Author's Note: So I got obsessed with this story all over again, and decided to start working on it again. I know! Two years late! I'm sorry. If anyone is still even reading this story, I love you guys.

Harry

When Hermione passed back through the portrait hole after her time in the library. Harry was waiting for her. And, he noticed the pink flush on her cheeks, and wondered what on earth could have happened to make her blush. He hoped she had fallen down or embarrassed herself, and not for it to be Malfoy related. He felt bad for hoping something bad had happened, but since he had spent the past two hours trying to figure out what to do about Ginny, and his feelings for Hermione, his head wasn't in the right place. "Oi! Hermione you're back!"

Hermione had been trying to rush around the common room to her dormitory by squeezing behind chairs, and it was clear she had been avoiding him. So, she turned back to acknowledge Harry and had set a blank face. The pink in her cheeks was lesser, but still there when she smiled at him, and her voice was shaky, like she was still very flustered. "Oh, hello Harry. I was just heading upstairs…"

"I hope you're not planning on hiding away up there to do more homework," Ginny cut in. Just the person to once again save the day, Harry couldn't help but think. He mentally encouraged her to convince Hermione to stay down by the fire with them, and he got his wish. "Why don't you take some time off? That project won't rot if it doesn't see candlelight for a few hours," she joked.

Hermione looked torn, and she looked down at the book in her arms, to Harry, and back at Ginny. "I don't know, I had some really good ideas near the end and I just didn't get the time to talk them over with Draco," Harry cringed at the mention of Malfoy. Why did she have to say his name? Couldn't she address him as "it" and leave it at that? Hermione looked right at him.

He took this as his cue to goad her into staying with them. "C'mon Hermione, it's Friday night. You've been working non-stop. No one else has done anywhere near as much work as you on this thing. It's like Malfoy and you are obsessed or something."

Hermione scoffed at that. "I expect you need help with yours then?" She wasn't incorrect, but Harry hadn't been intending to ask her for help. He thought he was handling his project just fine, even if he hadn't spent nearly as much time on it as she had. But he chose to go with this option because it seemed the easiest route.

"Actually, I didn't want to ask for help on that 'Mione…but if you'd look at it with me that'd be great," he replied, trying to sound innocent and grateful as best he could.

It struck him hard in the chest when Hermione looked slightly annoyed and reluctant in reply, but she smiled and nodded with a small sigh, and plopped her book and bag onto the couch next to him. Before she sat down, she scooted the side table over in front of them to use for the giant Potions Incarnate by Sedulous Wheatly tome that she carefully placed down, open to page 355. "Okay Harry, do you have your notes and such ready?"

Harry thanked Merlin that he'd never moved his pile for the past two days from its place on the coffee table, and he nodded while he dragged his quill and parchment out from the bottom of the pile and prepared to show her his work.

In usual Hermione style, she dove right in. The time passed slowly for Harry, who, while he loved spending time Hermione, wished that they weren't spending it working on his project. He hated Potions, and all he really wanted was the copy of his potions book from the year before that Snape had scrawled all over. He had a feeling that he would have his project done three times over by now if he had it with him. He admired Hermione's insatiable love for learning, and to his horror, it crossed his mind that it was one thing she had in common with Malfoy. Since they had spent the past hour only talking about Potions, he decided it was time to broach a different topic. He set down his quill and bookmarked his page in the book she was making him read.

"Let's take a break Hermione," he said quietly, and nodded with a pleased smile, and he could tell she was thankful for being pulled out of her reverie in the giant Incarnate tome.

She closed her book too, and lifted her arms above her head, stretching in such a way that her boobs were lifted and pressed together, looking perkier and sexier than she probably realized. Harry silently appreciated the view, and then felt a little ashamed of himself. He had seen other boys ogling Hermione's developed frame, and every time he was jealous about it, but he had to admit he sometimes ogled her too. And he really couldn't help it; it was just obvious that Hermione had become quite a beautiful women. He couldn't believe, but was very happy that she did not have a boyfriend yet. With that thought, he realized he should probably hurry up and strike up the conversation he had been meaning to. "So, erm, what's up with you and Malfoy lately?"

She cocked an eye at him while she pawed at the curls in disarray on her head. "There's nothing up, Harry."

"It's just that you seem so chummy lately, and well, not that I'm your boss, but I don't really like it. It's Malfoy, after all, it's not so safe to be around him, let alone to let your guard down."

"Harry, I'm not letting my guard down. It seems like you're overreacting still from your fight with him," Hermione dismissed him gently, and with the way her eyes roamed him, he figured she was trying to understand something. If his stick-straight posture said anything, he hoped she saw how seriously he took this. If this conversation went the wrong way, he would make an enemy out of her, and he didn't dare to allow his smoldering temper to catch a flame. He was doing his best to hold back what he could only assume was his excessive hormones, and it was bothering him greatly to be docile and nice about the situation.

"Well can you explain one thing then?"

"Sure Harry, what do you want to know?"

"Has he admitted to doing anything bad lately," Harry asked, knowing he sounded too hopeful. Hermione laughed, and truth be told, Harry would have laughed at himself too if he was in her position. He was grasping at straws, but he wanted to remind her of the original plan they had made weeks back.

"Harry come on, even if he had, he certainly wouldn't be telling me!"

Harry sighed because he knew she was right, but he continued to press forward. "Are you sure? I mean, think about Hermione, you've been spending so much time together you must have had idle conversations at least a couple times," he took a small, bracing breath before he continued the line that even made him wince, "and it looks like he's starting to warm up to you. Next thing we know, he'll be trusting you with secrets, and I can feel it!"

Hermione shook her head at him, clearly not convinced. Glancing at the clock, she started packing her books up. "Look Harry. I told you I would tell you if I noticed anything was up. I just don't think there is. Sure, Draco has been nicer than he ever has been, but I honestly think that he's just matured. You know as well as I do that he's never been the man his father is. He may be a cruel school boy, but that's school, not a career. And I know what you're going to tell me," she replied, waving a hand around as she explained, "but no matter what he's said or done to you, that looks more like jealousy than evil." Harry wanted to protest but she continued talking. "Besides, he's hardly done more than respond to the violence you've shown him. In fact, until your spat, this year has been relatively quiet."

Harry wanted to disagree, but he knew it was useless. He wanted to remind her that Malfoy had been attempting to kill Dumbledore, but she would probably remind him that he hadn't succeeded. To Harry, it meant nothing, but to Hermione, it meant everything. Instead, he chose to let Hermione win this conversation because it would keep them on good terms for a little while longer.

"Just promise me that if anything noteworthy happens, you'll tell me," he asked her as they headed up the stairs that would lead them to their separate dorms.

"Of course Harry. I'll keep working with him. But I assure you that the only good changes I've seen have been good ones. Good night!" With that, she pulled off her sweater, revealing a button down shirt buttoned just low enough that he could a glimpse of cleavage as she turned to the side to head away from him.

Harry thanked the gods that she couldn't read his mind, but with the tightening growing in his stomach, warmth heading to his lower body, he quickly waved goodnight and hurried through his own door.

A/N: So this was a shorter update then I had hoped, but the story is back on track. It will either be a short time or a long while before I update again but I'm working on a ton of things so please forgive me. I hope those who read it enjoy it!