Draco didn't happen to catch up with her on her way back to the castle, which was just as well. She wanted to make it to the Great Hall in time to catch Harry and Ginny before they left for the class. She quickly jumped in the shower and cleaned off, then threw on a simple outfit under her robes and grabbed her packed book bag on the way out of Head Tower.
She hustled down to the Great Hall, where everyone was already sitting down to eat. Harry and Ginny welcomed her warmly, while even Ron smiled and gave her a "hello." The dining hall was bustling, much more than usual at this early hour, and each table was humming with conversation.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked her friends. "Why is everyone so…active at this hour?"
"You don't remember?" Ginny said. "McGonagall is supposed to be making a special announcement this morning. They told us about it in first hour classes last week."
Hermione vaguely remembered hearing something about an announcement in Arithmancy, but assumed she had just brushed it off since she usually couldn't make it to the Great Hall in the mornings anyways. "Right. What's it supposed to be about?"
"No one knows yet," offered Ron, "but everyone's trying to guess. My bet is that they're transferring half the first years to Durmstrang." Because everyone had to repeat their last year of Hogwarts, no one had moved up a year. However, a new batch of first years had come in to Hogwarts, per tradition, so now the first year class had doubled in size. This had led to problems within the school with classroom size, number of teachers, and space in the dormitories.
"And I'm telling him he's mad," said Ginny. "There's no way they would do something like that, let alone announce it in the dining hall. It would be pandemonium with all the first years breaking down into sobs. I'm guessing it's some good news. My professor sounded relatively happy about the announcement."
"Well, I hope it is," said Hermione. "I could do with some good news." At this statement, Ron looked rather guilty, so Hermione hurriedly added, "I didn't mean to be so gloomy; it was just a long morning." Ron buried himself into a bowl of porridge and Hermione mentally kicked herself for carelessly making it awkward between them, right after they had spoken directly for the first time in days.
Before Hermione could start brooding, though, McGonagall entered the Great Hall, flanked by the Heads of the Houses: Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn (who had replaced Snape). The head of Gryffindor was still McGonagall, as they hadn't picked a replacement yet. An immediate hush fell over the hall, and everyone sat down quickly to get a better view of McGonagall standing at the front.
"Good morning, everyone," she said grandly, opening her arms to gesture towards the seated students. "I'm sure you're all very excited about the announcement I have for you today, so I'm not going to waste much time with preamble. In honor of the final battle held last year at Hogwarts, the three magical schools have decided to hold a winter ball in December. And the ball will be hosted by Hogwarts."
At this the students broke out into an excited flurry of murmurs and giggles. McGonagall waited silently until students started shushing each other, eager to hear more about the ball.
"We will be having it at the end of November, right before the end of the term and before finals period begins. Yes, we are still having finals this year," she replied to the few groans that had arisen from the crowd.
"It will be a formal affair, so dress robes are mandatory for both gentleman and ladies. Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will also be in attendance. This is a great opportunity for you all to make new friends and to foster relationships within the magical community. We hope that it will restore peace to the wizarding world after the events of the last few years. It will be called – the Unity Ball. I hope to see you all there!"
With that, McGonagall turned and left the Great Hall, the other teachers following her closely. Ginny let out a squeal.
"Oooh I was hoping it would be something like this! I can't WAIT. Harry, we're going to have to get color coordinated dress robes!" She squeezed his hand and Hermione caught Ron rolling his eyes from across the table. She smiled back at him.
"I think it's a great idea," said Hermione, "to bring the wizarding schools together again so quickly after the war. Might as well start promoting international magical cooperation early."
"Yeah, well, couldn't we do that without a full night of dancing and dressing up like a prat?" Ron grumbled as he and Harry stood and left the breakfast table.
Ginny looked slightly let down by the boys' response, so Hermione scooted next to her on the bench and put her arm around her shoulders. "They're just stubborn because they don't want to admit they actually like wearing their dress robes," she joked, earning a small smile on Ginny's lips.
"Yeah, I know, I can't expect Harry to be super excited about it. I bet he will have a great time regardless." Ginny turned to face Hermione. "Who are you going to go with?"
Hermione bit her lip. She had been wondering the very same thing ever since the announcement. "I might need your input on that, Ginny. Can you come to my room later tonight?"
"Of course. After classes?"
"Yeah, that sounds good. Arithmancy ends at 5:00."
"Okay, I'll see you then." Ginny gave Hermione a quick hug, and then got up from the bench and left, her long red hair swishing behind her. Hermione decided to leave for class as well, and grabbed her book bag as she stood up from the bench. On her way out of the dining hall, she noticed Draco hurrying in, his hair still wet from his shower. They locked eyes for a moment, then Hermione turned her head away.
"Shake it off," she murmured to herself.
Usually Hermione loved Arithmancy. She had always been good with numbers, even back in muggle school. The math class translated well between the two cultures, and it was the most logical and rational of her magical studies.
But today it was excruciatingly long and boring. Professor Vector was positively droning on and on, and Hermione couldn't pay attention. She ruffled the feather top of her quill and ran it across her lips, distracted. She wasn't sure how she was going to tell Ginny about what had happened. Ginny was just like Harry and Ron in that she hated Draco – and nothing was going to change that. However, Hermione really needed to talk to someone about her situation – and Ginny was her best bet.
Hermione spent the rest of the class fabricating different methods in which to tell Ginny, but all of them seemed to lead to Ginny ending up mad at her for betraying them. She hoped Ginny would be able to feel compassion for her situation and not just storm off angrily.
Professor Vector finally released them, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She packed her schoolbag, making small talk with the Ravenclaw girl who sat next to her about the upcoming ball.
Upon leaving the classroom, Hermione bee lined for Head Tower. Ginny was waiting for her outside the portrait hole.
"Hey, I thought I'd wait for you out here," said Ginny, "in case Draco happened to be inside." She rolled her eyes and Hermione mentally noted that this might be even harder than she had thought.
"Conjunctus," she said, choosing to ignore Ginny's comment, and the two girls headed inside. They entered Hermione's room, and Ginny flopped down on the bed, spreading herself out on the satin sheets.
"It's almost worth busting your bum for six years of school to get this bedroom seventh year," she said, rolling around with a pillow. "It's positively luxurious."
"Yeah," Hermione laughed, "if only I got to use it more! I think I've been averaging four hours of sleep a night this year."
"Oh, the life of a Head Girl," teased Ginny, rolling on her stomach and hugging a red pillow. "Anyways, what's up? You don't know who to take to the ball?"
"Yeah, pretty much," said Hermione. "Although it's more complicated than that. I have to tell you more about the situation – this is something I haven't told anyone yet. But you have to promise – promise – that you will hear me out before getting upset about it."
Ginny's face immediately turned stormy. "You didn't cheat on Ron, did you?"
"No, nothing like that," said Hermione. "Will you give me your word? I'll understand if you're still upset at the end, but just give me a chance to explain."
"Okay…" said Ginny warily.
"So last week, Draco and I slept together." Hermione paused when she saw Ginny contort her face into a look of disgust. "He's different now, Ginny. We've gotten closer since the year has progressed, and he's kinder and talks to me about my feelings. He's really much better than he used to be. But anyways, that happened last Thursday. We haven't really talked since then – just the one time we had to train together. It's been really awkward."
"Ugh…I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you slept with Malfoy," Ginny spit out. "It's impossible for me to think of him as anything but a slimy git. I'm not mad at you though; you and Ron are broken up so you're free to hook up with whoever you want. Are you trying to tell me that you want to go to the ball with Malfoy?"
"No. That's the thing. I don't want to go with Draco because Harry and Ron would never forgive me. I also know it would hurt Ron more than anyone else I could possibly go with, and there's no way I would do that to him. But the other side of it is, I don't want to go with Ron because then Draco might think we are getting back together."
"Umm," said Ginny, "I see what you mean. You should probably just do something completely neutral."
"What do you mean?"
"You know, go with a friend. Someone that wouldn't make anyone jealous either way. I know who you should ask – you should go with Neville. He's seeing a girl from his hometown who is a muggle, so he won't have anyone to go with either. And Ron knows that, so there's no way he'll get upset."
Hermione snapped her fingers. "Ginny, that's perfect. Of course I should go with Neville. I'll have to find him and ask before someone else does."
"Well that was easy," said Ginny. "But now of course I have to ask – you don't want to make Malfoy jealous either…are you actually into him?"
"I don't know yet," Hermione admitted. "Sometimes I think I really could be. He's changed a lot this year, and we work really well together as a team. Other times I just think it's physical attraction and sexual tension from always being around each other. And plus, it would be so hard for anything substantial to happen between us. Everyone would be so against it, it probably wouldn't even be worth it. But I definitely feel something for him – I just have to figure out what exactly that is. Unfortunately it's been pretty awkward between us since last Thursday. We've both been avoiding each other, and this morning was pretty much the first time I saw him since."
"Well, why does it have to be awkward?" asked Ginny. "You should just talk to him about it – he's probably just as confused as you. You both live in the same space, for crying out loud! Leave him a note!"
"I don't know, it's just not really the way we function together," Hermione said thoughtfully. "It's hard to explain. Hopefully things will start returning to normal soon."
"Okay…" said Ginny doubtfully. "I wouldn't even want to try to comprehend the inner workings of the Malfoy mind."
"He might be more like you or I than you think," said Hermione. "It's actually pretty difficult to be a person comprised of pure evil."
"Hey, Voldemort did it," Ginny said sarcastically, lightly hitting Hermione in the shoulder with the pillow.
"Hey!" Hermione cried, snatching her own and tagging Ginny back. The two girls hit each other once more and burst out laughing.
"Seriously though, thanks for your help with this," said Hermione. "I've actually been dying to talk to someone about this, but I knew there was no way it would fly with Harry or Ron. And I wasn't sure about you either – I had visions of you stalking out of my room, calling me a traitor, and running to tell Harry and Ron. Thanks for being there for me."
"Anytime. I can't promise I'll keep my lunch down when we talk about it," Ginny made a face. "But I'll try my best. You have good character judgment, so I bet you're right about him changing. Or about him being not such a bad guy in general. Maybe he'll start acting that way around the rest of us."
"I bet he already has," Hermione said, smiling. "Let's go grab dinner." The two girls slid off the bed and walked out through the tapestry.
"So, are you going to ask Neville tonight?" Ginny asked.
"Definitely, if I can find him," she said. "I hope he's okay with the idea."
"I'm sure he will be," Ginny answered. "He's going to want to go, even if he can't bring his girlfriend. And you two have been friends for so long, I'm sure he'd be happy to go together."
"I'm kind of nervous to ask!" Hermione giggled. "This is odd."
"It's probably cause he got really hot last year," Ginny joked. Hermione nodded in agreement – Neville was one of the lucky few that really blossomed during the year of the war. He became taller and more broad shouldered, and his face lost its puppy fat and his nose lengthened. He was really quite handsome now, although Hermione would never really see him in that light.
"Everyone's going to be jealous that I have the most dashing date at the ball," Hermione said with a grin. They arrived at the dining hall and spotted the Gryffindor table. Harry was sitting with Dean, Seamus, and Neville, and Ron was nowhere to be seen. The two girls slid across from the boys.
"Hey guys, where's Ron at?" said Ginny, squeezing Harry's hand.
"Not sure yet, haven't seen him in a bit," replied Seamus, adjusting his collar.
"If I know him, he'll be down as soon as he can," said Harry. "Did you both get to talk about the ball all afternoon?" He imitated a girly voice and batted his eyes, teasing his friends.
"Yes," said Ginny, "and we figured out exactly what we're going to make you wear."
"Hah," said Harry, "just try it."
"Unfortunately for you," said Hermione sweetly, "my magic is stronger than yours. You may not have a choice."
The other boys at the table laughed at Harry as he rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't."
"If it's funny enough I might. Speaking of the ball, Neville, would you go with me? If you don't have a date yet."
Neville turned to Hermione, surprised. "Sure Hermione, I'd love to go with you. That sounds like a lot of fun!" Now it was Neville's turn to bear the brunt of the teasing as the other boys made kissing noises at them.
Hermione grinned and turned to look at Ginny, but she was staring at the front of the Great Hall with her mouth slightly hung open, he freckles standing out against her face which had gone slightly pale. Hermione turned to see what Ginny was looking at.
Ron had just appeared at the entrance of the Great Hall, but he wasn't alone. Lavender Brown was with him, holding his hand and leaning on his shoulder. She was whispering something in his ear that he was smirking at. Her long blonde hair swung around her shoulders as she tossed her head, proud that everyone was seeing her on Ron's arm.
Hermione's face went ashen and she quickly averted her eyes, looking down at her lap. She felt her eyes burn as they begun to swim with tears. Harry, Ginny, and the rest of the boys were now all looking at her.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Ginny asked under her breath. "We can leave if you want."
Hermione nodded her head, biting her lip. She didn't want to leave and give Ron the satisfaction. She raised her head to the table, seeing that Ron and Lavender had chosen to sit far away on the girls' side of the table. At least she was spared from seeing them together up close.
Dean and Seamus were quick to chime in. "Pfft, Lavender?" Dean said. "She's a joke. There's no way he's actually into her, he probably just likes the attention."
"Yeah, he said after they broke up that she was the worst girlfriend he could have imagined," Seamus added. "He's probably just using her to make you jealous."
Hermione smiled wanly. "You don't have to do this to make me feel better, guys," she said. "We're broken up, he can see whoever he wants." She still felt a little better though, thanks to the guys' attempts. They made jokes about Ron and Lavender for the remainder of dinner. One time Hermione burst out laughing so hard that she had to clutch her side. She saw Ron glance her way from his side of the table, but she looked away.
Let him look all he wants, she thought smugly.
Hermione entered Head Tower and pushed aside the tapestry to the common room, only to find Draco inside toweling off his hair. She stopped in her tracks – this was the first time she had seen him in their living quarters in nearly a week.
He was caught off guard too. When he saw her, his mouth went slightly agape. She suddenly became very aware of the fact that he was almost entirely naked, except for a towel.
Draco broke the silence first. "Hey," he said simply.
"Hi," said Hermione.
"So…how have you been?"
"Good. You?"
"Good. You?" Draco paused. "We did you."
Hermione was driven by a desire to make it less awkward between them, but she wasn't anywhere near ready to admit whatever sort of feelings she had to Draco. She decided to go with a middle ground. "Listen, I don't think there's any reason to feel weird about what happened between us. We're both adults, and we have urges, and we're around each other all the time nearly half naked." Hermione felt flustered and like she was gesturing too wildly with her hands, but she pressed on. "It was bound to happen, it was just nature taking its course. So I don't think either of us should have to feel weird about what happened. Right?" She cringed at how juvenile she sounded.
"Sure," said Draco slowly, throwing the towel around his shoulders. "You're a beautiful girl. I've always thought so."
"Really?" asked Hermione softly.
"Yeah. And it's obvious you would find me attractive," joked Draco.
"Shut up," Hermione said, relieved that they were falling back into their own patterns. "So you didn't feel weird around me at all?"
"No, I did," said Draco. "I guess I felt guilty – I felt afterwards like maybe you would regret what had happened and would want to distance yourself from me, like maybe it was only okay in the spur of the moment and afterwards you would really regret it. But I didn't, I had a good time."
"Thanks, I guess," said Hermione, feeling awkward.
"We should have talked about it sooner," said Draco. "I'm sorry. I should have done that much."
"Well, I didn't either," said Hermione. "It took us bumping into each other randomly to finally get it out. So, friends again?"
"Friends," Draco replied.
Inside, Hermione was disappointed though. She had made it impossible to bring up any inkling of feelings between the two of them, with their new assertion of solely physical attraction between them both.
"Can I have a hug?" Draco asked, holding his arms out.
"You like hugs?" Hermione asked, incredulous.
"Yeah, just think of it as making up for all the ones I didn't get in my childhood," Draco joked sarcastically.
"Alright, I'll do it, you don't have to get all pathetic on me," said Hermione. She walked over to Draco and wrapped her arms around her waist. He smelled wonderfully clean – the fresh aroma of soap hit her nose. He buried his face in her hair and squeezed her gently.
"I'm glad we're talking again," he said quietly.
"Me too," said Hermione, closing her eyes and smiling. They released each other and said goodnight.
"I'll see you in the morning," said Draco.
"Not if I see you first," said Hermione, winking.
"Hah…glad that's finally over," Draco replied, and the two laughed.
"Night," said Hermione, turning and going into her room. Her heart was racing like mad, but she was glad she and Draco were at least talking again. He gave her butterflies – she wasn't quite sure what she felt, but she knew it was something. Smiling, she pulled her books out of her bag and laid out on her bed to study.
The next few weeks before the Unity Ball passed quickly. Hermione was spending lots of her time with Ginny and Harry. Ron was often absent, probably usually with Lavender. Hermione had heard through the rumor mill that they were going to the ball together. She was upset, but not surprised after the display they had put on at the Great Hall.
Draco was going with Pansy Parkinson, which was predictable. Hermione wondered if she should feel more saddened that both the boys she cared about were attending with other girls. Instead, she focused on feeling happy. The entirety of Gryffindor was at her side, supporting her. She and Neville made elaborate color coordinating plans for their outfits – he was going to wear the Gryffindor color maroon, while her dress robes were to be a soft gold that complimented her eyes. Spending time with all her friends had really lifted her mood.
Things with Draco had improved markedly as well. They had settled back into their usual pattern of light, playful interaction. Hermione still wanted more from him, emotionally, but she wasn't ready to put her feelings out there herself. So she contented herself with their easy friendship.
The pair couldn't stop looking at each other, though. They exchanged glances during classes, meals, training, and even when they were alone in their chambers together. Hermione wondered when the day would come that those glances finally led into something more.
Training was the only pain in her arse these days. Megan was still sporadically gone on missions. But instead of skipping their rigorous training, she had gotten into the habit of training them whenever she was around at Hogwarts. This usually meant in the early hours of the morning, whenever Hermione was fast asleep. Megan would wake them up by activating their Auror rings. Hermione would have to get up immediately and run to find Megan wherever she was. Hermione was about one more late night meeting from taking her ring off and smashing it into one hundred pieces. She hoped Megan would return to more normal hours very soon.
Hermione and Draco were walking back from the woods after one particularly late night workout that had gone until 6:30 a.m. Since it was only an hour and a half until class time, they had decided to just stay up for the rest of the day rather than try to catch a few minutes of sleep. Hermione was hugging herself against the cold November air, which was made even more chilly by the lack of sun.
Draco glanced over at her. "You're freezing," he said, rubbing his hands down her arms as they walked together.
"Damn these late night workouts," Hermione gritted her teeth as a gust of wind blew towards them. "What kind of missions can she be going on all the time anyways? The war is over, there isn't that much left to do!"
"Oh, I dunno," Draco said carefully. "Whatever she's doing, I'm sure it's pretty important. She wouldn't blow us off for nothing."
"Well, I can't wait till she's done," Hermione said as they entered the castle. She breathed a sigh of relief as the magically warmed air hit her skin. The two started walking towards Head Tower tomorrow.
"So…" Draco started, "who are you taking to the ball tomorrow?"
"I'm going with Neville," Hermione said as she ascended a flight of stairs. "I felt like I needed to take a friend, and Neville's going to be a great person to go with."
"Ah," said Draco, looking down at the steps, a slight smile flitting across his face.
"And who are you going with?" Hermione asked, even though she knew the answer.
"Parkinson. Not like I had much of a choice," Draco said.
"What do you mean?"
"Everyone in Slytherin expects us to go together. They pretty much expect us to get married, too," Draco snorted.
"Oh…ummm, why?" Hermione said, unsure if she should ask.
"Just because of our families – we're both pureblood, longtime Slytherin families, and while we never had an 'arranged' marriage, it was highly encouraged that we meet and interact at Hogwarts."
"That sounds like a lot of pressure."
"Well, they can't make me do anything," Draco said stormily. Hermione walked beside him in silence as they climbed the stairs together.
They entered the chambers without speaking and Hermione headed straight to the shower. Draco went into his room, presumably to read.
Hermione stripped quickly, throwing her sweaty workout clothes into the far corner of the shower. She accidentally caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, and grimaced at her hair slicked with sweat and plastered to her head. She also noted that she had flecks of cut grass and dirt on her face and neck.
She slid sideways into the shower and turned it on, letting the warm water beat down directly on her face. She ran her fingers through her tangled brown hair and let the water seep through all the strands. She lathered the soap on her hands and rubbed it over her body, enjoying the feel. She loved touching her body now that she was skinny and strong from all of Megan's training.
The one benefit of being chronically physically overworked, she thought wryly. She put conditioner in her hair and allowed herself to stay in the shower for just a few more moments. When the conditioner washed out, she reluctantly turned the spray of warm water off and stepped out, immediately reaching for her fluffy white towel.
She examined her skin in the mirror, admiring the flushed tone it had from the shower. She bent over and grabbed her hair, wringing the excess water out. When she pulled herself back up, she gasped.
Draco was standing in the doorway, practically naked with just his boxers on. Her looked mesmerized and slightly stupid, standing with his mouth ajar. She kept her eye on him as she ran her fingers through her hair to take out the rest of the water.
He took two steps towards her, his eyes focused on the delicate skin around her collarbone. He was less than a foot away from her, and the pair had not said a word to each other. Hermione nervously flicked her eyes up to his, and she saw desire burning in them. The intensity of his gaze turned her on immensely. He reached his hands up to rest on her arms, moving them slowly up and down.
Hermione half-closed her eyes. She knew that he was about to kiss her. When he did, it was salty and strong, just like it had been before. Hermione pushed into the kiss, immediately needing more from him. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, her towel fell to the floor, eliminating the last barrier between them. Draco automatically cupped her breasts, feeling them almost timidly under his hands.
Hermione was on fire and had no time for patience. She grabbed his hands in hers and pushed them more roughly against her breasts. She entwined her hands through his hair and pulled him towards the shower, barely giving him time to shove his boxers off.
She pulled them both into the shower, collapsing onto the back wall as her fell onto her, pressing her body into the cold tile. He reached back and turned the water on, and it fell between them, quickly drenching their bodies. Hermione looked up at Draco playfully, and he smiled back, leaning his forehead against hers. She nibbled very lightly on his lower lip, eliciting a satisfied groan from Draco. He played with her nipples, turning her on even more until she felt like she was burning.
Hermione turned away from him and thrust her ass out, grinding it against his hard cock and smirking when she heard him gasp in elation. "Please?" she asked sweetly, turning her head to look at him. Draco needed no further coaxing and grabbed her ass eagerly, guiding it onto his aching cock. Both moaned together upon feeling their bodies connected once more.
Draco pounded into her urgently, holding on to her shoulder as the water streamed down on both of their backs. Hermione turned and bit his finger gently, and he grunted in surprised. He stuck his hand under her and pushed against her clit, causing her to cry out. He played with her breast gently with his other hand, thrusting into her rhythmically until she moaned loudly and he felt her tighten around his cock, spasming with pleasure against him. Only then did he feel free to come, and he spilled his seed inside of her, sighing gratefully. After a few seconds they separated.
Draco was the first to move, and he stepped towards her, grabbing her face gently and planting soft kisses all over it. Hermione reciprocated by placing a gentle kiss on the tip of his nose, tasting some of the water that still poured down from the shower head. Draco hugged her and placed his head on top of hers. Hermione nestled her head into his chest, listening to his errant heartbeat.
They stood like that for almost a minute before Hermione made a move to leave. She reached over to shut off the water and started to climb out of the shower.
"Hey – where are you going?" Draco asked.
"Well, I thought I'd get ready for class," Hermione replied, reaching for her towel.
"Wait – can you maybe…sleep with me for a while?" Draco looked at her, his eyes pleading.
Hermione's eyes searched his back. "Sure," she said.
The two dried off and placed their towels back on the rack, walking naked to Draco's room. He guided her in with his hand on the small of her back. Draco's bed was luxurious and large, and the two climbed in under the green satin sheets. He curled up behind her, spooning her back as he gently ran his hand up and down her side. She felt his soft breathing against her neck.
"Thanks for staying," he murmured against her, kissing her neck softly. Goosebumps ran up and down her legs.
"This is nice," she whispered back. She covered her hand with his, and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his taut body against her back. As they both drifted off into sleep as the morning sun began to rise, their Auror rings aligned so that they were touching.