Assignment Two (Landing: Write about a misunderstanding that is causing problems in your relationship. With bad landing, you should jump to your feet, mount your broom and try again! Your pairing should do exactly the same with this rocky part and you have to show that in the story. Prompts: 1. (extra) dialogue – "Don't give me that look."/"Why?"/"You and I both know what happens when you give me that look and now is not the time."– 2. (Object) a quill)

-oOo-

She was angrily scribbling grades along these papers. Honestly, not a single student seemed to have paid attention in the last few classes. If they had, she wouldn't be writing so many negative marks. Dropping the quill, Hermione leaned back in her chair and ran her fingers through her hair. She felt like she was making a big deal out of nothing. After all, they'd only been going out for a few months and she didn't expect him to bring her home to his parents, but what he had said…

She let her train of thought derail a bit as she thought back to the overheard conversation a few days ago. It wasn't word for word in her memory, but she remembered the context enough to make her angry. It had seemed innocent enough when she first overheard. Just a conversation between a mother and son. But it had turned a little rougher when Narcissa Malfoy asked him his romantic intentions. She had a girl lined up that would love to go on a date with him. He was twenty two, he needed to start thinking about settling down and starting a family. She and his father were gaining in age and wanted at least one grandkid before they passed. She had laid it heavy on him and Hermione had been on the other side of the book shelf just waiting to hear his response. They didn't know she was there and she didn't want them to.

Draco hadn't pushed his mother's offer away. Only said he'd consider it but don't hold her breath. Narcissa had seemed pleased enough with the response but Hermione had felt like she'd been stabbed in the chest. When the mother and son pair had rounded the corner and spotted her, Hermione was ashamed to admit that she practically threw the books she had been collecting onto the shelf and stormed from the building.

It had been two days, and with classes back up after the weekend, Hermione tried to keep her mind on work. But she kept thinking back to that conversation. They had barely said two words to each other since then, as neither really knew what to say. Neither really knew what they got from that conversation.

A knock on her office door caused Hermione to glance up. She half expected it to be one of her students. The blond Potions professor standing in the doorway was not who she expected to see. Hermione had gotten used to ignoring each other.

"I think we need to talk," he spoke, entering into the room.

Hermione looked away. She grabbed her quill and went back to grading papers. "I have work to do."

"I see that," Draco answered. He was standing just in front of her desk. Dropping his robe onto a chair, he just looked at her. "But we need to talk Hermione."

Hermione scribbled a semi passing grade on the paper before moving to the next. "Don't you have something to grade? I know you had the kid's writing papers. I heard enough of them complaining about it to know the due date was coming up."

"Papers can wait," Draco said. He reached out, taking the quill from Hermione and setting it at the far end of the desk. "You and I need to talk."

"About what?" Hermione asked, running a hand through her hair and catching a knot. "Don't you have a date lined up? Your mother seemed pretty convinced it was a good match."

Draco looked away. He pinched the bridge of his nose, quilt written clearly on his face. He looked back at her, his grey eyes softened with fault.

"You don't understand-"

"You're right I don't." Hermione cut him off. "I mean, I'm not expecting anything grand from this, but I would at least expect that you would respect this relationship as much as I do."

"I do. Trust me. I do."

Hermione exhaled through her noise, just waiting for this argument to escalade. "Why didn't you tell your mother? You had the perfect opportunity. But you didn't. You let her keep trying to set you up with that Greengrass girl."

Draco turned, putting his back to her. He pushed his bangs back and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, okay. I wanted to tell her. I really did. I just… you don't understand my parents."

"You're right I don't," Hermione responded. "You're an adult, Draco."

He turned to her, his shoulders set and his eyes traced with anger. "Have you told your friends? Have you told Weaslette and Potter about us? Have you told Weasel about us?"

"I…I told Ginny. And Harry knows."

"And not Weasel?" Draco pressed. "You haven't told him yet."

"You don't understand I…" she paused when she repeated the words he had said earlier.

"I didn't tell my mother," Draco said, "because I wasn't sure how to. Yes, things are different than they were when were kids, when they were kids, and they're trying to change. They're trying to be more understanding and tolerant about things, but they're still a little behind. My father still is convinced that purity is one of the most important things and that I should marry a pureblooded woman and have a pureblooded kid and keep the whole fantasy going.

"I didn't tell her because I was ashamed or regretting it or whatever reason you might think. I didn't tell her because I was, honestly, I was scared how she would react." He paused for a moment, chuckling once under his breath. "A grown adult, and I was too afraid to tell my mother that the night before I was with you in your office doing things that would make her drag me to church and drown me in baptismal water if she knew."

Hermione had to laugh at that image. She understood where he was coming from. The thing, whatever it was, that they were doing was not what people expected or would accept easily. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. It really wasn't one that people could understand on the page. That was why she had been so apprehensive about telling her friends. Neville knew, but that was because Neville was always around on campus. Ginny and Harry only knew because she had let it slip. She'd yet to tell Ron and she was scared to. There was no denying the tension between the Malfoy and Weasley family and she doubted it would be resolved easily.

"But I'm going to tell her," Draco said, causing Hermione to snap her head up to look at him. "Both her and my father. I'll do it. I like you Granger, I like you a lot and I don't want to lose this because I'm too much of a coward to tell them."

Hermione had to smile at that. "And I'll tell Ron and the rest of the family. It's not fair to yell at you about not telling your family when I haven't either."

"We'll tell them together," Draco said, stepping back up to the desk. He sat on the edge of it, smirking at the stack of papers she still had left to grade. "What about dinner at the end of the week. We'll do my family and then yours."

"How will your parents react?" Hermione asked, knowing that as much as it hurt that they didn't know, she didn't understand.

"Probably poorly," Draco answered honestly. "Maybe not too bad. My mother's become pretty open. They might take it rather well. Might not. Either way, it doesn't matter. As I said, I like you Granger. I'm not going to give that up without a fight. What about you? How will your family react?"

Hermione only shrugged. She reached across the table, taking the hand he was offering. "Don't know. We'll find out. But either way, I'm not giving up without a fight either."

They sat there, smiling at each other for a few moments. With the anger and frustration gone, the two were able to get back to the spark that had been building rapidly since the beginning of their relationship. Understanding that they were good again, Draco leaned forward ready to steal the lips he had been deprived of for the last few days.

The door to the classroom opened up and students began to file in. Hermione had lost track of time and forgotten she had class to teach. The two didn't get to kiss before leaning away from each other. But only slightly. Each were tilted just enough towards the other. A wicked smirk was on Draco's lips.

"Don't give me that look." Hermione glared at him.

An innocent light past through Draco's gaze. "Why?"

"You and I both know what happens when you give me that look and now is not the time. I have class to teach." She motioned towards the group of students already taking up the seats. A few of them were watching their professors with looks of interest.

"I'll leave you to teach," Draco said. "But we're okay right?"

Hermione nodded. "We're good."

Draco took that opportunity to kiss her cheek before sliding off the desk. He reached out, checking that her quill was dry before slipping it behind his ear. He tossed her a smirk before turning and stepping away from the desk.

"Don't forget the essay, Johnson," Draco pointed to one of the Ravenclaw boys. "I expect it on my desk by the end of the day."

The boy muttered a yes sir, and went back to getting his books out. Before Draco walked out the door, he and Hermione shared a look. They both smiled, and Draco nodded before walking out of the classroom.

Waiting for the students to settle, Hermione reached for her quill to mark the last grade on the page. She frowned when she realized it was gone. Shaking her head, she turned her attention onto her third year class. They were chatting aimlessly waiting for her to start class.

Hermione stood there, waiting for them to finish settling before starting. In the back of her mind, she considered what was coming at the end of the week. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy would learn the truth of her son's relations. Part of her was fearful of their reaction. But most of her was just pleased that he was willing to take that step and introduce her.

That part than remembered that she had to hold up her end of the bargain and introduce him to not only her parents, but her second family as well.