AN

I am so sorry everyone for being so negligent of you all and to Draco and Hermione.

If you care to hear any of my excuses, they are posted in my journal, (accessible from my profile).

This is unbetaed because I felt guilty for leaving you all in the lurch for so long. I pray I don't have another year like this one and have the next chapter up in better time.

I love you all and hope that this chapter is sufficient enough payment for forgiveness.

Kylie x

Chapter 20: Hugs or Kisses?

After Malfoy had awoken to find them stuck together in a most intimate embrace, they had yelled most desperately for Octo to find and release them. When there throats had become sore and their breathing laboured, they fell silent.

A few moments later, because he was an annoying prick and couldn't hold his tongue still for five minutes, that even the cat had trouble catching it, Malfoy said to her, "This is your entire fault."

She scrunched her nose in confusion. "I don't see any possible way-"

"For once Granger, don't argue with me and just admit you're to blame."

Hermione was absolutely scandalised. "I will absolutely not take the blame for a fight you caused. If you hadn't have kissed me again-"

"Yeah, well if you hadn't have practically thrown yourself at me-"

"What? Thrown myself at you?" The nerve of this man. Did he really think that she was trying to seduce him?

"Yes."

"I can assure you there was no throwing myself anywhere, never mind at the last person I would ever throw myself at?" All that was true. She would rather see the underside of the Hogwarts Express than be under him as she was now.

"Come off it Granger. I bet you couldn't wait to get your hands all over me. I could have very well put that paste on myself, but no, you wanted to play 'Hospitals and Healers'-"

"I am a Healer!"

"Yeah? And I'm a victim of sexual harassment."

He was the most infuriating person she knew but he wasn't stupid, so he was throwing these unnecessary and false accusations at her to rile her up.

And there was nothing she hated more than unnecessary and false accusation.

"You wouldn't know sexual harassment if it slapped you in the face."

"You're forgetting who's ward I just came from today."

Hermione sputtered in anger and took her last thought back.

There was nothing she hated more, than being compared to Healer Aldridge.

"I am nothing like her and you know it."

"Of course. You're much more subtle and like the grooming technique much better. Tell me Granger, is that how you treat all your patients?" he asked. She would have punched, never mind wiped, that smarmy looked off his face if she could.

"Why you insufferable bastard."

"Language."

"And if I didn't know any better I would say you enjoyed it you pervert." Ha, take that one Malfoy!

"You think I like being beaten black and blue?"

"No you dolt! Being cared for."

"Why would I like being care for?"

She looked at him stunned.

Who didn't like being looked after when they were going through a rough time or were ill? She remembered when her mom would make coco and rap her up in a soft blanket to sit by the warm, blazing fire as they watched old period dramas. Those were some of the best memories Hermione had of her.

Nevertheless, she supposed Malfoy wasn't the type to be fawned over, but then again she remembered those care packaged he would receive when they were back in Hogwarts. Perhaps it was just a different kind of love he got from his parents. No less loving, just expressed differently.

It made her feel sorry for him in a way, not to have felt as she did when her dad would come into her room to have her ritual bedtime story.

She didn't get those either now, now that her mom was gone and her dad was in a care home.

Her whole demeanour changed and she felt that he noticed.

"Malfoy?" she asked quietly.

He sighed. "What now?"

"Have you ever been hugged?"

Now it was his turn to be stunned. He stiffened in her arms. "What type of question is that? Have I ever been hugged?"

"A legitimate one."

"And you expect me to answer it?"

"Why not?"

"Take a look at us Granger." She looked down at their intertwined bodies. "If this isn't some kind of weird hugging gesture, I don't know what is."

"But a hug has to be given voluntary, to bring comfort, not forced. My mom always said one hug can out do a dozen kisses."

"Your mother was weird."

"No she wasn't, she was very wise."

"How can a hug out do a kiss?"

"Do you want me to prove it?" What was she thinking saying that? A slip of the tongue she was sure.

He ginned deviously. "What, are you going to kiss me again?"

She looked affronted. "No, you've already had one."

He frowned.

And that's what got her, he obviously had never been hugged or hadn't been given a proper one.

Well, here goes...

Ever so slowly, Hermione tightened her arms around him, curling her fingers into his shirt and pulled him closer to her has she rested her head against his. She sighed. He stiffened momentarily but soon relaxed into her embrace. He reciprocated her movements by holding her head gently in his hands and increasing the pressure in his leg so that she moved an extra inch closer to him.

She closed her eyes as his fingers started to massage her scalp; hugs were nice even if she was giving one to Malfoy.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

There were times in Hermione's life when she thought that things couldn't get any worse, say fighting Voldemort for example. Now she was more inclined to feel that you should never question the future or fate because it always had something up it's sleeve to pull out at the most inopportune moments.

Such as now for instance.

She was wrapped tightly against her flatmate and was about to be caught.

They both started and if they weren't stuck together, they would have jumped a Quidditch pitch apart.

"Who would call at this time of night?" she asked.

"Oh I don't know. Why don't I just get up and answer the door?"

It seems their quiet moment had come to an end.

"There is no need for sarcasm," she said, then shouted, "Hello."

"Why the hell did you have to do that for? They will never go away now."

"It's me," a woman shouted. "Are you ready?"

Hermione groaned and closed her eyes.

She had completely forgotten about the seminar. For months she had been waiting for this and Malfoy had to go and screw it all up with his perverted ideas and his big head.

"Oi, Granger. Oi," he said trying to shake her into alertness, which resulted in them rubbing up against each other some sort of erotic rocking motion.

It did nothing to relieve her present distress.

"Whoever it is, tell them to go away."

"She might be able to help," she said.

He gave her a death glare that she couldn't see but could feel all the same. "No fucking way. Not even my mother has caught me in this position and I'm not about to let some stranger see me like some girly-man cuddled up to you."

"Fine! But just so you know I will never ever forgive you for this." Before he could reply, she cleared her throat and prayed her voice would come out calm as she called, "No, I don't think I can make it."

"But you knew I could only get tickets for tonight. Are you okay? Did something happen at work?" the woman replied.

You could say that, thought Hermione. "No, no. I'm fine, everything's fine. I'm sorry to give you such short notice, but I really won't be able to come."

Oh how she disliked lying and the feeling of guilt it bought.

"Are you sure? Why aren't you answering the door?"

"What the fuck is this, conversation through a door day?" Malfoy gritted out. "Get rid of her, now."

"I'm trying my best. I can't blatantly tell her to go away, that's rude."

"Luckily I'm the rudest person you know."

She glared at him.

"Malfoy, don't you dare."

He coughed. "OI, TART!"

Hermione winced at the loudness of his voice being projected down her ear, and then gasped at his derogatory term for her friend.

"Granger's a bit tied up right now, so you can just shove your tickets to Merlin-knows-where up your fat arse and kindly, piss off."

Could that be any ruder?

"I think, 'so tied up she can't actually move' would have been a better description," came Blaise's voice from the doorway.

"Is that Aunty Herminny's boyfriend?"

The vision of Draco Malfoy curled around the form of Hermione Granger was so radically unbelievable that it could only have occurred during a drug-induced state. In addition, because she had a great adversary for the use of drugs, both recreational and performance enhancers, that had to be saying something.

She knew she had to be gapping like a fish but she couldn't help it. No wonder Hermione wanted to live here with her bitter enemy instead. Malfoy was looking pretty damn good in just a vest and boxers. She couldn't blame him either for agreeing to let Hermione stay, because her robes had ridden up to show a very nice portion of thigh.

Blaise was ridiculing Draco and Hermione about their current predicament, whilst Harry was trying to control his son who was jumping up and down on the bed demanding a sleep over.

The beautiful woman would have cut in at some point as it was getting quite late and the 'Ministry's Seminar and Fundraiser for the Research into New Remedial Potions' was due to start in half an hour but she hadn't had so much fun since she last saw Wesley Asher sneezed out a frog in her lab two months ago.

Draco was looking quite red in the face and Hermione was cringing from all the spit that was landing on her neck. Blaise was standing over the pair still answering Draco wearing a smirk, and Jacob was now safely in the arms of his father who was covering the boys ears to shield out the abusive language coming from Malfoy's mouth.

She decided to take pity on the room's occupants who she was sure couldn't find their way out of a one-way floo grate even if they had a map.

"QUIET!"

The room fell silent.

"Who the hell are you?" Malfoy demanded.

"Forgot me so soon Draco? It's only been what, five years? And now I'm a tart with a fat arse."

He squinted at her.

No sign of recollection showed on his face at all.

"Circe Malfoy. We dated for about a month in sixth year." She felt quite insulted, their time together was quite memorable as she recalled.

"I dated a lot of girls in sixth year."

And he was the one calling her a tart.

Some things never change.

"It's Lisa, Malfoy," said Blaise. "Lisa Turpin, the hot Ravenclaw."

She gave him a grateful smile that he returned with a wink.

"You're lucky Ginny isn't here to hear you say that," cut in Harry.

"Oh shit. Yeah, I remember," Draco said. "You have that mole on your-"

"That is quite enough about dating and moles thank you very much," Hermione said abruptly from next to him. "I would very much like it if someone could remember I'm here and to help us out."

"Of course Hermione," said Lisa pulling out her wand. The sooner this was sorted, the sooner she could get out of here. She found that hanging around with these people could give her a serious headache. How Hermione coped with it, she had no idea.

"And we still might have time to make the fundraiser, if not the seminar, if you're really quick." She made an intricate hand movement. They could literally hear and feel the slurping suction as Hermione pushed Draco away from her. And with a pop, they were free.

Hermione stood and straightened her robes, rubbing and stretching the base of her back. "Now if you don't mind I would like a few moments to erase the last hour from my memory."

"Was it that traumatic?" asked Blaise.

Harry and practically ran through the door with Jacob lagging behind by the hand, still campaigning for his slumber party. Blaise was reluctant for the show to end but with a good firm push from Lisa they turned to leave.

Lisa called, "You've got ten minutes Hermione."

A few moments later.

"Er, Granger," Malfoy said from the floor. "You're forgetting the injured party here, and I think it's time for you to slather that goo on me again."

"I'll bloody well slather you with something in a minute," she cried throwing her hands in the air.

"They're the weirdest boyfriend and girlfriend I've ever seen," said Jacob.

Lisa was inclined to agree.