December 17th, 2011

A/N: This is the big…er, chapter…guys! Again, sorry if it took too long for some of your likings, but I didn't want to rush into things, and Hermione and Draco were just friends for a while. So…hope this makes up for it, and I apologize if they seem a bit out of character. Also, this was written at two in the morning, so my writing probably isn't as good as it could be. Cat, this one's dedicated to you for being so supportive and helpful from the start, even when you hardly knew me (:

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter Eighteen

After a tearful goodbye on Hermione's part, she walked out of the airport and drove the car back to the rental shop. She ducked into an abandoned alley and apparated back to the Burrow, to explain what would be happening, and to pack her things.

"Hey, 'Mione," Harry said upon her arrival, looking extremely guilty. "I'm really sorry for bringing you to see your mum."

Hermione sighed and mustered a small smile. "It's alright, Harry. I know you were only trying to help. Now I've got to pack." The only people she had told about Draco's request were Harry and Gina, because Hermione knew they wouldn't give her a hard time about it. But now she had to tell all of the Weasleys too.

"Do you need any help?" Harry asked.

"No, I'll be fine. You get back to whatever it was you were doing before I arrived." Hermione smiled at Harry one more time and slipped into Ginny's bedroom.

Hermione bit her lip, wondering what she ought to bring with her to Draco's flat. She thought of as many different scenarios as she could, but she still felt like she would leave something out. So Hermione packed everything she had at the Burrow into her little beaded bag.

Just as she was closing it, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Hermione called, suspecting that it was Ginny and that Harry had tipped her off on what she was doing.

Ron entered slowly, like he was afraid Hermione would attack him. In all honesty, she would have, if she hadn't been in love with Draco. Hermione was over being angry and hurt because of Ron, when she had an amazingly considerate man that loved her.

"Hello," Hermione said peaceably, continuing to stuff articles of clothing into her bag.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked, frowning at how empty the room seemed to be now. Half of it had been Ginny – it had been entirely Ginny before – but half had been Hermione too. In fact, Hermione had been living at the Burrow for so long, everyone had started to see the bedroom as hers as well as Ginny's.

"Packing," Hermione answered, ushering Crookshanks into his cage. He let out indignant meows of protest at first, but he couldn't deny his mistress anything and eventually went in.

"Why?"

"Draco's gone out of town," Hermione began, but Ron cut her off.

"Oh, good," he said, letting out an unnecessary sigh of relief. "Now things can finally go back to the way they were."

"You didn't let me finish," Hermione snapped, her calm demeanor fractured. "I'm flat-sitting for him, and that's why I'm packing."

Ron's eyes widened comically as his mouth formed an O. "B-But you can't!" he sputtered as first his ears then his entire face grew red. "I won't let you!" Some part of Ron's brain registered his mistake as soon as he got the words out in the open, but it was too late to take them back, and Hermione would have none of it anyway.

"You cannot dictate what I can or cannot do, Ronald," said Hermione cuttingly, her hair practically crackling with magic. "You have no say in the matter, and you shouldn't care what I do besides that! Now out of my way. I have to tell your mother about the arrangements."

"I'm sorry, Hermione! I didn't mean to say that!" But Hermione was already out the door, beading bag in hand, hurrying away towards the kitchen in the hopes of finding Molly Weasley.

Fuming, she decided she would just leave a note, because she couldn't find any trace of Molly, and Hermione was afraid she might say something she would regret in her current mood. Taking a deep breath, she used the floo network to get back to Draco's empty flat.

The day before Draco was due back from France, Hermione was getting ready to go to work when someone rapped on the door.

Now, no one bothered to do that. The only people that visited Draco on a regular basis were Hermione, Blaise, and Narcissa Malfoy, and they could just apparate into the middle of the sitting room. Even Harry was allowed through the wards, in case he ever needed to find Hermione and she was with Draco. So why would someone knock?

At first Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that the person was Astoria Greengrass and was sorely tempted to tell her to bugger off, but Harry and Draco had warned her to be careful, so she didn't. Instead she cast a charm that would make the door transparent on Hermione's side and unchanged on the other.

Two men clothed in black robes stood patiently, waiting to be received into the apartment. Hermione already knew they were Death Eaters simply from the looks of them, but she also recognized the one to the left – the one that had stalked her and Draco that one afternoon.

Well. Hermione had been on her way out anyway. The Death Eaters need not know that anyone was currently home, and by the time she got back, at five o' clock, she suspected they would take the hint and leave.

So to her daycare Hermione went, and, as if she hadn't gotten enough surprises for the day, she found that a woman around her age was applying for a job there when she arrived.

"Hermione, there you are! You're normally here before I am," Gina said, handing the woman a clipboard along with a quill from behind the front desk.

"Sorry Gina, I had a bit of an incident. Hello, I'm Hermione. Who are you?" Hermione asked politely, shedding her cloak and sending it to her office, where it hung itself up.

"I'm Catherine Pratt, but everyone calls me Cat, and if there's a spot available, I'd like to help out in this daycare."

"Oh," Hermione said, blinking. "Did you go to Hogwarts? Because I don't think I ever saw you there."

Catherine smiled. "I was born and raised in America, and stayed there until I finished college. Then I moved here."

"Forgive me for asking, because I know it's usually taboo to ask this among women," Hermione started, her mouth twitching into a smile like Cat's, "but how old are you, if you're already out of university?"

"I'm twenty two," Cat replied, not appearing to find the question offensive at all.

"I didn't want to make any promises until you got here, 'Mione, but I did tell her if you were okay with it she could just fill out some information for us to look over. And we could use another set of hands around this place. It'd make things easier on us," said Gina.

Hermione had to admit that an occasional day off that wasn't a Sunday would be nice, and she did like the good feeling she got from Catherine. She nodded at Gina and they had a silent conversation with their eyes before Hermione turned to Catherine and told her she got the job.

At lunchtime, as Hermione and Gina got to know Cat more and saw that she was an intelligent girl with a love of mischief, Hermione made a mental note to owl Fred when she left work.

After what seemed like an eternity to Hermione, January 9th came, and she went back to the Muggle airport to pick Draco up. She sat in the car from the same rental place she had gone to previously, staring at the clock as time went by. Hermione had gotten there a little early so she wouldn't have to struggle to find parking, and she was waiting for the time when she wouldn't be bored out of her mind inside of the airport.

Hermione sighed and got out of the car, quickly walking away from the parking lot.

Not for the first time, the platinum blonde hair was a dead giveaway. Hermione was a perfectly sane and reasonable person, but she hadn't seen her boyfriend in two weeks, and he was impossibly handsome even after spending three hours on a plane. So she ran at him, throwing her arms around his neck as he picked her up and spun her around. Separation was making them act how they regularly wouldn't in public, or even private, but neither Hermione nor Draco really cared.

"I missed you," Hermione whispered.

Draco chuckled. "I missed you too, love," he said into Hermione's hair, kissing her before he set her down on the ground. People stopped and stared, and Draco added, in a much louder voice, "Mind your own business you wankers," his eyes never leaving Hermione's.

Hermione looked at him reproachfully and hit his arm. "Draco!" she scolded. "Don't be so rude." She turned slightly so she was facing the crowd and smiled apologetically. A few individuals smiled back as Hermione led Draco to the car.

"How was the trip?" Hermione asked as she drove to Draco's flat. "What was it for, anyway?"

"It was boring," Draco admitted, leaning back against the head rest. "Some idiot thought he found a new plant that would benefit Muggles and wizards alike and wanted other healers to do some research with him, but it turned out to be a complete waste of time."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, glancing at him before turning her attention back to the road.

Draco shrugged. "We did learn a few things. I think I was annoyed so much because it was time I could've spent with you."

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, are you going sappy on me?" Hermione teased.

"I'm tired and in no mood to argue with you, so yes, Hermione Jean Granger, I am going sappy on you."

Hermione was the one who brought Draco's luggage into the apartment, against Draco's wishes. He reminded her that he was more than capable of lugging a suitcase through a door, but Hermione would have none of it. Sometimes she was more like Molly Weasley than she realized.

"Do you want to go sleep for a while? I'll make you something to eat," Hermione offered, stretching after she had sent the luggage to Draco's bedroom. Driving for a long period of time always made her stiff and a bit cranky, but Draco didn't need to be made aware of that.

"I'm not going to fall asleep on my feet, 'Mione."

"But you said you were tired earlier, in the car," Hermione retorted, getting water boiling with a flick of her wand.

Draco came up from behind Hermione and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Do you really want me to leave you here by yourself?" he asked, his tone light as he kissed the spot where her neck met with her shoulder.

"What?" Hermione replied faintly, her eyes fluttering closed.

"I said," Draco repeated, plainly amused, "do you really want me to leave you here by yourself?"

"Well, I…suppose not," Hermione said.

Draco laughed and Hermione turned around in his embrace to kiss him. She had missed this. She hardly ever felt comfortable around anyone anymore if they weren't Harry, Draco, Neville, Luna, Gina, and even Cat, despite the short while she had known her, so dinners at the Burrow had been torture for her. Thinking of Cat made Hermione remember that she had a lot to tell Draco – including the surprise visit from two Death Eaters.

"Hermione…"

"What is it?" Hermione had to stretch on her toes to kiss Draco's jaw, which she did, before she rested her cheek against his chest.

"I love you."

Hermione leaned back to fully look at Draco and smiled softly, understanding the second meaning of his words. "I love you too."

Draco kissed Hermione's forehead and scooped her up bridal style, making her giggle. He carried her to his room and kicked the door shut.

Her arms wound around Draco's neck as she played with his hair, Hermione got him up to date on everything that had happened while he was away. She started off by telling him about Cat, and was going to tell him about the Death Eaters, but he was so relaxed and content, and Hermione didn't have the heart to ruin that.

"Harry's going to propose to Ginny soon," Hermione said as Draco drew lazy circles on her bare back.

"Are you trying to hint at something, Granger?" Draco asked, opening his eyes to squint at her.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head. "No, of course not, I was only telling you a bit of news. I don't expect you to want to marry me when we've only been dating for a few months."

Draco thought about that and looked at Hermione seriously. "Would you consider marrying me, though? When we're older, I mean."

"Yes," Hermione answered without any hesitation. Draco's smile quickly turned into a smirk.

"Don't be afraid to tell me how you really feel, love."

Hermione grinned at his comment and snuggled closer to him, loving the feel of his skin against hers. Her grin slid off of her face as she attempted to find a way to let Draco know about the men in black robes without disrupting their peace. A sigh escaped from her, but Hermione didn't worry. It could be interpreted as a sound of happiness as well as sorrow or frustration.

"Yesterday a couple of your old friends decided to visit," Hermione said, leaving it up to Draco to reach the right conclusion.

"The Death Eaters came here?"

Nodding, Hermione immediately felt Draco tense up. She rolled over so she was lying on her back and stared at the ceiling. She took a deep breath and felt Draco slip his hand into hers.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Draco's eyebrows were furrowed together, and Hermione kissed his nose.

"As you can see, I am perfectly fine. I didn't even let them in. I made sure the flat was secure and then I went to work."

Draco snorted at Hermione's choice of action, but when Hermione thought he was going to question her more about the Death Eaters, he didn't. She followed Draco's gaze and bit her lip; he was staring at the scar she had received from his aunt.

Now not only do I have to worry about Harry blaming himself, I have to worry about Draco doing the same… Hermione groaned inwardly. "It wasn't your fault, Draco. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it from happening," Hermione said quietly. She hated the scars she bore, all of them, but she tried to make Harry proud by not casting a glamour charm whenever she expected to see someone, and while she understood Draco's desire to hide his Dark Mark, she wished he would do the same.

"I was right there, Hermione. I should have done something! But I didn't, because I was too much of a coward," Draco spat.

"Stop saying that," Hermione snapped before she made her voice gentler. "It's in the past. If I still thought you were the person you were back then, I wouldn't be with you right now. It's okay to be scared sometimes. Bellatrix scared the living hell out of a lot of people."

"Weasley was screaming your name the entire time, and he even told them to take him in your place."

Hermione literally huffed in exasperation. "Ron's a Gryffindor. You're a Slytherin. And I love you anyways," she said.

Sensing that he was to be on the losing side of their little battle, Draco merely repeated the sentiment back to Hermione.

The next morning, Hermione was woken by her cell phone ringing. Only a few individuals had her number – only a few individuals she knew had a cell phone. Since Hermione wasn't speaking to her parents, she figured it was Harry calling and panicked. Harry preferred to send an owl or use the floo network to talk, so he rarely used his phone, unless there was an emergency.

The first thing Hermione said when she picked up the phone was, "Harry, are you alright? Is anyone hurt?"

On the other side, on Harry's side, Ron was trying to figure out what he should say to Hermione to make her forgive him. He didn't want to make the mistake of shouting into the telephone thing again, so he stayed quiet until he had the right words.

Hermione knew she often worried too much, so she forced herself to believe that Harry had accidentally dialed her phone number and didn't know, and that that was why he wasn't talking.

"Who is it?" Draco asked, nipping Hermione's ear.

"Harry," she replied, waiting to see if Harry would say something.

"What does Potter want so early in the morning?"

Ron had called around seven o' clock because he wanted enough time to make up with Hermione if she chose to forgive him and leave the ferret. Harry tried to convince Ron that Hermione wouldn't dump Draco, but Ron would have none of it. He was determined to get Hermione back, whether it be because he loved her or that Lavender was really getting on his nerves.

"I have no idea," Hermione said. Draco shrugged, leaving a trail of open-mouthed kisses on her neck. "Draco…Draco, love, stop. I'm on the phone."

"But Potter isn't talking."

"I'm still on the phone. For all we know he's listening to this conversation right now," Hermione hissed, but Draco noticed that she went limp in his arms.

Hermione was wrong. Harry wasn't listening to her conversation with Draco. Ron was. Unreasonably angered, Ron hung up and turned to Harry.

"You didn't say anything," Harry observed, his tone mild as he wrapped an arm around Ginny, who had just sat down next to him.

"What was I supposed to say? She was with Draco bloody Malfoy!"

"She was at his flat," Ginny said, resting her head on Harry's shoulder.

"But she was there with him!"

"I suppose this means Draco's back in town," Harry told Ginny, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile.

"Things were getting boring without him in London," Ginny agreed, laughing as her brother stormed out of the house.

A/N: To clarify for any of you that are confused...yeah, Draco and Hermione had sex. Yay for them...! I noticed that I used a lot of line breaks in this chapter, but whatever. Um...let me know if you guys want more Astoria or Cassie or Cat or Daphne around. Lavender and Ron, too. Or the twins. Whichever character you like, you can request for more of them in this story...in a review! :D

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