Disclaimer: .::yawn::. Not mine

Harry and Ron

After their free period, Hermione, Draco and Blaise went to class together, chatting about nothing in particular as they sat down together in Potions class. Slughorn raised his eyebrows, wrote the potion ingredients on the board, and set them to work.

As Hermione, Draco and Blaise worked together, Harry and Ron were fuming. They were wondering what Malfoy had spiked Hermione's pumpkin juice with to make her hang out with Slytherins. Sure, the war was over, but most of the Slytherins had fought on the Dark side. So what if Zabini and Malfoy had fought for the Light? It doesn't mean they had changed.

Harry tore off a spare bit of parchment and wrote something on it. Using his wand, he levitated it over towards his friend. Hermione glanced at the parchment on her desk and opened it.

Didn't see you last night. How've you been?

HP

Hermione smiled.

I'm fine. Don't worry, I'll explain it all to you after supper. I'll meet you in the Gryffindor common room at 8.

HG

"What was that all about?" asked Blaise, looking over at Harry and Ron, who were now silently bickering, pointing in their general direction every few minutes.

"I told Harry I'd talk to them tonight after supper," said Hermione.

"Do you wanted me to come with you?" asked Draco, looking over at Hermione, who was fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"No, it'll only make it worse—"

"Let me rephrase that. Mia, I'm coming with you."

"Draco, I—"

"Come on, let's go to History of Magic," said Blaise, trying to avoid the fight that would surely break out because of both their stubbornness.

XOxoXOxo

Hermione was nervous. Telling Ron and Harry and them understanding would be a feat, but Draco being there why she was telling them? She didn't know if they would survive, Harry and Ron or Draco.

"Draco, come on, let's go."

"Good luck," said Blaise, offering an encouraging smile. Ted smiled too.

"We'll need it," Hermione muttered.

"How long do you think they'll last?" asked Ted.

Blaise snorted. "With Weasley's temper? Ten minutes."

They walked in silence to the Gryffindor common room. Draco took Hermione's hand and squeezed it, trying to make her calm down. It didn't work; she couldn't calm down. Not right now, at least.

"Gillyweed," she whispered, making the Fat Lady swing open and show the Gryffindor common room. She took a gulp of air, her breath shaking.

"Hermione! I—" Ron stopped. "What is the ferret doing here?"

"I'm here to help Mia explain this to you," he said cool

"Explain, what exactly?" asked Harry.

"Well, our new-found friendship, I suppose. With not only me, but with Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott."

"Mione, I thought you had more sense than that!" said Ron. "Fraternising with Slytherins?!"

"Draco was on our side during the war!" Hermione defended. "So were Blaise and Theo—"

"People don't just change over night!" Ron shouted.

"You never knew them at the beginning! They were never the Death Eaters we thought they were! Never! Draco was forced to be mean to us while we were at school by his father! Harry, you know was Lucius is capable of—"

WHAM!

Draco staggered, taken aback and unprepared for the blow he had just received. He put his hand on his jaw and—

WHACK!

Draco fell to the floor this time, doubled over, clutching is stomach.

"RON, NO!"

Draco heard her screaming, but couldn't make out anything else she said as he was hit again…again…again…

He felt someone pulling the screaming boy off him as he fell into blackness.

XOxoXOxo

"Ron…Ron…RON, stop it!" said Harry struggling to keep hold of Ron.

"Immobulus!" Hermione cried.

Ron froze.

"Draco, are you okay?" she asked going to his side.

His lip was bloodied, his face was bruised…Hermione tried to asses the damage as tears leaked from her eyes.

"You knocked him out, Ron! He's unconscious!" she said, crying. "I knew…I knew you would take it badly, but he didn't do anything! I didn't even get to explain to you…I met him before we were at school! Before we were here."

Hermione levitated Draco towards the door. "Thank you, Harry. I was just hoping he would take it as well as Ginny did, I guess."

Draco groggily opened his eyes. He was lying down on something soft, a bed…a hospital bed.

"Draco?"

He looked up woozily to see a face…a blurry face…it sounded as if it were crying. Draco blinked a couple times as the face started to focus…

"Hermione?" he asked, his eyes finally meeting hers.

He jumped; Hermione had thrown herself into his arms and started sobbing into his chest. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as his wrapped themselves around her waist.

"Why…why am I…here?" he asked as she started to calm down.

"I went to go talk to Harry and Ron; you insisted on coming. And I told them and he…he hit…you…" she started to cry again.

"Shh…" he said, trying to soothe her as well as remember who the bloody hell hit him. Harry would never so that leaves…

"I'm going to MURDER Ronald Weasley," he hissed, suddenly sitting upright and making to stand.

"No! Draco, don't—stay—" fought Hermione, her tears forgotten, as she tried to push him back down to the bed. "His mum is here—she'll murder him first—you know she has a temper—Ginny, too—"

Draco stopped struggling. "Can I give him a good right hook when I see him next then?" ha asked, lying back down.

"Well—"

"Or a Leg-Locker Curse? Won't know what hit him."

"I—" she stopped and sighed, "—fine."

Draco chuckled and hugged her. He quickly let go as he saw a flash of platinum blond hair—he groaned.

"What's wrong?" Hermione whispered.

"My mum is here—"

"Drakie? Drakie, there you are! I was so worried; I heard the Weasley boy—" she stopped short as she saw Hermione. She stared at her for a while before smiling brightly.

"Hermione! It's so nice to see you again! It's been ages—you should come by the manor sometime—"

"Mum, let her breathe," chortled Draco, laughing at the bewildered look on Hermione's face.

"Mrs. Malfoy, it's wonderful to see you again as well—"

"Dear, how many times do I have to tell you—it's Narcissa—"

"At least once more, Mrs. Malfoy," smiled Hermione, embracing Narcissa.

"So, tell me what happened with—Ronald, was it?—"

Draco started into the details as Hermione just sat at his side. She could scarcely remember seeing Narcissa more than once, but Narcissa already seemed to know her almost as well as Draco knew her. It was almost as if…Draco talked about…her all the time at home. Hermione remembered when she was nine meeting Narcissa for the first time, and thinking Draco had definitely gotten his looks from her. Her blond hair to her shoulders, dull blue eyes as if she had seen too much seemed to sparkle much more today than she remembered, grand posture never once out of place.

"—should come stay over the Christmas break, what do you say, love?" asked Narcissa, looking at Hermione and smiling warmly.

"I'd love too!" she said, happy to be able to get away from her bickering parents. "I'm sure mum and dad—" Draco noticed her smile falter a bit, "—wouldn't mind if I spent Christmas with some old friends."

"Oh, Chris and Beth, how are they? We haven't spoken in ages—maybe I could invite them for tea—"

"Narcissa, my parents would want me to spend a couple of days with them before I come to the manor, would that be—?"

"Of course, of course, I'll be waiting for another girl in the house. It's so empty with just me and with Lucius gone..." Narcissa stopped suddenly, looking down at her hands.

Draco hastily changed the subject, knowing that she always got a little sad mentioning his father, knowing she would start thinking of the abuse she endured while he was still alive.

"So," said Hermione as she walked towards the Head dorms with Draco, "chrimbo hols with the Malfoy's? This will be interesting."

"Hmm. Mia, could you not mention my father or anything while we're there?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"Sure. I have one question though."

"Hmm?"

"Drakie!? What the bloody hell was that?"

They laughed as they made their way to their common room, tricked Sir Cadogan into opening the door by telling him the Knights Who Say Ni challenge him to a duel, and went to bed, each thinking of the other.

I hope this chapter is decent enough for you; it took me three days to write and was 6 pages on MW. I hope you review please, I need more ideas!!!! Bye, loves!