Disclaimer: Of course, these lovely characters do not belong to me. I do borrow them for my idea.

Thank you to all of you kind followers and the reviews. I do think that you will enjoy this one.

Crush

July 2006

She was sat on the patio. It had been a tough week. Only three days after her own arrival Narcissa had made her appearance. Which had also brought an abrupt end to Hermione sneaking into Draco's bed. He had slept next to her that one night before his mother's arrival. But that's where their little game had ended.

Two days into Narcissa's visit the Langston's had come by. It had been a marvelous dinner catered by Roks' and had ended with Healer Langston promising to keep her in mind for any positions with research capacity opening.

A few days later, Ginny's owl had found her. The poor thing seemed to have circled Gallipoli for a while, not being able to get through the wards, until Hermione found her on her way home. Ginny's letter was full of concern and apologetic, and Narcissa suggested inviting the Potters to Italy.

Now she watched Harry and Ginny return from their walk on the beach. Besides wanting to comfort her, the couple seemed to really enjoy their time without the boys. It was rare enough for them to spend so much time uninterrupted. Although Hermione had a feeling this might be the cause of child number 3.

"What are you reading?" Harry fell into one of the chairs opposite her.

"Not that you really care, but a medical book." Draco had told her to have a list of research topics ready when she was offered a position by Langston. It would make a good impression if she already had something to show for. She had reminded him that it was not a when but an if, but he simply shrugged it off. Unlike school Draco, this one was much more confident in her abilities.

"Harry, get us something to drink, will you?" Not that he would refuse but it was more of a Molly Weasley order than a question. Once he was gone, Ginny squeezed in her chair with her. It was too tight, but with Ginny, she didn't mind.

"Your eyes glaze over when you think about him, did you know that?" Her voice was quiet but full of enthusiasm.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your obvious crush on Malfoy."

Hermione sighed. She could argue, but who was she kidding. Her positive feelings for him had long turned into more and this time there was no bind to blame. She glanced at the redhead next to her, putting her book down.

"I don't have a crush on Malfoy." Ginny opened her mouth to protest, but she stopped her with a raise of her hand. "Malfoy was a loathsome, evil cockroach of a Hogwarts student." She blew out a breath: "I have a crush on Draco. Draco, who comforts me although he makes him uncomfortable. Draco, who took offered me a house he was building, so I could have a place of my own. Draco, who took me to Italy, after these society witches bullied me. Draco, who didn't ask a question when I showed up here in the middle of the night, because all of England is talking Ron Weasley becoming a dad."

"That's so sappy."

She eyed her friend. Of course, Ginny was right. It was almost ridiculous to feel that way in general, but with Draco? After all, they were legally divorced and even worst had to be married by some maniac, after despising each other for seven years.

"How are you feeling about Ron?" That snapped Hermione out of her thoughts again. She reached for her lemonade and took a sip. The redhead did know how to spring a change of topic on her.

"I shouldn't care, should I?"

"But you do, don't you?"

She earned a sympathetic look before Harry rejoined them with water for both him and Ginny. He sat back down looking between them.

"We are doing the Ron talk." He finally stated, picking up on the awkward feel.

"I can't really explain it. I don't care that he found someone knew, and I don't care they are having a baby."

"But you do." Ginny interrupted between sips.

"I really don't. I care that it feels so fast, and it would have been nice to get some warning."

"To be fair, he did tell us, and he was asking for you, but we didn't know you were here at the time."

"See, so I don't care." She huffed. "It's just odd."

Her former sister-in-law wrapped her arms around her.

"Having a baby was all we talked about for so long and for him to have that not with me…" She trailed off. It was everything she had hoped for so often when their discussion had ended in a fight. A woman who could and wanted to give Ron all of that. Being a house witch, waiting for her husband all day had never been her dream. "I have to get used to it and I certainly don't want to give interviews on the topic, nor do I want to read what anyone has to say about it."

She looked at her hand for a long time, while her friends remained silent. Finally, Ginny's movement caught her attention and as she looked up, she seemed to catch the last bit of a silent conversation between the couple.

"What?" She caught the way her friend was looking at her husband, expecting him to talk. She won.

"Fine, this is really not my story to tell, but you should know things aren't exactly the way Ron had hoped for." He combed with his hand through his thick black hair. "It was just a night and it appears both were too drunk to consider using spell work to prevent this."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but closed it again.

"She had a fight with her fiancé, they had broken off the engagement and she met Ron. They slept together, she regretted it and is trying to patch up her life with this other man. Apparently, he is willing to."

"Oh."

"Mum was upset."

"Still is. She wanted him to propose." Harry looked uncomfortable. The redhead next to her twitched.

"Oh he didn't, did he?" She received soft nods.

"This was before she told him all about this fiancé and how she wanted to get back together with him."

"That's terrible."

The silence showed that the other two agreed.

"All three decided that Ron would have his part in the baby's life and attend appointments. You'll meet her eventually." Ginny finally seemed to realize how tightly they were squished in the chair and got up to sit on Harry's lap.

"When I first heard, I thought at least one of us got their happy end." Her throat felt dry. She was no longer in love with him, but he was still one of her best friends. Almost a brother, although she wouldn't say that ever.

"You are both getting it." Harry's tone was so earnest. It reminded her of the young boy she had become friends with. The boy had wanted the best for those around him and had risked his life for it.

"He is right." Ginny's expression was far more mischievous. She even winked at her, when Harry wasn't looking. She did her best to hide her blush and was relieved when Narcissa walked out to announce that had had Roks prepare a meal and asked them to join her.

The rest of the day was far less exciting. She took the Potters to the nearby town, they did some shopping, ate the must-have gelato, and went swimming. She didn't really stop to think much more about her happy ending until she lay in bed and couldn't fall asleep. She hated this. She knew that if she could just have one of his pillows with his scent on it that she would sleep so much better.

When her eyes had adjusted to the darkness so well that she could make out even the last detail of her room, she got up and tapped quietly out into the hall and towards his room. Her eyes lingered on the doorknob for a while, before she finally turned it and snuck into his room.

After closing the door quietly, she tapped to the bed and snuck under the covers, before taking a deep breath. Everything around her now smelled like him and her heart slowed for the first time that night. She hated to admit it, but she missed him. Ever since Narcissa's arrival, they hadn't seen as much of each other and certainly hadn't been alone.

"Are you okay?"

She turned towards his voice, surprised to hear him awake.

"I didn't want to wake you."

"The wards did."

"You have wards around your room?"

"Potter is in my house. Just being careful."

She rolled her eyes, not sure if he could tell in the dim light of the moon. They fell back into a comfortable silence.

"Hermione, are you okay?"

She nodded. Her eyes on his form in the dark. While his bed had in the past been all she needed, she now could feel the urge to have his arms wrap around her. Her conversation with Ginny and Harry came back to mind. Before she could lose herself in the memories, she was surprised by the touch of his hand against hers. It was almost testing before he entwined their fingers.

"Ginny said it was a one-night stand."

Draco snorted into the dark and causing her to slap him without a second thought. Her hand remained on his chest longer than it needs to be, but finally, she retreated it.

"The girl is having the baby and he will help where he can."

She felt him nod into his pillow.

"I guess he proposed, and she turned him down."

She heard his chuckle and was tempted to slap him again.

"She was or is engaged to someone else. Apparently, they had a fallout, she slept with Ron and now they want to work things out."

"That's messed up."

"He is taking responsibility."

"After getting her pregnant and being rejected in his proposal. One shouldn't marry because of a child." She did slap him this time.

"Try telling your mother that."

"I think she would see it similarly now. What good does it do, if they end up hating each other, just so the child is with both of them?"

"So, you wouldn't want to marry a woman pregnant with your child?"

"I wouldn't get her pregnant."

He said it was such surety that she remained silent. Her thumb running up and down his, without even noticing.

"I would marry her, if we were in love when she got pregnant." He finally offered into the dark. A small smile crept to her lips and she hummed in content. She closed her eyes, focusing on the feeling of his hand in hers.

"Does Potter know you fancy my bed over yours?"

The contentment was gone. She turned with a huff, rather unwillingly letting go of his hand, while she snuggled in.

"Prat."

He laughed and seemed to turn away as well. She listened for his breathing and was fairly sure he was sleeping by the time she couldn't keep her own eyes open anymore. How she ended up cuddled in his chest, his arms tightly around her and her legs entangled with his, she did not know.

"Malfoy, open up." She opened her eyes, meeting his gray ones almost immediately.

"Are you always this rude, when you are visiting other people's homes?"

"We are looking for Hermione."

"In my bedroom?" He managed to sound incredulous enough that Harry wouldn't suspect her where she actually was.

"Of course not. That's ridiculous. But you know where she would go around here."

"She could be anywhere. If she wanted you to join, she would have gotten you, so now sod of."

Hermione could hear Harry grumbling, but his footsteps became quieter as he walked away. Draco pulled one arm away from her, reaching for his nightstand. She watched as he performed a spell, most likely to keep anyone from hearing her voice in his room.

"Better come up with a good explanation."

"I went to the public library. He won't even ask which books I got."

"What book did you get?" He raised an eyebrow in teasing.

"You wouldn't know it."

He rolled his eyes at her. She was still in his arms. Although her head no longer rested on his chest, due to his movement while talking to Harry. He seemed to relax again. His hand mindlessly playing with her hair.

"What is this, Granger?"

His question startled her. She glanced up at him, but he was determinedly staring at the ceiling.

"Umm, I suppose sleeping in one bed will cause bodies to migrate towards each other over the night?" What a lame thing to come up with. Plus, she and Ron had never ended up like this during their marriage. When they were close, then it was because of their choosing it.

"I meant, why do you prefer to sleep here." He took a deliberate breath. "And why didn't pale or blush when waking up like this with Potter at the door?"

Her eyes were on his face again, but he was still not looking at her. His hand hadn't stopped playing with her hair, she took that as a good sign.

"I.." she had opened her mouth to answer but couldn't come up with anything that would make sense other than – I have a crush on you and want to be close to you. She shifted uncomfortably, and when he still didn't look down, she could feel panic rising. They were just barely friends, she couldn't lose this over a crush. Over a dumb decision because she was hurting. She sat up, shifting her legs close to the edge to get up. "You are right. I should just leave."

Her hand was caught by his before she could actually move out of the bed.

"That's not what I meant."

She could feel his hand tighten around hers.

"I just want to know if this is some bizarre way of you getting back at the Weasel and maybe even the world or…"

"No, that's not it." She turned around in horror. She wouldn't use him like that. She wouldn't even know how to start using him like that.

"Or if I can actually take you out on a proper date, once we get rid of all these visitors."

She stared at him. Since she had turned, their eyes had caught, and she couldn't look away. Did he just ask her out? And why did she feel so happy about it? Or more importantly why was she still so shocked that she felt good about it? She had openly admitted to Ginny yesterday that she had a crush on him, so this was a good thing.

Hermione swallowed, her eyes finally leaving him to look at his hand on hers. She always wanted it to be there. She always wanted to feel the way she had this morning – before Harry had knocked. Save and happy.

"Granger, this will be really awkward if you don't at least say no."

She lifted her eyes again, seeing the insecurity taking a hold of him. This was another thing, he seemed to feel safe too. Or at least he let his guard down.

"You could ask me out, once they are gone."