Monday, 1 March 1999
Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and into the clinically white, brightly-lit entrance hall of St. Mungo's. She dusted off her skirt and stepped aside when the green flames roared and revealed Ginny. The redhead wrinkled her nose as she patted some dirt off her robes before she moved toward the reception desk to register their arrival. A young, blonde Welcome Witch led them through the secured doors to the west wing of the hospital after which Hermione and Ginny made their way through the corridor to George's room.
"You alright, Hermione?" the redhead asked softly. "You've been really quiet since we left."
"Just nervous," she admitted with a sigh.
"What in the world for?" Ginny laughed. "I'm sure the cake will be perfectly yummy. You would think you'd have some faith in Mum's baking after all these years."
Hermione shot her friend a mock-glare and sighed, currently unable to fully appreciate the humour. "It's weighing on me that I'm finally seeing Ron again today, but that I can't tell him about… the incident."
"Well, you can," Ginny shrugged, "but it'll likely ruin his birthday a little." She gave her a sympathetic smile. "If it comes out, it comes out. Don't worry about it too much. Just try to enjoy the evening."
"It just feels like I'm doing something wrong," she murmured. "Like I've betrayed him somehow."
The youngest Weasley halted her steps and fully turned toward Hermione. "Look, I'm not going to pretend that I'm a big fan of Malfoy," she started softly, "but I know that his whole situation is neither black nor white. He's a git, but even I have to admit that it's obvious that he's trying to be better. Seamus and Dean told me all about how he apologised during class, and he was perfectly civil during our Quidditch training on Saturday. You're not betraying anyone."
Hermione resisted the urge to grimace at the memory of Saturday. Malfoy had clearly enjoyed trying to get a reaction out of her, but she knew it was partially her own fault. After all, even though she had told him she didn't want anything like that to happen between them, she had not moved away during that moment in the library. If anything, she had even encouraged him a little.
What bothered her most about everything was that he was toying with her just for the sake of making her feel uncomfortable. Hermione wasn't stupid, she knew full well that if the bell hadn't chimed when it had on Monday, they would have shared a kiss in the library. Truth to be told, she didn't think she would have minded. They had shared a moment, and it had really seemed genuine.
Besides, she wasn't some frigid Francine. She had kissed boys before, and even though she hadn't kissed him back that day, her experience with Malfoy on the Quidditch Pitch a few weeks ago had not been all that unpleasant. He had just been a complete and utter prat about it afterwards.
"Chin up, Hermione," Ginny said encouragingly, taking her arm and pulling her further down the corridor. "You've almost survived the year. Only four more months and you'll never have to spend time in Malfoy's direct vicinity again."
Hermione sighed and shook her head. She didn't even mind spending time with him anymore. They hadn't had a petty fight in months, and he hadn't once insulted her after that regrettable moment when he had hexed her into the hospital wing. Hermione had no idea if his views had actually changed, but he had told her they had and his actions so far seemed compatible with that. This whole thing was a mess. Somehow, even with Voldemort gone, her life still managed to be more complicated than she deemed necessary.
They arrived at George's room and chuckled when Lee's booming laugh sounded from the other side of the door. Ginny opened it and dragged Hermione along into the room, cheerfully greeting the many red-haired Weasleys and Harry and Lee inside.
The first tight embrace was from Mrs Weasley, and Hermione laughed as both she and Ginny gasped for air. The second pair of arms around them was Harry's, and Hermione immediately felt better, knowing that even though her school life seemed a little nuts right now, Harry had not changed.
Once Harry released them, Hermione's eyes found Ron's, and despite all the worries that had danced through her head on the way here, she instantly felt completely at ease when he gave her that easy grin she loved. He opened his arms and she moved toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. Once he let go of her, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on his cheek.
"Happy birthday, Ron!"
"Thanks, Hermione," he said happily. "It's so good to see you again!"
Ginny's voice piped up from behind them. "What about me, brother dear?"
Hermione chuckled and moved out of the way, allowing the siblings to catch up while she greeted Mr Weasley, George and Lee before moving to the couch where a bespectacled redhead sat, quietly observing the room. She sank down into the cushions next to him and smiled. "Hi, Percy."
"Hermione, hello," he responded in a formal and slightly distant tone. "How have you been?"
"Very well, thanks. And you?"
Percy nodded his head and glanced up at his mother, who halted next to them and offered both a large chunk of chocolate cake. They sat in silence for a while, fully enjoying the treat, after which the most serious Weasley cleared his throat.
"I heard you made Head Girl. Congratulations. I'm pleased to see you weren't overlooked despite all the trouble you three managed to find yourselves in."
Hermione fought back a snort and thanked him before asking him about his new job as Deputy Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, where he had initially started out working for Bartemius Crouch Sr, before he had been promoted to Cornelius Fudge's assistant.
Even though he seemed far more timid than he had before the War, Hermione caught a glimpse of the old, pompous Percy once he started telling her with pride about how his department was the first that had completely recovered from the War, and that his department did not seem to suffer from the deep-rooted corruption that had been seriously widespread within the Ministry up until Kingsley Shacklebolt's appointment as Minister for Magic.
Halfway during his speech about how Hermione would make an excellent addition to his department, Ron came up to them and held out a hand to her. "Sorry, Perce, I need to steal Hermione away for a bit."
Percy briefly looked affronted by the interruption, but he pushed his horn-rimmed glasses further up his nose and gave his youngest brother a strained smile. "Of course," he said. "It is your birthday, after all."
"It was great talking to you again, Percy," Hermione offered quickly before she took Ron's hand and allowed him to pull her up from the couch. "And please, do send me those department flyers. I'm very interested in the International Relations Office."
"You're going to regret that," muttered Ron as he dragged her away from his family. "He'll never let you go home once you work there."
Hermione laughed softly and followed him out the room and into the corridor. Harry and Ginny were intimately intertwined and Ron coughed loudly as they neared them. "Oi! Hands off my sister," he threatened jokingly.
"Your sister doesn't mind the hands," Ginny shot back, rolling her eyes, "but her meddlesome brother is a tad annoying."
Harry just chuckled and let go of her, interlacing his fingers with hers as he took her hand and started moving through the corridor. They made their way up to the tearoom on the fifth floor where they chose a quiet table in a corner after ordering hot beverages.
Not long after, they all sat with a hot mug between their hands, perfectly content in the quiet of each other's company. After a while, Ginny let out a happy sigh and glanced at each of them with a smile. "I've missed this."
"Me too," Harry agreed. "I love that we're finally full-fledged Aurors, but sometimes I really miss Hogwarts."
"Mate, you should tell them the good news," Ron said after a sip of tea.
"Oh, right!" Harry sat up a little straighter and grinned. "Kingsley finally had an evening off last week. We examined Grimmauld Place with the help of Robards and it has not been breached by Death Eaters. Since it's no longer a headquarters, we lifted a few of the security measures and I've invited some of the senior workers from the Committee of Spell Experimentation to come have a look at the Permanent Sticking Charm on Mrs Black's portrait."
Ginny squinted her eyes at her boyfriend. "And…?" she prompted.
He smiled. "Well, since I inherited it, I'd like to clean it up so that I can go live there."
Ron smiled into his mug in a way that told Hermione there was more to the story. She raised her eyebrows a little and stared at Harry expectantly. He gave them a smile that somehow seemed a little shy, and in that moment he looked very endearing.
"It's a bit big for just one person, so I wanted to ask if you three want to flat with me," he finished at last, before holding up a finger to a very enthused Ginny. "After you've graduated Hogwarts, of course!"
The youngest Weasley rolled her eyes but didn't protest, knowing full well that her parents would not allow her to move in with Harry while she was still at school, no matter how much they loved him as one of their own. Harry's gaze shifted from Ginny to Hermione, and he eyed her questioningly.
"That sounds absolutely lovely, Harry," she told him, smiling warmly," but I do have to think about it for a little bit. Having my Muggle parents visit me there doesn't quite sit well with me, but I love the idea of it, living together with you three."
"Just imagine how fantastic it would be, like being back in the Gryffindor tower," Ron said happily. "Except there won't be a curfew. Or homework!"
Hermione frowned at him in disapproval. "I sure hope you do read your dossiers before going on missions."
He stuck out his tongue at her before throwing back the last of his tea. The foursome rose from their seats and made their way back down to George's room to rejoin the rest.
Not long after, it was time for Hermione and Ginny to return to Hogwarts. After leaving the Headmistress' office, they leisurely made their way through the quiet corridors up to the Gryffindor tower.
Once Hermione had gotten into bed, she realised that the nostalgia of being with Harry and Ron in such a carefree setting had taken away all her worry, and that she hadn't thought about Malfoy all evening.
While she was happy that her friendship with Ron was as effortless as always, she worried that her omittance tonight would get her in trouble during the Easter holidays. She really was going to have to tell him about the kiss then, no matter how much she dreaded it.
Tuesday, 2 March 1999
Slughorn smoothed out the front of his robes and strutted back toward the front of the class. "Veritaserum is a very tricky concoction to brew, so I suggest that instead of brewing in the usual pairs, we do this in groups of three instead."
He paused for a moment and glanced at each of his students with a serious expression. "I expect you to work with the utmost precision, and I expect you to take this very seriously," he said authoritatively. "A single mistake could turn your truth potion into an explosive, with the most devastating of consequences."
There was a nervous murmuring among the seventh-years as they got up to form groups of three. Hermione rose from her front-row seat and turned toward the rest of the class, nearly jumping backwards when she discovered Theodore Nott standing beside her. He raised his eyebrows at her bewilderment.
"Nott," she muttered as a greeting, feeling a little uncomfortable, "I didn't know you had already returned to school. I'm sorry for your loss."
"Are you really?" he asked her in a surprisingly sharp tone, and Hermione stared at him, rather taken aback by his response.
This was the first time she stood face-to-face with Theodore Nott and the first time she took a good look at him. Nott was a fair bit taller than her and currently looked incredibly unhealthy. It was clear that he hadn't had a proper sleep since he had found out the news about his father, and despite his animosity, Hermione once again couldn't find it in her to be angry with his attitude.
"Whatever he's done, he was still your father," she said softly after regathering her wits. "No one should lose their parents like this."
Nott looked her up and down, his demeanour bored. "Just so you know, I just want a good grade for this potion," he said coolly, "so let's keep the hand-holding to a minimum as to not distract from the brewing, yeah?"
"If you're going to make a mockery out of me I'd rather we're not partners," Hermione replied in a snobby tone, quickly discovering that her patience wore surprisingly thin.
"Don't think that's an option anymore, Granger."
She glanced past Nott to see Malfoy stand behind him. Nott turned his head and gave the blond a once-over before giving them both a small smirk. He then moved past Hermione and dragged the chair to her left backwards before sitting down.
Hermione stared at Malfoy for a little longer, feeling a bit helpless to be stuck with these two Slytherins for a very advanced, month-long assignment. He stared back at her and gave her a careless shrug before taking the chair on her other side.
All the other students had indeed already formed groups and cheerfully chatted away. She caught Ernie's eye from across the classroom. He sat beside Stephen and Morag and shot her an apologetic smile, as if to show he sympathised with her situation. She sighed as she sank down on her own seat, feeling quite uncomfortable.
Even though Malfoy had been civil to her these past few weeks, he had also started to goad her. Hermione sincerely hoped he wouldn't take this partnership as an opportunity to try it some more, but that hope quickly evaporated.
While the Potions Master provided them with all the needed information on the blackboard, Hermione repeatedly felt Malfoy's arm brush against her own. Shooting a glare in his direction that he almost certainly didn't see, she noted that he was sitting far closer to her than strictly necessary. Their table could normally comfortably offer room to four people, but with Malfoy's seat being so close to her own, it could now easily fit five.
She tried to focus on Professor Slughorn's monologue, writing down a summary of his lecture as he spoke. Next to her, Malfoy shifted in his seat, and Hermione felt his leg brush against hers under the table. Growing more and more annoyed, she shot him another glare—one that he caught, this time—and Malfoy turned his head toward her and gave her a small smirk. He lifted his eyebrows as though to challenge her, and Hermione sniffed in a way that would do the haughtiest Slytherin proud before sliding her chair away from him. Nott didn't seem all that pleased that she had opted to sit closer to him, but he kept his response to a mild glare and remained quiet.
Once Professor Slughorn had finished his lecture, Nott shot up from his seat and made his way over to the ingredient cabinet. Hermione sighed and got up to set up their cauldron on the table to Malfoy's right. While she poked her wand underneath the cauldron to set the temperature, Malfoy left his seat and moved behind her to go help Nott collect their ingredients. As he passed her, he lightly brushed a hand over the small of her back. Hermione tensed at his touch and briefly lost her focus, lighting a violent fire that nearly cost her her eyebrows as a result.
Malfoy chuckled lightly and continued to the front of the class without further acknowledging her response, and Hermione glared at the back of his head, wishing he would slip or otherwise injure himself.
Thankfully, he took the Potions Masters' warning seriously for the remainder of the two hours, and the trio worked on the preparations of their potion mostly in silence. Nott seemed to have gotten his bad mood out of his system because he treated her with a stiff civility for the rest of the two hours. Once class ended, Hermione left the classroom as quickly as she could without making it seem like she was fleeing, even though she supposed she sort of was.
He steered clear of her for the rest of the day, and by the time she seated herself next to Ginny in the Great Hall for dinner, Hermione had miraculously nearly forgotten about it altogether.
Friday, 5 March 1999
"If no one has anything else to report, I would like to wrap up and wish you all a good weekend."
The suggestion was met with much enthusiasm. Hermione forced herself to keep smiling as the prefects made their way out of the room, cheerfully waving her goodbye. Her smile gradually seeped off her face when the Slytherin prefects were the last ones to exit the office and only Draco Malfoy remained. Oh, how she had dreaded this patrol shift with him.
Truthfully, he had not bothered her much these past few days. Apart from some lingering stares and lazy smirks directed at her, he had been a perfectly responsible Head Boy and Potions partner. Still, Hermione was incredibly annoyed with his attempts to get a reaction out of her, and she was on the verge of snapping his head off.
Malfoy sat with his feet laid out on another chair as he reviewed the new patrol schedule, absentmindedly scratching his chin with the back of his quill as he let his eyes glide over the parchment. Finally he scribbled down a few minor corrections before rising from his seat.
"That's one thing I could have done without," he muttered. "Creating a new bloody patrol schedule every month. Possibly the most tedious task of being a Head student."
Hermione just sighed and didn't bother replying. She took the schedule from Malfoy and put it in the top drawer of the desk before moving toward the door. He followed her into the corridor and together they made their way to the Grand Staircase.
They patrolled mostly in silence. Hermione was very much inside her own head for most of their route, but she forced herself to be present when Malfoy brought up their Ancient Runes homework. They discussed the various manuscripts that they had received to translate and analyse, and Hermione was once again reminded of the somewhat pleasant and academically enthusiastic side that Malfoy possessed.
While the Head Boy checked a hidden passage behind the portrait of a grumpy monk, Hermione made her way over to a small study section off the main corridor near one of the classrooms. Once she had confirmed that it was empty she turned back around to return to the corridor, finding Malfoy leaning against the wall, staring at her with his eyebrows raised in question.
"What?" Hermione bit out, frowning at him in annoyance.
"You tell me," he drawled in response.
She let out a huff of impatience. "Let's just continue with our rounds."
Malfoy rolled his eyes and followed her lead in silence, but Hermione noticed immediately that he walked closer beside her than he had during the first part of their patrol. She ordered herself to keep it together; only two more corridors in this wing and they were done for the night.
They reached the classroom corridor on the second floor and Hermione moved to the first door on her right, poking her head into the room to confirm it was empty, while Malfoy had moved to the left side of the corridor to do the same. They met again at the end of the corridor and turned the corner in silence. Hermione stepped forward toward the last classroom at the same time as Malfoy, and she bumped right into him. His hand already rested on the doorknob and he gave her a smirk.
"I've got it," he said softly.
Hermione inhaled sharply and glared at him, her annoyance quickly turning into anger. "Stop that," she hissed.
Malfoy pulled his head back from around the corner of the doorway and pulled the door closed again. He glanced down at her and raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. "Stop performing my duties as Head Boy?" he asked slowly, feigning confusion.
"Don't act like you have no idea what I'm talking about," she snapped. "You've been goading me all week and I've had enough!"
There was amusement in his eyes, and it only annoyed her more, even though she was once again struck by how different it made him look when the coldness in his eyes was replaced by that sparkle of mirth.
"Let's say that I have been goading you, that would mean that you just told me that it has been working," he said softly. "Doesn't that look an awful lot like admitting defeat?"
Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but Malfoy was faster. "I think you need to ask yourself why whatever I have been doing is bothering you so much. After all, I haven't done anything remotely inappropriate, have I?"
She exhaled in indignation and glared up at him, but her mind did not seem able to come up with a clever rebuttal. As much as it pained her to admit, even just to herself, Malfoy had a point. He had been thoroughly annoying—but then again, he had been for years—and she had never been this affected by it before.
"I think," Malfoy said softly, interrupting her train of thought and bringing her back to reality, "that you're afraid that what happened in the library the other day will happen again, and that this time, there won't be anything to interrupt us."
Not trusting her voice to be steady, Hermione continued to glare up at the blond, which didn't seem to affect him very much. He looked like he was having the time of his life, and despite her annoyance she felt strangely mesmerised by his look of amusement. Again, there was that small voice in the back of her mind that told her to just push him out of her way and hex him to the other side of the corridor, but it just seemed too much effort to reach for her wand.
Malfoy shifted his weight from one leg to the other and rested his left hand on the wall beside her head. He didn't move closer and instead just continued to stare at her. Hermione took a breath and broke off her glare before looking back up at him with a much more neutral glance.
"You're toying with me just to get a reaction out of me," she finally forced herself to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "Well, you've gotten your reaction now, haven't you?"
He breathed out a chuckle and shook his head. "Granger, you're clouding your own judgement with prejudice. If it had been anyone else, you would have recognised what I've been doing for what it is."
Hermione frowned at him in confusion, carefully processing his words. "Why would you be flirting with me?" she asked slowly.
Malfoy raised his eyebrows. "You know why."
She scanned his features, trying to find signs that he was playing some elaborate joke, but he just stared at her with a neutral, albeit somewhat amused, expression on his face. Her mind went back to their conversation in early February, after the incident on the Quidditch Pitch. You've been the only one outside of Slytherin House who has treated me decently, he had told her in the Head's Tower afterwards. I don't have much of that left.
"So all this is just to make you feel better about yourself?" she said accusingly.
"No, Granger," he shook his head again, "you have it all backwards. I feel better about myself because of how you treat me. What I've been doing these past few days is just responding to the signals I've been picking up on."
Her breath hitched. "What signals?"
He leaned a little closer to her, never breaking off their eye-contact. "You've been showing concern for me," he started softly. "You've gone out of your way to try to help me adjust this year. You've been far more forgiving than you ought to be." He hesitated for a moment, briefly averting his eyes. "You're not afraid to be around me."
Hermione remained motionless, waiting for him to continue. He let his eyes glide over her face and gave her a tiny smirk. "And you didn't move away, last week in the library."
It was her turn to avert her eyes. She swallowed with difficulty before looking back up, only to see that Malfoy had leaned in a little more. "I could, of course, be wrong," he murmured. "In which case you would be more than welcome to leave."
"Malfoy…" She struggled to create coherent sentences in her head and fell silent for a moment. "This isn't right…" she finally managed weakly.
The Head Boy let out a sigh. "You need to tune out that big brain of yours and stop being so concerned with who you are and who I am. I'm not blind, Granger — this corridor isn't big enough to fit the tension that's been brewing between us these past few weeks." He lowered his head. "Let go," he added in a whisper.
Hermione closed her eyes and shakily drew in a string of air when she felt his breath ghost across her face. When her eyes fluttered open again he was only inches away from her. His eyes found hers again and she could see the intent in them.
"Let go, or tell me right now that this isn't what you want," he breathed.
She hadn't consciously meant to when she let her eyes drop down to his mouth. When she glanced up again, she saw that he had done the same. His head dipped lower and he brushed his lips over hers so lightly that she wasn't one-hundred percent sure they had touched at all. Still, it was enough to render her breathless, and she let out a barely audible gasp when Malfoy lifted his head a little to be able to look at her again. Hermione was not prepared for the vulnerability she saw in his eyes, but after that she could no longer come up with reasons for why this was a mistake.
Her gaze lowered to his mouth again, and she saw the corners turn upwards in a smile before Malfoy moved, closing the last inches of space between their bodies and swiftly lowering his face to hers, capturing her lips with his without hesitation. They were impossibly soft and moved infuriatingly slow, and this time Hermione closed her eyes and kissed him back; letting go, just like Malfoy had told her to.
The kiss was surprisingly tentative and uncharacteristically sweet. Malfoy took his time exploring and getting to know her, and Hermione could feel herself getting lost in the soft movement of his mouth. His hands found their way to her face, resting lightly below her ears, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. Hermione trailed her hands up his sides, lightly gripping his robes and pulling him closer until she could feel his heartbeat through her chest. This seemed to encourage him to deepen the kiss. One of his hands traveled up to her hair, tangling his fingers into her curls, while the other arm sneaked around her waist, somehow managing to pull her even closer to him. Hermione followed his lead and ran her hands up his chest before resting them around his neck.
She felt Malfoy's lips part, and he lightly swept the tip of his tongue over her lower lip. Hermione hesitated for a second before allowing him access, and the kiss intensified further as their tongues brushed against each other. She raked one of her hands into his hair and lightly grabbed a handful of strands, only barely registering how soft it was.
It had been so long since Hermione had been properly snogged, and she had nearly forgotten how good it felt. There was a continuous flutter in her stomach and a warmth that had spread through her entire body, making her feel impossibly light.
After what seemed like hours, Malfoy carefully untangled his hand from her hair as he slowly broke away from her, breathlessly resting his forehead against hers. Hermione rested her hands on the back of his head, unconsciously combing her fingertips through his hair. She was a little afraid to break the spell and took her time before finally opening her eyes.
Malfoy had a subtle, pink flush along his cheekbones and his eyes were unfocused and seemed darker than usual. He brushed a hand through her hair before giving her a small smirk. "Promise you won't run this time?" he asked softly, his voice low and husky.
Hermione couldn't contain a breathy chuckle and she nodded her head, slowly pulling back her arms. She suddenly felt nervous about the aftermath of this strange conclusion to their patrol rounds. While she didn't yet regret kissing him, it could not be denied that what they had done was strange to say the least.
The Head Boy straightened his posture and ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to manage the disarray she had caused. He glanced down at her and his smirk widened. "What book taught you to snog like that?" he teased, and Hermione swatted his arm in mock-offence. She allowed herself to smile and Malfoy's eyes lightened up a little, looking pleased.
She leaned back against the cool, stone wall behind her and sighed, shaking her head. "How in the world did this happen…" she murmured, more to herself than to him. Even though she had been able to tune out her thoughts, they came seeping back into her mind now that she wasn't distracted anymore.
From the look in his eyes Hermione could tell that Malfoy had already figured out what was going through her mind, and he gave her a frown. "Stick two people together for long enough and drastic things are bound to happen. The alternative to this would have been murder," he shrugged, seemingly indifferent toward her worries. He stared at her for a moment. "This doesn't have to be a big deal, Granger," he told her softly. "We don't have to advertise to the whole school what happened. What we do or don't do is no one's business but ours."
Hermione slowly nodded her head when he finished speaking. "Okay," she muttered.
Malfoy narrowed his eyes a little. "Do you regret it?" The question came out soft, but his tone betrayed wariness. She glanced up and stared into his eyes. They had returned to their original, cold grey colour and his eyebrows were slightly knitted together. His stare had hardened, and Hermione realised that it would really insult him if she told him that she did. Studying his expression for a moment, she slowly shook her head.
"No, I don't," she answered honestly, "but I am a little unsure of how we'll go from here," she added softly.
The Head Boy glanced around them before stepping backward into the corridor. He turned his head back to her and cocked it slightly to the side. "Let's go figure that out," he said, and Hermione frowned at him in confusion.
"What? Malfoy, our shift is over! Don't you think we've been out after curfew for long enough?"
"I agree." He simply smirked and started walking. "So let's put the Head's Tower to good use."