Chapter 19: Memories
Hermione landed in a room that was dark. There was some people sitting at tables doing what looked like homework, with a jolt she saw Draco sitting, or rather lying on a couch.
“What have you been doing these days? I haven’t seen for ages,” he asked Blaise Zabini when he walked in.
“I’ve been with Matilda Nottingway.”
“Who?”
“She’s a Hufflepuff.”
“You’ve been going out with a Hufflepuff?” asked Draco, astounded.
“Just for a dare. I dumped just then. Bet you won’t do that. You’re too scared of sneering from other Slytherins.”
“Want a bet?”
The scene changed and Hermione was standing this time in what was no doubt the Slytherin boys dormitory. Draco was sitting on his bed and was muttering a spell into a beautifully wrapped box. With another wave of his wand a note appeared and attached itself to the box. Hermione walked over and read it. To the prettiest girl in Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy. And then it hit Hermione. This was the present Draco gave her at Christmas. The scene dissolved again and when it appeared, Hermione was standing in the shop she and Ginny went dress shopping for.
“What the hell?” Hermione murmured. As far as she could remember, she never saw Malfoy there. “Why the hell am I here?”
Just as she asked it, her question was answered. The door opened with a tinkle and Draco walked in, he was holding a small package and a very large package.
“Mr Malfoy, what a surprise to see you here!” said the shop owner, bowing low.
Hermione rolled her eyes. Did everyone know the Malfoys? Apparently yes.
“Whatever, listen I need you to get a girl in my year with curly, wild, brown hair to buy these two things. Bewitch it, charm it, force her, do anything to make her buy this dress and this set of jewellery okay?”
The shop owner looked rather alarmed but nodded all the same. She took two packages from Draco and ripped off the wrappings. There it was. It was the beautiful dress Hermione wore to the Christmas ball, and when the owner ripped off the second wrapping, Hermione saw the set of necklace, earrings and bracelet she matched with her dress. So all of these had been from Draco… a tear rolled down Hermione’s cheek. She rubbed it away and when the world was no longer blurry, Hermione registered she was at the Christmas Ball. She saw herself pushing away Draco and running of to her dormitory, leaving Draco standing along on the dance floor; his hands were balled into fists.
“You run away Granger, run away. But I swear I will make you to pounce yourself on me one day.”
Again the scene changed and Draco, Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle were all huddled together. “So just go with the plan okay?”
“His coming,” Blaise quickly said. Hermione turned and saw Harry walking towards them, gnashing his teeth. Both he and Ron looked very annoyed.
“Do you think Potter will apologise to Hermione? I’m really worried about her. Not herself these days,” Draco quickly said. “ If I don’t hear from Hermione that Potter has said sorry to her in three day’s time, I’ll hex him.”
“I never knew you would do anything for that Mudblood,” said Blaise
“DO-NOT-CALL-HER-A-MUDBLOOD! Pernaticlous!” Giant banana shaped like things erupted all over Blaise’s face. “That’s for calling my girlfriend a Mudblood.”
Hermione looked at Harry who turned towards Ron.
“You know, I think I owe Hermione an apology.”
“You never know, that ferret could be acting.”
“Yeah. I’m going to keep a close watch over him for the next few days
The scene dissolved but came quickly.
“Potter is going to be dead today.” Draco said to Crabbe who was huffing and puffing behind him. “Three days, no apology.”
“Did you want me ferret?” said Harry taking of his cloak.
“As a matter of fact, yes. I’ve come to give you a little late Christmas present. Pernaticlous!”
“Protego!”
The spell bounded of the shield in front of Harry. Draco ducked just in time.
“ Tarantellegra!”
“Expelliarmus!”
They both ducked. The spell nearly hit Harry by inches.
“Petrificus Totalus!”
It looked like Draco purposely let himself get hit by the spell, but didn’t let it hit him fully, instead he got a burn on the side of his arm. He flicked his wand, and Harry froze on the spot.
“See? That’s what you get for not apologizing to my girlfriend, and for not trusting me. And come to think of it, her.”
Draco turned to go, but as he walked, he flicked his wand back, and cast the counter curse on Harry. But Harry still stood on the spot.
“Oi!” Harry ran down the stairs. “Malfoy!” Draco turned around, he was wearing his usual smirk again. “Do you truly love Hermione? Will you do anything for her? Even change yourself to a different person?”
“If she wants me to do that, yeah. I want her to be the luckiest girl in Hogwarts ever.”
“Yeah okay, listen. If I ever hear something about you doing anything to hurt Hermione’s feelings, you will never ever be alive to walk out of this castle. Is that understood?”
“Then that means, I’ll always be alive then?” He turned around, and went into the dungeons.
Hermione closed her eyes, trying to take in everything she just saw, when she opened them again, she was in the dungeon with Draco and Narcissa Malfoy.
“So, may I ask you Draco, why you stood up for that Mudblood?” Narcissa asked coldly.
“It' s just the simple fact that I'm going out with her and I love her.”
Narcissa raised her eyebrows disbelievingly.
“Okay, I have to admit, at first it was just a dare from Blaise. He said I was too cowardly to go out with someone that isn't pure blood. So I chose Hermione. She gave in very easily, and I thought this would be a hell lot easier, but turns out it isn't.”
“Details.”
“Well you see mother, all the time I was with her, saw that behind the nerd and Gryffindor Princess, I saw that she needed true love. She's not as brave as she looks when it comes to love.” Suddenly it went misty and Hermione could hear nothing, but it returned back to normal as quickly as it came.
“You've changed Draco. You've understood what is love. Before you use to just hang out with a different girl each week, and now you've changed so much for Miss Granger.” Narcissa started sobbing with joy.
“Mother, can you calm down?” Draco was very alarmed, but when his mother didn't stop, “MOTHER! CAN YOU STOP CRYING!” His mother ceased, and stared at him.
“It's just that, didn't you once mention, that you can do something for someone you truly love. Just say, you can change your attitude or that they don't like you, and like someone else, you can give up on that person, or help that person so they can be with the person he or she likes?”
“Oh Draco, it's like you've suddenly gone from twelve to seventeen.”
“Don't start crying again! And I am seventeen! Can I go now?”
“Certainly!”
Two fat tears came tumbling down Hermione’s cheek. When she brushed them away, she was standing in a small unused classroom and Blaise and Draco were arguing. Hearing the first word of this conversation made her realise this was the conversation that she eavesdropped on and broke her heart. She didn’t want to listen, but she forced herself to listen.
“Why in bloody hell are you kissing Granger in the middle of the hallway? Do you know how sad Pansy was?”
“She loves my money and my name, she would just love everyone to call her ‘Mrs Malfoy’.”
“At least she is pure-blood!”
“Who cares if Hermione’s pure-blood or not? She’s my girlfriend and that is that!”
“She’s a Mudblood!”
“Do-not-call-her-that-in-front-of-me,” Draco said each word clearly.
“I can call her whatever I like thank you very much. Have you forgotten it was a dare?”
“I know it was a dare, and it still is!”
"Still a dare? Yeah like you act it. You like her Draco Malfoy, you like her."
“No I don't. I don't like her. I admit, I did really hate her at the beginning of the relationship, but then I noticed that she can be really sweet and cute and before I knew it, my heart was hers. I’m in love with her.”
“You blood-traiting bastard!” Blaise spat and walked out of the classroom.
Hermione felt herself floating upwards until she landed back in McGonagall’s office. She stared at Draco who was still standing next to the table.
“Draco-“ she started, but was cut off by him.
“Hermione, I can understand if you still can’t forgive me, but I just really want you to know that I love you no matter what.”
He moved to kiss Hermione, but she stepped backwards.
“Please Draco, I need to think about this, I’m with Harry. I think I need some alone time.”
“Okay,” Draco breathed raggedly. “Okay, I understand, you go.”
“I’m sorry,” Hermione whispered before stepping out of the office and leaving Draco standing alone in the dark office.