Taboo

Bogged down with work, the students worked furiously for the following weeks. Hermione missed her meetings with Malfoy, but neither of their busy schedules permitted more than a few hurried conversations at indeterminate hours in the Owlery or deserted corridors. A week before Valentine's Day, Hermione's studying was interrupted by loud titters. She looked up from her parchment to see Lavender and Parvati whispering excitedly in the corner. Sensing her eyes upon them, Parvati turned to her.

"Lavender's just asked Ron Weasley to go to Hogsmeade with her next week," explained Parvati.

"I've been meaning to do it for ages," said Lavender, flushing with pleasure. "I was incredibly nervous."

"But he said yes!" They squealed and jumped up and down elatedly as Hermione smiled halfheartedly.

She had been so preoccupied with her schoolwork lately that she'd nearly forgotten about Hogsmeade. In a way, it was kind of nice to take a break from constantly thinking about it. But now that it had been mentioned, worry flooded into her mind. Unable to concentrate, she put her books away and went to bed early.

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Hermione's alarm clock rang early in the morning. Groping around on the nightstand, she found the button and silenced it. Yawning, she got out of bed and opened the chest of drawers against the wall. She rummaged around until her hand hit crinkly tissue paper. She unwrapped it and made a face as pale pink silk was revealed. Retrieving her bathrobe and slippers, she went into the bathroom for a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, she entered the dressing room. She took a deep breath and stepped into the filmy silk. It was so light that she felt as if she wasn't wearing anything at all. Shaking her hair from the towel, she styled it into loose curls. Daringly, she turned to check her reflection in the mirror. She tilted her head and let the soft glow of the light overhead illuminate her face. She looked drastically different, even to herself.

"Who are you getting all dolled up for?"

Startled, she whirled around and quickly covered herself up with her bathrobe.

"Oh, hi, Ginny," she said.

"I like your hair like that," said Ginny, coming over to stand in front of the mirror.

"Thanks." Ginny began brushing her hair. "Are you going to Hogsmeade today?"

"Yeah," replied Ginny. "I'm going with Harry, of course. I heard Ron's going with Lavender. She is such an airhead." Ginny rolled her eyes. "Who are you going with?"

"Oh...just a friend," said Hermione vaguely, adjusting her straps.

"Must be a special friend," said Ginny, raising her eyebrows. "Especially if you're wearing that." She gestured at the lingerie. Hermione blushed. "Are you dating someone? I haven't heard any rumors."

"Maybe." Hermione shrugged.

"A secret boyfriend?" teased Ginny. "Oooh, scandalous. Well, good luck." She winked and left the dressing room. Hermione took one last look at herself in the mirror and went back to the girls' dormitory. She pulled out her Muggle clothing from the dresser and spread them out on the bed. In the end she decided to wear a simple, light pink blouse with a dainty flower print. She zipped herself into her favorite jeans and put on boots. She went into the Great Hall for breakfast and found Ginny already eating oatmeal.

"Where are Harry and Ron?" she asked, reaching for toast.

"They're out with Dean, Seamus, and Neville, throwing snowballs at each other in the courtyard."

"Boys," they said in unison, laughing. A few minutes later, the boys came in , faces red from the cold.

"You look...different," said Harry, noticing Hermione's uncharacteristic outfit. "But nice," he added hastily.

"The first thing you do on Valentine's Day is compliment somebody else's girlfriend," said Ginny in mock resentment.

"Sorry, Ginny," said Harry sheepishly. "You look nice too." He swallowed a mouthful of sausage.

"Did you say somebody else's girlfriend?" said Ron from Harry's other side.

"Hermione's going to Hogsmeade with someone, but she wouldn't tell me who," said Ginny, her eyes twinkling. "That's why she's all dressed up today."

"It's just a friend," said Hermione, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Harry gave her a probing look.

Two hour later, students were lining up to go to Hogsmeade. Hermione lagged behind, looking for Malfoy in the crowd. Her heart sank when she didn't see him. Soon, all the couple had left for Hogsmeade. Hermione sat down on the bottom step of the staircase and dejectedly put her chin on her palm.

"Hermione," came a loud whisper. She peered around for the source of the voice. Malfoy emerged from behind a pillar, looking handsome in a fitted black sweater and denim. "I wanted to give them a head start," he said, holding out his hand to help her up.

"I thought you weren't coming," she said, unable to disguise the anxiety in her voice.

"I promised I would. After all, it was my idea."

They put on their winter coats and walked the familiar path down to the village. He stopped outside of Madam Puddifoot's, which was crowded with couples.

"Wait in here for me. I have to go get something." She looked at him uncertainly. "I swear I'm not going to leave you here. Order me a coffee, will you?"

Feeling somewhat reassured, Hermione stepped inside. There was only one two-person table remaining, so she took off her coat and hung it on the back of the seat. She ordered two coffees and sat down. Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Lavender were sharing a small round table in the corner. Ginny caught her eye and smiled. Hermione waved and smiled back.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Malfoy strode in. He spotted Hermione and squeezed between the narrow aisles to their table.

"Sorry," he apologized, removing his coat. "I had to wait in line."

"Where did you go?" she asked, curious.

"You'll see," he said sitting down. The table was so small that their knees were sandwiched between each other's. "They're looking over here," said Malfoy out of the corner of his mouth.

It was true. Ginny had glanced over at Hermione and done a double take.

"Harry," she whispered, tapping his arm. "Malfoy's here."

"Where?" She jerked her head towards Hermione. Harry's jaw clenched.

"What is he doing here?" said Ron loudly.

"Shh!" hissed Ginny.

"Who..." Ron stood up, nearly knocking over his hot chocolate.

"Sit down, Ron!" reprimanded Ginny, forcing him back down.

"Isn't that Hermione Granger?" said Lavender, craning her neck to get a better view.

"Yes, it is," said Luna Lovegood, who was sitting across from Neville at a table next to them. "I never would have guessed." She sipped her hot chocolate dreaming, stirring it with a peppermint stick. "They look very happy together." Ron made a strangled noise in his throat. Harry threw him a warning look.

"Weasley looks pretty antsy," said Malfoy, chuckling. "They're having a hard time keeping him in his seat." Hermione stared resolutely into her coffee and tried not to look at Ron. "I think now's the time," said Malfoy, setting down his cup after a minute of awkward silence.

"Now?" said Hermione nervously.

"First this." He placed a small velvet jewelry box in front of her. "Go on, open it."

She lifted the lid off, revealing an expensive looking silver necklace with a silver key charm dangling from it. She held it up to eye level, inspecting it closely. "There's a note," he said, gesturing at the box. Nestled in the velvet was a small scrap of paper.

"He's giving her something...it looks like jewelry," reported Ginny needlessly, as all of them were watching intently, hot chocolate forgotten.

"Forever and always," read Hermione, her hands trembling a little, "HG+DM."

"Now you have the key to my heart," he joked. "Clichéd, but nevertheless..."

"Oh, Draco..." she murmured.

"Try it on," he urged. She unclasped it and put it around her neck, the charm hanging a couple inches below her collarbone.

"It's beautiful," said Hermione, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you so much."

"So..." said Malfoy, reaching for her hand. "Do you dare to love me?"

"They're going to kiss!" predicted Lavender, scooting to the very edge of her seat.

"Yes," said Hermione, looking directly into his gray-blue eyes. "I dare."

She leaned forward, closing the short distance between them. The moment their lips touched, it seemed as if the rest of the world had fallen away. They kissed gently, feeling the softness of each other's mouths and inhaling each other's unique scents. It seemed as if an eternity had passed when they broke apart, though in reality it was no more than a few seconds.

"Oh. My. God," said Ginny, expressing exactly what Harry had been thinking.

"Eep," squeaked Lavender, burying her face in Ron's chest. Ron was immobile, his face frozen in shock and revulsion.

"We're even now," said Hermione breathlessly.

"Ready for round two of Truth or Dare?"

As Harry watched their playful banter, he felt a mixture of relief, anguish, and even a little envy. He was thankful that he was no longer burdened with their secret, but he felt a terrible anguish inside. He couldn't even begin to imagine the agony Ron was feeling right now. Who would have known this was the way he would find out? Strangely, he felt jealous of Hermione and Malfoy. He wished that he and Ginny had that type of relationship. Jealous of Malfoy, said a small voice in the back of his head. You really are going mad.

Shakily, Ron stood up from his chair. "You," he said, pointing a quivering finger in Malfoy's direction. "You stole my girlfriend."

"Did I, Weasley?" drawled Malfoy, as everyone in the teashop turned to watch the drama unfold. "I believe she was mine before she was yours, so I think I should say you stole my girlfriend."

"I--you--" sputtered Ron. "Stop talking about her like she's a piece of property!"

"I'll talk about her however I want to," said Malfoy contemptuously. Ron's face was bordering on purple, the veins in his neck visibly pulsing.

"Ron," said Hermione, intervening. "Ron, I--"

"And you!" he blurted. "I can't believe this!" Too enraged to articulate anything else, he kicked over his chair and wrenched open the door, running out into the cold. Their audience sat, motionless, staring at the doorway.

"Um, I think I should go after him," volunteered Lavender in a shaky voice. "H-he left his coat..."

"I think we should go too," said Ginny, with an apologetic look at Hermione. "He might do something rash..."

Having already paid, she and Harry exited the shop. All eyes now fell upon Malfoy and Hermione.

"I want to finish my coffee," said Malfoy dispassionately. Completely unruffled, he took a sip of his drink. The onlookers began whispering madly, darting frequent glances at their table. Hermione fidgeted in her seat and played with her necklace.

Wiping his mouth on a napkin, Malfoy studied Hermione's miserable expression. "Don't look so depressed. What else did you expect?"

She shrugged. "Let's go back to the castle. I want to spend some time by myself."

"Of course," he said, nodding empathetically. He tossed a few coins on the table and helped her with her coat. She could feel the stares boring into their backs as they walked towards the door. A blast of icy air greeted them, and then the door swung shut.