Hermione awoke and realized she was in Draco's bed. The door to his bedroom was open and she could hear him moving around in the kitchen. After he'd made his little confession to her last night Hermione had slid her arms around Draco's neck and as they had done before they simply clung to each other. This time was different though because Hermione was feeling things she hadn't before. And it was at that precise moment that Hermione Granger realized she was in love with Draco Malfoy. That feeling she'd been trying to put her finger on was suddenly crystal clear to her. And what Draco had said about letting her in, when he wouldn't normally let anyone in made her think he may be feeling a little of the same and that made her melt. And yet each time they held each other like or when she slept in his bed he had never tried to touch her or kiss her or make their embraces anything other than gentle, tender and caring. How different his actions were to the image that Draco Malfoy projected to everyone else. So when he lead her to his bedroom she had let him and when he'd pulled her into his bed she'd joined him willingly. And yet again he didn't try anything, just pulling her right up against him and putting his arm across her body until they slept.

Hermione sighed contentedly. Draco's bed was so comfortable and she was so warm under his duvet so she snuggled down a little. She then remembered her ring and she took her arm from under the duvet to gaze at it. It was startlingly beautiful and Hermione couldn't stop looking at it. There was a loud bang and then a shattering noise from the kitchen and she heard Draco swear. She jumped out of bed and went to him. He was standing in the middle of the kitchen floor which was covered in tiny pieces of broken glass.

"Don't move," Hermione instructed him. She grabbed her wand and magically put the broken glass back together.

"Thanks," Draco said. He then walked straight over to her, grabbed her wand putting it on the work top before slipping his arms around her waist. "Good morning, fiancée." He grabbed her hand and admired her ring. "I've got bloody good taste," he said in his usual, over confident way.

"In fiancées or engagement rings?" Hermione asked with a grin.

"Both," Draco confirmed and Hermione smiled at his compliment. "So – after my fake proposal and our fake engagement, how about a bit of fake sex?" He chuckled at his joke. "Actually, how about a lot of fake sex? Hopefully it will feel as real as all the other fake stuff we've been doing."

Hermione slapped his arm and groaned. "You never stop do you? How to spoil a romantic moment!"

Draco bent down so that his lips were close to her ear. "Did you think it was a romantic moment?"

Hermione pulled back so that she could look at him properly. "Did you?"

"I think all my moments with you are romantic..." Draco winked at her and she couldn't help but grin at his flirty teasing. "We have an image to keep up now, we should practise acting engaged so that it's convincing."

Hermione's mouth twisted into a smile. "Stop teasing me."

Draco tightened his grip around her and lowered his head again. "Why? It's fun. You're cute when you're embarrassed." He was teasing her as he always did but this sort of teasing was different, this was more suggestive and more intimate. "So, what's the first thing we should practise?" he puckered his lips at her in an exaggerated way but before she could answer, the buzzer sounded. A few minutes later Blaise was standing in the kitchen with them while Draco made them all a drink.

"Why do I always feel as if I'm interrupting something with you two?" Blaise asked. He looked them up and down. "And why are you always walking around half dressed?"

"It's first thing in the morning," Hermione protested. "I've just got out of bed."

"Yeh, that's another question," Blaise wriggled his eyebrows at her. "Who's bed?"

"Mine actually," Draco answered, handing Blaise his drink with a smirk. Hermione glared at Draco but he ignored her.

Blaise waved a finger from one to the other of them. "So are you two...?" He didn't get to finish his sentence because Hermione finished it for him.

"Engaged...we're engaged...well fake engaged actually but today is when it goes out officially."

Blaise grabbed her hand and looked at her ring before turning to Draco. "Bloody hell, Draco! You don't do things by half do you? You do know that Hermione probably won't want to give it back and she certainly won't want to throw it at you when you fake break up!"

"Yes I will," Hermione said but reluctantly. "It is beautiful though."

"You don't have to give it back. I brought it for you, so it's yours to keep. You can wear it on another finger," Draco said. Both Hermione and Blaise stared at him and he shrugged. "What? Why are you both looking at me like I have two heads or something?"

"Well I can't speak for Hermione but I'm staring at you because you have got it bad! Really bad and yet you are so totally in denial!" Blaise said. Now Draco and Hermione stared at Blaise in astonishment.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco said. "Anyway, did you come here to discuss my love life or was there something you actually wanted?"

Blaise grinned at his friends. "Both of you! Totally in denial!"

"Blaise!" Hermione and Draco said his name in the same warning tone at exactly the same time and then they grinned at one another.

Blaise chuckled then he sighed. "So, that's my fun over because now I have to tell you the bad news."

"What bad news?" Again Draco and Hermione spoke in unison and then grinned at one another.

"Bloody hell, you're turning into each other!" Blaise said. "The bad news is that I had a response from the Registration office and we have been called in to discuss our registration request."

"What does that mean?" Hermione managed to say this on her own because Draco had his head in his hands.

"It means they've bloody well got in first!" he said negatively.

Blaise shrugged. "Maybe. I mean if they did get their potion in first the office will want to know why an identical potion has been put forward by us so soon afterwards. But it could also be they just need to ask us about the potion to explain more details."

"Well, we are the legitimate owners of it. Surely we can make them see that?" Hermione protested.

"I'm gonna kill them!" Draco mumbled from the corner and Hermione sighed loudly at him.

"Have you heard of positive attitude?" Hermione asked him. "So what ammunition can we use to prove the potion is ours?" She directed this question at Blaise.

"We'll explain how I came up with the idea and how Draco decided to help me. Then we can show them the first draft of the recipe and explain how you got involved. We've got a lot of back story whereas Pansy and Daphne won't have any."

"Or we could just go there right now and obliviate them!" Draco suggested but when Hermione glared at him again, he poked her in the ribs, making her squeal. "I'm joking!" he said.

Blaise was staring at them, his eyebrows raised and his arms folded across his chest. "Denial," he repeated and now Hermione glared at him instead.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Wow!" Ginny exclaimed. "Oh Merlin! Wow!" She turned Hermione's hand over and then back again, examining her ring in minute detail. "This must have cost an absolute fortune!"

"It had to look convincing," Hermione said. "But you're right, it is amazing."

"And he said you don't have to give it back?" Ginny asked. "Even when all this pretence is over?"

A customer who was looking at a nearby shelf glanced over and Hermione pulled Ginny around the corner.

"Keep your voice down," she whispered. "Yes, he said I could keep it but I won't of course."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not really mine. It's Draco's ring, I'm just borrowing it."

"Mmm, if you say so." Ginny's voice was sceptical and Hermione sighed.

"You're as bad a Blaise."

"Blaise? Why what has he done?"

"He keeps insisting that Draco and I are in denial." Hermione watched the expression change on Ginny's face and immediately wished she hadn't divulged the last piece of information.

"I always admired Zabini's common sense at school," Ginny lied with a grin. "And he sounds like he's still as astute."

"Oh please! You did not!" Hermione looked at her friend and suddenly leant back against the bookshelf. She was sick of denying everything, sick of fighting her ever growing feelings towards her former enemy. She rubbed her forehead and Ginny leant closer.

"Does that look on your face mean you're finally going to talk to me about it?"

"What am I getting into, Ginny?" Hermione asked. "How the hell did this happen?"

Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her through to the back office. "So are you admitting you like him?" she asked.

"Yes, you know I do."

"And you have the hots for him?"

"I don't know..."

"Hermione!" Ginny pressed her friend to continue to be honest.

"Yes. I suppose I find him attractive," Hermione sighed loudly as she said this.

Ginny shook her head in frustration at her friend. "Of course you find him attractive! Everyone finds him attractive," Ginny said. "What I mean is do you want to rip his clothes off every time you see him? Do you find yourself watching him when he walks into a room? Do you constantly want to run your hands over those muscles?"

"Ginny, just how much attention have you been paying to Draco?" Hermione asked.

"Stop avoiding the question – do you have the hots for him?" Ginny repeated.

Hermione bit her lip. "Not at first...but yes, now I suppose I do."

Ginny grinned. "Woah! Big confession from Miss Granger!" She pushed Hermione down into the chair and then perched herself on the desk, her bump making this a little more awkward than normal. She bent close to Hermione, her eyes serious.

"Hermione, do you love him?" Ginny's voice was quiet and Hermione knew she was asking this seriously. And Hermione knew the answer but she wasn't sure if she should be confessing to Ginny or anyone else. "Hermione?" Ginny prompted her when she didn't answer.

"Merlin Ginny! Why are you asking me all this?"

"So that you admit it to yourself!"

Hermione jumped out of her seat. "I've already done that! Yes I love him! I'm in love with bloody Draco Malfoy!"

Ginny chuckled. "Great! I told you the ring wouldn't be coming off!"

Slight filler this chapter but I wanted Draco and Hermione's attitude to each other to change a little after his confession. I hope it was just the right amount of difference because even after what he told her I still think they wouldn't suddenly be admitting everything to each other. I also wanted Blaise and Ginny to realize their friends are getting serious. Hope you liked it, BIG THANKYOU for the reviews and if you can manage another one for this chapter that'd be great. x