Ron stretched out in the bright blinding sunlight as they left the school and headed out into the grounds. The trio of sixth years had just been released from the great hall where they had spent the last three hours fighting with a written exam on potions. But now the exams were over and as they made their way to the lake they were looking forward to a week of R and R before the holidays began.
"Finally we're done with exams." Harry said as closing his eyes to the sun and almost tumbling down the steps.
Ron nodded and tried not to snigger at his best friend. "That last one was a killer."
"Really? I didn't think so." Hermione laughed and received the expected effect; the eyes of her best friends rolled in her direction. Then she almost fell down the steps herself as Draco Malfoy and his cronies pushed past her. Subtly he passed her a note as he pushed past her and gave her a barely discernable wink. She hid her smile and followed Harry and Ron out to the lake.
As they sat down under their favourite tree Hermione noticed that Draco had settled quite nearby. He sent her a private smile and made faces at her for a little while.
"Can you believe we're done with sixth year? The year's flown by." Hermione said turning her attention back to her friends and concealing her smirk.
"I know. Seems like yesterday we were saving you from that troll." Harry teased. Hermione rolled her eyes at Draco who sniggered. As Harry and Ron started discussing the holidays Hermione seized the opportunity and read Draco's note.
Tiger,
Tyger burning bright
In the forests of the night
Midnight
Dragon
She looked up at Draco and nodded, before turning back to her friends.
"Fine then," Ron was saying. "Go back to your aunt and uncles for a week, and then come back to the Burrow. It'll be no fun without you there. The twins are coming back and they've promised us a sampling of their newest merchandise and they said to make sure you were there for at least most of the summer."
"Fine, I'll do that." Harry smirked at Hermione. "What about you 'Mione?"
"She's coming strait back to the Burrow with us, like she always does." Ron said before Hermione had a chance to answer.
"Not this time, boys. I won't see you until the last week I'm afraid. My parents are taking me on a tour of New Zealand this summer. Something about making up lost time." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Draco snigger and send her a very amused look. Covering her mouth from Harry and Ron she stuck her tongue out at Draco who cracked up laughing.
"That sucks. Who's going to nag us this summer about every little thing we do?" Harry said smirking.
"I'll fill Ginny in on the drill. I'm sure she'll more than suffice." Hermione rolled her eyes and Draco chuckled again.
At midnight that night a tiger slipped noiselessly out of the front doors and padded across the dark dewy grass. It made a dark shadow in the light of the full moon which bathed the grounds in a crisp white light. A dark shape passed overhead and disappeared into the forbidden forest. The tiger almost smiled as it gathered speed and followed the shape into the dark shadow of the forest.
Skidding to a silent halt in a clearing near the edge of the forest the boy looked up as Hermione stood up.
"Do you have any idea how hard it was to sneak out tonight?" she told him.
"Gryffindor party underway then? Celebrating the end of the exams?" he replied coolly.
"And Slytherin isn't?"
"Oh they were. But I don't think the writhing bodies will notice if mine isn't one of them."
"I'm sure they won't." Hermione smirked and went to sit beside him on the fallen tree.
"I don't think I like what you're implying."
"Moi? Innocent little moi?" she gave him a dose of puppy-dog eyes batting her eyelids.
"Don't give me that. You're not half as innocent as your friends think you are."
"You would know wouldn't you? Only you know the dark side of Hermione Granger."
"I'm flattered."
"It's all your fault, I'm like that. Thanks to your influence and friendship I very nearly got sorted into Slytherin."
"I wish you had been." Draco reached over and took her hand.
"Sometimes I do too. But I don't think I'm evil enough to be in Slytherin. Also if I was then we probably wouldn't have our spies in the enemy camp."
Draco dropped her hand. "I think we have to come clean soon. Dad says Voldemort will attack Hogwarts next year. Calls it the Battle for Hogwarts."
"I think we should go to Dumbledore and tell him. He can help us decide what to tell Harry."
They sat quietly for a moment.
"Your mum wrote to me this week and pointed out some new spots for us to visit this summer. She suggested we check them out. She's still trying to get us together."
"The woman never learns, does she?" Draco laughed and Hermione joined him. "But I don't think we could manage it. Friendship's hard enough to keep secret."
"A romantic entanglement wouldn't be that difficult to conceal. If Lavender and Parvati can do it I see no problem with us doing the same."
"Lavender and Parvati?"
"Began in fourth year after the Yule Ball. Apparently Harry was so awful to Parvati because he ignored her completely she decided she'd had enough of men forever. Padma chose the same course but she has had several different partners."
"But for us, what about love? Being unable to keep eyes and hands off each other. Aching for the others touch every minute of the day. I think it would be nearly impossible to hide love, especially for us."
"There is such a thing as self-control, you know." Hermione smirked and failed to notice Draco's hurt look.
Draco paused before he spoke again. "Tiger, can I ask you something? If we didn't have to hide it, would you go out with me?"
"Oh dear, Dragon. That kind of question could open all sorts of doors that I don't think we want opened."
"Just answer the question."
"Yes, I would." In the dark Hermione misread his triumphant expression. "Stop smirking at me, Dragon."
"I can't help it. To be honest I thought you'd say no and then say that you'd rather go out with Harry or Ron."
"I would never go out with either of them. Ron is, quite frankly, a complete idiot and Harry annoys me too much with that hero-complex thing he has. You're different from them. You just get me. I think it's because we've been friends for so long. Besides, you already know everything there is to know about me and it hasn't made you run a mile."
"How could it?"
"I have nothing to hide from you." Hermione went on. "We've already done stuff that most couples do or wouldn't do for matters of hygiene. I honestly think that the secrecy issue is practically the only reason we haven't started going out with each other."
"As usual you're probably right. Oh, by the way…New Zealand?"
"I'm running out of countries. New Zealand's far enough away to excuse late letters home and our summer is their winter so I could see them at the end of the summer without a tan and they won't question it. And this way we get the whole summer to ourselves."
"I'm not complaining. At least we don't have to sneak around at home."
"Well we do from your Slytherin friends when they come to visit. And if Pansy Parkinson even so much as tries to do what she did last summer I will seriously hex her into next year."
Draco laughed. "She wasn't that bad."
"Oh yes she was. The girl's got as much subtlety as an orang-utan on the north pole!"