Hermione Malfoy

XXXVI

The lot of them spread out within the hedges on the inner rim of the courtyard. As they all find a spot where they are alone, they can hear Blaise yell. "Start!"

Rounding corners slowly, everyone is on the move to find someone. Ginny stumbled into Blaise first as she quickly throws spells to disarm him.

"Locomotor Mortis!"

"Expelliarmus!"

"Stupify!"

"Confringo!"

"Riktumsempra!"

Blaise moved to the side as he threw expelliarmus at Ginny again.

"Stupify," Ginny threw, finally hitting Blaise as he flew back into a hedge. Sending up the blue light, he stood up.

Putting his wand to his throat he called out for everyone to hear, "Zabini is out." as he made his way up to the front by the door.

Turning around, Ginny caught Luna in a haze looking around.

"Expelliarmus!" Ginny yelled as Luna's wand went flying.

Sending up a blue light, Luna announced herself out.

Hermione turned the corner into Harry butchose not to throw a spell when his breathing caught her eye.. She could see Harry starting to panic and knew exactly what was happening. He was remembering when they were out during the war, the panic of hiding, having one wand between the two of them and the trauma that came with the war. Hermione realizes the snow must have triggered it with the duel.

Grabbing onto his arm, she gave him a smile seeing the panic in his eyes, "We're good."

His pupils grew less dilated as he calmed slightly. "Thank you." he whispered as they went their separate ways.

Pansy rounds the corner on Harry as Draco saw Ginny peering around a bush in front of her, unaware he could see her.

"Is everyone scared of me? I've seen not a singular soul!" Hermione called out as she heard Blaise call out 'Yes' from the front and who she believed was Ginny call it out as well from the bushes.

"Yes!" Pansy called out as Harry disarmed her with a singular spell before she shot up the blue light. Pansy called out, "Pansy is out!" Being so close to Ginny and Draco, Ginny jumped as the blue spark got shot up.

Taking this to his advantage, Draco took his chance while she was distracted. "Expelliarmus!" he shot at her as she sighed.

"Bloody hell." she mumbled, shooting up the blue light into the air as she made her way to the front. "Ginny is out!"

"Harry, Hermione, and Draco; you three are the last three standing!" Blaise called out alerting them.

"Fuck," Draco thought in his head, rounding the corner slowly and sighed relief when he found no one.

"What? Are you scared of me?" he heard Hermione ask him in their heads making him scoff.

"A little, more scared of running into the two of you together..." Draco trailed off as the three of them from different directions met in the middle of the courtyard around the small fountain, right in front of the manor and all their friends.

"Hello boys," Hermione smiled. Hermione quickly threw out spells at the two with no notice catching them off guard.

Normally while doing wandless magic, Hermione never had thrown a spell first so both Harry and Draco were not ready for the sudden change in behavior.

Pansy, Ginny, and Blaise watched in anticipation as their friends shot out more spells than they could count at each other. The garden was lit up with the light of spells shooting back and forth.

Hermione rounded the fountain slightly as Harry did the same, putting her closer to Ginny and Pansy as Harry inched closer to Draco.

After a few more spells, Draco and Harry stopped throwing at each other and were now only throwing at Hermione.

"How is that fair?!" Pansy called out, watching Hermione deflect their spells, starting to throw less of her own.

"Improvise!"Harry yelled as he looked at Draco who nodded back at him.

A scowl formed on Hermione's face while she continued to deflect their spells sending stupify and more their way.

"You don't want to play fair... neither will I." Hermione mumbled under her breath. Ginny and Pansy being so close smiled at her after hearing.

Hermione stopped throwing spells at the boys, only deflecting them before apparating from where she was. Draco and Harry looked around for her shocked at the action, "Where the bloody hell did she go?" Draco asked.

"Stupify!" Hermione called out from the balcony up above, disarming Harry and sending him backwards into the hedges.

Draco instantly sent spells her way as she did the same tenfold. Apparating again to behind a hedge, she popped around the corner.

"Riktumsempra!" Hermione shot at Draco as she flew backwards into a pile of snow, his wand flying next to him.

"What the fuck was that?!" Hermione called out, clearly pissed.

Ginny and Pansy ran over to Hermione, "Mione that was amazing! You kicked ass!" Ginny said as she gave her a hug causing her to laugh.

"You were ready for that and you could take two duels at once easily." Harry said as he rubbed his shoulder from his fall as he stood up.

"That doesn't mean I was bloody willing to fight the two of you at once today. Nor did the rules state it was a team effort." Hermione rebuttles with a tone he hadn't heard from her in a while, "Do it again and you'll both be eating slugs for a week."

Everyone grimaced at the thought. "Noted" the boys spoke as Harry held his hands up in surrender before helping Draco out of the snow.

As the migrated back inside, Draco talked to Hermione through their connection. "I'm sorry love, but you know you were bloody brilliant back there."

"Oh I know, warn me next time, yea?" she spoke looking over at him as he nodded.

Pushing open the doors to the ballroom, they could see the festivities being set up for the ball. White and black drapes were being set up all throughout the room with loads of candles and decorations that glimmered in the light.

"Well this is going to be spectacular!" Ginny smiled as the girls rushed over the Narcissa who had tinsel in her hands to help her prepare.

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A much shorter chapter than I normally do but something fun! :)

Enjoy my dears, the next chapter is in the works !

xx Mia