Once at the party, Hermione scanned for Draco, upon whom Pansy was about to descend.

'Oh, Draco,' Pansy cooed. 'I see Hermione couldn't come. Too bad.' She reached her hand out towards his arm.

Oh the nerve that girl has. And the insipid wench seems to have Draco so entirely under her spell, despite his agreement earlier that she's a whore.

Hermione glided gracefully over to them and slipped under Draco's arm.

'Pansy,' Hermione said, with Draco's arm around her waist. 'Thank you for hosting this party tonight. It's so kind of you.'

Draco tightened his arm around Hermione.

Not so charmed, Hermione thought triumphantly. I take back my earlier comment.

'Don't mention it,' Pansy replied venomously

Noticing the diamond ring on Pansy's left hand, Hermione asked pointedly, 'Where's your fiancé?'

'Oh, around,' said Pansy. 'I believe I have reason to break off that silly engagement anyway,' she continued, looking significantly at Draco.

This, of course, infuriated Hermione.

Draco, sensing that a blistering accusation was soon to come from Hermione, said, 'Oh look, Harry and Ginny. Come on, Hermione.'

Hermione, seething with anger, went along with him so she wouldn't lose her temper and make a scene.

Conniving skank. As if Draco would divorce me for her. Really!

'You're talking out loud,' Draco said under his breath.

Hermione blushed. 'Sorry.'

'What for?' he asked as they reached her friends. Hermione didn't have time to make a reply.

'Hello Hermione. Draco,' greeted Harry. 'You look nice, Hermione. New robes I see.'

'Yes,' Hermione said. Are they new? 'How are you?'

'Brilliant. Ron's over there with Luna. And, I thought you might care to know that Ron told me he might pop the question soon,' he added, dropping his voice.

'About time,' commented Draco. 'Haven't they fancied each other since the end of fifth year?'

Hermione looked at him, surprised. He noticed that?

'I agree,' Ginny said. 'And here I am, already a married woman, getting older by the day,' she added teasingly to Harry.

'No, you're not. You look ravishing. Doesn't she?' he asked Draco and Hermione.

'Quite,' approved Hermione. 'Now, I want to dance, so I'll talk to you two later.'

She pulled Draco out to dance, so that he wouldn't have to comment on Ginny's appearance.

'I think that those robes look much better on you,' Draco told Hermione as they danced close.

'Did you sneak into the dressing room when I was trying them on?' Hermione demanded, shocked at his audacity.

'No!' Draco defended. 'I saw a picture on the wall at the Manor.'

'Oh,' Hermione said. They sunk into silence.

Draco drew Hermione closer and she let him. If only we could always get along this well. Hermione moved even closer to Draco. Too soon, the song ended.

Moving off the dance floor, Draco spotted his mother.

'Come on, Hermione. My mum's over there,' he said, threading his fingers through hers.

He called me Hermione when there was no one else to hear! Hermione celebrated internally.

'Hello Mum,' he said once they had crossed the room. He let go of Hermione's hand to hug his mother. Hermione started to feel a bit insecure near this woman, whom she had never met.

Well, I have met her. Just not the me who's doing the thinking right now.

'And my dear Hermione,' Narcissa greeted warmly. 'How is Aria doing?'

'Just fine,' Hermione answered. 'She's at the Burrow for tonight.'

Just then, Snape came up, and kissed Narcissa.

When did this happen?

'Hermione. Draco. Good evening,' he said.

'Good evening, Professor,' Hermione replied automatically.

'Come, Hermione, I keep telling you, you must call me Severus,' Snape said with uncharacteristic warmth.

'Good evening Severus,' Hermione corrected herself.

Draco looked quite terribly pleased that his mother and Snape were together, and that Hermione got along well with both of them.

'Mrs. Snape. Professor Snape,' purred a voice.

Pansy!

'Miss Parkinson,' said Snape icily, a sneer returning to his face.

Narcissa glanced knowingly at Hermione, who had set her jaw in anger already.

'Draco, I've come to ask for a dance,' Pansy said coquettishly.

Hermione couldn't take it any longer, and opened her mouth to speak, but that was quite unnecessary.

'Pansy, once and for all, I am married to Hermione, and I am not even slightly interested in you,' Draco said firmly.

Hermione smiled triumphantly as Pansy's face fell and she slunk away to try to seduce someone else.

'I can't stand that girl,' said Narcissa when Pansy had gone. 'Why you ever at one time in your life fancied her is beyond me, Draco.'

'Because he didn't want to admit his liking for our Hermione here,' Severus said. 'I still believe you liked Hermione in second and third year, despite all your refusals of the fact, Draco. Didn't you?'

Draco got a bit flustered. 'Well, I thought she was attractive, but that's a pretty shallow reason for fancying someone.'

'Uh-huh,' Narcissa said.

'Maybe I sort of fancied her,' Draco admitted.

Hermione's eyes widened. Whoa. Rewind. And I always thought he hated me. This is very odd.

'But I didn't in fourth year.'

'Why not?' asked Hermione, smiling. 'One year you fancy me, the next you don't? And then you obviously change your mind again?'

'Well, you fancied Ron, and then that Krum from Bulgaria.'

'I never liked Krum," Hermione laughed. 'You should know that. But I did fancy Ron, which you do know.'

Draco looked a bit alarmed that that part was true.

'Don't worry, Draco,' Hermione told him. 'There's no place in my heart for anyone but you now.'

Wow. Where did that come from?

Surprisingly, instead of being shocked or repulsed, Draco just smiled at her. A real smile. Hermione smiled back, as he slipped his arm around her waist.

'How fortunate we are, Draco, to have found such women as these,' said Severus.

'Most fortunate indeed,' agreed Draco, releasing his arm from around Hermione to gently tuck a cinnamon curl behind her ear.

'I want to dance Severus,' Narcissa said abruptly. 'I know you hate it, but we are at a party, so you will dance at least one dance.'

Severus reluctantly went out onto the dance floor with her, but Hermione could tell that he loved his wife and was glad to make her happy.

Draco looked at Hermione questioningly and they too went to dance.

'What about fifth year and sixth year?' she asked him playfully as they twirled around the dance floor. 'Did you fancy me then?'

'Yes,' he admitted.

'Well you sure did a good job of hiding it,' Hermione said, suddenly getting annoyed.

'Come on, you wouldn't have said yes if I had asked you out,' Draco accused.

'You don't know that,' Hermione said.

'You already agreed that you fancied Ron at one point.'

'Yes, during fourth year, near the Yule Ball.'

'So, you mean to say that...'

'I mean that I fancied you, you thickheaded bloke, and you never saw it,' Hermione said.

'When?'

'Second year, through part of fourth, until you never asked me to the Yule Ball.'

'But not fifth or sixth?'

'I didn't say that, but I wouldn't have had time even if you had asked me out.'

'How can you not have had time?' Draco asked. 'We live at the same school for the majority of the year.'

'If you had the amount of studying I had, well, I guess you did. But I also had various things to do with Harry and Ron, pertaining to an evil dark lord and the end of the world,' Hermione answered.

'So, we fancied each other but never knew it?'

'It sure seems that way.'

'And I fancy you now,' Draco said.

'I fancy you too,' Hermione agreed shyly.

'Then that's all that really matters to me,' he said.