Blaise suggested that they postpone their interview until the first Hogsmeade weekend, to give Draco and Hermione the time to get a little bit more comfortable with each other and, hopefully, give the rumors the time to die down a bit.

Everyone had agreed that this was a clever plan as the recently married couple was obviously not very convincing yet, while Hermione was just relieved she didn't have to face the press for now. The result of that was that going to platform Nine and ¾ to take the train was the Malfoys' first public outing in the wizarding world and they were immediately bombarded by journalists asking all kinds of questions.

"How was the honeymoon?"

"Is it true that you used a love-potion on Mr Malfoy, Mrs Malfoy?"

"How did your mother react, Mr. Malfoy? What can you say regarding the rumors that you have been disowned?"

"Mr. Malfoy, what would you like to say to those who accuse you of having imperio'd the former Miss Granger?"

Per their agreement, Hermione and Draco remained silent and tried to shield themselves from the pictures that were taken to the best of their abilities,

albeit while walking very close to one another with one of Draco's arms tucked around Hermione's waist.

As soon as they boarded the train and were out of sight, however, Draco let go of Hermione and she stepped away from him.

"Draco, Granger!" Zabini called them. "We've got a compartment here."

They followed him to discover Harry, Ron, Ginny, Theo and Luna already seated. "We told Luna the truth," Ginny explained. "We can trust her, and the Quibbler might come in handy to us one of these days."

"I'm sure my father will be more than willing to help," Luna said. "The Aspories appear to be fond of you two, which is a good sign for newly-weds."

"Oh, okay," Hermione said, a confused look on her face. "That's great... I think?"

Malfoy was staring at the dreamy blonde girl unbelievingly, and it was probably a good thing that Zabini pushed him down at that exact moment, preventing him from saying something rude.

"You know, with all the time we've been spending together, we might as well start some kind of Gryffindor-Slytherin club," Theo remarked. "It's getting rather ridiculous."

"You could call it Slythindor," Luna said. "It sounds like an interesting idea, I'm sure McGonagall would be happy to hear that the students are trying to mend the rifts the war caused."

"We are not starting a club, Lovegood," Blaise said. "We just need to work together to make sure our friends don't fuck up their own lives. It's a temporary arrangement."

Luna smiled serenely at him, obviously not convinced, but didn't say anything.

"Right," Blaise continued. "There is one important obstacle we have yet to discuss."

"Wait!" Hermione said, before hurriedly sound-proofing their compartment.

"Yes, thank you. Back to our problem: Pansy," Blaise said. Theo and Draco groaned.

"She's never going to fall for your pitifull attempt to appear in love," Theo said.

"And we can't tell her the truth because she won't hesitate to use it against us," Draco added.

"What makes you so sure we won't be able to fool her?" Hermione asked.

"Pansy has an impressive ability to read people," Theodore explained. "Add to that the fact that she knows Draco very well, and she'll see through you right away."

"I can't imagine the pug to be clever enough for that," Ron muttered, but Draco heard him.

"I suggest you watch your tongue, Weasley. Pansy's our friend. And it's not like you have any room to talk about someone else's intelligence, given that you're—"

"Can we please focus on the problem at hand instead of creating new ones?" Hermione interrupted, trying to prevent the two young men from fighting. "Ronald, there's no need to be rude. And Draco, if Pansy's your friend, what makes you so sure you can't trust her?"

"Pansy can't resist a good scandal. She'll want to use the knowledge on her terms, to do what suits her best."

"So what if we convince her that it's in her best interest to help us? Her reputation has taken quite the fall after her comment about handing over Harry during the battle, surely she'll want to better it?" Hermione said.

The three Slytherins turned to look at her with matching smirks on their faces. "And now, dearest Granger," said Zabini. "You're thinking like a Slytherin."

It was at that moment that a loud knocking sounded in their compartment. "I know you're in there, Blaise, Theo and Draco. Let me in right now or I'll make the door explode."

Pansy, apparently, had impeccable timing.

"The truth it is, then," Theo said. "Here goes nothing." He opened the door, revealing an irrate Pansy.

"I cannot believe you would choose to sit in a compartment with the Gryffindorks while leaving me on my own. While we're at it, Draco darling, I cannot believe you would get married without having the courtesy of informing me about it!"

"We can explain," Theo said before shoving her inside the compartment and silencing it once again.

It was getting rather crowded now, and Hermione was pushed flush against Draco, who was sitting next to her. She found she didn't mind quite as much as she should have.

The other three Gryffindors seemed highly uncomfortable with the latest addition to their party, which was perfectly understandable given what happened before. At least Malfoy had tried to keep their identities hidden in Malfoy Manor, while Pansy had been ready to do the exact opposite.

Hermione caught Harry's eyes and mouthed: "Are you okay?"

He shrugged and smiled, if not very convincingly.

Pansy tensed when she noticed the atmosphere around her, and remained as far away from Harry as possible. "So, explain," she said, sounding far less sure of herself.

"Pans, we're going to tell you the truth," Draco said. "But you have to understand that it is of the utmost importance that the truth doesn't come out. Can I trust you?"

Pansy stared at him, a long, calculating stare. "You may be an annoying little shit, Draco, but you're my friend. And I am very protective of my friends."

Hermione noticed that the other Slytherins relaxed at her words. This, apparently, was what they had been hoping for.

"Excellent," Blaise said. "Now let me tell the story, Draco is bound to make it sound boring."

He told Pansy what happened, lingering on the drunken evening with excruating detail until Hermione hit him with a mild stinging hex. When he stopped talking, Pansy surprised everyone by bursting out in laughter.

"This is the best story I have heard in years. I'm somehow not really surprised that Draco would end up doing something this stupid, but Granger?" Pansy grinned at Hermione. "Didn't think you had it in you. And let me guess, you've been counting on Blaise to help you with the pr?"

"My mother had something to say about it too, actually," Draco replied, sour-faced.

"Yeah, that's not going to work. You're going to need my help."

Most people started protesting, Ron the loudest of all, but Hermione silenced them when she spoke. "That would actually be great, Parkinson," she said. "After all, we can use all the help we can get and I seem to recall you being rather good at feeding reporters false information."

Pansy returned Hermione's fake smile. "I'm going to take that as a compliment. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some rumors about catching you two snogging in the bathroom to spread."

"In the bathroom?" Hermione protested. "Can you at least try to make it sound a little bit classy?"

Pansy didn't answer, but the expression on her face said plenty. As soon as she was gone, Ron turned to Hermione. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I am thinking that it is far better to have her on our side, and if we give her responsibility in selling the lie, she is far less likely to spill the truth!"

Draco stared at her with undisguised admiration. "You really are thinking like a Slytherin."

"Oh stop it, I'm a Gryffindor through and through," she said, elbowing him in the side.

"Don't do that," he protested.

"Then stop calling me a Slytherin!"

"That was actually a compliment, you crazy woman!"

"As if you would consider it a compliment if someone called you a Gryffindor."

During this rather ridiculous discussion, the other people in the compartment shared exasperated glances.

"This is going to be a long train-ride, isn't it?" Ginny said.

"Do you think they would notice if we silenced them?" Blaise added.

"I think they're cute," Luna said, earning herself a weird look from the rest.

"Luna, you do realize that they're not really a couple, right?" Ginny asked.

"Not yet, maybe. But they got along really well at the party, and I'm sure it's only a matter of time before they start admitting to it."

No one answered, unsure about how to respond to the crazy sounding comments of the Ravenclaw, and Hermione and Draco kept fighting for quite a while before spending the rest of the trip in stone-faced silence.

When they arrived at Hogwarts, things got even worse. They entered the Great Hall amidst the whispers from their peers, and Hermione was pretty sure there were more people talking about her than about Harry.

Pansy appeared from out of nowhere between Hermione and Draco, who were dutifully holding hands. " Draco, kiss your wife on the cheek before you come to our table," she hissed. "On the mouth would be even better, but I'm pretty sure you're not good enough to make it look convincing."

Draco gaped at Pansy, highly offended, and Hermione immediately knew that this was not going to end well for her.

"Not good enough?" he grumbled. "I'll show her who's not good enough."

Before Hermione could say anything, Draco had put his arm around her, dragged her close and cupped her face with his other hand.

"Play along," he said with a smirk before pressing his lips against hers.

Hermione had the presence of mind to throw her arms around his shoulders instead of hitting him, as she was tempted to do. What neither of them expected, however, was to get carried away by the kiss. They lost themselves in the feeling, quickly forgetting all about their audience and how they were supposed to dislike each other.

It was only when Theo bumped into them and cleared his throat that they jumped apart, their cheeks tinged red and their eyes wide.

Ginny immediately grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her to the Gryffindor table, while Theo pushed Draco to the Slytherin one where Pansy was sitting with an insufferable smug smile.

"Why, Hermione," Ginny said. "I never knew you were such a talented actress."

"Shut up," Hermione muttered. "He just kissed me, what was I supposed to do? If I pushed him away our whole story would be blown."

"I'm not blaming you," Ginny answered with a grin. "I mean, you are stuck with him for a considerable amount of time, might as well enjoy it." She wiggled her eyebrows in a ridiculous manner.

"I did not enjoy that!" Hermione protested. Which was a total lie, but she'd be damned if she admitted it!

"That's not what it looked like," Ron said, glaring at his friend. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Guys, let's keep this conversation for when we're alone. Everyone is trying to listen in," Harry warned them.

Meanwhile, the conversation at the Slytherin table had a similar theme.

"What was that, Draco?" Theo said. "I thought the marriage was an accident, but that kiss looked pretty real."

"Shut up, Theo," Draco said.

"Nah, man, Theo's got a point. Are you sure that whole secret relationship story isn't the truth?" Blaise asked.

"Oh please," Pansy intervened. "I would've known if it was, Draco is terrible at hiding things from me." She then looked at him mockingly. "And so easy to manipulate. You're an embarassment for our house, really."

Theo and Blaise laughed. "This is going to be the best year ever," Blaise said.

"I already hate this year, and it has barely started," Draco mumbled, dropping his head to the table.

The Welcoming Feast seemed to be unbearably long this year, and all throughout Hermione could feel the stares and hear the whispers. It was like no one even cared about the first years being sorted! She had been on the point of escaping more than once, but Ginny had kept a tight grip on her arm throughout the entire meal.

"I'm under strict orders not to let you leave," Ginny explained. "We wouldn't want people to think you're ashamed, now would we?"

It had been a good thing she stayed, too, because the Headmistress asked her and Draco to stay behind. As soon as everyone else had cleared out the hall, Professor McGonagall adressed them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," she said, and the disapproving stare she leveled at them made Hermione shrink in her seat. She had always respected the stern Professor, and to know that she had disappointed her was an additional blow.

"It has been quite some years since we have had married students at Hogwarts. I, for one, thought it was a thing of the past, but you have proven me wrong, it would seem."

Hermione was about to interrupt, to apologize, to explain, when Draco grabbed her hand and gave it a cautionary squeeze. She met his gaze and understood his meaning quite plainly. She stayed quiet.

"Now, there was a time when it was quite common for people to marry younger, and there is a special rule at Hogwarts for the people in those circumstances. You will have your own dorm, living space and kitchen included, separated from either of your houses. Of course, it is still expected of you to attend meals in the Great Hall regularly. Any questions?"

Hermione and Draco stared at the Head-Mistress, mouths hanging wide open.

"I..." Hermione muttered, aghast. "That's really not necessary, Professor, we just want to have an as normal year as possible. We wouldn't want to cause any trouble."

McGonagall smiled wryly. "It's in the rules, Miss Granger, and it's no trouble at all. Your room has already been prepared. I'm sure a young couple such as yourself must be ecstatic at having the opportunity to spend so much time together."

Draco recovered first. He smiled broadly and draped his arm around Hermione's waist. "We are very happy, indeed. Just taken by surprise; I wasn't aware those rooms still existed."

McGonagall looked down her nose at him before answering, "Like I said, it has been many years since we last had need of them. Now follow me."
She led them through the castle and up several flights of stairs, accompanied by no sound but their footfalls.

They entered a corridor Hermione never even saw before and stopped at an unremarkable statue of a young woman.

"The password is Unity," McGonagall informed them. Draco snorted at the cheesy choice of password and Hermione elbowed him in the ribs for it. "I trust you will find everything to your liking. I'm counting on both of you to keep your grades high, regardless of possible... distractions. You came back here for your education, and education should be your priority. Goodnight."

She walked away briskly, leaving the two young people to their own devices. Draco and Hermione shared an uncomfortable look.

"Well, this is going to be horrible," Draco remarked.

"Let's just go inside," Hermione said. "I want to sleep and forget everything."

"Unity," Draco told the statue. The woman stepped aside, revealing the entrance to their new dorms.

As disappointed as Hermione was at having to live with Draco, she had to admit that their new rooms were very, very nice. Spacious and elegant, with a beautiful view on the lake, and far closer to the library than Gryffindor tower. There was, however, one major drawback.

"As I expected," Malfoy said, after opening the two doors in the room. "One bedroom, with one bed. An if you were hoping that I'd be a gentleman and offer to sleep on this uncomfortable couch so you can have the bed, think again."

Hermione sighed deeply. "We could transfigure the couch and then switch every week?" she offered.

"No, we can't," Draco then said, realization hitting him. "Shit! The elves are going to come in to clean up, they can't notice that we never share the same bed."

"They wouldn't tell—"

"Yes, they would. They'd be worried something they did is wrong, or the rooms aren't to our liking or some shit like that, and then they'd discuss it with McGonagall or another teacher."

"This is a disaster."

"I couldn't agree more."

"So what do we do about it?"

"I'm too tired to think about it today," Draco answered. "I'm going to sleep."

"I want to sleep too! You have no more right to sleep in that bed than me, Malfoy!"

"Yeah, well, I'm going to be there first," he retorted childlishly, before running off to the bedroom.

"Don't you dare," Hermione muttered, throwing a Jelly Legs curse his way. He fell down hard, which gave her the time to overtake him. He grabbed her ankle in an attempt to stop her, but one well-aimed kick freed her and she jumped on the bed before he was back on his feet.

"There," she said smugly. "I got here first."

He glared at her. "If you think that's going to stop me, think again." With an elegant twirl of his wand, he transfigured his robes into pajamas and slipped under the covers on the right side of the bed.

Hermione was staring at him, her mouth hanging wide open in shock. "But... How... I mean—" she spluttered.

"Don't act all shocked now, Granger," Draco said. "It's not like we haven't shared a bed before."

Part of Hermione wanted to give up, run away to the living room and crash on the sofa, but her pride was at stake now. If she let him win tonight, he'd never take her seriously again, she was sure of it.

"Fine," she spat, before transfiguring her robes into pajamas too. She added a protective shield in the middle of the bed for good measure, although it wouldn't last long once she fell asleep.

This was going to be the worst night ever.

Draco almost immediately regretted his bravado after taunting Granger. He hadn't expected her to actually stay in the bed! But then again, he probably should have; she was one of the most stubborn people he knew. He had been amused when she cast the shield-charm, as if worried he'd try to ravish her in her sleep. As if! A Malfoy would never lower himself with the likes of her.

He sighed deeply. The sentence sounded fake even to his own ears. He had married the girl, after all, and that kiss in the Great Hall... It was a pretty fantastic kiss, though he loathed to admit it.

And now his discomfort stemmed from an entirely different source, and he shifted restlessly in the large bed he shared with Granger.

This was going to be the worst night ever.

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