Chapter 63

‘Hermione.’ ‘Hermione wake up.’ Hermione slowly opened her eyes and saw a smiling Draco looking down at her. ‘What?’ she mumbled. ‘I’ve got something that you’ve got to see.’ he said. ‘Come on.’ Draco said. Hermione groaned and sat up straight in bed. ‘What is it?’ she mumbled as she stretched. ‘Just come on!’ Draco said. Hermione got out of bed and walked after him. He stopped in the middle of the common room, just behind the two seats that were standing in front of the fireplace. Hermione looked around, but didn’t see anything different. ‘What is it?’ she asked again. ‘Wait.’ he said and he closed his eyes, drawing out his wand. ‘Expecto Patronum.’ Hermione heard him say softly. A white light appeared and out of his wand came an arctic fox running. Hermione smiled and looked down at Draco, who was looking proudly at his patronus. ‘That’s amazing Draco!’ Hermione said. Draco looked down at her and smiled. ‘Thanks.’ he said. Hermione walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, watching the fox run through the air together. ‘How long have you been trying?’ Hermione asked. ‘Since 6 AM.’ he said. Hermione chuckled. ‘I had just the right memory that could help me with his.’ Draco said, kissing the top of her head. ‘So thank you for that.’ he said. ‘You’re very welcome.’ Hermione chuckled. Draco smiled. ‘He’s beautiful.’ Hermione said. ‘I thought I would never be able to do this.’ Draco sighed. ‘But you did it.’ she said. ‘And now we can go to Hogsmeade.’ Draco said smirking. ‘Yes we can.’ Hermione laughed.

‘Ready to go?’ Ginny asked when Hermione and Draco walked up to them. ‘Yep.’ Draco said smiling. ‘Why are the both of you smiling like that?’ Ginny asked. Hermione looked up at Draco who shrugged. ‘It’s nothing.’ Hermione said. ‘Sure it is.’ Ginny said. ‘Where are Ron and Lavender?’ Hermione asked. ‘He said she was almost ready.’ Harry shrugged. Hermione nodded. ‘So what have you been up to?’ Harry asked. ‘Let’s just say we now know what Draco’s patronus is.’ Hermione smiled. ‘Really? Good job mate.’ Harry said. ‘Thanks.’ Draco said. ‘How did that happen?’ Ginny said with a mischievous  smile. Hermione laughed and shook her head. ‘Did I miss something?’ Harry asked. ‘Nothing.’ Hermione said. Draco looked down at her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Finally!’ Ginny said when she saw Ron and Lavender coming up to them. ‘Geez that took long!’ she said. ‘Don’t blame me!’ Ron said. Lavender rolled her eyes. ‘A girl’s got to do, what a girl’s got to do.’ she shrugged. Hermione smiled. ‘What about Neville, Luna and Seamus?’ Hermione asked. ‘They’re already there, Seamus had to buy something?’ Ginny said. ‘Okay, well let’s go then.’ Hermione said.

They walked into Hogsmeade and went straight to the Three Broomsticks. They walked in and spotted Luna, Neville, Dean and Seamus. ‘There you are! That took long.’ Seamus said. Everyone turned to look at Lavender and she shrugged. ‘I’m not going to apologize.’ she said sitting down. ‘I’ll get the butterbeers.’ Harry said. ‘I’ll help you.’ Draco said. Hermione and Ginny sat down next to each other, leaving a seat on both of their other sides free for the boys. ‘So how did he manage it eventually?’ Ginny asked softly so that only Hermione could hear him. ‘It was so sweet! Last night he said his happy memories out loud to me and just the way he talked about them, the way he talked to me. I don’t know why, but all of a sudden I blurted out “I love you”.’ Hermione told her quietly. ‘You told him you love him? You told him you love him!’ Ginny smiled. ‘Sssh.’ ‘Sorry.’ ‘Well you’ll guess what happened then and this morning he wakes me all excited up and drags me to the common room and shows me he can do the charm.’ Hermione said. ‘You should’ve seen his face, so cute! He was so proud.’ Hermione said. ‘What is his patronus?’ Ginny asked. ‘An Arctic fox.’ Hermione said. ‘How cute!’ Ginny said. ‘I know.’ Hermione smiled. ‘It’s a huge thing though, you told him you love him! How did he react to that when you said it?’ Ginny asked. ‘Well he was rumbling on and on about the little things he liked about me and well that I blurted that out and he immediately stopped talking.’ Hermione said. ‘And then?’ Ginny asked. ‘He asked what, so I said it again.’ Hermione smiled. ‘And then?’ Ginny asked again. ‘And then what?’ Draco asked as he placed butterbeers on the table and sat down next to Hermione, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. ‘Oh nothing.’ Hermione said. Ginny smiled. ‘Did we miss something?’ Harry asked as he gave the other butterbeers to Ginny, Ron and Lavender. ‘Nope.’ Ginny shook her head. They chatted and laughed for over an hour when all of a sudden George walked into the Three Broomsticks. He looked like he was looking for something or someone until the moment Ginny called her brother over. ‘Hey George!’ she called. George found them and walked over to them. ‘Hey everyone.’ George said. They all greeted him before going back to their conversations. ‘What are you doing here?’ Ginny asked. ‘Came to check on the shop, it’s going great.’ George said. ‘We’ll come and check it out later.’ Ginny smiled. ‘Oh no don’t! I want to keep it a surprise.’ George said. Ginny raised her eyebrows. ‘You’ve been telling me to come and see it for over a month now.’ Ginny said. ‘Yeah, but we’re so close to opening now, I just want to keep it a surprise. You’ll see it soon enough.’ he said. ‘Erm, okay?’ she said. Ginny exchanged a look with Ron before turning back to George. ‘Hermione, can I talk to you?’ George said. ‘Sure.’ Hermione said getting up. ‘I’ll be right back.’ she said to the others. ‘Why is he being so weird?’ Hermione heard Ginny say. She walked after George out of the Three Broomsticks. ‘What is it?’ Hermione asked. ‘Come, I need to show you something.’ George said. ‘Where are we going?’ Hermione asked. ‘To the shop.’ George said. ‘The shop? But Ginny wasn’t allowed to see it.’ Hermione said. ‘But I need your help.’ George said. ‘Why mine?’ Hermione asked. ‘I’ve been busy with a surprise for the family, as a memory to my brother.’ George said. ‘Really?’ Hermione said. George opened the door to the shop and she passed him, before he closed the door behind them. ‘Where is the light switch? I can’t see.’ Hermione said looking around. Her eyes had to get used to the dark and for a moment she didn’t see anything. But at the moment she stopped talking she heard a muffled kind of mumbling. ‘Do you hear that?’ Hermione asked. No answer. ‘George?’ Hermione asked again. She walked up to the muffled mumbling and stopped in front of the sound. After a few times blinking she saw it was someone who was sitting on the ground. ‘Hello?’ Hermione said, kneeling down next to the person. She reached her hand out and felt there were robes tied around the persons hands. ‘Wait.’ Hermione said getting up to see if she could find a light switch. But before she could even move away from the person the lights were turned on. ‘George….’ Hermione breathed, widening her eyes as she stared at the person that was on the ground. George was sitting on the ground, his hands and legs tied together and ducktape over his mouth. George tried to say something and terror was crossing his face as he looked at Hermione. ‘Wha-‘ Hermione started, but then something hard hit her head and everything turned black.