Author's Note: I own no person, no place, no thing – except the plot! If you recognize it, it probably belongs to Ms. Rowling or some other awesome super-human.

Chapter 9 Sunday

Hermione barely slept at all that night, but not for the usual reasons. Thoughts of Draco circled incessantly through her mind. She couldn't get the images to leave her alone! Draco watching her on the stage with lust in his eyes. Draco laying in the grass, talking about motorcycles and gesturing with his hands. Draco walking her home and kissing her on the cheek. Draco, Draco, Draco, Draco.

At 8:30 her door buzzed, fifteen minutes earlier than they had planned on meeting. She was a little embarrassed to admit that she was already downstairs waiting for him. Of course he hadn't been able to see through the door that she was already in her downstairs entryway, checking her reflection in her pocket mirror, pacing back and forth, and trying to calm herself down by reminding herself that he was just a friend.

"A good friend, maybe even a new lifelong best friend, but that's it. Nothing to get worked up over. Just relax, Hermione," she chanted quietly to herself as she paced. When the door buzzer went off (right next to her head, bugger that thing was loud!) she just played it off like she'd just been bringing her bags downstairs, and happily accepted her coffee.

"So, are you ready for this?" Hermione asked as Draco took her day-bag from her just like the morning before.

"I think so. I guess there's no way for someone like me to really prepare, you know? I thought about swinging by the Library to read up on the subject, but I didn't figure I'd have time to read the entire Christian Bible and still get a decent night's sleep."

"No, that probably wouldn't be possible. I don't think even I could do that, and I am a professional."

"A professional what, Little Girl? Insomniac Speed-Reading Wunderkid?" Draco teased as he playfully swung their joined hands back and forth.

"Precisely!" she cried. "Draco Malfoy, you have figured out all my secrets, haven't you?"

"I don't know, have I?" Draco was startled, then realized she was grinning at him. He rolled his eyes, then, to wipe the grin off her face, he tugged her into him and kissed her on the top of her head.

Mission accomplished: Hermione blushed and almost tripped over her own feet. Draco laughed out loud and pulled her upright, then oh, so casually slung his arm across her shoulders as they approached the church.

"You really are a twitchy little thing, aren't you?" He said. This earned him a poke in the ribs, but she didn't say anything.

In truth, Hermione couldn't have said anything if her life depended on it. All of her advice to herself earlier had fizzled away when she'd felt him kiss her hair, and her entire body was buzzing with joy at his arm around her shoulders. He'd tucked her into his side in such a way that it was perfectly natural feeling to wrap her free arm around his waist. Hermione kept her head slightly down so he couldn't see the enormous grin spread across her face.

Of course this would be the time that Sue and her family would pull up next to them in their car.

"Good morning, you two!" Sue called gaily as she opened her car door and set about releasing her children upon the world. Hermione and Draco called out a simultaneous "Good morning!", and then braced themselves for the tiny blonde assault team that ran at them.

Ellie grabbed Hermione's legs in a hug, and Draco was shocked and touched when Rosie did the same thing to him. The charming little buggers were wearing matching gingham dresses, Ellie in light green and Rosie in light blue, and each girl had on a pair of brand new sparkly pink dress slippers. Hermione knelt down and exclaimed over their new shoes as their parents joined the group.

"Good morning there, Draco, Hermione," Shaun said as he shook Draco's now free hand, then ruffled Hermione's hair.

"Shaun! Cut it out you git!" Hermione scolded as she stood and tried to smooth down the mess he'd made. She smiled down at Draco, who was now kneeling and admiring Ellie and Rosie's new shoes, when she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

She felt herself get spun around in a circle by a pair of large and uncomfortably tight arms braced painfully under her ribs, her violin shifting and nearly falling off her arm to the ground, and then she was set back on her feet by a laughing Sutton. Laughing Sutton, who didn't notice that the object of his affection had become completely stiff and stark white with shock and rage, and who also failed to see that his other band mates were looking at him disapprovingly.

Draco slowly rose back to his full height, taking in Hermione's shaking white rage and Sue, Shaun, and now Renny's frowns. Knowing he needed to be careful in this situation not to undermine Hermione's ability to take care of herself, but needing to let everyone, ESPECIALLY SUTTON, know loud and clear that Hermione was not available to manhandle, Draco slowly held his hand out to her. She didn't hesitate at all to fly to his side.

"Are you all right?" he whispered into her hair. She was still shaking. She nodded her head, and he wrapped his arm around her, gig-bag and all. Before Draco had a chance to do more than glance away from Hermione, Sue had already started screeching at Sutton about his lack of manners and tact.

Sutton's great big smile only dropped slightly as he looked at the girl he'd just grabbed. He barely noticed the geeky blond bloke she was shuddering against. In his arrogance, Sutton had already sized Draco up, from glasses to pullover vest, from the breadth of his shoulders to his aristocratic accent, and decided that the blond was not in the least bit a threat to him.

Draco, on the other hand, was sizing up Sutton and deciding just how easily he could dispatch the wanker with his bare hands. The easiest bet would really be to grab the ponce by his ridiculous ponytail and let Hermione have a go at him. They'd tag-teamed pureblood Death Eaters in the same manner many times. Not a single one had walked away.

"Sorry there, 'Mione. I didn't mean to frighten you," Sutton grinned in what he thought was a winning manner. Poor girl was skittish, that was all. She needed a real man in her life to protect her. A man like himself, to be sure.

Hermione's spine stiffened, and Draco dropped his arm as she turned to fully face her band mate.

"Mr. Sutton, please do not touch me again, and please do not call me 'Mione. My name is Hermione, and I do not like to be grabbed," she said quietly and sternly. Draco heard the implied threat in her tone, but Sutton didn't take the hint. He just winked at her and said, "No problem, 'Mione."

The bass player turned to walk up the steps of the church with his heavy instrument. Once his back was turned, Draco leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I'll get the ponytail and let you at him, yeh? For old times sake?" Hermione giggled and turned to give Draco a hug. As she wrapped her arms around his torso, she whispered in his ear, "Absolutely."

/…../

Draco found himself seated once again next to Sue in the front row off to the right, but this time with no Fairy Girls to entertain them. Ellie and Rosie were down in the children's area, Sue explained. They needed to learn about God in a child's learning environment, not an adult one.

"I'd rather they grow up to love God, not be bored to death by Him," Sue said happily. They were watching Shaun and Hermione and the others get set up again, just like yesterday morning. The service wouldn't start for another thirty minutes.

Suddenly Sue jumped up and waved at a young man and woman striding up the center aisle, calling good morning and reaching out to hug them both. Sue introduced the couple to Draco, who in turn said his good mornings.

"Draco, Michael here is our Pastor, and Gwendolyn oversees the children's Ministry."

Gwendolyn laughed and said, "When I'm not bossing Michael around and finding his missing socks, yes, I help in the children's area. And please, call me Winnie. Everyone else does, especially the children. I haven't met a child yet that doesn't love Winnie the Pooh."

Michael patted his wife's rounded stomach, "Because she's such a tubby little cubby, that is." Gwendolyn turned pink and rounded on her husband as Sue laughed. Draco was troubled by the woman calling herself The Poo, but wasn't concerned about the spousal abuse because the man was obviously patting his beloved wife's pregnant tummy, not making a fat joke.

"Draco here is an old school friend of Hermione's, and has come to hear her play this morning," Sue said helpfully as Draco smiled vaguely at the couple. He didn't really like being called an 'old school friend', he decided. It immediately brought to mind his and Hermione's old animosity, when he would rather spend his free time thinking about how glorious she'd looked yesterday afternoon when she'd leaned down and tickled him with her braid after he'd flopped backwards to lay in the grass. Just for a moment, he'd thought about gathering her in his arms and hauling her on top of him and snogging her senseless, but then the moment passed when a group of laughing children ran past them, chasing a dog with a ball in its mouth.

Draco looked up at the stage, to find Hermione gazing at him. He grinned lazily at her, and she immediately hopped down from the stage to come stand next to him. She touched his arm as she said good morning to the Pastor and his wife. Draco looked down at Hermione, who'd started chatting happily away with Sue and Winnie, and turned his attention to Michael, who seemed to be watching him watch Hermione.

"So, how long have you known our Hermione?" Michael asked in a Man-to-Man voice that Draco immediately understood. This was another Hermione Protector, like Harry had been. Potter had always run interference for her whenever any boys came sniffing around. The only bloke Draco could remember Harry not cock-blocking was the Weasel, and that had apparently turned out abysmally for Hermione.

Draco snaked a protective arm around Hermione's shoulder, which in turn made her immediately turn into him, wrapping her arm around his waist just like she had earlier this morning. Neither looked at each other, they just naturally reached for the other, as if they'd been doing it their whole lives.

"Practically our whole lives. We've known each other since we were eleven, and I only lost track of her earlier this summer when I moved here. And lo and behold, my old friend walks into the Library, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"Draco's a Librarian," Hermione said helpfully. Sue and Winnie giggled, and she blushed.

"Well," Michael said, grinning, "it sounds like you two are the perfect pair then. This is the first morning I've come in here and not seen Hermione with her head stuck in a book until the absolute last second before show-time. And speaking of which, it's time for us to get on with it, yeh?" With that, Michael seemed to give his consent to Draco as he nodded his head at him, and then he pecked his wife on the cheek before he turned and walked to the stage to join Shaun. Winnie said her good-byes to the group as well, and Sue sat down to look for something in her purse.

Hermione turned further into Draco's body and said quietly, "The service will start in a little while. We'll play the same songs we did yesterday, then leave the stage. I'll come sit with you, so save me a seat, okay?"

"Hermione, does the way you're all cuddled up to me have anything to do with Sutton the Slimeball who is currently staring at your backside?" Draco asked in an equally quiet voice.

"How'd you guess?"

"I know all your secrets, remember?" Draco teased. Then, for Sutton's benefit as well as his own, Draco leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before she walked back to the stage. When Sutton had done that to her yesterday, Hermione had been appalled and had swiped the mark off her face. Today, however, she blushed bright red and even giggled a little before she dashed back to her band mates.

Draco groaned inwardly. Either she was an amazing actress or that girl was in as deep as he was. One way or another, he intended to find out before this day was over. Draco turned to sit down next to Sue, leaving a spot for Hermione on his left side. He looked over at Sue and found her beaming at him.

"Something on your mind, Ms. Fraser?" Draco said politely.

"Oh Draco, I just knew it. Oh I'm so happy-" Sue broke off and fanned her eyes.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Sue," he said as evenly as possible as he tried not to smile.

"Don't you lie to me in the House of God, Draco. That girl practically melted into the floor when you kissed her. Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about," Sue fussed quietly at him as the band members started their tuning ritual and a few early attendees filtered through the doors.

"We're just letting nature make its own progress, Sue. Naturally. With no outside interference," Draco replied, hoping she'd hear the implied request to not butt in.

"Puh-lease, Draco. You two are made for each other. I don't think it's even possible for you to need LESS help from outside. By all means, carry on with whatever it is you're already doing."

Sue was obviously officially gloating over Hermione's kiss from Draco. Hermione could see it from twenty feet away, and it was apparently obvious to Draco as well. His face was red and he was looking at the floor, but she could see that he was smiling. Oh well, she wouldn't begrudge Sue a little vicarious gloat-time. Honestly, ensnaring the attention of Draco Malfoy was something to gloat over. And as soon as Hermione found herself alone, she intended to do so herself.

/…../

The band started playing when the sanctuary was about fifty percent full. The riotous, joyful sound of Hermione's violin split the air and shocked the parishioners out of their casual conversations. With all attention now on the musicians, the sanctuary filled with enthusiastic clapping and cheering as The House of Tom Bombadil spilled out of the instruments and leapt from ear to ear. By the time the song was done, every pew was full.

Draco was prepared this time, not just for the sight of Hermione wrapped up in her music, but for the massive erotic over-stimulation the sight provided. He brought up a series of mental images to keep his libido in check. Millicent Bulstrode in a swimsuit, Longbottom's Snape bogart from Third Year, the scary mole on Professor Sprout's chin. Rosie and Ellie dancing in their princess dresses. Children chasing after a dog in the park, like yesterday when he'd been laying in the grass and a smiling Hermione had leaned in-

'Focus, Malfoy,' he said to himself. Image after image, whether physically repellant or benignly innocent, flipped through his mind as Hermione and her mates finished their set of three songs to tremendous cheers and applause. He joined in with the clapping, but refrained from any shouting or screeching like the people around him. Draco had never in his life been tempted to cheer, it was simply not done, but he was overwhelmed by the affection the audience was lavishing on the band. As Hermione placed her violin in its stand and hopped off the stage to sit next to him, Draco smiled. Her face was flushed and she was biting her lip, ostensibly to keep her smile from splitting her face in half. She deserved some positive recognition, and he was thrilled she'd allowed him to share in this event with her.

"That was brilliant," he leaned in and whispered in her ear.

Hermione turned into him, resting her forehead against his shoulder for just a moment, and whispered back, "Thank you," then straightened back up to look at Michael, who'd just arrived on the stage to begin the sermon.

Draco noticed Shaun draping his arm across the back of the pew behind his wife, so he figured it must be allowable to touch one's spouse – not that he considered Hermione his spouse or anything, but he needed to touch her in some way - so he crossed one ankle over his knee and rested his left hand on the back of the pew behind Hermione's shoulder.

He must have done something right, because she immediately scooted closer into him and rested her head against his shoulder, then settled down to listen to Michael speak.

"Well I hope you all enjoyed the music selection today. We settled on the bluegrass theme because I wanted to talk to you all today about farming. Yes, indeed. Where would we be without farming? No farm, no food, right? And we all need food to survive, so by default we all love farming."

There were several claps, chuckles and "amen's" from the audience as Michael went on.

"So here we are in early October, enjoying this fine Fall morning. But what's going on at farms all around us right now? Harvesting! That's right, now is when the Farmer and his family must gather their crops to store and distribute for the Winter season. And what happens if the Farmer dies, or is too lazy to manage his crops and harvest on time? His crops spoil, and suddenly you and I are faced with a Winter with no food. So essentially, unless we want to start farming ourselves, we need to start thanking Farmers ahead of time for the care and time they put in to sowing their crops. All the fertilizing and pest control and watering that has to happen as the crops grow is a labor of time, energy and love that the Farmer must put in well before he gets any chance of reaping the results of his hard work. But when he does reap, oh, the bounty we can receive. And think about this, all of you who aren't Farmers: their hard work enables you to live your life in the way that suits you best. Whether you're a Doctor or a Teacher or a Plumber or a Librarian, the Farmer shares his harvest with you, enabling you to do your own sowing. As a Teacher sows knowledge in her students' minds, and a Doctor sows healing to the sick and the injured, there are in turn students and patients that reap the benefits of the Farmer's well sown crops."

Draco was a little startled when Michael mentioned the Librarian, especially since the man was looking directly at him and Hermione when he said it, but he didn't feel pointed out. He felt, included, Draco guessed that would be the best word. He felt welcomed.

"So, we all reap, and then in turn we all sow. No matter what your career is, you're sowing something in this world. No one would say that a stay-at-home Mum isn't sowing. Your Mother sows behavior and knowledge in you to prepare you for the world when you're at your youngest, just as your Teachers and friends do later. If your Mother sows wickedness and cowardice into your early years, most likely the people around you will reap this wickedness and cowardice as you mature."

Draco obviously found Michael's sermon engaging and easy to follow along with, it was like Life Lessons for Dummies or something, but he liked the personal, far reaching imagery the man was putting forth. As Hermione dug out her Bible and flipped through the onion-skin pages to Ruth, he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

What had their parents sown in them when they were very young? Hermione's parents, wherever they were, had obviously filled her with love and affection. They'd cultivated in her a massive thirst for learning, and encouraged a passion in music. She reaped this upon her friends: her love, her easy affection, and of course her passion for books and learning.

Draco's parents, while educated and powerful, had incidentally sown in him a – what was that word Hermione used yesterday? Hubris. He'd had the deadliest of pride and arrogance sown into his early years. Breaking out of it had taken a massive shock to his system - his forced and half-hearted attempt to murder a good man - to bring him to his knees.

So, Draco figured that in joining the Order and fighting the good fight, he'd sown some good into his own life. Merlin, or God, knew he was reaping his consequences for his previous bad behavior… But then Hermione shifted next to him, resting her right leg against his left, and Draco wondered if maybe he wasn't also reaping a reward for the good he had done.

To Be Continued.