"This is all your bloody fault, Malfoy."
When an accidental spell throws Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy back in time to the Marauder's era, they are forced to work together to save everyone from a potentially fatal time mishap.
But one run-in...
He asked me! And I said yes!" Lily narrated the story to a few very excited girls, all squealing like maniacs. She high fived a fifth year who squealed once again and started to talk in a very high pitched voice.
Hermione shook her head when the girls finally dispersed, probably to spread the gossip.
"Are they going to publish it in your newspaper?" Hermione joked, walking down the hallway.
"We don't have one," Lily said, seriously. "Did you?"
"Uh - " Hermione furiously thought of everything she had read about America. "Um, student-operated ones, yes."
Lily seemed to find this acceptable.
"What made you accept? After seventy..... er, seven times?" Hermione asked after a while of walking in silence.
"Uh, just got tired of saying no, I suppose." Lily's whole face turned darker until it matched her hair.
"Lily," Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"Fine!" Lily huffed like a child. "I've, well, liked him for some time, but I had to pretend like I didn't, because he was rude to Snape! And, well, it would be weird to suddenly just be nice to him after Snape - oh, I suppose you don't know - well, something happened, and he wasn't my friend anymore. Well, you know what I mean!"
Hermione really didn't, but she shrugged and continued to walk. A few seconds later, Lily seemed to have forgotten about the entire awkward conversation.
"Let's go to Hogsmeade!"
oOo
Hermione looked around in confusion at all of the shops. It hadn't changed much over the years, but right now it was much more lively and cheerful than Hermione had ever seen. She supposed the war's climax had changed everyone and everything for good.
After a tour of Hogsmeade, Lily whipped Hermione inside to buy dresses.
It was not cheap.
At least Dumbledore had given her a lot of money. She had been hesitant at first, not wanting, well, charity. But then she was reminded that a man who defeated Gridelwald and was one of the most famous people on Earth probably would have a lot of money.
After that, she was okay with taking his money.
Malfoy was mostly groaning because he didn't like to feel poor. Hermione laughed out loud. Bloody Malfoys and their bloody pride and money.
"What?" Lily asked, looking up from a rack of red dresses. "What are you thinking about?"
"M - Draco." Hermione said, her tone half-amused, half-annoyed.
Lily raised an eyebrow.
"I meant..." she cleared her throat. "Draco." Her voice was dreamier, and it shocked her how easily his name rolled off her lips.
Maybe I'm just getting really into the role of pretending to be Draco's girlfriend. It wasn't weird.
I'm just an amazing actress.
"I should go on Broadway," Hermione voiced her thoughts out loud, smiling at Lily's expression.
"Unless you can sing... no," Lily laughed, taking out a dress.
After two and a half hours of trudging though aisles and rushing to the dressing room, Lily found a dress that matched her hair perfectly, and accented her eyes a bit as well.
Well - that's what Lily said. Hermione was pretty sure it was just a nice, red dress.
"Its beautiful, Lily. James is going to drop dead when he sees you." Hermione smiled at her, then felt a little sick about the death joke.
"He'd better not. That would ruin the ball!" Lily laughed, and Hermione found it hard to laugh with her.
For Hermione, it wasn't too easy to get a dress.
They would find dresses that looked pretty, but they were either too short, too long, or something. She felt embarrassed after the Yule Ball in her year, and didn't want to dress up too much. Then again, she had decided on purple, so at least she had a starting point.
Finally, finally, she found a dress. It was purple, like she promised Draco with minimal decorations and a flare-y kind of skirt. Hermione had torn it a little while she was trying it on, but with a quick spell, it would be good as new.
"Yes! You've got to buy it!" Lily declared, holding it up. "I mean, after we repair that tear."
"Okay, okay!" Hermione laughed. They went up front to pay for the dresses, Hermione wincing a little at the cost. She would hate to ask Dumbledore for more money.
"So, what's with the on and off relationship between you and Draco?" Lily asked, smirking a little at Hermione's expression as they walked out of the shop with their new purchases.
"Well, it's weird." Hermione tried to be vague. She had no idea what to say.
Suddenly she caught sight of the person of their conversation. He was with the Marauders, coming out of a bright pink shop.
"Oi, Moony!" Sirius cried. "You wound me so! How dare you threaten to go with Pam just to leave me alone!"
"I wouldn't actually have gone with Pam," Remus laughed. Then he quickly sobered up. "Just because - well, I dislike her. Hate her, actually. Little - she sucks. Not because of anything else."
Draco caught sight of Lily and Hermione, and glanced at the Marauders, who were watching him. He looked back at her and smiled so widely it looked like it hurt. Indeed, he winced and stopped smiling after a second, but the Marauders had stopped watching them.
Hermione forced back a smile just as wide at him.
Did he genuinely think they were... friendly?
Or was he just doing this to get out of the situation faster?
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Awww.
Also, 2.4K reads? You guys are just so amazing 😭 Thank you!
