Out On The Line

~

I watched him dancing for ages. He would flurry by in the arms of a stranger, a different girl each time. He did it to keep up his manners.

If I knew anything about him it was that he had respect for tradition, he wouldn't refuse a parole over the carefully placed tiles that made up the ornate base to the room.

That one word that embodied him. Honour.

He was made up of it, a family heirloom of the character. Perhaps it was not always used to great purposes but he held it still as a last vestige to those before him.

I thought back to fifth year, the year when I'd know what I'd felt. Even then every action I'd seen was to honour and to his pure motivation to stay alive, to survive what befell the wizard world.

He was making sure his family line lived on, because at the end of the war there could only be him or none.

That was the year I was hated. Much like Harry was hated before. In second year, I remember how they treated him when they thought he was the Heir of Slytherin. And in fifth year, as I struggled on to do our ever important O.W.L.S - they would taunt me for my involvement with him. no one understood why. The small group of those who knew were still wary of it all, only I accepted him as he was. For no good reason so they thought and that's why the tears came on and forth. He was the only one there, bruised as he was too by the experience. He was the only one to comfort me, even though he himself did not understand. Perhaps that's why we were friends and why I wanted more. I'd finally seen inside him, found the truth he'd denied to everyone. With noone else able to get close enough all those years.

My thoughts came back to present day, as the new teacher of history Professor Yomashi was trying to address everyone.

Time for the nominations.

The awards.

I suppressed a few giggles at Neville's award for least likely to become potions master.

And it was a draw between Cho Chang and Parvati Patil for the most accomplished female students, Parvati in the muggle world as an astrologer and Cho for her quidditch.

My name got no mention unsurprisingly.

I looked across the hall to where he was sitting with his guest. She was pretty, I felt my heart sink. He'd shown little interest in her through the night, dancing with other girls but that was no reflection on his interest for me.

Whilst I watched him, he looked startled at the mention of his name.

The Professor called him up happily, eager to meet and greet the man he'd not had the opportunity to teach.

Yomashi held out a hand for my stunned friend. Shaking it as the receiver of the award glared confused out at the audience.

He had the expression on his face as if he was totally out of place, strange for him. Someone with such confidence in everything.

He took the personalised ferret shaped award graciously.

Each person had gotten a different animal so far. Neville had proudly got given a toad, his favourite fortunately but Cho was looked positively disgusted at getting a salamander.

I shook my head at the scene, vaguely amused and then cast my eyes down unable to look at the debacle much longer. I didn't want stares from everyone as I burst into laughter.

Yet I found my gaze drawn upward to meet hundreds of eyes directed at me, and his face clearly locked to mine.

He spoke loudly, much like the speech all those years ago, telling of how things had changed.

Now too he spoke of the same thing but it had altered, he talked about me.

Call it ignorance if you must but I had never taken that article very seriously. It had happened fifth year when I'd had the imprudence to let Rita Skeeter go. She'd not been grateful despite getting off lightly with the ministry of magic after I reported her to them.

She'd spotted the developments at Hogwarts and written a salacious piece all about what was 'going on'. She luckily didn't know enough of the truth or she would have publicised something Voldemort could have used greatly. That was why the truth behind the story could not be revealed, why I had suffered the torment and suspicion for half the school year.

I'd been implicated to being involved with him, to the horror of everyone in the community and the school. The whole saga had spilt out in the papers, lewd details all really put down to Rita Skeeter's equal imagination. The other rumours however weren't too outrageous. No one in their right mind could have been expected to believe anything other than what she said on the matter.

Because it all added up and so my place in the plot was set. And no one would trust me totally again.

They thought I was a traitor.

As was he.

But what they didn't know was exactly what the reality was.

I heard him exclaiming my name; he was saying I was the one who deserved the prize.

He said that because I'd made him who he was.

I could only presume he said so in reference to the tough time we had that year, together in our newly struck friendship of sorts.

Yet he said it to them all, infront of the classes of former students, who stared in anticipation at what he'd say next.

He said nothing except to me. With his eyes watching me gently. All attention focused on me. I shifted uncomfortably.

Waited for his conclusion. Such an outburst couldn't end here.

Then I heard it.

"I love you Hermione Granger"

He said it so softly but with an amplitude so that every single person could perceive it too.

And I stared back in utter disbelief at the man I'd loved for years, who I'd thought was deprived to me by everything going against that concept between us.

He walked down from the podium, silence suspended by every last person there.

Descending the walkway he took my hand as he reached my seat and I stood up, holding his hand in mine. It seemed incredulous this could be true....

That he could love me, despite what was the past, what he had once thought of me; and that I as the witch I was, could love the terrible selfish arrogant man before me simply because of the look in his grey eyes that told me he really cared anyway.....

I'm quite sure the most vivid event at the reunion that year was myself and him kissing in the middle of everything.

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy, once mortal enemies, sharing a warm embrace.

No doubt we made the press once again, this time it was all completely spot on exactly to veracity.

Friends had been enough trouble for them to believe before, I don't think anyone could really cope with us as lovers.

~~