I'm in the middle of a web conference right now. The meeting leader has used the phrase "fire hose of information" and then talked about legos for 4 minutes. I have no idea what's going on right now, so I'm posting a chapter.


Chapter 7

"So, I'm curious to know what the deal is with you and Malfoy," Harry casually asked as they strolled through Diagon Alley together. It had been a week since they ran into each other in the pub, but they managed to talk often.

Hermione shrugged and kicked a pebble. "There's no deal," she replied. "We're friends." Who kiss and sleep together. "Besides, there are more important things to think about now than boyfriends."

"Such as defining what you and Malfoy are?" he wondered.

Laughing, he slapped his arm. "Stop that," she chastised. "Draco's just been good to me. I know he's not your favorite person in the world, and I know you were upset that I went to Australia with only him, but something good has come out of it. He doesn't sneer at me, or call me a mudblood. We talk, he makes me laugh. We're comfortable together. Things between us are good. Let's not complicate things."

Harry let it go for the time being, and changed the subject. "Molly's been asking when we'll see you," he informed her as they entered the newly rebuilt ice cream shop. "You're all she's talked about since the paper reported you were home. The thing is, I don't think she knows about you and Ron. You, me, Ginny, we all know that it's over, but I don't think Ron believes that it is."

Hermione groaned as she sat down with a cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream. It had been Ron's idea to end their relationship. Despite years of friendship, they didn't work as a couple. They would go days without speaking, and it seemed not to bother either one of them. The final straw had been when she refused to allow him to accompany her to Australia.

"I'll talk to him," she agreed, dreading the conversation. "I, however, will not take responsibility when his head explodes after finding out that Draco and I are friends."

Harry laughed. "It's a good thing Molly's good with cleaning charms," he added.

"Do you think he'll really be mad?" Hermione wondered.

Any sense of humor was gone. Harry stared at his pumpkin ice cream, as if it could provide him with answers. "I think...it's Ron," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "Sometimes it's hard to stop him from losing his cool. Plus, there's so many years of bad blood between the Weasleys and Malfoys. Ron's probably not going to be okay with this."

She knew he was right, but also knew that she couldn't avoid Ron forever. "Is Sunday dinner alright?" she asked.

Harry nodded, but looked uneasy. "Maybe leave Malfoy behind," he advised, glancing out the window as Draco approached the shop. "Did he place a tracking charm on you or something? I didn't think he'd be around today."

Hermione looked away guiltily. "It was his idea," she explained. "I told him we were spending the afternoon together, and Draco mentioned that you didn't seem so bad the other night. I think he's finally ready to make amends with you. Please just hear him out. For me?"

She pouted, causing Harry to laugh. "Fine, I'll give him a chance," he replied as Draco joined them. Draco smiled as he sat down beside Hermione, and took her hand beneath the table. "Get you anything?"

Draco shook his head. "Um, no, I'm fine," he replied. "I, uh, well, I guess I want to say that I'm sorry. There's no excuse for being the git I was, though I'd love to blame my father for it. So, I'm sorry, Potter."

Harry smirked and extended his arm, holding out his hand to Draco. He accepted it and the two former enemies shook hands. "Just don't steal my best friend," Harry requested. "I still need her too."

"I make no promises," Draco replied. "But I'll make an effort to share."

"Can you stay?" Hermione asked the blond beside her. "You can finish my ice cream if you do."

Across from them, Harry laughed loudly. "Stick with her, and you'll be buying new pants very soon," he told Draco before turning to Hermione. "Why do you insist on feeding everyone?"

Hermione shrugged and pushed away her cup. "I don't know. It's what my mum always did," he mumbled. "I didn't realize I did it."

Draco gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and Harry apologized. "I could talk to her," Harry offered. "Maybe I could explain what we were doing. Honestly, I don't even understand why she came back."

Though she appreciated his effort, Hermione declined. "No amount of explanation can make what I did better," she said sadly. "She's not exactly thrilled that I've risked my life so many times to help you. I'd rather not give her another reason to be angry with me. She came back because this is her home. My being there is just an inconvenient add-on."

Harry nodded and checked his watch. "I have to go. I promised George I'd give him a hand at the shop this afternoon," he explained. "We'll see you tomorrow though?"

Hermione promised to be there, and waited for Harry to leave before speaking. "I promised to go to dinner at the Weasleys' tomorrow night," she told Draco. "I, um, I wish I could invite you."

"It's fine," he assured her. "I'm probably still their least favorite person. I'd hate to make things uncomfortable for you. Why don't you come over after dinner? You can meet Adrian, and we can spend some time together."

She agreed, though she was hesitant to meet Adrian Pucey. The last time they had seen each other was her second year, and he had laughed at Draco's frequent use of "mudblood". But Draco had changed. It had been years since he had last uttered that dreadful word. Perhaps Adrian had grown up as well.

After Draco finished her ice cream, the left the shop and went their separate ways. Hermione returned to muggle London and her mother's house. It was quiet and empty, and she wondered where her mother had gone. But she welcomed the privacy. For days, she had awoken feeling ill, and feared the worst. Hidden away in her purse was a pregnancy test, and shaking fingers removed it from the bag. After carefully reading the instructions, she took the test, and endured the wait.

Five minutes was all it took to change Hermione Granger's life.