Sorry for the delay!

Hermione spun around, not believing her ears. Malfoy?! How did he know about this place? How did he know how to get in? Did he follow me? Why did he follow me? A million thoughts ran through her head. There was a long awkward silence as Hermione and Draco simply stared at each other. Hermione couldn't wrap her brain around what to say, but knew that Draco did ask her a question.

"Not really." She answered, shifting her position on the bed to now be facing him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, stepping towards her once more. She didn't answer, nor did she move a single inch. "I know I'm not Potter or Weaslebee…" He paused, noticing how she somehow got stiffer when he said the second name. "...but I do have ears." He pointed to his ears awkwardly. "And I know how to use them…sort of." He finished and they both laughed a tiny bit.

"It's just friend drama." Hermione said, seemingly loosening up a little bit.

"Seems like a little more than that." Draco responded as kindly as he could muster. Hermione beckoned him to the bed, he sat on the very far end of it.

"Harry and Ronald are having some problems, but you might already know that." Hermione's voice almost came off bitterly. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, and she glanced at the letters in his pocket.

"We don't talk like that" Draco answered her non verbal question.

"But you talk?" Hermione pried.

"He checks in, I check in, it's a pure check-inship." Draco said lightly, causing Hermione to laugh a bit. "Does it bother you?" He asked, wondering if her shock was more anger than surprise.

"No, he just never mentioned it." She said quickly.

"I reckon he didn't want to hear it." Draco retorted.

"Completely possible." She answered evenly.

"Anyway…Weaslebee doing something to Potter?" Draco asked, now schooching back so he could lean his back against the wall.

"Why do you assume Ronald is at fault?" Hermione asked, wondering how he could've known.

"Well firstly because you've been calling him Ronald." Draco said, sniggering slightly. "Lastly, because it's always Weaslebee's fault." Draco finished matter of factly.

Hermione went to retort and then stopped herself. It seemed like she was gearing up to defend Ron, only to remember she was mad at him.

"Go on!" Draco encouraged.

"Basically Ronald has been super strange about Ginny being pregnant." Hermione explained.

"Weird how?"

"Like nowhere to be found. He doesn't talk to his family, he doesn't talk to Harry." Hermione said, her hand moving dramatically with every word.

"Okay that's odd, but why are you mad about this?" Draco asked, clearly not connecting the dots.

"Because of this rubbish he sent me!" Hermione said angrily, thrusting the letter at Draco who took it and read it quickly.

Mione,

I am not going to the baby shower and I suggest you do the same. It's only fair you support me.

Ron

"Only fair?" Draco eyed Hermione, handing her back the letter. "Why would you not go just because he isn't? You aren't together anymore are you?" Draco asked, looking quite puzzled.

"No we are not!" Hermione retorted. "Keeping tabs on my relationship status I see." Hermione jabbed jokingly.

"Me and the rest of the wizarding world." He shot back playfully. "I'm confused why he's making it your problem." Draco stated.

"Because he blames me."

"For what?"

"For the fact that his life is not at the same stage as Harry's anymore…" She said slowly, and realizing Draco wasn't understanding she continued. "...for breaking up with him."

"I thought the breakup was amicable?" Draco questioned, clearly knowing what was reported in the daily prophet.

"Keeping tabs I see…"

"Me, and everyone else in the wizarding world." Draco answered and then paused, waiting for a real response to his former statement.

"Yea sure it was." Hermione said bitterly.

"Did you really think that was convincing?" Draco retorted playfully.

"It's just what you say when everyone is invested." Hermione said, shifting uncomfortably in her spot.

"What is?" Draco asked.

"That it was amicable." Hermione answered, and saw Draco's eyebrow raise.

"So it wasn't?" Draco seemed to be treading lightly, but was showing a bit of interest.

"No it wasn't…I broke up with him." It seemed as though this was the first time Hermione had said the words aloud. Draco didn't speak, he just nodded. Hermione was confused by his silence. "No questions?"

"Don't want to pry, just wanted to make sure you were okay, never seen you run so fast." He ended his answer with a smirk on his face.

"Alright" She said awkwardly, and then silence fell between them.

"Er…do you want to be alone, or do you want to head back to the castle?" Draco asked, the latter implying it would be done together.

"I'll meet you out there, I probably look like a mess." Hermione said, straightening up with confidence.

"You look like yourself, Granger." He answered, and made his way out of the room without another word.

His final comment left Hermione confused and overthinking. What does that mean, that she indeed looked like a mess? Or that she didn't because she looked like herself? Her mind was reeling about the whole interaction. So much so, that she hadn't noticed Crookshanks was purring at her heels. She looked around cautiously, wondering why Crookshanks was acting so strange. He never followed her like this unless he thought there was danger ahead. Once Hermione entered the castle, Crookshanks fled, which put Hermione slightly more at ease.

Hermione went through her classes without much effort, and soon enough it was time for dinner. She was happy to have made it through her first week of classes, though the first week is by far shortest. In her overreaction to Ron's owl, she had forgotten about Andromeda's. She wasn't sure how Draco would feel about going together, but she thought it wouldn't hurt to ask him. She arrived at the Great Hall before him, which wasn't unusual. She was surprised however, to see him coming in laughing with Neville. She knew they were on good terms, but it was still an odd sight for her to see. She watched as his gray eyes lit up from the interaction, and how soft and uncontrolled his face looked as he laughed. He was almost unrecognizable, and Hermione noticed herself liking this look on him. She huffed at herself, and forced herself to look away before he came to join her at the table.

"Granger." He said politely, turning slightly to say his goodbyes to Neville, who gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek as his greeting, and then continued to his seat.

"I saw you got a letter from Andromeda before." Hermione stated, figuring she should just jump right into it.

"Keeping tabs I see" He retorted, catching Hermione slightly off guard.

"Seems we both have fans" Hermione said quickly and automatically regretted it. Draco's face broke into his signature smirk, and Hermione fought hard to keep hers from turning pink.

"Duly noted." Draco said, smirking widely. Hermione ignored him and waited for his real answer. "Yes you saw correctly, though you already knew that." He added, seemingly disappointed that Hermione didn't run with the banter a little longer.

"Did she mention coming to visit her and Teddy?"

"Mhm" Draco responded, clearly trying to pull the anticipated question out of her.

"Well what do you think?" Hermione asked, clearly not wanting to actually ask him.

"About what?" His smirk was slowly creeping onto his face, and this annoyed Hermione more than anything.

"Nevermind." She said defiantly with a huff.

"When do you want to go?" Draco asked, clearly giving in.

"So you want to?" Hermione's voice was full of surprise.

"It seems that's what Aunt Meda wants…" Draco started, pausing slightly before finishing. "...and that woman tends to get what she wants."

"Well okay then!" Hermione said with a laugh, noting the endearing tone he took while talking about Andromeda. "This weekend is Hosmeade right?" Draco nodded. "I could send an owl tonight, tell her we will come tomorrow or the next day."

"Yes that's fine, if you send it right after dinner, it should get to her within an hour or so." Draco responded evenly. Hermione nodded.

"Perfect, and you know she is going to say tomorrow, so that's good with you right?" Hermione asked, watching his reactions closely.

"All good, I don't have any set plans this weekend." Draco answered. "Surprised you want to be with me longer than is already scheduled." He added with a slight tone of bitterness in his voice.

"Andromeda gets what she wants." Hermione retorted, using his own words against him.

"That she does. Just come get me when you are ready to go tomorrow, I have Aunt Meda hooked up to my outgoing floo, and I'm up pretty early." Draco said, and Hermione questioned whether this was true or not. He always looked so tired in the mornings, and he was always the last one to meals. She made a point not to say any of her thoughts, and just nodded.

The rest of the meal was uneventful, they chatted about the students and Neville joined them at one point and started to talk about the student complaints about the seating arrangements. After dinner concluded, Hermione went straight to the owlery to send a letter to Andromeda. She struggled to find the proper wording. Malfoy and I? No, that's too formal. Draco and I? No, that sounds ingenuine. Why is this so hard? After a few minutes, she was satisfied with the wording, so she reread it once more.

Dearest Andromeda,

This weekend is free for us. We could come tomorrow or Sunday, just let us know what you would like. Can't wait to see you.

-Hermione & Draco

Hermione sent the letter without another thought. She tried not to think about how the wording seemed a bit like a couple. She really couldn't think of another way to word it, they were going together so it was we type of thing. If this was about Harry, you'd write the same exact thing and not question it like this. She chided herself. She made her way back to her chambers and picked up her favorite book and started to read it. Many chapters later, a bird came whizzing in through her window, and dropped a letter in her lap. She already knew it was from Andromeda, knowing her owl well. She gave the owl a treat, and started to open the letter as the owl whizzed out the window.

Hermione,

Please come tomorrow, Teddy misses you both so. Harry also said he would come tomorrow, this is quite exciting! Come anytime dear, we can't wait to see you both.

Andromeda & Teddy

Hermione smiled as she read the letter, hearing every word in Andromeda's voice. She was excited to see Harry and Ginny tomorrow, and she was sure Draco would be fine with their presence. She wondered whether or not to go tell Draco now, but she decided she'd just let him know in the morning. She couldn't help but wonder if Harry and Ginny would be surprised by her new allyship with Draco, but she was sure that they wouldn't be. It was clear that Harry and Draco had put their issues aside, and if her silence is any indication, Ginny didn't mind. Hermione was excited to see her friends and get a nice day away from the castle. She loved it here, and she loved her job thus far, but it was a bit jarring to go from never stepping foot in the school, to being within it all day every day. She continued to read, and she fell asleep with the book in her hands.