Tango * dramione

Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Work and Play

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When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we see

No I won't be afraid

No I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me"

"Stand By Me"
Performed by Florence + The Machine
Originally by
Ben E. King

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Where is that woman's logic?!" Hermione seethed, kicking up dirt at the edge of Molly Weasley's garden, hands thrown up into the air and expression frightening. She was doing everything she could to keep herself from uprooting Molly's rutabagas in a fit of frustration. Leaning on the edge of the fence, safely on the other side of it, were Ron, George, Draco, and Harry. Only Ginny dared venture into the garden to keep Hermione from destroying Molly's garden, patting her on the back every few moments as the reality of the situation sunk in.

"That's...that's a low blow," George commented, more sober than any of them could remember.

"I can't believe Malfoy's mum would stoop so far," muttered Harry.

"Really, Harry?" Ron shot his friend a questionable look. "This is Malfoy's family we're talking about." He ignored the scathing glare from Draco as he continued, "Say we do lose - just say we do. Astoria would never go for it. She doesn't want to marry a sod like Malfoy anymore."

"I'm right here, Weasley..."

"I know." Ron smirked. "But you know it's true."

"Try telling that to my mother," grumbled Draco. "No, on second thought, don't. She'll just as well curse you as look at you. In her opinion, you and Hermione are nothing more than distractions to Astoria and I."

"Distractions?" Ron squinted, thinking it over. "It's the most flattering insult I've ever been called."

"You'd know," chided Draco. "You have a long list of insults to compare it to."

"You two bickering isn't helping!" Hermione snapped, turning on her heels to face them as she swatted Ginny's hand away for the umpteenth time. "There's really only one thing to do."

"Tuck our heads between our arse cheeks and kiss our careers goodbye?" George smirked woefully.

"Alright, I see where this is going," said Draco, rolling his eyes, and in his best Hermione-ish voice continued, "We pick ourselves up by our bootstraps, pluck up, use that Gryffindor spirit and we win! All we have to do is believe in ourselves! Or some nonsense like that - am I right?"

Hermione bit her lower lip to hold back an impressed laugh. "I was going to say we kick that woman's bum to kingdom come."

"I love it when you talk that way."

"Ugh. Get a room, you two," Harry rolled his eyes, earning him a heavy swat on the shoulder from Ginny. "Ow!"

"Draco's right - or I'm right. However you want to spin it - we can't give up now. We've faced Voldemort and won." Hermione ignored the way Ron flinched at the name. "We can do this. We just have to put our heads together."

"Urgh. Work." Ron huffed. "Is there some sort of montage spell out there that can speed up time so we don't have to go through it all?"

"Don't be silly, Ronald. Hard work is best." Feeling far from confident, Hermione squared her shoulders and nodded to the group. "Right. Let's get to it."