"Draco... stop pacing... you're making me nervous" Theo said as he tried to loosen his tie
"Potter, are you sure this will work?" Draco asked
Harry rolled his eyes "of course. Look... Hermione's like a sister to me... do you REALLY think I would pull anything to ruin her first date experience?"
"You wouldn't... but I wouldn't put it past the Weasel" Blaise stated with folded arms
"That's why I didn't mention it to him... plus, after what he did to both Mione AND Lavender... we're not exactly talking right now"
"See? This is why you should have shook my hand in first year, Potter"
Harry sighed "Ron wasn't always like this you know, just... he changed... while we were on the run and after the war... that doesn't excuse anything he's done recently, but up until this year... he's been a pretty good friend. At least, to me... it took him quite a long time before he finally actually accepted Mione. Heck, I think fourth year's Yule Ball was actually the first time he saw Hermione as a girl. Besides... if I would have shook your hand, I would have probably been placed in Slytherin"
All of the boys quivered at the thought
"No offense Potter, but you're not really Slytherin material" Theo stated
"None taken since I actually agree"
Just then they heard a knock at the bedroom's door... Draco went to open it to see a Slytherin Second Year "Can I help you?" Draco asked
"Oh! Mister Malfoy, you're actually here! Oh, right, is, uh... is Theo or Blaise home?" the twelve-year-old boy asked
"Both actually. Do you have a message for them?"
The boy nodded "Lovegood just stopped by and asked me to tell you blokes to meet them at the end of the moving staircase"
"Already?" Draco asked in surprise, before recollecting himself "Right. Thank you for the message" the boy gave a polite nod before running away
"What was that all about?" Blaise asked as Draco shut the door
"The girls are ready... they asked us to meet them at the end of the stairs"
"Already?!" Theo asked, trying NOT to freak out
"Knott, calm down" Harry laid a hand on his shoulder "Everything is going to be fine... we have a plan, Hagrid agreed to help up with transportation, accommodations have been made... it's going to be fine"
"Potter, do you realize how important first dates are for purebloods?" Draco asked "This is basically a test of our reliability to the girls"
"Reliability?"
"Pretty much, purebloods are raised to take dating very seriously, I mean, this could be a potential wife... so we use the first date to show the girl how trustworthy and reliable we could be as potential husbands" Blaise shrugged "It's why just dating around is frowned upon for purebloods"
"We're raised to take our potential mate seriously and to only pursue girls that we would feel worthy enough to give our last name, all though, ultimately, it's the lady's choice whether we are worthy of them or not" Draco adds
"Wait a minute" Harry says "... are you blokes saying that you're considering possibly marrying the girls in the future?"
All three Slytherins blush bright red
"Hey, no judgement here" Harry held up his hands in innocence "I mean, I'm gonna purpose to Gin after the last game, but... wow... I didn't realize you blokes were THAT serious about the girls... especially YOU, Malfoy"
"... I deserve that" Draco stated "however... after actually taking the time to get to know her... I can't help but curse my younger self for missing out on getting to know her much sooner. And now... hard to believe as it may be, but I actually can't imagine my life without her. Hermione... she means the world to me... and I was a bloody git for taking so long to notice"
"Same here" Blaise added as he rose from his seat on the bed "honestly, I'd never even noticed Lavender, let alone thought about her as a potential wife, but now... after meeting her, hanging out with her, talking with her... holding her through her tears... seeing her stand up for herself... and dreaming almost every night about a future we can have together... I want to make those dreams come true. Look, I know that we haven't known each other that long, but... I think I want to tell her I love her"
"Wow... that's fast" Harry said with wide eyes
"Better fast than too slow" Theo rolled his eyes "do you realize how long I've been crushing on Pans? Diapers, Potter... we were in diapers. At six, I had wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend, but, low and behold... Malfoy showed up and ruined it all" Theo mock-glared at Draco "it was clear my girl had a crush on another boy... my best friend at that, so... I stepped back... even when it was clear as day that he had no interest in her... I'm such an idiot for taking so long"
"Can't argue there" Draco says, laying a hand on Theo's shoulder
"Gee... thanks" Theo says sarcastically
"I'm just saying... you knew I'd never gone for Pans... and it was plain as day to anyone with eyes how you felt about her... if you hadn't taken so long then, one... you could have gotten her off my back AGES ago, and two... she wouldn't have been so depressed and self-conscious our whole school lives"
"Yeah, yeah, I know" Theo brushes Draco's hand off his shoulder
"Um... not to interrupt you two lovebirds, but we should probably head out" Blaise says, before following as Harry leads the way
---
"Remind me again, WHY I'm the only one wearing green?... I somehow feel like the traitor since all of you blokes are in red... evenifthreeofthefourofusareACTUALLYSlytherin" Theo mumbled at the end as he tries to loosen and tighten his tie... again
"We agreed to dress in our girls' house colors, remember?" Blaise asked as the group waited at the end of the stairs for the girls to finally come out "Not our fault you chose to date from the same house" he smirked
"... For Merlin's Sake, Draco! Will You PLEASE Stop PACING ALREADY?!" Theo panicked "I'm Already Freaking Out As Much On My Own! I Don't Need YOUR Anxiety Complicating The Mix!"
"What if she doesn't like it?" Draco asked "What if she thinks it's too cheap? What if she thinks I didn't put enough thought into it? What if she starts to doubt my sincerity? What if-"
"Malfoy!" Harry jumps in front of the panicking boy and holds him in place "Calm down, alright? You forget Hermione is like a sister to me... she's my best friend... we literally spent months on the run together, including a few weeks where Ron left us without a word... during that time, we talked... we talked about pretty much everything, including what we were looking for in a potential spouse, and what we'd like our dating life to be like... so no, I'm not about to steer you wrong with this... if any of the girls would possibly have an issue with this date, my bets would actually be on Parkinson since I don't know her or her preferences at all. I mean... I don't really know Lavender that well either, but... I mean, she DID date Ron... twice... I'm sure just showing up at her class with a sandwich for her would be more than Ron had ever considered doing, so I'm sure anything would be great for her. Plus... She's a Gryffindor... now, I don't know about Slytherins, but... our girls aren't really that picky, since a lot of them come from middle or lower-class families... in fact, if you were to start off your first date at some high-end five-star restaurant across the world, or a ginormous shopping-spree, or like, taking a yacht to the middle of the ocean, or even renting out an entire amusement park for the evening... they may actually be insulted"
All three Slytherin boys looked at the only Gryffindor with dropped jaws
"Why the bloody hell would they be insulted?" Theo asked
"Look, I realize that for purebloods that sort of thing might be fine, and heck, the girls would like it too... but not for a first date. Like, maybe further down the line... like maybe after a month or two of dating, at the earliest, but most definitely NOT for the first date. Because while you may be trying to show them that you're reliable... they may take it as you're trying too hard, showing off, or you only want them as a trophy wife"
The Slytherin boys paled
"Also, if you were to just randomly pick somewhere stupid, like a bar or a random fast food stop for a first date, without any thought... or a location that YOU want but she actually has no interest in... like a sports match, or a hardware store, a house party... depending on the girl... she may consider you cheap, selfish, rude... and if she ends up having to pay because you actually DON'T have the money on you for the location YOU chose... then you're just a stuck-up pig freeloader"
Draco threw his hands up in frustration "Oh, that's just GREAT Potter... and what do we call our plan then, huh?"
"We call it perfection. We actually took time to consider what they would like... we contacted friends that know both us AND the girls quite well for their advice... we came up with a location the girls will all love... and we made sure to have all of their favorites prepared for the meal... we put THEIR needs first. They will see that... and they will love it"
Blaise looked skeptical "... are you sure about this Potter?"
"Zambini, I've been where you blokes were at. I actually wound up asking Gin's mother for advice for our first date... and she told me literally everything I just told you. And now... Gin and I have been dating since the end of the war... and I'm getting ready to ask her to marry me... so yes, Zambini... I'm sure about this"
"Oh, you're here" all the boys turned to see Luna standing at the top of the staircase "Now that I have your attention, here are the girls"
At that moment, the breath left all four boys' lungs as Theo about lost his ability to stand, Blaise's heart started beating faster than a flying hippogriff, Harry's smile grew two sizes, and Draco... his jaw dropped, his eyes popped, his throat ran dry, he started sweating nervously, and he could swear he saw a halo of light surrounding Hermione as he heard a heavenly choir sing with every step down she took
The girls all smiled as they descended... Pansy giggled at Theo having to catch his balance, Lavender smiled shyly with a blush at the admiration in Blaise's eyes, Ginny smirked, knowing how good she looked and how much Harry loved her in scarlet red, and Hermione... she had to control her breathing so she wouldn't trip or pass out coming down the stairs... the way Draco was looking at her, like she was the most breathtaking thing in the world, like he needed her to survive... no one had ever looked at her like that before.
Hermione smiled as Draco offered her his hand to help her down the last three steps, with a slight bow.
Draco couldn't take his eyes off of her... she was wearing this BEAUTIFUL mint green off-the-shoulder short-sleeved and tulle-skirt dress... honestly, to him... she looked like a Princess. He smirked "Who knew green was your color, Granger?" Hermione slapped his shoulder playfully, which caused him to burst into laughter "Honestly, Hermione..." he began to calm down "you look beautiful. In fact, I never realized just how breathtaking you actually are outside of your school robes... especially in my house's colors"
"I could say the same thing" Hermione blushed "That maroon suit really makes your eyes standout"
The two smiled at each other, before Hermione took Draco's offered arm and he escorted her over to the rest of their friends
---
"Oh... my... Godric" Lavender stated as the girls all witnessed two black carriages pull up to the front of the school entrance "How in the-"
"Potter knows a guy" Blaise answers as he offers her a hand to escort her to the first carriage
Harry rolled his eyes "All I did was ask Hagrid if we could use the Thresals for the night, and he said yes... Fortunately, all the other carriages are either being used for another advent or having repairs done, so they were only able to spare two for us to use"
"So this is a Thresal?" Ginny asked in wonder as she carefully made her way to get a closer look "... is it weird that I actually find them beautiful?"
"Not at all love" Harry comes up behind his girlfriend, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, and kisses the top of her head before leading her into the first carriage
"Huh... so Potter was right" Theo pondered "I'd heard a rumor that Potter was going around in fifth year, saying that the self-pulled carriages were not actually pulling themselves... looks like he was right"
"What are they?" Pansy asked
"They're called Thresals" Hermione answered "They're actually invisible to the public"
"Then how can we see them?" Draco asked as he slowly went up, allowed the beast to sniff his hand, and gently began petting the beak-snout
"Well, the only way TO see them is... to have witnessed death" the three Slytherins turned to the Gryffindor Princess in shock "... the war" and she didn't have to say anymore
"So, you're saying that anyone who fought in the war..." Pansy asked
"Can most likely see them... yes" Hermione answered solemnly
"Well,I'llbe" Theo mumbled, before shaking his head to regain his focus and escorting Pansy to the second carriage.
Hermione walked up to Draco as he was still admiring the strange creatures
"I gotta admit... I actually agree with Weaslette... they are beautiful"
Hermione smiled as her boyfriend smiled, before holding out her hand for him to lead her into the waiting carriage
---
"Sooo... where are we going?" Pansy asked
"You'll see when we get there" Draco answered, looking out the window of the carriage
"Right, so we just so happen to need to cut through the Forest of Dean?" she quirked an eyebrow
"Like I said, you'll see when we get there"
Pansy sighed as she looked out her side of the window
"Are they always like this?" Hermione whispered
"Honestly, yeah... for as long as I can remember" Theo whispered back "it's a wonder I ever thought they could even possibly wind up liking each other..."
"Not in a thousand and one years" Draco stated... apparently, their whispers were not as quiet as they thought... that or the carriage was just that small that it didn't matter
"Ugh, PLEASE don't make me gag" Pansy added "Draco is like a brother... a loud-mouth, annoying, oversensitive brother"
"While you're the overconfident, nosy, interfering little sister" Draco smirked
"I'M OLDER THAN YOU!"
"But I'm still taller"
Pansy rolled her eyes as she laid her head on Theo's shoulder (causing the boy to turn seven shades of red) "it would never work anyway... when it comes to Theo and Draco... the latter seriously can't even dream to compare to the former... you can have him, Granger. More to ya"
"Well then..." Hermione began "thank you for your blessing"
"Are you kidding me? Do you know how long it's been since I last saw that boy smile? And yet, ever since you two have started going out, it seems he can hardly do anything else but... you're good for him Granger... thank you" Pansy smiled, still laying on her boyfriend's shoulder
Hermione copied the pose and laid her own head on Draco's shoulder, to which he turned his head and placed a gentle kiss on top, causing Hermione to smile as she took a calming breath in and out... her heart felt like it would beat straight out of her chest
It wasn't too much longer before the carriage finally came to a stop and the door was opened from the outside
"Hagrid?" Hermione asked in joyful surprise
"Ello Ermione, enjoy yer ride, did yeh?" the giant asked as he moved to the side to allow the boys out first. Theo then held out his hand to help Pansy out first, then once they were done, Draco did the same for Hermione
"We did, thank you" Hermione answered, once she was fully on the ground
"Dats good. Welp... everything's all set up for yeh folks... enjoy yer evenin" and with that, the half-giant left
"Um... where are we?" Lavender asked as she, Blaise, Harry, and Ginny came over to join Hermione, Draco, Theo, and Pansy
"Is that a... shack?" Pansy asked in shock. Everyone turned to see the tiny little rundown shack located in the middle of the woods
"Um... just so everyone knows, I AM a werewolf, so if anyone tries to kill us, I'll claim self-defense" Lavender stated nervously
The boys all just chuckled, took their perspective girlfriend's hand, and led them to the shack.
============================================================================
*AUTHORS NOTE*
Hi Guys!!!! Artiste here...
Okay, so first off I want to take the time to THANK YOU for reading this story up to this point.
Second, I'm sorry this chapter was so short compared to the others, but I wanted the Shack to have a chapter all its own.
Third... the actual reason for this note... Summer of 2023 is over guys... and that means, in exactly one week (8/28/2023), I'll be starting my first day back at University for my Senior year (FINALLY!!!!). However, this means I WON'T be able to update as often as before, so please be understanding... I'll TRY to update when I can, but, this being my Senior year, ALL of my classes and assignments are going to be very important and time-consuming... not to mention I'm STILL going to be working, as well as have some after school activities... so I guess you could say that, basically... this and all of my other stories will be on a sort of Hiatus.
Thank you all for your understanding, and I PROMISE I'll try to update whenever I can... even if it's just once or twice until graduation.
Anyway, WISH ME LUCK! And I'll wish the same for you <3