Knowing the far flung locations that had been on Harry and Ron's list to visit, and having no inkling of which order they were going to visit them in, Hermione had no idea how long it would take to receive a reply from Harry.

However to her utter surprise, the barn owl she had sent off the previous evening landed on the table at breakfast the next morning. Attached to its leg was an envelope, and she recognised Harry's handwriting on the outside of it. She managed to detach the envelope from the owl's leg and slit open the envelope; inside was a folded piece of parchment and several photographs, She perused the photographs first, they all contained Ron and Harry in a variety of locations. They were waving up at her from the Sphinx in Egypt, from next to a dragon enclosure which must have been in Romania, from a high peak which looked like it was on the Great Wall of China, and then one which also had Seamus Finnigan grinning manically. For a few seconds Hermione felt a longing to see her two best friends in person, that maybe she should have gone with them, but then that thought evaporated from her mind as she unfolded the parchment.

'Hermione,

Thank you for your letter! Ron and me are in Ireland at the moment, spending some time with Seamus. It's been really interesting, everywhere we've been has really fascinating; I'm definitely learning more about international wizards! We're going to Australia next, to do some exploring before we're back at the Burrow for Christmas! Maybe we'll see you then? It would be really good to get a proper catch up!

Anyway, about you little situation with Draco… I can't say I'm incredibly knowledgeable about feelings, or that sort of thing (but you know that). I agree with you when you say that Draco actually helped us in the Manor, he maybe didn't realise it himself how much this little bit of time gave us… but I think what you really want is an opinion about whether you should speak to him about how you feel about him. It seems in your last letter that you've gotten to know him better since the end of the War, and that he's no longer treating you the way he used to (or treating anyone else like that either!). I don't think it's right that the other students are not treating him properly, but you can understand that they might need some extra proof for them to believe that he has changed…

Regarding you and Draco though, I can only give you the advice that I feel is right. You should follow your heart Hermione. Don't let anyone else tell you how you should be feeling or what you should be doing – you are the only person who can make these decisions, and if that means going against what the others think is right then be true to yourself and follow what you think is the right thing to do… if you are asking yourself whether you like Draco, and with no one elses' opinions, are answering yourself with a yes, then you should do something about it. Don't let anyone put you off (by that I mean don't let ginny tell you that what you're doing is wrong! She's my girlfriend and I love her, but she does hold some prejudice against those who impacted her family).

What to do about this then, the first thing you should do is talk to Draco. Even if all you talk about is just being friends, then it will get over the awkwardness and surprise that you (and probably him) have been feeling since you kissed. It's likely that if there are feelings on his part that they would be noticeable during this conversation. (I very much doubt that if you kissed and he didn't protest that he doesn't have some kind of feelings for you), but having that conversation would probably let you know where you stand considering the whole situation.

I'm sorry if this is exactly the same as the advice that you've already been told, but all I can tell you is what I think is the right thing to do… and that's it.

Please look after yourself, but also don't let something pass you by and leaving you with regrets. Write back and let me know what happens,

Harry.'

Folding the bit of parchment up again, she looked back down at the photographs.

"Who is that from?" Ginny asked sounding mildly interested as she poured coffee into her mug.

"Harry." Hermione answered, then to deflect questions about the subject of the letters, she held out the photographs that she had gotten with the letter. "He sent me a couple of photos with him and Ron in the different places that they've visited…"

"Let's see…" Neville took the photos from her and flicked through them. "God that looks amazing! That's in Egypt isn't it?" He held up the photo of them waving from in front of the Sphinx.

"Yeah." She said.

"Where are they in this one?" He asked, holding up one of the other photos.

"I think they're in China there…" She replied, "It looks like a bit of the Great Wall of China."

"Wow…" Neville breathed. "That's pretty awesome! I wish I could have done something like that!"

"You still could!" Hermione told him. "You could do that next year, after you're finished at Hogwarts." She suggested.

"Nah, I think gran wants me to do some more studying and then get a job." Neville replied.

"You don't have to do everything your gran says Neville." Hermione told him firmly.

"I know," Neville nodded. "But she just wants the best for me I know that."

"Yeah, but you can decide what the best thing for you is now." She commented, "It's not like you wouldn't deserve it."

"Oh yeah, I know that. I guess I'd just rather do that sort of thing with someone…" With this comment he threw a kind of sideways look at Luna, but as she was deeply immersed in spooning jam onto her porridge, she didn't notice.

"That's not a bad idea." Hermione agreed. She wondered, after Neville had told her that she should do with Draco, whether he might take heed of his own advice and finally get round to asking Luna out… And that thought sent her back to thinking about Harry's reply – Harry said she shouldn't avoid something if it might lead to regrets… That was kind of the reason why she had been so adamant to come back to school in the first place, she hadn't wanted to regret not finishing her education and when she had made that decision, she had known that what followed was right. Even if that meant splitting up with Ron, she had known that was the right thing to do for herself… And now it seemed that the right thing to do for herself would be to speak to Draco about the whole situation. The only thing that was preventing her from seeking him out straight away and speaking to him was that she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to happen herself… Did she fully expect for her and Draco to become a couple? Was that even likely to happen with Draco being so… well, unsure of everything that was going on in his life? The last thing that she wanted to do was build him up and then later on have him come crashing down… or would they be better getting to know each other a little bit more before deciding what they should do? She had no idea… and she couldn't quite pinpoint in herself what she wanted. She honestly couldn't see how getting to know each other better might make any difference to the situation they were in now… What she needed to do was find out if Draco felt the same way that she did, then she could figure out what to do next.

Unfortunately for her, the only class that she had with Draco on Tuesdays was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and she just so happened to sit at the opposite side of the classroom to him. She didn't bank on being able to catch him while in the corridors, especially not as Draco was just as adept – if not moreso – than Harry had been at navigating through the corridors without being seen. The moment he was outside a classroom he just seemed to vanish into the milling students and it was almost impossible to spot him after that. So her best chance at contacting him was somehow managing to slip a note to him and hoping that he would meet her later in private. She had scribbled a note on a small piece of parchment, and as they were lining up for Defence Against the Dark Arts, she slipped it surreptitiously into the pocket of his robes.

Draco found that the easiest way to get food at lunchtime but still stay out of the spotlight of staring students was to pick a napkin from one of the tables and then pick whatever food they were serving that could easily be wrapped up and taken out of the Hall. This generally meant that he had sandwiches most days, but it was better than what he had been doing before – which had been to just not eat until the point that he was too shaky to stand or think properly. At least this way it meant that he was able to get some food without emptying half of the Great hall, or being watched while taking every bite (which he detested). So he would select his meal, wrap it up and the shove it in his pocket and try to find somewhere secluded that he could eat it. Depending on the weather, he would either go back down to the Slytherin dormitories and eat in there, of if the weather was half decent then he would find an isolated spot in the grounds and eat out there. Twice he had spotted the arithmancy teacher, Professor Vector, sneaking out of the back of the castle to smoke a pipe that emitted a blue haze of smoke; she had never seen him though… His perpetual isolation meant that he had found all the best locations to hide in. Today was no different – he got out of Defence Against the Dark Arts as soon as the bell rang so he could be one of the first people in the Great Hall. He grabbed two sandwiches from a platter nearest the door, and managed to manoeuvre out of the hall before the crowd moving the other way became too strong. The sun was weak in the sky and there was a light breeze as he walked out into the grounds, the air around him had a crispness to it, a clear sign that autumn was fading fast. He walked towards the east wing, certain that that section of the castle would be deserted. Sitting down on a small mound that was raised above the rest of the surrounding grass and pulled the sandwiches that he had wrapped up out of his pocket; as he did so, a small slip of parchment that he had been unaware of also came out with it. Resting the sandwiches on his lap, he unfolded the slip of parchment.

'Draco, can we talk? Meet me in the transfiguration classroom after dinner? Hermione.'

Draco stared at the note; his heart leapt into his throat and began pounding furiously. Suddenly the memory of what had happened in the Room of Requirement reblossomed in his mind, and he instantly felt his insides turn to something resembling jelly. He didn't much fancy his sandwich anymore as he stared down at the note… Perhaps she was going to tell him that she didn't think they should be friends… was that what they were? He guessed they must be after the amount of time she had spent with him… so had that one kiss ruined everything between them? He unwrapped his sandwiches, feeling gloomy and took an unappreciative bite; he laid the rest of it back onto the napkin, not really feeling in the mood for food. He would just have to meet Hermione and face up to it... even though he suspected that by this evening, he would - once–again – be alone.

Draco hung back; he didn't want to arrive at the classroom before Hermione and be forced to hang about waiting for her. But even with that desire not to be too early, he found himself wandering the corridors during dinner – too restless to be able to stay still. His heart was pounding furiously against his, still bruised, ribs and his hands were trembling; he was stupidly nervous for no real reason. He just didn't want to face her and be snubbed. About ten minutes after dinner was supposed to end, he made his way along to the transfiguration classroom. The closer he got, the more tempted he was to turn around and go back to his dormitory, his mouth had gone completely dry and he was aware of the other students leaving the Great Hall. He hovered in the corridor outside the classroom for at least a minute, his hand reaching out to the door handle and withdrawing a couple of times before he took a deep breath, swallowed and reached for the door handle.

Hermione had been standing at the other end of the room, leaning against one of the desks and staring out into the rapidly darkening grounds. She moved slightly as she heard the door open, her head turning to see Draco enter; Draco could feel his knees trembling so fiercely that he was fairly sure that his shaking must be clearly visible.

"Draco!" She greeted him with a small smile, getting up from leaning against the table and walking towards him. He felt his heart pound in rhythm with her footsteps towards him, and he didn't even try to smile for fear of what his face might look like if he did. "I was beginning to think you might not be coming…" She said, and Draco could detect a slight waver in her voice. "Are you feeling better? Did you manage to fix your ribs?" She asked casually, Draco could feel the inside of his mouth turning to the texture of sandpaper, so instead of speaking, he simply nodded. "I wanted to see you, on your own, about last Thursday night…" She began slowly, looking down at her hands that were fiddling with the edge of her robes.

"I'm sorry." Draco blurted out before she could get any more words out; her head jerked up and she looked inquiringly at him.

"Sorry?" She repeated.

"For what happened…" He went on quickly, wanting to pre-empt the strike that might leave him alone. "I know it was inappropriate for the situation, and I don't even know why it happened." He was gabbling slightly, worried about what he was saying and about the confused expression on Hermione's face.

"Oh… I – I… okay." She seemed to struggle to find her words, and Draco felt immensely awkward – she obviously hadn't been expecting him to say anything like that. There was a silence as Hermione frowned, apparently not knowing how to proceed, and Draco felt his heartrate increase to almost bursting point. He was seized with the inclination to run from the room again – to get away from the situation, but he couldn't. He had spent the whole afternoon trying to psyche himself up for coming to see her, he wasn't going to chicken out now. All the same, this really wasn't pleasant and he didn't know whether he should say something to break the tension. Hermione was just staring at him, possibly she didn't realise how unnerving it was; Draco could feel himself blushing under her gaze. "So…" She started slowly. "So when you say you're sorry, do you really mean it?" She asked, now averting her eyes from Draco.

"I really mean I'm sorry." He responded, wondering why she was asking such a peculiar question.

"No." She shook her head as though he had not understood her question. "I mean, do you regret it?" Draco didn't know how to respond to this, he pondered it for a few seconds; he didn't regret it really, but how did he say that to her without making things more awkward.

"I know that it wasn't appropriate for that situation," He replied eventually, "So I'm sorry for making things awkward."

"I don't mean that really…" She said again. "I mean, do you wish it had never happened?" She asked, still not looking at him. "Because I don't." This was, beyond a doubt, the last thing that Draco had expected her to say. He stared at her dumbfounded, not quite sure what to say to her.

"I… I what?" Draco asked.

"I don't regret it at all…" Hermione repeated. "I've been thinking about it, quite a bit, and well, I don't think it was a bad thing to happen." Draco's brain seemed to have jammed – he felt like this must be a dream, he wanted to pinch himself to see if this actually happening, but he couldn't do that without Hermione noticing. "We've been getting to know each other a bit more since we came back to school, and… well, I guess what I'm saying is I like you Draco…" At this, Draco dug his nails into the palms of his hands, and as he felt the pain in them he knew that he wasn't dreaming. "Draco..?" Hermione questioned, she was looking worried; Draco felt like all the blood had run out of his head and he leant gently on the desk behind him. "I just… I don't want to make things awkward, and I didn't know, after what happened on Thursday, where that left us – so I just thought I'd make where I am clear so that it's not uncomfortable." She said this incredibly quickly, and Draco knew that she was trying to fill the silence between them.

"Well…" Draco tried to speak, but struggled to know how articulate what he wanted to say. "As long as you're not… offended or anything, then that's good." She smiled at him, seemingly reassured by what Draco was saying. "I didn't want to lose your friendship because of something I had done…" He muttered under his breath.

"I'm definitely not offended." Hermione confirmed, "It was just a moment between us – I don't think we should let it change anything. We're still friends, we can keep talking and everything, and… well… in the future, if we decide we want, well… more," She said rather ambiguously, blushing scarlet now. "Then we can figure that out then."

"I… yeah," Draco agreed, barely able to believe what was happening. "I think that's a good idea."

"So," Hermione appeared to be teetering on the edge of asking another question. "You feel the same way?" She finally asked, Draco nodded, feeling his cheeks going red again. "Great!" She smiled. Again a silence filled the space between them, and Hermione seemed to bounce slightly on the balls of her feet. "I was wondering… in the time being, whether you'd like to come to the Christmas Ball with me?" Draco hadn't been expecting this either; he had firmly imagined that Hermione would go with her group of friends – in fact he hadn't really been planning on going to the ball himself, because of that.

"Yes!" He answered rather quickly, then feeling embarrassed added: "That would be really nice."

"Wonderful!" She exclaimed and, rather unexpectedly, gave Draco a quick hug. "Thank you for coming… I wanted to sort things out with you; I didn't want you to stop talking to me again… I'd miss you."

A/N: Again, thanks for bearing with me... I know it's been an age - you guys don't want to hear about my hectic life, but I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, I'd love to hear what you think/feel about it (and I hope to update again real soon!)