AN: *singing* I'm drunk off your kiss, for another night in a row. This is becoming too routine for me... *breaks off and looks around at bewildered audience* Oops.

Disclaimer: Nah. Not Harry Potter, that belongs to J.K. Rowling. Not the song mentioned above, which was performed by New Found Glory, and has been running through my head lately. And well. Yeah. That's it. Move along.

Dedicated to: Myself. That's right. Me. *Draco-like smirk*

Chapter 15: Establishing Understanding

"Wait. I don't get it."

"Yeah. The funny thing is... neither do I."

- real life quote

            Moody looked up from his desk as Alais walked through the door. His eye darted over the nervous girl, taking in everything about her, from her neat hair to the scrolls of parchment tucked under her arm.

            "Alais."

            "Yes sir."

            "What is it?"

            "Sir, I'd just like to hand in the reports on the status of the Paladins and their charges."

            Moody looked interested, well, in one eye, that is.

            "Ah, yes. I've been waiting for those."

            He held out his hand form the sheaf of parchments, and waited until Alais was out of the room before shuffling through them and quickly locating the one he was looking for.

            He pulled it out and held it to the light.

            Paladin: Hermione Anne Granger

            Charge: Draco Thomason M. Malfoy

            Current Physical Location: Unplottable

            Current Emotional Status: Paladin - Stable * Charge - Stable

            Contact with Outsiders: Active Location of letters daily to the following: Harry James Potter, Ronald Weasley, Parvati Patil...

            Moody quickly scanned the lines, skimming through the unnecessary information. Food eaten, daily activities, magic performed. He chuckled at the line which informed him that Draco installed a swimming pool, muttering something that sounded somewhat like Ostentatious boy under his breath.

            And he came to the last line, and both eyes widened. "Well, well, well. Would you look at that? I never..."

***

            She smiled as he kissed her good morning.

"You should have been up at six." she reprimanded him as she poured him coffee. "You were supposed to help me with the wards."

Draco looked at her through sleepy gray eyes. "Sorry about that. What can I say?" he shrugged slowly. "You were rather... excitable last night. You can't blame me for being exhausted. I'm surprised you aren't collapsing right now."

Hermione turned red, and Draco winked at her slyly as he sipped his coffee.

A few minutes later:

"God, woman! Don't you know how to make proper coffee?!"

"Oh that's not coffee."

"What in bloody hell-"

"Ever wondered where all the extra mud you've tracked in the floor went?"

"When I get my hands on you..."

"You'll what?"

"I'll..."

"Well?"

"Steal your breath."

Hermione looked at him.

"Fine. Come here."

***

            "You know, if I never sent her that break-up letter, she would never have begun sleeping with Malfoy."

            Harry nursed a cup of tea, and Ron awkwardly thought of something to reply to him.

            "Er, how do you know she's sleeping with Malfoy? I mean, she hasn't told you directly, has she?"

            Harry glared at Ron. "Look at that! Read them all!" he flung an arm towards his desk, where all of Hermione's letters lay in a pile. "It's nothing but Draco this, Draco that. Just the fact that she calls him Draco is enough to make me..."

            He broke off, staring down into the swirling green of his tea.

            Ron caught his breath, and fumbled for something, anything but that silence. "Well, she is his Paladin... maybe she couldn't help becoming closer to Malfoy." It was the equivalent of a nonchalant shrug.

            Harry buried his head in his hands.

***

            Later at dinner that night, Parvati seemed to be doing a pretty good job of cheering Harry up with lively tales of what they could do when Hermione comes back. (They were avoiding the word IF.)

            "Then we could take her out to dinner in that pretty French place... doesn't she love French food, Harry?"

            Harry looked up. "Yeah, she does. She really liked escargot."

            "And French fries!" Ron piped up happily.

            Parvati turned to Harry. "So, don't worry, Harry dear. Hermione will be back soon. I asked Alastor Moody to come over tonight and give us an update on her." Ron grinned at Harry around a mouthful of chicken, and Harry smiled back weakly.

            And just then, the doorbell rang.

***

            "So what do we do now?" Hermione asked him, as they lay in his bed, watching each other breathe.

            Draco looked thoughtful. "I was thinking that maybe we could cuddle a bit more, then maybe some kissing, then a swim to cool ourselves down... then some hot chocolate, because it's getting awfully goddamned cold nowadays..."

            Hermione laughed. "No, I was just wondering what our status is now. Do you think your safety level's been cleared now?"

            He shrugged. "I don't know." he said. "And frankly..." he reached out to her, and slipped his arms around her. "I don't care. I could live like this forever."

            His lips touched her temple, and she closed her eyes.

            "Now, what about that hot chocolate?"

***

            Moody spread the parchment out on the table, and Harry, Ron and Parvati looked at it with interest.

            "It's quite interesting, actually. It was only a few months, and considering their relationship before, well, it's a remarkable improvement..." Moody told them, sliding one scarred finger down the long paragraphs detailing the everyday activities of Draco and Hermione.

            Ron raised a red eyebrow. "Is there any shagging going on?"

            He was met with several glares.

            "Er. Don't mind me."

            Moody turned back to the paper and pointed to the last sentence. "This is what interested me the most. And I'm sure you'll be very happy for your friend Hermione."

            They turned their eyes to that one betraying sentence, and in the shocked silence, one could almost hear Harry's heart breaking.

            Current Paladin-Charge Relationship: In love.