James was annoyed. Ever since they came back at the end of last week, the other students wouldn't leave him alone. Whenever he left Duelling Hall, he trailed a bevy of other students, most of them female. No matter how many times he told them to leave him alone or didn't respond to their empty chatter, they wouldn't stop. Sighing, he once more prayed for patience as Mandy...Sandy..? prattled on about something or other. His grandmother had taught him better, but he just couldn't bring himself to pay attention. He could care less about popular bands or movies. He had other priorities. Getting through the semester with passable grades was at the top of the list.
In order to get those, he was on his way to the library. He wanted to read up on the spells Professor Granger had mentioned in her last lecture. He had a whole newfound respect for their teacher. He'd known she had to be good for Professor Malfoy to hire her, but he'd had no idea how good she truly was. He'd never heard about anyone being able to wield two wands at once. Theoretically it should be possible, but one would have to be ambidextrous he assumed. And then there was the whole thing of performing different spells with each one. He didn't even want to scratch the surface on that one. It had to take a massive amount of concentration. If he made it farther in the program, he hoped that she would teach them.
Reaching the library, he gave Melissa an apologetic look. The elder woman appreciated his silent nature and often helped him find extra materials. She had been put out when she discovered that his new fan club wasn't deterred by his trips to her sanctum. She didn't blame him though, for which he was grateful. Additionally she often chased them off. He'd made some cookies for her as thanks. He couldn't afford anything else, but it didn't seem as if Melissa minded. On the contrary. She had been touched by his gesture. As he passed her desk, Melissa stepped out from behind it and right in front of the five girls tailing him.
"If you have no business here, then leave. I've warned all of you already twice. I have no compunction whatsoever to barr all of you from the building." She warned. Grumbling and throwing Melissa dark looks the girls left. While some of the students might make fun of Melissa behind her back, none did so to her face and for good reason. None of them could afford to loose access to the library. Buying all the books needed was astronomically expensive and while the majority of the students were more than well off, none of their parents would be prepared to increase their allowances for books because they lost their library priviliges for a minor disagreement. Except for the gym and Duelling Hall, the librabry had become one of James' refuges. Ascending the stairs to the upper floors, he dug in his backpack for his notebook. Looking around, he made sure no one was watching him and ducked into a side corridor. Picking up his steps, he quickly traversed the hall, entering a seldomly used room. Breathing deep, he let his backpack fall to the floor. Smiling he approached the only piece of furniture in the room.
"Hello, old friend." He murmured with a smile.
xXx
Eliana had received permission to use the Salem University library for her musical history project. Their collection included more examples and reference materials. Wistfully she let her fingers slide over the many volumes next to her. It was moments like these, when she saw all this knowledge arrayed around her that she truly regretted not having stood up to her parents and going to Salem. She loved being a musician, but she would have loved to be more. Sighing she shook her head and took the stairs to the section on arts and music. It was as usual mostly deserted. Pulling the books she felt she was going to need, she ended up with a stack high enough for her to have to stretch her neck to see where she was going. Stumbling along, she made her way to the corridor leading to the private study areas. Surprised she stopped, when she heard soft piano music filtering from one of the rooms. Stepping closer, she closed her eyes, leaning to the wall. It was melancholy and a sad, but curiously also filled with hope. It made her think of her grandmother. The kindest woman she'd known and who tragically had died much too soon. The only one never pushing her to play the violin. A tear tracked down her cheek, while at the same time a smile tugged at her lips. Relaxing her stance a bit, upset the balance of the books she held. As they toppled, she gave a surprised gasp, attempting to catch them as they fell, while at the same time trying not to loose the hold on those she still held. Of course it wasn't successful.
Cursing she kneeled and began to stack the books again, not noticing the door opening. When she reached for another book, a large hand got there before her. Staring, she raised her gaze and met the eyes of James Hawk. Ever since Sabrina had joined the duelling team, they could only socialise at Duelling Hall and she sometimes caught a glance of the silent Hawk. And since their first meeting in the corridor when she helped Sabrina move, she'd found his brooding intensity a bit intimidating but also strangely compelling. It was something in his eyes. He guarded it well, but there was a softness there. Or at least she thought there was.
"Sorry." She mumbled, blushing. Sabrina would have smiled and made some clever comment, but her head was empty. She had no idea what to say and not sound like a complete moron.
"It's fine. Are you hurt?" He asked in his deep voice.
"No. Sorry I disturbed you. That was very beautiful." She hauled her books into her arms and quickly scampered off. She was sure her face was beet red by now. Struggling with the handle on her usual study space, she grumbled in frustration. Suddenly the books were lifted from her grasp. With wide eyes she turned and there he was. With his chin, he indicated for her to open the door. Quickly she did and he waited for her to enter. Following her, he deposited her books carefully on the table. For a moment he lingered before exiting.
"Thank you. You're kind but I'm out of practice." He said, closing the door. Her heart beat a mile a minute and fumbled for the chair. He'd helped her. Was he simply kind or maybe..? No. No, boys like him didn't even look at her twice. Swallowing and settling her hair with one hand, she pulled over the first volume. She didn't have time for this fantasy. It was farfetched anyway.
xXx
Draco set up the dummies on the carpets on their highest setting in preparation for the Guard students. Currently they were with Hermione, discussing the results of their papers. She always offered her students the opportunity to talk their work and the grading over with her. Not that it changed the grade she gave, but if they felt it unfair, she explained to them why. More often than not her students agreed in the end.
Deciding to have some fun himself, he ascended one of the carpets, bowing to the dummy opposite him. It gave a perfunctory bow and immediately attacked. At this setting, the dummy did not vocalise its spells and while it surely was a great way for others to train, Draco still didn't find it a challenge. Sighing he fought the dummy back and forth, but only because it was something to do. He could end the duel at any time. It was curious. All his life had been spent in the pursuit of always being the best. The company had assured him that the dummies would provide a challenge for even the most experienced duellist. Either they had lied, which seemed unlikely, or he was better than their testing pool. He missed the uncertainty of whether he would be able to beat his opponent. He missed the thrill of a true fight.
As he heard the clap of the door, he raised his arms, putting the dummy back into at-attention mode. Turning he was surprised not to find the Guards-in-training, but Harry Potter standing next to the bleachers, hands in his pockets.
"Fancy." Potter commented with a smile.
"Potter, welcome. I was not expecting you." Draco greeted him, closing the distance between them. Harry shrugged and took a look around the gym.
"Hermione told me about your program and I decided to see for myself. Especially since Guard-Chief Turner and the American ministry had good things to say."
Draco inclined his head.
"Thank you. I am happy to hear that. The Guards-in-training are doing well, but we still have a lot of ground to cover."
Harry tilted his head, taking in the dummies again, as well as the duelling carpets. Finally he turned to Draco.
"You know as well as I do that duelling a criminal is not a traditional duel. You move in every direction and not just back and forth. You hide from the spells you can't counter and you dodge those you don't have the time for." He said. Draco nodded and took a sip from his water, while opening the neck clasp of his duelling vest.
"Yes, that is correct. The traditional aspect is to train their minds. Blaise will train them in the freestyle aspects later. For now I want their minds to be agile enough to recognise spells and react appropriately without the excuse of dodging or running. On the carpet, they have to face the spells aimed at them head-on." He explained. Harry nodded in thought.
"Makes sense." Harry turned to Draco. "I am surprised though. Every time we matched up, I won." He pointed out with a teasing smile. Draco gave him a smirk reminiscent of his old self.
"Our first duel, you won. That fight we had in sixth year you won because I was preoccupied with more pressing matters and you using a very nasty spell. When we fought at the Manor, I let you win."
Harry snorted, crossing his arms. A disbelieving frown was on his face.
"Am I to assume that you let Ron win also at the battle of Hogwarts?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Nostrils flaring as he remembered, Draco shook his head.
"Hardly a duel, Potter. Weasley attacked me from under the cover of your invisibility cloak. I'd beat that cretin any day. Not that he would be much of an opponent nowadays from what I hear." He grumbled. Sighing, Harry nodded morosely. It hurt him to see how his best childhood friend had changed into the pompous stranger he met every day at work and every Sunday at the Weasley family meal with a new witch on his arm almost every week. Their conversations were strained these days, as Harry had been chosen over him to represent the Auror offices in this endeavour.
"Yeah, you're probably right." He sighed. Surprised Draco looked at Harry. He hadn't expected Potter to say that. He'd thought Potter would defend his friend, no matter what.
The doors opened again, admitting the five Guards-in-training currently enrolled in the program. The Guard-Chief had already hinted that as of next semester, more would be sent to Salem for training, as the current recruits were already outpacing experienced Guards, who had been on the force for some years.
"Professor Malfoy!" Ian Coster, the unappointed leader of the Guards-in-training greeted him. Draco gave the young man a smile in greeting.
"Mr Coster. Right on time. I guess Professor Granger let you all off easy?" He asked, which elicited chuckles from the group.
"Hardly, sir. She's hard, but fair. Though I still think my point about an immobulus being just as effective as an incarcerous is valid." Snickering broke out behind Coster and he threw a dark glare behind him. One of the women stood straighter, when she felt Draco's gaze on her.
"Ms Gomez?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. She threw a mischievous glance at the others and ignored Coster's warning gaze.
"Coster just wanted to dazzle Professor Granger with his imagined brilliance in the hopes she would accept his dinner invitation." She got out with difficulty, without breaking down in laughter. Since the group was occupied in their banter now, they missed the dark cloud settling over Draco's face. Harry noticed and stepped up to him.
"You can't kill the boy, you know? I would have to try and stop you and what's more important, Hermione would never forgive you." He whispered. Stiffening Draco looked down at Potter. Bit by bit he relaxed. Breathing deep, he nodded.
"I can still put him through his paces though." He said with a wink, which seemed to ease Potter. Smiling Harry shook his head. Clearing his throat, he looked to his boots, before meeting Draco's eyes again.
"This will not be the last time it happens, Malfoy. Hermione is a beautiful woman. Others will notice. She has chosen you though. Let them ask and she will decline." He reminded. A small smile tugged at Draco's lips, his eyes loosing their focus.
"She said that? She chose me?" He asked hopefully. Harry cringed a bit.
"Not in so many words, but yes. I can read her better than most. Lying isn't something that she does well. So instead, she simply doesn't say anything. No matter how disturbing I might find it, she seems taken with you. Guess I'll have to deal with that for now." Harry sniffed in mock despair, eliciting a chuckle from Draco.
"I am sorry to be a source of discomfort." He bowed. Turning to the Guards-in-training, he clapped his hands to break them up. The friendly banter had turned into a bit of a shoving match.
"Attention! You are in luck. This is Harry James Potter. An experienced and battle-tested Auror. Something you hope to be someday. If you're doing a half-passable job today, maybe he will answer some questions for you." Draco turned to Potter with a raised eyebrow. Chuckling Harry nodded.
"I would be happy to." He said.
Over the next hour and a half Draco put them through their paces, as he'd promised Harry. Maybe giving Coster a harder time than the rest. Harry had to admit that Malfoy was a good teacher, despite his having it out for the forward Coster. His instructions were clear, he explained well and he also would demonstrate whenever his students claimed that something was impossible. While Malfoy was a stern teacher, he was also fair and gave praise when it was deserved. And only then. So whenever one of the Guards-in-training received a nod or pat on the shoulder, they stood straighter with pride. Panting they now sat in a row on the lowest seats of the bleachers, listening to Malfoy as he gave out some last-minute advice.
"Watch the wand, not the hand. Take the measure of your opponent. It's hard with the dummies, but as of next week, you'll face each other twice a week. Don't fall into patterns. It will make you predictable and your opponent will exploit that. Criminals aren't trained duellists, but a life of crime will have made them highly aware and able to sniff out weaknesses." Draco took them all in, giving them a small smile. "You did well today." He said and they all smiled brightly. Even Coster. Turning around, Draco met Harry's gaze, who had stayed throughout.
"May my students ask you some questions?" He asked politely. Grinning, Harry nodded and moved closer.
"Sure. As long as I get a go with one of those things." He pointed behind him at the carpets. Each with a dummy on them still. Chuckling Draco gave a bow in invitation. Rolling his shoulders, Harry ascended the platform to the nearest duelling carpet. With a smile he noted that the carpet looked almost identical to the one they'd had a Hogwarts. Dark blue with the golden moon phases and a straight silver line going from one end to the other down the middle. Draco appeared at the side, pointing to the midpoint in front of Harry.
"Stand there, please. As soon as you assume a ready pose, the dummy will attack. They are currently on their highest setting, meaning that they will not verbalise spells and act faster and more aggressively. Do you want me to dial it down until you get a feeling for it?" He asked. Harry threw him a look, seeking any sign of mockery, but only found sincere concern. It still baffled Harry how different this Draco Malfoy spoke and acted. If he hadn't known him as a boy, he would think the two were not the same person. Maybe they hadn't been. Maybe the hateful little shit Malfoy had been had been a facade? In school they'd always been rivals, bitter enemies even. The sojourn into the Slytherin common room didn't really count, as he was sure that Malfoy's behaviour towards Crabbe and Goyle had been posturing. According to the discussions he'd had with Zabini at the after-party, Malfoy had always been annoyingly intelligent, a bookworm to Harry's surprise and a loyal friend. Something he'd never expected. To him, Malfoy had been a self-involved, manipulative, arrogant prick, who wouldn't bat an eye at using secrets told to him in confidence against you.
From what Zabini and Hermione had revealed to him over the last week, Harry had to wonder how different their acquaintance would have been, if Malfoy's family hadn't been that obsessed with blood purity and if Voldemort had just stayed dead. He doubted they would have become good friends, since Harry didn't doubt that Draco would still have been arrogant as all get-out, but it wouldn't have been this burning, hate-filled rivalry that had defined their teenage years.
"No, it's fine." He assured and assumed the ready stance so very familiar to him. Not only because he was an Auror, but because he'd done it so often since he'd been thirteen years old, it was an unconscious movement. Without warning, the dummy started moving. Gritting his teeth, Harry deflected the spell, attacking himself. The dummy proved to be a challenging opponent however. Countering tried and true combinations that had brought down many a dark wizard. And it was fast. Sweat started dotting his brow. Ginny was right. He needed to start working out. As he disarmed the dummy, he breathed deep. Thank Merlin. It would have been embarassing if the dummy beat him. Especially since he'd watched Malfoy effortlessly moving back and forth along the carpet, not even breaking a sweat. Descending, he handed the wand over to Malfoy, who nodded at him with a smile. Again, no mocking. It was almost disturbing.
"Nicely done. There are some extra water bottles in the cooler next to the lockers." Draco pointed across the gym to the glass door fridge. Nodding with a smile, Harry moved to it. The Guards-in-training met him there eager with questions.
xXx
Blaise entered the gym to meet Draco for their training. Putting the kids through their paces was fun, but he felt that he had to stay on top of his game in order to teach them properly. Draco felt the same, so they met three times a week in the gym to duel each other. He had yet to get the drop on his old friend, but he assumed it was only natural. Draco had instincts and reflexes honed in war. Blaise didn't. The moment things took a turn for the worse in the war, Lucrecia Zabini had begged Blaise for them to flee to Italy. She hadn't been sure how long she could keep the Death Eaters at bay with her artful lies and deceptions before she was forced to declare herself for one side or another. It was the only time Blaise had seen his mother panicked. He had remained firm though. Someone had to look out for Draco, since his father obviously wasn't going to. Blaise couldn't blame Narcissa. That woman deserved a medal for all she had done and endured for the misguided ambitions of her husband and in the pursuit of safety for her only child. Their discussion was the first and only time his mother had ever screamed at him. Right before she cried. It had nearly broken him. Lucrecia Zabini did not beg, she did not cry and she did not bend. Yet she'd done all three for him. A fact he never forgot, which was why he let her carry on with her fawning over him whenever she was close and the surprise visits.
Shaking off those thoughts, though he wondered why his mother hadn't dropped by yet, he was surprised to discover Potter still here. He knew that the Guards-in-training had left some time ago. They scheduled their duels half an hour after the Guard classes, so that Draco had enough time to recuperate if necessary. Looking around the gym, he was happy to see no scorch marks or broken furniture. Seemed as if Potter decided to play nice for once. Currently the old enemies were conversing in light tones and from this distance one might even make the assumption that those two were friends. Grinning crookedly, he closed the distance to them.
"Behaving, I hope?" He called out. Draco and Potter looked up. Draco greeted him with a smirk and a shake of his head, while Potter only inclined his head.
"Of course we are. What do you take us for? Yanks?" Draco asked with a sarcastic tilt to his lips. Blaise had to laugh. Both of them enjoyed living in the States and found the Americans refreshingly free of deceit and back-talk. The directness had needed some getting used to, but it made dealing with new acquaintances much easier.
"Still here, Potter?" Blaise asked. Harry raised an eyebrow at him.
"Yes. Waiting for my wife." He said. Blaise sighed, looking to the ceiling.
"Ah! The married man's lot."
Harry scowled, but Draco just shook his head with a smile.
"You are one to talk. I saw you waiting for hours in the Lounge for Jane to be done for the day, so that you could head out for drinks and dinner." Draco pointed out. Potter turned to Blaise with a smug smile.
"Is that right, Malfoy?" He asked. Draco continued smiling, taking in his friend, who was blushing a bit now.
"Indeed it is."
Blaise snorted and roughly took off his track jacket.
"Enough with the banter. Get up, pretty boy. Time to get your hands dirty."
Laughing Draco got up and helped Blaise set up the freestyle arena. It evened the odds a bit. Blaise had long ago given up on trying to beat Draco on the carpet. The ability to dodge and run evened the odds a bit. Interested Harry took it in. It wasn't as big or elaborate as the arena in Washington, but they made maximum use of the space they had.
"Mind if I join in?" He found himself asking. This was more his speed. And he was interested. He'd never fought Blaise, as Zabini had stayed neutral throughout the war. And Malfoy had hinted that every time they had fought, he had either been hampered or holding back. He was always told that he was the best fighter the Ministry had, but that was hardly true, Harry thought. Every time he trained, he noticed that all his opponents were slightly star struck. He needed opponents who wouldn't give him an inch and he firmly believed that neither of the two men across from him would do that.
While Malfoy looked worried and on the verge of declining, Zabini grinned widely and sweeping his hand out in invitation.
"By all means. Might make this bout interesting." Blaise nudged Draco and wiggled his eyebrows. Draco sighed and rolled his eyes, praying for patience. All three men entered the arena.
"No teams. Everyone is fair game. Duel ends when two are out or have yielded. Agreed?" Blaise rolled his shoulders and looked from Harry to Draco. While Potter nodded, Draco inclined his head and opened his duelling vest all the way to improve mobility. It also gave Blaise something to grab if he could get close enough. Smirking he jumped in place and loosened his muscles.
"Ready? On the count of three. One, two, three!" And the fight was on.
xXx
Hermione had eagerly shown Ginny around campus after finishing her discussions with the Guards-in-training. Laughing the women traversed the green. Hermione was often greeted by students. What surprised her was that a lot of them weren't hers. Ginny nudged her with a proud smile.
"Of course they would say hi to their new heroine. I would wear a t-shirt with your name on it proudly. Or an arrow to your side and saying "I'm with badass" on it. That would be cool." Ginny giggled, while Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Stop it. I only duelled a few people. It's not something special." She complained. Wide-eyed Ginny looked at her.
"Only duelled a few people?! Are you kidding me? That was an epic smackdown if I ever saw one!" She enthused. Hermione shook her head with a sad tilt to her lips.
"Violence shouldn't be admired." She softly said. Loosing her smile, Ginny hugged Hermione. While she herself had fought in the war as well and had constantly worried for her friend, brother and future husband, she had never been hunted. While her parents weren't rich, they were still 'purebloods' whatever that might mean. Molly and Arthur had never raised their children to pay attention to that kind of thing. Ginny judged people on their own merits and not based on their genealogy. And it hadn't ever failed her. Her friends were true friends to her. While family was important, it wasn't the beginning or end of everything.
"No. But strength is. You are the strongest person I know. Not only because you can kick just about anybody's arse, but also because of your spirit. Without you, Harry wouldn't have made it. And I thank whatever deities there are for it every day. Harry told me what you had to go through. He never saw and you would never tell, but I've seen your scars, Hermione. What I saw in that arena wasn't violence, but strength. The mature strength of a woman who won't give up. A woman not ashamed to show her strength to the world. And you shouldn't be. Your strength was forged in the hottest of fires and tempered by your iron will. You will never be helpless again. Not because someone will rush in to save you, but because you will save yourself. But if there ever was a need, I would do anything to help you." She softly assured her friend. Hermione gave her a tired smile and nodded.
"Thank you. But my fighting days are over. I will gladly spend the rest of my days in a library." Hermione said in an attempt to lighten the mood. Ginny knew what Hermione was doing and gave a smile and a nod.
"You'll still come dancing and drinking with me sometimes, right?" She asked in mock seriousness. Chuckling Hermione nodded.
"Of course. Whenever we are in the same city, we'll go out for drinks. Maybe not dancing."
Ginny sighed.
"We can even head to one of those boring dance things you like." She allowed. Grinning now Hermione took her in with a sceptically raised eyebrow.
"Really? You would go to classical dancing with me? They serve drinks there too, you know?"
Ginny waved that off.
"Wine, psh. What is a night on the town without cocktails I ask you? And firewhiskey is no cocktail, before you try that as an excuse." She was heartened to see that no shadows lingered in Hermione's eyes. Good. The segue had manage to chase off the dark memories.
"You said there was a bar you wanted to take me to here. When can we go and what is it?" She asked.
"You remember Theo Nott? He's living here too as a music instructor at Peabody's. He apparently also owns a bar and Blaise has been nagging for us to go. If you and Harry are free this evening, we could go. It's supposed to be a hoot. Seems as if Theo and his partner like to do some drag and there is alawys live music."
Ginny's mouth had dropped open.
"No! I heard that he had finally come out of the closet, but wow! Drag? Really?"
Hermione nodded eagerly.
"According to him, he looks absolutely gorgeous in a dress. The way he dresses, I am sure he does. That man has impeccable taste." Both women giggled. Ginny couldn't wait. Eagerly she sped up, wanting to find Harry and making sure that they had no more meetings or dinners to attend. She assumed her husband was in the building they'd been heading towards. A bright flash behind the windows had both women stop and look at each other.
"Oh no." Ginny groaned, gripping her wand. Hermione had hers in hand too and both ran to the doors. Pushing them open wide and assuming battle stances they looked around for their significant others. A mix of relief and surprise coursed through them, seeing that instead of duelling to the death the men were engaged in a friendly duel. Sighing they lowered their wands and proceeded to the bleachers to sit and watch. Hermione had to feel behind her for her seat, since she couldn't take her eyes off Draco. With sinuous grace he ran across the arena and vaulted in a flip worthy of any olympic athlete over a ramp behind which Blaise had sought shelter from Harry. Dodging the spell, Blaise shot another spell at Harry to then change position himself. All three were out of breath, but big smiles were on each face. The boys were enjoying themselves. Crossing her legs, Ginny sighed and leaned back.
"This could take some time, I think. Have anything to drink?" She looked over to Hermione. Lost cause there. Hermione was completely enthralled by her man. Chuckling Ginny shook her head and looked around. Noticing the fridge, she rose and got some water.
xXx
Draco wanted to laugh out loud. A curious urge he hadn't entertained in years. Who would have thought that a three way duel between his best friend, his former nemesis and him was all it took. Grinning he deflected another of Potter's disarming spells and proceeded to pursue and harass Blaise. Keeping Blaise off guard was always a good strategy. Give him an opening and that man would exploit it with a vicious glee seldom seen. Running along a ramp's lip, he had a clear shot at Blaise, but a spell from Potter saw him defend instead of attacking. Looking back, he noted that Blaise had gotten away. Grumbling but still smiling, he jumped off, took a step to then twirl back and behind a cover. As he had expected a spell shot along the trajectory he would have followed, if he hadn't ducked into cover. Breathing deep, he grabbed the upper ledge with one hand and pulled himself up. With a heave of his entire body, he managed to flip himself onto the top in a crouch. Potter hadn't expected that and was out of position. Firing a barrage of spells saw the boy who lived on the defensive. Turning his eyes away to search for Blaise, he met the caramel brown eyes of Hermione sitting on the bleachers, watching him. Smiling brightly, he waved to her. And got hit right in the chest by a cackling Blaise running by.
"Just you and me, Potter!" He hooted, while Draco lay gasping on the gym floor outside the arena perimeter.
"Cheap shot, Zabini!" Harry called back. It now became a game of cat and mouse between them. Draco didn't care. Lying on the floor, he closed his eyes and groaned. He felt a bit ashamed. He'd lost in front of her. Embarassing. Even if it was to Blaise and Potter.
A soft hand on his face had him open his eyes again and she was right there, concern in her eyes.
"Are you hurt?" She asked softly. Taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to her knuckles, he shook his head.
"Not really. My pride, but I've had much worse." He reassured her. Sitting up, he brought their heads up to the same height. Ever since the tunnel he had wanted to kiss her again, but the moment hadn't seemed right. Besides, it was much too forward. They hadn't even gone on one date yet. She brushed his hair back and he leant into her hand. Letting his breath go, all tension left his body. How was it that she could make him relax by just a simple touch? Not that he minded.
"Let's get you up." She said and rose, keeping a hold on his hand. Letting her feel a bit of his weight, he got to his feet. Together they made their way over to the bleachers, where Ginny was a one-woman cheer squad for her husband. Both Hermione and Draco had to chuckle at her antics.
AN: Thanks again for your great support and the lovely reviews. :) Hope you will continue to enjoy. Have a great one!