HPOV

I'm unbelievably tired. I haven't felt this tired since the day after the Final Battle.

When all the adrenaline had worn off, and all the celebrations were over, Harry Ron and I had gone up to Gryffindor Tower, telling only Ginny where we were, and had gone into the boys old dormitory. One simple spell, and we've merged their old bed together. Right then, we needed each other close by. We'd slept for sixteen straight hours. It was only seven in the evening when we'd crashed out, not even changing out of the clothes we'd worn for the celebrations. We hadn't even stirred until eleven the next morning. The boys were already awake when I woke up, and we'd lain there silently for a long time. I realised how uncomfortable I was in my pretty dress, the zip digging into my back. I'd wriggled around for a while, and then slid out of bed.

"What are you doing? Don't get up yet," Harry protested.

"I'm taking this bloody dress off, it's uncomfortable." We hadn't bothered about nudity while we were away, there wasn't the space or the time. I stepped out of it and kicked it to one side, standing in just my bra and knickers. I opened the closest trunk, and pulled out somebody's t-shirt, slipping my bra off and pulling the shirt over my head. "So, so much better."

"Agreed."

"Pervert."

"Just get back into bed, Hermione. Lets have some us time." I snuggle back in, wriggling between them. The comfortable silence resumed, and I tucked my hands behind my head. Two seconds later, two heads are resting on my tummy, one on each side. I didn't think we made the bed big enough, but apparently there's room for them both to lie full length like that. I play idly with Harry's hair, because he's closest.

"I can't believe it's over."

"I know. It doesn't seem real. Maybe we're dreaming." I grin, and pinch Ron's shoulder. "Ouch, Hermione."

"You're not dreaming."

"It's really over. He's really dead. So. What are we meant to be doing now?"

"Go on holiday. A really long holiday, just us three. And on this holiday, we'll do nothing. We'll go somewhere far away, and really private."

"Like where?"

"My uncle had this place in the Austrian Alps. When he died, it passed onto my parents. They'll let us use it. I've been there before. It's on a shelf above the Teirnsee, in the Tyrolean part of Austria. There's no Wizarding population for miles."

"Done. Lets go at the weekend."

We'd stayed there for three weeks. Only the Weasleys knew where we were, and as they had a restraining order against the press, nobody ever found us. It was three blissful weeks, three weeks when we worked out how we all felt about each other. At the end, Ron and I were together, and the moment we went back to the Weasleys place, Harry proposed to Ginny. They disappeared together. And then it was the start of all my nightmares.

I wake up to Harry bending over me. I yell in shock and fall out of bed,

"Shit, Hermione, are you OK?"

"Bloody hell, Harry, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Well, you seem OK."

"I'm fine. I may as well get up now. Pass my dressing gown."

"I think you should stay -"

"Move, Potter." I go downstairs to find Draco grilling sausages.

"I heard Potter wake you up and figured you'd want something to eat. I'm making you sausage sandwiches. Tea is in the pot on the table, and it's fresh and hot."

"See, Harry, Draco gets it."

"Draco's frightened of you, he needs to stay on your good side."

"The happier she is, Potter, the easier she is to live with. This a fact."

I smile at them both, and go through to the living room. Its nice to see them - well, I'm not quite sure how to describe it. Tolerating each other. No, they're slightly more than that, but they aren't friends. Whatever's part way between tolerance and friendship. I pour myself a cup of tea, and switch the television on. I flick idly, but then give up and put Tom and Jerry cartoons on. It transpires that there are four hours of Looney Tunes coming up. This is perfectly acceptable as far as I'm concerned, and it also means I'm set for the day. Draco brings me my sandwich and chucks a ketchup bottle at me.

"I know you like to put it on yourself. I never manage to get it right." I open the bottle and dump ketchup onto the sandwich, before popping the top back on, and looking up at Harry, who's helped himself as per usual.

"Harry, go put ketchup on the shopping list."

"What for?"

"Because I want to start doing voodoo, and use it as the blood in the doll. Because we've run out, you prat." He smiles and goes off to the kitchen.

"I ate the last of your French Fancies too, so I put those on the list," he announces on his return.

"Cheeky fucker."

"It's why you love me." I smile at him, reaching over to the armchair and ruffling his hair. Draco laughs from behind the newspaper.

"Harry, what are you and Ginny wanting for Christmas? I mean, I'm doing some stuff for the baby, but what do you two want?"

"Oh blimey, I hadn't even thought about it. I know what Ginny wants from you though."

"Let me get the list. OK, go."

"She wants those plum suede boots you both saw while you were out shopping."

"Oh I know the ones. Think about what you want, please, and let me know. Draco, what about you?"

"I don't know either. What about you?"

"Well, I already told Harry what I'm wanting from him and Ginny. I'll show you what you can get me though. Harry can help you obtain it." I get up and go over to the sideboard, and rummage through the catalogue drawer.

"We should get Kevin to come here and file our drawers."

"I will be in my cold, cold grave before that happens. Here it is." I take the catalogue over to Draco, and point out the dress I've been ogling for months. "That one. That's the one I want."

"Yes, most pretty."

"You hate it."

"I'm not going to be the one wearing it."

"Well, no, but the thing is - well, bear with me on this."

"Oh God."

"Every new year, the Ministry holds a New Year Ball. They don't do one at Christmas because that's the Minister's annual paid holiday, so they hold a New Year Ball as a thing. We all get six days off - three incorporating Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, and then three on New Years Eve, New Years day and then January 2nd. Now, the point of this conversation is that I want you to come to the Ball as my official plus one."

"Oh God, please no. Take Harry."

"Harry takes Ginny."

"How do you get an invite?" Draco asks Harry, curiously.

"Are you kidding? The Ministry always invites me, they bloody love me. I don't always go, but Hermione and Ginny tag-teamed me this year, as it's Mia's first year working for them."

"People call you Mia?"

"No, Harry calls me Mia. He is the only person who is ever permitted to call me Mia, so don't get any ideas."

"Going to have to ask you why you call her Mia."

"We used to have sex, and that's what I used to call her then." There's a moment of silence in the living room. In fact, apart from the TV playing the Looney Tunes theme, I can actually hear Anton sneeze outside.

"And the prize for the single most awkward comment on the planet ever uttered goes to Harry James Potter," I say, trying to make the situation less horrendous.

"You guys? You used to fuck?"

"Oh sweet Jesus."

"Yes, yes we did. Hermione, quit blushing, he would have found out eventually."

"Yes, but not in such a horrific way. You have quite literally no tact."

"Shall we just mutually agree to never, ever mention this conversation ever again?" Draco asks, smiling at me.

"Yes, lets do that. In the mean time, Harry, you can buy me a nice bottle of wine, by way of apology."

"Fair play."

I show Harry out at the end of the day, and turn back to Draco, who has had the same ironic smile on his face that he's been wearing since the horrible moment.

"Not a word, Malfoy. Not one single word."