A/N- I had to finish off Christmas and that was harder than I thought it would be. Gifts always stump me. Also, I needed to flesh out some personal relationships between Hermione and George and then Ginny and Harry. And some jealousy from Draco. Just a little though. Next chapter should be a New Year's Eve party.

Happy Reading!

Daphne Greengrass had not expected to have Christmas with the Granger and Malfoy families; though that was perhaps poor foresight on her part. Her parents were still angry with her and unwilling to bend in their demands of her. When she'd told Harry she would just spend Christmas alone he'd invited her to the Granger home. Daphne felt it was impolite to refuse her new boyfriend's invitation.

At first the lunches between them were friendly. Then Harry had awkwardly asked her to dinner and their relationship had shifted. She'd certainly never expected to end up dating Harry Potter of all people. But somehow Daphne was. She had been cautious at first. She did not trust easily but Harry was persistent. That was interesting. And there was no denying that Harry wasn't sweet.

She almost wondered if he was putting on airs, bringing her flowers, buying her favorite chocolates just because…if she was dating Draco, she'd not even blink at the little tokens of affection. Draco was very much like his father and Daphne had seen Lucius doing such things for Narcissa her whole life. For Draco to do it would be natural.

But Harry didn't seem to be that type. He could be quite dense, especially when it came to women from what she knew of his previous relationships. So it was only natural for Daphne to be a bit suspicious. She'd certainly seen the papers the previous summer about Harry and Ron going out and being surrounded by witches. It seemed to be the opposite of the way he was treating Daphne.

Finally before their third date she'd asked Harry about it. Harry had blushed, looking very embarrassed, as he explained that he'd let his fame and freedom get to his head a bit the previous summer and he wanted to make things better with Hermione who he'd treated poorly; and he was very attracted to Daphne and didn't want her to think he was that same immature idiot from the previous summer. It was cute, to be honest. That night when he'd taken her back to her flat she'd kissed him and pulled him into her flat with her, much to his surprise.

Harry had quite obviously been inexperienced, which pleased Daphne because she was too and she did not want a playboy for her boyfriend. Since that first night Harry had stayed over at her place a few times and she was becoming rather attached to him. Although she still didn't know what had happened with Ginny Weasley. Asking Harry about it seemed inappropriate to Daphne; but she did wonder.

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After dinner Hermione got Harry alone, "Okay Harry, what are you doing with Daphne?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, confused.

"Draco has told me much of his childhood. She and Pansy feature heavily in it. He is very, very protective of them. So I want to know what you're doing with Daphne. Is it serious? Is it revenge toward Ginny? Because I don't want to have to restrain Draco if you do something to hurt her. He will go after you."

Harry's mouth opened and closed, surprised by her questions. He took a breath, "Hermione I wouldn't use Daphne like that. I really like her. She's…well she's not impressed by my name or reputation. As for Ginny, well, it sounds crazy but no. It's not revenge toward her or anything like that. Ron's letter about her seeing Zabini was honestly a bit of a relief. It meant I wasn't…" Harry went quiet and Hermione tilted her head at him, waiting for him to continue.

Seeing her unsure what he was going to say next Harry finished, "It meant I wasn't stuck with her. That sounds horrible, I know. But Ginny is…not a very nice person. She's too scheming and manipulative for my taste. I don't need or want all that drama. Daphne is…nice. She's smart and kind and I really, really like her Hermione. I'm not going to hurt her."

"Good," Hermione smiled. "Slytherins make good partners, don't they," she teased him.

Harry grinned, "Yeah, you were right. As always. I still don't really get why Malfoy. I mean, Daphne's stories about him don't line up with what I know of him and obviously he's not a total arse if he's dating you but I still picture that prat from school."

"Funny," Hermione said as she moved to the doorway, "he said the same thing about you and Ron when he asked me why I'm friends with you." With that she was gone, and Harry instantly got her point. He'd only ever seen one side of Malfoy. A side that, by all accounts of those who knew the blonde better, was a cover for who he really was. Harry and Ron hadn't exactly been at their best when around Draco. Harry had certainly been at his worst when he'd nearly killed the blonde. If Malfoy was willing to set aside justified hatred and anger of Harry, then Harry needed to get over that image of Draco Malfoy he'd seen in school.

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"I love you," Hermione whispered to her boyfriend before kissing him.

Draco returned it, "What's that for?"

"For making me happy," she answered. "I think I finally drove the point home to Harry. He can be a bit slow on the uptake sometimes," she elaborated. "I haven't seen him in a long time. It's weird, seeing him today."

"Agreed," Draco tugged her into his arms, "I never knew Daphne had bad taste in men."

Hermione playfully smacked his arm, "Draco be nice."

"What? I am being nice," Draco protested. "I haven't killed him yet and only threatened him once."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "While that is admittedly an improvement, I was hoping for something a little more peaceful."

"That's as far as you'll get at the moment," Draco muttered. "I'm willing to put up with him because I love you. And I won't go out of my way to start something with him. But that's all I can promise currently."

She kissed him. It was enough, for her. She couldn't ask for much given Harry's actions toward Draco in the past. It was understandable why Draco would hate Harry. Anything short of a duel was an improvement, in her eyes. "I can live with that," she squeezed his hand. "Thank you."

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After a long day with his parents, the Grangers, and Potter a visit to the Burrow on Boxing Day to see the Weasleys was not Draco's idea of a good time. A lazy day with Stardust the kneazle kitten and some movies was much preferable to approaching the house of a family he'd once thought of as inferior. "They won't hate you," Hermione reassured him. "Ron said that even Arthur is willing to start fresh."

"There's no such thing as starting fresh," Draco muttered.

"We did," Hermione pointed out.

"It's different with us," he reasoned.

"It's not so different as you'd like it to be," she kissed his cheek, "You get on with George and Ron. That's half the battle. If George likes you, then Charlie will like you."

"I hope so," Draco muttered. Hermione squeezed Draco's hand. She understood his insecurities. But she was hopeful things would be relatively easy. Given the chance, Draco could prove he wasn't what people thought he was.

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Entering the house Draco was surprised at how warm it felt. From the outside the Burrow looked a disaster. "My favorite Granger!" Draco heard. He turned his head to see George Weasley picking Hermione up in a hug, "You can say it. You missed me horribly and life at Hogwarts is unbearable all because I'm not there."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "George you're ridiculous."

"And why would she miss you when she has me?" Draco asked.

George looked at Draco, "Because I'm fun."

"Insane is the proper adjective," Hermione corrected George.

He sat her down and pouted, "You wound me, Hermione. I'm your favorite Weasley. You know it."

"When have I ever said that?" Hermione asked.

George clutched his chest and sunk to his knees dramatically, "You wound me! Oh Malfoy, get out while you can! She's so cruel!"

"Would rather not," Draco said, pressing his nose to her cheek. "I'm in love with her."

"You sap," George scolded from the floor, "you are no fun."

"I have fun with him," Hermione teased.

George shivered, "Eww I did not need that imagery. I mean, sure Hermione you're gorgeous. Seeing you nude would be a delight. But Malfoy? Yuck."

"Oh he looks very good nude, believe me," Hermione winked.

George pulled a white handkerchief out of his pocket. "I fold. You win, Hermione. You're scary to go toe to toe with."

"Yes she is," Draco praised her. Hermione squeezed her lover's hand. George's flirting with Hermione he could handle. George flirted with everyone. It reminded him of Pansy, actually.

"I need to borrow your girlfriend, mate," George said. "Just for a few minutes." That confused Draco but he nodded. "Ron is in the living room," he added. "I'll take you there first," George said, leading them down the hall.

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Up in the twins' old room George sat down on his bed and hung his head. Hermione didn't need to ask. She laid down on his bed and tugged him down to hold him against her, George's head on her chest, "I worried about you yesterday," she said.

"I mostly kept it together," George said. "I really missed you these past few months."

"I'm sorry George," she whispered, feeling the moisture from his tears dampen her shirt. "Do you need to talk about it?"

"I miss him," George's voice cracked and he turned his head into her chest to muffle the sounds of him crying.

Hermione didn't say anything. They all missed Fred. But George missed him more and in ways that the others couldn't imagine and so she said nothing, just holding him tightly as he let out everything he had pent up in him. She rubbed his back with one hand and her other slid into his hair, gently massaging his scalp. Hermione kissed the top of his head. She wished she could fix George. She really did. She wished she could stop the nightmares he woke up from in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and she wished she could stop people from calling him Fred and she wished she could stop George's pain. Unfortunately only time could do that and Hermione knew he had many more rough nights before living with the pain was easier.

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Draco glanced toward the stairs, "Do you know what they're up to?"

"Hermione makes him better," Ron said. "Don't know how, don't know what they do, but whatever she does, she makes him better. Yesterday was hard. Our first Christmas without Fred. George always says he's fine, and he always seems fine, but the twins were always so secretive and they never revealed all that much to any of us. I think George misses that confidante the most. Someone who knows his secrets and won't tell them. Hermione is really good at keeping secrets."

The blonde Slytherin took that in. He couldn't quite imagine what George must have experienced, losing his twin. Draco was an only child so he couldn't even imagine losing a sibling, much less an identical twin. Losing his godfather had been hard enough for the blonde. What George was experiencing was something Draco couldn't conceive of. But there was a jealous and possessive side to Draco and he had to force himself to not even attempt to go down that unsavory route.

He looked at Ron, "And you aren't curious about what he needs her for?"

"I was, at first," Ron admitted. "But whatever it is they're doing, it works for George. And that's all I care about. He was hurt worse than the rest of us."

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Ron introduced Draco to his parents, Draco feeling very out of sorts without Hermione by his side. Then it occurred to him; if Hermione made Draco feel grounded and safe, then it was understandable what she did for George. He was polite as he said hello to Arthur and Molly, who didn't look at him like he was some sort of evil being which he counted as a positive. About twenty minutes after Hermione and George went upstairs they came down, Hermione kissing Draco and sitting against him, "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm not being hexed so I guess so," he answered. She squeezed his hand. He looked at her, "What was up with George?"

"He just needed my advice on a product," she said dismissively. Draco had seen Hermione lie before, to teachers and to McGonagall, so he knew she was lying then. But not wanting to create a scene, he said nothing. He could always ask her later.

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When they sat down to Boxing Day dinner, Draco was relieved he didn't have to see Potter again and yet also surprised Potter wasn't there. "No Potter?" He asked Ron.

"Harry said his girlfriend had plans with her friend," Ron shrugged, "and so he wasn't coming."

"What do you mean Harry's girlfriend?!" Ginny demanded.

Ron looked at his sister. He had no respect for Ginny. Not after going out of her way to make Harry jealous, then kissing him and getting him to date her, then dumping him for Zabini when Harry wasn't adhering to her every whim. Harry was his best friend and he'd warned her that she shouldn't date Harry but she didn't listen. "I mean Harry has a girlfriend and he's spending his day with her."

"Probably because she spent yesterday with him and my parents," Hermione said. "Have you met her, Ron?"

"Draco introduced us; I haven't seen her with Harry yet but he told me who she is."

"He seems happy with her," Hermione mused, "and they look a good match."

"I threatened him should he hurt her," Draco smirked.

"Hey me too!" George grinned. "Poor Harry. We're very protective of her." Draco nodded in approval.

"Who is Harry dating?" Ginny demanded.

"None of your business," Ron responded. "You started seeing Blaise without even breaking up with Harry. You don't deserve to know who he's seeing."

Hermione looked at Ginny. Ginny was a strange one, to her. She'd gone quiet after Fred's death, happy to hang around Harry and Ron. Hermione had been surprised when Ginny signed up to help rebuild Hogwarts. Ginny seemed to just be doing it to have something to do, while Hermione saw her classmates and her boyfriend working to make sure they could finish their school years the coming year or seeking redemption from people thinking they were monsters.

Any help was appreciated, of course, but Hermione wondered if Ginny was maybe trying to get some attention. Harry and Ron had the attention on them, and Ginny was used to being the center of attention in the Weasley family. Hermione would even say for Harry but she knew that that wasn't true. Based on talk in the tent, his relationship with Ginny was too brief for any feelings to form.

So that Harry wasn't upset about Ginny apparently cheating on him with Blaise was understandable, to Hermione. But it also had Hermione thinking that perhaps Ginny began seeing Blaise just to attempt to get Harry's attention. Harry had despised Slytherins. Draco and Blaise were best friends. If Harry had learned sooner about Hermione and Draco, he would have subsequently learned about Ginny and Blaise. Hermione was not amused with those thoughts.

"He was my boyfriend, Ron!"

"Past tense and you're the one that ended it with your little fling with Blaise," Ron retorted. "Leave Harry alone, Ginny. I'm firmly on his side in this. You put my friendship at stake to go after your little crush and it's done. Move on. Though I doubt Blaise will take you back after trying to bait his best friend like you did."

"Not a chance," Draco scoffed. Blaise was very loyal to his friends.

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Over the course of dinner Ginny pouted while Arthur and Molly made an effort to talk to Draco and get to know him. Something Hermione was immensely grateful for. Draco even apologized to Bill for Greyback attacking him only for the eldest Weasley son to wave him off, "You did what you had to do. If it was my mother being held at the end of Voldemort's wand, I would have done the same thing," Bill told him.

A very humble Draco Malfoy had thanked him for that. He sat with Hermione as she exchanged presents with the Weasleys. He was surprised that George and Ron both gave him something. "You didn't have to," Draco protested.

"She's claimed you, that makes you family," George informed him. Ron nodded his agreement.

When Hermione opened her present from George she blushed and immediately put it back in the bag, "George Weasley I will get revenge."

"You love me and you know it Granger," George winked. Draco raised an eyebrow and she tilted the bag for him to see. Flavor-changing lube. The flavor changed depending on the part of the body it was put on. Draco looked at George who grinned at him. "You're welcome," George told him. Draco opted to wait to open his present when they went back to Hermione's flat. George's grin made the blonde nervous. He was definitely understanding Ron's warning to never trust a Weasley twin.

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Back at their flat early that evening Draco looked at her, "When George said that it was easy for him to picture you naked…"

"Yes?" She tilted her head to look at her boyfriend, "Are you asking if George and I were ever nude in one another's presence?"

"I guess I am," he admitted. "He just…he seems really attached and overly familiar with you. I was wondering just how familiar he is."

"Come here, oh jealous one," she patted the couch cushion next to her. Draco sat down and she leaned into him. "George can picture me naked because we went skinny dipping last summer in the pond on the Burrow's property. It was when I was staying there before I got my apartment."

"You and George went skinny dipping?" Draco looked at her, stunned.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "He and I were both up late at night, talking about how much he missed Fred and whatnot, and he wanted to do something impulsive and crazy. He suggested skinny dipping. I decided to go with him. So we snuck out of the house and ran down to the pond where we stripped off and jumped in. We splashed about for about an hour. Then we dried off, got dressed, and went back up to his room. I would sleep with him at night to keep him calm when he had a nightmare."

"Why?" Draco asked. "Why are you so close to him?"

"George needed someone detached from the family to talk to about Fred after the war. I was the only one who wasn't particularly friendly with the twins before Fred died, so I knew the least about him and George. That meant something, to George. It meant I wouldn't call him the wrong name or judge him for being angry at Fred…a myriad of things, really," Hermione sighed. "I don't turn down people who need help, Draco. You know that. George needed me. He still does, sometimes. And truthfully, I needed a friend then. Harry and Ron were off being jerks, Ginny was tagging along with them, and George and I were both alone. We gravitated to one another naturally."

"I just don't understand why you never told me," Draco said, well aware of how jealous he sounded.

"Because George doesn't want people to know. He doesn't want the looks of sympathy and the 'oh poor George, he's still not over the death of his twin'…I understand that. So I keep his secret."

Draco could appreciate that. But there was one thing that bugged him, "Did he get a good feel?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Have you met him?" Draco scowled. She kissed his lips, "Draco, George needed an escape. It was always playful, never romantic or sexual. And once I started seeing you, it stopped."

"I can't believe he's seen you naked," Draco grumbled.

After counting to three to avoid snapping at him Hermione straddled her boyfriend, "Look at me," she commanded. He obeyed and she kissed him, "Draco I love you. But trust me, George has not touched me anywhere near as much as you have these past few months. A few kisses, some cuddling, a few nights out skinny dipping in the pond," she rotated her hips and felt him harden underneath her, "nothing like what I do with you. No tongue, no nudity save the skinny dipping, and the touches were never the touches of a lover. But none of that is your business. All that matters now is that you are mine and I am yours. Understand?"

Draco swallowed and nodded. Hermione leaned back, "So what do you want to do tonight? We could go out," she suggested, suppressing a smirk as she saw Draco's eyes had already darkened in lust.

"I want to do you," he growled, pulling her against him and kissing her hard. Hermione groaned into his mouth and returned his passion. After two days of being around people he didn't like and felt uncomfortable around, Draco deserved a reward. A very good one. She grabbed the lube George had given her. They might as well test it out.