A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! I so hope that you are having a good holiday season, and wish you a very happy new year! You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions.

Please let me know what you thought of chapter twenty-one and be on the lookout for chapter twenty-two soon!

1999

Draco could hear the crowd roaring raucously as the home team was being announced. Pressing his hand against the small of Hermione's back, he helped guide her up the steps to get to the exclusive box where they would be watching Alphard make his professional Quidditch debut. Normally a very relaxed person, Alphard had been nervous all week, making him a very unhelpful roommate. But, Draco was sure that once he performed well - which, of course he would - he would go back to his typical, happy-go-lucky self.

"How much longer?" Hermione asked, clutching the hand rail with white knuckles.

"We're nearly there," he promised, knowing that she was not the biggest fan of heights. The steep pitch of the stairs wasn't helping anything either. "But don't worry, I won't let you fall," he said sincerely. Teasing would only get him a smack.

Harry was waiting for them when they entered the box finally. He gave Draco a look that suggested he had questions about the way that Draco kept his arm slung around Hermione's waist, casually possessive. He didn't fancy telling him and Alphard that he was going after Hermione, for real this time, because he was certain they would think she deserved someone better. But, if Hermione wasn't going to complain about their closeness, he wasn't going to lift a finger before he absolutely had to.

"You're just in time," Harry said cheerfully. "They haven't announced Alphard yet."

Moving so that they could get a good look out of the box, Draco peered through the assembled team until he found their friend. "Look," he said, pressing his mouth closer to Hermione's ear so that she could hear him properly. "There he is - number six!"

It was amazing to watch him fly around the stadium, soaking up all the cheers and swoons. There was no surprise for the trio of friends that he was the best looking on the team, and it seemed that the witches watching had cottoned on to that fact as well.

"Are Alphard's parents coming? Stellan and Aggy?" Hermione asked, shaking her head at the theatrics Alphard was pulling on his broom, hiding a smirk. "I would think that your family would be here as well."

Draco furrowed his brow. He wasn't entirely sure, but they had insisted on sitting separately. His uncle Sirius always looked at Hermione strangely, but Draco could never figure out why. He was probably the least prejudiced one in their family, so it couldn't be that she was a muggleborn. Maybe he was worried about the impression that Harry and he would leave on the twins. Agatha was already quite mouthy, and made an excellent Slytherin. "No, they are sitting somewhere else," he explained. "I think Agatha and Stellan had to get special permission from Hogwarts to leave the school for the weekend."

Before they could discuss it much more, the game was beginning and the trio of friends was excitedly cheering on Alphard as he made his debut. He was playing spectacularly, and Draco was thoroughly enjoying the way that Hermione leaned back against him when she asked a question about particular maneuvers and the like. He was only too happy to describe to her what each individual position was doing.

"Do you ever think about trying out for a team?" Hermione asked him, while Harry was enthralled in the battle between the two seekers. "I'm no expert, but I think you are better than some of the chasers on the pitch."

Draco could feel himself blush from her honest assessment. Hermione had no reason to lie and try to flatter him, and it felt better than any number of compliments that he'd heard before. "It's crossed my mind," he revealed. But, he was very worried that being a Malfoy would hold him back. It was a fear that kept him from even trying, knowing that he wouldn't be able to handle the humiliation. "But, I don't think I'd be up to snuff."

"Really?" Hermione asked, wrinkling her nose at him and looking utterly adorable. "What about in the coaching staff then? You were always brilliant at coming up with plays. Derek was always complaining about the stuff that you came up with."

The mention of her ex-boyfriend was enough to send cold water rolling down Draco's spine, completely snuffing out the compliment that she paid him. Swallowing, he tried to come up with a suitable answer. "Maybe someday," he said with a shrug. "I'm kind of happy just where I am right now."

Hermione seemed satisfied, glad that he was doing anything at all, considering he had been utterly adrift after graduating Hogwarts. "I would just hate to see you give up something that you love so much," she said, pressing a hand to his chest. "Does the wizarding world have Sunday league?"

Draco knew he would relish the way that her pink tongue darted out to lick her lower lip, his mind conjuring all sorts of scenarios involving her mouth and plump lips later in the safety of his own bed. "Uh, I don't think so? What is it?"

"Oh you know, it's a league for a casual player. Someone who loves the sport, but doesn't have the time, desire or skill to devote to professional play," she tried to explain. "My dad loves football, and was even in a youth academy for a while, but he wasn't quite good enough to make the jump to league play. But, he still does Sunday league every year, now."

It all sounded like gobbledygook to him, and Draco wondered if this is what it was like for muggleborns to hear about Quidditch constantly. "No, we don't have those," he said, finally. "But I would love to go see one of your father's games. I've never been to a football match before."

"Of course you haven't," Hermione said with a grin. "But we could take you to a better game than my dad's," she teased, before her attention was pulled back to the Quidditch match. "I'll take you to an actual premier league game sometime."

While he knew that she didn't mean it that way, Draco was far too focused on the prospect of going on a date with Hermione. Maybe he'd even take her to dinner afterwards. He was so distracted by his plans that he didn't even see Alphard score by knocking a quaffle through the rings with his beater's bat.