After returning to Hogwarts the school year and relationships amongst the matched continued in a comfortable manner. Hermione smiled at the couples that were matched from different houses. She sat in the library, watching a couple giggle, the girl from Ravenclaw the boy from Hufflepuff. "What are you smiling about?" Malfoy asked as he kissed her cheek.

"Just the inter-house unity. It's nice to see couples outside of their respective houses."

"Like us?" Malfoy asked.

"Yeah, like us." Hermione smiled at him. "I think we have the greatest achievement. Everyone knows the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor."

"Let's show them that our rivalry can make the best love story ever." Malfoy whispered in her ear, making her shiver. "Come on, take a study break." Hermione smiled as she got up, packed her bags, and followed Malfoy out of the library.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked as they made their way through the castle and the grounds.

"A place my father told me about, he used to bring my mother when they were in school here."

"Really? Forgive me but your father doesn't strike me as the romantic type."

"According to my mother he was when they first got engaged." Malfoy said.

"I heard somewhere that most Pureblood marriages are arranged marriages," Hermione said. "At least the really…traditional ones."

"They are, were." Malfoy said. "My parents were semi-arranged, mother says she had a thing for him in school so it was not that big of an adjustment. My aunt and uncle were arranged though, Mother always said Aunt Bella never liked Rudolf." Malfoy glanced at Hermione and her pale face. "Let's talk about something else. What are you doing after we graduate?"

"I don't know, everything I was thinking has been tainted by the war." Hermione sighed. "I was thinking Healer, but after I've done enough healing. Ministry, but I am not sure how much I trust it now, even with Kingsley as Minister. So I thought of going to the muggle world and getting a job there." Hermione did not miss Malfoy's eye roll at that. "What?"

"Why would you want to leave this world for the Muggle World? What is so great about the Muggle World?" Hermione glared at him. "What?"

"Do I need to remind you I am Muggle Born, and I will always be muggleborn. If you want things to work out between us, like I think you do. You will have to accept the Muggle World. If you don't we won't work out." The silence between them was awkward for a moment.

"I'm returning, you can show me this 'special place' after you make a decision." Hermione turned and started heading back to the castle.

A month went by with very little interaction between Malfoy and Hermione. They talked after classes and while Hermione studied, but they kept their distance. "What happened to you and Draco?" Theo asked as they sat in the Heads Room, working out the patrol schedule.

"Nothing." Hermione said.

"He has been sulking in the dorm for the past month." Theo said. "I am not stupid, I know something happened."

"Let's just say we have a slight disagreement about my background."

"I'm guessing he made a snarky remark about either you being a muggleborn or about the Muggle World in general.
"Muggle World, we were talking about what I was planning on doing after Hogwarts and I mentioned the possibility of me returning to the Muggle World and he asked why would I want to leave the Wizarding World for the Muggle World and what was so good about the Muggle World."

"You have to remember that he was raised thinking muggles were below him."
"Trust me, I have a daily reminder about that." Hermione said, making Theo flinch. "I'm not asking him to accept Muggles and Muggleborns, just not made snide comments and stuff while he's with me."

"Why have you not talked to him about it?" Theo asked.

"Because, no offense to our friend, but he should be able to figure that out by himself." Nott nodded.

"Well, let us return to work." He said, Hermione nodded as she looked down at her papers.

A week later Hermione and Malfoy sat in the library, opposite and diagonal from each other at a table. Hermione wrote away on an essay while Malfoy sat staring at her. "If you're not going to do school work, please stop looking at me or go away. You're distracting me."

"Why would you speak to Theo but not me?" Malfoy asked finally. Hremione sighed as she looked up at him

"Because Nott doesn't act like a spoiled brat when I react in a natural way."

"I do not act like a spoiled brat." Malfoy scoffed.

"You sulked for a month before your friend finally talked to me for you. How is that NOT a spoiled brat?" Malfoy just scoffed. "I mean I'm not surprised, you were an only child to a rich family and had a doting mother at least. I Would be more shocked if you didn't act like a spoiled brat. But you are now seventeen, you will be eighteen in a few months. We went through a war. I am sure we will work out, but I don't want to have you acting like a spoiled brat when we inevitably disagree or fight. And you know we will." Malfoy sighed.

"I guess you are right. We will work something out I am sure."

"I can't work something out if you don't talk to me. I want to like you, I do, I am sure that this potion didn't make a mistake. But we need to figure some things out if we want this to work."

"Very well," Malfoy smiled. "What do you want us to work on?"

"Let's go for a walk." Hermione said, picking up her books.

"So I understand you were raised that purebloods are superior in every way and that muggleborns are beneath you in every way. And I promise I understand, but when you make snide comments about it it really hurts me. You say you know now I am no longer below you but I want to see proof that that is true." Hermione said as they walked around the Great Lake.

"I will see what I can do, but it will happen again." Malfoy said.

"Then take my feelings into account and talk to me if you don't understand why I got upset."

"I will, I promise." Malfoy stopped and turned so he was facing her. "We will figure this out. I promise." Hermione smiled. "How about you tell me about your muggle life?"

"It was similar to here before I became friends with Ron and Harry. I was always a bookworm and a lot of my classmates thought I was annoying, like here."

"What about your parents?" Malfoy asked, not missing Hermione's flinch. "What is wrong? You always get upset when your parents are mentioned."

"It's a long story, please."

"What is wrong? You can tell me." Malfoy asked.

"I am just not ready, It's hard to explain." Hermione said, tears welling her eyes.

"Ok, that is fine. Just whenever you are ready just let me know." Malfoy said, pulling her into a hug. "I want us to have a relationship where we can talk."

"Thank you." Hermione mumbled into his chest.

"Of course, come on, tell me what you do when you go into the muggle world." Hermione smiled as they returned to their walk and Hermione told Malfoy about her favorite parts of the muggle world and what she thought he would enjoy if he ever visited.

"How about, during the Easter Holiday, you show me the Muggle World." Malfoy offered.

"That sounds like a great idea, I wanted to find a place anyway. We can look at apartments and show you the sights." Malfoy smiled as he kissed her cheek.