Disclaimer:- I neither earn nor own anything from this story except my plot. Harry Potter and his world are the intellectual property of JK Rowling and her associates.

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A/N:- Thank you to LadyWinterlight, for her beta work on this chapter, and to everyone for their reviews and alerts. As much as I hate it, there is one small scene of Hermione/Ron in this chapter, but I promise that it will be the only one. (writer's honour) I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please accept my apologies for the long wait for it, life has been rather hectic.

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Chapter Six – The Remainder of the Time At Hogwarts

The middle term was every bit as difficult and twice as painful as Hermione had predicted that first night.

However, this was not her only problem. All through the term, Ron seemed to be turning back into the boy that she'd once thought she loved. She realised now that she did not love him with an all-consuming passion, and that there was only room in her heart for one wizard to fill that position. Unfortunately, that one wizard was not available to her, and despite the ache in her heart she allowed herself to tentatively consider Ronald once more.

He assured her that Lavender and he were through again, even though she often saw them together.

"We're still friends," he said. "You know, like we are, 'Mione."

Hermione was still a bit dubious about that, because she noticed that he always scurried away whenever he saw Lavender approaching, and while he'd told her that it would be like it had been before, he never quite settled into being her friend again.

Then there was Draco; if he ever saw her talking to Ron he was strange with her afterwards, and it broke her heart that he seemed just as miserable as her with his lot in life. Their personal friendship went from strength to strength during second term, and she became even more attached to him. It was scary how right it felt when they were together, but she had so far managed to stop herself from thinking about what would happen once the year finished.

In a way she was living in a daze. It was easy to pretend that her friendship with Draco was more than it was, and even though she knew that she was completely deluded, she allowed herself to indulge in many fantasies of what might be in her most treasured outcome for her future.

Unbeknown to her, Draco was feeling exactly the same things she was. He could see that she was trying to keep her feelings under control, and he surprised himself when he realised that he had too much respect for her to try and lure her into a clandestine relationship with him. However, being honourable and noble did not solve any problems; he was just about at his wits' end as he tried not to simply grab her and pin her to the nearest wall, and that was only the start of what he wanted to do.

His relationship with his fiancé had gone from slightly frosty to downright icy this term, and he wondered if she had also sensed exactly how unimportant she was to him. Draco couldn't bring himself to care; he was sick of navigating her moods.

The brilliant part was that next year he had a whole year before he had to marry her, and he was already hoping that on their wedding night he could lace her with enough fertility potion to only have to do the deed once with her – ever. Once he had his son then she could do what she liked; he didn't care.

The members of the nightly study group that met in the heads rooms had all seen what was going on, and Hermione knew that she was having a lot of trouble hiding her feelings. To this end, she was almost overcome with relief that Ron did not start attending their nightly study sessions. Yes, they were becoming amicable again, and she was indeed helping her hapless redheaded friend with his homework once more, but she hadn't admitted that to anyone yet.

However, where Draco was concerned she knew that Harry and Ginny were watching her closely. Ginny seemed to sense exactly what was going on, and often offered a pat on the arm or a squeeze of a hand in support. Harry, bless him, probably didn't realise what it was, but he knew that it was something.

"Hey, 'Mione?" Harry asked, out of the blue.

Hermione looked up from her work. "Yes?" she said.

"Are you coming to The Burrow for Easter?"

"Um… I guess so," she said, her eyes flitting to Draco who seemed to be pretending not to hear what was being said. She thought to herself, no matter what you feel, it isn't going to happen so you might as well just get over it. "Yes, I love Easter there," she added, her own eyes quickly skittering to her work once she'd said it.

xox

So, it was that both Hermione and Draco departed for the Easter holidays with the weight of the world on their respective shoulders. Neither of them could muster even a smile as their thoughts seemed to be constantly circling around the other, and they both knew that the only cure for it was some distance.

As much as she did not want to give up their special little bubble, Hermione was starting to think that having it was not healthy. Whilst she was safely ensconced in her delusional little world where perhaps she and Draco could be a couple, she realised that she was never going to recover and move on.

The only thing for it was to resign from the head girl position. At least if she moved back to Gryffindor tower, even though she'd have Lavender to deal with, she would have some distance from Draco.

However, that—no matter how she thought of it—was just never going to come out right. The headmistress would want a plausible explanation as to why, and she couldn't say that it was because she had the hots for the already engaged head boy. She could not say that her studies were suffering either, because she was either coming first, or a close second to Draco in every class.

She sighed. Then there was Draco; she couldn't do that to him, or herself. She was preparing to spend a lifetime without him; surely she could stand these last few months at his side if they were all she was going to get.

Then there was all the questions that other people would ask. Not her close friends, but she didn't relish explaining it to people like Ron. This train of thought brought her up short though, was this what she thought of Ron now? She'd been going to marry him, had she really just closed him out that much? Maybe she needed to rethink that.

She was laying on her bed in Ginny's room thinking about everything, and she could hear the Weasley brothers down in the yard getting ready for the big outdoor meal they were having tonight. She pushed herself up and walked to the window; looking out she saw that George and Charlie had enchanted the tables to fly to their positions, and they were riding them like mighty steeds about to joust as Percy scurried around under them trying to bring order to the proceeding.

A smile tugged at her lips as she watched, and it lightened her mood. She was just starting to relax and enjoy their antics when there was a knock on the door.

Pushing herself off the window frame she went and opened it. It was Ron, and he looked serious, this couldn't mean anything good. Could it?

"Hello," she said.

"Hey," he replied. "Are you coming down to the BBQ?"

"Yes, I was just going to go and help Molly before everyone gets here," she replied, and she saw his face fall. What was that, disappointment? she wondered, and she said, "Why, what did you have in mind?"

"Umm, Ginny mentioned that her and Harry saw some fairies up in the wood, and I was wondering if you'd like to see them," he said in a rush.

"Oh… Oh, umm, yes, I guess so," Hermione replied somewhat uncertainly.

She put her shoes on while he watched, and then he offered his hand. Hermione stared at it for a long time, but finally she took it. It felt strange, but she knew she had to move on, and if Ron wanted to try then she thought that maybe she should. Over the last term he had more than shown her that he'd changed.

They walked up into the woods, and right on the edge of the trees were the fairies that he'd told her about. The sun was just starting to set, and their tiny forms were just starting to glow. Ron came around behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

Hermione knew that this was it, this was the moment that she either allowed him to do this or she turned away for good.

His lips arrived on her neck. "'Mione," he moaned.

She could already feel his erection against her back.

"I want you… I've missed you," he told her, directly into her ear.

She was so touch starved, and she let his hands wander up under her blouse as his lips suckled on the skin of her neck. She closed her eyes and allowed him to massage her breasts roughly, fighting with herself not to pull away, because she wanted to; but then she thought Draco was marrying his society starlet, so why shouldn't she have someone too?

Then his hands were down the front of her jeans and massaging her pussy too, and she turned her head and offered her mouth for a kiss, but he wasn't interested, he was pushing her jeans and knickers down and undoing his own with his free hand as he bent her over.

"Let me fuck you," he moaned.

She only had just enough time to cast a contraceptive spell and he was entering her. He was rougher than she remembered, but then it had been a long time since she'd had anyone, so perhaps he wasn't being so rough.

He came quickly, and his hand moved over her clit trying to make her come, but he was only hurting her, and suddenly it all came back. This was what it was like with Ron… but what choice did she have? He was the only other guy who'd shown an interest in her, he was her only option. Then she remembered how she used to make him stop and she moaned deeply. It did the trick, and his hand left her, he thought she'd come.

"Okay, let's go back for dinner, I'm starving," he declared, and he tucked himself back into his pants.

They walked back to the yard, and Ron happily announced to everyone as soon as they arrived that they were a couple again, but Hermione was valiantly trying to control her tears, and she quickly excused herself.

"I need the bathroom," she muttered and fled upstairs, as everyone crowded around them congratulating them.

Ginny's narrowed eyes tracked Hermione's rushed exit, and she followed her. She found her laying on her bed crying.

"I think announcements like Ron just made are supposed to make you happy if you're one of the participants," she commented, coming to sit on the side of Hermione's bed and watching her hastily wiping at her eyes.

"I'm trying," Hermione replied weakly.

Ginny gave her the sarcastic 'yes, I can really see that' look. "Are you sure this is what you want?" she tried, when her facial expression only made Hermione look down at the tissue in her hands.

She shrugged. "Yes," but even she thought her voice came out sounding unconvincing. "I just need a moment to acclimatise," she added.

"Acclimatise?" her friend asked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll be fine, you go back down," Hermione insisted. "I just need a moment to m-mourn something…" but she didn't finish her sentence.

"Oh!" Ginny gasped, as the penny dropped and it suddenly became apparent to the redhead exactly how brave her friend was being. "Oh, love, you only have to move on if you truly can."

"There is no point in wallowing. Everyone wants this match, and I can see that it's the logical thing to do," Hermione stated evenly.

"But is it the right thing for you?" Ginny asked.

"It has to be, Gin, or I really will end up alone and bitter. Now, come on," and she wiped her eyes once more. "I'll go to the loo and I'll be back down there in a moment."

"As long as you're sure," Ginny insisted, she still wasn't convinced.

Hermione gathered all her courage and she nodded. "It will get easier."

xox

When last term started, it was the hardest thing Hermione had ever done allowing Draco to see her with Ron, and for the duration of the term she put her head down and simply worked, not daring to look outside the blinkers she'd applied to her eyes. Thankfully, Ron wasn't around much when they got back to Hogwarts, he only came near her when he wanted help with his homework, and she was so relieved that he was leaving her alone that she never questioned him, she just did it.

It didn't take the last term long to slip by, and soon it was the evening after their last NEWT exam, and by the worst arrangement in history, Hermione and Draco found themselves alone in the little kitchenette in their common room before the dinner and ball that was to celebrate their last night at Hogwarts. Once more they had to appear in public as cool acquaintances, it was there last duty together.

Hermione was busy making some tea to try and settle her stomach, and Draco came around the corner and stopped dead.

"You look amazing," he told her, his eyes spanning over her scarlet ball gown with its beaded bodice and full skirt. "My true Gryffindor princess," he murmured, swiftly closing the distance between them.

She slid a glance to him which quickly flitted away again. "As do you, Draco… I m-mean, not the Gryffindor princess part, but the handsome…" she said in a breathy voice.

"Thank you, Hermione."

They both stood there sizing one another up, and there was so much sexual tension rolling off both of them that Hermione was surprised that they hadn't spontaneously combusted.

"How's your mother settling in?" she asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

Narcissa had been released from Azkaban just last week, and as frail as she was, she was planning to attend Draco's graduation the next day. He was leaving early in the morning to escort her to Hogwarts from the private sanatorium where she was recovering from her ordeal.

Draco smiled softly, and he said, "She's much improved, thank you."

The heat from that little smile flared inside Hermione, and she swallowed as she nodded. "Oh, that's good," she said absently, and decided that getting out of there was probably the best course of action. She started turning away, but he wasn't allowing her to.

He took a deep breath. "We've become good friends, haven't we?" he said.

"Yes, we have," she replied, picking up her tea and taking a sip.

"But we've never talked about reasons…" His gaze almost burnt her alive.

"Reasons?" she repeated, her brain not functioning as she placed her tea down on the table, but continued to fiddle with the cup, glad to have something to do with her hands to stop herself from grabbing him.

He took a step closer. "Hermione, this might be the last time I see you alone, and I want you to know… Well, I want you to know that I'm not marrying for love."

This statement floored her and she spun around to look at him. "What?" she gasped.

"No, my heart is not in it. I'm marrying out of duty," he told her, his grey eyes piercing her heart.

She looked away and opened her mouth to rebuke his claim, tell him that one should always follow one's heart, but she swallowed her words when she realised that she too was making everyone else happy with her choice. She wanted to tell him not to say such things. She could not… did not want to think that he was going to be as compromised as she was allowing herself to be, but no words would come out.

However, he was not having her look away, and his hand came around gently on her cheek to guide her eyes back to his. "Tell me you're not with Weasley for love," he whispered. "Please," and it sounded like a plea.

She swallowed again, her throat suddenly dry, and her eyes raised to his. "No, it's not…" but her eyes were swimming with unshed tears and she pulled her quivering lip into her teeth in an attempt to make it still. "Draco," she whispered, her want overcoming her reason. "We might never see…"

"No, we will," and his mouth seemed incredibly close now. "We will see each other, I couldn't bear it if we didn't," he said, his mouth hovering over hers.

Finally, his lips ghosted over hers and it was like a dam breaking. She closed the remaining distance between them, taking that last infinitesimal space in one gulp. He pulled her possessively against his strong lean body, and his tongue invaded her mouth as she moaned in want.

This was the most perfect kiss she'd ever received, but her thoughts were warring; she shouldn't be doing this, but she couldn't pull away. When the need for air parted them, his mouth started adoring her neck.

"I love you, and I want you, but I have to marry the shrew," he told her as his mouth swept up for another kiss.

However, the mention of Astoria brought reason into her head and she pulled back. She couldn't do this, no matter how much she wanted; she just couldn't, and she swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Don't say that," she whispered, her eyes willing his to understand.

"But it's true, and I wanted you to know that every time I've seen you this year I've wanted you. You were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen at the Yule Ball this past Christmas, although I think you look lovelier tonight, and I…" and he wiped at the tears spilling over her cheeks. Then he replaced his fingers with his mouth, kissing her eyes, and like fool she let him.

"We can't," she whispered.

"I want you," he replied, resting his forehead on hers. "I just had to tell you."

She forced the words to come out her mouth. "Astoria will be waiting for you."

"Damn, the bloody bitch," he said in a rush, and then he looked at her for a long time before he caressed her cheek. "I'm going to miss you so much. I'm certain I will bleed a little for you every day."

This time Hermione's hand arrived on his cheek too. "As will I for you. Never think for a moment that I will cease to care for… love you," she stated passionately. "But it is futile. There is nothing to be done. Admitting love is just adding to the agony."

He sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right, but seeing you here looking so lovely, I just wanted to tell you so."

She nodded. "Thank you, Draco."

He took a step away from her, and she watched him go, her tea forgotten. He turned back before he went around the corner and disappeared. "If you ever need me… for anything… anything. I will be there for you."

She wiped her eyes. "Ditto," she replied.

xox

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione had forced herself to overcome her encounter with Draco and she was standing in the grand entrance way with her hands on her hips a picture of aggravated surprise.

"What do you mean he's gone?" she demanded of Harry. While they had not seen one another this last week, they were going out and she had assumed that Ron would be here at the graduation ball.

"Apparently a chance to join the Canons came up, and he left to chase it," Harry said. "Flew out the dorm window on his broom. I tried to make him see reason, but he just left."

"Oh," Hermione gasped.

"Don't worry, 'Mione. "Lavender's not here either," Ginny added.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Hermione asked.

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know, I was just looking at it as a positive, that's all."

"Where's she?" Hermione asked, even though she was not really interested in the goings on with Lavender.

"Buggered if I know, or care," Ginny said, sniffing. "But she left yesterday, she didn't have an exam today."

This was all news to Hermione. "Are they coming back for the graduation tomorrow?"

A shrug was all she got from both her friends, and then Blaise and Pansy walked up to them.

"We're avoiding Dray," Pansy told the three of them. "The bitch is in a snit," she added, with a significant quirk of her eyebrow.

They all knew that she meant Astoria, and Blaise chuckled as he leant in closer. "Apparently Draco wore the wrong jacket."

"There was nothing wrong with his jacket when he left our common room," Hermione snapped defensively, as images of being in his arms and being kissed sailed into her head. She blushed. "Well, I didn't notice anything wrong with it."

"There isn't anything wrong with it," Pansy cackled. "He looks as immaculate as usual."

Then a furiously whispered conversation to their left took their attention, and Blaise called to his friend, "If she doesn't want to be seen with you, we think you're perfectly respectable, you can walk Hermione in as Weasley appears to be nowhere in sight."

Draco's angry eyes snapped to his best friend's dark eyes and he scowled.

"Don't you dare abandon me," Astoria warned.

"Oh, will you grow up and stop making life so unpleasant for everyone," Draco snapped and they all heard her shrill voice as she followed him.

"Daddy will hear about this."

Draco was too angry to care, and his resolve to allow himself to be used in this odious arrangement was wavering badly. After his encounter with Hermione in their common room he'd been loathe to leave Hermione to walk down alone, Weasley should have been picking her up. Now having a stupid fight with Astoria over a jacket, and then to find that Weasley had stood Hermione up. He hated the thought of Weasley's hands on Hermione anyway, and he was just in the mood to toss it all in.

"I will happily escort Hermione into the hall," he told them all, and smiling at Hermione he offered his arm. Of course, Astoria recovered from her snit immediately and possessively grabbed his other arm, glaring at Hermione.

Draco rolled his eyes and seated both witches, taking the seat between them.

He ignored Astoria, and just spoke to the remainder of the table while she sat there looking like she'd been sucking lemons.

Hermione did hear her sister, who with her partner, Adrian Pucey, was seated beside Astoria say to her at one point, "Get over it, you're making the family look bad."

To which she snapped back. "But he wore that jacket last time too, he should have thrown it out and bought another one."

"When has he had the chance to do that?" Daphne replied.

Astoria shrugged. "I don't know, but he should have."

Hermione couldn't believe the shallowness of the witch, but it was none of her business, and she turned her thoughts to wondering why the hell Ron had thought it was all right to just leave, and couldn't he have at least sent her a note.

Since this function was their last, Hermione and Draco opened the dancing, and it was a hundred times more difficult to remain detached from him than it had been at Christmas, but they performed their best, as it was one of their last duties as head girl and boy.

As soon as dinner was over Astoria disappeared, oh Hermione had no doubt that she was watching, and if they hadn't been so eager to avoid her, one of them may have noticed her watching a boy from her year out of the corner of her eye, and giving him little smiles when she thought that no one was looking, but no one did.

xox

Near the end of the evening, Hermione found herself sitting and watching, and was surprised when Professors Babbling and Vector beckoned her over to sit with them.

"Have you decided what you're planning to do now, Hermione," Septima Vector asked.

Hermione sighed. "I am having trouble deciding, and apprenticeships are difficult to come by."

"They are," Bathsheda Babbling agreed, smiling at her companion.

"However, for a talented student such as yourself," Septima said. "We believe that you could manage to combine two masteries, and we," she gestured between herself and Bathsheda, "would be willing… nay, very happy to…"

"Offer you apprenticeships in both Ancient Runes…" Bathsheda cut in.

"And Arithmancy," Septima finished.

Hermione had been turning her head back and forth between the two witches as they almost excitedly told her their plan, and she watched them now, smiling at her. It was true to say that she hadn't been able to decide between the two disciplines, and that this would solve her problem.

"The headmistress has approved our offer," Septima told her excitedly.

"The only downside is that we cannot offer you accommodation here at the castle," Bathsheda added.

"But you could Floo in and out, I'm sure Minerva would approve that," Septima informed her.

It was exactly the offer Hermione could have only dreamed off. "May I consider it, and give you my answer in the morning?"

"Of course, my dear," Septima said.

"We'll be waiting with bated breath," Bathsheda told her, and then they were up and gone appearing to have only been lingering because they were waiting to speak with her.

Hermione watched them talking animatedly as they walked back to the teacher's table, and that was when she noticed that other teachers were approaching students too. She was thrill to see Professor Dawlish speaking with Harry, and Madam Pomfrey talking to Ginny, although she thought that Ginny was too intent on becoming Madam Potter and having Harry's babies to consider becoming a Mediwitch at present.

It was then that she noticed that the evening was almost over, and she happily wandered out of the hall and went up to her room. She had a lovely evening, and now she had prospects for her future. Two professors wanted her as their apprentice, and her thoughts started to circle once more to wondering where Ron had got to. Had he really had an appointment for a position on a Quidditch team? Then as she settled into bed, a niggling thought planted a seed in her mind. Was it slightly suspicious that both Ron and Lavender had left?

However, after thinking about it for a time, she decided that she was overthinking things, and she closed her eyes and allowed herself to dwell on the feel of Draco's lips on hers instead.