Trial by Fire

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~Ivy

Hermione awoke feeling sore all over. Shaking the sleep from her brain she felt groggy and disoriented. “What the hell did I do last night?’ she glanced around the room a noted that she was not in her room. Flickers of memory came back to her. Waking from her own room to go and check on Draco, crawling into his bed and then, nothing.

The object of her affection still had his arm draped possessively around her middle. His grey eyes opened to stare at her. Hermione’s pulse quickened as their eyes met. She broke the silence only to be interrupted.

“Did…”

“You would know it if we did trust me luv.” Draco sat up in bed and gazed at the clock on the end table. They had no classes on Sunday so the day was theirs. Draco pulled back the sheets to make his way to the bathroom. Hermione’s voice broke his stride.

“What happened last night? I mean I know we didn’t DO anything but my body aches and my heart is at complete peace, it’s an odd sort of conflict.”

“Welcome to my world. We slept Hermione, I’m sure sleeping on my arm did nothing to help your aches and pains. Did you ever think that because you slept in an unfamiliar bed your body was adjusting? Your heart is at peace because we were together. When your near, my body can tell.” Draco continued to the bathroom. He decided after doing his business that he might as well take a shower. ‘How dare she question him? He was doing all the giving, waiting for her to come to grips the reality. The fact that she would dare impugn his character was ludicrous! When I’m done her and I are going to talk that’s for damn sure!’

When Draco arrived in the common room he found no Head Girl. He had heard her shower and her bedroom door close. He had even heard her enter the common room, where the hell did she go? Draco searched their rooms, Hermione had indeed disappeared. More then a little miffed at hwy he hadn’t felt her leave, he went down to the Great Hall for breakfast, and she was probably there already.

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Draco arrived at breakfast to find that Hermione was still missing. In fact most of the Gryffindor house was missing. All of the seventh year most of the sixth and a fair few of the fifth year girls were all absent. What in Merlin’s name was going on?

“Blaise, the Great Hall is looking a little light don’t you think?”

“I don’t know where she is mate. They haven’t been in all morning. It’s like they decided as a house they were going to forgo breakfast.”

“It just doesn’t make sense. I saw Hermione an hour ago.”

“You were up fairly early then. I’ve known you most of our lives and the only thing you get up that early for is morning classes, or morning sex. And Draco my friend, it’s Sunday.” Blaise went back to his own breakfast, he was normally a soft spoken guy, but when he had something to say every one listened.

“It’s not like that with us. You make it sound so cheep, like some casual affair.”

“Draco, I’m kidding. I of all people know how much she means to you. I don’t hold your past against you, the rest of us in the house don’t either.”

Blaise was talking about the three months during their sixth year that nobody talked to him. Draco had sat down and done something about everything he had been taught to believe. So when Draco made up his own mind about muggles during Christmas break and went to see his father. Good thing for Draco his father was in jail or things could have been sticky when he broke the news he was switching, or rather picking his own side. The only people who talked to him after that were Pansy and Blaise.

Pansy was the one who turned the tide for Draco and his house. One day she stood up right before spring and attacked the entire house. “You are all just jealous because Draco found the courage to stand up for what HE truly believes in, not what his parents tell him to.”

As that week went past more and more people came around to being friendly with Draco again. It seemed pansy was right about most of them, all they needed was a little push. Some of them in Draco’s mind needed a push right off a cliff, but that past anger was best left in the past.

As they ate in comfortable silence Draco opened his mind to Hermione. He could feel that she was safe and close, giving him a least some peace of mind. After breakfast, before Draco could take off to search the castle Pansy dragged the fellows outside into the breezy autumn air.

“It’s been ages since we sat and did nothing” Pansy said as she plopped down with the boys. “I was beginning to think Granger had tied you up somewhere.”

“I wish,” Draco mumbled.

Among Pansy’s other canine like attributes her hearing was excellent. “Trouble in paradise, friend?” Pansy had no opinion one way or another towards Hermione anymore. Hermione was a part of Draco’s life and that in turn made her part of Pansy’s.

“It’s not trouble, it’s just timing. She has to think every little thing through. No impulses, no snap decisions.”

“Just admit it Draco,” Pansy cut off. “You’re sexually frustrated and you just want to drag her off to the nearest dark corner and have your way with her.”

“I do Pansy, and I have no problem admitting that, but that isn’t the only thing I want.”

“I know that’s not it. But it is one of the only ways you haven’t ‘had’ her yet. You probably scare her.”

“I have done everything I can think of not to scare her, she knows I wont hurt her.”

“Yes, you will. Not the way you are thinking. Let’s not forget that you were my first, and try as you might have, you hurt me. As much as you guys try, it’s still an invasion that first time. It’s going to hurt like a bitch, but she isn’t worried about that pain…” Pansy let her sentence hang all on its own.

“I love her.”

Blaise interjected, “Yes, but take it from me, show her, don’t just tell her. When you kiss her, don’t kiss her with a passion that will set her soul ablaze, but with a tenderness that will warm her heart. That’s what she needs don’t you agree Pansy?”

Pansy flushed pink, damn Italians, “I think Blaise has it exactly right. You have always been a passionate creature; you have to show her you know romance as well.”

“Certainly gives me something to think about,” Draco murmured. He thought he had been doing so well, Pansy was right though, he had never shown Hermione real romance, only true passion. He could wait for her until Christmas, but he didn’t want her dreading it like her own death. He wanted her willingly.

Draco was pulled out of his thoughts when Pansy levitated him into a near by pile of leaves. Life went on, Draco, Blaise and Pansy spent all of their afternoon catching up and being foolish. Something they had not been able to do since they first stepped onto Hogwarts grounds. Draco returned to his common room expecting to find Hermione there, preparing next week’s assignments. He found no one in the common room, or anywhere in their suite. ‘She must still be with the Gryffindors.’ Draco gathered his school things and sat down to finish his Potions essay.

He woke up several hours later to a loud banging on the portrait. As he approached he could hear someone singing and someone shhhing. He swung the portrait open to reveal the Gryffindor trio and one third of them was shit faced drunk.