Three hours later Draco was pacing his room. Hermione still hadn't come back. Where the hell was she?
Finally he heard the portrait door open. He held his breath listening. He heard her footsteps walk from the entrance and to his surprise to his door.
She tapped on it and then opened it. Poking her head in, she sees him standing there like a fool.
"I saw your light what are you still doing up?" She asked surprised at finding him still up.
He shrugged. "How was your date?" He asked and even to him his voice sounded bitter.
"Date? It wasn't a date, and I had a good time it was fun." She said her eyebrows rose at the tone of Dracos voice. What's gotten into him?
"Sure did sound like one to me, considering Potter came over here to ask you to go with him? If it wasn't a date why did he beg you to say yes? Why didn't he bring the Weasel boy with him if it wasn't a date?" He retorted, he was angry but didn't exactly know why.
"What are you jealous Draco? Jealous that I agreed to go with Harry?" She asked him getting angry now too.
"Jealous?! Of course I'm not jealous of Potter!" He practically yelled.
"Then why are you so angry that I went? I'm not your girlfriend Malfoy, yet you're acting as if I cheated on you!" She yelled, she was really angry now. He was acting as if she had done some horrible thing. She hadn't! She didn't understand what she had done to get his knickers in a twist!
"Well maybe I want you to be my girlfriend!" Draco yelled back. As soon as he realized what he said his eyes went wide, he hadn't meant to say that. He covered his face with his hands and sat down.
Hermione froze. Had she just heard right? Draco Malfoy wanted her to be his girlfriend? She just stood there trying to process what had just happened.
After a minute of silence he peaked out at her between his fingers. She was standing in the same place; she was frowning and apparently thinking hard. He moved his hands and stood up.
She was going over what had just happened. They were fighting, yelling back and forth. "Jealous of Harry…." Blah blah… "Want you to be my girlfriend…" She was thinking so hard she didn't notice him stand and move in front of her. She came to when he put his hands on her arms; he was standing directly in front of her only a few inches separating them.
"Hermione? I… say something?" He finally got out.
"I don't understand…" She said softly still frowning. "Did you mean that?"
Taking in a deep breath he answers "yes… it's ok if you don't, I'll understand. I probably shouldn't have screamed it at you. But, I just… I like you, and yeah…" He finishes quickly.
She's quiet for a moment "Why?" she finally asks.
"Why? Why what?"
"Why me?" She asks still frowning.
"Why do I want you to be my girlfriend? Because I like you?" He answered stepping closer.
She looked up at him eyes wide, still not really believing. He leaned down slowly and touched his lips to hers softly.
At first she was too surprised to do anything but stand there, but after a minute or so she returned the kiss.
They kissed each other slowly relishing in the feeling. Slowly Draco increased the kiss; he ran his tongue across her bottom lip and then nibbled on it. She granted him entrance to her mouth and they started exploring each other. When lack of oxygen started to become an issue, Draco pulled back slowly.
Hermione's eyes were still closed; Draco looked down at her smiling. When she opened her eyes she smiled widely at him blushing slightly.
"Hermione? Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked slowly still looking at her.
She smiled wider and nodded.
Draco let out the breath he'd been holding. He couldn't believe that Hermione Granger was his girlfriend! He was the lucky guy in the world.
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"Wake up. Hermione? Come sweetie wake up." Draco whispered softly in her ear.
He smiled when he got a small grunt from her before she tired to snuggle deeper under the covers.
They had been dating for 3 weeks and Draco had taken to waking her every morning, and every morning was basically the same. He would gently coax her awake while she tried to hide under the covers.
Finally she pulled the covers down from over her head and smiled up at him groggily. "Morning" she said sleepily.
"Good morning." He replied leaning down to give her a quick peck. "Come on get dressed and I'll walk you down to breakfast."
Most mornings he would walk her down to the great hall parting just before the entrance so that no one would suspect. They hadn't told anyone about their relationship. They would basically ignore each other all day and after dinner they would spend their time together doing homework or talking. The only bad part about their arrangement was that since they only got to spend time together at night, they usually ended up staying up a lot later than they should.
10 minutes later Hermione was ready and they made their way down to the great hall. They turned a corner on the 5th floor and saw Harry walking toward them. Draco quickly ducked out of site with an apology written on his face. Hermione smiled at him and sure that Harry hadn't seen called out "good morning" to him.
"Hey 'mione I was coming to get you wanted to talk to you before we went to breakfast." He said smiling.
"Ok is something wrong?" She asked worried.
"No nothings wrong just wanted to talk." He reassured her.
She walked with Harry listening to him talk of how he wanted to do what was right by Ginny; he loved her but with the war he didn't want to put her in more danger by being with her.
"They might target her because she's my girlfriend and I don't want to be the cause of her getting hurt. What should I do 'mione?"
"Harry she's already in danger because she's a Weasley. Besides even if you weren't together she'd still be right there in the midst of the battle, you know her. Nothings going to stop her." She told him.
"I know, I just can't help but think about ways to keep her safe." He said sighing.
"Harry don't let this war ruin everything, stay with Ginny and be happy while you can. We don't know what this war's going to bring." She said sadly.
They had arrived at the great hall so he smiled and thanked her for listening. Walking to the Gryffindor table they sat and began chatting with their friends. Every now and then Hermione would glance over at Draco.
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The first term had went by quickly and soon finals where almost upon them. Hermione and Draco were studying one night in the common room together when they heard a tap on the window. Draco got up to let the owl in. It stuck its leg out with its letter and Draco quickly untied it, the owl flew of once it was relieved of its burden.
He opened it still standing by the window and froze.
After a minute or two Hermione looked up. "Who's it from?" She asked noticing his face while it scanned the letter; his eyes were dark with anger and a hint of fear?
"Draco?"
"It's from my father." He said slowly turning to look at her. His face was drawn and his eyes were sad.
"What does he want?" She asked not quiet hiding the fact that her voice wavered.
"He requests my presence over Christmas holiday." He said walking over and sitting down next to her, their homework forgotten.
They were quiet for a moment, Hermione scanning the letter Draco held.
"Don't go!" She said suddenly, eyes frightened.
He sighed. "Hermione I have to, if I don't it will just make things worse. I'm sorry."
"What if…" She started to say but couldn't bring herself to finish it.
"What if I'm forced to get the mark? I don't know… I don't think he will its set got this summer, I don't think he'd risk it with me still being at Hogwarts." He told her thinking.
She nodded.
They tried to continue with their homework but neither could, after another hour or so they gave up and went to bed.
Hermione lay there that night thinking of all the horrible things that Lucius might want. She tried to think of a way to get him out of it so that he didn't have to go but she couldn't. Finally she gave up on trying to sleep and climbed out of bed.
She quickly padded over to Dracos door and tapped softly before letting herself in.
"What's wrong?" He asked sitting up.
"Couldn't sleep." she said simply shrugging.
He pulled the covers back to let her slid in. He wrapped his arm around her protectively and whispered softly "Its going to be ok, I promise."
She nodded hoping he was right.
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