Disclaimer: I own no part of the Harry Potter franchise, all rights, characters and ideas belong to J.K. Rowling and co. and I make no money off this fic.

AN: Dunno how far I'll take this. Eighth year, focusing on relationships, love rectangles, recovery and melodrama, as per usual. I hope you like this tidbit- your response will let me know if I should continue it.


"We can't keep doing this."

Her breath was loud in the small space, but her words were so quiet he wasn't sure he'd heard right at first. He stopped, his hands still about her waist, her hips frozen in their motion while her lips tickled his ear. While they drove him crazy.

"I'm sorry," he said, "I thought I heard you say-"

"You did," she interrupted him and sat back, her hazel eyes watching him seriously.

"Don't be so melodramatic Granger. Merlin."

She narrowed her eyes and swung one leg up and off and his hands slipped from her waist.

"Oh, what did I say this time?"

"The same thing you always say, Malfoy," she muttered, snatching her sweater from where it lay slung across the bottom half of his bed. He eyed her with mild contempt, one brow arched in superiority.

"Fine. Have it your way. Just having some fun anyway and to be honest, the minute it isn't fun anymore is the time to stop."

She paused in the act of pulling her sweater over that bushy head of hair and rolled her eyes at him.

"Don't pull that high and mighty act with me, Draco. You're such an ass. Like my feelings are so hurt by anything you have to say."

"Oh, clearly," he replied, "since you're no longer straddling a perfectly ready and able lap."

Her eyes strayed to said lap and she smirked at him.

"I wouldn't say that."

He flushed and threw his own discarded sweater at her. "Watch it, Granger."

"I thought I was," she said coyly and his eyes narrowed.

"You think you're so bloody clever-"

"I am so bloody clever," she replied and then pushed the bed curtains back and stood up, straightening her skirt and robes. "I'm so bloody clever that I'm-"

"Yes, a professor's assistant. How could I possibly forget that since you won't stop reminding everybody in the entire school?"

"Please, Draco. Stop being so…"

He sat up and glared outright. "So what, Granger? What am I being, pray do tell?"

She raised her brows in an expression that clearly said, far be it from me to touch that with a ten foot pole, and turned away, heading for the door.

"You're a bitch, Hermione," he called and she spun about, curtsying and smiling delightfully.

"I'm so glad you finally noticed, Draco, darling. See you next period." Then she blew him a kiss and did her best flounce out the door, slamming it shut behind her. Draco stared at the closed door moodily, then crossed his arms behind his head and flopped back against his pillows again, painfully aware that he'd just driven away a perfectly willing and relatively good-looking witch again- for the fourth time that week.

He wouldn't wonder what his problem was- he'd had a very stressful last year, after all- except that in all four cases it had been the same witch.

Hermione Granger, it seemed, was getting to be A Problem.


"Mm. A delicious little problem, though."

"A fucking spitfire problem."

"I'd like to get my hands on that problem-"

"No, you wouldn't, Nott," Draco growled. "And neither of you are helping much."

Blaise eyed him as he twirled his cigarette between his fingers and Theo sneered.

"Where you picked up such a filthy habit I'll never know," Theo muttered and Blaise smirked at him.

"You love it."

"You only think I love it."

"For god's sake, can we get back to me and stop fantasizing about each other?"

"Why, Draco, I didn't know you fantasized about us," Blaise murmured, leaning forward, one hand pressed over his heart. He spoiled the effect by taking a drag.

Theo sighed. "I don't know why I put up with him."

"Because you really do love him, you-"

"Don't start with the name calling, Draco, it's unbecoming," Theo interrupted and Blaise added his two cents.

"Yeah. If you're talking like that to her, it's no wonder she won't give you the time of day past a good dry humping."

"Don't be so crude. That's not how it is."

"Isn't it, though?" Theo remarked and Draco tried to muster a glare and failed miserably.

"Yeah, alright, it is. But it's just me, you know. Being my bloody charming, snarky-"

"Arrogant."

"Elitist."

"Purist."

"I'm not a bad person!" Draco protested and Blaise and Theo were silent for a few seconds while Draco dug a hand into his hair. "Ok, I used to be a bad person and old habits die hard. But I don't call her names unless provoked and trust me, she provokes me. I treat her well, I don't pretend like I'm doing her a favor by dating her-"

"Hold it, hold it," Blaise said, hunching over the table. "You're dating now?"

Draco looked uncomfortable. "Er," he said.

"That means no," Theo translated and Blaise gave him an irritated look.

"Yes, I speak Malfoy fluently, thank you, Theo, love."

"You're welcome," Theo replied merrily. Draco dragged his hands down his face.

"Can we please get back to me?"

"Fine. Moving on. So, you aren't dating," Blaise summed up.

"No. But I'd like to?"

"And you're having trouble sealing the deal," Theo filled in.

Draco glared at him, but nodded sullenly. Theo and Blaise glanced at one another, then back at him. Blaise stubbed his cigarette out.

"Look, mate. The first thing you need to do is stop coming to us every time something goes wrong. Clearly we know nothing about relationships with the opposite sex."

Draco snorted and Theo smirked. Blaise went on.

"Secondly, the more time you spend here, off campus, the less time you have on campus with her. Since she pretty much never leaves the school."

Draco sat back. "That actually makes sense," he offered and Theo smirked again.

"Really? Does it? Shocking, that. So, what's the plan, then?"

"Dunno," Draco admitted. "Wing it?"

"Sounds about your style," Blaise responded and reached for another cig.

"Will you stop bloody smoking those?" Theo griped and as he and Blaise got into it yet again- in a tiff that was sure to end in the privacy of their shared bedroom- Draco stood up, waved goodbye, and Flooed back to Hogwarts.


Hermione nestled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she juggled yet another stack of books and papers, trying to keep hold of them despite the wind. She was in the Owlery, the only spot on the entire grounds where one could get reception. She suspected there was a faulty connection in the spells negating Muggle technology, but she wasn't about to bring it up to anyone. Not when she'd finally got her friends to use cell phones as well, actually making the live zone worthwhile.

"And Ginny? How is she?" Ron was asking her now and she sighed and flipped through a few papers, marking big red Dreadfuls across the tops of nearly all of them. She finally marked a Poor instead and sighed with relief.

"Ginny? She's fine," she answered absentmindedly. "You know her. Always got her fingers in something."

"Yeah, that sounds like Gin. And…you? How are you, Hermione?"

Hermione paused and then set the papers down, settling back against the wall and holding the phone properly.

"Ron, that's the third time you've asked me that. What's going on?"

"Nothing! You just seem…distracted. I wonder if you're really alright. I know it must be weird, me and Harry not being there."

"We're already two months into the year, Ron," she said wryly. "If I was going to feel weird about it the time to check on me was weeks ago. But, as a matter of fact, I am not feeling weird about it. I'm perfectly fine. In fact, I don't believe I ever got as much work done as I have these two months, than when you two were here. So there."

"So you're glad we're not there?" Ron asked doubtfully and Hermione giggled and set the books aside entirely, drawing her knees up to her chest.

"That's not what I mean, although you probably deserve to think that at least for a little while," she cooed and Ron made a gurgling noise.

"Merlin, Hermione. You're so damned-"

"Loving? Kind? Charismatic?" she offered and he laughed.

"Saucy, I was gonna say, but those work too. So, will we see you this weekend?"

She frowned and ran a gloved hand over her hair, idly checking for owl droppings. Nope, still clean. Her wand work was holding up beautifully, as usual.

"Actually, I have to monitor the trip to Hogsmeade this go round. But you could meet me there if you wanted." She hesitated, then said, "I'm sure Ginny would love to see Harry if he wants to come, too."

"Yeah, I dunno if that's a good idea. He'd like to see you, though, I'm pretty sure. Hang on." She heard him muffle the call against his hand and then a distant, "Oi! Harry! Want to go to Hogsmeade this weekend, see Hermione?" filtered through. She didn't hear Harry's response and a second later Ron was back on.

"Let me work on him," he said. "He'll come, he's just being a-"

"If you call me a big girl's blouse again I really won't come," Hermione heard Harry warn Ron in the background and she giggled again.

"Alright, Ron. Talk to you later, then. Let me know what you decide."

"Will do. Love you."

"Love you too," she said as sweetly as possible and then hung up.

She stared at the phone thoughtfully for a minute before putting it away, then reached for the books and papers once more. To her distaste she could see an owl had mistaken the top paper for toilet roll and she sighed and started to wave her wand at it before she thought better of it. That particular paper had been one of the most abysmal, after all. Owl dropping seemed to describer her opinion of it far better than a bit of red ink ever could.

With a chilly smirk, she left the droppings just where they were, spelling away the smell, at least, then gathered all her things and carefully started from the Owlery.


Ron eyed Harry for a minute before he shrugged, tossed the phone onto the sofa and wandered into the kitchen. Harry looked after him, his gaze darting from the phone to the open doorway. Then he followed Ron, sliding past the couch and deftly pocketing the phone as he passed. He paused in the doorway and watched Ron bustle about with the tea kettle.

"Making a cuppa?"

"Yeah. Want one?" Ron responded, not turning around. He reached up and grabbed a box of biscuits from the open cupboard. The small door gently banged shut and Harry tried not to jump, he really did. Ron sighed and turned around to stare at Harry.

"Come on, mate, you're never going make it through training that way."

"I can't help it!" Harry complained and took a seat at the bar. "It's not like you don't suffer from it too-"

"Harry, everyone we know has PTSD. We've all been to Mungo's, Ginny even sees a Muggle counselor once a month thanks to Hermione's suggestion. And I know, I know none of us went through exactly what you did. But really, I don't see that it's gotten any better. Do you?"

It would be better if Hermione were around, Harry thought, but he stared glumly at the countertop and avoided Ron's gaze.

"No," he muttered finally and Ron nodded and turned back to the tea.

"There you are. I hate to say it, mate, but I agree with Hermione on this- I think you should've gone back for Eighth Year."

"Like being back at Hogwarts would help," Harry replied with venom and Ron shrugged.

"I'm just saying, Harry, that it's a good, peaceful place again. They really cleaned the place out over the summer- I've been to visit Hermione a couple of times-"

He missed the way Harry shuddered at mention of that and went on.

"- and it's really nice. Totally normal again. Besides, it's not as if-"

"If I wanted to go back to Hogwarts I would've, ok, Ron? Stop asking!" Harry exploded and Ron looked back at him, frowning.

"Alright. Alright, Harry, I'm sorry. I'll leave it alone, then. Until you're ready to talk about it."

"I'm never going to be ready to talk about it," Harry said softly and leaned over the bar, resting his head on his arms.

Ron was quiet for a few seconds and then began pouring out the tea and dumping biscuits on a plate. He set the things down before Harry and sat down opposite him. Harry picked up a biscuit and nibbled at it forlornly. Ron shoved a whole one in his mouth and washed it down with some tea, then spoke.

"Does this mean Hogsmeade this weekend is out?"


AN: Sooo...tell me what you think... :D