Draco felt all his warring emotions on his way back to his common room. Mostly he was fucking livid. Of all the places in this gods damned castle, those ginger idiots had to have their spat RIGHT THERE?

His biggest impulse was to rip open the door so weasel could see just how much he'd lost her. But Draco knew that wouldn't have gone over well with her. So he'd kept silent and kept the door shut.

He wished weasel had been in his path on his way back to the dungeons. He wanted to hit him. If Granger fucking runs back to him, if his secret confession makes her go begging for forgiveness... Draco vowed he would be done with her. He drew the line at being in a continuous love triangle with Ronald fucking Weasley. If Draco doesn't already have her enough to keep her, then fine, let her go back to her big happy family.

As he walked, though, his anger began to dissipate and logic started kicking in. It had basically been like a week. A weekend, really. The trial was on Friday. Today was Monday. She had a lot longer of a pleasant history with weasel than she had with Draco. So maybe he should cut her some slack. Just get her to Italy. Italy means sex. And if he can get her to have sex with him...

Ok wait. He was making this about stealing her from Weasley and he knew that was immature and petty. He needed to calm down. He gave her a week to decide. He would just need to keep up the momentum, like she'd said. She liked Draco. They had a connection that she was intrigued by. Even Weasley had seen it. And it seemed like the sister was supportive. At least supportive of Granger making her own choices.

His anger was a childish reaction. He would not waste energy on it any more. He was Draco fucking Malfoy. He got everything he wanted. She would be no different. He had literally just made her cum tonight. On his lap. So he couldn't be that far behind the weasel, even if he decided to forgive her and take her back. Draco was the one she felt desire for. That wouldn't change because of Weasley. It would only change if Draco does something to fuck it up. So he won't.

His anger flared up again as he remembered the shit she'd told him about her parents. He was pretty sure the memory modification was permanent. They had a whole wing for people with addled memories in St Mungos. If it was a simple counter spell she would have been able to accomplish it. He felt sick about being on the wrong side of the war. Of being numbered with the people that she hid her parents from. But she was right to do it. He remembered discussions at his dining table, of trying to find them. Because they knew she was with Potter.

And now this was all bringing up traumatic memories that he wasn't interested in revisiting. This was over. No more thinking.

His feet had taken him straight back to the dungeons and his common room, even though his brain has no recollection of the journey down here. He'd been so lost in thought.

"oh, Draco..." a sensual and familiar voice grated on his ear drums. "It's about time, I've been waiting here for an hour." Pansy climbed off of Theo's lap from the chaise in the corner, and waved an envelope at Draco.

He recognized his mothers stationary instantly, but waited for Pansy to come to him. "Looks like its been a real chore." He rolled his eyes and held out his hand for the letter.

"This came for you at the end of dinner but you'd already gone." She stepped too close to him and lustfully eyed his mouth while holding the letter out of reach behind her.

He curled his lip in disgust, leaning away. "Get the fuck away from me, Parkinson." He spat. "I'm never into this so fucking stop it." He snapped. He stepped around her to continue down to his dorm, uninterested in childish games.

"Alright, here." Pansy scoffed and threw it at the stairs. He wandlessly summoned it up into his hand like a magnet. He'd gotten really good at that, if only he could use it on the snitch. But the golden winged ball was enchanted against summoning of any kind. No matter, he could still catch it before anyone else.

He ripped open the seal and skimmed through quickly, laughing at the delusion of his mother, asking him to bring his dress robes to wear when "they visit father on christmas day". Honestly, that woman. Gods.

He dropped the parchment into the rubbish bin as soon as he stepped through the door to his dormitory and turned his thoughts positively, to Italy and bathing suits and tan skin and brown eyes.

"Hey, where have you been?" Blaise was lounging on his own bed, a book open on his lap.

"Out. Where's Daphne?" Draco was suspicious of Blaise spending his evening reading alone in his bed.

"Packing for Italy. There HAS to be a way past the magic that stops us from getting into their dorms." He said while flipping the page grumpily.

Draco laughed, "generation after generation of slytherin men have all attempted the same thing. And not one has been successful. You're wasting energy, mate."

Blaise sighed deeply and clapped the book shut, tossing it onto the floor. "So is Granger coming or not?" His sat up and turned all his attention to Draco.

"Blaise," Draco began angrily, then he stopped and sighed, because he wasn't mad at his friend. He was mad at Weasley. And Draco was actually quite appreciative at how supportive Blaise had been about all of this. "I'm sorry. I just got epically cock blocked by that fucking ginger weasel. Literally right after I asked Granger to go to Italy with me. And we had been discussing sex in Italy. And the firecrotch family from literal hell somehow found their way right outside of the broom cupboard that we were in and interrupted with Ronald fucking Weasley practically sobbing about losing her and not wanting her at his mums house for christmas." Draco's voice picked up in anger the more he talked. He was ripping off his tie and shoes and undressing for bed in a progressively more violent manner as he continued.

"Wow." Blaise blinked, shocked, as he listened. "That is wild. Which broom cupboard?"

Draco pulled his shirt off and chucked it on the floor next to him. He brushed his tousled hair back and sighed deeply, trying to let go of the anger. After a beat he answered his friends question. "The one down the corridor to the right of the great hall. We had just come in from the greenhouse. Which you forgot to go to this afternoon because the soil was dry." Draco raised a brow.

"It was your turn! Wasn't it?" Blaise looked mock affronted at the accusation.

Draco walked in his shorts to the bathroom, "so no, i do not have an answer about Italy. And I might not until the weekend because I was oddly noble in the moment and let her have time to decide."

"Witches do need time, so much fucking time. They're always asking for time." Blaise groaned as he followed Draco.

"Keep Pansy away." The blonde wizard growled as he slammed the door to the toilet stall. "I swear to Salazar I will take Granger and go somewhere else if there is any issue. I won't be in a room in the same floor as her and Theo. I refuse." His voice echoed behind the wooden door and Blaise hummed in understanding.

"Don't worry. It will all be a perfect holiday and I daresay the start of a treasured annual tradition." Blaise's confident voice responded. "Just worry about Granger. I promise I've already got the rest taken care of."

Draco wanted to trust his friend and his luck. But as he lay down in bed a few minutes later, he couldn't stop himself from running through the evenings events in his head again. Before weasel got there, it had been hot. Hedonistic desperation for each other. She came so quickly on his fully clothed lap. When she grabbed onto his hair and pulled his head back, that was his favorite thing. Her taking control of what she wanted. And she wanted him. The blood was rushing back to his cock just thinking about the memory.

And when she had told him she was a virgin, he'd been genuinely shocked. Based solely on his own interactions with her, she definitely didn't seem like the type to be waiting for marriage. And her explanation did add up. For weasel to just not make time for that. No, the reason she was a virgin still was in fact weasels fault. Not hers. Because half a year of not being enemies and Draco's got her wanting to lose her virginity to him now. She was ready.

So everything the snivelling gryffindor pussy was crying about outside the door was in fact true. He did lose her. It was his fault. And that does really suck for him. And Draco really really enjoys reaping the benefits of Weasleys demise. While witnessing said demise at the same time. It was a fucking christmas miracle.

But, Draco still had a nagging worry that her altruistic, rule following guilt could potentially have her in the weasels arms right this very minute. Crying and begging for forgiveness again. Just like she had the day they'd fought outside the Hogs Head. Fuck that was a horrible thought.

He silently groaned and covered his face with his pillow. This was going to be a long week.


After Draco left her, Hermione composed herself in the broom cupboard a few minutes more. Her head was almost dizzy with all of the emotions that had just invaded her body. From the giddy excitement that had the two of them looking for a hiding spot to snog in, the wild lust that overtook her as she rutted against him to completion, embarrassment at discussing her virginity, shock at his genuinely lovely reaction to it, blissful surprise at him inviting her on holiday and planning on having sex together. Then pain, guilt, shame, heartbreak, despair that had all been punched straight through the door and her heart as she and Draco listened through the door. Being forced to discuss her parents with him before she was ready. Learning what Ron was really feeling all this time.

She felt defeated. Drained. She could not in good conscience go to Italy with Malfoy without clearing things up with Ron. She just couldn't. But how could she get him to talk to her? How could she help make amends and help them both to heal?

She had cheated on Ron. She had. The circumstances were wild. And it wasn't like she intentionally did it. But she had broken his trust and his heart. With the worst person in the world that she could have chosen, to him at least. And she paid penance for that by giving him his space. And she spent months not speaking to Malfoy too. She thought his silence meant he was healing. And she thought this morning was good news. But even though it pained him to talk to her, it was clear now that she must make it happen. They both needed closure.

Every night before holiday break, the gryffindors had a party in the common room. That would be her best chance of asking Ron to talk.

"Are you ready now, dear?" The fat lady said somewhat annoyed as hermione took a deep breath and composed herself again. She'd paced a few times outside the common room entrance before she was ready to go in and potentially face him right this second.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "hot toddy, then. Goodness."

At the sound of the password, the huge portrait began to swing open and she climbed through. No sign of any redhead in the common room. Relieved, hermione rushed upstairs to continue to stress and overthink in privacy.


Ron was not waiting with Harry in the common room this morning. And that was quite a disappointment to her. She walked and talked pleasantly with Ginny and Harry down to the Great Hall, but her evening spent wallowing in both self pity and empathy for Ron left her tired and drained this morning. She felt frozen in time until she can finally just speak with him. And she was not going to back down this time.

As the trio entered the Great Hall, Hermione spotted both Ron and Draco simultaneously. Neither of them able to blend into a crowd with those heads. Draco was hunched over his breakfast while Blaise leaned into him chatting nonstop. He looked just as tired as she felt. But he grinned when he looked up at her. She couldnt help but return the smile.

Ron was standing straight ahead in the middle of the aisle, talking to Hannah Abbott. She was handing him a parchment when the trio approached the gryffindor table behind them.

"Thank you, I really appreciate this." Ron said quickly but kindly. Hermione couldnt help but notice how Hannah slightly blushed and said "no problem, anytime" before going back to her table. He turned slightly and stuffed the parchment into his bag before turning back to sit down next to Harry.

He cleared his throat and didnt make eye contact with any of them while he loaded up a plate. "What was that about?" Harry questioned while he bit into his toast.

"What? Hannah?" Ron shoveled three forkloads of eggs into his mouth before continuing. "Just about a class."

Ginny was oddly silent about the whole exchange. Hermione wondered if her friend was more sad or angry about what was said. Or if she would ever get a chance to talk to her about it.

She felt a twinge of possessiveness, not when she saw Ron talking to their classmate, but the look on Hannah's face afterward. She definitely had a crush on him. And some distant and mild annoyance stirred inside Hermione at the thought. But Hannah was actually one of the few girls that Hermione had respect for in her class. While the two of them had never been particularly close in any way, Hannah was good at academics and not a boy crazed lunatic in their younger years. And she was really naturally pretty, with her long dark blonde hair and curvy figure.

Hermione stared at Ron accidentally as she got lost in new thoughts about the Hufflepuff and him. He glanced up and across at her while eating and when he saw her staring he immediately flashed a look at Ginny before looking back at Hermione. "What?" He snapped defensively.

Hermione looked to Ginny too and realized that he must think that Ginny told her what they said last night. Ginny shrugged at both of them in confusion. "What?" She snapped back.

"Sorry. I just zoned off thinking about the last essays for today. I didn't sleep much and my brain keeps freezing." Hermione tried to grin awkwardly as she automatically reached out and grabbed a piece of toast from the platter in front of her. She robotically shoved the dry toast into her mouth and chewed with the stupid grin still on her face.

Ron, now grumpy, went back to his plate and quickly finished up. Harry raised a brow at the whole exchange but miraculously kept his mouth shut this time.

The rest of the day felt like a total regression from yesterday when it felt like Ron was open to the possibility of being in her presence again. He didnt look at her in any class they had together and he didnt show up to lunch while she was there. She was beginning to lose faith in her closure idea.

At the end of the day Draco pulled her into an empty corridor. He didn't kiss her. All day he had quietly watched her. She'd felt his gaze often. And when their eyes did meet he always had his confident smirk on. And that always made her soften her brow and smile a bit despite herself. He was so incredibly attractive. And the way he was looking at her right now, like she was the only thing that existed to him. She couldnt help herself as she jumped into his arms, devouring his mouth, tasting him. His full soft lips were perfect. This was no love potion induced feeling. This just felt like brutal reality. She wanted him.

He turned and pressed her against the wall, the corridor was still empty and quiet except for them. Torches dimly lit and sparse. Everyone else concerned only with getting back to their houses and packing for the holdiay.

They kissed like that for a long time. Neither one of them seemed to want to break the perfect spell that this kiss had them under. Her head and her heart finally were empty. She completely focused on this, on him. He didn't dare push her it seemed, he didn't try to push his knee between her legs this time. He held onto the wall and she held onto him and they just kissed.

When he broke away he pressed his forehead to hers, breathing deeply. Finally, he grinned and said "hi."

She laughed and responded "hi", before pressing her mouth to his once more.

"Today was an excruciatingly long day." He said quietly between soft and slow kisses.

"Agreed." She said with a smile.

"Part of me expected to see you and weasel hand in hand this morning at breakfast, all made up." His palm left the stone wall and curled around her waist, pulling her close to him.

She laughed a bit louder, "my plan was to try and talk to him tonight actually."

Draco gave a small roll of his eyes and a groan before leaning in to kiss her more. "I knew you wouldnt be able to leave it alone" he murmured between more kisses.

Hermione smiled while she kissed him back. "Your jealousy is adorable."

He growled a bit louder this time before holding her tighter and kissing her deeper. Her knickers were uncomfortably wet now. He pulled back again, pushing her hair behind her ear and threading his fingers in to hold her head gently "I just really want you to come to Italy with me. And that family has an annoying habit of interfering." He pulled her in for another bit of snogging.

"I would really like to spend this holdiay with you too." She needed to make sure he understood now. Beneath his playful words, she could feel the genuine worry, in each kiss he gave her. So she slid her hand up his chest, placing a palm on each side of his face in reassurance before she said "but i do need to speak with him. For both of our sakes. Especially after last night. I wont be able to..." she broke off and he raised his brow suggestively. She lightly patted his cheek with a grin. "We need closure. Thats all." She tugged his head back down for a kiss.

"Alright. Alright." He conceded. "I'm just... addicted to you now or something." The two snogged liked that in the corridor for a few more minutes before a new thought popped into hermiones head.

"Will your mother be in Italy too?" She pulled away to ask.

Draco snorted, "no. You, me, Blaise and Daphne, Theo and Pansy, and I think Greg and someone."

"Your mother doesn't mind you spending the holiday away from home?"

Draco sighed with all the talk of his mother. But of course Granger would be curious. "My mother thinks I'm going to be spending the holiday at home with her and that we will be visiting my father in Azkaban. I haven't written her. She thinks my father is going to be there temporarily and shes trying to keep everything ready for the day when he comes home. And I have no intention of spending anymore time in the manor than I have to. Its not a happy place for me anymore. So I have a difficult conversation of my own coming up."

Hermione nodded. "Ok, I mean of course you'd feel that way about the manor. I can understand that." Her mind was turning with the new information. He doesn't open up very often, so this felt important.

Draco could see more questions bubbling up to the surface so he leaned forward and kissed her. "We'll have plenty of time to talk later. You go have your difficult conversation and I'll go have mine. I'll come back on Friday. Or sooner if things go badly." He shrugged and kissed her once more.

"Ok. I'll see you later then." She turned to walk away but Malfoy still held her hand.

"Granger," he began. He seemed to struggle with what to say for a moment before he shook his head once and said "please don't get back with Weasley." He looked half embarrassed to have spoken the worry out loud. But Hermione was so incredibly glad he did. It felt like he was opening up, letting her know this was more than just snogging and sex. That his feelings were involved now.

She grinned and stepped close to him again, touching his cheek. He rolled his eyes to cover his embarrassment but he held her close.

"I won't. Honestly. Those feelings are gone for me now. But we were friends long before we were a couple. And the conversation needs to be had." She kissed Draco again, "it's sweet that you worry though."

"Will you be telling him that we're a couple now?" He raised a brow, his doubt about all of this still apparent. It was all new.

"Are we a couple?" She said with a cheeky grin. They were holding each other close still.

Draco squeezed her bum with one hand and playfully nibbled at her neck, "we will be if you're here to take the portkey with me in a few days."

Hermione laughed and pushed him away, she began walking backwards down the corridor, "I guess we'll see then." She winked at him and caught his last eye roll and smirk before she turned and headed up to Gryffindor alone.