A/N: Sorry it's been so long but school again, and graduating ya know it gets a bit stressful. Oh and please review, it keeps me going.

Chapter 8

Hermione woke to the sounds of Snape's deep sleeping breaths. She lay there enjoying the feeling of waking up next to the man she loved. She could feel the heat emanating from his still sleeping body next to her. She wanted dearly to lean over and kiss him until he woke, but refrained. She gently brushed a stray piece of his long dark hair from his face. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply letting out a faint sigh. She carefully climbed out of the bed trying not to wake him. She stood by the bed and looked down upon him, she felt as if a butterfly collection had been set loose in her stomach. She quietly tiptoed down the stairs and into the sitting room. She walked through a doorway and found herself in a kitchen. She quietly searched the cupboards for a glass, and got herself some water. She returned to the sitting room and sat on the couch wearing the shirt she feel asleep in the night before. She sat there in the semi-darkness listening to the sounds of the house when a tap on the window gave her a fright. She jerked open the window and an owl deposited the Daily Prophet in her hand, closing the window she returned upstairs. She crawled back into the bed and gently kissed Snape on the cheek. He didn't stir. She placed another kiss on his lips, he flicked his eyes open then squinted in the feint light from the curtains, then closed them again. Hermione deciding it was time for drastic measures flung her leg over Snape so she was straddling him and leaned down taking handfuls of his shirt and kissed him several times, making sure to make loud kissing noises. He opened his eyes, looked up at her and smiled.

"Good morning" He said with love in his eyes. She handed him the paper which he placed on the side table. He looked back up at her put his hands on her sides and pulled her down onto his chest. He kissed the top of her head and put his arms around her in a loose embrace. They lay in that position until Snape had time to wake completely.

"Breakfast?" Snape asked Hermione as she sat next to him. She nodded. Snape called for a house-elf. A tiny female elf appeared. She had long blond hair that hit the back of her knees, and brilliant green eyes that would have put Harry's to shame. She looked at Snape and said "The usual?" Snape relied with a nod.

"And you miss?"

"A bagel and some pumpkin juice please." Hermione said smiling brightly. The elf disappeared.

Snape leaned over and pushed Hermione onto her back and kissed her neck, down to her shoulders and across her collar bone. Hermione took her hand and placed it in Snape's mess of black hair and gently scratched. Snape placed his head in the comfortable warmth of Hermione's chest. She took the hand that was in his hair and placed the tips of her nails just above the top of his boxers, and then slowly drug her nails up his back leaving a shiver in their wake. Snape's muscled tightened, he picked his head up and looked up at her with a devilish grin on his face.

"You're asking for it." He said, his voice shook slightly.

"No I'm not asking for anything really." Hermione replied with an equally devilish grin. Then with a small pop the elf reappeared, carrying two trays. She deposited Snape's tray on his lap then deposited Hermione's on hers. Then with another pop was gone.

***

"Have you seen my black thong?" Hermione said hearing Draco walk into the room behind her.

"No, can't say I have" Fred replied. Hermione whipped around, the color rising in her cheeks. "Wouldn't mind though if you're offering." Fred finished with a wink.

"Don't count on it" She replied, Taking her laundered robes from him. "Thought you weren't due back for two more weeks?" She said placing her robes in her trunk.

"Wanted to see you guys off." He replied. "Want help packing?"

"No, I think I can manage." She said. "Have you seen Draco?"

"Right here." He said walking through the door, he tossed her something which she immediately placed in her trunk not looking at it.

"Do you even know what that was?" Draco said laughing. Hermione paused then pulled it back out of her trunk.

"No way!" Hermione said looking at her gleaming Head Girl badge.

"Yea way" Draco said jumping up and down in mock excitement. He finally stopped jumping after Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I got one too." Draco said.

"Great I'll go tell mum that you're both Head Girl. She'll be so pleased." Fred said then exited the room. Hermione rolled her eyes again as Draco let out a laugh.

"Oh, Draco have you seen my black thong?"

"Oh yea, in the dresser. Harry found it last night, caught him a bit off guard I think." Draco said with another laugh.

***

Once on the Hogwarts express Hermione and Draco headed off to the Head Boy and Girl compartment, Ron to the prefect compartment, and Harry and Ginny to find their own which they did not seem the least bit disappointed.

Hermione and Draco entered the compartment to find a letter on the table. They put their trunks up and Draco read the letter aloud to Hermione who sat in a seat.

"There will be new responsibilities along with new privileges this year for the Head Boy and Girl. Firstly you will assist Professor Hagrid in transporting the first years across the lake. You will then conduct the sorting ceremony. You will also be in charge of creating passwords for the common rooms with the exception of the Ravenclaw common room which is protected by riddle. Owl me when you have decided upon the first passwords, and do not forget to let the prefects know the passwords. You will need to change the passwords throughout the year also. You will also patrol the halls and grounds of Hogwarts from nine o'clock at night until midnight. Your new privileges include your own common room to share between the two of you. You have access to all forbidden areas. Your classes will begin after lunch and finally you may visit Hogsmead village whenever you so desire. Have a marvelous term. M. McGonagall. Hogwarts Headmistress." Draco finished plopping down next to Hermione.

"What do you recon a good password for Hufflepuff would be?" Hermione asked.

"You got me" Draco shrugged.

"How about Census?" Hermione said.

"Why?"

"Got me." Hermione said.

"Yea alright." Draco said scribbling it down on a piece of paper. "What about 'Weasley is our King' for Slytherin."

"Why?" Hermione looked over at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"For laughs" Draco said as if it were the most obvious thing ever. Hermione laughed.

"Yea I like that, and 'Wrackspurts' for Gryffindor." Hermione said with a laugh. Draco nodded and wrote the passwords down. He tied them to the leg of his owl and sent it off through the open window.

"So what are you and Sev gunna do?"Draco asked plopping back down next to Hermione and throwing an arm around her shoulders.

"We are gunna keep dating, but we are gunna have to sneak around, we can't have other students knowing, or staff for that matter." Hermione said leaning her head on Draco's shoulder.

"Does McGonagall know?"

"No Severus didn't tell her."

"So you're taking his class?"

"Have to if I want to be a healer don't I." Hermione said. Draco nodded. Then the compartment door flew open. Draco's heart skipped a beat.

"What is this?" Pansy Parkinson said standing in the door way.

"Go away Pansy." Draco said.

"No I want to know why you are with her." Pansy said looking at Hermione with disgust.

"She Head Girl and I'm Head Boy you dolt." Draco replied calmly.

"They why is your arm around her? Hmmm." Pansy said. Draco rolled his eyes.

"She is my friend. Now why don't you go make some of your own?" Draco said then got up and shut the door in her face. Draco walked back to his spot next to Hermione and sat down mumbling. Hermione lay across the seat and rested her head in his lap.

"Just ignore her." Hermione said comfortingly. Draco pet her hair until she fell asleep, then soon after Draco followed suit resting his head back.

Draco dreamt of his ex-girlfriend again, he had thought of her every night since he got his Hogwarts letter. Zandra was Blaise's younger sister , she would be turning seventeen today. Draco smiled in his sleep. Her name meant 'Helper of Man' in Greek, and that was true, she was the reason he realized he was wrong to support Voldemort. They had broken up in Draco's sixth year because he supported Voldemort. She said she didn't feel loved anymore, that he was distant and he didn't make time for her. It was all true except he had loved her, more then anything in the world he loved her. He trades sides for her, she never thought that what Voldemort was doing was good. She was a caring person, loving, compassionate, but stubborn beyond all belief. Draco believed her stubbornness was what had landed her in Slytherin. But Draco went mad for it, he loved her stubbornness, he loved everything about her as a matter of fact. Draco tried not to think of her if he could help it. The mere thought of her made his heart ach, but with the prospect of seeing her again at Hogwarts he couldn't help but think about her. He was going to get her back this year, he was sure of that.

***

Hermione and Draco woke just in time to get to change into their Hogwarts robes and get to the doors, before the train stopped. Hermione pulled her hair back into a bun, and Draco was trying to flatten the back of his hair that now stood up at an odd angle. He finally took his wand and pointed it at his hair which immediately went limp. The train door opened and they heard the booming voice of Hagrid calling for first years. They made their way towards him and he enveloped Hermione in a huge hug.

"Good ter see ya" Hagrid said with a grin, releasing Hermione. Draco held out his hand for Hagrid to shake. Hagrid took his hand but instead of shaking it he pulled Draco into a huge hug.

"Good ter see ya too." Hagrid said smiling. "I'm so proud a ya."

Draco gasped for breath. "Thanks" was all he managed, and then Hagrid let him go.

Hagrid started yelling for first years again and Draco turned to Hermione and gave her a look that distinctly said 'What the hell was that about?' Hermione just shrugged and smiled.

They helped Hagrid round up the first years and take them across the lake. Hermione and Draco lead the first years into the entrance hall. They could hear the other students already assembled in the Great Hall. Draco pushed the doors open and he and Hermione led the first years towards the Staff table. McGonagall sat in the middle with Sprout to one side and Bill Weasley ,who would be teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts, on the other side. On the other side of Bill sat Snape, he seemed to regain the usual bitterness that he portrayed at Hogwarts, but when he saw Hermione walk up the aisle towards the staff table, Head Girl badge gleaming and a hoard of first years trailing behind her, he couldn't help but let a smile wrinkle his eyes. Hermione saw it and smiled up at him. He winked in return then resumed his flawless mask of bitterness. Which made Hermione smile more.

Draco on the other hand was scanning the Slytherin table hoping to see Zandra. He noticed how empty the table seemed. He looked for Blaise who had been his best friend, but he was not sure if he still was considering he hadn't asked for Blaise's permission to date his sister in the first place then left her broken hearted. Then Draco spotted Blaise and as he had assumed Zandra was sitting near by. Draco smiled; he knew he could win her back as long as he kept a level head.

Hermione read off the first name from a scroll she held in her hands. The first year was obviously eager as she ran up to the stool, Draco laughed to himself a little Hermione in the making, He placed the sorting hat on her head and it shouted out 'Gryffindor' yep a little Hermione he thought as he watched the girl run off to the Gryffindor table. Hermione called the rest of the first years and he placed the hat on their heads and watched as they ran off to their respective tables. The sorting was over before Draco had expected.

He and Hermione then took the stools through the door at the end of the staff table.

"So you gunna go sit at the Slytherin table?" Hermione asked. "Cuz you're welcome to come sit with me."

"No I'm gunna go to the Slytherin table, gunna get my girl back." He said. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.

"You've got a girl, why didn't you tell me?" She asked.

"No I had a girl, before the war." He said sadly.

"Well who is she? Tell me everything." Hermione said eagerly.

"Later, we have to go back out there now." Draco sat the stool down in the corner, and then smiled at Hermione. They walked back through the door and went their separate ways.

Hermione sat between Ron and Harry; Ron gave her an angry look.

"Why didn't come talk to me yet?" Ron asked.

"Oh Ron I'm so sorry I forgot." Hermione said suddenly remembering that Ron had asked her to talk when she got back from going with Snape.

"It's alright; we'll talk when we go back to the common room."

"I won't be going back to the Gryffindor common room. Me and Draco have our own common room." Hermione said.

"Oh" Ron said then turned back to his plate.

"We can talk after the feast if you like." Hermione said feeling bad now. Then filled her plate.

"Alright."

The feast finished after what seemed like hours. Hermione and Ron walked to a hidden hall they found in their sixth year. They stopped halfway down the hall. Hermione turned to him.

"What did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked, almost scared of what he had to say to her.

"Me and Snape talked about you the other day." He said standing a good five feet from her.

"And?" Hermione prompted after a minute of silence.

"Well I told him how I felt about you, and the two of you." Ron started. Hermione nodded and waited for him to finish. "He loves you Mione."

"I know."

"No he loves you" Ron said again putting emphasis on the word loves.

"Yes Ron I know."

"And I love you too." Ron said almost shyly. Hermione stiffened. "I told him that. He said that he loves you. I – I just don't know what to do anymore." Ron said. Hermione saw tears form in his eyes.

"I don't want to give you up Mione. I love you!" Ron said jabbing a finger to his chest. "I tried to make you love me too, but I obviously failed. I need to know what I can do to prove it to you. That I love you and need you in my life." Ron said tears now sparkling in his eyes. Hermione didn't know how to react so she stayed silent. "He said that he loves you and will do anything to keep you in his life. Said that he has never felt so strongly for anyone else. Said he was sorry but he wasn't going to give you up."

"Ron I" Hermione started but Ron cut her off.

"No let me get this out. Everything I have done I did to keep you. I was an arrogant, abusive asshole Hermione, but I didn't know how to handle myself. The prospect of loosing you was too much. We had it good though didn't we? We were happy when we were together. How did we loose that?" Ron stopped and wiped tears from his face.

"I don't know Ron. It just ended." Hermione said.

"I dunno what I'm going to do without you Hermione." Ron said.

"You aren't without me, if you would just accept me as a friend and not as a girlfriend then things would be fine."

"I can't, I love you too much. I saw how you looked at him during the wedding, and I remember when you looked at me that way. I hate to say it but you need to be with him. I can't deny you your happiness, and I won't try to any more." Ron wiped tears from his eyes again then walked over to Hermione and wrapped her in a hug. He nestled his face in her shoulder. Hermione put her arms around him returning the hug. "I love you and you need to know that." He said thought it was muffled. "Go with Snape, he knows ho to treat you better then I do, and I can't watch as you fall for another man. Let me think this out, I will have you in my life again, even if it just as a friend, but I can't do it right now." Then he kissed her on the cheek and walked away.

A/N: The butterfly collection line was from M*A*S*H* I 3 Hawkeye. But anyways please review, it keeps me going, and thanks to all those who have reviewed. The next chapter within the next week hopefully. But no promises.