Draco’s Remorse

Hermione didn't like Snape butting into their relationship even if he was right. She didn't need Snape as a chaperon; she had come of age and was thought of as an adult witch even if she hadn't taken the bloody N.E.W.T's yet. And when Dray had told her that from breakfast till after dinner he had to treat her like a student and not his girlfriend, she had been hurt and told him that if he thought that was necessary, it was fine by her and had stormed of.

Now sitting in Transfiguration and looking at his back, clearly occupied with taking notes and talking over the few things he wasn't completely sure of, she realized she had acted like a baby and that this actually was his last Transfiguration-class before his exam on Wednesday. She had a tough time with the fact that he was taking his exams almost a half year before the rest of them. She told herself off for being jealous, but she couldn't help it. It was the competitive side of her and it was just a part of who she was!

He didn't even turn around to look at her once during the class. Even when they had been enemies their eyes often met in their common classes. She decided not to put more into it than he was anxious of getting the last details before taking his N.E.W.T in this subject. She sighed and turned her porcelain kitten into a cute live one. She had been lucky receiving a kitten, Harry's had been a hippopotamus!

Draco cast a critical look at the eagle sitting on his arm. It looked okay if you didn't consider the one feather that was still porcelain. "Finite" he tap it on the beak and it returned to a figurine. He looked desperately at McGonagall, who just smiled back trying to comfort him saying he should try again. Draco sighed and closed his eyes blocking out the noise in the room and prayed it would work this time. Tapping the figurine gently not noticing he wasn't saying the incantation out load he's lips curled in a satisfied grin.

Finally the eagle looked right and when he looked at McGonagall she beamed at him. "Guess I'm ready!" She nodded and walked over to Harry's hippo that had sat down on the bottom of Ron's robe refusing to rise, leaving Harry in hysterical laughter by the panicked look in Ron's eyes, not able to end the spell. "Sor...Sorry, Ron...It just looked so..." the rest of the sentence drowned in laugher and Ron shook his head and picked up his wand and hunted down his rabbit to turn it back to its normal form as a small statue.

"Time for lunch. Un-animate your figurines and we'll be seeing each other next Monday for a little quiz." McGonagall sighed when half of the class cried out in dismay. "Class dismissed!" She looked at all the small figurines laying spread over the floor and put them back on the shelves with a wave of her wand. She then heading down for lunch shaking her head, knowing it would be strange saying goodbye to the job as Transfiguration Professor, but her duties as Headmistress came first and if Hermione took the offer future classes would be in safe hands.

Draco stood, leaning one hand on top of the mantle talking to his mother in the floo-flames. “...and after Wednesday's Transfiguration exam the others follow next week with Herbology on Monday morning, Charms Tuesday morning and Potions in the afternoon. I have that week's Wednesday off and finish on Thursday with DADA after lunch and Astronomy at night, so I can look forward to some busy days. Hope it doesn't make 'Mi move on!" Draco looked grim and Narcissa asked if there were troubles between them. Draco nodded and explained that Hermione had not taken it that well that he had to put his job as a professor before their...Ummm...passionate moments.

Narcissa frowned and said Hermione better not be that shallow and asked if she should have a word with the girl. Draco knowing his mother’s temper smiled and shook his head, saying he thought it would frighten the living shit out of Hermione seeing his mother and the Fury she could be when enraged. Narcissa looked shocked, but then laughed and said she had to go; she had a cake in the oven she didn't want burned. Draco smirked and called her the genuine little house-wife and asked who was coming over. When she hissed it was no concern of his, he lifted his brows in wonder.

His mother clearly didn't want to talk anymore as she said a short goodbye and cut the connection. Draco stood dumbstruck and glared into the fire; did his mother have a date?! She was still married for Pete' sake and he worried what his father would do if he heard rumours of her cheating on him! The clock on the wall cried out "DINNER!" making him jump and shake his head, he preferred the old clock, but Ginny Weasley had given it to him as a "House-warming" present so he felt obliged to put it up.

He wasn't that hungry, but thought it better he made an appearance. He started to walk to his bedroom to change to his heavy professors' robes, but changed his mind and turned and left the room wearing only his black pants, shoes and a white shirt, so what if he didn't look the role, all knew he was Professor Malfoy and he really hated that heavy robe!

As his walk down the corridors he noticed a group of 6th year girl giggling as he passed and he turned round and smiled at them reminding them that it was time for dinner and not to be late, making one of them hyperventilate and him smirk. "Yup. Still got it!" he whispered to himself and grinned as he descended the stairs to the second floor then further down to the main floor, thinking that he was rather bad flirting with others when he wasn't single. But he just couldn't help it, it was too easy!

As he walked up to the main table many a girl’s eyes followed him and McGonagall looked stern and waved him over and asked why he didn't wear his robe. Draco raised his shoulder and said he just forgot in the rush to get to dinner on time for a change and if he remembered it wasn't obligatory to wear it other than during classes and furthermore he felt it inhibited his moves; he had been a seeker and didn't like heavy robes holding him down.

The Headmistress frowned. She couldn't find one thing in his reasoning to put a finger on, so she decided that she had to find some lighter materials and have him made some more movement friendly robes. She didn't like the way the female students gapped at him and from the look in Hermione's eyes, she absolutely didn't!

"Ahhh, he only does that to make me mad!" She growled. "And it seems to work," Ron sniggered and passed her the carrots sending Malfoy a look saying "You’re in trouble now!" which made the blonde raise one brow in wonder. What had he done this time?! Seeing the look on Hermione's eyes he had a good idea. She was jealous, which meant she still cared for him! Hopefully she wouldn't change her mind when he told her that he had to bury himself in books for 10 whole days!

Hermione did understand and promised to stay away during the day, on the condition he returned the favour when it was the time for her N.E.W.T's. "And promise me, to send for me or go find me if there is anything I can do to help you study. I am the Hogwarts-know-it-all after all." She grinned and snuggled next to him as they sat on the couch watching the blue and silver flames play. They sat that way for awhile in silence lost in thoughts till Hermione asked a hard question. "Have you heard any word of you father?"

"Well, the bastard still breathes. Not sure if that's good or bad. I think my mother is seeing someone and if he finds out then all hell will break loose!" Draco frowned and asked if there wasn't another topic they would discuss; it gave him bad feelings to talk about. And as a way out, sent by heaven, someone knocked on the door. "Enter!"

Snape came in and sent a critical look at the two "Evening. I'm here with your potion. Give me a report in the morning on how you react to the adjustments." Draco thanked him and said he would head to bed soon to test it. "Just waiting for Potter and Weasley. They said they would stop by before bedtime." Snape nodded and wished them a goodnight, preferably in their own beds.

After he closed the door they grinned and agreed that the potions master had a dirty mind, but him saying it made their minds wander to the night 5 days ago and Draco felt something stirring in his abdomen as he pulled her close for a kiss. He deepened the kiss and she parted her lips for his tongue as he licked them. Burying his hands in her thick mane of hair he just wished they would never part. He wanted her to bear his future children and smiled as she pushed him on to his back and straddled him, leaning down to repeat the passionate kiss from before.

"...hope he has found..." Harry's voice sounded from the door followed by a "Bloody hell; now I'm gonna have nightmares for days!" And Hermione sat up so quickly her knee slipped and hit Draco where he was most vulnerable, making him curl up in pain and causing both Ron and Harry to look like they shared his pain. Draco hissed, with water rising in his eyes. Hadn't they heard of knocking!?

Sitting up, face clearly showing he still hurt, Draco asked if they just wanted to stand there or take a seat, and conjured up a couple of stools by the fire. Hermione sat down next to him looking guilt-ridden and delicately ran her hand up and down his thigh, making him grimace and firmly stop her hand and just weave his fingers between hers and shaking his head.

Ron had a hard time not laughing, he found it bizarrely rewarding that Malfoy got to suffer a little for the pain he had cause 'Mione all those years. Harry looked at Draco with a demanding look "Well. Did you find out why the bloody hell you connected with my dream and most importantly how to stop it for happening again? I finally got Voldie out of my mind; don't particularly want to replace him with you. I would actually like to have it for myself for a while!"

Draco nodded and said that Snape thought it was because of what happened in the tower and that in saving Draco's life Harry opened his mind to Draco's. "And it seems that you saving me made me want to know if you're safe." Draco looked irritated and said he really didn't do it on purpose and that Snape had make a variant of the Dreamless Sleep Potion to shut down the connection. "It's only till we find a more permanent solution! And now I must get to bed. So, get..." Draco yawned and waved them off after kissing Hermione goodnight.

"Wonder if he made it tastes like crap just to teach me a lesson?" Draco though, picking up the vial of bluish fluid and popped the cork. "Here goes!" He drank it down in one gulp and grimaced, not that it tasted like shit, but because it was so sour his jaw joins constricted. "What I won't do for sleep," he whispered to himself and felt it kick in faster than anticipated. Barely making it back to the couch he tumbled into the darkness.


Tuesday went by in a blur for Draco, not leaving his room at all, scanning through the stack of Transfigurations books to double check his notes. When he awoke Wednesday morning, he felt a little anxious like one always does going into an exam, but considered himself ready to shine at the final. As he reached the Transfiguration classroom, four people were waiting for him.

McGonagall had arranged for the morning class to be a self-study period at the library, so Draco could take his N.E.W.T's and giving the trio time to wish him luck. Ginny had made an excuse of needing to go to the bathroom and just gave him a quick hug and said she knew he could O this blindfolded and ran back to her double Herbology class.

"Are you nervous?" Ron asked, realizing it was a STUPID question, of course he was! Draco smiled and thanked them for wishing him luck. When the door opened he got a peck on the cheek from 'Mi and a nod from the boys. "Ready, Mr. Malfoy?" and the door closed behind him.

When the door opened again, there where no one to greet him and it suited him just fine. He was mad at himself and didn't believe he achieved any score over an A. It would ruin all chance of becoming an Auror, which still was his main goal. Swearing under his breath he left the hall in front of the room not noticing that McGonagall and the examiner stared after him debating whether to tell the poor boy he had passed with flying colours, as this could ruin his other finals. "Better go find him, dear. He looks like a storm cloud!" The older wizard said and the Headmistress went after the young man, to save his day!

She found him only by bewitching her wand to lead her to him. He sat in a window still, head hidden in his arms, knees tucked up to his chest looking like the world just ended. "Dear. Oh dear. Think we made a good chose to bend the rules for a change." She said in a motherly voice, making Draco lift his head and look at her.

She could see that he had been crying, from disappointment most likely, and gave him a comforting smile. "Draco Malfoy I'm proud to say that you received the highest mark on your Transfiguration exam!" Draco looked at her like she spoke an unknown language, then a look of disbelief reached his eyes. "I what... How? I totally screwed up!"

"And corrected yourself afterwards, without any assisters or remark from the examiner or me. It takes a good wizard to do it right most of the time, but a great wizard to admit he made a mistake and try to fix again." She was talking of the exam, but more of his dramatic change from spoiled brat and death eater-trainee to this responsible and extremely talented young man sitting before her.

"You mean to say I got an O, even if I messed up?" Draco didn't believe what his ears were hearing, but when the Headmistress sighed and asked him if she had to write it in enchanted homing fireworks, it finally sunk in. Draco jumped from the window and over to the Headmistress and kissed her on the forehead whispering "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" and then sprinted of to tell his mum. "She's gonna be so delighted!" he laughed to himself and darted to his office on third floor almost knocking poor Flitwick over. Draco turned around, apologizing and shouting that he O'ed it!

"Congratulations, Professor," the small man called after him and got up smiling with joy in his junior's eyes.He turned out okay after all. Who would have thought?!" and he walk on humming in glee knowing he would soon be able to retire and enjoy his old age in the small cottage he had bought by the seaside.


And when the rumour that he had O'ed his next four exams spread throughout Hogwarts, he found a crowd of students waiting for him at the base of the Astronomy Tower. He heard someone whisper the he would bet he didn't O this one and another voice taking the bet. If he wasn't so nervous he would have found it funny, but now it just annoyed him. "Go to bed! Do you bloody think I will be able to concentrate with you lot murmuring down here! Beat it!" The youngest students ran off in a hurry, but the 6th and 7th year didn't seem eager to move.

"He said BEAT IT!"

Draco turned round to see Zabini pointing his wand at the mob making all except Ron, Harry and Hermione leave murmuring curses and calling Blaise, "Dooglebye."

"Appreciated!"

"You're welcome."

Their friendship had been awkward after their little encounter. Draco smiled and headed up the staircase to his final test.


"If you zoom turn the telescope to 18h 02m 23s and -23‹ 01Œ 48what can you tell me of what you see?" the examiner was a witch about his mothers age, with long golden hair and piercing green eyes that didn't blink as she smiled a lot!

"I see The Trifid Nebula. A giant cloud of gas that is a stellar nursery to unborn stars. The Trifid Nebula is place within the constellation Sagittarius, the Centaur with his bow. It's linked with gods like Zeus and Fortuna, Lady Luck if you will, but are mostly thought to be the spirit of the Great Chiron the ancient Greek philosopher and teacher." Draco frowned in concentration and sharpened the image in the telescope, before continuing.

"Anyone born under the influence of Sagittarius is generally positive, full of energy and adventures. They are known to be willing to fight for what they believe in and have a perfect balance of loyalty and independents. Many, if born as a wizard or witch, have a natural gift at any magic with fire as its source." The green eyed witch seemed very interested in what more this young man would tell her and bid him continue.

"Some of the most renowned wizards and witches born under this sign are Michel de Notre Dame also know as Nostradamus, a well known Prophet even amongst Muggles; the Danish Astronomer Tycho Brahe who made the calculations we today use when plotting horoscopes and Bruce Lee a highly trained Auror and philosopher that went undercover in the Muggle world in search of Death Eaters, recruiting martial arts specialists all over the world he was killed by a Imperius infected Muggle on the hunt for my father." Draco seemed uncomfortable with this part of his knowledge.

"Quiet impressive. I think that will do. I've been asked by the Headmistress to grade you right after the exam. Rather unusual, but I owe her a favour, so please let me look over the details and wait inside for a moment." As the young man left she had a soft smile on her lips, thinking that she rarely met a young man with such a deep knowledge of the stars, events and beliefs surrounding them. She could see why her old friend Minerva wanted this man as a full titled member of staff. And to think he was a Malfoy!


As Draco descended the stairs he was in ecstasy. He had scored six N.E.W.T level O's. SIX! The last one to do that was Percy Weasley, so it wasn't a frequent happening at Hogwarts. The world lay open for him. If people could look past that he was a Malfoy.

Hermione was the first to see Draco as he came down and she knew before asking that he had scored top marks on his last exam giving him a full house. "Ufff, I need to do just as well or he will be intolerable to be near!" a small voice whispered in her ear, but she tried to ignore it and just be happy for her boyfriend.

"You set the standard high, Fer...Ummm...Sorry, slipped!" Ron grinned and leaned against the wall. "See you're feeling better." Draco said in a casual tone and Ron raised his shoulder indicating he was fine, but could be better.

"Guess you have the right to become a regular Professor now and not just a junior. Ever thought of staying on?" Harry asked, looking intensely at Draco, who frowned and said he still really wanted to become an Auror, but he had to see if they would want a Malfoy on the side of good. He had become more and more uncertain that it wasn't a factor to be considered. "Let's get to bed. I'm exhausted!" Draco put his arm around Hermione, wondering where Blaise had taken off to.


Draco rolled Hermione on to her back and ran his fingers up her firm naked body. He moved his lips to her neck nipping his way down to her nipple and further down to her belly, following the path with feather light touches. He love the way she moved under his touch, this time he was the one in control and it turned him on even more. To have complete and utter power over Hermione Granger, he smiled a wicked smile then bit her gently on her inner thigh.

As she cry out for him not to tease any more, he slithered between her legs and agonisingly slowly slipped into her wet cave. He had decided to drive her over the edge so in almost slow-motion he pulled back and again pushed slowly forth again, making 'Mi groan, arch her back and raise her hips to meet his. He kept the slow speed till he felt her tremble, then he let go of the control and let his body set the pace and when he felt her reach climax, he tilted his head back and released a cry of ecstasy as the culmination of days of hard work and missing her left his body and he leaned down on his elbow and snuggled up to her, out of breath, but happy.


He had achieved top score in his N.E.W.T's and had just made love to a young woman he easily could picture walking into Malfoy Manor with as his bride. Even if they had a few things they couldn't agree on, it didn't seem a big deal and he felt positive they would manage to sort them out. It had been a day he thought he would remember forever.




Epilogue:


As the remaining half of the year flew by Draco felt more and more of a desire to leave his place as Junior Professor and start his training as an Auror. Even if the Headmistress was sad to see him go, she couldn't hold him back against his will.

So as Draco’s new friends finished their N.E.W.T's, Hermione of course with a full house, Draco and Harry both sent in applications to join the Auror training program.

Hermione had been overwhelmed with joy when McGonagall had offered her the position as Transfiguration Professor, declaring she wasn't about to leave the role as Professor to any other than her top student.

Ron had applied for an apprenticeship at St. Mungo's. He wanted desperately to become a healer. "Maybe I can be the one to find a cure for scratches and bits from werewolves. Plus with Charlie as a Dragon keeper, the Twins still testing their newest developments on themselves and all but Percy being a member of the Order of the Phoenix, I'll be sure to have them all as patients at one point in time!"

At graduation day Draco FINALLY met Mr. Weasley and asked if he would mind taking a look at some "interesting objects" Draco had "discovered" at the Manor. Mr. Weasley had been ecstatic, knowing he and his co-workers hadn't recovered all of the dark artifacts hidden in the Malfoy Manor, after their sweep following the arrest of Lucius Malfoy and made a promise to stop by within a fortnight and rid the Manor of "the objects!"

Molly begged Hermione to come and visit over the summer, saying Ginny would miss her terribly, making Hermione smile and agree to spend a week at the Weasley's, knowing Mrs. Weasley just used Ginny as an excuse.


As they all said their goodbyes Hermione promise to write to Draco every day and come visit as soon her parents would let her. She waved as he jumped on his broom and didn't stop until he was out of sight. Ron and Harry came over and put their arms around her, saying it wasn't forever and they would see each other again. The trio walked down to the Hogwarts express to take the last ride as students of Hogwarts. It was with mixed feelings that they watched the castle fade into the background. It had been their home of the last 7 years, a place they had felt safe most of the time.

The feeling that they now faced as adults was frightening and exciting all at one time and as the train made a turn and Hogwarts disappeared Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny looked smiling at each other looking forward to a nice quiet summer at The Burrow.