After the brief encounter between Harper and Malfoy in Defence Against the Dark Arts class a couple of months ago, the conflict had spread like wildfire all throughout Hogwarts, earning Draco a mixture of different reactions. Some people were outraged at him for having said that, and others gave it a lighter approach and actually thought it was pretty sweet that he had the guts to say that.
Both reactions, however, were meaningless to Draco as he had spent the last two months ignoring the entire ordeal until it had completely died out. In fact, it wasn't until last week that the students' attention got completely distracted when the announcement of a graduation party was hung up on the noticeboard.
Talking about the graduation, which was already in two week's time if you had passed your exams that would be taken tomorrow, Hermione was currently hunched over multiple sprawled out textbooks that covered an entire library table, a quill between her teeth which she was lightly chewing on as she scrabbled away with another quill in her hand, dipping away furiously in the almost dry bottle of ink.
To say that she was stressed out would have been the understatement of her entire school career. If anything, she had spent every bit of free time in which she wasn't studying, talking to Draco about her fears of not passing her exams and completely throwing away seven years of education. Draco, however, who hadn't been entirely stress proof himself either, got rather annoyed by her constant worry talks and actually disconnected his mind from hers after a late night conversation when he had oh so gently scoffed: "Granger, you're the smartest bloody witch of any generation that has yet to come, and honestly, you out of all students attending Hogwarts will have a two hundred percent certainty that you will pass the exams with quite possibly an 'E' on all your taken subjects. So, quit the pity talk, get some sleep, and I'll speak with you after the exams are done. Until then, goodbye."
If anyone would have said that she had gotten speechless, then that would have been another major understatement. She had spent a good long while staring into the dark that night, feeling mildly offended, but also highly flattered by his words before sleep had finally taken over her.
Ginny, despite her own stress of the exams, had finally convinced Hermione a couple of days ago to join her for a trip to Hogsmeade, where they had gone looking for a dress for the graduation party after an awful lot of nagging on her part. In the end, Hermione had agreed to come with her. Partly because she couldn't deny that she indeed should get out of the books for longer than two minutes for a change, but mostly because if she did pass – and she was still convinced that it was a big if – then she wouldn't have a dress when the party would come if she wouldn't go shopping now.
Well, despite the fact that Hermione wasn't the best to shop with that day – not that any other day would have been much better – considering she was revising her studies aloud every shop she entered and every dress she fitted, driving Ginny completely insane, she was glad for the attempted distraction. After all, the fact that she had memorized everything word by word that she had been studying for months, gave her the must needed confidence boost for the following day.
Groaning, Hermione let her quill fall on the table when she had tried to dip it into the bottle of ink, only to discover there was absolutely no ink left. Actually, that was her last bottle of ink as well. That is, if you didn't count the five other bottle of inks she had saved specifically for the exams.
Giving her wrists and neck a good roll, she winced as she felt the tightness in them, and with a lazy glance to the clock that hung at the front wall of the library, she was beyond surprised to see that it was almost hitting curfew.
Cursing lightly under her breath, she packed her things and slung her bag over her shoulder, making no effort in properly raising her feet on the floor as she walked, but instead let them tiredly drag across the floor. "Good night," she said to Madam Pince, who only gave a huff of acknowledgment in return.
Luckily for her she didn't have to walk a great distance from the library to the Gryffindor common room, and only four floors later was she giving the password to the Fat Lady who allowed her entrance.
As much as Hermione would have liked to head straight up the stairs that led to the girls' dormitory, she knew that she should spent her last precious two hours before it would turn midnight doing her last bits of revising. She wouldn't have time in the morning, because the first exams would start straight after breakfast.
So that's what she did. Studying until late at midnight – continuing two hours longer than she had intended – and afterwards quickly slipping under her covers where sleep came over her soon enough.
Only to wake up five hours later for breakfast, where she sat at the Gryffindor table chewing on an apple. She was honestly too nervous to get anything down her throat other than that.
Letting her eyes roam around the Great Hall, she was pleased to see that she wasn't the only person who seemed to barely contain themselves. In fact, each and every seventh year student were looking as pale as the milk that almost all were drinking in the early morning. Textbooks and bits of parchment were sprawled around all throughout the room. People huddling up together, tensed chatter carried into the air with questions they asked each other to whom neither knew the answer.
Everyone was revising and nervously tapping their fingers on the table. Everyone except one certain white blond boy. It's not that he looked relaxed in any way; if anything, he looked so stressed out that the open textbook that was laying in front of him remained completely neglected as he could do nothing else but stare at the ceiling above.
Hermione had never seen him like this before. So worried about the exams and his study. Then again, there was a lot more at stake for him now that he had lost his inheritance. She hadn't really thought of it yet, but if he were to fail his exams now, then the chance of a proper job would slip right through his fingers, and he truly would be left with nothing.
Biting her lip, she suppressed the guilt that welled up inside of her. She knew she shouldn't feel this way, but occasionally she did feel miserable for stripping him off his family and his inheritance. For making him choose between that and her. And even though she knew he didn't regret his decision, she couldn't help but feel bad for making him choose something in the first place.
What was even worse was that right now she couldn't even talk to him, tell him he'd do just fine in the exams. Because she was convinced that he would. She might have been the smartest witch of her age, but there was no denying that he seconded that. His intelligence still surprised her till this day on, and as convinced as he was that she would pass her exams with ease, as convinced as she was that he would do the same.
Hermione smiled slightly as she saw his blond locks falling back down into place as he lowered his gaze, letting his eyes roam around the Great Hall, until they at last landed on her. Broadening her smile, she mouthed the words 'good luck', hoping to Merlin that he'd understand that. When he shot her a quick lopsided smirk and mouthed the words 'you too' back, she knew he did.
Right as that happened, the bell rang through the Hall, echoing off the walls now louder than ever – or well, at least for her – announcing that breakfast was over and exams would start for the seventh years.
Feeling the trembling in her legs as she stood up from the bench she had been sitting on, she walked over to the back of the Hall along with Neville and Ginny, waiting for the teachers to arrange the tables. "How do you feel, Neville?" Hermione asked the boy, watching as he nervously glanced at the teachers. "Just want to get this over with, is all." He said, his eyes glued to the front of the Hall where the tables were neatly organized. "Hear, hear." Ginny muttered gloomily, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Can't wait to pass my exams and get out of here."
Hermione gave a halfhearted nod. As much as she wanted all the stress to be over with, she didn't feel the want to really get out of Hogwarts as soon as she could. The place had grown on her, despite all that had happened over the past few years. And knowing that soon the time would come when she would leave here, well, the thought of that definitely darkened her mood.
"All right, as I call your name forward, please sit down at the assigned seat." Professor McGonagall spoke up after a good ten minutes, a long roll of parchment in her hand.
Students' names were called out in a faster pace than she'd have imagined, and once everyone had been seated Professor McGonagall told them that these seats would remain theirs until the end of the week, when the exams would end. Furthermore she continued to explain the consequences of cheating on the exams – immediate disqualification; no chance of graduating – and with a quick wish of luck they were all handed their first exam: History of Magic.
After two hours and a lunch break, they were handed their second and last exam of the day: Arithmancy – though this was a selected group of students. Neither Ginny, Parvati, Neville, Seamus or Dean had chosen to follow this subject, and so Draco, Hermione and Padma were the only ones of their year to sit this exam.
Another two hours and a dinner later and Hermione found herself back in the Gryffindor common room, relieved to have finished two out of ten exams so far, and was slightly envying Draco who had one exam less, or even Ginny who only had seven exams in total. Then again, she had chosen herself to take on that many classes. It's not like she could blame anyone for that.
One of the best things about the exams, though, was that the rest of the years of Gryffindor students were polite enough to not create any distractions, and were quiet enough that the rest of the seventh years could study in peace.
The next morning they started with Herbology, followed by Defence Against the Dark Arts after lunch. Now, even though History of Magic and Arithmancy had been a written exam the day before, Herbology and Defence Against the Dark Arts were a mixture of a written exam and a practical exam.
The days dragged on like this. Wednesday – their third day – they started out with Muggle Studies – an exam Ginny didn't take – and then with Potions. One that was a complete practical exam.
Then the next day hey had Ancient Runes followed by Alchemy – two exams that Ginny didn't sit either, and only Hermione followed both; Draco only went as far as Ancient Runes.
And at last their final day came, where they started the last two exams with Charms – again a mixture of written exam and practical exam and the same thing for Transfiguration that followed.
Even though Hermione would never admit it, she absolutely did lose herself in her stress a couple of times in those days, and found herself occasionally at the hospital wing to get some serious stress reliever potions when she was three days into the exam and had only gotten two hours of sleep because she was up all night worrying.
Which was all the more reason to be beyond relieved that the exams were now officially over, and they only had to wait two weeks for their results. Well, two weeks was still a dreadful long wait, but with the graduation party coming up in two days, she would at least have enough distraction for a tiny while.
How are you feeling? Hermione jumped up slightly, grumbling as she repositioned herself on the couch she was laying on. I see you're talking to me again. She didn't sound mad. Hell, she couldn't even be mad at him for shutting her out. If he had been stress talking to her like she had done to him, she would have done the exact same thing. Told you I'd get back to you when the exam were over.
Good to see you're a man of your word. Closing her eyes, she let her hands rest on her stomach as she focused on her breath, allowing her mind to wander and drag her vision to him. Always am.
As soon as she caught a reflection of him in an empty copper vase standing on the table in the Great Hall and saw the tiniest of a smirk sprawled on his face, she couldn't help but break out into a smile. She had to be honest, she missed spending time with him. What d'you say, fancy accompanying me for the graduation party?
Hermione's lip quirked up into a playful smile as she saw how his hands nervously fumbled with a napkin. Despite his indifferent facial expression and his casual tone, he seemed to be genuinely nervous that she might turn him down. As if. Well, Malfoy, I think I'd like that.
Draco's smirk broadened, and the fumbling of his hands stopped. Good. Pick you up at the Fat Lady's portrait Sunday night.
And as Draco had proven once before, he was a man true to his word, and two days later after their exams, Draco was standing casually next to the Fat Lady's portrait, all dressed neatly into a black suit.
Hermione looked at him appreciatively; how his blond locks were thankfully not brushed back into his sleek hairdo from his first and second year, but instead lay haphazardly on top of his head, though she could see the attempt of still keeping a proper parting in his hair. As for his suit, well, it's nothing she wasn't used to.
After all, it seemed like he had been living in it in their sixth year and in the war. Yet, he gave off a different vibe now compared to his previous years. It's as if he carried it with more confidence – not the kind of confidence that gave the impression that he was better than anyone else, but instead, the kind of confidence that he was perfectly okay with who he was, and couldn't care about anyone else's opinion.
"I don't think I've seen you this dressed up since Yule Ball." Draco said appreciatively, a hand resting casually in one of his pockets, his eyes roaming up and down her dress and a smile falling on his lips. Hermione smiled nervously, feeling just slightly out of her comfort zone in her attire.
Ginny had been convincing enough to talk her into buying a light baby blue dress, that draped gently over her body, yet was tight enough to give an attempt of showing off the little amount of curves she had. Actually, the dress reminded her a lot of the dress she wore to Slughorn's Party back in sixth year, although the only difference was that this dress was slightly more layered at the bottom.
And as for her hair, well, she didn't dare let Ginny do anything with that. Her relentless curls she had over the years had actually finally settled down a bit, and fell in nice waves over her shoulder. No way that she was going to mess with their natural flow.
Yet, to give her outfit the slightest of a touch, she did wear a beautiful silver necklace, that sparkled nicely when it hit the light of the torches on the wall. "Didn't really have a reason to dress up like that for a long while."
Draco hooked her arm with his, then shook his head as he guided her through the corridors. "Fair enough."
When they reached the last stairs that would lead down to the Entrance Hall, she could already hear the music coming down from the Great Hall. Laughter and chatter were bouncing off every wall as groups of students were all roaming around the Halls freely.
Taking the last steps down – Hermione being extra careful to not accidentally trip, considering she was wearing heels – she held onto his hand tight. Partly because she didn't fancy falling in front of the entire school for the second time that year, but also to make a statement towards the rest of the students.
Yes. Hermione Granger, best friend of Harry Potter, a Muggleborn witch, was proudly dating Draco Malfoy, a former Death Eater, a Pureblood wizard who was disowned by his parents who were too thickheaded to see – just like the majority of the students wandering around this castle – that prejudices can be diminished and that people can change if they really make the effort to do so.
She would never be ashamed of being seen publicly with Draco by her side. Neither would she ever take those repulsed glances from fellow students personally. How they viewed their relationship sure did say a lot more about them than about either Draco or Hermione.
Which was why Hermione felt even more grateful when Ginny and Neville came up to the couple as soon as they had spotted them, a big grin on each of their faces. Yes, even Neville, who had more reason than anyone to hate Draco and curse him right on the spot, offered the smallest of a nod to Draco. "You're looking good, 'Mione." Neville complimented with a sincere smile on his face.
Offering him a smile in return, she took in his black and white tux, nicely finished with a bow tie around his neck. "So do you, Neville." Even though the outfit gave a definite wizard vibe to it – after all, the amount of layered fabric on his button-down-shirt were a dead giveaway – it fitted him nicely.
By the looks of it, Ginny and Neville had chosen to go to the party together as friends. Which was a good choice, in her opinion. She would have hated to see either of them spend their nights alone when everyone should definitely enjoy the last party they would ever attend at Hogwarts.
Feeling a squeeze in her hand, she turned her attention back to Draco, who nodded to the dance floor. "May I, Hermione Granger, have the honour of a dance with you?" Hermione laughed, shaking her head as she saw the broad smirk forming on his face. Some things never changed. And in all honesty, she hoped that that smirk of his would forever remain the same. It had something about it. A sense of confidence and playfulness.
"Certainly, Draco Malfoy." With that he led her through the crowd of students and onto the dance floor, where his hand lay resting on her waist as she let her free hand rest on his shoulder.
Whoever had arranged this graduation party seemed to want to end the exams with peace, and so the music was as relaxing as the theme they had been going for, allowing for a slow dance for the couple.
And dancing all night is what they had done. Not that they were perfect at it. In fact, Hermione may have accidentally hit a few people in her way as she had tried to unsuccessfully twirl, and Draco might have made a miscalculation at one point and sent them both crashing into a table standing against the wall. Luckily for the both of them no one saw the latter.
Yet, as imperfect as their dancing was, it created a ton of laughter between the two, something that Hermione made sure she would never forget as she saw how his eyes almost squeezed shut as his smile broadened, and how his Adam's apple bobbed happily up and down as he released some hearty chuckles.
"I can't be any more thankful for having had you by my side this year, Draco." Hermione sighed contently into his chest where she had rested her head as they were glued in each other's embrace, slowly swaying on the beat of the music.
Hearing his thoughts race, she knew he had trouble formulating a proper answer that would show what he felt. However, after many failed attempts at creating a sentence in his head, he gave up and instead planted his lips to the top of her head, resting his chin in her hair as she felt the peaceful beating of his heart. He didn't have to say anything for her to know that he felt the same.
And with that, she held onto his hand a little tighter as she was more than ready to accept her diploma – that she had gotten slightly more convinced she would get after having checked all her answers right after the exams and spotting nearly no wrongs – and start a life of her own with him.