A/N: Thanks to my reviewers VAMPIRESEX and DevilishDream, as well as my beta, DarkeFairie!

CHAPTER 14-

It was the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Hufflepuff today, and under my cloak and Gryffindor scarf, I was wearing Draco's green jumper.

'Is he nervous?'

'Why would Draco be nervous about a Quidditch match? It's only against Hufflepuff, not Gryffindor.' Me and Ginny laughed and linked arms as we walked through the grounds of Hogwarts to the Quidditch pitch. 'Do you think I'd be allowed to cheer for Slytherin? I'm supposed to be promoting inter-house unity, after all…'

Ginny pursed her lips and then smiled. 'I think you should. I'll even cheer with you. Wasn't one of his rules to not cheer for him though?'

'There's a difference between cheering for his house and cheering for him. Who said anything about cheering for him?'

I had to sit in the stand where the teachers and commentator was sat since I was Head Girl, but as Draco was playing in the match, Ginny was allowed to sit with me.

'Miss Granger, which house will you be cheering for today?' McGonagall, who was sat next Dumbledore who was sat next to Snape, tapped me on the shoulder and I turned around.

'Slytherin.' Snape sniggered and I turned to him.

'Dumbledore has told me of your current position in Mr Malfoy's life. Wouldn't it be far safer to not cheer for his house?'

'I'm promoting inter-house unity. I'm allowed to, Professor.' I turned around and Dumbledore stood up behind me, cast Sonorous on himself, and spoke out to all four houses of Hogwarts.

'Welcome everybody, to the first Quidditch match of the year! Madame Hooch will start the match shortly, but for once I would like to ask personally for a nice, clean game. Even though the players aren't out on the pitch yet I know that they can hear me. Madame Hooch, over to you.'

Madame Hooch nodded from where she was stood in the middle of the Quidditch pitch and waved her wand, opening the doors to where the two teams would fly out from. The Hufflepuff team flew slowly and gracefully to their positions, led by the captain, Zacharias Smith, whereas the Slytherin team flew fast, like a storm, headed by Draco. As he flew into his position opposite the teacher stand, Snape nodded to him and he nodded back. Draco stuck his tongue out at me and I smiled.

I could vaguely hear Madame Hooch talking to the two teams, then she blew her whistle and threw the quaffle up in the air. The chasers went after it straight away, scoring 30 points for Slytherin in the first five minutes as well as one of the Slytherin beaters almost knocking a Hufflepuff player out cold with a bludger.

'Oh, that was a close one for Abbott! Now Tate gets the quaffle, passes it to Bones, but oh, Slytherin's keeper Theodore Knott blocks the goal! He passes the quaffle to Parkinson after an ill-aimed bludger misses him. Parkinson passes it to Greengrass. She drops it! Zabini catches it, flies fast towards the scoring rings and goal! Macmillan fails to save it! Ten more points to Slytherin!' Me, Ginny and Snape all jumped cheering as well as the entire of Slytherin house. I saw Draco grinning wildly as Blaise flew up to where he was hovering. I couldn't hear what he said, but Draco turned to me and he looked at me weirdly, so I just stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed. Blaise flew back down to his position and he received a kiss from Pansy. I sighed.

The game carried on and the score was 40 to Hufflepuff and 70 to Slytherin before the Snitch was sighted. Draco's eagle eyes kept on darting around the pitch looking for the golden ball when he finally saw it in front of the teacher's stand. Colin Creevey, who sat next to Ginny, began taking pictures of Draco zooming over to it. 'Malfoy sees the snitch. Finch-Fletchley doesn't know what's hit him. He begins to try and spot Malfoy, but the Slytherin seeker is moving too fast for him!' Me and Ginny stood up as Draco approached the stand to cheer him on, and the commentator, Ernie MacMillan, who was sat next to me picked up on it. 'And the Head girl and Miss Weasley stand up to cheer on the Slytherin's: evidentally trying to promote inter house unity.' Dumbledore laughed from behind me and Draco chased the snitch around the pitch, Justin hot on his tail.

'Do you think he'll catch it?' Ginny shouted at me above the furore.

'He better catch it.' Ginny laughed and we kept our eyes locked on Draco and Justin chasing after the snitch.

'Justin and Draco are neck and neck after the snitch now. Draco's in front, no, Justin is. It's too close to call! Who'll get it first?! It's only going to be a matter of tim- Draco's caught the snitch! Slytherin house win the match!' Me, Ginny and the rest of Slytherin house cheered at their victory. I looked over at the other houses in the stands: Hufflepuff was sulking, a few Ravenclaws were smiling, and several of the Gryffindors were cheering. Draco flew close to all of the stands, showing off the snitch still in his hand, receiving a high five off Harry when he came past the Gryffindors. Harry's high five was soon swiftly followed by a dirty look from Ron and he began to argue with Harry as Draco flew back up onto the pitch and celebrated with his teammates.

'I want to go and congratulate him.'

'You can do it later, Hermione. You don't want people getting suspicious.' Me and Ginny left the Quidditch pitch with everyone else, going to Gryffindor Tower instead of the Head's common room as Draco would be down in the dungeons celebrating for a while yet. Harry and Ron were already there, and they were stood in front of the fire arguing about Draco.

'I just don't understand why you high fived Malfoy!'

'Because he won the Quidditch match. And he played a pretty good game today. I think I would have high fived him even he beat me.'

Ron threw his arms up in the air in protest, but spotted me and Ginny enter the common room and carried on the argument. 'Hermione, back me up on this, how horrible is Malfoy?'

'He's not too bad. I occasionally have a go at him if he plays his music too loud, uses all of the hot water, leaves his things everywhere or brings a girl back to our common room, but he's alright. You saw how he was when Krum… you know. I suppose he just doesn't like you Ron. Don't be so mean to him in future.' I smiled sweetly at Ron and he opened and closed his mouth several times before wandering out of the common room in a huff. Me, Ginny and Harry laughed and sat down on the settee and talked about the match. At eleven o'clock, which was curfew for everyone but the prefects, Ron came back in and went straight up to his room. I bid goodnight to Harry and Ginny and left them curled up on the settee together and went back down to the first floor and went inside the portrait of young Albus Dumbledore.

'Has Draco come back yet?' Al shook his head and smiled. 'Has the older version of you asked out Professor McGonagall out yet?' Al laughed.

'No, but he's working up to it. By the time the war is over, he'll have asked her.' We both smiled and I entered the common room and began to start on my Defence Against the Darks essay due in two weeks from now on the unforgivable curses. An hour and halfway through Hogwarts: A History, Draco returned to the common room.

'Well done! You played a brilliant match today!' Draco smiled and dumped his Quidditch robes on the floor and led down on the loveseat, his head immersed in the pillows.

'Thank you…' I got up from the armchair, put my book on the floor and stood next to the loveseat.

'You look exhausted.'

'Well, obviously. I won a Quidditch match, then I've been celebrating all night, talking to everyone single person in my house and dodging Astoria so she won't kiss me.' Draco sat up slowly and pulled me down by the wrist, sat me on his lap and hugged me. 'You weren't supposed to cheer today.'

'I was cheering for your house. Not you. I only cheered for you once, and Ginny cheered with me. No will suspect anything. It's not like I ran out onto the pitch at the end of the match and kissed you.'

'Fair enough.'

'Are you friends with Harry now?'

'I suppose I am. How did Weasley take it? He didn't look too happy with me.'

'He's never happy with you.' I stroked the side of his face and leaned into kiss him, the tapping at the window stopping me. Draco lifted me off his knee and set me down on the loveseat whilst he got up and opened the window. A ministry owl flew into the room and landed next to me. I untied the letter from around its ankle and read it to myself before dropping it to the floor, allowing Draco to pick it up and read it.

Dear Miss Hermione Granger,

Due to the rape allegation you have made against Mr Viktor Krum, the trial will be held this Saturday, at half past ten in the Ministry of Magic court room five. A similar letter has been sent to your headmaster, Mr Albus Dumbledore and letters will also be sent to the witnesses at, after and before the alleged rape took place. Minor Witnesses:

Mr Harry Potter

Mr Ronald Weasely

Mr Albus Dumbledore

Mr Remus Lupin

Key Witnesses:

Mr Draco Malfoy

It is absolutely key that you attend this trial. Due to the allegation you have made we know that seeing Mr Viktor Krum may be psychologically damaging, but without you, the trial will be cancelled.

We hope to see you in court.

Yours Sincerely,

Themelda Honker

'Hermione…' Draco sat down and put the letter next to him and stared straight into the fire.

'I know. You're the key witness. Without you there, Krum won't get convicted.'

'How do you know I'm not going to go and testify?'

I stood up and turned to him. 'It's not that you won't. It's because you can't. Do you realise how suspicious you standing up in court and saying I saved Hogwart's most famous mudblood from rape is?'

'But I want to. And like you said, he'll get convicted if I don't turn up. We're in this together, Hermione. I don't care what people think. Like you said before Christmas, the war will have come and gone soon.' Draco pulled me into a strong hug, and I let myself cry on his shoulder.