hey, sorry about the long absense, i'm sad if u've given up but i understand why, i kinda hope u get back into the story, if not i hope u've enjoyed the story up til now

disclaimer: NOTHING AND NO ONE IS MINE! plot excluded, da goose

Eight months later...

Journal,

So it's been months since Draco and I have started dating and everyone seems to be okay with it. We've only had a few fights, mainly over silly things like, "Did you use my tooth brush? That is so gross!" All of the teachers are used to it and even use us as examples of unity. Each day goes by and each day Draco captures a little bit more of my heart. Who would have ever thought that at the age of seventeen(almost eighteen) that I, Hermione Granger, would have fallen in love with Draco Malfoy, former tormenter. Not me, that's for sure. We are growing nearer and nearer to graduation, only three weeks. I've already set up an interview with the ministry to be admitted in the Auror program although I am thinking about becoming a teacher. I'm not sure. So Draco and I will have been dating officially tomorrow for eight months. I don't really know why but this seems like a milestone to me. I'm really in love with him! Can you believe it? So my birthday is a few days before graduation and Draco said he's getting me something really great. I can't wait.

H

I was just putting my journal away in the desk when someone knocked at my door. When I opened it I found Draco standing there with an apologetic look on his face and his hands behind his back and I groaned. "Draco, what did you do now?"

He took a deep breath and it all came out. "WellIwastryingtobefunnyandputblackinCrookshanksfurbutitdidn'tworkandnowhelookslikeapossessedtiger."

"Uh..what? All I caught was Crookshanks and possessed tiger. Oh no, you didn't transfigure him into a tiger did you?" I said with mock horror.

Draco laughed, "No, I didn't. I said, 'Well I was trying to be funny and put black in Crookshanks fur but it didn't work and now he looks like a possessed tiger.' Here look at him. " He brought his arms around from behind his back to show me the poor cat.

"Aw!" I said taking Crookshanks from his arms. "Look at my baby, a little tiger cub is what you look like. A large bushy one but a tiger cub all the same." Crookshanks gave me an evil look at the cooing sounds I was making. "Okay, fine, a ferocious tiger cub. Better?" I asked the cat who merely closed his eyes in contentedness. I looked at Draco, as I petted the striped cat, to find him watching me with an peculiar expression on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm alright. I'm just trying to figure out if I'm in trouble."

"Oh not at all Draco. He looks adorable." I leaned over and gave Draco a quick kiss. "Hey I have a question. Since tomorrow is our eight month anniversary and I know you don't really care about anniversaries but I was wondering if you'll have dinner with me tomorrow night...here in our common room...just you and me." I put Crookshanks down on the floor and stepped closer to Draco slipping my arms around his neck as he stared at my mouth. "All alone...where no one can find us." Draco made a grunt of agreement and crushed my mouth in ruthless possession. Draco has always honored my wish to wait for marriage but being with him like this makes me want to forget that promise I made to myself.

I pulled my face away but stayed in his tight embrace. "Do you know what Draco? I think you've been good for me. I've changed into this different person, I really am enjoying the freedom from the prim perfectionist I used to be."

Draco just shook his head, "You've never been prim, a perfectionist definitely, but you've never been prim. Take your underwear for example. No prim person would own anything other than white cotton. I simply saw the black lace, inside your mind...and on your body."

"Thank you, I'm happy to know that someone saw something else in me instead of what everyone wants to see: the perfectionist know-it-all." I smiled at him and gave a quick kiss before prying myself from his grip. "Now, onto dinner. I could use some good food."

"Alright." Draco said letting me pull him from my room and into the common room. He held my hand as we began talking again as we walked through the tunnel that led to the Great Hall. "Have you ever noticed that whenever we walk down together that if Dumbledore is in the room he always winks at me? I think it's a 'Good thing you figured it out' kind of wink."

"Good thing that you're with me or good thing that you're on our side now?"

"A little bit of both I think. Mostly you though, and he's right." Draco and I walked through the small study and into the hall. He walked me over to my table gave me a kiss on the cheek and turned toward Ginny who was sitting there. "Hey Weasy, can you do me a favor?"

Draco had started calling Ginny, 'Weasy' one day out of the blue, but she liked it and had come up with her own for Draco. "Depends what it is, Dre." Ginny said that Draco is who he was before and now he's simply Dre.

"Can you convince this lioness, here beside me, that letting people other than you and me see the fun, carefree side of her that we get to see won't kill her?"

"I don't know Dre, it will probably be hard...but I'll give it my best." Draco winked at her as she laughed. He kissed my forehead and walked away. I sat down beside Ginny and started to help myself to some dinner. "So, since when does he call you a lioness?"

"I think it all has to do with that first day in the library." I had told Ginny about everything that had happened. She really thought the whole swearing like a sailor thing was hysterical. "There was a cartoon lion on my desk. He doesn't always call me that, just every now and then. Mm, did you try these roasted potatoes? They're really good. But anyway so tomorrow is our eight month aniversary. I talked to the house elves in the kitchen and they're going to make up his favorite dishes and we're going to have dinner in our common room. I'm going to set up a table with candlesticks and such. I found this gorgeous candle over Christmas break that I'm going to place on the table. It's green and scarlet. I thought it was fitting. And I told him that he wasn't supposed to get me a present but I got him one because he probably will anyway. Want to hear what I got him?" I paused and look over at Ginny who hadn't answered the question.

"Oh. Am I allowed to speak now? Damn, you are excited about this. Fine what did you get him? My guess is a picture of you in your black lace underwear."

I laughed, "No, no, even better. I got him black lace boxer shorts." Ginny and I both laughed until tears formed. Harry and Ron had just come in and sat down looking at us like we were crazy, so we laughed even harder.

"Oh, that's great Hermione, he'll love it."

Ron looked at Harry, "Do you think we should even ask?"

"Better off not to, mate. It's much better when we don't know what's going on." Ron nodded his head in agreement. The two boys began to dig into their dinner, eating as if they'd been starving for weeks. Ginny and I watched in disgust as they shoveled down their food. "So Hermione," Harry said through his Shepard's pie, "Are you going into Hogsmeade with Malfoy this weekend?" he held up his hand as I opened my mouth to reply and continued. "Sorry, stupid question of course you are. Well while we're down there would you and Malfoy want to meet Ron and I at the Three Broomsticks at noon?"

I shrugged, "Sure, I'll have to check with Draco but it should be fine. Something in particular you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Well yeah, but you won't find out for another two days." Ron and Harry finished up their dinners hurriedly, said a quick good-bye and practically ran out the door."

"I wonder what they're up to." I said to Ginny who was still looking, amazed, at the mess of food the guys had just created.

"I have no idea. Of course I live with Ron and still don't know what he's talking about half of the time." I laughed and Ginny and I went back to eating and chatting about my dinner for the following night.

The rest of the evening was uneventful mainly because Draco and I were studying for our last exam tomorrow, Potions. Normally I'm going crazy studying each tiny tid-bit I could but because of the time in the library I was able to be so prepared for this test even Snape couldn't think of a question to stump me. He even got questions from practice exams and I didn't miss a single question. I'm so ready for this. Even the mixing of potions was easy since I had the second half of the year to work on that. Making the truth serum was fun. Snape picked Neville for the testee for my potion and we found out that he actually was more scared of Snape than he was Voldemort.

I had finished going over last minute potion lists and Draco and I were quizzing each other on different plants when a purple cloud billowed from the fireplace announcing Gidea's arrival. We both put our books aside. Gidea climbed on the couch opposite the one that Draco and I were sitting on. "Hello my young ones. How have your exams been?"

Gidea's checked in on us once every month since we met her that fated first week of school. Each time she took each aside talked to us. I don't know what she ever says to Draco, he really doesn't like to talk about it but every time she leaves he seems a bit happier than the last time. Usually she's asks me about Crookshanks and if he's been guiding me at all. She'll ask if I'm having any problems and the like. Today was no different, she took me to my room first.

"Ah, my little one. Are you confident in your exams?"

"Yes. I really know the material. I cannot believe that only seven years ago I didn't know that I was a witch. I would have never imagined my life would turn out like this."

"Little one, you've always known that the magical world was your home. I know you have been undecided about your choice of careers. May I offer one last piece of advice?" At my nod she went on. "Look into teaching, you have a passion for learning that very few can match. In fact I simply have not seen such joy put into learning since Dumbledore himself was in school. I know that if you do choose to become an auror you will excel but you should consider teaching, it will make you happy. Ah, my little one. It has been sure a pleasure to be your guardian and I will miss you should you decide to become an auror but whatever you decide you should know that you will always have those to look to for guidance."

I hugged Gidea's neck and we moved back into the common room which she then left with Draco. I continued to study distractedly thinking about what Gidea had said about teaching. 'She's right. Hogwarts has always felt like home. It's familiar. It's the one place where I can be me.' I'd have to think about it a while longer but teaching is beginning to outweigh becoming an auror. I went back to studying for the exam. A few minutes later Draco and Gidea emerged and this time Draco was smiling broadly.

"Good bye my young ones." Gidea disappeared in a puff of smoke and I smiled faintly realizing I was going to miss her a lot. Draco sat down and studied for a little while longer until my eyes started dropping and finally I gave up.

"I'm going to bed. Night." I kissed Draco softly and he murmured 'good night' against my lips. I gave him a hug and then went to bed making sure that my door was left open a little bit so that when Draco finally went to bed Crookshanks could come into my room.

Later the next afternoon after my exam was finished and I was confident that I had done extremely well I started preparing for the anniversary dinner. I moved the table from the kitchenette to the common room in front of the fireplace. I put a beautiful white tablecloth with lace trimming on the table, on top of which I placed a black cloth catty-cornered to give it a layered look. I placed the scarlet and green candle in the middle of the table and two smaller white ones created bookends.

I went into my room and pulled out the silver wrapped box and set it on top of one of the table settings. I showered and did my hair putting soft curls in it. I put on a knee length white halter dress that was simple but beautiful. Underneath I was wearing an ensemble close to the black lace. A white lace strapless push-up bra and white lace boy shorts. I put on some simple make-up and listened for Draco to enter the common room.

When he finally came back at 5:45, I listened until I heard his door close. I peeked out into the common room and saw he wasn't in it. I came out and whispered a spell that would keep him in his room until I let him out. There was a soft knock on the common room door and when I opened it there was Dobby and two other house elves with a cart full of covered dishes and an array of desserts.

"Miss Granger." Dobby squeaked. "Dobby is most humbled that you would bestow such an honor as this. Thank you missus."

"Ah Dobby, don't thank me. You're the one who's helping me. I'll put all everything back on the cart and bring it back down to the kitchen after dinner."

"Oh no missus. Just put everything on the cart and place it by the door. We will magic it away like we do the food in the Great Hall."

"Oh thank you so much Dobby." I gave him a large hug and snuck him a pair of socks so that the other house elves did not see. Dobby's eyes threatened to leak over but the elves took their leave and I went about making sure everything was perfect. Finally just as I satisfied that everything was right Draco started yelling.

"Hermione! What spell did you put on this door? I can't get out, damn it!" I laughed and walked over into my room and closed to door until there was just a crack. I hurriedly shut the door after I performed the counter curse. "Hermione! Hermione? Where are you? Wow this is beautiful. Hermione? Oh food!"

"Draco Malfoy," I said as I walked out of my bedroom. "Do not touch that food until I say so." Draco stood gaping at me, taking in my white dress. The way that he stared caused my heart to race and breathing to stop.

"Damn." he said softly.

I laughed, "The last time I had that effect was just before I passed out after you hit me in the head with a book."

"Don't get me wrong Hermione, you look beautiful everyday...but you just look absolutely gorgeous." Suddenly he looked down at his own outfit of jeans and t-shirt. "Hold on one moment." he rushed back into his room and I checked around the room again making sure everything was in the right place.

I was straightening the place settings when his door opened. I looked up to find him in tuxedo cut for his form perfectly. He looked like a model out of magazine or a movie star. "Oh Draco. You look perfect." He murmured his thanks and walked over to give me a large hug. After awhile I pulled away and we sat down at the small table, he pointed to the silver wrapped box on the table a raised an eyebrow. "An anniversary present. It's not much but I think you'll like it."

"I"m sure I will." Draco said indifferently but attacked the present with eagerness. When he finally got passed the paper and all the tissue inside he finally unwrapped the black lace boxer shorts and started laughing. He kept laughing and I joined him until tears started to leak from my eyes. "Whew. Man, Hermione that is the best present I've ever gotten...well besides you. I'm going to go put them on." He left the room with such a big smile on his face that I started laughing all over again. When he came back out and sat down I asked, "So, how itchy is it?"

"Not too bad, but it's early yet." He grinned at me, a pure Malfoy grin. "I have a present for you too but you can't have it until after dinner." I said that was fine and we began to eat. We talked about our finals and what we were thinking about doing after high school. Draco had decided to look into becoming an auror, he'd spent too many years being a bad guy, now he wants to catch them. I told him about trying to decide between an auror and a teacher. He sided with Gidea and thought I'd make a great teacher.

After we finished dinner and were about to head on to dessert Draco gave me my present. "I was trying to find the perfect Christmas present when I came across this, it seemed a little too early then but it's perfect now." He said as I opened the small box, it was about the size of my palm. Inside the box cushioned against a soft blue velvet was a heart-shaped sapphire ring. "Oh Draco." was all I could manage.

He took the ring out of the box and picked up my right hand. As he slipped it on my ring finger he said, "This isn't an engagement ring, it's not a diamond. This ring is my heart. If you look in the very center of the heart there is a little red circle. The circle is my love for you, the circle will grow larger as my love for you grows until the ring becomes a ruby heart. I do love you Hermione. I'm putting it on your right hand not your left because it's a promise ring. With this ring Hermione I promise to hold you forever in my heart and my love will never fade, it will only grow stronger." I stood up and so did he. He came around the small table and cradled my face in his hands silently brushing away the tears that I was unknowingly crying. "I love you."

"Draco, I -hiccup- love you too -hiccup-! You've got to be kidding me! -hiccup- How did I manage to do this." Finally I stopped hiccuping. "Draco, I love you with all my heart and never any less than that." He enveloped me into his arms, crushing me against him. Not kissing me, just pulling me tight against him. I laid my head on his chest and felt his heart beating rapidly. I brought my hand up to look closely at the ring. "Draco! It's grown!"

Indeed it had. The small circle had nearly doubled in size. "Well of course. When you told me that you loved me too, I loved you even more. When love is returned it only grows stronger."

a/n: if i do say so myself: AWWW!