Beltane

Spring was well underway and giving in to hints of the coming summer. Hogwarts classes were beginning to wind down and focus on prepping the students for their exams, which were in one month's time. Hermione had been refraining from assigning too much homework to the Fifth and Seventh Years so that her O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students could cram everything in that they needed and she had taken to spending as much time as she could outside, enjoying the beautiful weather and soaking the sun into her skin.

Although Hermione hadn't seen Draco since their last encounter, the ghost of the kiss they had shared haunted her and kept cropping up in her mind at random times. Every time she remembered it, she was prone to blush – usually it occurred at very inconvenient times such as when she was in the middle of teaching a class or grading important papers. She had managed to push the thoughts to the back of her mind, but as time wore on, doing so became more difficult and her desire to see him again burned stronger within her.

Instead of thinking about it too much, Hermione busied herself with her classes and started reading Muggle novels again, trying to keep herself occupied and her mind focused on other things.

It was another warm, sunny day out by the Black Lake and Hermione was grading some papers, leaning against one of the big trees surrounding the water. Her mind was just beginning to drift away when a tiny owl fluttered down next to her, hooting like mad and holding out a small letter attached to its leg.

"Hello, Pig," Hermione said quietly. She slowly reached out and took the letter from him, reminding herself to take deep breaths to try and quell the panic rising in her throat. The owl hooted softly at her and took off, gently bumping against her as he left. She smiled.

After several long moments of staring at the envelope in her hands, Hermione finally gathered the courage to open it. What greeted her wasn't Ron's scrawling, sprawling writing; it bore Ginny's neat, tidy cursive.

Hermione,
I would really like to talk to you in person. Could we meet at Fellglow Keep this Friday evening? It'll be my treat.
Ginny

Hermione's brow furrowed when she finished the short letter and she was immediately curious as to what Ginny could possibly want to speak with her about. She took out a quill and scribbled a response on a fresh piece of parchment before sealing it and standing up to make her way to the owlery. Pig was a very cute and sweet owl, but not always the best for remembering to stick around after letters were delivered, even when there was an immediate response warranted.

The walk to the owlery was quite pleasant and Hermione found herself smiling as she went. Her thoughts turned from the Weasleys to Draco Malfoy and she made a mental note to write him and see how he was doing after she answered Ginny. For half a second, she considered asking him to come with, just in case Ron turned up, but then she shook her head. She was being stupid: Ron was still in jail and Ginny wouldn't do something like that to her, whether they were on good terms or not. The thought brought her some comfort and she sent her reply back to Ginny with a small spark of hope kindling inside of her.

The rest of the week passed without incident or excitement, which Hermione was grateful for. It felt as if she'd had enough excitement for a lifetime. The slowness and peace was exactly what Hermione wanted.

Despite the peace, however, there was something nagging at her. Draco hadn't responded to her owl, nor had she heard from him in at least a couple of weeks. They had never discussed exactly what they were to each other and she had a fear that he had grown tired of her that continued to nag at the back of her mind.

When Friday evening finally arrived, Hermione finally decided on a simple outfit of jeans and a tank top after spending far too much time changing between her clothes, unable to fully commit to something. She knew she was just pushing off the inevitable and trying to focus on the unimportant things in the face of a deep anxiety, but knowing what she was doing didn't make a difference.

Hermione walked out onto the Hogwarts grounds and slowly made her way to the appropriate Apparating distance, her heart beating a steady drum against her ribs.

You're being stupid, Hermione chastised herself. This is Ginny. And an opportunity to get your best friend back.

She shook off the nerves and Apparated to the restaurant to meet Ginny, hoping desperately that this would be the last of her worries about their friendship.

It didn't take long for Hermione to spot the beautiful redhead sitting at a small table with a glass in her hand. A second after Hermione found her, Ginny turned and locked eyes with her, waving her over with a smile on her face. As Hermione approached the table, Ginny stood up and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny said. "I've missed you."

Hermione hugged her friend back hard. "I've missed you, too, Gin. So much."

Both women sat back down as a slight air of awkwardness began to spread between them.

"So…" Ginny said, "I guess we have a lot to talk about, don't we."

It wasn't a question. Hermione grinned slightly, appreciating the directness. She didn't have the energy to beat around the bush or play games.

"We really do."

A waitress appeared and took Hermione's drink order – some white wine – and she then turned back to Ginny, who had an expression rather like she had something she wanted to say, but wasn't sure when would be appropriate to say it.

"Spit it out, Gin. What's on your mind?"

"I'm pregnant."

Hermione's mouth dropped open and she allowed the shock to jolt through her, mixed with plenty of other emotions: excitement, jealousy, hope, and joy… all shot through her in immediate succession and she shook her head, laughing.

"Congratulations!" Hermione finally said, putting her hand on top of Ginny's where it lay on the tabletop. "How are you feeling? How did Harry take the news?"

Ginny shifted in her seat, her face reddening to match her flaming hair. She pulled her hand away from Hermione's gently and began to fiddle with the glass in front of her.

"Well, er… I haven't told him yet."

"How far along are you?"

"I just found out last week. I haven't even scheduled a midwife appointment yet. I'm - " her voice broke and she looked away from Hermione before taking a drink from the glass in front of her.

"Ginny… is everything okay?"

Ginny's hazel eyes flicked back to meet Hermione's. "Oh, yes, things are fine at home. Our marriage is great and Harry is a wonderful husband. And he's so desperate to be a father. I just…" she paused, clearly searching for the right words. "I'm scared. I don't think I'm going to be a good mum. Or what if something happens to the baby…"

Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath. She understood these feelings all too well. She let Ginny take a moment to calm down and when her friend's breathing steadied again, she spoke.

"Have you started looking at any midwives? Or taking prenatal elixirs?"

"Not yet," Ginny admitted. "Harry might not have your sense for potions, but I feel like he would know something was up if I was brewing potions suddenly. He would be suspicious."

"Gin… are you hiding this from him purposely?" Hermione asked before she realized what words were falling from her lips. She couldn't stop herself from adding, "I'll brew the elixirs for you, just to be safe. You should start taking them right away."

"I don't know." Ginny shook her head. "The only thing I do know is that this is going to change everything and I – I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet."

"I know you already realize that you're going to have to tell him sooner or later," Hermione said, trying to be gentle. "Sooner would be the best. Let him be there for you. Who knows, maybe this will help bring you two even closer together."

"You're probably right," Ginny said, now tracing the rim of the glass with her index finger. She paused for another heartbeat before continuing, "but as soon as I tell him, I also have to tell the Harpies and I doubt they'll let me play while pregnant."

"I hadn't thought of that," Hermione admitted. "You're right – and so are they. You need to be taking care of yourself and that baby so you can have a healthy pregnancy and can be the best mom you can be. You're the best player they've got, so your position should still be there when you're ready to go back."

The thought of that seemed to cheer Ginny up a little; a smile crept onto her rather pale face and she looked at Hermione with a new spark in her eyes.

"Thanks, Hermione. Now that we've got that all cleared up," the redhead said, "let's talk about the real elephant in the room: you and Malfoy."

Hermione choked on her wine, sputtering until Ginny clapped her on the back.

"What – what about - ?" Hermione stuttered, clearing her throat and suddenly feeling quite unsure of where this conversation would head and how bad things would get.

"Are you still seeing him?"

"I don't know."

There was a moment's pause.

"How don't you know?" Ginny asked, a slight smile on her face. "That seems like it would be a pretty black-and-white situation."

"You would think so," Hermione conceded, shaking her head. "I don't know what I'm doing at all. Dating is – I've forgotten how to do it. If that's even what he and I are doing."

"Have you slept with him yet?" Ginny's voice was casual, but Hermione could see the tension in her jaw.

"No."

Ginny relaxed and a small smile appeared on her face for the fraction of a second before she made it neutral once more. "You need to talk to him about what you are. Even if you don't get an official label… it'll bring you some peace and get rid of some of that anxiety."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, you're right." She paused for a moment before finally gathering up the courage to ask her friend a question that had been bothering her for months. "Ginny, why do you hate him so much, exactly?"

"He was horrible to all of us in school, for one thing," Ginny shot, her voice clipped and controlled. "He joined the Death Eaters and followed in his father's disgusting, evil footsteps. It's his fault Dumbledore died, as far as I'm concerned."

"You know how Voldemort was," Hermione said quietly. "He wouldn't exactly take 'no' for an answer. And when Lucius failed him…" Hermione paused, thinking hard for a moment. "Draco didn't choose his family any more than you or I did. And he refused to identify Harry when we were captured and brought to Malfoy Manor right before we won the war."

Ginny stared at Hermione as if seeing her for the first time. "I didn't know that…"

"I'm honestly rather surprised Harry didn't tell you that."

"He doesn't really talk about it much." Ginny frowned. "He prefers to look to the future. I think everything that happened is still painful for him, even after so much time."

"That makes sense," Hermione said. "Maybe you should ask him about it, though. See what he thinks. I think it's been long enough."

Ginny chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "Yeah, maybe."

The conversation naturally turned to lighter topics, both of the women catching up on the various aspects of their lives that they hadn't touched on yet. Neither of them mentioned Ron or what was going to happen to him now that he was in jail, for which Hermione was deeply grateful. She knew she would have to face that sometime, but she wasn't quite ready to do so yet.

Hermione left the restaurant feeling much cheerier than she had going in. Making up with Ginny had lightened her heart in a way she could have only hoped for, but there was still a nagging worry about her and Malfoy's relationship – or whatever it was. If it was anything at all…

Over the next couple of days, Hermione found herself obsessing over her conversation with Ginny and whether or not there was even something really going on with her and Malfoy. She started writing him at least four times, but had balled up the parchment each time and thrown it into a garbage can that belched loudly each time something went in.

Half of her was exasperated that she was expending so much energy on a boy, but the other half kept reminding her of the kiss they had most recently shared. The memory of it ignited her blood and sent her stomach soaring – surely there had to be something between them with a feeling like that?

An answer came on a bright late-April afternoon when Hermione was sitting out by the Black Lake, reading a Muggle novel and soaking in the sun.

Draco Malfoy's eagle owl appeared next to her, a small letter attached to its leg. It clicked its beak at her and she couldn't help but smile.

"Hello," she cooed at the bird. "Is that for me?"

The owl fluffed its feathers slightly and stuck out its leg so Hermione could take the letter off of it. Her heart beat hard and excitedly as she tore open the letter, her eyes rushing down the thin, tidy scrawl in a blur.

Hermione,
It's been too long since I've seen you. Why don't you come celebrate the last month before you begin summer break with me? I'll collect you from the castle tomorrow at six.
Draco

A tingle flew across Hermione's skin as she read the letter two more times, her grin growing more with each readthrough. She rummaged through the small bag she had brough with her, found ink and her favorite eagle-feather quill, and scribbled a short note on the back of the parchment. She attached the response to the owl, who puffed up importantly before taking off. She watched it go, excitement still racing through her – though now it was accompanied with a blush spreading across her face and a matching, beaming smile.

The next night, Hermione waited for him in the Entrance Hall, having decided on wearing jeans and a light periwinkle blouse to keep things easy and light. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous, but she kept jumping at every noise and her palms were slick. She wiped them on her jeans, trying to take deep breaths and keep her head on her shoulders.

It's just a date, she scolded herself. If it's even that. It's just you and… Draco Malfoy… hanging out. Stop acting stupid.

When he turned up, he was wearing sleek black pants and a white button-down with a few of the top buttons undone. His blond hair was casually tousled and his silver eyes glinted when they caught sight of her, pulling a smile to his lips as he sauntered over.

"Hi," Hermione said breathlessly when he reached her. He stood towering over her, eliciting a feeling of protection and comfort that she was growing to enjoy. She smiled up at him.

"Hi," Draco replied. Before Hermione knew what was happening, his hand was on the side of her face, guiding her lips to his. It took nothing for her to respond to his kiss in kind, losing herself in the smell of fresh pine and peppermint.

When they broke apart, both of them had flushed faces and were breathing slightly hard.

"Where did that come from?" Hermione asked, surprised but pleased. Something stirred deep inside of her at his touch and was asking for more.

"I've been thinking about that since the last time I kissed you."

Hermione blushed even more deeply. "I have, too."

Draco took Hermione's hand and helped her spin around, his eyes looking her up and down. "Your Yule Ball dress was this color."

"Yes, it was." Hermione wondered if her face would ever return to its normal color, the blush had set in so deeply. She couldn't believe he remembered something like that.

A comfortable silence elapsed between them for a moment before Draco leaned down to kiss her once more. This time it was gentle, chaste; almost as if he was holding back.

"Let's get going. I was supposed to be picking you up for a date, after all."

So it is a date. Hermione couldn't help but smile. She was smiling so much lately that her cheeks were hurting a little.

The two Apparated away from Hogwarts and Hermione once again found herself in front of Malfoy Manor, which looked as intimidating as always… though now there was a new feeling underneath; almost a feeling of comfort. Of home.

"Welcome back." Hermione could hear the smile in Draco's voice.

The two walked into the Manor, through the maze of hallways, and out to the backyard. Hermione couldn't remember if she'd seen the back of the house before, but it was breathtaking.

A garden larger than anything she had expected greeted them. Hermione grinned as she thought of how excited Neville would have been if he was there to see it. There were plants that Hermione had never seen before along with plenty of things she had seen in Professor Sprout's greenhouses, including some Venomous Tentacula and Fanged Geraniums, along with many brightly-colored specimens that Hermione had never seen before.

"Wow, Draco," Hermione said in awe as they walked through the innumerable rows of foliage. "This is so beautiful and unexpected."

"Mum was the one that tended the garden mostly," Draco said. "She taught me everything she knew and shortly before she died, she asked me to keep it up for her."

"You are full of surprises," Hermione muttered in wonder. She saw Draco smile out of the corner of her eye and they continued their walk in silence until they came to a circular break in the path. It splintered off in four directions and, in the middle sat a picnic blanket with a small meal set out. Hermione looked at Draco.

"Draco Malfoy," she said in surprise, "you're a hopeless romantic, aren't you?"

Draco laughed. It was such a lovely, genuine sound that it brought a responsive giggle to Hermione's lips.

"I suppose you've found me out," he said when he was done laughing. He offered his hand to Hermione and helped her sit down on the blanket before he poured them each a glass of wine. "It has been a long time since I've been able to indulge in romance. It's possible I've gone too far."

"No, not at all," Hermione said. They clinked their goblets together and both took a long drink. The wine was crisp and sweet, perfect for the spring day they were enjoying. "I think it's lovely, actually. Ron – well – he wasn't – "

"Let's not talk about him today," Draco said. His tone was calm and gentle, but controlled at the same time. Hermione nodded. "It's Beltane, after all. We have plenty to celebrate."

"Beltane?"

A pink tinge colored Draco's face. "Yes. Astoria introduced me to… I'm not sure how to explain it, exactly. But it's a celebration between the spring equinox and summer solstice. She was all about holidays and celebrations. I guess I just continued things on after she died."

"I think that's sweet," Hermione said earnestly. "What do you do to celebrate?"

"Tonight I'll build a large bonfire in the backyard, but I always try to eat outside and have light, easy food. Astoria would try and communicate with faeries, but I'm not so sure about that."

"That's probably for the best. They're tricky little creatures if you don't feel confident in working with them."

Draco looked at Hermione in surprise. "I didn't know you knew that much about them."

"Well, as you said before, I've read everything in the Hogwarts library. There's plenty on the fae and other magical creatures."

Draco smiled as he handed Hermione a sandwich and took one for himself. They both ate in silence for a few moments, soaking in the warm weather and letting the buzz from the wine flow though their bodies.

"I have to ask you something…" Hermione finally said after several peaceful minutes. Draco looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

"Sure, okay."

"Are we… what are we?" Hermione said in a rush. "We didn't speak for ages, and now you've asked me on a date, and I'm not sure – I just – "

"I'm not in a rush to put a label on it, honestly," Draco said carefully. He spoke as if he was choosing his words with precision and care. "I think we can see how things progress and go from there."

"Okay," Hermione said. Relief seeped into her skin and she felt her muscles relax. "But this is a date, yes?"

Draco laughed. "Yes, Hermione. It's a date." He paused. "Hopefully the first of many; we have all the time in the world."