A/N: Hey, I'm back, and I bring a new chapter! I got only got home late yesterday, so I've put this together quite quickly. Still, I hope you like it, and I hope your Christmas was perfectly magical. JK Rowling owns anything you might recognise.
Hermione smiled despite herself, reliving her date with Draco from the evening before. It was a blur now; once their food had arrived it seemed as if they had talked a lot about very little. Now she was sitting in English class, wishing, for the first time, that she were not in school, but instead spending more time with Draco, despite the fact he was only sitting halfway across the room. She was beginning to think she was reaching the point of obsession. After all, she barely saw Harry and Ron more than once each day, and, though she did miss them, she thought about them fairly infrequently with Draco around.
"Hermione? Are you still with us?" The teacher addressed her, snapping her out of her deep thought, causing her to blush deeply.
"Yes, sorry." she said, flustered. The teacher looked at her, baffled by the lack of concentration that was so out of character.
"I was only saying that you and Draco need to go to the head teacher at once, he wants to speak with you."
"Oh," Hermione uttered, gathering her things while glancing at Draco, who was returning her look of bewilderment. They left together, followed by the suspicious stares of their classmates.
Hermione cleared her throat, stepping further into the small office. "You wanted to see us, sir." she said. The head turned around and gestured them in.
"Yes, I did." he said, his elderly features softening with his smile. He surveyed them silently, apparently not willing to speak.
"And why was that?" Draco enquired impatiently after the long pause.
"I was pleased with the result of our little arrangement, I believe it worked well for you, Mr. Malfoy." he said, with a slightly raised voice. "Only, I have noticed that you are both continuing with the conditions I organised last week, when I explicitly said that it would be for a week only, unless I told you otherwise. I do not appreciate you defying me in this unusual and rather masochistic way, either of you. I may, unknown to you, have had reasons for you to only be kept together for a week and I had presumed you would be eager to be apart once that week had been over. Perhaps it is my own fault for jumping to conclusions, but I seem to remember you, Mr. Malfoy, saying that you two 'despise each other'. So, from now on, you are not to be seen together – no exceptions."
Draco and Hermione stood before him, aghast. He spoke coldly, which was shocking to both of them, as he was always a jolly man, and never scolding. Then there was the prospect of their forced separation, which would be much more painful for both than the idea of being forced together had been a week before.
"Sir, I'm sorry but that isn't going to happen. Malfoy and I have become… close - closer than you can imagine - and you will find that keeping us apart will be considerably harder than putting us together was, much like – well, like magnets. We have learnt so much from each other, and separating us will only ruin all of that. I would rather be in detention for a year than part from him." she stated boldly. Draco looked at her proudly, amazed that she spoke up against a teacher. The head's cold gaze split into a beam.
"It seems my humble plan has succeeded after all. I apologise for my little façade, but I believe it was necessary. It appears that not only has your behaviour improved twofold since last week, Draco, but you, Hermione, have proved that your priorities are in the right place. You have put your loyalty to your friends before your rather religious following of the rules, which is, I am sure, pleasing to not only me, but Mr. Malfoy here also." Hermione looked at Draco to see him smirking crookedly. "Thank you for all your cooperation, I will not speak of this matter again." the head said, smiling upon them both again and dismissing them with a wave of a hand. They left, and as soon as they were outside, Draco spoke.
"Only a year's worth of detention? Is that it?" he said, ducking as she aimed a hit at him.
"You are such a git." Hermione returned.
"Yep, but you're the one dating me. So which of us is more the idiot?" he said, smiling. He hugged her, holding her close for a long time. After a while Hermione whispered, pouting, but struggling not to smile,
"Definitely you."
"Hermione! Hermione!" Harry came rushing over to her as she stood outside with Draco at break.
"Harry? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. He shook his head, out of breath from running over.
"No, nothing's wrong. I just needed to tell you, before I change my mind." he babbled.
"Harry, calm down, you're not making sense. Before changing your mind about what?"
"Ginny. I'm going to ask her out. I can't bear it anymore – even if she says no, I can't just do nothing. I wanted to tell you so that I couldn't chicken out – I know you'll keep bugging me if I don't do it – so all I'm really worried about now is Ron." he said, speaking extremely fast.
"Oh, thank goodness, you're finally going to do something. I've only been waiting a couple of YEARS!" Hermione said loudly. Harry was taken aback.
"D'you think she'll say yes?" he said hopefully, resembling a puppy whining for a treat.
"Well if Harry Potter can't get the girl, what hope is there for the rest of us?" Draco said dryly.
"I wasn't asking you, Malfoy." Harry retorted, the old rivalry reappearing.
"I'm positive she will Harry. And as for Ron… he'll get over it." she assured him quickly. He smiled, realising that he gave her the exact same reassurance about Draco.
"No, he'd say 'about time too'." said a voice. Harry and Hermione turned to see Ron, laughing. "She's been going on about you for ages now mate. It gets a bit tedious. Do it, and get it over with. Maybe then she'll shut up." he said begrudgingly, though there was a twinkle in his eye that showed his hidden happiness for his best friend. Hermione beamed at him as Harry pulled him into a rather manly hug. The black haired boy dashed away the next second, and didn't return for the remainder of break.
So, it's not much, but you'll get another update very soon. I think it will have to be the day after tomorrow because I'll be busy with New Year's Eve tomorrow. So, as I will not see you again, Happy New Year! Thank you all so much for the support, it's been amazing. See you in 2016!