Disclaimer: Belongs to JK Rowling; just mucking

Not Playing Anymore

Chapter Three...

For the first ten minutes of the carriage ride back to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade. All was silent in the Head Carriage. It was safe to assume that they were still in a bit of shock from what had transpired in the Shrieking Shack.

Hermione wondered if it was all show, whether Draco was just playing to the crowd. Draco was thinking of the many ways in which the Weasel would kill him, and then when he was finished the Weaselette would get in on the fun. Oh, it would be great.

Hermione decided enough was enough; she needed to talk to Draco about it before it became an unsurmountable obstacle.

"Draco?" Hermione said. "I think we need to talk about what just happened."

Draco looked over at Hermione and nodded his head. "Yeah, I think we do."

"I'm sorry if I put you into a bad position back there. But Ron was being such a prick; I just had to do something to make him shut up…"

Draco had a small smile on his face. "Well I think you definitely shut up Weasley. Doubt he's even talking now."

Hermione had a little chuckle, "No. He's probably ranting right now. You should see him with Ginny's boyfriends. Imagine he'll be just the same with you…"

Both had a start when they realized what she had implied.

Hermione rushed to recover. "Not that you are my boyfriend. But Ron will just be like an overbearing brother, especially since it was you. The enemy."

Draco looked over at Hermione. "You don't think that do you? That I'm the enemy?"

"Not anymore."

"Good."

Now or never.

"About the kiss…" Draco began.

"Yes?" Hermione asked a bit breathlessly.

"Did you feel anything?" Draco asked remembering how he felt. He felt butterflies in his stomach and a warm, comforting sensation racing through his body. Quite frankly, he had never felt like that before.

Hermione remembered the one time she had kissed Viktor; it was nothing compared to the feeling with Draco. Viktor was very sloppy, and his hands were very grabby. Draco was very smooth, and the feeling was like nothing she had ever experienced.

"Yeah, I did." Hermione wondered if this would be a big mistake, laying it all on the line like this. If he would just shatter her, by saying he felt nothing. "Did you?"

"Yes, I think we should do it again…just in private." Seeing the questioning look on her face. "Well we had an audience before; we should see if it's the same alone."

Hermione pondered this for a moment.

Just do it.

"Ok," she nodded her head.

She shifted a bit closer to him on the seat, as did he. She looked up at him and looked into his eyes, which were looking very intently into hers. She leaned forward toward his face, her eyes fluttering closed in anticipation of what was coming.

Draco leaned down and connected their lips. The same feeling went shooting through him as before. Only this time if at all possible it was better, because it was just them. Then her tongue was there, asking to come into his mouth, and it was all Draco could do to oblige.

Hermione was in heaven. She was once again in those arms, and it felt so good. Better than before. He pulled her closer and her arms went around his neck, she couldn't get close enough.

His hands were rubbing her back, adding to the dizzying sensation that the kiss was giving her. Hermione reluctantly pulled away, she had the feeling that things could very quickly get out of control and at the moment, she felt powerless to stop them. With one small kiss on the lips, she moved back a little.

"Well…I guess…it's not just crowds that get us going," Draco stated when he could talk to again.

"Yeah," Hermione answered in a slightly breathless tone. "Are we…?"

"Only if you want to be…cause…I do."

Hermione thought about it for a second. "I do."

Draco felt ten feet tall, but he immediately realised there would be some people that wouldn't like this at all. The Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws wouldn't care at all; but the Gryffindors and the Slytherins would be very against this.

Draco pulled Hermione close and put his arm around her. "So what are we going to tell everyone?" He asked her.

"We don't have to tell them anything. We can tell everyone that is close to us, but really it's no-one else's business."

"Right you are Miss Granger." Looking out the carriage window, he saw that Hogwarts was still a few minutes away. "I think we have time for one more kiss before we get back, whatta say?"

"I agree," Hermione put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled his face down to meet hers.

Harry and Ginny had managed to calm Ron down somewhat. That wasn't to say he wasn't mad still. He kept muttering under his breath, all they could really make out was 'Ferret' and a variety of very painful hexes.

They let Ron walk ahead of them into the Great Hall.

"We have to keep Ron away from Malfoy. And he can definitely not see them together. I think that will cause him to blow a definite cauldron," Ginny whispered to Harry.

"Agreed. You sit on one side, and I'll sit on the other. Best to be safe," Harry whispered back. Ginny nodded.

So they sat down on either side of Ron, and waited for Hermione to come; knowing that Ron's temper would more than likely explode all over her.

A few minutes after they'd sat down, Hermione entered the Great Hall. Malfoy was thankfully nowhere in sight.

"Hey guys," she greeted as she sat down opposite them. "Did you have a good time today?" She was hoping against hope they wouldn't bring up what happened at the Shrieking Shack.

Not a chance.

"Not as much fun as you," Ron spat out.

"Excuse me! What's with the attitude Ron?" Hermione asked, she was a bit pissed off with Ron's it lately.

"My attitude?" Ron's voice was getting very high, and people from other tables were looking over to see what was going on. "I'm not the one going on dates with 'the enemy', eating ice cream with 'the enemy', bloody kissing 'the enemy' by the Shrieking Shack!" Ron was now shouting and had the attention of the entire Great Hall.

But Hermione had had enough. "Stop it Ron! You know, it is my life. I can do whatever I want whenever I damn well like. And if I want to go to Hogsmeade – I can. If I want to have an ice cream I can." Hermione now stood up and glared at Ron. "And if I want to kiss my boyfriend I bloody will." With that, she stormed out of the Great Hall.

Deciding she needed to calm down, she headed to the Library to find a book. Reading always calmed her nerves and she definitely needed it right now. Meanwhile Draco was heading to the Great Hall after going up to the Heads' Dormitory to drop their things off. He was planning on telling Blaise about all that had happened today.

As the Slytherin table was closest to the doors, he managed to enter without the Gryffindor table noticing. Didn't want the Weasel seeing him, Hermione was planning on telling them about their relationship tonight.

Heading down to where Blaise was sitting, he looked over at the Gryffindor table and couldn't see Hermione anywhere. Odd.

"Draco, my man," Blaise greeted and then they proceeded to do one of those handshakes that only boys could get away with. "What's shaking?"

"A fair bit, how you doing?"

"Can't complain dude, can't complain. You missed all the action." Blaise said, meaning the Ron and Hermione fight, which the Hall was still discussing. They were all wondering who this boyfriend of Hermione's was.

"What happened?" Draco enquired curiously.

"Well, a couple of the Gryffs got into a slanging match, Weaselbee and the Head Girl." Draco's face dropped. "Something about her kissing her boyfriend," Blaise continued.

"When was this?"

"'Bout five minutes ago, been wondering who this mystery boyfriend is - would you know?" Blaise asked, though he was fairly sure he knew.

"It's me…I was going to tell you tonight man…honest. Didn't plan on Hermione broadcasting to the entire hall." Draco thought he should probably go find her.

"It was only a matter of time. Could see it coming like the Hogwarts Express dude."

"So you're okay with it?" Draco was worried that his best friend wouldn't like it.

"Peachy keen. But I think you should go find your girl, before she decides to do something to Weasel. Honestly the boy has no tact."

"Yeah I will do…catch you later man." So with another complicated handshake, Draco left the Great Hall.

Hermione had found a good book and was tucked away in a corner with it. She could slowly feel the tension fading away as she read. Soon she was so engrossed that she didn't even hear anyone coming, till he was sitting next to her. Startled she looked up and was relieved to find it was Draco.

"Hey..."

"How are you? I heard about what happened with Weasley."

"Oh, I'm all right. Wasn't the way I planned to tell them. But he was being such a prick and I just snapped."

"Fair enough. I told Blaise."

"How'd he take it?" Hermione didn't know a lot about the quiet Slytherin.

"Pretty good, it was almost like he expected it."

"Well, I'm glad that one of our friends took it well. I'm dreading Ginny, her temper is just as bad as Ron's is. And add to that the fact that she wants me to be with Ron, I don't think it will be pretty."

"Mmm…do you want to just scrap the flying lesson for tonight? I feel like just relaxing tonight."

"Sounds good, I'm actually pretty darn hungry. Didn't get to eat anything at dinner."

"Well let's order something up from the elves…" He then remembered her stand on elf rights. "Just this once…?"

"Ok…just this once."

Draco got up and pulled Hermione to her feet and gave her a big hug, feeling that she could use one. He was right.

"Thank you for everything," she murmured into his chest.

"Not a problem." He said into her hair. "Let's go; we'll deal with everyone else tomorrow."

Hermione nodded and they left the Library, heading to their rooms.

♥ Thanks to everyone who reviewed this story so far. I set myself like a target of how many reviews before I updated. And it was reached the next day, so blows kisses to all who reviewed.

♥ To Sexy-Slytherin-Lover, the twins are out of Hogwarts and adults. So I say they can go to Hogsmeade whenever they like.

♥ Silly little thing, went to pick up my nephew from Kindy today. And there was a little kid called Blaise. It was a girl, but it's still the first time I've seen someone called that. Just got to find a kid called Draco now… XOXO

21/04/06: Beta read by cordy-angel. Thanks!