Changes
This was written in response to a challenge over atdhr_challenge. I, unfortunately, did not get it in on time. Happily, seems like no one else did either! So here it is. I'm interested to hear some feedback because I found this very very difficult to write. I hope you like it!
Title: Changes
Challenge: dhr_challenge #3: The Party has Just Begun
Author:imogen_penn
Rating: PG
Spoilers: General spoilers for Deathly Hallows.
Summary: The war is over, the seventh years have graduated and in Hogwarts tradition, a Graduation Ball has been thrown. The Weird Sisters are back to play the event and everyone is letting loose
“Good evening students,” Professor McGonagall’s crisp voice rang out over the great hall. No, Hermione mentally corrected herself, Headmistress McGonagall. It was hard to remember, sometimes, that Dumbledore was gone. Especially now. The war was over. Celebration was in the air. Things ought to be right again, happy again. However, there were constant reminders of loss that seemed to jump up behind you just when you thought you might remember what normal was. Hermione got the feeling that seeing Headmistress McGonagall standing up in front of them, ready to speak, had reminded many of the Headmaster who had been with them through most of their formative years. It was like a collective intake of breath that sucked just a little of the celebratory mood out of the air.
“I stand here today in front of far too few of you.” She paused for a moment, looking out over the somber young faces gathered before her. Usually the end of the year at Hogwarts was a joyous time for graduating students, excited to move off into the world, to grow up. These students had already had to do far too much growing up.
“This past year has been a difficult one for all of us. Many of us have suffered great losses, but I am also proud to say that many have shown great bravery, fortitude, and skill. The graduation feast has long been a time of celebration here at Hogwarts, this year no less than any other. So I urge you all, not to forget those who cannot be here tonight, but to celebrate their sacrifice, celebrate your achievements, and celebrate the freedom that each and every one of you has earned. No one knows better than I that you have all already become adults. You have already become the best of yourselves. I have been honored to serve the cause alongside each and every one of you.”
The applause were deafening. They stomped and clapped and cheered and cried together for a solid five minutes before McGongall raised her hands for silence.
“I said before that there were too few of you here. Some of those absent can never be returned to us. Some chose a dark path, anathema to the principles of tolerance and wisdom that we have tried to teach. Some, however, chose simply not to defy their families. Loyalty is an admirable quality, however displaced it may be. They have committed no crimes and their bravery in coming here tonight, facing their classmates who may now consider them enemies, shows how much they value their education, this school, and you, their classmates. I ask you now to do something more adult than anything that has yet been demanded of you. I ask you to welcome them home.”
Only three students stepped into the great hall. Three of more than a dozen Slytherins who should have graduated this year. Some were in jail, some were dead, some were simply missing. Only Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, and Draco Malfoy walked slowly up to join McGonagall.
A tense silence hung over the great hall. Emotions still ran high. Losses were still new and sharply painful. These were people they associated with them with the death eaters, with those who had killed and injured friends and family.
Hermione wasn’t quite sure what made her do it. Maybe it was that she remembered once sharing a companionable study session in the Library with Daphne, maybe it was because Blaise looked positively green with trepidation, but he was still standing there. Maybe because, for once, Draco Malfoy wasn’t sneering or insulting her. Mostly because this, prejudice, judgement, hatred, was what they had all fought against.
She raised her voice loud and clear above the silence. “Three cheers for Slytherin!” There was a momentary shocked silence, from those on the podium as much as those in the hall, followed by wild applause. Daphne and Blaise looked surprised but pleased. Draco Maloy was looking at her, clearly confused.
Again McGonagall raised her hands for silence. “Now some of you may have heard some rumors about the actions of some of your peers during the war.” The group’s attention focused sharply on Draco Malfoy. Hermione saw him stiffen ever so slightly in response.
“I ask each and every one of you, what would you do if your mother or your father’s life was on the line? I sincerely hope that each and every one of you would show the same strength of character that each of these three people have shown. I hope you would have removed yourself from home and family rather than obey orders that you couldn’t support like Ms. Greengrass. I hope you would have staged your own death, like Mr. Zabini. And it would be more than I could possibly expect that, with no alternative, you would obey orders against your convictions in order to protect your family, while risking your own life to pass vital information to the other side, like Mr. Malfoy.”
Draco paled, clearly having not expected this. An audible gasp ran over the crowd.
Hermione didn’t think she could ever look at him the same way again. How wrong they had all been! Not about him being a gitty tosser, certainly not. However, mistaking some minor character flaws for real evil was a fault indeed.
This time Hermione didn’t need to start anything. The assembled students were already cheering even louder than they had before for the three Slytherin students that stood before them.
Hermione was struck by the oddity of the whole situation. For all their seven years, she had been convinced that being in Slytherin automatically made someone into her enemy. How unfortunate that it took a war to prove her wrong.
“Now enough of weighty issues!” said McGonagall once things had calmed down. “Students of Hogwarts, congratulations on your graduation! You are truly the finest class of graduates I have ever been privileged to teach. Now go enjoy yourselves!”
With a pop the hall transformed itself. Table disappeared, tiny strings of colored lights blinked around the room, and the head table disappeared only to be replaced by a band. A band that looked oddly familiar…
“The Weird Sisters!” Someone in the crowd exclaimed.
And just like that, with a “one two three four” from the drummer, the party had begun.
*************************
It was almost an hour later before Harry found a chance to talk to Draco.
“Malfoy,” he said, approaching him where he sat against the wall.
“Potter,” he replied cautiously.
“I owe you an apology.” Said Harry simply, looking a little pained to do so.
Draco rolled his eyes, “For what? Thinking I was an evil git or slicing me open in the toilet?”
“Will you give me a break here Malfoy? I’m trying to do the right thing?” Harry let out an exasperated sigh. He supposed he shouldn’t have assumed Malfoy had any particular inclination to like him just because he had switched sides.
“Then maybe you should think about getting a haircut.” Malfoy deadpanned.
Harry almost…almost cracked a grin at that one. “At least I don’t have girly hair. Maybe you should man up Malfoy.”
“Man up? Is that what you call it when you and Weasely…”
“Hey!” Harry cut him off. Malfoy smirked. An awkward silence followed.
“So,” Harry asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him, “When did you…you know, become a spy?”
Draco had known that this was what Harry was after from the moment he approached. He had already decided that it was best just to get it over with, so he didn’t hesitate.
“Right after my father told me I had to kill Dumbledore.” He said calmly. “Dumbledore offered me asylum, but they were going to kill my Mum, so I said I wouldn’t run away. I offered to stick with it for as long as I could if he would find a way to get my Mum out safely.”
Harry was gobsmacked. “So you’ve been spying for two years?”
Draco nodded.
“What about when you let the Deatheaters into Hogwarts.” He asked.
“Had to,” Draco replied simply, “I couldn’t find a way around it without blowing my cover.”
“What about the room of requirement?” Harry was on a role now.
“You’ll notice I didn’t kill you.” Draco responded serenely.
“What about when you fought me at your house? I mean, couldn’t you just have let us go?”
“Don’t be stupid Potter, I was the master of the elder wand. You had to win it.”
Harry looked at him with open mouthed shock.
“You knew?”
“Of course I did you speccy git! You didn’t really think I’d be that easy to defeat did you?”
“Well,” said Harry considering, “It wasn’t all that easy…But how did you know about the wand? I didn’t even know at that point.”
“Dumbledore.” Said Draco, as if the answer was blatantly obvious. Which, Harry supposed, it was. “It would have been an awfully convenient bit of luck if I had just happened to disarm Dumbledore, and just happened to leave his wand behind, and you just happened to defeat me and take my wand, and then just happened to be able to retrieve the elder wand from where it was being safely kept. Would’ve been pretty irresponsible of the old man to leave that all to chance, don’t you think.”
Harry was flabbergasted. He had been pretty sure that it had just been an extraordinary string of luck. Of course, in retrospect, he should have known Dumbledore had a plan.
“Well…” said Harry finally, “Well done then.” He stuck out his hand to Malfoy.
After only a moments pause, Malfoy shook his hand.
“We’re not friends you know,” Maloy said, sticking his hand back in his pocket.
“Didn’t say we were,” said Harry evenly, “but we are allies.”
Draco nodded once in agreement.
“Well,” said Harry, but couldn’t think of anything else to say, so he just turned and walked away. He couldn’t figure out if that had gone well or not.
*****************************************
Harry was walking past an arched opening, a glass of pumpkin juice in his hand, when he was abruptly grabbed by the collar and pulled into the hallway.
“What the bloody hell!” he exclaimed, shaking spilled pumpkin juice off his hand. He looked up to find himself staring at an irate Ginny Weasley.
“Ginny!” He exclaimed, “I…what are you doing here?”
“Gate crashing, apparently.” She said in a steely voice that he had learned to fear.
“Okay,” he said, in what he hoped was a soothing voice, “why are you gate crashing?”
Apparently that was the wrong question. “Because you DIDN’T INVITE ME HAROLD JAMES POTTER!”
Oh dear. This was not good.
“I suppose I should have expected it. It’s not like I’m your girlfriend or anything. I should have known that whole ‘protecting me from evil wizards’ thing was bollocks. Well I’ll tell you what Harry Potter. I don’t need you, so you can go JUMP IN THE LAKE for all I care. I hope you and Reginald will be VERY HAPPY!”
“Reginald?” Harry wasn’t quite sure why that was what he was reacting to.
“The squid.” Said Ginny succinctly.
“The squid is named Reginald?” Harry asked incredulosely.
“Well…I named him Reginald.” Said Ginny sharply.
Harry burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it.
“Harry this is NOT FUNNY!” Yelled Ginny. However, she looked like she was trying to hold back her giggles.
“Only my girl would name a big ugly squid something like Reginald.”
And suddenly it wasn’t so funny anymore.
“I’m sorry I didn’t invite you Ginny. Everything has been so crazy. I haven’t had a moment to myself. You know that if I had, I would have been on your doorstep before you could say broomstick.”
“You would?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course!” Harry exclaimed. “I have spent a whole year dreaming about when I was going to get to be with you again.”
“Dreaming hey?” said Ginny mischievously.
Harry smiled. “You are my girl though, aren’t you Ginny? Even though sometimes I’m really really thick and I don’t deserve you?”
“Oh Harry, of course I am.” She threw her arms around his neck and he pressed his face into her hair. Looking back, he thought that that moment was when the war really ended for him. When he stopped fighting and started living.
He pulled back, simply looking at her. She had changed in the last year. She looked a little older, she was wearing her hair differently, but she was still the most beautiful thing Harry had ever seen.
“My beautiful girl.” He whispered to her. He pulled her closer, tangling his hand in her hair, and pressed his lips against hers.
******************************
A few moments later, Ron was wondering where Harry was. He heard something off in the corridor and went to investigate.
He found Harry, glasses askew, hair even messier than usual, with one hand in the hair of and one hand up the skirt of his little sister, whom he was snogging like there was no tomorrow. Ron looked on with amusement for a moment. He was happy for both of them that they could finally make a real go of it. Not that he particularly wanted them to make a real go of it right in front of him. It was still his little sister.
“Oi!” he hollered, feeling immensely amused as they jumped apart with blinding speed.
“Get your hands off my little sister!” Harry looked at Ron in shock and fear for a moment, Ginny with wide eyed astonishment.
Ron doubled over with laughter, “Oh the looks on your faces!” he managed to get out.
“Ron you wanker.” Harry said, pulling a barrette from Ginny’s hair and tossing it at him. “At least I didn’t stop for a snog with my best mate in the middle of a battle.”
“Ronald Weasley, you didn’t!” Ginny shrieked at him.
“Oh yeah…” said Ron sheepishly, “I’d almost forgotten about that.”
“Well why don’t you go find her for a snog and leave us in peace!” said Harry, purposefully pulling Ginny closer again.
“Well…” Ron paused, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous habit, “I’m not so sure that’s the best idea.”
“Why not?” Harry was clearly astonished.
“I’m not really sure that I want to kiss Hermione again.”
Harry and Ginny could not have looked more stunned if a pack of blast ended skrewts had dropped from the sky in front of them.
“But…but all the fighting…and the jealously….and….what?” Ginny stammered.
“Well, it turns out that, even though I thought it would be great, snogging Hermione is kind of like snogging my sister.” Ron said. Ginny looked ill.
“That’s gross Ron.”
“Maybe,” said Harry quite forcefully, “you should go talk to Hermione about all this.”
Ron sighed, “Right as always Harry.” He said, “And maybe you, the hero of the hour, should get back to the party.”
Harry rolled his eyes but moved back towards the great hall, “Aye aye captain,” he saluted sarcastically. “Coming Gin?” he offered his arm. Ginny took it with a brilliant smile and they moved back into the noise and confusion of the celebration.
**********************************
Ron made his way rather woozily towards where Hermione was standing against the wall. He had made a few trips to the punch bowl in the mean time, for a little liquid courage. An objective observer might have told him to slow down about four drinks ago.
“Hi ‘mione” He slurred, interrupting her conversation with Padma, “How’r you?”
“Sober,” said Hermione with a grin, “And you?”
Ron considered for a moment. “Drunk.”
“I noticed.” Hermione put a hand out to steady Ron’s swaying.
“Can we talk?” He asked.
“Uh…sure,” said Hermione. She had known this encounter would come and felt very uneasy about it. Sure it had been her that had kissed Ron in the heat of the moment, and there had been tension brewing between them for years. But when she had kissed him, it hadn’t been what she expected. There were no sparks, no stars, no nothing. It was hardly more exciting than kissing Victor Krum.
Now, she had no doubt, he was about to confess his undying love or something equally dramatic and she was going to have to turn him down.
“About the kiss,” Ron began gracelessly.
“Yes.” Said Hermione neutrally, “what about it.”
“It wasn’t very good.” Ron ploughed foolishly ahead.
“Oh yeah?” said Hermione, bristling at the offense even though she agreed. “And whose fault is that?”
“I think it’s yours, because you’re my best friend and not really a girl.” Ron paused after this came out, suddenly realizing that maybe that wasn’t quite what he had meant to say. “I mean, you’re not a girl because you’re Hermione…no, that’s not it either…uhhh”
Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that you’re not interested in me romantically because we are such good friends?” She asked archly.
“Yeah! Yeah that was it exactly!” Ron agreed enthusiastically.
“Ronald Weasly it is a good thing I agree with you. Next time you let down a girl who may actually be interested in you, try to be slightly less oafish about it.” Hermione turned on her heel and marched smartly away. It had gone, she thought, much better than it could have. But she wasn’t about to let Ron get away with a speech like that.
Ron watched her go in bewilderment. Blaise Zabini, who was standing nearby, commented dryly “women.”
“Boy you said it.” Said Ron rather petulantly.
“Have you ever thought of batting for the other team Weasely?”
“…”
**********************************
Hermione stepped out of the hall into the cool night air. Maybe it had been her encounter with Ron, or maybe it was the absence of far too many people, but suddenly the celebration seemed to be passing her by. An odd sort of melancholy was setting in. And it seemed like she was not alone. Draco Malfoy was sitting on a nearby stone bench, looking utterly dejected. She took a deep breath and approached.
“This seat taken Malfoy?” she asked, pointing at the empty spot on the bench.
Draco looked up at her. She had expected him to look sad or haunted or something but he just looked at her impassively and shrugged.
“I think I owe you an apology Malfoy,” she began.
Draco cut her off with a choked laugh, “must I really endure these overtures of friendship from every single Gryffindor?”
“I wasn’t trying to be your friend Malfoy. I still think you’re a stuck-up git who ought to have been muzzled through puberty.”
Draco looked mildly surprised. Also impressed. “Muzzled.”
“So you could keep your venomous thoughts to yourself.” Hermione clarified serenely.
“If you’re quite happy to continue loathing me then I’m quite happy to reciprocate. No apologies necessary.” Draco waved a hand at her dismissively.
“I want to apologize for assuming that your behavior dictated your loyalties. It was short sighted and prejudiced of me. If I hadn’t been so blinded by my dislike of you, I probably would have figured it all out. In retrospect I feel quite foolish.”
Draco made an amused sort of noise, “yes, you probably would have figured it out Granger. So what?”
“I could have made it easier.”
Draco shrugged, “nothing was going to make it easier.”
“I suppose not.”
“You know Granger, everyone else seems to think that what I did makes me a different person. They’re all trying to be my friends and assuming that I’ll be excited to, I don’t know, rescue puppies with them, or whatever it is you Gryffindors do. So, thanks for still hating me, I suppose.”
Hermione looked at him for a long moment. It seemed an odd moment of honesty. She wondered why he had spoken so frankly to her. He seemed to be wondering the same thing.
“You know,” said Hermione thoughtfully, “I don’t think I ever really hated you. I just didn’t understand your world. You may have missed it, but I don’t like things I don’t understand.”
Draco snorted, “Really, I hadn’t noticed.”
The corner of her lips turned up in a grin. Even a year ago, Draco pondered, that sort of comment would have set her flying into an indignant rage. He had gloried in setting off her temper as a child. It seemed as if both of them had grown up a good deal. And he would have to be a fool not to notice how beautiful she had become. As they sat in silence for a moment, Draco thought that he wouldn’t actually mind getting to know her a little. Puppy rescuing was still completely out though.
Although Hermione had not approached him with any intention of becoming friends, nor did she find him much changed from who he had been before, she was finding that her opinion of him was quickly changing. It was more of a shift in perspective. Things she had found infuriating, offensive, or evil in the past became a little more understandable now she knew the incredible pressure put on him by his place in society. She wasn’t about to invite him over for tea or anything, but it was something.
“You should go back to the party.” Draco said, finally breaking the silence. “I’m sure your friends are missing you.”
“Yeah,” said Hermione reluctantly standing up.
“I hate parties.” They spoke nearly simultaneously.
They shared a smile.
“I’ll see you in there Draco.” Said Hermione, very deliberately using his first name. It had been so much easier to think of him as a last name, a flat character, a foil. Now, she supposed, she was going to have to start thinking about him as a person, as a peer. Wizarding Britain was an awfully small place.
Draco gave no sign that he noticed her use of his name, merely nodding as she walked away. He had thought, when he had come tonight, that he was going to have to fight his way, tooth and nail, back into respectable society. Accolades for war heroics were only going to last so long, and then people would start remembering who he had been for so many years before the war, who he still was. Hermione Granger had just given him the first light of hope he had had in a long time.
*********************
Later, Hermione slumped in a chair against the wall, exhausted. She had lost count of how many songs she had danced about a dozen ago. Her feet hurt, she was getting a headache, but the party showed no signs of winding down.
She watched with curiosity as Draco made his way back into the great hall. She was surprised when he headed her way.
The band started to play a slow song.
Hermione suddenly felt enormously uncomfortable. What if he asked her to dance? Sure she thought he might be worth getting to know…but he was Draco Malfoy! He had called her the most offensive name she knew, tormented her and her friends! And now he wanted to slow dance?
Hermione stopped herself. This was exactly the sort of prejudice that had gotten them all into this situation. If Draco Malfoy wanted to dance with her then by God she would give him the same chance she would give anyone else.
“Hermione.” He said by way of greeting, stopping in from on her.
“You decided to give us puppy loving Gryffindors another chance did you?” said Hermione wryly, not missing for a moment his use of her first name.
“Well, a side effect of the whole double agent thing is you pretty much loose any friends you had. No one told me.”
“Was it worth it?” Hermione found herself asking the question before she could stop herself. It wasn’t what she had meant to say, but suddenly the answer was very important to her.
“Yes.” Draco replied simply and without hesitation.
There was a laden silence. “So,” Draco continued lightly, “I suppose I’m going to have to take a stab at the other side. Not literally of course.” He smirked. “And since you’re the least offensive Gryffindor I could think of, I thought maybe you’d like to dance.”
Hermione was oddly flattered. Here was Draco Malfoy, one of the best looking boys in school, asking her to dance. And he looked nervous! Nervous to ask her to dance.
“I’d like that.” She said, her sore feet and headache forgotten.
He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet.
They didn’t share any whispered words, or any words at all. They didn’t look into each other’s eyes. They didn’t hold each other close.
Instead, they stood almost amusingly far apart, they avoided each other’s gaze, they simply swayed slowly to the music.
Hermione didn’t think she would ever forget it.
Her hands tingled where they rested against his neck. She felt nervous and sweaty like she was fourteen again. She felt goosebumps rise up on her neck where his breath fell. She told herself firmly that it was simply the appeal of the unknown.
The song seemed to last forever and it seemed to end far too soon. As they parted, Draco uncomfortably cleared his throat.
“Hermione, I…” he didn’t get any farther as a still intoxicated Ron broke in between them and pushed them apart.
“Ron! What are you doing?” cried Hermione.
“Pulling Malfoy off of you!” he shouted, looking angrily at Draco who looked thoroughly confused.
“We were dancing Ronald.” She said irritably.
“But it’s Malfoy, Hermione.” Ron blundered on. “Even if he’s not evil, he’s still Malfoy.” At this, Draco turned around and walked away. Hermione could see the tension in his shoulders.
“I know that Ron.” Said Hermione, trying to keep her cool. “But did it ever occur to you that if you were wrong about his loyalties, maybe you’re wrong about him?”
Ron looked confused. Hermione didn’t wait around to hear his response. She turned and walked in the direction Draco had gone.
******************************
It took her a little while wandering through the corridors to find him. He was sitting on the floor with his head between his legs.
“Draco?” she approached cautiously. She wasn’t quite sure what she would do it he was crying. She should have known better.
“Your friend is a huge git.” He said calmly, looking up at her as she approached.
“Yes, a surprising amount of the time.” Hermione agreed, settling herself on the floor beside him, a safe distance away.
“He’s probably not alone in his point of view.” Draco said.
“No, probably not.” Said Hermione, judging that Draco probably wasn’t the sort who needed sugar coating. “So are you going to give up? Crawl into a hole and die?”
“I was thinking of crawling into my opulent mansion.” He said with a wry smile.
“You’re not really going to do that.” Hermione stated. She didn’t know him well, but she knew him better than that.
“No.” he agreed. “I’m not. I suppose I’m just going to keep going around taking out my frustration of poor, unsuspecting walls.” He lifted his hand, flexing it painfully.
His knuckles were skinned, bleeding, and already swelling. Hermione reached out and gently took it.
“Here,” she said quietly, pulling out her wand, “let me fix that.”
Draco sat silently, watching her as she knit the skin together.
“You know,” he said, trying to distract himself from the warmth spreading from where her hand held his, “This can never go back to the way they were. I can’t figure out where I fit right now.”
He thought, in retrospect, he would have been better to keep his mouth shut. He wondered if everyone tended to let out shockingly honest thoughts to her, or if it was just him.
“You’ll find a place.” Said Hermione confidently, putting her wand away, “Besides, not all change is bad.” She looked up at him from under lowered eyelashes. Shy, and uncertain how do deal with this new situation.
She unconsciously licked her lips and Draco’s brain turned off. He leaned towards her, burying a hand in her soft curly hair and pressing his lips against hers.
It was relatively brief and closed mouth, but Hermione felt all the sparks and saw all the stars that had been missing when she kissed Ron.
They parted, both looking surprised at what had happened.
Draco broke the silence. “No, change isn’t really bad at all.”
******************************
The next week, Hermione was moving into a brand new flat in London, ready to start a new job.
She hadn’t spoken to Draco since they had kissed at the graduation party. Harry had come upon them shortly after and, while he hadn’t said anything about her choice of companion, he had been adamant about pulling her back to the party.
She hadn’t tried to contact him since. She had no idea what she would say. “Hey, thanks for the best kiss I’ve ever had. I know it was short and I know we have a long history of violently disliking each other, but how ‘bout a snog.”
She laughed out loud at the thought of it. No, she was fairly sure nothing would ever come of the whole situation.
An owl pecked at the window. Hermione walked over and pulled it open, taking a thick parchment envelope. She looked at it curiously as the bird flew off. Besides her name on the front, it was completely blank. She pulled open the seal and removed the letter.
Hermione,
I’ve been intending to write you every day for the past week. I find myself completely at as loss as to how I ought to write you, what I ought to say. In some ways, life was a lot easier when there were rules to follow. Then again, writing this letter at all would have been very much against the rules. Still, I have come to the conclusion that it is better to do this the only way I know how than not to do it at all.
Miss Granger, may I request the pleasure of your company for dinner this coming Friday the 3rd? I would be pleased to pick you up at your home at 7:00 in the evening. I look forward to your reply.
Yours,
Draco Malfoy
Hermione finally drew a breath and said “Change is really good.”
Title: Changes
Challenge: dhr_challenge #3: The Party has Just Begun
Author:imogen_penn
Rating: PG
Spoilers: General spoilers for Deathly Hallows.
Summary: The war is over, the seventh years have graduated and in Hogwarts tradition, a Graduation Ball has been thrown. The Weird Sisters are back to play the event and everyone is letting loose
“Good evening students,” Professor McGonagall’s crisp voice rang out over the great hall. No, Hermione mentally corrected herself, Headmistress McGonagall. It was hard to remember, sometimes, that Dumbledore was gone. Especially now. The war was over. Celebration was in the air. Things ought to be right again, happy again. However, there were constant reminders of loss that seemed to jump up behind you just when you thought you might remember what normal was. Hermione got the feeling that seeing Headmistress McGonagall standing up in front of them, ready to speak, had reminded many of the Headmaster who had been with them through most of their formative years. It was like a collective intake of breath that sucked just a little of the celebratory mood out of the air.
“I stand here today in front of far too few of you.” She paused for a moment, looking out over the somber young faces gathered before her. Usually the end of the year at Hogwarts was a joyous time for graduating students, excited to move off into the world, to grow up. These students had already had to do far too much growing up.
“This past year has been a difficult one for all of us. Many of us have suffered great losses, but I am also proud to say that many have shown great bravery, fortitude, and skill. The graduation feast has long been a time of celebration here at Hogwarts, this year no less than any other. So I urge you all, not to forget those who cannot be here tonight, but to celebrate their sacrifice, celebrate your achievements, and celebrate the freedom that each and every one of you has earned. No one knows better than I that you have all already become adults. You have already become the best of yourselves. I have been honored to serve the cause alongside each and every one of you.”
The applause were deafening. They stomped and clapped and cheered and cried together for a solid five minutes before McGongall raised her hands for silence.
“I said before that there were too few of you here. Some of those absent can never be returned to us. Some chose a dark path, anathema to the principles of tolerance and wisdom that we have tried to teach. Some, however, chose simply not to defy their families. Loyalty is an admirable quality, however displaced it may be. They have committed no crimes and their bravery in coming here tonight, facing their classmates who may now consider them enemies, shows how much they value their education, this school, and you, their classmates. I ask you now to do something more adult than anything that has yet been demanded of you. I ask you to welcome them home.”
Only three students stepped into the great hall. Three of more than a dozen Slytherins who should have graduated this year. Some were in jail, some were dead, some were simply missing. Only Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, and Draco Malfoy walked slowly up to join McGonagall.
A tense silence hung over the great hall. Emotions still ran high. Losses were still new and sharply painful. These were people they associated with them with the death eaters, with those who had killed and injured friends and family.
Hermione wasn’t quite sure what made her do it. Maybe it was that she remembered once sharing a companionable study session in the Library with Daphne, maybe it was because Blaise looked positively green with trepidation, but he was still standing there. Maybe because, for once, Draco Malfoy wasn’t sneering or insulting her. Mostly because this, prejudice, judgement, hatred, was what they had all fought against.
She raised her voice loud and clear above the silence. “Three cheers for Slytherin!” There was a momentary shocked silence, from those on the podium as much as those in the hall, followed by wild applause. Daphne and Blaise looked surprised but pleased. Draco Maloy was looking at her, clearly confused.
Again McGonagall raised her hands for silence. “Now some of you may have heard some rumors about the actions of some of your peers during the war.” The group’s attention focused sharply on Draco Malfoy. Hermione saw him stiffen ever so slightly in response.
“I ask each and every one of you, what would you do if your mother or your father’s life was on the line? I sincerely hope that each and every one of you would show the same strength of character that each of these three people have shown. I hope you would have removed yourself from home and family rather than obey orders that you couldn’t support like Ms. Greengrass. I hope you would have staged your own death, like Mr. Zabini. And it would be more than I could possibly expect that, with no alternative, you would obey orders against your convictions in order to protect your family, while risking your own life to pass vital information to the other side, like Mr. Malfoy.”
Draco paled, clearly having not expected this. An audible gasp ran over the crowd.
Hermione didn’t think she could ever look at him the same way again. How wrong they had all been! Not about him being a gitty tosser, certainly not. However, mistaking some minor character flaws for real evil was a fault indeed.
This time Hermione didn’t need to start anything. The assembled students were already cheering even louder than they had before for the three Slytherin students that stood before them.
Hermione was struck by the oddity of the whole situation. For all their seven years, she had been convinced that being in Slytherin automatically made someone into her enemy. How unfortunate that it took a war to prove her wrong.
“Now enough of weighty issues!” said McGonagall once things had calmed down. “Students of Hogwarts, congratulations on your graduation! You are truly the finest class of graduates I have ever been privileged to teach. Now go enjoy yourselves!”
With a pop the hall transformed itself. Table disappeared, tiny strings of colored lights blinked around the room, and the head table disappeared only to be replaced by a band. A band that looked oddly familiar…
“The Weird Sisters!” Someone in the crowd exclaimed.
And just like that, with a “one two three four” from the drummer, the party had begun.
*************************
It was almost an hour later before Harry found a chance to talk to Draco.
“Malfoy,” he said, approaching him where he sat against the wall.
“Potter,” he replied cautiously.
“I owe you an apology.” Said Harry simply, looking a little pained to do so.
Draco rolled his eyes, “For what? Thinking I was an evil git or slicing me open in the toilet?”
“Will you give me a break here Malfoy? I’m trying to do the right thing?” Harry let out an exasperated sigh. He supposed he shouldn’t have assumed Malfoy had any particular inclination to like him just because he had switched sides.
“Then maybe you should think about getting a haircut.” Malfoy deadpanned.
Harry almost…almost cracked a grin at that one. “At least I don’t have girly hair. Maybe you should man up Malfoy.”
“Man up? Is that what you call it when you and Weasely…”
“Hey!” Harry cut him off. Malfoy smirked. An awkward silence followed.
“So,” Harry asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him, “When did you…you know, become a spy?”
Draco had known that this was what Harry was after from the moment he approached. He had already decided that it was best just to get it over with, so he didn’t hesitate.
“Right after my father told me I had to kill Dumbledore.” He said calmly. “Dumbledore offered me asylum, but they were going to kill my Mum, so I said I wouldn’t run away. I offered to stick with it for as long as I could if he would find a way to get my Mum out safely.”
Harry was gobsmacked. “So you’ve been spying for two years?”
Draco nodded.
“What about when you let the Deatheaters into Hogwarts.” He asked.
“Had to,” Draco replied simply, “I couldn’t find a way around it without blowing my cover.”
“What about the room of requirement?” Harry was on a role now.
“You’ll notice I didn’t kill you.” Draco responded serenely.
“What about when you fought me at your house? I mean, couldn’t you just have let us go?”
“Don’t be stupid Potter, I was the master of the elder wand. You had to win it.”
Harry looked at him with open mouthed shock.
“You knew?”
“Of course I did you speccy git! You didn’t really think I’d be that easy to defeat did you?”
“Well,” said Harry considering, “It wasn’t all that easy…But how did you know about the wand? I didn’t even know at that point.”
“Dumbledore.” Said Draco, as if the answer was blatantly obvious. Which, Harry supposed, it was. “It would have been an awfully convenient bit of luck if I had just happened to disarm Dumbledore, and just happened to leave his wand behind, and you just happened to defeat me and take my wand, and then just happened to be able to retrieve the elder wand from where it was being safely kept. Would’ve been pretty irresponsible of the old man to leave that all to chance, don’t you think.”
Harry was flabbergasted. He had been pretty sure that it had just been an extraordinary string of luck. Of course, in retrospect, he should have known Dumbledore had a plan.
“Well…” said Harry finally, “Well done then.” He stuck out his hand to Malfoy.
After only a moments pause, Malfoy shook his hand.
“We’re not friends you know,” Maloy said, sticking his hand back in his pocket.
“Didn’t say we were,” said Harry evenly, “but we are allies.”
Draco nodded once in agreement.
“Well,” said Harry, but couldn’t think of anything else to say, so he just turned and walked away. He couldn’t figure out if that had gone well or not.
*****************************************
Harry was walking past an arched opening, a glass of pumpkin juice in his hand, when he was abruptly grabbed by the collar and pulled into the hallway.
“What the bloody hell!” he exclaimed, shaking spilled pumpkin juice off his hand. He looked up to find himself staring at an irate Ginny Weasley.
“Ginny!” He exclaimed, “I…what are you doing here?”
“Gate crashing, apparently.” She said in a steely voice that he had learned to fear.
“Okay,” he said, in what he hoped was a soothing voice, “why are you gate crashing?”
Apparently that was the wrong question. “Because you DIDN’T INVITE ME HAROLD JAMES POTTER!”
Oh dear. This was not good.
“I suppose I should have expected it. It’s not like I’m your girlfriend or anything. I should have known that whole ‘protecting me from evil wizards’ thing was bollocks. Well I’ll tell you what Harry Potter. I don’t need you, so you can go JUMP IN THE LAKE for all I care. I hope you and Reginald will be VERY HAPPY!”
“Reginald?” Harry wasn’t quite sure why that was what he was reacting to.
“The squid.” Said Ginny succinctly.
“The squid is named Reginald?” Harry asked incredulosely.
“Well…I named him Reginald.” Said Ginny sharply.
Harry burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it.
“Harry this is NOT FUNNY!” Yelled Ginny. However, she looked like she was trying to hold back her giggles.
“Only my girl would name a big ugly squid something like Reginald.”
And suddenly it wasn’t so funny anymore.
“I’m sorry I didn’t invite you Ginny. Everything has been so crazy. I haven’t had a moment to myself. You know that if I had, I would have been on your doorstep before you could say broomstick.”
“You would?” she asked hopefully.
“Of course!” Harry exclaimed. “I have spent a whole year dreaming about when I was going to get to be with you again.”
“Dreaming hey?” said Ginny mischievously.
Harry smiled. “You are my girl though, aren’t you Ginny? Even though sometimes I’m really really thick and I don’t deserve you?”
“Oh Harry, of course I am.” She threw her arms around his neck and he pressed his face into her hair. Looking back, he thought that that moment was when the war really ended for him. When he stopped fighting and started living.
He pulled back, simply looking at her. She had changed in the last year. She looked a little older, she was wearing her hair differently, but she was still the most beautiful thing Harry had ever seen.
“My beautiful girl.” He whispered to her. He pulled her closer, tangling his hand in her hair, and pressed his lips against hers.
******************************
A few moments later, Ron was wondering where Harry was. He heard something off in the corridor and went to investigate.
He found Harry, glasses askew, hair even messier than usual, with one hand in the hair of and one hand up the skirt of his little sister, whom he was snogging like there was no tomorrow. Ron looked on with amusement for a moment. He was happy for both of them that they could finally make a real go of it. Not that he particularly wanted them to make a real go of it right in front of him. It was still his little sister.
“Oi!” he hollered, feeling immensely amused as they jumped apart with blinding speed.
“Get your hands off my little sister!” Harry looked at Ron in shock and fear for a moment, Ginny with wide eyed astonishment.
Ron doubled over with laughter, “Oh the looks on your faces!” he managed to get out.
“Ron you wanker.” Harry said, pulling a barrette from Ginny’s hair and tossing it at him. “At least I didn’t stop for a snog with my best mate in the middle of a battle.”
“Ronald Weasley, you didn’t!” Ginny shrieked at him.
“Oh yeah…” said Ron sheepishly, “I’d almost forgotten about that.”
“Well why don’t you go find her for a snog and leave us in peace!” said Harry, purposefully pulling Ginny closer again.
“Well…” Ron paused, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous habit, “I’m not so sure that’s the best idea.”
“Why not?” Harry was clearly astonished.
“I’m not really sure that I want to kiss Hermione again.”
Harry and Ginny could not have looked more stunned if a pack of blast ended skrewts had dropped from the sky in front of them.
“But…but all the fighting…and the jealously….and….what?” Ginny stammered.
“Well, it turns out that, even though I thought it would be great, snogging Hermione is kind of like snogging my sister.” Ron said. Ginny looked ill.
“That’s gross Ron.”
“Maybe,” said Harry quite forcefully, “you should go talk to Hermione about all this.”
Ron sighed, “Right as always Harry.” He said, “And maybe you, the hero of the hour, should get back to the party.”
Harry rolled his eyes but moved back towards the great hall, “Aye aye captain,” he saluted sarcastically. “Coming Gin?” he offered his arm. Ginny took it with a brilliant smile and they moved back into the noise and confusion of the celebration.
**********************************
Ron made his way rather woozily towards where Hermione was standing against the wall. He had made a few trips to the punch bowl in the mean time, for a little liquid courage. An objective observer might have told him to slow down about four drinks ago.
“Hi ‘mione” He slurred, interrupting her conversation with Padma, “How’r you?”
“Sober,” said Hermione with a grin, “And you?”
Ron considered for a moment. “Drunk.”
“I noticed.” Hermione put a hand out to steady Ron’s swaying.
“Can we talk?” He asked.
“Uh…sure,” said Hermione. She had known this encounter would come and felt very uneasy about it. Sure it had been her that had kissed Ron in the heat of the moment, and there had been tension brewing between them for years. But when she had kissed him, it hadn’t been what she expected. There were no sparks, no stars, no nothing. It was hardly more exciting than kissing Victor Krum.
Now, she had no doubt, he was about to confess his undying love or something equally dramatic and she was going to have to turn him down.
“About the kiss,” Ron began gracelessly.
“Yes.” Said Hermione neutrally, “what about it.”
“It wasn’t very good.” Ron ploughed foolishly ahead.
“Oh yeah?” said Hermione, bristling at the offense even though she agreed. “And whose fault is that?”
“I think it’s yours, because you’re my best friend and not really a girl.” Ron paused after this came out, suddenly realizing that maybe that wasn’t quite what he had meant to say. “I mean, you’re not a girl because you’re Hermione…no, that’s not it either…uhhh”
Hermione raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me that you’re not interested in me romantically because we are such good friends?” She asked archly.
“Yeah! Yeah that was it exactly!” Ron agreed enthusiastically.
“Ronald Weasly it is a good thing I agree with you. Next time you let down a girl who may actually be interested in you, try to be slightly less oafish about it.” Hermione turned on her heel and marched smartly away. It had gone, she thought, much better than it could have. But she wasn’t about to let Ron get away with a speech like that.
Ron watched her go in bewilderment. Blaise Zabini, who was standing nearby, commented dryly “women.”
“Boy you said it.” Said Ron rather petulantly.
“Have you ever thought of batting for the other team Weasely?”
“…”
**********************************
Hermione stepped out of the hall into the cool night air. Maybe it had been her encounter with Ron, or maybe it was the absence of far too many people, but suddenly the celebration seemed to be passing her by. An odd sort of melancholy was setting in. And it seemed like she was not alone. Draco Malfoy was sitting on a nearby stone bench, looking utterly dejected. She took a deep breath and approached.
“This seat taken Malfoy?” she asked, pointing at the empty spot on the bench.
Draco looked up at her. She had expected him to look sad or haunted or something but he just looked at her impassively and shrugged.
“I think I owe you an apology Malfoy,” she began.
Draco cut her off with a choked laugh, “must I really endure these overtures of friendship from every single Gryffindor?”
“I wasn’t trying to be your friend Malfoy. I still think you’re a stuck-up git who ought to have been muzzled through puberty.”
Draco looked mildly surprised. Also impressed. “Muzzled.”
“So you could keep your venomous thoughts to yourself.” Hermione clarified serenely.
“If you’re quite happy to continue loathing me then I’m quite happy to reciprocate. No apologies necessary.” Draco waved a hand at her dismissively.
“I want to apologize for assuming that your behavior dictated your loyalties. It was short sighted and prejudiced of me. If I hadn’t been so blinded by my dislike of you, I probably would have figured it all out. In retrospect I feel quite foolish.”
Draco made an amused sort of noise, “yes, you probably would have figured it out Granger. So what?”
“I could have made it easier.”
Draco shrugged, “nothing was going to make it easier.”
“I suppose not.”
“You know Granger, everyone else seems to think that what I did makes me a different person. They’re all trying to be my friends and assuming that I’ll be excited to, I don’t know, rescue puppies with them, or whatever it is you Gryffindors do. So, thanks for still hating me, I suppose.”
Hermione looked at him for a long moment. It seemed an odd moment of honesty. She wondered why he had spoken so frankly to her. He seemed to be wondering the same thing.
“You know,” said Hermione thoughtfully, “I don’t think I ever really hated you. I just didn’t understand your world. You may have missed it, but I don’t like things I don’t understand.”
Draco snorted, “Really, I hadn’t noticed.”
The corner of her lips turned up in a grin. Even a year ago, Draco pondered, that sort of comment would have set her flying into an indignant rage. He had gloried in setting off her temper as a child. It seemed as if both of them had grown up a good deal. And he would have to be a fool not to notice how beautiful she had become. As they sat in silence for a moment, Draco thought that he wouldn’t actually mind getting to know her a little. Puppy rescuing was still completely out though.
Although Hermione had not approached him with any intention of becoming friends, nor did she find him much changed from who he had been before, she was finding that her opinion of him was quickly changing. It was more of a shift in perspective. Things she had found infuriating, offensive, or evil in the past became a little more understandable now she knew the incredible pressure put on him by his place in society. She wasn’t about to invite him over for tea or anything, but it was something.
“You should go back to the party.” Draco said, finally breaking the silence. “I’m sure your friends are missing you.”
“Yeah,” said Hermione reluctantly standing up.
“I hate parties.” They spoke nearly simultaneously.
They shared a smile.
“I’ll see you in there Draco.” Said Hermione, very deliberately using his first name. It had been so much easier to think of him as a last name, a flat character, a foil. Now, she supposed, she was going to have to start thinking about him as a person, as a peer. Wizarding Britain was an awfully small place.
Draco gave no sign that he noticed her use of his name, merely nodding as she walked away. He had thought, when he had come tonight, that he was going to have to fight his way, tooth and nail, back into respectable society. Accolades for war heroics were only going to last so long, and then people would start remembering who he had been for so many years before the war, who he still was. Hermione Granger had just given him the first light of hope he had had in a long time.
*********************
Later, Hermione slumped in a chair against the wall, exhausted. She had lost count of how many songs she had danced about a dozen ago. Her feet hurt, she was getting a headache, but the party showed no signs of winding down.
She watched with curiosity as Draco made his way back into the great hall. She was surprised when he headed her way.
The band started to play a slow song.
Hermione suddenly felt enormously uncomfortable. What if he asked her to dance? Sure she thought he might be worth getting to know…but he was Draco Malfoy! He had called her the most offensive name she knew, tormented her and her friends! And now he wanted to slow dance?
Hermione stopped herself. This was exactly the sort of prejudice that had gotten them all into this situation. If Draco Malfoy wanted to dance with her then by God she would give him the same chance she would give anyone else.
“Hermione.” He said by way of greeting, stopping in from on her.
“You decided to give us puppy loving Gryffindors another chance did you?” said Hermione wryly, not missing for a moment his use of her first name.
“Well, a side effect of the whole double agent thing is you pretty much loose any friends you had. No one told me.”
“Was it worth it?” Hermione found herself asking the question before she could stop herself. It wasn’t what she had meant to say, but suddenly the answer was very important to her.
“Yes.” Draco replied simply and without hesitation.
There was a laden silence. “So,” Draco continued lightly, “I suppose I’m going to have to take a stab at the other side. Not literally of course.” He smirked. “And since you’re the least offensive Gryffindor I could think of, I thought maybe you’d like to dance.”
Hermione was oddly flattered. Here was Draco Malfoy, one of the best looking boys in school, asking her to dance. And he looked nervous! Nervous to ask her to dance.
“I’d like that.” She said, her sore feet and headache forgotten.
He offered her a hand and pulled her to her feet.
They didn’t share any whispered words, or any words at all. They didn’t look into each other’s eyes. They didn’t hold each other close.
Instead, they stood almost amusingly far apart, they avoided each other’s gaze, they simply swayed slowly to the music.
Hermione didn’t think she would ever forget it.
Her hands tingled where they rested against his neck. She felt nervous and sweaty like she was fourteen again. She felt goosebumps rise up on her neck where his breath fell. She told herself firmly that it was simply the appeal of the unknown.
The song seemed to last forever and it seemed to end far too soon. As they parted, Draco uncomfortably cleared his throat.
“Hermione, I…” he didn’t get any farther as a still intoxicated Ron broke in between them and pushed them apart.
“Ron! What are you doing?” cried Hermione.
“Pulling Malfoy off of you!” he shouted, looking angrily at Draco who looked thoroughly confused.
“We were dancing Ronald.” She said irritably.
“But it’s Malfoy, Hermione.” Ron blundered on. “Even if he’s not evil, he’s still Malfoy.” At this, Draco turned around and walked away. Hermione could see the tension in his shoulders.
“I know that Ron.” Said Hermione, trying to keep her cool. “But did it ever occur to you that if you were wrong about his loyalties, maybe you’re wrong about him?”
Ron looked confused. Hermione didn’t wait around to hear his response. She turned and walked in the direction Draco had gone.
******************************
It took her a little while wandering through the corridors to find him. He was sitting on the floor with his head between his legs.
“Draco?” she approached cautiously. She wasn’t quite sure what she would do it he was crying. She should have known better.
“Your friend is a huge git.” He said calmly, looking up at her as she approached.
“Yes, a surprising amount of the time.” Hermione agreed, settling herself on the floor beside him, a safe distance away.
“He’s probably not alone in his point of view.” Draco said.
“No, probably not.” Said Hermione, judging that Draco probably wasn’t the sort who needed sugar coating. “So are you going to give up? Crawl into a hole and die?”
“I was thinking of crawling into my opulent mansion.” He said with a wry smile.
“You’re not really going to do that.” Hermione stated. She didn’t know him well, but she knew him better than that.
“No.” he agreed. “I’m not. I suppose I’m just going to keep going around taking out my frustration of poor, unsuspecting walls.” He lifted his hand, flexing it painfully.
His knuckles were skinned, bleeding, and already swelling. Hermione reached out and gently took it.
“Here,” she said quietly, pulling out her wand, “let me fix that.”
Draco sat silently, watching her as she knit the skin together.
“You know,” he said, trying to distract himself from the warmth spreading from where her hand held his, “This can never go back to the way they were. I can’t figure out where I fit right now.”
He thought, in retrospect, he would have been better to keep his mouth shut. He wondered if everyone tended to let out shockingly honest thoughts to her, or if it was just him.
“You’ll find a place.” Said Hermione confidently, putting her wand away, “Besides, not all change is bad.” She looked up at him from under lowered eyelashes. Shy, and uncertain how do deal with this new situation.
She unconsciously licked her lips and Draco’s brain turned off. He leaned towards her, burying a hand in her soft curly hair and pressing his lips against hers.
It was relatively brief and closed mouth, but Hermione felt all the sparks and saw all the stars that had been missing when she kissed Ron.
They parted, both looking surprised at what had happened.
Draco broke the silence. “No, change isn’t really bad at all.”
******************************
The next week, Hermione was moving into a brand new flat in London, ready to start a new job.
She hadn’t spoken to Draco since they had kissed at the graduation party. Harry had come upon them shortly after and, while he hadn’t said anything about her choice of companion, he had been adamant about pulling her back to the party.
She hadn’t tried to contact him since. She had no idea what she would say. “Hey, thanks for the best kiss I’ve ever had. I know it was short and I know we have a long history of violently disliking each other, but how ‘bout a snog.”
She laughed out loud at the thought of it. No, she was fairly sure nothing would ever come of the whole situation.
An owl pecked at the window. Hermione walked over and pulled it open, taking a thick parchment envelope. She looked at it curiously as the bird flew off. Besides her name on the front, it was completely blank. She pulled open the seal and removed the letter.
Hermione,
I’ve been intending to write you every day for the past week. I find myself completely at as loss as to how I ought to write you, what I ought to say. In some ways, life was a lot easier when there were rules to follow. Then again, writing this letter at all would have been very much against the rules. Still, I have come to the conclusion that it is better to do this the only way I know how than not to do it at all.
Miss Granger, may I request the pleasure of your company for dinner this coming Friday the 3rd? I would be pleased to pick you up at your home at 7:00 in the evening. I look forward to your reply.
Yours,
Draco Malfoy
Hermione finally drew a breath and said “Change is really good.”