I do hope you've all been having a good time since I've posted last, it seems that the world didn't end (i totally didn't see that one coming) and I hope you're all well. Here is the next chapter just in time for christmas, consider it an early christmas present! I really hope you like it, please do let me know I love hearing what you think! Also, I have instagram which I'm a bit obsessed with so if you want to check that out my username is sammiejane. Much love to you all!

Draco crept back into bed after folding the letter and placing it underneath his pillow on his own bed. Granger moaned softly as he wrapped his arms around her but he hardly noticed for all the things that were spinning around his head numbed his mind.

His father knew about Granger. Knew that there was an association with her, though he assumed that he didn't know that he genuinely cared for her, as his father didn't even recognise that as a feeling. In fact Draco recalled his father saying emotions of any kind didn't matter and shouldn't exist. Power is what he held closest, and that Draco should learn to do the same.

Luckily, his fathers lunacy hadn't stuck as much as he had once believed, and Draco didn't care about power as much as he had been brought up to. However, should his father have looked at it more rationally Granger held a lot of power in the wizarding world, more than she even realised herself.

Neverless, Draco had also somehow along the way learnt that emotions can come in handy. Whether it was looking Albus in the eye on that tower, seeing Granger being tortured in his own home, or his school blown to rubble he had gradually realised that he was on the wrong side of the war and on the wrong side of life.

He would never call Granger that name ever again, and he would never treat her like a whore like his father would.

Fuck. What if his father found out that she actually meant something to him. What if the punishment that he spoke of also included her. He couldn't let his father touch one ridiculously bushy hair on her head. He'd have to cross him first. He only hoped that would be enough.

Draco drifted off into a fitful sleep full of dreams of his father turning Grangers hair into snakes that slowly consumed her from top to bottom the more he fell for her.

"Draco, wake up." Hermione said, looking over a sweaty and panicked looking Draco who was tangled up in a sheet.

"Wh- what?" he said, coming to.

"You were having a bad dream." She said softly, stroking his hair out of his eyes.

"You're okay." He said looking relieved.

"Oh course I am," she said smiling." Are you okay? You look spooked."

"My father- I, I tried to stop him." He said, not making a lot of sense.

"Draco you're okay. I'm here, you're fine, you were just dreaming."

"Dreaming." He repeated, to which she nodded.

Hermione moved down onto the bed, nestling her head in the crook of his arm and looked up at him, his anger visually dissipating as he realised he was safe in her bed. They stayed like that for a long while, just breathing each other in.

"You're in trouble mister." She said with mock concern. "Look at the state of my room and my bed. There's papers and books everywhere."

"Well it was your idea to study."

"We're at school! What do you think we're here for." She said, propping herself up on an elbow to look him in the eyes.

"To do this," he said with a smirk as he pulled her down so their lips were meeting in a passionate kiss.

Later that afternoon just as classes were about to finish Draco scribbled a note on a piece of paper and waited for the perfect time. Bill was just dismissing the class and Pansy had distracted Granger asking her about something he didn't quite catch. But she was distracted and that was what mattered. Weasley, Potters one- not the teacher, was walking up to his brother and Draco took that opportunity to shove his note into Scarheads hand and bumping shoulders maybe a little too roughly, but he felt that it drove his point harder and kept up appearances to anyone who may have been watching.

He then promptly left the room so he could get back to his quarters before Granger did. Chances were she would be studying with Pansy until dinner, but he didn't want to risk it.

Running his hand through his hair as he paced in front of his bed he felt his heart rate elevate. He knew that he needed to do something, and as far as he was concerned giving up Granger was out of the question.

Was it, though? It would keep her safe, and he'd been mean to her once before he was sure he could make her believe that he hated her again. But no, no he couldn't do that. She was like a drug that he'd been taking for too long and now he was addicted. He could wean himself off her, but she made him feel so good why would he?

To save her life? One side of him argued. And it could be true, he hadn't seen his father in a long time now, how much of a maniac was he? He'd killed before and Draco was sure he wouldn't hesitate to kill again, particularly someone like Granger.

But with her two best friends, the fiery red headed wench and now himself, Blaise and Pansy she was protected all over the joint. They could handle his father if it ever came to it, but right now in this moment she couldn't know about it. He couldn't let her think of being with him as a threat. He would handle it and for once he wouldn't do it alone.

Draco couldn't believe that he would ever see a day where he would ask Potter for help, but apparently falling for the likes of Granger called for it. After all, he'd said he wanted a different life, who would have known Potter would have been a part of it. He'd written the bloke off after he didn't accept his hand shake as an offer of friendship all those years ago. But now they shared an important comparison, they both cared deeply for a very special person. And that settled it, he would ask potter for help and due to the nature of the issue he would comply.

Draco finally stopped pacing and stood right by the pillow that had the note stashed underneath. He reached in and pulled it out, folding it and sticking it into a pocked in the pants he was wearing underneath his school robes. Suddenly finding it very hot he threw his robes on the bed and stalked out the door heading towards the classroom he told Potter to meet him in.

"Malfoy what is this?" Potter asked, already waiting for him in the classroom.

"You're alone?" Draco asked.

"Why?" Potter said and Draco realised he may be coming across a little intense. He schooled his features to become more relaxed and tried again.

"My apologies," Draco began and almost winced realising he was apologising to another Gryffindor. "This is a very urgent matter and needing the utmost privacy. Are you alone? No one hiding out of site, listening in just in case?"

"No."

"Because if there is, Potter," He said, pausing for impact "things will turn ugly very quickly."

"Malfoy, I said there isn't so can we get on with this?" Potter said pretending to be annoyed but his facial expressions showed he was wary but obviously curious. Stupid Gryffindors wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

"It's my father." Draco said, taking a seat on one of the desks in the room.

"Did he contact you?"

"Sent me a letter this morning. Told me he had heard about my friendship with Granger, and that he was not pleased. That he'd be calling on me later, wanting my willing assistance for Salazar knows what." Draco said, schooling his face to appear unperturbed.

"And you're coming to me because?" Potter said with a smirk causing Draco to scowl at his cockiness.

"Because I don't want to talk to her, I don't want her to be worried and I'm not sure what to do."

"Before I can help you I need to know one thing."

"Okay, what is it?" Draco said, getting up from his seat and beginning to pace again.

"What is she to you?"

Draco stopped pacing and inhaled. What was she to him? She was a lot of things. A friend, a lover, a confidant, someone to laugh with, someone to discuss books with, someone to kiss. Someone to open his eyes. His saviour. A number of things that he didn't want to admit, out loud, and to Harry Fucking Potter.

"Well?" Potter said, waiting.

"Are you asking the nature of our, er, friendship?" he asked.

"Friendship? So that's all you are then, friends?" Potter enquired.

"No. Potter for fucks sake what do you want me to say? That I care for her? That I'm fucking falling for her and I don't know if I'm okay with that, if I know how to handle these feelings. That I want to abandon her, pretend like I hate her all over again so that she stays away. So that she stays protected from the clusterfuck of evil that seems to follow me around. I don't want to put her at risk from my father, but at the same time she makes me feel so bloody wonderful that I don't think I could do that. I couldn't give her up."

Draco stopped talking and tried to breath. He felt as if the whole of the universe was collapsing onto him, like if he made the wrong move life as he knew it would cease to exist. He knew what he should do, but couldn't bare it for one second. He looked up into the green eyes of Harry Potter and felt the empathy radiate from within them.

"I'm being selfish. I'm being so fucking selfish not being able to stay away from her. Not even in my own imagination. What do I do Potter? You sacrificed yourself for the whole of the wizarding world. What do I do."

"Don't do it." Potter said softly, and Draco's head shot straight up in shock. "Yeah, you heard me. Don't do it. Don't give her up. It pains me to say it, because I obviously have my issues with you still, but this is different. You're not me. I'm trying to be a little less like me. Ron and Hermione were always there with me, forcing themselves upon me when I'd try to do everything alone. I'd not have made it five miles if I'd been by myself, and I owe everything to those two for being there for me. Especially Hermione."

"So, so I don't have to give her up?"

"No. You don't. It honestly sounds like you care about her more than I can assume you've cared about anything in your entire life. Don't let your father ruin that for you. We'll find him and he can get the justice that he deserves. And we won't tell Hermione about it, not yet anyway. We'll see what we can do without letting her know first. Can I see the letter?"

Draco reached into his pocket and took out the piece of parchment and handed it over. Potter unfolded it and looked at it with confusion.

"What?" Draco asked.

"There's nothing on here." Potter said.

Draco moved around to where Potter was standing and looked down onto the page. He was right. It was gone.

"Can I see it for a second?" He asked and Potter passed it back and just like that, the moment it was in his hands the words came to life on the page. He looked up to Potter who was still looking blankly at the page. "Can't you see it now?"

"What? Can you?"

"Yeah, when it left your hands the words appeared."

"But only for you." Potter muttered. "You know what this means?"

"What?"

"We need Hermione."

"But you said," Draco started, before being interrupted.

"Sorry, Malfoy, but she deals with these kinds of issues."

"Can't I just write it down word for word, or read it out?" Draco asked.

"Okay, for now that's what we'll do, but if it comes to it and we need to see the writing then we'll have to let her know."

"Alright." Draco said, and they sat down at a table, conjuring some parchment, quills and ink and began going through the letter bit by bit.

"Pansy do you know if Draco has nightmares often?" Hermione asked, as they sat out by the lake.

"Sometimes, I think. He mentioned it offhandedly one day. But nothing about it since, so it may have just been a one time thing. Why?"

"Oh, he was having one earlier and I was wondering if it was a regular occurrence or not."

"You should probably just straight out ask him about- wait a second. Hermione! Have you been sleeping together?" Pansy screeched , all but wetting herself with excitement.

"Pansy," Hermione warned.

"Hermione, have you?" She asked, Hermione could tell she was doing her best to hold it all together.

"Well, we, well-"

"You have. Oh Merlin, that's so exciting for you." Pansy squeeled. "It was good, right? You're happy, right?"

"Pansy, Pansy calm down. Yes we have, Yes it was good, and yes, I'm very happy." Hermione said laughing.

"So he's been having nightmares?"

"Yeah, well, one. Just this afternoon. We haven't been, you know, staying with each other for long so I wasn't sure if it was normal or not."

"So, things are good between you and Draco then?" Pansy asked with a smile on her face, and Hermione was reminded of how much Pansy has been through, and how she's managed to become such a nice, caring person after all.

"Things are good." She said, with a warm smile. "How are things with Ron? I've noticed you've been spending a lot more time together."

"Oh, Hermione, if you're upset I'll-"

"Pansy. Stop it. I'm happy with Draco, my feelings for Ron go nowhere further than that of a good friend or brother. I'm not upset now, nor will I be in the future. All I want if for you and Ron to both be happy, he seems pretty happy with you. Are you happy?"

"Yes." Pansy said, her smiler returning in full bloom. "Very. Does he seem happy, really, Hermione?"

"Yes," She said, laughing "yes he does. You're a good match."

"I think we are." Said Pansy, as she lay out on the grass and looked up at the sky. Hermione joined her too, and before too long they were pointing out funny shaped clouds and laughing like there wasn't a care in the world.

"So basically, you're father is mad that you're associating yourself with Hermione?" Potter asked, and Draco gave a brisk nod in response. "But it appears he doesn't know the, er, nature of your relationship?"

"No. And we'll be trying to keep it that way, or he'll want to attack her."

"And you don't think that might be a bit hard?" Potter asked.

"Hard? Why would that be hard?" Draco said, unsure of what Potter was meaning.

"Well, I know it took me a lot longer to figure this out, longer even for Ron too, but Hermione is still a girl, and I'm sure she will eventually want to be er, public, with you."

"For now it will have to be just between everyone who already knows. So, you, the gingers, Pansy and Blaise. No one else."

"And you're going to tell Hermione this how?" Potter said, a smirk that Draco was getting all too sick of returning.

"For Merlins sake Potter, I don't know, but we can't risk him finding out. He's insane, I don't know what he would do to her, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she got hurt."

"Then you're not going to like what I'm about to suggest."

"Potter," Draco warned.

"Just hear me out. I'm thinking that if Lucius really would risk coming out of hiding to place an attack on Hermione then maybe we could lure him into the castle and capture him."

"Potter no, that's too risky. You don't know what my father is capable of."

"Malfoy, I don't want to make this into a smaller deal than it actually is, but I defeated Voldemort with the help of Ron and Hermione, we can handle your father."

"Can we just wait a few days, think it through, if you can come up with a plan that isn't going to go to shit then maybe, maybe I'll agree." Draco said with a sigh, running his hand through his hair.

"Alright. A few days." Potter said, picking up his books. "But Draco, just because you're in love with her, doesn't mean you own her and can make these decisions for her. She's a big girl."

"I'm not in love with her." Draco said, as Potter started to walk to the door, ignoring him. As he left the door with a small wave goodbye Draco yelled out "I'm really not"

"Luna, Luna please, just one?" Blaise begged in the hallway. She knew he was at his wits ends, he wanted her so much, and the thing that annoyed him the most in the world was not getting what he wanted. Which made him want her all the more.

"Blaise, we've kissed before, remember?." Luna said, dazily, looking up at the roof, trying to spot any creatures buzzing around.

"You think that was a kiss? You don't know my kisses, cara, you will want me. Luna, please?" Blaise said, taking her hand and moving them into the empty room they had been standing by. He took her to the back of the classroom, leaning agains the wall and moving in to stroke her cheek.

Luna froze at the contact, his skin sweeping across hers, his warmth spreading amongst her own. It almost made her want to give in. Almost. But after everything with Neville, she wasn't sure what she wanted. She had a lovely time with Blaise when they had been out searching in the forbidden forrest, but she couldn't help but think that Neville was the one for her. She knew Neville well, her father liked Neville, but he didn't seem to listen when she spoke.

Blaise did, and he seemed enamoured with her. It made it all the more confusing. Maybe a kiss would clear it up for her. Make up her mind. Stranger things had happened.

She looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and sighed. Why was her heart fluttering? Why did she feel her pulse race when he looked at her that why. She couldn't find her breath and suddenly his lips were coming down towards her.

They were kissing, and she suddenly understood what he meant. The kiss they shared over the summer paled in comparison to this. She felt her body become numb to everything but the sensations that he brought out within her. She felt aroused in ways she had never before. All she could think about was how she wanted his hot mouth exploring every part of her body and marking her, possessing her, and then letting her return the favour.

His hands were in her hair, his mouth on her neck and noises she couldn't recall making until she heard them were spilling out of her mouth. She felt him harden against her and she felt a pang in the pit of her stomach and moisture pool in her knickers. She'd been intimate with Neville, but even the actual sex hadn't caused this kind of fire within her.

His hands reached her covered breasts, his fingers hitting where her nipples had pebbled underneath her clothes. Her mouth found his neck and she sucked and nibbled on his skin, causing him to jolt forward, his cock pressing up hard agains her.

"Blaise," She moaned before taking his mouth in another kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck. His strong arms wrapping around her back. She began to wrap one of her legs around his waist, trying to get him as close to her as possible, his body pressed agains hers. As soon as he pressed himself against her wetness she moaned out again.

"Now, now cara, I don't like to say I told you so," he said, breaking their kiss and smiling from ear to ear, his hand reaching down and stroking her up and down her cotton soaked slit.

"Blaise, you were right" she breathed, pushing up against his hand. "Blaise will you take me?" she asked and she felt him jolt in his pants at her directness.

"Luna, would you not rather our first time to be more romantic?" He asked, kissing her neck, with promises of another time.

"Blaise, I want you to take me now." She said pleadingly.

"I can't believe I'm about to do this, but I think we should make this a special thing. I've shagged people in empty classrooms, broom closets, outside behind the changing rooms for quidditch, the lot. But you're different, you're special to me. I want this to be special for you, not some meaningless shag." He said, taking a few steps away from her making her feel empty.

"But I like the empty classroom." She said

"There will be plenty time for that." He said with a smirk, kissing her on her forehead. Suddenly, she lifted her head capturing his lips with hers, using her hand to cup his still erect cock. He moaned into the kiss, pushing himself further into her hand until she moved her hand away. He made a dejected noise when the sensation was gone and looked up to a smirking Luna.

"See, it's not nice to be left hanging like that." She said.

"You're a lot sneakier than you lead on, Luna Lovegood."

"Oh, just wait until you see how good I actually am." She said seductively.

Little did her friends know that she wasn't just a dazed girl, dreaming about mythical creatures no one else believed in. She had a side to her that not a lot of people saw. She sometimes thought that maybe that's why Neville wasn't really interested in her, because she scared him off in bed.

She was worried about scaring off men, and she didn't want to scare Blaise off because she actually did like him. Hopefully he would be up to the challenge. She really had wanted to go further now, then get more invested in a relationship with him only for him to go running in the opposite direction. If only one of her girl friends understood, but she wasn't sure if either Hermione or Ginny had been having sex, or if they would understand her situation anyway. She didn't like to pry into other peoples business unless they came to her for help, so she wasn't sure how to go about asking for help herself.