The end of the lesson chimes could be heard, and most of the class slowly exited the room, not really wanting to miss any more of the excitement.
Hermione stayed seated. McGonagall was conversing with the twins, making sure that they were still able to travel back to the future when the time came.
Draco slowly approached the lone Gryffindor at the front of the room.
"Granger, would you be interested in taking a walk with me?"
"Sure, Malfoy." she responded while already getting to her feet. He led her down a smaller hallway not far from the door to the Transfiguration classroom. As they turned the corner, he grabbed her hand.
"Granger, there are no words to express what a cowardice prat I am. I knew what my feelings meant and I still decided to do nothing. The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. I realized if I believed all that tripe then I wouldn't have had an issue joining them, but I did nothing. I am a coward."
"You know who Edmund Burke is?"
"Well occasionally I go to the library, and do things other than follow you, and make snide remarks to first years. So yes, I know who Edmund Burke is, Granger."
"Hermione."
"What?"
"If we are to become friends, you should call me by name… Hermione."
"I think that I can do that, ... Hermione." Draco replied, his voice low and raspy.
"This is crazy, 2 hours ago, we hated each other."
"One, you might hate me, but I was only pretending to hate you. Because two, I'm sure they would have taken me straight to St. Mungo's if I started confessing lo...feelings for Hermione Granger, twenty minutes after the war ended."
"Well I don't hate you, it doesn't mean that I don't think this entire situation isn't barmy."
"Well although I don't think I would have ever had the courage to talk to you otherwise, you have to admit that those kids look alarmingly like you and I."
"Yes and those names have been a dream of mine since I was 11 years old."
"Any particular reason that they all happen to follow Black family tradition of constellations and astronomy?"
"Well….mm I would rather not talk about that right now." Hermione whispered.
Draco took a step closer to her, he had not dropped her hand. He had been holding it the entire time. "Usually girls do those silly things like picking out names of future children when they are 11, because of a crush. Did you have a crush on someone Hermione?" he whispered directly into her ear.
He heard her breath hitch, this might end up being his lucky day. Did the brightest witch of her age actually return feelings for him, even after everything they had witnessed together?
"You know we could be great together Granger, you're smart, beautiful, and need a real man to challenge you. I could be that man for you… if you let me."
Hermione tilted her head towards the side for a moment, and although her heart was hammering out of her chest. It was one of the most sensual feelings she had ever experienced when his lips barely pressed against hers. She could feel the tension leave his body when she added more pressure and returned the kiss. He moved his free hand to her hip and closed the remaining distance between them. She parted her lips for the briefest second and his warm tongue swiped along her bottom lip politely asking for entrance. She parted her lips, reveling in the first snog she had had in months, pushing down the thoughts of how this was the craziest dream come true. Enjoying every second of it, until her brain finally acknowledged coughing and crying coming from the corner.
They broke apart, she rested her forehead against his, "Let's take this slow, and see where it leads."
"I want to be with you. It is as simple, and complicated as that." Draco said with conviction.
Hermione remembered the reason she stopped the snogging, and she spun in her spot, to see Ginny sitting against a wall at the far end of the hallway. Her head on her knees, and arms covering her face while sobs wracked her body.
Draco had a look of confusion on his face seeing what had garnered Hermione's attention, and then a look of shock as she used their combined hands and pulled him down the hallway behind her to where the youngest Weasley was obviously upset.
"Ginny, I am so sorry I didn't check on you sooner. This day has been well... Pretty mental. So are you really pregnant?" Hermione asked her.
Draco must have been in his own thoughts, as he didn't remember this being a topic discussed in the classroom.
"How did you know? I haven't told anyone." Ginny whispered from under her limbs.
"Well I noticed you and Harry were alone a lot during Christmas, and you disappeared from the group during the last Hogsmeade visit. Cali did confirm his name was James Sirius and it would make sense that would be Harry's son. You were always going to be together, this just speeds some things up, surely?" Hermione said comfortingly.
"It can't be all bad, Red. Cali and Caelum said that we all get along, that you and Hermione are the best of friends. That I even get along with Potter.", "It will be the first Weasley grandchild, surely your mother won't be upset for long." Draco gently told Ginny.
"It's not that, I have a tryout for the Holyhead Harpies next week." Ginny replied.
"If it's ok, and if we haven't messed up everything entirely, you still have your tryout and they hold a spot for you until after James' birth," Cali informs them.
Hermione and Ginny jumped in shock when Caelum spoke. They hadn't noticed that the twins had followed them down the corridor.
"You have a fantastic Quidditch career!" Caelum states from further down the hall. "It's almost time for us to return, and we wanted to know if everything is ok, and how much trouble are we in actually?"
"Well…" Draco said, grabbing Hermione's hand again. "We are taking it one day at a time."
"And we have until 2017 to think of an acceptable punishment for you both. So for that, you will have to return and see." stated Hermione with one hand on her hip, channeling her innermost Molly Weasley.
Cali rushed up and hugged Hermione for all she was worth. "You know just in case we don't make it back."
Hermione nodded her eyes glistening, and Caelum offered a handshake to Draco, who turned and hugged him with one arm. Cali hugged Draco as well, and Caelum hugged Hermione tight, whispering something in her ear." Hermione pulled away, shaking her head vigorously. Caelum shot a side-eye to Draco while giving the signature Malfoy smirk.
Caelum pulled the delicate time turner from underneath his robes, and looped the chain over Cali's neck. And with the appropriate turns left Draco and Hermione alone outside the Transfiguration classroom with nothing but the future ahead of them.
