-" I am so sorry guys! So here's the REVAMPED chapter 14! Sorry it took so long."-

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"Hermione, I didn't mean what I said. I feel so bad," Katie said as she and Hannah walked into the dorm. Hermione was sitting on her bed with the covers pulled up to her waist, reading.

"It's fine," Hermione replied coldly, over Hogwarts: A History.

"You know I didn't mean it the way it came out. I would never say something like that. I chose the wrong words."

"It's fine, Katie. I don't care if you like Velius or not, just as long as you're nice to him!" she said before closing her book, putting it on the bedside table and closing the curtains around her bed. Hannah and Katie looked at where she had been sitting before looking at each other. Katie had a worried expression on her face and silently pleaded with Hannah to say something, but Hannah just shrugged her shoulders and turned to go to bed. Katie sighed and then did the same.

After Hermione had made sure the girls were asleep, she climbed out of bed. She opened and closed the door quietly and tip-toed over to the portrait in front of Draco's room. She stopped and looked at it. For the first time, she noticed the picture. Going into the room last night, she had been too distracted to notice it. It was a picture of two very, old looking wizards, playing, what looked like, Exploding Snap. They both turned and smiled at her. She smiled back and whispered the password, and then entered.

At first, she saw the small child sleeping on his side, holding a green stuffed dragon. He looked so peaceful and yet his life was such a mess. She watched his tiny chest rise and fall. She thought of how much she loved him already. He was hard not to love. She was thinking about this when she was interrupted by a very, loud snore. She looked at Draco and wondered how Terry and Owen had dealt with that, but then realized that they probably snored as well.

She walked over and sat down on the bed. He was on his stomach, sprawled out all over the bed with his mouth open. She had planned on kissing him to wake him. She hadn't let him kiss her since the 'argument' and she thought that it would be funny to kiss him while he was asleep. He would miss the kiss and then be upset when he woke up. She was about to kiss him when she saw that he was drooling, again, and decided against it, again. She closed his mouth and then pinched his nose shut. About five seconds later he jumped up.

"What!" he yelled looking around the room with his eyes closed. Hermione 'shushed' him and looked over a Velius to make sure he was still asleep.

"Hi," she said casually.

"You woke me up to -," he said a little too loudly in a sleepily and annoyed voice, but was cut off.

"Shhhh."

"Sorry, you woke me up to say 'hi'?" he asked, now in a whisper.

"No," she said in the same casual voice.

"Then what did yo-."

"I wanted to talk."

"You. Wanted. To. Talk?"

"Yes."

"About what?"

"You," she said, smirking.

"Me?" he asked suspicious.

"You."

"Why me?"

"Because."

"Because why? Wait, Hermione, this could go on forever."

"So?" she asked. He gets so annoyed when he's woken up and she was having fun.

"So what?" he asked angry and confused.

"Why does it matter?" she asked smiling.

"Because," he stated.

"Because why?"

"This is so annoying," said Draco.

"So?"

"So what? Wait HERMIONE!" he said now very agitated.

"Shhhh. Sorry," she said laughing out loud. "I wanted to talk about you and Velius."

"Why?"

"Because of what Katie said."

"Hermione, as much I love my little brother, he is something that we now do have to get used to."

"I just thought it was wrong of her to say that and in front of him. His life sucks right now and I didn't want that to make it worse."

"Hermione, I don't think that he really minded."

"What about you?"

"The comment did bother me a little, but it's the truth. Don't worry about it," he said leaning into kiss her. He glared at her when she pulled away. "Still?"

"Still."

"Can you at least lay with me?"

"I guess!" she said lying down next to him and climbing under the covers. They soon fell asleep in each others arms.

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The next morning Dumbledore was making his way towards Draco's room to discuss the arrangements for Velius. He opened the door to find the two still asleep in each others arms.

"Mr. Malfoy! Ms. Granger!" he shouted. They both awoke with a start and bumped heads.

"Professor," Draco said, bewildered and rubbing his head.

"It isn't what it looks like, Professor," Hermione said, very quickly and also rubbing her head.

"Then tell me what it is, Ms. Granger."

"I helped Draco put Velius to sleep last night and then he was upset so I stayed and talked with him and I guess that we must have fallen asleep," she lied quickly.

"Then tell me why both of you are in your pajamas?" said Dumbledore.

"He came and got me after I had already changed. Velius had been crying and he didn't know what to do, so he came and got me," she said thinking on the spot.

"Fine, but don't do it again," Dumbledore said after thinking about her explanation for a minute.

"Yes, sir," the two said in unison. Velius started to stir as they said this.

"I wanted to talk to you, Draco, about Velius. We have decided that the teachers will trade off days taking care of him. Professor Snape is going to take him today."

"Professor Snape? Do you really trust him with kids?" Hermione said, skeptically.

"Professor Snape will be fine, he will not be mean if that is what you are worried about."

"Thank you, Professor," Draco said. Dumbledore turned and left the room. Draco turned to Hermione. "I am so glad that you are smart!"

"I know you are," she said as he leaned into kiss her. Draco had expected her to pull away, but she didn't. She thought that he had been punished long enough. They stood there kissing until Velius came over tugging on Draco's shirt asking if he could have Chocolate Frogs for breakfast.

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Classes went very well and when the two got to Potions, Snape had a little cauldron out that Velius was playing with. Snape seemed to be very nice with him. She wondered if behind that rough exterior he really was a man who loved and wanted to be loved. If he really did care for other people

"Professor? What is my little brother playing with?" Draco asked, as he looked into a cauldron of red, smoking liquid.

"It's just water that I put a spell on. It won't hurt him," Snape said.

"Uncle Snape? I need some spitter wegz, "Velius said looking up at Snape.

"Spider legs?" he asked, sweetly.

"Yeah!" said Velius taking what looked like broken up twigs from Snape and throwing them into the pot.

"Wait, did he just call you 'Uncle Snape?'" Hermione said, walking towards them.

"Why do you care, Granger?" Hermione turned around to see Blaise Zabini scowling at her.

"Blaise, leave her alone," Draco said absentmindedly.

"Excuse me? Are you standing up for her?" Draco stood still. He hadn't really realized what he was doing when he said that. He decided that they better just get it out now. Tell people that they were together. He was sure that Pansy had told all of the deatheaters that it was part of his task, with the big mouth she had.

Why not tell the rest of the world?

Hermione looked at him in horror. If people found out, they would have to go through hell. They couldn't tell everyone that it was part of his task or he would be killed. Harry and Ron still didn't know. They would have a fit. They were in the back of the room staring at Hermione and Draco, waiting to see what would happen.

"Yes, I am. You can't talk to my girlfriend like that," Draco said. Some people gasped and others just stared. Harry and Ron's mouths dropped to the floor.

"All right, get to your seats," Snape said in his usual voice. "Is it okay if we stop the soap opera to start class now? Potter, Weasley, close you mouths and sit down," Snape said.

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After the lesson Draco walked over and took her hand. They walked out of the classroom like this with everyone watching. After they away from everyone, Hermione turned to him.

"Draco, that was stupid! You should have not said anything."

"Hermione, it was bound to come out sometime. They'll get used to it."

"No, Draco, they won't. The Slytherins are going to hate you, I probably just lost the two best friends that I have ever had and I will be a target not only for deatheaters but all Slytherins."

"Hermione, I won't let them do anything to you. The deatheaters won't touch you, you are my task and forget the others!"

"I can't just forget them! And you're a target too. Draco it was just stupid!" She let go of his hand. "I have to go find Harry and Ron."

"Hermione, wait."

"I'll catch up with you later," she said over her shoulder. She ran to the Gryffindor common room. She climbed through the portrait hole and looked around the room. She saw them both sitting in front of the fire, staring at it.

"Harry, Ron," she said panting. They looked up at her, but didn't say anything. "I am so sorry."

"We were fine with the two of you being friends, I was even starting to not hate him so much, but I can't deal with you going out with him," Ron said. Harry just sat there.

"Please, you guys, don't you want me to be happy?" she said sitting in a chair next to them.

"Can't you be happy with someone else? Or with your best friends? Why do you need him?"

"Because I love him," was what slipped out of her mouth. She froze. Was that how she really felt? Did she really love him?

"You what?" said Harry rising to his feet.

"I don't know. It just slipped out!" she said in a panic.

"No, what did you say?" Ron said, rising to his feet as well.

"I said, I love him," she said quietly.

"And do you?" Harry said almost yelling.

"I don't know. It just slipped out."

"I'm out of here," said Ron, heading for the staircase.

"Ron," Hermione called almost in tears.

"Hermione, you should have told us. That wasn't the way that we wanted to find out."

"I was going to tell you. I didn't want you to find out that way either. I was waiting for the right time."

"Hermione, I think that you should leave."

"What?" she said, now crying.

"I, we, need some time to think about this."

"Harry, think about what? I am your best friend!"

"And he is my worst enemy, Hermione."

"You two were becoming friends. Don't say that," she said, grabbing on to his arm.

"I need to think about this Hermione."

"You're willing to throw our friendship away because of who my boyfriend is. You should be happy because I am happy."

"You don't seem to happy to me," he said as she cried.

"That's because of you, not because of Draco. You and Ron are my best friends. I don't want to lose you, but I don't want to lose him, either."

"I have to think about this," he said once again, very sternly.

"You shouldn't have to. If you two were my best friends you wouldn't care!" she yelled before running out of the room.

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Draco was in the common room pacing. He shouldn't have said anything. Hermione was right. Now she was mad at him. He didn't want Hermione to be upset because of Harry and Ron. He had to make things right.

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Hermione was making her way toward Divination, when she ran into Neville.

"Hermione?"

"Hello, Neville," she said wiping away her tears.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Wait, why are you talking to me? You should be made at me too."

"Hermione, I don't care, well I do, but you're my friend. If you're happy, I'm happy."

"You should talk to Harry and Ron."

"Why?"

"They hate me," she said as they walked up the stairs to go to the next floor.

"Oh," Neville said. They walked in silence until Hermione skipped a trick step and Neville forgot to. "OUCH!"

"Neville, you always forget that one," she said laughing. Neville pulled himself out as Hermione gathered up some papers he had dropped. She glanced at them, not meaning to. "Neville, what are these? We didn't get Potions homework," she said glancing at a list of ingredients.

"Oh," he said, grabbing them out of her hands. "Snape gave me some because I did so bad today."

"Oh," she said, skeptically. The bell rang. "We better hurry," she said as they ran off towards Divination.

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Draco had one last class today and Hermione got off early, so she went to pick up Velius. She took him down to the kitchens to see the house elves. They were greeted with pleasure and Velius was given an ice cream cone. They two sat there while he ate it.

"Herminniny? Do you wuv my bruder?" He asked, his face covered in chocolate ice cream. She smiled down at him.

"I do, Velius," she said confirmingly.

"Are you gonna marry him?" he asked in a sing song voice.

"I don't know," she smiling again.

"I wud like dat."

"Yeah?" she said.

"Yes," he said jumping up and giving her a hug. She hugged him very tightly.

"I think that Draco's out of class now. We can go find him and use him as a jungle gym if you want."

"YEAH!" he said, running out of the kitchen. Hermione thanked the elves and followed him.

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Draco ran up to the Gryffindor common room and tried to remember what the password was that Hermione had said when she went to talk to them about being friends with him. He tried to remember but couldn't. So he just started to say random things. He was still standing there when Dean Thomas came by.

"Malfoy?" Dean asked skeptically.

"Yeah," he said, staring at the door still/

"What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to Potter and Weasley, but I don't know the password."

"Don't think that I'm going to give it to you. What do you want with them?"

"They're mad at Hermione and I want to tell them to still be friends with her and if they are going to be mad at anyone it should be me."

"Slytherins aren't supposed to be in any other common rooms."

"Thomas, I am a prefect. NOW LET ME IN!"

"Fine, keep your pants on, especially with Hermione," Dean pointed his finger at him.

"Don't even start, Thomas," he said as Dean said the password and the portrait opened. When Draco got in there he looked around for the boys. He didn't see them. "Where are they?" he asked to Dean.

"Probably upstairs," he said and Draco made his way up to the boys dormitory. He didn't bother knocking on the door and just walked in. Ron was sitting on his bed and Harry was on his and they were talking about Hermione.

"What the hell is your problem?" he asked almost shouting.

"Malfoy?" they asked together.

"Why must you be such assholes?"

"Hey, don't talk to us like that," said Ron.

"Do you want detention, Weasley?" He spat at him and Ron shut his mouth. "You two are Hermione's best friends and you shouldn't treat her like that!"

"How do you know what we treated her like? You weren't there," said Harry.

"I have known you for six years, Potter, I know you well enough to know how you treat your friends. You can't treat her the way you did. She loves both of you and would do anything for you and yet you are such idiots."

"It's none of you business of how we treat our friends," said Ron.

"It is when it involves my girlfriend's well being. Shut you mouth Weasley," he said as Ron opened his mouth to say something. "What ever feelings you have for me, you need to put them aside. Go make up with her. It is her choice to be with me and you need to support her in everything that she does. That is what best friends do! If she doesn't want to be with me, that is her choice, not yours and you shouldn't force her to do anything she doesn't want to do!"

"I was fine with you being friends but I can't handle to know that your are feeling up my best frie-."

"Weasley, I respect her too much to 'feel her up.' Don't lose your best friend because of me."

"You see, Draco, you are now a big part of her life and if we want to be friends with her, we have to be friends with you," said Harry.

"No you don't. We can be civil and I saved your life," he said pointing to Ron. "You owe me. You have to go make up with her."

"If I do so does he," Ron said pointing to Harry.

"Fine, but let me tell you, if you hurt her-," Harry started to say.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just go find her," Draco said. Harry and Ron looked at each other and then without saying anything they ran out of the room.

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After Draco's last class, Herbology, he ran to go find Hermione and Velius. He went to the Prefect common room first. Velius was sitting on Hermione's lap and she was reading him a story. They both looked up when Draco entered.

"Dwaco!" screamed Velius as he got off of Hermione's lap and ran towards his brother. He wrapped his arms around Draco's legs, making him stumble.

"Hi, Velius," Draco said.

"Herminniny said I could use you as a jwungle gin. Can I? Can I?"

"Did she now?" he said, playfully, glaring at her. She just smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"No, Velius, I have a lot of homework and so does Hermione. We can play tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," he said letting go of Draco's legs and looking down at the ground. Draco knew that this would happen. His little brother would want to play with him and he wouldn't be able to. Now Velius would be upset. Then Owen walked in and Hermione got an idea.

"Hey, Owen, do you have any homework?" Hermione asked getting up from the couch and picking up Velius.

"Not a lot, why?" he said putting down his book bag.

"Do you want to play with Velius for us?"

"Sure," he said walking over to them.

"Velius, this is Owen, can you say 'hi'?

"Hi," he said shyly before hiding his face in Hermione's shoulder.

"Hey buddy, do you want to go outside and play with the giant squid?"

"What's a giant squid?"

"Let me tell you while we walk outside," Owen said taking Velius from Hermione. She smiled at them as they walked out of the portrait hole.

"Be careful with my brother!" Draco shouted after him.

"Draco, tonight you have your first lesson with Snape and I have to go do some research while you're there," Hermione said.

"What? Oh, yeah. Okay," he said kissing her softly on the lips.

"We also have to work on our Potions project."

"Oh, yeah," he said kissing her again. "I'm glad that you are letting me kiss you again!"

"So how much do you like me now?" she asked jokingly.

"I'm scared to joke with you, so I guess I have to answer truthfully. I like you more than my Father," he said.

"I would hope! That's it," she said pulling out of his grip. "That's another week of no kissing for you."

"I wasn't lying!"

"You hate your Father."

"I know and I said I liked you more than him."

"Meaning that you only like me a little more than him."

"Hermione, if I didn't like you do you think I would do this?" He said grabbing her arm and wrapping his arms around hers, so that there was no way for her to escape. He looked her in the eyes and then kissed her, deeply.

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Once again I am so sorry that it took me so long to update. Thanks to all my reviewers and loyal fans! PLEASE REVIEW!

Thanks to luckycharm04, cheeze and sugar n spice 522! And all of my other readers! Love you all!