Careful Courting

J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and settings. To bad I wouldn't mind writing a book and having it make millions.

Careful Courting (I'll try not to change the title too much)
The summer was almost over and Hermione couldn’t wait to go back to school. She hadn’t been allowed to do anything this summer, her parents hated the fact she was a witch. She had just turned sixteen when she had come home, the perfect age for getting engaged in her family. Not many people knew it but in the muggle world her family was considered to be very high class. They could trace not only their name but their money back to Stephen the fourth king of England. They had made it quite clear when she arrived that they didn’t want her going back to Hogwarts this year and that by the end of the summer she was to be basically auctioned off among the sons of the upper class.
She had flat out said no and so she was only allowed out for parties and balls where it was all but discussed if her teeth were perfect. She had felt like livestock until she had received a letter from Dumbledore last week requesting her presents at school two weeks early. She was thrilled to be leaving and had started packing her trunk the moment she was finished her response.
Hopefully Harry and Ron would be there. The letter had mentioned all the returning prefects had been invited. Of course knowing what kind of trouble they got into she wasn’t entirely sure. She had had her fireplace connected to he flew net work for the day so the only thing left was writing a letter to her parents explaining that she had left early and would see them next year. Normally she would come home for Christmas but this year she wasn’t entirely sure she could handle it.
Fifteen minutes later she placed the envelope on her dresser, climbed into the fireplace with her trunk and a handful of flew powder, and clearly stated Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Draco had also turned sixteen that year but his family reacted very differently. His father was full blooded veela and his mother was half. To veela turning sixteen meant you were full grown and ready to find your mate. A male veela is born with only one mate and they are permanently bonded. It is tradition that when they turn sixteen they are sent to a seer who will tell him who their mate is to be.
Almost as soon as Draco had walked through the door that summer his parents were on him about his mate. Within a week they had him in the waiting room of the best seer in town. Personally the whole thing just made him mad; he hadn’t been able to look at a girl sexually in weeks, before the only girl he didn’t imagine naked was Granger. Her baggy clothes made what she really looked like some huge mystery.
His father had told him that when he found out who his mate was he had barely known her. His mother had been a year younger and even though they had been in the same house at school they had barely seen each other. That was one of the first signs apparently; veela’s mates didn’t react the same way to veela powers. He’d have to win her over by himself; it couldn’t be that hard though could it. They were meant to be a perfect match, she probably already adored him.
“Mr. Malfoy, this way please.” A witch standing near him said moving through the waiting room to stop at a black door. When he caught up she ushered him through the door. The room was dark and it took a minute for his eyes to get used to but when they did he could see the old witch sitting on the floor. There was a bowl of water in front of her he knew some seers preferred that to the traditional crystal ball.
“Your father mentioned you’d be coming soon.” She started. “You’re here to identify your mate?”
“Yes” He sat opposite her.
“You already know her that much is clear.” She stated motioning for him to give her his hand. He knew not to refuse but was slightly weary of her. He almost didn’t want to know who his mate was. She spent several minutes just gazing at his palm. Just when he thought he could no longer bear it she started. “She will not like the idea of being pursued and try everything in her power to get away. She wishes to be independent after being told she can’t be. This will come as a blow to her pride but in the end there will be nothing she is prouder of.”
“The connection between you two is already stronger than I have ever seen but you are rivals both wanting the same thing, power”. The old woman continued.
“Who is she?” He was afraid of the answer. She motioned to the bowl between them and took a small knife from her pocket. She had only allowed a single drop of Draco’s blood into the serene water but a picture was forming.
It had been nearly a month and a half since then and he was still slightly shocked. The only woman he would ever love was Granger, the ‘know it all’ mudblood. He had almost been afraid to tell his father but Luscious had taken it well. He had not been overly happy that she wasn’t a pure blood but he had told his son that other than that he thought she was quite suitable. His mother who had no qualms about blood lines was so happy she nearly cried. Draco thought it was a disaster. The one girl who hated him was the one he had to win over with out his powers, great.
At least he had an extra two weeks with her before school and hopefully Potty and the Weasel wouldn’t be there. Dumbledore had called the prefects to Hogwarts early for some reason, something about housing, his father had told him. Surprisingly enough Dumbledore and his father were very close; he was one of the only people who knew Luscious was actually a spy for the order. He hated Voldemort but it was widely known he was power hungry and because he had married a member of the house of Black, one of the last remaining pureblood houses besides his own, he was considered to hate muggles. It was true he didn’t really like them but he didn’t hate them either. Most of his prejudice was just the act he had to put on as a spy.
He apperated his trunk downstairs and said goodbye to his parents, promising to come home for Christmas. They wished him good luck and then he was off. He then apperated outside the gates of Hogwarts and dragged his trunk to the front hall. He was slightly early and decided that a visit with the headmaster would put him right on time. As he walked through the empty stone halls he passed right by the library. Looking at it instantly made him think of her.
Since he had found out Granger was his mate he had been thinking of her a lot. He had had to find all the hallways around the libraries at home. That hadn’t been easy considering there were six libraries in the whole of Malfoy Manor. Any time someone had mentioned Potter or even Hogwarts she was the first thing that came to mind, it was really starting to annoy him.
He stopped in front of the stone gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore’s office. He didn’t know if there was a new password yet so he just tried the one he knew from last year. “Monopoly” Dumbledore had fallen in love with the muggle game after he had received one last Christmas.
The Gargoyle sprung from his post revealing the twirling gold staircase. Draco took a second to look at his watch; he still had nearly half an hour, and hurried up. The Headmasters office always looked circular when you first entered it but it was in fact a decagon. His Great-Great-Great Grandfather had built it for himself when he had been headmaster. It truly was a work of art. With two fire places exactly mirroring each other across the room and its high domed ceiling it was almost overbearing.
The headmaster was not in his usual spot behind his desk but instead was on his knees looking up one of his huge fireplaces. “Umm, Professor?” Draco tried to get the older man’s attention.
“Oh. What? I’m sorry I didn’t hear you come in.” Dumbledore apologized. “Fawks has gotten herself caught in the chimney. I gave her a letter and she got half way up the chimney before she burst into flames and now she can’t get herself down. I’m wary of using magic to help her. Phoenixes react differently to magic you know.” He trailed off. He really got weird when he was preoccupied. It wasn’t that he was old though. Only one hundred or so, the man could live another seventy-five years yet, and in great health. “Oh, blast it.” The headmaster mumbled before he levitated the young chick down. He walked her over to her stand and when she had settled down he returned to the grand chair behind his desk. “So Draco, another year begins.”
“Yes Sir, I’m looking forward to it.” He was also dreading it but if he said that out loud he’d have to explain himself and Draco wasn’t sure he could.
Dumbledore just looked at him for a moment as though he could read his mind. Draco didn’t doubt he could but knew he wouldn’t, not without Draco’s expressed permission. “Tea?” the older man asked finally.
“Yes, thank you.” Tea appeared and they spent the next twenty minutes in a comfortable silence. Albus thinking and Draco watching the tiny network of everyday life go on in the office. The fire, which must have been relit while Malfoy wasn’t watching, suddenly turned green and McGonagall’s head appeared. “The students are arriving Albus”. She stated in her usually serious voice and disappeared.
“We should go then.” The Professor stated rising from his own seat. Draco fallowed suit and they both made their way to the entrance hall to wait for the others to arrive.


A.N.-I promise not to waste your time with authors notes too often but this will change who it's fallowing (from Draco to Hermione and back). I may not be able to update very often.