"Fall in Love with Draco and Hermione" Fic Exchange Assignment
Of all the stuff I’ve written, I’m the least satisfied with this one.
Title: Sorry
Author: BobotuberPus
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. All recognizable characters and places are owned by JK Rowling. I am merely borrowing them for this story.
Rating: R
Pairing: Draco/Hermione, mention of Ron/Luna
Summary: In a fit of insecurity, Draco breaks Hermione’s heart. Will she forgive him? Will he learn to how to ask for it?
“Draco!”
A bushy-haired almost-seventeen year old witch flung herself into the welcoming arms of a tall platinum blond wizard. They were outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor, where they’d agreed to meet. It was three weeks before they were to return for their last year at Hogwarts but they had not seen each other since summer vacation began.
“Hello, gorgeous!” Draco Malfoy greeted, giving his girlfriend of six month a passionate kiss. He chose to ignore the curious glances sent their way by the other patrons.
“Draco, not here,” she chided, pushing him away as she glanced around them.
“I missed you, Granger. And judging from that rather lame pulling away, I know you missed me, too.”
“Of course, I did, you prat! But we can’t be snogging out here in the middle of Diagon Alley. C’mon, let’s go inside, I’ve got so much to tell you.”
He followed her inside, pinching her bum as they entered, and earned his roving hand a smack from her.
As soon as they were seated, Hermione pulled something out of her purse and laid it in front of Draco.
His eyes wandered from the object and back to hers, but before he could say anything, she said excitedly, “It’s my Head Girl badge! Dumbledore owled it to me just yesterday! I’m so excited! And Terry Boot got Head Boy...”
“Boot got Head Boy?” he interrupted, his face darkening. She failed to notice this.
“Yes, isn’t that exciting? I don’t think they could have made a better choice. We’ve always worked well together. He sees a lot of things my way and he’s a wonderful person all around and all of the students respect him and so do the teachers…”
She looked up and noticed that he hadn’t said a word during her outburst.
”What’s wrong?”
”I’m happy for you, really. Congratulations on making Head Girl.”
“Thanks,” she smiled and squeezed his hand. He didn’t return it. “You look upset about something. What is it?”
“I don’t understand why Boot got Head Boy. I thought I had a clear shot at it. That’s the impression I got from Snape.”
“Oh, Draco,” she laughed, “you and Ron and Anthony Goldstein all had equal shots at it. And how would Professor Snape know? He’s not a member of the deciding panel. Plus, it can’t have helped to have your Father exposed for his Death Eater activities…”
“So, not only are you lumping me in with the Weasel, you’re saying I’m not good enough, either?” he asked, his voice rising.
Hermione was taken aback by his sudden anger.
“Draco, I’m sorry, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” She attempted to placate him. “Look, let’s talk about something else, hmm? How was your vacation in Brussels? Was your mum sufficiently distracted?”
With Lucius in Azkaban for the second straight year, Narcissa and Draco left for the summer to vacation at the Malfoy villa in Brussels as a diversion from the stresses of England.
”Brussels was fine. I haven’t visited the since before I started Hogwarts. And the trip was good for Mother. She decided to stay for a while.” He replied tersely.
Her eyes lit up. “Does that mean we can spend a bit more time together, then? Before term begins? It’s going to be a very busy year for me, you know. Head Girl duties and NEWTs and all.”
“So what, I’m not good enough to spend time with the Head Girl, either?”
“Draco, what is the matter with you? Why are you so belligerent all of a sudden? It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you. All I’m saying is that on top of my added responsibilities as Head Girl, you’re Quidditch captain and you’ve still got your prefect duties. I don’t know how much time we’ll be able to spend together once school starts.”
“Well, why don’t I make it easier for you, then? Let’s end this. We’re through.”
“Wh-what?” She was stunned.
“We’re through, Granger. You and me. This. Whatever this was.”
“What are you saying?” she half-yelled, confused at realizing he was serious.
“What I’m saying, Granger, is that I am officially ridding us of this pretense you refer to as ‘our relationship’.”
“You can’t mean that!” she sputtered, shocked at the sudden turn of events.
“Of course, I can. You see, Granger, I too have some exciting news myself. This thing between us was really all a game. At least it was for me. I was only going out with you so I could have an edge when Dumbledore and company were considering who to appoint as Head Boy. But seeing as how he and the Governors have already chosen, I don’t see any reason for continuing this charade. The sex is great but I can get that elsewhere. It’s really time for me to move on.”
“You bloody bastard!” she shrieked, not caring that everyone in the ice cream parlor was staring at them. “How could you?”
“Quite easy, really. You were ripe for the plucking, m’dear. Only you were the wrong fruit. Had I known our Muggle-loving Headmaster would pick a half-blood for the next Head Boy anyway, I wouldn’t have bothered.” His cold voice did not betray the tightening of his heart as he said the cruel words to the witch he’d begun to care about.
“Rot in hell, Malfoy!” she screamed, threw a glass of water at him, and ran out into Diagon Alley.
Draco fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his face dry. He cast a disdainful glare at the other patrons. “What are you all staring at? Show’s over.” Throwing a galleon at the table, he got up arrogantly and strode out the door, wondering, if anything was really over.
***
As soon as the cruel words were out, Draco realized he’d made a huge mistake. The events at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream parlor was not what he’d envisioned when he owled Hermione to meet him.
True, there had been an underlying motive for his overtures at friendship aimed at the Golden Trio: to pull the Slytherins out of the quagmire of hostility they found themselves in from the rest of the Hogwarts student body post-Umbridge.
Unsurprisingly, it was Granger who was the most willing out of the three to extend her hand of friendship to the Slytherins. What surprised Draco was how fast their relationship turned into a sexual one. He didn’t mind of course. A dating relationship between him and Hermione Granger was icing on the cake. It added legitimacy to his master plan than just a platonic friendship could provide.
What Draco Malfoy didn’t count on was that he would begin to fall for Hermione Granger. He found it endearing that she got excited about every little thing. He loved that she poured all of herself into whatever she was involved in. He admired her sense of righteousness and that she was willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. He felt oddly at peace when he was with her. And he felt oddly unsated when he was without her. The Hermione he knew in bed was the polar opposite of the straitlaced Gryffindor prefect with whom the rest of Hogwarts was acquainted.
And Draco began to fear the day when he would lose her.
When he’d first embarked on a relationship with Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy always knew it would end at some point. He imagined it would be over when he was assured the Slytherins were back in the good graces of the rest of Hogwarts, or when their seventh year came to an end, whichever came first. But Draco found himself imagining life with Hermione beyond Hogwarts. Before he knew it, he was talking about the Muggle-born witch with his mother in their first week in Brussels. She’d noticed he was pining and it wasn’t difficult to get him to reveal the source of his brooding. She’d commended him for his cunning plan to restore his House’s reputation but cautioned him against getting too emotionally involved. It was as close as he could get her to condone his relationship with a Muggle-born and he accepted it. As soon as he’d assured himself Narcissa was going to be fine by herself at the villa, he’d returned to England to spend time with Hermione. He never thought he’d feel this excited to be with a witch, much less Hermione Granger. He owled her the minute he returned from Brussels.
When she went on and on about what an excellent choice Terry Boot was for Head Boy, Draco’s insecurities reared their ugly heads. He did want the position of Head Boy. He wanted it a lot more than he’d let on to anyone, including Hermione.
A Slytherin as Head Boy was the ultimate exoneration of his House. The Slytherins needed it as much as they needed the House Cup. Dumbledore with his rhetoric for inter-house unity and his machinations throughout sixth year to ensure that neither Draco nor any other student took the dark mark, made it seem like he was grooming Draco for the position. Draco felt betrayed by Dumbledore and Snape. He felt cheated out of the Head Boy position.
When Hermione laughingly dismissed his chances for the position and brought up the sore subject of Lucius’s dark activities, Draco was reminded of how disparate their lives were. And when the same girlfriend began to mention how much less time they’d be spending together the following year, he snapped. He figured it was in his interest to break things off with her before she could do that to him.
Big, stupid mistake.
He had to figure out how to get her to forgive him and maybe even take him back.
***
The rest of Hermione’s summer vacation passed in a blur. She accepted the Weasleys’ invitation to stay at the Burrow during her last week. She determined that the chaos at the Burrow would be infinitely better than the silence of her Muggle home where memories of Draco and their last day together kept creeping back.
Despite the congratulatory remarks about her Head Girl status bringing back memories of Diagon Alley, she found that being with the Weasleys was what she needed. She told Ron and Harry and Ginny about breaking up with Malfoy, and was pleasantly surprised not to get any “I-told-you-so’s” from the boys. They had never warmed up to Slytherin but were supportive of her relationship with Malfoy. Hermione didn’t share with her friends the reason behind their break up. She vaguely stated that it was by mutual agreement that they’d decided to end their relationship. Neither Harry nor Ron seemed interested in any further detail. Both boys decided that any reason that ends their charade of civility towards Malfoy was a good reason. Ginny however pressed her for more information in private, but Hermione remained reticent.
Hermione heard twice from Draco before September 1st. Once was when he owled her Head Girl badge back to her the day after their meeting. In her haste to leave Fortescue’s and Draco, she’d left her badge on the table. Initially, her heart leapt when she recognized the owl; she hoped he had reconsidered and that he was owling an apology. Therefore her disappointment was twofold when the owl post containing her returned badge bore a simple note stating, “You forgot this.” There was no other message. It was an insult to her injury.
A second letter from Draco arrived while she was in the Burrow. It bore a conciliatory tone that asked to meet her in private, but it was too little, too late. She didn’t reply back.
***
During the train ride to Hogwarts, Hermione spent half her time in the Heads Compartment with Terry, planning their first Prefect’s meeting and their duties the rest of the year. It was comforting to her to have Terry as dedicated to their tasks as she was. Making lists and planning ahead proved to be a welcome distraction for her. She didn’t want to remember that the last time she and Draco were aboard the Hogwarts Express, on the train ride back to King’s Cross at the end of sixth year, they’d spent two hours ensconced in an empty compartment, shagging.
She’d seen Draco briefly as the train pulled away from the station. He was holding court with a group of Slytherins. She was deciding whether to keep on her path on the way to the Heads Compartment, or avoid him by ducking into the nearest available compartment, when he looked up. He smirked at her, then laid his arms casually around the shoulders of a pretty fifth year. Eyes watering at his mocking behavior, Hermione flung herself into the nearest compartment, tripping over a snogging Luna and Ron who had forgotten to lock the door.
She made her way back to the Heads Compartment after ensuring that the Slytherins had found a compartment of their own. Knowing she and Terry would have to conduct a brief Prefects’ Meeting before the train arrived in Hogsmeade, Hermione steeled her resolve. She knew she couldn’t keep avoiding Draco or it would be a very long seventh year indeed. Her position as Head Girl called for her to set an example to her fellow students and to have a professional relationship with the Prefects. She would have to set aside her personal feelings and concentrate on being civil to the wizard who’d broken her heart.
Thankfully, the Prefects’ pre-arrival meeting went off without a major hitch. Sure, Ron kept sending threatening glares towards Draco, which the blond ignored, and Luna Lovegood asked if the rule about inter-prefect dating extended to Head Students being able to date Prefects, but she was quickly shushed by Ginny who cast an apologetic glance at Hermione. Hermione was even proud of how she handled her emotions when Draco sauntered in late accompanied by the pretty Slytherin she saw with him earlier who turned out to be one of the fifth year prefects. During the meeting, she and Terry distributed the patrol schedules for the term and after discussing the expectations for the prefects, dismissed them so they could prepare for arrival at Hogsmeade.
Hermione remained in the compartment when everyone had left. She was gathering her things when she felt him at the door.
“Granger, may I have a word?”
Warily, she looked up at him. As much as she missed him, her emotions were still raw and she silently made a pact with herself to concentrate on her anger rather than her longing, in order for her to get through this.
“What is it, Malfoy? I haven’t got much time. We’re almost at Hogsmeade.”
“I want to apologize for how things ended between us.”
Her heart dropped at the fact that he was apologizing for how their break up happened, and not that it happened.
“I hope we can continue to be friends.”
At this, she had to laugh. “Friends? We were never friends, Malfoy. I believe we went from being fellow prefects to being fuck buddies. But we were never friends. None of my friends would ever do what you did to me.”
“Fine, then. Not friends. But I think it’d benefit us both to be civil toward one another. We do have to work together, though I did notice you didn’t schedule any patrol duties with me.”
“I couldn’t agree more. And you should be thanking me for scheduling most of your patrol duties with your new girlfriend. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready.” She didn’t wait for him to say or do anything else, as she made her exit as quickly as possible.
Draco watched her leave. He realized this was going to be a lot more difficult than he’d imagined.
***
The first day of term, she received an owl from Draco.
I need to speak with you. Please meet me outside the Great Hall after dinner.
She replied, I can’t. I’m busy. She didn’t offer any alternative time.
He owled her again. She ignored it.
On the third day of term, she received a bouquet of irises. It bore no note, but it could only be from him. The first chance she got, she marched it down to the Infirmary. Madame Pomfrey was grateful.
She did the same thing to an arrangement of lilies she got four days later.
After her third donation of flowers to the infirmary, they stopped coming.
The following weeks, Hermione found sufficient things keep her from wallowing in self-pity. Of the mind that it was never to early to begin preparing for their NEWTs, she spent more time in the library. Harry and Ron and Ginny were all busy with the beginning of the Quidditch season so her absences from their company weren’t marked.
The only times she saw Draco during this time was at meal times and their shared classes. Prefects’ meetings were bi-weekly and their interactions during then were minimal at best. He had finally given up on his attempts to speak with her privately. There were no more owl posts and no more floral arrangements from him.
Hermione thought she was on her way to leaving Draco Malfoy behind until the night she shared patrol duty with Pansy Parkinson.
When Hermione and Draco began dating towards the end of sixth year, Pansy was one of the first Slytherins to accept the relationship. Draco Malfoy was one of her oldest friends and though many assumed that they were dating, their relationship was purely platonic. Draco considered her the sister he never had and Pansy relished the idea of having a brotherly figure who was her age.
Pansy’s public acceptance of the Granger-Malfoy relationship was the catalyst that made the affair palatable to the other Slytherins. Hermione was grateful for it. After the fiasco with Umbridge and the Inquisitorial Squad, suspicion among the student body against the Slytherins ran high and the feeling was mutual. That a significant member of the Golden Trio would blatantly consort with the “enemy” was a significant step towards inter-house trust-building. It helped that the Boy-Who-Lived didn’t appear to have any major objections to the affair. And for a leader of the dungeons to attach her stamp of approval to the strange relationship went a long way in chipping away the layers of suspicion the Slytherins had for the other houses.
Despite her break up with Draco, Hermione remained friendly with Pansy. She found Pansy’s leadership qualities to be exemplary and her cynical view of the world to be refreshing. Conversations with Pansy were never dull. Pansy provided Hermione an insight to a Pureblood witch’s privileged world (something unfortunately Ginny Weasley could not) and Hermione gave Pansy an insight into Muggle life, something the Slytherin found to be a complete antithesis to her existence.
It was an hour into their patrol together when Pansy broached the subject of the break up.
“So, Granger, how are you holding up?”
Hermione, who’d been deep in thought and relatively silent for the past half hour, answered, “Fine, Parkinson, thanks for asking. Patrolling is one of my favorite Prefect duties. I like the silence of the halls after curfew.”
“I don’t mean the patrol duty, silly. I was talking about this mess with Draco.”
“Oh, that.” Hermione frowned at her use of “mess.”
“Yes, that.” Pansy paused, waiting for Hermione to say something else. When she didn’t, Pansy pressed on. “He’s not doing so well, you know. Draco. I’ve never seen him withdraw like this. And that’s saying a lot. I’ve known him since we were three, and there were times when things at the Manor were especially…difficult with Lucius, and Draco would withdraw into himself as a defense mechanism, but never like this.”
“He seems to be doing fine to me. He’s moved on and acquired a new girlfriend so he can’t be doing much withdrawing now, can he?”
“Girlfriend?”
“Circe Montague. Fifth year prefect. Surely you’ve noticed. They’ve practically been attached at the hip since term began,” Hermione replied exasperatedly. This discussion was making her uncomfortable and she wished it to be over. “Look, Pansy, I’d rather not talk about this, if it’s all the same to you. He was the one who ended things. It’s over and it’s best we both move on.”
But Pansy just started laughing. “Circe Montague? Circe Montague is gay, Granger! Draco is not that self-defeating, even if he made the biggest mistake by breaking up with you.”
Hermione looked at Pansy in surprise, digesting what she’d just revealed. Not his girlfriend? But she dashed the sliver of hope immediately, remembering the cruel words Draco said to her at Diagon Alley.
“Look, they’re ‘attached at the hip’ as you say---what a strange expression, is that Muggle?---only because he’s doing his duty as the her prefect-mentor. You and Boot were the ones who assigned us our fifth year prefect mentees, so it’s not like Draco picked her. Alright, I know you don’t want to talk about this anymore, so let’s talk about how I got assigned a Hufflepuff prefect to mentor.”
Pansy prattled on about her mentee for the rest of their patrol but Hermione barely paid attention to her, her thoughts on Draco Malfoy.
***
“Did you speak with her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“You really hurt her, Draco. She wants nothing to do with you.”
“I know.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I’ve tried everything, Pans. She ignores my owls. She disappears for hours to who knows where and when she is around, she’s surrounded by people, it’s practically impossible to speak with her in private. And I might as well send flowers directly to the infirmary!”
“I guess you’ll just have to try harder, Draco.”
“What? Beg? Humiliate myself publicly? Malfoys don’t beg, Parkinson.”
“You’re right, Draco. Malfoys don’t beg. Malfoys, however, have this inherent ability to lose the most important thing to them because of their misguided pride. Congratulations, Draco Malfoy. It sounds to me you have already decided what to do about this situation. Perhaps you deserve this misery after all.”
With that declaration, Pansy Parkinson left her best friend to stare morosely at the fireplace in the cold Slytherin common room.
***
Hermione was surprised to see Draco Malfoy waiting for her at the Prefects’ Meeting room a week later.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m your patrol partner tonight.”
“What?”
“I switched with Lovegood. Now come on, Granger, you don’t want us to be late for rounds, now do you?”
“Prefects are supposed to tell the Head students if they switch patrol duties!”
“And we did. Boot knows.”
“Well, I didn’t.”
“That breakdown in communication is between you and the Head Boy, Granger. Not my problem.”
“There is no breakdown in communication, Malfoy!”
“Good. Then I don’t need to remind you that I’m to be your patrol partner for the next two months?”
“WHAT?”
“Oh, dear. I guess Boot’s been slack in his Head duties. Tsk, tsk…imagine, letting the Head Girl down?”
“How---how can that be? Don’t you have Quidditch practice? I specifically made sure I was scheduled for patrol when---”
“When I had Quidditch practice---yes, I noticed. But I am Captain, after all, and I can change the practice schedule whenever I want,” he declared smugly.
“Why are you doing this, Malfoy?”
“Because you’ve successfully avoided me since school started, and there are some things I need to say to you.”
“I’m sure whatever it is you have to say doesn’t necessitate you having to patrol with me for the next two months.”
“No.”
“Well, then, out with it. Say whatever it is you need to say to me and tomorrow you can tell Terry you want to switch back the patrol schedule to what it was.”
She stood glaring at him, her arms crossed at her chest in a defensive stance. He regarded her with those gray eyes in an unreadable expression that her irritation at him began to flag.
“I’m sorry.”
She was about to ask him what exactly he was sorry for when he held up his hand to keep her from interrupting, because he wasn’t finished with what he had to say.
“I’m sorry for breaking up with you because it’s not what I intended to do when I asked you to meet me and it’s not what I want. I’m sorry for saying those cruel things to you because I didn’t mean any of them. I’m sorry for hurting you because that is the last thing I ever want to do. I’m sorry for my insecurities and for blaming you for them. I’m sorry I was an inadequate boyfriend because you deserve more. And I’m sorry for being a first class arsehole and for treating you badly. I don’t want to ever hurt you, Hermione.”
“But you did, Draco.” Twin trails of tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“I know. And I’m truly sorry for it.”
“You were not inadequate,” she said softly. He gave her a wry smile.
“Yes, I was. A proper boyfriend would have shared in your joy at getting something you’ve worked very hard the last six years to attain. Instead, I selfishly allowed my insecurities to take over.”
“I didn’t realize getting Head Boy meant that much to you.”
“It did. Then I realized that my aspirations for the position wasn’t worth losing you over.” He stepped closer to her and tilter her face up. Using his thumbs, he wiped her cheeks dry.
“Did you really mean that? What you said about not wanting to break up?”
“Yes. I would very much like to be your boyfriend again, Granger, if you’ll have me.”
“I suppose that can be arranged. I did say you weren’t inadequate. I…”
But she forgot whatever else it was she was going to say, because Draco closed the gap between them and crushed his lips to hers.
Tongues battled for dominance and hands caressed body parts. After a few minutes, Hermione pulled away breathlessly,
“We have to do rounds, Draco.”
“Oh, bugger.”
“C’mon. The sooner we get that done, the more time we have for other…activities.” She smiled up at him suggestively.
Their rounds lasted an hour. After which Draco had Hermione pressed up against a window ledge, her knickers in his pocket, and his cock buried inside her. It had been too long since that train ride back to King’s Cross, and they had so much time to make up for.
Over the next two months, their rounds got shorter and shorter.
***
Headmaster,
I’ve caught a couple more students out of bed tonight. Both were coming from the kitchens. This brings the total to sixteen students out of bed past curfew in the past four weeks.
This kind of trouble only happens when the Head Girl and the Slytherin prefect, Mr. Malfoy, are on patrol rounds together.
I have strong suspicions that they are not carrying out their duties.
Please do something.
Argus Filch
Fin
So I turned in my DMHG Fic Exchange assignment on time, but am not happy with the way it turned out. I realized I don’t much like writing Hogwarts fics. I feel that most of it has been written by more talented writers and I just don’t think I can offer any original ideas. Unfortunately, I didn’t specify that when I signed up, so I had to make the best of it.
I hope the requester, Rachel Summers, doesn’t hate me too much.
Title: Sorry
Author: BobotuberPus
Disclaimer: I don’t own anything. All recognizable characters and places are owned by JK Rowling. I am merely borrowing them for this story.
Rating: R
Pairing: Draco/Hermione, mention of Ron/Luna
Summary: In a fit of insecurity, Draco breaks Hermione’s heart. Will she forgive him? Will he learn to how to ask for it?
“Draco!”
A bushy-haired almost-seventeen year old witch flung herself into the welcoming arms of a tall platinum blond wizard. They were outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor, where they’d agreed to meet. It was three weeks before they were to return for their last year at Hogwarts but they had not seen each other since summer vacation began.
“Hello, gorgeous!” Draco Malfoy greeted, giving his girlfriend of six month a passionate kiss. He chose to ignore the curious glances sent their way by the other patrons.
“Draco, not here,” she chided, pushing him away as she glanced around them.
“I missed you, Granger. And judging from that rather lame pulling away, I know you missed me, too.”
“Of course, I did, you prat! But we can’t be snogging out here in the middle of Diagon Alley. C’mon, let’s go inside, I’ve got so much to tell you.”
He followed her inside, pinching her bum as they entered, and earned his roving hand a smack from her.
As soon as they were seated, Hermione pulled something out of her purse and laid it in front of Draco.
His eyes wandered from the object and back to hers, but before he could say anything, she said excitedly, “It’s my Head Girl badge! Dumbledore owled it to me just yesterday! I’m so excited! And Terry Boot got Head Boy...”
“Boot got Head Boy?” he interrupted, his face darkening. She failed to notice this.
“Yes, isn’t that exciting? I don’t think they could have made a better choice. We’ve always worked well together. He sees a lot of things my way and he’s a wonderful person all around and all of the students respect him and so do the teachers…”
She looked up and noticed that he hadn’t said a word during her outburst.
”What’s wrong?”
”I’m happy for you, really. Congratulations on making Head Girl.”
“Thanks,” she smiled and squeezed his hand. He didn’t return it. “You look upset about something. What is it?”
“I don’t understand why Boot got Head Boy. I thought I had a clear shot at it. That’s the impression I got from Snape.”
“Oh, Draco,” she laughed, “you and Ron and Anthony Goldstein all had equal shots at it. And how would Professor Snape know? He’s not a member of the deciding panel. Plus, it can’t have helped to have your Father exposed for his Death Eater activities…”
“So, not only are you lumping me in with the Weasel, you’re saying I’m not good enough, either?” he asked, his voice rising.
Hermione was taken aback by his sudden anger.
“Draco, I’m sorry, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” She attempted to placate him. “Look, let’s talk about something else, hmm? How was your vacation in Brussels? Was your mum sufficiently distracted?”
With Lucius in Azkaban for the second straight year, Narcissa and Draco left for the summer to vacation at the Malfoy villa in Brussels as a diversion from the stresses of England.
”Brussels was fine. I haven’t visited the since before I started Hogwarts. And the trip was good for Mother. She decided to stay for a while.” He replied tersely.
Her eyes lit up. “Does that mean we can spend a bit more time together, then? Before term begins? It’s going to be a very busy year for me, you know. Head Girl duties and NEWTs and all.”
“So what, I’m not good enough to spend time with the Head Girl, either?”
“Draco, what is the matter with you? Why are you so belligerent all of a sudden? It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you. All I’m saying is that on top of my added responsibilities as Head Girl, you’re Quidditch captain and you’ve still got your prefect duties. I don’t know how much time we’ll be able to spend together once school starts.”
“Well, why don’t I make it easier for you, then? Let’s end this. We’re through.”
“Wh-what?” She was stunned.
“We’re through, Granger. You and me. This. Whatever this was.”
“What are you saying?” she half-yelled, confused at realizing he was serious.
“What I’m saying, Granger, is that I am officially ridding us of this pretense you refer to as ‘our relationship’.”
“You can’t mean that!” she sputtered, shocked at the sudden turn of events.
“Of course, I can. You see, Granger, I too have some exciting news myself. This thing between us was really all a game. At least it was for me. I was only going out with you so I could have an edge when Dumbledore and company were considering who to appoint as Head Boy. But seeing as how he and the Governors have already chosen, I don’t see any reason for continuing this charade. The sex is great but I can get that elsewhere. It’s really time for me to move on.”
“You bloody bastard!” she shrieked, not caring that everyone in the ice cream parlor was staring at them. “How could you?”
“Quite easy, really. You were ripe for the plucking, m’dear. Only you were the wrong fruit. Had I known our Muggle-loving Headmaster would pick a half-blood for the next Head Boy anyway, I wouldn’t have bothered.” His cold voice did not betray the tightening of his heart as he said the cruel words to the witch he’d begun to care about.
“Rot in hell, Malfoy!” she screamed, threw a glass of water at him, and ran out into Diagon Alley.
Draco fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his face dry. He cast a disdainful glare at the other patrons. “What are you all staring at? Show’s over.” Throwing a galleon at the table, he got up arrogantly and strode out the door, wondering, if anything was really over.
***
As soon as the cruel words were out, Draco realized he’d made a huge mistake. The events at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream parlor was not what he’d envisioned when he owled Hermione to meet him.
True, there had been an underlying motive for his overtures at friendship aimed at the Golden Trio: to pull the Slytherins out of the quagmire of hostility they found themselves in from the rest of the Hogwarts student body post-Umbridge.
Unsurprisingly, it was Granger who was the most willing out of the three to extend her hand of friendship to the Slytherins. What surprised Draco was how fast their relationship turned into a sexual one. He didn’t mind of course. A dating relationship between him and Hermione Granger was icing on the cake. It added legitimacy to his master plan than just a platonic friendship could provide.
What Draco Malfoy didn’t count on was that he would begin to fall for Hermione Granger. He found it endearing that she got excited about every little thing. He loved that she poured all of herself into whatever she was involved in. He admired her sense of righteousness and that she was willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. He felt oddly at peace when he was with her. And he felt oddly unsated when he was without her. The Hermione he knew in bed was the polar opposite of the straitlaced Gryffindor prefect with whom the rest of Hogwarts was acquainted.
And Draco began to fear the day when he would lose her.
When he’d first embarked on a relationship with Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy always knew it would end at some point. He imagined it would be over when he was assured the Slytherins were back in the good graces of the rest of Hogwarts, or when their seventh year came to an end, whichever came first. But Draco found himself imagining life with Hermione beyond Hogwarts. Before he knew it, he was talking about the Muggle-born witch with his mother in their first week in Brussels. She’d noticed he was pining and it wasn’t difficult to get him to reveal the source of his brooding. She’d commended him for his cunning plan to restore his House’s reputation but cautioned him against getting too emotionally involved. It was as close as he could get her to condone his relationship with a Muggle-born and he accepted it. As soon as he’d assured himself Narcissa was going to be fine by herself at the villa, he’d returned to England to spend time with Hermione. He never thought he’d feel this excited to be with a witch, much less Hermione Granger. He owled her the minute he returned from Brussels.
When she went on and on about what an excellent choice Terry Boot was for Head Boy, Draco’s insecurities reared their ugly heads. He did want the position of Head Boy. He wanted it a lot more than he’d let on to anyone, including Hermione.
A Slytherin as Head Boy was the ultimate exoneration of his House. The Slytherins needed it as much as they needed the House Cup. Dumbledore with his rhetoric for inter-house unity and his machinations throughout sixth year to ensure that neither Draco nor any other student took the dark mark, made it seem like he was grooming Draco for the position. Draco felt betrayed by Dumbledore and Snape. He felt cheated out of the Head Boy position.
When Hermione laughingly dismissed his chances for the position and brought up the sore subject of Lucius’s dark activities, Draco was reminded of how disparate their lives were. And when the same girlfriend began to mention how much less time they’d be spending together the following year, he snapped. He figured it was in his interest to break things off with her before she could do that to him.
Big, stupid mistake.
He had to figure out how to get her to forgive him and maybe even take him back.
***
The rest of Hermione’s summer vacation passed in a blur. She accepted the Weasleys’ invitation to stay at the Burrow during her last week. She determined that the chaos at the Burrow would be infinitely better than the silence of her Muggle home where memories of Draco and their last day together kept creeping back.
Despite the congratulatory remarks about her Head Girl status bringing back memories of Diagon Alley, she found that being with the Weasleys was what she needed. She told Ron and Harry and Ginny about breaking up with Malfoy, and was pleasantly surprised not to get any “I-told-you-so’s” from the boys. They had never warmed up to Slytherin but were supportive of her relationship with Malfoy. Hermione didn’t share with her friends the reason behind their break up. She vaguely stated that it was by mutual agreement that they’d decided to end their relationship. Neither Harry nor Ron seemed interested in any further detail. Both boys decided that any reason that ends their charade of civility towards Malfoy was a good reason. Ginny however pressed her for more information in private, but Hermione remained reticent.
Hermione heard twice from Draco before September 1st. Once was when he owled her Head Girl badge back to her the day after their meeting. In her haste to leave Fortescue’s and Draco, she’d left her badge on the table. Initially, her heart leapt when she recognized the owl; she hoped he had reconsidered and that he was owling an apology. Therefore her disappointment was twofold when the owl post containing her returned badge bore a simple note stating, “You forgot this.” There was no other message. It was an insult to her injury.
A second letter from Draco arrived while she was in the Burrow. It bore a conciliatory tone that asked to meet her in private, but it was too little, too late. She didn’t reply back.
***
During the train ride to Hogwarts, Hermione spent half her time in the Heads Compartment with Terry, planning their first Prefect’s meeting and their duties the rest of the year. It was comforting to her to have Terry as dedicated to their tasks as she was. Making lists and planning ahead proved to be a welcome distraction for her. She didn’t want to remember that the last time she and Draco were aboard the Hogwarts Express, on the train ride back to King’s Cross at the end of sixth year, they’d spent two hours ensconced in an empty compartment, shagging.
She’d seen Draco briefly as the train pulled away from the station. He was holding court with a group of Slytherins. She was deciding whether to keep on her path on the way to the Heads Compartment, or avoid him by ducking into the nearest available compartment, when he looked up. He smirked at her, then laid his arms casually around the shoulders of a pretty fifth year. Eyes watering at his mocking behavior, Hermione flung herself into the nearest compartment, tripping over a snogging Luna and Ron who had forgotten to lock the door.
She made her way back to the Heads Compartment after ensuring that the Slytherins had found a compartment of their own. Knowing she and Terry would have to conduct a brief Prefects’ Meeting before the train arrived in Hogsmeade, Hermione steeled her resolve. She knew she couldn’t keep avoiding Draco or it would be a very long seventh year indeed. Her position as Head Girl called for her to set an example to her fellow students and to have a professional relationship with the Prefects. She would have to set aside her personal feelings and concentrate on being civil to the wizard who’d broken her heart.
Thankfully, the Prefects’ pre-arrival meeting went off without a major hitch. Sure, Ron kept sending threatening glares towards Draco, which the blond ignored, and Luna Lovegood asked if the rule about inter-prefect dating extended to Head Students being able to date Prefects, but she was quickly shushed by Ginny who cast an apologetic glance at Hermione. Hermione was even proud of how she handled her emotions when Draco sauntered in late accompanied by the pretty Slytherin she saw with him earlier who turned out to be one of the fifth year prefects. During the meeting, she and Terry distributed the patrol schedules for the term and after discussing the expectations for the prefects, dismissed them so they could prepare for arrival at Hogsmeade.
Hermione remained in the compartment when everyone had left. She was gathering her things when she felt him at the door.
“Granger, may I have a word?”
Warily, she looked up at him. As much as she missed him, her emotions were still raw and she silently made a pact with herself to concentrate on her anger rather than her longing, in order for her to get through this.
“What is it, Malfoy? I haven’t got much time. We’re almost at Hogsmeade.”
“I want to apologize for how things ended between us.”
Her heart dropped at the fact that he was apologizing for how their break up happened, and not that it happened.
“I hope we can continue to be friends.”
At this, she had to laugh. “Friends? We were never friends, Malfoy. I believe we went from being fellow prefects to being fuck buddies. But we were never friends. None of my friends would ever do what you did to me.”
“Fine, then. Not friends. But I think it’d benefit us both to be civil toward one another. We do have to work together, though I did notice you didn’t schedule any patrol duties with me.”
“I couldn’t agree more. And you should be thanking me for scheduling most of your patrol duties with your new girlfriend. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready.” She didn’t wait for him to say or do anything else, as she made her exit as quickly as possible.
Draco watched her leave. He realized this was going to be a lot more difficult than he’d imagined.
***
The first day of term, she received an owl from Draco.
I need to speak with you. Please meet me outside the Great Hall after dinner.
She replied, I can’t. I’m busy. She didn’t offer any alternative time.
He owled her again. She ignored it.
On the third day of term, she received a bouquet of irises. It bore no note, but it could only be from him. The first chance she got, she marched it down to the Infirmary. Madame Pomfrey was grateful.
She did the same thing to an arrangement of lilies she got four days later.
After her third donation of flowers to the infirmary, they stopped coming.
The following weeks, Hermione found sufficient things keep her from wallowing in self-pity. Of the mind that it was never to early to begin preparing for their NEWTs, she spent more time in the library. Harry and Ron and Ginny were all busy with the beginning of the Quidditch season so her absences from their company weren’t marked.
The only times she saw Draco during this time was at meal times and their shared classes. Prefects’ meetings were bi-weekly and their interactions during then were minimal at best. He had finally given up on his attempts to speak with her privately. There were no more owl posts and no more floral arrangements from him.
Hermione thought she was on her way to leaving Draco Malfoy behind until the night she shared patrol duty with Pansy Parkinson.
When Hermione and Draco began dating towards the end of sixth year, Pansy was one of the first Slytherins to accept the relationship. Draco Malfoy was one of her oldest friends and though many assumed that they were dating, their relationship was purely platonic. Draco considered her the sister he never had and Pansy relished the idea of having a brotherly figure who was her age.
Pansy’s public acceptance of the Granger-Malfoy relationship was the catalyst that made the affair palatable to the other Slytherins. Hermione was grateful for it. After the fiasco with Umbridge and the Inquisitorial Squad, suspicion among the student body against the Slytherins ran high and the feeling was mutual. That a significant member of the Golden Trio would blatantly consort with the “enemy” was a significant step towards inter-house trust-building. It helped that the Boy-Who-Lived didn’t appear to have any major objections to the affair. And for a leader of the dungeons to attach her stamp of approval to the strange relationship went a long way in chipping away the layers of suspicion the Slytherins had for the other houses.
Despite her break up with Draco, Hermione remained friendly with Pansy. She found Pansy’s leadership qualities to be exemplary and her cynical view of the world to be refreshing. Conversations with Pansy were never dull. Pansy provided Hermione an insight to a Pureblood witch’s privileged world (something unfortunately Ginny Weasley could not) and Hermione gave Pansy an insight into Muggle life, something the Slytherin found to be a complete antithesis to her existence.
It was an hour into their patrol together when Pansy broached the subject of the break up.
“So, Granger, how are you holding up?”
Hermione, who’d been deep in thought and relatively silent for the past half hour, answered, “Fine, Parkinson, thanks for asking. Patrolling is one of my favorite Prefect duties. I like the silence of the halls after curfew.”
“I don’t mean the patrol duty, silly. I was talking about this mess with Draco.”
“Oh, that.” Hermione frowned at her use of “mess.”
“Yes, that.” Pansy paused, waiting for Hermione to say something else. When she didn’t, Pansy pressed on. “He’s not doing so well, you know. Draco. I’ve never seen him withdraw like this. And that’s saying a lot. I’ve known him since we were three, and there were times when things at the Manor were especially…difficult with Lucius, and Draco would withdraw into himself as a defense mechanism, but never like this.”
“He seems to be doing fine to me. He’s moved on and acquired a new girlfriend so he can’t be doing much withdrawing now, can he?”
“Girlfriend?”
“Circe Montague. Fifth year prefect. Surely you’ve noticed. They’ve practically been attached at the hip since term began,” Hermione replied exasperatedly. This discussion was making her uncomfortable and she wished it to be over. “Look, Pansy, I’d rather not talk about this, if it’s all the same to you. He was the one who ended things. It’s over and it’s best we both move on.”
But Pansy just started laughing. “Circe Montague? Circe Montague is gay, Granger! Draco is not that self-defeating, even if he made the biggest mistake by breaking up with you.”
Hermione looked at Pansy in surprise, digesting what she’d just revealed. Not his girlfriend? But she dashed the sliver of hope immediately, remembering the cruel words Draco said to her at Diagon Alley.
“Look, they’re ‘attached at the hip’ as you say---what a strange expression, is that Muggle?---only because he’s doing his duty as the her prefect-mentor. You and Boot were the ones who assigned us our fifth year prefect mentees, so it’s not like Draco picked her. Alright, I know you don’t want to talk about this anymore, so let’s talk about how I got assigned a Hufflepuff prefect to mentor.”
Pansy prattled on about her mentee for the rest of their patrol but Hermione barely paid attention to her, her thoughts on Draco Malfoy.
***
“Did you speak with her?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“You really hurt her, Draco. She wants nothing to do with you.”
“I know.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I’ve tried everything, Pans. She ignores my owls. She disappears for hours to who knows where and when she is around, she’s surrounded by people, it’s practically impossible to speak with her in private. And I might as well send flowers directly to the infirmary!”
“I guess you’ll just have to try harder, Draco.”
“What? Beg? Humiliate myself publicly? Malfoys don’t beg, Parkinson.”
“You’re right, Draco. Malfoys don’t beg. Malfoys, however, have this inherent ability to lose the most important thing to them because of their misguided pride. Congratulations, Draco Malfoy. It sounds to me you have already decided what to do about this situation. Perhaps you deserve this misery after all.”
With that declaration, Pansy Parkinson left her best friend to stare morosely at the fireplace in the cold Slytherin common room.
***
Hermione was surprised to see Draco Malfoy waiting for her at the Prefects’ Meeting room a week later.
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m your patrol partner tonight.”
“What?”
“I switched with Lovegood. Now come on, Granger, you don’t want us to be late for rounds, now do you?”
“Prefects are supposed to tell the Head students if they switch patrol duties!”
“And we did. Boot knows.”
“Well, I didn’t.”
“That breakdown in communication is between you and the Head Boy, Granger. Not my problem.”
“There is no breakdown in communication, Malfoy!”
“Good. Then I don’t need to remind you that I’m to be your patrol partner for the next two months?”
“WHAT?”
“Oh, dear. I guess Boot’s been slack in his Head duties. Tsk, tsk…imagine, letting the Head Girl down?”
“How---how can that be? Don’t you have Quidditch practice? I specifically made sure I was scheduled for patrol when---”
“When I had Quidditch practice---yes, I noticed. But I am Captain, after all, and I can change the practice schedule whenever I want,” he declared smugly.
“Why are you doing this, Malfoy?”
“Because you’ve successfully avoided me since school started, and there are some things I need to say to you.”
“I’m sure whatever it is you have to say doesn’t necessitate you having to patrol with me for the next two months.”
“No.”
“Well, then, out with it. Say whatever it is you need to say to me and tomorrow you can tell Terry you want to switch back the patrol schedule to what it was.”
She stood glaring at him, her arms crossed at her chest in a defensive stance. He regarded her with those gray eyes in an unreadable expression that her irritation at him began to flag.
“I’m sorry.”
She was about to ask him what exactly he was sorry for when he held up his hand to keep her from interrupting, because he wasn’t finished with what he had to say.
“I’m sorry for breaking up with you because it’s not what I intended to do when I asked you to meet me and it’s not what I want. I’m sorry for saying those cruel things to you because I didn’t mean any of them. I’m sorry for hurting you because that is the last thing I ever want to do. I’m sorry for my insecurities and for blaming you for them. I’m sorry I was an inadequate boyfriend because you deserve more. And I’m sorry for being a first class arsehole and for treating you badly. I don’t want to ever hurt you, Hermione.”
“But you did, Draco.” Twin trails of tears were streaming down her cheeks.
“I know. And I’m truly sorry for it.”
“You were not inadequate,” she said softly. He gave her a wry smile.
“Yes, I was. A proper boyfriend would have shared in your joy at getting something you’ve worked very hard the last six years to attain. Instead, I selfishly allowed my insecurities to take over.”
“I didn’t realize getting Head Boy meant that much to you.”
“It did. Then I realized that my aspirations for the position wasn’t worth losing you over.” He stepped closer to her and tilter her face up. Using his thumbs, he wiped her cheeks dry.
“Did you really mean that? What you said about not wanting to break up?”
“Yes. I would very much like to be your boyfriend again, Granger, if you’ll have me.”
“I suppose that can be arranged. I did say you weren’t inadequate. I…”
But she forgot whatever else it was she was going to say, because Draco closed the gap between them and crushed his lips to hers.
Tongues battled for dominance and hands caressed body parts. After a few minutes, Hermione pulled away breathlessly,
“We have to do rounds, Draco.”
“Oh, bugger.”
“C’mon. The sooner we get that done, the more time we have for other…activities.” She smiled up at him suggestively.
Their rounds lasted an hour. After which Draco had Hermione pressed up against a window ledge, her knickers in his pocket, and his cock buried inside her. It had been too long since that train ride back to King’s Cross, and they had so much time to make up for.
Over the next two months, their rounds got shorter and shorter.
***
Headmaster,
I’ve caught a couple more students out of bed tonight. Both were coming from the kitchens. This brings the total to sixteen students out of bed past curfew in the past four weeks.
This kind of trouble only happens when the Head Girl and the Slytherin prefect, Mr. Malfoy, are on patrol rounds together.
I have strong suspicions that they are not carrying out their duties.
Please do something.
Argus Filch
Fin
So I turned in my DMHG Fic Exchange assignment on time, but am not happy with the way it turned out. I realized I don’t much like writing Hogwarts fics. I feel that most of it has been written by more talented writers and I just don’t think I can offer any original ideas. Unfortunately, I didn’t specify that when I signed up, so I had to make the best of it.
I hope the requester, Rachel Summers, doesn’t hate me too much.