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Pansy's Volcano	By : Bluemidget57 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 206382 -:- Recommendations : 6 -:- Currently Reading : 8
Disclaimer: 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
- 1-Pansy's Volcano
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-Fifteen
- 16-Sixteen
- 17-Seventeen
- 18-Eighteen
- 19-Nineteen
- 20-Twenty
- 21-Twenty one
- 22-Twenty Two
- 23-Twenty Three
- 24-Twenty Four
- 25-Twenty Five
- 26-Twnety Six
- 27-Twenty Seven
- 28-Twenty Eight
- 29-Twenty Nine
- 30-Thirty
- 31-Thirty one
- 32-Thirty Two
- 33-Thirty Three
- 34-Thirty Four
- 35-Thirty Five
- 36-Thirty Six
- 37-Thirty Seven
- 38-Thirty Eight
- 39-Thirty Nine
- 40-Forty
- 41-Forty One
- 42-Forty Two
- 43-Forty Three
- 44-Forty Four
- 45-Forty Five
- 46-Forty Six
- 47-Forty Seven
- 48-Forty Eight
- 49-Forty Nine
- 50-Fifty
- 51-Fifty One
- 52-52
- 53-53
- 54-54
- 55-55
- 40
- 41
- 42
Nothing belongs to me. I feel better now I said that. Not.

41

Albus Dumbledore examined the people assembled in his office over the rim of his � glasses. He had taken this opportunity to call an informal meeting of available Order members. Since a fair assortment of ministry officials were in town attending the Hogwarts 7^th Year Social, he had welcomed the opportunity to invite them to the school for a brunch meeting, without arousing any undue suspicion in the more paranoid departments of the Ministry.
Although Fudge was somewhat inactively working towards the elimination of Voldemort and his followers, a goal which had brought him ostensibly back into unity with Dumbledore - in reality the Minister was still deeply convinced that the Headmaster secretly wanted his job, if not for himself, then for someone whom Fudge perceived that Dumbledore would manipulate as a mouthpiece for his own policies and ends.
Fudge�s prime suspect was Arthur Weasley, and he was therefore fanatically careful to exclude Arthur from any strategy meetings the Ministry held. Fudge also invited himself to each and every gathering, political or otherwise, which came to his attention, and his paranoia was rendering his effectiveness to lead as little more than a joke in government circles. Although his credibility had taken a tremendous beating since he had to admit to Voldemort�s return eighteen months previously, he still clung on to office by the tips of his fingers.
His latest decision to allow Lucius Malfoy a parole hearing in the New Year had finally tipped Dumbledore into considering the very action that Fudge had been fearing for the majority of his term in office. Without the excuse of the Social Evening, it would have been unlikely that Fudge would have agreed to the proximity of so many key Ministry personnel to Hogwarts and it�s dissenting Headmaster.
The invitations were extended with great deliberation; Dumbledore took as much care making his decision about who to invite to camouflage his intended meeting as Draco and Hermione had put into dispersing the students amongst the adult guests.
Thus, under the guise of Do Not Disturb charms displayed on the doors of their rooms, six of the eight Ministry guests left the Felton Arms shortly after breakfast on Sunday morning and flooed to a small ante-chamber in a heavily warded, disused wing of the castle, from where they crossed the room and used a second fireplace on the opposite wall to floo directly into Dumbledore�s office.
They were now gathered awaiting the arrival of one of their most valued members, Severus Snape.
�How come Harry isn�t here?� Tonks asked suddenly. �I thought we were including him in these things now?� At her words a couple of the others nodded thoughtfully. Albus acknowledged her question with a nod and a smile.
�Yes, indeed we are. But as a matter of fact I have not called this meeting in relation to Lord Voldemort�s activities - well, actually, only in the most indirect manner. Let�s just wait until Severus arrives, as he has particular knowledge about the matter, and he will be able to explain our concerns to you all in detail. He should be along shortly.�
Minerva frowned as if the subject of this meeting was especially distasteful to her, but any further discussion was forestalled by the arrival of the missing Slytherin.
�Good morning, Severus!� Dumbledore said cheerfully. �Did you have a pleasant time last night?� The Headmaster had greeted all of his guests with the same question, but there was no doubt his twinkle as he addressed his surly Potions Master was brighter and more mischievous than it had been for his other interreges.
�Thank you, Albus, it was satisfactory,� Severus replied stiffly as he took the last remaining seat next to Kingsley Shacklebolt.
�Well, you actually looked quite in the spirit of the occasion - spinning our dear Head Girl around the dance floor,� Albus commented blithely, and Severus snorted. Those seated closest to him could clearly hear him mutter something about foolish little girls and manipulative old wizards.
Albus sighed. �Enough of this extravagant flattery,� he said. �Unfortunately we are here today with a serious matter under discussion, so we will have to put aside pleasant reminiscences about last night and get down to business. Severus - if you wouldn�t mind -�
Severus nodded and rose from the seat he had recently taken. �Over the course of the past eighteen months, since Lucius Malfoy was taken to Azkaban prison, I have been periodically checking up on an old school friend of mine; I was visiting with her at the beginning of this month and I discovered during the course of our meeting that Fudge is negotiating to have Malfoy receive a parole hearing in the New Year -�
He got no further in his narrative for everyone in the room with Ministry connections began exclaiming at once. The three Hogwarts professors, who had already discussed this intelligence in detail, waited for the commotion to die down somewhat.
In was Kingsley who finally moved the discussion onwards. �Severus, do you trust the accuracy of your informant in this matter?� he asked practically. �I can�t believe that none of us here have heard a breath of it at the Ministry.�
�Yes,� Severus replied calmly. �The source is impeccable in this instance.�
Albus nodded his head agreeably, indicating that he also knew and trusted the veracity of Severus� informant. Tonks was glancing thoughtfully between the two older men; although her clumsiness often gave the impression that she was a liability rather than an asset to the Order, she was a fine Auror, with a sharp analytical mind.
�Why you sly old dog, Severus,� she gasped suddenly, a wide grin splitting her face. �You�ve been sniffing around Narcissa Malfoy, haven�t you? Old school friend indeed - is that what they�re calling it these days?�
�Miss Tonks,� Severus addressed her in a chilling tone. �Your speculations are offensive and inappropriate to the subject. Suffice it to say that my source has inside information which both the headmaster and I believe to be impeccable.�
The colour of Tonks� hair flickered briefly, but she showed no other outward reaction to this chastisement, until Snape turned to respond to a question from Arthur Weasley, when she pulled a face at his back and stuck her tongue out at him. Minerva, catching this covert childishness, was hard-put not to smile at her former student�s disrespect.
�What on earth can Fudge hope to gain by releasing Lucius Malfoy?� Arthur speculated thoughtfully. �That seems to be the most pertinent question. His popularity is already at an all-time low; I fail to imagine how he thinks releasing one of the most notorious of You-Know-Who�s followers can possibly enhance his standing in the government.�
�That is indeed a puzzle, but Fudge and Malfoy are both adults,� Dumbledore replied taking charge of the conversation, and even Tonks, who had been still pulling faces at Severus, sat up to attention in her chair. �They will do whatever they see fit, regardless of the impact on anyone else. I am more concerned right now about one of our students, and what we can do to guide him in making sense of this.�
�Harry?� Asked Kingsley curiously.
�No - no.� Albus replied firmly, �Although obviously he will need informing, to ensure that he is on his guard against any schemes Lucius may concoct.�
�Draco,� Tonks said suddenly. �You�re concerned about how this will affect the progress my cousin has made this year!�
�Very astute, Miss Tonks,� Dumbledore said approvingly, while Arthur and a couple of others looked puzzled and questioned Progress? in baffled voices. Albus nodded. �Indeed, as Miss Tonks has so intuitively noticed, the staff and I have been attempting to make some headway in diverting young Mr Malfoy from the course his father set his feet upon. It is no secret that Slytherin House is the main source for recruiting the next generation of Death Eater followers, although that is not to say that prominent followers of Voldemort -� he paused here briefly to accommodate the round of exaggerated wincing which followed his use of That Name, then continued smoothly, �have never been found in the old alumni of the other three houses. However, I think it is a widely accepted fact that Mr Malfoy has the biggest sway in Slytherin today, and that whatever course he chooses will ultimately become the direction of choice for the rest of his housemates.�
Severus grunted but did not dispute the fact, and Arthur stared appraisingly at the Headmaster. �Go on, Albus,� he encouraged. �There�s obviously more to this than we�ve heard.�
�Indeed, I am afraid I have been scheming again,� Dumbledore said, but there was a noticeable lack of a twinkle to accompany the words. Instead he looked merely sad and tired. �I know that many people, including at least half of you sitting here in this room protested very vehemently at my suggestion to nominate Draco Malfoy for Head Boy, but I did not do this entirely without reason. In fact, in a totally unprecedented move, Draco was expected to undergo a very stringent interview process over a period of two days, with each of the Governors individually, and then make a presentation to a panel comprised of Professors and Governors stressing why he would be an asset in the position. It was his excellent performance under these conditions which led to his eventual election as Head Boy this year. He knew full well that it was a task which had never been expected of any potential Head Student before him; indeed we told Miss Granger before she left for the summer holidays that she would be returning as Head Girl - yet never once did he object to what we asked of him, or bemoan the unfairness of being subjected to what in effect amounted to a test of his character. Mr Malfoy genuinely wanted to serve his House and his school, and he was prepared to undergo any challenge we presented him with, for the opportunity to do so. So ultimately it was his determination to succeed and win the position - despite the fact that he knew from the outset who would be his counterpart, which convinced even the most vociferous of his detractors -� he allowed himself a glance at Minerva, and a wry smile as she bowed her head in acknowledgement, � -that he would be worthy of the position, and may very well even be on the verge of abandoning decades of unquestioning Malfoy adherence to a dangerous cause. I think I speak for all of the faculty here when I say that this year�s Head Students have dealt with each other far better than anyone could have ever expected.�
Minerva and Severus nodded reluctantly, although the Potions Master did not look Albus directly in the eye, allowing a small twinge of conscience to prick at him as he recalled his advice to Draco in regards to concealing his romance from the Head Girl.
�Of course, we had hoped that continuous exposure and proximity to our splendid Muggle-born Head Girl would cause Mr Malfoy to have reason to reevaluate the outdated and blatantly false preconceptions of students from non-magic families, which he has been fed all his life. There is really no better witch to teach him that all his father�s prejudices were wrong than the exceptional Miss Granger.�
Nods and smiles accompanied this pronouncement; Hermione had been a universally popular choice for Head Girl, and many of those sitting in Dumbledore�s office today had winced in heartfelt sympathy when they had heard with whom she would have to share the burden.
�Minerva and I have a very real reason to believe that Draco is on the verge of committing to some...er -thing totally and utterly the antithesis of every tradition Lucius has instilled into his son from the moment he first emerged into this world. I cannot stress how imperative it is for this process of reeducation to be allowed to continue uninterrupted for young Draco. If we can bring about unity of all the four Houses in Hogwarts, the next generation of young adults which emerges into the world will be unrestricted by the prejudices of their parents. Imagine a world in which racism and blood-hate is non-existent. I truly believe that Draco Malfoy is absolutely key to attaining this goal in our lifetimes. It is essential, essential that Lucius not undo the progress Draco has made if indeed he is released in the near future. Of course, now that we have heard �official rumour� that the hearing is to take place, I shall of course demand a review by the Wizengamot and generally stir up as much bother as I can for our dear Minister. Now all we need to do is decide how to recruit Draco!�
�Great! Happy Christmas everyone.� Muttered Tonks sarcastically.

********
Whilst the guardians of hope and morality in the wizarding world were seated in the tower office of Albus Dumbledore, debating the fate of Draco Malfoy, the young man in question was engaged in a far more pleasing pastime; namely that of soaking in a deep hot bath and indulging in some very erotic memories of taking the Gryffindor Head Girl up against a wall in Pringle�s office the night before. He was still elated that she had been so responsive to his decidedly risqué suggestion, and her enthusiastic reaction to his explicit words had blown his mind. He was rapidly becoming addicted to Hermione Granger, and she had chosen today to abandon him for Scar-face and the rodent. He was particularly wary of her hanging around the Weasel bearing in mind their previous aborted relationship, but the sneaky witch had chosen to inform him of her defection when he was only half awake, and insufficiently prepared to entice her into spending the day in bed with him instead.
He lay alone in the bath, Hermione having insisted that if she didn�t appear in the Gryffindor tower today, then people, probably Harry and/or Ron and Ginny would come here looking for her. He was pondering on the fact that he just simply couldn�t get enough of her. The only witch he had ever maintained ongoing sexual relations with before had been Isabelle, and that had been more about convenience than need. She had been older and geographically removed, thus making it far too easy for him to dismiss her from his mind the moment he left her bed.
He could not dismiss Hermione for longer than it took to make notes in Arithmancy, and even then he had come back to his rooms and found a couple of gaps in his work which could only be accounted for by a bout of unfortunate daydreaming. His grades were only saved by the fact that apart from Care of Magical Creatures and Muggle Studies, they had practically the same course load. He had never been able to study with another student before; Vince and Greg simply weren�t up to it, Zabini was too much of an unknown quantity for Draco to feel comfortable showing his weaknesses or strengths to, and to venture outside of Slytherin for that purpose was something he could never have conceived of with his upbringing.
However, with Hermione he had already broken so many of the unwritten rules of Malfoy behaviour that he suspected several generations of his paternal grandparents were writhing in their graves at this very moment. Well, fuck them, he decided sinking lower into the water. He felt just about the best he had ever felt in his short life right now, and the law of averages said that meant that something awful was just around the corner to cock it up, so he might just as well wallow while he could.

*********

Hermione�s morning was taking a very different course from the others�. She had woken before Draco and taken a quick shower to remove the lingering cosmetic potions applied by Lavender and Parvati the night before. As she dried her hair she decided it would probably be a good idea to spend the day back in Gryffindor; people would no doubt want to gossip about the event, and they felt a certain ownership of the Head Girl, being as she was one of theirs. They would expect her to be available to rehash every second in minute detail. The Slytherins no doubt expected the same of Draco; it had certainly been that way after the Halloween Ball.
It struck her forcibly as she left the bathroom and saw Draco sprawled across the bed just how surreal this whole thing actually was. She was the studious bookworm Hermione Granger, Gryffindor to the core, of no particular beauty, prim, scholarly and chaste. She should not be standing here in this position - how had it come to be that she of all people would be the one to know that Draco Malfoy slept like a starfish, hogging the whole bed, yet keeping her clamped close beside him under one arm so that she didn�t fall out despite only having the very edge to cling to?
How was it that she could now be walking over to him and waking him with a kiss before dancing out of reach of his quick seeker�s grip, and telling him that she was going down to breakfast which brought about a slew of half garbled complaints about it being Sunday, and lie-ins and quickies.
As she left the room laughing at him, it was the very first time that whatever they were doing felt like a real - dare she say relationship - that they were actually behaving as if they were a true couple. Boyfriend and girlfriend. It sounded so strange to phrase it that way, innocent somehow, when what they did together was anything but innocent! By that definition, she should have called Viktor or Ron a boyfriend, yet neither of them had seemed to come close to this - whatever it was, which she and Draco had achieved in two short weeks. She leant back against the study door marveling how upside down her life had become, but she couldn�t manage to worry over it, so she shrugged and headed for the Great Hall.
It was nearly 10.30, and when she arrived there were mostly just the 7^th years still eating breakfast, having been out so late the night before they, like herself had only just managed to drag themselves out of their dormitories.
She passed Anthony Goldstein in the doorway, and smiled brightly at him; to her consternation, he only nodded stiffly in reply - and that only after having subjected her to a thorough inspection from head to toe as if he was looking for something. She puzzled about this strange behaviour right up until she reached the Gryffindor table, where Harry and Ron�s cheers led her musings away from Tony�s odd demeanor.
�That was an excellent party,� Harry said immediately, �we had a really good time - ouch!� For Ginny had delivered a playful slap to his shoulder. �Well,� he amended, �as good as possible without Ginny being there.�
�Did you really?� Hermione asked, pleased, and smiled happily as Dean and Padma who were sitting further along the table with Parvati agreed loudly. �I�m glad, because it was very challenging - we really didn�t have any guidelines to go by. It only started last year, and it was here in the Great Hall then. So this was all very experimental.�
�We?� Ron asked in a puzzled voice. �Who�s we?�
�Ron!� Ginny exclaimed exasperatedly, taking the onus off Hermione to answer. �Who do you think - Ferret- face, of course. He is the Head Boy! I hope you made him do his share, Mione!� She added turning to catch the other girl�s eye with a wink that the boys couldn�t see.
�I did, Ginny. I made him do exactly what I told him.� Hermione replied brazenly, and Ginny goggled for a moment before she regained her equilibrium. Hermione felt quite reckless, speaking in such obvious double entendres in front of the boys. Luckily, Ginny was quick-witted and sly enough to return her volley with interest.
�I�m sure he hated every moment of that,� she replied with relish, and Harry and Ron, blissfully oblivious to any undertone in the girl�s conversation smiled broadly. Ron even patted her hand and said,
�Good for you, Mione. You keep on making the Ferret suffer. Give him one for all of us.� Hermione felt herself flushing at this and quickly changed the subject to draw attention away from herself.
�I can�t believe it�s going to be the Christmas holidays next week,� she said as she helped herself to some cereal and bacon. �It�s our last year and already the first term is nearly over. It�ll soon be time -�
�To start revising for NEWTS. We know, Mione,� Harry said with an exaggerated sigh.
She pouted at him. �Actually, I wasn�t going to say that. What I was going to say, is that it will soon be time to say goodbye to Hogwarts for ever! Do you remember when we all met in first year on the train and I was helping Neville find his toad? How young we all were then! Look how far we have all traveled since that day; I bet none of us could have ever imagined the things we have done, or that we�d have ended up where we are now.�
Harry and Ron looked forcibly struck by this speech, whereas Ginny grinned knowingly at her, seemingly unable to let another opportunity to tease her friend pass by. �Yes, who would have thought you would do the things you�ve done, and end up where you have, Hermione!� She agreed.
�Oh, don�t be silly, Gin,� Ron said irritably. �We all knew she was going to be the Head Girl by the end of 3^rd year.�
�If you say so, brother dear,� Ginny said cheekily, and Hermione scowled at her repressively, blushing slightly. Ginny decided to take pity on her. After a fashion. �So, Mione, are you still planning on going home for Christmas, or has anything changed your mind?� She asked.
Ron and Harry immediately took this question at face value and began asking if she was indeed wavering in her decision not to visit the Burrow or 12 Grimmauld Place over the Christmas holidays. Hermione allowed them to pester her with entreaties to join them while she finished her bacon and buttered some toast.
�I told you at the beginning of the year that my parents wanted me home for Christmas this year.� She said firmly. �It�s my last year at school, and they just want a big family Christmas with scads of relatives, because they rightly expect that by next year, I will be either too busy at university or working with the Order to take two whole weeks to spend with them. And I agree; this is the last true year of our �childhood�. When we leave school in June, we�ll be adults and in charge of our own futures. I think it�s quite reasonable of my parents to want me home this year, and I fully intend to go. Nothing has changed my mind on that,� she replied with a loaded glance at Ginny.
Ginny apparently decided to ease up on the teasing, and asked quite genuinely, �Will you be able to get away on NewYear�s eve, though? I think there will be some kind of party at Headquarters. Mum hinted about it in one of her letters, and by then you might have had all the relatives you can stand.�
Hermione smiled. �Yes, I don�t think that will be a problem. My folks usually go to a big party organized by the local Round Table on New Year anyway. My Dad is on the committee.� This meant absolutely nothing to the others at the table, even Harry, but as it implied her agreement, they didn�t pursue it.
�Guys,� Dean called from his position. �We should probably move - it�s getting close to lunch time now, and most of the younger years weren�t up as late as us last night. The - er - they probably want to clear up after breakfast before they start on lunch.�
Hermione managed a little snort as Dean stumbled over an effort not to mention the House Elves in her presence. All of Gryffindor had learnt the hard way that discretion was the better course around Hermione when mentioning the magical servants. Her stance on House Elves had relaxed slightly over the years, but she still wished they wanted more out of life than she had been finally forced to admit they actually did, and her friends were still understandably cautious to mention them around her.
�Are you coming back upstairs with us?� Harry asked. �Surely you can take today off studying; you�ve been very immersed in stuff the past few weeks. We�ve hardly seen you.�
�Yes,� Hermione said firmly, congratulating herself on her perception in recognizing that she needed to spend time with her friends before she became too swallowed up by this whatever it was that she had developed with Draco. She had never imagined it could be so hard to leave him sprawled half asleep and pouting about being abandoned, as she had found it this morning. It just reinforced to her that she needed to get a grip on her wayward emotions before she ended up in a real mess over him. �I am coming up - I thought I needed to unwind after all the organizing to make last night run smoothly. I am treating myself to a Mental Health Day.�
She linked her arms with Ron and Harry�s as they left the Great Hall, and she could almost, almost convince herself that everything was still the way it had been back in September, before she trampled on Ron�s heart and lost her own head over the enemy.
****************
Oh my God, how many ways do I apologize for the lateness of this chapter? It has been a month at least, and I doubt if I will ever be able to get back to weekly updates, as this year is turning out to be so much busier than last. So don�t think I have abandoned you if I am quiet for a while! I would like to finish this before book 6 comes out so that it doesn�t end up being totally AU, although I suppose with the Hermione/Draco pairing it�s already as far off canon as it�s possible to get.
Must also apologize that a certain question didn�t get answered. I think next time, although I want to find out what Tony is thinking right now, don�t you?
Also, this chapter is not edited as minutely as usual, as I know how late it is. Sorry.
3.12.05
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Pansy's Volcano