8. On Track

Hermione met him that night just outside the library. He looked very laid back without his school robes on, sitting on the bench just outside the library entrance. She smiled at him and took a seat on the same bench.

"Thanks for meeting me here," Hermione said, still smiling. She seemed unusually happy to Malfoy.

He shrugged. "It's whatever. What did you need?"

Hermione blushed. "Oh, I…erm… I need…" She turned even more red.

Malfoy's stomach dropped. He knew exactly what she needed. "Contraception potion?"

Hermione nodded, completely embarrassed. "Seriously? How many partners do you have, Granger?"

She was taken aback by this remark. "What… what do you mean?"

"Are you fucking anything that walks and throws a glance your way nowadays?"

"Excuse me?!" Hermione nearly screeched.

Malfoy shook his head. "What you're doing is wrong and if you aren't willing to admit that, then you are in denial and you're like any other whore."

Hermione slapped him hard across the face. "I am not a whore."

"Right… you were vulnerable. What a load of shit."

"I was."

"No, you weren't. You were being loose."

Hermione was hurt. "Why are you being like this to me? What have I done to you?"

"This may come as a shock to you, but I respect Weasley… It doesn't sit well with me when you cheat on him."

"I…I didn't cheat. We just kissed… the one time."

"Oh yea? Looked like you had been doing it for quite some time."

"I kissed you and you didn't seem to care."

"Because I wasn't picturing someone else when you kissed me. Potter was, and you know that. He's only ever wanted the Weasley girl. He doesn't want you."

That stung. She didn't like Harry like that. Sure, maybe back when they first met she had harbored a few juvenile feelings for him… but to hear that he didn't even want her and that he was just using her… it hurt. She had known that was what he was doing and that's why she didn't let it go any further… but to hear it out loud made it all seem to real. Her behavior lately was not acceptable.

"I should go…" Hermione whispered.

Malfoy grabbed her arm. "Wait. That came out a little too harsh." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well, I meant every word… just didn't mean for you to hear it so rudely." He groaned at what he was about to confess. "I care about you… I even thought I might have actual feelings for you… and I don't like watching a girl whose been put on a pedestal her whole life be knocked down for a lack of integrity."

Hermione swallowed, hard. He was so right. "I know. I've been a mess… But I really do love Ron with everything I have…" She rubbed her forehead. "I thought I may have feelings for you at one point as well… but I just want to be friends. I want to be able to keep my integrity and honor and just be a faithful fiancé and wife."

"Good to hear," Malfoy replied, clearing his throat. "I'll have that potion by tomorrow afternoon."

Hermione's blush crept back into her cheeks. "Thank you." She got up to leave and turned to face him. "I would really like it if we could be friends… like, actual friends."

Malfoy laughed a little and smiled. "I can do that." She smiled and turned to leave again. "Hermione?"

She stopped and slowly turned around. "Uh, yea?"

"Nothing… Just wanted to see how weird that felt," Malfoy joked.

"Alright… Draco." She stuck out her tongue and waved goodbye as she walked back to her dormitory.

---

Ron was waiting there for her, sitting on the couch with the fire blazing, reading the Quibbler. Hermione started laughing when she saw this. "You read that rubbish?"

He frowned. "Not really, no. I just went to visit Luna today and she gave me a copy… seeing as the only books you have in here are a snooze, I had to settle for this."

"Oh shit," Hermione groaned. "I still haven't visited Luna yet."

"Really? It's nearly December."

"Yea, I know." Hermione sat down next to him and entwined her fingers into his. "Today was amazing."

He kissed the top of her head and snuggled up closer to her. "It really was." He shut the magazine and set it down. "Where did you go today after dinner?"

She felt herself blush again. "I went to talk to Malfoy…" She paused. "Draco." She shook her head. Still too weird. "Draco Malfoy."

Ron wrinkled his nose in Hermione's odd word choice. "Alright… what for?"

"Contraception potion…" Hermione murmured.

He chuckled lightly and squeezed her arm affectionately. "Good thinking, Ms. Granger." She kissed him softly and leaned her head on his shoulder. He held her hand tighter "A letter came for you today from Harry."

"Oh?" Hermione sat up, a little apprehensive. "Did you read it?"

Ron shook his head. "No. Here you go." He pulled the letter out of his pocket.

She quickly opened it to scan its contents.

Hermione-

Remember that deal we made? Well, I know you kept to your end of the bargain. I heard Ron came back with you to Hogwarts until he has to come back to work… We miss him around here. Make sure he knows that. I didn't see you the last two weeks you were here. I had been busy… but about that deal. I just wanted to let you know that I held up my end as well and it worked. Ginny and I are engaged again. We still have some things to sort out… like our rebounds from our 'break-up'. She's still mad that I found it so easy to jump in bed with someone I barely knew… and I am still a little hurt that she jumped in bed with her ex-boyfriend… which seems to be a lot worse to me. But, oh well… what matters is that I have the love of my life back. I just wanted you to know that I am never letting her go. I mean that. We both made a mistake with each other that night and I hope we can just forget about it and put it behind us. I love you, 'Mione. You are truly a great friend.

-Harry

Hermione smiled to herself. She was glad… oh so very glad to hear that. She never wanted to lose Harry. He was the shoulder she always leaned on when she couldn't lean on Ron's shoulder. She folded the letter up and shoved it in her back pocket.

"What did he have to say?" Ron asked.

Hermione shrugged. "Not too much. He said everyone at work misses you…"

Ron eyed her. "That's all it said?"

She laughed. "No. Harry and I made a pact a couple weeks ago that he would mend things with Ginny and I would throw my entire self into our engagement, instead of drowning myself in school." Not an exact lie… Hermione thought.

He looked satisfied enough with her answer. "I see." He kissed her. "I'm glad you are concentrating on us." He kissed her again. "I felt like I was losing you there for a bit."

Hermione nodded, giving into her kisses when she suddenly remembered something. "Ronald?"

"Mmm?" He grunted against her lips.

Hermione pushed him away lightly. "Did you sleep with those girls that Ginny said you brought back to our flat when we were broken up?"

Ron was taken aback. Hermione could see that. It had been so long ago, it seemed. He took her face in his hands. "I would never… and could never do that to you… even if I knew for certain that we were never going to get back together." Hermione smiled, content with his answer. "Did you sleep with anyone while we were broken up?" he asked.

"Of course not," Hermione replied.

"Did you ever do anything with anyone?" He pressed further.

She didn't need to lie for this one. "I never did anything with anyone while we were taking a break." It was only after we got back together that I cheated on you.

Ron looked ashamed. "I'm sorry I was such a git."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not even mad. Don't worry about it. All that matters is that we have each other now." She kissed his cheek. "I'm going to go take a bath. You're welcome to join."

"I'm down."

---

Harry-

Glad to hear everything you told me. I think its best that we forget everything that transpired as well. It's over, at least and we can just go back to being friends. It was silly for us to be so juvenile. We were only hurting ourselves in the end. Send Ginny my love.

-Hermione

---

"Mind if I sit here?"

Hermione looked up from her plate at breakfast to see Malfoy standing there, one hand on the chair. She smiled. "It's all yours."

"Thanks." He took a seat and leaned over to look at Ron. "Morning."

Ron smiled quickly and shoved his face full of eggs, tipping his glass of juice towards Malfoy.

Malfoy turned his gaze back to Hermione. "How are you this morning?" he asked.

Hermione swallowed her food and wiped her mouth. "I'm great and you?"

"This day is looking a little more promising than the day before," he noted. "Have you had a chance to look at McGonagall's new afterhours policy?"

"Yes," Hermione groaned. "It's ridiculous that we have to meet with our students under supervision just because one teacher can't keep it in their pants."

Malfoy laughed. "Exactly what I thought. It's very inconvenient for me to walk all the way to the library from the dungeons whenever someone needs help with their work."

"It's not as much an inconvenience for me as it is just utterly tedious!"

"Erm… what are you two talking about?" Ron asked, leaning over the table to get a better view of them both.

Hermione shook her head. "School stuff." She waved her hand and wrote him off. "You wouldn't be interested."

"Oh," Ron sighed as he forked at the sausage on his plate. He did care, but it didn't matter. He understood that Hermione had her own work friends… but him of all people? He noticed the way he looked at her. He wasn't an idiot… but he trusted Hermione and he knew nothing was there. That she was just friendly and taking his own advice and giving him a chance… he just never expected them to become actual friends. He just thought that they'd learn to be civil. In the end, he really didn't mind… he was just shocked. He respected the guy enough so whatever made Hermione happy, made him happy.

"Ronald? I'm going to class now," Hermione stated, shaking his shoulder and shaking him from his thoughts.

"What? Oh, right. Have fun," Ron replied as she received a quick peck on his cheek as she and Malfoy walked out of the Great Hall together.

"She hasn't once come to see me yet, you know," Luna spoke suddenly as she slipped into the chair next to Ron. "I wonder if I did something wrong."

"No, no… she's just been really busy," Ron reassured her. "Don't even worry about it. She'll come see you soon. I promise."

Luna shrugged and sipped her juice. "Do you like my new earrings, Ron?"

Ron glanced sideways at her and saw an owl talon hanging from each ear, a feather attached to them as well. "Erm… yea. They're nice."

She smiled to herself. "I thought so."

Ron laughed inwardly. She was such an odd person, but he admired her. She knew who she was and wasn't afraid of it. "Well, I need to get to the hospital wing for my check up. See you around, Luna."

"Alright," Luna replied airily. "And if you see Neville, tell him that I need to speak with him."

Ron nodded. "Will do."

---

Hermione bumped up against him when they said their goodbyes. It was just an accident and she didn't mean to… but something stirred inside her… and she wasn't sure if she liked it… she was just getting her life back on track.