Disclaimer: Same as in the other chapters, HP does not belong to me.
A/N: sorry for the long delay, I was having trouble figuring out where I wanted this story. Should it be long and drawn out or should it just get to the point. Well I hope you guys won't be disappointed. Enjoy!
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Draco and Hermione followed the couple back into the common room and sat in the remaining open love seat. As weird as it sounds, Hermione could already feel the change in her relationship with Draco, it was that immediate. She just hoped that it would last.
"Hey," Draco said to her. "Who's that guy in the gray sweater by the drinks?"
Hermione looked over to see he was talking about and saw a handsome Hispanic guy pouring himself some punch. "I don't know, I think he is a 7th year Ravenclaw. Why?"
"Because he keeps looking over at you."
"Really? He's gorgeous."
Draco rolled his eyes at her. "Why don't you go over there and talk to him so he can stop looking over here. It's irritating."
"Are you actually telling me that a guy might be interesting in me?" Hermione said smiling.
Draco smirked. "Yeah, after all, someone like you has to take what she can get." Even though it was what she was used to hearing from him, it was said without any disdainful undertones.
"You're such a jerk." she replied in a teasing manner and she stood up to go walk over to the guy.
"Hi" Hermione said smiling when she reached him. "My friend over there told me that you were checking me out, so I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Hermione."
The boy smiled. "How could I not know our beautiful Head girl? I'm Julian."
"Sexy name for a sexy guy." She said in a flirty manner.
Julian laughed. "I think I'm going to have to thank your friend for sending you over here."
"Who, Malfoy? Don't do that, he might get a bigger head than he already has"
"So I take it that you two aren't… involved?"
"No way. He prefers supermodels to us normal girls."
"I would never describe you as just a 'normal' girl, but I am happy to know that I don't have to compete with him to get your attention."
"Believe me, you'll never have to worry about that that."
The two spoke for a while longer until Julian said he had to get going. He asked if he could take her out Sunday evening and she happily agreed. After they said their goodbyes, Hermione walked back over and sat down in the now totally vacated love seat.
"Hey," she said to Harry and Pansy who were, surprisingly the only couple not making out on the couches. "Where did Malfoy go?"
"You actually care where he went?" Harry asked the disbelief apparent on his face.
"Yeah, well, we kind of came to an agreement that everything would be better if he tried to be friends."
"Finally! I hope it lasts because I'm tired of you two fighting all the bloody time."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. So where did he go?"
"Oh," Pansy said, joining the conversation. "He went off somewhere with Daphne Greenleaf. She was all over him once you left. They went out the common room door about twenty minutes ago."
"Oh."
"Yeah, he's probably getting some well-deserved action right now." Harry said laughing.
"You are disgusting, Harry." Hermion said also laughing. His laughter was just too contagious, but deep down she felt a little pang of unhappiness.
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A couple of hours later Hermione found herself sitting in front of the fireplace with Blaise, the only one of her friends not sleeping. Well, she didn't know if Draco was sleeping, he hadn't returned to the dorm yet. The two of them sat talking quietly, being careful not to wake Ron, Millicent, Pansy and Harry who were currently passed out on the sofa's behind them.
"You are hilarious when you are drunk and angry. I mean, I can't believe you were going to attack that girl!" Blaise was saying chuckling softly.
"Yeah, well she should've kept her idiotic comments to her herself. Honestly, telling me that 'mudbloods aren't fit to be in the presence of someone as great and pure as Draco Malfoy'" she said in a high-pitched whiney voice. Who the hell did she think she was talk to? Especially with Pansy there."
"Is that what she said to you? Well, unfortunately, the war didn't change everyone's opinions about muggles. But, on a happier note, it was a good thing Draco was there to prevent you from killing her."
"I don't know if it was a good thing." Hermione grumbled.
"And speaking of Draco…"
"Oh God." Hermione interrupted. "I knew it was too good to be true that you hadn't mentioned it."
Blaise laughed. "I'm sorry, but it's my job to tease you endlessly about embarrassing things. Think of me as an honorary annoying older brother."
"I already have Ron for that." Hermione said smiling.
"I think we all have Ron for that purpose. Now stop trying to distract me."
Hermione sighed. "I had to give it a shot."
"I know you guys said what happened on the balcony was nothing, but it didn't look like nothing."
"So you think the two of us are trying to hide some burning from one another or we are having this secret relationship?" she asked sarcastically.
"That's not what I meant. I'm just saying…well, it wasn't strange to me that you were kissing each other. I mean, doesn't that even make sense? With all the arguing you do, and all the time you've spent trying to hurt each other, it just shouldn't seem normal for you two to be together."
"I really don't know what to say to that, Blaise."
"Because you know I'm right."
"Blaise…" Hermione was become exasperated with the conversation.
"Just answer one thing for me and then I'll drop it."
"Ok, what is it."
"After the war you became friends with Pansy, Millie, and I even though we said just as many horrible things to you as Draco before. So how come you could forgive us so easily but it too you all this time to forgive him?"
Hermione was silent for a moment. "I guess it was because he seemed even nastier to me afterwards. Well, not nastier, but I guess in comparison to how he was with Ron and Harry, it just seemed that he hated me even more. I'm not going to be nice to someone who treats me badly."
Blaise looked like he was going to respond when the common room door opened and Draco walked in to the room. Hermione saw him look at the couples sleeping on the couch and smirk before he noticed them and walked over to where they were sitting.
"Hey, Blaise." he said as he sat on the opposite side of Hermione and put an arm around her shoulders. "Isn't it way past your bedtime, Granger?"
"Please don't touch me." Hermione said as she shrugged his arm off her shoulders.
Draco looked shocked. "Are you serious? I thought things were ok with us now or were you too drunk to know what you were doing?"
"I remember just fine." Hermione snapped. "You reek of sweat and perfume and I don't want you touching me."
Draco stared at her for a moment with a strange look on his face, as if he was studying her. The he said, "I'll go take a shower then." He got up without another word and went up to his bedroom.
"Think you over-reacted a bit?" Blaise asked, looking amused like he usually did when Draco and Hermione got into an argument.
"Whatever, Blaise."
Blaise stood up. "Well I'm going to go up, make sure Ginny's alright and go to sleep."
"Ok, goodnight."
"You know, we all went through a rough time during the war, but at least for us it's over, we can put all the horrible things we did behind us. Draco, unfortunately, doesn't have that luxury, it follows him everyday. There's a reason for everything he does. Goodnight, Mya.
'Leave it to Blaise to say something cryptic and then walk away' she thought as he went up the common room stairs.
Hermione lay back onto the rug with her arms behind her head, just staring of into space. She never even noticed when Draco came back into the common room and sat next to her.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind." he said, breaking the silence.
Hermione turned her head to look at him. "Not really, I kind of zoned out for a minute."
"I didn't have sex with her you know."
Hermione sighed. "It really isn't any of my business who you sleep with, Malfoy. I'm sorry I snapped at you. I'm just tired."
"And drunk?"
"No, I'm not drunk anymore."
"Says the drunk girl." Draco said laughing.
"Oh, be quiet." she said and playfully hit his arm.
"So does this mean I can touch you now, since I took a shower and everything?" he said with a smile.
Hermione suddenly felt that little pang of unhappiness fade away. "I guess that could be ok."
Draco inched closer to her and loosely wrapped his arms around her. "Do I smell better now?"
Hermione gave an audible sniff and rested her head on his chest. She couldn't believe how comfortable she felt with him already. "Mmm, you smell like you hiked up a snow covered mountain with a goat by your side, in other words you smell good."
"You are one strange girl."
"I know."
"Glad you are ok with it. Can I play with your tattoo?"
Hermione turned to face him. "What is your obsession with my tattoo?"
"J'aime juste toucher et voir plus de vous. (I just like touching and seeing more of you)" he said smirking when he saw her blush.
"You really have to stop doing that now that we are friends." She said rolling her eyes. Even though her body was betraying her at the moment didn't mean that she couldn't pretend that everything was normal.
"I don't see why, you obviously like it. Don't worry; I'm only saying good things." Draco said distractedly as he gently pulled down the waist of her skirt to touch the tattoo.
Hermione shivered. She hated that he could do that to her and was now wondering how she was going to be able to handle him touching her all of the time. "If it's only good stuff, why can't you just say it in English?" she asked hoping to get her mind off of him touching her.
"Because it is stuff that I want to say to you but don't want you to know yet." He simply answered. "Hey, the little panther is sleeping. Are you tired?"
"I'm beyond tired, I am exhausted." she said slowly closing her eyes, just focusing on his fingers moving along her hip.
"Why aren't you in bed right now then?"
"Because Ginny drank way too much and is currently passed out in my bed. Blaise is staying up there with her." She replied with a yawn.
"Oh, I see." He moved his hand from her waist and stood up. "Well, time to go to bed." he said holding his hand out to her to help her up.
Hermione took his hand and looked at him strangely. "What are you doing?"
Draco tolled his eyes like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well you obviously aren't going to be able to sleep on the love seat so you're going to sleep with me in my room. And before you say anything, my bed is huge so we don't even have to touch each other. Plus I promise to be good." Draco tried to make himself look as innocent as possible, which was easy to do because his now curly hair made him look a lot younger and innocent than he really was.
Hermione wanted to refuse his offer, because she knew she would embarrass herself in someway like she usually did when she was in close proximity of him. But thinking about her choices, staying with Draco was awfully appealing.
"Ok" she said.
Draco smiled brightly, that sexy smile that never failed to put butterflies in her stomach. "Glad you see it my way, Granger." He put out the fire in the common room with a wave of his hand and led her up to his bedroom.
Once they entered his room, he dropped her hand and began to rummage through his drawers. After a short amount of time he held out an emerald t-shirt to her.
"You can sleep in this since you don't have your pajamas."
"Thanks" she said and walked into the bathroom to wash up and change. After she was finished she walked back into the room to see Draco already lying in bed. He looked at her immediately.
"Wow, are you not wearing a bra? This is just like this dream I keep having, so I'm guessing you are about to start stripping and pour fudge all over your body?"
Hermione gave him a disgusted look. "You are gross. Don't make me regret sleeping in here." she said climbing onto the bed and sliding under the cool covers. "Goodnight Malfoy"
"Night Granger"
Hermione lay there drowsily for a few minutes when a funny thought passed through her mind. She began to giggle.
"What so funny?" she heard Draco's muffled voice say.
"I was just thinking about how many girls would kill to be where I am right now, whereas I couldn't really care less." She said as she began to drift to sleep.
Just before she fell asleep she could've sworn she heard a soft voice say "Too bad you're not one of those girls."
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Hermione woke up early the next morning feeling warm and wonderful. Draco's bed smelled just like him and it was a pleasant scent to smell first thing in the morning. As she shifted she felt a warm hand under her shirt and against her stomach. She closed her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the feel of having him pressed up against her; she knew it would never happen again. Hermione really did hate being so physically attracted to Draco, but it just couldn't be helped.
Hermione sighed and began to get up. She didn't want to have an embarrassing encounter with Draco if he woke up and saw how they were sleeping. As she began to move she felt his arm tighten around her middle. She looked over at his face and saw him eyeing her sleepily.
"Where are you going?" he asked sleepily.
"I didn't want to wear out my welcome." She said embarrassed that she had woken him up.
Draco closed his eyes. "It's Saturday and it's too early for you to do anything. Go back to sleep. Je n'ai pas eu de cauchemar hier soir parce que vous étiez ici et je veux que vous soyez resté. (I didn't have nightmares last night because you were here and I want you to stay.) Don't go." He pulled her closer.
How could she refuse a request like that?
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Thanks for all the great responses on FF and AFF!
Brittany: I think it has warped my mind too!
Blacklustz: I am such a big cat lover. I think if I could have a wizarding tattoo I would pick that.
Anon: I aim to please
Stephanie: thanks, funny I just started getting back into the Real World
eve/roarke: tension makes the story better I think
Panther Eyes: patience is a virtue, my friend
Bob:… you are just too funny
Amber: thank you, just trying to make it a story that I would want to read
Runaway mental patient: I just love your name
Riality: Draco will see another tattoo that interests him next time
HPfanatic53072: sorry if all the thinking is confusing… I don't really know what to say
Ocardevoli: hope I continue to make you happy. In my little world Draco and Hermione belong together, but JK has other ideas : (
Lolagirl: glad to be part of your obsession, lol. I just don't see the two of them just hopping into bed, they are just too complex. Hope you keep enjoying