In The Arms of the Monster

Chapter Seventeen Wonderland

Hermione's point of View
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        "Draco you are coming with me. God it's only the Weasley's they're not going to attack and kill you." I say impatiently waiting for him. "I'll come over in a few minutes." I march inside our room and drag him out of it. "I was going to gel my hair." "Don't." I advise him and apparate to 'the Burrow.' Before we go inside Draco says, "If one of them makes a joke we're leaving." "They won't we just have to stay near Mrs. Weasley and then they can't say anything." Draco doesn't look convinced but he nods and knocks on the door. George answers and smiles at me, "You're here." I nod and step inside, "Come on Draco." I say. "Yes where is your boyfriend Hermione?" George asks with a wicked grin. "GINNY!" I shout. Ginny walks out smirking at me, "I am going to cut off all of your hair in the middle of the night and you are going to regret...." "Hermione." Draco says finally coming up beside me. "I didn't say anything, George is just being George." Ginny says. "Hermione, come on let's go," Draco says. "Hermione come on stay here for a while Ron's out." "Oh alright." I sigh. "Are you ready to eat?" "Sure." Draco says looking like he can't wait to get this day over with. I look over at him and he looks miserable, "We'll leave before lunch." I say quietly to him. He nods at me before Charlie, who's trying to be civil to Draco, starts a conversation. "Yes, I'm taking care of her." I hear Draco say before I hear Charlie offer up a game of Quidditch. All of the guys, and Ginny, agree quickly. No one asks me, I hate flying.  I walk out to watch them, Harry and Draco are on opposite teams, they're the seekers. I sigh, old rivalries die hard I suppose.
I sit and watch as Harry races Draco towards the ground in the first five minutes, seeing as the snitch had already been seen. Draco, for once, caught it. George and Bill and Ginny jumped around laughing at Harry, Bill, Percy and Charlie. They groaned, "The one time you catch the snitch it has to be against me?" Harry shouts, jokingly. "Because I'm the best remember." Harry laughs at Draco like they're old friends. Ginny walks over, "Did you?" She starts before George walks over to talk to me, "One round?" He pleads, "No." I say. "Ten dollars to whoever gets Hermione on a broom," I hear a voice shout from behind me. "Ron," I gasp turning around. Everyone stops talking and turns to him, Draco walks to me. "Let's go," he says. "No, this is my home just as much as it's his I'll ignore him." "Fine but I'm not promising his face will look like that when we leave." I nod fine with this idea. "No takers." Ron calls. "Fine, I'll keep the money and get her on one myself." "Draco, go get your broom." I whisper. He looks at me and walks to get it. He walks back, "Now get up on it when he dives towards me, knock him off and pick me up." Draco nods. As Ron dives towards me Draco leaps on his broom and knocks him down, he picks me up and I shove my head into his chest. "Weasley, you owe me ten dollars." Draco shouts. "Not a chance, you little liar, you told everyone you wouldn't do something she didn't want." That's when I found my courage, "Ron, you do realize I told him to pick me up, he might not have wanted to but he trusts me, and I trust him, now can't you be happy for me." What happens next almost makes me fall off the broom, "Yeah Ron, be happy for Hermione and for Draco too." Harry shouts. Tears brim in my eyes and Harry nods at me. Everyone shouts out similar things, all making sure to say Draco and not Malfoy. "Draco," I say, "Are you okay?" "I'm fine," he says, "They accept me. They accept me." I nod. "Weasley," he shouts, and six heads snap up, "No I mean Weasel." They nod, "Leave them alone, Harry, Ginny, Percy, Charlie, Bill, George they all accept me. Why can't you?" The rest of them hopped on their brooms and flew up to us. They surrounded us and gave us hugs. "Friends?" He asks them, "Friends." They say. I'm shocked by the overwhelming atmosphere and I grab Draco's hand, wave good-bye and apparate us home.
When we land I stumble to the floor.Draco says, "Come here, sit with me Hermione." I walk over and bury my face in his shirt. He kisses my forehead and I look at him, "How did we end up together?" I don't answer his rhetorical question as I lean in and kiss him on the lips, as the kiss escalates I know I want to stay right here in Draco's arms forever. This bubble we were in was our own bubble of wonderland and I didn't want it to pop.