People say we shouldn't be together

We're too young to know about forever

But I say they don't know what they're talk-talk-talkin' about (talk-talk-talkin' about)

They pulled apart slowly and their eyes met again. Hermione felt an an energy and magic inside her that was pulsing and vibrating so forcefully inside of her.

She felt her heart pace accelerate and she could feel his heart matching her own pace.

"Hermione…...I want you…..I want to know you in ways we could never imagine. Will you go out with me?" Draco asked. Her body was pressed tightly against his as the snow fell in light flakes all around them.

She wanted to. She wanted to so bad. She realized that now and all her emotions were telling her yes in every language. But what would her friends say? What would the school say? The world? What would her parents say? His parents? His friends? The death eaters? Did it really matter? It was their life to live. She wanted this. She loved him. So….why not?

"Yes….." she said sounding more sure than she had ever about anything. Draco smiled so warmly his eyes seemed to light up. That made Hermione smile too. It was so rare to see Draco so happy.

Draco pulled her in again and their lips met with a satisfying feeling that both of them felt deep inside.

That evening, Hermione sat next to Draco in front of the crackling fire. Her legs were draped lazily over his long and lean ones and his arms was wrapped around her shoulders.

She was surprised to be so comfortable with Draco after only a few hours of being a couple. She supposed it was because they'd spent so much time together they might as well have been married.

"Who ever thought Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger would be together?" Draco asked lightly playing with on of the curls on her head.

Hermione smiled and placed a hand on his leg.

"I guess we did. We are them after all." she said leaning in. He closed the distance and his soft lips pressed against hers and sent chills down her spine filled with thrill and wonder. She wrapped her arms around his neck deepening the kiss and he placed his hands on her waist pulling her closer.

She would never get enough of this and who knew it would be Draco Malfoy that made her feel on cloud 9?

They broke apart and she trailed a finger down his cheekbone to his chin then his jaw.

"I'm never letting you go." Draco whispered seductively.

"Good." Hermione replied snuggling closer to Draco.

After a late night filled with light chatter, and yes some snogging, they returned to their own dorms. Hermione could see the intensity and longing in Draco's eyes as she shut the door and she couldn't help but smile.

Now she sat in her History of Magic class as Binns droned on and she carefully wrote down important notes. She wondered what Harry, Ginny and….Ron would say when they found out Draco was her boyfriend. That was one phrase she never imagined saying.

Would they be mad? Angry? Murderous? Or would they accept it and be happy for her and trusting that this was her decision to make? Would keeping one person she loved mean losing many others?

She didn't realize that the class had let out and that a certain redhead was tapping her shoulder.

"Hermione!" Ginny said getting irritable. Hermione leaped up and shook her head when she saw it was Ginny. She packed her stuff and exited the class with Ginny.

"What were you doing in that class?" Hermione asked stuffing some quills into her bag.

"I was walking to my last class when I see you thinking so hard that the room shook inside that class." Ginny said pointedly at Hermione.

"I got lost in concentration." Hermione said sheepishly.

"I was also letting you know that Gryffindor quidditch practice is at 5 this evening till 6:30." Ginny said as they passed a grumbling Filch.

"And why would I need to know?" Hermione asked furrowing her brow.

"Because," Ginny said rolling her eyes as if this were obvious. "You're coming. No questions."

Hermione scoffed. "I certainly am not."

"Oh come on!" Ginny whined. "You never get out and you are constantly studying. Although you look a great deal more happy and cheerful today." she said eyeing Hermione raising an eyebrow. "Any shagging or snogging?"

"Ginny!" Hermione exploded with disbelief. "You know me and I wouldn't shag till marriage." Hermione hissed toning her voice down.

"Alright alright. But you're coming to practice. Bring your homework or whatever but you're coming. Neville, Luna, Lavender and Parvati will be studying on the stands too so you won't be alone." Ginny said walking off to class before Hermione could interrupt.

She stalked off to class rather annoyed as she entered potions, her last class of the day.

Just as the bell rang she found her seat and plopped down before taking out some textbooks and parchment/quills.

A certain blond sat down next to her as Slughorn marched in and began writing instructions on the board.

"Don't sit here." Hermione whispered. Draco raised an eyebrow.

"And why not?" he asked crossing his arms.

"I don't want anyone to get suspicious." Hermione replied blushing.

"Of what? That we're dating? Oh come on muster up so Gryffindor strength." Draco murmured smirking as he too pulled out a textbook.

"I thought I told you that I wanted to keep it to ourselves for now and gradually tell people." she whispered hastily copying down the instructions to their potion today. It was true. She had asked him sincerely exactly that. And he had agreed with full consent.

"And sitting beside you suddenly implies that we're dating?" he asked raising a perfectly blond eyebrow. Hermione ignored the sarcastic comment and began her potion. Half an hour later, she finished first and received full marks from Slughorn.

She was pleased and turned to see how her partner was doing. She turned to see him lazily sitting back after a merry chat with Slughorn and he was looking most intently at her.

"What?" she asked blushing.

"You are quite adorable when you concentrate." he commented placing a hand on her knee. It sent warm flutters throughout her insides and felt as if a hundred eyes were watching even though only one was. Draco's.

She placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it before placing it in his own lap.

"No PDA." she said smirking at his bewildered expression. "Not during class at least." she said shifting to the front of her seat.

She could feel his eyes boring into her back and she was quite pleased to catch him looking so flustered.

She had finished her classes for the day and had snuck off to the library to study. At all costs she would try and escape attending that blasted practice Ginny was keen on her going to. She had been peacefully working for an hour and a half when she felt her books packed up magically and her bag floating up next to her.

She sighed and turned to see Neville and Luna looking sheepish as they handed her her stuff.

"Ginny," Neville explained. Hermione nodded and took her bag and headed off to the pitch with her friends.

When they arrived at the field she was bewildered to see a group of Slytherins and Gryffindors together on the same pitch and was no murdering each other.

"What's going on?" Neville asked Lavender and Parvati who were already seated and watching intently.

"The pitch was accidently double booked." Parvati said her eyes never leaving the scene below.

Hermione saw Ginny and Draco talking civilly and were discussing the matter quite well. Everyone else seemed just as shocked as she. The two teams stood awkwardly on the sides glaring at one another.

"I thought Flint was the captain?" Hermione asked clearly remembering Flint being quite an arse towards Draco. She pulled out her homework and quills and parchment.

"He got outvoted by the team. Malfoy had cast a vote with the team. They then elected him team captain. He seems to be doing just fine." Luna said dreamily as she drew circles with her wand.

"Listen up!" Draco called to the two teams. The Slytherins turned respectively towards him and the Gryffindors who knew he was a better person now thanks to D.A did too somewhat. Others just listened reluctantly. "Madam Hooch has discussed with McGonagall and they have agreed that it is safer due to our circumstances that two teams practice at once to be more safe. Weasley and I have discussed and we have agreed to man our own teams accordingly. Slytherin we'll take the left half of the pitch and Gryffindors the right. And we know you'll be all dramatic about copying one another's tactics." Draco paused with a knowing look. Ginny rolled her eyes and eyed both teams. "The smartest witch of our age happens to be sitting among us today so if she will do us the honour of casting a charm so the field is "duplicated" and we can each play our own games along with casting a charm to allow only the designated to team to view their side." Draco said turning to look at her. How did he know? She blushed and nodded.

She cast both charms and sat back down beginning her studies and trying her best to focus.

Ginny then led the Gryffindor team to the right and stretched before they began to practice with a scrimmage. She gave instructions to each specific player according to position.

Draco led the Slytherins to the left and began warming up.

"The Gryffindor team looks fairly good doesn't it?" Neville asked using a pair of omnioculars.

Hermione wasn't listening whatsoever. Was that a bad thing? Her eyes were glued to Mr. Draco Malfoy. It had been 10 minutes into practice and Draco's team was sweating from the intense fitness he had gotten them warmed up in. They were finishing up with some chin ups. They each held onto their brooms and hauled themselves up.

"10." Draco yelled. They clambered back onto their brooms utterly exhausted. Thing was, they were all boys who decided to take their shirts off from the extreme sweat. And Hermione was absolutely gawking at Draco's nicely toned abs. Help her Merlin if he ever knew she was that impressed.

Lavender and Parvati were half out of their seats as they gawked at all the boys shirtless on their brooms. She shook her head and tried to finish up an essay. She failed, miserably.

The rest of the practice she watched as Draco barked instructions and advice out to his teammates and flew around gracefully on his brom. They had put on their quidditch robes to prevent any injuries and she could see Lavender and Parvati's face fall.

At the end, she left the pitch hastily as the teams headed to the change rooms. She could see Ginny eyeing her suspiciously and she only rushed quicker.

That night, she sat at her desk reading a few lessons in transfiguration and was learning quite a bit when Draco swooped in and wrapped his arms around her. She laughed and poked his freshly clean shirt. His wet showered hair dripped onto her neck and his scent wafted towards her and inflated her with emotions she never knew she could feel.

"Haven't seen you at all today." he whispered in her ear.

"You sat right beside me and disturbed me the entire potions class." Hermione reminded.

"Ah, you see. I don't think I disturbed you I think I distracted you." Draco corrected smirking that oh so irritating but seductive smirk.

"So what if you do?" Hermione asked crossing her arms.

"You admit it?" he asked pulling her closer.

"I'm considering it." Hermione said not falling into his trap.

"Mhm," Draco murmured before pulling her in for a kiss which she returned without hesitation.

They pulled apart and he watched her as she struggled to speak.

"I think Ginny's on to me." she finally managed to say.

"On to you?" Draco asked raising an eyebrow.

"I think she has a feeling that I'm into you or someone on the Slytherin team because my eyes never….." Hermione failed to finish because of two things. Draco's signature smirk and she was embarrassed. Draco's smirk quickly clouded over to a dark look.

"I am never letting my team take off their shirts." Draco said crossing his arms in mock anger.

Hermione rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Draco's chest. "For what it's worth…..my eyes never left you." she said knowing she wouldn't regret this.

"That's reassuring." Draco murmured pulling her in.

The next morning, Hermione was awoken to the wonderful pecking at her window. She opened it quite annoyed to find Harry's owl.

She grabbed the letter and tore it open. Inside was just some insight into the threats she had reported.

They hadn't caught anyone and he was ashamed to admit it but they had no leads either. Hermione grew more worried to read Harry's anxiety and concern to all those concerned with this matter.

She got ready for the day and a sudden thought jolted through her. During the attack, there had been a dark mark. Who died?

She raced down to the headmistress office and knocked on the door. She was granted admission in a few short minutes and she burst into the office.

"Professor McGonagall! I'm sorry for the time and the intrusion but-" she said before her eyes landed on Harry. "Harry! What are you doing here?"

Harry's face looked older than the last time she'd seen him. "Hermione. Those letters didn't explain everything." he said rubbing his eyes.

"Oh you might as well join us." McGonagall said warily transfiguring another chair.

Hermione sat down and awaited Harry to continue.

"Things are a lot worse that I had proposed Hermione. The ministry wants to keep things calm and not create a panic with the wizards. There was a murder here last time the dementors attacked. There was another murder this morning." Harry said gravely.

Hermione inhaled sharply. "Who?"

"Last attack was a little first year who got in between an avada and safety. The one this morning was one of the ministry member's wife." Harry said with grief.

Hermione gasped and squeezed her hands together. That poor first year whom she couldn't save. She never saw a first year running around separated from the group returning to their dorms.

"We've been doubling aurors shifts and we're working nearly 20 hours a day with these cases. I don't know how much longer this world can continue even when we rid the world of Voldemort. His followers are still consistently active. People have begun to talk even more and the ministry has no choice but to talk. With the murder of a kid student at Hogwarts…..parents, people, are not in hysteria." Harry said. Hermione could see the dark circles that surrounded his eyes and the way his whole body sagged from overexerting himself.

"You can't run yourself dead on these things. Killing yourself isn't going to solve these cases any faster." Hermione said glaring at him but sympathy and admiration shone in her eyes.

"I came here to tell you professor that there are going to have to be curfews for students, heads will have to do more patrols, a few more for prefects, teachers alike. Teachers will have to monitor where all students are at all times. And I came here to lend you this." Harry said handing her the Marauder's Map. "Use it to keep an eye on all students. Their safety is one of our top priorities."

"Thank you Potter." McGonagall said eyeing the map with a knowing look. Now she knows how we committed half the violation of rules we did. "I appreciate your dedication to this school and as Ms. Granger has said, don't kill yourself over work. Think about yourself."

Hermione's day was swept up in a haze. All her classes seemed like deja vu. Similar to when teachers had to escort them to classes.

"Tough day?" Draco asked flopping onto the couch beside her.

Hermione nodded. "Very. We're going to have to extend the prefect schedules and hold a meeting tomorrow." she said rubbing her eyes. She had been patrolling from 8-10 through the halls and was exhausted. She had told him about the meeting with Harry and McGonagall and how bad things have gotten. He was after all apart of this.

"I forgot to tell you." Draco said yawning. "McGonagall asked me to tell you that she would really truly appreciate it if we could plan that little first years funeral. I felt really bad and I had a feeling you wouldn't mind so I accepted."

Hermione felt a shiver run through her. "Which first year?"

"Arianna Trench. Gryffindor student who was quite witty and smart. She was quite the prankster but overall good spirit. Always enthusiastic and only child. Half-blood." Draco said reciting from memory.

"Her poor parents." Hermione murmured hugging her knees to her chest. Draco wrapped an arm around her.

"We have to meet with her parents this Saturday." he whispered softly.

"Do we have to? I don't know if I can bear it if I have to plan their poor girl's funeral." Hermione said looking intently at the fire.

"They requested to have it here so yes it would be quite kind of us to do this." Draco said his eyes closing.

"We still have to plan the prefect schedule extensions…." Hermione yawned trailing off.

"We'll wake early to do it….." Draco said his eyes already closed. Hermione consented and fell asleep.

She woke up groggily and pried her tired eyes open. They still had a prefect schedule to plan and she had the whole day ahead of her. Tomorrow they would have to discuss Arianna's funeral with her parents.

She turned to see Draco looking peacefully asleep. It made her feel guilty to think about that….no. No. She wanted this and whatever others thought...didn't matter. It shouldn't matter. Then why did she feel so guilty? She hated lying to her friends and to keep her sane, she'd have to tell someone-maybe Ginny.

"Draco….wake up." Hermione said poking Draco in the stomach. He remained asleep. Hermione sighed and spoke up. "Draco! Wake up."

He remained unfazed and all he gave was a little snore. Hermione grew impatient. "Draco! Wake up now!" she said louder. He shifted onto his side and found her hand and gave another snore. She sighed and smirked before leaning over and kissing him gently. He finally began to stir. And she had roll her eyes. She felt movement come into his lips as he pulled her onto his lap.

"Good wake up call." he said grinning brightly.

"You git." Hermione said swatting his chest.

"Why did you wake me?" he asked groaning and stretching.
"As I remember you said: "We'll wake early to do it…"" Hermione said crossing her arms defiantly.

Draco sighed and leaned into the couch. "Fine. Let's plan this stupid thing so we can get on with life."

When she was with Draco, all her insecurities and worries seemed to disperse before her eyes. She seemed more alive and happy. She felt so free.

So why was she so worried about what her friends would think? She obviously gave no care to what people thought of her in general. She read as she pleased, studied and spoke her mind. Even to her friends. Did Ron fall into the friend category? Ron….betrayal….disgust….

Maybe she was just afraid that she'd lose her friends like she lost Ron. Maybe because she didn't want to lose the only things worth living for.

Was it possible for them to understand? Was it possible to have the best of both worlds? Was it possible for them to see how happy she was?

She wasn't one to judge when she hadn't even told them. She wanted to have more faith in her friends but it was hard. She couldn't bear it if they hated her.

She flew through the day, all out of it. When 4 o'clock ran around, she made her way to an empty classroom where Draco was waiting and a few early prefects.

At 4:15 everyone was accounted for. "The Slytherin prefects: Blaise and Lara." Hermione read nodding towards them. "The Ravenclaw prefects: Padma and Terry." when she spotted them she handed the sheet towards Draco, her eyes downward refusing to meet his eyes.

"The Hufflepuff prefects: Hannah and Ernie. The Gryffindor prefects: Ginny and Dean." he said putting the sheet away. Hermione began handing out the new schedules as Draco explained. Within ten minutes they were done and Draco and Hermione returned to their dorm in a tense silence.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked stopping their walk. How did he know?

"Nothing," Hermione lied her eyes cast down. His finger lifted her chin up.

"I don't believe you." Draco said carefully. She sighed and held his hand.

"You have to understand I'm loving this relationship a lot. And you make me feel emotions I never knew I was capable of feeling. But...I am worried my friends won't understand how much I want this. How much….I want you." she said blushing a deep red and looking away.

"Hermione…." Draco said smiling lightly. "You are a wonder I will never understand." he sighed and pulled her close for a hug. "If your so called friends are really your friends then they will accept what you want and support you through it. They will be there for you if they care and if they don't it's their loss isn't it?" Draco said after awhile. The pattern of his heartbeat send reassuring sparks through her.

"I can't lose anyone. I'm not willing to sacrifice you or them." Hermione said burying her head in his arms.

"And you don't have to. You were always there for them and if Potter and Weasel," he said earning a weak glare from Hermione. "Hey he cheated on you and I'm never going to be okay with that." he retorted. She leaned against him again so he couldn't see her goofy grin at his protectiveness.

"Anyways if they really love you and little Red too, if they care about you they will accept your choices." Draco assured running a hand down her back.

"Know I won't let anything affect this relationship no matter what anyone says." Hermione said looking finally up at him.

He slowly smiled which was a rare thing. "They don't know about us."

Author's Note- IMPORTANT

Sorry for the long waits! That's why this chapter is longer…

I have a serious question for you guys: Do you think their friendship is too fast? Their relationship? If so I might have to rewrite a few chapters with minor changes.

Also the name of this chapter, the lyrics and the last line: "They don't know about us" is from the song by One Direction. Listen to it and I feel their relationship will be a lot like the lyrics described.

Likes? Dislikes? Opinions? Comments? Reviews?