AN: Wow, you guys liked the last chapter! All your reviews inspired me so much that I wrote this in less than 2 hours, I have never written anything so quickly, so just goes to show that if you review it gets my blood flowing. Hopefully you will like this chapter just as much.

Thanks to Astarte_Lydianna for looking this over. I highly recommend her stories so head over to her profile.

Disclaimer: All recognized characters and situations belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from it.

They walked into the Great Hall holding hands. Draco kissed Hermione quickly on the lips before finally letting go and joining the Slytherin table. Hermione took a deep breath, tried and failed to stifle the smile on her face and walked down the Gryffindor table to sit with her friends.

You could hear a pin drop in the hall at that moment. A quick glance at the staff table showed that even they could not hide their shock, although Professor McGonagall managed to close her mouth quickly and continued with her meal, the others following in her footsteps.

Ginny was the first to accost Hermione when she sat down, "So its official, you have literally lost your mind. What in Merlin's baggy shorts do you think you're doing 'Mione?"

"Well I'm attempting to have a nice peaceful meal, but maybe it's a trick question" Hermione answered, using sarcasm to avoid the actual issue at hand.

"You know what I mean Hermione, out in front of everyone during our Hogsmeade trip and now that disturbing display. I had to lie to Harry, I don't appreciate it" Ginny huffed.

Hermione did feel a little bad that she had caused a problem for her best female friend. "I'm sorry Gin, I just wasn't ready to tell him, I will I swear"

"Damn right you will, because I won't do it again" Ginny got up and the left the hall, without even finishing her meal.

Dean and Seamus accosted her next. "You know I think you'll laugh Hermione" Seamus said first.

"What?"

"Well earlier we heard this tall tale that you had gone on a date with Draco Malfoy, something we both found quite funny, third years and their jokes. But just now I swear I saw you kiss him, thought I should go to the hospital wing and get my eyes checked" Dean finished.

"Your eyes are fine" Hermione answered quickly, this was not going well.

"Hermione, he's Draco Malfoy. Don't be a fool" Dean said, lowering his voice to attempt to keep the conversation private, but the whole hall was listening so it was slightly pointless.

"Thank you Dean, I'm quite aware of who he is" Hermione replied, only stopping when a shriek was heard from the Slytherin table, followed by a show of Pansy storming out of the hall.

She had come in after Draco and Hermione and immediately sat next to Draco and took his hand. "I'm sorry to tell you dearest, but someone is spreading an awful rumour about. It's going around the school that you went on a date with the mudblood"

Draco pulled his hand away from Pansy and wiped it on his napkin like he was wiping away dirt.

"Firstly Parkinson," he spat, "touch me in such a familiar way again and I will curse your hand off. Secondly Hermione and I had a lovely date in Hogsmeade today and thirdly if you call my girlfriend a mudblood again, I will not be held responsible for what happens to you"

Pansy shrieked and stormed out of the hall.

Having already known what was going on with Draco's love life, Blaise whispered to him that the way he handled that was a bit harsh but said nothing else; the look in Draco's eye stopped anyone else from saying anything else.

Unfortunately for Hermione, her friends were not so quiet. Parvati had admonished Hermione for her choice in boyfriend before leaving the hall, Dean and Seamus following after her.

Lavender just gave Hermione a dirty look, but it was nothing new from the horrible little girl and Hermione took it as water off a ducks back. Neville patted Hermione on the shoulder, and told her he would see her in their rooms, as he had already resigned himself to the fact.

Luna had blamed Wrackspurts and told Hermione that she would find a cure for the current situation and not to worry, skipping away with a dreamy look in her eye.

After a mixture of dirty looks and pity, Hermione decided to give up on dinner and just go to bed. She waved quickly to Draco and left the hall.

Half way up the grand staircase she felt someone grab her hand, war instincts kicking in she whipped out her wand and turned swiftly, pointing it at her assailants face.

"Oh. Oh I'm sorry, habit" she explained dropping her wand.

"Did you really think I was going to let you go without a kiss goodnight?" Draco whispered in her ear, before giving her a mind-blowing kiss, practically lifting her off the steps.

After putting her back down and smirking very slightly at the enormous blush gracing her face, Draco turned and made his way down to the dungeons.

Hermione took a second to get her brain back into gear and then made her way to the fourth floor, and her dormitory.

She said the password and walked in, more than ready to go to bed. She found Neville laying back on one of the couches, waiting for her.

"So Hermione, quite a way to tell the whole school" he smiled to show he was just kidding, he decided she had been given enough trouble for one evening.

"Yeah, probably not the best way, but now everyone knows and they can get all the whispering and pointing out of the way quicker" Hermione responded, lifting his feet and sitting, resting them in her lap.

"Not everyone knows. And after the nasty look on Pansy's face at dinner, I'm willing to bet it's all over the Prophet tomorrow. Don't you think you should tell Harry and Ron?" Neville said, and watched as the colour drained from Hermione's face.

"Oh no. I didn't think about them finding out like that. Neville, have I told you that you're too good to me?" she exclaimed, before jumping back up and running up to her room to write a letter to Harry.

She ran up the stairs and into her bedroom, taking a second to remember earlier and to blush after looking at her bed. She sat at her desk and pulling a fresh piece of parchment from one of the drawers, began to write:

Dearest Harry

How are you and everyone at the Burrow? I hope well.

I have a little piece of news. I have a strong feeling that you're not going to like it but I hope you can find it in you to support my decision. I wanted to tell you in person but I've got a feeling my time has run out on that front so I'm afraid it has to be in this letter.

For the last couple of weeks I've been seeing Draco Malfoy. I know you probably think I've been Imperioused or something, and trust me I did think of that myself, but really he has been really nice to me. He isn't at all how he used to be, to be honest I think we never really saw the real him.

I really hope that you will be with me on this and Ron too; he's still my best friend, even if he doesn't see it that way anymore.

Love as always

Hermione

Hermione reread the letter three times before deciding that there was no other way she would be able to put it to make it sound any better and decided she had best just send it. Hopefully it would make it to Harry before he found out any other way.

She made a hasty trip to the owlery, not wanting to get caught out after curfew, being Head Girl only got you so far with the professors.

When she got back Neville was in his room and she decided he had the right idea, and went to bed.

…..

The next morning Hermione was awoken by a tapping at her bedroom window. She groaned and pulled herself out of bed and opened the window to find Harry's new owl impatiently waiting to come in.

Much like Hedwig, she had some serious attitude. "I'm sorry" Hermione said to the bird as she tried to peck Hermione's fingers. Hermione gave her an owl treat and untied the letter.

Dear Hermione

We were all a little surprised by your news. The boys have reacted in the way you would expect considering the contents of your letter. Harry is allowing me to borrow his owl though, as Errol really doesn't look up to trip to Hogwarts.

I wanted to just say that even though I don't really understand why you have decided to date the young man, Arthur and I fully support you and you are welcome here any time as always.

Love

Molly Weasley

Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Her best friends didn't want to write back to her and Mrs. Weasley felt that she had to in their stead. So as it stood the only person who had a kind word to say to her after yesterday's visual announcement was Neville.

She read the letter again before deciding to try and shrug it off and go to breakfast. She quickly showered and put on some jeans and a t-shirt. It was Sunday, the library would be completely empty, allowing Hermione the opportunity to work on her assignments and not have to deal with the staring for a day.

It was still early and Hermione found the hall to be fairly empty. She was the only Gryffindor in the hall, and only a few Hufflepuff second years were around, making Hermione breathe a sigh of relief and choose some sausages and eggs for breakfast, hoping to actually finish a meal for a change.

She sat and ate peacefully, only stopping to take her Daily Prophet from the delivery owl. Sure enough the front page was covered with her face and a long and mostly untrue story about hers and Draco's relationship.

The picture was awful, from just after the battle, she was still covered in blood, rubble and all manner of other things she didn't want to think about. Rita Skeeter had risked Hermione exposing her, obviously she just couldn't pass up this one, well Hermione would make damn sure she regretted it.

Just as she folded the paper and slammed it down on the table, the doors of the Great Hall opened and admitted Draco. He walked straight over to Hermione and kissed her full on the lips. When he finally let her up for air he looked down at the paper, "so you've seen it"

"Yes. I think Miss Skeeter needs a reminder of what the inside of a jam jar looks like" Hermione huffed. "Can you believe this drivel? She actually went as far as to claim that we have been dating since the Triwizard Tournament and that I dumped Viktor Krum for you!"

"Honestly, who is going to believe this crap, the war just barely ended, aren't there more important things to write about?" Hermione continued her rant until Draco had to kiss her again just to shut her up.

"Bored housewives will believe it and who cares about them" Draco told her. "What shall we do today?" He asked when he saw that he wasn't going to get an answer out of the furious witch.

"I thought I would go to the library and do some assignments" Hermione answered.

"Surely there is something more interesting to do. I can think of something" Draco kissed her neck and began to run his hand up her thigh.

"Draco, for goodness sake we are in the Great Hall!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing his hand, "and as much as I am sure I would enjoy that I'm going to the library"

"Fine" Draco conceded, "I have to do my defence assignment anyway"

After finishing her breakfast, and making Draco have something to eat too they made their way to the library.

Hermione managed to get three lines written on her parchment before Draco began tracing his hand up her back underneath her shirt. After much wiggling and a gasp when he unhooked her bra with one hand Hermione gave in.

"Come on, let's get out of here" She whispered and gathered her things.

AN: What did you think? I rather liked it lol. Reviews are the best way to tell me.