Forgive and Forget (Chapter 9)
Chapter 9: Elemental Magic
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
~ "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost
The first day of classes after Christmas Break, Hermione cheerfully entered the Great Hall for breakfast, happy to be back. It was amazing how much her feelings about Hogwarts had changed since the beginning of the term. Back in September, she had dreaded re-entering the school, afraid she would be haunted by memories of grief and loss. Since then, Hogwarts had resumed its status as a second home in her mind. Besides, she had spent the first half of her "seventh year" building new, happy memories, and she looked forward to building even more in the second half.
The moment she walked into the Great Hall, Draco looked up and waved at her from the Slytherin table. She went over to sit in the empty seat next to him. He grinned when he noticed that she was wearing the rose necklace he had given her for Christmas.
"You like the necklace, then?" he asked, nodding towards it.
She smiled, reaching down to grasp the rose charm in her hand.
"Yes, it's perfect. Thank you."
Draco looked pleased, and his cheeks carried an uncharacteristic flush as he passed over the tray of kippers, which he knew was one of her favorite breakfast foods. Without pretense, Hermione piled them on her plate and dove in hungrily, hoping she didn't resemble Ron too much in her voraciousness. Suddenly, her eating was interrupted by the sound of Ginny calling out to her as she ran into the Great Hall.
"Hermione! Malfoy!" she cried ecstatically, brandishing a letter in her hand. "This just arrived with the morning post and I had to tell you as soon as I found out!"
She collapsed breathlessly in the seat across from Draco and Hermione.
"Oh, hello Astoria!" Ginny said, noticing her Sixth Year Slytherin friend, Astoria Greengrass, was sitting beside her.
"Hi Ginny!" the blonde replied cheerfully, smiling at her. "Why don't you tell us your good news?"
Ginny grinned from ear to ear, her cheeks pink with excitement, and held out the letter for everyone to see.
"This just arrived from the Holyhead Harpies' team manager, Marcus Figwig," she said. "Apparently, he's interested in seeing if I might be a good fit for their team. He's going to come watch the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match in two weeks, and if he likes what he sees, he'll invite me to the spring tryouts!"
Everyone offered their heartfelt congratulations, and Ginny graciously accepted them. Then she fixed her gaze on Draco.
"I suppose I have you to thank for this, Malfoy," she said. "You must have spoken to him like you said you would."
Draco gave a casual shrug.
"I might have mentioned you to Marcus when he attended our Christmas gala at the Manor last week," he said. "But look, Weasley, it'll be all up to you to get the tryout. Marcus Figwig is no pushover. He only offers tryouts to people he feels are talented enough to deserve them. You'll have to play pretty well at the Hufflepuff match he's watching."
"I know," Ginny said, grinning, “but thanks anyway, Malfoy."
Then she rose to her feet, still brimming with excitement.
"I'm going to tell Dean and Luna the news," she said, before hurrying over to the other side of the Great Hall.
"And I must be going to Transfiguration class," Astoria said, rising to her feet and gathering her books in her hands. "Professor Weasley will give me detention if I'm late again."
She paused, eyeing Draco and Hermione.
"Don't you two have to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Oh, Professor Hong is actually holding class here in the Great Hall today," Hermione replied, digging back into her breakfast. "Said he needed the extra space for today's lesson."
"That sounds interesting," Astoria said sweetly. "Well, I'll see you both later, then."
She grinned at Hermione, and then turned to Draco, her eyes lingering a bit longer on him. The smile she gave him was almost seductive. She really was an attractive witch, Hermione thought to herself as she watched Astoria saunter away. She had delicate, aristocratic features, with long, wavy blond hair, and dark brown eyes. And she was more down-to-earth than most Slytherin girls, which was probably why Ginny had befriended her. The instant Astoria had given Draco that bewitching smile, however, Hermione felt a strange sensation in her stomach, as if some nasty little creature was in there, trying to claw its way out.
"Ooh," she groaned, clutching her abdomen.
"What's wrong with you?" Draco asked, raising one eyebrow at her.
"Dunno. Indigestion, I think."
Draco just rolled his eyes, not seeming the least bit concerned about her condition.
"Well, maybe if you stopped stuffing your face full of kipper, you wouldn't make your stomach hurt so much," he said mercilessly.
"You are such a snarky little git, you know that?"
"Yeah, but you know you like me that way," he said, giving her a mischievous wink.
Oh, but she did. She certainly did. The damn prat - why did he have to make snarkiness seem so charming?
"Astoria Greengrass seems to have taken a liking to you," Hermione said casually, taking a sip of her orange juice.
"Jealous are we?"
Draco's tone was teasing, but Hermione noticed that his grey eyes were focused intently upon her face.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she said lightly, though she avoided his gaze. "She's a sweet girl, Draco. You should go after her - work those irresistible Malfoy charms you're always bragging about."
For some reason, her encouragement seemed to irritate him, and Hermione thought she saw a flicker of emotion dance across his eyes - disappointment, perhaps? He turned his gaze away from her, giving a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Astoria's too young for me, anyway," he said.
"She's sixteen, Draco. She's not exactly in nappies."
"Well, either way, she's not my type," he muttered.
"So, what exactly is your ‘type' then?"
Draco turned to look at her again, his silver eyes darkening in a way that reminded her of how they had looked after their kiss beneath the mistletoe. Hermione felt her pulse quicken of its own accord. When Draco spoke, his voice was serious and uncharacteristically soft.
"Let me tell you about my type, Hermione," he murmured.
Before he could speak another word, Professor Hong came bursting through the doors of the Great Hall, levitating several pots and buckets behind him. From her angle, Hermione could not see their contents. The room had been emptied of all students except for those in the seventh year DADA class, who were now converging at the front of the room, by the head table. Draco and Hermione stood up and went to join their classmates.
"For the remainder of this term, we will be working on a new set of enchantments," Professor Hong began. When his students began pulling their wands out of their pockets, he shook his head and continued, saying, "You may all put your wands away. For the rest of this school year, we are moving on to an entirely different level of magic - wand-less magic."
At this proclamation, everyone gasped and whispered amongst themselves, full of nervous excitement.
"Now, most of the time, magic of this complexity is not taught to young witches and wizards - not even at NEWT level," Professor Hong continued. "But I am impressed with the skills you have demonstrated so far this school year, and Professor McGonagall agrees that you are a group of students that is capable of handling these lessons. However, I must caution you, the magic you are about to learn is difficult to control, and therefore extremely dangerous."
"Brilliant!" Draco whispered, shooting Hermione a grin of anticipation. She smiled back at him, albeit a bit apprehensively. Ginny and Dean looked nervous, but Luna appeared unconcerned, gazing off into space with a dreamy look on her face.
"The next three months we will devote to a branch of magic referred to as ‘elemental magic'," said Professor Hong. "For millennia, wizard philosophers have developed theories in an attempt to explain the exact nature of our magic, and where it comes from. Some believe that it is an element of its own, like earth, wind, fire, and water - making magic a sort of ‘fifth element', if you will. Others believe that magic is, instead, a combination of these other four elements. Regardless, we know that a wizard or witch is capable of summoning and controlling earth, wind, fire, and water with the use of a wand. However, it is also possible for some more powerful and highly-trained individuals to channel these elements without a wand's assistance. That is what we will be practicing today."
The instructor gave a wave of his wand, and the four dining tables fled to the outer walls of the Great Hall, leaving a large open area in the center of the room. With another flourish, Professor Hong arranged buckets of water and pots of soil into a row on the floor, leaving ample space in between them. Two smaller buckets, one containing candles and the other feathers, were sent sailing over to rest on top of the Head Table.
"Each witch or wizard is said to be born under a certain element, and that is the element that they are best able to manipulate," Professor Hong continued, once these preparations were complete. "In ancient times, this involved linking the individual's birth date with one of the four elements, somewhat like the Muggle zodiac. Similar to the zodiac, ancient sorcerers believed that the element an individual is born under - earth, wind, fire, or water - influences their personalities and destinies. This is most likely complete and utter nonsense."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted was to hear more of the codswallup Professor Trelawney used to talk about in Divination, her least favorite subject.
"However," the DADA instructor continued, “there does tend to be a correlation between an individual's birth date and which element they are able to control. It is not a strict rule, of course, but for today's practice session, I would advise you to look up the chart in your new textbooks and see which element your birthday corresponds to. Then you will practice trying to control that element, using the objects I have provided here today. The art of elemental magic is to allow your mind to become one with what you are trying to control - if you are trying to influence a flame, try to think as a flame would think."
Professor Hong extended his right hand and instantly, a ball of fire appeared and danced over his palm. Everyone gasped and applauded appreciatively. The Chinese wizard allowed his stern face to crease into a brief smile, before he closed his hand and snuffed out the flame.
"Do not be surprised if you do not succeed in manipulating your element today, as it is a very difficult skill to master," he said. "All I expect from you is to give it your best effort. You may begin."
Hermione pulled out her text book and opened it to the page with a chart listing the ranges of birthdays and their corresponding elements. She had always known that her zodiac sign was Virgo (not that she ever cared much for what that meant), but she had never known what element it corresponded to. Discovering that she was born under the element of earth, she went to sit in front of one of the pots of soil that Professor Hong had brought into the Great Hall with him. Draco's element was wind, so he grabbed a white feather from one of the small buckets sitting on top of the head table. He sat next to Hermione with the feather resting in his palm, trying to conjure a wind to make it blow away. Each sat quietly for several minutes - she staring at her pot of dirt, and he staring at the feather.
"This is stupid," Draco said finally, rubbing his eyes in frustration.
"That's what you always say when you can't figure something out on the first try," Hermione admonished, not tearing her gaze away from the soil she was supposed to be manipulating.
Draco grumbled under his breath, but couldn't argue with her. He watched her for a few moments, and then started to chuckle.
"What's so funny?" she asked, irritated.
"You are. You look pretty dumb sitting there staring at that pot of dirt."
"Oh, and you look so smart staring cross-eyed at that feather?"
"Well at least I look good doing it," he said, lounging back so that he was propping himself up with one hand, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
Hermione snuck a glance at him and realized that he did look good, sprawled out on the floor like a tantalizing Adonis. Damn him.
"You really are in love with yourself, aren't you, Draco?"
"Yes, well, ‘love at first sight' and all that."
"Ugh!" she muttered. "You are intolerable."
"Always," he said, shooting her a cheeky grin that made her stomach flutter pleasantly.
Hermione sighed in exasperation, partly because she was tired of staring at a pot of dirt, partly because Draco was baiting her, but mostly because of how his presence still managed to elicit such a powerful physical response from her. She had hoped that after spending two fun-filled weeks with Ron over Christmas Break, she would be able to purge her body of its strange attraction to Draco Malfoy. Apparently, that was not to be the case.
"Look! Look! I made the water move!" Dean cried out, delightedly pointing to the bucket of water he had been concentrating on.
"That's because you just kicked the bucket with your foot when you shifted positions," Ginny said tiredly as she stared at a lit candle, trying to manipulate the flame.
"Oh."
Crestfallen, Dean resumed staring at his bucket of water.
"Maybe you should try another element, Hermione," Draco suggested, tearing his eyes away from his feather once more.
"But the book says that my element is supposed to be earth...."
"Who cares about the book?" he said, rolling his eyes. "Professor Hong said it doesn't always work that way, remember? Just try something else. Try fire."
"Why fire?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.
"Just a hunch."
With a weary sigh, Hermione went up to the head table and returned with a candle, which she lit with her wand. Then she sat staring at the flame in silence. The rest of the class period passed quietly and uneventfully until -
"Eeeeeek!" Hermione screeched, throwing her candle to the floor as its tiny flame suddenly erupted into an enormous fireball. She and Draco leapt backwards, away from the blaze; however, the moment the candle hit the stone tiles, the flame was extinguished. Hermione and Draco both stood there, breathing heavily and staring down at the scorched floor with wide eyes.
"Very impressive, Miss Granger!" Professor Hong proclaimed, after rushing over to ensure that his pupils were unharmed. "Although, I hope that everyone can now appreciate the potential dangers of practicing elemental magic. Still, you are a powerful witch indeed, Miss Granger, if you were able to manipulate fire without a wand on your first day of trying. You have the potential to become quite a skilled Pyromancer. Twenty points to Gryffindor."
As Professor Hong walked away, Hermione turned to give Draco a triumphant smirk, but he simply smirked right back at her.
"Darling, that cocky look doesn't suit your face one bit," he said, "Especially with your eyebrows singed off."
The day of the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match dawned cold and clear two weeks later, and everyone was in an exuberant mood - everyone except for Ginny, that is. She hardly ate anything for breakfast, and as she and her friends walked out to the Quidditch pitch, her face was so pale that Hermione could count every freckle on her pasty white skin. When Ginny and Dean parted ways with their friends outside the Gryffindor changing rooms, Hermione thought the redhead looked as if she might actually vomit.
Nervous for her friend, Hermione made her way up into the stands with Luna and Draco. She glanced over and saw that Draco was wearing the green and silver scarf she had knitted him for Christmas. With a mischievous grin, she tapped his scarf with her wand and changed the colors to red and gold.
"Hey!" Draco protested. "You ruined it!"
"Draco, if you're going to be supporting Ginny today, then you need to wear the Gryffindor colors," Hermione said firmly. "You can change it back after the match."
"But I hate red!"
"Nonsense, it's a good color on you," Hermione said, giving him her most winsome smile.
Draco grumbled under his breath, but made no further argument about the scarf, nor did he attempt to change it back to its original colors.
Shortly after they took their seats in the stands, they were joined by Harry and Ron, who had just come from wishing Ginny good luck. The moment they noticed Draco sitting amongst their group of friends, they both stiffened. Harry's expression was uncertain, but Ron looked peeved. Draco, who was sitting to the left of Hermione, surveyed both boys with dislike, but did not appear overly distraught by their presence. Only a dangerous little flash in his eyes betrayed that some deeper emotion lingered beneath the surface.
Harry was the first to break the tense silence, stepping forward to extend his right hand to Draco.
"Look Malfoy," he said. "I know there's been bad blood between us, but I just wanted to thank you for what you did for Ginny - for getting the Harpies' team manager to come watch her play today."
"I didn't do it as a favor to you, Potter," Draco said coolly, making no move to shake Harry's hand. Harry quickly withdrew it as if he had been stung. He scowled at the blond-haired boy, but managed to swallow his anger.
"Fine, Malfoy, have it your way. I'm just expressing my gratitude to you for doing something decent for someone I care about, that's all. Take it or leave it."
Hermione gave Draco a subtle nudge with her elbow, and he glared at her, letting out a pained sigh.
"You're welcome, Potter," he finally mumbled.
Harry raised his eyebrows, nodded, and then took a seat next to Luna. Ron simply gave Draco a curt nod before sitting on Hermione's right side. He leaned over to greet her with a kiss, and Hermione saw Draco's eyes narrow to silver slits before he turned away. If she was to rank the awkwardness on a scale of one to ten, sitting between Draco and Ron ranked at eleven. Perhaps twelve, after Ron muttered, "Nice scarf, Malfoy."
Thankfully, they were soon distracted by the start of the match, and they were all too busy cheering for Ginny to pay attention to anything else. It was a tense game, and to the dismay of Hermione and her friends, the Hufflepuff Keeper was extremely talented, forming a bright yellow blur as she zipped back and forth in front of the goal posts. But Ginny's performance was nothing short of phenomenal. She led her fellow Chasers in one charge after another across the pitch, flying faster than Hermione had ever seen her fly, and throwing the Quaffle with pinpoint accuracy. After an hour of play, Harrison caught the Snitch, sealing the Gryffindor victory.
Hermione and her friends were all on their feet, cheering and screaming. Even Draco was clapping and shouting "Yeah Ginny!" with his red and gold scarf flapping in the wind. Hermione caught Harry staring at him with an expression of utter bemusement.
Then they were all rushing down to the pitch to find Ginny and congratulate her. As they approached, a stocky but kind-faced wizard had just left her side.
"That was Marcus Figwig, the team manager for the Harpies," Draco said to Ginny as they all approached her. "What did he have to say?"
Everyone waited with bated breath, but Hermione could tell from the light dancing in Ginny's brown eyes what the answer would be.
"He said that he was very impressed with my flying and he wants me to come to their tryouts in May!" she squealed.
In an instant, Harry gathered her in his arms and kissed her so enthusiastically that Ron covered his eyes with his hand and groaned. Even Dean, being an ex-boyfriend of Ginny's, looked a bit uncomfortable. When Harry finally emerged from kissing Ginny, he looked happier and more energetic than Hermione had seen him in a long time.
"Alright everyone, let's go to the Three Broomsticks to celebrate," he announced. "Drinks are on me!"
Everyone chimed in their agreement, but Hermione felt a light touch on her shoulder and turned to see Draco standing behind her.
"I'm heading back up to the school," he whispered to her. "I'll see you later." He then turned to leave, clearly not comfortable with the idea of joining in the celebrations.
"Oh no you don't!" Ginny said with a determined look on her face. She laid a restraining hand on Draco's arm, preventing his escape. "You're coming with us. If it weren't for you, Figwig would never have come to watch me play, and I'd never have gotten the tryout with the Holyhead Harpies."
Hermione couldn't decide who looked unhappier with the idea of Draco accompanying them to the Three Broomsticks - Ron, or Draco himself. But before either boy could open his mouth to protest, everyone's attention was drawn to Professor McGonagall, who had suddenly walked up to the group of friends.
"A game well played, Miss Weasley," the Headmistress said, smiling at Ginny. "Though I am no longer supposed to favor one house team over another, I will tell you that I am very pleased with Gryffindor's win today."
Her gaze scanned through the small cluster of friends until she spotted Hermione and Draco, and her lips twitched somewhat when she noticed Draco's red and gold scarf.
"I apologize for interrupting the celebrations," she continued, “but I require Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger's presence in my office at once."
Draco and Hermione glanced at each other apprehensively, wondering what the Headmistress wanted to say to them. Were they about to be disciplined for some indiscretion that they didn't recall committing? Apparently, Ron seemed to think this was the case, because he stepped defensively in front of Hermione.
"Professor, if these two are in trouble for something," he said, "I'm sure it was all Malfoy's fault, not Hermione's."
Draco glared at the redhead, preparing to issue an angry retort, but Professor McGonagall raised a hand to quiet both boys.
"Mr. Weasley, as pleased as I am to see you again, I must ask you not to interfere. What I have to discuss with my students is no concern of yours," she said imperiously to Ron, before addressing Draco and Hermione once again. "Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, if you would please come with me?"
"We'll wait for you to get done with the meeting before going to Hogsmeade," Ginny whispered to Hermione, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
Hermione nodded her thanks and then joined Draco in following Professor McGonagall back into the castle. They walked in anxious silence through the halls, and up the curving staircase into the Headmistress's office. Hermione glanced at the portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses lining the walls and saw that Professor Dumbledore appeared to be dosing against his own picture frame. Professor McGonagall went to sit behind her desk, and she gestured towards two chairs that were arranged across from it. Sneaking each other a nervous glance, Draco and Hermione sank into the chairs and sat silently, waiting for the Headmistress to speak.
"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, I cannot pretend to be ignorant of the friendship that has arisen between the two of you during this school year," she said seriously. "To have such a bond develop between two individuals, such as yourselves, who were once sworn enemies was an event that was both unforeseeable and...unfathomable to me."
To their surprise, she suddenly beamed at them both, her beady eyes full of warmth.
"And in all of my years at this school, I have never been more proud of my students than I am of you two," she continued, pulling two manila envelopes from a drawer of her desk, "which is why it is with great pleasure that I inform both of you that you are this year's winners for the scholarship competition."
Draco and Hermione turned to each other and grinned, before turning back to Professor McGonagall and thanking her for the honor. She smiled and nodded at them both.
"You're welcome, you're welcome," she said. "But you have both truly earned this award. No one in this school has done more to improve inter-house relations than the two of you have this year, and both of you are at the top of your class in grades. Not to mention the wonderful essays you submitted with your applications."
She rested her hands on the two manila envelopes lying on her desk.
"In these packets I have enclosed instructions on what we expect from each of you in regards to completing your research project, as well as some information on how the five thousand galleons will be disbursed. I have also enclosed a copy of your research proposal and essay, for each of you to keep. Miss Granger, your essay was spectacular, as usual."
She smiled at Hermione before turning her gaze to Draco.
"But Mr. Malfoy, your essay...." Professor McGonagall paused, and Hermione thought she saw her eyes mist over slightly. "Mr. Malfoy, your essay was utterly profound. I confess that when I read it, I was both surprised and...touched, by what you had written. I hope that you will consider sharing it with others."
She slid a significant glance in Hermione's direction, and Draco sank lower in his chair, his cheeks a bright red shade that was worthy of a Weasley. Hermione thought that if the school did not have enchantments that prevented him from doing so, Draco might have tried Disapparating on the spot.
"Well then," Professor McGonagall said cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence. "I suppose I have kept you here long enough. I believe there is a celebration that you both have to return to? And it appears that you will now have one more thing to celebrate."
She slid the envelopes containing their essays and research instructions across her desk to them, and they each picked them up and headed towards the door, thanking her once more. Just as she was about to exit, Hermione paused, turning back to speak to the Headmistress once again.
"Professor, how long do we have to decide whether or not we want to accept the award? I mean, if we were to change our minds, how soon would we have to notify you?"
Professor McGonagall blinked in surprise at Hermione's request.
"Well, I suppose the latest you could tell me would be one month before the Parting Ceremony - so by the second week of May. We would need ample time to inform the runner-up...."
"If you don't mind my asking, who is the runner-up for the girl's spot?" Hermione asked.
"Luna Lovegood. Her essay on her imprisonment during the war was very well-written, and her grades are second only to yours and Mr. Malfoy's. But Miss Granger, I must confess that I would be very disappointed if you were to decline this award. The genetic research project you are proposing is an excellent idea - why, if you were to succeed in identifying this gene that makes us different from Muggles, it would be a groundbreaking discovery indeed."
"I understand, Professor," Hermione said with a nod. "I will keep that in mind. Thanks again."
Then she turned to leave the Headmistress's office with Draco following close behind her. As soon as they exited the staircase and entered the empty corridor outside, he let out a joyous whoop that startled Hermione out of her thoughts.
"We won, we won!" he said. "Can you believe it, Hermione? I mean, I knew you would win, but me? I can't believe I got it!"
Hermione could not help but smile at the undisguised elation that danced in his eyes. She had never seen Draco this genuinely happy before. It was quite adorable, actually. She gasped as suddenly he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her a few centimeters off the ground, spinning her around in a circle. Finally, he set her back down on her feet, but continued to grip her shoulders with his hands, smiling down at her.
"Just think about it," he continued. "You and I could even plan things so that we conduct our research in the same locations. Can you imagine how fun it would be? All the places we could see, and all the things we could do in a year of traveling around the world?"
Hermione's smile faltered at his words, and she hung her head so that she was staring down at her feet. Instantly, Draco's hands dropped from her shoulders. He stood silently in front of her for a few moments before speaking once more. When he did, his voice was no longer joyful, but disappointed.
"You're going to decline the award, aren't you?" he murmured.
"I-I don't know yet," she said quietly, her head still bent so that he could not meet her eyes.
"Hermione, you have to accept this award, you just have to. You heard McGonagall - your research is too important to give up. Besides, you deserve this."
"Luna deserves it just as much, if not more so, than I," she argued. "Besides, I think Ron would want me to decline it. I can't be away from him for a whole year like that...."
Suddenly, Draco slipped one large hand beneath her chin and tilted it up so that he could see her face. Still, she kept her eyes lowered beneath her lashes, not wanting to meet his gaze.
"Hermione," he whispered. "For once, why don't you ask yourself what you really want?"
Her eyes flicked up at his words, searching his face as she realized the double meaning behind his question. Draco was not just talking about the scholarship competition. His hand was still cupping her face, and she was surprised at how warm and soft his fingers felt against her skin. Their faces were mere centimeters away from each other, and Hermione's heart began to thud wildly as she realized that she could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with hers, and smell the faint minty scent of his aftershave. She saw his eyes darken once more with an emotion that thrilled and terrified her, because she now recognized what it was, and knew that it mirrored the emotion that was fighting so desperately to emerge from her own soul....
"Draco..." she began.
But before she could speak another word, the sound of someone clearing their throat made them both realize that they were no longer alone in the corridor. Hermione sprang away from Draco, and her stomach sank with dread as she turned to face the three individuals who stood several paces away, staring at them.
Ginny was gazing at Hermione with pained compassion. Harry's expression was a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion. But Ron's glare was fixed on Draco, and the look in his eyes was nothing short of murderous.
"I still can't believe this!" Ron shouted, as he paced back and forth in the empty classroom Hermione had dragged him into. "I tried to be understanding, really I did. You said you wanted to study with Malfoy. I thought it was a bad idea, but I went along with it anyway."
"Ron...." Hermione tried to speak from where she sat on top of one of the desks, watching him pace in front of her. But Ron just ignored her and continued ranting.
"Then, you started to be his friend. I thought that was an absurd idea, but still, I went along with it because you said it was completely innocent, and like the idiot I am, I believed you...."
"Ron, please."
"But now?" Ron continued, talking over her attempts to cut in. "Now I find you standing in a corridor, snogging him! Him! Draco Malfoy, my worst enemy. I can't believe it! How could you -”
"RONALD WEASLEY, SHUT UP AND LET ME SPEAK!" Hermione bellowed, and Ron finally fell silent, stunned by her sudden outburst. She took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. She knew Ron was angry - worse than angry, he was completely outraged. She was glad she had managed to drag him away from Draco before wands were drawn. Powerful wizard though Draco was, she wasn't sure if he would have survived one of the infamous Weasley outbursts. When she spoke again, her voice resembled something like calmness.
"Ron, I know you're upset, but I can assure you that we absolutely were not snogging," Hermione said. It was true, after all, even if she wasn't sure it would have remained true if Ron, Harry, and Ginny had arrived a few moments later...
"Yeah right," Ron muttered, resuming his pacing.
"It's true!" she argued, her voice rising somewhat. "We were just congratulating each other."
"Oh, is that what they call it now?" Ron said scathingly. "Instead of ‘discussing politics', the new code phrase is ‘congratulating each other'?"
Suddenly, he stopped his pacing, pausing to give her a questioning look.
"What exactly were you congratulating each other for, then?"
Hermione's heart sank, and she wished that she could rewind time, undoing what she had just said. This was the worst possible moment to have to tell Ron that she had won the scholarship competition, and was strongly considering accepting it. But now, there was no use delaying the inevitable.
"Ron I - I won the scholarship. Draco and I both won it."
"Draco? So it's ‘Draco' now?"
"Yes, well, that is his name, isn't it?" Hermione said testily.
Suddenly all of the fight seemed to rush out of Ron, and he slumped down on top of a desk across from hers, appearing utterly deflated.
"So," he said quietly, “you're going to take the scholarship and travel around the world with Malfoy for a year?"
"I - I really want to accept the award, yes. But as for traveling with Draco...I don't know about that yet."
"So you're considering it then?" Ron asked sharply, his blue eyes flashing.
"Ron...."
"It's bad enough that I've hardly been able to see you since September, you've been so busy with school. But I understood why you wanted to come back to Hogwarts, or at least I tried to. Now you're saying you want to leave me behind for another year while you go traipsing around the planet with that little ferret?"
"You really want me to give up this chance?" Hermione said, her eyes filling with tears. "You actually want me to sacrifice the opportunity to conduct my research - research that could benefit the entire Wizarding community?"
"Don't talk to me about sacrifice, Hermione," Ron snapped. "I know all about sacrifice. I lost my brother in the war. I could have started Auror training with Harry last year, but I gave that up too so I could stay and work in the shop with George..."
"That's different and you know it!" Hermione argued. "You're still going to be an Auror; you're just delaying it for a while. What you're asking me to do is give something up entirely."
She paused, recalling what Draco had said to her that one night before Christmas, when he had told her that he thought she and Ron weren't compatible. What had he said again? ‘You should be with someone who actually understands you, and wouldn't make you choose between being with him and doing the things you want to do in life....'
"Draco was right," she whispered.
At this, Ron leapt back to his feet, his fists balled in rage, and his face redder than Hermione had ever seen it before.
"Malfoy doesn't know shit!" he yelled. "I don't care what you say, all this claptrap about how he's ‘changed'. Well, you're wrong, Hermione. Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy."
"Well that's rich coming from you, Ron!" Hermione shouted back at him, rising to her feet so that they were closer to eye-level, even though he still towered over her. "How many times have you told me how sick you are of always being taunted for being a Weasley? Now you're doing the same thing to Draco."
"That's different," Ron sputtered. Then he glared at her malevolently. "Will you listen to yourself? You're actually defending Malfoy - actually defending him against me! You know what, fine. If you care so much more about him, then why don't you go ahead and be with him instead of me?"
Hermione froze, her tears finally spilling out of her eyes and onto her cheeks.
"You…you don't mean that," she whispered.
"Maybe I do," Ron continued. His voice was calmer, but less certain. "Hermione, maybe we rushed into things too quickly after the war. Maybe we weren't ready for a serious relationship. We-we're only eighteen years old, and a lot has happened in the last year....Maybe we need to take a break, see other people, grow up a bit."
"You're breaking up with me?" Hermione squeaked, her eyes wide with pain and disbelief. "You're going to give up on us - just like that?"
Ron flinched somewhat at the look she gave him, but held his ground in spite of it.
"I'm not the one who's giving up on us Hermione," he said in a low voice, looking away from her. "You've done that yourself. I - I hope you're happy with Malfoy."
"Ron, there is nothing going on between Draco and me! You're the one who's making us out to be something we're not...."
"Hermione, please," Ron pleaded, holding a hand up to stop her, and the look on his face was so full of pain and sadness that Hermione immediately ceased speaking. "Maybe you weren't snogging him in the corridor just now, but I saw the way he was looking at you. I may not be as smart as you are, but I'm no idiot. I know what that look meant. And the worst part is, I saw that look on your face too -”
Ron's voice broke, and he turned away from her once more, hanging his head. For the first time, Hermione could find no words to argue with him. As much as she had tried for the past month to deny that something was developing between her and Draco - something that was more than just friendship - she knew that Ron was right. There was something else there, and she could deny it no longer.
Ron strode over to the door and opened it, preparing to leave. Then he paused on the threshold, turning to look at her with eyes full of pity and sadness.
"He'll break your heart," he murmured. "No matter what happens, no matter how much you think he's changed, he will always be Draco Malfoy. Dragons can't change their scales, Hermione. You may be happy with him for awhile, you might find it exciting and thrilling to be around him, but eventually, he will break your heart. And I don't know if I'll still be around to pick up the pieces."
With that, he left the room, letting the door fall shut behind him. Hermione collapsed into one of the classroom chairs, her mind reeling at what had just happened. After all these years, after how long it had taken her and Ron to finally be together, he was throwing it all away and walking out the door. Yet, as mad as she was with him, she was even more furious with herself, knowing that she was largely to blame for what had just occurred.
Her thoughts awhirl with anger, loss, and confusion, Hermione buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
Next Chapter
Previous Chapter
Table of Contents
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favour fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
~ "Fire and Ice" by Robert Frost
The first day of classes after Christmas Break, Hermione cheerfully entered the Great Hall for breakfast, happy to be back. It was amazing how much her feelings about Hogwarts had changed since the beginning of the term. Back in September, she had dreaded re-entering the school, afraid she would be haunted by memories of grief and loss. Since then, Hogwarts had resumed its status as a second home in her mind. Besides, she had spent the first half of her "seventh year" building new, happy memories, and she looked forward to building even more in the second half.
The moment she walked into the Great Hall, Draco looked up and waved at her from the Slytherin table. She went over to sit in the empty seat next to him. He grinned when he noticed that she was wearing the rose necklace he had given her for Christmas.
"You like the necklace, then?" he asked, nodding towards it.
She smiled, reaching down to grasp the rose charm in her hand.
"Yes, it's perfect. Thank you."
Draco looked pleased, and his cheeks carried an uncharacteristic flush as he passed over the tray of kippers, which he knew was one of her favorite breakfast foods. Without pretense, Hermione piled them on her plate and dove in hungrily, hoping she didn't resemble Ron too much in her voraciousness. Suddenly, her eating was interrupted by the sound of Ginny calling out to her as she ran into the Great Hall.
"Hermione! Malfoy!" she cried ecstatically, brandishing a letter in her hand. "This just arrived with the morning post and I had to tell you as soon as I found out!"
She collapsed breathlessly in the seat across from Draco and Hermione.
"Oh, hello Astoria!" Ginny said, noticing her Sixth Year Slytherin friend, Astoria Greengrass, was sitting beside her.
"Hi Ginny!" the blonde replied cheerfully, smiling at her. "Why don't you tell us your good news?"
Ginny grinned from ear to ear, her cheeks pink with excitement, and held out the letter for everyone to see.
"This just arrived from the Holyhead Harpies' team manager, Marcus Figwig," she said. "Apparently, he's interested in seeing if I might be a good fit for their team. He's going to come watch the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match in two weeks, and if he likes what he sees, he'll invite me to the spring tryouts!"
Everyone offered their heartfelt congratulations, and Ginny graciously accepted them. Then she fixed her gaze on Draco.
"I suppose I have you to thank for this, Malfoy," she said. "You must have spoken to him like you said you would."
Draco gave a casual shrug.
"I might have mentioned you to Marcus when he attended our Christmas gala at the Manor last week," he said. "But look, Weasley, it'll be all up to you to get the tryout. Marcus Figwig is no pushover. He only offers tryouts to people he feels are talented enough to deserve them. You'll have to play pretty well at the Hufflepuff match he's watching."
"I know," Ginny said, grinning, “but thanks anyway, Malfoy."
Then she rose to her feet, still brimming with excitement.
"I'm going to tell Dean and Luna the news," she said, before hurrying over to the other side of the Great Hall.
"And I must be going to Transfiguration class," Astoria said, rising to her feet and gathering her books in her hands. "Professor Weasley will give me detention if I'm late again."
She paused, eyeing Draco and Hermione.
"Don't you two have to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Oh, Professor Hong is actually holding class here in the Great Hall today," Hermione replied, digging back into her breakfast. "Said he needed the extra space for today's lesson."
"That sounds interesting," Astoria said sweetly. "Well, I'll see you both later, then."
She grinned at Hermione, and then turned to Draco, her eyes lingering a bit longer on him. The smile she gave him was almost seductive. She really was an attractive witch, Hermione thought to herself as she watched Astoria saunter away. She had delicate, aristocratic features, with long, wavy blond hair, and dark brown eyes. And she was more down-to-earth than most Slytherin girls, which was probably why Ginny had befriended her. The instant Astoria had given Draco that bewitching smile, however, Hermione felt a strange sensation in her stomach, as if some nasty little creature was in there, trying to claw its way out.
"Ooh," she groaned, clutching her abdomen.
"What's wrong with you?" Draco asked, raising one eyebrow at her.
"Dunno. Indigestion, I think."
Draco just rolled his eyes, not seeming the least bit concerned about her condition.
"Well, maybe if you stopped stuffing your face full of kipper, you wouldn't make your stomach hurt so much," he said mercilessly.
"You are such a snarky little git, you know that?"
"Yeah, but you know you like me that way," he said, giving her a mischievous wink.
Oh, but she did. She certainly did. The damn prat - why did he have to make snarkiness seem so charming?
"Astoria Greengrass seems to have taken a liking to you," Hermione said casually, taking a sip of her orange juice.
"Jealous are we?"
Draco's tone was teasing, but Hermione noticed that his grey eyes were focused intently upon her face.
"Don't be ridiculous!" she said lightly, though she avoided his gaze. "She's a sweet girl, Draco. You should go after her - work those irresistible Malfoy charms you're always bragging about."
For some reason, her encouragement seemed to irritate him, and Hermione thought she saw a flicker of emotion dance across his eyes - disappointment, perhaps? He turned his gaze away from her, giving a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Astoria's too young for me, anyway," he said.
"She's sixteen, Draco. She's not exactly in nappies."
"Well, either way, she's not my type," he muttered.
"So, what exactly is your ‘type' then?"
Draco turned to look at her again, his silver eyes darkening in a way that reminded her of how they had looked after their kiss beneath the mistletoe. Hermione felt her pulse quicken of its own accord. When Draco spoke, his voice was serious and uncharacteristically soft.
"Let me tell you about my type, Hermione," he murmured.
Before he could speak another word, Professor Hong came bursting through the doors of the Great Hall, levitating several pots and buckets behind him. From her angle, Hermione could not see their contents. The room had been emptied of all students except for those in the seventh year DADA class, who were now converging at the front of the room, by the head table. Draco and Hermione stood up and went to join their classmates.
"For the remainder of this term, we will be working on a new set of enchantments," Professor Hong began. When his students began pulling their wands out of their pockets, he shook his head and continued, saying, "You may all put your wands away. For the rest of this school year, we are moving on to an entirely different level of magic - wand-less magic."
At this proclamation, everyone gasped and whispered amongst themselves, full of nervous excitement.
"Now, most of the time, magic of this complexity is not taught to young witches and wizards - not even at NEWT level," Professor Hong continued. "But I am impressed with the skills you have demonstrated so far this school year, and Professor McGonagall agrees that you are a group of students that is capable of handling these lessons. However, I must caution you, the magic you are about to learn is difficult to control, and therefore extremely dangerous."
"Brilliant!" Draco whispered, shooting Hermione a grin of anticipation. She smiled back at him, albeit a bit apprehensively. Ginny and Dean looked nervous, but Luna appeared unconcerned, gazing off into space with a dreamy look on her face.
"The next three months we will devote to a branch of magic referred to as ‘elemental magic'," said Professor Hong. "For millennia, wizard philosophers have developed theories in an attempt to explain the exact nature of our magic, and where it comes from. Some believe that it is an element of its own, like earth, wind, fire, and water - making magic a sort of ‘fifth element', if you will. Others believe that magic is, instead, a combination of these other four elements. Regardless, we know that a wizard or witch is capable of summoning and controlling earth, wind, fire, and water with the use of a wand. However, it is also possible for some more powerful and highly-trained individuals to channel these elements without a wand's assistance. That is what we will be practicing today."
The instructor gave a wave of his wand, and the four dining tables fled to the outer walls of the Great Hall, leaving a large open area in the center of the room. With another flourish, Professor Hong arranged buckets of water and pots of soil into a row on the floor, leaving ample space in between them. Two smaller buckets, one containing candles and the other feathers, were sent sailing over to rest on top of the Head Table.
"Each witch or wizard is said to be born under a certain element, and that is the element that they are best able to manipulate," Professor Hong continued, once these preparations were complete. "In ancient times, this involved linking the individual's birth date with one of the four elements, somewhat like the Muggle zodiac. Similar to the zodiac, ancient sorcerers believed that the element an individual is born under - earth, wind, fire, or water - influences their personalities and destinies. This is most likely complete and utter nonsense."
Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted was to hear more of the codswallup Professor Trelawney used to talk about in Divination, her least favorite subject.
"However," the DADA instructor continued, “there does tend to be a correlation between an individual's birth date and which element they are able to control. It is not a strict rule, of course, but for today's practice session, I would advise you to look up the chart in your new textbooks and see which element your birthday corresponds to. Then you will practice trying to control that element, using the objects I have provided here today. The art of elemental magic is to allow your mind to become one with what you are trying to control - if you are trying to influence a flame, try to think as a flame would think."
Professor Hong extended his right hand and instantly, a ball of fire appeared and danced over his palm. Everyone gasped and applauded appreciatively. The Chinese wizard allowed his stern face to crease into a brief smile, before he closed his hand and snuffed out the flame.
"Do not be surprised if you do not succeed in manipulating your element today, as it is a very difficult skill to master," he said. "All I expect from you is to give it your best effort. You may begin."
Hermione pulled out her text book and opened it to the page with a chart listing the ranges of birthdays and their corresponding elements. She had always known that her zodiac sign was Virgo (not that she ever cared much for what that meant), but she had never known what element it corresponded to. Discovering that she was born under the element of earth, she went to sit in front of one of the pots of soil that Professor Hong had brought into the Great Hall with him. Draco's element was wind, so he grabbed a white feather from one of the small buckets sitting on top of the head table. He sat next to Hermione with the feather resting in his palm, trying to conjure a wind to make it blow away. Each sat quietly for several minutes - she staring at her pot of dirt, and he staring at the feather.
"This is stupid," Draco said finally, rubbing his eyes in frustration.
"That's what you always say when you can't figure something out on the first try," Hermione admonished, not tearing her gaze away from the soil she was supposed to be manipulating.
Draco grumbled under his breath, but couldn't argue with her. He watched her for a few moments, and then started to chuckle.
"What's so funny?" she asked, irritated.
"You are. You look pretty dumb sitting there staring at that pot of dirt."
"Oh, and you look so smart staring cross-eyed at that feather?"
"Well at least I look good doing it," he said, lounging back so that he was propping himself up with one hand, his long legs stretched out in front of him.
Hermione snuck a glance at him and realized that he did look good, sprawled out on the floor like a tantalizing Adonis. Damn him.
"You really are in love with yourself, aren't you, Draco?"
"Yes, well, ‘love at first sight' and all that."
"Ugh!" she muttered. "You are intolerable."
"Always," he said, shooting her a cheeky grin that made her stomach flutter pleasantly.
Hermione sighed in exasperation, partly because she was tired of staring at a pot of dirt, partly because Draco was baiting her, but mostly because of how his presence still managed to elicit such a powerful physical response from her. She had hoped that after spending two fun-filled weeks with Ron over Christmas Break, she would be able to purge her body of its strange attraction to Draco Malfoy. Apparently, that was not to be the case.
"Look! Look! I made the water move!" Dean cried out, delightedly pointing to the bucket of water he had been concentrating on.
"That's because you just kicked the bucket with your foot when you shifted positions," Ginny said tiredly as she stared at a lit candle, trying to manipulate the flame.
"Oh."
Crestfallen, Dean resumed staring at his bucket of water.
"Maybe you should try another element, Hermione," Draco suggested, tearing his eyes away from his feather once more.
"But the book says that my element is supposed to be earth...."
"Who cares about the book?" he said, rolling his eyes. "Professor Hong said it doesn't always work that way, remember? Just try something else. Try fire."
"Why fire?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.
"Just a hunch."
With a weary sigh, Hermione went up to the head table and returned with a candle, which she lit with her wand. Then she sat staring at the flame in silence. The rest of the class period passed quietly and uneventfully until -
"Eeeeeek!" Hermione screeched, throwing her candle to the floor as its tiny flame suddenly erupted into an enormous fireball. She and Draco leapt backwards, away from the blaze; however, the moment the candle hit the stone tiles, the flame was extinguished. Hermione and Draco both stood there, breathing heavily and staring down at the scorched floor with wide eyes.
"Very impressive, Miss Granger!" Professor Hong proclaimed, after rushing over to ensure that his pupils were unharmed. "Although, I hope that everyone can now appreciate the potential dangers of practicing elemental magic. Still, you are a powerful witch indeed, Miss Granger, if you were able to manipulate fire without a wand on your first day of trying. You have the potential to become quite a skilled Pyromancer. Twenty points to Gryffindor."
As Professor Hong walked away, Hermione turned to give Draco a triumphant smirk, but he simply smirked right back at her.
"Darling, that cocky look doesn't suit your face one bit," he said, "Especially with your eyebrows singed off."
The day of the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff match dawned cold and clear two weeks later, and everyone was in an exuberant mood - everyone except for Ginny, that is. She hardly ate anything for breakfast, and as she and her friends walked out to the Quidditch pitch, her face was so pale that Hermione could count every freckle on her pasty white skin. When Ginny and Dean parted ways with their friends outside the Gryffindor changing rooms, Hermione thought the redhead looked as if she might actually vomit.
Nervous for her friend, Hermione made her way up into the stands with Luna and Draco. She glanced over and saw that Draco was wearing the green and silver scarf she had knitted him for Christmas. With a mischievous grin, she tapped his scarf with her wand and changed the colors to red and gold.
"Hey!" Draco protested. "You ruined it!"
"Draco, if you're going to be supporting Ginny today, then you need to wear the Gryffindor colors," Hermione said firmly. "You can change it back after the match."
"But I hate red!"
"Nonsense, it's a good color on you," Hermione said, giving him her most winsome smile.
Draco grumbled under his breath, but made no further argument about the scarf, nor did he attempt to change it back to its original colors.
Shortly after they took their seats in the stands, they were joined by Harry and Ron, who had just come from wishing Ginny good luck. The moment they noticed Draco sitting amongst their group of friends, they both stiffened. Harry's expression was uncertain, but Ron looked peeved. Draco, who was sitting to the left of Hermione, surveyed both boys with dislike, but did not appear overly distraught by their presence. Only a dangerous little flash in his eyes betrayed that some deeper emotion lingered beneath the surface.
Harry was the first to break the tense silence, stepping forward to extend his right hand to Draco.
"Look Malfoy," he said. "I know there's been bad blood between us, but I just wanted to thank you for what you did for Ginny - for getting the Harpies' team manager to come watch her play today."
"I didn't do it as a favor to you, Potter," Draco said coolly, making no move to shake Harry's hand. Harry quickly withdrew it as if he had been stung. He scowled at the blond-haired boy, but managed to swallow his anger.
"Fine, Malfoy, have it your way. I'm just expressing my gratitude to you for doing something decent for someone I care about, that's all. Take it or leave it."
Hermione gave Draco a subtle nudge with her elbow, and he glared at her, letting out a pained sigh.
"You're welcome, Potter," he finally mumbled.
Harry raised his eyebrows, nodded, and then took a seat next to Luna. Ron simply gave Draco a curt nod before sitting on Hermione's right side. He leaned over to greet her with a kiss, and Hermione saw Draco's eyes narrow to silver slits before he turned away. If she was to rank the awkwardness on a scale of one to ten, sitting between Draco and Ron ranked at eleven. Perhaps twelve, after Ron muttered, "Nice scarf, Malfoy."
Thankfully, they were soon distracted by the start of the match, and they were all too busy cheering for Ginny to pay attention to anything else. It was a tense game, and to the dismay of Hermione and her friends, the Hufflepuff Keeper was extremely talented, forming a bright yellow blur as she zipped back and forth in front of the goal posts. But Ginny's performance was nothing short of phenomenal. She led her fellow Chasers in one charge after another across the pitch, flying faster than Hermione had ever seen her fly, and throwing the Quaffle with pinpoint accuracy. After an hour of play, Harrison caught the Snitch, sealing the Gryffindor victory.
Hermione and her friends were all on their feet, cheering and screaming. Even Draco was clapping and shouting "Yeah Ginny!" with his red and gold scarf flapping in the wind. Hermione caught Harry staring at him with an expression of utter bemusement.
Then they were all rushing down to the pitch to find Ginny and congratulate her. As they approached, a stocky but kind-faced wizard had just left her side.
"That was Marcus Figwig, the team manager for the Harpies," Draco said to Ginny as they all approached her. "What did he have to say?"
Everyone waited with bated breath, but Hermione could tell from the light dancing in Ginny's brown eyes what the answer would be.
"He said that he was very impressed with my flying and he wants me to come to their tryouts in May!" she squealed.
In an instant, Harry gathered her in his arms and kissed her so enthusiastically that Ron covered his eyes with his hand and groaned. Even Dean, being an ex-boyfriend of Ginny's, looked a bit uncomfortable. When Harry finally emerged from kissing Ginny, he looked happier and more energetic than Hermione had seen him in a long time.
"Alright everyone, let's go to the Three Broomsticks to celebrate," he announced. "Drinks are on me!"
Everyone chimed in their agreement, but Hermione felt a light touch on her shoulder and turned to see Draco standing behind her.
"I'm heading back up to the school," he whispered to her. "I'll see you later." He then turned to leave, clearly not comfortable with the idea of joining in the celebrations.
"Oh no you don't!" Ginny said with a determined look on her face. She laid a restraining hand on Draco's arm, preventing his escape. "You're coming with us. If it weren't for you, Figwig would never have come to watch me play, and I'd never have gotten the tryout with the Holyhead Harpies."
Hermione couldn't decide who looked unhappier with the idea of Draco accompanying them to the Three Broomsticks - Ron, or Draco himself. But before either boy could open his mouth to protest, everyone's attention was drawn to Professor McGonagall, who had suddenly walked up to the group of friends.
"A game well played, Miss Weasley," the Headmistress said, smiling at Ginny. "Though I am no longer supposed to favor one house team over another, I will tell you that I am very pleased with Gryffindor's win today."
Her gaze scanned through the small cluster of friends until she spotted Hermione and Draco, and her lips twitched somewhat when she noticed Draco's red and gold scarf.
"I apologize for interrupting the celebrations," she continued, “but I require Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger's presence in my office at once."
Draco and Hermione glanced at each other apprehensively, wondering what the Headmistress wanted to say to them. Were they about to be disciplined for some indiscretion that they didn't recall committing? Apparently, Ron seemed to think this was the case, because he stepped defensively in front of Hermione.
"Professor, if these two are in trouble for something," he said, "I'm sure it was all Malfoy's fault, not Hermione's."
Draco glared at the redhead, preparing to issue an angry retort, but Professor McGonagall raised a hand to quiet both boys.
"Mr. Weasley, as pleased as I am to see you again, I must ask you not to interfere. What I have to discuss with my students is no concern of yours," she said imperiously to Ron, before addressing Draco and Hermione once again. "Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger, if you would please come with me?"
"We'll wait for you to get done with the meeting before going to Hogsmeade," Ginny whispered to Hermione, giving her a reassuring squeeze.
Hermione nodded her thanks and then joined Draco in following Professor McGonagall back into the castle. They walked in anxious silence through the halls, and up the curving staircase into the Headmistress's office. Hermione glanced at the portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses lining the walls and saw that Professor Dumbledore appeared to be dosing against his own picture frame. Professor McGonagall went to sit behind her desk, and she gestured towards two chairs that were arranged across from it. Sneaking each other a nervous glance, Draco and Hermione sank into the chairs and sat silently, waiting for the Headmistress to speak.
"Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, I cannot pretend to be ignorant of the friendship that has arisen between the two of you during this school year," she said seriously. "To have such a bond develop between two individuals, such as yourselves, who were once sworn enemies was an event that was both unforeseeable and...unfathomable to me."
To their surprise, she suddenly beamed at them both, her beady eyes full of warmth.
"And in all of my years at this school, I have never been more proud of my students than I am of you two," she continued, pulling two manila envelopes from a drawer of her desk, "which is why it is with great pleasure that I inform both of you that you are this year's winners for the scholarship competition."
Draco and Hermione turned to each other and grinned, before turning back to Professor McGonagall and thanking her for the honor. She smiled and nodded at them both.
"You're welcome, you're welcome," she said. "But you have both truly earned this award. No one in this school has done more to improve inter-house relations than the two of you have this year, and both of you are at the top of your class in grades. Not to mention the wonderful essays you submitted with your applications."
She rested her hands on the two manila envelopes lying on her desk.
"In these packets I have enclosed instructions on what we expect from each of you in regards to completing your research project, as well as some information on how the five thousand galleons will be disbursed. I have also enclosed a copy of your research proposal and essay, for each of you to keep. Miss Granger, your essay was spectacular, as usual."
She smiled at Hermione before turning her gaze to Draco.
"But Mr. Malfoy, your essay...." Professor McGonagall paused, and Hermione thought she saw her eyes mist over slightly. "Mr. Malfoy, your essay was utterly profound. I confess that when I read it, I was both surprised and...touched, by what you had written. I hope that you will consider sharing it with others."
She slid a significant glance in Hermione's direction, and Draco sank lower in his chair, his cheeks a bright red shade that was worthy of a Weasley. Hermione thought that if the school did not have enchantments that prevented him from doing so, Draco might have tried Disapparating on the spot.
"Well then," Professor McGonagall said cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence. "I suppose I have kept you here long enough. I believe there is a celebration that you both have to return to? And it appears that you will now have one more thing to celebrate."
She slid the envelopes containing their essays and research instructions across her desk to them, and they each picked them up and headed towards the door, thanking her once more. Just as she was about to exit, Hermione paused, turning back to speak to the Headmistress once again.
"Professor, how long do we have to decide whether or not we want to accept the award? I mean, if we were to change our minds, how soon would we have to notify you?"
Professor McGonagall blinked in surprise at Hermione's request.
"Well, I suppose the latest you could tell me would be one month before the Parting Ceremony - so by the second week of May. We would need ample time to inform the runner-up...."
"If you don't mind my asking, who is the runner-up for the girl's spot?" Hermione asked.
"Luna Lovegood. Her essay on her imprisonment during the war was very well-written, and her grades are second only to yours and Mr. Malfoy's. But Miss Granger, I must confess that I would be very disappointed if you were to decline this award. The genetic research project you are proposing is an excellent idea - why, if you were to succeed in identifying this gene that makes us different from Muggles, it would be a groundbreaking discovery indeed."
"I understand, Professor," Hermione said with a nod. "I will keep that in mind. Thanks again."
Then she turned to leave the Headmistress's office with Draco following close behind her. As soon as they exited the staircase and entered the empty corridor outside, he let out a joyous whoop that startled Hermione out of her thoughts.
"We won, we won!" he said. "Can you believe it, Hermione? I mean, I knew you would win, but me? I can't believe I got it!"
Hermione could not help but smile at the undisguised elation that danced in his eyes. She had never seen Draco this genuinely happy before. It was quite adorable, actually. She gasped as suddenly he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her a few centimeters off the ground, spinning her around in a circle. Finally, he set her back down on her feet, but continued to grip her shoulders with his hands, smiling down at her.
"Just think about it," he continued. "You and I could even plan things so that we conduct our research in the same locations. Can you imagine how fun it would be? All the places we could see, and all the things we could do in a year of traveling around the world?"
Hermione's smile faltered at his words, and she hung her head so that she was staring down at her feet. Instantly, Draco's hands dropped from her shoulders. He stood silently in front of her for a few moments before speaking once more. When he did, his voice was no longer joyful, but disappointed.
"You're going to decline the award, aren't you?" he murmured.
"I-I don't know yet," she said quietly, her head still bent so that he could not meet her eyes.
"Hermione, you have to accept this award, you just have to. You heard McGonagall - your research is too important to give up. Besides, you deserve this."
"Luna deserves it just as much, if not more so, than I," she argued. "Besides, I think Ron would want me to decline it. I can't be away from him for a whole year like that...."
Suddenly, Draco slipped one large hand beneath her chin and tilted it up so that he could see her face. Still, she kept her eyes lowered beneath her lashes, not wanting to meet his gaze.
"Hermione," he whispered. "For once, why don't you ask yourself what you really want?"
Her eyes flicked up at his words, searching his face as she realized the double meaning behind his question. Draco was not just talking about the scholarship competition. His hand was still cupping her face, and she was surprised at how warm and soft his fingers felt against her skin. Their faces were mere centimeters away from each other, and Hermione's heart began to thud wildly as she realized that she could feel the warmth of his breath mingling with hers, and smell the faint minty scent of his aftershave. She saw his eyes darken once more with an emotion that thrilled and terrified her, because she now recognized what it was, and knew that it mirrored the emotion that was fighting so desperately to emerge from her own soul....
"Draco..." she began.
But before she could speak another word, the sound of someone clearing their throat made them both realize that they were no longer alone in the corridor. Hermione sprang away from Draco, and her stomach sank with dread as she turned to face the three individuals who stood several paces away, staring at them.
Ginny was gazing at Hermione with pained compassion. Harry's expression was a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion. But Ron's glare was fixed on Draco, and the look in his eyes was nothing short of murderous.
"I still can't believe this!" Ron shouted, as he paced back and forth in the empty classroom Hermione had dragged him into. "I tried to be understanding, really I did. You said you wanted to study with Malfoy. I thought it was a bad idea, but I went along with it anyway."
"Ron...." Hermione tried to speak from where she sat on top of one of the desks, watching him pace in front of her. But Ron just ignored her and continued ranting.
"Then, you started to be his friend. I thought that was an absurd idea, but still, I went along with it because you said it was completely innocent, and like the idiot I am, I believed you...."
"Ron, please."
"But now?" Ron continued, talking over her attempts to cut in. "Now I find you standing in a corridor, snogging him! Him! Draco Malfoy, my worst enemy. I can't believe it! How could you -”
"RONALD WEASLEY, SHUT UP AND LET ME SPEAK!" Hermione bellowed, and Ron finally fell silent, stunned by her sudden outburst. She took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. She knew Ron was angry - worse than angry, he was completely outraged. She was glad she had managed to drag him away from Draco before wands were drawn. Powerful wizard though Draco was, she wasn't sure if he would have survived one of the infamous Weasley outbursts. When she spoke again, her voice resembled something like calmness.
"Ron, I know you're upset, but I can assure you that we absolutely were not snogging," Hermione said. It was true, after all, even if she wasn't sure it would have remained true if Ron, Harry, and Ginny had arrived a few moments later...
"Yeah right," Ron muttered, resuming his pacing.
"It's true!" she argued, her voice rising somewhat. "We were just congratulating each other."
"Oh, is that what they call it now?" Ron said scathingly. "Instead of ‘discussing politics', the new code phrase is ‘congratulating each other'?"
Suddenly, he stopped his pacing, pausing to give her a questioning look.
"What exactly were you congratulating each other for, then?"
Hermione's heart sank, and she wished that she could rewind time, undoing what she had just said. This was the worst possible moment to have to tell Ron that she had won the scholarship competition, and was strongly considering accepting it. But now, there was no use delaying the inevitable.
"Ron I - I won the scholarship. Draco and I both won it."
"Draco? So it's ‘Draco' now?"
"Yes, well, that is his name, isn't it?" Hermione said testily.
Suddenly all of the fight seemed to rush out of Ron, and he slumped down on top of a desk across from hers, appearing utterly deflated.
"So," he said quietly, “you're going to take the scholarship and travel around the world with Malfoy for a year?"
"I - I really want to accept the award, yes. But as for traveling with Draco...I don't know about that yet."
"So you're considering it then?" Ron asked sharply, his blue eyes flashing.
"Ron...."
"It's bad enough that I've hardly been able to see you since September, you've been so busy with school. But I understood why you wanted to come back to Hogwarts, or at least I tried to. Now you're saying you want to leave me behind for another year while you go traipsing around the planet with that little ferret?"
"You really want me to give up this chance?" Hermione said, her eyes filling with tears. "You actually want me to sacrifice the opportunity to conduct my research - research that could benefit the entire Wizarding community?"
"Don't talk to me about sacrifice, Hermione," Ron snapped. "I know all about sacrifice. I lost my brother in the war. I could have started Auror training with Harry last year, but I gave that up too so I could stay and work in the shop with George..."
"That's different and you know it!" Hermione argued. "You're still going to be an Auror; you're just delaying it for a while. What you're asking me to do is give something up entirely."
She paused, recalling what Draco had said to her that one night before Christmas, when he had told her that he thought she and Ron weren't compatible. What had he said again? ‘You should be with someone who actually understands you, and wouldn't make you choose between being with him and doing the things you want to do in life....'
"Draco was right," she whispered.
At this, Ron leapt back to his feet, his fists balled in rage, and his face redder than Hermione had ever seen it before.
"Malfoy doesn't know shit!" he yelled. "I don't care what you say, all this claptrap about how he's ‘changed'. Well, you're wrong, Hermione. Once a Malfoy, always a Malfoy."
"Well that's rich coming from you, Ron!" Hermione shouted back at him, rising to her feet so that they were closer to eye-level, even though he still towered over her. "How many times have you told me how sick you are of always being taunted for being a Weasley? Now you're doing the same thing to Draco."
"That's different," Ron sputtered. Then he glared at her malevolently. "Will you listen to yourself? You're actually defending Malfoy - actually defending him against me! You know what, fine. If you care so much more about him, then why don't you go ahead and be with him instead of me?"
Hermione froze, her tears finally spilling out of her eyes and onto her cheeks.
"You…you don't mean that," she whispered.
"Maybe I do," Ron continued. His voice was calmer, but less certain. "Hermione, maybe we rushed into things too quickly after the war. Maybe we weren't ready for a serious relationship. We-we're only eighteen years old, and a lot has happened in the last year....Maybe we need to take a break, see other people, grow up a bit."
"You're breaking up with me?" Hermione squeaked, her eyes wide with pain and disbelief. "You're going to give up on us - just like that?"
Ron flinched somewhat at the look she gave him, but held his ground in spite of it.
"I'm not the one who's giving up on us Hermione," he said in a low voice, looking away from her. "You've done that yourself. I - I hope you're happy with Malfoy."
"Ron, there is nothing going on between Draco and me! You're the one who's making us out to be something we're not...."
"Hermione, please," Ron pleaded, holding a hand up to stop her, and the look on his face was so full of pain and sadness that Hermione immediately ceased speaking. "Maybe you weren't snogging him in the corridor just now, but I saw the way he was looking at you. I may not be as smart as you are, but I'm no idiot. I know what that look meant. And the worst part is, I saw that look on your face too -”
Ron's voice broke, and he turned away from her once more, hanging his head. For the first time, Hermione could find no words to argue with him. As much as she had tried for the past month to deny that something was developing between her and Draco - something that was more than just friendship - she knew that Ron was right. There was something else there, and she could deny it no longer.
Ron strode over to the door and opened it, preparing to leave. Then he paused on the threshold, turning to look at her with eyes full of pity and sadness.
"He'll break your heart," he murmured. "No matter what happens, no matter how much you think he's changed, he will always be Draco Malfoy. Dragons can't change their scales, Hermione. You may be happy with him for awhile, you might find it exciting and thrilling to be around him, but eventually, he will break your heart. And I don't know if I'll still be around to pick up the pieces."
With that, he left the room, letting the door fall shut behind him. Hermione collapsed into one of the classroom chairs, her mind reeling at what had just happened. After all these years, after how long it had taken her and Ron to finally be together, he was throwing it all away and walking out the door. Yet, as mad as she was with him, she was even more furious with herself, knowing that she was largely to blame for what had just occurred.
Her thoughts awhirl with anger, loss, and confusion, Hermione buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
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