A Reason To Be

Hermione and Draco’s new deal seemed to be working out just fine. Under normal circumstances they only saw each other in classes and of late in the hospital wing but now they sought out each other’s company. Of course Ron was horrified and bewildered by this. Harry wasn’t overly happy with it either, but when it came to Hermione and Draco he tended to mind his own business. She still spent time with Ron and Harry, but now her attentions were not for them alone. Early on they found out that her inviting him into the Gryffindor common room was bad news. It did not go over with the other students. Draco confirmed that neither he nor she would be welcome in the Slytherin common room. A lot of their time was spent in the courtyard or in the Great Hall if the weather was bad. Hermione finally figured out that he no longer resided in the Slytherin dorms, though he wouldn’t say where he slept now. Draco said that if she could figure out where his bedroom was, then she could go in it.

It was now the weekend and Hermione decided that for a change she would go to Hogsmeade with Draco instead of Harry and Ron. Ron had not been pleased at all, she knew he wouldn’t. Hermione was a little surprised at Harry’s response though. He just said ‘ok’ and told her to let them know if there was any trouble. Hermione made her way down to the courtyard and found Draco waiting for her. Then the two got in line to be checked with the list of students allowed to go to Hogsmeade.

“Oh, before I forget… Should you want to shop a little while we are in Hogsmeade.” Draco said from behind Hermione. She turned around and found him digging around in one of the inner pockets of his coat. Out he pulled a small black bag and handed it to her.

“What is it?” Hermione asked, opening the bag and peering curiously inside. She soon realized it was full of money; a lot of money. Hermione’s eyes got big and she looked up and Draco.

“Why are you giving me money?!?!” Hermione whispered urgently. Draco laughed and rolled his eyes at the young woman in front of him. Before he said anything he grasped her shoulders and turned back around to face forward, she was next in line to be checked off by Filch.

“I have more money than God, Hermione. Take some, get rid of it.” Draco chuckled, leaning down and speaking in her ear. Hermione laughed but then quieted herself while she spoke to Filch. Then she stepped aside and waited for Draco to be checked off.

“Are you sure?” Hermione asked when he walked over and then started their little hike to the wizard village. Draco nodded and assured her it was fine.

“There is about fifty Galleons in there, and some odd Sickles and Knuts. Go crazy.” Draco added. Hermione thanked him profusely and stuck her hands in her pockets. It hadn’t snowed in a while but it was still bitterly cold outside. Hermione reached up and pulled the scarf off from around Draco’s neck and threw it around her own.

“Yeah sure, take my scarf. I’m not cold.” Draco’s voice dripped with sarcasm. He only got a giggle in return for the scarf.

“Thank you.” Hermione said, smiling too sweetly. He shook his head at her and the pair kept walking. The two walked up and down the streets of Hogsmeade, stopping in almost every shop. They went to see Madam Rosmerta and had a few butterbeers. Draco noticed that while in the tavern and also out in the streets, the other Hogwarts students were staring at them. For the most part Draco could ignore them, but eventually he did hit his breaking point.

“Did I grow a second bloody head that I don’t know about?!?!” Draco shouted to the people staring at them, while standing outside of the tavern. His sudden yelling made Hermione jump, you had been bending down; tying her shoe. It made everyone else on the street jump as well. They all looked incredibly embarrassed and shuffled away quickly. Draco scowled and watched the people disperse.

“Just ignore them. I think I have decided what I am going to spend your money on.” Hermione said as she stood up and pulled her coat around her tightly.

“Oh really? And what is that?” Draco inquired, taking this opportunity to snatch his scarf back from around Hermione’s neck. Then he placed it around his neck and adjusted it. He looked at Hermione and saw her pouting at the absence of his scarf.

“Get your own.” Draco countered. Hermione knew there was only one chance to get it back. She stuck out her bottom lip and gave Draco her big, brown eyed puppy dog look. Draco looked at her with an expression of pain on his face. He took it like a champ, but eventually he broke. He sighed and pulled the scarf off and draped it on the top of her curly head.

“Fine. Now tell what you are going to buy?” Draco resigned and watched her smile triumphantly and cuddled the green and silver piece of cloth up to her neck.

“I’m going to buy a dress for the dance.” Hermione stated as they began walking again. A few days before Dumbledore had announced that due to the tremendous success of the Halloween dance, they were going to throw a ball for Valentine’s Day. More than the normal amount of students went to Hogsmeade that weekend, looking for suitable clothing. They had been told that while the Halloween ball was semi-formal, this affair would be extremely formal. Draco had no need to shop for clothes; he knew he had the perfect ensemble for the occasion.

“I see, and where will you do that?” Draco asked as they kept on walking. At that moment Hermione slowed to a stop and pointed to the store front on her right.

“Here.” Hermione said. Draco looked up and saw that it indeed was a dress shop. Draco nodded and moved to go in the door but Hermione stopped him.

“I’m going shopping for a dress, not you. All I need is you acting like you did in the lingerie shop in London.” Hermione teased. Now it was Draco’s time to pout but she didn’t budge. When he figured out that no amount of pleading or frowning was going to help him, he gave up and said that she should come find him at Honeydukes when she was done shopping.

Draco found himself sitting on a bench outside the candy shop an hour later, when Hermione come strolling up with a rather large box in her hands. When she came closer she couldn’t help but laugh at what she saw. Draco said nothing, which was because he had stuffed his mouth with a lollypop he had bought. The look of a little white stick poking out of his mouth and his cheeks puffed out to maximum capacity was too much for Hermione to handle.

“Oh that’s sexy.” Hermione said, trying not to laugh. Draco reached up and extracted the ridiculously large piece of candy from his mouth.

“I can only imagine. So you got a dress?” Draco replied. Hermione nodded and held up the box holding her dress. Draco noticed that the box was rather heavy and she was struggling with it.

“Give it here, I’ll carry it.” Draco offered, holding out his arms for the big package.

“It’s alright. It’s my dress, I can carry it.” Hermione replied but to no avail. Draco snatched the box out of her hands anyway. Hermione tried to get it back but he held it up above his head, where she had no hope of reaching it. She gave up finally and let him carry it on the way back to Hogwarts. When they reached the courtyard, Hermione took the dress back from him.

“So what are you up to now?” Hermione asked. She had to go back to her dormitory and study Ancient Runes. Draco sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets.

“I’m kind of tired; I think I am going to take a nap for a while before dinner.” Draco said after a few moments of thought. Hermione nodded and turned to go up to the Gryffindor common room, saying she would see him later. Draco waved his hand and then went in his own direction, off to go to sleep.


Try as he might, Draco couldn’t fall asleep. He was tired, but it just wasn’t happening. He sat up in bed and looked at the clock. There was a good hour and a half before dinner; he had time for a walk. He got up, put on some shoes and did just that. Though he was heading down to the courtyard, he did not bring his coat. He didn’t anticipate being there long. When he made it down there he saw that it was abandoned, or at least he thought so at first. He was leisurely strolling around when he heard some sniffling in the shadows to his left. When he got closer he saw the unmistakably mass of chestnut hair.

“Hermione?” Draco asked quietly. She hadn’t noticed him approach, she quickly wiped at her face, trying to get rid of the evidence she had been crying. She stood up and walked over to him.

“Hi Draco, how was your nap?” Hermione greeted him, trying to disguise that there was anything wrong. She even managed a little smile, though it was a pretty pathetic one. Draco frowned and put his hands in his pockets.

“Nap-like, what’s wrong?” Draco answered as he moved closer to her. Hermione tried to think of an excuse to give him but she couldn’t come up with anything.

“Ron and Harry, what else?” Hermione huffed, seating down on the bench she had been occupying earlier. Draco heaved an annoyed sigh at the mention of their names. He was not surprised to hear that they, being the jackasses that they were, had upset Hermione somehow.

“What did they do?” Draco dared to ask. He knew that any moment she was going to launch into a rant, so he would have to tread carefully. He was right.

“Ugghh! They are so…I don’t know what! First of all, when I got back to the common room I found out that Harry was going to the dance with Lavender and Ron had asked Padme. You know, they can ask whomever they like but since my accident Ron has been acting really nice and I thought he was going to ask me. Guess not.” Hermione said sadly. Draco went over and sat next to her on the bench. He opened his mouth to say something but she cut him off.

“Then Padme wanted to try on dresses so I said ok. We changed into our dresses and went out to show Harry and Ron.” Hermione added, and then her bottom lip started to quiver. Draco could tell that she was desperately trying not to cry.

“They didn’t even look at me! All they could do was comment on Padme and her new dress; they said nothing, absolutely nothing to me! I didn’t think I looked that bad, I guess I was wrong. Fuck it; I’m not even going to the bloody ball.” Hermione said, crossing her arms stubbornly. Draco felt like smacking her.

“Nonsense. That is absolute bullshit.” Draco announced, standing up again and moving right in front of her. Hermione looked up at him frowning and sniffled.

“What?” Hermione asked, wondering what the hell he was talking about. He squatted down in front of her so that he was now eye level with her.

“Hermione luv, you are a stupid, stupid little girl. First of all, fuck them. Those two wouldn’t know a beautiful woman if she sat on their face, and believe me they’ll never be so lucky. Second of all, did you really think that just because the Weasel didn’t ask you to the ball that no one else would?” Draco asked, trying his damnedest to remain patient. Hermione looked at him unbelievingly and snorted.

“Like who?” Hermione asked with a frown on her face. This sent Draco over the edge.

“Severus Snape…Who the fuck do you think?!?! Me!!” Draco said incredulously. For her being such a smart young women, he was amazed at how dense she could be. Hermione quit frowning and looked at him, expecting there to be second part to that statement, some kind of catch.

“Go to the ball with me. Come with me and we’ll make Potter and Weasley so jealous it’ll make their head spin. Forget what they said, you know we would have a good time. Plus you’ll have the best looking man in the school with you, what could be better?” Draco asked her, inside praying she would say yes. Sure they would make everyone envious, but he also couldn’t thin of anything better than having Hermione go to the ball as his date. He waited while she mulled it over, looking in her eyes to see if there even the tiniest hint.

“Okay, I’ll go with you.” Hermione said softly, a smile slowly appearing on her face. When he saw that, Draco smiled back at her. He stood up, took her hands in his and pulled her to her feet.

“Good.” Draco said, extremely satisfied. He didn’t show it, but inside he was dancing a little jig.

“They won’t know what hit them.” Hermione said, becoming more and more satisfied herself. Inside she was thanking her lucky stars for Draco. He had turned a horrible situation into a potentially fantastic one. Draco still had a hold of her hand and started to gently pull her towards the door with him.

“Oh I feel so used…I love it.” Draco said melodramatically.