A/N: Thanks to everyone who alerted/favourited/reviewed my last chapter! Love you all :D

Chapter 12

Finally, a week after Hermione and Draco had made their relationship public, the gossip died down and the couple were able to relax. Their relationship had been happily accepted by every house except for Slytherin. Only Blaise, Theo and Daphne were happy to spend time with Draco; the rest of his house avoided him for the most part, or tried to hex him. Draco didn't care about that, but when Pansy and a 6th year boy tried to curse Hermione, he got angry.


Draco was sitting in the library with Hermione while she studied, sketching. Hermione was somewhere in the maze of bookshelves, hunting down some book for History of Magic. Draco was concentrating hard on his drawing when he heard a thump, then a muffled cry of pain. His head shot up, and he cocked it to the side, listening hard. There was a whimper, then silence. Draco got to his feet and moved cautiously towards where he heard the sounds, pulling his wand out as he walked. He rounded a corner and froze. Hermione was silently battling with a 6th year Slytherin. Pansy lay unconscious nearby. Hermione, whose hair was wild, was battling her hardest while trying to back away from the strong arms of the Slytherin. Draco was furious. How dare they corner his girlfriend and attack her! A protective urge forced Draco to move. He threw himself in front of Hermione, and cast spell after spell against the burly boy. Finally, Draco managed to stun him, causing him to fall next to Pansy. Behind him, Hermione slid to the floor, shaking.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, crouching down beside her.

Hermione nodded, "I'm more out of shape than I thought."

Draco smirked, "I doubt that. Anyway, what happened?"

"I was trying to get a book when Pansy appeared at one end of the aisle and that boy –"

"Vaisley", Draco interrupted.

"- yes, him. Anyway, Vaisley was at the other end, the kind of boxed me in. I stunned Pansy straight away, she's not very smart, but Vaisley moved closer and closer, trying to grab me, but also trying to hex me. Then you turned up." Hermione looked into Draco's eyes. "Thank you Draco."

"Anytime," he replied lightly, but Draco's insides were burning. Someone was going to pay for that.


The next day was a Saturday. Hermione, Draco, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Katie, Theo, Blaise, Daphne, Neville and Luna were heading to Hogsmeade, ready for Christmas shopping. They were all covered in scarves, gloves and jacket, as it was snowing and very windy. Hermione was comfortable, cuddled up beside Draco as they walked. It was a week till Christmas, and everyone who was going home for the Holidays were to leave the next morning. Hermione was bubbling with excitement at the thought of spending Christmas with Draco, even though he was slightly terrified of being with the Weasleys. He had never spent the holiday with anyone other than his mother and father. This year, though, there was going to be a mass of people: Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill and Fleur, Charlie and his girlfriend Ellie, Percy and Penelope, Fred and George, who had invited Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, Ron and Katie Bell, Harry and Ginny, and now, Hermione and Draco. But, Hermione told him hesitantly, on Christmas day more people would come over for lunch: Tonks, Lupin and their son Teddy, the Weasley's Great Aunt Muriel, The Lovegood's from over the hill, including Neville and his grandmother, and others that Hermione had forgotten.

Draco was very nervous indeed.

Walking to Hogsmeade, Draco considered what to get his girlfriend. He wanted to go all out; but he knew she wouldn't accept very expensive presents, and he didn't want the Weasleys to think that he was flashing his money around.

Wait, what? Draco paused his thinking. Do I actually care about the Weasleys accepting me? Draco pondered this, then he decided that yes, he wanted to be accepted. Hermione had expressed to him that this family was considered as hers; she had known them all throughout her school life, and they helped her through the war, so Draco wanted to make peace with them for her sake.

The group around Draco was chattering happily. He decided to tune in, and see if he could get any ideas about presents for Hermione.

"so excited that you're coming, Hermione!" Ginny was gushing.

"Me too. I wasn't going to come, I wanted to stay with Draco."

"I'm glad Mum invited him. He's a nice guy."

"Don't tell him that. You will inflate his already large ego!" The girls laughed.

"WHAT?"

Everyone stopped and stared at Ron, who was turning purple.

"That ferret is going to the Burrow?"

Oh, shit. Draco thought. He turned to look at Hermione, who was looking guilty.

"Oh come on, Ron. Get over it. Mum invited him and –"

"GET OVER IT? Ginny, Hermione invited a Death Eater into our house-"

"You idiot! MUM invited him!" Ginny yelled at her brother.

This stopped Ron short. Draco shifted uncomfortably. He thought that Wealsey had known.

"Why? Why would Mum –"

"Because the war is over, moron. And Draco isn't a Death Eater. You know full well that he changed sides."

"Yeah, well, that's beside the point!"

"Beside the point? Why, you –"

By this point, everyone had drifted away, not wanting to get in the middle of the fiery spat between siblings. Draco felt awkward, and slightly smug. He was secretly heartened by Ginny sticking up for him, and he felt smug for annoying the Weasel.

The group moved down the main road of the little town. Hermione suggested that they all go into the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer, then decide where to head to. They had just found a table and crowded around it, when Fred and George turned up, loudly.

"HELLO HOGWARTIANS!" Fred yelled.

"Why, Fred, I do believe that we have a few greenies in the mix."

"Greenies George? Why, I do believe you are right."

"And a Ravenclaw too. What is this, little minions?"

"Surely not –"

"House unity –"

"Unity of Houses –"

"Friends with enemies –"

"And all that garbage?" The twins chorused together.

Ginny and Hermione were laughing, but Theo, Blaise, Daphne and Draco felt uneasy. It was true.

"No worries, mates –"

"We won't do anything –"

"Much –"

"While you are with this lot anyway..."

Fred and George conjured up more chairs and sat with the large group.

"And we hear that a certain –" Fred started,

"Blonde ferret –" George continued,

"By the name of Draco Malfoy –"

"Is dating the fair maiden –"

"The Princess of Brains –"

"The golden lioness –"

"Miss Hermione Granger!" They, again, chorused.

Hermione blushed a little.

"Oh, so it is true!" The twins shared identical evil grins.

"EXCUSE US!" They yelled, before each grabbing one of Draco's arms and dragging him away.

"Uh, oh." Hermione mumbled, watching the twins take her boyfriend away. She couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive.

"So, Mister Malfoy –"

"We have a couple of things –"

"That you need to know."

Draco really found it creepy when the twins finished each other's sentences. And he felt worried about what the pranksters were going to do to him.

"We consider Hermione to be our little sister –" Fred began.

"And, like Ginny, we would do anything for her –" George continued.

"So if someone, let's say you, for example –"

"Mess up Hermione's feelings –"

"Hurt her in any way –"

"Then we would hurt you –"

"A million times worse –"

"And so will Mum –"

"and Dad –"

"And Bill –"

"And Fleur –"

"Even Percy –"

"Okay, okay! I get it!" Draco interrupted. "I appreciate how much your family cares for Hermione. I really do. But I have no intention of hurting her. I have changed from the arrogant prick, if you can believe me. She's the only person who cares for me, apart from Blaise, who is like my brother. My own mother left me after the war, and I intend to hang on to Hermione. I really, really care for her, and would do anything for her!"

Fred and George looked at him, questioning his sincerity. Then they both beamed

"Good on ya –"

"But still, you would have to face us –"

"Not to mention the wrath of Harry –"

"And Ron –"

"Oh, and you know all about Ginny's Bat Bogey Hex –"

Draco grinned. The twins really weren't that bad.

On the way back to Hogwarts, all of them exhausted, carrying their full shopping bags, Hermione turned to Draco.

"I forgot to ask earlier, what did the twins want?"

"Oh, you know, just the usual threat on my life."

"Really, they did that for me?"

"Yeah, they adore you. They went through everyone who would murder me, or hex me, or Merlin forbid, castrate me, which was all of the Weasleys, plus Harry."

Hermione looked up at him with shinning eyes. "I can't believe they think that much of me."

Draco stared into her eyes. "Everyone loves you. Even me."

A/N: Thanks guys! PRETTY PLEASE REVIEW!