"Your favourite colour?"

"Red."

"Red?" Draco snorted. "Such a Gryffindor."

"I'll bet your favourite is green," Hermione teased and he shook his head. "Really? What is it?"

"Midnight blue," he corrected her. "Green gets old after a while, particularly when you've spent the entirety of your life growing up in dark green surroundings."

"Hence the lack of Slytherin colour scheme in your house," she nodded thoughtfully.

It was one week since the funeral and they were lying on Draco's bed. They had spent much of their time since then just being around each other, not necessarily talking or interacting, but growing accustomed to the other's presence. Neither wanted more than what they had at that moment, both content to simply lie in the presence of their partner.

"Precisely," Draco said. "But now I have a serious question."

His face took on a stony expression and Hermione sat up, crossing her legs beneath her. "What is it?" she asked as Draco propped himself up on one elbow. They had rarely delved into any serious issues in their discussions.

"Look, I know you're concerned with how your...friends," he wrinkled his nose at the word, "will react, but hell, we're going to have to leave the house sometime. Together."

Hermione's brows knitted together and she pulled away from Draco's hand which was lazily stroking her knee. Instead she clambered off the bed. "What are you saying?" she asked, turning away from him and instead picking up the book which lay on his dresser.

"I'm asking you when you're going to find some of that bloody Gryffindor courage, suck it up, and tell your friends that you're seeing me," she heard Draco shift on the bed and assumed that he was sitting up until his arms encircled her waist. "They'll get over it."

She pulled away from him once more. "You don't get it," she sighed. "They're the first friends I ever had. We've stuck together through everything. They hate you, Draco. I don't know if they'll stick by me through this. I can't lose them. I won't lose them."

Draco ran an irritable hand through his hair. "Bloody hell, Hermione! If they love you and care for you as much as you say they do, then who you're seeing shouldn't matter to them. Hell, your personal life is yours, not theirs," he had sat back on the bed and she turned to face him.

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped, her temper quickly rising. "I need to figure out the right way to tell them, unless you would rather Harry and Ron came after you?"

"Oh, I have no idea how you could tell them," he replied sarcastically. "How about 'Hi, I'm shagging Draco Malfoy, I thought you should know'?"

"You are insufferable, and at the rate you're going I will never sleep with you. I haven't sunk that low yet," she grabbed her bag. "Come and find me when you stop being such a prat, Draco. Can't you just accept my choice?"

She turned away from him again, this time heading to the front door. Once she had let it slam behind her she found her wand and apparated back to her home, ignoring Draco's yells of protest as he chased after her.

Part of her knew that he was right, but a larger part was too stubborn to admit it. She did need to tell Harry and Ron. It would be better for them to hear it from her than if they were to read about it in the papers. Ginny had already deduced that she was seeing Draco, but was sworn to secrecy by Hermione. But it was only a matter of time until some sneaky photographer snapped a photograph of her and Draco together, and then all hell would break loose. It would be far better if she told Ron, at least. His temper would always get the better of him, and she was certain he would think she was under some form of curse.

Walking into her bedroom her eyes were immediately drawn to the photograph of her, Harry and Ron standing arm in arm. The frame sat on her bedside table and she let out a sigh. She had to tell them.

Dressing into something a little more proper, for she had been dressed in rather daggy clothes when she had been at Draco's, she contemplated what she would say by way of announcement to her friends. She had been acting out of line with them lately, what with taking Teddy to meet Draco and hexing Ron, so she felt she had an awful lot to make up for. She would apologize and then drop the bombshell. Perhaps that would soften the blow. No, she thought. Nothing would soften the blow.

Apparating to Harry and Ginny's house, where she was sure Ron would be visiting, she climbed the front stairs slowly. She wished she could put this off longer. She wished she could go back to Draco's house where they had been telling each other silly secrets and asking pointless questions. She wished that she hadn't decided to go all Gryffindor and suddenly tell her friends this, but it was too late now because she was knocking on the door.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, surprise evident in his features when he opened the door. "Hey, long time no see. Come in?"

"Thanks, Harry," she smiled, entering and giving him a warm hug. "Is Ron here?"

"Yeah, he's in the kitchen with Gin. Come on," Harry began to lead the way. "How've you been? I haven't seen you since Christmas, and that was a bit...eventful, shall we say."

"That's probably the safest word to use," Hermione agreed, following him down the stairs and into the kitchen where Ron and Ginny were seated, laughing over something. Ron immediately sobered when he caught sight of Hermione. "Hi, guys," she greeted them nervously. Ginny beamed at her whilst Ron looked suspicious.

"I'll make some tea," Harry offered and Hermione sat down at the kitchen table, directly across from Ron. They waited until there was a steaming mug of tea in front of everyone before resuming conversation. "What've you been up to?"

"Oh, you know, work, the usual," she lied. She could feel her resolve slowly dripping away.

"Did you hear about old Malfoy kicking the bucket?" Ron asked and Hermione fought the urge to kick him under the table.

"I did," she said shortly.

"Bloody bastard must've offed himself. He should have done it a long while ago," Ron concluded, Harry nodding in silent agreement. Hermione scowled.

"Actually, no, Lucius didn't commit suicide," she corrected them, and they looked at her. "He had been dying for a long time. The torture that was inflicted upon him whilst he was part of Voldemort's inner circle included a spell which slowly decayed his insides. He'd been in agony for years, only he didn't want anyone to know. He paid the price for what he did. He donated countless sums of money to rebuild our world, and I won't have you speaking ill of him."

"How would you know what killed him?" Ron asked, his face once again suspicious.

"Because, in case you've forgotten, I'm friends with Narcissa," she retorted and Ron fell silent. "Look, this isn't going how I had planned. One of the reasons why I came today was to apologize. I've been acting out of sorts lately. I'm sorry for hexing you, Ron," his face softened and he managed a small smile in her direction, "and I know I shouldn't have taken Teddy out without letting you know first, Harry."

"I've already forgiven you for that, Hermione," Harry reached over and gave her hand a reassuring pat. "What's the real reason you're here?"

She took a deep breath. "Well, I'm seeing someone," she gave a weak smile.

"Hermione, that's brilliant!" Harry grinned. Ron did not look as pleased but he wasn't reacting badly, either. "Do we know who he is?"

Hermione lowered her eyes to her half empty cup, chewing on her lip. "Yeah, Harry. You do."

"Well?" Ron asked, his tone barely demanding in the slightest. "Who is it?"

Looking up from her drink, Hermione's eyes flickered to Ginny's face. The redhead gave her an encouraging smile, motioning for her to go on. "Draco Malfoy," Hermione finally said.

The reaction was not what she had expected. Instead of the yelling she had predicted, there was total silence. Ron's jaw had dropped and Harry was looking at her with wide eyes, but neither seemed angry. Yet. Ginny was observing the boys' reaction in silence, having already heard the news. She had reacted wonderfully, embracing Hermione and demanding all the juicy details, not that there were any at that stage.

"How long has this been going on?" Harry was the first to break the tense silence, his voice surprisingly level.

"For about a week. Since Lucius' funeral," Hermione replied immediately. Any delay would give cause for more interrogation. "Speaking of Lucius, he apologized in his will. He apologized for everything he did."

"Don't change the subject," Ron said, his voice far less level than Harry's had been. "Why are you seeing him? He tortured you all through school. He was horrible to us. Or have you forgotten all of that?"

"No, Ron, I haven't," Hermione spoke quietly, not wanting to lose her temper. "But I've forgiven him. He's changed. I don't expect you to like the fact that I'm seeing Draco, but I expect you to accept it. I don't want to fight over my personal life, and you aren't going to change my mind."

"Then answer me this: why Malfoy?" Ron whined and Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes at his tone.

"Because I like him, Ron. He's smart, witty and charming, and he may be a bastard sometimes, but we can all be horrid," she pointed out. "I'm interested in him because he's something different, and I want to be with him." Neither of them seemed to know what to say to that. "I should probably go. Let me know if you guys still want to be friends," she smiled weakly. "I'll show myself out."

She was up and climbing the stairs before they could say another word. The silence that followed her up the stairs was suffocating and she nearly broke into a run. Fumbling with the latch on the door, she at last broke outside where rain had started to fall heavily. She was soaked through before she could even make it to the nearby apparition safe point, and when she did reach it her fingers where frozen. She finally withdrew her wand from her purse and twirled on the spot, reappearing outside Draco's house.

She knocked on the door several times, grateful for the cover the porch provided her with. The door opened at last and she gave him a tiny smile. "I told them."

"Jesus, you're soaked," Draco pulled her into the warmth of his house, quickly peeling off her sopping cardigan and discarding it in the corner. Her teeth chattered and he sat her on the couch, disappearing into his bedroom. She wasn't quite sure why she had chosen to come see him, or why she had left in such a hurry. Sure, the reaction of her friends had not been positive, but they were hardly shunning her from their house. "Here." Draco returned and thrust some dry clothes at her.

"Thanks," she said as her teeth clicked together.

"I'll get you something to drink while you get out of those clothes," he left the room and she wormed her way out of her shirt and pants, kicking off her boots as she went. It wasn't until she was down to her underwear that she realized he had given her one of his shirts and a pair of boxers, but she wasn't in any position to confront him. She tugged on the clothes, grateful for their dryness, and padded to the kitchen.

"They didn't take it badly," she said, leaning against the doorway. He looked over his shoulder at her, eyes flicking over her body in approval. She blushed under his gaze and he smirked.

"If they didn't take it badly then why did you end up on my doorstep absolutely soaked?" he handed her a cup of hot chocolate and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "Tell me about it."

They returned to the living room where they sat together on the couch, her leaning into his warmth. "They didn't yell. They don't know what I see in you, and they don't understand how I can be with you after everything you put me through," she sighed wearily. "Sometimes I don't even understand it."

He took a sharp breath in. "I've told you a thousand times before, I'm sorry for what I did to you when we were kids," he brushed the hair from her eyes, traipsing his fingers delicately through her curls. "What do you see in me?" he pressed his lips to the top of her head, inhaling the smell of her shampoo eagerly, the scent somewhat clouded by the smell of rain.

"A lot," she admitted.

"Tell me," his voice was low and she bit down on her lower lip, unsure of where she should begin.

"Your eyes," she decided on. "They're amazing. When the rest of your face is blank, your eyes tell a different story. They're so deep, and I could melt in their colour. I don't even know how to describe it. It's like the most beautiful ice blue has intertwined itself with a glorious shade of silver, and there are tiny flecks of dark grey in there too. When you're angry they get darker, and when you're happy and so carefree they're almost entirely blue. I lose myself in them."

"What else?" he murmured, carefully shifting her hair to the side to expose the elegant curve of her neck to him. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to the exposed skin and she shivered against him.

"Your brain," she continued as he stroked a lazy pattern across her skin. "I can hold a decent, intelligent conversation with you. I don't feel like I have to dumb anything down for you, and I don't have to explain myself numerous times for you to get the message. I can just say it and you understand immediately."

"That all?" he asked, prying the empty mug from her hands. He leaned over, pulling her with him, and placed it on the table before readjusting their position on the couch. He pressed himself up against the back of the couch and rolled her to her side so she faced him, their noses mere centimetres apart, electricity dancing between their features.

"You're genuine," she said, her voice slightly strained. Everything was moving so quickly. "You're not afraid to say what you think, even if it'll offend me, and you seem to want to actually get to know me. Which is a shock, given our past."

"The same could be extended to you," he said quietly. "Thank you for giving me a chance."

This was one of those moments which Hermione had not quite gotten used to. Draco's gaze had become intense, his eyes pale and face serious. She wasn't sure what to expect when he got pensive like this. She was unsure if she should speak, unsure if she should even move. It wasn't until he reached up in the small gap between them and tucked her hair behind her ear that she let out her breath and he grinned.

"What should we do for the rest of the evening?" Hermione asked, moving to sit up to see the clock. She managed to catch a glimpse which read five o'clock before Draco pulled her back down.

"I've got a few ideas," he smirked and she scowled at him.

"You're disgusting," she accused, but her eyes were sparkling with humour. He winked at her and pressed his lips to her own, smiling into the kiss when she let out a happy sigh. Her hands came up and tangled themselves in his hair, pressing their bodies closer together and deepening the kiss. He ran his tongue slowly across her lower lip, begging for permission which she easily granted. Their tongues battled for dominance, a fight which Draco ultimately won, and he explored every inch of her mouth.

"You taste so sweet," he breathed when they at last broke apart. "Like apples."

She smiled at him, pressing her lips against his one last time for a quick peck. "How about we go out for dinner?"

"Really?" Draco asked. "As in we go to somewhere in the wizarding world and eat? And announce our relationship?"

"Yes," she said, still smiling demurely. "We may as well. Everyone important knows now."

"Are you insane?" he asked, leaning up. Hermione moved with him and they readjusted into a sitting position. "This morning you were entirely against letting anyone know, and now all of a sudden you just want to announce it to the whole world? What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing," she replied, smile fading. She hated how he could twist anything she said. "I thought you wanted this. I thought you wanted to let people know that we're a couple."

"I do want this, but I don't want you to do this just because I want it," his face had softened.

"I want this too," she declared adamantly. "Let me go home and change quickly. Pick me up in half an hour. We'll go to a place in Diagon Alley."

"Okay..."

She grinned at him and jumped up from the couch, kissing him once more before grabbing her wand and discarded belongings, disappearing with a pop. The last thing she saw before she vanished was Draco's bemused expression, and she arrived in her lounge room smiling to herself.

Draco knocked on the front door of his witch's house, wondering what had gotten into her.

Up until this afternoon she had been so against telling the world about their coupling, and truthfully, he couldn't blame her. He was damn lucky Pansy had been as accepting as she had been, and even luckier that his mother had been the one trying to orchestrate the entire scheme. He had honestly not been expecting more than mere tolerance when he had been reintroduced to the fiery Gryffindor, but this was far better. She was intoxicating. Fiery, passionate, beautiful, smart. Gods, if she wasn't so bloody stubborn and so much of a Gryffindor then she might be perfect. The door swung open and he changed his mind.

This was perfection.

As she blushed under his heated gaze he had half a mind to toss her over his back and run into her house, marking her as his own in a million different ways before the night was out. His eyes raked up and down her body appreciatively. He wouldn't be able to let her go for a single minute for fear that she would be whisked away, and for the sheer fact that she looked positively delectable. Salazar's soul, he would hardly be able to keep his hands off her.

Her dress was short, coming to midway down her thigh and bore no straps, instead pushing the creamy skin of her breasts up. The black lacy fabric was cinched at the waist with a belt and she had decorated herself with simple heels and, much to his liking, the necklace he had given her for Christmas.

"Is it too much? I should change." She had taken his silence horribly and she turned to retreat back into her house, her face still flushed with colour. He darted forward and captured her in a steely embrace, pulling her body against his.

"You can only change if you take off the dress and put nothing back on," he breathed into her ear, leaning down and nibbling on the lobe. She gasped at his actions and pressed herself closer against him.

"But then you wouldn't get the satisfaction of announcing to the world that I'm yours," she replied quietly, pressing her lips to the corner of the jaw. "And we all know that right now, that's what you want more than anything."

"True," he murmured. "But at this moment, I'm almost more tempted to shag you senseless."

"Maybe later," she grinned wickedly at him and he took in a sharp breath. "Right now, I'm starving. Shall we?"

He finally released her and pulled out his wand as she grabbed for his other hand. They spun together and appeared in Diagon Alley, outside a small but pricey restaurant that had recently opened up.

"We probably should've booked," she frowned when they took in the crowds of people obviously waiting for a seat.

"Please," he snorted. "You're a war hero and I'm a Malfoy. I doubt we'll have much trouble getting a seat."

Indeed, just as he had said, they were seated almost immediately. Hermione mumbled quick apologies to the customers who had been waiting before them but he simply swept to their allocated seat, pulling her with him.

"Lavender Brown is sitting just over there," Hermione said quietly after ten minutes had passed and they were waiting for their meals.

"Well then, let's give her a show."

Before she could respond he had placed his hand on her knee and was sliding it up her leg. "Draco!" she shrieked, attracting the attention of the other patrons at the restaurant, including the nosy gossip reporter. Hermione's face filled with colour as Lavender's eyes widened and she immediately dove into her purse, pulling out a quill and slip of parchment.

"There we go. Now the whole world will know," he winked at his witch and she scowled.

A/N: Weow, quick update by my standard! I hope you like it, because I kind of do. There'll be more on their announcement in the next chapter as well as reactions of their friends. Pleasepleaseplease review!