When they awoke the next morning, Hermione felt the urge to take a real shower. She had been using the cleaning spell for the past three days, and she did not feel clean. But then, she remembered Draco's little problem with needing her next to her. Disenheartened she resigned herself to another day of cleaning spells. Suddenly, however, the idea struck her. He was still deeply asleep, and she slipped out of the bed and grabbed her wand off the bedside table.
Gently, she levitated his sleeping form, being sure not to wake him. Maneuvering him delicately, she managed to get him through the bathroom door and settled on the floor. Then she bit her lip. She knew that when the water turned on, the loud noise would rouse him. Then a light bulb went on above her newly tamed curls. She said the incantation for the invisible blindfold, caesus non evidends, which was Latin. Draco stirred, but didn't wake. Grinning to herself, she slid out of her clothes and turned on the water, stepping in quickly. As she showered, she suddenly heard a loud crash and a muffled thump, this was followed by a loud yell and a string of curses. Then he spoke.
"Hermione? Hermione? Where am I! I can't see! Are you all right?" Draco asked frantically. Hermione immediately felt guilty and called back,
"I'm fine Ma- Draco, you're on the floor of you're bathroom, and I'm in the shower. I needed to get clean. Oh, and you're blindfolded so you can't peek. "
One could practically hear the pout in his voice.
"I wouldn't peek. Honestly," he muttered, seeming resigned to his fate (being stuck on the bathroom floor blind for the next twenty minutes). Not exactly the cruciatus curse, if you asked Hermione. Finally, she was done, and stepping out, she grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her wet frame. She summoned some clothes she had bought on their trip, and with a wave of her wand, they were on her body. After she did a spell the hair witch had taught her to dry her hair into sleek curls and put on her make up. As an after thought, she unblindfolded her veela. He gaped at her appearance but using all of his Malfoy charm, he composed himself enough to say 'You clean up nice' along with a pointed smirk. She blushed and lowered her eyes. He showered too, not nearly as self conscious as she had been, stripping off his clothes right in front of her. She shrieked, then scrambled around, turning her back on him.
"Have some dignity!" she wiggled his eyebrows and replied in a suggestive tone.
"I don't mind if you see me."
Hermione giggled. Wait, since when did she giggle? She was starting to sound like Lavender Brown. Hermione shuddered.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked.
"Nothing, I just realized that I'm becoming a girl." Hermione replied, still looking a bit off.
"I've noticed," he grinned."Oh, shut up and shower," Hermione grumbled.
Later that day, Hermione received an owl. It was from Ginny and Harry, asking to have lunch with her and Malfoy. She scribbled a quick reply saying she would love to and informed Draco of the recent development. As expected, he whined and tried to get out of it, but with Hermione's pleading, he caved, just in time for them to leave. They made their way outside the gates of the Manor, and apparated into the cozy restaurant where they spotted Ginny and Harry at a booth near the windows of the bar. Excited, Hermione trotted over to them, dragging Draco behind her.
Seeing their friend, Ginny and Harry's smiles grew to two times their original size. Seating themselves, they instantly began to chatter to each other.
"Why haven't we heard from you!" Cried Ginny immediately. Harry looked equally distressed.
Hermione laughed. "Guys! It's been two days!"
"But we normally owl every day! What hath changed between us!" Ginny said melodramatically.
Giggling, Hermione patted Ginny's hand.
"I'll try harder next time, sweetie," she said affectionately.
"Oh, okay," Ginny replied, mollified.
"So what's been going on with you guys?" Hermione questioned.
"We have some big news, guys," Harry announced, kindly including Draco." We're pregnant!" they chorused together, grinning.
Hermione shrieked, then blushed, seeing as everyone in the restaurant turned their heads to stare at her. She ducked her head in embarrassment while everyone at her table laughed at her. Just then, they heard a camera shutter click. Looking around, they see a short, pudgy, and bald man scurrying out the door, his Daily Prophet camera swinging out the door behind him.
Hermione and Draco's eyes met over the table, and they share a secret smile. The plan is into effect. Later that afternoon, saying their good byes, Draco and Hermione left the restaurant, and were soon looking at large and luxurious flats in London. The first few they saw were very fancy and spacious, but Hermione thought they were too big for just the two of them. Finally, they found the perfect one for them. It had two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and skylights in every room. They bought it on the spot, and soon had moved all of their furniture into the new space. Exhausted from the busy day, they fell asleep in each others arms on an air mattress on the floor of their bedroom because the bed wasn't set up yet.
In the morning, Draco woke up feeling quite content. Hermione was warm and soft and feminine in his arms, and he never wanted to move again. Hermione felt similarly, but knew that there were things to do than laze about. Getting up, they showered, using the routine they had developed yesterday. However, Hermione was becoming more comfortable and trusting of Draco, because she didn't blindfold him today. Once they were both presentable, they went down to the kitchen and started making breakfast. Actually, Draco made breakfast, as Hermione sat on a bar stool y the counter watching, as she was as terrible of a cook as they come. They chatted comfortably, but were interrupted by a scruffy owl tapping on the window, delivering the paper. Hermione paid for it and went back to sit at her place, and was idly browsing through it when she startled down Draco by hissing, "Yes!"
"What?" he questioned, curious.
She shoved the paper around and he took a look at the front page of The Daily Prophet. Along with a picture of her and Draco laughing with Harry and Ginny.
BRAINS OF GOLDEN TRIO FOUND A NEW MAN
EX DEATHEATER DRACO MALFOY AND MUGGLE BORN HERMIONE GRANGER
WHAT ABOUT RON WEASLEY?
Draco laughed.
"Wait till he reads this."
"I think he already has," Hermione replied, chuckling into her hand. She pointed out the floor to ceiling window and they saw an extremely angry redhead storming up to the door of their apartment.
"I have an idea!" Hermione cried, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Draco's expression mirrored hers as she whispered the plan in her ear. They both rumpled up their appearances, while managing to stay attractive looking, much like they had been snogging. Then when a knock rang through the house, they went over to the door and positioned themselves so that the person outside could only see Draco. He opened the door and Ron Weasley was suddenly face to face with his childhood enemy.
"Ferret?" He questioned, sounding disbelieving, then snide," Oh I guess I had the wrong apartment then. I'm looking for my girlfriend, not a little deatheater."
Just then Hermione scooted into view, and started playing with Draco's white blond hair.
"Hello, Ronald," she said coldly.
"Her-hermione?" Ron said, shocked. "WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING THAT VILE RAT?"
"We're together, Ron. Don't insult my boyfriend."
"But- but WE"RE together!" Ron shouted.
"Didn't you get my post, Weasel. I found someone who will love me for me, and won't cheat on me with a FILTHY LITTLE SLUT!" Hermione cried, losing her cool. Draco wound his arm around her waist and nodded, supporting her.
"But - But i didn't cheat on you?" Ron lied unconvincingly.
"You foul little cockroach! GET OUT OF HERE THIS INSTANT!"
Ron whimpered and made a break for it, but Draco's other arm, the one not wrapped around Hermione, grabbed him by the collar, and dragged him back.
"And if you ever hurt her again, I will personally come after you and rip you limb from limb," Draco threatened.
"As if i would ever come near her again. I only was using her for sex, the stupid mudblood." Ron snarled back.
Fasted than anyone could comprehend, Draco's fist flashed out and hit Ron hard in the face. There was a loud crack, and blood poured out of Ron's broken nose. Draco's eyes were black as pitch, and there was a faint glow about him, yet he was still gentle as could be with Hermione, not hurting her at all.
"Get out of here, Weasel," Hermione said coldly, and she slammed the door, leaving him crumpled on the front step holding his bleeding nose.
Once inside, Draco swung Hermione up into his arms, bridal style, and carried her into the living room. She began to cry, and as he sat down on the couch and settled her into his lap, murmuring comforting phrases in her ear.
"C'mon, sweetheart, don't cry. We won! We showed him to mess with us."
Slowly, her crying slowed, and she was able to get out,
"He's never, ever, called me a mudblood before. And what he said was just so hurtful!" Her forehead was creased with her frown. Draco reached down and smoothed them over with his thumb, smiling.
"Don't fret, lovey, he is an idiot, and didn't mean those things he said. He was just jealous, which means the plan is working," he encouraged. She gave a small smile and looked more content.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess so!" she said. "Thanks," she said softly, looking into his eyes. He looked back and was lost in the amber swirls of her irises. She too fell into the quicksilver of his eyes. Unintentionally, they drew closer to each other until their foreheads were touching.
Then, finally, their lips met. Hermione melted the second his lips touched hers. They were warm and soft. She wrapped her arms up around his neck and deepening the kiss. It was the best kiss she had every had. It was just as amazing for Draco, if more, as he was the veela in this situation. She felt so warm and feminine against him, and he pulled her closer. When they finally broke the kiss, they smiled down at each other. Then Draco's eyes were drawn to the window, and he was startled to see the pudgy photographer who accompanied Rita Skeeter taking photos of them kissing and smiling at each other. When he noticed that they had seen him, he started and ran. Then, there was a knock on the door. Bewildered, Draco grabbed Hermione's hand, and went to the door. Opening it, they were stunned to see the one and only Rita Skeeter, dressed in bright teal blue robes.
"May I have an interview?" She asked in her annoying voice, twirling her Quik Quotes quill in her her.
"No, but we will tell you this. Ron Weasley cheating on Hermione was the best thing that ever happened to us." With that, Draco slammed the door in her stunned face, and he and Hermione collapsed on the floor by the door with laughter. They heard her say to herself," Wait, he cheated on her? Ooo, I smell a story!", then the familiar pop of apparation. This was going to be a good issue of the Prophet.