When Ginny returned to Gryffindor Tower and found Harry and Ron settled in front of the fire, she decided that she ought to tell them about the presents Hermione had bought them. She didn't doubt that they would buy Hermione nice presents, but she didn't want them to open Hermione's expensive gifts and then feel bad that she'd spent more money on them than they'd spent on her. Joining the boys beside the fire, she quickly filled them in on what she'd learnt in the head dorms.
"So you went snooping?" Harry asked his girlfriend, clearly unimpressed by her nosiness.
"I didn't mean to go looking for her presents," Ginny protested. "I was just curious about the head dorms. I was having a look around and I spotted the presents."
"And you just had to open them and poke around," Harry muttered.
"And aren't you glad I did?" Ginny argued. "This way we know Hermione has spent a fortune on us this year."
"But why?" Ron asked with a frown. "She always buys us nice presents. Why has she spent so much this year?"
"Maybe it's the last year she's planning on giving us presents," Ginny suggested.
"Why would it be the last year she's giving us presents?" Ron questioned.
"This is your last year at school, maybe she's planning on moving on after graduation," Ginny said with a shrug.
"No, she would never leave us," Ron insisted. "Even if she did move away, we'd still keep in touch."
"Yeah, we'll always be friends," Harry agreed. "There must be another reason she's pushed the boat out this year."
"Well whatever her reason, she's spent a fortune on us," Ginny said. "I don't know about you two, but I don't want my presents for Hermione to pale in comparison."
"That's a nice idea Ginny, but I can't afford to spend any more on presents," Ron said. "I'm afraid Hermione will just have to appreciate what I've already gotten her, even if I didn't spend as much money on her as she has on me."
"I very much doubt Hermione will care about how much money we spend on her," Harry said. "She's not like that. Besides, like Ron I've already bought her present and I know she'll love it."
"Suit yourselves," Ginny said as she got to her feet. "But I'll be heading down to Hogsmeade at the weekend and making sure I buy something extra special for Hermione. Even if it means I have to cut down on the money I spend on other people."
As Ginny turned and headed up to her bedroom, planning on what she could get Hermione for Christmas, Harry and Ron shared an amused smirk at her behaviour. They were flattered that Hermione had splashed out on them, but they knew their friend well enough to know she wouldn't expect such extravagance from them. She would cherish the presents she did receive and she would know they'd been picked out thoughtfully by them. However, to Ginny it was clearly a competition that she was determined to win, so the boys were going to let her get on with it. If she wanted to compete with Hermione, than that was her choice, but they were happy with the presents they'd bought and they had no intention of buying anything else for their best friend.
After spending the afternoon helping Ginny with her homework, Hermione headed for a relaxing bubble bath. While she was in the bath, she heard Draco coming back from the dungeons. However, when she exited the bathroom and passed his bedroom door it was open but the room was empty. Wondering if he'd gone out again she wandered into her own room and got the answer when she found the Head Boy lying on her bed, idly flicking through a book that looked suspiciously like her diary.
"What do you think you're doing?" Hermione asked, plucking the book from his fingers and finding it was indeed her diary. "Has no-one ever told you its bad manners to read someone's diary?"
"It's not exactly juicy," Draco chuckled. "You don't write down your inner most thoughts. Your diary is pretty much a notebook."
"I've never been one of those girly girls who waxes lyrical about boys and stuff," Hermione replied, shrugging her bare shoulder.
"Not like Pansy then," Draco remarked. "Her diary is full of boys and sex."
"You've read Pansy's diary?" Hermione asked with a frown.
"No, but Blaise has and he's shared its contents with everyone in the dungeons," Draco answered. "I was just wondering if you wrote about the same sort of things in your diary."
"I've got more important things to write about than boys and sex," Hermione tutted.
"If I didn't know better I would say it's because you've got no experience with either," Draco said, his grey eyes sliding over Hermione's body which was covered in a red towel.
"Or you could say I've got limited experience," Hermione said with a teasing smile. "I've only had the one serious boyfriend, and he's very timid in the bedroom."
"Excuse me?" Draco yelled, reaching out and grabbing hold of Hermione's hand. "I am not timid in the bedroom," he declared, pulling her down onto the bed with him.
As Hermione fell her towel came loose. Swiftly Draco grabbed the towel and threw it off the bed, leaving Hermione completely naked.
"And you say this is timid?" he laughed, sliding his hand down Hermione's body.
"I was only teasing," Hermione replied, quickly giving Draco a peck on the cheek before she jumped off the bed, picked up her towel and wrapped it back around her body. "I'm just not the sort of girl who writes about her sex life in a diary. So if you were looking for praise as the Slytherin Sex God, you'll just have to find it elsewhere."
"Slytherin Sex God, eh?" Draco smirked. "I like that name."
"Well apparently it's what all the girls call you," Hermione remarked casually as she turned towards the dressing table and picked up her brush.
"There are no other girls," Draco said, getting up and moving over to where Hermione stood. Removing her brush from her hand, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled into her neck. "I've only got eyes for you."
"But it hasn't always been that way," Hermione replied quietly. "You've had other girlfriends."
"Yeah, I've dated other witches, but I've never felt for them the way I feel for you," Draco insisted, turning Hermione around in his arms so he could look into her eyes and show her he was sincere. "You're special Hermione."
"Special enough that we could tell our friends?" Hermione asked hopefully.
The pair had been dating since the start of the school year, after flirting and recognising their attraction at the end of the previous year when they were paired on an Ancient Runes project. However, they'd avoided telling their friends as they weren't sure how they would react.
Hermione's friends distrusted all Slytherins, but especially Draco as his family had been part of Voldemort's followers during the war which had ended when Voldemort had died trying to kill Harry. Of course the Malfoys had changed over the years, and Draco especially didn't believe the same things his parents once had, but Hermione wasn't sure if her friends would accept her relationship. But even so, it was getting to the point where she wanted to tell them as she was getting sick of hiding. She wanted the world to know that she and Draco were together and they were very happy together.
As for Draco's friends, there was a possibility that they might disapprove of the romance on the grounds of Hermione being a muggleborn. Most of Draco's friends came from families associated with the dark, and he knew not all of them had changed after the war like his parents. Some of his friend's families still believed in traditional values and he knew some of his friends had been raised to think muggleborns were beneath them. However, like Hermione he was wanting to be open about their relationship as he was sick of hiding what an amazing girlfriend he had.
"I think we're at that stage," Draco said with a grin. "How about we tell them in the New Year."
The couple had already decided to remain at Hogwarts for the holidays so they could spend the festive season together. Like Hermione's friends, who were all going home, Draco's were doing the same. It meant that they could spend time together without having to worry about their friends seeing them together. Although if they were going to tell their friends in the New Year, they could even be seen together in the holidays, as they could tell their friends everything when they got back at school in January.
"I think that would be the perfect idea," Hermione replied excitedly, throwing her arms around Draco's neck.
"Now how about we celebrate?" Draco asked, once again removing his girlfriend's towel.
"Has anyone ever told you, you're insatiable?" Hermione chuckled.
"I am the Slytherin Sex God," Draco smirked.
"I shouldn't have mentioned that, it's only going to make your ego even bigger," Hermione muttered with a roll of her eyes.
"The bigger the better, to match other things," Draco replied saucily, giving Hermione a wink.
"Idiot," Hermione laughed.
"Hey," Draco protested with a pout. "I thought you liked me."
"I do. You're my idiot," Hermione replied, smiling at her boyfriend.
When Draco pouted again, Hermione slanted her lips over his and pressed her naked body against him. Any argument he was going to make disappeared as he lost himself in his girlfriend. Falling back on Hermione's bed, Draco soon lost his clothes and the pair proceeded to make love before snuggling up under Hermione's covers.
Lying in Draco's arms, Hermione began to think about the future and what their friends would say when they found out they were together. As she was thinking, her eyes wandered around the bedroom and landed on a couple of large Christmas bags down beside the side of her wardrobe.
"What are they?" Hermione asked with a frown.
"What are what?" Draco asked distractedly. He was on the verge of sleep, and didn't have a clue what had caught Hermione's attention.
"Those bags down beside my wardrobe," Hermione said, nudging Draco in the ribs. "Did you put them there?"
Raising his head, Draco located the bags Hermione was gesturing to and nodded his head. "Yeah, they're my presents for my parents and friends. I haven't wrapped them yet, and Blaise and Theo were here this morning. I stuck them in here so they couldn't pry."
"Would they pry?" Hermione asked.
"Blaise read Pansy's diary and shared it's contents with the entire common room, what do you think?" Draco chuckled.
"Point taken," Hermione replied. "So is my present in there?"
"No, your presents are safely hidden in my room. They're also wrapped so you can't see what they are."
"Presents as in more than one?" Hermione questioned with wide eyes.
"Don't worry, I haven't gone overboard," Draco replied. "There's your main present, but I picked up a few extras as well as I couldn't resist spoiling you. But it's not like I expect a haul of presents in return."
"I may have gotten you more than one thing," Hermione admitted. "I was worried I'd gotten carried away and was spoiling you."
"You can spoil me all you like," Draco purred. "I won't complain."
Arching an eyebrow at her boyfriend, she couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "I didn't think you would complain. Although that reminds me, I need to finish my wrapping. My presents are all in the bottom of the wardrobe."
"Let's worry about that tomorrow," Draco said, stifling a yawn. "Right now, I'm tired."
"Some stamina you have," Hermione joked. "One time and you're exhausted."
"I can manage round two if you can," Draco said with a sly smile.
"I think I can cope," Hermione purred, wrapping her arms around Draco's neck and pulling him towards her.
Engrossed in their activities, the pair never gave their presents and Christmas another thought. In a few days the holidays would start and then they could start their Christmas break together. And then after a romantic first Christmas together, they could face their friends and come clean about their relationship. The New Year was going to be a fresh start for the couple, and neither of them could wait for the day when they didn't have to hide their romance.
