"You ok?" Harry asked, nudging Hermione's shoulder as he joined her at the railing. They had finally made it onto the boat and were sailing across the surprisingly calm channel of water that separated Britain and the continent.
Hermione looked up at him and grinned. "Perfect," she said, relaxing into his side. Harry wrapped his free arm around her shoulder and placed a chaste kiss to her forehead.
"I'm really glad we decided to do this," he murmured into her hair. She nodded against his chest and peeked up at him.
"Me too."
They stood in silence for a few moments, swaying gently with the rock of the boat and Hermione took the chance to glance around her. Children all around them shrieked with joy and parents hurried after them. Other young couples stared wistfully across the water too, though they were wrapped up in each other much more intimately than Harry and Hermione. Her eyes eventually fell on Draco and Theo, the pair of them seated across the deck, laughing and joking with each other. Hermione's lips tugged into a smile at the sight of them looking so carefree and happy. God knew they deserved it, they all did after the hellish six weeks they'd just endured with exams and nagging parents. Harry followed her gaze and nudged her.
"Malfoy really isn't that bad you know," Harry said. Hermione groaned and rolled her eyes before turning her head back to watch the sea. Harry laughed.
"Why are you so insistent on-"
"I think you'd make a good couple," he interrupted, shrugging like it was the most obvious thing. Hermione swallowed in an effort to rid herself of the dryness in her mouth.
They did make a good couple. There was no thinking about it. They were both stubborn as mules and fierce in their love for their friends and family and loyal to a fault. More loyal to each other than either of them had ever thought possible. Hermione thought of all the times they'd lay in her bed together, just studying or watching tv or amusing Crookshanks. Of all the times she'd fought with him and he'd never once lashed out, only waited for her to calm down before he pulled her into his lap and soothed her frayed nerves.
She closed her eyes and murmured a barely audible "maybe."
"Really Potter," Draco sneered, and Hermione rolled her eyes, "this is the hostel you chose?"
"What?" Harry asked, rounding on his friends who were all crammed together in the doorway watching him. "It's not that bad."
Hermione winced and flicked her eyes in Theo's direction to see him rubbing a hand down his face in exasperation too, just as she felt Draco inhale sharply beside her.
"Not that bad?" He asked, his tone deadlier than any of the cockroaches Hermione could see scuttling back to their hideaways now that the bright, flickering lights of the room had been switched on. "There's a myriad of critters crawling around in here Potter, and that's just the ones we can see."
"You're being a drama queen Malfoy," Hermione murmured, moving from between her boyfriend and his best friend further into the room they had for the night.
"There are bunk beds Granger," he sneered. "Bunk beds."
Theo sighed and moved into the room, clapping Draco's shoulder as he did. "It's for one night. It won't kill you. Plus you slept in a tent last night Draco. Outside. With a lot worse things than a few cockroaches scurrying about."
Draco's eyes flicked in Hermione direction and she felt her face flush remembering just how closely they'd slept together last night. Draco huffed but finally moved into the room too, slamming the door closed behind him.
"Not a chance Potter," he mumbled when Harry made to join Theo on the bottom bunk. "There's enough things in this room that go bump in the night. You and Theo won't be joining them."
"Jealous Malfoy?" Harry asked, but Draco only raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"Of Nott's pale arse Potter? No. Not at all. You are welcome to have at it," he drawled, "I've seen it plenty enough to know it doesn't do anything for me."
Hermione snorted and settled herself on the bunk across from a glowering Harry and a smirking Theo, Draco swinging himself onto the one above her as Harry and Theo shared a chaste kiss before Harry swung himself up too.
They said good night and settled under the thin blankets of their bunks after Theo had jumped up and switched the light off. It only took a few minutes for both Theo and Harry's quiet snores to drift across the space in the room before Draco was dropping his arm over the bed, angling his hand for Hermione to lift her arm and rest her own in it.
"Night Granger," Draco murmured tiredly, rubbing circles with the pad of his thumb across her knuckles. Hermione smiled and lifted herself up to place a gentle kiss against the inside of his wrist.
"Night Draco."