So we are at a crossroads... and I'm so excited to be here :). Hermione acts a bit differently this chapter (and we'll see why soon)! It has now been a year since I began this story and I just wanted to give a shoutout to everyone whos been here since the start, and for those who tagged along ever since. It is my first time writing a story, and for it to still be going on after all this time is a really surreal feeling for me, so thank you 3

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I liked writing it... hihi. x

Send her an owl, what could be so hard about that? The girl had sent him countless owls throughout the years, even after he'd publicly humiliated and verbally decimated her.

Guilt rose in his throat then, and he could almost taste bile.

Draco had to make things right. Hermione deserved more than just a bloody owl, and he would ensure she got everything and more. She needed to know how he truly felt, but the boy was finding it difficult to put into words. He'd spent hours trying to formulate the proper letter… to no avail. Maybe an owl wasn't the best way to tell her everything, just a good way to start? At least it would show effort on his part, like Pansy said.

He started.

"Dear Granger,

I would like to preface this letter by apologizing for my absence since our encounter in the prefects' bathroom.

If you would indulge me, I would like to take you out to Hogsmeade this Saturday. I would have liked to see you Friday, however I have a Quidditch match against Ravenclaw then, which you are more than welcome to attend if you have no prior engagements.

Please do not confuse this with me trying to be your friend, or as another attempt to rid myself of any guilt. I like you, and would like to court you, if you are still interested.

I am looking forward to your response.

-DM

P.S. I hope to one day earn much more than a preview, x."

He read it over about 30 times before calling Pansy over.

"I need you to proofread this letter," he said to her, trying his best to sound nonchalant.

Pansy smirked, seeing right through his façade, "with pleasure."

She began reading and Draco was trying his hardest not to blush or fidget with nerves. He knew Pansy would never judge him for any candor pertaining to his feelings, since he was never open about them. Yet, showing his vulnerable side to anyone always left a pit in his stomach.

"It's perfect," she smiled at him, "not too cheesy, still a little cheeky and above all, it is honest."

Draco let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He felt relieved and instantly sealed the letter with his family crest and summoned his owl.

After sending it off, he looked at his friend and smiled at her. "Thank you."

She hugged him, "I'm proud of you."

"What for?" he replied, genuinely confused.

"For being brave," Pansy let go of him to get a better look at his face, "very Gryffindor of you."

He chuckled, "She's always been brave, especially with me, I think she deserves a little of it back."

"That she does," Pansy sighed, "after my conversation with her, I can't help but look back at everything we put her through over the years."

Draco's smile left his face then, "I know what you mean."

"I feel so… guilty, and I'm not used to it," she admitted with shame painting her tone, "she forgave me so easily."

"She's a much better person than us, that's for sure," he looked down.

"Be good to her," Pansy patted his back and got up to leave.

"I will do my best," Draco simply replied.

If she accepted, he would do his best by her, and maybe one day he would even be good enough to deserve her.

Maybe.

"Hey Hermione," a familiar voice greeted from behind her, "Weasley," the voice acknowledged.

Hermione turned around to find Blaise Zabini smiling at the two of them, as they were taking their breakfast in the courtyard again. First Pansy, now him, it was like the Slytherins had a tracking device on her.

"Zabini," Ginny smirked, and Hermione almost kicked that stupid smirk off her face from under the table.

"Blaise," she smiled sweetly, "how are you?"

"I'm good, thank you for asking," he smiled back and motioned to the empty seat across from her, "is this seat taken?"

"Does it look taken?" Ginny replied sarcastically, and Hermione almost laughed this time.

"Maybe I'll sit on you," he countered, "you look comfortable enough."

Hermione actually did laugh this time, "she's not, you're better off sitting there."

Over a week had passed since their last interaction, and Hermione was grateful for the light-heartedness of it all. Everyone had been so dull and apologetic recently, it was refreshing to be around someone who wasn't so… heavy. A small part of her felt guilty for not having reached out sooner, but she justified it to herself as not wanting to lead him on. Unfortunately for her, any romantic feelings or desires could only be tied to one person, and he was in the midst of ignoring her, once again.

"So Zabini," Ginny spoke as Blaise sat, "what brings you to the courtyard this morning?"

Hermione almost kicked her again. Why was she being so rude?

He didn't seem phased though, as he simply replied, "It's a nice day, and I wanted a change of scenery."

"I'll bet," Ginny chided, "us Gryffindors are a breath of fresh air."

"More like a breath of sarcasm and fire," Blaise countered, "but I like it."

Hermione rolled her eyes at both of them, "It's too early for this."

"It's never too early to roast a Slytherin," Ginny declared.

"And it's never too early to put a Gryffindor in her place," Blaise winked in return.

Hermione giggled at this. They were being ridiculous, but it was a good distraction from her usual headspace. Ever since the bathroom encounter, she'd been in a weird spot. On one hand, she wanted to go up to Malfoy and shake him. She had been stark naked in front of him, had basically implied there would be more to come and that she was still interested… and he hadn't spoken to her since. Hence, the other hand being Hermione wanting to disappear forever from the embarrassment of it all. He'd been the only guy to ever see her naked and he hadn't done anything with her when the opportunity arose—despite his obvious attraction in the moment.

"How have your courses been coming along Blaise?" Hermione asked, to join the conversation.

"They've actually been quite interesting thus far," he smiled, but faltered as he added, "potions hasn't been the same since you decided to sit with the Patil girl."

The Gryffindor blushed, wishing she hadn't broached the subject of courses at all.

"About that—"

"Is that an owl?" Ginny asked to no one in particular, as she faced the open sky of the courtyard.

Before anyone could answer, the unfamiliar owl dropped what appeared to be a letter right in front of Hermione. She didn't normally receive many owls, as her parents were muggles, and she had a cellphone.

"It's from Draco," Blaise muttered almost bitterly, "I know his owl."

"Malfoy!" Ginny said excitedly, "well don't just sit there like a bloody pumpkin, open it!"

Hermione hesitantly reached for the unmarked letter, noticing only a wax-seal with a Malfoy family crest engraved on it. She'd actually never seen it before and wouldn't have guessed it, were it not for Blaise.

The girl looked over the seal, memorizing it as she wondered what could possibly be written inside this enclosed letter. As she slowly broke the seal and began opening the contents of the envelope, she felt two pairs of eyes on her, and it made her feel even more uneasy than she already had been.

Hermione decided to get up from the table and walk somewhere more private to read the letter. Had it been only Ginny there, she still would have probably wanted to leave but ultimately have stayed… however she refused to read a letter from Malfoy in front of Blaise. It would be too weird.

"I'll be back," she simply stated to both of them.

As she finally reached a more private table, hidden behind a tree, she hastily began reading the words Draco Malfoy had written her.

And then she read them again, and again, and again.

Her heart and mind were both racing. Her eyes wandered over the page countless times. The words "Please do not confuse this with me trying to be your friend, or as another attempt to rid myself of any guilt," were replaying themselves over and over in her head, along with, "I like you."

He liked her back. He was admitting he liked her back.

Finally.

Hermione smiled to herself and felt the weight of her unrequited feelings lift from her. The relief came in waves, and she felt as though she was practically humming with giddiness.

She nearly skipped back to her table, and as Ginny and Blaise came into view, Hermione could not stop smiling.

Blaise was the first to notice her, and he looked concerned. Ginny then took notice as well, and as soon as she saw Hermione's face, both girls' smiles mirrored each other.

Hermione gave Ginny the letter to read as soon as she reached the table, completely forgetting about Blaise.

"Merlin!" Ginny nearly screamed, "no fucking way!"

"What? What is it?" Blaise asked impatiently, trying to play it cool.

"Malfoy fancies Hermione!" the red head exclaimed.

"What?" Blaise turned to Hermione, who was blushing and smiling like she'd discovered magic existed for the first time.

Hermione simply nodded, feeling awkward discussing her feelings for Draco in front of Blaise.

"I'm happy for you Hermione," he smiled with a hint of sadness.

"Thank you Blaise, that's kind of you to say," she replied.

"I meant it," the Slytherin added, "and I'm always here if you need anything."

"I'm glad you meant that Zabini," said Ginny, smiling deviously, "because I have a plan for how Hermione will be going about things, and it includes you."

"What plan?" both Hermione and Blaise replied in unison.

Draco had spent his entire morning racked with nerves. After he'd deposited the letter with his messenger owl, he'd only been able to think about one thing: Hermione Granger. He'd spent his entire night dreaming of her, thinking about all the possible reactions she could have upon opening the letter and eventually even letting a small part of himself fantasize over the possibility of her accepting his invitation.

In the Great Hall during breakfast, as Draco watched his peers receive their parcels via owl, he could not shake the nerves that plagued him. His eyes scanned the hall for any sign of the girl in question, but he knew where she was. It was taking everything in his power not to run into the courtyard and watch her face as she opened his letter.

When it was finally time to go to his first class, he realized it was potions.

Draco practically sprinted to the dungeons at the thought of seeing her so soon. He needed to know what she was thinking. He was dying to know if she would join him Saturday—the suspense was too much. How had she been so vulnerable all these years without any hint of interest from his part?

He was one of the first people in the classroom, and thankfully after only a couple of minutes, Pansy had joined him.

"You seem nervous," the girl smirked, "what's got your knickers in a twist?"

"Shut up," he nearly snarled, "this isn't funny."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "it kind of is… I don't think I've ever seen you like this—especially not over a girl."

"I've never felt like this for a girl… no offense."

"None taken," she shrugged and then looked up, "what the—"

Draco snapped his head toward the door, and almost wished he hadn't.

Hermione had walked in and the sight of her had made Draco's reply die in his mouth. Her hair was down, with her long waves flowing to the small of her back. The girl's usually long skirt had been rolled up, and high socks were rolled down, showing an ungodly amount of leg. Her oxford's sleeves had been rolled up as well, and her top buttons were undone, showing just enough chest to make a man's heart race, but not enough to get herself in trouble.

She definitely felt his wandering gaze, as her eyes instantly connected with his. She gave him a small smile, and before he could return the sentiment he watched as Blaise entered the room just after her. The two sat together, the same way they had at the start of term. The boy had rolled up sleeves as well and their ease with one another was making Draco wary—and extremely jealous.

He looked away then, clearly having been rejected. Hermione hadn't even bothered to say anything to him, as her behaviour was answer enough. She was laughing at the things Blaise was saying, their arms would brush against each other's and from the look on the boy's face, it was apparent that he really fancied her.

Draco could feel Pansy's gaze upon him, and he did not have to look at her to know the look of pity that beheld her expression. Fucking hell, he didn't want anyone's pity, certainly not hers and if she kept looking at him, he would surely snap.

"Enough," he hissed under his breath, as class had begun.

"What?" she replied with feigned innocence.

"Stop looking at me like I'm about to fall apart," he growled, "I'm not going to."

"I'm not—"

"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Parkinson," Professor Slughorn chimed, "is there something you two would like to share with the class?"

"Not particularly Professor," Draco calmly retorted, despite his racing heart.

"Then I suggest you stop speaking all together," the older man said with a smile, "that is, until I finish assigning the groups for the upcoming assignment."

Draco and Pansy both nodded and listened as Slughorn began naming the groups, hopeful that the lesson would end shortly.

"Ah," Slughorn let out, "group 4 will consist of 2 Slytherins and 2 Gryffindors."

"As previously stated, these groups are based on your established skills and academic performance in this course, as I do not believe in one person carrying an entire group on their back while the rest do nothing."

"Therefore, group 4 will be made up of the strongest pupils," he smiled, "when I call your name, please make your way to the assigned station for your group."

Everyone in class nodded. Unfortunately, Draco knew where this was going and who he was going to be sitting with.

"Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom and Blaise Zabini," Slughorn announced, "please make your way to the designated station.

The students all got up from their seats and followed the Professor's instructions. Draco felt dazed and only snapped from his reverie once he was face to face with Hermione… and Blaise.

"Draco," Blaise nodded, "Longbottom."

"Hello everyone," the Gryffindor boy spoke quietly, clearly intimidated by his peers.

"Blaise, Longbottom," Draco nodded at the two boys in return, and then faced her, "Hello Granger."

Hermione blushed as she met his gaze, being so close with so many things left unsaid… it surely made for some awkwardness. "Hi Malfoy," she finally replied, "and hello Neville, glad to be working with you yet again."

"Somehow we always end up together," Neville chuckled.

"It's honestly become a comfort at this point," she replied earnestly, whilst taking things out of her bag, "you always exceed expectations."

"Ha ha, very funny Granger," Blaise rolled his eyes at her corny joke, "you'd fit in quite well with Slughorn since you both enjoy making dad jokes."

"Arse," Granger countered, and then dropped the rest of her bags' contents underneath the table. "Shit," she breathed as she crawled under to gather everything back.

Draco was busy trying to ignore the sting from Granger and Blaise's back and forth, until he felt something on his leg.

A hand—her hand, had begun touching his leg underneath his trousers. He had to refrain from jumping at the sensation. What the—fucking hell, she was touching his thigh now. Fuck fuck fuck… he was about to be sporting a hard-on in class. What was she playing at?

Suddenly the hand was gone, and he saw her reappear from under the table. She looked completely normal, and apart from the slight rosy twinge of her cheeks, it appeared as if nothing had happened at all. A figment of his imagination. Except she was looking directly at him, and smirking. Little minx.

For the remainder of the class, Slughorn simply went over the guidelines of their assignment, for which they had to create a hypothetical situation where there was a certain problem and then brew a potion of their choosing for the solution. There would be an essay portion to the assignment as well, that documented their process from the beginning until the end.

As they were dismissed, Draco watched as Blaise and Longbottom left and Granger stayed behind. She approached him and handed him a piece of parchment.

"Walk with me before you open it?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Okay," he replied faster than he would have liked. This girl was ruining him…

As they walked out of class, Hermione grabbed his hand and he immediately felt warm all over. She was leading him to a nearby alcove, as he noticed the lack of students around them and the direction they were heading. His heart rate sped up at the prospect of being alone with her.

"If you wanted to kill me Granger, there are other ways…" he chided, trying to relieve some tension.

"Kill you? Is that what you got from class today?" the girl countered.

"I don't know what I got," he said with honesty.

"Open the parchment," she demanded as soon as they reached the alcove.

He did as instructed, once again too hastily for his tastes…

It was a small parchment, ripped on all sides as though she took it directly from a book with nothing really on it except for 5 simple words that told him enough.

"See you Friday … and Saturday."

He looked back up at her then and noticed how she finally looked nervous for once. She was trying to appear calm, but he knew better.

"Do you mean it?" he said quietly, feeling nervous himself.

She moved closer to him, and their gazes locked, "Yes," she replied breathlessly.

Something about her breathy voice snapped something in him then, as only seconds later his lips were on hers.

It took Hermione a second to process, but she quickly began kissing him back, eventually allowing his tongue entry into her mouth. They had been frantic at first, kissing each other hard and practically swallowing each other whole. It was only after a couple of minutes that their lips began moving slowly, in a manner so searing that Draco felt as if he was melting in front of her. Her hands were in his hair, grabbing and teasing the skin at the nape of his neck in the process—the sensations were driving him mad with want.

Hermione moaned into his mouth then, and Draco nearly lost his mind. As their tongues continued to explore each other's mouths, he felt her body rub against his and he knew then, with what little sense he had left, that they needed to stop. As much as it pained him—and it literally did, Draco wanted everything between them to be perfect. He would ruin things if he rushed into them, or if she felt like she had to rush in order to keep him interested.

"Granger," he breathed, finally breaking the mind-numbingly good kiss.

"Yes?" she asked, her eyes opening in an instant. She had a puzzled look on her face.

"As much as I would love to continue kissing you," he sighed, "and I really would—"

"You don't want to rush anything," she finished his sentence.

He simply nodded.

"I appreciate that."

"But?" he asked, as she seemed to be hiding something beneath her 'appreciation.'

"But," she smiled nervously and looked down, "I've been waiting for this for a very long time… it's not a rush for me."

He lifted her chin up with his index finger to be at eye level with her once more, remarking how dilated her pupils were. He thought his probably looked similar.

"As long as you're comfortable," he returned her smile and kissed her forehead this time.

She rolled her eyes at the notion.

"I'll see you Friday… and Saturday," Draco smirked.

"Maybe not Friday since you don't want to rush," Hermione countered.

"I'll see you Friday…I need the extra luck," his smirk growing, and this time he pulled something from his pocket.

It took Hermione a moment to realize what he'd been holding, and once she made the connection, Draco noticed her falter.

"Is that—"

"The lucky charm you gave me in third year?" he smiled softly, "I never play a match without it." And he was telling the truth. From the moment she'd given him the charm, he'd never gone anywhere without it really.

"I'll see you Friday… and Saturday," she finally relented.

"Yes, you will."

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