Turning Points

Turning Points: Chapter Eight

The next night, Hermione and Draco invaded the library again, searching for books. Even after hours of futile searching, the two kept at it, looking for new books that could help them with their goal.

Just when Draco was ready to burn the entire library down, Hermione shrieked in triumph and exclaimed, "I've got it!"

"Well? What is it?" Draco interrupted.

"It's so simple that I can't believe I never thought of it before. It's sure to work. Oh Merlin, Draco, we've got it!" She jumped up and gave Draco a celebratory hug. "Uh, er, right..." she said, blushing and starting to back away. Draco stopped her progress and put his hands on her waist, pulling her back to him. "Dra--I mean, what are you doing?" she demanded in no more than a whisper.

"This," he replied, closing the distance between their mouths and kissing her hard.

Shocked, Hermione opened her mouth to gasp, which he took as an invitation to deepen the kiss.

Forgetting everything, Hermione leaned into him and got lost in the moment. She didn't see fireworks like most girls her age claimed after being kissed, but she never expected them. 'One doesn't see fireworks when kissing Draco Malfoy,' she thought. After several minutes of snogging, she had gathered enough strength and pulled away and gave him a curious look.

It was Draco's turn to almost look flustered, for which he mentally reprimanded himself. 'Malfoys don't look flustered. We don't blush, stutter, not know what to do or say and we definitely don't get flustered. Pull yourself together!' Out loud, however, he said, "I knew you were jealous of Parkinson," donning the perfect Malfoy smirk.

"Oh, you're incorrigible," she said, smacking his chest playfully.

He just smiled. Then, with a perfectly stoic face, he said, "So, do you finally agree that a Malfoy is better than a Potter or a Weasley any day, eh?"

Her face instantly fell and she separated herself from Draco and ran out of the library.

"What the bloody hell was that all about?" he screamed to the now completely empty library.

**

Meanwhile, up in her dorm room, Hermione was having a right fit. Books were thrown, papers were torn up and tears were shed.

She eventually fell asleep and ended up sleeping through her first class. 'Oh shite,' she thought, 'how am I going to explain this to McGonagall? She's going to be pissed! How am I ever going to make Head Girl now?'

Groaning, she sat up and took notice of her surroundings for the first time. "I'm in the Hospital Wing!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Miss Granger. It's very good you're awake. Here, take these potions now." Madame Pomfrey told her.

"But how did I get here?"

"Mr. Malfoy came to us quite distraught after you missed breakfast and demanded we go and find you at once," the nurse said.

"M--Malfoy?" Hermione questioned.

Madame Pomfrey gave her an appraising stare. "Yes, Draco Malfoy. He was quite worried about you."

"Why would you listen to Malfoy about anything that has to do with me?"

"He claims, Miss Granger, that you two are involved. He was even muttering under his breath about how this probably ruined things and the words 'marriage' and 'our castle' popped up quite frequently."

"Did they now..." Hermione smirked, trailing off in thought. 'So he wants marriage, eh? I wonder how much torture I could put him through,' she wondered. 'I am curious as to what changed his mind all of a sudden though. I had thought it would have taken at least a showing of what I can do to convince him that we're truly equals... Oh well, this makes my life a whole lot easier, I suppose...'

"Miss Granger," Madame Pomfrey said, clearing her throat and bringing Hermione back from her thoughts, "Is there any foundation to any of what he has claimed?"

"Hah! That git wishes," she snorted. Madame Pomfrey gave her a reproving look and reprimanded her for her language choice, but moved on to other sections of the Hospital Wing, seemingly satisfied with the girls answer.

Inside, Hermione was secretly happy that he cared so much and realized that he probably had no clue what had happened last night. "Dear Merlin," she gasped, "I'm screwed."

"Dear Merlin is right," said a voice from behind her. "Now care to explain yourself?"

"I don't have to explain anything to you, Malfoy," she retorted.

"Oh, I think you do," he growled dangerously. Draco moved around to the side of the bed and locked eyes with her. Hermione wondered if he knew that his look was impassiveness was belied by the fire in his steely eyes.

"How long have you been standing there," Hermione asked.

"Long enough."

"So you heard what Madame Pomfrey said?"

"Yes," he said, gritting his teeth. "Now explain."

Hermione was silent for a few minutes before saying, softly, "Any mention of him anymore ruins me."

"Him who, Hermione?"

"Ron," she choked out, breaking down into sobs.

Draco briefly wondered what the youngest male Weasley had done to her when he realized that the Weasel had been suspiciously missing from Hogwarts all year. "What did that git do, Hermione," he demanded.

"He--he died, that's what 'that git' did!"

"Did the world a favor, did he then? Remind me to thank him the next time I see him," Draco said with a wink.

"That's not funny! Don't you dare ever make fun of him again, do you hear me, Malfoy?" she screamed.

Not perturbed by her outburst in the least, Draco replied, "Why didn't I know? In fact, why doesn't anybody know?"

"It was covered up by the Ministry. They're still trying to pretend Voldemort doesn't exist anymore so they told everyone, his family included, that he's in Beauxbatons for an exchange program this year. Merlin only knows what they'll tell them at the end of the year. Only four people know the truth of what happened," she said, no longer crying.

"But that means..." he trailed off, connecting the missing pieces of the puzzle.

"Yes," she said, "Voldemort killed him. So I'm going to kill Voldemort."

"But why?" She gave him a look. "I mean, people normally mourn friends when they pass, then they move on. You don't decide on attempting something that surely could mean your death and try to stop the darkest wizard since Grindelwald just because a friend is killed by him, Hermione."

"We weren't just friends. We were to be married next summer, Draco," she said, softly.

Draco's eyes widened at that confession, "Married? As in he was your fiancé? As in 'oh baby let's not wait for our wedding night' engaged?" It suddenly all made sense to him. He had mentioned being better than a Weasley last night and it probably brought his death rushing back to the surface. He mentally smacked himself for doing something so stupid.

"Yes," she said, a tear slowing falling down the side of her face.

"So that's where this plan came from?" he asked, already knowing the answer. 'Hell has no wrath like a woman scorned,' he thought, shaking his head. 'If I didn't hate the bastard Dark Lord, I'd almost feel sorry for him.'

"Yes."

"So how does Potter fit into all of this? Why kill him? He's your last link to Weasley."

"Harry," she spat, "is too bloody busy grieving Sirius and Ron to do anything himself. And Harry is also the reason that he is dead. If Harry hadn't been so foolhardy, we wouldn't have been in any of the places we were and his godfather and best friend wouldn't be dead right now. It's his fault and he. will. pay," she finished.

"I'm all for ridding the world of the wonderful Potter, Hermione, but I need to know that you won't get rid of him and Voldemort and then want to disappear. We can do this, Hermione--rule together and live like royalty..." she interrupted his dialogue with a snort. "Draco, you already live like royalty," she pointed out.

"But we could rule," he pointed out, "together."

"I, um... I have to go find Harry," she said, getting up and out of the hospital bed and preparing to leave the infirmary.

Draco just stood there watching her. Now that she knew what he wanted, he wasn't going to hold back. Luckily for him, it was Friday and they'd be going to Hogsmeade tomorrow. He planned on laying on the charm and impressing her. He knew he'd be in for a few surprises as well, with all she had promised to show him...