McGonagall Says A Swear
Draco runs a finger down her cheek. “What are your plans for today?” He asks.
“Well I planned to go down to Flourish and Botts and maybe hop over to Muggle London to browse some of the bookstores there.” Hermione replies. She sits up straight, and says “you’re more than welcome to come with me…if you like, that is”
Draco’s mouth turns into a true smile. He hasn’t felt this happy in years. “Ok. Meet you out front in 30?”
“It’s a date.” Hermione says, smiling wide.
They stand up and Draco grabs her hips and kisses her mouth gently, just for long enough for Hermione to want more. He cups her face with his hand and says “see you soon, love” and walks away.
She looks over to the Gryffindor table. Ron is gone, but Ginny and Harry are still there. She might as well face them now and get Ginny’s teasing and Harry’s thousand exasperated questions out of the way. Taking a deep breath, she makes her way over to the familiar table.
“Hey guys,” she says, brushing her curls over her ear, how’s it going?”
Ginny is the first to reply. “Oh my Gods Hermione! What is going on? We have to talk!” She looks over at Harry, “you know, have some girl time.” She finished, trying to act non chalant.
“Well, it’s actually quite simple, really.” She begins. “Draco joined social media and-“
Harry lets out a peal of laughter. “Yes I know we all saw it”
Hermione clears her throat and glares at him, annoyed at being interrupted. “And he didn’t quite know how it worked and I wanted to help him. You know how cruel some students are to Slytherins.”
“Well that was very nice of you Hermione,” Ginny says.
“But…the photos…they were…” Harry shrugs and shakes his head, trying to get the images out of his mind.
“Well we all ended up having a bit of a party. As it turns out…he likes me. He has, for quite some time. And to be honest, I like him. He’s not as much of an arse as he has made himself out to be.”
Ginny and Harry stare at her, eyes wide as goblets.
“Now I must be off. We are going to the shops together. We will talk more later, I promise.” She gives them a small smile and wave. “Bye!”
Harry and Ginny look at each other. “Ron is going to be furious.” They say in unison.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Do you often go to Muggle London?” Hermione asks as they walk over the grounds to where they can apparate.
“No, actually, I’ve never been.” He replies.
Just as Hermione is going to respond, Professor McGonagall appears.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy. Perfect timing. I need to see you both in my office.”
Hermione and Draco exchange a look. “But we were-“ Draco starts
“It won’t take long. Don’t dawdle now.”
A few minutes later they were in the Headmistress’ office, seated in the plus chairs across from her desk.
McGonagall pours them all tea. “Mr. Malfoy, I heard that you had a mishap with the Muggle social media.” She says as she stirs her tea.
“Erm, yes Head Mistress.”
McGonagall opens one of her desk drawers and pulls out a cell phone.
Hermione and Draco look at each other wide-eyed, and turn their heads back to her.
The Head Mistress clears her throat and adjusts her spectacles.
“Hermione Granger’s arse,” she says in her firm Scottish lilt.
They say nothing.
“Hermione Granger thong.”
Draco’s cheeks redden
“Naked Hermione Granger.”
“Hermione Granger’s pus- oh my- well, now, I think we get the gist.” She puts down the phone and looks at Hermione.
“Now there are photos that have been added to these posts…Ms. Granger?”
Draco stands up. “It was all my fault, Head Mistress. I didn’t know what I was doing- Hermione explained it to me- I didn’t know what I was writing was going out to-“ he swallows, “-everyone. She saved me. She knows I’ve been….well the tables have rightly turned and I have turned into the one being bullied, the pariah. She tried to help me save face.” He looks at Hermione, “and for that I will forever be grateful. I know I don’t deserve it.”
Hermione takes his hand and squeezes it as Draco takes his seat. “I saw what he had posted and I knew something was wrong. And he is being bullied. I didn’t want to add to what he is going through, so I went down to the Slytherin dorm, and tried to do some damage control. It seems to have worked, so far at least.”
McGonagall studies the two of them for a few long moments. She folds up her glasses and rubs the bridge of her nose. Leaning forward with her arms resting on her desk, she says, “This is not exactly what I had in mind when I was speaking about amistad between the Houses. Ms. Granger, what you did was quite admirable. And it seems,” she looks down at their adjoined hands, “something good may have come from this mishap.”
She trains her eyes on Draco. “Any further bullying or other nonsense against you- I want to be alerted immediately. Minds won’t be changed in a day but physical and verbal actions must be quashed.”
Leaning back in her chair, she continues, “now the two of you being an item may help with unifying all of us. But there will still be some that will fight it. I understand the impulse to want to deal with it yourselves. But I must be kept abreast of any nasty behavior towards the two of you.” She leans down, opening another desk drawer and comes up with two small notebooks.
“Anything that happens, no matter how trivial you may think it to be, you write it in here and it will come directly to me. They are charmed and no one- not even another professor- will be able to see what you write in here.
“Now. Thank you for your time. Enjoy the rest of your day. You’re excused.”
Hermione and Draco leave the Head Mistress’ office. Once in the hallway, she looks at Draco and says, “well shit.”
Draco laughs, putting his arm around her waist and gently kissing her temple, “my sentiments exactly.”
“Still down to go out? It’s not that late.”
“Of course. Let’s go.”