Over the next couple of weeks Hermione found herself falling into a routine involving the Slytherins. She and Ginny would eat breakfast at the Slytherin table, then go to classes. Luna had started to sit next to Neville for meals, so Ginny would go sit with them, while Hermione would sit back at the Slytherin table for lunch, where she explained that the conversation was slightly more stimulating than constant discussion of quidditch, and she could only take so much discussion about nargles. After her afternoon classes were done, she made it a point to have dinner at her own table.

After dinner though, she was almost always at the library, and Draco had made it a point to join her every evening. To his credit he maintained an appropriate distance from her, which made Theo happy as he often found an excuse to join them.

She was walking to dinner one night after charms. Ginny had stayed behind to ask Professor Flitwick a question, when as she was walking she heard someone mutter, "I can't believe that Granger's just another traitor."

She slowed down and looked around her, but was unable to tell who had said it considering the amount of students in the hall. She pulled her bag higher up on her shoulder, and made her way down to the Great Hall. She sat down next Neville, who looked at her and noticed her frown. "What's wrong?"

Hermione shook her head. "Someone called me a traitor in the hall."

Neville's eyes widened. "Who?"

"I don't know. There were too many people around me," she said.

Neville frowned. "I don't like this. It gives me a bad feeling."

Hermione glanced at Neville. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure it's nothing."

"What's nothing?" Ginny asked, coming in and sitting on the bench across from Hermione.

Hermione shook her head, but Neville answered. "Someone called her a traitor, but she didn't see who."

Ginny's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? Why would they say that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well I wonder if it has anything to do with me being Theo's sister, and being engaged to Draco," she said bitterly.

Ginny's eyes narrowed. "Stay here."

She got up, and ran over to the Slytherin side of the hall, and whispered something into Theo's ear. Hermione groaned. "This isn't going to be good."

Neville offered her a sympathetic smile, and rubbed his hand on her arm in a soothing manner. "Well, apparently they're coming over here for once."

Hermione turned and looked on in shock as Ginny led Theo, Draco, and Pansy over to the Gryffindor table. As the odd group made their way over, the Great Hall erupted into whispers, and Hermione put her head in her hands. Neville grimaced in sympathy.

Hermione felt the weight shift on the bench next to her on the opposite side of her, and a hand started rubbing a gentle, soothing circle on her back. "You didn't see who said it?" asked Theo.

Hermione lifted her head, and was surprised to see Theo sitting across from her. She turned her head, and almost jumped when she realized that Draco was sitting next to her. She felt her heart start beating a mile a minute, and prayed that he wouldn't be able to tell. His face was serious, though his eyes were filled with concern.

Hermione sighed. "No, I didn't."

Draco glanced at Theo, and the two shared a dark look. Hermione looked between them, bewildered. "What?"

Theo pursed his lips. "This isn't the first incident we've encountered."

"What?" Neville asked, shocked.

Pansy grimaced, sitting in between Theo and Ginny. "Ever since the article came out, there have been comments made. Mostly to Theo and Draco, but they were all made about Hermione." She looked at Hermione. "Why do you think you haven't been left alone since the article came out?"

Ginny glared at them. "Why wasn't I let in on this?"

"Because they've been saying things about you too." Draco said in a pissed voice. "Less than what they've been saying about Hermione, but enough."

Ginny looked around at them. "What have they been saying?"

"It's mostly been comments about how you opened the chamber your first year, and now you're hanging out with us." Pansy said in an acidic voice.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh big whoop," she said. "They've been saying that bullshit since my second year."

"And you haven't killed anyone yet?" Pansy asked, slightly impressed.

Ginny laughed. "I kept wanting to cry the first month of my second year, but Hermione was the first person who told me that none of it was my fault. She also said that if anyone was giving me a hard time, I should hit them with a good hex."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "That hex wouldn't happen to involve bat bogey's would it?" he asked, shuddering at the memory of the time he was on the receiving end of it.

Ginny smiled sweetly in answer.

Hermione shook her head. "Why didn't anyone tell me that this was going on?"

"We just wanted to protect you." Theo said, reaching his hand across the table to try to hold hers. Hermione retracted her hand below the table though. He sighed. "I know we agreed no more secrets, but this was us trying to keep you from getting hurt by other people. And you've already had your life upended more than you bargained for this year."

Hermione looked down, but nodded her head. "I know." She stood up.

"I'm going to the library." She said, then turned to look at Draco. "Do you want to come with me?"

He nodded, and stood up. He placed his hand on the small of her back, and lifted both his and Hermione's bags onto the opposite shoulder. When she opened her mouth to protest, he shook his head. "I've got it Granger."

She pursed her lips, but let him lead her out of the Great Hall. They walked up the marble stair in silence, and made it to the second floor before Hermione spoke. "You should have told me."

Draco sighed, and looked around, then pulled her into an empty classroom. "After everything you went through last year, can you say that if you'd known, you would feel comfortable walking the halls without your wand out, ready to fire off a defensive hex at any moment?"

Hermione had leaned against one of the desks, and wrapped her arms around herself, and was biting her lip. She released her lip, and shook her head.

Draco dropped their bags gently, and stepped closer to her, the closest he had gotten since Diagon Alley. He put his hands on her waist, and leaned his forehead on hers. "When was the last time someone made you feel safe Granger?"

Hermione shut her eyes. "I'm not answering that."

Draco pulled back slightly, eyes narrowed. "When was it?"

Hermione opened her eyes, and looked up at him. "Why do you want to know?"

Draco moved in closer to her, her legs spreading so that he was standing in between them. Hermione gulped, noticing the height difference between her five foot four and his well over six feet frames. "Because I want to know." He murmured, moving one hand up to push her hair away from her face.

Hermione forgot how to breathe. "It was in Flourish and Blotts," she whispered.

"Why?" Draco asked, a small smirk forming.

Hermione flushed, then glanced down at his left arm. She pulled his sleeve up, revealing his dark mark, and he watched as she traced it with a delicate finger, not moving. "I've been thinking a lot about when we were captured," she started. "You didn't identify us. And when Bellatrix started to go at me with the knife, I saw how you made a move to intervene, before someone else held you back."

He inhaled, then exhaled slowly.

Hermione kept going. "You broke into my mind didn't you? Because even though it hurt like hell, for some reason, all these happy memories kept bubbling up, things I hadn't thought about in years."

Draco closed his eyes. "I didn't know what else to do."

Hermione stopped moving her finger, and looked up. "You make me feel safe. I don't know why, and I can't explain it, but I feel safe when you sit next to me in the library. I like when you hold my hand and I get butterflies. I like when you smile at me and know that you don't smile for just anyone but for some reason you smile at me." She faltered, then took a deep breath. "I really like when you kiss me and I feel like I've forgotten how to breath but I just don't care because I don't want it to stop."

Draco's eyes flew open, and he scanned her face. "Hermione," he muttered.

Hermione reached her arm up around his neck, and pulled him down, and Draco pulled her in against him. When their lips finally met, Draco felt like he'd arrived home. He opened his mouth slightly, and traced her lips with his tongue, and Hermione opened her mouth. Draco gripped her waist, and lifted her slightly so that she was sitting on the desk, and she spread her legs more, and Draco stepped in closer. Hermione arched her back so that she was pressed right up against Draco.

Draco pulled away slightly, and looked at her. "I thought you said no kissing," he said, bending down and peppering her jaw with kisses.

Hermione tilted her head back, and groaned. "I'm changing my mind."

Draco chuckled. "I'm certainly not complaining," he muttered, cock twitching when he kissed a particularly sensitive spot behind her ear, eliciting a throaty gasp from her.

"Don't stop," she breathed out, her small hands sliding up and down his front.

Draco kissed his way down her neck, before he pulled away slightly. He moved a hand to her front, and tugged on her tie, pulling it off, and unbuttoning the top two buttons. He pushed the collar to the side slightly, and leaned back in, finding a pulse point, and sucking on it.

Hermione gasped, and leaned her head to the opposite side, allowing Draco better access. Suddenly, there was a noise outside the door, and they stopped moving. Hermione's eyes widened, and Draco pulled away, and Hermione quickly buttoned her shirt back up. Draco grabbed her tie from where it had fallen, and shoved it in his pocket. They stayed completely still and silent for what felt like an eternity, but when the door didn't open, they relaxed.

Draco caught Hermione's eye, and cracked a small smile. Hermione looked at his smile, and laughed. "So," she said, breathing out slowly.

"So," Draco said, moving back in closer to her, and putting his hands back on her waist. "The no kissing rule might have been smart."

Hermione blushed. "I like kissing you," she admitted shyly, glancing down at her hands.

Draco moved one hand up to her chin, and lifted her head back so her eyes met his, and leaned down to give her a gentle kiss. "I like kissing you too," he said when he pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Want to go on an actual date with me?" He asked.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. "What did you have in mind?"

Draco pulled back, and pulled her off the desk, and picked up their bags again. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her into his side, and they walked out of the classroom. "Hogsmeade weekend is this weekend. We could go together."

Hermione stopped walking, and looked up at him. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" She asked, concern evident on her face. Draco looked worriedly at her, and she knew where his mind was going. "I'm not embarrassed to be seen with you, but I am worried. You said that you and Theo haven't been leaving me alone since that article came out because of things people have been saying, and I'm assuming there is a reason for that."

Draco turned to face her fully. "I won't let anything happen to you." He assured her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can handle what people throw at me, but I am worried about you. You have a lot more enemies than me right now."

Draco was about to say something, when, "Oy! I thought you could only her hand!"

Hermione closed her eyes, and scrunched her face. When she opened her eyes, Draco was trying really hard not to laugh as Ginny stalked down the hall to them. "Also, hands off!" She said, waving her pointer finger Draco.

Draco looked at Hermione, and raised an eyebrow. "Go away Ginny." Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

Ginny stopped when she reached them. "I thought there were ground rules?" she asked in a taunting voice.

Draco pulled Hermione into him. "We've decided that the rules are dumb."

Hermione pulled back slightly, and slapped his chest lightly. "No we didn't."

Ginny smirked. "But he's holding a lot more than your hand right now. Also, you seem to be missing your tie."

Hermione glared at Ginny. "Go away," she said again.

Ginny laughed. "Theo went to the library to find you."

Draco tensed up slightly. Hermione wrapped an arm around him, and scratched his back gently with her fingernails, and he relaxed back into her embrace.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I look forward to his upcoming aneurism," she muttered.

"He can deal with this," Hermione said.

Ginny laughed. "All I'm saying is you should actually go to the library before Theo loses his mind," she said, and then walked away. "Don't do anything I would do!" She called back to them.

Draco looked down at her, and raised an eyebrow. Hermione shuddered. "I know way too much about her's and Harry's sex life at this point."

Draco laughed. "You still didn't answer my question by the way."

Hermione looked up at him. "Are you sure you want to be seen in Hogsmeade with me?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure your reputation will take a bigger hit from being with me, but yes, I want to be seen with you."

Hermione blushed. "Then, yes, I will go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend."

Draco smiled then leaned down to kiss her.

On Saturday morning, Hermione felt ready to pull her hair out. "Why is this so complicated?" She asked Ginny, standing in her pajamas, hands on her hips.

Ginny looked over at Hermione's bed, at the mess of clothes on the bed. "I don't know why you're worrying about this. You know he'd rather see you in nothing."

Hermione gave Ginny a withering glance. "That isn't helpful."

Ginny got up from her bed, already dressed for the day and sighed. She walked over and started flicking through the pile. Eventually she pulled out a brown corduroy mini skirt, and a chunky navy blue turtleneck sweater with periwinkle flecks in it, and held them out. "Wear this, and you can borrow my brown boots. And pull your hair up into a ponytail. If you end up pressed against a wall, it will be easier to deal with."

Hermione grabbed the clothes, and pulled a pair of tights out from her trunk and went into the bathroom to change. She applied a little mascara, and added a swipe of lip gloss, and walked out. She held her arms out, and did a small twirl for Ginny, who just silently handed her the brown lace up Doc Martin boots. "I still don't know why you care what you look like." Ginny said, watching Hermione grab her coat, and leaving the dorms with her.

Hermione sighed. "I have been on exactly two dates in my life. Neither one ended the way I wanted it."

Ginny grinned. "I think you enjoyed the way you ended the night in fourth year."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It still wasn't what I intended."

They made their way down to the entrance of the castle, where Draco was waiting for Hermione, a bored look on his face. He stood by the doors, wearing dark navy slacks, a forest green sweater, and a black coat that he'd left unbuttoned. He was ignoring the glares that several students were shooting him. Hermione waved to Ginny and made her way over to Draco. "Hi." She said shyly.

"Hi," he said. "You look beautiful."

Hermione looked down at her outfit. "Ginny picked it for me."

He nodded. "She did a good job."

Hermione looked at his sweater. "Do you ever not wear green?"

Draco smirked, and put his arm around her waist and started guiding her out. "I wear black a lot. Grey is a good color on me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So green or very dark colors."

Draco smirked. "There is a time when I don't wear dark colors."

Hermione looked up at him, walking down the path towards the village. "When?"

Draco leaned down and whispered in her ear. "When I'm naked."

He laughed as Hermione reached up and hit his chest gently. "You're filthy."

"You asked," he said cheekily.

Hermione shook her head, but moved in a little closer, the highland air sending a chill through her. "So what did you have in mind for today?" She asked, changing the subject.

"I thought we could go to Spintwitches," he started, mentioning the quidditch supply store in the village. "Then go to Madame Puddifoot's."

Hermione stopped and looked up at him with a disgusted look on her face. "Madame Puddifoot's?"

Draco laughed, and tugged her along. "No. There's not enough galleons in the world to make me step foot in that place. I'm surprised you didn't complain about Spintwitches."

Hermione shrugged, then slipped an arm around Draco's torso under his coat. He pulled her in even closer to his side. "I'm used to going there. Ron loved that store."

Draco snorted. "Was he looking for something that might turn him into a halfway decent keeper?"

"He wasn't that bad," Hermione defended.

Draco shook his head. "I don't know how he made the Gryffindor team," he said. "Wood was good at it, even if he was bloody annoying."

Hermione glanced down, an all too innocent expression on her face. Draco noticed it. "What do you know?"

"Nothing." She said, looking anywhere but at him.

Draco pulled her off the path, and pushed her against a tree, leaning in over her, hands on either side of her head. "Spill," he said.

Hermione shook her head. "How badly do you want to know?" She asked a mischievous look in her eyes.

Draco moved his left hand down, and ran a finger along the hem of her skirt. "I have ways of making you talk," he replied in a low voice.

Hermione gulped. "Oh?"

He smiled, and dragged his finger nail up her thigh. "Well, they can be very pleasant." He started. "But I do know how to drag out that pleasure until you are begging for it."

Hermione stopped breathing when Draco's finger reached the hem of her sweater and slid under it, and started tracing circles along the skin directly underneath. "Tell me your secret Hermione." He whispered, leaning down, his mouth millimeters away from hers.

Hermione started breathing shallowly. "I confunded McClaggen during the tryouts sixth year, so Ron would do better."

Draco laughed, then leaned all the way forward and kissed her passionately. When he pulled away, he muttered, "You naughty, naughty girl."

Hermione glared at him, then pushed him away, and pushed herself off the tree, and started walking to the village again. "He was insufferable!"

Draco laughed, and quickly caught up with her. "But still, that is interference. Imagine if Saint Potter knew."

Hermione rolled her eyes, and let him pull her back into his side. "He did know."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "And he didn't say anything?"

Hermione shook her head. "It benefitted him not having McClaggen on the team."

Draco rolled his eyes. "So why did you go to Slughorn's Christmas party with him if you dislike him that much?"

Hermione blushed. "I was trying to piss off Ron."

Draco looked down at her, and she sighed. "He was being a complete arse regarding Lavender, and I knew that if I took Cormac to the party, when Ron wasn't even invited, it would drive him mad."

Draco nodded. "And did it work?"

Hermione shook her head, her curls swinging in their ponytail. "I hated it more than Ron. The bloody idiot was way too handsy."

Draco glanced down at her. "Do I need to sic Theo on him?"

Hermione smiled. "No, I dealt with him that night. A swift kick, and well aimed hex where it counts got him to leave me alone."

Draco smiled. "Good girl."

Hermione cuddled deeper into Draco's side as they reached the village. "Besides, there's only one set of hands I like touching me like that."

Draco glanced down at her. "Oh?"

Hermione looked up at him, and smiled shyly. "Yours."

Draco leaned down and kissed her sweetly. "Still thinking about fourth year?" he asked, low enough so that only she could hear.

She nodded, "I could never get it out of my head."

Draco smirked. "I'm glad."

Hermione opened her mouth to say something, when suddenly someone rammed into her side. "Hey!" She said, clearly annoyed, glancing at the fifth year Ravenclaw that had slammed into her.

"Death eater whore." The Ravenclaw muttered walking away.

Hermione's eyes went wide, and Draco glared at the fifth year. "Are you alright?" He asked, looking back down at her concerned.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm fine," she answered, in a shakey voice.

Draco looked around, and guided her off the main path towards the Hogs Head. He opened the door to the pub, and led her in. He sat her down at an empty table, then went to the bar and ordered a shot of firewhiskey and two butterbeers. "Drink this," he said, placing the drinks down in front of her.

She eyed the firewhiskey dubiously. "It's just to calm your nerves," he reassured her.

She nodded, then picked up the shot and threw it back, grimacing at the burning sensation. She grabbed the butterbeer, and took a big sip, letting the drink wash away the whiskey sensation. "I can't believe they did that."

Draco frowned. "I told you that being with me was going to be bad for you."

Hermione looked at him. "Its not like either of us have much say in the matter."

Draco shook his head. "But you could be with your friends today."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "You asked me to come with you."

"And I want to be with you," he reassured her. "But being with me comes with consequences."

Hermione looked around, and when she was sure there was no one listening in on them, she leaned in. "Are any of those consequences a continuation of the classroom this week?"

Draco's eyes darkened, and he gave her a feral grin. "They can be," he said in a low voice.

"Promise?" She asked.

Draco placed his hand high up on her thigh. "Definitely Granger."

Hermione grinned, and stood up. "Come on, I need a new quill," she said, dragging him back out of the pub with her.

Draco followed along, and was reveling in the feeling of her holding his hand, when suddenly he felt the hair on his neck stand up. He looked to the side, and noticed a wand pointed directly at Hermione. "Hermione look out!" He warned, trying to pull her back, but his warning came too late, and suddenly a green light hit her, and she crumpled to the ground.