Hermione looked around the closet. She had packed away both sets of Hogwarts robes. She turned to him, "You pack what else you need. Only what you need. Dumbledore will send your letter to Grimmaulde Place." He nodded, "Okay. What are we going to do with the trunk?" Hermione smiled. "Since your parents are away I can use floo powder without worrying, and not at three in the morning." Draco asked, "We're sending my stuff to Grimmauld Place?" Hermione nodded, "I thought it would be the best idea, in case…well, something happens. You'll be able to get to safety and be prepared when you get there." Draco opened his mouth, feeling obliged to say something. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you, Hermione." She smiled and turned to look at him. "I'll make sure nothing happens to me, too." Draco wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. Did she think she could handle six Death Eaters by herself? She had managed to become an animagus in a year it seemed, so she was very powerful.
"How long have you been studying to be an animagus?" he asked her. "Oh," she thought for a moment, "I'd say since second year. I got turned into a half cat and since then I decided it would be a good idea to learn. Of course it was really hard." Draco mused, "Even for you?" She smiled, and shook her head. "Even for me Draco." She sat on his bed as she waited for him to pack his muggle clothes, which he started doing. "I suppose I could teach you, it's very useful." Draco folded up his grey, green, and black v-neck shirts and out them away in his trunk. "Can I choose the animal I transform to?" Hermione nodded, "Yes, you can but you will find one that…I guess…it just feels right." Draco now started to pack away black pants. Hermione got up and went to his chest of drawers, pulling out his underwear and socks by the handfuls. She was tossing them in the trunk. "Are we in a hurry?" he asked, nervous. "Oh, no, but it would be better to get it all out of the way. You still have to empty your account at Gringott's." Draco did need to do that. He finished packing his essentials as did Hermione and they shut the lid. "You go to Gringott's, use the fireplace next door. I'll send this to Grimmauld Place." Draco nodded and walked into the next room. Hermione worried, he was being awfully quiet. She hauled the trunk over to the fireplace and she heard Draco say "Gringott's Wizard Bank" into the fireplace in the next room, and vanish.
She pulled a handful of floo powder out of the jar and threw it into the fireplace. "Grimmauld Place," she said fully expecting to see Lupin but Harry's head appeared. "Hermione? It's the middle of the day. Are you okay? Did something go wrong?" She smiled. "Harry, I'm fine. I showed myself to Draco and he's coming back with me. I hope you don't mind." Harry looked taken aback. "I know Snape got a second chance, Hermione, but Draco? Are you sure we'll be safe?" Hermione had expected this and explained to Harry what had been happening to Draco. "And every Thursday night he comes back with cuts and welts all over him. He's suffering for me, for us." She could tell that Harry was having trouble with this, but was willing to take her word. "We'll be coming back tomorrow night." Harry nodded solemnly. "As for now, we packed all his things. Draco's Hogwarts trunk is coming your way." Hermione watched him withdraw his head and put his hands out. She pushed the trunk into the fire and felt Harry catch it on the other end. She pushed it through slowly, it was heavier than it looked.
Harry's face, now slightly sweaty, reappeared as Draco walked through the door carrying a small sack of money. She took it from him, and handed it over to Harry. "And that's all the money Draco has, please take care of it. We'll be there late." Harry nodded. "Good luck Hermione." She nodded, "Thanks Harry. See you tomorrow." He reluctantly withdrew his head, and when she turned around she noticed that Draco had a shopping bag in his hand. "What's that?" He smiled, and handed her the bag. "It's for you." Her brow wrinkled, "For me? But-" He pressed the handle in to her hands. "Yes, for you. Please." Sat on the floor she opened the first wrapped package. It was a pair of black silk pajamas. She looked up at him, not sure what to say. "I didn't want you to have to sleep in your clothes tonight." Hermione did not know what to say to this. Her knee jerk reaction was to be angry. She thought she had settled the matter earlier, but she realized that she hadn't actually answer the question. It would be nice to sleep as a human for once. She would decide when it came time.
Draco was holding out his hand, and she realized that she was sitting on the hard, cold floor. She put the pajamas back in the bag and held out her hand. When he pulled her up he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. Hermione could feel her heart pounding in her ears, and she was suddenly and alarmingly out of breath. They were so close that their noses were touching, and she dropped the bag to the floor. She couldn't help herself, she wanted Draco. When he kissed her she didn't fight it, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer. His lips were sweet and warm and his arms were comforting around her waist. He surprised her by leaning down and picking her up. She hadn't realized that he was so strong. Then again she had never been in physical contact with him to begin with, and he had grown considerably since the first year. He carried her over to the bed and lay her on it. He climbed over her, kissing her as he lay next to her. He propped himself up on his elbow and leant over her.
He looked into her eyes and she could tell that he was about to tell her. She held her breath and waited. He leaned in further and kissed her. He smiled and brushed some hair from her face as he broke the kiss. "I love you." Hermione couldn't help but ruin the moment. "No, you don't." She smiled. "But you could learn." Draco frowned. "Why do you think that?" Hermione realized she was being too pragmatic about the whole idea of love. She sat up and looked at him. "You don't know me. We've hardly spoken two civilized words to each other for the past six years." Draco saw her point, but it seemed irrelevant. "That doesn't stop me loving you." She sighed. He looked at her for some moments. "Then…You don't love me." The answer she wanted to give would break him inside. "I don't know, Draco. You've been very kind to me. Well, cat-me." He looked away. "But when we kissed just then, I felt it." Hermione could not deny this. "That's why I said you could learn." Draco seemed deflated still. "Could you learn?" She leaned over and kissed him. "I'm getting there."