Hermione woke up to something tickling her face. She tried to brush it away with her hand but something was still brushing across her cheek.
Her eyes shot open to see Draco watching her with a smirk on his face, his hand resting gently on her cheekbone.
'Creep.' She mumbled, rolling over and burying her face in his chest in an attempt to go back to sleep. It had been a few days since her and Draco had spent the night together and it had quickly become a regular occurrence. Hermione was becoming far too comfortable using Draco's chest as a pillow, it didn't hurt that it was a very nice chest.
'It's time to wake up.' Draco insisted, nudging her away from his chest.
'Five more minutes.' Hermione mumbled.
'It's already midday.' Draco said. 'Students will be arriving before you get out of bed at this rate.'
'It's midday?' Hermione squealed, her eyes popping open. 'Why didn't you say so?'
'I just did.' Draco replied, a slightly confused look on his face.
'This is your fault!' Hermione cried as she jumped out of bed and threw on Draco's shirt from the day before to cover her naked form.
'My fault?!' Draco laughed, looping an arm around Hermione's waist and pulling her back down on the bed, pinning her arms above her head. 'How is it my fault?!'
'You decided to wake me up in the middle of the night.' Hermione grumbled, flushing at the memory. Draco smirked in reply, a smug look on his face.
'Come on, Granger.' Draco teased, biting her lip. 'You loved it.'
Hermione sighed and wriggled out of his grip to stand up again.
'We need to get ready, if we're quick we can still make lunch.' She offered, holding her hand out to pull him off the bed.
'Oh, I'm starving.' Draco growled, taking her hand and pulling her to the bathroom.
They didn't make lunch.
A few hours later they were dressed in their uniform and waiting at the front doors for students to begin filtering in.
As soon as Hermione saw Ginny, near the front of the pack, she waved her over with a huge smile on her face.
'I've missed you!' Hermione exclaimed as she gave Ginny a hug.
'Christmas wasn't the same without you.' Ginny admitted, pulling back from the hug. 'But how was... YOU'VE HAD SEX!'
'Ginny!' Hermione cried, hoping that no one was paying attention to them enough to have heard that. 'What are you talking about?!'
Ginny gave Hermione a knowing look. 'You have that look in your eye that says "I've been royally sha-."'
Hermione stopped her by a non-verbal Silencing charm, flushing at her comment.
'I don't know how you know these things, Ginny.' Hermione whispered. 'But if you promise not to tell the whole school about it, I'll take the charms off.'
Ginny nodded and mimed zipping her lips. Hermione took the charm off and Ginny immediately began asking questions at top speed, but in hushed whispers. Hermione didn't get the chance to answer any as a hand slipped around her waist.
'Ginny, nice Christmas?' Draco asked, gently squeezing Hermione's hip.
'It was nice, thank you.' Ginny said. 'I don't need to ask how good your Christmas was, if it was anything like Hermione's.'
Draco smirked at the comment but Hermione shot them both a glare.
'I don't appreciate such blasé talk about my sex life.' Hermione grumbled in a quiet voice.
'What's this I hear about a sex life?' Blaise asked, walking towards them with his hand linked in Luna's.
'Merlin, help me.' Hermione muttered.
'Blaise,' Luna said. 'I don't think Hermione's comfortable with us talking about what her and Draco get up to.'
'Thank you, Luna.' Hermione said, shooting the other three another glare as she pulled Draco towards the Great Hall. His arm was still wrapped tightly around her waist as they entered and she didn't miss the looks that they got from other students. What Hermione did miss was the smug smile on McGonagall's face when Madam Pomfrey handed her five galleons as they spotted Hermione and Draco together confirming any rumours about their relationship.
'How was Christmas?' Ginny asked Hermione in a whisper when they had settled in their usual seats.
'It was really nice.' Hermione said honestly.
'Nothing went... wrong or... bad or anything?' Ginny asked.
'Not at all.' Hermione assured her quietly. 'I didn't expect it to, I trust Draco. And, after getting to know her better, I trust Narcissa too.'
'Good.' Ginny said, as McGonagall began her speech.
The five of them began eating in earnest once the speech was over, especially Draco and Hermione who had missed two meals that day. There was little room for them to talk about their Christmases between all of the eating, and by the time they were dismissed from dinner Hermione felt somewhat guilty that she hadn't really asked how everyone had been during their winter break.
Her and Draco did their usual rounds as the others went to bed, but instead of waiting until the end of their walk, Draco slipped his arm around Hermione's waist as soon as they were out of the Great Hall. Hermione smiled to herself at the gesture.
Their new term began without much excitement, but that soon changed during lunch on their third day back.
Hermione and Draco had arrived together, both coming from Defence Against the Dark Arts, and taken their usual seats at the table with Blaise Luna and Ginny.
'Harry promised that he and Ron will be coming to Hogsmeade this weekend, shall we all go to the pub to see them?' Ginny asked, addressing the whole group.
'I don't want to be outnumbered by Gryffindors again.' Draco grumbled, but Hermione softly elbowed his side and he agreed to go with her.
'It would be nice for you to get to know them both.' She said quietly as Blaise and Luna told Ginny they would also be up for it. 'They are my best friends.'
'I've got six years of loathing to get over.' Draco muttered. 'From both sides, they hated me too.'
'You also hated me at one point.' Hermione said.
'Hate is a strong word.' Draco muttered, but Hermione barely heard him. She was watching as a figure waltzed over to their table and sat in the empty seat beside Blaise. The five of them stopped talking, confused at their sudden new arrival.
'Parkinson.' Draco and Blaise greeted in unison, both of them trying not to show how confused they were.
'Malfoy. Zabini.' Pansy nodded, beginning to spoon food on her plate. 'Friends of Malfoy and Zabini.'
'Pans, what are you doing?' Blaise asked after another moment of silence.
'I told you in the common room yesterday.' She huffed, stabbing a roast potato. 'Nott dumped me for Bulstrode - Bulstrode! - and I can't stand the sight of them. I had to jump ship from that table.'
Ginny's eyebrows were raised, apprehensively, but at the mention of Theodore Nott dumping Pansy Parkinson for Millicent Bulstrode her eyes widened.
'Are you joking?!' Ginny cried, surprising everyone including Pansy. 'He dumped you, for her?'
'I know!' Pansy cried, launching into a blow by blow account of what happened as Ginny listened with genuine intrigue.
Hermione wondered whether, if they had known it was that easy to make friends with the Slytherins, they wouldn't have had so much trouble with them throughout the rest of their years at school.
'Pansy,' Ginny said at the end of their conversation. 'We were talking about going for a drink in Hogsmeade this weekend, do you want to join?'
Pansy gave the red head a surprised, but genuine, half smile. 'That would be nice.'
'Thank Merlin.' Draco said. 'Now we won't be as outnumbered by Griffindors.'
Pansy looked slightly confused.
'Potter and Weasley will be joining.' Blaise explained.
'Maybe I shouldn't..' Pansy started, but Hermione cut her off.
'If you want to, they won't mind.' Hermione said reassuringly. 'They didn't mind Draco and Blaise being there last time.'
'Yes, but that's because you're shagging Draco.' Pansy said flippantly, causing the rest of the group to choke on their food. Hermione flushed. 'Come on, you really thought that was a secret? The whole school knows.'
'That's because Blaise has a big mouth and likes to tell people.' Luna said, speaking up in front of Pansy for the first time.
'Actually, it was Ginny who shouted it to everyone last night.' Blaise countered, pouting at Luna which she ignored with an airy smile.
Ginny was looking sheepish, but Pansy sent her a smirk.
'I didn't mean to shout it so that everyone could hear.' Ginny said. 'I was just so shocked, it was so obviously written across your face that you'd finally done it again, it slipped out before I could stop it.'
'Hang on,' Pansy said. 'Finally done it again? Just how long have you two been at it?'
Hermione opened her mouth to end the conversation but Blaise spoke first.
'Draco, the slimy git, has been keeping this from us for years Pans.' He said. Pansy opened her mouth in shock, but Hermione could also see that there was a glint in her eye that suggested she'd known about it, or guessed, like Blaise had.
'Is that why you always used to sneak out at night in Fifth Year?' Pansy gasped, finally fitting the pieces together.
Hermione inwardly groaned, not wanting to go through all of this again.
'Can we please stop discussing this in such a public setting?' Draco asked, giving Hermione's thigh a reassuring squeeze. 'Pansy, if you really want to know all of the details I'm sure Ginny will fill you in.'
Hermione sent him a smile, thankful that they weren't going to keep this up any longer.
'Come on,' Draco whispered in her ear. 'Let's go to Potions early.'
They said goodbye to everyone, earning a few winks and smirks, and made their way down to the dungeons. Hermione knew what it looked like, going to lesson so early, especially because Pansy and Blaise took Potions with them but she didn't mind. She was glad to get away from the embarrassing details of their relationship being laid out in the middle of the Great Hall.
'Do you think Pansy will sit with us more often now?' Hermione asked as Draco led her down the stairs.
'I think so.' Draco nodded. 'Apparently she's been complaining to Blaise for ages that she hates everyone she talks to.'
'Why do you think she didn't sit with us sooner?'
'I think she was scared.' Draco said after contemplating it. 'It was different for Blaise, sitting with you lot, because he's my closest friend. He knew that we'd come as some sort of a package deal, and it helps that he has a thing for Luna. With Pansy, I imagine she would have felt intimidated by joining you three girls.'
'That's crazy.' Hermione muttered. 'Would she not have realised that we were friends with you and therefore would be with her?'
'Slytherin girls are different.' Draco said. 'They're catty and bitchy, they wouldn't assume other girls aren't like that if they've never given them the time of day to find out otherwise.'
'Well, I think Pansy and Ginny will get on like a house on fire. They both love to gossip.' Hermione said with a laugh.
'Yes, we better watch them.' Draco grumbled as he opened the door to the Potions classroom.
'Ah, our Head Boy and Girl are eager today.' Professor Slughorn said as he noticed them walk in.
'Well, we have to make a good impression for the other students once in a while.' Draco replied as he and Hermione took their usual seats.
'Precisely, my boy.' Slughorn said. 'I have an excellent lesson planned today.'
'What is it we're making?' Hermione asked, her interest thoroughly peaked.
'That would spoil the surprise.' Slughorn said, shuffling back over to his desk.
Luckily, Hermione didn't have to wait much longer as students began drifting in. Once they were all seated, Slughorn pulled a cauldron onto his desk and lifted the lid from it.
'Some of you may remember this from my first day back here a couple of years ago.' Slughorn said. 'And today you will finally be making it for yourself. Miss Granger, if I remember correctly you knew what this was back then. Any guesses?'
Hermione blushed as all of the eyes in the room turned to her. She couldn't see the liquid from here, so stood and stepped closer. As the Pearl-like liquid came into view, and the smell of parchment drifted into her nose she knew what it was.
'Amortentia, sir.' Hermione said. Slughorn smiled.
'Excellent. Instructions are on page eighty nine of your books.' Slughorn instructed and the class got to work.
'This is bloody complicated.' Pansy grumbled after an hour. She wasn't the only one struggling by the amount of pursed lips and furrowed brows that could be seen around the room. Hermione was also glaring into her cauldron, worried that the colour was slightly off.
After the time was up, Hermione was pretty sure she had got it right.
'This is one of the simpler potions to judge how well it has been made. You need only smell it, if it smells of what attracts you the most then it has been brewed correctly.' Slughorn instructed.
Blaise and Pansy both sniffed their cauldrons and pouted. Hermione and Draco glanced at each other before smelling their own potions, smiles erupting on both of their faces when they realised they'd both done it.
'Go on then, what do you both smell.' Blaise said with a smirk.
'Freshly cut grass.' Hermione said.
'Green apples.' Draco said.
'Parchment.'
'Old books.'
They both looked at each other when they smelled their third scent, a blush creeping up Hermione's cheek when she realised it hadn't changed since last time.
'A dusty broom cupboard.' They whispered together.
Blaise and Pansy weren't listening, both leaning over the correctly made potion to find out what they smelled.
'How weird.' Pansy muttered after sniffing for a few minutes.
'What do you smell?' Blaise asked.
'Broomsticks, chocolate frogs, and... woolly jumpers?' Pansy said, slightly confused at the last one.
'That's an interesting combination.' Blaise muttered.
Hermione and Draco were still looking at each other, both blushing.
'Have you always smelled that?' Draco whispered in her ear.
'Yes.' Hermione admitted quietly. He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze and they started cleaning up and packing away their things.