A/N- Thank you guys so much for the kind reviews, I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Speak

The hot steam blew into Hermione's face and she engulfed it. She wrapped her hands tighter around her mug and smiled as she took another sip of her drink, feeling at peace. This was the first time she felt content since Ron had asked her out, which was months ago. Now winter was coming and the season was changing, just like her. She sat by the fire in the Gryffindor common room, enjoying the peace and quiet. Maybe things won't be so bad…

"Hey Hermione," Ginny came down the stairs in her pajamas and sat down in front of the fire, Hermione occupying a chair next to her.

"Hey," she smiled down at her friend.

"Where'd you get that?" Hermione had told Ginny the same lie she had told to Madame Pomfrey earlier why she had not gone to classes today, when Ginny had asked her where'd she been for all the meals.

"Madame Pomfrey had one of the house elves bring it up." Hermione told her, breathing in the steam again.

"What is it?" Ginny asked.

"Hot cocoa, I would offer you some but…"

"You were sick today that's fine. I already brushed my teeth anyways." Ginny smiled up at her. "Listen, I wanted to tell you something."

"Oh right, that's why you found me earlier today."

"Yeah," Ginny shifted her body so she was now facing her friend, "so Harry was complaining to me recently about the Marauder's Map we used on that night… you know." Hermione nodded. "Well he must have forgotten that he left it down here that day because he initially thought it was where he usually kept it. And the thing was when I offered to put it back, I forgot two things. That he had left it down there that day and that he keeps it in a certain spot in his drawer. Under everything to be exact, and well I put it on top of everything. So now he is all worried that someone has been using it, should we tell him?" Hermione shook her head and waved a hand at her friend.

"Don't worry about that Ginny, he'll get over it. Let him think he left it there, no need to start something." She reached down in her chair and patted Ginny's knee. "It'll all be alright." She couldn't help but admit she was also saying that to herself.

"Okay," Ginny sighed. "So what about you?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione squinted at her friend.

"Well what's going on in your life now that detention doesn't consume it all or… Ron," She frowned.

"Oh," Hermione sighed and put her mug down on a table next to her. "About that," she picked at her nails, "I've been meaning to tell you something."

"Ooh," Ginny shifted in her spot, situating herself, "tell me!"

"Um," Hermione smiled nervously at Ginny, "I like somebody a lot, right?"

"Go on!" Ginny smiled anxiously at her friend.

"Well more than like… maybe even…" Hermione looked down at her hands.

"Love?" Ginny almost squealed.

"Now wait," Hermione looked back at her friend, "I'm not sure. But the thing is… nobody likes him." Ginny tilted her head to the side, studying her friend.

"Okay…"

"And well I'm a little afraid to say who it is." Hermione admitted.

"Come on," Ginny swatted at her leg, "It can't be that bad! It's not like it's… Malfoy or one of his friends. Even though I'd prefer one of his friends." Ginny rambled off. Hermione let out a way too quickly forced laugh and abruptly stood up, making Ginny lean back.

"That's funny, Gin," she laughed, "but um you know what it's stupid and will probably never last." She waved a hand.

"Hermione," Ginny protested, getting to her feet.

"No, no, it's nothing. Not important, really," she walked around Ginny and headed to the stairs still fake laughing, "Malfoy, now that's a good one!"

"Where are you-" Ginny said still standing there and feeling dumb struck.

"Goodnight!" Hermione said, taking to the stairs. She gave one more laugh but it turned into a nervous chuckle instead and ended with a frown.

That went well, Hermione thought as she fell down onto her bed.

"You want to keep it a secret?" Draco asked as he watched Hermione kick a rock into the lake.

"For now," she told him, "I thought you would be okay with that." She turned to Draco.

"That's fine," he said, looking down at the rock he was sitting on. But was he really fine with it?

"You know," she walked towards him, "I really do want to tell my friends but I don't think they are ready to know yet." She stopped in front of him.

"Why is that?" Draco asked her. Hermione shivered as a breeze rolled by. They had met up after they were done with their classes to talk. She pulled her robe together.

"Well last night, I tried to hint it to Ginny."

"Yeah?"

"It went horrible," Hermione admitted.

"So what happened?" Draco asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." She put an arm around his neck and sat in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they looked at each other. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" Draco frowned at her.

"That it will be so hard for us to be together," she pouted.

"Hermione," Draco sighed.

"Please Draco," she shook her head, "don't try to make it harder for us by making us both believe it will be easy."

"I know it won't be," they put their foreheads together and closed their eyes. Hermione sighed.

"I like this," she admitted.

"Me too," they opened their eyes so they could see each other. "We will just have to take it one day at a time."

"Promise?" She asked.

"Promise," he kissed her.

"I can't wait any longer," Ron whispered to Harry in the hall. "Ginny is right there in the library this is the perfect time!"

"It hasn't even been twenty-four hours, Ron." Harry told him.

"I know, but don't tell me you're not curious either." Harry stared at his friend and sighed.

"Fine," Ron smiled and he headed over to the table Ginny occupied, along with Harry and they both sat down across from her. She looked up and smiled,

"Harry," she said.

"Hi Ginny," Harry smiled back.

"And Ron," Ron frowned at them. Harry looked at Ron then back at Ginny,

"Um right, Ginny we need to tell you something."

"Not you too," she frowned. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing," Ginny closed the book she was reading, giving them her full attention. "What's on your mind?"

"Hermione," Harry told her.

"What about her?" Ginny frowned.

"You see Ginny," Harry began.

"She's been sneaking around with that foul-git Malfoy." Ron butted in.

"Ron!" Harry said, looking at him.

"What are you talking about?" Ginny said.

"Well you see," Harry looked at Ron, "be quiet," he looked back at Ginny, "you know how I said I found my map in the wrong spot? Well I had this hunch to open it and I did."

"I don't see how this has to do with Hermione," Ginny said in frustration.

"Wait," Harry told her, "and we saw Malfoy and Hermione together in the hall." Ginny frowned at him. "So I went out there to find them, because Ron and I naturally thought that he was bullying her or something so when I came closer they were arguing but it wasn't about what I thought it would be. They were saying strange stuff and then I left before Hermione saw me."

"Well did you ask Hermione?"

"No,"

"So you just spied on them?" Ginny crossed her arms accusingly.

"We thought he was hurting her!" Ron exclaimed.

"Well what were they talking about?"

"Something about something else being done with and forgotten and her being in a weak moment?"

"And goodbye Draco!" Ron threw in.

"What?" She asked her brother.

"Never mind that," Harry told her, "but we didn't know what it all meant." He explained, "So we thought we would wait and see if anything else happened. And well you know she wasn't in her classes' yesterday-"

"She was sick," Ginny defended her friend.

"Or was she?" Harry said. "We were worried because we did not know where she was so Ron and I looked at the map again and saw the two of them in the Prefects bathroom!"

"You guys have no right doing that!" Ginny stood up from her seat.

"Ginny, aren't you listening to what were telling you!" Ron stood up too. "Something is going on between Hermione and Malfoy!"

"Keep your voices down," Harry warned them, looking around.

"Please Ronald; nothing is going on be…" Ginny stopped short.

"Well?" Ron asked her. "Ginny?"

"Um," she shook her head, "it's um nothing." She grabbed her book and bag and stepped away from the table. "So why are you telling me this?" She asked.

"Well, we wanted you to see if maybe you could talk to her and see if she made some kind of deal with Malfoy or if he threatened her or something. Just maybe find out what's going on." Harry said.

"Okay," Ginny said too quickly and began to make her way out of the library. "See you guys around!" She said back to them as Ron and Harry exchanged a look.

"Don't tell me your friends would accept us together and throw a party." Hermione swung their locked hands together and leaned into him. Draco laughed,

"Um afraid not,"

"Why does it have to be so hard?" Hermione sighed,

"I don't know, Granger." He smirked down at her and she smirked back in response.

"It's weird that all this time we've been fighting when we could have been this." Hermione said to him.

"Yeah," Draco thought about it. Hermione had changed him so much. It was crazy to think everything that had happened all ended up here. In such a fast and short amount of time, maybe it was just meant to be…

"Guess we have to part here," Hermione snapped him back to reality and he looked down at her. Hermione dropped his hand.

"Right," He frowned down at her. "I'll meet up with you later." Without a kiss or anything else he disappeared into the castle. Hermione frowned, the regular Draco Malfoy she used to know coming out.

She waited a few minutes before going in too and headed to the Great Hall. She wished he had said or done something different then the way they left it. She shrugged it off and came to terms that if she wanted a relationship with him she should just expect it to be like this sometimes. Hermione realized that they still hadn't labeled each other to boyfriend and girlfriend. She wandered who would be the first to say it, him or her. In a way she was afraid to say it, what if he took it wrong. She made a mental note for him to say it first before she did, at least while they were in front of each other.

Hermione wandered into the Great Hall and she could not help her eyes as they landed on Draco. She smiled at him, even though he did not see it, and went to take her seat with her friends. "You seem like you are in a good mood." Ginny stated.

"I am," Hermione smiled, grabbing some food.

"I haven't seen a smile on you in a while." Harry said.

"Things are different," Hermione told him.

"What things?" Ron asked, taking his arm out from around Lavender.

"Just things, Ronald," she said. The three of them watched as she ate, too happily, as they all noticed, wanting to say something more. Hermione's eyes flickered to all of her friends.

"Why do you three keep staring at me?" Hermione finally asked, she was in a good mood and she did not want her friends wrecking it.

"Nothing Hermione," Ginny patted her friend's hands and then threw a warning look at Ron and Harry. "It's just good to see you happy for once." Hermione stared at her friend and smiled.

"Thank you," Ginny nodded then looked down at the table. Everybody went back to chatting amongst themselves and Hermione enjoyed her surroundings, Malfoy in particular. She could not help but keep looking at him, wanting so badly to sit with him.

"Hermione," Ginny whispered to her.

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you, immediately." A worry expression crossed over Hermione's face.

"What's wrong?" Ginny nodded towards the doors of the Great Hall and stood up.

"I forgot a book in my last class. I have to go get it." She headed out of the Great Hall. Hermione looked around nervously, was she supposed to lie too? She waited a minute before coming up with her excuse.

"Um my throat is starting to hurt again; I should have Madame Pomfrey give me something for it." She informed whoever was listening and followed suit out of the Great Hall. The minute she stepped into the corridor she was grabbed at the wrist and being tugged down into an empty classroom. "Ginny!" Hermione protested as she shut the classroom door. "We can't be in here!"

"All of the teachers are eating, it's fine. Plus this is private."

"What is?"

"I know," Ginny sighed looking at her friend.

"Know what?"

"I know what's going on." Ginny told her. Hermione frowned and shook her head.

"Ginny! Speak!" Hermione sighed, "What do you mean you know what's going on?"

"I know," Ginny held her breath and Hermione nodded at her to continue, "that you are in love with Draco Malfoy." Ginny waited for Hermione to respond and when she finally did it had seemed like minutes had passed.

"What did you say?" Hermione stared at her friend, taken aback. She felt like someone had sucked out all the air in her.

"Please don't make me say it again," Ginny whined, frowning.

"Did you just say-"

"Hermione," Ginny hesitantly took her friend's hand, "I know, its okay you don't have to cover it up. All those weird detention looks with him and I knew something what was up with you two. How you tried to tell me you might be in love with someone last night and I said as long as it wasn't Malfoy and the look on your face when I said that and how you practically ran up the stairs, laughing like crazy. And also Harry and Ron…"

"What?" Hermione snapped her hand back. "What about Harry and Ron?"

"Well," Ginny said sheepishly, "they caught you with Malfoy twice on Marauder's Map once by accident and the other to find you. And the first time they were worried he was hurting you so Harry went down to find you and he heard you two talking but he wasn't sure what it all meant. They think you made some deal with him or something but I know that wasn't it."

"They were spying on me?" Hermione asked angrily.

"Because they care!" Ginny told her.

"And you're defending them?" Hermione said shock and hurt showing on her face.

"No, no," Ginny held up her hands, "I said the exact same thing to them. They are just worried."

"Still defending them," She shook her head at Ginny and crossed her arms defensively. "When did you figure it out?" Hermione asked, snottily. She did not mean to be like this, but so many emotions were running through her. Did Ginny tell Ron and Harry what she knew? Was that why the three of them were staring at her during lunch? She felt sick again.

"When they told me what they did." Ginny informed her friend, a worried expression crossed Hermione's face. "But they don't know!" She quickly said, "I did not tell them. And I'm not going to; it's so not my place. That will have to be up to you." Hermione let out a breath of relief and Ginny frowned.

"What?"

"Well I was hoping I was wrong about everything but it looks like I'm not."

"Afraid so," Hermione said to her friend. "It's true."

"And you love him?" Ginny asked.

"I think so," Hermione said sheepishly. It was beyond relieving to Hermione to finally be able to tell somebody about Draco.

"How- how did this happen?" Ginny blew out an exasperated breath.

"Interesting story," Hermione sighed. The door knob on the classroom door began to turn and the girls froze in their spot. They held their breaths as it was swung open and Professor Snape appeared in front of them.

"What's going on in here?" He demanded.

"Nothing, we were just talking and now we're leaving." Hermione grabbed Ginny's wrist and Snape moved out of the way to let them pass.

"That better be all." He said to them as they hurried their way down the hall and up to the Gryffindor common room.

"That was close!" Ginny said, as they entered the common room.

"I know," Hermione fell onto the couch.

"Snape catching us is starting to become repetitive."

"Don't remind me." Hermione made a face.

"Okay, enough about Snape." She sat on the opposite side ledge of the couch Hermione was on. "You and Malfoy, how did all happen?"

"I don't think you'll believe me." Hermione frowned.

"Right now I think I will believe anything." Ginny admitted.

"Please don't judge me," Hermione said to her friend.

"I won't," Ginny promised. And so, Hermione explained to Ginny everything that had happened with her and Malfoy in the past few months, the start form his plan, to the sex she initiated, to the break up, and how he carried her into the castle, to where they were now.

Hermione watched Ginny's face the whole time, her expression never changing except when Ginny scrunched her nose a few times. "Well?"

"Just let me," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "think about this."

"Okay," Hermione said quietly.

Creak.

Hermione and Ginny's neck snapped to the staircase and their eyes widened as they watched a figure appear in front of them.

"Oh my god,"

"Oh no,"

"Lavender!" Hermione wasn't even sure who said what.

A/N- Sort of a cliffhanger, but I felt the need to end it here. This chapter was a little more upbeat then the other chapters. I thought we all needed it, including the characters.

I'd love to hear your thoughts! So please review!

Brittany