Unexpected Love

Unexpected Love

Chapter 1 - A New Relationship

As the train pulled to a stop in front of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, three students, two boys and a girl, stepped outside of a small compartment in the train. Each was wearing new black robes that fitted them each quite nicely with a red and gold Hogwarts crest on the upper right side. The tallest had flaming red hair which fell upon his face in a sexy nonchalant way. The other boy had rather blackish hair which also fell upon his face but it was messed up in the back and gave him a cool, easy going look. The girl walked out last. In past years, it wasn't hard to tell she was beautiful but this year it was so much more obvious. Everyone knew this trio as Ron Weasley, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. As the three walked out of their tiny compartment they walked with pride because they were about to start their seventh year.

As the trio walked up towards the castle, Hermione came to the front. During the train ride Ron stared at Hermione and now, he couldn't help but to take one last look at her. Her wavy honey colored hair fell softly against her shoulders and bounced a little as she walked. Her small chocolate eyes would look up to him from time to time with joy for being there with her two best friends after spending the entire summer in France. They all walked together towards the castle not knowing there was a pair of grey eyes glaring at them from behind.

*****

Draco Malfoy grumbled as he was forced to walk to the school. All the other years got rides but Seventh Years had to walk. A flame of red caught his eye and he watched as Potter, Granger and Weasley made their way up ahead of him.

"I can't wait until graduation because after that, there will be a big surprise for Potter, Weasley, and that mudblood," Draco said quietly to himself. "Becoming a Death Eater is the best thing that will ever happen to me," Draco said with a smirk appearing on his face.

The seventh years walked in just before the sorting was to begin and sat at their table towards the back because the sorting was nothing new to them and they wanted to have all the time they could to catch up with each other after such a long summer. Meanwhile Draco Malfoy sat facing away from all the other houses so he could enjoy his first day of his seventh year at this wretched school.

*****

Hermione looked up from her plate and her eyes met a fluff of red hair and blue eyes. All she wanted to do was hold Ron tight in her arms and kiss him but she knew that would never happen because he never showed signs of liking her and it was probably too late for him to start. She looked at her watch and realized how long she had been there thinking about Ron.

"Harry, Ron, I'm gonna go up to the common room and get ready for tomorrow. I have arithmancy right after potions in the morning and I need to get caught up on some of the last chapters. I'll see you both tomorrow," Hermione said to them.

"Ok, we'll catch up with you later," Ron said with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

Hermione gave them a beautiful smile and turned around and walked out of the great hall. As soon as she was out of sight Harry kicked Ron hard in the shin.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" Ron asked while rubbing his shin.

"When will you make your move on her? You know that it's obvious she likes you and I know you like her back."

"I know but...I don't know Harry. I've tried telling her and I just don't think I can do it."

"All you could've done is asked her to stay and things would...evolve. Geez you can be so dull headed."

"Well, I've thought about how I would do it a million times...and I just can't. Please don't bug me about it anymore because lets face it, I can't."

"Fine. It's your love life and if you want it ruined then go right ahead."

After a bit of time passed Ron said, "...I...er...I...I give my consent."

"About what?" Harry asked.

"Ginny. I couldn't imagine anyone better to date my little sister."

Harry stopped chewing and turned almost as red as Ron's hair. "Er...Thanks."

"Just remember that I'll beat you to a bloody pulp if you do anything to hurt her."

The two boys chuckled softly and an awkward silence followed. Meanwhile Hermione had reached the girls bedroom and she fell on her large bed with a big sigh. She considered telling Ron about her true feelings but the moment passed and she thought to herself that all she needed was a hot shower. Her body relaxed as the hot water flowed over her and all thought of school and boys drifted out of her mind. A lavender scent filled her nostrils and she was reminded of the spell Parvati had put on this bathroom. She stepped out of the shower and wrapped her towel around herself while looking in the mirror. She couldn't help but to admire herself. She was nicely proportioned with curves in all the right places, she also had a nice even tan, and she had a very clear complexion.

"What is wrong with me?" Hermione asked as Lavender walked into the enormous bathroom to brush her teeth.

"Er...Nothing," Lavender said as a response.

"There must be because it seems like all I am to the guys is a friend who is just smart and helps with homework. I know I'm not that bad looking but I can't even get Ron to notice me. I know I've been with guys," there was a small smile from both girls at this, "but they were guys from home or from vacation. It's like there's something that repels guys from me whenever I'm here."

Hermione didn't talk like this to the other girls often but when she did the others would listen because of this rarity.

"I will tell you for the last time, there is absolutely nothing...NOTHING wrong with you. You and Ron belong with each other and everybody knows that. I'm positive Ron does too but he is too scared. If he wasn't he would've asked you years ago. Just be patient and I know he will ask you."

Hermione was calmed by this response. She gave Lavender a friendly hug, said thank you and then continued getting ready for bed. That night Hermione didn't have any trouble sleeping but there was someone down in the dungeons who would not get much sleep.

*****

Draco Malfoy sat back in his large four-poster bed wearing only boxers while flexing his muscles and admiring his nicely toned abs. The years had been quite kind to him since he was young. His blond hair was brushed back but it wasn't held to his head with gel anymore. It was loose and free and sometimes it would fall around his face just a little. He wasn't too startled to hear a knock on his door. He opened it and in walked his girlfriend Pansy Parkinson in a short, black negligee that barely covered her breasts. She slowly put her hands around his neck and brought her lips up to his ear. Unfortunately for her he was not in the mood tonight and before she could say anything he brought her hands down from his neck.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

"Nothing baby," Draco kissed her, "I just don't want to tonight."

"May I ask why?" she asked with her black hair against his chest while her acrylic fingers slowly tried to make their way from his abs to his back.

While peeling her hands off of him he said, "I've asked my father for a favor and I need some time to think about it." However Pansy would not back down too quickly.

"You can always think after..."

"No. Just not tonight," Draco said interrupting her.

Pansy took the hint and with a sad smile on her face she slowly left the room hoping that he would change his mind before she got out the door but he didn't and the moment the door closed Draco went back to his original position, sitting on his bed while leaning his back against the wall.

When Lucius began his seventh year he proposed to Narcissa. Now it was Draco's turn to propose to his girlfriend Pansy. It was starting to become tradition in the Malfoy family and he wanted to keep it. He desperately wanted his father's advice and that is why he asked him in the first place. Now he wasn't quite sure if he loved Pansy but he liked her, she was pretty, and she came from a good wizarding family. He planned on asking her as soon as his father said it was a good idea. She was the perfect girl for a guy like him yet he wasn't going to be proposing in a special way. He liked her but that girl had attitude and she didn't deserve to have the princess treatment as she thought. She would be asked in a plain and simple way. This thing alone is what kept Draco up the entire night.

*****

Hermione woke up after a good night's sleep and looked at the clock she was given by Harry for Christmas. She quickly realized she was a little late for breakfast and she might be able to make it if she hurried. She threw on a pair of jeans and a red shirt before heading down. She figured she could do her make-up later. Harry and Ron were just finishing up with breakfast when Hermione came bouncing in. She looked happy and seemed happy and that put a worried look on Ron's face.

"Harry, what if she's moved on? What if she loves someone else?" Ron said to Harry with Parvati and Lavender sitting not to far behind them.

"I'm sure she's just happy...because...er...I don't know but I'm sure that you shouldn't be worried. She wouldn't get over you this quickly."

"Good morning guys. Did you save me some breakfast?" Hermione said while looking around and seeing that the food had already disappeared.

"Of course. Here's a plate for you," Harry said to her as she sat down next to them.

Hermione dug in as Parvati and Lavender walked up to them, "Harry...er...could we talk to you for a moment...er...outside the Great Hall?"

"Sure," he said to them while he gave Ron and Hermione a curious look.

There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two friends after Harry left so Hermione asked, "Did anything interesting happen before I got here?"

"Er, not much. Malfoy yelled 'Dammit' quite loud after mail came and then stormed out of here" came Ron's reply.

"Oh. That's all?"

"Pretty much."

By then they were finished eating and they both decided it would be a good time to get ready for class.

*****

Draco came to breakfast pretty sure of what his father was going to say. He felt so confident that he decided to let Pansy hang all over him on the way to breakfast. Draco smiled which is a thing he rarely did as they both sat down at the Slytherin table. The owls came in and sure enough a letter with the Malfoy crest was dropped on Draco's plate. He wanted to read it so badly that he could almost rip it open. He quickly made sure the ring was in his pocket and he opened the letter:

Draco,

I can see why you would want to marry this Parkinson

girl. I've heard she is quite lovely and she comes from good

wizarding blood-lines. However the Parkinson family cannot

be trusted so my personal advice is DON'T. I've confided in

the Dark Lord your wishes and he wants you to know that if

you still want to be a Death Eater then it is in your best wishes

to not marry her.

Lucius

At this Draco said, "Dammit," loudly and then stormed out of the Great Hall without saying a word to Pansy.

*****

Ron and Hermione entered potions just a little early with both of them talking to each other with ease and ignoring the fact that they had a major attraction to the other person. At the very last minute Harry walked in with Parvati and Lavender with a sly look on each of their faces. Hermione looked across the room to observe things and her eyes came upon Malfoy who was looking angry as usual. She thought to herself, "Good for whoever pissed him off. He deserves some misery in his life."

Nothing interesting happened in potions. Snape didn't pair them up this time. She loved Lavender to death but she could not put up with all the gossip. None of her other classes were very interesting either. They were all basic because it was the first day of class and all the homework was something she could easily finish in ten minutes.

Hermione had been sitting in the common room finishing up her ten minute homework assignments and had started getting up to head up to bed when Parvati and Lavender came running in before she had a chance to escape. They handed her a glass of pumpkin juice and she was rather thirsty so Hermione drank the orange drink which she soon regretted. Her stomach ached horribly and to add to that Ron and Harry had just come in through the portrait hole with Ron having a similar look on his face. They all sat in huge comfy armchairs forming a circle. It was then that Parvati and Lavender asked with huge smiles on their faces, "Hermione, would you like to date anyone here and if so, who?" Hermione was thinking, "Ha, like I'll tell you while he's here," but her mouth said loud and clear, "Ron."

Hermione was taken aback with what she just said and she realized there was veritaserum, a truth telling potion, in that pumpkin juice. Hermione kicked herself for not realizing that sooner when it dawned on her that Ron had had some too and the same question was coming for him. She looked up at Ron to see that he was just a little surprised to see that she really did like him. That's when Harry asked him the same question and whether he wanted to or not his answer was, "Hermione."

Now it was Hermione's turn to blush and look surprised. Harry, Parvati, and Lavender quickly excused themselves leaving Ron and Hermione completely alone with each other.

"So...er," Ron began slowly knowing that this was the moment, "Would you...er...you know...er..."

"I would love to," Hermione said interrupting him. A smile appeared on both of their faces and Hermione reached out and grabbed Ron's hand. However Ron pulled back. He had never had a REAL relationship before and he was extremely nervous about this. He didn't know if he would be able to do the regular couple stuff. Hermione gave him a smile and said, "I understand. It's getting pretty late so I'm er going to go to bed."

"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow," came Ron's reply. As soon as Hermione walked into the girls' bedroom Harry came walking into the common room.

"What was that about?" Harry asked Ron.

"What do you mean 'what was that about'?"

"You pulled back when Hermione grabbed your hand!"

"Oh. That. I'm not really comfortable doing that. I like Hermione but I can't do that yet."

"Fine but all I'll say is try to do that or at least go the farthest you can. Another tip, ignore any awkward silence. Before this she was your best friend so talk to her as you always have. Don't let anything get too awkward between you two or your relationship will never last. Ok?"

"Ok."

"I'll be up in the room in case you have anymore questions."

Hermione got up to her room and she got ready as quickly as possible in order to avoid Parvati and Lavender, both whom she knew had been watching her the entire time. Luckily she escaped. Around midnight Hermione woke up and she tossed and turned for the better part of a half hour before she decided to take a walk around the castle. She didn't really have an excuse for being out that late, Head Girl and all, but she had a feeling she wouldn't get caught. She didn't realize it until she got to the door but she had been following a source of light under a doorway somewhere around the Transfiguration corridor. She didn't hear anything so she walked inside and she was surprised to find Draco Malfoy throwing large metal cups at the wall and singing at the top of his lungs. Hermione knew right away there was a silencing charm on the room or she would've heard all the racket that he was making.

Draco Malfoy realized there was someone else in the room with him and his bloodshot eyes turned to where Hermione was.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?! You're a mess," she smelled something on him, "and you're drunk," Hermione said slapping him clear across his face with rage.

"What business is it of yours Granger?" Draco said with slurred words.

"I'm Head Girl and you should definitely not be in here getting wasted and destroying Hogwarts property!"

"I can get as drunk as I want and no mudblood like you is going to stop me so get the hell away from me bitch!"

Hermione slapped him hard across the face again and stormed out of the room heading towards her own. A pair of narrowed eyes followed her and Draco smirked to himself, "That slut is going to pay. I'll make this year worse for her than I'll make Potter and Weasley's put together."