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Struggling Through New Beginnings	By : HarryGinny4eva Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 31236 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
Chapter 26

Half an hour later Hermione was once again
surprised by the sheer number of people who�d turned out to help her celebrate.
She greeted friends from her own house, as well as a good number from the
others. It seemed to her that many of them were as excited to be going
off-grounds, as they were to help her celebrate. She also noticed the many
bags, but no matter who she asked, no one would tell her anything about why
they carried suitcases or overnight bags with them. She milled through the
crowd accepting birthday wishes and thanking people for a short while before
Ron and Harry pulled her aside. Parvati had watched her wipe a few stray tears
away as both hugged her close.

�What�s that all about?� Theo wondered beside her.

Parvati shrugged, �I would guess they�re reminiscing a bit. It�s not like her
last birthday was one to remember; they want to make this one really special
for her.�

Theo nodded, but Pansy, who stood on her other side, looked away sadly.

�Hey, stop,� Parvati said softly. �It�s over. No more blame or guilt, remember?
Especially not today. Hermione wouldn�t want that.�

Pansy nodded and clasped her hands together to keep them from trembling. She
was a bundle of raw nerves. Not only would she be spending the day celebrating
her new friend�s birthday, and get to spend the whole day trying to get Ron to finally
notice her, but she was also going to experience all kinds of new muggle things
she�d only read about or seen on the television her family had been forced to
use over the summer. It was like a whole new world was opening up to her and
she couldn�t contain her excitement. Professor Mills had assigned all of them
to write a paper on one new muggle thing they�d seen or done during the day and
she couldn�t wait to see which one she would choose. All of the things Harry,
Ron and Ginny had mentioned were as foreign to her as they were exciting, and
she trembled with expectation.

�You�re right,� she nodded finally and squared her shoulders. �Hermione
wouldn�t want any more reminders of last year. And, today is all about her
having fun, so let�s get to it, shall we?�

Parvati called out for quiet over the noise when she saw their Headmistress
making her way down the hall towards them. Professor Mills walked with her and
they both stopped at the doors to the Great Hall.

�Good morning,� Professor McGonagall said as she moved her cane behind her a
little. She hated when anyone stared at it and stood taller as she spoke.

�Good morning, Professors,� the group chorused.

�First, allow me to wish you a very happy birthday, Ms. Granger. You have very
good friends here who have planned quite a day for you and I hope you enjoy
every moment of it.� Her eyes, which had softened as she�d spoken to one of her
favorite students, went back to eagle-eyed sharpness as they turned to the rest
of the group. �But, as your headmistress I must remind each of you about the
stipulations for this journey.�

�No, I won�t ruin any surprises,� she continued when she caught the looks of
alarm on the faces of Parvati, Pansy and Ginny. �Now, first, none of you are to
stray from any of the previously approved locations at any time. Aurors have
been strategically placed for your protection. They won�t interfere in any way
in your day, unless you give them cause to approach you. And, when you must
separate from the larger group, you must stay with at least two others. Last,
no one, I repeat no one, will disrespect any of the chaperones in any way. They
have full permission to send you back here immediately should that occur, and I
promise you, you will not like the results. Now, go have fun and enjoy your
day. Professor Mills and I will meet you at the gates when you return tonight.�

Everyone smiled and laughed when Hermione asked, �Tonight? Seriously, why the
overnight bags then?�

Ginny wound her arms through Hermione�s and sang out, �You�ll see. Come on
everyone, we don�t want to be late.�

Parvati laughed with her and they led Hermione through the doors. Everyone
laughed when Hermione squeaked upon seeing the four carriages waiting for them
out front. Harry had arranged for them to be pulled by actual horses so that no
one would have a reminder of their losses by seeing the thestrals.
And, Ginny, Pansy, Parvati and Luna had decorated each of them with large
�Happy Birthday Hermione� banners and floating colored balloons.

Hermione got in first and then Parvati allowed Theo to help her into the first
carriage. Ginny and Harry quickly scrambled in behind them and they waited for
the others to find seats. Hermione barely had time to settle and wonder who
would take the remaining seat before the door was opened once again and Draco
Malfoy joined them.

�The others full?� Harry asked in lieu of a greeting.

Draco nodded, but said nothing as he took a seat across from Hermione, next to
Ginny.

Parvati smiled at him a little and then nudged Theo to get him to break the
sudden silence. She�d seen the way Hermione�s face had lit up when Draco had
entered the carriage and hoped to keep her friend in high spirits throughout
the day. She knew Hermione had a tendency to get nervous and clam up when Draco
showed up anywhere and she didn�t want that for the whole day.

�Glad to have you,� Theo said to Draco with a small nod. Then he looked to
Ginny and Parvati, �So, who all came today?�

Ginny cleared her throat and sent him a grateful smile before she answered,
�Well, there�s us, Ron, Pansy, Luna, Millie, Dean, Greg, Padma
and Terry, Lavender and Seamus, Cho and Michael, Susan and Wayne, and Hannah
and Neville.�

Hermione joked, �Bring enough couples?�

Parvati shook her head and laughed, �I had no idea that many people had paired
up already.�

�Well, that certainly explains some of the guys asking to come,� Harry laughed.
When Hermione looked at him in question he explained, �Well, it started off
kind of a smaller group, but then people wanted to bring their boyfriends or
girlfriends.�

Draco smirked and laughed under his breath, but when he noticed Hermione
looking at him, he crossed his arms uncomfortably and looked out of the window.

Parvati noticed his actions, but didn�t comment as she went on with the
conversation, �We have the coolest day planned. We hope you like it!�

�What are we doing?� Hermione laughingly asked again. �Tell me.�

�Nope,� Harry shook his head. �It�s a full day of surprises.�

Ginny smiled, �It�s all been planned out. You get to just enjoy.�

The girls kept up a steady stream of conversation as the carriages made their
way across the grounds of the school. When they arrived at the gates everyone
piled out and went to stand together, unsure of how to get out. Parvati stepped
forward to tell them what to do.

�Professor McGonagall arranged for the gates to open for us, but only as a
group.�

�And, how do we do that?� Susan called out.

Parvati answered, �Well, she said we all have to be touching and then I touch
the Hogwarts symbol and they are supposed to open. So, everyone hold hands.�

Parvati looked around and rolled her eyes as boys quickly switched places with
people so that they were holding only girls� hands. She bit back her grin, even
as her eyes darted to Ginny�s and Pansy�s to see if they�d noticed what she
had. Her grin came to fruition when Pansy smiled brilliantly at her and Ginny
tried to hold back her laugh. Hermione was stuck between Greg and Draco. And,
while Greg stood as close to her as possible, Draco stood just as far away, glancing
nervously down at his and Hermione�s clasped hands.

�Everyone ready?� Parvati asked. When they all nodded,
she turned and lifted her and Theo�s clasped hands and touched the large crest
on the gate. Almost immediately the gates sprang open and the group hurried
through. When the last student passed through the gates, they swung shut and
resealed themselves.

�Okay, now what?� Hermione asked as she dropped both men�s hands and moved a
step away from them.

�Surprise number one and you�re coming with me,� Ron laughed. �Everyone who
doesn�t know how to get there, find someone who does for the side along
apparition. Then, go ahead and go. We�ll be right behind you.�

When only Hermione and Ron were left he turned to her with a soft smile, �I
hope you really enjoy today, Hermione. You deserve it.�

She gave him a quick hug, �Thank you. I know I will. So,
where to?�

�Nuh uh,� he laughed. �You�re not getting me
to spoil the surprise. Hold on tight.�

Moments later Hermione opened her eyes as her breath came back and saw the
smiling faces of the Weasley family mixed in with all of her friends.

�The Burrow?!� she laughed.

Molly Weasley hurried forward and grabbed her in a tight hug, �Happy birthday,
my dear, happy birthday! Nineteen. I can hardly
believe it; just yesterday you were such a little thing; all hair and teeth.
And, now look at you; a beauty. All grown up.�

�Let her breathe Mol,� Arthur said warmly as he pulled her out of his
wife�s arms and into his, �Happy birthday, my girl.�

�Thank you,� she smiled at them. For the next few minutes she greeted the rest
of the Weasley family as Ron and Ginny got everyone out of the house and into
the backyard where food and drinks were laid out. Music played loudly in the
air and Parvati smiled when she saw Hermione come out singing along to a muggle
song very few others knew.

Parvati noticed that most the Slytherin contingent looked uncomfortable in
their little corner of the yard and nudged Theo in their direction. She saw the
look of resignation and annoyance on Draco�s face and hoped he wouldn�t cause
trouble. She also remembered seeing the looks of distaste on the faces of the
many in the Weasley family when Draco Malfoy had popped into their midst, his
scowl pronounced and his stance defensive. Rather than cause trouble they had
simply turned away from him and pretended he wasn�t there. She�d seen his
shoulders drop a little and wondered briefly if their rejection had somehow hurt
him. But, before she could ponder it further Hermione and Ron had popped into
the room and ended the odd moment for everyone.

Shaking herself out of her memory, she urged Theo, �Just go make sure they are
okay. Try to get them to mingle or something. And, please tell Draco to stop
scowling.�

Theo nodded and headed in their direction and Parvati turned away to see where
Hermione was. She saw her laughing with Fred and George, as they showed her a
box full of their joke products. Ginny and Harry had gone in to help Mrs.
Weasley and the rest of the group relaxed on mismatched chairs and benches
around the yard as they ate and drank.

Parvati grabbed a butterbeer and took a sip as she
looked back to the Slytherins. Greg and Pansy looked uncomfortably worried
about being there, Millicent looked belligerent, and Draco�s face was blank.
She wondered what he was thinking as he stared at Theo. Theo was talking to
them quietly, but his shoulders were bunched, showing his unease. When she saw
him motion to the tables and chairs and then Millicent shake her head, Parvati
sighed heavily. It wouldn�t do to have them all be standoffish all day, even
though she knew they weren�t happy to be at Ron and Ginny�s house.

Most of the Weasleys gave them a wide berth and
ignored them for the most part, but Fred and George were never able to leave
well enough alone. She saw them move away from Hermione and head in the
direction of the small group of Slytherins and decided to head them off at the
pass. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ginny come out with more drinks,
see her brothers, and change directions to get to them. They all reached the
Slytherins at the same time.

��is stupid!� Theo was saying.

Pansy�s eyes widened when they were joined by the others, but she put on a tremulous
smile, �Hello, everyone.�

�Fred, do you see a group of snakes?�

�Yes, George. And, a stupid ferret in the middle.�

�Oi, what are you lot doin��

Ginny loudly talked over her brothers as she elbowed them aside, �Hey. Having
fun? Did you guys get something to eat? Who wants a drink?�

Draco muttered under his breath, �Got a few hundred shots of firewhiskey?�

Ginny shot him a look, but turned to Pansy, �Mom�s on her way out with the
cake. You guys should make your way over to the tables.�

Her no nonsense tone got them moving reluctantly, and Theo huffed a little at
their immediate obedience to the tiny redhead, when they�d ignored his talks,
arguments and pleas. Parvati smiled a little and patted him softly on his back
before taking his hand in hers.

�Come on, let�s get a seat. I hear Mrs. Weasley makes a great cake.�

Draco smirked and opened his mouth, but Pansy cut him off with an elbow to the
ribs. He scowled at her, but shut his mouth around the comment he�d been about
to make. They all then moved to one table and sat down. When no one spoke,
Ginny sighed heavily and turned to leave. She�d only gotten a few steps away
though when Hermione saw them and made her way over.

�Hey guys!� she smiled brightly. �I haven�t been able to talk to you yet. This
is so great. I can�t believe you all planned all of this. Thank you so much.�

Pansy beamed, �There�s more. But, I�m glad you like it so far.�

�What more could there be?� Hermione asked.

Greg, who�d noticed the last arrivals, stood to be
closer to her for a moment as he answered, �Well, there�s lots, Hermione. And,
there�s the next one.�

She turned her head to follow the line of his finger and squealed in joy.
Without a thought to embarrassment, she took off at a run and launched herself
into their waiting arms.

�Mum! Daddy!�

�Angel!� her mother answered as she held her daughter tightly. Both
women had happy tears sliding down their faces.

�Happy birthday, Worm,� her father said as he too pulled her in for a hug.

They exchanged quick greetings as everyone watched. It had been quiet as
everyone felt the love flow between the Grangers, but the silence was broken
when Greg said more loudly than he�d meant to, �Worm?�

Those who knew about her father�s endearment laughed, but most of her
classmates simply looked on in askance. Hermione reddened a little as she
pulled back from her parents and looked out at them. �Great. Thanks, Dad.�

Ron laughed, �Cat�s out of the bag, now, Hermione.�

Harry joined him, �It�s short for bookworm.�

�Guys!� Hermione admonished with a grin.

�Not like it�s that much of a shock, Hermione,� Ginny giggled.

Hermione rolled her eyes good-naturedly and laughed along with them. Parvati
watched Hermione�s eyes glance quickly over at Draco and then away as her back
straightened a little more. Glancing at Draco, Parvati saw his smirk and
wondered how long before he took advantage of the new nickname. She looked back
at Hermione and saw her pulling her parents down the back steps and into the
yard as she began introductions.

Parvati also noticed that Hermione avoided the Slytherin table as long as
possible, but eventually dragged her feet to them. She held her breath as they
all stood and greeted Hermione and her family.

xxxxx

Author�s Responses: You guys are
simply amazing! Thank you.

LadyBlueEyes: Hey there. I am
glad you are feeling better. Sorry you and your children were sick. That
stinks. In my last story I made Ron the bad guy and I just couldn�t do it to
him again. :-) Blaise and his issues (which be coming to a head soon), and
Harry and his �nothing-else-to-do-but-butt-into-other�s-lives� thing were
enough for this story. And, I wanted to see a story where Hermione and Ron
didn�t work out, but it was really no one�s fault and neither did anything bad
to the other, so he had to grow up. lol Draco spying
was not only useful to the story (and his getting to know her better), but a
way for me to show that he hasn�t changed all together. He�s still the
Slytherin young man we all know and love, even in his floundering. I hope you
like what I am doing with her birthday, because it�s going to be another loooonnnngggg day. Ha ha ha Thank you, luv!

Mrs.DracoMalfoy: No apologies,
needed. I thank you for reviewing whenever you can. I hope the �best is on its
way� and that you like it a lot. Her birthday came to me from I have no idea
where, but it seemed to work. lol You will have to let
me know. And, just so you know, I get them out quickly because I have the story
written to chapter 45 of 46 or 47 already. I didn�t start posting until I got
to chapter 40. So, I guess you can say I cheated a bit. ;-)

Losername: Blaise does need
some time and a lot of patience, but he�s still being a pain in the butt git! Ron and Pansy are coming along, but a few more things
have to happen first. ;-) and I hope to alleviate some
of your �withdrawal symptoms from lack of draco/hermione interaction� very
soon. Thank you for your patience. Hugs to you.

Dreamweaver: Sorry about
keeping you up so late. I was having connection issues at home. Darn cable
company!!!!! But, I am glad you got to sleep, even if your night wasn�t all
that great. :-(

Chap 24 � Harry may have been the hero of the stories, but I think his issues
were never really addressed by JK or others in his life. Anyone who�d been
through all he had would have had a million problems afterward. In my story, he�s
more upset than he realizes and it all has to focus somewhere�on Draco. Blaise�his
time is coming. And, his feelings for Hermione are only a part of his issues.
Have no fear he will not get in the way of our favorite couple getting
together. I think there are plenty of offers to �help� Blaise, but he needs to
figure this out for himself, then you can swoop in and help him cope. ;-) And,
yes, it was really nice of Greg to do all of that to help Ginny feel better. Ha
ha ha ha

Chap 25 � Draco spent his summer being forced to learn things he�d never
considered, figure out how to live a different life, watch his family�s
humiliation, and try to see what he wants from life. The last thing on his mind
was Hermione and all the reports of her. Plus, it wasn�t until this past week
that he realized he didn�t really know anything about her. She�d always been
the brainy friend of Harry Potter and a muggleborn.
He never thought he really needed to know more about her until now. Reading up
on everything about her is a start for him. I won�t say any more, but Ron isn�t
the clueless guy everyone thinks him to be. ;-) I hope you like what happens on
her birthday and the outcomes of the day. I had a fun time writing it. It�s a
long day, but�well, you will have to let me know what
you think.

Last,
I might need your help with the sequel! I can�t say much here and now, but I
will need some background on Peyton�s life and you might be just the person to
help me! :-D If you�re interested, that is. Just let me know if you are and
we�ll find a way to link up. Hugs to you!

PutrescentQueen:
I can�t tell you how much of a compliment that is to me. I look to the scroll
bar first on all my favorite stories, so I know what you mean. And, the fact
that you do it to mine�WOW! Thank you. Glad I could make you happy with Draco
spying. It seemed like a Draco thing to do. lol And,
then your thoughts on my characterizations�I can�t thank you enough. Honestly,
I don�t think I�ve stopped smiling proudly. This is one of those times when I
wish people in my real life knew about my little hobby here, so I could show
them that review. Thank you!!! I hope you like Hermione�s day. It�s a little
long, but there was a lot to get in there. :-) You should have seen the list of
ideas I had for what they could do before I settled on the ones I chose. I look
forward to your thoughts as her day unfolds. Last, in this story not everyone
will end up paired. It may look like it, but real life just doesn�t work that
way, does it? lol No. And, neither does my story. Thank
you so much!

margaritama:
Hey there! Harry�s memory is kind of short, but bear in mind, he and Draco have
never had a kind word for one another, so this is all a lot for Harry to take.
No need to be concerned. Blaise is angry and awful, but he won�t get a chance
to hurt her. Thank you for your kind words on my/their speeches. I love that
you got so much out of them. You are simply too good for me. Thank you. Your
analogy of Draco being disillusioned was brilliant. I wrote it and didn�t even
consciously catch that! Wow! As for his plans for her birthday, you will have
to let me know what you think of them.

kazfeist: Well, as a person
totally hooked on AMC and OLTL, as well as several stories, I don�t see a
problem with it. lol And, I am glad you liked the
story as you played catch up. Hugs and thanks to you.
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Struggling Through New Beginnings