione explained quietly. "I didn't want to burden you two with something else."
Harry sighed and shook his head, annoyed with himself. "I'm sorry you didn't feel like you could talk with us about this."
"Don't be. It was a long time ago," she replied.
"You loved him," Ron suddenly exclaimed, earning a few glances from other tables.
"Could you be a little louder, Ronald," Ginny hissed at her brother.
"Are you going to give him a chance?" Harry asked.
Hermione looked at her two oldest friends wanting to answer them, but honestly not knowing. She stood from the table; her food barely touched, and grabbed her purse.
"I can't answer you now," was her reply. She needed to think and she couldn't do it here with everyone looking at her. There was one place that always cleared her mind, one place that she could always think.
"I'm going to the library."
SO what do you think? I hope you like it. Please let me know what you think. Reviews help me along. Thanks to my beta Just Being Sirus, for getting this back to me so quickly. :) Happy Reading.