Hermione angrily paced her bedroom, trying to decide who exactly she was angrier with. Obviously she was angry with Harry and Ron for buying her book in Knockturn Alley. While she really wanted to say they had done it because they were just trying to be nice to her, she now knew the real reason they were so desperate for her to get an immersion book and unfortunately her happiness wasn't the main reason they ventured into a street known for its sale of dark materials. She was also angry with Ron's idiotic idea to try and get her attention and she was mad that Harry had gone along with the plan. But most of all she was mad at herself, deep down she knew this whole thing was her fault.
Hermione knew that if she had just summoned the courage to speak to Ron earlier then this mess could all have been avoided. Ron had only bought the book because he genuinely thought he had a chance with her so if she had just told him earlier that she only saw him as a friend then all this might have been avoided. Instead she had chickened out of speaking with her friend and he had found out, in a rather harsh way, that her romantic feelings were aimed at a very different boy to him.
Hermione's thoughts were just drifting to Draco, and the kiss they almost shared, when there was a quiet knock at her door. Knowing it could be no-one else but Draco, Hermione composed herself before walking over to the door and opening it. Just as she had predicted, Draco was standing in the doorway.
"Hey, I'd thought I'd check you were alright." Draco said. "You kind of left abruptly."
"I'm fine." Hermione told the blond. "I just didn't want to talk with Ron right there, I was still mad at his and Harry's stupidity and was worried I would end up saying something I would later regret."
"So you're not mad at me for any reason?" Draco checked. He didn't think Hermione was mad at him but he did figure she might be a bit peeved that he had taunted Weasley about his role in the book.
"No, I'm not mad at you." Hermione shook her head. "You didn't exactly help with the whole Ron situation, but I suppose you were just telling the truth, albeit in a blunt way."
"I don't exactly see the point in beating around the bush. I just told Weasley what everyone had already figured out." Draco shrugged.
"Thanks for reminding me." Hermione groaned. "I want to try and forget everyone was in the story. I really don't know how I'll face some people next week."
"It was just a harmless story. Most people will have forgotten all about it in a few weeks." Draco reassured Hermione.
"I hope so." Hermione muttered.
"Not that I'm planning on forgetting it anytime soon, mind you." Draco said with a wicked grin. "I thoroughly enjoyed myself and plan to remember it for a long time."
"Why?" Hermione questioned. "What's the big deal with this story? As you pointed out you don't need an immersion book to get some action so why are these memories so special?"
"Because they're of you." Draco replied, admitting the reason he planned on remembering the story for quite a while. "And at the minute I'm not sure if they're all I've ever have of you."
"You only want me because of the story." Hermione protested. She refused to believe that Draco was really interested in her, she was blaming his infatuation on the passionate love story they had just experienced.
"You know that's not true." Draco argued. "I admit, the story has intensified what I feel for you, but the feelings were already there before and you know it."
"Do I?" Hermione questioned.
"Yes." Draco stated, his grey eyes boring into Hermione. "You're not stupid, Hermione, so don't pretend you are. You know very well that I've been flirting with you since we returned to school."
"I thought you were just messing with me." Hermione said. In truth she had been unsure if Draco had been teasing or if his attention had been genuine interest. "You've never shown any interest in me before."
"Have you ever looked?" Draco questioned. "You've pretty much ignored me since first year, because Potter and Weasley don't like me. For all you know, I noticed you years ago."
"Did you?" Hermione asked. She was feeling slightly bad that Draco was right and that she had pretty much dismissed him because of his rivalry with Harry and Ron, which had been established before she was even friends with the duo.
"That's for me to know and you to find out." Draco smirked.
"And when will I find it out?" Hermione pouted, disappointed that she still didn't know how long Draco had been interested in her.
"How about next weekend, when you agree to go a date with me." Draco replied.
"You're asking me out?" Hermione looked at the blond in shock. She had never really expected him to ask her out and she was unsure how to respond.
"Yes Granger, I'm asking you out." Draco smirked at the flustered witch in front of him. "So will you?"
"Yes, I will." Hermione smiled. "But I have a few conditions."
"Go ahead." Draco said. He was unable to keep the large grin from his face, which had formed the second Hermione had said yes to him.
"First of all my name's Hermione, not Granger. If we are going out you have to use my first name, and I know you can because you did it a few minutes ago."
"That's fine, Hermione." Draco nodded. He was more than happy to use the Gryffindor's given name, especially if it meant she would use his. "Is there a second condition?"
"Yes there is, Draco." Hermione responded, deliberately using the blond's first name to indicate that the name thing was a two way thing. "Just because we were intimate in the immersion book doesn't mean I'm going to jump into bed with you. I may have the memories of what it was like and can remember how it felt but I've never experienced it in real life and I'm not planning on rushing into anything."
"I'm not going to push you into anything you're not ready for." Draco said honestly. While he may have been joking around earlier about re-enacting some scenes from the book, realistically he had known that Hermione was likely to be a virgin and wouldn't fall into bed with him so easily.
"Thank you." Hermione said, exchanging smiles with Draco.
"That doesn't mean I won't be thinking about it though." Draco suddenly added, his smile turning distinctly mischievous. "We did some pretty hot stuff and I can't wait to try it in real life."
Hermione blushed at the words, but still managed to voice a nagging doubt that had been sitting at the back of her head. "What if I'm not as good in real life?"
"That's not going to happen." Draco chuckled, stepping forward slightly so he could cup Hermione's cheek in his hand. "I predict you're going to be every bit as passionate as the Queen, if not more so."
"That still doesn't mean I'll be any good." Hermione sighed. "I might have these memories of what to do, but that doesn't mean I can do it."
"If the worst happens and you're a total failure in bed, we can just keep practising until you're better." Draco joked, before turning serious again. "Although in all seriousness, you won't be terrible and it's not worth worrying yourself over."
"Thanks." Hermione smiled softly at the blond. "I guess I was being stupid worrying over it."
"You weren't being stupid, it's natural to worry before having sex. Although, I do think that maybe you should forget all about it until you're ready for that. Anyway, I should be getting to bed. We can discuss our date properly tomorrow, if you like." Draco said. He was reluctant to leave Hermione but knew that he really should go.
"I'm looking forward to it." Hermione said.
"So am I." Draco smiled, leaning down and brushing his lips against Hermione's cheek. "Night, Hermione."
"Goodnight, Draco."
:::::::::::
Hermione spent the week following her birthday excitedly looking forward to her date with Draco. She also spent a fair portion of her time getting to know her fellow Head student better, when of course he wasn't serving detention with his two friends down in Snape's classroom. Despite the couple not yet going on their date, they had shared their first proper kiss a few days earlier.
The kiss had happened whilst they were studying and within seconds their books were discarded as they embraced passionately. Hermione was surprised to find the experience was exactly as she remembered from the story, even though technically she was experiencing her first kiss with Draco it felt like it was something she had done hundreds of times before. Despite Hermione's insistence that the physical side of their relationship would be slow moving, the kissing soon included groping and by the time they finished Hermione was sitting straddled on Draco's lap and the pair of them were both incredibly turned on. Things didn't progress any further but Hermione suspected that if their date went well, she would be in Draco's bed sooner rather than later.
In the week since her birthday, Hermione had also spoken to Ron properly. For the first time the pair of friends had sat down and had an honest talk about their feelings for one another. Hermione had made it perfectly clear to Ron that she loved him as a friend and nothing more. She also made it clear that she didn't want to lose his friendship and that it was very important to her. Ron admitted that while he was in love with Hermione, he could accept that nothing was ever going to happen between them. He also said that her friendship was too important to lose, so even if he did dislike the fact she was dating someone else he wouldn't cause any problems.
The only other major thing that had happened since Hermione's birthday was the fact that the incident with the book was common knowledge around school. Since several people in school had briefly appeared in the story most people knew something strange had happened the previous Saturday night but by the end of the weekend the full story was all around school. Everyone knew Harry and Ron had bought the offending book in Knockturn Alley and that Hermione had been the one to cast the spell. Rumours about who the leading characters were spread quickly, but Snape and Ginny seemed to be the focus of attention.
Ginny just laughed the gossip off, insisting she was nothing like the promiscuous maid she had been in the story when several boys tried it on with her. Snape however did not take kindly to the gossip and almost every night he had a classroom full of students in detention, after he had caught them gossiping about him.
Luckily a week later the gossip surrounding the book and its participants was fading, so no-one paid Hermione any extra attention when she arrived for breakfast all dressed up. The only people who did comment on her appearance were Harry, Ron and Ginny, when she settled down next to them at the Gryffindor table. Her three friends all knew about the date with Draco, and while Ron wasn't too impressed he stuck to the promise he had made earlier in the week and didn't make any snide remarks.
"So what are you doing with Draco today?" Ginny asked Hermione.
"I think we're just heading into Hogsmeade for the day." Hermione replied.
"We'll be in The Three Broomsticks at lunchtime if you want to join us." Harry said to his friend.
Hermione smiled back at her friend, appreciating the gesture he had made. She knew her decision to date Draco wouldn't be one her friends were too keen on but she really appreciated the fact that they were all making an effort to be civil to the Slytherin. Even Ron, who struggled the most with the idea, hadn't caused any trouble, in fact he nodded along to Harry's idea.
"Thanks for the offer, but I don't think we'll be joining you today." Hermione said. "Maybe another time."
"Sure." Ron shrugged, secretly relived that he didn't have to put up with Malfoy over lunch. While he was behaving for Hermione's sake he knew it would take him a while to accept the Head Boy as Hermione's boyfriend.
"Anyway, I better be going." Hermione told her friends as she stood up. "I'm meeting Draco in five minutes. Bye guys."
"Have fun." Ginny waved at Hermione as she exited The Great Hall.
Harry, Ron and Ginny practically followed Hermione out of The Great Hall and when they emerged into the entrance hall Hermione and Draco were just exiting the school.
"Aw, don't they look cute together?" Ginny asked, watching the chattering couple as they headed outdoors.
"If you say so, Gin." Harry rolled his eyes at his girlfriend and exchanged bemused looks with Ron.
"I do say so." Ginny replied, unfazed that the two boys weren't as enthusiastic as her regarding Hogwarts newest couple. "I also think that you two did a good thing for Hermione, even if it was totally unintentional."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked.
"I mean that you two brought Hermione and Draco together." Ginny answered, grinning at the two boys. "Who knows, maybe without that immersion book they never would have admitted their feelings for each other."
Harry and Ron exchanged shocked looks before turning round and peering outside at the diminishing figures of their friend and enemy. They had bought the book with the intention of bringing Hermione and Ron together, but instead they had appeared to have brought Hermione together with the boy they had both disliked since first year.
A/N - There is now just the epilogue of this story left, then it is complete. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this and I especially want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review, I greatly appreciate it.
I also just want to mention something I am currently planning. I was thinking of writing some extra scenes from my stories and publishing them as a collection of added extra's. Please let me know if there is anything I've mention in any of my stories that you would like to know more about and I will make a note of it. It could be a past event that was briefly mentioned or at the end of the story where you would like to know more about a certain thing, anything at all. I've already started noting down a few ideas, but all ideas were welcome. This goes for all my stories, not just this one.