''I generally avoid temptation, unless I can't resist it.'' Mae West.
Hermione looked balefully at her front door, and wondered when the banging was going to stop. The fact that her unwanted visitor had been knocking persistently for over half an hour now made her feel very uneasy, and very sure that she wasn't going to enjoy the discussion that was going to ensue if she opened the door. So she resolved not to open the door. But maybe she should check who it was, she thought. Sliding forward surreptitiously, she pressed her eye to the peephole, and immediately regretted it.
Ron was slouched against the wall opposite her front door, watching as Harry pounded his fists against the door.
''Harry, maybe she's not in,'' he suggested.
''Well, she wasn't at work. Unless she's with him.'' Harry said.
Hermione rolled her eyes, and carried on watching through the peephole. It was far more satisfying than opening the door and letting them harangue her about something that she had no interest in changing her position on. Plus, they looked so silly – obviously thinking that they were being surreptitious by sitting out in her hall and hissing at each other.
Harry gave the door a particularly violent thump and Hermione jumped back, wondering precisely why they were so bothered by the fact that she was providing legal aid for Draco. They didn't know that he was her lover. And they had fought for fairness, she thought indignantly, and she was helping something fair to happen now.
''She is in Ron, look, her light's on.'' Harry banged the door again, and called. ''Hermione! Hermione, I know you're in there.''
Hermione raised an eyebrow and thought about how delicious it would be to open the door and tell him that he sounded like a particularly obsessive stalker. But that would mean proving him right, and that was a simply unbearable idea. Why was he being so irritating? She had never noticed him being that irritating before.
Changing her angle slightly, she looked at Ron; he was looking at Harry with an expression of grim determination, and a kind of anticipation.
Hermione's blood boiled and she wrenched the door open just as Harry was about to pound his fist against it yet again, sending him reeling as he tried to right himself. ''May I help you?''
''I knew you were in,'' Harry said, almost triumphantly.
''I didn't say I wasn't,'' Hermione said, as calmly as she possibly could. ''Would you like to come in?''
Standing back to let her friends in, thinking that they looked like a modern day version of the three musketeers, and trying to shut out the feeling of impending doom that was wafting in with them. Following them through to the sitting room, she looked at them, already comfortable on her sofas. ''Is this some form of intervention?''
''You could say that.'' Ron looked at her mutinously.
''If this is about what I think it's about, I can assure you that Draco Malfoy is not an addiction.'' He's much more compulsive than an addiction, she added silently.
''Why are you even getting involved with him?'' Harry asked angrily.
''I think the question could be, why are you not?'' Hermione retorted. ''We fought for equality, and Draco Malfoy is entitled to that same equality.''
''Death Eaters are not entitled to equality! They didn't want it in the first place, so they aren't allowed to use it now!''
''By that argument Ron, any child who says that they don't like a vegetable, should never be allowed to eat it again. Completely flawed logic and you know it.''
''Malfoy is not a vegetable!''
''It was an analogy!'' She screamed back. ''Stop being so bloody literal! I want to make sure that he gets a chance to defend himself, and you are overreacting!''
''Overreacting? Hermione, what the hell's wrong with you? Have you forgotten what he put you through, put us through, at school?''
''Grow up Ron! That was ages ago, and I personally, am not in the habit of holding grudges against anyone who ever upset me. If I did, then I wouldn't be speaking to you, that's for sure!''
''Oh, very mature Hermione. What is this, are you just bored of not having a worthless cause to uphold? Is Malfoy the new SPEW?''
Hermione clenched her fists, and felt her nails dig into her palm. ''You are one of the most pig-headed people I know. You think that just because I care about the welfare of those around me, I'm some sort of nutcase that needs you barging in on my life and trying to control it.''
''I'm doing it because I care about you!''
''And haven't we heard about it?'' Hermione shouted. ''Are you sure this isn't some vestigial jealousy? Are you jealous of Draco?''
''Do I have reason to be?''
Harry stepped forward. ''Ok, this is getting slightly out of hand. Hermione, I just don't understand why the hell you're defending that murderer.''
''Oh for God's sake, why do you have to understand everything? Why can't you just accept that I'm doing it?''
But before Harry could answer, Ron held up his hand imperiously. ''Hang on a minute Harry. Hermione didn't answer my question.''
''What question?'' she snarled, willing the whole excruciating scene to be over.
''Do I have reason to be jealous of Draco Malfoy?'' He spoke clearly, enunciating each word.
''What are you talking about Ron?''
''Stop trying to divert me and answer the question. You asked me if I was jealous of Malfoy, and I asked you if I needed to be jealous of him. So answer me.''
Hermione stared at his familiar face, the freckles bright against his pale skin, his blue eyes slightly narrowed. ''I don't understand why it's so important for you to know that.''
''I don't understand you full stop. You're a mystery and you seem to be so fucking happy about it! Now, are you going to answer the sodding question or not?''
''Don't you dare speak to me like that!''
''ANSWER THE QUESTION!''
Hermione glared at him, let her eyes flick to Harry, who was looking at her apprehensively. She could feel him mentally begging her not to rock the boat, not to make things more difficult than they already were. A flash of anger sparked through her, and without thinking, she let her mouth take over, with no input at all from her mind.
''You know what Ron, you probably should be jealous of Draco. After all, you want my undying love don't you? And you won't be able to have it because Draco got there first.'' Hermione listened to the bitterly spiteful words pouring out of her mouth and felt her eyes begin to prickle with tears. ''I love him Ron. We saw each other in our seventh year at school, but he wanted me to stop talking to you two and I wasn't going to do that, But I never stopped loving him and when I saw him again…''
Ron's face was blanched now. ''You love…you love him?''
Hermione swallowed, immediately regretting the fact that she had let her mouth take over. It had to be said, but it didn't need to be said like that. ''Ron, I didn't mean to say it that cruelly.''
''You love him?''
Hermione sighed, knowing that she couldn't take back what she'd said. ''Yes.''
''You've loved him since Seventh Year?''
''Yes. I broke up with him when he said that he didn't want me to talk to you two any more. But he's changed since then. He says he didn't kill anyone and I genuinely believe him.''
''You're so gullible it's unbelievable! He was a Death Eater!''
''You were a Gryffindor but you were never brave enough to tell me how you felt, were you?''
Harry stepped forward. ''Hermione that's out of order.''
''Well, what do you want me to say Harry? There is nothing I can say that will make all of this ok! I love Draco Malfoy! I'm sorry, but there it is, and I can't change that. I don't want to change that. And I will carry on defending him. We fought for equality, and what I'm doing now is continuing with that fight. I won't let anyone be a scapegoat for the Ministry!''
''Some people aren't scapegoats – they're just guilty!''
''What makes you the expert? We never saw Draco doing anything wrong, and neither did anyone else! The worst that he's been implicated in is a couple of Death Eater meetings. If I let him get sent to prison, then I'll be taking part in a huge miscarriage of justice!''
Ron stood up. ''You're mad.''
''Ron, I know what I'm doing is right, and I know that I've hurt you, but please…''
''Please what?''
''You're one of my oldest friends, please just support me in this.''
He laughed, bitterly. ''You think I'm going to help you keep Draco Malfoy out of prison? You've got another thing coming. I'm not giving up any of my principles to help you, no matter how many of yours you've sacrificed.''
''I haven't sacrificed any of my principles! And I'm not asking you to stand up and say that you think Draco is innocent, or anything like that. Please just don't walk out like this.'' She stood up as well, silently imploring him not to turn his back on her. She wasn't ready to lose one of the oldest friends she had, no matter how irritating he was, no matter how much he infuriated her.
But Harry was standing up as well, and they were moving towards the door, their faces implacable.
''I'm not giving up anything to do that for you,'' Ron called over his shoulder.
''I gave up Draco for you! I gave up the love of my life for you once, and I can't do it again – it'll kill me! Please!'' But her only answer was the door slamming, sealing her into her apartment. Falling to the floor, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed, unable to believe that a friendship that had weathered inequality, war and death was falling apart because of love. It couldn't have made any less sense.
Draco stared at his ceiling and thought that it was a view that he was getting really bored of. The sooner that he was out, the better. And he would be able to take Hermione out for dates, and wake up a free man, and walk down the street with his head held high. He was just about to doze off when the door to his cell swung open.
Sitting up, blinking in the light, he wondered why Hermione was standing in his doorway at two in the morning. ''Hermione?''
His answer was an incoherent sob.
''What's wrong?''
''They…they dumped me.'' She cried, grateful for his warmth as he took her into his arms and rocked her back and forth, kissing the top of her head and stroking her back.
''Who dumped you?''
''Harry and Ron, you idiot.'' She gasped. ''They don't want me being with you.''
Draco lapsed into silence, and recommenced rocking her gently, listening as she explained what had happened. He knew what he had to say but how was he meant to spit the words out? ''Hermione, if you're this upset maybe…''
She sat bolt upright, glaring at him. ''Don't even think about finishing that sentence. I am not leaving you again! It nearly killed me once, and I won't ever willingly walk away from you again.''
Draco kissed her forehead. ''I just want to make sure you're happy.''
''I'm happy when I'm with you. That's enough.''
''Are you sure?''
''Of course I'm sure. Stop being an idiot.''
''Personal abuse. Now I know that you're feeling better.''
She giggled and sniffed. ''Say a stupid thing, get an insult in return. It's an offer I'm running at the moment.''
''Come here you.'' He held her tight to him, his nose buried in her hair. ''You know how much I love you?''
''Not as much as I love you.''
''Well, I love you enough to forbear from ravishing you, because I know that Catton is watching the cell.''
''And I love you enough to stay even though he's going to call me a slut in the morning.''
''About even then.'' Draco lay down on the bed, and pulled her with him, putting her head on his chest, and wrapping his arm around her. ''Comfortable.''
She nodded sleepily. ''I can't wait 'til you get out of here.''
''Me neither.''
''Do you think it'll be odd? Not having just the one room to be in?''
''It'll be amazing.''
''Tell me about it.'' She cuddled herself closer to him.
Draco took a deep breath in. ''you want to hear what I think it will be like?''
''Yes. It'll be like a bedtime story. So it'd better be happy.''
''Well…we'll wake up every morning together, cuddled together like this, so that you can't steal the duvets.''
''I don't steal duvets!''
''Shush, stop interrupting my story. So, we'll wake up together every morning, and have breakfast, and then go to work, and spend all day thinking of each other. Then when we get home, we'll kiss, just like this.'' He twisted his head, and firmly pressed his lips against hers, full of love and promise, his tongue flickering gently against her lips, making her head spin. ''And then, we'll have dinner, and talk and laugh, and then I'll carry you up to bed, and not let you leave my arms, and then we'll fall asleep and dream of each other. And then the next day, it can begin again.''
There was a small pause, and then Hermione whispered ''that's a lovely story.''
''It's not a story. That's going to be our life.''
And with a contented sigh, forgetting all the troubles of her life, Hermione fell asleep in her lover's arms.
AN: Hey everyone, again - I'm sorry for the delay. I've had some writer's block, and I've been really busy. I'm still not 100 happy with this chapter which is why it's a bit shorter than the others. Hopefully you've enjoyed it - please, please, please, please review! Love petitesorciere xxx