Simplicity

Hermione didn't know what exactly got into her outside with Draco. She knew she was mere moments away from being kissed by him, by her…fiancé. But fiancé was just a cover up. They used the decisions made for them at birth to their advantage now and it was as simple as that.

Only it wasn't simple, it wasn't simple at all.

Hermione had the feeling that Draco didn't often open up to people the way he just did with her. In fact, she was sure of it. Now she was terrified that she had cut him off at the pass and it would go back to the way things were before; Draco would be cold and distant and she would be wondering what he was thinking about every time she looked at him.

Making her way up to the castle Hermione was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the pounding of shoes hitting the grass and the labored breathing behind her.

"Hermione!" A voice behind her breathed out.

Hermione turned and made no attempt to hide her surprise at the sight of Draco literally running after her.

When Hermione fled, Draco stood there for a moment, stunned at the first rebuff he had ever had in his life. It only took that moment though for him to figure out this was one person who he would not let get away.

"Hermione, I'm sorry." Draco said while catching his breath. "I'm sorry I startled you like that."

"Draco…" Hermione started, then paused collect her thoughts. What was she thinking?" "Draco, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken off like that. It was rude."

"It wasn't." Draco replied. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm sorry for letting myself get carried away."

"Don't be sorry for what you feel." Hermione said, and looked up at him. It always startled her, how piercing his silvery eyes were. They would be horrifying if they were placed on any other face but his, but there they were… "You should never apologize for your feelings."

"Why did you run?" Draco asked; he couldn't help himself.

"Are things not complicated enough?" Hermione retorted, averting her gaze. "Don't you think I've thought about what it would be like to kiss you? To kiss the man I was promised to marry? Draco, I'm still getting used to that. It feels like if I give into what I'm feeling it's like giving into them, and all the plans they made without us. Don't you see?"

To Hermione's surprise, Draco smiled. "Hermione, didn't you just tell me not to be sorry for what I feel? Why should you, then, feel punished by what you feel?"

Hermione felt stunned. For once in her life, she didn't have an answer. She wasn't even sure if an answer existed. "I…"

Then Draco kissed her. His lips were on hers before she could get out the rest of her thought. Before she knew it, his lips molded into hers as if they were made to be there. This wasn't like kissing Harry, or Victor, who were both good kissers in their own right. This was like coming home to someplace familiar and warm after being away for a long, long time. Hermione often thought of what kissing Draco would be like, and the stony embrace of her fantasies crumbled as his warm tongue ran across her lips and sent shivers down her spine.

He backed off as abruptly as he started. "Hermione…" He trailed off uncertainly.

"That was…" Hermione was looking up at him with wide eyes, and as soon as she saw the tell-tale signs of a smirk forming on those lips that where just against hers, she pulled his face down for more.

Harry was alone, save for a couple hundred owls up in the tower that served as a favorite spot for all the school owls. He came up her to be alone more often than he would like to admit, taking comfort in the familiar sight of Hedwig.

"Harry?" A voice called from the stairs uncertainly. "How are you?"

It was Lauren, looking very tired but surprisingly pulled together in dark Hogwarts robes. Instead of a house symbol on her chest like Harry's, she had the Hogwarts crest displayed there.

Noticing Harry's observation, Lauren explained. "Dumbledore gave me these, I just came back from the…Manor, and my other attire would attract too much attention in the school."

Harry accepted this, and walked towards her. "How was it today?"

"Not terrible." She said with a tired shrug. "It's been slow the last couple of weeks. I think something is going on, but I'm not close enough to anyone there to discover much. I'm afraid I might have to step up my game."

Harry wasn't really sure what she meant, but nodded in agreement.

"How are you?" She asked. "You look tired."

"You do too." Harry pointed out. "You look like you have not slept in days."

"I just need some pepperup potion or something." She replied. "I've been going back and forth from America to here to the manor and back again for the last month. It's getting a little hard to keep up appearances at home. That's actually why I'm here now, I was asking Professor Dumbledore if I could transfer."

Harry was not expecting that. "Transfer?" He said, a ghost of a smile lighting up his tired face. "Transfer to Hogwarts?"

Lauren smiled back. "Yes, silly. Transfer here, and cut out the extra trip overseas. I already talked to my parents about it. My father is too wrapped up in the deatheater business to care what I do now, as long as I show up to make appearances there every once in awhile, and I think my mother is just tired of caring anymore. She's taken ill and I'd like to be closer to her anyway."

At the mention of Lauren's father, Harry visibly stiffened. "I'm sorry for you mother, then." He said.

Lauren noticed the change in Harry, and placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

"I know you're upset with me." Lauren said sadly. "I would be upset with me, for not telling you about my family. I'm sorry, I just hope that you can understand where I'm coming from. When I met you I finally had a face to the name that has been on my father's lips my whole life. And you were wonderful! I never met anyone like you, and I was terrified you would brush me aside if you knew where I came from. I saw the way you look at Draco, what you think of Draco. He and I grew up in the same world and it was awful thanks to the Dark Lord and what he took from our families. Please Harry, please understand."

Harry was shocked at Lauren's sudden outburst, and felt his heart go out to her.

"Of course I forgive you, Lauren." He said. I was a git for really being that upset in the first place."

Lauren threw her arms around him and hugged him close. "I'm so lucky to have you in my life now." She said happily. And kissed him square on the lips.

"So…" Harry started after they separated and looked down at his feet. "What are we, exactly?"

"What are we?" Lauren repeated. "You mean, friends, or more?"

"I'd like to be more." Harry replied with a small grin. He ran his hand through his messy hair and suddenly looked like a very young, shy school boy. "If you'll have me?"

Lauren wrapped her arms back around his neck and kissed him again. "I'd love to have you, Harry Potter." She replied with a huge smile.

Harry smiled back and held her there, enjoying the moment. I promise to always be honest with you." Harry said. "And oddly enough, it's hard for me to be completely honest, especially with how I'm feeling. I come up here to talk to Hedwig because I don't think that my emotional burden is too much for her. I hope you understand that."

Lauren was still smiling, but it had turned into a knowing grin. "I know where you're coming from." Lauren replied. "I promise to always be honest with you. I promise to keep you in the loop when I find things out at the meetings, and I promise to not shut you out, as long as you can promise the same."

"I can do that." Harry said, then turned serious. "I should also tell you something I've been keeping from everyone, a secret Hermione and I share. We, well when she got back from being taken, we slept together. It was only for that one time, and we don't regret it, we just aren't going to announce it." Harry stopped and looked at Lauren uncertainly.

"I think I can live with that." Lauren said thoughtfully. "To be honest, I know Hermione will always be your number one girl, Ron's too, even though I know he loves Jessica very much. Hermione was both of your first loves, and that's someone you will never forget or replace. Am I right?"

"I think you understand better than I do." Harry said with a relieved laugh. "But you're right, I love Hermione, I never would have made it this far without her, or Ron for that matter. It's a different sort of love, though. I love her, but I'll never fall in love with her."

"It's good to know her enchantress charms are no trouble for you." Lauren said. "And I am very glad you told me. It takes a real man to be that honest. You had no idea how I would react, but you felt compelled to let me know. I respect that. And besides…" She trailed off and winked at him. "I have a couple sexy skeletons in my closet too."

Harry laughed out loud and felt a huge burden fly off his shoulders. "I'm glad we can have this, after years of secrets and lies, honestly is something I need in my life."

Lauren smiled up at him. "I should be honest with you too, Harry. My duties to the order might require me to do things that I'm not going to want to do. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, sex is a great coercion tool. I'm not afraid to use my body to get what I want. Do you understand?"

Harry thought for a moment, then asked: "So, will you be sorted into Slytherin?" He asked with a smile, but it wasn't really a joke.

"Ha ha." Lauren replied. "I suppose I should go to Slytherin, sorted or not. It will be easier to keep up appearances and keep an eye on the future death eaters of England. But you didn't answer my question. Do you understand that I do need to do whatever I can to get the information the order needs?"

"I do." Harry replied. And he meant it. He didn't like it, but at least it was a safer alternative for Lauren than breaking and entering.

"I'm glad." Lauren said, and she visibly relaxed.

Harry broke their embrace and backed up to look at her. "We should probably go down and see Dumbledore again." He said. "And I'm curious to see where the sorting hat thinks you belong."

"We missed lunch." Hermione said. "Think anyone missed us?"

Hermione and Draco never made it back to the castle. They were lying on the top most seats in the quiddich pitch, the tops of their heads touching and their hands laced together dangling over the edge of the seat.

"I saw Lauren arrive right after breakfast." Draco replied. "I'm sure she and Potter are probably playing catch up. As for Weasley and Jessica, they're probably somewhere snogging."

Hermione giggled and squeezed his hand. "Not unlike what we've been doing all afternoon?"

"Touché." Draco replied. "But I'm a better kisser."

"I wouldn't know who wins that contest." Hermione said delicately.

"What, all those years and you never locked lips with Weasley?" Draco asked. He thought they had been a thing a year or so ago.

"No." Hermione replied. "Not Ron."

"Potter?" Draco was curious now.

"Yes." Hermione left it at that.

"Just kissing?"

"You're nosey."

"I'm your fiancé."

"Only for show."

"So?"

"So what?"

"You and Potter?"

Hermione took a deep breath and sat up, while still holding onto Draco's hand.

"Harry and I slept together, right after I came back. I'm not ashamed of it, and I'm glad that Harry and I could share that together. It was only for that one time and we both knew it going in. It's done and over with, and I wouldn't change a thing. It was perfect, in a twisted the world-is-crashing sort of way."

Draco was shocked. He hadn't expected that sort of response. But what startled him the most is that Hermione really did seem like she expected it to be done with and in the past, and showed no signs of wanting to go back for an encore.

"So," Draco said slowly. "You and Potter, and now you just walk away from each other?"

Relived that Draco didn't seem angry, only confused, she replied with a small smile. "We're never going to walk away from each other. We are not in love with each other, he does really care for Lauren, and I can see them making it, and I, well, I am finding myself distracted, so say the least. I love Harry, Ron too. I always will. If we're going to make you and I work then that is something you'll have to eventually accept."

Draco sat in silence for a minute, lost in his thoughts. Even tough the truth was out, Hermione would always be Hermione Granger to Draco. Everything changed over night, but Hermione was his constant, and he didn't want to lose that.

"I think I can learn to accept it." Draco finally said. "It's not going to be easy. I still don't like those two much."

"I didn't really expect you to turn around overnight." Hermione replied. "But I appreciate the effort."

"I think this is worth the effort." Draco said, and kissed her forehead.

"Draco?" Hermione asked as she laid her head on his sholder.

"Yes?"

"Would your feeling still be the same if I was still muggleborn Granger?"

"I don't know." Draco answered truthfully. "I don't want to lie to you, Hermione. I still don't think muggles are on our level. I've grown to respect the long lines of magical blood and what a name represents."

"But how do you explain muggleborns?" Hermione asked. "Do you think they are any less magical than you?"

"Yes." Draco answered bluntly. "I do."

Hermione sighed and lifted her head. "Out of anything else in the entire world, I want you to change you mind about muggles and muggleborns. It's a prejudice and it makes me sad that someone as intelligent as you is afflicted with this."

Draco was surprised at Hermione's words. He has assumed that after discovering her birthright she would have realized he had been right all along all these years about muggles being inferior. Granted, he did wonder before how mudblood Granger bested him in everything, but once the truth was out about her ancestry Draco understood. It just solidified his ideals.

"I think you have a lot of work ahead of you then, Hermione."

"I think you're already halfway there." Hermione replied. "Or you wouldn't be sitting here with me, plotting the downfall of Voldemort."

Draco cringed at the name. "I told you, Hermione, my interests in all of this are fairly selfish. I'm not a martyr and I'm not Harry Potter. Please don't confuse us."

Hermione laughed. "Draco, I don't think I could ever confuse you and Harry."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco asked.

"It means that I'm not going to expect you to start rescuing kittens or anything like that. You're Draco Malfoy, and that's okay that you don't care about the kittens, as long as you care about something."

He leaned back and smiled at her, a real smile that literally made her heart feel happy. She leaned in and kissed him once more.

~ A/N

I'm still here! And writing, believe it or not, I'm confident this story will get finished, it's an itch I can't scratch. It's amazing I'm still getting reviews! The beginning of this story needs cleaned up A LOT. Someday I'll go back and correct all the incredible (horrible, terrifying) mistakes, but I figure if you're reading this now, you waded through them. I have part of the next chapter done, I'm going to annoy the Dursleys some more, and we're going to visit Malfoy Manor again 