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A Forbidden Fruit	By : lorettcopeland Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 8910 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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-One
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 1
- 2
Title: A Forbidden Fruit

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Draco Malfoy / Hermione Granger

Disclaimer: I do not own any JKR / Harry Potter characters � she is the lucky, lucky woman, however
Draco certainly owns a piece of my heart.

Summary: It was funny to think that even Fate, fickle a mistress that she may be, had chosen two people so unequivocally divided and diametrically opposing in every way, to be together. But she had. And it only took them one apple, two snails, one Samhain tradition and thirteen years in between to realize it. A tale of love, Draco and Hermione style. Written For: Mia Fitzpatrick in the Three Keys Fic Exchange Halloween Treat 2006.

One

All Hallow�s Eve, 1995

The cold air in the waning October night hung heavy, making it hard to breathe, yet the young women seated in the clearing in the orchard, amid the neat rows of apple trees, seemed to take no notice. They were huddled around a small fire burning brightly, the firelight that danced and licked against the black sky turned their faces an unnatural orange and their eyes alternated between glowing eerily and turning to black, hollow holes, depending upon the way the light struck them. The cloaked figures would have appeared frightening except for their animated movements and hushed giggles.

If anyone had stumbled across the teens at this moment, they would have never guessed the girls were taking this chance to be out tonight at great personal jeopardy. If caught, they would surly be expelled or perhaps worse. But it was an acceptable risk on this most blessed of holidays, for these particular girls had been gathering faithfully since their first Halloween at Hogwarts, some four and five years ago, sneaking off into the night to share in the festivities of Samhain.

�Everyone, let�s get started, shall we?� The girl, whose voice rose slightly above the rest, lowered the hood of her cloak allowing her wild curls to tumble free. Hermione Granger gave a look around the circle, and with a murmur of ascent from all, she reached into the depths of her robes and pulled out a small sack, the others immediately following suit. She turned eyes to her companions and said quietly, �Tonight we gather to celebrate the end of Beltaine and the beginning of Samhain.� Hermione opened her sack and pulled out a small candle and leaned forward lighting it and reciting, �To honor my departed family, I bring forth the light to guide their way.� She placed the candle down in front of her and then removed a small stone from her sack and with her wand tip touching it, whispered words quietly and a spark jolted the air. She drew the stone close and smiled, satisfied to see her initials engraved neatly on it and then tossed it into the fire. She reached into the sack again, this time pulling out a small piece of parchment neatly rolled and tied with string and tossed it into the flames, reciting solemnly, �I present my personal mark to the Fates, hoping for good fortune in this new year to be bestowed upon me, and discard my weaknesses upon your altar of flames in hopes of gaining strength and power in their stead.� Hermione sat back and each girl in the circle repeated the rituals.

When everyone of the gathered had completed their offerings Ginny Weasley spoke up, �Now, let�s get to the good stuff!�

Lavender Brown sighed dramatically, �It�s about time. Really, Hermione, I know these quaint customs are old habit, but honestly, we just want to get down to business!� The others nodded and grinned knowingly.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She could care less about this part of their celebration, but it was tradition. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ginny spoke first. �And don�t bother trying to wriggle out this year either, Hermione, because it�s not happening. You�re partaking and that is final.�

Hermione hesitated and glanced around the group at her friends. Their faces were set. Apparently there was no getting out of it. She finally agreed reluctantly, �Fine.�

They wasted not one more moment. Parvati clapped her hands together excitedly. �Excellent! Who goes first?� She was anxious to start and looked around hopefully. Her sister, Padma nudged her angrily stating that she had gone first last year, this year it was her turn.

When the two could not decide, the group turned to Hermione for an answer.

Why did everyone always seem to look to Hermione for answers, she thought grumpily and glanced at the night sky. It was a glorious star-lit night; the air was razor sharp, but crystal clear and the full moon sat low in the east.

By the position of the moon, Hermione could tell that midnight would be fast approaching, so there was no more time for squabbling. If they were going to do this, they had to get down to it. She stood and took up her sack again, transforming it into a basket and went to one of the near apple trees and with a flick of her wand the basket was full. She walked formally around the circle, handing each an apple and noted with wry amusement how eagerness lit up their faces. Hermione thought it funny how obsessed these girls were with this part of the ceremony. She personally liked the idea of commemorating the end of one season and the beginning of a new one. She thought it fitting to pay tribute to dearly departed loved ones and reasoned it certainly couldn�t hurt to ask for luck from the Fates either. And she really enjoyed the physical act of writing out your weaknesses onto a piece of paper and casting it into the flames to burn away those problems. The symbolism was refreshing and cathartic. But Hermione was more of a practical sort when you really boiled it all down.

She believed that fate, luck, providence, whatever you wanted to call it: was shaped ultimately, by your own hand. So the idea of casting your dalliances into the hands of Chance and asking for some kind of hint or divine intervention from the gods, in that area was just sheer ridiculousness.

So, why then was she doing her very best to ignore the niggling pit of dread that had attached itself firmly to the depth of her belly? If this was all just hooey, why was she so damned nervous?

Hermione sat down again between Ginny and Lavender and handed a small knife to Lavender. �You first this year,� she declared and sighed impatiently when Padma huffed angrily. �Oh for heaven�s sakes, Padma, you and Parvati have alternated going first each and every year that we�ve done this, it�s someone else�s turn this time round.� And with that the Lavender began peeling her apple.

Hermione had not chosen Lavender to go first just out of the goodness of her heart. She hoped that by the time they got round to Ginny it would be midnight, typically the unofficial end of their gathering, as the effects of their rituals were nullified once the hour passed, thereby releasing Hermione from her unwanted obligation. Hermione had not paid one bit of attention to the other girl�s squeals of delight or gasps of shock as they took turns going around the circle. She was just biding her time and already thinking of some homework that needed to be done as soon as she returned to the Tower.

But homework was quickly forgotten as she stared at Ginny�s proffered hand and the small knife in it as that telltale unease rose within her once more.

�Come on, Mione. It�s your turn. Don�t think we didn�t know you were trying to get out of it, we�d already decided earlier tonight we were staying until you had your turn.� Hermione�s eyes narrowed as she snatched the blade out of Ginny�s hand and glared at her. �It�s all in good fun, Hermione. No need to get your knickers up in a twist.�

�I don�t consider this fun, Ginny. And my knickers are nobody�s business.�

Ginny snorted and there was a great deal of eye rolling all around before Ginny finally nudged Hermione and declared, �It is fun. And that is the problem.�

�What is the problem?�

�That your knickers are nobody�s business. You want someone in your knickers eventually, don�t you?�

Hermione huffed indignantly, �That is-�

�Yeah, I know, none of our business. But, tonight your complaining isn�t going to do a damned bit of good. You�re doing it.� She pointed imperiously at the apple. �Start cutting.�

Hermione sighed sullenly and ignored the way her hands trembled as she cut the peel of the apple in a perfect, single long strip and mumbled at Ginny�s insistence, �I pare this apple round and round again, my sweetheart�s name to flourish on the plain.�* She set the apple aside and glanced at the small group of grinning girls.

�Go on, toss it over your shoulder, Hermione,� Lavender encouraged.

�Don�t forget to say the chant first!� Parvati cautioned, �And say it right!�

Hermione gazed darkly at Parvati, held back her groan of apprehension, tilting her chin defiantly and said, �I fling the unbroken paring o�er my head, my sweetheart�s letter on the ground to read,�* and threw the apple peeling over her shoulder.

She didn�t want to even dignify the act by turning around and looking, but Ginny, who was the first to reach behind Hermione and see what the toss revealed, made a face and glanced at her with such a dubious expression that curiosity got the better of her. She turned slowly, suddenly fearful, yet hopeful, that the letter the peel had revealed was an �R.�

When she glanced down, it was through a veil of varying shades of brown, black and blonde. The girls had all rushed upon her to see the answer too and Hermione had to push all manner of hair aside to finally get a glance at the letter of her �intended�s name. Hermione frowned, that could not be what she thought it was. She decided it was dark and that was why she couldn�t see properly. Yes, that was undoubtedly it.

Hermione pulled out her wand and muttered, �Lumos,� pointing the lit tip upon the ground. Her frown deepened into a scowl. Nothing changed. That letter was most definitely not an �R.�

She hated these stupid, pointless, frivolous traditions.

Hermione made to reach for the peel with every intention of tossing it into the flames, but four pairs of hands shot out and stopped her.

�Don�t touch it, Hermione!� Parvati squealed. �You�re not supposed to pick it up until we extinguish the flames! You know that.�

�My word, Hermione,� Lavender groaned, �You�d think after all the times we�ve done this you would know that by now.� She turned back to the peel and her brow creased. She looked up at Hermione surprised, �I didn�t know you liked Dean Thomas.�

Hermione�s mouth dropped open.

�You like Dean Thomas?� Parvati parroted. She glanced at Ginny for a moment and then shrugged, �I thought you fancied Ron.�

Padma sighed, �Have you forgotten already, Par? She fancies Viktor!�

Hermione turned scarlet. She was working her jaw, opening and closing it, but there didn�t seem to be words enough to describe how her love life or lack there of, was so not open for discussion.

Lavender pointed at the apple peel and shot her arm out to stop Hermione from trying to reach it again and shook her head, �No, Pad, it�s not a �V�.�

�So?� Padma said.

�So,� Lavender replied, �That means Krum is out�and Dean is in.� She looked at Hermione and smiled dreamily. �I like it. They will work together.� She turned back to Parvati, �Par knows, I�m very gifted in Divination. Aren�t I, Par?�

Parvati nodded in agreement, her eyes wide as she looked at Hermione. �You and Dean. My, I never would have guessed that.�

Hermione groaned exasperated, �Neither would I.�

�Really?� Parvati said, �Well, then maybe it�s that Ravenclaw boy. What�s his name, Damon?�

Padma shook her head. �No, it�s not him. He's in my house, I know for sure, he fancies boys.�

�That can just be a passing phase,� Lavender cut it. �But, I really think it�s Dean. However,� she paused dramatically, �I see you working out with Donald from Hufflepuff too. He has a wonderful aura, light, uplifting hues; they compliment all those dark, unsettling colors that always seem to be around you. �

Hermione�s mouth dropped open and she rolled her eyes. �Oh, please.�

Lavender�s shoulders stiffened instantly, �It�s not my fault that your aura is all shadowy and doom and gloom, Hermione. Besides, it might do you good to be with someone nice.�

�Someone nice?,� Hermione�s eyes narrowed, �Are you implying that I�m not nice, Lavender?�

Lavender�s eyes widened fractionally, then slid to Parvati for just a heartbeat before she replied airily, �No, of course not!� She made a big show of hugging Hermione tightly and fussing over her before chiding gently, �All I�m saying is that you shouldn�t demean the blending of auras, Hermione. You clearly have no inner eye for these things, like I do.�

Parvati nodded uneasily and added right on Lavender�s heels, �That�s right, Hermione. A person�s aura is very important. And I think Donald�s is pleasant and besides he�s cute!� She changed the subject quickly, �And he�s tall. You like tall boys.�

Hermione took a moment before nodding curtly. She decided she wouldn�t get upset over this frivolity; there was just no point. By tomorrow they will have totally forgotten that the letter on the ground, that she desperately wished to stomp on until it was mush, was not an �R.� She doubted she would though. Frivolous or not, Hermione was crushed.

Moreover, she could care less about anyone�s aura and she really never noticed fancying tall boys particularly more than other boys. She fancied Ron. He just happened to be tall. But, there was one other boy whose image had flashed across the back of her mind for just a split second. And that boy happened to be tall too, but she would rather not start thinking about him, his long legs or any other of his appendages, long or otherwise, at this moment.

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up at the thought and a surge of anger washed over her at her traitorous mind. Ron, Hermione. Think of Ron! Right. Ron�Sweet, wonderful, loveable Ron! Who were these silly girls anyway, to decide that she and Ron didn�t belong together? How dare they try to suggest that she was going to end up with Dean Thomas or anyone else for that matter?

Hermione�s eyes, against her will, fell to the peel lying at her feet mocking her, like some kind of sick cosmic joke with a letter about as far away from �R� as you could get.

She knew she shouldn�t have partaken in that asinine ritual.

The girls were still fixated on her various love interests, but Lavender was certain it was Dean. �It�s Dean Thomas. I�m sure,� she said.

Ginny had been curiously silent, watching Hermione with a carefully blank face. She turned to the others and announced, �It�s not Dean.�

�Oh, Ginny, how do you know?� Lavender protested.

�I know, because Hermione doesn�t fancy Dean.�

The girls glanced at Hermione who looked irritated and cold, she was shivering just a bit. At Ginny�s raised eyebrows she confirmed in a sour voice, enunciating her words slowly, �I do not fancy Dean Thomas.�

As if that was some grand revelation.

�Well, what do you know anyway, Hermione? This isn�t about a great love today! It�s about the big picture, long term. It�s about,� Lavender�s arm arched around to emphasize her point,
�destiny.�

Hermione scowled. �I know, Lavender, that I do not fancy Dean Thomas. And no amount of time is going to change that. And,� Hermione added stubbornly, �we make our own destiny. Only silly school girls would believe otherwise.�

They all looked at her for one moment then turned and continued on with their conversation as if she�d never spoken. Hermione groaned and turned to Ginny, �That,� she whispered heatedly, pointing at the girls, their heads bent together in conspiratorial glee, � is why I will never play this stupid game again. They�re like ravenous dogs with a bone. Honestly, it�s not like Fate plucked our very future out from a basket of apples!�

Ginny raised her eyebrows and shook her head. �Don�t belittle Fate, Hermione. You never know what she�ll choose to use or when she�ll choose to show you a glimpse of your future. But, I do see your point where the they are concerned,� Ginny tossed her chin at the girls, �They are a bit, ah, enthusiastic.�

Hermione snorted, folded her arms and turned away from Ginny muttering, �It�s preposterous, I tell you! Utterly absurd. You�ll not catch me believing that the rind of an apple can foretell my one true love.�

�Just like you didn�t believe in magic, before you knew it to be real?�

Hermione�s eyes narrowed, �That is totally different. This is folklore, it�s silly legend�it�s -�

�Not real? A myth?� Ginny cocked her head in challenge.

�No,� Hermione snapped arrogantly, �You can see magic�s manifestations, you can see evidence of its reality, feel it in the very air around you. Feel its power coursing through your veins. But fate, what is that? It�s an intangible. It�s conjectural. You can�t see destiny at work, Ginny. Not like you can waive a wand and produce magic. It�s not the same thing.�

�I suppose,� Ginny said softly, �I suppose��

The others had been arguing about the many merits of Dean when Padma suddenly started laughing and gasped delighted in her revelation, �Oh! I know who we forgot! Of course, he�s the obvious choice. Why didn�t I think of him before!�

�Who is it?� Lavender looked so excited that Hermione wanted to strangle her.

�What other �D� named boy have we left out?� Padma asked; her mischievous grin made Hermione�s stomach plummet.

After a few rattled out names of boys that none of the girls considered feasible soul mates for Hermione, Padma could hold it in no longer and burst out, �Why it�s Draco, of course!�

Hermione�s heart stopped.

There was a short pause, and then the girls burst into stifled fits of laughter and sarcastic agreement. All but one. Ginny was looking closely at Hermione, her eyes boring into the older girl�s. Hermione�s own eyes got very wide, then narrowed dangerously at Ginny. They spent what seemed like an indefinable amount of seconds glaring at each other while their friends chuckled on obliviously. Hermione finally turned away from Ginny�s piercing gaze, no longer able to look at her and lifted her wand at the flames saying coolly, �Efflo� and the fire extinguished. She then busied herself by cleaning up the area, telling everyone it was almost midnight and it was time to finish the ceremony, cutting off their buoyant giggling.

They spent a moment in silence to honor the departed, retrieved their stones from the ashes of the fire and began making their way quietly back toward the Castle. Everyone was shivering now, even the warming charms were no longer sufficient to sustain them as the night continued to grow colder by increasing degrees. The apple orchard flanked the greenhouses on the southeast side of the school. It was the farthest point out on the east side of the grounds before you hit the Forbidden Forest, which made it an excellent clandestine meeting place. Conversely, it was a bit of a walk to the Castle, so they had to be cautious heading back.

They decided it was best to split up, so the three, Lavender, Parvati and Padma set out first, ahead of Ginny and Hermione. They were still grinning and arguing glibly about Dean. Evidently Draco had been quickly forgotten.

When the others had gone, Hermione turned wordlessly back to the ashes and made sure they were cool. Once satisfied that they were, she immediately began searching the ground, looking for what, Ginny had no idea. She just stood silently watching Hermione walk around muttering under her breath, and wondering what in the hell she was doing. The older girl had just accio�d something into her hand and made her way back to the now spent fire. She was grumbling about the Goddesses supposedly using apples as a source of �wisdom,� yet they were clearly out of their minds.

Ginny quirked an eyebrow, but remained silent. She knew it was not a good idea to disturb Hermione once she was in this kind of a mood. Best to just let her get whatever it was she wanted to do off her chest. Hermione was very quick to calm down after she had worked off steam, so Ginny wasn�t overly concerned.

Hermione had moved away the logs with her wand and was bent over the exposed ashes. It looked like she was�Ginny�s resolution to remain quiet dissolved when she thought she saw something move in Hermione�s hand. �What have you got there, Hermione?� Ginny peered over her shoulder,
�Are those-�

Hermione nodded standing up abruptly, inadvertently stepping in Ginny�s way and forcing her to take a step back. She replied impatiently, �Yes, they are, Ginny.� She pointed a finger down and ordered, �Well, get to it. Show me. Show me, little ones,� and looked on as two snails moved silently amid the ashes from the fire.

�Hermione, why are ��

�It�s an obscure folklore practiced only on the night of Samhain. Stumbled across it quite by accident. I figure if they,� she jerked her hand in the directions the girls had departed, �can demand Destiny share her secrets with us through one harebrained tale, then I can too.� Hermione interrupted, cutting Ginny off before she could finish speaking. Hermione didn�t seem to notice what she�d done and continued on without pause. �I was looking for a specific volume on the mating rituals of mystical mammals. It�s actually a fascinating topic, especially in how it relates to various love potions and the ah, fluids, that are sometimes required from them and how they�re used to dilute the overall effect and potency of the different types of brews. I wanted some extra credit and thought that would do nicely. Not that Professor Snape ever says he appreciates when you submit extra curricular papers for his class, you know. But, I still feel it�s necessary. Oh! There is this one creature, rather large and -�

�The snails, Hermione�.� Ginny sighed. Hermione was getting that glazed look in her eyes, the one she always got just before she dropped into deathly boring professor mode. Best to nip that in the bud.

Hermione paused, �Yes right, the snails. Well, I found the custom in 1001 Mystical Ways To Meet Your Soul Mate. I found an odd reference to snails in the mystical mammals book and naturally had to research it further.� At Ginny�s puzzled expression she explained, �Snails are in the mollusk family, they are not mammals.� Ginny just tilted her chin at Hermione, clearly not impressed. �Anyway,� Hermione continued, �the practice dictates that you set a snail amid the ashes of your hearth on Samhain and it is supposed to spell out the initials of your betrothed. I found two and figured they could do this twice as fast and get me the answer I want.�

Ginny looked bemused. �Fascinating. And that answer would be?�

Hermione frowned. �How can you even ask a question like that?�

The redhead shrugged, �What? You don�t want to be in love with Dean Thomas?� Hermione only huffed in reply to her sardonic quip. Then Ginny�s eyes narrowed calculatingly. �Or maybe you do want Malfoy?� Ginny was amused at the play of emotions across Hermione�s face. In one blink it changed from mildly irritated to nervous and almost guilty looking, and then changed again to downright angry.

Hermione took a few calming breaths before she spoke, and her tone was anything but pleasant. �I � How � What in God�s name makes you think that he would want me?� Hermione felt her face heat up. �He can�t stand to be in the same room with someone like me. He thinks I�m scum. Nothing but dirty blood. Not worth his while. He doesn�t even care if I live or die. Can you imagine how that makes me feel?� Hermione�s eyes grew cold as she fixed them on Ginny. �No matter what I do, I will never measure up to whatever ridiculous ideal he has. He hates me, Ginny. He hates everything I stand for. How could I ever be with anyone like that?�

Ginny opened her mouth to say that the question was not what he felt about her, but how she felt about him. Instead she only nodded slowly and remained silent.

Ginny learned more in that one statement from what Hermione didn�t say than everything she did.

Ginny supposed by now, it would also do no good to point out the fact that snails would not be any more perceptive at fingering her future suitors than an apple peel. But why state the obvious when clearly Hermione needed some kind of hope.

Though Ginny wasn�t sure what it is that Hermione really wanted confirmed.

Hermione and Ginny fell silent again and continued studying the small creatures until they moved away from the pit; their spiraled shells swaying slightly as they slid silently back into the darkness. Apparently their grand revelation was complete.

Hermione walked forward nervously, casting her lit wand down at the ground. It took a moment before she reacted, taking an unsteady step back, her hand flying to her mouth, stifling a gasp. Ginny�s eyebrows shot up, and before she could say a word, Hermione turned tail and ran from the clearing.

Ginny�s mouth dropped open and her head snapped in the direction Hermione had run off. �Hermione!" she hissed angrily taking a few steps after her. �Hermione!� she called out again, louder this time. Nothing. Ginny stomped a foot in frustration and growled, �Barmy. The girl is absolutely barmy; I�ve said it for years. If she gets us caught just because of a couple of snails��

That damned Umbridge was looking for any excuse to get rid of as many Gryffindors as she possibly could. Lord only knew what she�d do if she got her hands on one of Harry�s best friends. Ginny knew she had to go after her, and fast.

Her lips pursed angrily, she turned her head and looked back at the fire pit and back again in the direction Hermione had run. There was no decision really; Hermione was just going to have to fend for herself for another couple of minutes. She marched back to the pit and bent down, muttering Lumos, and turned her wand on the ashes.

Ginny made a sound at the back of her throat, blinked, straightened up and shook her head incredulously. She stood there staring down at the ground mutely for a moment before catching her breath and snapping around abruptly, her wand flying up defensively, pointed into the darkness.

Ginny�s heart was pounding in her chest, and she was breathing so fast, it was hard to hear over her own ragged breaths. But she could. And she did.

Ginny had heard something�and it was in the exact opposite direction Hermione had run.

She backed away slowly, dimming her wand and waiting until she was sure that no one was there, before heading off to find Hermione.

It wasn�t until several minutes later that a shadowy figure emerged from out of the darkness�

__________________

*The apple peeling ritual is an actual ritual performed on the night of Samhain. I retrieved the phrase and traditions of both the apple peeling and snails rummaing around in the ashes from the glorious Wikipedia section on Samhain and Samhain traditions.

*Efflo - Latin - it means to extinguish.

I don't know WHY I didn't post this earlier....just kinda forget. Anyway, you know the drill - Authors adore reviews! I'm an author...you're the reviewer..so, go do that voodoo, you do, so well!

PS: I'd like to take a moment to say hello *waves* to all you newbies or old veteran ff readers, who may not have read any of my other fics before. Hi! If you've not and you liked what you read thus far, may I invite you to mosey on over to my author page and start reading! I currently have two other fics running: DM/HG - IT HAD TO BE YOU and a DM/OC - THE THREE KEYS. You may have heard of one or both...or, perhaps you havn't. In which case, I welcome you on over to read and hopefully enjoy!

*loves*

L

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A Forbidden Fruit