treat for greenschist
Title: Autumn Chill
Author: Inspire inspired_ideas
Written For: greenschist in luvlikerocketz
Rating: Teen / PG-13
Word Count: ~4,650
Request: #3: Drabble/One-shot: Autumn
Autumn Chill
“I can’t believe I let you drag me into this, Zabini.” Draco said in disgust. “You told me there would be plenty of witches to choose from. If a quarter of these witches are younger than my mother, I’ll eat that one’s pointy hat. Oh, Merlin. Is that Sprout?” Draco looked closer and saw the retired Herbology professor kissing another witch with short gray hair and a prominent chin. “It is. Ugh, that’s Grubbly-Plank she’s got her mouth on. I’m leaving,” he said turning to head back to the edge of the festival grounds where he’d be capable of Apparition.
“Malfoy, may I remind you that you lost the bet? You’re here for the duration. Settle in. Enjoy yourself. Who knows what sort of witches might turn up? The night is still young, and so are we,” Blaise said enthusiastically. “I’m sure we’ll find any number of suitable witches before the night is through.”
“Suitable witches. So says the bloke who used to wank to thoughts of McGonagall and her tartan knickers,” Draco countered.
“That was one time and it was because of that drawing I found of her from back when she first started teaching. I didn’t even know it was McGonagall until Nott pointed it out,” Blaise said defensively. It had been a smoking hot sketch of a wild-haired, curvy young witch doing wicked things with her wand.
“The tartan knickers were something of a give away.” Draco laughed at his friend’s discomfort. In fact, the tartan had been an after thought. Draco himself had drawn the picture and when he realized just how much it resembled a certain Muggle-born witch, he’d added the tartan knickers and labeled the back of the drawing with the Transfiguration professor’s name in a pedestrian block print to disguise his own regal handwriting before hastily tucking the parchment in his library book. He’d planned to retrieve it later, but Zabini had borrowed the book to finish his Transfiguration essay and found the drawing.
“I didn’t know it was her, I tell you. I thought it was Granger.” Blaise smirked when Draco stumbled a little.
“Granger?” Draco didn’t like that his voice actually squeaked as he said her name, so he cleared his throat and tried again, attempting to sound unconvinced. “Granger. In tartan plaid?”
“It looked just like her. Even Nott thought so,” Blaise shrugged. “It wasn’t her, of course. That little constellation of freckles Granger has near her navel wasn’t…”
“Tell me just how you happen to know what Granger’s navel looks like?” Malfoy growled.
~*~*~
“Have some cider,” Ginny pressed the cup into her friend’s hand.
“Thanks, Gin. Tell me again why we’re here?” Hermione couldn’t fathom why Ginny Weasley had wanted to spend Halloween around a bonfire in Ireland instead of at the Three Broomsticks with their other friends.
“Because you owed me a favor. Because you love bonfires. Because you’re curious about other things witches and wizards do on Halloween beyond having a piss up in a warm pub. Because you love me and would do anything to see me smile,” Ginny took a breath as she batted her eyelashes and Hermione used the opportunity to get a word in.
“Three out of five isn’t bad. I might love you, but with the way you plow through love interests to confess it would be emotional suicide,” Hermione snickered. “As for doing anything to see you smile, do I look like I’ve taken leave of my senses? You have a very odd sense of humor, Ginerva Weasley. I’m quite sure you’re capable of dreaming up any number of situations that would make you smile yet put my teeth on edge. No, thank you. I’ll pass on that ‘do anything’ bit.” Hermione sipped her cider and grinned. “The cider is good, though. It almost makes it worth spending Halloween out here in the cold instead of in a nice warm pub.”
“Oh, don’t be a baby. If you must know, I’m seeing someone new and I’m not in the mood for explaining that to Harry once he’s got a few drinks in him and suddenly decides he can’t live without me. Again,” Ginny rolled her eyes.
“He will do it though. Men,” Hermione said with a long-suffering sigh. “Honestly, I’d rather deal with someone like Harry than your brother who can’t help expressing his supposedly undying affection for me when he’s sober yet jumps anything in a skirt that looks at him twice when he’s had as much as a whiff of alcohol.” Ronald Weasley was a rotter and her biggest mistake in judgment ever, and she included her idiotic second year fancy for Lockhart in that assessment. At least she had never kissed her professor.
Ginny nudged her friend. “Don’t think about my brother. You’ll only make yourself mental trying to understand him. We’re here to enjoy ourselves. You love autumn. Let’s go check out the bonfire. Maybe there are some good looking blokes dancing naked around it,” Ginny dragged her off toward the bonfire at the center of the festival area.
“Isn’t the naked dancing on Beltane, not Samhain?” Hermione asked, trying not to slop her remaining cider as Ginny came to a crashing halt.
“For Merlin’s sake, Granger. Didn’t your parents teach you anything?” The pointy blond drawled, arching an eyebrow in challenge.
Blaise smirked and inclined his head in greeting. “Red,” he greeted Ginny. “Granger. Fancy meeting you here.”
“Hello, Zabini. Hello, Malfoy,” Hermione said brightly. “No, in fact my parents didn’t teach me anything at all about naked dancing. Why? Were you seeking an instructor?”
“As if there’s anything I could learn from a…” Draco suddenly found himself with a face full of wands and a pair of glaring witches.
“I’d watch what comes out of that mouth of yours if you’re not looking to wear my handprint on your cheek again, Malfoy,” Hermione hissed before stalking off.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ginny asked, glaring at Draco. “If I hadn’t sworn not to hex you anymore, you’d be eating Bat-Bogeys right now,” she said before dashing after Hermione.
“Why did you just stand there while they had their wands in my face?” Draco demanded of his fair-weather friend.
“Do I look like Goyle? You want a flunky? Spend Halloween with him. Anyway, it didn’t look like anything you wouldn’t have deserved, mate,” Blaise observed. “I’d be a little nicer to her if she were my savior.”
~*~*~
“Oh! He makes me so furious I could spit!” Hermione shoved her crackling hair back from her face and winced when the static shocked her through her glove.
“Does this mean I’m allowed to hex him again?” Ginny asked hopefully.
“No! Just because Malfoy is an arse doesn’t mean we need to stoop to his level.” Hermione sighed. “I only wish he weren’t so vile.”
“Look, forget about Malfoy. This was obviously a bad idea. I should’ve listened.”
~*~*~
“If she were your savior?” Draco looked at Blaise askance. “Why in Merlin’s name should I be nicer to little Miss Shrubbery Head? It’s not as if she’s ever done me any favors. If it was up to her, I’d be rotting in Azkaban.”
“What? Even if you don’t think badgering her friends into agreeing to leave you be is worth anything, don’t you think Granger convincing Potter to speak for you and your parents during the trials counts as a favor? Even if The-Wanker-Who-Won would have stepped up on his own, the best you could have hoped for was parole with… What does your father call it? ‘Incessant, infernal supervision’, isn’t it? If nothing else, you owe her for the work she did finding precedents to get you that nice shiny pardon for being initially coerced while you were still a minor. It could very easily have been Azkaban for you if it hadn’t been for Granger. You’re a selfish wanker, Malfoy, but I’ve never known you not to honor a debt before.” Blaise shook his head and mumbled something about ‘bad ideas’ and ‘should have listened’, before walking away.
~*~*~
“Oi! Chestnuts. I love roasted chestnuts. Let’s get some,” Ginny said trying to distract her friend from asking more questions.
“You bought the cider. I’ll queue up and meet you by the fire,” Hermione headed off to buy a bag of the roasted treats.
Ginny skirted the crowd. She’d not got far before a hooded figure stepped out of the shadows long enough to cover her mouth and quickly drag her back in the direction it came.
~*~*~
Hermione had been around the bonfire three times and she’d still not spotted Ginny. She tucked the bag of roasted chestnuts in her cloak to keep them warm, as she wondered whether she should stay where she was or head back the way she came in search of her friend. Crossing her arms, Hermione turned toward the bonfire and tried to let the crackling blaze calm her. Ginny had probably been distracted by one of the peddlers or that witch who was reading tarot cards for the people idiotic enough to pay for such nonsense.
“Gr… Uh, Hermione, have you perchance seen Blaise Zabini?” Draco had lost a bet. There was a Compulsion Charm involved, which was nothing unusual for Slytherins who liked to make sure losers met the terms, but it was giving him the urge to find Blaise since those terms had included accompanying him this evening. Apparently just being in the same general location didn’t qualify as ‘accompanying’ because he was definitely feeling compelled to locate his friend.
Hermione looked at him oddly. “Are you all right?” His eyes looked a little strange and he’d used her first name. He’d never in his life called her Hermione.
“I’m fine. I can’t find Zabini. Have you seen him?” He tried to ask politely, but there was an edge to his voice.
“No, I haven’t and I’ve been around this fire several times looking for Ginny,” she saw no harm in telling him she was looking for her friend too. “She was supposed to be here. Which direction did you come from? Did you see her on the way? Do you want to look for them both? Should we split up or stick together? Where do youumpmfphf,” Hermione found her words cut off by his gloved hand.
“Hush. Give a man a moment to answer one question before you go asking another, will you?” Draco chuckled. The look on her face was priceless. Those big brown eyes had gone even bigger. Shock and surprise was a good look on the witch. “Now, let’s see if I was paying proper attention, shall we?” Draco smirked before answering her string of questions. “I came from back that way, where I was when I nearly insulted you. For which I am sorry; it was rude of me. I did not see We… Ginny along the way, however, I confess I had only been looking for Zabini and was looking at heads above the crowd since he’s such a great tall fellow.” Too tall in Draco’s opinion considering that a Malfoy shouldn’t have to look up at people. “While I don’t particularly care to,” hunt weasels, “search for your friend, I’m not opposed to joining forces if it helps me locate mine.” He thought she might appreciate his honesty. Gryffindors were like that. “Let’s split up to circle the fire in opposite directions. Ha! I even answered the question you didn’t finish asking. I got them all, didn’t I?” He looked entirely too pleased with himself. “Well? Didn’t I?”
“You did get them all. How did you do it? No one else ever seems to manage, although Harry’s come close a time or two. Wait, you apologized. You never apologize.” Hermione narrowed her eyes. “Paying attention to what I said? Apologizing? Using my given name? What in heavens is going on? Who are you and what have you done with Malfoy? What have you done with Ginny?”
“More questions,” Draco sighed pretending to be put out although he was actually somewhat amused. “How, was by paying attention. Yes, as I said, I paid attention. Yes, I apologized. Yes, Hermione, or do you prefer Granger?” He rather liked calling her Granger but most women didn’t like to be called by their last names. “I have no idea what’s going on. I am, indeed, Draco Lucius Malfoy; accept no imitations. I can’t say what I’ve done with myself, aside from apparently having gone round the twist. I blame that on the apology, by the way, as it’s something new I’m trying in honor of Samhain.” He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Instead of the grudging respect for paying attention, yet again, that Draco felt he’d deserved, Hermione crossed her own arms and tapped her foot.
“Well?” she asked, seeing his eyebrow and raising one of her own.
“Well, what?” He looked confused for a moment, wondering what she was on about when it hit him. “Oh, I missed one. I haven’t done a blasted thing with the Weaselette. Before you launch into another barrage of questions, might I suggest we make that circuit of the fire?”
“I suppose. All right, Malfoy. We’ll meet in the middle,” Hermione agreed before setting out anticlockwise. Draco spent several moments watching her, before setting out the opposite direction.
~*~*~
Draco caught sight of a patch of red hair in the crowd and started to move to intercept when the woman turned around. It was not Ginny Weasley. Not unless she’d grown a wart on her nose and aged forty years in past hour.
~*~*~
“Anything?” Hermione asked as their paths crossed on the other side of the bonfire.
“Not unless you count ginger hair attached to someone else’s head as something. Let’s finish the circuit and meet back where we started,” he offered. Draco touched her arm. “I’m sure she’s fine, Gr…Hermi…Granger.”
“Granger’s fine, Malfoy.” Hermione actually liked the way he said it. There was a little purr in his drawl. She placed her gloved hand over his where it still laid on her arm. “I’m sure Zabini is as well.” At least she hoped so. Giving him a small smile, she went off to complete her circle of the fire.
~*~*~
“All right, now I am getting worried.” Hermione bit her lip. “It’s not like Ginny to just run off without a word. I’m going to head back toward the cider stand. She might have got thirsty and gone to fetch more. Do you want to come with me? We can look for Zabini at the same time.”
Draco was trying not to show it but he was a little concerned himself. Disappearances were something he associated with the Dark Lord. Although he knew that wasn’t the case here, he couldn’t shake the feeling there was something going on and his friend was involved. “Let’s stick together,” he said, offering her his hand.
~*~*~
“Is that…? No, it’s not.” Hermione sighed. The man had been bent over, but when he stood, even from as far away as she was it was clear that he wasn’t as tall as Blaise Zabini.
“Where’s the last place you saw her, Granger? We should try there next,” Draco squeezed her hand.
Hermione wondered what it would feel like if they weren’t wearing gloves. Would it feel even more comforting? Or would he pull away because her Muggle-born skin was coming into contact with his pristine Pure-blood self? The odds were on the latter. “This is the last place I saw her, Malfoy. Ginny saw the chestnut peddler and I queued up to buy us some while she went on toward the fire. She went that direction.” Hermione let go of Malfoy’s hand to run the direction she’d just pointed.
“Merlin, Granger. You’re quick as a cat,” he said catching her up. “What’s that?” he gestured toward the blue lump she had in her hand.
“It’s Ginny’s mitten,” Hermione told him as she went from worried to terrified.
“What adult wears mittens? Are you sure some child didn’t drop it? It looks like a lump of wool to me. Anyone could have a blue… Ow! Why did you hit me?” Draco pouted. He supposed he was insulting the blue mass. Still, that was no reason to wallop a fellow.
“Look, then!” She saw he wasn’t seeing what she saw and pointed to the ground. “Drag marks. Someone was pulled back that way. It has to have been Ginny. Let’s go!” Hermione took hold of her wand and started toward the narrow space between the buildings.
Draco grabbed her and pulled her back. “No,” he clamped his hand over her mouth when she started to protest. “If someone has Ginny, they could be waiting to capture you too. You Gryffindors are always rushing in without thinking things through. It’s a wonder any of you are still alive.” Seeing the storm clouds build, he shook his head. “Look, we’re going. I know you have to go, and I have to go with you. I can’t very well let you have all the glory, now can I?” Draco tried to lighten the tone as he took his hand off her mouth. “All I’m saying is let’s go about it intelligently. Disillusion ourselves at least, all right?”
“All right, Malfoy. You’re right,” Hermione agreed that it was a wise precaution.
“Now look here, Granger, be reasonable. Wait. Did you say I’m right?” Draco hadn’t expected her to agree with him.
“Yes. You’re right. Disillusionment is a sensible precaution. It could be nothing or it could be something. It never hurts to protect yourself over nothing, but it could hurt to fail to protect yourself over something. Do you want to cast your own or should I do the charm for both of us?” Hermione inquired.
“I’ll do us both. I know a little variation that masks footsteps too.” Draco had learned it from Severus Snape. “There. Sorry about the trickle. The variation makes it extra chilly. Give me your hand so we can stay together.”
“I need my hand for my wand, Malfoy. And so do you,” Hermione pointed out. Honestly, she wondered how someone so cautious would choose to go in without his wand drawn.
“I’m left handed, Granger. Give me your left hand. Hold my right. Merlin, are you always going to be this much trouble?” He hoped so. Draco Malfoy liked a clever witch who knew how to think for herself, even if she did want to rush headlong into potential danger. Once he had hold of her, he cast the charm on himself as well. “Let’s go before someone stumbles into us. I think the mead and ale peddlers are doing well this evening.” Apparently many people were warding off the autumn chill with spirits a little stronger than cider judging by the number of people staggering about.
“Forget the drunks, Malfoy. We need to find our friends.”
~*~*~
“Listen,” Draco whispered as they neared the end of the passage between the buildings. “There’s someone back there.”
“It’s Ginny. She’s hurt,” Hermione tried to dash on toward the moaning but Draco held her back. “Let go,” she hissed.
“No,” he held fast and was grateful she couldn’t see him properly or he’d probably have been hexed. “You can’t dash in there, Granger. We’re going, all right? Only carefully, intelligently,” he heard her snort on his last word, but she stopped struggling. Another moan, this time masculine, filtered down between the buildings. “That’s Zabini. I think we found them both.”
“Come on, Mister Cautious,” Hermione pulled him towards the sounds.
As they got closer, Draco started wondering if perhaps they were making a big mistake.
~*~*~
In fact, it was a big mistake. No, not big, huge, a huge mistake. This was one time Draco really hadn’t wanted to be right.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Hermione said testily, as Draco dropped both their Disillusionment Charms. “I was worried sick about you and you’ve been … No! Don’t turn around.” She had a fairly decent idea of what they’d been doing based on the movement of Blaise’s hips, despite his cloak covering the pair of them, and she swiftly turned her head into Draco’s shoulder so she wouldn’t see anything she shouldn’t. Draco’s arm came around her protectively.
“Merlin, Zabini. Get a room next time. ‘Who knows what sort of witches might turn up,’ indeed.” Draco drawled. “If you wanted to get laid, you didn’t need to bring me along you know. I saw enough of your scrawny arse in the dorm room to last my lifetime.”
“Ahem,” Ginny cleared her throat. “There is no one ‘getting laid’ here, Malfoy.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Blaise whispered against her ear. “I don’t know why you’re complaining, Malfoy. Looks like you’ve found yourself a witch of your own.” Blaise raised an eyebrow at the picture Draco Malfoy made with his arm wrapped around Hermione Granger.
“As you see, we are both fully clothed,” Ginny continued as if Blaise hadn’t said a word, although she was eying her friend and how relaxed she looked Draco’s company.
“You are?” Hermione said, lifting her head and turning it just a little to make sure before turning fully around. “You are. I could have sworn I’d seen…” Hermione blushed and cut herself off. She wasn’t going to mention Blaise Zabini’s hips if she could help it. “Is this the ‘someone new’ you’re seeing?” Ginny always had a bit of an interest in Blaise Zabini. Enough that she’d picked up on the fact that he could be a bit of a poser. For Blaise’s part, Hermione suspected he actually enjoyed that Ginny knew he often put on a show and wasn’t afraid to call him on it.
Draco had reluctantly dropped his arm when Hermione turned around. She had felt surprising good there beside him. He was focused more on how disappointed he found himself that Hermione had moved, than on the fact that his friend was seeing a Weasley.
“Yes,” Ginny said with a grin. “Blaise and I have been seeing each other since your birthday, Hermione.”
“I rescued her from Potter’s monologue on how he couldn’t live without her and never should of let her go,” Blaise looked angry. “What man in his right mind gives up what he wants then whinges about no longer having it? Bah. You deserve better, Red. I intend to see you have it,” he told Ginny firmly.
“She does deserve better,” Hermione agreed. “I’m glad you’re all right,” Hermione told Ginny. “You had me worried. You two had us both worried when we couldn’t find you. Then I found your mitten. Here,” she stepped forward and offered Ginny the blue mitten once she fished it out of her pocket, but then stepped back next to Malfoy, much to his hidden delight. “I thought I saw marks like you’d been dragged off.”
“I was. Poser here,” Ginny inclined her head toward Blaise with a fond smile, “felt the need to drag me off for a snog. We got a little involved and lost track of time. We’re sorry we worried you, Hermione. You too, Malfoy.”
“Speak for yourself, Red.” Blaise returned Ginny’s smile obviously unconcerned about being called Poser by Ginny, much to Hermione’s delight and Draco’s puzzlement. “I am sorry I worried you, Granger. Malfoy is another matter. I might, however, endeavor to become apologetic to him as well if he’s made up for being rude to you earlier.”
“He’s apologized, if that’s what you mean,” Hermione replied.
“He did? Well, well, well,” Blaise said as he looped his arm around Ginny’s shoulder. “Did you hear that? Seems Malfoy might actually be acquiring manners, love.”
“Malfoy is right here and becoming tired of being talked around as if he is not,” the blond huffed.
“I’m sorry, Malfoy,” Hermione said resting her hand on his arm.
“See?” Ginny said, elbowing Blaise. “I told you they could get on if we could just get them to spend time together, but no-o-o you wouldn’t listen.”
“I wouldn’t listen? You’re the one who wouldn’t listen, Red,” Blaise countered.
“You set us up?” Hermione shrieked as Draco growled and glared at his so-called friend. Turning on Malfoy, she started flooding him questions. “Did you know about this? Were you in on it? Is that why you were nice to me? Why were you nice to me? Is this your idea of fun? Do you have any idea howmphf…”
Draco scowled at her, but his lips quirked in amusement as her eyes went wide again. It had been so tempting to use something other than his hand against her lips to cut off her questions. “This again. Frankly, Granger, I’m beginning to think you like quizzing me with these strings of questions. All right, I’m not entirely sure I have this lot, as part of my attention was diverted by our friends revelation, however here it goes.” Draco took a breath and began. “Apparently they did set us up, though Merlin knows why. No, I didn’t know about this. No, I wasn’t in on it and was as much in the dark as you. No, I was nice to you because I’d been rude and I’d had no idea you were the one responsible for my pardon. When you didn’t appear at my trial, I took that to mean you wanted me in Azkaban, not that you were working another angle.” He thought he might as well put that out there as it was to his advantage to confess something for once and it was easier sliding it in amongst other things. Tapping his chin, he thought for a moment. “There was something else, wasn’t there?” Hermione started to open her mouth, but Draco was quicker. “Ah, I remember. While being tricked into anything is not generally my idea of fun, I haven’t exactly been having a bad time, although I didn’t appreciate being wor… ah, concerned for our friends’ whereabouts any more than you. There. Got that one you didn’t finish once again as well, didn’t I?” He was fairly certain he had.
Hermione wanted to be angry with Malfoy, only it was difficult when the man not only tolerated her onslaught of questions but paid attention enough to answer them all and figure out what she’d been trying to ask yet didn’t. She settled for being merely annoyed by his smugness “Honestly! Do you have to look so pleased with yourself?” Hermione watched as Draco crossed his arms and tapped his foot like she had at the bonfire when he’d missed answering one of her questions. “Oh, very well. Yes, you got the one I didn’t finish too. There. Are you happy now?” Hermione said testily before smiling a little at him. He looked so pleased with himself that it was hard not to be a tiny bit amused.
“Exceedingly, so. Thank you for asking,” Draco replied with a smirk.
“Wait. You thought I’d wanted you in…”
This time Blaise cut her off with a cough. “You two can thank us later,” Blaise said, buffing his nails on his cloak with the air of someone supremely confident that such a thing would happen.
“Yes, later will do. Right now, I want some of those chestnuts,” Ginny said as if all was already forgiven.
Perhaps sometime later thanks would happen to be given. Perhaps being tricked into the evening was already forgiven. Perhaps in the future Hermione would ask more questions which Draco would then answer. Perhaps they might all live happily ever after, or perhaps not. But right now Ginny wanted chestnuts.
Hermione reached into her cloak for the bag of roasted chestnuts she had placed there earlier. Thanks and forgiveness could wait. She took a handful of chestnuts and offered some to Draco. And together Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy pelted Ginny Weasley and Blaise Zabini with the roasted treats for tricking them.
~*Fini*~
Author: Inspire inspired_ideas
Written For: greenschist in luvlikerocketz
Rating: Teen / PG-13
Word Count: ~4,650
Request: #3: Drabble/One-shot: Autumn
Autumn Chill
“I can’t believe I let you drag me into this, Zabini.” Draco said in disgust. “You told me there would be plenty of witches to choose from. If a quarter of these witches are younger than my mother, I’ll eat that one’s pointy hat. Oh, Merlin. Is that Sprout?” Draco looked closer and saw the retired Herbology professor kissing another witch with short gray hair and a prominent chin. “It is. Ugh, that’s Grubbly-Plank she’s got her mouth on. I’m leaving,” he said turning to head back to the edge of the festival grounds where he’d be capable of Apparition.
“Malfoy, may I remind you that you lost the bet? You’re here for the duration. Settle in. Enjoy yourself. Who knows what sort of witches might turn up? The night is still young, and so are we,” Blaise said enthusiastically. “I’m sure we’ll find any number of suitable witches before the night is through.”
“Suitable witches. So says the bloke who used to wank to thoughts of McGonagall and her tartan knickers,” Draco countered.
“That was one time and it was because of that drawing I found of her from back when she first started teaching. I didn’t even know it was McGonagall until Nott pointed it out,” Blaise said defensively. It had been a smoking hot sketch of a wild-haired, curvy young witch doing wicked things with her wand.
“The tartan knickers were something of a give away.” Draco laughed at his friend’s discomfort. In fact, the tartan had been an after thought. Draco himself had drawn the picture and when he realized just how much it resembled a certain Muggle-born witch, he’d added the tartan knickers and labeled the back of the drawing with the Transfiguration professor’s name in a pedestrian block print to disguise his own regal handwriting before hastily tucking the parchment in his library book. He’d planned to retrieve it later, but Zabini had borrowed the book to finish his Transfiguration essay and found the drawing.
“I didn’t know it was her, I tell you. I thought it was Granger.” Blaise smirked when Draco stumbled a little.
“Granger?” Draco didn’t like that his voice actually squeaked as he said her name, so he cleared his throat and tried again, attempting to sound unconvinced. “Granger. In tartan plaid?”
“It looked just like her. Even Nott thought so,” Blaise shrugged. “It wasn’t her, of course. That little constellation of freckles Granger has near her navel wasn’t…”
“Tell me just how you happen to know what Granger’s navel looks like?” Malfoy growled.
~*~*~
“Have some cider,” Ginny pressed the cup into her friend’s hand.
“Thanks, Gin. Tell me again why we’re here?” Hermione couldn’t fathom why Ginny Weasley had wanted to spend Halloween around a bonfire in Ireland instead of at the Three Broomsticks with their other friends.
“Because you owed me a favor. Because you love bonfires. Because you’re curious about other things witches and wizards do on Halloween beyond having a piss up in a warm pub. Because you love me and would do anything to see me smile,” Ginny took a breath as she batted her eyelashes and Hermione used the opportunity to get a word in.
“Three out of five isn’t bad. I might love you, but with the way you plow through love interests to confess it would be emotional suicide,” Hermione snickered. “As for doing anything to see you smile, do I look like I’ve taken leave of my senses? You have a very odd sense of humor, Ginerva Weasley. I’m quite sure you’re capable of dreaming up any number of situations that would make you smile yet put my teeth on edge. No, thank you. I’ll pass on that ‘do anything’ bit.” Hermione sipped her cider and grinned. “The cider is good, though. It almost makes it worth spending Halloween out here in the cold instead of in a nice warm pub.”
“Oh, don’t be a baby. If you must know, I’m seeing someone new and I’m not in the mood for explaining that to Harry once he’s got a few drinks in him and suddenly decides he can’t live without me. Again,” Ginny rolled her eyes.
“He will do it though. Men,” Hermione said with a long-suffering sigh. “Honestly, I’d rather deal with someone like Harry than your brother who can’t help expressing his supposedly undying affection for me when he’s sober yet jumps anything in a skirt that looks at him twice when he’s had as much as a whiff of alcohol.” Ronald Weasley was a rotter and her biggest mistake in judgment ever, and she included her idiotic second year fancy for Lockhart in that assessment. At least she had never kissed her professor.
Ginny nudged her friend. “Don’t think about my brother. You’ll only make yourself mental trying to understand him. We’re here to enjoy ourselves. You love autumn. Let’s go check out the bonfire. Maybe there are some good looking blokes dancing naked around it,” Ginny dragged her off toward the bonfire at the center of the festival area.
“Isn’t the naked dancing on Beltane, not Samhain?” Hermione asked, trying not to slop her remaining cider as Ginny came to a crashing halt.
“For Merlin’s sake, Granger. Didn’t your parents teach you anything?” The pointy blond drawled, arching an eyebrow in challenge.
Blaise smirked and inclined his head in greeting. “Red,” he greeted Ginny. “Granger. Fancy meeting you here.”
“Hello, Zabini. Hello, Malfoy,” Hermione said brightly. “No, in fact my parents didn’t teach me anything at all about naked dancing. Why? Were you seeking an instructor?”
“As if there’s anything I could learn from a…” Draco suddenly found himself with a face full of wands and a pair of glaring witches.
“I’d watch what comes out of that mouth of yours if you’re not looking to wear my handprint on your cheek again, Malfoy,” Hermione hissed before stalking off.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ginny asked, glaring at Draco. “If I hadn’t sworn not to hex you anymore, you’d be eating Bat-Bogeys right now,” she said before dashing after Hermione.
“Why did you just stand there while they had their wands in my face?” Draco demanded of his fair-weather friend.
“Do I look like Goyle? You want a flunky? Spend Halloween with him. Anyway, it didn’t look like anything you wouldn’t have deserved, mate,” Blaise observed. “I’d be a little nicer to her if she were my savior.”
~*~*~
“Oh! He makes me so furious I could spit!” Hermione shoved her crackling hair back from her face and winced when the static shocked her through her glove.
“Does this mean I’m allowed to hex him again?” Ginny asked hopefully.
“No! Just because Malfoy is an arse doesn’t mean we need to stoop to his level.” Hermione sighed. “I only wish he weren’t so vile.”
“Look, forget about Malfoy. This was obviously a bad idea. I should’ve listened.”
~*~*~
“If she were your savior?” Draco looked at Blaise askance. “Why in Merlin’s name should I be nicer to little Miss Shrubbery Head? It’s not as if she’s ever done me any favors. If it was up to her, I’d be rotting in Azkaban.”
“What? Even if you don’t think badgering her friends into agreeing to leave you be is worth anything, don’t you think Granger convincing Potter to speak for you and your parents during the trials counts as a favor? Even if The-Wanker-Who-Won would have stepped up on his own, the best you could have hoped for was parole with… What does your father call it? ‘Incessant, infernal supervision’, isn’t it? If nothing else, you owe her for the work she did finding precedents to get you that nice shiny pardon for being initially coerced while you were still a minor. It could very easily have been Azkaban for you if it hadn’t been for Granger. You’re a selfish wanker, Malfoy, but I’ve never known you not to honor a debt before.” Blaise shook his head and mumbled something about ‘bad ideas’ and ‘should have listened’, before walking away.
~*~*~
“Oi! Chestnuts. I love roasted chestnuts. Let’s get some,” Ginny said trying to distract her friend from asking more questions.
“You bought the cider. I’ll queue up and meet you by the fire,” Hermione headed off to buy a bag of the roasted treats.
Ginny skirted the crowd. She’d not got far before a hooded figure stepped out of the shadows long enough to cover her mouth and quickly drag her back in the direction it came.
~*~*~
Hermione had been around the bonfire three times and she’d still not spotted Ginny. She tucked the bag of roasted chestnuts in her cloak to keep them warm, as she wondered whether she should stay where she was or head back the way she came in search of her friend. Crossing her arms, Hermione turned toward the bonfire and tried to let the crackling blaze calm her. Ginny had probably been distracted by one of the peddlers or that witch who was reading tarot cards for the people idiotic enough to pay for such nonsense.
“Gr… Uh, Hermione, have you perchance seen Blaise Zabini?” Draco had lost a bet. There was a Compulsion Charm involved, which was nothing unusual for Slytherins who liked to make sure losers met the terms, but it was giving him the urge to find Blaise since those terms had included accompanying him this evening. Apparently just being in the same general location didn’t qualify as ‘accompanying’ because he was definitely feeling compelled to locate his friend.
Hermione looked at him oddly. “Are you all right?” His eyes looked a little strange and he’d used her first name. He’d never in his life called her Hermione.
“I’m fine. I can’t find Zabini. Have you seen him?” He tried to ask politely, but there was an edge to his voice.
“No, I haven’t and I’ve been around this fire several times looking for Ginny,” she saw no harm in telling him she was looking for her friend too. “She was supposed to be here. Which direction did you come from? Did you see her on the way? Do you want to look for them both? Should we split up or stick together? Where do youumpmfphf,” Hermione found her words cut off by his gloved hand.
“Hush. Give a man a moment to answer one question before you go asking another, will you?” Draco chuckled. The look on her face was priceless. Those big brown eyes had gone even bigger. Shock and surprise was a good look on the witch. “Now, let’s see if I was paying proper attention, shall we?” Draco smirked before answering her string of questions. “I came from back that way, where I was when I nearly insulted you. For which I am sorry; it was rude of me. I did not see We… Ginny along the way, however, I confess I had only been looking for Zabini and was looking at heads above the crowd since he’s such a great tall fellow.” Too tall in Draco’s opinion considering that a Malfoy shouldn’t have to look up at people. “While I don’t particularly care to,” hunt weasels, “search for your friend, I’m not opposed to joining forces if it helps me locate mine.” He thought she might appreciate his honesty. Gryffindors were like that. “Let’s split up to circle the fire in opposite directions. Ha! I even answered the question you didn’t finish asking. I got them all, didn’t I?” He looked entirely too pleased with himself. “Well? Didn’t I?”
“You did get them all. How did you do it? No one else ever seems to manage, although Harry’s come close a time or two. Wait, you apologized. You never apologize.” Hermione narrowed her eyes. “Paying attention to what I said? Apologizing? Using my given name? What in heavens is going on? Who are you and what have you done with Malfoy? What have you done with Ginny?”
“More questions,” Draco sighed pretending to be put out although he was actually somewhat amused. “How, was by paying attention. Yes, as I said, I paid attention. Yes, I apologized. Yes, Hermione, or do you prefer Granger?” He rather liked calling her Granger but most women didn’t like to be called by their last names. “I have no idea what’s going on. I am, indeed, Draco Lucius Malfoy; accept no imitations. I can’t say what I’ve done with myself, aside from apparently having gone round the twist. I blame that on the apology, by the way, as it’s something new I’m trying in honor of Samhain.” He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Instead of the grudging respect for paying attention, yet again, that Draco felt he’d deserved, Hermione crossed her own arms and tapped her foot.
“Well?” she asked, seeing his eyebrow and raising one of her own.
“Well, what?” He looked confused for a moment, wondering what she was on about when it hit him. “Oh, I missed one. I haven’t done a blasted thing with the Weaselette. Before you launch into another barrage of questions, might I suggest we make that circuit of the fire?”
“I suppose. All right, Malfoy. We’ll meet in the middle,” Hermione agreed before setting out anticlockwise. Draco spent several moments watching her, before setting out the opposite direction.
~*~*~
Draco caught sight of a patch of red hair in the crowd and started to move to intercept when the woman turned around. It was not Ginny Weasley. Not unless she’d grown a wart on her nose and aged forty years in past hour.
~*~*~
“Anything?” Hermione asked as their paths crossed on the other side of the bonfire.
“Not unless you count ginger hair attached to someone else’s head as something. Let’s finish the circuit and meet back where we started,” he offered. Draco touched her arm. “I’m sure she’s fine, Gr…Hermi…Granger.”
“Granger’s fine, Malfoy.” Hermione actually liked the way he said it. There was a little purr in his drawl. She placed her gloved hand over his where it still laid on her arm. “I’m sure Zabini is as well.” At least she hoped so. Giving him a small smile, she went off to complete her circle of the fire.
~*~*~
“All right, now I am getting worried.” Hermione bit her lip. “It’s not like Ginny to just run off without a word. I’m going to head back toward the cider stand. She might have got thirsty and gone to fetch more. Do you want to come with me? We can look for Zabini at the same time.”
Draco was trying not to show it but he was a little concerned himself. Disappearances were something he associated with the Dark Lord. Although he knew that wasn’t the case here, he couldn’t shake the feeling there was something going on and his friend was involved. “Let’s stick together,” he said, offering her his hand.
~*~*~
“Is that…? No, it’s not.” Hermione sighed. The man had been bent over, but when he stood, even from as far away as she was it was clear that he wasn’t as tall as Blaise Zabini.
“Where’s the last place you saw her, Granger? We should try there next,” Draco squeezed her hand.
Hermione wondered what it would feel like if they weren’t wearing gloves. Would it feel even more comforting? Or would he pull away because her Muggle-born skin was coming into contact with his pristine Pure-blood self? The odds were on the latter. “This is the last place I saw her, Malfoy. Ginny saw the chestnut peddler and I queued up to buy us some while she went on toward the fire. She went that direction.” Hermione let go of Malfoy’s hand to run the direction she’d just pointed.
“Merlin, Granger. You’re quick as a cat,” he said catching her up. “What’s that?” he gestured toward the blue lump she had in her hand.
“It’s Ginny’s mitten,” Hermione told him as she went from worried to terrified.
“What adult wears mittens? Are you sure some child didn’t drop it? It looks like a lump of wool to me. Anyone could have a blue… Ow! Why did you hit me?” Draco pouted. He supposed he was insulting the blue mass. Still, that was no reason to wallop a fellow.
“Look, then!” She saw he wasn’t seeing what she saw and pointed to the ground. “Drag marks. Someone was pulled back that way. It has to have been Ginny. Let’s go!” Hermione took hold of her wand and started toward the narrow space between the buildings.
Draco grabbed her and pulled her back. “No,” he clamped his hand over her mouth when she started to protest. “If someone has Ginny, they could be waiting to capture you too. You Gryffindors are always rushing in without thinking things through. It’s a wonder any of you are still alive.” Seeing the storm clouds build, he shook his head. “Look, we’re going. I know you have to go, and I have to go with you. I can’t very well let you have all the glory, now can I?” Draco tried to lighten the tone as he took his hand off her mouth. “All I’m saying is let’s go about it intelligently. Disillusion ourselves at least, all right?”
“All right, Malfoy. You’re right,” Hermione agreed that it was a wise precaution.
“Now look here, Granger, be reasonable. Wait. Did you say I’m right?” Draco hadn’t expected her to agree with him.
“Yes. You’re right. Disillusionment is a sensible precaution. It could be nothing or it could be something. It never hurts to protect yourself over nothing, but it could hurt to fail to protect yourself over something. Do you want to cast your own or should I do the charm for both of us?” Hermione inquired.
“I’ll do us both. I know a little variation that masks footsteps too.” Draco had learned it from Severus Snape. “There. Sorry about the trickle. The variation makes it extra chilly. Give me your hand so we can stay together.”
“I need my hand for my wand, Malfoy. And so do you,” Hermione pointed out. Honestly, she wondered how someone so cautious would choose to go in without his wand drawn.
“I’m left handed, Granger. Give me your left hand. Hold my right. Merlin, are you always going to be this much trouble?” He hoped so. Draco Malfoy liked a clever witch who knew how to think for herself, even if she did want to rush headlong into potential danger. Once he had hold of her, he cast the charm on himself as well. “Let’s go before someone stumbles into us. I think the mead and ale peddlers are doing well this evening.” Apparently many people were warding off the autumn chill with spirits a little stronger than cider judging by the number of people staggering about.
“Forget the drunks, Malfoy. We need to find our friends.”
~*~*~
“Listen,” Draco whispered as they neared the end of the passage between the buildings. “There’s someone back there.”
“It’s Ginny. She’s hurt,” Hermione tried to dash on toward the moaning but Draco held her back. “Let go,” she hissed.
“No,” he held fast and was grateful she couldn’t see him properly or he’d probably have been hexed. “You can’t dash in there, Granger. We’re going, all right? Only carefully, intelligently,” he heard her snort on his last word, but she stopped struggling. Another moan, this time masculine, filtered down between the buildings. “That’s Zabini. I think we found them both.”
“Come on, Mister Cautious,” Hermione pulled him towards the sounds.
As they got closer, Draco started wondering if perhaps they were making a big mistake.
~*~*~
In fact, it was a big mistake. No, not big, huge, a huge mistake. This was one time Draco really hadn’t wanted to be right.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Hermione said testily, as Draco dropped both their Disillusionment Charms. “I was worried sick about you and you’ve been … No! Don’t turn around.” She had a fairly decent idea of what they’d been doing based on the movement of Blaise’s hips, despite his cloak covering the pair of them, and she swiftly turned her head into Draco’s shoulder so she wouldn’t see anything she shouldn’t. Draco’s arm came around her protectively.
“Merlin, Zabini. Get a room next time. ‘Who knows what sort of witches might turn up,’ indeed.” Draco drawled. “If you wanted to get laid, you didn’t need to bring me along you know. I saw enough of your scrawny arse in the dorm room to last my lifetime.”
“Ahem,” Ginny cleared her throat. “There is no one ‘getting laid’ here, Malfoy.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Blaise whispered against her ear. “I don’t know why you’re complaining, Malfoy. Looks like you’ve found yourself a witch of your own.” Blaise raised an eyebrow at the picture Draco Malfoy made with his arm wrapped around Hermione Granger.
“As you see, we are both fully clothed,” Ginny continued as if Blaise hadn’t said a word, although she was eying her friend and how relaxed she looked Draco’s company.
“You are?” Hermione said, lifting her head and turning it just a little to make sure before turning fully around. “You are. I could have sworn I’d seen…” Hermione blushed and cut herself off. She wasn’t going to mention Blaise Zabini’s hips if she could help it. “Is this the ‘someone new’ you’re seeing?” Ginny always had a bit of an interest in Blaise Zabini. Enough that she’d picked up on the fact that he could be a bit of a poser. For Blaise’s part, Hermione suspected he actually enjoyed that Ginny knew he often put on a show and wasn’t afraid to call him on it.
Draco had reluctantly dropped his arm when Hermione turned around. She had felt surprising good there beside him. He was focused more on how disappointed he found himself that Hermione had moved, than on the fact that his friend was seeing a Weasley.
“Yes,” Ginny said with a grin. “Blaise and I have been seeing each other since your birthday, Hermione.”
“I rescued her from Potter’s monologue on how he couldn’t live without her and never should of let her go,” Blaise looked angry. “What man in his right mind gives up what he wants then whinges about no longer having it? Bah. You deserve better, Red. I intend to see you have it,” he told Ginny firmly.
“She does deserve better,” Hermione agreed. “I’m glad you’re all right,” Hermione told Ginny. “You had me worried. You two had us both worried when we couldn’t find you. Then I found your mitten. Here,” she stepped forward and offered Ginny the blue mitten once she fished it out of her pocket, but then stepped back next to Malfoy, much to his hidden delight. “I thought I saw marks like you’d been dragged off.”
“I was. Poser here,” Ginny inclined her head toward Blaise with a fond smile, “felt the need to drag me off for a snog. We got a little involved and lost track of time. We’re sorry we worried you, Hermione. You too, Malfoy.”
“Speak for yourself, Red.” Blaise returned Ginny’s smile obviously unconcerned about being called Poser by Ginny, much to Hermione’s delight and Draco’s puzzlement. “I am sorry I worried you, Granger. Malfoy is another matter. I might, however, endeavor to become apologetic to him as well if he’s made up for being rude to you earlier.”
“He’s apologized, if that’s what you mean,” Hermione replied.
“He did? Well, well, well,” Blaise said as he looped his arm around Ginny’s shoulder. “Did you hear that? Seems Malfoy might actually be acquiring manners, love.”
“Malfoy is right here and becoming tired of being talked around as if he is not,” the blond huffed.
“I’m sorry, Malfoy,” Hermione said resting her hand on his arm.
“See?” Ginny said, elbowing Blaise. “I told you they could get on if we could just get them to spend time together, but no-o-o you wouldn’t listen.”
“I wouldn’t listen? You’re the one who wouldn’t listen, Red,” Blaise countered.
“You set us up?” Hermione shrieked as Draco growled and glared at his so-called friend. Turning on Malfoy, she started flooding him questions. “Did you know about this? Were you in on it? Is that why you were nice to me? Why were you nice to me? Is this your idea of fun? Do you have any idea howmphf…”
Draco scowled at her, but his lips quirked in amusement as her eyes went wide again. It had been so tempting to use something other than his hand against her lips to cut off her questions. “This again. Frankly, Granger, I’m beginning to think you like quizzing me with these strings of questions. All right, I’m not entirely sure I have this lot, as part of my attention was diverted by our friends revelation, however here it goes.” Draco took a breath and began. “Apparently they did set us up, though Merlin knows why. No, I didn’t know about this. No, I wasn’t in on it and was as much in the dark as you. No, I was nice to you because I’d been rude and I’d had no idea you were the one responsible for my pardon. When you didn’t appear at my trial, I took that to mean you wanted me in Azkaban, not that you were working another angle.” He thought he might as well put that out there as it was to his advantage to confess something for once and it was easier sliding it in amongst other things. Tapping his chin, he thought for a moment. “There was something else, wasn’t there?” Hermione started to open her mouth, but Draco was quicker. “Ah, I remember. While being tricked into anything is not generally my idea of fun, I haven’t exactly been having a bad time, although I didn’t appreciate being wor… ah, concerned for our friends’ whereabouts any more than you. There. Got that one you didn’t finish once again as well, didn’t I?” He was fairly certain he had.
Hermione wanted to be angry with Malfoy, only it was difficult when the man not only tolerated her onslaught of questions but paid attention enough to answer them all and figure out what she’d been trying to ask yet didn’t. She settled for being merely annoyed by his smugness “Honestly! Do you have to look so pleased with yourself?” Hermione watched as Draco crossed his arms and tapped his foot like she had at the bonfire when he’d missed answering one of her questions. “Oh, very well. Yes, you got the one I didn’t finish too. There. Are you happy now?” Hermione said testily before smiling a little at him. He looked so pleased with himself that it was hard not to be a tiny bit amused.
“Exceedingly, so. Thank you for asking,” Draco replied with a smirk.
“Wait. You thought I’d wanted you in…”
This time Blaise cut her off with a cough. “You two can thank us later,” Blaise said, buffing his nails on his cloak with the air of someone supremely confident that such a thing would happen.
“Yes, later will do. Right now, I want some of those chestnuts,” Ginny said as if all was already forgiven.
Perhaps sometime later thanks would happen to be given. Perhaps being tricked into the evening was already forgiven. Perhaps in the future Hermione would ask more questions which Draco would then answer. Perhaps they might all live happily ever after, or perhaps not. But right now Ginny wanted chestnuts.
Hermione reached into her cloak for the bag of roasted chestnuts she had placed there earlier. Thanks and forgiveness could wait. She took a handful of chestnuts and offered some to Draco. And together Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy pelted Ginny Weasley and Blaise Zabini with the roasted treats for tricking them.
~*Fini*~