November 23rd, 2011

A/N: I'm writing this…and I really have to pee – I'm sure you were all dying to know that – so this probably won't take that long. Thank you so much Cat, and thank you J.K. Rowling for being my inspiration!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Thirteen

"I think…I have…a hangover," Draco groaned, wondering who he was talking to even as he said that. He slowly opened his eyes and shut them again quickly. Sunlight was leaking into his room through a small gap in his curtains, and that did nothing to help the immense pounding he was experiencing in his head.

Outside, he heard someone – something – whatever it was, he heard something moving about. It could be a Death Eater for all Draco cared. He just wanted to stay in bed.

Hermione, however, had a feeling that Draco would be hung over from all his drinking the night before, so she had prepared a remedy potion for him. He was very lucky that Hermione Granger always thought ahead.

If I yell at him…suppose he screams like a little girl? Hermione thought, smiling to herself as she made breakfast for both herself and Draco. Whenever Ron ingested too much alcohol, she had taken some pleasure in seeing him yelp because someone spoke with a voice level above a whisper.

But Hermione wouldn't do that to Draco. At least, she figured she wouldn't.

She hadn't meant to stay at his flat for the night, but Draco had been so sloshed that he would have gotten himself hurt one way or another. So Hermione apparated back to the Burrow after Draco passed out, explained what she was doing, and went back to his apartment with her beaded bag.

Ron hadn't wanted Hermione to go back and tend to Draco. He had said that "the ferret doesn't deserve that kind of treatment." Hermione had arched an eyebrow and disappeared again without replying.

"Like Ron's one to talk," Hermione grumbled. She was usually unhappy in the mornings if she didn't drink her tea early on.

Draco stumbled out of his room shortly after Hermione's mutterings. His hand was clutching his head, as if that would make the pain go away.

"Good morning," Hermione said nonchalantly, stabbing some scrambled eggs with her fork. "I have a potion for you once you're done eating. I'm afraid you can't take it until then. I still need to work that quirk out, but the potion itself does wonders. Or so I'm told."

"What, you've never been drunk before?" Draco asked quietly, amazed. He knew Hermione was the one person in all of England who was good from the inside out, but he couldn't believe that she had never drank that much.

"Not all of us need to get sloshed to have a good time, Malfoy."

"If you don't remember, I had a rather bad time last night, Granger," Draco spat back. He had a god-awful headache, and he was growing more and more irritated with Hermione. He didn't notice that she had made him food, and that she had offered him a cure to the headache that was making him abnormally harsh.

"What, are you saying I'm bad company, then?" Hermione snapped. "You know what, never mind, don't you dare answer that question. I'm going home." She disapparated, causing a loud crack that did not help Draco at all in his current state.

"Honestly!" the two of them shouted in unison, though none could hear them, and they couldn't hear each other.

Hermione scooped Crookshanks off the couch at the Burrow and held him close, burying her face in his tangled orange fur. Draco was being so unpleasant, and she wanted nothing to do with him. One of Hermione's biggest pet peeves was people who didn't appreciate what was done for them, whether they were Muggle, magical, squibs, it didn't matter. Right now Draco was at the top of her 'hit with a book' list – not that she actually had one she kept around the house.

"Hey, 'Mione, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to work after you finished nursing Malfoy back to full health," Harry said, a bit dryly, it seemed.

"Harry, not to be rude, but I would prefer it if you didn't even mention him to me at the moment."

Harry took a good look at Hermione and sat down on the cushion next to her. "What happened?" he asked, looping one arm around his best friend's shoulder. Hermione sighed, knowing Harry wouldn't leave her well alone until he got an answer, and leaned into him, grateful that Ron wasn't around.

"He downed too much alcohol yesterday because Astoria Greengrass told him he might be the father of her child. I know Draco doesn't fully believe she was being honest, but he's still out of his mind with worry and I think he's taking it out on me."

"Hermione, how would you feel if someone said you were a parent to their unborn baby? Hypothetically, I mean. Merlin knows you'd never do something that irresponsible. Put yourself in Draco's shoes for a minute, though. You know him better than I do; you know what he's thinking."

Hermione scoffed quietly. "Do I really, Harry? Sometimes it feels like I don't know Draco at all."

"I don't think that's true. You've known him since we were all eleven, and it's been nine years. You knew him when he was an insufferable little arse, and you're still friends with him now. What's his favorite color?"

A question out of the blue to be certain… Hermione thought, smiling a little at her accidental pun.

"His favorite color is blue."

"I'm sure that aside from Draco himself, you're the only one who knows that," Harry said, covering Hermione's hand with his and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You know him the way you know me, the way I know you. I can't believe I'm saying this, but go make up with him."

Hermione made no move to rise. She gave Harry's words a fair amount of consideration, but she was too stubborn to be the first to apologize. She wasn't in the wrong. In her opinion, Draco deserved to suffer for a few hours, at least.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you are not actually going to wait until he apologizes to you, are you?" Harry asked, frowning.

"I think I am, Harry James Potter," Hermione replied, lightly elbowing Harry in the ribs.

Harry rolled his eyes. It was Hermione's choice and he couldn't do much about it. She was insufferable that way.

"Then at least go to work," Harry said, his tone changing so that it could be classified as teasing. "I'm sure Gina's about ready to kill you right now."

Hermione offered Harry a small smile, kissed his cheek and gave him a hug, and chose to walk to her and Gina's daycare from Diagon Alley. She apparated there first, wanting to enjoy her favorite season while she could.

What Hermione didn't want to do, however, was run back to Draco to beg for his forgiveness like a woman who didn't know how to survive without a man in her life. They were just friends, and she shouldn't have been as upset as she was. She wasn't a weak teenage girl, completely dependent on any bloke.

She had covered more distance than she had thought. Hermione stopped in front of the daycare and reached out to open the door when she saw Gina and Blaise talking by her office.

Tilting her head to the side, Hermione silenced the bell with a charm only she and Gina knew and let herself in the building. She stared in shock when Gina smiled, grabbed Blaise by his tie and pulled him in so she could kiss him.

"What the…" Hermione blurted, slapping her hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to interrupt Gina and Blaise, but the damage was done.

"Oh, hello Hermione," Gina said, beaming as if she just hadn't been caught snogging Blaise Zabini. "How was Narcissa Malfoy's gala last night?"

"It was…interesting," Hermione replied slowly. "Are you two, um, dating now?"

"We haven't made it official yet, but yes," Gina more or less gushed. Hermione cringed internally; a sappy Gina was the last thing she needed while fighting with Draco. Not that Hermione wasn't happy for her friend; she just wanted her to contain her excitement a tad more.

"That's great, Gina," Hermione managed to say, forcing a smile. Blaise looked at her, then told Gina he should get going and left, but not before Hermione's two friends kissed once again.

Well this is…awkward… Hermione thought, politely turning away. Just then little Zane tackled her legs.

"Missy 'Mione! You's back! Zane has missed you!"

Chuckling, Hermione helped Zane onto her back and ran to the back room. "I've missed you too, sweetheart, and it's 'you're', not 'you's'," she corrected. Since Zane had enrolled in her and Gina's daycare, he hadn't left Hermione's side, and she had been dubbed his favorite teacher "ever in the whole wide world ever."

"Missy 'Mione, are you unhappy?" Zane asked, tightening his arms around Hermione's neck.

Hermione turned her head to smile at the five year old. "No, what makes you think that?"

"I dunno," Zane said, his eyebrows furrowing together as he tried to come up with a good reply. "You just seem sad."

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. It's nothing."

Draco paced back and forth in his flat. He had taken the day off of work, but he had told Cassie to call him if there were any extreme emergencies. He could have gone, he supposed. The potion Hermione had left for him had worked wonders, but he was too sulky about their blow-up to deal with other peoples' problems.

I could always go say sorry to her, Draco reminded himself. Wait, no, Malfoys never apologize. The fact that it's Hermione doesn't change that.

A sharp rap on the door startled Draco out of his thoughts. He went to answer it calmly, his face devoid of all emotions.

"Mr. Malfoy. We are aware that you were formerly a Death Eater, and that you bear the Dark Mark on your left arm. Would you be so kind as to let us in so we can speak to you about a proposal?"

Draco stared at the men in black who were asking permission to enter his home. He figured it was dangerous either way, but if he allowed them to walk inside then he would at least have some more time to come up with a plan of sorts.

"Alright, come in," he said stiffly. Draco waited until the men passed him before he closed the door and sat down across from them. "Now how can I help you gentlemen?"

He suspected that the strangers were former Death Eaters such as himself, but one could hope that things turned out differently.

"First let us see your Dark Mark."

Draco frowned and pulled his sleeve up so the men could see his left forearm and the mark it bore. The first man, the one who had asked to enter, nodded in approval.

"My name is Benjamin Warrant and this is my colleague Zachary Goldman. We are here to inform you that members of our ranks are thinking of finishing what the Dark Lord started, and we would be glad to have you amidst us once again. The fact that you failed to carry out a mission in your sixth year will be forgiven and forgotten."

As Benjamin continued to explain his and Zachary's purpose, Draco's eyes narrowed into slits. He wanted to simply tell the two to "bugger off", but doing so would result in immediate death, and he still needed to make up with Hermione. He struggled to find the words that would make up a diplomatic answer and did the best he could.

"Thank you for the offer, gentlemen, but if you don't mind, I have to take it into consideration. I'm sure you understand," Draco said, smiling icily.

Zachary inclined his head and spoke for the first time. "Of course we understand, Mr. Malfoy. Take all the time you need."

Benjamin stood first, Zachary copying his example shortly. They left Draco to curse their names to the high heavens, although he waited until he heard them disapparated before he began.

Draco needed to let Hermione know what had happened. Occurrences in his life often caused him to go back to her when he was resolved not to. How could he not? Hermione was the problem solver, the one he could go to for advice whenever he needed it – and he needed Hermione every day. Draco just took too long to realize it.

When Hermione heard someone yelling her name at the top of their lungs, she thought someone had died and the person yelling was Harry. She ran to the front of the daycare quickly, with Zane still on her back because he had refused to get off, even though he had been there for an hour.

"What's wro-Draco?" Hermione asked, pausing by the reception counter. "Draco, what is it? What's happened?" She set Zane down on the floor and attempted to get him to play with the other children.

"No, I want to stay with you," Zane said stubbornly. He glanced at Draco. "Missy 'Mione, who's that?"

"He's a friend, sweetie. He has to tell me something really important now, so why don't you see what Miss Gina is doing? I'm sure she'd be super happy to read your favorite book to you," Hermione told the little boy, ruffling his hair. Zane hesitated before he nodded, gave Hermione a hug and went off to find Gina.

Hermione released a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding when Zane went around the corner. She watched him go with a fond smile, then turned to Draco and tilted her head to the side.

"Two Death Eaters came to my flat a few minutes ago," Draco said. "They told me what the D-Vo-Voldemort started, they were going to finish. And they wanted me to help them."

Much like Harry in their fifth year, Hermione's feelings changed when Draco used Voldemort's name for the first time. The fact that he had said it could be taken as a slight apology, and she knew it had cost him a considerable amount of effort.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked, just to be certain.

"I told them I'd consider it, because I do actually enjoy living, thank you. They said they'd give me all the time I need. I just thought I'd let you know. You really can't afford to be around me right now."

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked around for a heavy object she could hit Draco with.

"You are quite possibly more daft and thick than I originally thought, Draco Malfoy. You think Death Eaters can make me run away? You're my friend and I won't abandon you because of that. I'm a bloody Gryffindor, for Merlin's sake! We don't do abandonment," Hermione concluded.

Draco cracked a slight smile. "You probably are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"Don't you ever forget it, either," Hermione said with a smile of her own.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Granger."

Draco stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Hermione. "Thanks for always being there for me," he added quietly.

Hermione chuckled and returned the hug. "Like I said, we Gryffindors don't do abandonment, especially not me."

She tilted her head up so Draco could see her grin. He looked at Hermione for a few moments before he thought about the consequences - the most likely involving some amount of hexes - and leaned forward and kissed her.

From somewhere in a room, Gina started clapping and exclaimed, "Finally! It's taken you two long enough!"

Draco and Hermione broke apart and the latter turned to her friend and said, "Gina Rivera, you did not just interrupt us!"

"Oh, but I did. Can you blame me? It has taken you guys forever to finally kiss, let alone become a couple. Today seems to be a really good day. Not only am I dating Blaise, you two are going to start dating as well!"

Hermione shook her head at Gina and focused on Draco again. She smirked and kissed his nose.

"I don't know Draco, are we going to start dating?"

"Are you kidding me? Hell yes we are. I'm with Gina on this one. It's about time we got our relationship rolling. Took us way too long to get this far."

Draco loved that Hermione's special smile was reserved for him. Not Weasley, not Potter – him. And he had come to recognize the smile as such just as it started to emerge.

"You are impossible," Hermione said, kissing Draco again.

"Impossibly hard not to adore."

A/N: Oh Cat...your comments always...aha xD Anyways, thanks very much to you, and thank you all of my lovely readers :) I hope this amounts to your guys' expectations because I know the majority of you were waiting a very long time for Draco and Hermione to kiss and I'm sorry it's taken so long! I just didn't want them to see each other and like, have years of sexual tension explode...I wanted them to have a friendship first. Astoria will be back sometime, and Ron will be as well. Chapter fifteen is probably going to be Christmas at the Burrow, and I'm working on fourteen right now.

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