One Last Kiss: Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Anything sane that has been read in this fiction belongs to, non other than the great author who created the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling. Anything off from the real series belongs to non other than the peculiar mind of mine.

DH********

Hermione did her homework in the Prefects' common room while she waited for Draco. She stood up, did some stretching and sat back down. She just finished the last paragraph on her 3 feet long essay for Magical Theory. Schoolwork, Prefect duties, her so- called lovelife with Draco Malfoy and that stupid fan club, these things were rubbing her down and she couldn't wait for the holidays and get away from it all. She closed her eyes, leaned on the couch with her head thrown back and imagined herself in their house, her dad telling stories, her mom checking on dinner and her little brother who liked playing hide and seek with her. That relaxed Hermione. She sighed and opened her eyes to find an upside down Draco Malfoy's face a foot away from hers.

"This one of your moods today, little miss moody?" Draco asked, smirking at Hermione when he saw her surprised expression.

"Are you really going to start that again, Draco?" she asked him back. She was exhausted enough from today's events and her essay, she was not in the mood for a row.

Draco sat down beside her. "No. Actually, I came up here to drag you to dinner," he answered. He grabbed one of the Chocolate Frogs on the table and ate it.

Hermione started to gather her things. She folder her essay neatly and placed it inside her book and put her other things in her bag. "I'll just put this in my room then we can go down, alright?" she said and sprinted up to her room. She placed the rose Draco had given her earlier in the same vase on her study, checked herself in the mirror and went down where Draco was standing by the entrance.

On the way to the Great Hall, they held hands since they were walking with other students. By that time, gossips about them had mellowed down but it was still a topic in the school, like what sweet gestures they did, or who walked who to what class and the gifts they gave each other. Others were surprised or skeptical that there were no fights going on between them. Once they reached the Great Hall, Draco kissed Hermione on the cheek and went to their House tables.

"I still can't believe you're snogging Malfoy, Hermione," Ron said when Hermione sat down in front of him. It was only him and her eating dinner that night since Harry prepared something for Ginny and Lavender was helping some third years with Divination.

Hermione helped herself to some buttered vegetables. She glanced at the Slytherin table and saw Draco looking at her. He winked and smiled at her then continued with his dinner. She couldn't help but smile. "Oh please, Ronald. You know what's really happening," she said and started to eat her dinner. "It's all a play, you know that," she whispered.

"I know that, Hermione." Ron leaned in and brought down his voice to a whisper. "I just don't like seeing you falling in love and getting your heart broken." Surprised, Hermione put her hand on Ron's forehead to which he slapped it angrily away. "I'm not sick and I certainly know what I'm talking about, woman," he said, quite annoyed at Hermione's gesture.

"I'm certainly not falling in love, Ron," Hermione denied. Well, not actually deny but she really had no idea what she was feeling. "And how can you say if I am?" she asked, now wondering if her actions were perceiving that she was, indeed, in love with Draco Malfoy.

Ron sighed, grabbed Hermione on the back of her head and leaned his forehead against hers. "Feel it? I don't have a fever," he said. "Now that we've established I'm not ill, let me tell you, Hermione Jean Granger, that I have grown up spending 10 to 11 months with you. I know any differences happening to you. I know," he said in a serious tone and smiled when he saw her reaction. She was speechless. Ron let go of her and continued with his dinner. "I just wish you'd stop before you realize everything."

Hermione didn't know what to say. Ron was talking so maturely, it was very surprising. And he was talking about her, not about him or how hungry he was. Now questioning herself, she glanced at Draco and found him looking at her but looked away when their eyes met.

"I'm off," said Ron, disrupting Hermione's thoughts. "I have to pick up Lavender at Trelawney's classroom. I'll see you later, alright?" And with that, he kissed Hermione on the cheek and was out the Great Hall.

Losing her appetite, Hermione moved her corns and carrots around her plate. She constantly glanced at Draco who was talking to some fourth years at their table. When she saw him stood up, Hermione followed suit. When Draco reached the entrance, she expected him to stop and wait for her but he didn't. He continued to walk out and up the stairs.

"Draco?" she called out upon reaching the stairs but he continued to walk as if he hadn't heard anything. She continued to call out to him but he kept walking. Six, seven, eight times she called out, alas, her efforts were unheard. Annoyed, Hermione stopped and shouted, "Draco Malfoy you bloody stop right now or else!"

Draco, and the rest of the students in the corridors stopped. Whispers started to erupt as Hermione jogged towards her Slytherin lover.

"You're not in a good mood," Hermione said once she reached him. "Did I do something?" she asked, holding on to his robe while she caught her breath.

"Was Weasley making a move on you?" he asked Hermione. The students gasped. Some of them went off to tell other students while the remaining ones waited for what was to happen next.

Realizing what Draco was pertaining to, Hermione couldn't help but smile. "Are you jealous, Mr. Malfoy?" she teasingly asked as she stepped closer to him. She grabbed him on the back of his head and leaned her forehead against him, only, their faces were much closer than Ron and hers. "Is this what you're pertaining to?" she asked, smiling. Draco, surprised, only nodded. This gesture and questions were very un-Hermione-ish for him. "Sorry," she said, feeling the need to apologize that he felt jealousy. "He wasn't and never will make a move on me, I promise."

Without saying a word, Draco leaned in and kissed her. It wasn't like the kisses they had shared before. It was a much gentler kiss where only their lips touched. All Hermione could do was close her eyes, though she was surprised that he kissed her. She thought kisses between them would only happen when Louise was in the same place as they are. She then found her hands playing with Draco's hair on his nape. Realizing what she was doing, she removed her hand from his head, slid it down to his chest and lighlty pushed him away.

"Sorry," Draco whispered, caressing Hermione's cheek with his thumb. He held her hand and they walked together to their dormitory.

"Why did you create a scene?" Hermione asked once they were inside the dormitory. She walked up the stairs to her room while Draco trailed behind her.

"Me? Who shouted so loud everyone else stopped?" Draco answered, but in a calm tone. "You, remember?"

Hermione rolled her eyes as she opened the door to her room. "That's because you weren't stopping. How else am I supposed to make you stop?" she said and sat down on her bed.

Draco leaned against Hermione's study and crossed his arms. "You could have just let me walk on my own, Hermione. Now everyone knows I was jealous because of Weasley." Realizing what he just said, he quickly took it back, saying "Thinks. Now everyone THINKS I'm jealous because of Weasley."

However, Hermione clearly heard him the first time. "You were jealous?" she asked, poorly hiding the smile that was forming on her lips. Yes, it was nice to think that the great Draco Malfoy was jealous but then what happened earlier sunk in. And since Hermione has her period, well, things took a turn. "I can't believe this!" she said as she stood up and paced in front of Draco. "You, of all people, know what kind of relationship I have with Ron. You see how in love he and Lavender are with each other. You have gotten the chance to sit in the same table with all of us and see how they look at each other," Hermione continued. Exasperated, she sat on her bed then lied down. A second later, she sat up. "You know all these things and yet you let me chase after you like that after I've called you several times!"

Now this heated Draco up. "Me? Don't make this about me, Hermione because you were the one touching foreheads and bringing your face close to Weasley," he started as he walked and stood up in front of Hermione. "How would you feel if I had a close girl friend and she starts doing that to me while everyone knows that I'm with you? How would you feel if Louise did that to me?"

Hermione stood up. "That's not the point, Draco! If you had a close girl friend, I would understand because I, too, have close boy friends," she started, also heated up with the conversation. "But if it was Louise who would do that to you, of course I'd be jealous. But Ron is not just some boy, Draco. He's one of my best friends! I can't believe you would even think that!"

"That's easy for you to say because you're not the one who saw how that gesture looked like to me and to everyone else in the Gre -" Draco cut his sentence short when he realized what they were fighting about. "We're fighting like a married couple," he said as he sat down on the bed beside Hermione.

She was about to answer back to Draco, something she had mentally created in her defense, when Hermione realized what was indeed happening. "We're fighting like a married couple," she repeated. They both were quiet for a moment. "Alright, this fight has just been ended," she said after the event had sunken in deeper.

"Yes," Draco said and he stood up and started for the door. "Good night," he said and went out of Hermione's room.

Hermione rushed to her bathroom and splashed her face with water. I have to tell this to Lavender before it gets out tomorrow, she thought. She changed into her pyjamas and waited for Lavender and Ron in the common room. Once they arrived, she then proceeded to tell them what had happened and lied saying it was an act to make the relationship be more realistic. Of course Ron went mad at first but Lavender got him to calm down.

DH********

A week after the Draco-jealous-over-Ron incident had passed, the gossip finally died down, to Ron and Draco's delight. It had been tough for both of the men since Ron was seen as a cheating bloke with his bestfriend while Draco was seen as a jealous and posessive boyfriend. Add to Ron's dismay was Harry who couldn't stop laughing whenever the idea popped in his mind. He was delighted that the tables had turned around on Draco, not that Ron was ever envious of the Malfoys. It was just refreshing that the Slytherin, that time, was jealous instead of putting Ron down. Of course Harry had to be reminded that it was all an act.

Within that week, Hermione decided to spend most of her time with Draco to stop the gossip and show everyone that there was nothing going on between her and Ron. And also to make it up to Ron for having him dragged into her situation. Although, at times, there was no choice but to eat breakfast or lunch or dinner with only Ron or Harry. They made sure no one else sees their closeness except for when there was just the three of them.

She and Draco hadn't talked about their fight ever since that night. Of course it was awkward for the both of them. The fight was real and angry feelings were said out loud. Most of the time, they stayed in a public place like the library, the lake, the Great Hall or the corridors, just so they wouldn't be able to discuss the incident and maybe so as they would not spend their time alone with each other. Usually they asked how the classes they weren't in together was or they did their assignments together or shared a joke they heard that day. They avoided all serious talks about them or personal things about each other as possible.

That Sunday afternoon, Hermione and Draco chose to sit on the large ledge of one of the windows in the corridor. They watched students and teachers as they walked by. They didn't know what to talk about that day since they had no classes and both their homeworks had been done last night. Hermione sucked on her Sugar Quill while Draco played with the Chocolate Frog that was trying to escape from his hands.

"Weren't you taught not to play with your food, Draco?" Hermione asked when she noticed what Draco was doing. Draco just smirked and finally gave the Chocolate Frog a rest in his mouth. Finally, Hermione had an idea what to talk about. "Where are you going to stay for the holidays?" she asked as she finished the last feather on her Sugar Quill.

"Not sure," answered Draco. He reached for Hermione's hand, unknowingly, and played with her fingers. "I wish it would be somewhere far away where mother could just forget what the Malfoys had done to us."

Hermione looked at Draco, trying to peer into his eyes but he kept his gaze down. "Sorry," she apologized. She had forgotten that he had told her that they were disowned by the Malfoys once news appeared that Lucius helped the Aurors find Voldemort.

"It's alright. I didn't expect you to remember it," said Draco, letting go of Hermione's hand. "So, holidays huh? Get a nice break from school and from this," he said, changing the subject.

Not knowing what to say, Hermione just nodded. She looked around them and saw Louise coming from her right, practically plastered to Stephen Cornfoot, her fellow Ravenclaw. Hermione just looked away and sat, facing Draco and leaned on the wall behind her. She looked out the window hoping Draco won't make a scene with her. But he saw Louise with Stephen who stopped and was looking at him while she kissed Stephen's ear.

Draco, who didn't want to surprise Hermione with a snog scene again, took hold of Hermione's hand and kissed it like a gentleman. Well, he still surprised Hermione with this gesture but it was a pleasant surprise for her. Knowing she had to play with it, Hermione kissed Draco on the cheek. She could see by the side of her eyes that Louise was looking at them. Louise dragged Stephen out of the corridor when she saw Hermione's gesture towards Draco.

"She's gone," whispered Hermione in Draco's ear. She leaned back again and looked out the window. "When do you plan to tell her?" she asked, wondering how Draco could pull it off with Louise after the whole relationship thing.

"I was planning after the holidays," Draco answered, again playing with Hermione's fingers. "I figured that could be long enough to pass as a real relationship and students would have something to talk about again. Therefore, no fights to stop and risk our candidacies for."

Hermione held Draco's hand, lacing her fingers in between his as she continued to look at the window. "Good plan, Malfoy," she said, smiling at Draco. "After this we can go back to our own lives where we only talked when we insulted each other," she continued, smiling at the thought. It was quite nostalgic for her. After all, they grew up together always having a row.

"Of course it's a good plan, Granger," he said with a smile. "It's my plan." He looked down on their hands together and squeezed Hermione's hand.

"Uhm, yes, of course it is," said Hermione, removing her hand from Draco's. She cleared her throat and jumped down from the ledge. "I'm hungry. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something? More Chocolate Frogs? Do you think we can still go to Hogsmeade? I think I want Butterbeer right now." Hermione blabbered on as she backed away from Draco.

Knowing very well the reason behind Hermione's sudden change of behavior, which he was surprised about as well, Draco stepped down from the ledge and walked towards her. "Alright, let's just go to the kitchens. No Butterbeer for now because the others are probably on their way back here," he said, following Hermione who walked ahead of him.

Hermione turned around to face him and walked backwards. "I can live with that, I guess," she said, smiling. "We could just eat in the Great Hall." She stopped and waited for Draco to catch up to her and they walked together to the kitchen.

DH********

"We'll see you in 2 weeks, alright?" Harry hugged Hermione. They arrived in King's Cross station.

Hermione hugged Harry and Ron together. "I'll see you soon. I love you," she said as she let go of the two boys she loved as brothers. Then she turned to Ginny and Lavender and hugged them both. "Have fun you and advanced happy Christmas." She gave the four of them a kiss on the cheek and looked around for Draco to properly say goodbye but she didn't see him.

Harry was, of course, staying with the Weasleys for the holidays while Lavender and her famiy were off to Norway to spend Christmas with her grandfather.

"Hermy! Hermy!" It was Hermione's five year old cousin, Blaine. His parents died of Hepatitis, a disease they got when they were travelling in India. Blaine was two at that time and was staying with them while his parents were travelling. "Mama look, Hermy's here!" said the little boy excitedly while Hermione approached them.

"How are you my baby boy?" Hermione hugged her little cousin, gave him loads of kisses and carried him. She hugged her parents and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you, love," said Hermione's mother, Jane Granger who kissed her on the cheek. "And this little man hasn't stopped bugging me about your return," she said with a laugh, tousling little Blaine's hair.

Her father, Hermes Granger, kissed her on the forehead. "How's my princess?" asked her father as he carried his daughter's bag.

Hermione put Blaine down, held his hand and walked out of the train station, following her parents. "Excited to be home and spend Christmas with you, of course," she answered giddily. "Can't wait to help mum in the kitchen when preparing for Christmas eve."

"And we're just happy that you're here for Christmas, safe and sound," said Jane.

And so they drove home, Blaine singing with Hermione in the car. She was happy to have this break, away from school, away from students and professors, and away from confusing feelings for Draco Malfoy.

That night, the Granger family ate dinner together. They were a portrait of a happy family. Hermione told them about school, leaving Draco out of it, and about her friends, Ron and Harry, of course. They were eating desserts when Jane noticed the ring on Hermione's finger.

"Oh honey, that's a beautiful ring," said Jane, holding out her hand for Hermione to reach so she can see the ring. "Who gave it to you?"

Oh no, I forgot to ask Draco to remove it, thought Hermione who reluctantly put her hand in her mother's.

Hermes looked at the ring suspiciously then to Hermione. "A boy?" he asked, eyeing his daughter carefully and making sure Hermione saw that he was.

"Don't be silly dad. I just bought it in Hogsmeade," she lied with a laugh.

Her dad was an old fashioned father. Any bloke who wanted to be Hermione's lover should woo her by going to their house and meeting them. For her dad, that was what a respectable man should be. A man who knows how to respect another's wishes, especially wishes for a daughter.

Jane rolled her eyes and continued with her dessert. "Oh Hermes, you're so old fashioned," she told her husband who was still looking at the ring.

"You can't blame me, dear. This is our princess we're talking about," he defended himself. "A worthy man should know how to treat our princess as his queen."

Hermione stifled a laugh. "Dad, I'm not getting married yet. I'm 16," she said as she stood up and kissed her father on the forehead. She gathered the dishes on the table and put them in the sink. "You don't have to worry about me, alright?" she smiled. She unfastened Blaine's seatbelt from his high chair and put him down. "Now let's get this little monster prepared for bed," she said, giving her little cousin kisses all over his face.

Hermes and Jane looked at each other then to their two kids. They adopted Blaine. When they found out the news, they arranged the papers once the funeral was over. The Grangers was Blaine's only immediate family in England. He was, after all, the son of Hermes' brother. They always wanted a big family, but Jane's uterus had to be removed when Hermione was born because of a tumor. And having a little kid in the house gave them joy.

After bathing Blaine and putting him in his pyjamas, she lulled the little boy to sleep, singing him her favorite lullaby song her mother sang to her when she was little. Feed the Birds from the movie Mary Poppins. It was Blaine's favorite lullaby song, too. When the little tyke was fast asleep, Hermione took a hot shower, changed in her pyjamas and went down to the living room to kiss her parents good night.

"Sleep well, princess. We love you."

DH********

Hermione woke up to the voice of her mother.

"Hermione, darling, could you get the door?" her mother called out from the master's bedroom. "Your father and brother's out and I'm still in the bath."

She dragged herself from her bed and went down to see who was visiting at 9 in the morning. Hermione opened the door and snapped awake. She shut the door and leaned against it.

"Who was it, darling?" Jane asked who was going down the stairs.

The doorbell rang again. Jane was going to open the door when Hermione stopped her. "Mum, is this a dream? Pinch me as hard as you can."

"What on earth are you talking about, Hermione? Let me answer the door," said Jane, trying to push her daughter away from the door. When Hermione didn't budge, she pinched her on the cheeks as hard as she could. Hermione yelped in pain. "You're awake, darling. Now let me get the door." Hermione stayed behind the door while her mother welcomed their guests. "Cece, come in. Come in. I'm sorry about my daughter," she apologized for Hermione's weird behavior. "She just got home from boarding school and she's still quite tired."

A blonde haired woman stepped in their house with quite a luggage. "That's alright, Jane. My son, here, just came from boarding school yesterday as well," said the woman named Cece. "You have a very lovely home, Jane. Are you sure it's alright?"

"Thank you, Cece. Of course it's alright," said her mother who helped the woman carry her bag inside. "And this must be your son? Come in, darling."

"Thank you," said Cece's son.

That's when it sunk in. She was not dreaming. That woman, she saw her before. And that voice, she knew that voice.

"Jane, this is my son, Draco," she heard Cece say.

Jane looked at Hermione who was still behind the door, gesturing her to come forward. "It's nice to finally meet you, Draco, dear," she said, pulling Hermione from behind the door. "I'd like you to meet my daughter, Hermione," said Jane once Hermione budged. "Darling, this is Cece and her son, Draco. Cece was a childhood friend of mine."

"It's very nice to meet you, Cece, Draco," Hermione had brought herself to say. "Uhm, excuse me for a moment, I'm dressed inappropriately," she said and dashed to her room before her mother could react.

DH*******