Chapter 22

Hermione had waited for Draco to get dressed before they made their way downstairs to get breakfast. They had agreed to keeping their "relationship" quiet, at least for the day, so that they could figure out how to tell their friends before having to deal with the stares of the other students. They shared a smile before parting ways to walk to their own table. Hermione sat down in between Harry and Neville and greeted her friends, looking up at the other side of the table where Ginny and Ron were eating their breakfast. 'Are you feeling better?' Ginny asked. 'Yes.' Hermione nodded, taking a slice of toast from the platter. 'How come you're so late? Did something happen?' Ginny grinned. 'No, nothing happened.' Hermione lied, narrowing her eyes at her best friend, to which Ginny chuckled. 'If you say so.' 'How are things going between Luna and you?' Hermione asked Neville, desperate to change the subject. 'Good, she's great. Honestly, I'm not sure if I've ever met such a perfect girl.' Neville smiled, looking over at the Ravenclaw table where Luna was reading the Quibbler. 'We like you too, Longbottom.' Ginny said, rolling her eyes. Neville laughed, but kept his mouth shut. 'This weekend is another chance to go to Hogsmeade.' Ginny said. 'I was thinking we could go get a butterbeer?' 'Sure.' Hermione nodded. 'Sounds good to me.' Harry said. Seamus and Dean looked up and gave a nod of approval before continuing their conversation with Ron. 'What have you been doing the past two days?' Ginny asked. 'I've been reading and sleeping most of the time.' Hermione answered, taking a bite of her toast. 'Did Malfoy take good care of you?' Ginny grinned mischievously. 'I was sleeping.' Hermione said, cocking one eyebrow up. 'I'm sure you were.' Ginny waited for the boys to have finished their breakfast and gone away before she reopened her interrogation. 'You can tell me what happened now, the boys are gone.' Ginny said. 'Gin, nothing happened.' Hermione stated. 'Are you sure though?' 'Yes, I'm positive.' Hermione said, getting up from her seat. 'What do you think could've happened? I was ill.' 'Well, I don't know. Maybe you and Malfoy shared a kiss, or perhaps a bed.' Ginny winked, following Hermione out of the Great Hall. Hermione stopped in her track and turned to look at her best friend. 'I did share a bed with Draco.' Hermione told her. 'It was a possibility. The two of you share quite a lot at the moment. A dormitory, a common room, a bathroom, you make homework together, walk together. It'll happen sooner or later, I'm telling you.' Ginny said, a serious look on her face as they continued walking again. 'No, it's not.' 'Do you want to bet on it?' 'No, thank you.' 'So you think it'll happen at some point!' Ginny chuckled. 'Gin, shut it.' Hermione said, trying to keep herself from laughing as she gave Ginny a slight push. Ginny laughed and stepped back to where she had been walking. 'It's not weird, you know. I mean Harry and I-' Ginny started. 'Gin, I love you, but I honestly don't want to hear what you and Harry are up to when no one's watching.' Hermione laughed. 'Not just when no one's watching.' Ginny winked. 'If I were you, I'd keep that kind of sensitive information to yourself when your brothers are around.' Hermione laughed. 'Their reactions are so worth it.' 'I'm sure it is.' 'I'll see you in class.' Ginny said before hurrying up the stairs towards the Gryffindor Tower as Hermione walked up the stairs towards the seventh floor. 'Time Turner.' she said when she arrived at Snape's portrait. He let out a heavy sigh before the portrait swung open. Hermione stepped into the common room and headed over to her room to grab her books. When she walked back out, Draco was waiting for her in the common room with a smile on his face. 'Are you ready?' he asked. 'I didn't hear you come in.' Hermione said. 'I was already here.' Draco told her. Hermione stepped closer to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek before heading over to the exit. 'Come on, before we're too late.'

After Hermione's last class of the day she had headed over to the library to get a few books she needed for research for a DADA essay. She stood on the tip of her toes to reach a book she wanted to take with her, but she couldn't reach it. An arm reached up and took the book from the bookshelf before holding it out for her. 'There you go.' Draco said. 'Thank you.' Hermione replied, taking the book from him. 'What are you doing here?' 'Same as you, getting the books I need for the essay.' he said. 'Where are you going to make homework? In the common room or here?' 'I was planning on making it in the common room.' Draco nodded and looked at the bookshelf before reaching up and taking a book from it. They left the library together and walked up the stairs. 'Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?' he asked. 'Yes, Ginny asked everyone to go and drink a butterbeer together and I thought it'd be a good idea to get the remaining Christmas presents .' Hermione said. 'What about you?' 'I thought you already bought your presents?' 'Yes, but there are still a few more I need to buy.' 'I think I might go with Blaise and Goyle to Hogsmeade this weekend.' 'They changed since the war, didn't they?' 'I think everyone has changed, whether they like to admit it or not.' Draco said. 'I noticed more Slytherins don't really care about blood status anymore. There are still quite a lot who do, but I guess eventually they start to realise as well that it's not about blood status.' 'Like Parkinson?' 'I'm afraid she's a lost cause.' Draco laughed. 'I don't think she'll ever understand.' Hermione nodded and told Snape the password before they stepped into the common room. 'How will Zabini and Goyle react?' she asked. 'Considering us you mean?' Hermione nodded as she sat down on the couch. 'Something tells me they'll be perfectly fine with it.' Draco grinned, sitting down next to her. 'Blaise was actually kind of pushing me to let you know I liked you. You don't have to worry about those two.' Draco winked. Hermione nodded, smiling up at him. 'What about Potter and Weasley?' 'I think Harry will be fine with it, I know Ginny will be for sure. I don't know about Ron, I don't think he'll be very excited about it.' 'Do you want him to be?' Hermione looked up at him and shrugged. 'He's still my friend. It would be nice if he'd put in some effort to get to know you instead of constantly just assuming you've got some kind of hidden agenda.' 'He thinks I've got a hidden agenda?' 'I don't know.' Hermione shrugs. 'What about the students? You saw everyone's first reaction when we walked in as friends.' 'I honestly don't care what they think.' Draco said, wrapping his arm around Hermione's shoulders. 'The only opinion I care about, is yours.' 'That's good to know.' she grinned, patting him on his leg. 'Let's go make some homework.' 'Are you serious?' Draco asked, raising his eyebrows. Hermione turned to look at him. 'I don't make jokes about education.' 'Fair enough.' Draco said, pushing himself forward to grab his books from the table.

Draco pressed a quick peck to Hermione's lips before they entered the Great Hall. Hermione walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Ron. 'Good afternoon.' Hermione said. 'Good afternoon, what are you so cheerful about?' Ginny asked. 'Is it forbidden to be cheerful?' Hermione asked. 'Great comeback.' Ginny chuckled, lifting a forkful of mashed potato to her mouth. ''ermione can I ta'k to ye afte dinner?' Ron asked, his mouth filled with chicken. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him before slowly nodding. 'Sure.' 'So Hermione, what would you like to get for Christmas?' Ginny asked. 'I have no idea.' Hermione shrugged. 'A book it is.' Ginny nodded, turning to the next person to ask what they wanted to have for Christmas. When they finished dinner Ron walked with Hermione out of the Great Hall. 'What did you want to talk about?' Hermione asked. 'I wanted to tell you something.' Ron said, looking sideways at Hermione. 'Okay?' 'I- uh- I am-' Ron started, seeming to have a difficult time to find the right words to say. His cheeks turned red and he seemed to feel rather uncomfortable, making Hermione anxious as to what he wanted to tell her. What if he still liked her, she'd have to turn him down for obvious reasons. 'You are?' Hermione asked. 'Lavender and I are kind of together.' Ron said. 'Is that it?' Hermione asked relieved. 'Yes, are you making fun of me?' 'No, no of course not. I'm happy for you, Ron. I honestly am.' she smiled. 'Thanks.' Ron nodded. 'I thought it'd be better to tell you first, because- you know- we broke up a few weeks back, and I thought it'd be better if you'd hear it coming from me instead of someone else.' 'I'm happy for you either way.' she said. 'Is this the real thing? Or is this a sixth year redo?' 'No, I think this is really serious now.' Ron said, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Just make sure to not screw it up then.' 'I'll do my best.' Ron laughed. 'Are you still able to survive living with that ferret?' 'Don't call him that.' Hermione sighed. 'He has been one, for real, and he's still a spoiled brat.' 'He has changed, Ronald.' Hermione stated, folding her arms in front of her chest. 'I'm sure he has. Don't let him fool you, Hermione. It's an act.' 'It's not. He has changed and he tries so hard to proof to everyone that he has.' 'You shouldn't trust him.' Ron said, shaking his head. 'Maybe you should open your eyes for once. You don't even try to get to know him. He's part of my life, whether you like it or not and I'd appreciate it if you'd put in some effort to get to know him, because he's doing his best to get on everyone's good side. He knows he has made some bad life choices in the past, you don't have to keep reminding him of what has happened.' Ron stared at her, completely dumbstruck. It takes him a moment to gather himself and he just wants to open his mouth to say something, but Hermione shakes his head. 'Whatever Ronald, I'll see you tomorrow.' Hermione huffed, quickly walking towards the stairs, leaving a confused Ron behind. When she arrived in the common room of the Head Dormitory Draco looked up from the newspaper he was reading and raised his eyebrows when he saw the frown that decorated Hermione's forehead. 'What happened?' Draco asked. 'I had an argument with Ron.' she said, sitting down on the couch next to Draco. 'Do you want to talk about it?' he asked, folding the newspaper up. 'Not really.' she sighed, offering him a small smile. 'May I ask what the argument was about?' Hermione was silent for a moment before looking up at him. 'You.' Draco furrowed his eyebrows. 'Ron wanted to tell me something and it turned out to be the fact that he and Lavender are dating and then he asked about you, which wasn't very polite, so I called him out on it and he said I shouldn't trust you and so on and I was getting quite angry at this point-' Hermione rambled on, only to be cut off mid-sentence by Draco's lips. His soft lips moved against her own and the warm sensation returned, warming her whole body up. The kiss that had started as a small one grew to become more passionate with every passing second until Draco pulled away. He smiled down at her and shook his head. 'I don't care what he thinks, as long as you don't start thinking the same way about me.' 'I wouldn't.' Hermione told him. Draco offered her a small smile and nodded. 'If it's okay with you, I'd like to tell Blaise about us tomorrow.' Hermione looked up at him and slowly nodded. 'We'll have to tell our friends at some point. I guess, why not just do it tomorrow, right?' she said. 'Why not just do it tomorrow indeed.' Draco smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Draco planted a kiss to the top of her head and rested his head against hers.