Draco woke to the smell of Hermione. A common thing now that they always slept together. There was no R rated stuff going on, Hermione wasn't physically capable…yet. But they always managed to find a reason to be with the other around bed time and 'accidentally' forget to go back to their own room.

At the moment the bed and room were empty. Draco liked to sleep late and Hermione liked to get up early to do pushups or something. If she continues doing what she's doing she'll be ripped in no time. Draco sighed in disgust; his woman was stronger than he was. Pitiful.

Hearing counting coming from the common room Draco got up and stretched. Walking to the common room was a slow, lazy journey, filled with yawns and drooping eyelids. But when he made it he was glad he decided to see what she was up to.

Hermione Granger was walking up and down the steps. No great accomplishment for a normal human (muggle and wizard alike) but a great achievement for Hermione. He shuddered at the memory of her first attempt down them just weeks ago.

Sitting on a couch near the stairs Draco watched. She wasn't very good at it yet but she hadn't fallen down either. "Not bad 'Mione, now all you have to do is learn to do something with your new hair and you'd pass for a human." Draco was just teasing; they both knew he loved her hair.

Glancing up at him Hermione stuck her tongue out. "You'd be the best person for tips on pretending to human, Draco. Why, you manage to hide your horns so well."

Draco performed a small bow "It's about time you acknowledged my vast achievements. Mere mortals like you can't compare."

Hermione came back up the stairs and punched Draco in the arm. Hard.

"That's gonna bruise." Rubbing his arm he realized it really would. She was getting stronger and stronger every day. Soon someone would have to point out how much stronger than the average person she was getting.

Hermione gave him the evil eye. "Good." Draco barely kept a smile off his face; she had improved her glare vastly in the last few weeks.

He smirked, rubbing his arm. "You're turning into a real pervert, you know. Taking pleasure off other people's pain? No wonder you're not dating anyone."

Hermione blushed a pretty pink that brought and evil smile to Draco's face. "I'm not dating anyone, if you have to know, because I would probably scare away any dates."

Draco shook his head sadly, "What about me 'Mione? Don't I count for anything?" He posed it as a joke but he waited in suspense for her answer.

Hermione was dumbfounded "Of course you count! What would I have don't without you?"

Draco winked "I hoped so, I bought you some new panties and I didn't want to return them."

Hermione couldn't hold back a snort, that boy and his panty problems "Whatever." Draco laughed and steered her towards the stairs. "Let go eat, my cute little panty model."

Her face turning red again Hermione turned to glare at Draco "don't call me that!" Hermione couldn't well say it made her feel special, to be compared to an underwear model.

"Whatever you say, bookie."

They made their way to the great hall in silence after that. Hermione pondering Draco's question about Draco counting, and Draco wondering when Hermione would realize she didn't need him anymore, but wanted him.

Neither had said anything about what would happen once Hermione didn't need his help getting around anymore. But they both knew it couldn't go on forever. It was only a matter of time before she completely mastered going up and down stairs, after that it was all over. Madam Pomfrey would see how much Hermione had improved and decide she didn't need Draco around anymore.

Draco put some eggs on his plate and watched Hermione put a waffle and some bacon on hers. He hated bacon but when she drowned it in syrup it was adorable.

That morning Draco managed to eat half his eggs. More than normal, considering every other morning he was too busy staring at Hermione to eat much. But this morning he felt oddly comfortable knowing she was there when he looked up and would be. He looked up less often.

In potions after breakfast Draco wasn't so sure he should have eaten as many eggs as he had. Snape was going over the bone structure of an 'anonymous person' it looked at lot like Hermione's x-rays they were looking at. He kept going on about how a person with this bone structure would be stronger and faster than normal and could be very unpredictable and dangerous.

Draco felt rage building but as he was about to call Snape out about it, Hermione beat him to it. "Sir? How can you tell this person's mental capacity by their bone structure? Wouldn't you have to look at their brain or know the person?"

Snape scowled "The way the bone was fused with the metal is extremely painful and can cause the most docile person to become aggressive." Snape gave a pointed look to Draco, he was clearly saying: Get a More Worthy Girlfriend.

"It can cause it, but how can you be absolutely sure this person is aggressive. Pain can be ignored or pain pills taken." Hermione looked ready for an hour long debate and everyone in the class was ready to let her. A potions class where all they had to do was watch Hermione and professor Snape duke it out. Sweet.

The debate did end up going on for about forty five minutes, leaving everyone fifteen minutes to make a really fast and sloppy bone re-growing potion. Hermione came out of potion fill with righteous fury….and an A on her potion. Draco hated her. He'd gotten an –A.

Next was Defense Against the Dark Arts. With their brand new teacher, Char. Who, it seemed was fixed on teacher them how to kill each other. She had them pair up and hex their partner. It was so she could learn what hexes they already knew and which ones she still had to teach them (or so she said). Draco just thought she was trying to kill them all without having to do anything herself. Sly little trick.

Hermione and Draco were essentially the last ones standing. They had beaten their partners and managed to avoid all the other misaimed hexes. Everyone else had been unable to dodge other hexes as well as the ones their partner was throwing at them. Poor little Potter had been hit in the back of the head with a freezing spell. Draco wondered how the idiot would stand up to the dark lord.

Hermione was unnaturally fast at counter-curses, explaining why she was at the moment hex-free. Professor Char caught him staring at her several times. Making sure she had his attention Professor Char mouthed 'cold shower' and sent him a wink.

Draco smiled sardonically and turned his attention to the board where she had written several hexes most of them didn't know (Hermione being the exception of course).

Not feeling up to the next class (Muggle Studies), Draco waited outside potions for Hermione to emerge. When she did he grabbed her arm and spun her around, away from their next destination, and started walking toward the forbidden forest. Hermione's arm in his grip the whole time.

Hermione glanced back, worriedly. "Um Draco, Muggle Studies is the other way." Hermione wasn't sure if Draco had lost his mind or was simply being annoying. "Yeah, I know."

"So where are we going?" Hermione had been getting behind in Muggle Studies and she really didn't want to miss the class again.

Draco looked at her, "Afraid you'll fail if you miss one class? You are a muggle, how could you fail MUGGLE studies?"

Hermione stiffened, her eyes flashed. "Was that an insult?" It was still a sore spot, his unfortunate habitual dislike of mudbloods.

"No, a mere statement of fact." Draco made sure to keep his voice completely neutral, not wanting to start a fight.

Stumbling over some roots in the forest, Hermione glanced around; they kept going deeper into the forest. Soon they'd come out the other side "Do you know where we're going?"

"Yes" And coming to a halt, Draco pointed to a hallowed out tree. It was a huge tree. It could easily fit a couple horses inside it and they wouldn't feel clustered. Hermione smiled when she saw Draco's face, it was open and he was smiling too.

Tugging on her hand Draco led her inside the tree. Inside the ground was covered by a green rug (one of the good ones, of course.) and had two recliners one green one blue. In the corner there was a pile of bean bag chairs.

He pulled her down into a recliner on top of him. "Do you like it?" The inside of the tree was smooth and free of any rough patches, obviously well used.

Hermione was still taking it all in, I mean who'd thought something like this was in the middle of the forbidden forest? Not Hermione. "It's wonderful, what is it?"

"This, my little bookie, is the silver trio's official hangout." He gave a large sweeping gesture over the room. He would have bowed but as he was in a recliner with Hermione on top of him, well he could do it later.

"The silver trio?" She sounded surprised, like only the golden boy and the moronic sidekick could had a cool nickname.

Draco shrugged, impish. "Yes well, we got tired of always hearing about the golden trio so we made our own. It's made of Blaise, Jade and I. You know Blaise but Jade is a new student. You'll meet her when we move back into the Slytherin dorm rooms."

Hermione merely nodded and lay her head down on Draco's chest, looking at the view. She didn't want to talk about moving into the Slytherin dorms, it was planned for next week and she was nervous enough.

She could see the forbidden forest but did not have to be part of it. It was an out of body type experience she loved. Strange bird noises, hooves beating far away and Draco's heart beat lulled Hermione into a dose. Snuggling into a more comfortable position on Draco, half awake and half asleep Hermione couldn't tell if she dreamed the question or said it aloud "Draco can we stay like this forever?"

Draco laughed. "You're not a little girl, Hermione. You know the answer to that. No fairy tale can last." Draco's voice was mocking but she knew he wasn't trying to hurt her; it was just his n nature.

Hermione felt her eyes burn and burrowed her face into Draco's chest. She was probably going to get his shirt wet but she didn't care. He was the one who made her cry in the first place. Damn bastard.

"Hermione?" Draco shifted to get her attention. "Hermione what panties are you wearing?" Draco tried to shift so he could see her face but it was impossible with Hermione's face in his chest.

Hermione snorted, it was a sort of muffled sound,"Why?"

"It's a matter of life and death." He sounded so serious Hermione burst out laughing.

"Sorry" she gasped for air. "So sorry, I'm wearing the ones with shooting star on them. Happy?" Hermione knew he would be, they were the panties she had worn two weeks ago that drove him crazy.

Draco relaxed in the recliner again, satisfied she was wearing sexy underwear and not the underwear her mother had sent over the holidays. Ugly things. Draco had ceremonially put fire to each and every pair; he just had to make sure she didn't save any. You know, out of pity.

"Hermione I've got to talk to you about something. It's serious." He waited until Hermione sat up more and looked at him. "You know I'm a death eater right?" at her nod he continued, "I talked to Dumbledore yesterday. I asked him if he'd protect me if I left Voldemort. I told him all I knew about what the Dark Lord's doing now. Based on what I know, Voldemort will be very bent on killing me, so I'm to stay at Hogwarts or headquarters until the Dark Lord forgets about me." Draco paused letting Hermione take it all in; he watched her face carefully incase he said something wrong.

Happiness flit across her face "You're not a death eater anymore?" He could feel the tension slide off his body. Draco smiled "No."

For a second Draco couldn't breathe, Hermione was hugging him too tightly to do anything at all. Once she released him, he continued on, "Dumbledore said I would need a bodyguard by me at all times….someone that is strong and fast and could put up with me for more than five minutes."

Hermione's face fell, Someone else was going to always be with him. She could no longer have him all to herself. Draco sighed dramatically "You Hermione! Who better to protect me that a girl with metal joints, who is stronger and faster than you?"

Hermione grinned sheepishly "I'll have to stay by your side for how long?"

Draco pulled her down into a heart-stopping kiss "It will definitely be forever, at least."

"Draco forever is a very, very long time." Hermione's heart felt like hipping out of her chest and doing a jig. The happy, in love jig.

Draco laughed "Not if you keep wearing those panties it won't be."

Filled to the brim with happiness and joy Hermione lay her head back down on Draco, who flashed something in front of her eyes. Grabbing his hand to keep it still, Hermione focused on what he was holding.

A ring.

Hermione sat up so fast she tumbled out of the recliner and landed near Draco's feet. "What is that?"

Draco smile, like he was god's gift to woman, "It's a promise ring, Blaise told me about them."

Hermione sniffed "You got me a promise ring?"

Draco's smile widened "No, this ring right here is not a promise ring, I was lying when I said it was-of course I got you one you idiot! Are you gonna take it or not?"

Hermione smiled a smile to match Draco's and snatched the ring out of his hand "Give me that!"