It was Harry and Co.'s seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Well, eighth year really. The students had been given the opportunity to retake their seventh year after the events of the war. All of them had agreed.
Hogwarts had been reconstructed and was exactly how it had been before the battle, with the exception of a few extra rooms in each of the dormitories to house the eighth years. And that wasn't all that had changed.
Inter-house unity was now a big part of life at Hogwarts. Although the four houses still existed and students were still placed into one by the Sorting Hat, there was no longer any animosity between them.
Hufflepuff was no longer deemed to be the house of cast-offs. Students of other houses finally began to see them for what they really were, very strange but extremely helpful and friendly.
Ravenclaw students weren't just considered to be a bunch of smart-arses. They still liked to suck up to the teachers though.
Slytherin's were no longer seen as a gang of evil, bullying Death Eaters. However, they were still as sly and pulled the best pranks.
And Gryffindor was…well the same old Gryffindor. Students always getting up to things they shouldn't and always getting away with it.
All the houses got along as if they had never had any ill feeling between them. Dumbledore would have been proud of them all.
And it got stranger still. Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter were now firm friends. Of course, Ron Weasley still didn't trust Draco as far as he could throw him, but Harry had somehow convinced him to be civil. On the odd occasion, Ron had surprised everyone by being unbelievingly friendly to him, even helping him pull a few light humoured pranks on an unsuspecting Harry.
Hermione Granger on the other hand, tried to avoid him at all costs. It wasn't that she hated him. In fact, it was the complete opposite. She had fallen head-over-heels in love with the Slytherin Prince.
Needless to say, she had denied it at first. She blamed it on the excessive amount of alcohol she had consumed that night. The night she, and a large group of students had played Spin the Bottle in the Hufflepuff common room.
At that point, she had still hated Draco immensely. He still called her a know-it-all and she still referred to him as 'ferret'. However, that had all changed after the game.
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FLASHBACK
The rebuilding of the castle had finally been completed. Professor McGonagall had even levitated the last brick in place herself.
Students from all houses were now celebrating in the Great Hall. It seemed as though the rebuilding of Hogwarts had brought the houses together. All students had leant a helping hand.
After the celebratory feast, the party moved to the common rooms. The best party however, was taking place in the Hufflepuff common room. Though this was largely due to the fact it was nearest to the kitchen. After all, the best parties needed midnight snacks and alcohol, which came courtesy of Kreacher and Winky.
The party was in full swing. Many of the students were tipsy but no one was as drunk as Hermione, well maybe Seamus and Neville, but it was to be expected as the party had started with a drinking game.
It had begun as a very saucy game of 'I Have Never' but Lavender soon realised that there was a lot Hermione hadn't done and so it had turned into a game of 'I Have', which meant if you hadn't, you had to drink. The result was a very incoherent Hermione, a dancing Neville and a randy Seamus. Though how Seamus got so drunk was anyone's guess. There was nothing that boy hadn't tried.
The group was now playing Spin the Bottle. Hermione had already kissed Ernie, Dean, Neville and even Seamus, who had to be dragged off her by a furious Ron. It was at that point that Draco, Pansy, Goyle, Blaise and Millicent decided to join the party.
Hermione waved to Pansy and then the smile on her face disappeared when she caught sight of Draco.
"Oh great! It's the ferret!" Hermione whispered to herself a little too loudly, catching the attention of Draco.
"Oh great! A drunk know-it-all!" he replied with a smirk. Hermione rolled her eyes. This was a big mistake, as she immediately felt dizzy.
"Merlin, you look worse than usual! Exactly how many have you had to drink?"
"Who are you calling Merlin?" she said in a squeaky tone, "And what's it to you how much I've had?"
"Relax Granger, I just don't want you coming on to me!" he grinned.
"You wish you…you…arrogant dragon you!" she shouted whilst pointing a shaking finger at him. It wasn't shaking through anger. She was trying to focus on him but she kept seeing multiple versions of him. She started to wonder herself how much she had drunk.
"Now, now children!" Pansy laughed, "You guys need to turn those frowns upside down!"
Draco and Hermione stared at Pansy for a moment before turning back to each other with puzzled expressions.
"Did she take a curse to the head during the war by any chance?" Hermione asked Draco who burst into laughter. Hermione was shocked. Not once had he ever laughed at anything she had said. Little did she know he was only laughing because that was exactly what had happened to Pansy.
"Why don't we get back to the game," Pansy said through clenched teeth, "You just missed Seamus snogging Neville!"
Seamus was now teaching Luna how to do an Irish Jig. Pansy shook her head.
"Exactly how many has he had?" she asked to no one in particular.
"Malfoy, it's your turn to spin the bottle," Dean called to him.
A number of girls who had been sat in the corner talking hastily joined the circle on the floor. When everyone was seated, he spun the bottle. As luck would have it, it landed on himself.
"What do I do now?" he asked.
"You don't kiss anyone. The person on your left goes instead," Harry, informed him. At Draco's sad expression he continued, "Look Malfoy, if it makes you feel better, you can kiss yourself. We know you love your reflection."
Everyone burst out laughing as Draco smiled and kissed the back of his hand.
"Well I am a very handsome man. Who wouldn't want to kiss me?" Draco laughed. Hermione snorted. However, most of the girls sighed with desire, as if looking at a Greek God.
It just so happened that Hermione was sitting on Draco's left which meant it was her turn to spin the bottle. And who could have guessed it would land on the blond haired wizard to her right.
"No way!" they both shouted, along with a bright red Ron.
"Errrr…yes way!" Lavender smiled, "And Ron, you are supposed to be going out with me!"
"Sorry. It's just…she's like my little sister!" he replied.
"Ron, I'm your sister but you didn't pull Seamus off me!" stated Ginny. Ron glared at her.
"Not helping Ginny!" he said in a very low voice.
"Oh…come on already. Just kiss will you," Pansy said impatiently before smiling seductively at Blaise, "I want a go."
"Fine! Let's get this over and done with," said Draco, turning to Hermione.
"Fine!" was her only reply.
Draco rested one hand on the floor to support himself as he leaned in towards her. Hermione closed her eyes, as his face became a blur. Unsure of where to rest his other hand, as his hands would normally be all over the lucky girls' body, he placed it on her cheek just as he was centimetres away from her lips. She wasn't expecting this and she gasped just as Draco's lips met her own. Draco was equally as shocked that she had parted her lips. He slipped his tongue into her mouth, thinking she had given him permission.
Hermione was so surprised at how tender his kiss was that she forgot to push him away. Instead she brought her hands up to wrap around his neck as he dropped his own to her hips and pulled her onto his lap. Their kiss became more desperate and was only broken when they heard someone clear their throat through the silence.
"Wow!" Hannah Abbott exclaimed before a chorus of girls started screaming 'my turn' in unison.
Hermione quickly climbed off Draco's lap as they stared at each other in shock. Both waiting for the other to speak.
"What was I saying before?" Draco asked a confused Hermione, "Something about you coming on to me."
He smiled as Hermione's expression turned to anger.
"How dare you!" she shouted, "It's a game. Like I would have kissed you otherwise. You must be joking!"
"Whatever you say Granger," his face now expressionless, "Just don't go making a habit of it."
Hermione was about to retort when she realised something had caught Draco's attention. She followed his gaze to see Goyle and Millicent snogging the faces off of each other. They seemed as if they were thoroughly enjoying it and no amount of throat clearing would be able to break their kiss. Though Hermione was hoping, someone would pull them apart.
"Who would have thought it?" she heard Draco say.
"I know. That is so disgusting!" she replied with her gaze still on the pair of Slytherins.
"That's not what I was talking about." Draco said softly. Hermione turned to see his grey eyes staring intently at her lips before rising to meet her own hazel orbs.
"I…I…think…" she stuttered before her face turned a shade of white that could compete with Draco's own, "I'm going to be sick."
Then she ran from the common room leaving Draco's ego slightly deflated.
END FLASHBACK
DMHGDMHGDMHGDMHGDMHGDMHG
"Please tell me you're not thinking of him again!" Pansy said sitting on the edge of Hermione's bed. Hermione sighed as Pansy continued, "Look you're going to a Valentines Ball with Viktor Krum, the greatest seeker ever. Forget about Draco. He doesn't like you that way. Krum however, is crazy about you."
"You mean he's just crazy," Hermione said laughing, "All he does is watch me talk. There's no passion. I think he only likes me for my brains. I reckon he thinks I'll rub off on him you know, make him appear smarter. He is so boring. And he can't kiss to save his life."
"Well then, put on your best dress and go and show Draco what you're made of!"
"No way! I am not making a fool of myself. I'm already slightly tipsy and we haven't even reached the Ball yet. You have to keep me away from Draco. And while you're at it can you please keep Krum away from me."
"Gladly!" Pansy shrieked in joy. Hermione rolled her eyes. It was going to be a very interesting night.