To "concerned reader":

I apologize tremendously. No I do not take offense to anything you said. I did add a trigger warning to the summary. Feel free to pm me and I can apologize personally. If not then please believe that that was an unintentional oversight. I'm sorry for any mindfucks it may have caused to you and other situation sensitive readers.

MamaPunx

Now I hope your holidays were wonderful. Happy 2016! Here is the next chapter!

Chapter 16

:Hermione:

She woke with her skin prickling from the sensation of being stared at. Her eyes flew open and connected with Draco's. He stared at her without speaking, his arm still draped over her side. She could feel him twirling a curl around his finger and wondered if he was even aware that he was doing it. Hermione cleared her throat roughly, starting to feel slightly trapped and uncomfortable.

Draco moved his arm and rolled onto his back, throwing his arms above his head and arching his back in a deep stretch, groaning away the lingering hints of sleep.

"I didn't want to move until you woke," he announced, sitting up. His voice was husky, rough from sleep. Hermione followed suit, sitting up and scooting away a few inches.

"I was afraid if I moved it would scare you and I didn't really want any early morning violence," he spoke seriously, but caught her eye and smirked.

"I'm glad that amuses you," she huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" Draco asked, feigning a stern face.

Hermione felt a flicker of fear at those words and shook her head quickly. His face softened and he looked at her apologetically.

"Shit, Granger, I'm sorry. That was a bad joke, you're right. Do you want tea or something?" He asked, standing up and stretching once more.

Hermione nodded stupidly, watching him stretch. She could see a little sliver of belly under the raised hem of his tee shirt, the straining of the muscles in his arms as he thrust them high above his head. She swallowed thickly. He glanced over and caught her staring. Hermione turned away so quickly she felt as if she had given herself whiplash. Her face hot with embarrassment, she headed for the stairs. 'Escape!' she thought frantically. Just as she reached the stairs she turned to peek at him only to find him still eyeing her. Analyzing.

"Coffee!" she blurted stupidly, blushing harder.

He gave her a nod and headed to their small kitchenette, rubbing the back of his neck and shaking his head slightly as if to clear unwanted thoughts.

Hermione ran up the stairs. She showered quickly and dressed in sweats and an old t shirt. She did not allow herself to think about anything other than coffee. She returned to the common room and found Draco sitting in her favorite window seat. He held a mug in each hand that were lazily stirring themselves with teaspoons. Hermione sat on the other end of the window seat and accepted the mug he held out to her. It stopped stirring the second it left his hand for hers.

"I don't know how you like your coffee and you weren't down here to ask so I hope it's okay. I made it like I would my own," he told her, watching her take the first sip. "I can make you a new one if you don't like it."

"No, it's perfect," Hermione said quickly. And it was. It had to be THE most perfect cup of coffee she had ever had in her life. Perfectly sweet and creamy, and it was just the right temperature, hot, but not so hot that she couldn't drink it right away. She was pretty damn impressed. But still she couldn't take her eyes off of Draco's spoon still stirring about his mug.

"Can you teach me?" she demanded abruptly, blushing at her rudeness.

:Draco:

He looked up confused until he saw her staring at his tea with awe. He let his spoon fall still and the spell was broken as she jumped slightly meeting his eyes with her own which were full of longing. It was the first time he saw anything real in her eyes. They were almost crackling with an energy reminiscent of the old Hermione. It was somewhat strange to see something other than the blank, dead-eyes stare he had gotten used to.

"How is it possible that Hermione Granger, brightest witch of the century, DOESN'T know how to do wandless magic?" he asked jokingly.

She glared a little at his words but answered nonetheless. "It's considered dark magic so there aren't any books on it in the library," she said, sounding a little like the bookworm she used to be.

"Polyjuice potions are considered dark magic too, you know. But I seem to recall a time in second year when Crabbe and Goyle started to look suspiciously like The Idiot Duo before hurling pathetic insults and running from the common room...," Draco trailed off in amazement as Hermione burst out laughing so hard that she choked on her coffee. And it was glorious. She had a throaty laugh, not the fake high pitched giggles of the other girls at school. It was the laugh of a person that was used to laughing and laughing hard. It was an honest, belly deep, head thrown back, doubling over kind of laughter. She had tears running down her face as she struggled to catch her breath.

"I forgot all about that!" she exclaimed. "I accidentally turned myself into a cat!" she choked out as she started laughing all over again.

Her laugh was contagious and Draco couldn't help laughing a little himself trying to picture Hermione as a cat.

"Now that's something I wish I could've seen for myself," Draco chuckled after she had calmed herself to an occasional snort or giggle.

"Maybe someday I'll get a pensieve. I'll show it to you," she said wiping the rest of her tears with a smile.

For her to suggest someday showing him something implied a continued acquaintance and he quite liked the idea of that.

"I haven't laughed that hard in forever," she said wistfully. And then her face became serious once again, washed anew with determination and a spark of her old fire.

"Can you teach me, Draco?" she asked softly.

His raised his eyebrows at her use of his first name. It was strange to hear it from her. Not unpleasant, just different.

"I'll teach you everything I know," he replied smiling as she beamed at him. It was the happiest he had seen her since her return. And it was because of him. 'Progress' he thought while giving himself a mental pat on the back.