Hermione stood in the small square focusing on the large brick buildings in front of her. Slowly, houses Eleven and Thirteen broke apart, stone scraping. Twelve Grimmauld Place appeared before her and she smiled before raising the door knocker.
Dark, unruly hair and emerald green eyes greeted her before she was dragged into a tight hug.
"Hermione! It's been ages!" She laughed, feeling Harry's chest shake under her own as he joined in. Crookshanks let out a mewling hiss from his carrier by their feet and she pulled away from Harry. He planted a friendly kiss on her cheek before leaning down to stick a finger through the grates of the carrier. He immediately lept back with a shout, hand clutched to his chest and finger dripping blood from a small scratch. "I've forgotten what a bloody beast that cat is." She let a playful scowl flit across her face before she bent down to coo at Crookshanks.
Hermione's room was right next to another empty bedroom, with yet another shared bathroom between the two. She was thankful there wasn't another occupant however. The bed was large and the comforter was a calming silver colour, which led to a quick reminiscent thought of Draco's eyes.
They hadn't spoken since she crawled into his bed to keep him calm. The two had finished off their year and met each others eyes as they stepped off the train. That was the last she had seen of him as he walked into his mother's arms. She had been whisked away by the Weasley's for a short period of time before arriving at Harry's new domain.
Her new room was empty of any personal decoration; ready to be filled by her memoirs and collectibles. A large dresser sat opposite the bed and a beautiful mahogany writing desk was up against a wide window which looked down on the square below. She dropped her trunk by the dresser and set Crookshanks loose to roam this unknown dwelling. Harry watched as she ran a hand over the bedpost and turned to face him.
"It's lovely, really." He beamed. She smiled back. He swung an arm back towards her door.
"There's an entire rest of the house left to discover." She nodded before following him out.
They walked through the drawing room, now cleaned up to seem almost welcoming, which was on the same floor as her room. There was another guest room with its own bathroom across from hers, along with a small lounge near the stairs. Another flight up, they came across a large study and library along with Harry's bedroom and another guest room; each with their own private bath however. Leading back to the ground floor, Harry pointed out the blank spaces on the walls.
"I've taken down quite a few old paintings. Finally, with Kreacher's help, I was able to yank down old Walburga's screeching face." She laughed but when Kreacher popped into existence, she ceased. She hoped he hadn't heard her laughing at his old mistress; that would only make him like her less.
"You called, master?" Harry smiled at the wrinkled elf.
"Not really. I was just explaining some stuff to Hermione. She'll be living with us, Kreacher, so I expect kind regards to her as you do with myself." Kreacher bowed deeply in her direction.
"Of course, master. Hello, missus." She smiled down at him before crouching beside him.
"You don't have to be all stuffy with me. I'd rather you didn't bow." He nodded, looking her up and down for a moment before popping away with a quick snap of his long, gnarled fingers. She sighed, raising back to her feet. He sure was a difficult creature.
"So down here's the kitchen, you remember. . ." He trailed off when he pushed open the door. "Ah, Narcissa!" Hermione froze. She stood with one hand holding the edge of the door as Harry continued to enter the kitchen. Her sight was blocked by the door still, so slowly she pushed it forward to look into the room.
Narcissa Malfoy stood in the center of the room, conversing with Harry. Her blonde hair was pulled back by an exquisite diamond clip and her lips painted in the deepest cherry red Hermione had ever seen. She had her hands clasped together in front of her long black robes, nails matching her lips and fingers adorned with silver rings.
Standing just behind her, next to the roaring fireplace, was Draco Malfoy looking as uncomfortable as could be. He was donned in all black, pale hair slicked back. His molten eyes roamed the room and then stopped on the doorway where Hermione was still standing, shocked to hell and back. She saw, if it was at all possible, his face drop in colour as his lips fell open in a silent gape. She presumed she looked just as surprised.
"You must be Hermione Granger." Hermione's eyes tore away from Draco to look at Narcissa. The woman had stepped closer, chin pointed high in a way that made Hermione want to laugh. Draco definitely got some major characteristic traits from his mother. "Draco's told me a bit about you. Harry talks about you so much, I was wondering when we would meet formally."
"I. . .yes, yes I am." Narcissa's response threw her off guard slightly. She took a step farther into the room, letting the door swing shut behind her. She held out a hand, expecting the older woman to disregard it. She was surprisingly pleased to be greeted by a cool hand shaking her own. Narcissa smiled, teeth gleaming and lips curled elegantly. She seemed so different compared to the memory Draco had showed her. Hermione disregarded that fact and returned her attention to the matter at hand as Narcissa released her grip. "I apologize if I'm being forward. . .but what are you two doing here?"
Harry balked.
"I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you about this. Me and Narcissa have been-" Hermione cut him off.
"'Narcissa and I', Harry. I know you went to muggle primary school, please don't butcher your grammar when you know what's correct to say and what isn't." A hand pressed itself to her forehead as she took in a breath. Harry nodded, sending her an apologetic smile.
"Sorry. Narcissa and I have been meeting up for tea every week. Sometimes Andromeda and Teddy show, but it's only every so often. They all are welcome to spend a night or two here. The Ancient Black Manor in France was destroyed, leaving this as the only ancestral home of any Black family members. I believe it's only right if they're allowed time to stay here for as long as they like." She nodded, lips tight. "Actually, Andromeda and Narcissa have been working on their relationship. I watch Teddy while they talk. Perhaps you'd enjoy that as well?" Harry dug into Hermione's maternal side. She looked up at him with an exasperated grin.
"Harry, you know I'd love that." His shoulders straightened as his smile grew wider. Narcissa and Draco stood to the side, watching the exchange.
Draco noticed that she was wearing a short sleeve shirt; something she had never done while at Hogwarts. She was facing him just so, that he could see the tiniest glimpse of the constellation across her left arm. When his eyes ran up towards her shoulder, he saw the edging of another tattoo on the outside of her left bicep. He wondered how many she had, and exactly how many of them covered scars she had gained through the war?
"Unfortunately, Narcissa, today is Hermione's first day moving in. I hope it's not terribly rude to ask if we could have this day to ourselves?" She dismissed him with a wave of her hand.
"Nonsense. Completely understandable. We'll head over to see Lucius and leave you two to catch up. Next week for tea?" Harry gave her a small smile and walked the mother and son back towards the fireplace.
"Again, I apologize for any inconvenience."
"Harry, please, it is your home. You are free to do as you please." She pressed her lips to his cheek softly before she and Draco stepped back through the fireplace. Hermione spun to face Harry, hands planted firmly on her hips.
"Well?" He tried to pull an innocent smile but failed as a laugh slipped away.
"Well what?"
"Are you going to explain why you didn't tell me earlier about you and Narcissa Malfoy being best friends?" He sat down at the large table and gestured for her to do the same. She sat begrudgingly, arms now crossed.
"She got in contact with me after the trial."
"You mean the trial where you vowed for her and Draco."
"Yes, and I didn't realize we were calling him Draco now. Come to think of it, you two had rather strange looks on your faces when you saw each other. Did something happen that I should know about?" Hermione was thankful that Harry had seemed to fail his lessons on Occlumency. Draco may have been able to look into her mind and see the memory of the two snogging under the moonlight; however, Harry could not. She shook her head. His eyebrows raised but he continued. "We began talking and when Andromeda showed up during our conversation, the two reconnected. They've been rekindling a bond and I'd hate to ruin this happy streak in Meda's life. Besides, it's nice to have family around and she did save my life. Malfoy, though. . .him I guess I'll have to get used to having around." Harry rose to grab two bottles of butterbeer from the shelf near the sink. He handed her one and sat back down.
Hermione took a swallow and leaned her head forward. Harry chuckled.
"You look tired. Would you like help unpacking?" She nodded. "Then, we could watch a movie before dinner." She looked up at that.
"A movie? Are you saying you brought a television set into the most noble Ancient House of Black?" Her lips quirked up. He watched her for a moment before shrugging.
"I did. I hide it with a cloth because it bothers Kreacher to see himself reflected when it's off. It's in that small lounge, in front of the big comfy sofa." He paused, looking at her once again. "Now, Hermione, are you sure you haven't been hanging around Malfoy? You've got quite a smirk on your face right now." Her hand flew up to cover her mouth.
"Nonsense, Harry." She waved her hand in the same manner Narcissa had and she inwardly cringed. "We'd study sometimes but nothing serious, such as any kind of solid relationship." He regarded her once more before shrugging. She noticed that his shoulders completed the action much more easily than Draco's had. "Let's go get started with my stuff."
"I already regret offering my help." Harry replied with a playful grin and forced groan. She smacked him across the shoulder.
A week later, Narcissa returned for tea alone. Hermione had already made a previous engagement with Ginny for lunch so she left Harry to entertain the Malfoy Mistress by himself.
The next week, Hermione was propped up in a lounge chair listening to Narcissa recount Draco's childhood pastimes. Harry leaned forward towards her where they sat together on the large couch. She laughed, placing a hand on his shoulder as he refilled her teacup.
"-and then he decided that he should be allowed to ride a broom fifty feet up in the air without any practice at all! You know how stubbornly thick-headed my poor boy can be." Hermione snorted into her cup. Harry shot her a curious glance. "He fell straight off as soon as he got about seven feet off the ground. Draco landed on his feet but managed to break a leg and an arm at the same time. How spectacular he is, you know? He does stupid, reckless things and walks away with mendable maladies."
"Sounds like him." Hermione muttered before taking another sip of her increasingly cold tea. Narcissa turned to her.
"Did you get to know him well, dear? During the last year?" She froze, cup poised at her lips.
"I-I guess it depends on your definition of 'well', Mrs. Malfoy." Harry's eyes were watching her carefully as Narcissa tilted her head to the side.
"Did you two ever spend time together?"
"Well, yes. We studied quite often. There was one time we went to Hogsmeade." Hermione looked down at her cup, milk swirling through the ginger coloured tea.
"Tell me about it. I like hearing other's stories of my Draco. It's interesting to see him from another's perspective." Hermione swallowed tightly, glancing up at Harry who was staring intently at her.
"Uhm. . .well, we tried to go to the Three Broomsticks but decided that there were too many people there. We ended up at the Hog's Head, got some drinks, and talked for most of the afternoon." She shrugged her shoulders. "That was about it."
"What about your study sessions? What all did you work on?" Hermione grimaced. Of course Narcissa had to be so bloody interested in her son's activities.
"Mainly Defense Against The Dark Arts. Every so often we worked on Arithmancy or Ancient Runes. One time we talked about my Latin classes, but that was mostly just reviewing a spell we practiced." Hermione lifted an arm in another dismissive wave but when Narcissa's eyes widened, she stopped moving. Her eyes dropped to where the older woman was staring, and saw the black inkings on her skin. They were visible to the two sitting across from her and she pulled her arm back with a crack as her elbow popped.
"I. . .where did you get that?" Narcissa's voice was quiet but she sounded much higher pitched than usual. Hermione's cheeks flamed as Harry looked between the two confusingly.
"It's nothing, just something Dr-" She cut herself off as Narcissa raised a hand to cover her mouth.
"What? What is it?" Harry hated being out of the loop and so he stood and walked over to Hermione. He reached down to grab her wrist and turned her arm up to see the marking. "I don't get it. It's just a couple of dots connected by some lines. What's it supposed to be?"
"A constellation." Narcissa was standing as well now. She looked down her nose at Hermione before lowering her chin towards her chest. "I assume it's very important to Miss Granger. If you don't mind, Harry, I will be heading out now. There's somethings I need to take care of." He nodded before letting Hermione go. She stood, watching Harry offer his arm to Narcissa. He walked her to the fireplace and bid her farewell. As the green flames died down and Narcissa Malfoy was no longer there, he spun back to Hermione.
"Harry, I can explain."
"Please do. What constellation is it? Why is it important?" Her fingers crawled back up to tug at her curls.
"It's a long story."
"I have time."
"You remember that ugly curse Bellatrix carved into my arm?" He nodded, eyebrows raised in question. She hurried on. "Well, I had no idea how to lessen the inflammation and somehow Malfoy figured out it was still hurting me." Harry held up a hand.
"How did he find that out?"
"He. . .he grabbed my arm to stop me from walking away from him. I hissed at him and he realized what he had grabbed."
"Why did he stop you from walking away from him?"
"I dont know, Harry! Will you just listen to me, now, please?" He pushed his glasses up farther on his nose before nodding stiffly. She tugged at her hair even harder. "Well, he knew a spell to help heal it. It was Dark Magic, that's why I could never find it. Anyways, after it healed, he used that tattoo spell I found to help cover the scarring." He watched her for another minute.
"Why did he care?"
"I. . .that's personal, Harry." His eyes narrowed.
"What are you keeping from me, Hermione? Did anything bad happen? Did he do anything to you?"
"No! No, not at all. Quite the opposite really. Everything's fine, I promise you."
"That still doesn't explain what constellation that is or why it would be important to you." She sighed, closed her eyes and counted to five, before looking back at him.
"It's the Draco Constellation." His olive skin dropped in colour.
"What?"
"It's the constellation that Malfoy was named for."
"Why is that important to you, Hermione?" Her teeth dug into her bottom lip.
"It's not, really. It's more important to him actually. That's the point of the spell; it's meant to reflect the personal likeness of the caster." Harry watched her for another moment before leaving the room. She dropped down onto the chair, putting her face in her hands and breathing heavily.
Harry returned ten minutes later to find her in that same position.
"Hermione, I trust you." She sat up quickly, staring at him. "I trust you with my life. No matter what's going on between you and Malfoy. . .I guess I'll just have to support you." She flung herself at him. He stifled a groan and pushed her hair out of his face.
"Thank you, Harry. I promise nothing is happening, though." He snorted. She pulled back to look at him and gave him a smack over the top of his head. "Harry James Potter, didn't you just say that you trust me?"
"Well, sure, I trust you to take care of yourself and make sure you're not making any mistakes. Do I trust your emotional ties? Not a bit." She raised her hand to smack him again but he grabbed her wrist. "You're such an emotional wreck. Always have been. You think so logically that you never leave room for feelings. When you do let your emotions take over, hell, do they take over." Hermione finally laughed. Harry joined in, pulling her into a slight waltz in the lounge.
They danced for a few minutes before parting.
"Dinner time? How's chicken sound?" Harry grinned.
"If you're cooking, I guess I should take what isn't burnt." Hermione sent him a look before heading down to the kitchen.
A week after that, Narcissa returned for tea and dinner with Draco in tow.
"Would you mind if we stayed tonight, Harry?" Andromeda had arrived for dinner as well. The (albeit former) Black sisters sat with their legs turned towards each other. Little Teddy Lupin was plopped in Hermione's lap, chubby fingers tugging at any curls that fell out of her bun. Draco sat nearby and watched her with a careful eye. Her shoulder leaned into Harry's and he pushed up on the wire frames of his glasses.
"Not at all. You're all free to stay whenever you'd like. Even you, Mal-Draco." Dark jade eyes flitted over to Draco. He nodded.
"Thanks, Potter. I appreciate the sentiment." Harry snorted, jostling Hermione. She sat upright and readjusted the baby in her arms. Teddy let out a squeal before his hair fell down over his shoulders in large, auburn ringlets. She stared at him for a moment in surprise before starting to laugh.
"I'm guessing you like my hair, huh?" She slipped a finger around one of his new curls and bumped his nose with another finger.
"Who wouldn't, Granger?" Draco had drawled out, not realizing their present company was still listening. He froze as he felt his mother's eyes fall on him. Hermione looked up at him, face blank, before she gave him a soft quirk of her lips. Harry stared at Draco with wide eyes, mouth agape. Teddy giggled before grabbing Hermione's face and squishing his pudgey fists into her cheeks. Her lips pouted out and she looked down at the grinning child.
"It's getting late." Andromeda spoke up. Harry's eyes drifted to the clock above the stove and saw that it was indeed going on nine o'clock. Teddy needed to be put to bed soon and it didn't seem like he was leaving Hermione's side. Andromeda noticed this as well, and said as such. "Hermione, darling, would you mind if Teddy took residency in your room tonight?"
"Not at all. I can conjure up a cozy cot for him-"
"There's no need, dear. He prefers staying in the bed with someone else." Hermione nodded. That should be alright. She didn't move much in her sleep and was sure the small boy would be just fine.
Andromeda took the room next to Harry's as Narcissa took the lone guest room on Hermione's floor. Draco took one last look as Hermione disappeared into her room with the young child before entering his own. He set about cleaning it up as it wasn't entirely well maintained.
When he came across a door, he eyed it for a moment. Then with a quick twist of his wrist, he turned the knob and entered. . .to find Hermione pulling her shirt over her head. He froze in the doorway, eyes drawing down her rather thin figure.
She had already slipped into a pair of shorts, dark legs so stark and thin against the bright white fabric they seemed to be shadows. Her stomach was flat, ribs peeking out under the pink underwire of her bra. Her hips and arms seemed to be the only parts of her that were filled out. The bright inking of a dove stood out on her left shoulder, along with the puckered white lining of a scar. Another large scar was spread across the bottom of her stomach and along her right side, looking to be a foaming white, winding river through dark terrain. As she dropped the shirt down to the floor, her eyes lifted to the mirror to see Draco gaping behind her. She spun around, hand already thrust towards him. He slammed back into his room.
When he reopened the door, five minutes later, the bathroom was empty. He let out a breath before starting a cold shower.
Hermione held Teddy flush against her chest as she read him one of the tales from Dumbledore's copy of Beedle the Bard. He began to nod off and she finished the story before flicking her finger towards the light. The room went dark and she ran a hand over his hair, which was now bright blue and sticking up in every direction.
It took her hours to fall asleep that night; her mind replaying the look on Draco's face as he saw her shirtless in front of him.
"Granger." A finger prodded her cheek. "Granger, wake up, will you?" Another prod. A hand on her shoulder began to shake her. She moaned. The motion stopped. Her hands clutched onto the small body in her arms tighter. "Granger, please wake up." A hand encircled her upper arm and pulled her to sit upright. Her eyes popped open and she pulled Teddy into her lap and shot her hand out towards the person invading her sleep. Hermione heard a thump and a hurl of expletives and insults thrown her way.
"Damn it, woman!" All of a sudden, the light was shining and she ducked her head down into her chest where Teddy was coddled. "You don't get sleep if I don't either. Your bloody pest won't quit bothering me. He seems to think the room is his." She finally opened her eyes to look up at the glowing halo of blonde hair in front of her. Draco's face was pulled into a tight frown.
"Malfoy?"
"Yes, Malfoy. You know, the man supposed to be sleeping next door yet your ruddy monster won't let me!" She blinked, mind still reeling from being jostled awake.
"Climb in." He pulled back, as if she had slapped him.
"What?"
"Climb in. Crookshanks won't leave you alone. There's nothing I can do to make him relinquish his 'territorial conquests'." She raised her hands and crooked two fingers each to mimic quotation marks. Draco continued to stare at her with suspect and confusion.
"You mean to say, you can't even control your own animal? That's fucking ridiculous. . ."
"Language, Draco." His body tensed. Looking closer at her, he noticed the glaze in her eyes. She really was useless when tired. "Climb into the bed already, you ninny. It's not like we haven't slept in the same bed before." His thoughts flashed back to his dormitory at Hogwarts and a light blush coated his cheeks.
Slowly, he pulled back the covers on the empty side of the bed. As he slipped under, Hermione laid back down and faced him.
"Turn off the damn light, if you would, please." He paused for a moment, raised a hand to the light and muttered "nox" under his breath. It took him four tries until the light disappeared. When he looked back at Hermione, she was fast asleep with the small child still clinging to her chest.
"Language, Hermione." Draco whispered before falling into slumber as well.
Hermione awoke to find her face pressed against cool skin and lanky arms wrapped around her waist. A small body wriggled in its sleep between her and the larger body next to her. Her eyes peeked open to find her nose pushed up against Draco's shoulder and her cheek resting in the crook of his neck. He was shirtless, chest rising and falling gently.
She leaned back slightly to look down at Teddy. His hair had shifted back into her curls, the colour slightly paler than before. His nose was more pointed and cheekbones higher than usual and, as Hermione looked back up at the man holding her, she noticed that Teddy's new facial structure seemed to match Draco's. She blinked.
Draco's lips were parted and soft whispering breaths escaped between them with every drop of his chest. Her eyes roamed down his chest to study the thin tapering scars. The hand she had placed on his hip tensed as he shuffled under her. His hand rested on the small of her back, fingers dipped under her shirt and palm flat against her skin.
She felt her eyes growing heavy again and she reluctantly let herself relax back into him. Soon enough, she had drifted off to sleep once more.
Harry was perplexed. Narcissa was adamant that they search every place possible to find her son. She, Harry, Andromeda, and the newly arrived Ron congregated in the kitchen. When Narcissa had gone to get Draco for breakfast, she found his room empty except for a large orange cat curled up on his bed.
"Are we sure he didn't just leave?" Ron piped up from where he sat at the table, a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him. Andromeda looked at him over her cup of coffee and grimaced.
"His clothes from last night were draped over the desk chair. He has to be somewhere." She took a sip, eyes watching Narcissa pace. The elder sister was still in her nightgown, hair falling over her face and eyes wide in worry.
"Well, let's go ask Hermione if she's seen him. She hasn't been down yet, but they share a bathroom so maybe she's heard him moving around." Harry started towards the stairs. The others followed him.
The four of them stood in front of her door, wondering who would be first to enter. Andromeda reached over Harry's shoulder to knock twice on the door. There was no response and after another few knocks, silence still remained. Harry sighed and reached for the knob. As the door swung open slowly, he whispered "lumos maxima" and brightened the room. Two gasps sounded behind him as Hermione's bed was flooded with light.
A head of curly hair was buried in Draco's chest; his pale face looking up towards the ceiling with eyes closed and soft snoring lilting from his open mouth.
"Malfoy?" Ron's face was crimson. Harry lept forward to grab him by the shoulders before he could get too close to the sleeping couple. "What the hell is Malfoy doing in bed with her?"
"I don't know, Ron, but you know Hermione would skin you alive if you woke her like this." That seemed to calm the redhead down a little. Narcissa stepped forward to place a hand on Draco's shoulder.
"He's never been a morning person." Her voice was a whisper as she looked down at them. Softly, she shook him until he groaned and raised a hand to his face. His fingers dug at his eyes before slipping back around Hermione's waist and under the hem of her shirt.
"Wha's happen'in?" Draco's voice was thick and groggy, as he blinked up at his mother. It took him another few moments before he realized where he was and what he was doing. He shot up and away from Hermione, yanking on her hair as he went. As her pillow leapt away from her, she moaned and her eyebrows creased angrily.
Now that Draco had sat up, Teddy was visible between them. The small boy still had Hermione's hair and Draco's facial features. Narcissa lifted a hand to her mouth as Andromeda burst out in laughter.
Hermione finally rose, one hand dragging down her face and brushing her hair back while the other clutched Teddy to her chest. When she opened her eyes to see the amount of people watching her, she gasped. Looking to her left, Draco sat in the bed looking just as uncomfortable as she felt.
"What's going on here?" Ron was standing there with his arms crossed and ears burning red. One of Hermione's hands creeped back up into her hair to tug on the strands.
"Crookshanks wouldn't let him sleep in his bed." Draco nodded stiffly, eyes lowered to the blanket covering his lap. Harry noticed the scars on his chest.
"Did I do those?" Everyone turned to look at either Harry or Draco. Draco looked up at him slowly, eyebrow raised in question. "With the curse in Sixth Year. Did I make those?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry." Draco's face dropped in surprise before slipping back into its stony demeanor.
"Forgive and forget, Potter." Hermione looked back at him, face blank. He glanced at her before turning his attention to his mother. "What's going on? Why are you all here?"
"You weren't in your room. I thought something horrible had happened." Narcissa lifted a hand to push his hair back from his eyes. "Just. . .come down for breakfast, darling." She turned back to the others and motioned for them to leave. Andromeda stepped forward to collect Teddy from Hermione's arms and gave her a warm smile. Hermione tried to return the grin but instead sent her more of a grimace. Ron watched the two sitting in the bed for another moment before following Narcissa and Andromeda out of the room. Harry stood in the doorway.
"You might want to get dressed." Hermione nodded; Draco huffed. "And, I will be having a talk with you both. . .privately. . .later on today." With that, Harry closed the door on them. Hermione turned to Draco.
"Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Your mother just saw us wrapped around each other while you're half naked and you have no qualms whatsoever?" His eyes narrowed.
"None. It seems, however, that your ex-boyfriend has a few concerns about it. Maybe you should have a talk with him." She bristled.
"And why should I do that?"
"Because he might think that you tried your little seduction game on me." He raised an eyebrow. Her face flushed.
"Ronald would never think that. Besides, my seduction skills are not up for your comments. You barely know half the things I can do." She stood from the bed, throwing the blanket back towards his face. Draco watched her walk towards the dresser, her shorts riding up and letting a slight curve of her bottom hang out under the cotton material. Slowly, he dragged his eyes away from her rear end to watch her hair swing over a shoulder as she rummaged through the drawers.
"Malfoy, stop staring at me." He blinked, realizing she had turned to face him with a slight frown stretching her lips.
"I'm gazing; it's different." He stood from her bed then, and stalked towards her. She held up a hand and he paused. When it was clear she wasn't going to blast him away immediately, he took a tentative step forward. She watched him for another moment and then turned back to her dresser. He took a few more steps until he was just behind her.
"Why do you love to bother me so?" Hermione sighed, turning around to face him again. At that point, he turned her slightly and backed her against the wall to the right.
"Seeing you get fired up makes my day. Your hair frizzes out into a riotous tangle and your eyes burn with fury. You get so frazzled and it's hilarious." Her eyes narrowed. A hand raised towards his chest, but he planted his hands on either side of her head and leaned closer.
Their faces were inches apart and she locked eyes with him. His hair fell over and into his eyes, and she felt a sudden urge to brush it back. She swallowed, resisting the temptation.
Draco dipped his head lower, eyes hooded. Hermione noticed that he was no longer really looking at her, but at her lips. She licked them self-consciously, and he bit his own bottom lip. She dropped her own gaze down to his lips at that motion.
Before either of them noticed it happening, their noses bumped together and Draco's arm was encircling her waist. Her arm slipped around his neck and a hand rested on his bare chest as he ran a thumb over her cheek. Their lips brushed together just barely, and then they were crushing each other's mouths.
Hermione hummed against his mouth and he slid his tongue along her bottom lip. She parted her lips and his hand tilted her head back farther as he ravished her. Her fingers dove into his hair, curling around the thin, velvety strands. The hand on her waist slipped up under her shirt, fingers grazing her spine and rising up towards her shoulderblades.
When his hand didn't come across any form of lingerie, he growled against her mouth. She whimpered and pulled at his hair harder. Her fingernails dug into his shoulder when his hand disappeared from her face and lifted the front of her shirt. As his fingers brushed the underside of her breast, she shivered.
A knocking on the door broke them out of their reverie. Draco immediately untangled himself and Hermione involuntarily cried out as his hand left her chest. She covered her mouth with her hands, astonished by what had just slipped out. Draco's face was bright pink and his lips were gasping for air.
"Breakfast is set!" Andromeda's voice called through the door.
"Be right down!" Hermione shouted back. Draco was looking everywhere but at her. As his eyes traipsed over her still open dresser drawers, he saw a maroon sweater folded neatly. He glanced down at his shirtless torso and his shoulders raised awkwardly in a shrug before he grabbed at the sweater. Better than not wearing a shirt.
Hermione watched him slip the large sweater on and it seemed to fit him perfectly. He turned to give her a nod before leaving the room in her Weasley family sweater and his gray sweatpants. She felt a grin crease her lips and her cheeks flamed. His hair was still ruffled where she had pulled on it and she enjoyed seeing him disheveled.
When Hermione entered the kitchen, three sets of eyes were watching her every movement. Narcissa seemed wary, Ron looked angry, and Harry was concerned.
"How did you sleep?" Andromeda was hiding a large grin as she placed a plate of food in front of Draco. His cheeks were still flushed and he had tried to flatten his hair to no avail. Hermione sat down next to Harry and across from Draco while pulling on her hair.
"Quite well, actually." Andromeda placed a plate in front of the younger witch. "Thank you, it looks delicious." Hermione dug in, scarfing down eggs and bacon like she had been starved. Harry watched her with a hint of amusement gracing his face. Once she had finished her plate, she looked up at him and raised her eyebrows in questioning.
"I think that's the most you've eaten for one meal in a long time." She blushed.
"I'm just hungry, I guess."
"I wonder what caused th-"
"Why the bloody hell are you wearing Hermione's sweater?" Ron was watching Draco bite into a piece of bacon. The blonde choked and glared up at the redhead sitting on the other side of Harry.
"I'm sorry, did you expect me to show up to breakfast shirtless?"
"I expected you to not be wearing her sweater, which in case you didn't notice and you probably didn't, my dear mother made for her a few Christmas' ago." Draco froze, looking back at Hermione, before glancing down at the large golden 'H' emblazoned across his chest. He instantly recognized the sweater from one of her memories she had shared with him.
"Oh."
"It's alright, Ron." Hermione tugged at her hair again and Harry slowly untangled her fingers from it before placing her hands in her lap.
"Sit on your hands. We talked about that nervous habit of yours." Harry returned to his breakfast and Ron just stared at her. She reluctantly slipped her hands under her thighs with a sigh.
"What do you mean it's alright?" His face was boiling again.
"I mean, it's alright. We're. . .well, we're friends." Draco once again choked on his food. Bits of egg flew out of his mouth to land on the table as Ron stood up.
"Friends don't just sleep in the same bed together or wear each others clothes!" Hermione stood as well, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Oh, really? You act like I've never slept in the same bed as you or Harry before! And, I can count many a time where I wore clothes from either of you! Don't even try to pretend that you've never worn my robes before just because they were softer!" Her hands were balled into fists at her side. Ron was gaping at her as her lips tightened into a thin line reminiscent of their beloved Professor McGonagall. "Draco and I have gotten to know each other quite well during our last year at Hogwarts and I'd wager to say I understand him as much as he understands me, which is saying quite a bit! I'm sorry if you deem this as an attack on our friendship or whatnot, but you need to realize that I have friends other than you, Ronald Weasley!" She breathed out and shook her head, hair falling away from her face.
Draco was watching her with a look of admiration and Harry was wide-eyed. Narcissa kept her eyes turned down at her half empty plate while Andromeda watched with interest. Teddy let out a squeal from his highchair next to Draco before his hair burst into bright purple spikes.
"I-I didn't think-"
"No. Of course you didn't think. Do you ever?" Hermione spun on her heel and stalked out of the kitchen. Ron went to follow but Harry stood and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Mate, I wouldn't." Draco slowly rose to his feet and started towards the door.
"Draco? Where are you going?" Narcissa had finally looked up. The others watched him as well.
"I. . ." He locked eyes with his mother. He didn't know what to say to explain his actions, so instead he simply let her see why. She was gently ushered into his mind.
Shaking her head, Hermione sat down next to him. Slowly, she reached for his bleeding arm. Draco stared at the ground, letting her drag her fingers down the slices. Her wand then followed her fingers motions, closing the skin. She cleaned up the blood and made sure the skin was healed tightly before going to the bookshelf she had created. After a few minutes, she found the book she was searching for and stood up.
Draco had noticed the way her hair fell past her shoulders, longer than it had been before the war. His eyes had raked over the curve of her shoulders and the slenderness of her fingers as they draped over the different bindings. When she stood, his eyes met hers and he realized just how big and brown they were. He was reminded of the large willow trees at the Manor, their bark glistening after a fresh rain and pollen dotting small speckles of gold in the creases of the wood.
"Take your shirt off." He raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I don't know how much this is going to cover and what all will happen. Take your shirt off. It's in the way." His eyebrows both raised up further but he obliged. He let his tie fall to the floor and draped his shirt over the end of the bed.
She was sitting beside him again, book opened to a page full of art and a single spell. He watched curiously as she ran her wand down his arm, tracing the gleaming serpent and skull. He shivered and her hand gripped his wrist tighter. His eyes raised to watch her face as she worked. Her teeth bit into her bottom lip, eyes scrunched and eyebrows knitted. There was a small wrinkle where her eyebrows met and her nose twitched slightly.
"Ach! Watch it!" A burn on his wrist called his attention away. Hermione grimaced and he realized that she must not have meant to do that.
"Sorry. I've never done this spellwork before. Hold still. . ." She continued to prod at his arm. Before his eyes, the ink of his Dark Mark shaped itself into something else entirely. Slowly, an open book began to show and an assortment of flowers surrounded it. Finally, Hermione removed her wand and nodded at his arm. Draco stared down at it in astonishment. The scarring was still prominent but the image he had tried to remove was now a beautiful piece of art.
"What. . ."
"It's a tattoo. It's usually a muggle thing but plenty of wizards have them. I used the ink that was already in your skin so that it didn't react badly to any new ink." She shrugged her shoulders, seeming bored with the topic already. Her eyes danced across his bare chest as if they were trying to look anywhere but. She didn't ask about the scars nor did she look at them too long, but he knew she saw.
"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Draco had walked into the almost empty common room to see Hermione lounging on the couch. In her hands were two large needles and a ragged piece of purple wool. She looked up at him and a smile broke across her lips. Draco's heart stopped.
"I'm knitting! I started the hobby for the house elves but they didn't appreciate my offer of clothing so now I just do it to improve." She shrugged and continued with the clacking of the metal rods as she weaved the yarn together. Slowly, he walked over to a chair across from her and sank down into its plush cushions to watch her work. She glanced back up to see him cross his legs at the ankle as he leaned back.
"It looks interesting." He muttered, eyes watching her fingers move quickly.
"It's calming, really." She paused and, when her hands had stopped moving, Draco looked up at her face. "Would you like to go outside with me? I'm sure the spring weather is lovely to relax in." He balked.
"You want to go sit outside with me? In front of people?"
"Why does it matter?"
"You're Hermione Granger, war heroine and brightest witch alive. I'm Draco Malfoy, former Death Eater and sleaziest bloke alive." She snorted.
"I love how highly you think of yourself, Malfoy." His eyes narrowed.
"That's what society thinks of us, Granger. I don't cover things up with sunshine and rainbows." She laughed again.
"Merlin, you really are thick aren't you? It's not about what people think; it's about what you think. How do you perceive yourself? That's the question you should be asking. Now, let's go. Don't want to be out past curfew." She stood, gathering her things in her arms. He watched her until she reached the portrait when she turned to look back at him. "Well? Are you coming or are you going to hide away for the rest of your life?"
Draco stood and followed.
Narcissa looked frightened as Draco pushed her out from his thoughts.
"I'm not going to hide anymore." With that confusing statement that only Narcissa understood, he pulled open the kitchen door and disappeared.
"Granger?" His knuckles tapped on her door once. Silence greeted him. "Granger, it's me, Draco." Two more raps harder than the first seemed to echo in the tight hallway. A shuffling could be heard behind the door and then a muffled sob. "Come on. . .please, let me in." Another bout of silence before sniffles could be heard faintly. "Please. . .Hermione."
With a soft click, the door swung open by an inch and dark curls appeared. Hermione's splotchy face soon peeked out to look up at him.
"You called me Hermione."
"You call me Draco."
"Yes, well. . ." She paused, unsure. He took a step closer and she opened the door farther. His face was inches from her own and her eyes fluttered shut.
"Hermione. . ." She sighed and he took another step closer, backing her up and entering her bedroom. Slowly, he closed the door and then raised a hand. She had still not opened her eyes and he was cautious in placing his hand on her cheek. He softly pressed his thumb to her cheekbone and curled his fingers behind her ear. She leaned into the action, eyes slowly peeling open to look at him.
When her lips parted, he caught a faint sour breath and raised an eyebrow. Looking her up and down, he noticed just how badly she was shaking.
"Did you throw up?" She balked from his contact. He let her go.
"No. Why do you ask?"
"You're shaking like a leaf and your breath. . ." He trailed off as her fingers raised to her lips. "I'm sorry."
"No, no. Don't apologize. Just remember where that got us the first time." She laughed bitterly and the flash of their first kiss lept into his head. "So what if I threw up? It wouldn't be the first time, it probably won't be the last. It's not like anyone's noticed, and why should they? I'm Hermione Granger, I'm a stable, strong, independent woman who can take down anyone who dares try me." Her bottom lip was quivering and she was looking over his shoulder so as to not meet his eyes.
"Why do you do it?" The question confused her.
"Do what?"
"Try so hard to paint this perfect image. You're a lot more anxiety riddled and depressed than you think, if you keep trying to admit you're fine." His hand was resting along her cheek again.
"Why do you care so much?" Her voice was a whisper, tears dripping from her eyelashes, and hands creeping up to pull at her curls. He swiftly captured a hand with his free one and brought it to his lips. Draco breathed across her knuckles and she shivered.
"I didn't know I did." When he saw another tear drop from her eyelashes, he hurried on in explanation. "What I mean to say, is that I didn't realize that I had been starting to care. Being around you, everything goes by faster. Life is fuzzy, kind of like your hair I guess,-" She threw him an exasperated look. He continued. "-and it makes me want to slow it all down. Stop it, maybe. I want to take it all in and process it better. I used to just be carefree and not worry about my actions. Once Sixth Year hit. . .well, my own anxiety skyrocketed. See? Take it in testimony that I actually told you I have anxiety problems. Take it in testimony that I actually let you help me last year. Take it in testimony that I'm here, right now, with you. I'm worried about you. I don't think I've ever worried about anyone besides my family and a few close friends. I loved attention but hated the people. Now, I hate attention and I'm learning to. . ." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, I feel more relaxed. Less dramatic. I was never like this before."
"No, you weren't. You were a pompous git who bullied those you deemed below yourself and acted out every misfortune to befall Harry or anyone else really."
"You're right. I was a total asshole and I deserve all due justice for that. I apologize for everything I was, and still am, today." She leaned closer.
"No, don't apologize for who you are today. I like who you are today. . ." Her eyes fell shut again as she trailed off. Draco's lips met Hermione's in a soft embrace. The careful placement along her mouth caused a few shed tears to slip against his lips. The salty tremor of her lips opening to receive his more passionately led to another arm being wrapped around her waist.
Soon, he had laid her down upon her bed and held himself above her. As they broke apart for air, she seemed to collect herself and pushed him away.
"I can't do this. You saw how Ron reacted when you were just wearing my sweater." He looked down at her with a glaze in his eyes that she couldn't quite place.
"I thought you didn't care what he thought about everything."
"Of course I care, Malfoy. He's one of my best friends." Draco stood and walked towards her window.
"Oh, right, and let's not forget the time you two dated. I suppose it's difficult for someone else to touch you the way he did." His arms were crossed and chin held high again. Hermione stood as well, placing her hands on her hips.
"Excuse me?"
"You know what I mean, Granger."
"Obviously I don't or I wouldn't have asked."
"I saw your memory! I saw you two kiss, I saw your hands go under his shirt and the way he held you! Don't tell me nothing really happened when I know that it did." He had spun on her again, jaw tensed tightly and lips curled into a snarling sneer. It had been so long since he had looked at her with such disdain that she felt frightened of it now. "There must be something going on between you two for him to be so distraught-" he spit the word out between clenched teeth "-and caring about why you seem to be near me in the first place. So I'll leave now and never come back here again, and let you live your happy little Weasley life full of handmade sweaters and redheaded children."
Draco had pulled the sweater off by now and tossed it back towards her bed. Hermione stood still, chest heaving as she fought not to cry again.
"Goodbye, Granger." He was at the bathroom door, hand raised to the knob and back facing her. She collected herself quickly and rushed over. Her hands slid over his chest to grab onto him as she buried her face into the bony area between his shoulder blades. He stiffened. Her fingers skimmed against a raised scar and his shoulders sagged down again.
"Please don't go. None of that is true. Ron and I dated, yes, but we never. . ." She faltered.
"I saw you ask him." His voice was but a whisper.
"That doesn't mean that we did anything."
"What?" He was facing her, her hands holding loosely onto his arms in fear of him trying to leave once again.
"Look." Hermione's hands reached for his face and brought the two close; forehead to forehead. Draco stared at her, wondering when her eyes had lightened from a brilliant shade of copper and bronze into a dazzling honey chestnut. She let him in.
"Ron, I thought tonight we could. . .you know?" Hermione's fingers played with the hem of his shirt. Ron's freckled face was growing redder every second.
"Hermione. . .are you. . .?" He dropped off as she rose on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. He returned the action halfheartedly, hands stiffening on her hips. As they broke apart, she glanced up at him through hooded eyes. She thought he looked terribly frightened for some reason.
"Don't you want to do this?" She whispered, a hand resting along the pale skin of his hip. He shuddered.
"I. . ." She blinked. Ron gingerly stepped out of her grasp. "I don't know if. . ."
"If what? If we haven't been dancing around each other almost our whole lives? If we didn't fight through a bloody war and survive just to end up falling apart? What is it, Ronald?"
"I don't know if we actually want this!" He turned away from her, hands wringing together nervously.
"A solid, healthy relationship requires a good mental connection, good emotional connection, and good physical connection. What are we missing?"
"The whole lot! We're missing the whole bloody lot of it!" With that, he spared her one pitiful look and rushed out of his room. Hermione dropped onto the edge of his bed and pulled on her hair.
Too soon, she had rushed to the wastebasket and promptly expelled anything that had been sitting in her stomach. When she had finished, the tears began to fall and she sobbed freely. For one split second, her fingers had reached into her mouth towards her dangling uvula to repeat the process. However, she rethought that decision and pulled her hand back. She continued to cry as she hugged the basket to her chest.
Draco's eyes closed.
"He left you."
"We ended things mutually after that. It was never a strong relationship; we were just milking every emotion there to try and find something real."
"It was safe for you after everything that happened, huh?"
"Safest thing I could grasp onto, yes. I started reading books on how to strengthen a relationship and sex seemed like a good place to start. If two people work well together on one level, they tend to work together well on others. We were never really matched in intelligence, no matter how brilliant he may be, and emotionally we just weren't there enough."
"Brilliant? Weasley?" He snorted. Hermione pulled back from him and shot him an icy glare. He stopped. "Sorry, he just never struck me as, uh. . ."
"The most intelligent academically, not at all, I agree." She paused. "He's an absolutely fantastic strategist, though." A smile graced her lips faintly. "Merlin, he can be the smartest person alive when it comes to finding solutions. He always knows where to start and which step brings upon which consequence."
"I get it, Granger. He's brilliant, let's move on." Draco's face was taut in a bitter expression.
"Are you jealous?" It was his turn to balk.
"No, not at all, why are you asking?" He began to pace. She watched him with a curious eye.
"You hate it whenever I talk about Ron, particularly when it's good things."
"Who wouldn't? He's a bloody menace."
"Oh, shut it."
"You shut it." Draco had crossed his arms while stopping in front of her with a small pouting glare creasing his lips. Hermione took a step closer and placed her hands on her hips.
"Make me." Her statement was a purr and he shivered involuntarily.
"I can most definitely do that, however-" He dipped his head down to whisper in her ear. "-you might moan a little." With a smirk, he leaned back.
He didn't get very far before Hermione had attached herself to his lips. Their kiss was fervent and rushed; as if someone could disturb them at any moment and they could lose such passion.
As it was, a knock broke the two of them apart. Harry's voice permeated the heat that had swallowed them.
"Hermione? Are you alright?"
"Just fine, Harry! I'll be out soon!" Her hands flew up to flatten down her hair; seeing as how Draco had gotten his fingers tangled in it and caused it to outrageously expand with friction. Draco's bottom lip was bleeding. When Harry had surprised them, she had bit down in an attempt to cover a loud gasp of fright. He had groaned as she did so, and thus she counted a victory for making him moan and not vice versa.
"For fucks sake, Granger, warn me next time you want to get kinky." His fingers prodded softly at his swollen lip. She let a smirk dance across her face before turning to the door.
"I should go talk to Harry. Wait here?"
"Where else do I have to go?" She smiled genuinely before slipping outside of the room. Harry was leaning against the wall across from her, studying his fingernails.
"So, how's Malfoy?" She froze.
"What?"
"Oh, come off it. I know you two are more than friends." His voice was snappish but his demeanor remained calm and collected.
"How do you know?" Her reply was slow, trying to give her time to think of what to do. Harry apparently thought faster.
"Let's go to the lounge." He turned and started off. She followed with a heavy heart.
Once the door was closed and he had set a privacy spell, Harry approached her with a stony look.
"What the hell are you playing at?" Hermione decided her best tactic would be to let him get his frustrations out before responding and so said nothing. "Snogging and shagging Malfoy like there's no tomorrow? It's fucking disgusting and deplorable and you know better! After everything we've been through and everything he's done to you and everyone else? You have common sense! You have brilliance beyond your years! You are the smartest witch of our age, so what the hell are you thinking? Are you not thinking? Is that the problem? Are we suddenly not caring about anything and going off to do reckless, stupid things? We saw where that got us our first year when that damn troll got in. . ." He had trailed off, chest heaving and emerald eyes wild. He collapsed in the lounge chair.
"I understand friendship. That's something that is respectable and common courtesy. After the last year, I can see how you two could come together. I've talked with Ginny and Neville. I know you two spent a lot of time together. What I don't get, is how you can just let him devour you like this." Hermione blushed at the phrasing but Harry plowed on. "It's like he's somehow gotten into you, become a part of you. You do things that remind me of him, sometimes, you know?" He looked up at her then.
"You make a sarcastic remark and a smirk lights up on your face. You've started waving your hand around to dismiss things, just like Narcissa. You cross your arms when you feel threatened. Merlin, you just ate an entire meal!" He paused. "You just ate an entire meal. You. . .Hermione you ate an entire bloody meal!" He stood, a smile widening across his cheeks. Grabbing her shoulders, he leaned in close. "He got you to eat properly." With a deep inhale, he leaned back and his eyebrows furrowed.
"Unfortunately, the altercation with Ronald got to me." She deadpanned. He grimaced.
"I'm sorry he yelled at you. I'm sorry that I just yelled at you."
"I deserve it. I haven't been honest with you and I should've told you if there was something more than friendship. I do guarantee, though, that nothing happened last night. In all actuality, nothing has happened so far at all."
"You two haven't. . .you mean to say, you haven't slept together yet?"
"I'm assuming you mean that in a sexual way considering you just woke us up this morning while we were asleep in the same bed." Once again, her voice was steady and bored. He gave her a strange look.
"Don't push it; you're sounding a bit too much like him now. I'll take that as a no." He let her go. "Why him? Why did it have to be Malfoy?"
"Trust me, I've been wondering the same thing."
"Just. . .let me know if he does anything, okay?" She nodded and he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I release you back to your fucking tragedy."
Sending him a playful glare, she slipped out of his embrace and he laughed.
When she entered her room, Draco was spread across her bed with his face buried in her pillow.
"Your bed smells like a bakery, you know." His voice was muffled and Hermione stifled a laugh.
"How so?"
"I think it's your bloody shampoo. Cinnamon and caramel and vanilla; it's like I walked into Honeydukes for a pastry of sorts." At that, she openly laughed and he flipped onto his back to look at her. "What did Potter want?"
"You should really call them by their first names, you know." She settled onto the edge of her bed and he flopped back onto his stomach. "He knows about us."
"What's there to know? We haven't done anything."
"That's what I told him. He knows that this is more than just a friendship, though."
"How so?"
"'How so?' asks the one who has snogged me to bits multiple times over the last year." He smiled into her pillow.
"Good point."
"Merlin, I want to do horrible, naughty things to you." Draco bolted upright, staring at the frizzy haired witch next to him. Shock graced his features but he schooled them quickly and leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
"Like what, Granger?" She sent him a mischievous smirk before answering.
"Break your bloody neck." He blanched. She laughed. "You're such an idiot, how do I stand you?" With a soft smirk this time, he leaned back towards her.
"You don't really stand. You're hopefully going to be more or less bent over something." She sighed, waving her hand dismissively.
"Why've you always got to be so primitively sexual, Malfoy?"
"Because I know it drives you wild."
"Be glad that I'm exhausted currently, or you would be strung up on my curtain rods by now for your slight of tongue." His breath hit her neck and she shivered, just now noticing how close in proximity he had gotten to her.
"My "slight of tongue" can do more than spew innuendoes." His fingers traced the thin white scar along her neck as his eyes raked across her face. "What's this from?" She froze.
"That, uh. . ." He stopped his teasing and backed away to give her room to breathe. "Bellatrix and her knife."
"I'm sorry."
"Forgive and forget."
"You know better than to say that." Yet, Draco had leaned in to place a soft kiss upon Hermione's lips. They parted shortly thereafter and he gathered her into his arms. Their bony edges poked into each other but it was the most comfortable either had felt in a long time.
"Hey, what do you think about doing something mildly life threatening?" Her eyebrows raised as she peered at him closely.
"I would rather not."
"Aren't you the Gryffindor here?"
"You know, I never quite appreciated the stereotype of bravery my house garnered."
"'What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?'"
"There you go again, quoting a Muggle artist."
"And, once again, Vincent Van Gogh is bloody brilliant."
"I still don't understand how early your opinion, of me and people like me, had changed."
"Do you even know why I hated you, specifically?"
"Yes, of course." He looked down at her.
"Why, then?"
"Because of my blood."
"No."
"What do you mean, "no"?"
"I mean, no. I hated you because you made me question everything I had ever been taught. You were an anomaly of the status quo. Here was this beautiful, talented, brilliant witch. She became a Gryffindor as the Sorting Hat said, though she certainly could've become a Ravenclaw. To find out she was muggleborn and of filthy lineage, was a dagger through every single visage of knowledge I held. How would you have reacted?" She thought it over.
"The same, I suppose."
"Exactly." The two sat in silence until Hermione remembered their original conversation.
"What mildly life threatening idea did you have in mind?" Draco blinked twice.
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot." She waited. He stared off into space for a moment before turning to face her. "I propose-"
"Malfoy, please, I can't take a marriage proposal right now, it's simply too much." She had cut him off by raising a hand. His eyes narrowed.
"Oh, boo hoo, Granger. Let me speak." She nodded with a smile flitting across her lips. "I think, we should start introducing the idea of us to the public."
Her mind churned violently. Every thought was a whirlwind of pros and cons as she tried to wrap a single coherent thought around his suggestion.
"Not as a couple, at first. However, we could go out as friends and work on getting our lives back on track." A hand began it's travel up to her hair but he grabbed it and pressed a kiss to the knuckles.
"That. . .that should work."
"Do you have any idea what you want to do with your life?"
"Do you?"
"No clue."
"Me neither."
- A/N -
Hey guys! I hope you're enjoying this so far! I think I've come to the conclusion of making this into a full fledged story instead of a one-shot, just because there's so much more to their story here and I don't want to leave anything out. School's starting for me so I'll be pretty busy with my senior year of highschool but I'm hoping to still find all the time in the world to write. It would mean the absolute most to me if you could read, review, and share my story! Much love and thanks to you all
~ Bry