:: Chapter Seventeen: Thinking ::

Harry walked into the flat late that night. Trying not to wake Hermione up he tiptoed to their room. Much to his surprise she wasn't there. He looked in a few other rooms but she was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging it off he went to bed unaware of the location of his soon-to-be fiancée.

Hermione lay on the bed in Draco's flat. She could hear his steady breathing beside her; she smiled softly. She stared at the ceiling, watching her life story as if it was on a projection screen. Harry kept popping back into her mind no matter how much she tried to shake the thought. But none of the thoughts were romantic; she was not in love with him. A void had been left in her heart that fateful day at Malfoy Manor and often times she had dreamed for a second chance, a chance to make everything right. And finally her dream was becoming a reality. Only one thing stood in her way. Harry. In her mind, if she broke it off with him only bad things would come from it. But she knew it was the right thing to do. She looked at the sleeping man next to her; he had yet to tell her about his new position at Hogwarts. She rolled onto her side so that Draco and herself were face to face. A smile crossed her lips. She felt comfortable and at home with him. She had never felt this way with Harry and wondered why not. After all he was supposed to be her best friend and Draco her enemy. She was hardly torn between the two. Draco was perfect, but Harry did have some strong traits that Harry did not. Draco had the charms, the looks, the grace, and more importantly, Hermione's love. But Harry had the friendship; the past and they both shared the present. 'This is wrong.' Hermione thought. 'I made a promise by becoming Harry's girlfriend. But can I deny my heart its greatest desire?' She knew she would have to. She tried convincing herself that what she felt for Draco was just lust. He stirred in his sleep and her eyes were drawn to his every movement. Unconsciously he licked his lips. She couldn't deny that she truly did love him. She was trapped once more in a reign of terror. No choice was a good choice, a choice with fewer dangers. It all seemed to be a dream, for years she had wished that Draco would come back into her life but now she wished he wouldn't have. She kissed him on the lips softly. He stirred and opened his eyes slowly.

"Hey." He said softly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's all right. Why are you still awake?" He stifled a yawn.

"I couldn't sleep. Something's are troubling me." He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"It's nothing really."

"Well if must be something, otherwise you wouldn't be awake still."

"It's just this whole thing, you and me, Harry and I, Hogwarts."

"Well first of all whatever's going on with you and Potter is easily taken care of, break it off with him. And then that solves our problem too. And what's troubling you about Hogwarts?"

"Draco, you know I can't break it off with him. Not now at least. It would ruin our friendship, and it would break his heart. I have to gently break it off with him. And as for Hogwarts, Professor Warner owled me, I know you're coming to work there."

"Oh, I meant to tell you, I really did. But I could never find the right time to do it. And then I decided on surprising you."

"It's not the fact that you didn't tell me it that I don't know how this is going to work. The Head of Gryffindor and the Head of Slytherin? That's like McGonagall and Snape together." He laughed. "I'm being serious!" She giggled. "Think about it. What would our students say?"

"That we've gone mad?" Draco suggested.

"I have a reputation for being a very strict Gryffindor. I can't just waltz in there with a Slytherin boyfriend now can I?"

"Boyfriend?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, the trademark Malfoy smirk planted on his lips.

"What?"

"That's the first time you've called me that." She blushed.

"Well, that's what you are."

"And you're my girlfriend." He smiled.

"And Harry's." She sighed softly.

"Break up with him." Draco said exasperated.

"I can't. There are too many consequences."

"This is wrong."

"I know Draco."

"I'm not pushing you Hermione, but you know what's coming."

"I do know, but this is hard on me."

"I understand but look at it from my side too."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't be with you in public, nobody can know about us and once again, Potter wins."

"What does he win?"

"You."