Chapter 25

Hermione pulled back, her eyes still closed as if she could still feel his lips on hers.

"Draco, I can't do this. Ron, he—"

"I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." Draco looked ashamed of himself, he had told Weasley that he didn't snog other people's girlfriends, and here he was practically snogging Hermione Granger, the Weasel's girlfriend herself.

"It's not that I don't want to, cause you're a way better kisser than Ron, but he's my boyfriend. I couldn't cheat on him." Hermione spoke softly as if she hated the words herself, as if they where acid on her tongue.

"I understand Hermione, I really do."

"Thank you." Hermione sighed and looked over her shoulder she saw people coming around the corner.

"Looks like our alone time for the day is over." Draco stated as he looked over her head at the Gryffindors and Slytherins coming around the bend.

"Pity." Hermione sighed, as someone from the crowd called her name, she turned around and gave a smile and a wave toward Harry and turned back around to Draco. "I'm still would like to sit by you today if you don't mind." Draco smiled and nodded his head.

"Of course, class is always easier when I have the smartest girl in school to do all the work for me." Draco said playfully, earning him another punch to his arm.

"Glad to see our heads beating each other up now." Harry spoke as he approached the two. "Malfoy." Harry acknowledged and gave him a slight nod of his head.

"Potter." Draco returned the gesture and kept an eye out for Ron, slightly glad that there were now people around them; he really didn't want to get into another fight.

"Hermione, how have you been lately, you know with everything." Potter's attention was once more directed at Hermione, his tone was friendly and light, nothing necessarily odd in his tone, Draco noted.

"Great! Everything is just perfect." Hermione flashed Harry a brilliant smile, Draco's mouth almost dropped open as Harry believed Hermione's lie. Couldn't he see that she really was fine, let alone great? Here he was, her best friend and he could see the sadness she hid behind her mask. "How's everything with you?"

"Better now, I had some trouble this morning. Bulstrode kissed me and Ginny saw it. Let's say having vases thrown at my head wasn't exactly what I planned this morning." Harry smiled weakly, and Draco's mouth dropped open completely. Bulstrode kissed Potter. That must have been utterly disgusting for him. Poor bloke, even if it is Potter.

"Oh my god. Is everything alright, you know between you and Ginny?"

"Thankfully, yes. I was so worried that she wouldn't understand while she was, you know, throwing vases at my head. Luckily Ron got her to calm down so we could talk it out."

"Thank goodness! You two are made for each other you know."

"I know Hermione. You tell me that all the time, along with all the other girls."

"Including Romilda Vane?"

"Well, except her, she still bitter about the fact that I'm not dating her, but she's loony anyways." Harry laughed, "You're sitting next to Ron today right?"

"No, I'm sitting next to Malfoy." Hermione said, "We have some important head business to discuss, and we figured we could do so when brewing our potion today." Harry nodded but looked at her suspiciously.

"Ron's not going to like it."

"I know." Hermione sighed as Ron came billowing down the hall.

"I need to talk to you." Ron said, slightly huffing from what it looked like, running all the way here.

"Ron class is about to start."

"I need to talk to you, now."

"Ron I'm not going to ditch just because you need to talk to me. I'm sure this can wait until after class."

"Fine. I'll tell you during class."

"I'm sitting next to Malfoy today, remember."

"Are you still going on about that? Listen you're my girlfriend you'll be sitting next to me."

"Ron." Harry said softly, shocked by his best mate's attitude toward his 'girlfriend.'

"Ron." Hermione said sternly, "I will sit by whom I like, during potions or any other class."

"Look, Granger, just sit by him we can talk later." Draco said softly, noticing that the people around them where starting to stare. Hermione looked at Draco questionably. "I don't want to be the cause of anymore trouble than you already have." He whispered softly so only she could hear. Hermione's eyes softened and she nodded slowly understanding where he was coming from.

"Oh alright, Fine. I'll sit by you Ron, but we need to have a very long discussion about this." Hermione glared at Ron, furious that she had to give up sitting next to Draco because Ron was being such a pain in the butt about, well, everything.

"Good. I'm glad you're finally seeing reason Hermione." Ron emphasized, while both Draco's and Harry's mouths fell open at Ron's rudeness toward Hermione. Draco moved to punch Ron in the face but Hermione stuck her arm out and stopped him, she gave him a look that said I'll take care of this. Draco straightened up and gave Ron a look of downright hatred. If Hermione would have let him Ron would have been pounded severally into the ground.

Their classmates around them started to talk animatedly about what had just happened in front of their eyes, evidentially surprised at both Ron's and Draco's reactions.

Maybe today's Potions lesson wouldn't be as boring as the other ones.