My Little Assumption

*Disclaimer: This story is a piece of Harry Potter fanfiction, which is owned by J.K. Rowling and her associates. This story is simply based on the wonderful wizarding world that she created.

A smile spread across my wrinkled face as an intimate moment between two seventh year students just began. Smiles such as this had been foreign on my creased and wrinkled face for a number of years, but this moment- with this feeling of complete wholeness that I knew very well those two lovers were feeling- it just came naturally to me. I could not believe that they had made it as far as they had and were still completely able to enjoy everything that their love contained. I was truly ecstatic.

I always knew that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger would find each other when no one ever believed that they would have the heart and eyes to even notice the other’s true intentions. I could see it in their eyes, you see. I sensed the feeling that they did not want to hate each other. No, those two never wanted a hateful relationship. They were both just hungry souls with the smarts and brains to know that they had to stay away from each other. They knew that nothing could ever happen between them without a scene.

And early on, when they were in their younger years, they never really thought about each other in that way. They did not fancy each other or anything of that extraordinary nature. They were your normal, everyday, Hogwarts house rivals and everyone was content with that sort of compromise. Fellow students and staff members never believed that things would change between the two. But I always knew.

I remember a time when I let my own thoughts slip around Minerva McGonagall, a close friend of mine who always knew how to carry on a conversation. I was sitting in the Great Hall, surveying the many students who flooded the four long tables, while thoughtfully eating my own dinner. I was studying the students’ actions, picking up on a few random conversations that were much too loud, when a few fifth year students caught my twinkling eyes. Now I don’t know what exactly Draco was saying to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, but what I do know is that some mumble escaped from my lips and I was soon wrapped up in a remark by my dear friend.

“Whatever in the name of Merlin are you speaking of, Albus,” Minerva had questioned me after my declaration of how two students were meant for each other. Her tone was serious, matching the solemn expression on her aged face.

“Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger,” I replied, lowering my voice to a soft whisper. “They will find love, I foresee.”

At that moment, Minerva knocked over her heavy goblet of pumpkin juice. She cleaned the mess up quickly, though, before anyone but she and I noticed, but a blush was sprinkled onto her pale, but now incredibly silly expression. The comment obviously surprised her.

“Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger?” She laughed lightly, her chest and neck rattling up and down several times. “What makes you believe such a thing would ever happen! Have you not realized the image that they already have planted of each other? That will only grow into a more hateful direction than it is already in; not the other way around!”

I looked down at my nearly empty bowl of tomato soup and half eaten buttered toast and sighed. “They will find a way to work around that, I assure you.”

“Whatever you say, Albus,” She responded sincerely. “I just hope that you realize the oddity of the direction that you have set your mind in.”

You see, nobody ever entrusted any of their own faith in my simple opinion. And so, after that day, I made extra sure to keep my own beliefs to myself. I did not want to embarrass myself for a second time, now did I? Embarrassment attacks everyone in different ways.

But I had a plan. Well, not really a plan- just a little idea that I hoped would sort of push the sensitive Slytherin and bookworm Gryffindor together. Pairing them up for every little Prefect duty and every class project was all that a man of my stature could really do for them. Oh, I had power- the most of anyone in the entire school, as you know- but I had trust in my mind and thought that if I could just sort of push the two together, the rest would work out as fate allowed it to.

And it did. It took a year or so, I must admit, but eventually I was confronted by Draco and I had never been so happy for another soul in my entire life until that very moment. That conversation sticks out in my mind as if I witnessed it just yesterday. But I guess that the main reason why could be because I happen to go back to that moment in time through my pensive only to relive the situation time and time again. I am a strange old man- with an underlying reason, of course.

Young Mr. Malfoy had some exciting news for me that day. He had come to talk to me many times before that one memorable day to console in me, and so I was not surprised that he came once again. But his attitude was different. He was nervous I daresay. He seemed out of character and alarmed.

“Err...Professor?” He had greeted me quietly after I had welcomed him to take a seat in the chair across from my dark-wooded desk.

“Yes,” I questioned.

“I ummm…I need some advice. I am confused about something.” He kept fiddling with his large hands, avoiding my intent stare. Now, I do not necessarily blame him; my eyes do tend to frighten a few people to the point where they cannot look me in the eyes. But his reasoning was much different. He was actually embarrassed about what he was going to say next.

I urged him to continue on with his dilemma nonverbally.

“Well, there is this girl and well…I have been spending a lot of time with her and everything. I just am having trouble sorting out what I think of her.”

“Can I have a name, Draco,” I asked as a snicker throttled in my throat. “A name of this girl would help me offer you my opinions.”

“Oh, right. Her name is…errr…Hermione Granger.” His face turned a deep scarlet as the meaningful words left his mouth.

“Goodness, son! Are you serious?” I had exclaimed. I was joyous, you see, questioning the truth and honesty of his last words.

“Yeah, I am,” He spoke softly after my outburst. “I just do not know what to think and what to feel and how to sort out everything.

“Well, there really is no reason for you to be confused, now is there?” I advised. Draco tried to speak up, but my voice interrupted his. “She is smart and strong-hearted, creative and confident; I see no problem with your so-called dilemma.”

“But Professor? You seem to be missing the biggest issue here. We are from different worlds, different social standings; different lives!” Draco argued, obviously desperate for me to laugh at him and inform him that a man of his status should not absorb themselves with others of anything lower. But I was not about to change his mind after I had waited years for a talk such as this.

“No, Mr. Malfoy, you seem to believe that there is an issue when in fact, there happens to be none. The two of you must be in the same world if you can come in contact day after day. I see the difference of your social standings as a bland cover up for those who fear that others they dislike can actually exceed them. They mean nothing to me, and if you think hard about it, they should mean nothing to you. And you two may have grown up not knowing that the other does exist, but now that you have both made it here for schooling and have both called this your second home for so long, your lives are no longer different. You may have different thoughts and different dreams, but you two, as well as everyone else, has mingled and combined so much that a life without the other would be changed more than you realize.”

Draco was quiet for a few minutes, seeming to think over my guiding words without a trace of difficulty. Sure his face was twisted into a questionable form, but the little smile on his lips that appeared and vanished as the seconds ticked by offered me the assumption that he was not confused at all.

“But even though social classes mean nothing to you and me, they mean much to others. What is there to do about them?” Draco had pondered in a whispered tone.

“Smile. Flash a smile in others’ directions when you notice them whispering in hushed tones moments after they looked your way. Show her around with the proudest of grins on your face. Do not care what other people think of the fact that the two of you fell in love with each other. You are confident and happy due to the relationship and that should be all that matters to you.”

I could tell that he wanted more advice because of the watery expression plastered on his young face.

“It may be hard, son, but you have to learn to let go of other people’s judgment. You were taught to be conscious of that sort of thing when you were younger, but you must learn to turn away from that now that you are older. It is the only way that you will be able to have such a relationship with Miss Granger work out in your favor.”

“Thank you,” Draco commented sincerely before exiting my office the same way that he had entered.

My advice seemed to have done him some good. Although I was sort of anxious about Hermione’s opinion of Draco because I had never discussed the topic with her, my worries were eliminated two months later. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger’s relationship became public in December of that year.

Still smiling widely at the scene of the two lovers whom I had suspected would prevail from the start of their years at my school; I felt a pang of warmth. The feeling was unique- most definitely not the same sense of heat that I felt while secretly watching my favorite couple display their love. After it advanced, a realization of its source came to my mind.

I had spread advice naturally through my many years. As a child and as an adult I have let my unedifying wisdom carry on through others. But only once before had I offered so much of myself and what made me who I was into giving someone else all that they wished for in life. Only once before had I become so involved in a relationship that I knew it would be an entire lifetime before I tore myself out.