"Finally," Kit breathed, collapsing on the grass beside Harry and Ron. "It's all over."

"Thank Merlin," Ron said, laying back and closing his eyes to the sun.

The school exams were over, and all the students were free to relax until the Hogwarts Express took them back to their homes for the holidays. The sky was cloudless, the sun scorching, the lake splashing with students drifting and diving. Nothing could spoil the day. Nothing, except –

"Bloody hell," breathed Ron, squinting across the grounds towards the castle. "Not him again."

Harry and Kit looked up from the book they had been looking in the direction of Ron's squinting. There they were, plain as day: Hermione and Draco Malfoy walking slowly across the grounds towards them. They were talking seriously together, and his hand was on her arm as she nodded. As they watched, Hermione looked up at Draco happily, and they stopped in their tracks as they embraced like old friends.

"What the hell?" Kit said as she watched them. "Did we just fall into an alternate universe? Are we in bloody heaven?"

Harry could not help but laugh. "It all makes you wonder, doesn't it, Kit?" he asked, giving her a knowing look.

Kit rolled her eyes as Ginny and Jonathon, who joined them after their swimming excursion, saved answering her from answering.

"Hey, guys," Ginny beamed, punching her brother playfully on the arm. "What's going on?"

"That," Ron said simply, pointing to where Hermione and Malfoy had resumed their meandering over to them all.

"What the hell?" Ginny said, somewhat outraged at their behaviour. "Jonathon, do you –?"

"Yeah," Jonathon said, not giving the two a second glance but turning back to the group. "Are you going to tell them, or am I?"

"Tell us what?" Ron asked, looking between the two.

"I'm – umm – that is –"

"Spill it, Gin," Ron said, turning his attention from the nearing Draco and Hermione to his little sister.

"I've successfully tutored Jonathon here through a horrible Charms exam," she said quickly, a smile filling her face as Ron lit up with joy.

"Are you serious?"

Harry gave Kit a knowing look, nodding towards the castle as Ron launched himself onto Ginny and Jonathon burst out laughing.

"Where are you two going?" Hermione asked them as they passed Hermione and Draco on the lawn.

"Just up …" Kit said, squeezing Harry's hand.

"Umm, I just talked to Dumbledore," Hermione said, and Harry stopped in his tracks, waiting for her to continue. "Draco and his mum won't be staying in Malfoy Manor, now that his dad is dead, they'll be –"

"Sorry to hear that, Draco," Kit said, laying a hand on his arm.

"Thanks," he said softly. "I won't be missing him."

Hermione grinned. "They'll be staying at Number Twelve, since Narcissa was a Black," she finished.

"Oh," Harry said, looking between Draco and Hermione suspiciously.

"Just thought you ought to know," Hermione said softly as she began to follow Draco to where Ron and the others were waiting.

"Are you sure I can still come this summer?" Kit asked as they entered the cool of the castle.

"Of course! You have to," Harry said, leading her up the stairs. "I mean, I'm not going to be able to stand not seeing you for the whole summer."

Kit grinned. "That makes two of us. Are we going to talk to Remus?"

"Yeah," said Harry seriously, and Kit noticed his hand had become slightly clammy as they walked along a deserted corridor. "I think he should know. I mean, he knows that we've –"

"I totally agree," she interrupted, letting the two of them fall into silence as they reached the Defence Against the dark Arts classroom.

"Hey, you two," Remus said as he looked to his door. "I wasn't expecting you."

"We, erm, weren't expecting to talk to you about this," Harry said as Kit sat in one of the chairs and passed Remus a rolled up piece of parchment from the inside of her robes.

Remus read the note quickly, and although it was short, his response took a long time to come all the way out.

"Congratulations," he said shakily, looking up at Harry, then to Kit.

"You think so?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, it's – yeah." Remus sighed, a smile on his face nonetheless. "Kit, you're welcome at Headquarters after you've discussed this with your parents. Molly won't be too – er – pleased, but it's Harry's house. I'll speak to Dumbledore now and see what kind of arrangements will be made for next year."

"Thank you, professor," she said shakily.

"Call me Remus."

Kit nodded as he closed the door behind him.

Hermione stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at Ron.

"Listen, he's my family, and Dumbledore's already said that –"

"He's still a bloody Malfoy!" Ron shouted.

"Keep your voice down, Weasley," Draco intoned.

"Shove it, Malfoy," Ron hissed.

"Come on," Ginny said softly, pulling Draco and Jonathon from the fuming pair.

"How can you even think about trusting him?" Ron asked softly. "He's part of the next line of bloody Death Eaters."

"No, Ron," said Hermione, frustrated. "He's renounced it all. He'll be like us: a part of the Order when we're old enough."

"You're going to live with him, though!"

"No! Ron, I'm just going to help him pack. I am his family now."

"I swear he's going to try and do you in." When Hermione scoffed, Ron went on. "He'll try to do us all in! He's a Malfoy!"

"I'm a Malfoy!"

Ron fell silent.

"Okay, no, I'm a Black, but it's all the same blood!" Hermione shouted at him, running her hands through her bushy hair.

"No, I refuse to trust him. He's evil! We'll all wake up dead one day! And then we'll never get to be a part of the Order!"

Hermione let out a long, hard breath, letting the sounds of the frolicking students wash over them. Ron's face had reduced it's redness before Hermione continued.

"Stop being so insecure," she said.

"I can't," Ron sighed, leaning back on the trunk of the beech tree.

"It's not like I'm going to go and live with him. I can't now," Hermione said softly.

"I know that," sighed Ron. "It's not even the whole Malfoy thing I'm –"

"It's about Viktor."

Ron nodded smally while Hermione turned away from him.

"Why? That's all done. There's nothing there anymore. Why are you still worried about that?" she asked, pacing in front of him.

"Because I –"

"Think he'll come back to try again?" Hermione asked harshly.

"No, I don't –"

"Care about me anymore?" she asked, tears springing to her eyes. As she turned around, Ron stepped forward.

"No!" he shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her into his chest. "I don't want to lose you again."

"Really?" she asked, sniffing as Ron lifted her chin.

"Really," he whispered. As his thumb brushed away one of her tears, he slowly leant down until he could feel her ragged breath on his lips. Her eyes fluttered closed and, for the first time, their lips met.

"Finally," Harry breathed as he and Kit watched them from Remus' office.

"Mrs. Weasley is going to have a cow," Kit said, leaning her head on his shoulder. Harry gave a small laugh.

"Wait 'til she finds out about you," he retorted, his hands falling onto the front of her.

"Wait 'til it comes," she whispered, covering his hands with her own.

"So much for being the Golden Boy."

And that is the end. I hope you enjoyed, and the sequel, which can be found in my profile, is currently called Skittles or The Times Had After, if you so choose to read it.Please drop me a review and tell me what you thought about anything about the story. THANK YOU!

- Jazz