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Chapter Fourteen: Tests

Malfoy stayed for dinner to Hermione's great chagrin. He was uncommunicative, but polite to her parents, so after the meal Monica and Wendell shooed the two out of the house for a walk on the beach. Hermione was grateful the sun wasn't at its peak. She felt a bit protective about Draco's pale skin. Before they left the house, she used her wand to change his khakis into shorts and shoes into flip flops, then she added a charm to protect his skin.

"What are you doing?" demanded Malfoy with a frown.

Hermione bit back a smile at his very pale legs. "Protecting your skin, Malfoy. You don't want to burn."

"Malfoys do not sunburn."

She nodded skeptically, and then grabbed his hand to pull him down the sidewalk toward the ocean. A breeze played with her sundress and dislodged a few curls. Suddenly, Malfoy stopped in his tracks, pulling her backwards into his arms and smothered her with another kiss.

"Draco, stop," she said breathlessly. "We need to talk first. I need to know what's going on with you. Are you disappearing on me again?"

"I'm sorry for leaving without a word," Draco told her with sincerity. "But I didn't know that I would be gone so long, and then I didn't know if I would be able to come back after the Christmas holidays. If I had had an inkling that you cared, I would have sent an owl."

"You must always send me an owl when your plans change," Hermione declared stoutly. Which earned her another kiss. She laughed again as she pulled away. They continued their walk to the beach. As they neared the deep blue waters and the sandy shore, Hermione spun around with a grin.

"What do you think? Isn't it gorgeous?"

"Yes," Draco answered appreciatively, but he wasn't looking at the ocean.

Hermione led him to a sheltered spot before plopping inelegantly upon the sand. She filtered some sand through her fingers and gazed up at Malfoy.

"Talk to me," she ordered. "Tell me everything."

"Like what?" Now he felt uncomfortable.

"Let's start with Harry. Why is he sending you to visit me?"

Malfoy looked away. "He's become a friend of sorts, I suppose. We've talked a lot. I think... that he trusts me. He trusts me to help you anyway." The words felt uncomfortable. He did not like saying them at all.

Hermione nodded. She had suspected as much, but was surprised to hear Malfoy admit it.

"You hated Harry, Malfoy. You hated him more than anything. Do you like him now?"

"He's a decent bloke. He's been friendly."

Hermione smiled at the irony of a Malfoy-Potter friendship.

"Malfoy, you hated me too. When did that change?"

He looked away. "Fourth year." He lowered himself gracefully next to her. "You talked to me all year without saying a word." He remembered her serious brown eyes searching his and communicating approval or disapproval of his actions. He remembered trying to change to please...his enemy.

Hermione gasped. "You liked me in fourth year?"

"No, I never said I liked you. I only said that I stopped hating you."

She nodded sadly. "You didn't once convey those feelings of non-hatred to me."

He lay on his back in the sand looked up with a wry grin. "And the Yule Ball...you were so beautiful that night. But could you imagine how humiliating it would have been if you had known what I thought of you?"

"Did you think I'd have used it against you?"

"I thought you would humiliate me if you knew."

"Why would I do that?" Hermione asked gently.

"Because you hated me."

"No, I never hated you."

"Not true. You hated me, Granger. Tell the truth."

"I never hated you, Draco, until Bellatrix tortured me in your home and you..."

"I know. I did nothing. And you suffered because I did nothing."

Hermione looked away and was silent. Draco reached over to stroke her cheek. She turned back to him and looked into his eyes.

"I don't understand why you are here, Draco, or what you want from me."

"I want to be your friend," he said slowly, "and I'm hoping that you'll forgive me someday."

She nodded. "I can understand that, Draco, but I can't understand..."

And he covered her mouth with another long kiss. "...this?" he finished for her.

"Yes," she smiled. "Draco, are you well?" She placed her hand on his forehead and gazed into his eyes with concern.

"Yes." His face looked peaceful and happy. His lips curved as he gazed at her, and Hermione had to restrain her hand from drifting down to the dimple in his cheek.

"Tell me when you first liked me," he ordered.

"I've never liked you, Malfoy."

He laughed, pushing her backwards into the sand. He was almost on top of her now and gazed delightedly into her solemn brown eyes. His weight against her took her breath away.

"Of course you like me, Hermione. Or you would not let me do this... or this... or this. Tell me one thing you like about me."

"Mmmm...can't think... of a thing... to like about you, Draco..." she murmured. Truly, no one had ever made her feel this cherished. That was why she was kissing her former enemy with abandon. He cared for her. And that melted her heart.

"Why are you so serious, Granger?"

"Malfoy," she said sadly, "this isn't you. This isn't how you act. Did someone give you a love potion?"

Draco smiled into her eyes and shook his head. "This is the real me. The one that no one sees but you."

Her breath caught, but she couldn't believe him.

"Malfoy...Draco... I really do think you are under a spell. You've always despised me. I'm Muggleborn, remember? You are a Pureblood. This romantic Malfoy doesn't make sense to me at all. Do you think you're ...like this... because you are beholden to me?"

Malfoy snorted and denied it, but Hermione looked at him with disbelief. It just didn't make sense.

"Why are you trying to ruin a good thing, Hermione? Just kiss me. You know you want to."

Hermione laughed at his cheek, but shook her head. "I don't want you acting out of obligation because you are beholden to me. I want you to be free to make your own decisions. Malfoy, we have to test this out."

"Mmm, yes, I like tests, quizzes, exams." Malfoy murmured into her ear. He was really too funny. "Test me now."

"Malfoy, help me restore my parents' memories. Let's see if you feel the same way after that. If it sets you free from being beholden to me, then maybe all these feelings towards me will go away. And you'll wake up being Draco Malfoy again."

Draco pulled away. "You really don't believe me, do you?"

Hermione gazed at him like he had just turned into a kangaroo with a joey in its pocket. Truthfully, she had never before seen his eyes so open and clear and warm. Right now, they sparkled with humor.

"You don't believe me, but you do like me."

Hermione still gazed at him. His impish smile was one she had never before seen. It really was endearing. She smiled tentatively back.

"I'm going to pass your test," he announced confidently. "Let's figure out how to restore your parents' memories."

Hermione wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. After a bit, she pulled away and began to tell him about the spell she planned to use, the research she had finished, and the time she had available during summer break before the new school year started at the end of January. Draco listened and told her about the memory recovery expert he knew. He didn't reveal how he knew the wizard, and Hermione didn't ask. In fact, they didn't talk about Draco at all, only about Hermione and her parents, with a little bit of university thrown in. It was a bit distracting to try to have a serious discussion on the beach with Malfoy's fingers trailing her hair, her face, her arms, hands, sometimes sprinkling sand on her feet and her legs, but all in all, it was a successful conversation. One that, of course, ended with a kiss. Then two more. And a third batch of kisses.

It was an evening of friendship and happiness.