Love and Hate: A Dramione

Chapter 2

The first 2 weeks of school flew by as Hermione settled herself once again into the routine. Because they were taking their OWLS this year, the workload was heavier from the start. Everyone had, of course, already heard the news that Ron and Hermione were a couple. Most reactions, including Harry and Ginny's, were similar to Hermione's "It's about time" comment.

Hermione on her part was content with how things were turning out. There were definitely no fireworks present in their relationship but she felt right with Ron. She supposed that because so much drama always surrounded Harry, she and Ron really only had each other to rely on to pull Harry, and both of them, out of whatever crisis they were in. They pretty much bonded over being Harry's support system and Hermione found that she was very comfortable with Ron.

I suppose this is how it's meant to be. Hermione sighed.

Ron, on the other hand, was just happy that when people started to talk about Harry and Ginny's new relationship, they talked about him and Hermione as a new couple too. Oh, he liked Hermione too of course. After all, she was the smartest witch of her generation and all that and everyone always said they were perfect for each other. Who was he to argue with that?

During Hogsmeade weekends, Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny, went out on double dates. They walked around all the shops and went to Madame Puddifoot's for lunch. It was quite fun and it seemed just like when the 4 friends would hang out with each other except now they were paired off and they chose a more "romantic" place to eat than the usually crowded Three Broomsticks. Hermione was happy to see Harry smile again and allow himself to have fun. Ginny was definitely good for him. Her relationship with Ron was also improving. Now that Harry had Ginny, they were able to focus on themselves and Hermione learned more about Ron than she did before. She found herself liking Ron more each day. Because of the heavy workload they were not able to go out on dates aside from the Hogsmeade trips but to give him some credit, Ron set up what Hermione liked to call "mini-dates", especially when classes started to become stressful. Sure, all they did was study but Ron always found a spot in a quiet corner of the library where they could be alone. Ron was also the perfect gentleman – he carried her books for her and held her hand when they walked down the halls and went on patrols together.

Don't think for a second that a new romance distracted Hermione from her studies. This is, after all, Hermione Granger we're talking about. She simply added her relationship with Ron to her pile and integrated it to her scheduled life as easily as a new school project. Hermione's grades were as high as ever, teachers congratulated her, students admired her, and her mood was as bright as could be. All in all, Hermione's life could not have been better.

oOoOoOo

Draco Malfoy, however, was a different story. The day after his mother visited him that fateful summer night, he woke up to a very different manor than he had slept in the night before. The already cold manor was somehow colder, even the roaring fire in the fireplace of his room couldn't warm him inside. The mood was definitely different too – more darkness and dread than usual hung in the air.

"Master Draco," a house elf apparated in front of his bed. "Master Lucius requests your presence at breakfast as soon as possible. He said to dress formally for a guest." The house elf shuddered at mentioning the word "guest".

"Who is the guest Tibby?" Draco asked although he already knew the answer.

"Tibby is not allowed to say sir. My deepest apologies," Tibby bowed and disappeared with a pop.

Some time later, Draco made his way to the breakfast room of the manor. He really would've liked to stall some more but he knew that he couldn't delay any more without further angering his father and that he couldn't leave his mother alone with the new arrival.

"Good morning Draco," Lucius greeted when his son walked in. "I have great news. The Dark Lord has decided to give us the honor of hosting the new headquarters here in the manor."

At this point Draco's eyes were drawn to a cloaked figure sitting at the head of the table. Voldemort turned to Draco and his slit-like red eyes seemed to penetrate down to Draco's soul when he said, "Good morning, Young Malfoy".

The feeling Draco got with such a seemingly benign greeting made him want to run but he knew he had to stand his ground. "Good morning my lord," he bowed. "Mother, father," he nodded to his parents and sat down.

"So Draco, I was just telling the Dark Lord how much you were looking forward to joining his ranks," Lucius said conversationally as he reached for a piece of toast.

"Yes, I see such potential in you. You could even be greater than your father."

Lucius cringed. "Yes," he said after clearing his throat. "You would definitely be ready for initiation upon graduation. Maybe even earlier – spies within the school would certainly weaken the old coot." Both Lucius and Voldemort looked at Draco expectantly.

"Nothing would please me more my lord. I would be honored to do whatever is needed to be of service."

In the beginning, everything went smoothly enough. The manor became busier as more people moved in, rooms were converted, and the dungeons were once again readied for use. As long as he stayed out of people's way, Draco was able to do whatever he pleased for the rest of the summer.

In September, he left for Hogwarts without much incident. His father reminded him to uphold the Malfoy name and his mother coolly kissed him on the cheek at the train station.

The school year itself started normally, if not a bit better than usual. Crabbe and Goyle waited for him in the train and of course, Pansy showed up moments later, much to his annoyance. The fact that he was made prefect made the new year a bit better. For once, his father was finally happy about something he did. The prefect status gave him more responsibilities which he certainly didn't need, but at least it also provided him with an excuse should he be caught while roaming the halls at night. Of course the badge also earned him some power and respect. While people already stayed out of his way, because he is after all Draco Malfoy, he liked the added insurance that the badge gave. The threat of losing house points and earning detention certainly made people think twice about crossing him should something go amiss. Draco, of course, would die first than slip up. In his situation, the smallest crack in his carefully constructed façade could have deadly consequences.

Things started to unravel near the middle of September. Draco didn't quite realize how much the workload would increase as a result of the upcoming OWLS. This, added to his prefect duties, was starting to put a strain on Draco. A lot of students could've dealt with this. Draco would certainly have been able to tackle this quite successfully. However, towards the middle of September, the letters started to arrive.

Draco,

How are those grades doing? It would be beneficial to have you as Head Boy next year – make sure you get extraordinary marks. I am NOT the only one asking you to do this. This is not merely a request, it's an order.

LM

Draco,

I heard you've been made quidditch captain. Very good. Winning the House Cup and bringing Potter down a notch could be useful. I will be keeping an eye on your team. Rest assured, a substandard performance will be punished.

LM

Draco,

I haven't heard from you in a while. Please send me some news of your situation there at school. Don't hesitate to ask for help in Potions.

Mother

Draco,

Parkinson has been noticing a lack of attention from you. An alliance between the two families is essential to our status. I know that I will not be hearing any more complaints in this matter.

LM

Needless to say, Draco's plate was overflowing. Between assignments, quidditch practices, and his task, Draco barely had time to breathe. At the same time, he had to keep up appearances by taking Pansy out on (painful) dates and making sure the Slytherins didn't notice anything different. By the end of September, Draco's grades were starting to slip, Slytherin had lost its first game – against Hufflepuff no less, and Draco was simply exhausted. Letters from his father kept coming, ordering him to do better, including a Howler for the Hufflepuff game. All in all, Draco's life could not have been worse.