Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters, but I do own this story and any characters I add to it.

Author's Note: I'm really thrilled at all the response I've gotten from this fic. I've got this chapter and 1 more to go and then it'll be done. I know I haven't fixed the Cho thing yet ., but I'm getting to it I swear. On with the fic!!

Chapter 9

Hermione, Draco, Zane, Ginny, and a grudging Harry sat at a table in the 3 Broomsticks. Hermione and Draco had been going out as Zane put it "officially" for about a month. Slowly but surely, most everyone was getting used to the idea. After all, it was an alliance of houses that they'd been waiting hundreds of years for. Of course Slytherin refused to even acknowledge Draco's existance anymore beyond tormenting him, but that just really didn't bother him. Ginny and Zane were the first to Hermione's side to offer her support. Ginny had first come alone and been every bit apprehensive about being any kind of civil around Draco Malfoy, but with effort they'd both come to an agreement that the other wasn't so bad, maybe even kind of nice. Ginny insisted that she drag Harry into the mix of the small group this Hogsmede trip.
"Have you talked to your parents about... us?" Draco asked Hermione hesitantly.
"I wrote them a letter about it," she nodded while sipping her butter beer. "I've yet to get a reply, but I'm sure they'll understand. Mother has been hoarding at me for the past few years not to judge you so harshly anyway. What your family?"
"I haven't got the guts up yet," Draco replied looking down at his untouched drink. "Father's going to be so furious... I wouldn't be surprised if I got disowned. Not that that'd be so awful -"
"Don't talk like that, Draco," Ginny interupted passionately. "Even if he doesn't understand, you still have all of us. You can spend your entire summer with us and never have to go home."
"Oh still how naive you are," Harry murmered.
"Harry, don't be this way," Ginny pleaded.
"I'm here aren't I? I'm sitting across from him and not killing him," Harry glared at her. "Don't ask much more of me, Gin, it won't end well."
Ginny nodded just slightly as she badly hid her trembling lower lip. She gave just the slightest sniffle for affect and Harry sighed putting his butter beer down with a guilty look. He slid his arm around her shoulders drawing her against his side and kissed her hair apologetically. Ginny winked at the others from under his chin. Draco tried to hide his grateful smile. He didn't know how he could have ever thought the sweet redhead a slut. Young as she was, though not much younger than them he kept reminding himself, she seemed far wiser than her years. Hermione's hand crept into his under the table and their fingers laced. He brought her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss over her knuckles idly.
"Hope you don't feel left out, Zane," he smiled at Zane, though he was half serious. Even he knew it was drastically uncharacteristic for Zane to be in Hogsmede alone.
"Ahh I seem to be finding the usual ton rather boring lately," Zane stretched lacing his fingers behind his head.
"Are you sick?" Hermione looked a little worried behind her playful comment.
"No," Zane shrugged. "Just bored."
"With women?" Harry quirked a brow. "Going the other way then?" he teased.
"I've been in the middle for quite a time, Potter," Zane grinned nodding to someone across the room. "Speaking of which, there's my release from boredom," he said standing. "Have a nice time, kids, and don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Means we can do anything," Hermione translated as he walked away to meet someone at the door and then leave.
Harry smiled a little taking a drink. He found it strange how comfortable he was quickly getting. Draco was being very... civil. No, that was too formal a word. He was being very comfortable, very... casual. The way he traced his thumb over Hermione's knuckles entirely absently, like it was just natural to be touching her. How he spoke to Ginny, ever polite and respectful, but joking still. Like a new aquintance testing his ground. Harry even noticed him making small attempts to draw him into the conversation. Harry obliged a little with occassional comments such as the one he'd made to Zane. All the while though he searched the Slytherin's face for some hint of a lie, of some evil plot. But what he found blew him completely away.
Draco's crystal eyes, once dead and bitter, now shimmered alive. There was a new glow about him, a radiating hope as if he'd been a dying man given a second chance. And perhaps that's exactly what he was. Harry played absently with Ginny's flaming hair as he watched Draco. Draco laughed, and it wasn't a hollow bark anymore. It was warm and catching, and Harry found himself smiling and nodding as well. Hermione was so happy too. How could Harry deny her that happiness? He knew she was beautiful. He had eyes. And being her friend for the past 7 years, he knew the wonderful person she was. Yet never had he seen her smile so brightly, laugh so willingly. He'd never known her eyes could light up like that. Harry curled his fingers in Ginny's hair and drew her head over to kiss her temple.
"Alright, Gin, they have my approval," he whispered just loud enough for the 2 across the table to hear.
There was a little pause. Draco unabashedly stared his mouth open just a bit and Harry laughed. Hermione looked closely at him though, searching his face.
"Thanks, Harry," she said softly. "It means a lot."
"Well, not to dampen the moment, but Ron still hates all of us," Harry sighed. "And the big challenge is still to come. Your father, Draco, is going to do everything in his power to destroy what you have. You know that right?" at Draco's weak nod he continued. "And no one can protect you. Like hell am I going to get mixed up with Lucious Malfoy and hell can just try to freeze over before I let Ginny or Hermione either. We clear?"
"I wouldn't let them either you know," Draco replied.
The 2 men regarded each other silently for a moment. Something, some purely male thing, must have gone on between them in that short time for they both gave a single nod and went back to some other conversation about Quidditch. Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and shrugged with gleeful smiles as they listened and commented as well. To anyone who didn't know them the were the best of friends. 2 guys, each with an arm around a lovely girl. Occassional whispers and kisses on the side earning them giggles and blushes. But everyone that did know them was watching with intensity as the king of the Slytherins sat not at all alone amid 3 of his once most hated Gryffindors. In their eyes, hell already had frozen over. And that meant that maybe, just maybe, the world had a chance against Voldermort.