Hey Guys! I'm sorry it took so long but here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.
Please leave a Review. They are appreciated.
December 15, 1998 (continued…)
Draco stripped off his dirty clothing as he ran through the dorm room and into the en suite. He took a quick shower, but made sure to be extremely thorough, since he truly did smell rather foul.
He could hear Blaise shouting through the door until he apparently didn't find that sufficient and opened the door to shout some more.
"Granger is going to bloody throttle you after she murders me. Then the two of you will most likely have a spicy, makeup shag in the same room where my dead body lie!" Blaise shouted, clearly having just about lost his mind.
"Would you shut up?! You've gone completely mad!" Draco shouted, "And what the bloody hell did you mean by Theo impregnating my girlfriend?" He asked as he finished shaving and began to rinse off.
Theo shook his head from where he sat on Draco's bed, realizing that, for once, he was the sane one of the three. "You know, I'm a feeling really good about myself at this moment with the both of you buzzing about like hyped-up Billywigs, while I'm over here like a Dashing Demiguise." He said, smirking. "Demiguise's are very peaceful and calm creatures. They're herbivorous and..."
"Shut up, Theo!" both men shouted in unison as Draco entered the room, using his wand to dry his naked body.
"Boxers, please, Draco." Theo said, covering his eyes.
Draco glared at Theo as he pulled on some black boxers. Draco got dressed in his sleek, black dress robes and looked in the mirror as he used his wand to dry his hair and style it a bit.
Once he was fully dressed, he nodded and turned to Theo who looked him over and nodded, "You look sharp, mate." He grinned. "Except for that bit of blood coming from your jaw there."
Draco's eyes widened, realizing he must have cut himself while shaving, "Where?"
"I've got it." Theo said and aimed his wand at his friend's jaw, "Episkey." Theo examined the spot, nodded, and said, "All set."
"Let's move!" Blaise said loudly, his arm nearly doing a windmill motion by the door.
Draco grabbed his overnight bag, the box with the corsage in it, and his wand before heading out of the room with the other two. Blaise locked the room as they rushed down the stairs to find Neville adjusting Harry's bowtie while Ron angrily asked where he had gone and if he had been about to walk out on Ginny.
"Calm down, Weasley. We're all here and Potter would never walk out on her." Malfoy said, nodding to Harry as they gathered together to make sure they all looked nice for the girls.
Neville had on a very handsome set of dress robes with a white bowtie and satin lapels. It was quite elegant and with his hair swept back a bit, he looked completely suave.
Ron, who was trying to redeem himself from the Yule Ball dress robe fiasco, had on an extremely nice set of black robes with an inner black vest to heighten the elegance a bit.
In a classic set of black robes with a black bowtie was Theo. He also had his sandy-colored hair fixed in a much more sophisticated style than usual.
Harry was wearing a set of robes that greatly resembled the set he had worn to the Yule Ball but with a slightly more tamed collar. His hair was a bit windswept from rushing around but gave him an exuberant appearance.
Blaise's robes stuck out compared to the others. They were solid black except for the gold satin lapels and gold cufflinks. He looked particularly dapper with gold stud earrings in as well.
While adjusting the cufflinks that Hermione had given him from Australia, Draco looked at Blaise.
"So, are you still going to murder me?" He asked Blaise with a grin as other groups and couples left the common room, occasionally admiring the blokes' appearances.
Blaise huffed, "Not me, mate. Your girlfriend was most likely to curse your ballocks if you hadn't gotten here on time. Right before she killed me that is." He said, clearly still stressed.
"And thus, Theo would need to impregnate her?" Draco asked with a small smirk.
"Logically." Theo added in with a nod and small smirk as Hannah came down the steps in a solid, flowing pink dress with her hair up in a tight, elegant bun.
Neville appeared to get a little teary eyed, but attention was quickly taken from him when they all saw Luna descend the stairs. She was in a plum-colored dress with her hair up, but with tendrils falling to frame her face.
Cordelia came next, and she was beautiful in a dark dress, primarily black and deep blue. Her hair was pulled back in a wavy and elegant loose bun. It was surprising to see her in such a dark gown and makeup, but she looked striking, and Draco took note that either corsage Blaise had made would work well with her outfit.
Blaise grinned and stepped closer to her, "You look lovely, darling." He said before noticing the black necklace she was wearing that had a snake dangling from it. The snake rested just above the top of her dress and caused Blaise to inhale shakily.
When Pansy came down the stairs after Cordelia, Ron nearly passed out, stumbling backwards slightly at the sight. Her dress was by far the most revealing and the cherry red color was such a loud look, which was perfect on Pansy. Her hair was pulled to the side, revealing more of her neck and back.
Ron swallowed and stepped forward, taking her hand as Ginny came down the steps.
While Ginny's entrance went completely unnoticed by her brother, her date was captivated by her beauty. Harry's smile was wide as his cheeks were dusted with a light shade of pink.
Her royal blue dress and gold accessories went perfectly with her auburn hair, which was swept in an elegant side braid. Harry chuckled, noticing how the golden wings that adorned her high heels fluttered, resembling a snitch.
"You are divine, my love." He said quietly.
While all the girls looked beautiful and breathtaking in their own rights, the moment Hermione stepped into view, Draco's entire universe zoned in on the only person that mattered.
Hermione Jean Granger.
Her silk, emerald-green gown was such a proud statement of who she loved, and she appeared all the prouder of just how obvious it was. The silver accessories impeccably complemented her physical features. Her entire neck was on display with the swirled and jeweled updo she had which gave her the perfect reason to wear a new necklace as well as a new, elegant ear cuff that she had gotten made specifically for that evening.
As she got closer, Draco's heart sped up nervously and when he saw the necklace, he smiled and ever so slightly blushed.
The small, white gold letter 'D' was resting flawlessly against her chest.
He stepped closer to her and smiled, "You look incredibly and incomprehensibly breathtaking, Hermione." He said, not looking into her eyes yet, unable to find the courage to meet those gorgeous pools of honey.
She felt his nerves and reached up, cupping his jaw, "Hey…look at me, love." She whispered.
He swallowed and looked at her. He would normally be utterly embarrassed by his behavior, but all the other blokes were struggling in the same exact manner with their own girlfriends.
He felt his mouth go dry when she smiled at him.
He noticed the ear cuff to be an elegant white gold dragon that lightly curled over the outer edge of her ear. It was beautifully made, with details of each scale and the facial features were intricate. He was about to ask about it when something gleamed from the corner of his eye, and he looked down, seeing that on her wrist was the bracelet he had given her with the dragon and heart charms on it.
He licked his lips, "Merlin, I want to kiss you." He breathed, meeting her eyes.
"You can. I charmed my makeup and my hair to stay exactly like this until I remove the charms." She smirked, tilting her head slightly.
He leaned in a bit before stopping, "You're sure?"
She huffed and pulled him by the back of his neck into the deep kiss. It was only surprising to him because all their friends were there, and it was a rather enthusiastic kiss.
When she hummed against his lips, he groaned and pulled back. She smiled, loving the effect she was having on him.
He didn't move back far and kept her pulled close to him. "You're absolutely stunning, Hermione." He whispered in a breath that only she could hear.
She swallowed, having not expected him to say that. When she looked into his sharp, grey eyes, she saw pure desire and bit her bottom lip as she cleared her throat to say, "Love, you look exceptionally dashing."
He saw the same desire in her eyes and smiled, blushing slightly as he cleared his own throat. "I erm…I…I made you a corsage." He said, inwardly cursing himself for stuttering.
"Made me a corsage?" She asked, impressed, and finding his nervousness completely charming and utterly endearing.
He nodded, "Yea." He said, opening the box to reveal the beautiful corsage, which was perfectly preserved.
"Draco! It's so beautiful!" She breathed, looking at the flowers and ribbon.
He smiled and pulled it out of the box. After slipping it onto her wrist, he kissed her hand softly and met her eyes once more.
She reached up with her free hand and fixed some of his hair while smiling at him. "I must say, Draco…" She whispered, "I'm a bit nervous for the other girls to see you in these robes. You really do look quite debonair."
He pulled her close and kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear, "Honestly, I am a bit stuck between wanting to go out there and show you off or take you up to my dorm and keep you all to myself." He said as he pulled back and met her eyes once more, his courage coming back full force.
She felt a shiver travel down her spine at his words and suddenly felt the same impediment. She licked her lips and was about to reply when they heard someone loudly clear their throat.
"Come on, you lot." Ron said, "Let's get to this thing. I'm famished."
"Bloody hell, Ronald!" Ginny huffed, "We were all sort of having a moment!" she said, as she and Harry had been having a rather intimate kiss as well.
Ron sighed, "Sorry. I just didn't get to eat. Making these bloody corsages took longer than it should have…especially after I ruined the first one."
Pansy smiled and kissed his jaw before saying, "Come on. Let's go."
"Pictures first!" Ginny said excitedly, pulling her camera out.
They spent a few minutes taking several different photographs, wanting to keep memories of the night.
When they left the common room, they made their way to the Great Hall.
As they strolled through the corridors, Draco squeezed Hermione's hand, getting her attention.
She looked to her right and smiled, "Yes?"
He shook his head, "I just wanted to tell you that I am luckiest bloke in the castle tonight." He said before smirking, "Well, I mean, to be utterly honest, I'm the luckiest person in the entire world, but I didn't want to overwhelm you…just yet."
"Just yet?" She smirked.
He winked, "The overwhelming is for later…when I've got you all to myself." He whispered as they entered the Entrance Hall where Deputy Headmaster O'Conner was waiting to tell all the Eighth Years to stay there momentarily.
Hermione swallowed, blushing from Draco's words as Ron spoke up.
"Bloody hell." Ron muttered, shaking his head, "I'm going to starve to death."
"Merlin, Ron!" Ginny huffed, "It's only going to be a few…"
Draco unexpectedly tugged Hermione into an alcove and shook his head, "I really don't want to share you with everyone in that bloody room. All those bastards are going to see you in this…" He shook his head in awe, "…this dress and they're going to want you."
She shook her head, absolutely loving that she had such a strong effect on him. "Well, I only want you. So long as you want me as well…"
He huffed and nodded, "Merlin…I truly do want you, love." He muttered before swallowing, noticing that her thigh stuck out the slightest bit from the slit in the dress.
She smirked and grabbed the back of his neck pulling him into a deep kiss, full of intense desire.
She quietly moaned against his mouth, and he groaned, his right hand coming to her hip while his left went to the wall behind her.
He leaned his body into her, unable to keep from feeling her against him, which instantly caused her to moan, almost too loudly.
"Fuck." He groaned quietly and pulled back, looking around to make sure they hadn't grabbed anyone's attention. "We have to stop or I'm going to enter the Yuletide Ball with a roaring stiffy."
She shook her head, "We can't have that. Then all the girls will want you even more."
He rolled his eyes, and inhaled deeply, begging with his inner control to have his mild erection calm.
She smiled and rubbed her thumb along his cheek, "I love you."
He grinned and nodded, "And I love you."
She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, smiling.
"Are you two done yet?" Pansy asked, having walked over about two seconds before. "We're about to go in."
Draco nodded, adjusted his trousers discreetly, and held his arm out to Hermione. She smiled and took it, holding him close.
"And these are our Eighth-Year students!" McGonagall said as the group entered the Great Hall to see that it looked similar to the Yule Ball but also had a few differences.
The Eighth Years danced as the band, The Transcendent Thunderbirds, performed on stage. After the first song ended, Draco pulled Hermione to a table, and they sat down for a moment.
"Are you thirsty?" He asked.
She nodded, and two goblets of wine appeared as well as two plates full of finger foods.
He grinned and took a sip of the wine as she looked at him and asked, "What's the plan?"
"Plan? But whatever could you mean?" He smirked.
She rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her own wine before replying, "Draco, darling, I know you and you have a plan. We're doing something, going somewhere or…I'm not sure, but something is happening tonight. I do know that in some way, you and I are spending the night together and you've already planned it all out."
He chuckled and nodded, "Oh how well you know me." He said before adding, "Have you brought any extra clothing?"
She nodded, "I have." She replied with an excited smile.
"Good. I've miniaturized my overnight bag and slipped it in my pocket." He replied, smiling at her eagerness.
"Would you mind putting my beaded bag in your pocket? I need to keep it safe and would rather not hold onto it."
He nodded and took the beaded bag, slipping it into one of the inner pockets of his robes.
"So then…" She said, looking at him pointedly.
He chuckled, "I'm not telling you anything else."
She arched her brow and replied. "Love, I hate to break it to you, but you haven't told me anything to begin with."
He reached over and took her hand, before lovingly kissing it, "I want to surprise you, darling."
She sighed and knew she couldn't argue with that, so she simply nodded as the band ended one song and moved to another. Her eyes went wide when it started, as well as all the other muggleborns in the room.
"They're playing magical and muggle music." Hermione said, looking at her boyfriend, "This song is called Christmas by U2."
He nodded, liking it a lot. After taking a quick sip of wine, he stood up and said, "Let's dance."
She beamed and took his outstretched hand.
After dancing for several songs, Draco pulled Hermione out of the Great Hall and grinned, "Would a warming charm assist me in talking you into going outside?"
Hermione nodded with a smile, "Sure, however my heels may not do too well in the snow."
With a small smile, Draco replied, "We won't be walking."
"Draco, flying on a broom, in this dress will not be any fun…"
"We're not flying, either, love." He smirked and pulled out his wand before casting a warming charm on the both of them.
They stepped out the front entrance to find a gorgeous, silver carriage being pulled along by two unicorns.
"Unicorns?" She asked, looking at Draco with an odd expression that he didn't recognize.
He shrugged, "McGonagall is the one that set up these carriages. She must have been able to persuade some of the unicorns to help…seeing at thestrals aren't exactly the most romantic of creatures."
Hermione began to laugh heartily, confusing Draco…though he adored the sight and sound of it.
"Love…" He said quietly, allowing another couple to take that carriage since another carriage could be seen in the near distance, coming their way.
She shook her head, covering her face, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's just that…well, it's a bloody unicorn-drawn carriage at a Ball, in a castle that is blanketed with snow. Draco, in muggle terms this would be considered a fairytale."
He furrowed his brow and pulled her to the side, figuring it might take a moment, "What is a fairytale? Fairies don't have tails."
Hermione smiled, "No. Fairytales are children's stories. In the muggle world, they are typically filled with Princesses and Princes, horse-drawn or unicorn-drawn carriages, Balls and Galas in castles with gowns and dancing, love at first sight or even hate or distaste that grows into love…that kind of thing."
He nodded, "So a Slytherin Prince and Gryffindor Princess who used to dislike each but are now in love, are at a Ball in a castle. They are about to go in a carriage which is pulled by unicorns." He said with a chuckle, "Yes, I can see now why you might find this funny."
Hermione shook her head and looked at him with loving eyes, "Draco, I didn't mean to insult you. I'm sorry."
"You didn't, Hermione. I promise. I had thought it would be incredibly romantic but if you'd rather…"
"Oh, but it is!" She said quickly, cupping his jaw. "I am so very excited. Let's go!" she said and grabbed his hand before pulling him towards the next one.
He helped her into the elegant carriage before climbing in himself to join her. There was a large, heavy quilt on the seat, and they covered their laps with it as the carriage began to move.
"Oh, this is lovely." Hermione said, looking around at the lightly falling snow as it blended in with the snow that already covered the grounds of the castle.
He smiled and kissed her bare shoulder as her dress left both shoulders exposed. She smiled and turned her head to the left, capturing his lips with her own. She kissed him with deep passion as her hand rested on his chest, just underneath his black bowtie.
Draco deepened the kiss a bit more, pulling her body even closer to his. His right hand was curled around her lower back as he turned his upper body to the right to face her. His left hand was under the quilt and slowly slid into the slit of her dress.
Hermione hummed and furrowed her brow, deepening the kiss even more.
He lightly grazed his fingertips along her inner left thigh and couldn't hold back a groan of disappointment when they heard someone shouting. Neither moved. They both knew they were covered by the quilt, and no one know what they were doing.
"I told you to leave her alone!" they heard as their carriage came to a halt.
Draco sighed and pulled back from her. She swallowed trying to calm herself a bit as he looked around to see what was going on. He spotted two blokes standing in the snow shouting at each other. Not far from them stood a shivering girl in a light blue Ball gown, crying on her own.
"And I told you that you weren't part of her bloody life anymore. So back off!" one of the blokes said.
Draco turned to Hermione and sighed, "Two blokes are having a row over some girl."
Hermione nodded and sighed "Is she out there?"
He nodded.
"Is she okay?" she asked.
"She's crying." He sighed, looking over at Hermione, knowing they were both thinking the same thing.
She frowned, "We ought to at least bring her in here and get her back to the castle.
"Yea, I know." He sighed as he jumped out of the carriage.
Draco trudged through the snow and over to the scene. Unnoticed by both blokes, he made his way over to the girl, "Hello." He said kindly.
She looked at him, sobbing, "H…hi….hi."
"What's going on over here?" He asked as he cast a warming charm on the younger girl.
"Fergus…my erm…ex-boyfriend is ruining the evening." She said before thanking him for the charm.
Draco sighed and looked at the blokes, only then realizing that one of them was Oscar.
"I am just her friend. But that doesn't matter! She doesn't want to be with you anymore!" Oscar exclaimed.
The other bloke, Fergus, raised his wand and Draco raised his but not before Oscar impressively disarmed Fergus with a flick of his wand.
"You bastard, Malfoy! I'll destroy you!" Fergus said as he raised his arm to punch the shorter bloke.
Draco flicked his wand, binding Fergus' arms to his sides before he could punch Oscar.
Oscar spun around to see where the assistance came from and grinned, "Thanks, Draco."
The blonde wizard nodded to his cousin, "No problem. I'm impressed by your disarming skills, Oscar. You've gotten much better." He grinned, "Now, I'll help you get him in the carriage but then you lot best be off to the castle."
Oscar nodded as Draco levitated the angry, unable to move Fergus into the back of the carriage. He placed a warming charm on the two blokes before going back to his carriage where Hermione was waiting.
He sat next to her while they waited for the carriage to start moving again.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked.
He explained about Oscar, and she smiled, "He's rather bright."
Draco nodded and sighed, "I'm sorry if I went too far. I know we're not exactly in private and…"
She shut him up with a kiss. When she pulled back, she shook her head, "Trust me, darling, I would have stopped you, if I didn't want it. And I expect you to continue later tonight." She ended with a smirk. "In a more secluded setting, perhaps?"
He nodded, "I plan to."
Nearly halfway through the Ball, the girls all went to the loo together, telling the blokes that they needed to do a few touchups to their hair and makeup.
"You know…" Theo said, with furrowed, thoughtful brows as if having just realized something as the blokes waited in the Great Hall. "They've all charmed their makeup and hair so…what are they really doing in there?"
"Mate, they're going in there to talk about us." Draco chuckled.
"And to discuss how well we're doing." Blaise nodded.
"To give us our mid-Ball marks, so to speak." Harry smirked.
"That was a really bad pun." Neville chuckled.
Harry nodded, "In all my spare time now, I've discovered puns entertain me. When a crazy bastard isn't trying to kill you every bloody chance he gets, you get to learn things about yourself." He said.
"Wow, Potter." Blaise said, "Way to bring the bash to a screeching halt."
Harry nodded, "Yes, well, I've also discovered that I'm terrible at small talk. So, there is that." He muttered with a sigh.
Meanwhile, the girls had all snuck off to the lavatory they knew would be empty instead of the loo all the other girls were using. When they arrived in Moaning Myrtle's lavatory, Pansy conjured up a couple of sofas and they all sat down, taking a moment to breathe.
"Okay, what do you think they're up to? This night has gone far too well. I love Ron but I don't trust that little smirk he's got tonight." Pansy smirked.
Ginny laughed, "I have no clue, but I agree. Harry's got this glint in his eye that tells me he's got something planned."
Hannah smiled, "I think it's been really nice. Neville's always been a gentleman but tonight he's being so…attentive."
"Neville hasn't been able to take his eyes off of you, Hannah." Luna remarked, "You look so lovely in your gown. The two of you together make quite a handsome pair."
Hannah blushed, "Thank you, Luna."
"What about Draco?" Pansy asked, looking at the brunette in green, "Has he mentioned anything?"
Hermione smirked, "All I know is that it's supposedly good that I brought extra clothing. He's always got a plan; I've learned to be prepared."
"That sounds like Draco." Ginny smirked.
Pansy nodded, and turned to Ginny, "Ron won't let up about how Harry was nearly a no-show."
The redhead turned and looked at Pansy, confused, "What do you mean?"
The only Hufflepuff sighed, "According to Neville; Harry and Draco came rushing into the common room, late, their clothes were dirty and ragged. Blaise was in a fit over Draco and Ron was shouting at Harry."
Hermione furrowed her brow, "What? Do Neville or Ron know where they were? Or Theo? Or Blaise?" She asked, looking at the other girls who all shook their heads.
"Blaise only told me that Draco nearly got him killed by being late." Cordelia said before adding, "He said something about how you would have cursed Draco's ballocks off."
Hermione shook her head, confused.
While the girls continued to talk, the blokes did the same after grabbing a round of punch.
During an intense debate on Quidditch, Draco pulled Blaise aside, having noticed how throughout the entire evening, his best friend had been behaving anxiously.
"Are you all right, mate?" The blonde wizard asked quietly as they strolled away from the others.
Blaise immediately nodded, "Of course. Yea. Why?"
Draco furrowed his brow, "Blaise, mate, you're acting a bit panicky, and I don't understand. You were fine when we were all making the corsages. What happened?"
Shaking his head, the dark-skinned wizard sighed, "Look, I'm fine, mate. I was just a bit anxious about the Ball. but now that it's here, I'm feeling much more at ease. You did scare me a bit with that disappearing act though." he said, chuckling as he turned back towards the others.
The blonde wizard nodded but continued to look at him with a bit of doubt.
"Where is everyone sleeping tonight?" Ron asked.
"You can have our dorm." Harry said to him.
Ron huffed, "Well, where the bloody hell are you taking my sister?"
"Weasley, don't ask questions that you don't want the answer to." Theo smirked.
"I'll be sleeping in my dorm." Blaise said, "Alone." He added after Draco looked at him.
Draco nodded, "I'm going to choose to believe that."
Blaise nodded but didn't reply.
"Where are you and Mione going?" Ron asked the blonde wizard.
"What did Theo just say about asking questions that you don't want the answer to?" Harry said pointedly.
Ron huffed but didn't ask any other questions.
"Okay, so Blaise is set, Draco is set, and I'm set." Theo said, "Potter is set, Weasley is set. Longbottom, how about you?"
Neville nodded, "I erm…I've sort of set up a romantic night in that Greenhouse we all worked in today."
"You cheeky bastard." Theo chuckled, "All those flowers! You're going to make us look terrible."
"Speak for yourself." Draco muttered.
Harry nodded but didn't say anything.
"What in the name of Merlin are you lot whispering about over here?" Ginny said with narrowed eyes, startling the blokes who had created a sort of circle as they talked.
"You do all have a rather impish look about you at the moment." Luna remarked.
Draco scratched the back of his neck, not meeting Hermione's eyes as Harry stuttered, attempting to come up with a response.
"Let's dance, Hun." Neville grinned and took Hannah's hand, leading her to the dance floor.
Pansy narrowed her eyes at Ron, "You're up to something."
"I am not." He said but failed to look even the slightest bit innocent.
She shook her head and reached her hand out, "Let's dance." He grinned and they headed to the dance floor.
Theo and Luna went to ride in the carriages…again.
Blaise turned to Cordelia, "Would you care to dance?" He smiled.
She nodded and the two of them walked off.
Ginny and Hermione both looked at their boyfriends with narrowed eyes.
"What?" Harry asked while Draco remained silent, feeling that was the better option.
"What the bloody hell were you two doing before the Ball? We heard you were both late. And dirty when you arrived in the common room." Ginny said, glaring at her green-eyed boyfriend.
Harry stuttered a bit.
Hermione noticed how Draco's shoulders deflated a bit and she shook her head, realizing that it had to be part of her surprise. "Gin, it's fine. They're here and they both look dashing." She said as she leaned into Draco, "Let's dance, Draco."
Draco grinned, relieved, and nodded before looking to a bloke on the stage as the song ended. The bloke caught his eye and nodded back.
"This next song is a request from a certain bloke for a special, brown-eyed girl." The singer grinned and began to play Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl.
Hermione's own honey-brown eyes went wide as she looked at Draco in disbelief.
He looked at her and smiled, taking her hand in his, "How about that dance?"
She nodded, beaming as her eyes got just the slightest bit teary, in the happiest way possible. They made their way to the dance floor and began to dance to the upbeat song. He grinned seeing how happy she was and pulled her close as they continued to dance. She laughed and leaned into him, making him chuckle.
"I've never seen him smile that much." Astoria Greengrass said to her sister with her arms crossed over her chest and a frown on her lips.
"Don't worry, Tori…he won't be smiling in a few days time." Daphne smirked; eyes narrowed as she watched the scene that absolutely disgusted her.
Astoria looked at her sister, surprised, but didn't say anything.
Later in the evening, when Hermione sitting at their table, talking to her boyfriend, Blaise walked over and held out his hand, "Care for a dance, Granger?" He asked with a grin.
She smiled and looked at Draco who smiled in return.
She nodded, "Sure."
As they began to dance, she noticed Cordelia take her seat next to Draco. She smiled and turned back to Blaise, seeing a thoughtful, and stressed expression on his face.
"Are you all right?" Hermione asked Blaise as they slowed danced to More Than Words by Extreme.
He nodded, "Yes. Are you an Auror Scout for your boyfriend now?" He smirked.
She shook her head, "No. I'm only concerned about you. You seem a bit…stressed."
He sighed and nodded, looking away for a moment before meeting her eyes once more, "I can't tell you, Hermione, because I can't ask you to keep something from Draco. Bloody hell, it's hard enough for me to keep this from him."
Hermione bit her bottom lip and inhaled before saying, "Blaise, what could you possibly not tell Drac…oh…" She breathed as realization hit, "It involves Cordelia."
Blaise exhaled and blinked as he looked over towards the stage.
Hermione sighed, "Blaise, honey, what happened?" she asked in a caring voice.
Blaise shook his head. "Hermione, I don't know what to do. She wants to shag tonight. I don't want to upset Draco but it's truly difficult to start taking Draco Malfoy into consideration when figuring out my sex life, you know?"
Hermione nodded, "So…what are you going to do?"
"I'm not sure." He sighed. "In all honesty, I'd like to shag my girlfriend. However, I'd like to do that without losing my best friend."
"You won't lose him, Blaise." She said but he didn't reply so she went on, "Whatever you do, Blaise…just be responsible."
He nodded as the song ended and together, they walked over to their boyfriend and girlfriend.
Luna, Ginny, and Hermione were sitting at their table, talking, while their dates used the lavatory. When the bloke's got back, Luna immediately pulled Theo towards the dance floor.
Ginny looked at Harry, who groaned, "Really? More dancing?"
She huffed a laugh and looked at Draco thoughtfully before smirking, "Hey Draco."
Draco met her blue eyes, "Yes?"
"Let's make these two a bit jealous, yea?" She smirked, nudging Hermione so her friend knew she was only kidding.
Draco looked at Hermione in question.
She nodded, "Go ahead, love."
He nodded but kissed her lips softly before standing up to take Ginny's hand.
"So, why is Ginny attempting to make you jealous?" Hermione asked Harry.
Harry huffed and rolled his eyes, "She thinks I plan to walk her to her room tonight and leave but that's not exactly the case."
Hermione nodded, "Where are you taking her?"
"Nice try." He smirked, looking over at where Ginny was laughing with Draco about something. "I feel like I need to kick his arse."
Hermione shook her head, "Harry, he loves me." She said with a small smile, "He really, genuinely loves me. Don't worry."
Harry nodded, knowing Draco was a good bloke.
They watched as the people they loved danced together.
At one point Draco caught Hermione's eyes with his own and winked. She immediately had this rush of pure love consume her and she smiled, looking at him.
He met her eyes, and she knew he felt the same exact thing.
When the song ended, Draco and Ginny walked back to the table, Ginny reach out to Hermione, "Let's make our men jealous, Granger." She smirked.
Harry rolled his eyes, chuckling.
As the girls slow danced, Harry looked at Draco, "I hope this turns out as good as it seemed."
Draco nodded, "It will."
Towards the end of the evening, Draco looked at Hermione and asked her if she was ready to leave. She nodded and together they made their way down the corridor, towards the Room of Requirement. When they got there, they found Harry and Ginny standing there, talking in hushed voices.
Upon spotting the other couple, Ginny looked at her dark-haired boyfriend with confusion, and said, "Harry, love, if this is what you're expecting to happen…the night isn't going to have the happy ending we're both desperately hoping for." She met Draco's eyes, "It was a nice dance Malfoy, but leave it on the dance floor, yea?"
Hermione looked at Draco, confused.
The blonde wizard chuckled, shaking his head, "Just hold on, ladies. None of us are in open relationships here. Potter and I just worked together to make tonight special for the two of you."
Harry nodded and began to pace back and forth in front of the wall. When a door appeared, they all hurried inside the room and shut the door behind them.
The room was empty except for a single portrait with Ariana Dumbledore waiting patiently within its frame. The portrait swung open, and the blokes helped the two girls into the hole in the wall.
The four of them made their way through the tunnel until they arrived at The Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade.
Draco nodded to Harry and Ginny, "Goodnight, you two."
"Night." Harry nodded and headed to the opposite end of the Inn.
Hermione felt a bit more at ease, knowing that her friends would be on the far end of the Inn rather than right next door, but she still wasn't sure about staying there.
The Hog's Head Inn wasn't the kind of place one would think of when planning a romantic evening.
"I know what you're thinking." He smirked as they walked up some stairs to door with the rusted number sixteen on it.
She blushed but asked, "And what is that?"
He laughed, "You're thinking there's no way that this could possibly be nice. It's the bloody Hog's Head Inn." He said, turning to meet her eyes, "But love, I've worked hard on this. I honestly believe you'll like it and if you don't, we'll go kick Blaise out of my dorm."
She nodded, smirking at him.
He smirked and said, "Just so you know, once we are in there and the door shuts, a silencing charm and extra wards will be in place."
She nodded and waited as he waved his wand and opened the door revealing what she knew would usually be seen as a luxurious, if slightly rustic, hotel room. It was surprisingly tall but had beams halfway up the ceiling, going straight across. Rose vines had swirled themselves around each beam as candles hovered in between the beams.
There was a large, fourposter bed in the room with sheer cream-colored curtains draped along it. The bed was covered in rose petals of every color and a small grey box lay in the middle of it all. The bed curtains matched the window curtains that were draped over the only window in the room.
Snow could be seen falling heavily outside the window onto the streets of Hogsmeade. That's when she noticed the fireplace against the outer wall. It was made of brick but had a raised hearth to sit on. The sitting section of the hearth had two pillows and a bottle of wine with two empty glasses.
Hermione turned to Draco and shook her head in complete surprise, "Draco, this is remarkable. You did this?"
He nodded, "Yea. I did it last night. Then Potter needed a place to spend the night with Ginny, so he and I came back this afternoon and did our best to fix up a room for them on the far side of the Inn."
Hermione smiled a bit teary-eyed, "Draco, this is just the sweetest thing."
He furrowed his brow and stepped closer, "Love, why are you crying?"
She shook her head, "I'm not…really. I just…you amaze me sometimes."
He shut the room door and quietly said, "Hermione…"
She shook her head again, "You had them play that song at the Ball. You're saving my family and restoring their magic. You treat me so…so incredibly well. I know everyday that you love me. I just love you so bloody much, Draco."
He smiled and leaned in, kissing her lips softly as he pulled her completely against him.
As they slowly separated, he smiled "Here." he said, "Sit down."
He led her to the bedroom bench at the foot of the bed. She cupped his jaw and pulled him down into another kiss. He smiled and kissed her back.
When they separated, he smiled he as pulled her bag and his miniaturized overnight bag from his inner pocket, setting them on the table she hadn't noticed yet. He re-enlarged his bag to it's original size and slipped off the outer layer of his robes, laying them over the back of a chair as he kicked off his shoes.
He walked over to her and knelt in front of her, "I love the silver heels, but I get the feeling that your feet might be a bit sore." He said, slipping them off her feet.
She smiled at him, "You are being terribly sweet, Draco." She said, reaching out to cup his jaw.
He grinned and kissed her palm before he stood up, "Well, I want you to enjoy tonight." He said, as he walked over to the bed. "Tonight, is all about you."
She bit her lip, watching him as he moved around the room.
Draco grabbed the small grey box that was in the middle of the bed and a single, orange rose petal. He walked over to her and handed the box to her, saying, "I wasn't quite sure what to get you. I know you must be tired of jewelry by now, but these, you can add to your charm bracelet." He explained.
She smiled, "I am not tired of jewelry, love. I adore every gift you give me."
He smiled, watching her as he nervously fiddled with the rose petal in his right hand.
When she opened the box, there were two charms for her bracelet resting inside on a cream cushion. One was a couple dancing together and she knew it represented that very evening and the Yuletide Ball. The other charm however, confused her a bit.
He grinned, "It's not a 'V'." He said, stooping down to be beside her.
She laughed, "I gathered that. It's the Roman Numeral for five, correct?"
He nodded, "It is." He replied before meeting her eyes now that they were practically on the same level. "Do you know why I got you this?" he asked, his voice changing the slightest bit but it sent chills down her back.
She shook her head, still confused which made him smile as he kissed her hand.
He lightly trailed the rose petal along her arm, "When we first made love, it was October thirtieth, which was also our five-month anniversary." He explained in a quiet voice, watching her face while she watched the rose petal as it is skimmed the inside of her wrist. "I believe that for both of us, that afternoon was rather special and during it…" He said, as she met his eyes once more, "…while we were making love, I felt like..."
She didn't let him finish as she pulled him into an unexpected and incredibly deep kiss, "Don't tell me." She whispered, against his lips before adding, "Show me." She breathed.
He groaned and kissed her with slow and sensual passion while cupping the side of her neck as they both stood up. Their kiss was tender and slow and while they kissed, Hermione's hands moved up to his bowtie. She began to untie it until she could pull it loose and toss it onto the table.
Draco moved his kisses down her jaw to her neck, across her collar bone, and down her shoulder. He made his way around her body, kissing a path along her soft skin. With his lips pressed to the back of her neck, he slowly dragged the zipper of her dress down her back, kissing the path of newly revealed skin as it appeared.
Hermione let the dress fall to the floor, as she slipped off her corsage as well, setting it next to Draco's tie on the table. She turned to face him, stepping out of the bundle at her bare feet, only to see him struggling with the reality of her current attire.
"Draco…" She said quietly, a small smirk forming on her lips.
"Bloody hell." He groaned, shaking his head. "I think my magic just faltered for a moment." He said, admiring her as she stood in front of him in nothing but a black lace strapless bra, a matching pair of black lace thong knickers and a thigh holster for her wand.
She stepped forward and cupped his jaw, leaning in as she said, "I can fix that."
As they slowly snogged, she deliberately undid the buttons of his black shirt. Taking him by surprise, she pulled back from his lips and kissed his newly displayed chest as she continued to unbutton his shirt. Draco swallowed and let his hands fall to her hips, holding them tightly as she kissed down his torso.
She could feel the muscles of his well-toned torso twitching beneath her lips and smirked. She straightened her back and met his eyes as she lightly dragged her nails down his sternum.
He clenched his jaw and shook his head, "You, my love, do not play with any sense of fairness at all."
She smirked but that faltered from arousal as she watched him pull his shirt completely off. Hermione pulled her wand from her thigh holster and performed the contraception charm on herself.
After he discarded his shirt onto the floor, he quietly said, "You truly look gorgeous, darling…but let your hair down."
His voice caused a shiver to run down her spine as she aimed her wand at her hair. She undid the charms that were holding her hairstyle in place, allowing for it to cascade down in long, flowing curls.
He smiled and reached over, curling a bit behind her right ear, "There's my girl." He said, making her blush as she set her wand on the table.
She leaned forward, kissing his lips before slowly moving to his jaw tender.
As Draco's eyes fluttered shut, he said, "I love you, Hermione."
The brunette smiled against his freshly shaven jaw, "I love you too, Draco." She whispered, feeling his hands on her hips tighten a bit more in arousal.
She trailed kisses down his jaw and neck as her hands began to unbuckle his belt. He groaned after realizing what she was doing, causing her to smirk against his skin as she continued her task.
Draco cupped her jaw and pulled her face to meet his. Their lips moved in a tender, and slow kiss, full of longing. She moaned against his lips when her hand grazed against his extraordinarily hard, cloth covered cock. He clenched his jaw as his trousers fell to the floor, leaving him in black boxers, which did extraordinarily little to hide the obvious. She let her hands drag down his back to his arse, as he pulled her against him.
"Oh Gods." She moaned against his lips.
He guided her to the bed and they both laid down, snogging passionately atop a scatter of rose petals. His left hand moved down to her thigh, lifting it over his hip. She moaned as he ground into her.
As he gently sucked on her pulse point under her jaw, her back arched. He took the opportunity to snap his fingers and unhook her bra.
He pulled back and tugged her bra off of her body before moving to her breasts. He took his time, lavishing them with kissing and sucking on her sensitive nipples until Hermione's nails were digging into his back.
"Draco…" She whimpered.
"Hmmm?" He hummed against her stomach as kissed his way down her body.
"What are you doing?" She asked breathlessly.
He smirked up at her, "I told you, love. I want you to enjoy tonight. It's all about you…so I'm making sure we start it out right." He said before lowering further down her body.
"Oh Gods…" She whimpered, bringing her hands up to cover her eyes as she felt him pushing her knickers to the side and first delicious swipe from his tongue.
They had spent a few hours in bed, making love. Draco had been grateful that he had thought to place an extra strength silencing charm on the room, it had come in good use.
Afterwards, while lying there, naked in one another's arms, Hermione tracing patterns on his chest, Draco suggested that they take a bubble bath together.
The brunette, loving the idea jumped up and ran to the en suite to find it filled with lit, hovering candles and a large tub already filled with tepid water and bubbles that changed color. Behind the tub was another brick fireplace but smaller and without a sitting hearth.
She turned to see him smirking, "I may have planned ahead a bit." He shrugged.
"I really shouldn't be surprised anymore." She remarked as she walked over and slid into the large tub.
He smiled, watching her for a moment before she looked over at him with bubbles on her cheek, "Come on, love!" She said, beaming happily.
He chuckled and walked over, getting in to sit across from her. He moved some of the bubbles so that he could actually see her face. "Hello beautiful." He chuckled.
She laughed, "Hello handsome. This is lovely." She remarked.
He nodded, before lifting his chin a bit, "Where in the world did you get the dragon ear cuff?"
She smiled, touching the mentioned piece on her ear, "I contacted Christoph Flint. I know he's your exclusive jewelry connection, but I didn't think you would mind."
"I don't mind one bit, love. You look gorgeous." Draco said.
"Thank you, darling." She said before slowing smirking, "So…"
"So?" He repeated, slightly confused.
"I want all the information on how you pulled this off. I also want to hear about you making me a bloody corsage, which is gorgeous, by the way." She smiled.
He laughed and nodded, "Okay, well let's see…" he said thinking back over it all. "I got the idea to use the hidden tunnel on the night we stayed in the Room of Requirement. I spoke with Aberforth, and he agreed to lend me the room, so long as I left whatever improvements I made intact." He smirked, "Love, this room was nicer than usual but nowhere near like it is now. I'm rather impressed with myself, to be honest with you."
She smiled, "As you should be. You did an immaculate job, Draco."
He smiled and scooted forward a bit to kiss her as the water sloshed a bit.
As they snogged, she smiled and pulled back, "Now tell me about the corsage."
He huffed a laugh and leaned back before he began to massage her foot, "Well, Longbottom has taken over an entire bloody greenhouse. He's been preparing for this evening all term. You see…" Draco went into detail about everything Neville had done; from the details about the dresses to growing all the flowers and helping out all the blokes.
"That is absolutely precious." Hermione smiled, thinking about how happy she knew Hannah was after the talk the girls had in the loo during the Ball.
Draco watched her suspiciously and tickled her foot, "And what are you thinking about right now?"
Laughing, she tilted her head, and looked at him, "Honestly?" she asked.
He nodded silently.
She sighed and replied, "I just adore that all of our friends are so happy. After everything, they all deserve it."
He smiled, "And you?" he asked, tilting his head as well. "Are you happy?" He asked, for some reason fearing her answer.
She met his eyes and nodded while biting her lip. She scooted closer and straddled his lap as the water splashed around them. "Exceptionally happy." She whispered, having felt his emotions. "You make me the happiest witch in the world, Draco."
He grinned and kissed her as his hand came up, cupping her left breast.
She moaned and kissed him back, threading her fingers through his hair and slowly moving her hips.
He groaned, having not expected that, then something occurred to him as his erection became more pronounced, "How long ago did you do the charm?" He asked as he pulled away from the kiss.
She nodded, "Good thinking. Those charms are only one hundred percent effective during the first three hours."
He nodded and opened his mouth to speak but she silently summoned her wand, catching it in her outstretched hand.
"Bloody hell, woman." He said, shocked, "That takes some serious skill."
She smirked and performed the charm again before setting her wand on the table by the tub.
She cupped both sides of his face and kissed him, lightly sucking on his lower lip. Groaning, Draco gripped her arse with his left hand and her breast with his right.
Hermione whimpered, feeling him harden even more against her core. She pulled back from the kiss and met his eyes. The expression on her face caused Draco's heartrate to quicken a bit as she reached down between and began to stroke his cock.
He groaned, attempting to be quiet but she shook her head, "No, Draco. It's always me. This time…" Sher whispered into his ear, "I want to hear you."
"Bloody fuck." He muttered, clenching his jaw as she lowered herself onto him, taking him completely.
She moaned quietly and moved a little faster, clenching around him. Draco's head fell back with a groan as his hands on her hips tightened.
Without stopping her movements, Hermione leaned forward and kissed his exposed neck. When she dragged her nails down his chest, his hips stuttered forward and he lifted his head, leaning forward to kiss her.
She kissed him but pulled away, loving the small grunts, and groans he made.
She picked up the pace, nearing her own orgasm and bit her lip, "Draco, love…"
He nodded, about to speak when she clenched around him, causing him to moan loudly against her neck, "Fuck, Hermione. Gods, love. Do that again." He groaned; his own hips pumped up while both of them ignored the water as it splashed out of the tub.
She moaned loudly and clenched as she neared her climax, her nailed digging into his shoulder and chest.
He made the sexiest noise she had ever heard a man make when she clenched around him a third time. She moaned, riding him faster as she watched the muscles in his abdomen clench and unclench.
"That's it, love. Don't stop. Gods, love, don't stop." He muttered, gripping her hips so tightly there would undoubtedly be bruises left as a reminder of their evening activities.
When she tightened around him again, he couldn't take it anymore and moaned loudly against her chest as he came deep inside her.
The warm sensation that filled her, caused her own climax to hit and she whimpered, falling forward against his chest as her hips continued moving as if they had a mind of their own.
Draco gently rubbed up and down her back in a soothing manner.
She smiled and kissed his shoulder where her nail marks were imprinted in his flesh.
They remained silent for a while until Draco asked if she would like some wine or would prefer to go to bed or even do something else.
She smiled and kissed his lips, "Let's drink some wine by the fireplace. May I borrow a tee and a pair of boxers?"
"Bloody hell yes, you may." He grinned making her laugh.
The couple made their way back into the main room and sat by the fire, drinking some wine.
As they chatted, Draco noticed the wisp of an emotion pass through Hermione's eyes.
He furrowed his brow before smiling, instantly feeling the same emotion fill his heart and soul: bliss. They both felt bliss.
December 16, 1998
Hermione woke up to the feeling of his lips on hers and smiled, keeping her eyes closed as she kissed him back.
"I'm sorry to wake you so early, love." He muttered as he slowly pulled back a moment later. "But we must get going. We need to get back to the castle."
She nodded before they slipped out of bed, both completely naked, and began to get dressed in casual clothing.
They gathered their things before meeting Harry and Ginny by the portrait of Ariana Dumbledore.
"Ready?" Harry asked them.
Draco nodded and looked at Ariana.
When they arrived in the Room of Requirement, Draco pulled his invisibility cloak out from his pocket while Harry did the same with his own cloak.
"I'll walk Ginny to Gryffindor Tower, then I'll see you two back in the common room." Harry remarked as he flung his cloak over Ginny and himself.
Draco nodded, "All right." He said as he lifted the cloak for Hermione to get under.
It didn't take long to get back to the eighth-year dormitories. They entered the empty common room and slipped the cloak off.
Hermione turned to Draco and smiled, "Thank you for a wonderful evening, love."
He grinned and nodded, "I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll see you in a bit then?"
She nodded and leaned up on her toes, kissing his lips. It was tender and made him smile as they separated.
"I love you, Draco." She said as she squeezed his hand and began to walk towards the girls' staircase, letting go at the last possible second.
He nodded, "I love you, Hermione." He grinned, winking at her as he watched her jog up the stairs.
Draco sprinted up the blokes' staircase, smiling to himself. The evening had gone perfectly. He didn't see how it could have been any better. Hermione had been perfect in every way, and she truly seemed to have loved every moment of it; as did he.
Still smiling brightly, he turned the corner to go to his dorm before coming to a sudden halt; his feet stunned into immobility, his smile diminishing in the blink of an eye.
He saw Cordelia kissing Blaise at the entrance of their dorm, her hand pressed against Blaise's bare chest.
She smiled at Blaise and said, "I'll see you later, darling. Thank you for last night."
Blaise nodded, smiling at her as he kissed her once more.
She turned to leave, only to discover that her older brother was in her path, his face expressionless except for his eyes. His grey eyes were full of many emotions, and though she wasn't exactly sure what that meant, she knew it wasn't good.
Cordelia froze in place, in the middle of the corridor. Silence consumed them for a moment before Blaise swallowed and stepped out of the doorway and into the hall. That had an adverse effect on the situation since he was only wearing a pair of dark green boxers.
Draco's eyes seemed to heat up with rage as he looked from Cordelia to Blaise then back in silence before inhaling, blinking, and walking past them, into his dorm room. He soundlessly gathered his toiletry bag from the en suite and put it in his holiday luggage, which had been mostly packed already. As he finished gathering his things, Blaise re-entered the room, having stayed out there to comfort Cordelia for a moment. He shut the door and looked over at Draco.
The taller wizard swallowed, "Draco…" he said cautiously.
The blonde wizard didn't reply, or even look over at his best friend. He simply continued to double check everything before zipping up his bag.
"Draco." Blaise said, slightly more sternly.
He clenched his jaw but otherwise did not react as he set his bag on the floor and looked in the bedside table for one of the leather notebooks Hermione had given him. He slid it into his back pocket as Blaise spoke loudly.
"Oy Malfoy!" Blaise hollered.
Draco glared at him before looking back in the drawer for one of the many on-the-go quills he owned.
Blaise lost his temper and smacked the bedframe, "Damn-it! Draco!" he shouted.
Draco looked over at the dark-skinned wizard with fiery grey eyes, "What?" he seethed through gritted teeth.
Meanwhile, when Hermione arrived in her dorm, Parvati was just leaving to find her sister at breakfast.
"I hope you had a wonderful time at the Yuletide Ball and thank you for letting me have the dorm last night." Parvati said.
Hermione nodded, "I did and you're welcome. Have a lovely holiday!" she smiled, waving at her as her dorm mate wished her the same and left.
She was packing her belongings for the holiday when Ginny came into her room without knocking.
"Bloody hell, Gin. Did you already finish packing?" She asked, surprised as the redhead witch sat on Parvati's vacant bed.
"I was already packed. I just needed to grab my bag. It's down in the common room now." Ginny said waving off the topic. "Tell me about last night and don't leave anything out!"
Hermione laughed, "Ginny! Don't you now have your very own sex life again?"
Ginny nodded, "Oh Merlin! Yes, I do!" She said, falling back on Parvati's bed dramatically and smiling widely, "And let me tell you, Mione, it was marvelous!"
Hermione laughed and nodded, "I'm glad."
"Harry had the entire room decked out in calla lilies that matched my corsage. We snogged for forever until just he took me against the…"
"Okay!" Hermine said loudly, covering her ears, "Ginny, I love you…so much, I do, but there's only so much information about Harry Potter's sex life that I can handle hearing."
"That's not fair!" Ginny said, "What about what you tell me about you and Draco?"
"Gin, you beg me to tell every single detail." Hermione laughed, "And I still don't tell you everything."
Ginny huffed but shrugged, knowing she was correct.
"Come on Hermione, give me a little detail!" She said, "How many times? Was it all in bed or did you two actually get out of the bed this time?"
Hermione huffed, "You know, if you're going to ask for details, then you are not allowed to criticize."
Ginny nodded, "Fair enough." She looked at Hermione pointedly, "But did you shag out of the bed at least once?"
"Yes, Gin. We did. We had an unbelievable shag in the tub which I refuse to tell you all about. But we still did have sex in the damn bed. Trust me, after sleeping with Draco, I need to be able to just lie there."
"Really?" Ginny said in the most annoying voice and with a wide grin, causing Hermione to roll her eyes. "Did he go down on you? Because, let me just say that being able to speak Parseltongue has done wonders for the Chosen One's skills…if you catch my meaning." Ginny said, grinning happily.
"Oh Merlin, I truly did not need to have that image in my head." Hermione groaned. "It's just not right."
"Oh, it was right…it was right thrice!" Ginny said, holding up three wiggling fingers.
Hermione shook her head, "I love you but sometimes, I really hate you."
"I accept that." Ginny smiled, making Hermione laugh.
"So do I get an answer or what?" Ginny asked.
"To what?" Hermione responded, attempting to recheck her luggage.
"Did he go down on you?" Ginny asked.
The brunette looked at Ginny with narrowed eyes but couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her lips.
Ginny laughed heartily, "Good man, Malfoy!" she said before looking at Hermione with a grin and quickly saying. "Wait, wait! More than once?"
Hermione looked at Ginny and sighed, "Yes, Ginny."
Ginny nodded, "Draco does seem like the kind of bloke that can keep his girl happy in bed…or out of it."
Hermione rolled her eyes, smirking.
They chatted for a little while until there was a rushed knock on the door.
Hermione furrowed her brow and opened the door, finding a nervous, wide-eyed Cordelia in a hooded Slytherin jumper.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, immediately concerned.
By the time the three girls made it up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, they could hear the shouting through the closed door. Harry and Ron were outside the room while Pansy was inside, attempting to contain the situation as best she could.
"Draco Malfoy, don't you dare cut me off again!" Pansy shouted before calming a bit and saying. "Now just because Blaise and Cordelia had a shag, doesn't mean…
"She's my little sister, Pansy and he just…" Draco began
"What did I just say, Malfoy?!" Pansy screamed at the top of her lungs.
"She really hates to be interrupted." Ron muttered to the others as they listened through the door.
"Just because they slept together, doesn't mean anything bad will happen. Blaise has changed a lot...like all of us…Draco." Pansy said pointedly.
"Yes, I have." Blaise said desperately, "And I really care about her!"
There was silence until Pansy spoke again, "Now, you two need to hug it out."
"Hell no!" Draco said.
Theo came up the stairs after spending the previous evening in Luna's Head Girl dorm. He looked around, confused, and asked what was going on.
"Blaise and Cordelia shagged. Malfoy's gone completely nutters." Ron said bluntly, earning an elbow to the gut from his sister.
Theo's eyes went wide as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him.
"Thank Merlin! Theo, hold Pansy back while I kick Blaise's arse." Draco said glaring at Blaise.
Theo looked thoughtful before saying, "Hold on, Draco. Blaise…" He said, "you've been acting odd since yesterday afternoon, was it because you planned this with Cordelia."
Blaise shook his head, "No, it just sort-of happened."
"So, it wasn't planned at all?" Draco asked with narrowed eyes. "Because when we were all discussing where to sleep, you said that you'd be in here…alone."
"It wasn't planned!" Blaise exclaimed before quietly adding, "Not completely."
"You bastard! You lied to my fucking face!" Draco shouted about to push by Pansy.
"No, I didn't!" Blaise shouted, "I didn't lie."
Pansy nodded, understanding, "Draco, I think you might should talk to your sister."
Blaise sighed but didn't speak or meet Draco's eyes.
Draco clenched his jaw and looked at his best friend, sighing as he shook his head, "Don't fuck around with my sister's feelings, Blaise, got it?"
Blaise nodded. "Understood."
Pansy stepped out of the room to see the group and she smiled shutting the door, "They just need a little time. They'll be fine. Theo's going to stay with them for a while until we head to breakfast." She said before turning to Draco's younger sister, "Cordelia, dear, next time…leave earlier." She said, specifically enunciating the last two words before pulling Ron back to his dorm.
Cordelia nodded, "Yea…" she sighed.
As the group dispersed to finish preparing to leave, Hermione turned to do the same. She heard the door open behind her and saw Draco coming out of his dorm with his bag in hand, looking much more stressed than the last time she had seen him.
She smiled comfortingly at him as he walked over to her, dropping his bag to pull her into a much needed, large, loving embrace.
As they pulled apart, she cupped his jaw and asked if he was all right.
He nodded, though she didn't fully believe it, and kissed her palm before going back to her dorm with her to finish packing her luggage.
After she finished packing, Draco pulled her close and kissed her lips softly. She smiled and kissed back.
She tilted her head and cupped his jaw before pulling back, "Are you sure that you're all right?"
He nodded from his spot, sitting on the edge of her bed, "Yea, but may I ask you a question?"
She nodded, standing between his legs.
"Do you think Cordelia was the one that pushed Blaise into it or the other way around?"
She could hear the worry in his tone and cupped his jaw as she sighed, and licked her lips, "Darling, they both really care for each other. I think they both wanted it."
He nodded, "I just have this dreadful feeling in my gut, and I am not sure why." He swallowed and met her eyes, "I really don't like it."
Hermione noticed the concern in his eyes and sat on his left thigh, "Draco, what are you thinking it is? Do you think Blaise is going to do something? I don't know what his past is but…"
"I suppose I can tell you now. He would cheat on his significant others as if it were as easy as breathing. He wasn't a bad bloke…well, he's always had a good heart, but he fucked up a lot in the past. I can't have him hurting my sister."
She nodded, having an odd feeling that if anyone was going to get hurt between the two of them, it'd be Blaise.
"So, what do you think the bad feeling is?" She asked.
He shook his head, "I don't know…I think…" He began, but Ginny knocked on the door, saying they had to go or they'd miss the train.
When the group finally made it to the Great Hall for breakfast, they quickly grabbed some toast on the way out to the last of the carriages.
"Back to thestrals, I see." Theo remarked as they all climbed in.
"The unicorns were rather romantic though." Hannah said, glancing at Neville, who nodded in agreement.
They arrived at the Hogsmeade station with no time to spare. Just after they boarded the Express, it began to move along the tracks.
Making their way down the aisle, they found an empty compartment that would fit them all, if a bit snuggly. They placed their luggage on the racks above and sat down.
After a while, the girls all decided to go to the loo.
As they stood up, Theo shook his head, "Hold on! A train lavatory will not hold all six of you."
"It's a magical train, Theodore." Pansy said slowly, "I mean honestly, think about it. Of course, they charmed the loos to make them bigger."
"They didn't charm the bloke's loo." Neville said.
"Well, not many bloke's want to share the loo. For blokes it's a more quiet and reflective time. Girls on the other hand…" Ron said, meeting Pansy's smirking eyes, "well, you ladies are intriguing creatures."
"Nice save, Weasley!" Blaise grinned.
Hermione looked at Draco, concerned. He appeared to be thinking of something far off as his eyes were glazed over a bit. While the others continued to chat, she leaned down and kissed him on his lips. He kissed her back instantly, even though he had been taken by surprise.
"Cool it down, you two!" Harry hollered, throwing a cushion at them. Draco knocked it away without breaking the kiss and flipped Harry off.
Hermione pulled back and smiled down at him before leaving with the other girls.
"I say it's sexist to not have large loo for the blokes as well." Theo remarked, "That's absurd."
The girls entered an empty compartment, all quietly laughing.
"They can be little clueless." Pansy said.
"I think Theodore might actually be upset about the loo inequality." Luna smiled.
Ginny laughed, shaking her head, "Okay Mione, I think it's time we hear about your night with Draco."
Hermione blushed but nodded and told a bit but not too much. She wanted to keep most of it to herself. After telling them about him transforming a room at the Inn, the many rose petals on the bed and showing them the new charms on the bracelet, she looked over and asked Ginny about her night with Harry.
When Ginny finished, after going into far too much detail, she said "Luna, tell us all about your night, last night."
Luna went on to tell them about how Theo had bribed the Kitchen's House Elves to help him break into her Head Girl dorm and decorate it.
"Bribe them with what?" Hermione asked.
"Well, he has apparently set up a contract with them for the elves to write out a weekly order and he'll go to Honeydukes every weekend and purchase anything and everything they want all throughout next term."
"Sweets? I never realized House Elves liked sweets." Cordelia remarked.
"Everyone's got a weakness, kid." Pansy smirked
Luna told them that Theo had transfigured her ceiling to look like they were in the ocean.
"It was lovely and very romantic." Luna said with a small blush before looking at Hannah. "What about you and Neville?"
Hannah smiled and explained how Neville had made a bed out of flowers and charmed it to hover above the ground. They had a small picnic with champagne and stayed in the greenhouse all night.
After telling her story, all the girls told her about how sweet Neville was.
"You know, Draco told me that Neville kept details about all of our dresses so that the corsages matched them." Hermione told the others.
"He is so sweet." Ginny smiled.
Hannah nodding, blushing before asking Pansy about her night.
Pansy smirked and glanced at Ginny who groaned, not wanting to hear about her brother, "Well, we went to his dorm, and it looked completely normal. I was a little…no, I was extremely upset but that bloody bloke pulled out this box and set it on the floor. He aimed his wand at it and a small tent appeared and when we went inside, we were in a whole new world."
"In a tent?" Cordelia asked, confused.
Pansy laughed, "I know, but he had somehow charmed it to look like this little romantic villa in Italy. I won't go into to detail, but a lot of fun was had in that tent last night."
Pansy nodded to Cordelia, "All right, I'd say it's time for us to hear about what happened with you and Blaise."
Cordelia sighed and nodded, "Well, in all honesty, it was my fault." She said before continuing, "I had been talking to him for a couple weeks about us having a shag, but he kept pushing past the topic. Eventually I got it out of him that he didn't want to upset Draco. The problem was, I got that out of him, after we had slept together."
"Okay, wait, start from the beginning." Pansy said, shaking her head.
Cordelia then sighed and explained that she had thought Blaise would immediately agree to sleeping together. So, when one of her dorm mates requested that the rest of them be gone the night of the Ball, she had anticipated staying with him.
She had told Blaise the afternoon of the Ball that she wanted it to be that evening. It would be a special evening and that would make it all the more special.
However, when Blaise backed out…
"Wait!" Pansy said, cutting Cordelia's story off, "He backed out?"
Cordelia nodded, "Yea. He said that he didn't want to lose Draco. Blaise really sees him as a brother."
Hermione bit her lip, knowing Draco felt the same way about his best friend.
"So then…" Ginny said, waiting for her to continue.
The blonde sighed, "I had nowhere to sleep…"
"And Blaise is nothing if not a gentleman." Pansy muttered knowingly as Cordelia nodded.
"So, I was going to sleep in Draco's bed. I was fine with that. It was a good plan except…have you ever been completely alone with your boyfriend, knowing that no one would interrupt you and the two of you could do anything? Anything at all."
Hermione thought back to the previous summer when she and Draco had gone to Australia to find her parents. She remembered the nights, sleeping in his arms, wanting more but knowing it was too soon. They had had many heated snogging sessions on the sofa but otherwise they had kept themselves under control.
Cordelia sighed as the girls nodded, "So, we wanted to bum around a bit and snog, of course." She said, "The snogging became so spicy that eventually we were just pulling each other's clothes off as we stumbled to his bed."
"That actually sounds really steamy." Ginny remarked as Hermione remained quiet with her brow furrowed.
Cordelia sighed, "I know that you are probably disappointed in me, Hermione, but…"
"Nowhere in that story did I hear anything about a contraceptive charm." Hermione said in a rather motherly tone but that didn't seem to matter because Cordelia's eyes became the size of saucers, causing all the other girls to remain still and quiet.
"Oh no, wait." Cordelia said, calming a bit, "I take the monthly potion. Gods, Hermione, don't do that to me." She said, while they others watched with held breaths.
Hermione nodded, "When's the last time you took the potion?"
Cordelia furrowed her brow and pulled her personal notebook out of her bag. She flipped through it slowly before becoming hectic. When she slammed the notebook closed on her lap, looking panicked, Hermione felt sick to her stomach.
It was another half hour until the girls arrived back in the compartment where the blokes were.
"Wow." Theo said, "That loo must be large enough to get lost in."
Draco looked at Hermione, as she sat beside him, "Are you all right?" He whispered.
She nodded, "I'm fine."
Furrowing his brow and turning towards her a bit, he quietly said, "Love, what's wrong?"
She quickly composed herself and smiled at him, supping his jaw, "I'm fine, Draco. I'm just a bit tired is all."
He nodded but with a slight look of doubt and quietly said, "I'll be right back. I've got to use the loo. But since I'll be alone, if I don't return promptly, send in a rescue squad." He kissed her cheek before standing up and leaving.
She smiled, watching him go, wanting so badly to tell him what she knew.
He was in the middle of relieving himself when he heard the door to the loo burst open and shut heavily.
He looked over his shoulder and groaned, attempting to finish urinating and zip up his trousers, "What the bloody hell do you want, Greengrass? Get out! Now!"
Astoria frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, "Look, I'm honestly here to help you so a bit of compassion would be great."
"Compassion?" He asked as he walked over to wash his hands. "That's doubtful. Get out!"
She sighed, "Listen to me, Draco. I think there's something in motion. A plan of some sort. I truly don't know much but I wanted to warn you, nonetheless. It's dangerous…I know it. I think people may die."
Draco furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the furthest possible wall.
Astoria sighed, "Okay, so at the Ball, Daphne said…"
There was a knock on the door and Hermione could be heard asking if Draco was all right, though the door.
Draco's' eyes nearly bulged out of the sockets. It hadn't even occurred to him that he was alone in a private loo with a girl that wasn't his girlfriend. The moment Astoria had mentioned a dangerous plan, his mind was focused on that.
He swallowed and opened the door, pulling Hermione into the loo before relocking the door.
The usual loving honey brown eyes went from confusion to anger within seconds, "What is going on?" she asked heatedly.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Draco; Astoria was the problem.
Draco sighed, "Greengrass burst in here while I was using the loo and said that a plan has been set in motion. She was just about to go into detail when you knocked. I swear that's all…"
Hermione nodded and turned to Astoria, "What plan?"
Astoria clenched her jaw, looking at the Gryffindor. She was only there to help Draco.
Draco huffed, "Astoria, what bloody plan?"
She met his eyes and sighed, "Daphne only told me a little. I made a remark…" She sighed and scuffed her foot on the floor, "I made a remark about how I'd never seen you smile so much, and she said that you wouldn't be smiling for long. Later on, when I asked for more details, she wouldn't tell me anything, but she and Goyle were having a shag and I snuck into her dorm. I found a letter to Wolfe that she had tossed because some ink spilled on it. She's never been very good as cleaning spells." Astoria reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment that had clearly been crumpled at some point. "Here, I read it. You need to. If I find more out, I'll try to contact you. I'll try to warn you." She said, handing it to Draco.
She left and Hermione turned to Draco.
He furrowed his brow and pulled out his wand. He performed a few curse detection spells but nothing appeared to be wrong with it so he unfolded the note.
Carter,
The Yuletide Ball was tonight. Watching those two was nauseating. I am going to thoroughly enjoy the next few days.
We're leaving in the morning, and we'll meet you at the station.
Malfoy and his Mudblood will be on the train as well, but there's too many of their mates for us to do anything.
Greg and I believe your father's plan is the best. Who cares if any of them die? They're all worthless anyhow. The Mudblood is a complete waste of magic, I swear.
I know you said the 20th but how about the 19th? I honestly can't wait. If your okay with it, leave Bushy Granger to me.
I also found out that the Mudblood has th
"Shite! She had to spill the ink at that moment?" Hermione huffed before turning to Draco, "What do you think they've got planned?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't think it's going to be a very relaxing holiday." Draco muttered.
Hermione huffed, "Yea, I've got to agree with you on that." She muttered.