A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters/locations related to the franchise. That all belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling. I hope you enjoy the only thing I do own...the plot. Also M rating for language and possible sexually explicit scenes (really just wanted to be safe with the rating).

I hope you enjoy this BONUS CHAPTER

Check end of Chapter for another Authors Note

-TNHGTNHGTN-

Chapter 25: Corridor Conversations and Greenhouse Relations

"Hermione!" The deep voice called from the end of the hall as Hermione made her way to her Arithmancy course the next day, trying to get there at the last second to avoid any idle chatter. She turned to look behind her shoulder and saw David Tavers running to catch up to her.

"Hi David. Are you alright?" She asked, concern filling her brown eyes as he slowed to a walk. His eye was blackened and he was currently clenching and unclenching his right hand which was red and bruised. She immediately pulled out her wand and snatched his hand before first casting a cooling charm and a small healing spell.

"Well, I am now," he chuckled with a grin. He began to loosen his green and silver tie as he thanked her for healing his hand, "I wanted to tell you I think Nott and Malfoy are bloody toe-rags." He jutted out his chin, as he shoved his healed hand in his trouser pockets.

"Oh...well thank you I think David." She replied, standing awkwardly in the corridor as students slowly passed, "What happened though. Your eye looks awful, would you like me to heal it too?"

"Nah, I'll be alright. I've suffered worse from potion disasters." His voice lowered as his face turned deadly serious. "I fucking hate potions." Hermione let out a small laugh in agreement and pulled him closer to the wall as students began to get frustrated at them for holding up traffic. "I got into a slight argument with Burke."

"Slight argument?"

"Ok, so it was a big argument. No worries though I am completely fine."

"Well, I am glad to hear you're fine. What was it over?"

"Oh you know the usual... father is a blood traitor, mother's a mudblood, and I am nothing but a half-blood scoundrel who doesn't deserve to be in Salazar's great house," He mocked as he leaned his shoulder up against the wall. He gave her a half smile that made his green eyes light up and his face look younger than it already did. "Nothing I haven't heard before. Which is fine because I made it to Slytherin due to my unwavering ambition, and when I am Minister I will make sure to remember those who treated others so unfairly in school." He shrugged. She laughed lightly at this and nodded at him.

"You will make a great Minister. You are smart and kind and ridiculously funny. Not to mention you are very sneaky...the traits of all great politicians." He gave her another smile and shook his head. "I am going to be honest though, I really thought fighting the war would have made a difference. That people would have changed." She sighed a little as she played with the sleeve of her robe.

"I think it did overall," David nodded, his eyes shining, "The amount of bullying in the Slytherin common rooms has decreased dramatically. Unfortunately, there will always be people who believe differently. It is going to be a long process. It will probably take years to show everyone its ok to think differently. One of the reasons I want to be Minister!" He looked at her shaking his head, "Did you know there has never been a Half-Blood Minister of Magic?" She nodded slowly. There had only ever been a pure-blooded Minister of Magic for Britain. He was right. There had always been prejudice. It didn't stop after the last war, so why did she expect it to stop now? The only way to make a change, was to lead the charge. To prove that it was ok to be of a 'lesser' blood status. This was something she had already been striving to prove anyway. People like Pansy and Goyle were already so used to being able to judge and act how they wanted, the only way things were going to change is if they showed that the way they were acting was not ok! David's voice slowly pulled her out of her thoughts,"So, what are you going to do?"

"Oh, I am really not sure." She waved her hand as if dismissing an annoying insect, "Probably become part of the Ministry. I'll think about it more after taking my N.E.W.T.'s." She leaned on the wall next to him, happy to have someone to talk to. "What did you mean about Nott and Malfoy."

"It's all over Slytherin. Malfoy and Nott came down to Slytherin to talk to Pansy a few nights ago, and they have been inseparable ever since. I really thought she was just trying to get under your skin." He blew a long winded breath out and crossed his arms, "I wanted to believe that they had changed...but I guess not. The fact that they didn't see how great they had it with you as a friend," he gave her a friendly punch on the arm, causing her to rub the spot he hit playfully, "Well, that's their loss." They stood there for a couple of moments in silence before Hermione spoke again quietly.

"David, we need to do something about the way Slytherin house members treat wizards and witches like you," She motioned out to the hall as if the whole of Slytherin was standing there, "If we don't do something someone is going to get hurt...well seriously hurt," She motioned to his face, "How else are we supposed to make a change in this school?" She reached up and poked his bruise causing him to flinch slightly, but he didn't pull away.

"I know, ok." He sighed as she lowered her hand, "I just don't want to cause anymore waves until I am out of here. I could do so much more as Minister than as a kid here in school."

"The only way change can start is if we act when we see something wrong," She gazed up at him intently, her voice low and reassuring. "We have to show the younger generation that prejudice is no longer tolerated!" He nodded slowly before running a free hand up the back of his neck.

"I will go speak with McGonagall after my next class." Hermione gave him a brilliant smile before motioning towards his black eye.

"I really should deduct points," Hermione scolded.

"You really should," he laughed, keeping his voice light as he moved a little closer to her. He wasn't inappropriately close, but it was clear he was friendly with her if anyone was looking. Finally, after a few more minutes of idle conversation, Hermione gave him a small wave and they went to their separate classes.

-TNHGTNHGTN-

The next evening, Hermione had volunteered herself to harvest the Valerian Root needed for her potions project. The project had been extended to the end of the year due to the time it took to grow the variety of plants each student was using. It had been too late into the assignment for a partner switch, so she had told the Slytherins that she would be harvesting the root alone before sweeping out of the classroom. After getting a pass that would allow her to be out after curfew to harvest the Valerian Root she walked up to the dorm room in order to finish some homework before going down to the greenhouse.

The dorm was currently empty, so she took advantage of the quiet and took a quick shower, and sat on the couch while eyeing the group of presents that had remained outside her door since Christmas. There were at least six packages, with four of them being wrapped in a lovely lavender color with silver and gold bows, and two of them wrapped in a deep rich green with silver ribbons on them. Underneath the stack was the blanket she had tried to return to Nott. She hadn't needed to check the names to know they were from Malfoy and Nott, and so she had refused to open them.

Hermione spent the next couple hours going over the process of harvesting to ensure the root would be properly gathered. Making sure her Dragon Hide gloves (because the root could burn your skin if not cared for perfectly) and her new silver pruners were in her bag, she glanced out the window and let out a small huff. Valerian Root could only be properly harvested on the first day of the waning crescent moon at exactly midnight. This was to ensure the root was at its full magical potential and allowed for the best specimens.

Finally, feeling prepared she began to head down to the greenhouse at exactly quarter past eleven. The walk to the greenhouse was uneventful. She waved to Nearly Headless Nick, and ignored the angry portraits who were upset at having their beauty rest interrupted. Once she was outside the castle wall she relished in the feeling of the cool February air on her cheeks as she passed under the small light from the moon. Knowing she would need more light to see by she did a quick cast of a lumos spell and allowed the small light to actually leave her wand, and float right next to her head. Eventually, she was standing inside the greenhouse with a small tempus spell projected on the wall as she waited until midnight. She harvested the root quickly and was cleaning up when she heard the door click shut, and lock behind someone.

"Who's there?" She demanded, wand raised as she tried to get a better look at the newcomer. Her heart pounded in her ears as thoughts of the war began to infiltrate her mind. She kept a good hold on her emotions, and her wand hand steadied as her fight or flight response settled on fight. In answer to her spoken question a spectral Raven flew towards her and flapped its wings.

"It's just me, Granger." She heard his low timber as the raven disappeared. Frustrated she closed her eyes before furrowing her brows and pushing the Valerian Root into the small mesh net bag she had brought for proper storage. Her heart had actually sped up at his voice but a new anxiety had replaced her fear.

"What do you want, Nott?" She asked, trying to keep her tone relatively civil. She took a deep breath, turning her back towards the door as she busied herself cleaning up the supplies she had used. Professor Sprout would kill her if she left the greenhouse a mess.

The tell tale sign of hissing announced the newcomer had just walked past the Venomous Tentacula and was only a couple of steps behind her. "I want you to look at me," He whispered. His voice was low again, broken as he stood there. She could feel the small puffs of his breath on the back of her head as he stood behind her. "C'mon Gryffindor. Use that fucking bravery you are famous for and look at me!" He ordered a little louder in challenge. She slammed her pruners into her bag and, against her better judgment and the warning in her head, turned around.

She looked at his chest, keeping her eyes low so she was not tempted. She was doing well. In the small enclosed space of the greenhouse the scent of spearmint and parchment was intoxicating. Without meaning too she took one deep inhale through her nose, and released a shaky breath. He reached towards her, and when she didn't flinch he put his hand below her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. His eyes were cerulean and were glossy with some emotion she couldn't bear to name.

"Is it true?" Nott inquired. He didn't need to tell her what he was asking. It was simple and really she was surprised she had made it this many days without him cornering her and forcing her to talk to him before now. It didn't make it any easier, and staring into his eyes was almost all she could take as the pressure behind her own started to build.

"Why do you care? It doesn't matter…" She forced out as tears started to flow down her cheeks. She hated that she was crying in front of him. She hated that he held so much power over her and that she knew she would never recover from what she felt. She hated so much that he had the audacity to stand there in front of her in the middle of the night and make her believe that maybe he cared. She fucking hated him...but at the same time she didnt.

"I think it does. Just please answer the question." He took another step towards her. He was standing close now, barely a finger's breadth away. If she took a deep breath their chests would touch. She had to tilt her head so she could maintain eye contact. She should have looked away, but his eyes were so hypnotizing that she couldn't, and she was scared if she looked away she might never get to see them again.

"Yes...I do." She whispered. His eyes flicked to her lips when she spoke and she watched as his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed before clearing his throat and speaking again. His voice was still quiet, almost weak.

"You do what?" One hand still on her chin the other had reached down to rest on her hip. She savored the heat that spread through her t-shirt where his hand touched her. The greenhouse was so humid and hot that it had caused her to take her cloak off before she had started the harvest, and now there was nothing separating his large hand from her skin other than the thin cotton material.

She could have shoved him off of her and she could have stormed away. She could have left the greenhouse the second his scent entered her nose. She could have marched back into the castle and allowed herself to wallow in self pity and longing. She could have hexed him. She could have yelled at him. There were a million things she could have done in that moment, but instead she reached down and put one hand on the forearm near her waist, and reached the other to rest on his cheek.

He leaned into the feeling, his facial hair prickling her skin from lacking a proper shave for a least a couple days. His eyes were half lidded as he waited patiently for her answer. "I do love you." He released a shuddering breath and moved the hand from her chin to the back of her neck. He leaned down slowly, hesitantly, and she thought to herself that one more kiss was all she needed. She could let him kiss her one last time, then she could forget about him. She would finish her N.E.W.T.'s, and move to the United States and stay in Alaska where it was winter almost all the time. Where she would only have to remember him in her dreams, in which he had already taken permanent residence.

His lips were so soft as he kissed her, slow moving as he pulled her closer to him. She put her hand in his hair, willing herself to remember the feeling of the soft strands flowing through her fingers as she scratched his scalp causing him to release a low deep moan. His fingers dug gently into the skin of her hips as he pulled her tighter. She opened her mouth to his wandering tongue and eagerly tasted him. One last time. She thought as she moved her other hand up his arm to his shoulder and pulled him closer to make him bend lower and deepen the kiss. In one swift movement he picked her up and pushed her up against the workbench so she was seated and they were near eye level.

One last time. She thought as she opened her thighs and let him step closer. As he worked his hand in her hair and swallowed her moans. One last time. As she ran her hand over the plains of his chest, and as his hand worked its way up her shirt, making her stomach and chest erupt in goose bumps. She matched him in fervor as the kiss heated and when he started to nibble on her lower lip she thought that maybe they could just live in the greenhouse and forget everything that made her doubt him. But, she couldn't do that. So, instead, she started to slowly push him away. That was the last time, she thought as she tried to steady her racing heart and her shallow breath. As she met his eyes she saw the tears mirroring her own as if he knew what she was thinking.

He didn't say anything as she pushed him away. He remained quiet as she adjusted her shirt and flattened her hair, where his fingers had caused it to flair out. He stared silently as she gathered the bag of Valerian Root and flung it over her shoulder, and picked up her wand from the floor. He finally spoke when she made it to the door.

"How could you trust Pansy over us?"

"You seem to be pretty chummy with her the other day!"

"I was trying to see what she had fucking said to you, Granger. Answer the question!"

"I don't trust her," Hermione whispered, her hand hesitating over the door knob. She thought back to the way Krum had told her he just wanted to be friends right when she started to have feelings for him, and the way Ron had chosen Lavender over her and Harry sixth year, "It just doesn't make sense to me that you have ever wanted me." She sighed, "You are," She turned to face him, "amazing Nott. You could have any girl in Hogwarts, but you chose the bushy haired know-it-all with big teeth?" She rubbed her tongue along her slightly oversized front teeth, she had grown into them more the past few years but they still stood out slightly when she smiled, "It's not logical. I want to trust you. With every fiber of my soul I want to. But the doubt about your intentions...it will always be there." She turned back to face the door again, prepared to leave him there.

"Wait! I-I think I know how you can trust me." He stuttered, clearly unsure of himself. She had never heard him with this much raw emotion in his voice except the night of their first kiss. When he had claimed to notice her when no one else had. She hesitated at the door and turned back to him.

He looked around the room frantically before running back to the supply closet in the back of the greenhouse and grabbing a vial. His eyes were forget-me-not as he walked quickly towards her, but by the time he reached her they were cerulean again as tears began falling down his face. He closed his eyes for a second, and she watched as magic flowed through his tears causing small white wisps to float within the salty prison. He lifted the vial to his eye and let the memories flow into it. He corked the vial and stared at it for several minutes before slowly offering it to her.

"Are you sure?" She asked, knowing how important memories were to an occlumens. For him to offer this to her was essentially giving her access to his mind, which he had trained hard to protect.

"I...I don't know any other way. I have to- You have to see." He pleaded wiping the tears from his face before raising the walls in his mind. Closing it up tight so the emotion was no longer there. "Take them to the pensieve in McGonagall's office...please." He begged before grabbing his cloak. He reached out to her again but thought better of it and slowly let his arm fall back to his side. He gave her a small crooked smile that caused a dimple to form on his left cheek, a smile that never reached his eyes, before walking out of the greenhouse. Leaving her behind with a frantically beating heart, and memories that he would never allow anyone else to see.

-TNHGTNHGTN-

A/N: It has come to my attention that some people disagree with Hermione's reactions to the Slytherins. I would like to explain that while I believe Hermione is a strong character she does have flaws. When Ron began dating Lavender Hermione had stopped talking to him for months due to her feelings of betrayal. This being someone who had been her best friend for years. She is still 19 and is still dominated, to some degree, by her emotions and I am trying to show that. I am also trying to show her coping with the aftermath of war. I appreciate your comments and just wanted to explain my reasonings for writing the character the way I did. I would also like to express AGAIN that this is my first fanfic and I am growing as a writer, and learning how to balance a story.

In Lighter news...I will be doing a Q/A for the next week until Sunday June 7, 2020. You can post your questions in comments below and I will try to respond to them on Sunday before I post my next chapter unless I feel the answer may take away from the plot in which I will say "no comment". Thank you for the wonderful reviews and hope you continue reading to see how the story turns out.