Hello! Sorry it took me awhile! Busy with uni and all. So how's everyone? I'll try my best to keep writing and updating faster this time, I promise. I made this pretty long so you can all forgive me for my absence hihi. Review if you like! :)

Draco and Hermione went back to Hogwarts together from their Christmas break. Normally, she would have sat on the train with Harry and Ron but decided to sit with Draco instead. Ron was being a complete tosser, and Harry wasn't really taking any sides but she assumed he'd go with Ron. As Platform 9 ¾ hustled and bustled, everyone seemed to look at Draco and Hermione. Surely, it was normal for Head Boy and Girl to go to the train together. What shocked them though were their hands tangled as they walked to the train. Hermione could feel their stares made a hole in her head. As if that kiss during the ball wasn't enough indication of their status, they had to ogle by simple hand holding. Draco must have noticed her anxiety and squeezed her hand twice. She looked at him, and he winked. Who cares what everyone else thinks? She had the most amazing, handsome man with her. That should have been enough distraction. Plus, it was bound to come out eventually.

"You lucky Head Girl, getting her own place at the train if she wanted to." Draco teased as they walked through the narrow halls of the train. Hermione caught a glimpse of her friends—Harry looked apologetic, Ginny waved and grinned, and Ron looked through the window. When they found their spot, he sat on the left side and her on the right, opposite each other. "Getting tired of your friends?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, I wanted to sit with you."

"If this is about Weasley and me—"

"This has nothing to do about you and Ron." She responded. He raised an eyebrow on her. "Okay, maybe that was a lie. But in my defense, he was being arrogant. So I'd rather sit with you than with them."

"Well that's depressing." He sighed.

"Why?"

"I thought you sat with me because you like me."

"I do, Draco." She reached out to hold his hand. "I like you… more than I can admit."

"Really? Doesn't seem like it." He mumbled as he casted his head down not only to look the part, but to hide his little smile as well.

"Draco," She stood to sit beside him, but the moment she did the train began to move, the impact made her tumble. She squealed and toppled to him and he caught her by her hips. They both laughed. He turned her sideways so she could sit on his lap. At first, Hermione was stiff and awkward. She looked outside. She wasn't a big fan of public display of affection. One little shocker at a time, she thought. When she felt the coast was clear, she relaxed.

"As I was saying, I like you Draco. I really do." She said, her hands moved to the back of his neck. She kissed her left cheek softly, then his right. She kissed his nose, and then he smiled. "I like you a whole lot."

"I know." He replied as he touched the small of her back. "I just wanted you to sit next to me. But this, I gotta say, is better."

"Well why didn't you just say so?" She tried to stand up again.

"No, stay. I like this." He pulled her back down. "You know I like you too, right?"

"I know." Her arm snaked around his neck, her free hand settled on his chest. He had a steady heartbeat, just like hers, and spent a while listening to it. Thoughts of going back to reality reeled inside Draco's mind. Their Christmas break had some quirks, but all in all he was fully satisfied. Just the fact that he got to spend some time with her all that time was enough for him. They could just be reading a catalog and he'd still be happy about it.

"Draco?"

He was taken out of his mind and looked at her. "Yes?"

"Do you think… we should tell Dumbledore?" She touched his tie with her free hand. "About us?"

Oh right. It was one thing for their friends to know, their professors however, were an entirely different matter. "I don't see why not. Surely, he'll understand."

"Don't you think he'll, I don't know, ask one of us to step down? Or worse?"

"Kick us out?"

"No!" She shrugged. "Make this end?"

Now that bothered him. Dumbledore was kind, no doubt about that. But he's also just. There wasn't really any contract that they signed that said they can't have a relationship prior to getting their badges. Draco could not deliberate on his own what their headmaster might say regarding the matter. "I'm sure it won't come to that. Dumbledore's alright."

Hermione sighed. "Let's hope so." She touched his forehead with hers and closed her eyes. She can smell his distinct perfume and memories of the Halloween party flooded in her head. The way he carried her when she got hurt, danced with her all night, kissed her senseless, and gave her an emotional rollercoaster that made her stomach swirl from jealousy and happiness. So much has changed since then, for the better of course.

She did a silent prayer and hoped it would last.

Conscious if his legs are already cramped up, she stood up and sat beside him. For a second, Draco's breath hitched, wondering if he did something wrong. Bloody hell, he thought to himself, you don't have to be so clingy to the woman.

"I wonder what happens when we go back." She whispered as her head leaned on his shoulder.

He took her hand and gave it another assuring squeeze. "Something good, I suppose."

~.~

The moment they arrived in their common room, Hermione sighed. Somehow, this place has been her definition of home, and she couldn't be happier to go back. She sat on their couch in a flop, and hummed. "It's feels so good to be back here."

"Feeling right back home?" Draco said before he walked to store his baggage away. In a way, he couldn't help but feel the same. Hogwarts has always been more like a home than Malfoy Manor, especially after certain events. But now, with Hermione, there was no doubt about it. It's like they're playing house together. He could already imagine what it would be like with her. When he returned to their common room, she was still on the couch, her eyes closed. "Tired from the trip?"

"A little yeah." She answered without opening her eyes. Draco moved to sit beside her and touched her cheek softly. This time, her eyes did open, and she smiled at him so sweetly it hurt Draco in a good way. "I missed this place."

"Me too."

"I missed being with you in this place, mostly."

"Same."

She raised her hand to touch his face, her thumb at his bottom lip. He looked at her like she was something rare, from her eyes to her lips and back.

"Do you have to make me say it?" She chuckled.

Draco's eyebrows furrowed. "Say what?"

"Kiss me already." She replied. "I know that look you give me, it's that—"

Draco cut her little monologue by moving his lips to shut up hers, and she groaned the last of her words. Hermione's hands moved to the back of his neck and raised her head. His kisses were soft and slow, but she demanded more, and Draco wouldn't say no to that. Her mouth opened, and she didn't even have to ask as their tongues danced, their breaths mingled. She released her bottom lip from his lips and gasped. "Do you mind if I, uhm, sit on your lap?"

"You were sitting on my lap hours ago and you're still asking for permission?"

They laughed and she straddled on his lap, his legs in between hers. She giggled and kissed him again. His hands touched hers, their fingers intertwined. Hermione was still out of breath but didn't mind, and he certainly didn't too, not with her before him. Her hands moved to weave his hair, his perfectly blonde soft hair. His hands touched her hips up to her waist, unintentionally raising her top and feeling an amount of her skin and made her gasp. She was so smooth he thought he might break her if he gripped any harder than he did. "Is this alright with you?" He rasped.

"Yes." She replied. His hands almost fit her waist, and she could feel him trembling. She never knew a kiss could do so much as this, well she knew what it could do, but she didn't know it was so intense to the point that you could both radiate with warmth and still want more. But she did, especially when he moved to kiss the skin below her ear to the hollow of her neck. She sighed. "Yes, there."

"Seriously?" Draco said. He was too afraid of doing anything but kiss her on the lips, not to mention frustrated. But it was understandable. He didn't want to push her into doing something she wouldn't want to do. He just wanted her close to him, maybe not let her out of his sight too. He could just be cuddling her at it would be alright with him.

She made a little laugh, and then touched the hem of his shirt. "Relax, we're not going to do anything rash. I'm the logical one here, remember? I just… want to know if that's how it feels."

"How what feels?"

She exhaled. "Promise not to laugh?"

"Why would I laugh?"

"Just promise, Draco."

Draco felt it was the perfect time to get his hands off the skin on her waist. "All right."

"Lately, I've had these… stirrings."

"Stirrings?"

"Yes." She looked down. "Whenever we kiss or hold hands, I just feel that I need to be closer to you, even more than what we do. I want to remember every single detail, every single feeling of you like it would be the last time we could ever touch. And I keep wondering if that's what it feels like to, you know…"

"What?"

Hermione looked at his eyes and begged silently, please know what I'm about to say. She didn't want to say it out loud. But why? Because she was afraid that she would be rejected. That she felt too strongly for him that he didn't reciprocate it back. Maybe if her eyes could do the talking, then it wouldn't hurt as much if she was wrong to feel that way. She's had enough heartbreak for a year.

"Hermione?" He asked but she didn't reply. She looked like she was trying to keep something from him, her teeth nibbling her bottom lip. Feels like to what? He thought. If only she finished the sentence. Because he knew, he knew exactly what she was talking about. He knew it ever since the Halloween Party, hell he probably knew it even before that. He probably knew it the day she called him by his name. "I think, I think I get what you mean."

"Y- You do?"

"Yes. I feel it too." That was all she needed to hear. She didn't ask him to say it anyway. She just wanted to know that they were in the same page, peeking on the edge before taking the fall.

"I've been meaning to tell you this for a while," He said as he touched her face so their foreheads could touch. Hermione tried to stifle her little gasp of surprise. "I—"

There was a knock on the door and their heads whipped to its direction.

"Hermione? Draco? It's Luna here!"

Draco exhaled, his mouth made a stern line. He was about to pour his heart and soul, but then Loony Lovegood had to ruin the moment. "Damn it. What do you want?"

"I'd tell you but I can't keep shouting through the door you know!"

Hermione made an apologetic smile before she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Sorry, I'll get it. We'll get back to that when she's gone alright?" She got out of his embrace and fixed herself. She opened the door. "Yes, Luna?"

"Have you seen my scarf? I've been looking for it everywhere and I just couldn't find it."

Hermione did a timid smile and shook her head. Oh Luna. "No sorry. Is that all?"

"Yes. Oh, and McGonagall and Snape wants to see you both. Right now." Hermione's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Well that's about it, see you around!" Luna skipped away from the hall, leaving Hermione befuddled and nervous. She turned to close the door and leaned on it.

Draco could see the color fade on Hermione's face. "What's wrong?"

"We're being called."

Draco flinched. "By who?"

"McGonagall and Snape. She said to go right now."

He sighed heavily. "Bloody hell you scared me, I thought it was Dumbledore."

"Well, it's a start isn't it? First it's them and then the next thing you know Dumbledore will talk to us as well." Hermione paced but was cut short as Draco stood and held her by the shoulders.

"Calm down, we don't even know why they want to talk to us yet. It could just be Head duties again." He searched for her eyes. "And if it is, I'm sure it will all go well."

She sighed and hoped he was right. "Okay. So, what were you saying?"

"Never mind about that for now." He kissed the top of her head. "Let's get out of here and get it over with."

~.~

The two got separated to be talked to individually by their respective head. They both looked stoic, it was natural for Snape but for McGonagall, not so much. This made Hermione even more tense, because at least he could read hers, but who knows what Snape will do to Draco. She gave him one long look before they separated.

"Please sit, Miss Granger."

She complied and started fiddling her fingers and biting her bottom lip.

"I'm guessing you know why Professor Snape and I called you and Draco?" McGonagall didn't bother to sit down; she only stood in front of Hermione and leaned on her desk. She couldn't reply, just merely nodded.

"Now, Miss Granger, I'm no stranger to relationships going around the school. Sometimes even Heads do, since they are in close proximity at all times. But if this so much as affect your duties—"

"It won't, I promise." Hermione blurted out.

"I know you're a very responsible student, and I trust that you'll always do the right thing."

"I will."

McGonagall slumped on her desk and sighed. "Years of teaching and I still don't know how to do pep talk." She mumbled. "I know that Mister Malfoy has changed over the course of time, but just be careful, alright?"

Hermione nodded, still clueless on what she could say.

"I honestly didn't think this day would actually come. We chose the both of you not only because of your abilities, but because we knew you two would at least be professional about this. We expected hexes every now and then, but this? I—" She put her palm on her forehead. "I didn't even know it could happen. No one knew it could happen."

Hermione knew exactly what her professor meant. No one, not even herself, could have predicted that such thing could happen. But no one can really, right? No one can immediately tell if two people can… be together. It's something that comes gradually, emerging from something you don't expect.

"Neither did I, Professor. But it did, and I…" Hermione raised her hands. "It feels different. Good different."

McGonagall only looked at her with worry and then nodded.

"And I know it'll cost us a lot but please, don't make us end our relationship—"

"Miss Granger, I'm only after giving advice and precaution. Not to meddle on your business."

Hermione felt the color move to her cheeks from embarrassment; she had been ranting and defending what they had with Draco. But no one was really complaining.

"Anything else we need to talk about here, Miss Granger?" Hermione shook her head. "Then you may go."

"Thank you, professor." She murmured and then left her office. Well, that was fast.

~.~

Snape didn't even bother to let Draco sit. As soon as the door closed, he pushed Draco against the door, his fist crumpling his shirt. "This has got to be the lousiest, cruelest, most irresponsible joke you're pulling—" Snape began and Draco was dumbfounded.

"What?"

"If you think that sleeping with that girl and toying with her feelings will help you get even with Potter, then you are horribly mistaken."

"What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about you and Granger, you idiot. What else am I going to talk about?"

"How- How did you even know about this? You're barely around." Draco pushed Snape's hand away from him. "Bloody hell, will you bugger off?"

"Not when you're acting like a complete imbecile, I won't."

"What is it to you anyway?" Draco barked. "You've already done your part to protect me. That vow you did? It doesn't apply to me or you anymore. So you can lay off now!"

There was an awkward silence between the two of them until Draco cut it. "What would you know about it anyway?"

He took a while to answer. "I wasn't always this cold-hearted, Draco. I knew… women before. Took interest in them."

"I can't believe we're going to have a pep talk about girls."

"Would you rather I let your father do this?"

"Father couldn't give a shit about all of this."

Snape was taken aback. "He knows about this?"

Draco shrugged. "Brought her to the house one time."

"You must be going mad!" Snape fumed again. "Did a giant boulder hit your head or are you just being an insufferable little twat? You have just recently redeemed your reputation, Draco. After all that had happened, it was impossible for you to have gotten the position you have now if it weren't for me. And now, you are single-handedly ruining the opportunity by getting yourself involved with Granger!"

"Look," Draco tried to keep his composure, but he could not help it if his voice was louder and more aggressive than usual. But he had to shut Snape up and keep him out. "I fool around with girls a lot, alright? Always have. And sometimes, it'll just be that, fooling around. It will mean nothing to me. You don't have to go and keep watching me and whoever girl I am with because rest assure you, it's none of your business."

Draco heard a tiny gasp. So tiny, he didn't think it belonged to Snape. He was waiting for him to answer but he moved to his chair instead.

"And what is Granger's stand on this?"

Draco moved to sit on the chair in front of him. "This… is completely different."

Snape's hands were tangled, his chin resting on them. "So, you love this girl?"

"Bloody hell, everyone else knows this except her?" Draco said and mumbled a 'fuck'.

"Go wash your dirty mouth somewhere else, Draco." Snape replied and paused. "So this should not be a concern when it comes to your Head duties?"

"No, of course not."

"Fine. Now get out of my office." He turned his chair around. Draco stood and left without a word.

~.~

"You must be going mad!"

Hermione heard from Snape's door and she winced. Looks like Draco was having a hard time with his own head. At least Professor McGonagall was straightforward and concise, it barely took them five minutes to talk. Snape, however, was really keen on giving Draco the pep talk. It was obviously about them, and she could not help but listen. They were loud, audible enough through the door.

"Did a giant boulder hit your head or are you just being an insufferable little twat? You have just recently redeemed your reputation, Draco. After all that had happened, it was impossible for you to have gotten the position you have now if it weren't for me. And now, you are single-handedly ruining the opportunity by getting yourself involved with Granger!"

This had stung her. She didn't know that it was hard for him to get the position. And that if things go wrong, she was hoping it wouldn't, he would be on the losing end. Snape was right, Draco had just moved on from the war, along like everyone else. The aftermath was still there, and with their relationship, it could bring back the hard times Draco had of coping and forgetting. Was she really ruining it for him?

"Look," She heard Draco said. She was anxious of how he will defend her, defend them, to his head teacher. She highly doubted Snape would understand their relationship, and so she hoped for the best and anticipated his reply.

"I fool around with girls a lot, alright? Always have."

Hermione felt like someone just stabbed her in the chest.

"And sometimes, it'll just be that, fooling around. It will mean nothing to me. You don't have to go and keep watching me and whoever girl I am with because rest assure you, it's none of your business."

She found it difficult to breathe, like she was drowning and paddling for air but it was like she only went even deeper. She made an audible gasp, and then covered her mouth. No, she wasn't going to choke now.

The next thing she knew, she was wandering aimlessly through the halls. It was like her heart was squeezed and constricted, exhausting herself. Her vision started to become blurry, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. She didn't know how she arrived at their room, and when she entered she saw the couch, the couch where they sat from earlier. She was about to tell him what she felt then. And she was so scared.

Turns out she was scared for all the right reasons, and more.

She always knew Draco liked to fool around. He was, undoubtedly, adored by many girls. But with all that has happened, she thought it was different this time.

She turned away and couldn't even look at the couch anymore. She felt hallow, sucked dry until there was nothing left. But then she started to cry. There was something else he could take from her. She ran to her room and slammed the door shut, succumbing to the drowning waters.