Gasps erupted from the entire Hall and horrified shrieks escaped Astoria and Ginny's mouths, which could only just be heard over Hermione's painful cries. Draco moved closer towards Hermione and raised his fist, preparing to throw another punch at the brunette, but Blaise and Theodore were on the scene in seconds. Blasie rushed in front of Hermione, blocking his blonde friend from doing anymore damage, while Theodore grabbed Draco from behind, pulling him away from the weeping girl.
Ginny and Astoria were by Hermione's side almost instantly and as soon as Draco was out of the room, Blaise was there too, helping the girls convince Hermione to move her hands from her face. The curly haired girl pulled Ginny towards her and began to whisper in her ear.
"He didn't actually hit me!" Hermione said through her cupped hands.
"What!" Ginny exclaimed almost loud enough to be heard over all of the commotion.
"He only just missed. But I need you to perform a spell that will give me a nose bleed."
"Are you sure!?"
Hermione nodded as Ginny discreetly removed her wand from her robe and preformed the spell, before getting up to tell Astoria and Blaise that Draco hadn't actually hit Hermione.
***
Theodore dragged Draco out into the corridors and shoved him into a wall before releasing him. For a few moments Theodore stood there with a menacing look on his face, until he couldn't hold it in anymore. Draco watched as his chubby friend burst into a fit of laughter.
"What's so funny?" Draco questioned, not entirely sure what there was to laugh at.
"You threw a good-" Theodore raised his hands and made quotation marks with his fingers before continuing. "Punch."
Draco's eyes widened in shock as his friend continued to laugh. "Are you kidding! Was it noticeable?"
The doors to the Great Hall swung open, startling the boys, as Astoria and Ginny wandered over to them helping a sobbing Hermione out of the Hall.
"I'll tell you was will be noticeable, Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Astoria huffed, glaring at the Slytherin Prince.
"The bleeding nose Weaslette gave her?" Draco grinned as he gestured towards Ginny, who let go of the curly haired girl and began threatening to strangle the boy.
However, as soon as Ginny released Hermione, she began to get uneasy on her feet, but Draco was quick to her aid. He slid his arms round her small waist and grinned as he pulled her into a hug, burring his face in her hair.
"You can stop acting now, Granger!" He chuckled.
Hermione shook her head. "That's the problem Draco. I'm not acting!"
The brunette removed her hands from her face to reveal a massive purple bruise on her left cheekbone along with a bloody nose which caused Draco to gasp in horror.
"Oh dear Merlin! Hermione I'm so sorry!" The poor boy could barely breath. He felt so guilty! Or at least he did until a huge grin spread across the Gryffindor's face and the bruising and blood began to disappear.
"I'm sorry you actually fell for that!" She laughed as she playfully hit Draco's chest as he pretended to sulk over the horrible prank she had just pulled on him.
After several minutes of playfully teasing Draco, Astoria came up with and idea that she knew everyone would like. "How about this Friday we all get together for games night?"
Ginny began squealing and jumping around like a child causing Theodore to laugh. "If that doesn't mean yes, I don't know what does."
"So you'll come?"
"Sure! Why the hell not." Theodore shrugged as he leant against the wall and continued to laugh at the bouncing redhead.
Astoria turned to Draco and Hermione. "Are you planning on joining us?"
"I don't want to get involved in that again!" Draco exclaimed with a slight hint of humour in his voice.
"You, Draco Malfoy, don't get a choice." Astoria smirked before turning to Hermione. "So, will you?"
"Sorry, Astoria." The brunette sighed as she brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I have studying to do and besides..."
Before Hermione had chance to finish, Draco clamped a hand over her mouth and chuckled as he tried to pry his hand off her face. "Not a chance, Granger! If I'm going, so are you." He turned to Astoria and smiled. "She'll be there."
Astoria glanced questioningly at Hermione, who had given up trying to remove Draco's hand from her face, and watched as the brunette rolled her eyes and huffed, clearly wanting the conversation to end soon.
"Draco will you let the poor girl breathe!" Astoria chuckled as he removed his hand allowing Hermione to take a deep breath.
"Mione? You alright?" Ginny asked as she finally came back down to earth.
"Just - I'm fine." The Gryffindor Princess gasped as she continued to catch her breath.
"Hermione, will you please come on Friday." Astoria pleaded as her and Ginny made puppy-dog eyes at the brunette.
"Fine. But only because I have nothing better to do!" Hermione sighed finally giving into all the pleading.
"What happened to all the studying?" Draco asked with a smirk appearing on his pale face. "Isn't that what you're supposed to be doing on Friday?"
"It can wait." Hermione turned to Astoria and Ginny. "Besides, my friends are more important."
"I'll remind you of that." Ginny laughed as she pulled her best friend into a hug.
"That's the sweetest thing I've ever seen!" Someone cooed from behind the two girls, causing everyone to turn their attention towards the voice.
Draco grinned knowingly as the person blew their nose and came forward. "You're such a soppy git, Blaise! You know that?"
Theodore cracked up laughing as a teary eyed Blaise Zabini stepped out of the shadows and blew his nose in a tissue again. The girls smiled sympathetically at the emotional Slytherin and couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the sight.
"Blaise I had no idea you were so sensitive." Astoria smiled as she gently patted his back in attempt to comfort the boy.
Blaise smiled and looked up at Draco. "Can I have a hug?"
"No! You can go back to hugging your pillow, mate." Draco scoffed not wanting to get involved in the whole sensitive lark.
"But you give her a hug!" Blaise whined as he pointed at Hermione.
"That's different."
"No it's not."
"It is and you know it is!"
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"Pretty, pretty please?"
"No."
"Draco loves Hermione! And he admitted it to me last night!"
Draco chuckled. "I did no such thing!"
Blaise stubbornly folded his arms over his chest and grinned. "Yes you did!"
"When?"
"When you had that dream about..."
"Okay fine! You can have a bloody hug!"
Without hesitation Blaise charged at Draco with a huge childish grin on his face as he pulled his blonde friend into a bone-crushing embrace. Once Draco managed to pry himself away from Blaise, he watched as his dark skinned friend turned to Astoria and smile.
"I presume I'm invited to this little get together on Friday night?" He questioned with a slight chuckle.
"You are if you're prepared to miss out on one night of Keeping up with the Kardashian's!" Theodore laughed causing Blaise's face to flush bright red.
"Ignore him." Astoria sighed with a small nod of confirmation. "You are free that night, right?"
"I am now." Blaise beamed as he wrapped his arms around Astoria's shoulders and hugged her, taking the girl by surprise. Once Blaise let go of her, he apologised for startling her and went to stand beside Draco.
The dark haired girl clapped her hands together in delight and smiled. "Great! So we are all attending games night on Friday?"
"Yes, Astoria." Everyone chorused earning a satisfied grin from the dark haired Slytherin.
"Astoria, don't mean to sound like a Hufflepuff here but, do you think you could speed things up a little?" Theodore asked after clearing his throat and earning a puzzled look from the girl.
"Why? Are you in a rush, Theo?"
"No! Look, I don't know whether or not you noticed but; It's past curfew!"
"Right, of course! Sorry." Astoria mumbled as she tried to supress a yawn. "Shall we say around 07:30 p.m.?"
Everyone nodded, too tired to respond in words. Astoria hugged Ginny and bid her goodnight before wandering off down towards the Dungeons, shortly followed by Theodore and Blaise, who was half asleep.
"I'm going to head up to the Common Room." Ginny yawned as she lazily pointed in the direction she was heading. "Will you be alright?"
"Yes, Gin. I'll be fine!" Hermione chuckled. "Now go to bed before you fall asleep half way down the corridor and wake up having had Peeves draw all over your face."
Ginny nodded with a weak smile as she turned and set of down the corridors.
"Well Granger, I'd best be off." He whispered in her ear, she giggled at his warm breath.
"But then who's going to give me goodnight kisses?" She joked, quickly wishing she hadn't.
Before she had time to take back what she had said, Draco had whisked off her feet and spun round in circles. He stopped, and stared into her chocolate brown eyes. She stared into his stormy grey eyes, her breathing becoming heavier by the second. Draco couldn't resist any longer, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. She hesitated for a moment and then began returning the kiss. They pulled away, gasping for breath. He grinned. She smiled. Draco put Hermione down and waved goodnight to her, she did the same.
***
When Hermione returned to her dorm, Ginny was nowhere to be seen. The curly haired girl shrugged and told herself that her best friend would be fine. She changed into her pajarmas, took her toothbrush from on top of the dresser and headed for the bathroom.
As soon as the curly haired girl pushed open the bathroom door, she let out a small squeal before bursting into laughter. There, in the bathroom, was Ginny! She was sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, with a toothbrush in her mouth. And surely enough, she was asleep.
Hermione gently pushed past her sleeping friend and approached the sink. Turning on the faucet with a sigh, she began scrubbing her teeth, all the while wondering how she was going to move Ginny from the bathroom to her own bed.