A/N: I guess this is in time for Valentine's Day? I know it's been 7 years. I do not own Harry Potter.

…

The tension hadn't melted away over breakfast, like Hermione hoped it would. Even in between bites of egg, Ron stole glares at her from the kitchen counter. Hermione couldn't stand feeling his eyes on her. She thought back to their kiss. She set down her mug she was using to busy herself with, and crossed her arms. "What were you thinking?"

"What?"

"The wedding."

"Look, Hermione, I'm sorry," Ron relented, ears turning a flushed color. Hermione noticed now, that he sported a slightly darker left under-eye.

"You should be!" she exploded. "If it wasn't her own wedding, I'd have Ginny hex you! Drunk or not, that was not okay. I'm sorry, but I don't see you how you want me to."

Ron looked away from her, down at his plate, moving around the remnants with his fork. She wasn't sure why she felt her eyes stinging, but Hermione willed herself to not cry.

There was a tap tap tap on her kitchen window. Hermione recognized it as Draco's owl, holding a letter in his beak, feathers sticking up in wild places. She opened the window and retrieved the letter, unfurling the string around the middle. She glanced at the messily scrawled writing. Meet me at Hog's Head Inn at noon. Hogsmeade. The last time she'd gone to Hogsmeade, Draco had taken her out to lunch. His owl seemed so rushed, and seeing the article in the Daily Prophet, Hermione guessed it wasn't under the same pretenses this time.

Ron was staring at her. "It's Malfoy, isn't it?"

There was no denying it now. It came out almost like a whisper. "Yes."

The owl gave a little chirp, reminding her he was still there. She turned to him, smoothing the feathers back on his head, and told him gently to go home. Hermione couldn't hold back the tightness working its way up her throat anymore. A tear dribbled down her cheek, and she moved her hand to wipe it away just as fast as it appeared. "I want you to be happy for me, Ron. Please."

Ron nodded, like he was trying to convince himself. He met her gaze. "I know," he said softly. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't."

"You can't control that, Hermione."

"Please, trust me on this."

Ron stood up, gathered his coat from the back of his chair. He walked towards the front door slowly, and turned towards her as he put his hand on the doorknob. "I want you to be right," he said, and walked out.

From the window, Hermione watched him stop to take a deep breath, before Appariating, presumably back to the Burrow. She sighed herself, leaned against the kitchen counter, glanced at the clock above her stove. She had half an hour before she had to meet Draco. Hermione was for a fleeting moment thankful that Ron had caught her while she was still in her pajamas. Crying had made her sweaty, and her body was still cooling down from her emotions. She took a quick shower, threw on some light makeup, and tried to dress as inconspicuous as possible. She didn't need any more attention.

Hermione Apparated with five minutes to spare, landing down an alleyway, away from the main road. For what was lunch time, it seemed quiet. She rounded the corner and came to the entrance of Hog's Head, pausing for a moment, because she wasn't sure if Draco meant to meet her outside or inside. She bent her head down, pretending to search for something in her pockets as someone passed by her. When she looked up, he still wasn't there. When she pushed open the door, Hermione took a moment to let her eyes readjust to the dim lighting. As she blinked, she caught Draco's platinum blond hair in the back corner.

She felt her stomach jump, moving toward him. It didn't feel like the excited nervousness she got the night before. It felt more like anxious dread. Could he have snuck someone into the wedding from the Daily Prophet? She hadn't thought about it before, but Draco was one of the only outsiders invited. She didn't say anything as she slid into the booth across from him.

They stared at each other for a moment without speaking. Draco broke the silence first. "How are you?" he asked, his voice low, gaze darting out to look behind Hermione's head.

"Could be better, but I suppose that's expected being on the front of the Daily Prophet. Haven't had that happen in years," she quipped.

His eyes narrowed at her, trying to figure out the source of her sudden bitterness. He knew the article would upset her, but it wasn't his fault. "Right," he said. "About that...I went to see Gilmour Devins. He didn't give anything up, obviously, but he knows we're not turning an eye to this."

"We? So he knows we're seeing each other then? You confirmed what he thought?" Hermione asked slowly. Draco could see the wheels turning in her head.

"Well, no. Not exactly. I...said we didn't have a romantic relationship, but I...I guess I didn't deny the kiss happened either."

Hermione pursed her lips and stared at Draco's hands fidgeting together on the table. She was tired. This was becoming an issue for too long. Everyone already knew at this point. Their entire lives had been under scrutiny - what harm was a little more going to do? "Why hide it?" she asked, meeting his anxious gaze. "Do we need to? We're adults for Merlin's sake. If you like me and I like you, then no one can take that away from us, except ourselves."

It was like a lightbulb went off by Draco's expression. "You're serious?"

Hermione broke out into a confused smile. "Of course I am."

He grabbed one of her hands suddenly, and she startled. "Sorry," he said, loosening his grip. "You're right. We don't need to."

The nervous energy dissipated in an instant, leaving them staring at each other in a sort of blissful wonder. "I'm glad we're doing this," Hermione said, shoulders slumping in relief.

"Me too."

They spent a few more minutes like that, before Hermione needed fresh air. The dark, brooding atmosphere of Hog's Head suddenly didn't fit her mood anymore.

As they pushed out the doorway, Hermione felt Draco's arm drape over her shoulders and pull her in closer to him.

"Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Seven?" Draco asked, staring down at her as they walked the lane with no direction in mind.

"I'd love to!"

"Great," he said, stopping and pivoting to stand in front of her. His hand snaked to the nape of her neck as she looked up, gravitating towards him. Her heart sped up as they kissed. This is what she had wanted; this was what she had been waiting for.

No more hiding. Screw whoever cared. All that mattered was their happiness. That's all she would ever ask for.

…

A/N: First, thank you to anyone who's read any chapter of this story. I started this my freshman year of high school, and now that I'm finished with all of my upper level schooling, I've been trying to get around to updating some of my fanfiction. This story's gone through a lot of ups and downs, and I believe I've greatly improved in my writing since the start to now. There may be one or two wrap up chapters after this, but for now, I leave you with this.