Summary: There's a masquerade ball at Hogwarts, and who knows what could happen? This is not your general cliched masquerade story. Set in spring of the trio's sixth year. Rated mostly for caution, but there is some mild language. Completed. Written Pre-HBP.
Categories: Hermione/Draco Characters: None
Warnings: None
Challenges: Series: None
Chapters: 15
Completed: Yes
Word count: 25128
Read: 61767
Published: 01/16/05
Updated: 05/18/05
1. The Ball Begins by You Know Who
2. Realization by You Know Who
3. The Truth by You Know Who
4. Dealing With the Truth by You Know Who
5. Morning by You Know Who
6. Discussions by You Know Who
7. Confrontations by You Know Who
8. Confessions by You Know Who
9. Planning by You Know Who
10. Confusion by You Know Who
11. Mixed Feelings by You Know Who
12. Circles by You Know Who
13. Detention by You Know Who
14. Sorting it Out by You Know Who
15. Forever by You Know Who
The Ball Begins by You Know Who
Hermione Granger stared intently out the window of the empty Gryffindor girl’s dormitory, watching the wind gently rustling the newly budded leaves of the trees outside of Hogwarts. It seemed as though the world was bathing in the pink light of the sunset. The other girls had left the dormitory just moments before, in full regalia for the masquerade ball that evening in the Great Hall. Hermione had declined the invitation to walk down with them. She had told them that she had to finish fixing her hair. This was not the complete truth, for she did need to put it back in a clip but that would only take a second or two. The real reason Hermione wanted to remain was simple. She wanted to think without the constant chatter of excited girls.
Not that Hermione wasn’t looking forward to that night. No, far from it, but she did not show it in the same way. Maybe this was because Hermione was the only one of the girls in her dorm that still lacked a boyfriend. So while the other girls did not need to worry about finding someone, she was counting on this night to change that. Why, she was in her Sixth Year, she should have at least been kissed by now. Not that she’d found anyone she wanted to kiss yet. But, she thought reasonably, masquerades were for meeting new people, weren’t they? After all, you usually couldn’t even tell who your best friends were.
Hermione sighed and walked, though slowly and regretfully, away from the window. She knew that if she didn’t put that clip in her hair and get going to the Great Hall soon she would be late. If there was one thing Hermione disliked, it was being late. She walked up to the mirror, and, taking her white hair clip off of her dresser, put it in her hair. Then, donning her white mask, she stepped back so she could see more of herself. The way Lavender had combed her hair it was more extremely wavy than bushy. Her white sleeveless and floor-length dress shimmered in the dim light. Hermione barely recognized herself, and she was sure no one else could either. That is, with the exception of the few girls that had seen her in the dorm.
Hermione took a deep breath and began to walk to the door. Maybe her instincts would be right, and she could find someone tonight. Even if she didn’t, was she really any worse off than she was? Well, she thought with resolve, there was only one way to find out.
Draco Malfoy glared at his fellow Slytherin, Goyle. They were in their dormitory just a few minutes before they needed to leave for the masquerade. “What do you mean you know it’s me?” he asked indignantly. “Of course you do. You saw me before I put on the mask, you idiot.”
Goyle winced slightly. “But, y’know, the hair…” he said, unsure of whether or not Draco really wanted an answer, “It gives you away.”
Draco muttered, “Give me that!” and grabbed a hand mirror out of Goyle’s hand. Looking himself over carefully, he admitted that the Malfoy hair was rather a giveaway. “We’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?” he said, grabbing his wand and pointing it at his head.
Goyle’s eyes widened. “D-d-don’t hurt yourself, Draco!” he stuttered. “Just because your hair makes it easy to see who you are…”
Draco glared even harder at Goyle. “I’m not going to hurt myself, you dolt!” he snapped. “I’m going to turn it black.” With that he muttered “Ravenious Cantius!” and his hair turned pitch black. “There,” Draco said with satisfaction. “Perfect.”
Goyle nodded nervously. He knew if he said something Draco disapproved of, he’d be in for it. He rubbed his arm, remembering the last spell Draco had cast on him. It was not something he’d forget anytime soon.
Draco was looking himself over carefully. “I don’t want Pansy to recognize me.” He said, more to himself than Goyle. That girl was obsessed. She followed him everywhere. Even to the restroom, occasionally. It was rather scary.
Goyle looked at Draco in confusion. “Don’t you like Pansy?” he asked.
“Yeah, I like her,” Draco sneered sarcastically, “I like her on the other side of the world, obsessed with some other poor boy.”
Goyle looked rather confused at this, but Draco just told him to forget it. Goyle wasn’t exactly the smartest student at Hogwarts, and everyone knew it. In fact, everyone knew who the smartest student was. Hermione Granger, without a doubt. Draco sneered at the very thought of the disgusting little mudblood, but he decided not to worry about her and ruin his evening. There was already a good enough chance of having it ruined by a rather crazed Pansy Parkinson.
“We’d better get going, Goyle,” Draco said, walking towards the door. “We don’t want to be late.”
Hermione arrived in the Great Hall just a few minutes after eight, the appointed time, but it seemed that many students were there already and nervously milling around. It was a rather awkward situation, with no friends to form cliques with. Dumbledore himself had specifically asked students to not wear House colors, as to not give away clues to their identity. That was probably why Hermione saw little of the usual yellows, reds, greens and blues of the four Houses of Hogwarts on the students themselves, but the Hall itself was decorated in this manner. Banners of the four House animals and colors dotted the Great Hall. Hermione had to admit that it wasn’t the most creative decoration style, but it was rather nice.
Hermione decided to walk over to the punch table and get herself something to drink. Just as she was pouring herself a glass, a girl skidded into her. Hermione very nearly spilled punch all over herself and the girl, but managed to move her arm over the bowl quickly and it all simply dumped back in.
“Are you all right?” she asked the girl, who had slipped and was now on the floor.
Great job, Ginny, Ginevra Weasley thought to herself. You just almost killed yourself and nearly caused that poor girl to spill punch all over herself in three seconds flat, you clumsy idiot!
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Ginny said, her face growing rather red, letting the girl help her up. Dusting herself off, she continued, “It’s just my pride that’s hurt. I was just trying to get a glass of punch, but the floor was rather slippery, and, well…” Ginny trailed off. The girl smiled.
“It’s OK. Do I know you?” she asked, looking Ginny over carefully. “I could swear I do…”
Ginny was about to say that the girl didn’t look like anyone she knew, but did seem rather familiar when Dumbledore called for everyone’s attention.
“I trust you are all having a good time. The Weird Sisters, who you may recall were the guests at our Yule Ball a couple of years ago, were good enough to return.” Dumbledore turned to them and clapped, and the students followed suit. When they were finished, he continued, “They will be playing shortly. But, just so you understand a few things, I must explain this ball. All students are required to keep their identity secret until the end of the evening. If asked, a student may tell another what year they are in, but no more. At the end of the evening, all students are required to remove their masks. Now, if you all understand this, I’ll turn the evening over to the Weird Sisters!” Dumbledore smiled and stepped away, and the Weird Sisters began to play.
Ginny turned back to the girl. “So, what were you saying?”
Draco Malfoy finished listening to Dumbledore’s announcement and scanned the room for signs of Pansy. So far, he had seen no one that looked like her. But she could be hiding, waiting to spring on him from behind. Oh how he hated it when she did that! It’s as if it wasn’t enough to let him at least have a moment to think of an excuse to leave. Not to mention she scared him half to death when she practically jumped on him from behind.
Draco was beginning to feel a little paranoid, though he knew he had reason to be, so he began to scan the room for someone he wouldn’t mind being with. He had lost track of Crabbe and Goyle a few minutes before, and he wasn’t planning on finding them again soon. Their blantant stupidity got tiring very quickly. So who was left? Maybe, he thought, an idea forming in his head, I could find a girl. A girl that was pretty enough to make Pansy jealous. Then again, an ugly girl would make Pansy jealous, anyway. That’s how obsessed she was. But a pretty girl would be nice, anyway.
Maybe he could convince her to stick around him after the ball, too. Pansy just might finally take the hint that Draco did not like her and never would. It was perfect. It was foolproof. There was only one problem.
How in the name of Merlin would he find a girl like that that would stick around him if she wasn’t being forced?
Hermione smiled at Ginny. She had figured out quickly that the girl was Ginny, but she wanted to see if Ginny recognized her. “You are Ginny, right?” Hermione whispered.
Ginny looked extremely confused. “How did you -”
“It’s Hermione, Ginny. I know your voice. Not to mention the red hair.” Hermione said in the same whisper. She did not want anyone to know that she, the perfect Hermione Granger, was breaking the secrecy rule no more than five minutes after it was made
Ginny’s eyes widened. “Hermione…but…Merlin, Hermione, you don’t look like yourself. I mean, you look good. I mean, not that you don’t usually…oh, nevermind…”
Hermione let out a small laugh. “I know what you mean, Ginny. It’s OK. If you can’t recognize me, who can?”
Draco’s eyes caught on shimmering white fabric. A dress. A dress that belonged to a beautiful girl.
She was talking to another, shorter and redheaded girl by the punch table. The redhead looked amazed and said something to the beautiful mystery girl, who laughed.
Merlin, that laugh. Her entire face lit up, or what he could see of it did. Her eyes sparkled under the mask. Even at such a distance Draco could see that.
It was fate. It had to be. Draco was not about to let the moment pass him by. He started walking quickly in the direction of the two girls.
For once in his life, Pansy Parkinson was not in his mind at all.
Hermione was still smiling and talking casually with Ginny when she caught sight of a boy. A boy that was staring at her with determination and just a touch of awe in his eyes. And he was walking towards her very quickly.
His gaze was melting Hermione, and her heart did something funny. She wasn’t sure what to do about all of this. Some part of her heard Ginny speaking to her, but it did not get all the way to her brain. Only one of Hermione’s senses was working properly, and that was her sight. All she could see was the boy, racing across the floor of the Great Hall to get to her. She was sure that’s what he was doing.
Somehow, her hearing started working perfectly when the boy reached her. Because she heard him ask her to dance.
A/N: This is the first Harry Potter story I’ve written. Please review!
Realization by You Know Who
It was as if the stranger’s request to dance made Hermione’s brain begin working properly once more. She turned to face Ginny questioningly, who smiled and nodded. Hermione then turned back to the stranger and wordlessly smiled, taking his offered hand. Maybe, just maybe, this evening would turn out as she had planned. She couldn’t help noting, however, that it was far too early to judge, for the night was not over yet.
Draco smiled back at the girl in the white mask. He led her, still wordlessly, to the dance floor and gently placed his hand on her hip and began to lead her to the music. He wanted desperately to know who she was. After all, how could he make Pansy jealous without a name to go with this masked face? He did not want to be surprised at the end of the evening by her identity. If there was one thing Draco Malfoy hated, it was being surprised.
Worse, what if he didn’t know her when she took off her mask? What if she was some Fifth Year Hufflepuff he had never met before and might have a hard time locating once the dance was over? No. That would not happen to him, not when he had, by what was probably a one in a million chance, managed to find the girl he was looking for. The girl he needed. He was going to get any information he could, as soon as he could.
All he had to do was stop gazing into her eyes.
Hermione let herself be whirled across the Great Hall in rhythm to the Weird Sister’s music. She could not take her eyes off of this masked stranger. She could not break that perfect silence between them.
Yet, she had to know who he was. She had to find him again. Hermione would not allow herself to lose him when she’d only found him. Maybe he had a girlfriend already, why, maybe he was only dancing with Hermione because he was dared by a friend to do so. Hermione, frankly, did not care at the moment. All that mattered was that for a moment, even if it was only a moment, Hermione had somebody to love. She had every intention of making this last so much longer than a moment. She needed to know who he was to make that happen. She just needed to ask.
All she had to do was stop gazing into his eyes.
Draco was the one to finally break the silence. It happened in between songs, when the Weird Sisters were getting ready to switch from the gentle melody they had been playing to a lively tune.
“I do believe it within the rules to ask you what year you're in?” he asked politely, with a smile, shocking himself.
The girl nodded and returned the smile. “Sixth," she said simply. “And you?”
“I am, too,” he replied. “I wish I could ask more.” Dumbledore’s stupid rules, he thought. Why can’t she at least tell me her House?
She smiled. “I know how you feel. It’s like the teachers are condemning us to be the new kids all over again, not knowing anyone. It’s a rather awkward situation, really.”
Draco nodded. He definitely understood that. Even though he had already known a lot of the students when he came to Hogwarts, he did not like not knowing who his friends were and who was an enemy or just someone he did not know at all. “Yes, it’s rather stupid that we can’t even hint at who we are,” he agreed. Draco decided to go out on a limb with his next comment, “But I won’t tell Dumbledore if you don’t.”
The girl looked a bit taken aback for a moment, but then nodded. “It’s not like it would hurt anyone to tell each other our Houses.”
“Of course not!” Draco exclaimed with a smile. Then he had a terrible thought. “You won’t get upset if I’m not in the same House as you are?” he asked worryingly. He couldn’t afford to lose this girl over something that trivial. Not with Pansy on the loose...
Hermione laughed at the idea, thinking immediately he was an embarrassed Hufflepuff, worrying he was talking to one of the prats that thought they were inferior. “No, of course not,” she insisted. “All of the Houses are equal! Except maybe those pampered ‘purebloods’ in Slytherin.” Hermione spat out the word pureblood as if it dripped with poison.
She immediately wanted to take back the words as she saw the boy openly squirming. “Oh, I’m sorry, you’re uncomfortable, aren’t you?” she said quickly. “You see, I think the pureblood, and half-blood, and mudblood system is wrong. I’m not embarrassed to admit that. I’ve been teased enough by…them…” she said, choosing her words carefully so not to offend the poor boy again, “Well, I’d rather not talk about that.”
Draco wanted to curl up and die by the end of this speech. It was obvious that he was not dancing with a pureblood, and definitely not a Slytherin. She might be a half-blood, even a mudblood. But something, he was not sure what, made him stay and continue dancing. He told himself that it was just that he wanted to annoy Pansy. How far would he go to keep Pansy away from him?
That’s when he knew it was not a desperate act to get away from Pansy that was making him dance with this girl, not when she might be…well, almost all Muggle.
So what was it?
This was when Draco realized that she was still waiting for him to reply. “Uh…” he started uncomfortably, “I really don’t think you want to know my House.”
This was when Hermione realized that he was not a Hufflepuff that felt guilty when she talked badly about Slytherins. He probably was a Slytherin. Most likely, then, he was one of those purebloods she had just insulted so terribly.
“Oh.” Hermione said. It was not like her to be monosyllabic, but in this case there was little else to say. It was at times like these when an invisibility spell sounded really good.
“It’s OK,” he was quick to assure her. “You…didn’t know.”
“I shouldn’t have been so judgmental. I’m assuming you’re pureblood?” she asked.
He paused momentarily, and then he nodded, looking like he knew he was about to be dumped.
Hermione was startled by her own thought. I can’t dump him, she thought. You have to be with someone to dump them. I only met him a quarter of an hour ago. His pleading gaze yanked her back to the present. “Well, then, I suppose it’s only fair that you know. I am not a pureblood. I’m Muggle-born. If you don’t want to continue dancing with me, I’ll understand.”
Draco’s worst fears were confirmed. No, he thought, my worst fear would be that this girl is Pansy in disguise. Though…he had to admit, though Pansy was annoying, at least she was pureblood. What was he saying? That he’d rather be with a disgusting and obsessive pureblood than this mudblood who he found so charming with her free mind and obvious knowledge?
How could he answer that question? Draco Malfoy, the hater of mudbloods? But what was that hate based on, really? How many mudbloods had he really known personally? The answer was, of course, none. He didn’t bother to associate with them because they were half-human. This girl was most definitely worthy enough to be pureblood. What did it really matter?
“I’m…okay with that,” he said, not believing the words as they left his mouth, as he instantly realized there was only one way he could have said that.
Draco Malfoy was falling hard for this girl, and he knew it.
Hermione was shocked. Any pureblood Slytherin she had ever known would have quickly taken her offer of leave, and gone off, never to glance back. Malfoy might have gone as far as to spit on her or hex her before he left.
Why on Earth was she thinking of Malfoy? She decided quickly not to spoil her evening with thoughts of that…well, she wouldn’t litter her mind with the dirty words. He wasn’t worth it.
It was hard to think that the boy behind the mask had probably been raised the same way Malfoy had. He obviously had been trained to think less of Muggle-borns like her. After all, if he was in Slytherin he had to have some of the characteristics. Why, knowing how the old wizarding families are all related, it was very possible that he was closely related to Malfoy. They were the same age, they might have even grown up together.
Hermione realized suddenly that she was still thinking about Malfoy. She had to stop that. It suddenly occurred to her that she had every right to just leave now. After all, she had put up with six years of taunting from people who were so much like this boy. How was he any different?
But in her heart, she knew he had to be different. Something made her stay, and she had a pretty good idea of what it was.
Hermione Granger was falling hard for this boy, and she knew it.
A/N: Please review this chapter. More to come soon...
The Truth by You Know Who
Draco could not believe the thoughts he was having about this girl. He knew what the other Slytherins would do to him if he was seen with a mudblood. It was not a pretty thought. He knew without a doubt that this girl could not be used to make Pansy jealous, for the simple reason that she could not be seen with him in public.
But he was still dancing with her, and he wasn’t about to stop.
Hermione let him continue to twirl her gracefully across the floor. “We’re all each other hates,” she mused thoughtfully. “Yet…we’re dancing here together. I don’t know about you, but I’m enjoying myself.”
He laughed. “Of course I’m enjoying myself!” he exclaimed, then added, “Yes, it is strange how these things happen, isn’t it?”
Hermione nodded. “Very strange, if you ask me.” Then, on a whim, she asked, “You’re a pureblood, and even though you never told me directly I’m almost positive you’re a Slytherin. So…would you happen to know…Draco Malfoy?”
Draco was more than a bit shocked. In fact, he was surprised that he didn’t fall over. He covered it quickly, though. “I, uh, know who he is, yes. I guess you could call him an acquaintance.”
“Oh,” she said. He tried to find some sort of giveaway on her as to why she had asked, but he found nothing there.
“Any reason why? You’re not his girlfriend or anything, are you?” Draco asked, knowing full well she was not, but wanting to keep his mysterious disguise.
Hermione was internally beating herself up. Stupid! She thought. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why did I ask that? Why? Why am I even thinking about Malfoy in the first place?
Hermione realized with horror that she had paused before answering. “No! No, I don’t have a boyfriend,” she said, suddenly realizing how that sounded. “I mean, not yet.” Merlin, he’s going to think I’m desperate, she thought. “I mean, uh…no reason for asking. I just wondered.”
“Oh. How do you know him?” he asked. “If it’s not too personal of a question…”
“Merlin, no!” she answered quickly, “Oh, I’m making a total fool of myself, aren’t I?”
He smiled. “You look beautiful when you’re flustered.”
Hermione’s heart made performed a tiny flip in her chest, and they continued to glide across the dance floor.
You look beautiful when you’re flustered? Draco thought with disgust. What kind of romantic line is that? What was I thinking? That’s not something a Malfoy would say!
Still, it was the truth and he knew it. It wasn't that he'd been acting very much like a Malfoy lately, anyway...
“You never told me what House you’re in,” he commented, trying to make her forget that he had ever said such a disgustingly stupid thing.
“Oh,” she said, looking like she didn’t want the subject to be changed. “Well, I’m a Gryffindor.”
Draco was almost expecting her to say Ravenclaw. She certainly seemed like a Ravenclaw. Well, she definitely wasn’t a Slytherin, and she was too smart to be a Hufflepuff. He had never considered the fourth possibility.
Draco Malfoy did not like Gryffindors. This boy dancing with the mudblood Gryffindor, however, could not be Draco Malfoy. At least, not the side people saw of him. This was some inner form of Draco that he himself did not know.
He thought he just might begin to like this new Draco…
Hermione began to worry after he had paused for a while. “You don’t care that I’m a Gryffindor, do you?” she asked nervously.
“I didn’t care that you were a mudblood, did I?” he asked, with a tiny smirk.
Hermione began to laugh, then paused, searching his face, looking rather enthralled. For an instant, just an instant, Hermione was absolutely positive of who he was. Then the realization flew away as quickly as it came, leaving no trace. It was like one of those times when you’re about to say something and you know it’s important, but then it’s gone. I know that smirk…she thought, searching her brain anxiously, trying to find a face attached to the smirk. I’m sure I know it.
The boy looked rather nervous. “Did I say something wrong? It doesn’t bother you that I said mudblood, does it? I’ll try to remember to say Muggle-born…”
“No, no,” Hermione answered quickly. “Though it would be nice if you refrained from calling me that. But…that’s not why I stopped. I almost recognized you. In fact, for a second I think I did.”
Draco was inwardly swearing. He did not intend to let her know who he was until he knew her feelings about him. Since it was obvious that she knew him somehow, that would not be impossible to do.
Yet outwardly, he was just confused. “How in Merlin’s name did you know?” he asked, trying to look more puzzled than angry at himself for doing whatever it was he had done to give himself away.
“Your smirk. I swear I’ve seen it before,” she said, “but I have no idea where. Not now, anyway. I knew, I think, for a second.”
Draco continued to be angry with himself. How could he be stupid enough to smirk? That smirk was practically patented by the Malfoy family! That and the blonde hair, but thank Merlin he had turned it black. “Well, I’ve smirked at a lot of people,” he said with a small smile.
“Oh? Does a lot of people include girls?” she asked, rather playfully.
He smirked yet again. He couldn’t help it this time. Draco only hoped that she wouldn’t remember the Malfoy smirk. “If you’re asking if I have a girlfriend, I don’t.” he said, hoping to lead her to believe that it was very possible things didn’t have to end tonight. He knew he didn’t want them to.
Hermione’s heart gave a little leap. She really hoped this…well, whatever it was that she shared with this boy, could continue beyond the ball.
Suddenly, for some strange reason, she realized why she didn’t know who he was.
“The hair,” she said simply but decisively.
“The…hair?” he asked. Was that nervousness in his eyes?
“Yes, your hair. It’s why I don’t recognize you. I’m positive I’ve seen you before, but your hair…” she shrugged. “It’s throwing me off.”
“Well…” he said, looking as if he was debating telling her the truth. “You see, it’s usually rather…opposite. In color, I mean.”
Hermione tried to picture the boy with blond hair. Surprisingly, she came up with a very clear picture. Also surprisingly, that picture included a face twisted by hatred, a face with lips that screamed “Mudblood!” every chance they had. The face of one of her worst enemies.
It was the face of Draco Malfoy.
A/N: I'd like to apologize for both how long it took to get up and how short it is. The next chapter will be up sooner and will be longer. Please review!
Dealing With the Truth by You Know Who
Hermione instantly stopped dancing and backed away from the stranger. No, he’s not the stranger anymore, she thought. He’s Draco Malfoy.
Everything was coming together at the speed of light in her mind. He’s a pureblood Slytherin, she thought frantically. Hates Muggles and Muggle-borns, usually. The smirk, the voice, the hair, they all fit in like they were pieces of one big puzzle.
“Malfoy…can’t be…what have I done?” she managed to choke out, stuttering and sobbing.
For once in her life, Hermione had no idea what to do, so she simply turned to flee the Great Hall as quickly as her legs could carry her, her white dress flowing behind her.
Draco could not remember being more shocked in his entire life. Moments ago he had been dancing with the girl of his dreams. A girl that hadn’t cared that he was a Slytherin, and he had not cared that she was a mudblood. She hated him enough that even though she had managed to see past so much, she hated Draco Malfoy enough to run from him sobbing? He didn’t even know her name!
Draco quickly ran out of the Great Hall and into the corridor. He was not going to let this girl go.
Hermione couldn’t believe she had actually had feelings for that slimy, arrogant git, if only for a brief period of time. What had she been thinking, dancing with a Slytherin pureblood? They were all the same. What made her think she had gotten lucky and found a nice one? These thoughts circled menacingly in her head as she made her way, as quickly as her legs would carry her, to the Gryffindor common room.
Suddenly her shoe slid on the polished floor, causing her to topple into the wall. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor with no harm done except a rather sore leg.
Hermione tried to stand, but before she could finish she saw a hand being lowered to her.
She looked up into the eyes of Draco Malfoy.
Draco knew he had gotten lucky. If she hadn’t slipped, he might have never known who she was.
“Are you all right?” he asked in concern. It might have been lucky, but it was very possible that she had broken a bone.
“I would be fine if it weren’t for you,” she said, voice dripping in hatred. “So, was your little joke fun?” she asked sarcastically. She refused his hand, and instead pulled herself upright.
“Joke?” Draco was truly puzzled. “What joke?” His mask was getting annoying and was rather pointless now, so he pulled it off. Somehow that ended his spell, and his hair turned its original light blond.
“Oh, you know, the one where you decided to convince a girl that you might have feelings for her, even if she was a mudblood. I know you better than that, Malfoy,” she said, glaring at him and brushing the dust from the floor off of her dress.
“I wouldn’t do that!” he cried, looking hurt. He instantly wanted the words back. Yes, he would have. A few hours ago, he would have done that very thing just to hurt a mudblood. But that was before he had met this mud, er, Muggle-born. It was as if she brought out a part of him that he never knew existed.
“Oh, you wouldn’t?” she asked sarcastically. “Want to know how I knew that smirk, Malfoy? It’s been directed at me millions of times. Directed at me in mockery and hate!”
“Well, what can I do about that? I can’t change the past! I don’t even know who you are!” he said, trying not to get angry with her. She probably had every reason to get angry, but he wouldn’t know until she told him who she was.
Hermione began to cry again. This night had been so perfect.
“You really want to know who I am, Draco?” she asked angrily. “I’ll show you who I am!”
Hermione ripped off her mask, exposing her true identity.
“How do you like me now?”
Draco’s head felt as if it was whirling, only partially attached to his body. It’s Granger, he thought, more amazed than anything. But I suppose it makes sense. She’s a mudblood Gryffindor, and quite intelligent. She hated Slytherins, having been made fun of by them on many occasions.
Made fun of by him.
Merlin, he was daft. He should have seen this coming. What was he supposed to do now?
He wished he had never been stupid enough to give hints to his identity. Old Dumbledore had been right for once. Sometimes secrecy is the best policy. He wished he was still dancing in the Great Hall with that beautiful mystery girl…
Wait! He now knew that she was Granger! The hated, know-it-all mudblood Granger! He still wanted to dance with her? Why?
Draco recalled the feelings he had had while dancing with her, how he had known that he was falling for her? He hadn’t cared that she was a Muggle-born Gryffindor, why did he care that she was Hermione? She really hadn’t ever done anything to him that he didn’t deserve. Not that he could say so much about her friends. Still, would it be any more fair for him to hold a grudge against her for what Harry had done as for her to hold one against him for what Pansy had done? Not that Pansy was his friend, mind you.
But she was certain to reject him now, so what did all of that matter?
Hermione was breathing heavily from anger. Amazingly, the anger did not seem to be directed at Draco. It was directed at herself.
It was almost as if a tiny part of her wanted to be back on that dance floor with the boy she didn’t know, and she wished she hadn’t messed it up. So what if he’s Malfoy, she thought. Don’t you believe in second chances? And that people aren’t to be taken at face value? All of that is your lifestyle, your core, Hermione! You have to give him a chance!
Yet, this was Malfoy! Did someone that sickeningly vile deserve a second chance? She campaigned for the rights of poor, unfortunate creatures like house-elves. Malfoy was neither poor nor unfortunate, unless you counted that his father was in Azkaban. His father deserved that, anyway.
Still, what if he said it didn’t matter that she was Hermione? He hadn’t cared that she was a Muggle-born, after all. Would she accept him if he accepted her? After all, the boy on the dance floor had to have come from somewhere. She highly doubted that Draco was such a great actor that he needed no true emotion to back up what he was saying.
But he was certain to reject her now, so what did all of that matter?
All of this calculating and musing somehow occurred in a manner of seconds. When these seconds were over, Draco knew what he had to do.
“Hermione,” he said. “I don’t care. I didn’t care that you were mud…Muggle-born, did I? This whole thing, it wasn’t a joke. I really felt something out there.”
With this, Draco took a deep breath, and said quickly, “If you want to forget that this ever happened I’ll understand.”
Hermione was stunned. She thought of something her mother used to say whenever Hermione did something that was unlike her, such as ignore homework. “Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?”
Hermione thought this fitted the situation perfectly, but it seemed rather immature to yell out “Who are you and what have you done with Malfoy?” so she kept the awkward silence.
She had not expected that, not in the least bit. Malfoy was one to hold a grudge for stupid things. Who did she think she was that he’d change for her?
But there he stood, awaiting her decision.
Suddenly she remembered a piece of advice her mother had given her so many years before. “If you’re unsure about a boy’s feelings for you or your feelings for him, think of what it feels like when he kisses you. All kisses are good, but only from one person will they be magical.” Of course, Hermione had been ten at the time, so this had seemed like rather disgusting advice to be shoved in the back of one’s mind and never used.
It was worth a try though, wasn’t it?
Hermione tilted her head slightly, relaxed her lips and pulled her head towards his.
Draco felt a jolt. She was going to kiss him. To his own amazement, he found his own lips moving towards hers until they brushed together. The word mudblood could not be found in his mind at that moment. Yet again in one evening, Draco was not thinking of Pansy Parkinson in the least bit as he began to deepen the kiss.
Hermione’s heart was doing flips in her chest. She knew she would remember this moment forever.
After all, just like her mother had promised, it was magical.
Draco was panting as he pulled away from Hermione. “I suppose that meant you felt something, too?”
Hermione laughed lightly. Merlin, he had thought that the laugh was so beautiful hearing it across the Great Hall, and it was no different now. He wondered how he had not noticed all of this before. I’ve probably never seen her laugh before, he thought rather sadly.
Suddenly Draco realized that she might be expecting him to pay this kind of attention to her all the time. “Hermione,” he began cautiously. “We do have very different groups of friends, and they might not…understand if…well…”
“If we started snogging in public?” Hermione said with a tiny smirk. “Harry would have a heart attack or two, Ron would try to use an Unforgivable on you, Neville would probably fall off a balcony…” she joked, ticking them off on her fingers. “Need I go on?”
“Er, no,” Draco said, smirking from visions of the weasel trying to use the Cruciatus curse on him. He’d probably miss and hurt Hermione, though he was sure that it wouldn’t hurt her much. Maybe his wand would even backfire again and he’d hurt himself…
He’d have to remember that idea for when he needed a laugh. For now there were more serious matters at hand. “My friends are even worse. Most of them would try to beat me up for even talking kindly to a mud…er, Muggle-born. And Pansy…well, I wouldn’t put it past Pansy to try to kill you. I’m very serious,” he added, seeing the look of doubt on Hermione’s face.
“It just seems a bit extreme, even for Parkinson,” she said, but knowing he was about to object she continued. “I’ll be careful, don’t worry. We can’t go around broadcasting this, and I know that.”
Hermione must have begun to worry all of a sudden, because she then said, “You do want to continue this, right?”
Draco wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “Of course I do,” he said. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”
That was one of the truest things Draco had ever said.
Hermione was still trying to take all of this in.
“What’s wrong?” Draco asked, somehow sensing her standoffishness.
“I don’t know, it’s just like we kissed before we had our first civilized conversation. We’re doing things backward,” Hermione fretted.
“It’s all right. We’ll get to know each other,” Draco assured her.
“How? We can’t be seen together!” Hermione exclaimed.
“Well…” Draco said, thinking. “We could meet secretly. By the lake or something.”
Deception was not something Hermione liked. For once, however, it seemed the only choice. “Well, all right,” she agreed.
Just then Dumbledore’s voice, amplified by the Sonorous charm, came booming out of the Great Hall. “Students, please gather in a circle. The mask removing is about to begin,” his voice called out.
“We’d better go in,” Hermione said quickly, donning her shimmering mask once more. “Tomorrow, half an hour after our last class ends, on the East end of the lake by the big oak tree?” she asked quickly.
Draco nodded, putting his own mask on and restoring his hair to the black it had been earlier in the evening as they hurried back into the Hall. “And Hermione?” he asked. “Don’t get upset if I act like a git again when the Slytherins are around, all right? I won’t try to, but…” he shrugged. “Nothing I can do.”
“I understand.” Hermione said quickly as they entered the Great Hall again. No one seemed to have noticed they were gone in the first place, much less that they were returning now. Students were still milling into the circle, so they were not out of place.
“You go to the left, I’ll go to the right,” Hermione whispered. “We can’t be near each other.”
Draco nodded and quickly walked to join the circle to their left, and Hermione did the same to the right.
There was one person Hermione had forgotten about.
Ginny Weasley had good observational skills, unlike what she could say about many others. This was how, while no one else had noticed Hermione and her mysterious dancing partner leaving the Great Hall, she had.
Just as much as she noticed them returning.
Ginny had wanted to follow them when they had left, but what was a polite excuse to make to your dancing partner when you had to pursue a friend in tears when you weren’t even supposed to know who that friend was? So Ginny had relied on her own logic to figure out what was wrong with Hermione. So far, the best reason she could think of was that her dancing partner had insulted her somehow. This didn’t seem extremely likely, however. Maybe her dancing partner had been Ron playing a joke? It didn’t seem like Ron to hurt Hermione like that, though…
Dumbledore asking the students to all take their masks off together interrupted Ginny’s thoughts. She pulled her mask off quickly and looked around. It was Harry she had been dancing with, as she had suspected. After all, though his mask hid the telltale lightning bolt, it did not hide his practically patented emerald eyes and unruly mop of black hair. Ginny smiled brightly at him, trying to let him know wordlessly that she'd talk to him in a moment. She had to find out what was bothering her friend first.
Looking around she saw Hermione, looking lovely in her white dress. She was standing by Parvati and Lavender, both chattering away about how they never would have guessed who they were dancing with.
Hermione, strangely, appeared out of this discussion. It was if as she didn't care at all who her partner was. Ginny quickly looked over to where he was standing. The person she saw caused her to quite literally yank herself back as if she'd been punched.
Then everything became painstakingly clear.
A/N: See, I did have a reason for all of the students removing their masks, even if Draco and Hermione did find out about each other beforehand. Anyway, big thanks to all my reviewers. Please review this chapter, too.
Morning
Hermione opened her eyes, blinked several times, and yawned. In those first, confused moments of the morning, she looked at the clock with alarm, realizing after a brief, terrifying moment of panic that she had not missed her first few classes. It was Saturday morning. She pulled her feet out from under the covers and onto the floor, stretching her arms above her head as she stood. Looking around, she saw that the other girls still slept. It seemed rather late for them to be sleeping, even for a Saturday…
That’s when it hit her, so quickly it felt as if a jolt had gone through her body, causing her to involuntarily sit back down on her bed. Last night, she thought, was the ball. Last night I kissed Draco Malfoy.
What had she been thinking? It was all so sudden. She remembered making a few protests that they were moving to fast, but then, she also had made a joke about snogging in public. Hermione, the girl who twenty-four hours ago had never been kissed, had made a joke about snogging in public with Draco Malfoy. Things that had seemed so perfect last night looked absurd in the harsh reality of the morning light. She was a Muggle-born, and he was a Pureblood. She was a Gryffindor, and he was a Slytherin. It just didn’t make sense, and she was sure Draco would think so, too. She would break it off at their meeting this afternoon, after their last class.
Wait…last class…it’s Saturday…oh, Merlin, she thought. What were we thinking? Of course the ball wouldn’t be on a school night! We were both such idiots, she thought, annoyed.
How in Merlin’s name were they going to meet with each other now?
Draco Malfoy was in a rage. He had awakened much earlier than Hermione, and, unlike Hermione, had remembered everything perfectly from the instant he had awakened. Only now he recalled the detail that they did not know when to meet. He’d have to find her inside the school, and he knew how risky that was.
Especially considering how angry she might be when he broke it off with her. No, they had not even had an “it” to break off. A silly kiss, that was all. There had probably been something in the punch to make them act that way. Really, would Draco Malfoy kiss a mudblood if he hadn’t been under the influence of something?
She deserved a goodbye, though. He had led her on, and he knew it. Even in Draco’s stone heart, he found enough compassion to tell the girl goodbye, enough compassion to explain why it could never work.
Why he still felt anything towards her, he wasn’t sure. He knew he never would have had that spark of compassion twenty-four hours ago. Not for Hermione Granger. Yet, for a reason he did not know, he felt it and planned to act on it. Only one problem…
How in Merlin’s name were they going to meet with each other now?
Ginny lay in bed, thinking about the previous night.
After she had seen Malfoy, everything turned into a blur. It was like her body functioned without anyone running it. She remembered smiling and laughing with Harry, being teased by Ron until she blushed, and chattering aimlessly with Hermione in the common room.
Yet, her only thoughts had been of Malfoy and Hermione, trying to understand what had occurred. In Ginny’s original theory, Malfoy did the entire thing as a joke, and Hermione found out. She was upset, and Malfoy ran after her…why? Ginny could not figure that out. Plus, that theory did not explain why Malfoy had a trace of lipstick on when he re-entered the hall.
That’s why Ginny liked her second theory better. The problem was, what to do now that she knew that Draco and Hermione were together.
No, Ginny thought. They’re together in theory.
Still, that theory was a very likely one, if she did say so herself.
In the end, Ginny decided to bide her time. If her theory was right, she knew evidence would start to seep out slowly, even if just through Hermione’s subtle actions. Sooner or later, the whole thing would come out, and she’d be prepared.
If Ginny only knew how much sooner that would be…
Hermione, changed and ready for the new day, was sitting in the common room, putting the finishing touches on her Herbology homework. Or so it appeared.
In truth, Hermione was paying little attention to the Herbology and a lot of attention to what she should do about a certain Draco Malfoy.
She had decided to call him by his full name for the time being, as Draco was too personal of a term for someone she barely knew, and Malfoy was too formal for someone she had kissed.
After much internal debate, and telling Ron and Harry she had to go to the library, she found herself wandering the halls. She really had not wanted to let it come to this, aimlessly looking for him, hoping he’d be near. It seemed like something a lovesick sixteen year old in a romance novel would do, not know-it-all Hermione.
This wandering went on for nearly an hour before she had any luck. When she did finally see him, her heart gave a little leap.
Okay, a big leap.
Draco had also been reduced to wandering aimlessly for Hermione, as he could think of no other way. Thankfully, Pansy was still sleeping and Crabbe and Goyle seemed to let it sink through their thick skulls that Draco did not want to be followed.
Finally, when they met, he felt something strange. That same breathless, heart-just-skipped-a-beat feeling he had felt last night. The feeling he had blamed on the punch.
He found himself wanting to kiss her again. And after all, Malfoys are used to getting what they want.
So he did.
Neville Longbottom, you could say, was gifted at being in the right place at the wrong time. That was probably how he ended up walking down the hall, trying to remember where the bathroom was in this tangled maze of a castle, when he saw something he was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to see.
Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger kissing in the middle of the hall.
Well, really, if they had to kiss, did they have to do it where any innocent passerby could see? Then, suddenly, Neville realized the full force of what he had seen. Everyone knew that those two hated each other!
Neville stumbled into the wall, but they didn’t seem to notice. He was thankful. After all, who knew what Draco might do if he was angry? So, figuring he’d decide what to do later, left as quickly and quietly as he could.
Well, so much for breaking it off, Hermione thought rather giddily.
As the two pulled away slowly, Draco said, “It’s Saturday.”
Hermione smirked at him. “I noticed. Want to go down to the lake anyway? I told Harry and Ron I’d be in the library. Nobody’s expecting me back for hours.”
Draco nodded with a tiny smile and slipped his hand into hers as they quietly exited the building.
A/N: I know it’s another rather short chapter, but it’s almost more like an intro to chapter six. Believe me, that’s where the “fun” begins.
Discussions by You Know Who
Hermione sat on a large rock near the edge of the lake. Near this edge, you could not be seen from Gryffindor Tower, which was where she and Draco were most worried about being spotted from.
They had been sitting in silence since their arrival a few minutes prior. Neither was exactly sure of what to say. After all, where did you begin? They had shared two kisses, and did not even know the silliest basics about each other, things like favorite color.
Finally, Draco said, “You don’t expect me to be nice to Potter and Weasley, do you?”
Hermione felt that this was the wrong foot to start the conversation out on, but she had to reply. “Well…I suppose you don’t have to. Why wouldn’t you be, though?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Draco asked incredulously. “Potter sent my father to Azkaban!”
“He was doing what he felt was right,” Hermione said cautiously. “Your father committed a horrible crime.”
Draco felt a surge of indignation. “Don’t speak of what you don’t understand!” he said angrily.
Hermione looked somewhat wounded, causing Draco to feel extremely guilty.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “We were very close, and now he’s getting the Ki…” Draco stopped, looking downward.
“Oh, Draco, I’m the one that should be sorry,” Hermione said, instantly understanding.
The Dementor’s Kiss was one of the worst ways you could die, as everyone in the Wizarding world knew. Though none had lived to tell about it, it was quite clear how unpleasant it was to have your very soul sucked out of you.
“There was just so much evidence against him,” Draco said, staring off across the lake. “If Potter hadn’t…” he let his voice trail off.
Draco began to search of a better topic, but found none.
Hermione, however, was still curious. “And Ron?”
“He supported Potter. Through everything.”
Hermione was laughing on the inside, but on the outside managed to keep it down to a smirk. “What am I, chopped liver?”
Draco looked at her as if she had just told him that she was really chopped liver.
“It’s a Muggle expression,” she explained quickly. “It means that I’ve supported him through just as much as Ron has, yet you hate him and kiss me.”
“I sincerely hope that you are not implying that I kiss him, too,” said Draco, smirking.
“Nah, I’d be too jealous of him,” Hermione said, her chestnut brown eyes twinkling.
“Well, we’ll just have to appease your jealousy,” Draco said, leaning over to kiss her.
Luna Lovegood enjoyed walking by the lake on Saturday afternoons, reading the Quibbler in peace. It was a pastime she had long kept hidden, as she was laughed at for enough things anyway.
Normally, the other students had better things to do than take walks on Saturdays, so she never had to worry about interruptions of her solitude. Today, however, she took note of two figures, sitting by the edge of the lake. Curious, she came closer.
Squatting behind a tree, Luna peered out. Sure enough, there were two people sitting on a rock, talking. Namely, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. And it seemed that they were being civil to one another! They even looked rather happy!
Luna’s immediate surprise was overtaken by shock when Draco leaned towards Hermione and kissed her. Why, Hermione didn’t even seem surprised! It was obvious that this was not their first kiss Luna was observing.
Luna walked quickly back to Hogwarts, shaking her head. What the world had come to these days that Draco and Hermione had to come all the way out here just to kiss.
Then again, she had to go all the way out there just to read the Quibbler in solitude. Though, now that the lake seemed to be occupied on Saturdays she’d have to find yet another place…
When Draco and Hermione pulled away from each other, Draco held a determined look in his eye.
I have to show it to her, he thought.
He immediately stood up and motioned for Hermione to follow. He led her away from the lake, past many trees and up to a large rock that looked as if half of it had been broken away to make it flat. Carved into the rock in large, crude letters were the words “L and N forever”.
Hermione stood there looking at the rock, unsure of what to say.
“Well, gee,” she said finally, “I didn’t know that Luna and Neville were so close…”
Draco instantly started laughing. Hermione was still rather uncomfortable, though, as she had no idea what the purpose of bringing her here was.
“Lucius and Narcissa,” Draco said with a smile. “Not Luna and Neville.”
“I knew that,” Hermione said quickly.
“Of course you did,” Draco said, smirking slightly. “My parents carved that, when they were still here at Hogwarts,” he said, stooping down to touch the rock’s surface.
Hermione understood how much this rock meant to him. It was a symbol of the days when his father had actually been happy.
“He used to bring me down here to show me this rock,” Draco said, and then turned to face Hermione. “He told me to bring the girl that I fell in love with here, someday.”
Hermione’s heart flipped over in her stomach. It seemed that that sensation was becoming a regular one.
In Gryffindor’s common room, two young boys were getting extremely bored.
“You’re sure we did all our homework already, mate?” Ron asked for what was probably the third time.
“Positive,” Harry replied.
Ron sighed. He had always thought people who finished their homework on Saturdays when it wasn’t due until Monday were slightly crazy. Now, finally, he thought he might understand them, for once.
Then he got an idea. “Harry,” he began, “Where’d Hermione say she was going?”
“Library. As usual,” Harry replied with boredom.
“Should we go down there?” Ron asked tentatively.
Harry shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt, I guess.”
Meanwhile, Hermione and Draco walked along the edges of the lake, talking.
“So, what’s your favorite class?” asked Draco.
“I’m not sure. I like most of them a lot…” Hermione said thoughtfully. “Probably Arithmancy, though.”
“Interesting,” Draco said with a nod. “I’m more of a Potions man, myself.”
“And the fact that the Professor is hopelessly biased towards you affects your decision, I’m sure?” Hermione asked.
“Well,” Draco said, smiling slightly. “It does help.”
“Is there a reason he really likes you? I mean, I know there are reasons he dislikes Harry, other than the traditional Gryffindor and Slytherin thing,” Hermione said.
“I don’t know,” Draco said thoughtfully. “I’m going to have to think about that.”
In the library, Harry and Ron were just arriving.
“Hermione?” Harry whispered, as not to disturb the other occupants of the library.
“Where is she, Harry? Do you see her?” Ron asked.
“No…” Harry said, eyes scanning the library for signs of her. “Check behind all the bookshelves, Ron.”
“’Mione?” Ron whispered, peering behind the bookshelves while Harry continued to walk around the library.
Two minutes later, their search was still fruitless.
“Harry, do you think she’s all right?” Ron asked, with panic rising in his voice.
Harry rolled his eyes. “You are seriously overprotective. Hermione can leave the library and go to her dorm or something whenever she wants to, without telling us, you know.”
“I know, but she usually spends hours in the library!” Ron said, still worried.
“Mate, I hate to break it to you, but if we got our homework done, she did too,” Harry said, smiling slightly.
“I know, but…” It was obvious that though Ron had run out of excuses for worrying about Hermione, he still did.
“Would it make you feel better if we found Lavender and Parvati and asked them?” Harry asked.
“Well, yeah,” Ron admitted.
“Fine then. We’ll do that,” Harry said.
Luna and Ginny were having a conversation in the common room when Harry and Ron entered, Harry looking slightly bored and Ron looking nervous. Harry cast a quick wink at Ginny, making her blush furiously. Ron, however, ignored his sister and her friend and headed towards Parvati and Lavender, who were in the corner giggling.
“Seen Hermione?” he asked anxiously.
“No,” Lavender said, avoiding Ron’s gaze.
“She left early this morning and hasn’t been to the dorm or common room since,” Parvati added, still giggling.
Ron shrugged off the giggling. Parvati was such a ditz sometimes. “You haven’t seen her? Anywhere?” he asked, worried. “Harry, stop flirting and get over here!”
“I’m not flirting!” Harry protested indignantly.
“Oh, whatever, just get over here!” Ron shouted at him.
Harry, annoyed, crossed to the corner of the common room. “Yeah, Ron? Where is she?”
“She’s not here, Harry! They,” he motioned to Parvati and Lavender, “Haven’t seen her! Since this morning!”
Unnoticed by the others in the room, Luna and Ginny were exchanging knowing looks.
“Well, then, come on,” Harry said, motioning to Ron.
With a small smile and a quick goodbye to Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati, Harry exited the room. Ron extended no such courtesies, but he followed Harry out just the same.
“If I wasn’t so bloody worried about Hermione, I’d have to talk to you about flirting with my sister,” Ron said. “And I fully plan to as soon as this whole thing is over.”
“Ron, I said goodbye to Parvati and Lavender too!” Harry protested.
Ron shrugged that off. “Whatever you say, mate,” he said. “Where are we going, anyway?”
“To consult a source that knows exactly where Hermione is,” Harry said. “I plan to prove to you that she’s perfectly fine.”
“Who?” Ron asked eagerly, ignoring his comment about her well being.
“It’s not a who,” Harry said. “It’s the Marauder’s Map.”
A/N: There are a few things in this chapter that probably seem pretty minor, but are big hints to how the fic will end or will turn out to be a plot point. Can you find them?
Confrontations by You Know Who
“The Marauders Map!” Ron cried happily. “Of course! How did I forget?”
“I’m not sure,” Harry said as he walked into their dormitory to where it was hidden. “But it will tell us where Hermione is, that’s for sure.”
Hermione looked up at the sun, and, seeing that it was well past noon, turned to Draco with worry. “We’d better head back,” she said. “Harry and Ron will be looking for me.”
Draco sighed. “I must admit I’d rather return to those two than Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle. Though Potter and Weasel don’t win by much…”
Hermione was internally irritated. Draco thought that a couple of kisses made him eligible to insult her best friends? Sadly, even after all their discussions, she still did not know him as well as she’d like to. Outwardly, she simply rolled her eyes at him. Some things, she figured, she was going to have to get used to.
The two walked, still chattering, towards the school. The only problem was, going back they’d have to pass Gryffindor tower...
Harry eagerly unfolded the parchment and yanked out his wand. "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good!"
The parchment instantly turned into its true form of a map, with tiny labeled dots moving all over it.
Harry searched the castle. "Hermione Granger...Hermione Granger..." he muttered under his breath.
"Is she there, Harry? Where is she?" Ron asked eagerly.
Harry, not finding her in the castle, scanned the grounds. There weren't many people outside, even on such a beautiful day. Seeing her name, Harry sighed and began to move his arms to show Ron the map. Hermione was just taking a walk! And Ron had been so worried...
Then he noticed the dot beside Hermione's, the one that was quite clearly labeled Draco Malfoy.
Ron was getting impatient. Harry had so obviously discovered where Hermione was, about ten seconds before, so why was he torturing Ron by not letting him see the map?
Ron reached out to grab it, but Harry instantly yanked the map back.
"Harry! Stop it! Where is she?" Ron cried in frustration.
"She's just out taking a walk on the grounds, Ron..." Harry said slowly. "But...well, I'm not sure how to break this to you, mate..." Harry said, shoving the map in Ron's face.
Ron eagerly unfolded the parchment and scanned the grounds. There! Hermione Granger!
Then he, too, saw the dot beside it.
His eyes opened wide and his entire body just froze solid.
"Ron? Ron?" Harry called, grabbing his arm and shaking it.
Ron sat down quickly on the bed, still staring at the parchment.
“The map’s broken, Harry,” he said when he was finally able to speak.
“Maybe,” Harry said doubtfully. “They should be in our view outside the window…”
Both boys immediately ran to the dormitory window, and, sure enough, there was Hermione with Malfoy beside her. They actually appeared…happy. Harry was totally bewildered, but Ron was quick to jump to conclusions as he looked up with a wild look in his eye. "Harry, Malfoy's got her under a curse! Maybe he's blackmailing her!"
Harry opened his mouth to say that Ron was jumping to conclusions again when he suddenly realized how true his conclusion sounded. Why else would Hermione and Malfoy be walking together on a Saturday afternoon?
"Ron, I have to say I can't think of a better explanation," Harry said.
"Of course you can't!" Ron snapped, standing up and grabbing his wand. "So I say we go teach that ferret a lesson he'll never forget!"
Draco and Hermione were still rather obliviously walking along, laughing.
“Though I must say Ireland is by far the best,” Draco finished. “Considering that England couldn’t make it to the World Cup if the championship was handed to them on a silver platter.”
“But you underestimate Bulgaria!” Hermione commented. “Viktor is probably one of the best players in the world.”
“Viktor?” Draco asked, raising his eyebrow.
“Don’t you start, too,” Hermione warned jokingly.
“Too? Who is my counterpart in worrying that you call world-renowned Quidditch players by their first names, may I ask?” he inquired.
“Ron,” Hermione said with a sigh. “He can’t seem to understand that males and females can just be friends.”
“A rather scary concept, don’t you think?” Draco asked seriously. “What does he think he is, anyway?”
“You don’t mean that you think Ron has a crush on me?” Hermione asked doubtfully.
“I’m just saying that maybe there’s a little more to Weasley’s overprotection than meets the eye,” Draco said as if he knew about that sort of thing.
“Well, I doubt it,” Hermione said. “But thanks for caring.”
“That’s the boyfriend’s job, isn’t it?” Draco asked, smirk crossing his face once more.
“So you’re claiming the boyfriend position even though we’ve only had one date? That’s quite an assumption, don’t you think?” Hermione asked playfully.
Draco never got the chance to respond as a single word rang through the silence.
“Expelliarmus!”
Ron cried out the spell with such force that it shocked even himself.
Malfoy, surprisingly, was not the first one to act.
“Impedimenta!” called out Hermione, pointing her wand directly at Ron.
While Ron was still unable to move and Malfoy was scrambling for his wand, Hermione did something that shocked both of her friends.
She ran, quickly but almost calmly, as if even in this situation she couldn't lost her patented Hermione cool, towards Ron until she was only about a foot away from him. Then she pointed her wand directly at his neck and glared at Harry. "If either of you tries any funny business, Ron gets it," Hermione said, but it didn't come out as coldly as any of them expected it to. It was if she was more desperate than angry.
"Let me explain," Hermione said, tears in her eyes. "Please."
"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" Harry said.
Hermione ignored the question. "Draco and I met at the ball," she began.
"Draco?" Ron croaked out. "You're on a first name basis with the albino ferret?"
"Ron, you're on thin ice, don't push it," Hermione warned.
"What do you mean, met?" Harry pressed on. "You've known him for six years, Hermione!"
"Not like I know him now!" Hermione protested.
"Hermione, he's obviously got you under some sort of spell," Harry insisted. "Impedimenta or something. Maybe one we haven't learned about. But you've got to think sensibly, Hermione!"
"I'm the only one that's thinking sensibly right now!" Hermione cried.
"Hermione, he's probably a Death Eater! And you're being friendly with him?" Harry demanded.
"Oh, I'm much more than friendly," Hermione said, now determined to prove Harry wrong. Totally forgetting about Ron, she marched over to Draco and kissed him passionately on the lips.
The kiss shocked Draco. Hermione had never kissed him with such force before, and it was quite obvious that this kiss was for show.
Well, Draco thought, if she wants to make a spectacle in front of her best friends, I can at least enjoy it.
They deepened their kiss as Harry and Ron stared, unable to move, even though the Impedimenta curse was wearing off Ron.
Once the two broke apart, Ron and Harry continued to gape, Hermione looked triumphant and Draco could not suppress his smirk.
It was Ron that shattered the silence. “Well, it’s bloody obvious you’re under a curse,” Ron said as if it was a plain fact. “The Hermione Granger I know would never sink so low as to snog the ferret. Let’s go, ‘Mione.”
“Ron, what are you saying?” Hermione said, shocked. “Can’t you see I love him?”
This revelation took Draco aback. Sure, they really liked each other…maybe they did love each other, but wasn’t it a bit early to be declaring that?
Apparently hearing these words out of Hermione’s mouth jolted something in Ron, too, as the wind suddenly seemed to go out of him.
For an instant, and only an instant, all three people standing by Ron were certain he was going to cry.
But this vanished as quickly as it had come.
“Well, Harry, I think we need to go to Dumbledore about this,” Ron said haughtily.
“It’s against school rules for a Gryffindor to date a Slytherin?” Draco snapped at Ron. “Though if it’s a rule, I’m quite sure you’ve broken it by now, haven’t you?”
Hermione silenced them both with a sharp glance. “Harry,” she pleaded. She saw that Ron would never listen to her. “Please! Give me a little time to say goodbye to Draco. I’ll be up in the common room soon, and then we can talk. Please, don’t go to anyone about this. Not until I can explain!”
Harry glanced at Ron. “Couldn’t wait to hurt until the morning, mate. I don’t think he’ll hurt her now, we’d know who did it and turn him in.”
“I didn’t plan to hurt her in the first place!” Draco snapped. “So keep your bloody nose out of my business!”
Hermione sighed. “Could you two just go?” she asked wearily.
Ron looked as if he’d rather stay, but Harry pulled him along.
As soon as the two were out of earshot, Draco spoke up before Hermione had a chance to say anything.
“Hermione, I just want you to know that you weren’t entirely truthful when you defended me in front of your friends. I am guilty of what they accuse me of.”
A/N: I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be on an out of the country vacation from March second to the thirteenth. There won’t be any chance to update in that time period. As soon as I return, the normal update schedule will resume. I’ll try to get at least another chapter in before then so you’re not left hanging there for two weeks!
Anyway, please review, as always.
Confessions by You Know Who
"What are you talking about? Ron and Harry aren't right about you, Draco!" Hermione said, as if this was utter nonsense. "I know you didn't put any curses on me as well as you do!"
"Of course I didn't!" Draco assured her quickly. "That's not what I meant."
"Well then what did you mean?" Hermione insisted.
"They accused me of being a Death Eater. Hermione, I am one."
Draco winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. What was he supposed to do, let her go on lying, though unknowingly, to her friends? She was defending him so wholly that it was like she really trusted him. No one in his life had ever put so much faith in him.
He couldn't ruin that trust by not telling her the truth. Though, at the same time, the truth might ruin the trust in its own way.
Hermione looked at the ground for what was probably a minute but seemed a lifetime.
"I thought you didn't care that I was a Muggle, and yet you devote your life to a cause that destroys my people?" Hermione asked, looking betrayed.
"Hermione, it's not like that! I never had to kill anyone, Muggle or Wizard. I doubt I will, not for quite a while yet. I guess you could say I'm a junior Death Eater. You don't get the mark on your forearm till you come of age, you just have to serve the Dark Lord and do as he tells you," Draco explained. "I didn't even choose to do that! My father dragged me to the initiation when I was twelve."
"Do you realize that Voldemort could tell you to kill Harry, or Ron, or even me, and you'd just have to do it?" Hermione insisted.
"The Dark Lord himself has not killed your darling Boy Who Lived, and you think I can?" Draco snapped, then took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, it's the Malfoy temper. Can't help it sometimes. Anyway, Hermione, he's not going to have me kill anyone right now, much less anyone important. Believe it or not, you and the Weasel are on his big hit list, too."
"Oh, that makes me feel so much better," Hermione sobbed. "I'm too high on Voldemort's death list to be killed by my boyfriend!"
"Hermione, please understand!" Draco begged. "If I was to try to do anything to get out of this commitment, I'd be killed so quickly no one would remember who had done it!"
"I need time to think about this, Draco," Hermione said. "It's not exactly the easiest thing in the world to accept."
"I understand, Hermione," Draco said sadly.
"I'd better go," Hermione said, beginning to walk away.
"Wait, Hermione, will I ever see you again? Like this, I mean," Draco asked.
"Draco, we can't just forget this ever happened," Hermione said. "At least, I know I can't. This is just a lot to deal with."
Draco really felt like throwing something at someone, but he couldn't let his temper get the best of him. Not now. So, he simply nodded.
"Harry and Ron will be worried," she said, and then she turned and walked away.
In the Gryffindor common room, Ron was pacing madly. "Harry, what time is it?"
The room was oddly deserted. Apparently, students had better things to do than sit around the common room on Saturdays.
"Add a minute and a half to when you last asked," Harry said, rolling his eyes.
"A minute and a half?" Ron asked, looking alarmed. "That long? Where is she? She should be here by now! It takes less than a minute and a half to kill someone!"
"Calm down, Ron!" Harry said. "She'll be fine. Malfoy knows that we'd know who did it if she turns up hurt. He's not that stupid."
Ron plopped himself down on a chair next to Harry. "I know that, but do you know how it tears me apart to see her acting like this? She probably doesn't even know what she's doing!"
"I know very well what I'm doing, thank you," came an indignant female voice.
"Hermione!" Ron called out, running to her. "Please tell me this is all part of one of those bloody brilliant plans of yours!"
Hermione sighed. "I could tell you that, but I'd be lying. I'm sorry, Ron, but I think I love him."
"You can't love the ferret, Hermione!" Ron yelled. "He used the Imperius curse or something!"
"You think he hates me enough to use an Unforgivable? Seriously, Ron! I know if I'm under a spell, and I'm not!" Hermione insisted.
"Maybe you're not as smart as I thought you were, Hermione!" Ron yelled.
Hermione chose this moment to stomp up to her dormitory in a huff, yelling, "Yell for me when you can talk to me like a civilized person!"
Ron turned to Harry, angry. "Why are women so impossible?"
"I dunno, mate, it's just their way of thinking, I guess," Harry said with a shrug.
"Then we need to talk to someone who does understand them," Ron said, determination in his eyes.
"Got anyone in mind?" Harry asked.
"My sister."
When they finally managed to find Ginny and drag her into the common room to talk, Ron had calmed down a bit.
"Now will you tell me what's up?" Ginny asked, annoyed. "I was in the middle of a very important conversation with Luna."
"Ginny, Hermione thinks she's in love with Malfoy," Ron spilled out, not able to contain the information any longer. "She was walking with him by the lake! She says she 'saw his true character' at the ball or some bloody junk like that! And when we tried to tell her she was obviously under a spell, she got all huffy and started snogging with him!"
Harry expected Ginny to be surprised, but she took this all in as if she had known for years. "Well, that's one more piece to the puzzle," she said with a nod.
"Puzzle? Ginny, you knew about this?" Ron asked indignantly. "You didn't tell me? What kind of sister are you?"
"I figured it was their business, Ron. It was totally chance that I knew. I saw them at the ball," Ginny explained.
Ron was still upset and looked like he was just going to continue yelling at his sister, so Harry got to the point. "What do you think we should do, Gin?"
"Let her do what she wants. She's a big girl now, and it's obvious that they care for each other," Ginny said without missing a beat.
Harry was willing to take Ginny's advice and let the whole thing drop, but Ron was much more persistent.
"Are you crazy? Ginny, this is ferret boy we're discussing, not some saint!" Ron exclaimed.
"Do you think you'd be happy if she was dating a saint, Ron? I think you'd give Dumbledore a lecture if you thought he had feelings for Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed.
"Dumbledore?" Ron asked with alarm. "He's far too old for her!"
Ginny sighed and turned to Harry. "Don't mind my thick brother. We think it was a birth defect."
"Really, Gin, please! There's got to be something else we can do!" Ron begged.
"Nothing that wouldn't totally strip Hermione of her trust for you, ruin your friendship, or both," Ginny stated flatly.
"Ron," Harry said suddenly, after being quiet for most of the conversation, "maybe you need to let this run its course. One of them is sure to dump the other, sooner or later. If they're a match made in heaven, God was on his day off at the time."
"What if they don't? What if Hermione never comes around? You both know why this means so much to me," Ron said, as Harry and Ginny traded glances.
"Yeah, we do, mate, and maybe it's time to just let it go," Harry said carefully.
"Let it go? Are you crazy, Harry? I-" Ron started, but never finished.
Neville Longbottom, impeccable timing intact, entered the room. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" he asked nervously.
"Just our insignificant conversation about how my best friend was snogging the enemy!" Ron exploded.
"You mean Hermione and Malfoy? I know that..." Neville started to say, but let himself trail off when Ron got a crazy look in his eye.
"AM I THE LAST PERSON IN THIS SCHOOL TO KNOW WHEN HERMIONE'S OFF SNOGGING SOMEONE?" Ron screamed at Neville, and then took off his shoe and started chasing him around the common room, trying to beat him with it.
Harry started to stop Ron, but Ginny held him back. “He needs to get his energy out, anyway,” Ginny said.
“But it’s not Neville’s fault!” Harry insisted.
“Don’t worry, he won’t hurt him,” Ginny assured Harry. “Hermione is sure to show up when she hears all the noise, and Ron will stop then.”
“What’s going on here?” Hermione’s voice boomed down into the common room, causing Ron to abruptly stop chasing Neville.
“How did you do that?” Harry asked Ginny, awed.
“Just call it a girl thing,” Ginny said with a little smile.
“I think I need to go…” Neville piped up, edging his way out of the common room.
Hermione continued to glare at Ron. “What the hell did you think you were doing, Ron?”
“I…well, Neville, you see, he…well he…” Ron struggled to speak.
“I thought so,” Hermione said. “Ron, why can’t you just try to be mature about something? Anything?”
“Oh, and Malfoy’s ever so mature, isn’t he, Hermione?” Ron snapped.
“More than you!” Hermione yelled. “He’s actually rather nice, too, once you get to know him!”
“Nice? Nice? You think the ferret is nice?” Ron demanded. “What is wrong with you?”
“Ron, why can’t you just understand?” Hermione asked, practically in tears.
“I understand all right! I understand that he has nothing more than I do except money, yet you obviously see something more in him! What is it, Hermione? What is it that Malfoy has that I don’t?
Oh, Merlin, Draco was right, Hermione thought. Ron does have a crush on me.
“Yeah, you heard me right Hermione! I like you! Didn’t you ever notice how protective I was of you?” Ron demanded.
“Ron, you’re just as protective of Ginny. I always thought…” Hermione let herself trail off.
“That you were just like my sister? You’re a lot more, Hermione!” Ron said angrily. With that, he turned and ran up to his dormitory.
A/N: Ron’s behavior, as you might have figured out by now, was one of the clues I mentioned a few chapters back. There were more in that chapter, though, one in particular. You’ll just have to wait and see!
Please review!
Planning
Harry cleared his throat, and suddenly Hermione remembered he was there.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” Hermione said quietly.
“I should have warned you about that…” Harry apologized quietly.
“It’s not your fault, Harry. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” Hermione said, tears glistening in her eyes. Then she sighed. “He’s just one of my best friends. I’d do just about anything for him not to be hurt because of me, but I’m afraid that there’s nothing I can do now.”
Hermione felt as if her entire world was crashing down around her. What was left for her? She had lost one of her best friends, and her boyfriend (though Hermione felt uncomfortable calling him that) of less than 48 hours might no longer be her boyfriend at all. Not to mention that the said boyfriend was hated by all of her friends.
“Maybe there is something,” Ginny said, her eyes lighting up with an idea.
“Ginny! Are you crazy?” Hermione exclaimed after Ginny had explained her plan.
“I thought you’d do ‘just about anything’ for him, Hermione,” Ginny said.
“But if this doesn’t work, he’ll be more hurt than he is now!” Hermione protested.
"But if we don't try, he'll be upset a lot longer! Is that what you want?" Harry asked angrily.
Hermione threw her hands up in the air. "Sure, side with her!" she exclaimed. Then she sighed. "Look," she said, "we'll try it, but if it doesn't work, it's on your conscience, not mine. Not to mention that you'll explain to Ron that it was your idea, and you two dragged me into this. Got it?"
After all the details of the plan had been worked out and Ginny had explained why she knew anything about Draco and Hermione, the three still sat in the common room talking, though it was no longer empty. It contained a group of giggly third-year girls in the corner, and two fifth-year boys trying to do homework now, as well as the Harry, Hermione and Ginny, as Ron was still in his dormitory somewhere.
"We need a name," Ginny whispered to Harry and Hermione, glancing wearily at the girls in the corner.
"How about the Bring Ron to His Senses Group?" laughed Harry.
"That's on the right track, actually," Hermione commented.
Ginny nodded. "The Restoring Ron Association, maybe, since we're restoring him to his senses and his rightful place as a friend. The R.R.s for short."
"That works," said Hermione.
Harry nodded, then glanced at his watch. "I'd better be checking on Ron. If he's angry at me, too, then the whole plan won't work."
"Right," said Hermione.
The three friends parted ways. The R.R. plan was officially started.
Meanwhile, in the Slytherin common room, Draco was trying to keep his temper under control.
"I told you, Parkinson, I'm going to be busy at the next Hogsmeade weekend, I can't go with you!" he yelled at Pansy.
At least, I hope I'm busy, he thought. If Gra...Hermione decides she hates me, I can't exactly ask her to go with me, can I?
"But Drakie-poo darling-" Pansy started, but was cut off.
"If you don't start calling me by my given name, I'll hex you!" he threatened.
"I know you like to play hard-to-get, but-"
"Can't you take a bloody hint?" Draco shouted.
"A hint about what?" Pansy asked innocently.
Draco thought about all the profanities he would like to scream at that girl while he stomped off to his dormitory.
Flopping down on his bed, he groaned. "Hermione's my last hope to get away from her," Draco muttered. "I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't come through for me."
He knew it wasn't exactly fair, letting himself think that that was the only reason he wanted Hermione. He knew there was something more there. That's why he wanted to ask her to go to Hogsmeade with him, not only to shove it in Pansy's face that he liked a Mudblood better than her. And if he had to endure taunts from the rest of the Slytherins, he'd just have to remember that he was a Malfoy, which made him above such things. He wasn't going to let this girl go for anything in the world.
That Sunday passed rather uneventfully, with Draco acting Malfoy-like, though Hermione noticed that he never once even hinted at an insult to her, and Ron avoiding Hermione as much as possible.
At lunch that Monday, Hermione plopped herself down next to Ron. "What do you want?" he asked coldly.
"Look, Ron, I was totally wrong, all right?" Hermione admitted.
"What do you mean by totally wrong?" he asked suspiciously.
"I mean I broke up with Malfoy," said Hermione plainly.
"Good for you," Ron snapped. "Pass the salt, please, Harry."
"It wasn't exactly a match made in Heaven," Hermione added, ignoring his comment.
"I didn't notice," said Ron sarcastically as Harry handed him the salt. "Ow!" Ron exclaimed, glaring at Harry. "Why'd you kick me?"
"I think Hermione's trying to say something, Ron," Harry said, trying to communicate to Ron with his eyes.
"I know she was saying something. She said she broke up with the ferret. And stop looking at me like that, it's freaky!"
A little farther down the table, Ginny had her head in her hands, muttering, "Merlin, how thick can he be?"
Harry and Hermione seemed to be the only ones to notice this, however, as Ron made no protests.
"Ron, I was wrong about you, too," Hermione said.
"What, you don't even want to be friends now?" Ron asked sharply.
"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "Ron...I...er..." Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, I..."
"Spit it out, Hermione," Harry prodded.
"Ron I really do like you, and I don't mean as a friend," Hermione said quickly.
This caused Ron to immediately look up. "You mean that?" he asked eagerly.
"Of course I do," Hermione said.
"Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?" Ron asked hopefully.
"Sure," Hermione said with a smile.
Hermione's heart sank as she saw how happy Ron was. If this plan didn't work, there was going to be hell to pay.
A/N: I forgot to include this is the last chapter: Special thanks to those who pointed out that Luna is not a Gryffindor, and therefore should not have been in their common room. Luna is a Ravenclaw, so I’ll avoid comments about her house for the rest of the fic.
A very wise philosopher once said that “a happy author doth update far more quickly than one in the depths of despair, and what better remedy for any misery than a review?” OK, I made it up, but review anyway ;)
Confusion by You Know Who
Now that Hermione was having second thoughts about the R.R.'s plan, it was too late. There was no way she could take back what she had said to Ron.
For the rest of the day, Ron seemed happier than he had ever been. He stayed very close to Hermione all the time, as if afraid she would suddenly take back her words.
In Potions class, last thing on Monday, she found the corner of a piece of paper on her desk that had been folded so many times it looked like someone had just dropped it there by accident. She knew that she kept her desk very clean, so there was no way that it had been left there by chance. She pulled it towards her carefully, glancing around to be sure that no one was watching. When she opened it, she found that it was written on in tiny writing.
H-
Get rid of P and
W and meet me in
the hall as soon
as class ends.
-D
Well, that's easier said than done, Hermione thought. I can get rid of Harry, but there's no way that Ron's just going to leave me alone now.
The bell suddenly interrupted Hermione’s thoughts.
"A foot and a half on unicorn blood, due the next time we have class," Snape announced as the class packed up their belongings. "Be sure to include the difference it makes in potions if the unicorn gives it willingly versus unwillingly."
Thinking quickly, Hermione intentionally left her quill sitting on her desk. She took her time gathering her belongings, so by the time she was done Harry, along with everyone else except Ron and Draco, had already left. As soon as she was out the door, she turned around. "I left my quill in there, Ron," she told him. "I'd better go back and get it."
"I'll go with you," Ron volunteered.
"No! No, that's OK, I don't want to hold you up," Hermione insisted.
"It won't take very long anyway, though," Ron pointed out.
"Well...no...but-" Hermione started, but was cut off.
"But if she doesn't want you around, you should take the hint and get out of here, Weasel King," boomed Draco from behind Hermione.
In a sudden, terrifying moment, Hermione realized that Draco had not been informed of the R.R.'s plans.
"I don't think this is any of your business, you twitchy little ferret," Ron shot back.
"I think Hermione's business is my business," Draco said with an air of superiority.
"My girlfriend's business has nothing to do with you, Malfoy," Ron snapped.
There was a sharp intake of breath from Draco, who immediately looked to Hermione. "He's lying. Tell me he's lying."
"Ron, drop it," Hermione pleaded.
"You're not going back to him, are you Hermione?" Ron asked, suddenly afraid.
"I just need to set him straight, Ron, and I can't do that with you here." Hermione told herself that this wasn't really a lie.
Ron looked at her one last time, as if making sure that she wasn't about to kiss Draco again, and then he left.
"Draco-" Hermione began, but she was cut off.
"Don't start. I know what this is about. You can't deal with the fact that I'm, well, a you-know-what. And I understand that," said Draco, avoiding her eyes.
"But, Draco, it's not like that-" Hermione started, but was cut off again.
"Let's just make this easy for both of us," Draco said emotionlessly, "and forget this ever happened."
"I told you, Draco, I can't forget! I don't even want to forget, if you'd just let me explain!" Hermione pleaded.
"I hope you and the Weasel are happy together, Granger," Draco continued, ignoring her comment.
Then he turned away coldly, ignoring all of Hermione’s pleas as he left.
Draco Malfoy was not the sort of person that cried.
Unfortunately, in this incident, he could think of no other option.
When Hermione got back to the common room, she was not smiling, but it seemed to Ginny that Ron didn’t notice.
“Did you set him straight, Hermione?” Ron asked eagerly.
“Set who straight?” Ginny asked sharply.
“Well, Draco, of course!” Ron answered impatiently.
“Yeah,” said Hermione, avoiding Ron’s eyes.
It suddenly occurred to Ginny that Draco did not know their plan.
“I think I’m going to take a nap, Ron,” Hermione said suddenly.
“OK…do you want to walk with me to dinner?” Ron asked.
“That’s fine, I just need to sleep right now, all right?” Hermione told Ron, obviously trying to keep her tone in check.
Apparently Ron didn’t catch this. “See you later, then, ‘Mione.”
“I…uh…left my Potions notebook upstairs, Ron, I’m going to go get it. See you later, OK?” Ginny said.
“OK, bye Gin,” said Ron, turning to talk to Harry.
Ginny Weasley had never before been grateful that her brother was so thick, but there was a first time for everything.
Hermione lay on her bed with her head in the crook of her elbow, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Hermione?” came a gentle voice. “Are you all right?”
“We didn’t tell him, Ginny,” Hermione sobbed.
“I know,” Ginny said soothingly. “If you’ll just explain to him…”
“I tried. He wouldn’t let me talk long enough to tell him. He thinks it’s because he…because he…” Hermione choked out.
“He what?” Ginny asked curiously.
“Ginny, he’s a Death Eater.”
The two girls sat in silence a while.
Ginny took in a long breath, then said, "And you're...OK with that?"
"Of course not!" said Hermione indignantly.
"But you aren't about to leave him because of it?" Ginny inquired.
"I can't, Ginny! It's not his fault! He doesn't want to be one, but they'd kill him if he quit. Can you leave someone for something they have no control over?"
"I don't know about you, Hermione, but I was raised in a world that said even You-Know-Who's name should frighten you. That meant that joining him was the worst thing a person could do. Ever."
"Ginny, I know that. I just...just...I just can't forget that this whole...relationship thing...ever happened!" Hermione cried.
"Do you actually...love him, Hermione?" Ginny asked suddenly.
"I...well, I..." Hermione stumbled. She knew she felt something, that was for sure. But when she had kissed him so passionately, when she had told him she loved him, it had been as a show in front of Harry and Ron.
When she thought back to that day now, it all seemed so silly. She had been so frustrated, so caught up in the moment, so badly wanting to shove this entire situation in Ron's face that she had ended up saying words she was unsure of. She now understood how unfair she had been to Draco.
Wait, she thought. Unfair to Draco? But he doesn't...he can't...
But when she remembered the blaze that had been in his eyes that afternoon, before Ron had so carelessly extinguished it, she knew he did.
Draco Malfoy was really in love with Hermione Granger.
The problem was, she didn't know whether the extent of her emotions was a crush, or something more.
Ginny watched as Hermione, who had been sitting up, fell down backwards onto her bed with a groan. "Why is life so complicated?" she asked.
"I have no idea," Ginny replied with a sigh.
Ginny decided to take Hermione’s lack of response to her question as a reluctant and almost unwilling yes.
When Hermione finally came back down to the common room, Ron was waiting for her.
“My lady,” he said with an exaggerated bow, “would you allow me the pleasure of escorting you to the Great Hall for your supper?”
Hermione couldn’t help smiling in spite of herself. “Of course, fine sir,” she responded lightly, allowing Ron to take her arm and lead her out of the portrait hole.
When they were partway down the hall, Ron abruptly stopped and turned to Hermione.
“’Mione, well…I…” he started, and then suddenly his lips were touching hers.
The kiss didn’t last very long, to Hermione’s relief. It had been so totally emotionless, at least on her part, that it caused her to have a sudden realization.
Either Ron was a bad kisser, or Hermione really did love Draco.
Mixed Feelings by You Know Who
After the awkward kiss, Ron and Hermione stood in the hall, each refusing to look at the other.
Ron was very confused. He didn't have much experience in the area of kissing...well, all right, he had none at all, but weren't sparks supposed to fly when you finally kissed that girl you'd been dreaming of since third year?
Maybe the first time was always like that. Harry's first kiss certainly hadn't been the experience of a lifetime...but Hermione was neither crying nor thinking about her dead boyfriend while she kissed him.
Maybe she was thinking about her former boyfriend, though...
But Ron couldn't dwell on this train of thought for long, because Hermione broke the silence.
"Ron, we need to get to dinner," she informed him.
"Yeah..." he said absently, and they resumed their procession.
The next day passed slowly and painfully for Hermione. Finally, she managed to corner Harry and Ginny in the common room on Tuesday evening. "We need to make sure it's working," she hissed at them. "R.R. meeting in the Room of Requirement tonight at eleven."
Somehow, all three of them managed to creep out of their dorms that night. Hermione was the first to arrive. She looked around the room to find it plainly furnished with only a clock, three dark green chairs that appeared extremely comfortable with a table sitting near them, on which rested a pen and paper on a clipboard.
Hermione glanced at the clock and noted that she was six minutes early. She sat herself down on a chair and picked up the clipboard and pen. She labeled the top of the paper "R.R. Plan Details", and then waited for the other two to arrive.
Ginny was next, and she had just managed to situate herself when Harry arrived, right as the clock chimed eleven.
"Hermione, I think we're both very curious as to why you actually broke a school rule to get us here," Harry said.
"Ron kissed me," Hermione blurted out.
Ginny's eyes widened in shock, but Harry only nodded. "He told me," Harry confirmed.
"And you didn't say anything?" Ginny asked indignantly.
"Sorry, Gin," Harry said quickly.
"Look, can we just get to the point?" Hermione asked, irritated.
Harry and Ginny were silent.
"Good," Hermione said in a businesslike manner. "Harry, how has your part in the plan been coming along?"
"Uh..." Harry stalled.
"Harry, if you don't drop the hints about Lavender, he'll never break up with me," Hermione said sharply, and then gave him no time to reply. "Ginny, you have been working on Lavender, I assume?"
"Yes," Ginny said quickly. "I'm positive she likes him."
"And you've been hinting that Ron likes her?"
"Yes."
"Harry, you're sure that Ron likes Lavender and doesn't know it?" Hermione asked, scribbling away on her clipboard.
"I'm totally certain on that, 'Mione. Once he realizes that you two won't work out in this millenium, he'll go for her. I know it," Harry confirmed.
"And you both realize that if any of us are even slightly wrong, this whole plan will go totally askew and Ron will most likely hate us forever?" Hermione asked, still scribbling.
Ginny sighed, and then looked at Harry, who nodded. "Unfortunately, yes, we do."
The next morning, Hermione awoke, feeling cheerful.
Well, she felt cheerful for about five seconds. That is, she felt cheerful until she remembered what had happened.
“One of these days,” she muttered, “I’m going to wake up and realize that this was one really long nightmare.”
She glanced at her clock, assuming that Lavender and Parvati had left the dorm early to do something silly, as they often did.
She realized with a start that she was already two minutes late for Transfiguration, her first class, quickly leaping out of bed and running to her closet to get her robes.
This is going to be a long day…
Draco sat in Transfiguration, feeling his concentration ebbing as Professor McGonagall explained why turning gerbils into owls was so difficult.
He found his thoughts drifting to Hermione. Stop that!, he thought angrily. That disgusting mudblood doesn’t deserve to pollute your thoughts!
But no matter what he told himself, it didn’t work. He kept seeing those deep brown eyes, with their long lashes…her soft lips, moving towards his own…
“Mister Malfoy!” Professor McGonagall called. “You will please demonstrate this wand movement?”
“Er…” he said, trying to remember even faintly what she had been saying, but to no avail. After glancing frantically around the room for some hint, he just made a rather strange flicking and jabbing motion in the air.
“Were you listening to anything I was saying, Mister Malfoy?”
“I…uh…”
At that moment, Hermione burst into the room, looking like she had run frantically through the castle to get there. Draco pushed the thought that she looked beautiful when her hair was like that out of his mind.
“I expected more from you, Miss Granger,” said Professor McGonagall sternly. “As I was about to explain to Mister Malfoy,” she began as Hermione went to her seat, “this is a N.E.W.T. level class. You are here because you received a high grade on your O.W.L., and I expect each and every one of you to act like it. Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger, you will both see me after class.”
“So, why were you so late, Granger?” Draco hissed at Hermione menacingly after class as they walked towards Professor McGonagall’s desk. “Snogging with the Weasel?”
“You know very well that Ron was here!” Hermione said, hurt. “I don’t even “ "
“Thank you both,” Professor McGonagall said. “You have just given me a wonderful idea for your detentions.”
“And what’s that?” Draco asked sarcastically.
“You will learn to work together.”
“But, Professor “ " Hermione started, but was cut off.
“I’m sorry Miss Granger, but you know I am for House unity. Maybe this will promote it a bit."
"But...but...you don't...you can't..." Draco sputtered.
"I believe I can, Mister Malfoy. Report here Friday evening immediately after dinner, please."
The next day, Harry and Ron were in the common room after their classes.
"Ever notice how Lavender looks at you, mate?" Harry asked Ron, motioning towards the girl in the corner, who was, as always, giggling with Parvati.
"Um...sort of," Ron said rather awkwardly.
Truthfully, Ron was unsure of how he felt for anyone right now. If he liked Hermione, why wasn’t kissing her enjoyable? But she was his girlfriend now! He had to like her. After all, he had had a crush on her for three years.
“Did you ever…like her a bit, mate?” Harry asked.
“Hermione?” Ron asked, still thinking about her.
“Lavender, Ron! Of course you like Hermione…don’t you?” Harry asked.
“Yeah, of course I do!” Ron said a bit too quickly.
“Whatever you say, Ron,” Harry said skeptically.
“You’re saying I don’t like my own best friend?” Ron asked angrily.
“You mean girlfriend, don’t you?” Harry said, raising his eyebrow.
“Of course I meant girlfriend! She’s just been my best friend for so long…” Ron tried to explain.
“That it’s impossible for you to be boyfriend and girlfriend now?”
“No! That’s not what I meant at all!” Ron defended himself. “Do you…like her, mate? Is that why you’re trying to break us up?”
“What? No! I’m not trying to break you up!” Harry protested.
“Sure sounds like it,” Ron said coolly. “If I were you, I’d stick to my sister.”
“Would you stop trying to change the subject?” Harry asked, exasperated. “I like Ginny, not Hermione, OK?”
Ron’s anger immediately died down, turning into a fit of laughter. "Got you to admit it! Finally!" he sputtered out between gales of laughter.
"All right, all right, it's not that funny!" Harry said indignantly.
"Yes it is," Ron claimed, then suddenly he got extremely serious. "If you do anything to hurt her, mate, I swear that I'll shove you into my cauldron when Snape's not looking. Actually, maybe I'll do it when he is looking, I might get extra credit..."
Harry snorted. "Don't worry, mate. I can't hurt her if she doesn't know how I feel. Which she won't, if I can help it."
"Harry! You can't do that!" Ron protested.
"You're hiding feelings from Hermione," Harry said quietly.
"But...that's...different!" Ron exclaimed.
"So you admit that you are?" Harry asked.
"No!" Ron protested. "That's not fair! You tricked me!"
"Look, mate, why don't we strike a bargain?" Harry asked, feeling rather desperate. "You clear things up with Hermione, and I'll tell Ginny."
"Why do you care if I clear things up with Hermione, anyway?" Ron asked.
"She's one of my best friends, Ron. I don't want either one of you hurt," Harry said. "So is it a deal?"
"Well...fine," Ron said reluctantly.
Both boys were wondering if they had gotten themselves in too deep in the name of friendship, both for entirely different reasons.
A/N: So all the details of the plan are finally out. That was one of the hints I talked about in chapter six. If you'll notice, in that chapter Lavender avoids Ron's eyes, and Parvati is giggling while Ron talks to them, while Ron is too worried about Hermione to pay attention. No, it's probably not true love, but how many people like the person they're going to marry in their Junior year?
Just to clarify, this is not turning into an H/G fic. I needed to have Ron change the subject, and I just ended up writing it this way...
You know the reviewing drill by now...
Friday morning dawned earlier than Hermione had wanted it to. This morning, it seemed, there was no strange, unknowing moment of bliss. The day came, harsh and cold, with no disguises of happiness. Even the weather was unseasonably cold and gray in the midst of the beautiful spring days they had been having.
With a sigh, she yanked her feet out from the warmth of her covers and onto the cold floor. Once again, she knew it was going to be a long day.
Draco Malfoy had always been an early riser.
It was not that he enjoyed watching the sunrise, like some people did; not that he could see it from the Slytherin dungeons anyway. He had no strange fascination with watching the sky turn colors in the morning. No, Draco liked awakening early because he felt like he had a head-start on everyone else, like he could take an hour to get dressed if he needed it, while the late risers were stuck with five minutes.
On top of that, it always seemed as if there was something on his mind, and thinking about it first thing in the morning, before he had to face anything, seemed to help. This morning, of course, there was the inevitable detention with Hermione to be faced.
It seemed, however, that no matter how long he thought about it, he always ended up going in circles with his thoughts, never getting any farther.
McGonagall was unfair, that was for certain. House unity? Please. She expected that by forcing them to cooperate she would turn them into friends, then suddenly he would decide that Potter and Weasley weren't really so bad?
In her dreams.
Not to mention that she didn't know their situation. Was it really fair to force two people to be in the same room that had broken up in such bitter circumstances? So much for that Gryffindor fairness and justice that they were always going on about. Wasn't fairness more of a Hufflepuff trait, anyway?
Well, whether McGonagall had been right in making them serve detention together or not, he still had to do it. What was he going to do when he got there?
The clearest, easiest option seemed to be to just not talk to her, do whatever they were supposed to do, and move on. But what if the punishment somehow involved talking? He wouldn't put it past McGonagall.
The idea of letting her talk to him crossed his mind, but he was unsure of that. It seemed that she had wanted to tell him more the day he had discovered that she was with Weasley. But what more was there to tell? He was a murderer, or at least, he would be one when he took his vows that summer. He knew that taking your vows and getting the Mark was not all you did. It involved some sort of initiation. That probably meant killing.
In any case, she hated him now. Well...didn't she?
Draco decided that the entire matter was too confusing and had too many variables to be worried about. As much as he disliked it, he'd have to cross those bridges as they confronted him.
Hermione came down to the Great Hall for breakfast, wishing she were still in bed. Harry and Ron were already present, having a conversation of their own.
"You have to do it, Ron, we agreed," Hermione heard Harry say as she slid into the seat next to Ron.
"Tell who what?" Hermione asked.
"Ron has something to talk to you about, Hermione," Harry urged Ron.
"Well...yeah I do...but now's not the time, OK?" Ron said awkwardly.
Hermione nodded, looking at her food.
"Are you all right, 'Mione?" Ron asked worriedly.
"Just a bit tired," Hermione said dismissively.
The three friends ate in silence for a while.
"You still have to keep your end, Harry," Ron said suddenly.
"What?" Hermione asked in bewilderment.
"Ron and I have a bit of a bargain," Harry explained.
"Do I want to know?" Hermione asked.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough," said Harry, glancing warily at Ginny.
"Anyway, Harry, you have to do it, too," Ron urged.
"If you're keeping your end in your own time, I'll keep mine in my own time," Harry said coolly.
"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Hermione asked in irritation.
"Ron has something he needs to tell you, and I have something I need to tell Ginny," Harry explained. "Why don't you talk about a time and place with her, and I'll talk to your sister, Ron, all right?"
"Fine, fine, don't get so grouchy," Ron gave in.
As Harry towards the other end of the table, Ron sighed. "Sorry about that, 'Mione."
"It's fine, Ron. What do you need to tell me?" Hermione asked.
"Now's not the time. Tonight?" he asked.
"I've got detention, remember?" Hermione reminded him.
"Oh yeah, with Ferret," Ron said with a nod, not noticing Hermione's wince.
"Yes. Well, how about tomorrow evening, after dinner. Room of Requirement?" Hermione proposed.
"All right, then," Ron said.
"What's going on with Harry and Ginny, anyway?" Hermione asked.
"Let's just say that she'll be very happy she broke up with Dean last month," Ron said, his eyes sparkling.
"Playing the matchmaker, Ron? I didn't know you had it in you," Hermione teased.
Their conversation stopped abruptly as Harry slid back in to his seat, looking extremely embarrassed.
"How'd it go?" Hermione asked, suppressing her laughter.
"Do you know how hard it is to tell a girl you need to talk to her when every girl listening is giggling?" Harry asked, looking flustered.
"When are you...er, talking to her?" Ron asked.
"Tonight. Room of Requirement," Harry explained.
"Look on the bright side, Harry. She probably just thinks it's another meeting," Hermione said.
"Meeting?" Ron asked. "But we have those Galleons for D.A. meetings!"
Hermione innerly kicked herself for mentioning the R.R. "Well, I don't know, she could think it stopped working."
Ron looked suspicious, but he merely shrugged. "I guess."
The three friends finished their breakfast in silence, each worrying about a different appointment.
Ron walked away from breakfast still feeling confused.
Weren't girls supposed to be worried when you said you needed to talk to them? Worried that you'd be breaking up with them? Why wasn’t Hermione upset? Was she acting like…a friend?
No. That wasn’t possible. She broke up with Malfoy for him! Well, that wasn’t the best example. She hated Malfoy anyway.
Did she really? She kissed him much more passionately than she had Ron. That image was practically haunting him. Then that moment when she had so boldly declared that she loved him.
What if she did love him?
No, Ron dismissed the thought firmly. She likes me. She broke up with him for me. Hermione would not lie like that.
Would she?
If she thought it would help me see the light, she would. No…she wouldn’t…
Ron ran his fingers through his hair absently as he walked into his first class. It seemed that every time he tried to think, he only ended up more confused.
Draco sat in his Potions class, last thing that Friday, paying no attention to what Snape said.
He doubted that it was something he needed to know, anyway. He always got good marks in Potions. No need to worry about that when so much else could be worried about.
Not that he was getting anywhere worrying about a certain Miss Granger.
Yes, he kept thinking about her. He couldn’t help it. Every time he stopped listening to a teacher, he started noticing her on the other side of the classroom, scribbling madly, her hair falling in her face...
He thanked Merlin for those classes he had with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
He had to keep thinking about something. When class became boring, his alternatives were to worry about the detention or let himself continue to fantasize.
Draco decided very quickly that he really didn't have much of a choice, even if thinking about the detention led him nowhere quickly.
It was frustrating not knowing what the detention would entail. It was bad enough knowing that he had to try to get along with Hermione for however long their detention took, but it was worse not knowing specifics.
He realized with a groan that once he showed up at the detention, he would not have anything to think about except her.
Sorry if it's rather cliffish...please review!
Detention by You Know Who
Hermione cautiously walked forward. Professor McGonagall's classroom was never this dirty. In fact, Hermione could not remember ever seeing so much as dust enter the room. "Professor?" she called out. "Professor McGonagall?"
"Do come in," Professor McGonagall said from somewhere in the room. She emerged from somewhere in the rubble, still looking spotless, as usual.
"Professor, what - " Hermione began, but was cut off by Draco's entrance.
"What the hell happened in here?" Draco asked, looking around in shock.
"Language, Mister Malfoy," Professor McGonagall said sternly. "Your detention is simple. You two will remain here cleaning until the room is spotless. Understood?"
"Um..." Draco started in confusion.
"I think we both expected something slightly more complex, Professor," Hermione admitted.
"Yeah. How is that supposed to make us get along?" Draco asked.
"Watch your tone with me, Mister Malfoy," McGonagall said sharply. With a brisk wave of her wand, she conjured a bucket of soapy water, sponges, a mop, a dustpan, and a broom.
"Muggle things?" Draco whispered to Hermione. "Doesn't she realize we can just scourgify it?"
"I heard that," McGonagall said. "No, you cannot use spells to clean the room. Try as you might, it won't work. Begin." With that, she left the room.
The two stood in silence for a moment, staring at the door.
"Well, we'd better get to work, hadn't we?" Hermione said simply. "We need to set up all the chairs and desks first. Then we can clean the floors and windows. After that... well, we'll see what needs to be done."
Hermione began pulling up the chairs. After her third one, Draco still stood there staring. "Well, are you going to do anything or not?"
"Are you just going to act like nothing happened?" Draco asked in astonishment.
"I believe you were the one who said that we should make this easier for both of us and forget it," Hermione said coolly.
"And I believe you were the one who begged me to stay and let you explain yourself," Draco shot back.
"Oh, is that what you were thinking?" Hermione asked shrilly. "That I'd always come back to you, no matter what you said or did, because I was just like a begging little puppy? I don't think so."
"No, Hermione - "
"Is that all that it meant to you?" Hermione continued, ignoring him. "I can survive without you, Draco. Or are you Malfoy now?"
"I think you have a lot of guts talking like that," Draco erupted. "You broke my heart. That's right, Hermione! I'm not only a Malfoy, but I'm a Death Eater, and I still have emotions! You and your Weasel King just decided that I didn't matter and ran off together, and here you are talking about how awful I've been!"
"So it's all my fault?" Hermione asked coldly. "I think it was your choice not to let me explain. If you'll excuse me, we have work that needs to be done, and I plan on doing my share."
With that, Hermione turned and started overturning chairs again. This time Draco joined her.
They worked in silence until all the chairs and desks were in their proper places, both of their heads spinning with emotions and things they should have said or could say now.
Oh Merlin, Hermione thought anxiously. What now?
Some dam inside her had swelled up to the breaking point, causing her to explode out on Draco. Hermione Granger had had enough.
Draco had been such a jerk and she was sick of him acting like this whole thing was her fault. No way was she just going to beg him to snog her like he apparently thought. She was not some begging little puppy who followed him everywhere.
She let out a large sigh to clear her head, then walked over to the cleaning supplies that Professor McGonagall had left for them.
"Do you want to do the floor next?" Hermione asked.
Draco shrugged.
"Well, grab the mop," Hermione said, picking up a sponge and dipping it in the soapy water. She got down on her hands and knees and began to scrub.
A moment later, she turned around to find Draco staring in confusion at the supplies.
"I would like to be done before midnight, thank you very much," Hermione said impatiently.
"I don't know what a mop is," Draco said quickly.
"Oh," Hermione said, suddenly feeling stupid. "Why didn't you just say so?"
Hermione quickly rose and picked up the mop. "Here," she said, handing it to him.
Draco looked at it stupidly.
"All right, all right, I'll show you."
Hermione took the mop back from him, dipping it into the soapy water and pushing it back and forth across the floor.
"Get it?"
Draco awkwardly dipped the mop into the water, nearly knocking the bucket over, then lifted the mop into the air, dripping water all over the floor.
"No, no, no..." Hermione said, rushing over to him. She picked up the mop and placed it into his hand the proper way. Standing behind him with her arms around him and her hands on top of his, she pushed and pulled the mop.
Suddenly realizing the position they were in, Hermione jumped back and brushed off her robes. "Well," she said brightly, trying hard not to sound as embarrassed as she felt, "I think you get the idea."
"Hermione..." Draco started, then stopped. It was as if he was debating whether or not what he was going to say really needed to be said. "What happened? With us, I mean. One day we hated each other, the next we snogged each other silly, then we hated each other again. That's just...confusing, I guess."
"I don't," Hermione whispered.
"Don't what?"
"I don't hate you."
"So this is just a lover's spat or something?" Draco said sarcastically. "I don't think so!"
"No, that's not what I meant. I mean...I saw the man that I fell in love with at that masquerade. He stuck around for a few days and then vanished completely. The man that I fell in love with was Draco, and the boy he turns into is Malfoy. You can't be both."
"I can't stop being who I am," Draco said simply.
"But who are you? I know you'll always be a Malfoy. That's how you were raised. But the man I saw on that dance floor was polite! He didn't care that I was Muggle-born! Yes, he was a Slytherin. Maybe that added to his charm, his mystery. But he wasn't cold and distant! So which one are you?" Hermione demanded.
"I...I don't know," Draco said. "I want to be the person you loved. I just can't always be. You know that."
"Why, because your Malfoy pride can't stand that sort of blow?" Hermione snapped.
"No, because the Slytherins...you don't know them. And...why are we even talking like this? You're with Weasel King now. Or have you forgotten?"
"I don't love Ron! You should know that! I don't even like him that way!" Hermione insisted.
"So why are you his girlfriend, hmmm?" Draco asked.
"Because we thought that if I could get together with him, he'd realize it was just a stupid crush of his and it would never work out!"
"We?" Draco asked. "Why didn't 'we' mention this to me?"
"Harry, Ginny and I. We had just planned it the night before. I didn't think to tell you, and then..." Hermione shrugged.
"Hermione, I have to say, that was probably the stupidest thing you've ever done," Draco said plainly.
"Probably," Hermione admitted. "It appears to be working. Harry and Ron have a deal. Ron tells me that he doesn't feel that way about me as much anymore, and Harry tells Ginny he likes her."
"How sweet," Draco said drily. "Always knew Potty and Weaslette were made for each other."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Does this mean we're all right again?"
"Oh, don't jump to conclusions, Miss Granger," Draco said, keeping his tones serious. "You did break my heart, you know. That's a lot to make up for."
"Well, then, I'll just have to start now," Hermione said playfully, leaning in to kiss him.
As soon as their lips touched, the room instantly cleaned itself. They pulled themselves apart quickly, looking around. "What happened?" Draco asked.
"You resolved your argument, Mister Malfoy," Professor McGonagall said from the doorway. Draco and Hermione both jumped, spinning around to look at her.
"But...how did you..." Hermione sputtered, while Draco just stared openmouthed.
McGonagall just winked. "I charmed the room to clean itself if you two managed to...agree...on certain things. Albus and I had a bet going. He thought you two wouldn't get back together until next week. It wasn’t my fault that you two just happened to land detention on the same night. Now, I do believe you two need to get back to your common rooms.”
Draco was still staring openmouthed, but Hermione reacted quickly. “Yes, Professor,” she said, pulling Draco out of the room with her.
“How in the name of Merlin…” Draco muttered.
“Never question how Professor Dumbledore knows something,” Hermione said simply. “He just…does.”
Draco looked slightly scared, but he shrugged. "What are we going to do about Weasel?"
"Don't worry about it right now. If we don't end up breaking up...I'll think of something. There are so many problems we have, but right now, let's just be happy. Please," Hermione said.
“Well, it seems we’ve made up, now what about that kiss?”
Hermione laughed and started to lean in, but Ginny’s giggle stopped her. She turned to see her standing there with Harry at her side.
"Holding hands," Draco drawled. "How sweet."
"Draco...they're my friends. They understand about us," Hermione said cautiously, not wanting Harry and Draco to fight.
Harry looked slightly uncomfortable, but he crossed over to Draco and held out his hand. "Look, I doubt if you and I will ever like each other, but we can at least have an agreement. Hermione's like the sister I never had, and if you hurt her, I'll feed you to the next thing we study in Care of Magical Creatures. Understood?"
"Well, at least you're not out here declaring your intentions for her like Weasel," Draco said, reluctantly shaking his hand.
Ginny came up behind Harry and nudged him. "I think they want to be alone..."
"I know the feeling," Harry said, giving Ginny a look that made her giggle.
"I'll be waiting for you in the common room, Hermione. I want details!" Ginny hissed at her as they passed.
"Is it just me, or is the entire world ganging up on us so we can't kiss?" Draco complained.
If the world's intention was for Draco and Hermione not to kiss, it's mission was officially failed just moments later.
A/N: Well, they're back together now. For some reason that chapter took me forever to write...
Anyway, I'd like to thank my Betas-Who-Don't-Like-The-Term-Beta, Abbie and Suze. They prefer to be known as Muses, thank you very much. Without them this story would be stuck. They're both very busy, but they've made it clear that they'll inspire me when I need it. Chapters they've helped me with will have a thank-you to them at the bottom.
You know the reviewing drill...
Sorting it Out by You Know Who
Hermione stepped through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room to find Ginny waiting for her by the fire.
"Well, you promised me the story," Ginny said.
"Quite truthfully, I'm still sorting out what happened," Hermione admitted.
"Well, then, I'll tell you what happened with Harry," Ginny said, her brown eyes glinting.
Hermione leaned forward. "All right?" she prompted.
"Well, I got to the Room of Requirement at seven, just like he asked," Ginny confided. "He was already waiting. The room was pretty plain, just a fireplace and a sofa. Rather cozy. Anyway, he started by telling me that he had to do this, otherwise Ron would never break up with you. He said it was a rather long story. He also said that he would never, ever willingly do anything to hurt me or make me feel uncomfortable, but he wasn't doing this willingly. He must have spent ten minutes apologizing for what he was about to say, until I finally told him to spit it out."
Hermione smiled. "Sounds like Harry."
"Yeah," Ginny said, smiling. "Anyway, I really had to needle him for a while, but he finally just told me. He said that he had started to like me over the summer, when he with us at Grimmauld Place. When I took a moment to say something, he started to blabber on about how he was really sorry he hadn't liked me back when I still liked him, then he said maybe he had, it had just taken fifth year and the knowledge of how easy it was to lose someone to realize it. He probably would have talked all night if I hadn't shut him up."
"Well, I hope his second experience with kissing wasn't as awful as his first," Hermione said.
"Oh, trust me, it wasn't," Ginny said, her eyes sparkling.
Hermione smiled, then began to relate her detention experience with Ginny.
"So let me get this straight...Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore had a bet going on you two?" Ginny said, unsure of whether she should be astonished or amused.
"I suppose so. Seemed a bit odd for Professor McGonagall, but Dumbledore...well, I'm not sure if he can surprise me anymore," Hermione said.
"You're right. Well, it's getting late, we should get to bed," Ginny said, stretching her arms over her head.
"Goodnight, Gin."
"Goodnight, 'Mione."
The next day was awkward for everyone it seemed, except Harry and Ginny. They were more oblivious to the things going on around them than Ron on one of his bad days.
Ginny started to sit with Harry, Ron, and Hermione at lunch. Harry was worried that she was leaving her friends behind, but she insisted that they understood and she would rather spend time with him anyway. The two probably would have been snogging by the end of lunch if Ron hadn't kept clearing his throat every time they so much as smiled at each other.
Big brotherly attitude aside, the way they acted really bothered Ron. He and Hermione had never been like that. In fact, the only kiss they had shared was awkward and rather reminded Ron of Harry's first kiss with Cho. Even if Hermione hadn't been crying, it was obvious her mind was elsewhere.
Like Cho's mind had been on her dead boyfriend...
Were Hermione's thoughts dominated by Draco's kisses? It was clear that she enjoyed his much more than Ron's. They had passion, at least. That much was obvious. Ron and Hermione shared no such thing.
Well, they bickered. That was the closest thing to passion that they had. Even those weren’t important or passionate enough to be called ‘arguments’. They couldn’t even pass as a ‘heated debate’.
So why had Ron been attracted to her in the first place?
That’s a silly question, he thought. Why is Harry attracted to Ginny? Do you think he knows?
Ron decided then and there that he was going to ask him. That is, if he could ever peel him away from his sister…
While Ron was trying to sort out his feelings about Hermione, so was a certain Slytherin sitting on the opposite side of the Great Hall.
He hated seeing her there, sitting next to Weasley. He should be sitting there, putting his arm around her, protecting her. So what if he was a Malfoy? Everyone who objected would have him to answer to.
He knew just how to make that happen, if Hermione agreed.
He would take her to Hogsmeade, assuming that this whole mess with Ron was finally sorted out, and let the entire school see them there. Well, at least all of the school that was third year or above and had a signed permission slip. This just happened to include Pansy Parkinson. If the Dark Lord or his father inquired about this, he'd tell them that he really did feel some emotion for her, but in truth he was using that connection to gain information about Potter and the Order. If the other Slytherins asked questions, well, he'd tell them where to go. He didn't care if they taunted him. Being a Malfoy, he was above childish insults.
His worries about himself were minimal. He would get by. But Hermione...
Pansy would hate her forever. Not that she didn't already hate her, simply for her birth status, but now she would have a reason to. He would have to do something about that. Soon.
The problem was, he had no idea what.
“Harry?” Ron asked, coming up behind his friend doing Charms work in their dormitory. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, Ron,” Harry said, turning away from his books and papers. "Shoot."
"Well..." Ron started awkwardly. "I just was wondering why you like my sister."
"What do you mean, why?" Harry asked, surprised.
"I don't know...what attracted you to her?"
"I'm not sure...she's really pretty, but it's more than that," Harry said thoughtfully. "She's kind. Remember on the train when Neville tried to say he was no one, and she got upset? She's not afraid to tell me off just because I'm the 'Boy Who Lived', but she doesn't judge me for it either. And not to disgust you or anything, Ron, but she's a really good kisser. Do you feel the same way about Hermione?"
"Er...well..." Ron stuttered. "Actually...not really. I thought I really liked her, Harry, but I don't. She was right. I do protect her the same way I would Ginny. I don't know what I was thinking." Ron groaned.
"Well, just be glad you can sort it out tonight," Harry said.
"You're right," Ron said with determination. "I have to tell her. It's not right to lead her on."
With that, Ron headed out of the dormitory.
Surprisingly enough, Ron was the first one in the Room of Requirement.
"I've been expecting you, Hermione."
A/N: OK, first, I must apologize for the long wait for this. The mod took a week to read it, only to send it back for "Slightly OOC Characters." I must say it annoyed me, and I can't edit my story when I'm annoyed. So I had to wait until I calmed down a bit to edit, then it took time to do that, then submitting it, then waiting for it to be read by a mod...Let's just say it wasn't my quickest update. Feel free to hit me.
Yeah, I know the H/G scene described by Ginny wasn't really a part of the main plot, but after including some of their story I decided I needed the rest of it. I tried to keep it short.
As always, please review! Constructive criticism or praise, I like to hear it all.
"I've been expecting you, Hermione," Ron said, sitting in the Room of Requirement motioning for her to enter.
"You were here before me?" Hermione said, surprised. "Never mind, stupid question. Well, what do you have to say?"
"Well...um...Hermione, I've been thinking about that time we kissed," Ron said as he had been rehearsing it for the past hour.
Hermione nodded.
"I don't know, there wasn't...weren't quite...well, you see, it...er...," Ron stuttered, trying to force words out of his mouth that would not come. He was turning bright red and praying to any gods that were out there she wouldn't hit him. Or cry. Oh, Merlin, if she cried he'd die. "It'snotworking," he forced out quickly. That certainly wasn't quite the way he'd planned it...
"Excuse me?" Hermione asked in confusion.
"Not working. I mean, we're not working. Us. You know. Whatever you want to call it. Please don't be mad, Hermione," he added quickly. "I really do like you as a friend and all, but it's just like there's nothing between us. Not like Harry and Ginny. I mean, did you see those two at lunch? They're crazy about each other. But - " he was cut off by Hermione's slight smile. "Why...what...are you OK?" Ron asked cautiously.
"You don't need to go on about it. Really. It's all right," Hermione assured him.
"You...you mean you're not...mad?" Ron asked in astonishment.
"No, I'm not," Hermione said with a smile.
"You mean...all of this...I had a crush on you for three years and it's all...gone without anything?" Ron said, still trying to clear his head.
"If you really want me to scream, or cry, or hex you, I can," Hermione suggested.
"No thanks," Ron said quickly.
Hermione chuckled.
"So...friends?" Ron asked, sticking out his right hand.
"Friends," Hermione said, shaking his hand and smiling. "So, what are you going to do now? Stay single?"
"Me? Nah. Word from Harry and Ginny is that Lavender Brown likes me," Ron commented.
"Oh really?" Hermione said as if she had not noticed. "That's great for you."
"What about you, 'Mione?" Ron asked.
"Oh, I'm going to do what I should have done in the first place," Hermione said. "Kiss and make up. With Draco."
"You're going back to Malfoy?" Ron asked in alarm. "Maybe we should give this thing another go..."
"No, Ron. We're both happier this way, and you know it," Hermione said. "I really did see another side to him that night at the ball. When he wants to, he can be really...well, sweet might be an overstatement...but he's polite! He's not so...Malfoyish!"
"I don't know, Hermione..."
"I understand that you can't trust him. But can you trust me?" Hermione asked.
"Well...yes," Ron admitted.
"Then believe me. This is for the best for everyone," Hermione assured him.
Ron sat silently for a moment, then stood up, determination in his eyes. "Well, then what are you waiting for?"
Hermione hugged him and ran out of the room. As the door closed, she heard him yell after her. "Don't expect me to like him!"
Draco waited in the library as Hermione had asked him. He wondered with annoyance how long Weasley was going to take to break up with her, or if he was going to at all. Maybe he planned to turn the night into a snog session.
Draco sizzled with anger at the thought of the Weasel even being close enough to Hermione to kiss her. He didn't deserve Hermione in any sense of the word.
No, Draco thought. I will not think of them snogging. I will not think of them snogging. I will not think of them...damn it.
He tried to busy himself with Quidditch Through The Ages, but he had read it so many times it was no longer enough to hold his attention. His mind had only one track that evening, and it was not Quidditch.
With annoyance, he slammed the book shut, meriting annoyed glances from many nearby students and a glare from Madame Pince.
He lay his head down on his arms. It was going to be a long night...
Only moments later, Hermione rushed into the library happily with a loud squeal.
Madame Pince reacted before Draco had a chance to. "Miss Granger, you have shown exceptional behavior previously, now please - " she began but never finished. Draco had leaped from the table and ran to Hermione, and, momentarily losing all of his Malfoy beliefs and even most of his common sense, picked her up and twirled her around in glee.
Madame Pince, apparently, did not suffer the same form of shock that the students did, leaving them open-mouthed and speechless, for an instant later they were being bombarded with their own books as they were chased out of the library, laughing like they hadn't laughed in a long time.
Rumors circulated the school quickly, and by morning every person at Hogwarts, student and faculty member alike, had at least heard a whispered version of the tale. Hermione heard a group of second year girls in the Gryffindor common room whispering about how she and Draco had a snog session behind a bookshelf but were caught by Madame Pince who threatened to expel them. She threatened the girls as a Prefect, telling them that spreading rumors was wrong. It seemed that they whispered more than ever as she walked away.
Truthfully, Hermione was slightly horrified at her behavior and Draco’s. They had both been so caught up in the moment that she had broken rules and he had shown real emotion.
Hermione supposed that was how they had ended up as they were. They had each seen a side of the other that no one else could see, that no one else expected. She had shown him that she was more than a brainy Muggle-born, and he had shown her that he was more than a hateful Slytherin.
They had decided not to comment on any rumors. They would either die down or escalate from this, but it really didn't matter which. This was because that on Saturday, Draco and Hermione were going to Hogsmeade together, and nothing anyone said would make a difference.
After all, they had gotten this far because they didn't listen to stupid opinions.
Draco's father, it seemed, would never know about them. He had finally been scheduled for the Kiss, in spite of Fudge's interference. His time was a mere month away.
Draco took this news badly, but Hermione, being herself, was able to distract him with exam studies. After all, end of the year exams were beginning a week from Monday. Shortly after, they would set off on the Hogwarts Express to once more return to their homes for the summer holiday.
Neither was sure how they were going to face the people waiting for them at home, but they knew it had to be done.
Hermione told herself that she had little to worry about compared to Draco. Even with what she had told them of Draco and the Pureblood/Mudblood system, they would understand. Right?
In any case, they both hoped that Saturday would come quickly.
The sun shined down upon Hogsmeade that May afternoon. Hogwarts students milled around, talking and laughing. Couples held hands and gazed at each other in Madame Puddifoots, while pranksters dashed in and out of Zonko's.
Two people seemed to stand out from the crowd. At first glance, you would think they were like anyone else in the village, but if you paid attention you would notice how other students stopped to glare, laugh, or merely watch and whisper to a friend.
Draco and Hermione had decided not to do anything really romantic at Hogsmeade. Who liked Madame Puddifoot's anyway?
It seemed, however, that they didn't have to. People just knew why they were there.
Ron made an effort to behave himself that day, under threats from Hermione. He could not help casting a warning glare at him when he was sure she was not looking, but he knew how happy she was. He would not interfere with that. No, not anymore. He had Lavender now, he was happy.
Harry felt no impulsion to join Ron's glaring. In fact, he didn't even notice it. Some internal instinct told him that Draco would not try to hurt Hermione. Besides, who had time to worry about those two when you had a girl of your own?
Draco and Hermione were in blissful ignorance of everyone else until Crabbe and Goyle warily approached. "Malfoy...why..." asked Goyle.
"You haven't heard?" Draco asked. "Latest trend. Date a Muggle born."
The two raced off to fight over who would go out with a Muggle born fourth year Hufflepuff, to her very obvious disgust.
Hermione and Draco just laughed. Pansy Parkinson, it seemed, had finally taken the hint that Draco had been trying to give her for years and was flirting openly with Blaise Zabini. Either she really had gotten over Draco or she was trying to make him jealous. Truly, Draco didn't care.
"Well," Draco said with a smile, "it seems that we've made it."
"Through wind, through rain, through snow, through sleet," Hermione quipped.
"No matter what we have to go through now, it won't be a problem."
"Exactly."
"We'll still argue."
"Obviously. But we'll get through that, too."
"Together?"
"Forever."
A/N: Well, that's all, folks! Yes, it's officially over. I know it took a long time for the last chapter to get out, but I have this unfortunate problem called school. If anyone has the cure, feel free to write a few books. You'll probably get the Nobel Prize.
ADDED NOTE: Well, school started it the lateness. Then I submitted it...and waited two weeks...for nothing. Not even a rejection letter. I'm resubmitting and hoping!
I am, however, writing a sequel. It seems that now that they've gotten past their peers objections, some people of greater importance have objections, too. Look for 'One Letter Changed Everything', AKA 'One Night Changed Everything 2', coming to a fanfiction site near you!
One final thanks to all my reviewers: I LOVE YOU GUYS! Hope to see you again with the sequel.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.