Laid between Ginny and Pansy Hermione kept fidgeting while the former snoring in true Weasley fashion and Pansy had a more delicate, breathy snore. With a small huff she sat up slowly, careful not to disturb the witches beside her, and crawled none to gracefully over Pansy. Once she was sure she'd made it out of the bed without waking them, Hermione tiptoed out of her room, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Sneaking out of your own room Granger, what scandalous secrets do you have in there?"

A small shriek left her as she jumped, hand over her heart. "Blaise Alexandre Zambini!"

From where he lay on the couch Theo laughed.

Hermione could have sworn she saw Blaise's cheeks tint in color, "That is not my middle name."

She shrugged, "You haven't got one so in moments where it warrants to have one, I'm going to give you one."

Again, Theo laughed, "I think I love you, Granger."

Walking by the couch Hermione ruffled his golden-brown hair before moving towards the kitchen where Blaise was. Playfully stealing his tea earning a huff from him as he reached for a new mug, Hermione flopped into a chair. After taking a tentative sip to make sure Blaise hadn't spiked it, she let herself take a few savoring swallows.

"What's got you up Granger?"

"They snore."

Even Blaise laughed from the kitchen, "I'm going to tell Pansy you said that."

"I'll deny it," she grinned.

"Positively devilish," Theo smirked at her with his arm thrown back behind his head.

"What are you both doing here? Don't you have perfectly plush king size beds in your rooms?"

"We do."

"We're studying, or we were. And we're sure as fuck not going to cuddle with Draco."

"Ouch," a voice came from behind her, "I'll have you know I'm an amazing cuddler."

Theo's green eyes met hers, "Oh we know Draco."

"We used to nap together, did you know that Granger?" Blaise asked nonchalantly.

Surprised Hermione snorted a bit of tea into her nose which sent Theo further into laughter. The image of the three of them as little boys, sharing a ginormous bed, probably with a few stuffies amongst them seared itself into her memory.

By the time she was recovered Draco had shoved Theo's legs off the couch and sat next to him, though Theo put his legs on his lap instead of sitting up. Draco looked affronted at first but fixed the blanket so it covered them both. Blaise had also taken Draco's usual chair which he seemed to have transfigured to recline.

"I'm pretty sure mother has pictures somewhere."

"Oh absolutely," Blaise laughed. "You mother followed us around with that camera quite a lot."

Hermione just smiled and sipped her tea as the three boys reminisced over the memories. She found she still couldn't look at Draco yet. The two hadn't really spoken since his potion mishap with Neville. Occasionally they still studied in the common area but that was the extent of the alone time they spent together. She was beginning to miss him but she refused to blindly forgive him. His outburst hurt in more ways than one. And while she knew he was right about a lot of it, he'd betrayed her trust. In that moment, when he'd told her secret, he'd shown her a glimpse of the old Draco.

And yet ... she still missed him.

So instead, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, letting the three of them lull her to sleep in a way her girl friends snores didn't.

To his credit, Draco wasn't doing much better. The moment he left his room and saw her curly hair seated in that chair and immediately contemplated turning around but after making eye contact with Blaise he knew he couldn't retreat so easily. He'd skillfully avoided looking at her just as she seemed to be avoiding his general direction and only let himself look at her again when he saw her head of uncontainable curls fall back on her chair.

The silver trio continued talking until Hermione began to fidget in her chair. Blaise quickly grabbed her tea before it fell and Hermione curled completely to her side, knees up against her chest. When she did she let out an adorable little sigh.

Feeling his cheeks heat Draco stretched his legs out, "She's asleep."

Theo snorted, "And you know that from one sound?"

Not giving him an answer Draco pinched his calf.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on with you two now or are you just going to keep pretending everything is normal?"

Huffing Draco took his eyes off Hermione, "This is normal."

Theo snorted, "Okay."

Blaise rolled his neck, "Tell us why you and Granger look like a wounded crup puppies ever since last weekend." Draco went to open his mouth and Blaise cut him off, "Don't lie either, it's exhausting. We all know better and Pansy already told us."

Pansy, bloody Pansy. He should have known. Looking back at the witch in his usual chair her huffed, "I said something I shouldn't have."

From under the arm he'd thrown over his eyes Theo scoffed, "When don't you."

Draco shoved his feet off his lap making Theo laugh as he tried to keep himself from launching completely off the couch. Hermione twitched at the noise making all three of them freeze. When she didn't rouse, Theo resettled him legs back in Draco's lap while the blonde let his head fall back onto the couch, and Blaise resettled still nursing his tea.

"I don't know how to fix it."

It was barely a whisper that had the cup stopping halfway to Blaise's mouth. On the couch Theo shared a look with him before propping himself up on an elbow to glaze the blonde still not looking at them.

They were all quiet for a long time before Draco whispered again, "I need to fix it."

"Maybe," Theo started in a gentle tone he rarely used, "you start by apologizing."

It couldn't be that simple. Could it? Draco nearly scoffed. When his father upset his mother, he always apologized with flowers and jewelry and Draco knew that would only serve to make matters worse. He knew that would absolutely send her over the bend with anger instead of hurting.

"Fuck," he sighed making Blaise laugh lowly.

Apologizing was not something Draco was well versed in. If he would ask his father, he would say Malfoy men didn't grovel short of life and death situations. And yet Draco was at a point where he could think of nothing else to do to fix what he had done to Hermione. She had trusted him and in a fit of anger, he felt like he'd done irreparable damage to their already fragile undefined relationship.

After the incident in their common room Hermione managed to avoid being alone in the same room with him, always leaving the room with someone. She switched the patrol schedule, so they were no longer paired. She picked up an additional tutoring session on Fridays and stopped coming to their shared one on Wednesdays. But worst of all was that she warded and silenced her room each night. He'd tried on multiple occasions to breach the wards but never got passed the third set of warding. After the first week, he was forced to accept that he wasn't going to get through them and instead started to form an alternative plan.

It took about three days of waiting for the opportune moment.

He'd enlisted Pansy to help and after witnessing his colossal fuck up she agreed, albeit with a warning not to get too attached that he ignored. He was currently waiting outside for the two to come back from a trip off campus. That hadn't been planned, he'd just asked Pansy to occupy her for a hour. Pansy was the one who improvised and arranged a trip off campus that was currently going on it's third hour.

By the time he finally saw them on the path leading up to the school it had been four hours. He waited by the Black Lake under a large oak tree with a book. Marking his page he intercepted them, Pansy not looking the least bit guilty as she took the bags from Hermione's hands, gave Draco a wink, and left them without a word.

Hermione kicked a bit of dirt and avoided looking at him knowing full well he was staring. He'd said a lot but most of it was the truth, the hard truth she didn't want to admit. But just because it was the truth didn't mean she was ready to talk to him yet.

"Hermione.."

"Malfoy."

"Please," he said in a hushed voice, "Please don't say my name like that. Like nothing has changed."

The thought made her pause. After a few moments she nodded, "Draco."

At the sound of his name he froze, he hadn't expected her to be so compliant. He'd expected her to put up some kind of fight or at least refuse to talk to him. But she said his name and everything he'd planned to say was gone. So he just stared at her, taking in her freckles, flushed cheeks, wild curls, and warm pools of amber that were her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he blurted, "You're right, I have no say in what you choose to do whether it be about your 'accidents'," he said it with a tempered amount of sarcasm, "or about your soul bond. But that doesn't mean I can't be upset witnessing you endure pain. I've done that once and I never want to again. Seeing it, always lingering behind your eyes, I can't stand it. All I want to do is help and you won't let me."

Her golden eyes met his with such a fervor he almost stumbled.

"Draco," she breathed his name like it was a prayer, "If I tell you, or anyone else, it will just make things worse."

"But I could help you. Just like.." Her eyes widened but he braved through knowing he would never be able to say it if he didn't now, "Fuck Hermione, just like we do every damn night."

She blinked finally taking in the dark circles under his eyes, "You haven't been sleeping."

"By the looks of it and the amount of coffee you've been drinking, neither have you."

Biting her bottle lip she looked over his shoulder, not brave enough to say it to his face, "It hurts Draco. It hurts to sleep because when I don't have nightmares I have dreams that are all too perfect. So much that it hurts to wake up from. Sleeping with you, it's cathartic and helps more than it should. I feel like I'm taking advantage of you by seeking you out, coming into your bed, using you for my own comfort. Because you're do everything I wish he would...just never outside our rooms."

His heart was pounding at an alarming rate. When he managed to respond it was no more than a whisper, "Is that what you want?"

He watched as she looked at the ground again, "What I want doesn't matter." He frowned, not that she should see. "I don't want to get close to you Draco, not if you're going to lash out and use what I tell you against me. If I wanted that I would have told Ronald."

"I can't tell you how sorry I am. I swear I will never betray your trust again."

Hermione looked at him, her lip between her teeth. Unable to find words she only nodded.

"Something has been bugging me though," her eyebrow rose so he continued, "Why did you tell me over your best friends? I don't understand it. Not really. My mind always goes back to the train, that maybe that made you feel comfortable enough then that it bled into your better judgement."

"Honestly?" He gave her a look at said 'obviously' making her chuckle. "Don't get mad."

"I will do my best," he swore with a frown.

"Despite who my best friends are, I can't go to them. Harry still feels like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders despite the war being over. If he knew about my attacks he would never leave me alone, literally he would probably sleep on our couch," Draco scoffed, "Ginny too. Ronald...his tempter has been worse since the war and well you saw how he reacted to my sorting. He comes around still but only because Harry makes him. I'm fairly certain if I told him he would tell me I deserved it in some fashion. Remus would react much like Harry but he has his own family to think about and can't go on a witch hurt for a student who can't let go of the war."

After taking a deep breath to mask his irritation he nodded slightly, "And the rest of your family? Even just the trouble twins would come to your aid."

"Possibly but I haven't heard from anyone but George when he came to Hogsmeade. I don't think my sorting sat well with them either because Harry and Gin get regular letters from the Burrow."

"You're not serious."

Her eyes glistened and he felt his temper flare again. Hermione for her part shrugged.

"I couldn't expect them all to accept it. I just wasn't expecting utter silence. But, Gods," she stepped closer and touched his arm sending a shock through him, "please don't think I came to you as a last resort. You're right, if it hadn't been for the train, how you handled it, I don't think we would be where we are now. I find comfort in you, Draco, a comfort I know I couldn't get from even Harry."

Stunned. Absolutely floored. Draco didn't know what to say. With a single sentence she had wiped away his fury and replaced it with longing. He pushed it down. She had a soul bond, despite their time together, she wasn't his to covet. And yet, he couldn't stop that fluttery feeling in his stomach. In an attempt to mask his emotions he looked around them. Seeing the random groups of students around the grounds and how close they were he took a step back, motioning to the castle with his head.

"I revised the patrol schedule for next month. You should see it before I send it out."

Hermione frowned at him but quickly smirked, his eyes were so soft she felt like melting, "Okay."

He gave her a tiny smile that was replaced with his sneer when a first year got to close to them. The entire journey Hermione gnawed on her lip. If was mid afternoon, too early for bed and too late for nap, were they really going to sleep? Together? Just like that? She knew why she was so quick to forgive him. He'd been an arse but he'd been right, she was lying to him. It was hard to explain how she was feeling. She wanted him to hold her knowing he was her soul bond. When he wanted her as he wanted Astoria. Her glamour was practically permanent at this point, she couldn't bare to look at it but she never felt it itch either so she knew it was the same as it had been from the first month of school.

Inside their common room she froze while Draco softly closed the door. Looking between their rooms she couldn't decide what to do. Draco made the decision for her. Sweeping her up with one arm under her knees and the other behind her back he strode into his room kicking his bedroom door closed behind him. Setting her on the bed he gave her a look that said 'don't start' when she opened her mouth and discarded their bags. Walking over to his wardrobe he took out his old quidditch jersey, tossing it onto the bed beside her before turning and working on his uniform.

Hermione seemed to get the point because she started on hers, pulling his jersey over her body when his back was turned.

"Are you decent?" he asked after dawning his usual sleep pants.

"Yes," she smiled.

Giving her a look of approval, he motioned for her to take her normal spot and charmed the curtains closed as he slipped under the covers. Laid down in the dark room he faced her.

"Will you let me be him Hermione?" she frowned in confusion, "Let's pretend. For tonight, you are mine and I am yours. No strings attached. We won't do anything but sleep. Let me hold you. Cuddle into me and pretend I am him."

"We'd be fooling ourselves Draco..."

"That's why it's pretend. Children do it all the time. Our childhoods were taken from us, so let's pretend now." Slowly, so she could stop him if she wanted to, he grabbed her hips and pulled her flush against him, "For tonight, let me be him. Let me keep you safe. If only for tonight, if only in this room, let me keep you safe." He felt her nod into his chest. "That's my witch. Sleep love. Dream of our future. The house, not the Manor, obviously," she chuckled, "Meeting your parents. The wedding ceremony. The little boy that comes years later."

"Just the one?" she whispered letting herself fall into the illusion. It wasn't hard.

"No, princess, we can have however many you want. But the first will be a boy. All Malfoy's have boy's first."

"What would we name him?"

Draco nuzzled her hair, thankful the room was dark because he was blushing like a school boy, "I'd like to keep the constellation tradition from the Blacks."

"That limits things."

"I've always liked Scorpius."

Hermione pulled away from him so quick, her aghast look making him chuckle, "We are not naming our son Scorpius!"

"Why not?" he countered smoothly, "It's hasn't been used by the Black line yet."

"Neither has Aurelian."

"That is a star not a constellation."

Tucking back into him she smirked, "It's beautiful though."

"How many?"

"What?"

"How many kids are we going to have?"

"Three," she smirked, "Two boys and a girl."

"Scorpius, Aurelian, and Cassiopeia. My mother will go over the bend with excitement."

Her heart stuttered as she tilted her head back to look at him, "Little Cassie?"

Draco met her gaze, fully aware of the churning in his stomach. Dropping his forehead to hers but not breaking eye contact he gave her a one sided smirk.

"Yes. Scorpius will look identical to me as a child. Aurelian will have curlier hair but otherwise look like his brother. Our little Cassie, she will favor you," he tugged a curl, "voluptuous, blonde curls, soft face, grey eyes streaked with rebellious gold. They'll be brilliant."

"We won't be able to keep Scorpius off the broom you buy him but we'll be able to find him in the library just as often. Aurelian will love chess and always try to best you and his uncles. He'll have a prankster side too, always trying to get one over on his siblings. Cassie will want for nothing because she'll have you wrapped around her finger. Her brothers too, everyone really. But she'll have a temper, something we will struggle with like we didn't with the boys."

Releasing a breathe he didn't know he was holding he sighed, "They sound perfect."

"They will be.."

"Dream of them, Princess," intertwining their legs he positioned them so they were more comfortable, "Dream of it all. You and I against the world with our three hellions."

Hermione felt her lip tremble. Refusing to cry she nuzzled his chest as his own grip on her tightened. "Draco.." it was a whisper, a plea that had her heart breaking just a little bit more.