Chp 15: A Gloomy Sort of Day

It was a rather dismal February morning. The snow had melted away in unseasonable rain, only to have the ground freeze over once more in a sudden cold snap.

The skies were gray, matching the tired faces of the seventh year students.

Between review sessions and practicing for their N.E.W.T.s, many of the seventh years could honestly say they had caught less than three hours of sleep a night.

As the younger students chattered on about classes and Quidditch, Hermione absentmindedly sipped her pumpkin juice. She ate a spoonful of porridge and turned a well-worn page in her Ancient Runes textbook.

I nearly know every word by heart, she though proudly to herself.

A pair of arms snaked around her waist, and she jumped slightly in her seat. Turning to glare at Draco, she noticed Ron, fast asleep on the table. His head was dangerously close to his platter of scrambled eggs, and she pushed it out of the way before focusing on the blonde boy straddling the bench beside her.

"Good morning, love," he said softly, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose. Hermione felt a swelling feeling in her stomach as she smiled back at him.

"Good morning yourself. Did you sleep well?" She asked him.

"Well, I'd hope so…I dreamt about you." He responded playfully.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and sniffed in mock disapproval.

"Nothing dirty, I would hope."

"That is for me to know, and you to wonder about." He said, giving her a wink.

Harry stumbled over to the table blearily.

"How can you to be so happy this early in the morning?" He said through a yawn, throwing his lanky body onto the bench beside Ron.

"Caffiene, Harry. Caffiene." Draco said, pulling out a flask of coffee.

Harry grabbed it from him and took a long swig.

"Oi! Watch it, that's all that I've got, and it's got to last me all morning!" Draco exclaimed.

Harry dangled the container just out of Draco's reach, and Draco grabbed for it.

Hermione smacked them both and confiscated the flask.

"You aren't supposed to have this anyways Draco dear." She said with a smile.

"Yeah, Draco dear, you heard the woman." Harry said with a laugh.

Ron let out a loud snore.

Harry looked down at the sleeping boy beside him and got a mischevious twinkle in his eye. He glanced over to Draco who was grinning rather evilly. Their eyes met, and Harry tossed Draco an apple from the basket on the table.

Draco waved his wand over it with a flourish, and with a loud pop, a large, lifelike rubber spider sat on the table.

"Oh honestly." Hermione said disapprovingly.

Harry picked up the spider, and placed it on the side of Ron's face.

"Wakey wakey ickle Ronnykins," he said into Ron's ear.

Ron blinked several times, then put his hand to his face with a bewildered look.

"ARRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!" He yelled, flailing about. "Gerra off, Gerra offa me!!"

Ron managed to knock into his plate of scrambled eggs, dumping them in his lap.

Harry and Draco laughed so hard that tearsstreamed down Harry's face, while Draco slowly turned a delicate shade of eggplant.

Shaking her head, but smiling lightly, Hermione pointed her wand to Ron's lap.

"Scourgify. Reverso Incantatem." She said.

Ron stopped flailing, and looked down at the apple sitting in his now eggless lap.

"You gits! You bloody gits!" Her yelled, quite red about the ears.

"Now now Ron. Just be glad we woke you in time for Charms." Harry said calmly, wiping the tears from his cheeks with a napkin.

"Charms…" Hermione said to herself, looking at her watch. "BOYS! MOVE IT! We have class in three minutes!!"

The foursome ran to Charms, laughing breathlessly the whole way there.

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Draco was sitting in the Common Room, reading over his notes from that morning's Charms class.

"…The Viverara Charm may be used to lengthen the life of flowers for up to two weeks, depending on the skill of the caster." He read to himself.

I'll have to remember that one for Valentine's Day, he thought to himself. When is Valentine's Day anyhow?

Glancing at the date on the top of his notes, Draco panicked. February 14.

Bugger. What in bloody HELL am I supposed to do?

Quickly, he neated up the piles of books and parchments scattered around the common room and lit a fire in the big stone firepace.

He had an idea, but he knew that Hermione would be back from her Transfiguration review session very shortly.

Running to the kitchens, Draco clutched at the stitch developing in his side. I really should start to get more exercise, he thought to himself irritably.

Bursting into the kitchen, he asked Dobby to bring his several things, which floated over to him neatly wrapped up.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he said hurriedly, and packages floating in front of him, strode quickly back to the Head's Common Room.

He busied himself in unpacking, and then settled back in on the couch to wait for Hermione's return.

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Hermione was bone tired. She dragged her feet along, cursing the many stairs she had to walk up to reach her nice cosy bed.

Well, the stairs and the mountain of Charms homework that stood between her and her cosy bed.

Muttering the password irritably to the portrait, Hermione stomped through the portrait hole, before stopping dead in her tracks.

Before her was a merrily crackling fire that threw flickering shadows on the floor before it.

Laid out on the rug was a checkered tablecloth. Two goblets sat on either side of a slender bottle. A single rose in a glass vase was surrounded by an assortment of small cakes and chocolates in the shape of hearts and flowers.

Her eyes traveled up to meet Draco's loving gaze.

She looked at him in astonishment, wondering, What is all this for?

"Happy Valentine's Day Hermione." Draco said with a smile.

Hermione's hand flew to her mouth.

"Oh no. Draco. I…I forgot. I'm a miserable, awful, terrible excuse for a girlfriend." She said softly.

In an instant, Draco had his arms around her.

"No, Hermione. That's not true. To tell you the truth, I…well, I forgot too until just now, or I'd have something better for you." He said into her ear.

Hermione smiled a little at his confession.

"I guess with N.E.W.Ts coming up so quickly, I just forgot about, well, everything. I'm so sorry Draco."

"It's quite alright. Now, let's enjoy this little snack." He said to her as he lead her over to the carpet.

The two sat and Draco opened the bottle of elf-made wine, pouring them each a glass.

"To us." He said, lifting his goblet.

"To us." Hermione echoed, tapping his glass with her own.

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An hour later, Hermione was laying sleepily on the couch, wrapped in Draco's arms.

She breathed in the spicy smell that clung to his clothes, and laced her fingers through his.

Sitting up next to him, she kissed him gently, and he responded, warming to the pressure of her soft lips on his.

Several moments later, they broke apart, slightly breathless.

"Draco?" Hermione said, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Mm?"

"I love you."She whispered into his neck.

Draco lifted her chin and looked into her warm eyes. She flushed slightly, but looked steadily at him.

"Hermione…I…"

"It's okay," she said softly. "You don't have to say anything. I just…wanted you to know."

"No. That's not it." He said hurridly.

"Oh. Well then, um, what-"

He cut her off with a kiss.

Pulling back he said, "Will you just listen to me for once, Hermione Granger? I'm trying to tell you that…"

"…I love you too."

A/N: Well, there you all go! This chappie was pretty light since there are going to be some big changes happening in the lives of our fantastic foursome very soon. Expect another update soon…I've got some ideas floating around and basically have the ending settled (not that the end is going to happen for quite some time). Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it actually did get me off my butt and over to the nice word processing machine.

Aerochick06, xkimchee, College-Mischa, avchocoholic, MiKaYGiRl, Kill-me-if-Harry-dies, Elizabeth Yaster, KtotheT: YAY! Such lovely wonderful reviews! You all really made my day(s)! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, and hope to see you all back here soon.

Prettylittlething: well, I'm glad you did review! Thanks a bundle, and I hope that you enjoyed this next bit. The "real" action will be picking up again next chapter.

Jamy21: Thanks! And don't worry, the "goodnight" was not supposed to be foreboding. But…I can't promise that Draco and Hermione will not have some perilous moments later in the story.

Mrs. St. John Allerdyce: You guessed correctly!

If I somehow missed you and you did review...wow. I am a bloody idiot. Pleas feel free to throw rotten vegetables at my dense skull. But no, really. I'm terribly sorry and that is what i get for writing late at night, but I did love your reviews. All of you! Well, that about wraps everything up I suppose. Oh no, wait. I forgot to beg for reviews.

begs with puppy dog eyes

Elizabeth