Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Heart and Soul ❯ Chapter Twelve ( Chapter 12 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: TassanaBurrfoot 
Heart and Soul combined.
Non Anime: Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Hentai / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.28.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 666 | Status: Completed
Heart and Soul combined.
Non Anime: Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Drama / Hentai / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 09.28.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.4K | Visits: 666 | Status: Completed
Author's Note: This is probably the longest chapter I have ever wrote to date. Literally. And this includes the other stories I have written. With this said, we have also reached our halfway point, ladies and gentlemen. So, please, let me know how this story has come along thus far.
Another note: I realize this story is a bit fluffy. Unfortunately, I had to do it like this. Mostly because, I needed to get the two together in a relatively short span of time. I mean, there's only so many days to a month and so many months to a summer. And I really wanted to get them together before Hermione returned to the Burrow, which we all know happens some time between Harry's return to the Dursley's and Harry's birthday. (So, what, mid-June? until July... 27th or 31st?)
This particular chapter has a very intimate scene at the end, so if you don't like this, then please skip over it. However, I believe it would be a waste to do so because it's such a, in my opinion, beautiful scene. And yes, it will be explained in the next chapter!
Heart and Soul
By: Tassana Burrfoot
Chapter Twelve
It took every bit of self control to keep Hermione from not lashing out at Harry. She knew it had been an accident, but that excuse was not good enough for her. She had warned him repeatedly about that stupid book. Had told him it was not good. And now, look at what happened!
She consoled herself somewhat by yelling at Harry. She wanted to do more. She wanted to rip his heart into small pieces like he had done to her. She wanted him to feel as she did.
Ginny tried to defend him. But Hermione wouldn't hear of it. To her, it didn't matter what Draco had tried to do, Harry should have thought of something else. He should not have known about that spell in the first place.
Hermione left the Common Room a bit later and made her way to Myrtle's bathroom. She knew she would be alone there, for the most part. At least, according to what Harry had said about Myrtle's interests in Draco, Hermione would be in like company.
She slammed the door shut and placed a locking spell on it. No one would be able to disturb her now. She stepped up to the sink intending to wash her face, but somewhere along the way, she lost feeling in her legs. She let herself collapse into a heap of robes and sobs.
Harry was one of her best friends. He was also one of the very few people who knew how she felt about Draco. He knew about the promise. How could he do this to her?
Draco had come to mean everything to Hermione. Though they couldn't be close at the moment, she still felt him with her. She still felt his pain, his sorrow. It was as if their souls were connected. Then again, according to the ancient books, by her having the Everlasting Heart, their souls were connected.
She heard the ghost before she saw her. Sitting up, Hermione wiped her eyes. "Hello, Myrtle," she whispered before going into another fit of sobs.
"Why are you crying?" the ghost asked, though the concern in her voice seemed at bit strained. "Feeling sorry for Harry?"
Hermione shook her head. "Actually, I'm crying because of Draco Malfoy," she answered. "When I heard what Harry had done to him..."
"It was dreadful!" the ghost told her. "I should know. I witnessed the whole thing."
Hermione sniffed, "Would you mind telling me what happened? I need to hear it from someone who... who cares about them both."
Myrtle seemed more than delighted to regale her version of the events. Draco had gone into the boy's bathroom. He was extremely upset and worried about something. He was crying, saying that he was failing and that someone was going to kill him.
Just then, Harry showed up. The boys started dueling, even though Myrtle was screaming for them to stop. Then, Harry hit Draco with that horrible spell. Myrtle panicked and flew out of the bathroom, screaming about the murder.
"Thank Merlin he didn't die," Hermione breathed. Thinking she might incidentally insult Myrtle with the comment, she quickly added, "Not that dying is a bad thing. I just..."
"You love him, don't you?" the ghost guessed, much to Hermione's surprise. "You love Draco... Don't worry, I won't tell."
Hermione, startled momentarily by Myrtle's guess, smiled when the ghost promised not to tell. "Thank you, Myrtle," she said.
"Does he love you, too?" Myrtle asked.
Hermione pulled out her necklace and showed it to the ghost. "Once Voldemort is destroyed, Draco and I plan on getting married," she explained. "But you can't tell a soul. Especially not right now. Harry, Ron, and I have something very important to do. So does Draco. If anyone learns of us..." her voice trailed off.
Myrtle sighed, "It's a bit sad, isn't it? Draco and Harry are both nice guys. I have fun talking to them. It's so nice that they come and visit me. It's a shame this happened. Do you think they'll still visit me? Are you going to visit Draco?"
Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. Would she even be able to visit him? She wanted to, desperately wanted to. "I don't know that I can," she replied. "Remember, any interests Draco and I have in one another has to remain secret. No one can know. As far as anyone else is concerned, Draco and I are enemies."
Myrtle just smiled. "I can help you sneak in to see him. Tonight. Meet me back here after dinner. You can hide here until everyone else goes off to bed."
Though a bit uncertain, Hermione agreed and thanked the ghost. She opened the door to leave and came face to face with Harry.
"Hermione, I need to talk to you," he told her.
Immediately she turned on her heel and walked back into the bathroom. "I have nothing to say to you, Harry," she snipped.
Hermione counted her blessings when Myrtle glared at Harry. "You!" she shouted. "How dare you come here after what you've done! You are a horrible, dreadful little..."
"Myrtle, please," Harry begged. He looked at Hermione. "You know I would never do something like that one purpose, Hermione. I didn't realize what that spell did."
"Oh, so you just decide to use an untried spell on Draco? Is that it, Harry?" the girl demanded, wheeling around to glare at him. "Forget all pretenses. Let's just hit the guy Hermione loves with a spell that is unknown and potentially dangerous. Who cares if something bad happens. It was the Prince's idea!"
Harry sighed, trying to remain calm. "I'm not trying to make excuses. I know what I did was wrong. But, he's okay now..."
"Thanks to Snape!" she interrupted him. "Had Snape not been there, Draco would have died. Could have died. I almost lost one person I'm close to this year. Now, thanks to you, I've almost lost a second."
"It's not like he didn't deserve it! He was..."
The slap rebounded off the bathroom walls, and silence boomed in it's wake. For a while, they just stared at one another.
Then, her voice full of malice, Hermione snarled, "Don't you ever say that to me again. Draco may hate you as much as you hate him, but he belongs to me. If you ever try that again 'because he deserves it', you will lose me. Permanently. And that's a promise."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Right after dinner, Hermione hurried to Myrtle's bathroom and quickly locked the door. She hadn't bothered explaining things to Ron and she wasn't talking to Harry. She checked all the stalls to ensure no one else was there. "Myrtle?" she called.
The ghostly girl emerged from her cubicle looking pleased. "I didn't think you would come back," she commented.
Hermione shrugged. "I want to see him," she offered as explanation. "So, what's our plan?"
Myrtle gave a small giggle. "This is fun, isn't it? Sneaking around the castle to see our guy?"
Hermione pinched her lips. Though she knew the ghost was no threat, she didn't like the idea of "our guy." "Myrtle?" she prodded gently.
The ghost sighed, "For now, we just wait. That nasty Parkinson girl is with him right now. I know, I checked. We'll have to wait until she leaves. Once Madame Pomfrey closes up, we'll get to go."
"But, how do you propose we do that?" Hermione questioned. "I can't exactly glide through walls."
She held her breath momentarily, fearing she might have inadvertently insulted the ghost. However, the ghost just threw her an impish smile. "You can't, but I can."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There's a first time for everything, Hermione thought as she followed Myrtle through the corridors of the castle. At first, she feared she would get caught. Thankfully, the ghostly girl had kept her end of the bargain.
The hospital wing was just getting ready to close. Both girls knew that if they wanted any chance, they would have to get there before it actually did. Hermione would remain hidden while Myrtle discovered what spells Madame Pomfrey used on the doors. With any luck, Hermione will be able to break the spells and see Draco.
"Why can't I stay?" demanded an angry voice from around the corner.
Both girls froze. Hermione quickly dived behind a statue as the answer came in a short, annoyed reply, "He needs his rest, Miss Parkinson. You can come back tomorrow."
Myrtle disappeared as Pansy Parkinson rounded the corner. Hermione watched as the Slytherin, cursing about idiotic Healers, stormed passed her. The young Gryffindor almost felt sorry for the stocky girl. Almost.
A few moments later, Myrtle returned, annoyance written across her face. "You'd think a Healer would be smart," she growled. She looked at Hermione and huffed, "A simple unlocking spell should do it. There are no alarms and she's all ready gone off to bed."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at Myrtle's demeanor. Perhaps Myrtle would've preferred a more challenging expedition, but Hermione was glad for the Healer's oversight. Quickly putting the thought out of her mind, Hermione turned back to her task. "Is it safe?" she asked the ghost.
Myrtle nodded. "Peeves is keeping Filch busy and there's no one else around," she responded.
Taking comfort in that, Hermione snuck out of her hiding spot. Approaching the door carefully, she pointed her wand at the lock and whispered, "Alohomora."
She heard a satisfying click that told her the door was unlocked. She hurried inside quietly and shut the door behind her. "Muffliato!" she whispered, pointing her wand at Madame Pomfrey's office.
Once she was certain the Healer couldn't hear her, Hermione made her way to the only occupied bed. She gazed down at his sleeping form as she took a seat next to him. He must be really tired to fall asleep so fast, she thought. She momentarily imagined him falling asleep bored to tears with Pansy Parkinson.
That thought made her smile. She reached up to gently brush a lock of white-blond hair off his forehead. Startled, she gasped when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist in a vice like grip. "Draco, it's me," she whispered.
His gray eyes opened and he let go of her. "Hermione," he whispered, "what are you doing here?"
She gave him a sad smile. "I wanted to see you," she admitted. "I had to see you. I've been so worried about you. So upset. When I found out what happened..."
"Did you jinx Potter?" he asked amused, sitting up.
She shook her head. "Though, it wasn't from lack of wanting to," she growled. "Especially since he knew it would upset me."
He raised an eyebrow and questioned, "How would he know it would upset you?"
She saw the suspicious expression in his eyes. She took a deep breath. Time for the truth. "Well, for one, he used a spell he hadn't tried before, so he didn't know what it would do. And secondly..." she hesitated. Bracing herself for what she knew was coming, she confessed, "I told him about you and me."
"You did what?!" he spat, his face turning pink. "Hermione, I thought we agreed no one would know? I thought we were going to keep it secret until we decided to tell everyone together?"
She sighed, "I had to tell him, Draco. He would've found out anyway. Besides, it was just Harry."
"'It was just Harry,' she says," he mocked. "Is that suppose to make me feel better? Don't you know that whatever he knows, the Dark Lord will find out? I would've rather you told Weasel breath."
Hermione was on the verge of tears. "If I had told Ron, he would've told Harry anyway. I trust Harry. I know he won't say anything. And Voldemort won't find out. Harry's got more important things on his mind right now."
He was still angry. She could tell by the pink tint of his cheeks. However, when he spoke, it was with a much calmer voice. "Have you found anything yet? To defeat the Dark Lord, that is."
Hermione nodded, though she did not smile. "I can't tell you what it is--"
"I don't want to know what it is."
"-- But we think it's the key. If we succeed, Voldemort will be gone for good," she finished.
They sat there for a while, neither saying anything. That was when Draco noticed the ghost. "Myrtle? What are you doing here?" he asked.
The ghost gave a haunting smile. "I came to see you," she answered. "I helped Hermione sneak in. She told me about the two of you. I must say, I'm very pleased. It'll be quite the shock once the war is over. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin. You'll be the topic for years to come."
He gave Hermione an astonished look. "You told Myrtle, too?"
The girl shrugged. "I've known Myrtle for years. I happen to know she's very good at keeping secrets. She's not going to tell anyone."
Myrtle giggled at the compliment. "I am. I have kept plenty of secrets."
Hermione nodded in agreement, remembering the time she had brewed Polyjuice Potion in Myrtle's bathroom. If Draco were to ever learn about that disaster... Well, there were some secrets Hermione didn't have to share with her "husband."
Draco sighed, "I'm surprised Madame Pomfrey hasn't heard us talking yet."
Hermione smiled at his comment. "She won't," she assured him.
He tilted her head. "You didn't hex her, did you?" he questioned.
Her eyes widened. "Now, Draco Malfoy, you know I would never do that to someone as important as Madame Pomfrey! I charmed her office so she couldn't hear us."
"Something you learned from a book, no doubt," he surmised, not realizing just how right he was.
Hermione blushed as she thought of the irony of his statement. If only he knew... "What did you expect?"
He laughed, which made her smile. "You know, this is the first time we've been alone since Christmas," he observed.
"We aren't alone," she corrected him. "Myrtle is here."
"If you want, I could leave for a few hours," the ghost suggested, surprising both teenagers. "I'll come back in two hours to help Hermione go to her House without getting caught. That should give you plenty of time to catch up."
Both were astonished at Myrtle's blatant suggestion and generosity. Hermione started, "Oh, Myrtle, we couldn't ask you..."
"But, you aren't asking," the ghost argued. "I'm offering. I'll be back in two hours."
Before the two could protest any more, the ghost drifted out of the hospital wing. Hermione and Draco stared at each other. "Well, that was easy," he said with a soft chuckle.
It had been so long since Hermione had been able to spend any time with Draco. She offered him a smile. "I really have missed you," she told him.
He nodded. "I know," he replied.
He reached into his shirt and pulled out a long, silver necklace. Attached to the necklace was five golden forget-me-knots. Hanging from the necklace was a gold and platinum ring with a large emerald on it.
Hermione's eyes widened. "The Everlasting Soul," she whispered.
He looked at her curiously. "How did you know?"
"I read about it," she answered. "After you gave me the ring. The haunting story you told me made me curious. So, I looked it up. Julius Malfoy had been the original creator of the Everlasting Heart, the ring you gave me. Evalon Malfoy, Julius's wife, had made the Everlasting Soul, which is what you're holding. The two rings were a symbol of their undying love for one another."
He nodded. "Which would explain why Malfoys marry for love," he pointed out.
Hearing Draco say those words brought a hope to Hermione that she didn't realize she was lacking. They sat together for a while in a comfortable silence. Each was lost within their own thoughts.
Finally, Draco spoke up. "Today is my birthday," he whispered. He pointed to the clock, whose hands were directed to the number twelve. "As of right now, I am seventeen years old."
Hermione's eyes widened and she slapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry," she breathed. "I completely forgot!"
He smiled broadly. "It doesn't matter. I already have my gift from you."
Confused, she tilted her head curiously. "And what is that?" she asked.
"I have you," he said simply, causing her to blush. "Having you here to share my first moments of adulthood is the best birthday present I could ask for."
Not knowing what to say, Hermione just stared at him. Was he being serious? She thought Malfoys prided themselves on the monetary gifts they received.
"Of course, now that I'm an adult, you know what this means," he added. When she shook her head, he clarified, "We can legally get married."
Now she was even more perplexed. "Draco, I don't understand. We can't exactly walk down an aisle right now. Especially with everything..."
"I'm not talking about a ceremony, Hermione," he gently interrupted. "A ceremony is just a show. A way of celebrating a marriage. We can have a ceremony any time. The actual marriage itself is much more... informal."
"How do you propose we do that?" she asked, not sure if she liked where this conversation was going. She had a sinking feeling she knew what he would say next and she wasn't sure she was ready for it.
He gently took her hand into his and smiled when he saw the Heart on her finger. "Marriage between two people is much more complicated in the Wizarding World," he explained. "We do have ceremonies, yes. And grand ones, too. However, many wizards and witches are married long before the actual ceremony takes place."
He took his wand from his night table and conjured up a small stack of papers. "These are legal contracts of marriage," he told her. Again, he indicated the rings, "You know the magic these rings hold. I know you know, especially if you've researched them as you say. You already know that we are pretty much all ready married."
She took the papers from his hand and flipped through them. They detailed everything, including the genealogy of both herself and Draco. Everything that was required for marriage was there, except their signatures. "Don't we need a judge to sign these papers?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Under the circumstances, no. Actually, as long as we consummate the marriage, it doesn't really matter if we have a judge or not."
"Consummate..." There it was. There was the dreaded topic she knew was coming. She knew it was inevitable, but was she really ready?
He gazed at her, concerned. "What's wrong?"
She placed the papers on the bed. "I'm not sure I'm ready," she told him, honestly. "It's a really large step and I am sincerely scared. I've never... the most I've ever done with a guy is kiss. And that's been with you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you kiss Viktor Krum?" he inquired, bemused.
She glanced at him curiously. "Not really," she admitted, wondering where he got that idea from. "I mean, I kissed him on the cheek, but that was about it. We never went further than that."
She could tell he wanted to press that issue, but she wasn't sure why. What had given him the impression... then she remembered. She remembered that day at the bowling alley. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink in embarrassment. "Draco, I never meant..."
He laughed, "It's all right. I'm actually glad to know I've been you're only one," he told her. He threw her his typical Malfoy smirk, "It means I have no competition."
This made her laugh as well. Once they sobered up, she turned back to the topic at hand. "I just don't know if I'm ready for that step."
"There is one way we can find out," he offered.
In response to her unasked question, he leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Careful to place the papers on the nightstand, he took her into his arms and pulled her onto the bed.
The bed was awfully small. Smaller than the full-sized bed they had slept in at her parents' house. But, that didn't make much difference to either of them when he was atop her, kissing her with such passion.
She felt him glide his hands over her clothed body, slowly inching one hand under her shirt while slipping his knee between her legs. His warm hand upon her breast was all the clarification she needed. In that moment, she knew she was ready. She knew they were ready.
Their kisses became harder, stronger. Each was suddenly burning with a passion neither knew they had. Her acceptance of their togetherness opened the floodgates to their passion. They tore at one another's clothes, not caring if buttons went flying or clothing ripped at the seams. They were magic users after all.
Soon, they lay together, he on top of her, completely naked. Both were breathing heavily as he began rubbing himself against her. "Draco, I'm scared," she whispered hoarsely, surprised to find that she had a voice.
"Don't be," he rasped seductively in her ear. "I'm right here. I promise, I won't hurt you."
She had heard that the first time a girl was with a guy it hurt. Every book she ever read on the subject had spoken of the pain, the blood. Not to mention, her mother had told her of her own first time experience.
Surprisingly, as Draco slowly entered her, Hermione felt very little pain. If anything, she felt the pressure, which caused her to gasp and dig her nails into his bare back. He filled her completely and then stopped there, allowing her to adjust to his size.
"Are you okay?" he whispered, concern filled his voice.
She nodded, not daring herself to answer with words. They stayed suspended in time for what seemed like hours, but was only mere moments before he slowly began thrusting into her. As his pace quickened, so did the ecstasy that flowed through them.
Somewhere, they heard the song of their souls singing the soft melody of enchantment:
"Pectus pectoris quod animus , EGO dico super thee
Planto nos unus intemporaliter
Redimio nos una ut nunquam pro
Duos animus fio unus
Duos pectus pectoris fio universus
Pectus pectoris quod animus , permissum nos exsisto unus
Repleo nos gratanter
Servo nos universus
Nox noctis quod dies , nos may exsisto
Pectus pectoris quod animus , thesaurus nos intemporaliter"
It was with this song that they found their highest fulfillment. "Draco!" Hermione cried out as she reached her peak.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Latin translates roughly into this:
Heart and soul, I call upon thee
Make us one eternally
Bind us together as never before
Two souls become one
Two hearts become whole
Heart and soul, let us be one
Fill us with joy
Keep us whole
Night and day, we may be
Heart and soul, treasure us eternally
Another note: I realize this story is a bit fluffy. Unfortunately, I had to do it like this. Mostly because, I needed to get the two together in a relatively short span of time. I mean, there's only so many days to a month and so many months to a summer. And I really wanted to get them together before Hermione returned to the Burrow, which we all know happens some time between Harry's return to the Dursley's and Harry's birthday. (So, what, mid-June? until July... 27th or 31st?)
This particular chapter has a very intimate scene at the end, so if you don't like this, then please skip over it. However, I believe it would be a waste to do so because it's such a, in my opinion, beautiful scene. And yes, it will be explained in the next chapter!
Heart and Soul
By: Tassana Burrfoot
Chapter Twelve
It took every bit of self control to keep Hermione from not lashing out at Harry. She knew it had been an accident, but that excuse was not good enough for her. She had warned him repeatedly about that stupid book. Had told him it was not good. And now, look at what happened!
She consoled herself somewhat by yelling at Harry. She wanted to do more. She wanted to rip his heart into small pieces like he had done to her. She wanted him to feel as she did.
Ginny tried to defend him. But Hermione wouldn't hear of it. To her, it didn't matter what Draco had tried to do, Harry should have thought of something else. He should not have known about that spell in the first place.
Hermione left the Common Room a bit later and made her way to Myrtle's bathroom. She knew she would be alone there, for the most part. At least, according to what Harry had said about Myrtle's interests in Draco, Hermione would be in like company.
She slammed the door shut and placed a locking spell on it. No one would be able to disturb her now. She stepped up to the sink intending to wash her face, but somewhere along the way, she lost feeling in her legs. She let herself collapse into a heap of robes and sobs.
Harry was one of her best friends. He was also one of the very few people who knew how she felt about Draco. He knew about the promise. How could he do this to her?
Draco had come to mean everything to Hermione. Though they couldn't be close at the moment, she still felt him with her. She still felt his pain, his sorrow. It was as if their souls were connected. Then again, according to the ancient books, by her having the Everlasting Heart, their souls were connected.
She heard the ghost before she saw her. Sitting up, Hermione wiped her eyes. "Hello, Myrtle," she whispered before going into another fit of sobs.
"Why are you crying?" the ghost asked, though the concern in her voice seemed at bit strained. "Feeling sorry for Harry?"
Hermione shook her head. "Actually, I'm crying because of Draco Malfoy," she answered. "When I heard what Harry had done to him..."
"It was dreadful!" the ghost told her. "I should know. I witnessed the whole thing."
Hermione sniffed, "Would you mind telling me what happened? I need to hear it from someone who... who cares about them both."
Myrtle seemed more than delighted to regale her version of the events. Draco had gone into the boy's bathroom. He was extremely upset and worried about something. He was crying, saying that he was failing and that someone was going to kill him.
Just then, Harry showed up. The boys started dueling, even though Myrtle was screaming for them to stop. Then, Harry hit Draco with that horrible spell. Myrtle panicked and flew out of the bathroom, screaming about the murder.
"Thank Merlin he didn't die," Hermione breathed. Thinking she might incidentally insult Myrtle with the comment, she quickly added, "Not that dying is a bad thing. I just..."
"You love him, don't you?" the ghost guessed, much to Hermione's surprise. "You love Draco... Don't worry, I won't tell."
Hermione, startled momentarily by Myrtle's guess, smiled when the ghost promised not to tell. "Thank you, Myrtle," she said.
"Does he love you, too?" Myrtle asked.
Hermione pulled out her necklace and showed it to the ghost. "Once Voldemort is destroyed, Draco and I plan on getting married," she explained. "But you can't tell a soul. Especially not right now. Harry, Ron, and I have something very important to do. So does Draco. If anyone learns of us..." her voice trailed off.
Myrtle sighed, "It's a bit sad, isn't it? Draco and Harry are both nice guys. I have fun talking to them. It's so nice that they come and visit me. It's a shame this happened. Do you think they'll still visit me? Are you going to visit Draco?"
Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. Would she even be able to visit him? She wanted to, desperately wanted to. "I don't know that I can," she replied. "Remember, any interests Draco and I have in one another has to remain secret. No one can know. As far as anyone else is concerned, Draco and I are enemies."
Myrtle just smiled. "I can help you sneak in to see him. Tonight. Meet me back here after dinner. You can hide here until everyone else goes off to bed."
Though a bit uncertain, Hermione agreed and thanked the ghost. She opened the door to leave and came face to face with Harry.
"Hermione, I need to talk to you," he told her.
Immediately she turned on her heel and walked back into the bathroom. "I have nothing to say to you, Harry," she snipped.
Hermione counted her blessings when Myrtle glared at Harry. "You!" she shouted. "How dare you come here after what you've done! You are a horrible, dreadful little..."
"Myrtle, please," Harry begged. He looked at Hermione. "You know I would never do something like that one purpose, Hermione. I didn't realize what that spell did."
"Oh, so you just decide to use an untried spell on Draco? Is that it, Harry?" the girl demanded, wheeling around to glare at him. "Forget all pretenses. Let's just hit the guy Hermione loves with a spell that is unknown and potentially dangerous. Who cares if something bad happens. It was the Prince's idea!"
Harry sighed, trying to remain calm. "I'm not trying to make excuses. I know what I did was wrong. But, he's okay now..."
"Thanks to Snape!" she interrupted him. "Had Snape not been there, Draco would have died. Could have died. I almost lost one person I'm close to this year. Now, thanks to you, I've almost lost a second."
"It's not like he didn't deserve it! He was..."
The slap rebounded off the bathroom walls, and silence boomed in it's wake. For a while, they just stared at one another.
Then, her voice full of malice, Hermione snarled, "Don't you ever say that to me again. Draco may hate you as much as you hate him, but he belongs to me. If you ever try that again 'because he deserves it', you will lose me. Permanently. And that's a promise."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Right after dinner, Hermione hurried to Myrtle's bathroom and quickly locked the door. She hadn't bothered explaining things to Ron and she wasn't talking to Harry. She checked all the stalls to ensure no one else was there. "Myrtle?" she called.
The ghostly girl emerged from her cubicle looking pleased. "I didn't think you would come back," she commented.
Hermione shrugged. "I want to see him," she offered as explanation. "So, what's our plan?"
Myrtle gave a small giggle. "This is fun, isn't it? Sneaking around the castle to see our guy?"
Hermione pinched her lips. Though she knew the ghost was no threat, she didn't like the idea of "our guy." "Myrtle?" she prodded gently.
The ghost sighed, "For now, we just wait. That nasty Parkinson girl is with him right now. I know, I checked. We'll have to wait until she leaves. Once Madame Pomfrey closes up, we'll get to go."
"But, how do you propose we do that?" Hermione questioned. "I can't exactly glide through walls."
She held her breath momentarily, fearing she might have inadvertently insulted the ghost. However, the ghost just threw her an impish smile. "You can't, but I can."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
There's a first time for everything, Hermione thought as she followed Myrtle through the corridors of the castle. At first, she feared she would get caught. Thankfully, the ghostly girl had kept her end of the bargain.
The hospital wing was just getting ready to close. Both girls knew that if they wanted any chance, they would have to get there before it actually did. Hermione would remain hidden while Myrtle discovered what spells Madame Pomfrey used on the doors. With any luck, Hermione will be able to break the spells and see Draco.
"Why can't I stay?" demanded an angry voice from around the corner.
Both girls froze. Hermione quickly dived behind a statue as the answer came in a short, annoyed reply, "He needs his rest, Miss Parkinson. You can come back tomorrow."
Myrtle disappeared as Pansy Parkinson rounded the corner. Hermione watched as the Slytherin, cursing about idiotic Healers, stormed passed her. The young Gryffindor almost felt sorry for the stocky girl. Almost.
A few moments later, Myrtle returned, annoyance written across her face. "You'd think a Healer would be smart," she growled. She looked at Hermione and huffed, "A simple unlocking spell should do it. There are no alarms and she's all ready gone off to bed."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at Myrtle's demeanor. Perhaps Myrtle would've preferred a more challenging expedition, but Hermione was glad for the Healer's oversight. Quickly putting the thought out of her mind, Hermione turned back to her task. "Is it safe?" she asked the ghost.
Myrtle nodded. "Peeves is keeping Filch busy and there's no one else around," she responded.
Taking comfort in that, Hermione snuck out of her hiding spot. Approaching the door carefully, she pointed her wand at the lock and whispered, "Alohomora."
She heard a satisfying click that told her the door was unlocked. She hurried inside quietly and shut the door behind her. "Muffliato!" she whispered, pointing her wand at Madame Pomfrey's office.
Once she was certain the Healer couldn't hear her, Hermione made her way to the only occupied bed. She gazed down at his sleeping form as she took a seat next to him. He must be really tired to fall asleep so fast, she thought. She momentarily imagined him falling asleep bored to tears with Pansy Parkinson.
That thought made her smile. She reached up to gently brush a lock of white-blond hair off his forehead. Startled, she gasped when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist in a vice like grip. "Draco, it's me," she whispered.
His gray eyes opened and he let go of her. "Hermione," he whispered, "what are you doing here?"
She gave him a sad smile. "I wanted to see you," she admitted. "I had to see you. I've been so worried about you. So upset. When I found out what happened..."
"Did you jinx Potter?" he asked amused, sitting up.
She shook her head. "Though, it wasn't from lack of wanting to," she growled. "Especially since he knew it would upset me."
He raised an eyebrow and questioned, "How would he know it would upset you?"
She saw the suspicious expression in his eyes. She took a deep breath. Time for the truth. "Well, for one, he used a spell he hadn't tried before, so he didn't know what it would do. And secondly..." she hesitated. Bracing herself for what she knew was coming, she confessed, "I told him about you and me."
"You did what?!" he spat, his face turning pink. "Hermione, I thought we agreed no one would know? I thought we were going to keep it secret until we decided to tell everyone together?"
She sighed, "I had to tell him, Draco. He would've found out anyway. Besides, it was just Harry."
"'It was just Harry,' she says," he mocked. "Is that suppose to make me feel better? Don't you know that whatever he knows, the Dark Lord will find out? I would've rather you told Weasel breath."
Hermione was on the verge of tears. "If I had told Ron, he would've told Harry anyway. I trust Harry. I know he won't say anything. And Voldemort won't find out. Harry's got more important things on his mind right now."
He was still angry. She could tell by the pink tint of his cheeks. However, when he spoke, it was with a much calmer voice. "Have you found anything yet? To defeat the Dark Lord, that is."
Hermione nodded, though she did not smile. "I can't tell you what it is--"
"I don't want to know what it is."
"-- But we think it's the key. If we succeed, Voldemort will be gone for good," she finished.
They sat there for a while, neither saying anything. That was when Draco noticed the ghost. "Myrtle? What are you doing here?" he asked.
The ghost gave a haunting smile. "I came to see you," she answered. "I helped Hermione sneak in. She told me about the two of you. I must say, I'm very pleased. It'll be quite the shock once the war is over. A Gryffindor and a Slytherin. You'll be the topic for years to come."
He gave Hermione an astonished look. "You told Myrtle, too?"
The girl shrugged. "I've known Myrtle for years. I happen to know she's very good at keeping secrets. She's not going to tell anyone."
Myrtle giggled at the compliment. "I am. I have kept plenty of secrets."
Hermione nodded in agreement, remembering the time she had brewed Polyjuice Potion in Myrtle's bathroom. If Draco were to ever learn about that disaster... Well, there were some secrets Hermione didn't have to share with her "husband."
Draco sighed, "I'm surprised Madame Pomfrey hasn't heard us talking yet."
Hermione smiled at his comment. "She won't," she assured him.
He tilted her head. "You didn't hex her, did you?" he questioned.
Her eyes widened. "Now, Draco Malfoy, you know I would never do that to someone as important as Madame Pomfrey! I charmed her office so she couldn't hear us."
"Something you learned from a book, no doubt," he surmised, not realizing just how right he was.
Hermione blushed as she thought of the irony of his statement. If only he knew... "What did you expect?"
He laughed, which made her smile. "You know, this is the first time we've been alone since Christmas," he observed.
"We aren't alone," she corrected him. "Myrtle is here."
"If you want, I could leave for a few hours," the ghost suggested, surprising both teenagers. "I'll come back in two hours to help Hermione go to her House without getting caught. That should give you plenty of time to catch up."
Both were astonished at Myrtle's blatant suggestion and generosity. Hermione started, "Oh, Myrtle, we couldn't ask you..."
"But, you aren't asking," the ghost argued. "I'm offering. I'll be back in two hours."
Before the two could protest any more, the ghost drifted out of the hospital wing. Hermione and Draco stared at each other. "Well, that was easy," he said with a soft chuckle.
It had been so long since Hermione had been able to spend any time with Draco. She offered him a smile. "I really have missed you," she told him.
He nodded. "I know," he replied.
He reached into his shirt and pulled out a long, silver necklace. Attached to the necklace was five golden forget-me-knots. Hanging from the necklace was a gold and platinum ring with a large emerald on it.
Hermione's eyes widened. "The Everlasting Soul," she whispered.
He looked at her curiously. "How did you know?"
"I read about it," she answered. "After you gave me the ring. The haunting story you told me made me curious. So, I looked it up. Julius Malfoy had been the original creator of the Everlasting Heart, the ring you gave me. Evalon Malfoy, Julius's wife, had made the Everlasting Soul, which is what you're holding. The two rings were a symbol of their undying love for one another."
He nodded. "Which would explain why Malfoys marry for love," he pointed out.
Hearing Draco say those words brought a hope to Hermione that she didn't realize she was lacking. They sat together for a while in a comfortable silence. Each was lost within their own thoughts.
Finally, Draco spoke up. "Today is my birthday," he whispered. He pointed to the clock, whose hands were directed to the number twelve. "As of right now, I am seventeen years old."
Hermione's eyes widened and she slapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry," she breathed. "I completely forgot!"
He smiled broadly. "It doesn't matter. I already have my gift from you."
Confused, she tilted her head curiously. "And what is that?" she asked.
"I have you," he said simply, causing her to blush. "Having you here to share my first moments of adulthood is the best birthday present I could ask for."
Not knowing what to say, Hermione just stared at him. Was he being serious? She thought Malfoys prided themselves on the monetary gifts they received.
"Of course, now that I'm an adult, you know what this means," he added. When she shook her head, he clarified, "We can legally get married."
Now she was even more perplexed. "Draco, I don't understand. We can't exactly walk down an aisle right now. Especially with everything..."
"I'm not talking about a ceremony, Hermione," he gently interrupted. "A ceremony is just a show. A way of celebrating a marriage. We can have a ceremony any time. The actual marriage itself is much more... informal."
"How do you propose we do that?" she asked, not sure if she liked where this conversation was going. She had a sinking feeling she knew what he would say next and she wasn't sure she was ready for it.
He gently took her hand into his and smiled when he saw the Heart on her finger. "Marriage between two people is much more complicated in the Wizarding World," he explained. "We do have ceremonies, yes. And grand ones, too. However, many wizards and witches are married long before the actual ceremony takes place."
He took his wand from his night table and conjured up a small stack of papers. "These are legal contracts of marriage," he told her. Again, he indicated the rings, "You know the magic these rings hold. I know you know, especially if you've researched them as you say. You already know that we are pretty much all ready married."
She took the papers from his hand and flipped through them. They detailed everything, including the genealogy of both herself and Draco. Everything that was required for marriage was there, except their signatures. "Don't we need a judge to sign these papers?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Under the circumstances, no. Actually, as long as we consummate the marriage, it doesn't really matter if we have a judge or not."
"Consummate..." There it was. There was the dreaded topic she knew was coming. She knew it was inevitable, but was she really ready?
He gazed at her, concerned. "What's wrong?"
She placed the papers on the bed. "I'm not sure I'm ready," she told him, honestly. "It's a really large step and I am sincerely scared. I've never... the most I've ever done with a guy is kiss. And that's been with you."
He raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you kiss Viktor Krum?" he inquired, bemused.
She glanced at him curiously. "Not really," she admitted, wondering where he got that idea from. "I mean, I kissed him on the cheek, but that was about it. We never went further than that."
She could tell he wanted to press that issue, but she wasn't sure why. What had given him the impression... then she remembered. She remembered that day at the bowling alley. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of pink in embarrassment. "Draco, I never meant..."
He laughed, "It's all right. I'm actually glad to know I've been you're only one," he told her. He threw her his typical Malfoy smirk, "It means I have no competition."
This made her laugh as well. Once they sobered up, she turned back to the topic at hand. "I just don't know if I'm ready for that step."
"There is one way we can find out," he offered.
In response to her unasked question, he leaned over and kissed her on the lips. Careful to place the papers on the nightstand, he took her into his arms and pulled her onto the bed.
The bed was awfully small. Smaller than the full-sized bed they had slept in at her parents' house. But, that didn't make much difference to either of them when he was atop her, kissing her with such passion.
She felt him glide his hands over her clothed body, slowly inching one hand under her shirt while slipping his knee between her legs. His warm hand upon her breast was all the clarification she needed. In that moment, she knew she was ready. She knew they were ready.
Their kisses became harder, stronger. Each was suddenly burning with a passion neither knew they had. Her acceptance of their togetherness opened the floodgates to their passion. They tore at one another's clothes, not caring if buttons went flying or clothing ripped at the seams. They were magic users after all.
Soon, they lay together, he on top of her, completely naked. Both were breathing heavily as he began rubbing himself against her. "Draco, I'm scared," she whispered hoarsely, surprised to find that she had a voice.
"Don't be," he rasped seductively in her ear. "I'm right here. I promise, I won't hurt you."
She had heard that the first time a girl was with a guy it hurt. Every book she ever read on the subject had spoken of the pain, the blood. Not to mention, her mother had told her of her own first time experience.
Surprisingly, as Draco slowly entered her, Hermione felt very little pain. If anything, she felt the pressure, which caused her to gasp and dig her nails into his bare back. He filled her completely and then stopped there, allowing her to adjust to his size.
"Are you okay?" he whispered, concern filled his voice.
She nodded, not daring herself to answer with words. They stayed suspended in time for what seemed like hours, but was only mere moments before he slowly began thrusting into her. As his pace quickened, so did the ecstasy that flowed through them.
Somewhere, they heard the song of their souls singing the soft melody of enchantment:
"Pectus pectoris quod animus , EGO dico super thee
Planto nos unus intemporaliter
Redimio nos una ut nunquam pro
Duos animus fio unus
Duos pectus pectoris fio universus
Pectus pectoris quod animus , permissum nos exsisto unus
Repleo nos gratanter
Servo nos universus
Nox noctis quod dies , nos may exsisto
Pectus pectoris quod animus , thesaurus nos intemporaliter"
It was with this song that they found their highest fulfillment. "Draco!" Hermione cried out as she reached her peak.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
Author's Note: Latin translates roughly into this:
Heart and soul, I call upon thee
Make us one eternally
Bind us together as never before
Two souls become one
Two hearts become whole
Heart and soul, let us be one
Fill us with joy
Keep us whole
Night and day, we may be
Heart and soul, treasure us eternally