The way these characters act is mostly me. The characters themselves, however, are all J.K. Rowling.
"I am at a complete loss. Ronald claims he loves me at this point, and I don't even know what to do with that. I mean, there was a time when... But that's over. It's been over for nearly a year now, and there's no going back. He missed his chance. I'm with Draco now. I'm with Draco, and I'm happy."
Feeling someone peering over her shoulder, Hermione quickly snapped the journal shut.
"Interesting," Draco muttered, shooting her a stern look. "So the Weasel finally got off his arse and told you?"
Hermione fought a smile at his wording, thinking back on her talk with Ginny the previous day.
"Something like that," she muttered in return. "But that doesn't matter." She shook her head as if to emphasize the point even further.
Draco raised an eyebrow at her, and she responded by simply turning in her chair and wrapping him in a hug. After a tense moment, he relaxed into it and began running his fingers through her hair. "Don't leave me," he murmured into her hair.
Hermione felt her heart jump in her chest. She took a deep breath and nodded in response. "I won't," she promised.
That day at dinner, Ginny and Harry were holding hands. Hermione eyed the girl suspiciously, and Ginny just shrugged and mouthed an "I'll tell you later."
Ron sat quietly, his head aimed directly into his food sullenly. His actions all but stated he wanted nothing to do with Hermione.
Hermione sighed and just resigned herself to food.
Aside from the loving whispers between the new couple, dinner was silent.
That is, until a random bludger flew straight through the owl entrance to the Great Hall. Students screamed and ran as it thrashed through the room, tearing into the walls and breaking everything in sight.
Neville Longbottom had just sat down to eat when the bludger entered the Hall, and he remained lost in his own world until the students began to run from it. Spotting the sphere darting around, Neville stood and gasped instantly. He just knew it would be heading straight for him. Sure enough, here came the bludger, straight for Neville's head. Every other student had already fled to the walls, watching wearily as a stunned Neville eyed the renegade piece of Quidditch equipment.
Instinctively, he raised the only item of defense he had: his dinner plate. The bludger flew directly into the plate--and stopped. Neville wearily peered over the edge of the plate to find a rather irritated bludger struggling to free itself from his peanut butter.
Finally able to corner the thing, Dumbledore stood and muttered a quick stunning spell; the bludger instantly froze.
"All right then," Dumbledore said briskly to the students. "Problem solved."
Neville promptly fainted.
"Wow, Neville," Hermione marveled as he awoke in Madame Pomfrey's wing. "Who'd have thought bludgers react that way to muggle peanut butter?"
Neville offered the girl a weak smile, though his shaking fingers betrayed him. "Yeah," he muttered. "Who'd have thought?"
"No really," Ginny said to the boy. "That sure was lucky on your part."
"Yeah, I guess so," he replied, brightening a bit.
Ginny, Neville, and Hermione made their way back to the Gryffindor tower as soon as Neville was free to go.
"Close call, eh Longbottom?" came a voice from behind them.
The trio turned to see Pansy and Blaise approaching them. Hermione's hand instinctively enclosed around her wand within her robes.
"What's that?" Neville responded wearily.
"I said," Blaise repeated, "that was a close call."
"That it was," Hermione agreed, still tense but loosening her grip a bit.
"Lucky that you're okay, isn't it?" Pansy added.
Ginny's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's it to you?" she asked, and Hermione noticed her right hand also firmly within her robes.
"Nothing much," Pansy responded. "Just that Miss Perfect here and Draco are together now so, you know..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly. She looked to Blaise for assurance, and he took his cue.
"You know," he repeated, "we figured we'd be civil and all."
"Right then," Neville said nervously, speeding up the stairs. Hermione and Ginny followed.
"Later, then," Blaise said, nodding at the three Gryffindors.
Hermione could have almost sworn she saw Pansy Parkinson smile.
"What potion do Pansy and Blaise have?" was the first thing out of Hermione's mouth when she saw Draco that night.
"Well hello to you, too," he responded, kissing her lightly on the lips.
Hermione smiled softly, then explained. "They were nice to Neville today. As in, nice... to Neville Longbottom."
Draco looked at her in disbelief. "You're joking, right?" he asked.
"Not in the slightest," she responded, shaking her head. "They said something about since you and I are together now, that they should be nicer to us." She paused, then added, "But I figured that was probably a crock anyway."
Draco chuckled at her wording. "Yes," he agreed, "I do believe 'a crock' covers that quite well."
Hermione blushed in response, but still looked to him for an answer.
When he gave her none, she repeated her question.
"I'm not sure," he responded. "Why does it matter?"
"Well," she said, thinking. "I know Ron and Harry had something to do with bravery, and they were really brave today and yesterday. Then Neville was lucky, and Neville is never lucky. And those two being nice; it just makes me think..."
"You think Snape's given them some sort of sensitivity potion?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.
She shrugged. "Well, it's possible, isn't it?"
"I suppose so," he said carefully, "but I'm still not so sure."
That night, there was an optional study time for Potions students in the Dungeons.
Draco and Hermione walked together after their time together. They received more odd looks for walking into the room holding hands, but they had learned to quit caring. At that point, all they really cared about was that they were together. They sat together quietly, immediately emersing themselves in their work.
"So we have Frakelhurm, Ladimace, and Tradelbet," they heard a male voice say behind them.
"Right," agreed another male voice. "So what did all those do for our potion?"
"According to our sources, Frakelhurm is a catalyst, Ladimace connects brain cells in a logical fashion, and Tradelbet intensifies the effects of Ladimace when added in the correct amounts."
"Right then," said the second voice, and Hermione turned to see Goyle writing the answer on a piece of parchment.
Hermione tapped Draco on the shoulder, giving him a look that clearly said, "Believe me now?"
Draco surveyed his usually idiotic acquaintances in amusement and shock. He nodded wordlessly, and Hermione smiled. Without thinking about it, she reached down to hold his hand and continued on in her work.
A/N: Hey everyone, I'm sooo sorry this took so long. Anyway, I have a really good idea of where the story is going from here, so hopefully all goes well in the coming chapters. Let me know what you think. Thanks!