Draco and Hermione return to Hogwarts, where Draco has a confrontation with Pansy Parkinson.

When Hermione and Draco had returned to Hogwarts, Draco led his witch into the Slytherin Common room which was surprisingly empty—except for one very large snake who was digesting a rather large meal and asleep by the fireplace.

Hermione smirked at Nagini and shook her head in wonder.

“Nagini ate Flint?”

Draco chuckled and nodded. “Yes, she did. I think the rest of our esteemed house is suitably chastened and horrified in equal measure. Your Father scared them shitless.”

Hermione giggled softly and took Draco’s hand, leading him to the couch by the fireplace where they snuggled up against each other. “So, just how bad did it get?”

Draco kissed the top of Hermione’s head and shifted her so she was sitting on his lap. Grey eyes met amber ones, that were filled with curiosity and mirth.

“Oh...I don’t think our classmates will be forgetting what happened anytime soon.” Hermione titled her head questioningly and Draco just grinned. “I’ll show you a pensieve memory tomorrow, love. For tonight? I just want to hold you and not worry about our classmates. Your Father did threaten them all quite spectacularly, so I doubt we have much to worry about before we graduate.”

Hermione sighed and snuggled into Draco’s chest. “That’s something I suppose.”

Draco hummed in agreement as he tightened his hold around his witch and breathed in her delicious scent. Together they stared into the fire, and Hermione felt herself drifting off to sleep. He lifted his witch into his arms and made his way to the sixth year girls dormitory. When he reached the door, he knocked gently and was surprised when Pansy opened the door and nodded at him politely. He gave his former friend a curt gesture in reply and placed Hermione into her bed, covering her up and placing a small kiss on her forehead.

When he went to leave, Pansy grabbed his arm softly, which caused him to raise an eyebrow questioningly.

Pansy sighed as she looked into the grey eyes of the only wizard she’d ever loved. It had broken her heart when she’d found out he was betrothed to Hermione—of all the witch’s in Hogwarts. When she had heard of the rumor of whom Granger’s father really was? She simply didn’t believe it. It wasn’t until today, having the Dark Lord invade her mind and the reminders he’d left her with, that she knew just how much the Dark Lord cared for his daughter.

She was simply grateful she wasn’t dead.

Clearing her throat softly, Pansy gestured for Draco to follow her out into the hallway. As he was closing the door, Draco noticed Daphne looking at him and shaking her head in exasperation. He just smirked evilly and winked at his friend, which caused her to chuckle softly. A quick glance at his sleeping witch reassured him that Hermione was still asleep, so he closed the door and cast a silencing charm.

“What do you want, Pansy?”

“Look, Draco? I know you’re angry with me. I’d imagine you must hate me after everything, but you have to know that I didn’t know Hermione was the Dark Lord’s daughter. We all thought she was a Mudblood, yourself included. I’m not trying to justify my actions, but aren’t you being a bit hypocritical in your defense of her after all this time?”

Draco widened his stance and folded his arms across his chest. “I know what I did, Pansy. I said hateful things and I alienated Hermione from Slytherin. I humiliated her in front of other students. I was a bully...it’s true. But I would’ve never physically hurt her. I watched Flint trip her down the stairs and it was I, who went and got help for her. I’d spent a lot of time first, second and third year being a prick but it doesn’t excuse what they did. They poisoned her, Pansy. Hermione could’ve died. Whatever kind of bully I was to Hermione, I would’ve never tried to kill her.”

Pansy rolled her eyes. “Don’t kid yourself, Drake. You may not have put the poison in her cup, but your words and actions were just as poisonous. Don’t you remember how frail Granger looked back in third year? That was just as much your doing as anyone else’s.”

Draco sneered at Pansy, but deep down he knew she had a valid point.

“Look, Pansy? Whatever my faults were, I take complete ownership of them. I’ve apologized to Hermione and she’s forgiven me. The difference between you and I, and the majority of Slytherin is simply this—I realized the error of my ways back in third year. Well before I knew whom she really was—not because she was the Dark Lord’s daughter—in spite of the fact I thought she was Muggle-born. I tried to fix my mistakes because I saw what I’d done was wrong and I made the choice to rectify it. Even if Hermione hadn’t been discovered to be the Dark Lord’s Heir, I still would’ve fought for her and tried to help her, if for no other reason because it was the right thing to do.”

Pansy sneered. “But you’d have never been able to be with her if she hadn’t turned out to be exactly whom she is. Lucius and Narcissa would’ve never allowed their precious heir to lower himself to openly court a Mudblood.”

Draco growled at the use of the hated name. “I’d stop using that name if I were you, Pansy. And my mother knew about my feelings for Hermione long before we knew she was the Dark Lord’s daughter. My mother stopped the betrothal negotiations with the Greengrass family because she knew I had feelings for Hermione. So don’t assume to know what my parents would’ve allowed. Father may not have accepted it, but Mother has a way of getting him to do exactly what she wants. And if I’d wanted Granger, Muggle-Born or not—trust me when I tell you, nothing would have stopped my Mother from convincing my Father to let me have what I wanted.”

Pansy’s face paled at Draco’s confession and she shook her head in sadness, realizing her friendship with Draco was likely forfeit after what happened today.

“Look, I just wanted to say—I’m sorry about today. I’d never thought we’d end up here, Drake.”

Draco eyed his former friend and one time lover. “No, Pansy—you’re right. But here we are and I for one wouldn’t change it. I love Hermione with all my heart and I’m going to marry her. I don’t want any trouble from you and I’d meant it when I told you to leave my witch alone. If anyone comes to you with ideas to hurt Hermione? I fully expect you to come to me. Am I understood?”

Pansy sighed again, but nodded in agreement. “I can do that.”

“Good.” Draco ran a hand through his hair and after a moment went to turn around to head back to his dorms, but he took one last look at Pansy and sighed. “We were friends once, Pansy and for a brief time more than, despite what you might think, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“A bit late for that, Drake.”

Draco nodded in understanding before he turned and walked down the corridor and back into the common room and took up residence near the fireplace, where he’d been sitting with Hermione earlier. Nagini looked up at him and titled her head, like she was asking him if he was alright. Draco hunched his shoulders and sighed unhappily, remembering Pansy’s words and not liking the constant reminders of what a prick he’d been when he’d been younger. Giving his attention back to Nagini, Draco leant forward and addressed the snake quietly.

“Thank you for your help today, Nagini.” The snake nodded briefly and Draco smiled fondly at his witch’s familiar. “Am I ever going to be able to forgive myself for how I hurt Hermione when we were younger?”

Nagini hissed something softly and then shook her head, almost as if she were chastising him. He just sighed again and stood up, making his way back to his dorm room. Theo and Blaise weren’t back yet, and he sincerely doubted they’d be returning anytime soon. He felt bad for Adrian, but Montague was a different story. He was sure he’d hear all about it tomorrow from his friends. As he finally drifted off to sleep, he couldn’t help but feel grateful that he was able to defend Hermione and to show everyone in Slytherin that she was his and that the Dark Lord trusted him to take care of his daughter.

He’d be receiving the Mark next year and he knew his father had been proud of him today. As he drifted off to sleep, he did so with a small smile upon his face.