I don't own Harry Potter. Gosh its getting boring saying this so much…

And apologies for not uploading, I was rather very ill for two weeks and then suddenly GCSE's crept up on me!

Saturday was a day of new hope and promise. Hermione sat in the head's study, ready and waiting (albeit slightly impatiently) for Theo who was meant to be arriving shortly to pick her up. She was currently sorting her Austen novels by publishing date.

"Northanger Abbey, written first. Published last."

She turned around to see Theo leaning against the door. His canvas jacket was slung over his shoulder and as she looked him up or down she did a little mental "meh" truth was, he looked pretty good. Collared shirt, jumper over the top with a scarf wound loosely around his neck. Her eyes travelled past the black jeans until she saw he was wearing checkered vans. He smiled at her "Shall we bugger on off then?"

"I suppose we should" They were both grinning and Theo offered her his arm

"M'lady" He smirked and she batted him away. Hand to his chest in mock offense he took a swinging step back straight into Harry Potter. Harry patted him on the back good naturedly before being attacked by Hermione who wrapped her legs and arms around him like a sloth.

"HARRY!"

His face broke into a happy smile, slightly creased at the eyes.

"But I thought you were still in Mexico? Or was it Guadeloupe? Or Spain?"

"No, we finished up early so Shacklebolt let me have the weekend off."

Harry had been doing an advanced Auror placement with Kingsley Shacklebolt for the past two months, the placement had only run into term by about a fortnight and a half, and Mcgonagoll had allowed him to return later, provided he caught up the work. After all, the boy-who-lived needed some downtime when it wasn't just Lord Voldemort trying to kill him. With you-know-who all taken care of, Harry had set out to find someone else who was going to try and get rid of him, hopefully before they found him. Preemptive strike. Hermione had missed her best friend for a week and a half, and was feeling slightly jealous of his extensive travels. This melted away as he promised to tell her all about it later, she wanted to hear all about Mexican culture, the food, clothing, wizards! For now he had to find Ginny, and did she know whether Ron was back yet from the under 18 tour for quidditch and whether she knew who was captain this year. When he asked about quidditch captain with a grin she smacked him, obviously it was Potter. They both laughed a little bit and exchanged lesson pleasantries. Nott stood there feeling slightly left out. He didn't despise Potter, but now was meant to be 'make Malfoy jealous of him etc. etc.' time. Harry seemed only now to take in who Nott was.

"Slytherins, Hermione? Oh how high the mighty have fallen."

She pushed him and introduced Nott. "Head boy and fellow novel enthusiast."

Harry shook his hand and smiled warmly. "Alright, I'm pretty sure my gorgeous girl friend is missing me, and if I don't find her I might be the boy-who-nearly-lived."

Hermione groaned, "enough with the Potter jokes, Potter"

"Been spending too much time with them if you're calling me Potter" Harry called behind him as he walked down the corridor.

Hermione took Theo's arm and they proceeded down the hallway together, reaching the main hall and passing through to the courtyard. Hogsmede seemed sleepy today as they arrived at the outskirts of the small town. Hermione could only see a few Hogwarts students, much less than the usual throng of overeager third years. It was definitely a pleasant change and the two seventh years weaved their way through the cobbled streets coming upon the usual haunt of the three broomsticks. There was an abundance of tables and picking one became the difficult rather than finding one. After picking a cozy and worn table with two chairs near to the fire, the two ordered a butterbeer each and began to talk about school, novels, workload. They were generally chatting, it was friendly, bordering on flirty. Both were laughing loudly and amicable bantering occurred, they were wrapped up in each other without even realizing it. Neither of them noticed a tall blonde boy in a dark corner, features blurred by shadow and also by the large daily prophet held at arms length, and he was realizing it. He had caved and bought a Weasley Wizard product, one of those gummy ears things. Draco didn't know what it was called, but he did know that it worked.

"So, you and Draco? I'm thinking that's the whole 5-year-olds who tease each other but really actually like them."

"I'm shocked Nott, speaking about another man on our date, are you sure it's not you who has a crush on Malfoy?"

"Don't change the subject, is he a yes or a no?"

"I can't say whether he's a yes or a no?! He terrorized me for 6 years, and whilst he may have dashingly good looks it is just a pretty exterior. What about substance? A brain between his symmetrical ears?"

"He has a brain! He means well, I promise." Theo stopped. Why was he talking Malfoy up? He actually was starting to like Granger more than he should. Despite her seemingly untamable hair, which she had let grow out. As it turned out length meant weight which had calmed most frizz, now she had a rather gorgeous head of what could only be described of as zingy ringlets. He had teased her about her hair asking whether Lavender had given her a hair spell. She had brayed outright at that, laughing herself silly, Hermione didn't talk to the bint apparently, and no, she had most certainly not used a hair spell. Theo started to see that he kind of did like her, I mean when was the last time he had talked to a girl about her hair? That would be never…

"But you! You have substance" Granger continued. Theo looked up at that, he had substance?

"Flattered, Mione." She raised an eyebrow at the nickname,

"I didn't realize that you had a death wish?"

"Harry gets to call you Mione?! I've heard Weasel calling you that at least twice? Why not me?"

"I'm sorry, did you come travelling searching for horcruxes with us for a year? Didn't think so. No life bonding experiences, no nickname."

Both of them laughed it off, and the conversation drifted away from Draco. It drifted to previously unchartered waters of more and more flirtatious conversation. In fact it seemed like the most natural thing as they paid for their drinks and left the pub to slip their hands into the warm grasp of the other's. It seemed like the most natural thing as Theo slipped his arm around her waist. It seemed like the most unnatural thing as Draco spotted them, faces pressed together intently, Hermione lent against a wall, Nott's hands around her waist. Leaning into each other kissing like there was no one else there, because they didn't know he was there. For them it was just each other, and Draco detested it