Over the next few months Hermione and her friends formed a pattern of sorts. They resumed their study groups, with the addition of Luna Lovegood who Hermione found during her train round. "She seemed lonely." Hermione told her friends. "Like I was before you befriended me, she obviously needs someone." Hermione and Draco quickly found that when they patrolled together the patrols went longer than with other people, not that they were complaining. They would do the patrol like they were told, then once they knew everyone was in their houses they would find an empty classroom and enjoy each other's company. Fairly often they took advantage of the privacy of the Prefect's bathroom, multiple days Hermione found bruises from the counter on her back and hickies on her neck she would charm before Lavender or Pavarti would see. "Where do you and Pansy get your privacy?" Hermione asked Daphne one day as they sat out by the Great Lake.
"You are kidding me right?" Daphne asked. "We share a dorm and we are the only ones in that dorm." Hermione just laughed at her own stupidity.
On Hermione's birthday Hermione walked into the Prefects bathroom, smiling when she saw Draco waiting for her. "Happy birthday." Draco said, kissing her.
"You already told me that." She reminded him.
"I did." Draco admitted. "But this one I can kiss you as I say it, which I greatly prefer." Hermione hummed her agreement as Draco placed her on the counter, evening the field. "I have something for you." He said, pulling away from her.
"You already gave me flowers which I woke up to, as well as a book and a box of chocolates while we were with our friends." Hermione sighed.
"I know, but I wanted to give you something as a symbol of our relationship." Draco said, taking out a box. Hermione opened it and gasped. A gold tennis bracelet with alternating rubies and emeralds sat in it. "I love it." Draco chuckled as he took it out and placed it on her wrist.
"It's charmed so only people you let will see it. Since we are currently keeping our relationship a secret." Hermione looked at it, watching the lights reflect off it then looked at Draco.
"I love you." She told him.
"I love you too." Draco said, kissing her.
The next morning Hermione practically skipped into the Common Room where Ginny and Neville were waiting for her. "What happened?" Ginny asked. Hermione just held out her arm. "Oh Merlin." Ginny gasped.
"He gave it to me last night, it's charmed so only people I allow can see it."
"That's pretty smart." Neville said with an approving nod.
"You sure are lucky Hermione." Ginny said, shaking her head as they made their way to the Great Hall. "A handsome boyfriend who spoils you."
"And we said 'I love you'." Hermione told her friends. Ginny squealed as she hugged the older girl.
"I am so happy for you." Ginny said. "We have to tell Daphne and Pansy." With that Ginny practically dragged Hermione through the castle, causing her to laugh.
Hermione and Ginny sat in the Common Room one night in November. Hermione looked at her watch and stood up. "I have to go, I'm meeting Draco in the Astronomy Tower and I want to get a shower before I go."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Ginny asked, multiple times Hermione has returned from the Prefects bathroom, telling her about the feeling of someone watching her without anyone actually being there.
"I should be fine," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I highly doubt with how late it is I will experience it."
"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow." Ginny said, Herminoe smiled as she made her way to get her bath stuff then went into the Prefects bathroom. She had just started to undress when she felt the uneasiness. "No one is here." Hermoine reminded herself, taking a quick look around. Once accepting that no one was there Hermione continued and stepped into the water, sighing as the warmth touched her skin. She let out a scream as someone started washing her hair.
"Relax," Ron's voice said behind her. "It's just us and everyone is in their houses, no one will hear you." Hermione looked at her stuff where her wand was, just out of reach. "See, you can't even get your wand, just relax and enjoy it." Ron said, moving to kiss her neck. Hermione attempted to punch him but he got ahold of her arms and held her against him, she could not even get a good footing to kick him.
"Get off her." Hermione relaxed once she heard Draco's growl.
"What are you going to do about it?" Ron asked, turning to look at him, which released Hermione enough for her to turn and punch him. "Sneaky bitch." Ron snarled. Hermione punched him in the nose. As he took a step back, holding his nose Draco walked up and punched him in the gut, then kneed him.
"You touch my girl again," Draco snarled. "They will not be able to find you, am I understood?" Ron looked at him as Draco punched him in the face once more. Once Ron had landed on the floor Draco rushed to Hermione who was shaking. "Are you okay Princess?" He asked, trying to focus his attention on her face even though he wanted to check that she was ok. Hermione just shook as Draco wrapped his arms around her. He pulled out his wand and made a towel float to them and wrapped it around her. "Let's go to Dumbledore." Hermione nodded, she quickly put her clothes back on and together they floated Ron to the Headmaster's office.
The next day Hermione talked to Dumbledore, McGonagall, Mister and Misses Weasley, and an Auror named Nymphadora Tonks, who took an inference in Draco's role. "So you're saying Draco Malfoy came to your rescue?" Tonks asked again. "For no reason?" Hermione sighed.
"Yes, for the hundredth time today. He must have come in for a bath himself and distracted Ron enough for me to punch him then he punched him." Tonks sighed as she sat down in front of Hermione.
"The reason I'm asking is that I'm the daughter of Ted Tonks and Andromeda Tonks, sister to Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange." Hermione looked up. "I may not know my mum's side of the family personally, but I do know that they would not help a muggle born for the hell of it." Hermione bit her lip then sighed.
"We are dating, we have been since last year. We keep it a secret considering his family's reaction, which I am sure you get." Tonks nodded in understanding. "So as far as anyone knows, he did it to be nice or something."
"Very well, and I'm guessing you want to keep this from his parents?" Hermione nodded. "Okay, well I am going back to the Ministry. If you need anything owl me."
"Do you want to meet your cousin?" Hermoine asked.
"If he wants to I'll be glad to." Tonks said, smiling at the younger girl before leaving the room.
Hermione, Draco, and Pansy walked into the Head Dorm where the Prefects met, raising eyebrows at Neville who smiled at them. "Turns out Ron was using Harry's invisibility cloak to spy on Hermione all year, so now Ron is being tried and Harry has been skipped for Prefect."
"He should be tried too." Draco muttered. Hermione smiled at him as they sat down.
"With recent events," The Head Boy said. "We have a new Gryffindor Prefect. Neville Longbottom will be taking over." Neville gave a small wave. "And we are all going to give Hermione our apologies, and our wishes that everything will work out." The room all made noises of agreements.
"Thank you." Hermione told the other Prefects.
"Now," The Head Girl said. "Back to business." They started going over that week's schedule, and Draco and Hermione winked when it was stated that they were to work together.
The next night when they patrolled they came to the end and Draco started towards their usual classroom. "I have a question." Hermione asked, Draco stopped and looked at her. "The Auror on my case was your cousin, Tonks." Draco looked at her in confusion. "Her mother is your aunt Andromeda." Realization dawned on Draco's face. "She says she will agree to meet you if you want to, but only if you want to."
"Let's get through this," Draco said, placing his hand on her cheek. "And I will think about it, okay?" Hermione nodded. "Are you okay?"
"Ginny goes to the bath with me." Hermione admitted. "It's nerve wracking to be alone in there now."
"I will never let anything like that happen to you again Princess." Draco promised, kissing her. "Now, do you want to continue or do you want to return to bed?" Hermione bit her lip as she thought about it.
"I actually have a better idea." Hermione said, taking Draco's hand and leading him up to the seventh floor. "I heard about this from Luna, I'm not sure if it actually works but we can try." She paced a few times and the Room of Requirement appeared before them.
"Wow." Draco said as they entered the room, taking in the bed and the sitting area.
"It's the Room of Requirement. Luna said it creates whatever room you want."
"And what did you want?" Draco asked her.
"A room where we could be together for the night." Hermione said. "I want to lay beside you, just feel the comfort of being in your arms." Draco kissed her.
"As you wish." With that they both thought of pajamas, changed and climbed into the bed. The following morning sneaking into their respective houses.
That created the pattern until Christmas holidays. Whenever they patrolled together, Draco and Hermione would go to the Room of Requirement and spend the night together, always sleeping, occasionally talking about books and Hermione explaining aspects of the muggle world. But never crossing into the next level of their relationship. During the Christmas holidays Hermione received a letter from Draco, informing her that he had something important to tell her and to meet him the day she arrived at Daphne's. Once Hermione arrived she anxiously waited in the drawing room, pacing as the clocks ticked. Finally the fireplace lit up and Draco walked into the room. "What's wrong?" Hermione asked.
"They found out." Draco told her. "Somehow my parents found out about us."