Fall From Grace

Chapter One - How Very Disturbing

Draco smiled content. He watched her head rise and fall as it lay light as air on his chest. This was real life. He smelt the familiar citrus tang of her shampoo and sighed. The golden sun streamed through his window and her eyelids fluttered. She lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Bloody hell Draco don't stare at me like that," she giggled quietly.

"Sorry," he whispered and leant down to kiss her softly.

Draco woke with a jump. His breathing hard and fast. Holy shit. He looked around his room, panicked. There was nobody in there. He began to breathe again normally. He pulled on the shorts and shirt he had left by his bed. A gift from a friend of his Father's. The badge of a Muggle football team blazed across both and Draco grinned. How anybody could doubt Manchester United was run by a wizard he did not know.

The grounds of Malfoy Manor are excessive. He ran hard. The steam rose from his body as he took the route he would pace every morning. The oriental gardens where his Mother would sit for hours, twice round the lake and back through the forest. Draco stopped briefly at the aviary to check on his birds. They were still asleep, it was not yet dawn and the only way he could see around the gardens was the masses of glowing fairly that live there. The first time he had seen them he wanted to tell his Father. They were so...positive. Not the image Malfoys want in their garden but after six years of long summer holidays with an hour running each morning he had learnt to appreciate their presence.

Draco ran back up the stairs lashing out at a house-elf that got in his way. The shower did him good. Hot water pouring down his face, his body, cleansing him of whatever had invaded his dream this morning. He had spent so long in the bathroom he didn't notice the sunrise or the sounds of people beginning to move around his house. He shut his eyes again and screamed. The water running over his head had begun to boil.

The pain was crucifying. He stopped breathing. What was happening? He leapt out of the shower and stood shaking from shock in the middle of his bathroom.

"Breakfast is served at half past six, Draco. You were not there." Lucius was in the doorway staring at his son as the ugly red welts appeared on his body.

"Sorry Sir," Draco whimpered.

"Do not be late again." Lucius waved his wand again and Draco's pain died. He snarled at his son and walked away from the bathroom.

"It's not like I even fucking eat breakfast," Draco reached behind his sink and pulled out the razor blade he kept there. "I'm not going to be like him, I can NOT be like him."

%%%

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione knocked over several people and a disgruntled looking goat outside Magical Menergie as she ran towards her best friends.

"Hi!" Harry grinned at her.

"Ohmygod. I've got so much to tell you about my holiday. I learnt so much interesting stuff that you guys will just die to hear about and..."

"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled, "Slow. Down."

"Sorry but Bulgaria was amazing and Viktor was..." she stopped and began to blush, "well...amazing."

"Did you talk about me?" Ron asked as Hermione began to fish about in her bag.

"Yes Ron. That's all Viktor and I did the entire time. I mean, it only took a year for my Mum to let me go so we decided that you would be our preferred topic of conversation." Hermione's arm had half disappeared into her bag and at last she gave a cry of delight and pulled it back out again.

"What's that?" Harry was peering at the parcels in her arms.

"Gifts. Ron this is for you and Harry this is for you," she handed them a brown box each and grinned. "Go on, Viktor said you should like them."

"Hermione," Ron already had his open and was wafting a piece of parchment in from of her nose. "Why did I need a box if all you gave me was a letter? Oh and thanks...For the letter."

"Read the letter Ron," Hermione said when she saw his face. Did he honestly think he would get a letter as his gift?

"Yadda yadda. One in a million...flying with the Cannons...cup final...FLYING WITH THE CANNONS!" He picked Hermione up and twirled her in a circle, "How...how?"

"Viktor was contemplating a move to England and so was spending a lot of time with the Sports Minister. He managed to get you an opportunity to train with the Cannons tomorrow. You'll be back in time for school."

Ron had begun to shake and everyone in Diagon Ally could hear him cheering. Since he had been given the position of keeper of the Gryffindor team he had not stopped talking about professional Quidditch.

"Oh Herm...what about Harry?" Ron's face had fallen.

"He has a gift too, and he supports Puddlemere United," Hermione answered.

"No. Where's he going to stay tomorrow? He has been at mine and we were going to go to Hogwarts the day after."

"I spoke to your Mum," Hermione grinned at Harry, "and we're allowed to stay at yours even through you won't be there."

"Thanks Hermione." Harry kissed her lightly on the cheek. If he had been sent to the Dursly's after managing to avoid them all summer, first with Remus and then with Ron, he would have died.

"Well go on. Open yours." Hermione nudged Harry hoping he wouldn't notice how pink she had gone when he kissed her.

"It's a..."Harry stopped he didn't know what it was he was holding.

"It's a Sprectogroph," Hermione beamed.

"Sprectogroph? Ok. And it does what exactly?"

"Well, you put a photograph in the front and then open the book and you are taken to the picture. So if you had a picture of us at...Potions. You would hear all the conversations that took place as the photo was being taken and nobody would see you."

"So if I put in the picture of...my mum and dad's wedding...?" Harry looked around nervously.

"You would see everything that happened from 'Let's get a picture of the happy couple' onwards." Hermione smiled hopefully.

"I love it!" Harry grabbed her and hugged her. He sighed into her hair, why did this girl know him so well?

"Hermione dear," Mrs Weasleys called across the crowd, "how was Bulgaria. Or should I say Viktor?"

%%%

Although he had to be up at six in the morning to get to his training with the Cannon's Ron managed to wake up everybody in the Weasley household. Although most of them were back to sleep within five minutes Harry stayed up to wave Ron off. It was half past six by the time he left and nearly seven by the time Harry figured out how to make the Weasley's kettle work.

"Oh Harry love what are you doing up? Was it Ronald? I thought everyone was back to sleep." Mrs Weasley bustled in with her hair in curlers. She looked a little embarrassed but soon got over it.

"I just wanted a cup of tea. Sorry if I woke you." Harry pointed at the pan of water he had put over the fire.

"Very...practical..." Mrs Weasley said whilst looking worried, "perhaps we'll just take that off and put on the kettle."

She pointed at the large black kettle on the side and said, "Tempratus Auqium."

She soon had a cup of tea ready for Harry, herself and Mr Weasley who just nipped into the kitchen grabbed the cup and hopped into the fire in one long movement.

"Honestly. You would think I didn't exist!" Mrs Weasley chuckled as her husband blurred past.

"I think your family would collapse if you didn't exist," said Harry truthfully. They both turned at the sound of footsteps and Ginny came down stairs in a small nightdress yawning.

'She really is filling out nicely,' thought Harry before internally telling himself off. 'It's my best friend's little sister who has thigh's that would crack a walnut and...stop Harry, stop!' He was relieved when Hermione came down the stairs until he realised that she too was wearing a very flattering nightie. 'Well that proves it. Either all the girls in your life have suddenly become women or you have become a 17 year old boy' the voice in Harry's head told him.

"Harry, Harry. HARRY!" Hermione clicked her finger twice in front of his face. "Do you want to help pick apples with Ginny and I this morning?"

"Oh...what? Yeah. With being the only boy in the house and Percy going to work an hour ago I suppose I'll have to make do with you two."

"Well!" said Hermione glancing at Ginny, "if you don't want to..."

"Yeah. I do. I just meant that you have to be...nice to me." Harry winked and dashed upstairs before either of them could reply.

%%%

The Weasleys had a huge orchard as the end of their garden. Harry was glad to be able to get on his broom to pick the apples and it made the walk up their much more enjoyable. Ginny had a Cleansweep 7 she could ride on but Hermione had never seen the point in getting a broom. She sat lightly on Harry's Firebolt but had to be repositioned so wouldn't fall off.

"Honestly Hermione," Harry sighed, "just hold on tight."

Halfway down the garden wicked thoughts crossed Harry's minded and the Firebolt responded by doing exactly what Harry wanted. It dived and pulled up just a quickly. Hermione grabbed Harry tighter around the waist and began to whimper. Harry levelled off and was contemplating doing it again just so Hermione would press him that close to her...

"I can't believe you just did that!" Hermione gasped when they finally got off the broom under the trees. "Just for that you can go back to the house and ask Mrs Weasley to enchant a pair of ladders to come here for me."

"It was a joke," Harry laughed. "Fine, I'll go and get them."

Ginny watched him as he soared back to the house. She couldn't believe that he had just done that. She was sure it was only so Hermione would press herself against him.

"Sorry Gin." Hermione gave a half-smile. "He just enjoys teasing me."

"To the point where you hold him close. Yeah Neville teased me like that too." Ginny pushed hard off the ground, sighed as her broomstick flew upwards and began to toss apples from the tree into Hermione's collection bag. Before she knew it Harry had come back and they were hard at work.

%%%

Dinner, as always, was the most enjoyable meal at the Weasley's. Since there was only six of them the table indoors would fit them all and an evening discussion about what Ron had done with the cannon's was in order. He brought back gifts for them all photos and autographs.

"Hermione," Ron whispered as the other discussed the Cannon's chances of winning anything without their 'star' keeper. "Why didn't you tell us that you and Viktor weren't a couple?"

"Well...You didn't ask. We decided that we should be friends. The only reason he was going to transfer was to be with me and that wasn't fair on him." Hermione smiled sadly.

"If it helps any I'm glad you broke up with him," Ron said smiling at her and gently squeezed her hand under the table.

"Who?" Mr Weasley had joined in on the conversation and all the attention was brought back to Ron who quickly dropped Hermione's hand and unsuccessfully willed his ears not to go pink.

"Hermione?" he grimaced.

"I broke up with Viktor. I'm free and easy," she grinned.

"Free and single dear," said Mrs Weasley patting Hermione's arm, "it sound's better."

It was nearly midnight by the time they got to bed and Mrs Weasley was worried they might not be up in time to get to King's Cross in the morning. When at last everyone had gone quiet she crept into her bedroom. Content that she would be the last person asleep. She was wrong. Ron was lying on his bed wishing that his Dad hadn't interrupted his conversation with Hermione. He sat up and padded over Harry to get to the bathroom. Halfway down the dark landing he bumped into somebody who gave a small squeak.

"Hermione?"

"Ron?" Hermione rubbed her toe where Ron had stood on it.

"What's wrong?" he asked whispering.

"I've just been to the bathroom." Hermione smiled during the pause. "Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"When you said you were glad I broke up with Viktor...what did you mean?" The question that had been bugging her all night didn't seem so stupid in the dark.

"Just that..." Ron paused, how to phrase it? "I don't want to share you...and Harry doesn't either." He regretted the last part as soon as it was out of his mouth.

"Oh. Thank you," she said and quietly went back into Ginny's room.

'Nice one Weasley' Ron thought to himself, 'She now thinks you're a prat