Hermione awakes surrounded by Draco's scent. For a brief moment she forgets she's alone. Her stomach drops as she realises he's not actually here.
Her dreams had been filled with him. She looks down at the shirt she'd placed across her pillow as it was too hot to wear. She slides her fingers across his name as she sits up.
Hearing Parvati's soft snores, she picks up the top and heads to the shower to freshen up.
After her shower, she grabs a pair of shorts from her trunk, sliding them on underneath the shirt Draco gave her.
She's just finishing her packing when Parvati wakes up.
"You're packing and wearing his shirt," Parvati says.
"Hmm. Oh yes. I won't be back tonight," Hermione tells her distracted, trying to make sure everything is packed.
"He'll make me happy," Hermione says turning to look at her friend, feeling her silent judgement. "I've fought against this long enough now. I want him and he wants me. No one can convince you what's best for you but there is never any certainty in love. You could bump into a man in the street and have a sudden connection. You could spend years being friends with someone and then one day see them completely differently. We've been offered the easy way. I'm going to grab it with both hands. If it lasts a few hours or the rest of my life it doesn't matter, because now, in this moment, I lived." Hermione finishes slamming shut the lid of her trunk and exiting the room. She's had enough of Parvati and her judgmental looks.
Hermione arrives at breakfast early to find Harry already there. He jumps every time the door opens.
"You didn't burn my shirt did you?" He asks noticing what she's wearing.
"Of course not. I'll get it washed and give it back. I didn't mean to keep it this long anyway. I'm sorry," Hermione says.
"It's fine," he says distracted as the door opens again.
Slowly the others filter in. Everyone is sat at the table. There is only a handful of other people left.
"Maybe I'm not meant to be with anyone," Blaise says as he picks at his breakfast. "That pull you all talk about feeling, I've never felt. I mean yeah I'm hot and horny all the time but I was hot and horny all the time before too." He laughs as the others groan at him.
"You do realise that us gentlemen are waiting on you ladies?" Oliver says to them.
The girls look at each other before glancing at the door. It's opening again.
Ginny stands on the threshold of the room. Harry gets to his feet to go meet her.
Hermione's heart is in her throat. Everyone is watching, well almost everyone. One girl just doesn't want to.
Harry stops in front of her.
"Happy Birthday Gin," he says awkwardly.
She runs to him, wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.
Nothing.
No wave of passion floods the hall.
No one is surprised.
Harry wraps his arms around her muttering apologies in her ear.
"Did you know?" Ginny asks pulling away from him.
"I hoped. I hoped it would be you," he deflects.
"But since you've been here... Percy talked about people feeling a pull. He told me this morning when him and Cho came to visit. Have you felt it? The pull?"
Harry looks away from her which is all the answer she needs.
She bangs her fists against his chest.
"Then it wasn't me, was it? It couldn't have been. If you've felt it so has she. How dare you do that to that poor girl. Both of you feeling the pull as you mope after me," Ginny shouts before pulling her hand back and smacking him across the face. "That, is from whatever girl it is you've been ignoring in the vain hope you could match with me. Now go grovel at her feet and hope she's a more forgiving woman than I am because I sure as hell wouldn't take you if you'd done that to me."
Ginny storms up to the table taking a seat beside Hermione. Reaching for some breakfast.
"So what did I miss? Is that Malfoy's shirt?" Ginny asks.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asks her glancing at Harry. He's still stood in the doorway, a hand on his sore cheek.
"I didn't expect it to be that easy Hermione. I've been preparing. Waiting everyday to hear who he'd matched with. Is that Malfoy's shirt?" Ginny asks again.
"Oh. This? Yes it is," she smiles as Draco smirks from across the table.
"That's a story you don't have time to tell me, isn't it?"
Hermione nods.
"It's okay. You'll be alright in about forty-eight hours after the touch. You can tell me everything then," Ginny shrugs.
"Is that how long it lasts?" Parvati asks.
"Yep. For forty-eight hours you shag pretty much constantly then it dies off," Ginny shrugs.
"How is Ron?" Hermione asks.
"Blissfully happy. Him, George, Percy, everyone, it's like they're high or something. Bill says that's just what being in love is like in the beginning. I still say it's weird. How come there are so many of you left?" Ginny asks.
"Hermione wanted to wait until you got here to help deal with the fallout. Not sure about the others," Draco says looking down the table.
"We've been waiting for the girls to make their move," Adrian says. "I know I'm not exactly anyone's first choice so I won't force it."
"But you're hot. Why wouldn't whoever it is want to shag you?" Ginny says looking him over as he blushes.
She sighs.
"You're all pathetic you know that right? It's two days of the hottest sex you've ever had the chance to have. You don't have to make a decision until afterwards about staying together," she shrugs.
Hermione leaves to go to Harry who still hasn't moved.
"I'm a fucking idiot," he says as she approaches.
"Yep," Hermione says crossing her arms.
Harry pushes past her to go sit on the bench close to the Slytherin girls.
"Come for a walk with me?" He asks looking bashful.
Daphne blushes before standing up, striding out of the hall as Harry follows close behind. Neither are seen again.
"Well about fucking time. He's got some grovelling to do," Pansy fumes as Ginny nods in agreement.
Pansy drops her toast, gets up and stands by Oliver.
"Thirty minutes. In the Gryffindor Quidditch changing rooms. Wear your uniform," she demands before leaving the hall.
Oliver grins from ear to ear as he rushes out of the room to get ready. Hermione giggles as she watches him trip over his own feet in his eagerness.
There's six of them left at the table.
Hermione and Ginny both look at Parvati who shifts in her seat.
"Just give me a chance. I can prove to you that I'm not whatever it is you think I am," Adrian says breaking their stance of ignoring each other.
Parvati looks him over. Really looks at him. She can't deny being attracted to him.
"Forty-eight hours?" She asks Ginny once more.
Ginny nods as she continues to shovel food in her mouth.
"Fine. Let's go. I make no promises for after though," she warns.
"I'll follow you wherever," Adrian says getting to his feet.
Blaise is still staring at Ginny. His eyes haven't left her since she walked in. He feels it, that pull.
Hermione and Draco grin as they watch their friends. Ginny finishes eating and looks up at him.
"Any preference on location?" Ginny asks Blaise her eyes roaming his body.
"This quick?" He asks dumbly.
"What did you want? Flowers? Chocolates? A date? Candlelight?" Ginny laughs. "I'm not prepared to spend days being this horny and uncomfortable if I don't need to be. Merlin knows why it's taken you lot so long."
Blaise stares at her open mouthed.
"So what just find a room and fuck?" He asks.
"I've always wanted to do it in the prefects bathroom personally. I'd spend hours in there fantasising. On more than one occasion it was you I was thinking of. Are you ready? Or did you want to finish your breakfast?" Ginny asks.
"I'm ready," Blaise says getting to his feet. Ginny gets up smiling at him and leads the way out of the hall.
Hermione and Draco are the last ones sat at the table.
"If only she'd been here earlier," Draco laughs, looking at the empty table.
"She does have a way with words and a matter of fact point of view," Hermione shrugs.
They stare at each other across the table.
"You wore my shirt today?" He asks.
"Yep. It was too hot to wear to bed last night so I thought you might enjoy taking it off me," she smirks at him as his breath catches.
"Are you finished?" He asks pointing at her plate.
She nods.
Draco stands up quickly.
"Are we still..."
"Just lead the way," Hermione says as she stands.
The walk to the dungeons is silent. Neither knows what to say now. She walks in step beside him.
Once in the common room she looks around with interest. Draco walks straight through heading for the dormitories.
He pauses at his door. He opens his mouth to say something.
"I'm here. I'm sure. I'm ready. Stop delaying," Hermione says impatiently.
He opens the door to his room, blushing.
The room is lit by what is probably a hundred candles around the walls. The bed is covered in red and white Rose petals.
Hermione giggles.
"This is adorable," she says sitting down on the bed looking around the room. He perches on the bed next to her.
"I wanted it to be special," Draco says picking at a rose petal. "I want forever, not forty-eight hours."
"Me too," she smiles.
It's time.
Hermione leans forward. She's decided what their first touch should be, because in this moment anything else would feel wrong.
Her lips meet his in a gentle kiss.