Chapter 29

Hermione unrolled the little note attached to Bernard's leg. Bernard, it was the stupidest name for an owl, ever. But he was a sweet bird, a bit of an idiot, but Harry had taken a shine to him. Harry had a soft spot for underdogs and Hermione could sympathize.

Draco was lying on the bed watching TV. Hermione looked over at his lean figure, feeling heat the way she did everything she looked at him. Her parents knew he came to her room every night. They didn't like it, but she wasn't willing to hear it.

Harry wanted to meet her at the Leaky Cauldron. "I'm going out," she said.

Draco nodded. "I can't believe muggles think this is entertaining," he said, flicking through the channels.

"I won't be long."

Hermione took the tube into Piccadilly, the walked over to the muggle world entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. It had been a while since she'd been there, or anywhere in the wizard world.

Comforting chaos met her as she walked in the door. The Wizard World worked at another pace. She found Harry sitting at one of the boots in the back. "Hey, Harry."

"Mione," he said, standing up to give her a hug. "Good to see you. It's been a while. Draco still with you?"

She nodded and sat down. Tom came over and she ordered a wine. It was a bit early, but for some reason she felt she'd need it. "How's Ginny?"

"Good. She's wondering how you are. We haven't seen you for a while."

"I know; I've just been busy."

"What are you going to do about Draco?"

It was a question she wasn't ready to answer. The only thing she knew was that something had to change. Her parents were unhappy.

"Are you going to take care of him for the next twenty five years?"

"It isn't like that," she said.

"Isn't it? He's a grown man. He can take care of himself."

Hermione snorted. He did such a good job the last time, she wanted to say.

"You don't have to be stuck with him."

"We're kind of together."

Harry looked at her, but he didn't seem to be surprised. "Are you sure he's not just using you."

Hermione closed her eyes. It was what her parents thought. She knew it was more to it than that; she felt it when he touched her, but she wasn't stupid—there was always something in the back of her mind; her most rational part that said the opposite.

"He is exiled, Hermione."

"I know. I am the one that brought that about."

"If you are with him, then you are too. You can't be with him and cross both worlds. It won't work and it will put him in danger. He's not supposed to engage with you if you are part of this community."

"Then I'm not."

"It's not worth giving your life up for. Help him out, but don't go down with him."

"That's the point, Harry. I've always been down with him. We might not have been together physically, but where he goes, I go."

"Hermione …" Harry started.

"I'm in love with him and I have been for a long time."

"Something completely false started this. That stupid potion."

"The potion only uncovered something that was there."

"You were not in love with Draco Malfoy."

"Perhaps not in love, but the potential was there before the potion."

"You hated Draco."

"With a passion," Hermione smiled.

Harry pursed his lips together. She knew he didn't believe her, or that maybe she was too in love to see straight. It was a huge commitment. If she did this, she would be giving up her friends for the next twenty five years, give or take.

There was nothing else to say really. "I have to go."

"Don't," Harry said quietly.

Standing, she gave Harry a hug, letting it linger longer than she should. She wouldn't be seeing him for a really long time. Her eyes began to prickle. It was awful that she had to do this, but Draco had her and she didn't able to live properly when he wasn't with her. She hoped Harry would understand in time.

Turning away, she left without looking back, because she might cave if she did. She didn't want to do this, but she had to. She had to see where this went, because she had no peace otherwise. She hadn't had peace for a long time.

Returning home, she went up to her room. Draco was still there on her bed. He grabbed her hand lightly when she walked up to him. She let her eyes travel. She was frickin in love with him, it was ridiculous. She hadn't really been able to admit it before. It had had its grip on her for so very long now. Sitting down, she faced him. "What are we going to do?" He twisted his head,considering her. "If we're going to do this, we need to actually do something."

"What is it we're actually need to do?"

"I don't know, getting on with it."

His hand ran along her thigh, sending delicious sensations up her body. Was he distracting her? Was he protecting his cushy existence here? "I have no problem getting on with it," he teased, his eyes reeling her in. She almost gave in.

"No," she said, putting her hand on his chest. "No. We can't keep going like this. If we are … we, then we need to get on with something. We can't hide away in my parents' house for the next decade."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Normal people would go to University." It was what her parents had been harping on about since she'd finished at Hogwarts. Her lack of records was an issue, but she knew she could fix that, fabricate a record in the Ministry of Education's databases. Then just place a record in the University database, skip the process and just start going to classes. It technically was cheating, but what choice did she have? They certainly wasn't going to accept a letter from Hogwarts, and neither of them had officially finished their schooling, being waylaid by a war.

"You want to go to University? A muggle University?"

"Not just me. You too."

He was staring at her, but she couldn't quite make out his expression. If he wanted this, he had to work for it. Now was the time to show how serious it was.

"And study what?"

"I might do History, maybe a science adjunct."

"And me?"

"Finance."

Draco laughed. "You think I should be one of those banking boys with tight suits and dirty minds."

"I don't think I could imagine a better profession for you." Hermione didn't even want to know how he'd come in contact with 'bank boys'. "We get student loans, we study, we'll get a room somewhere."

Something flashed in Draco's eyes. "Are you asking me to move in with you?"

"We can do separate rooms if you prefer."

He considered her for a while. "I don't know anything about muggle finance."

"Neither will anyone else there."

"And what's the alternative?"

Hermione shrugged. "I'm going, you either come or not." She got up and walked out of the room and downstairs, making herself a cup of coffee, feeling nervous because this was either their relationship, or not. Things were being decided and intentions stated.

She heard Draco's steps coming down the stairs. He came into the kitchen and leant back on the bench. She really did struggle to keep her hands off him. "So that's it," he said. "An ultimatum."

"Have you got any better ideas?" she challenged.

"We could just go live on a beach somewhere."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "We do this, we do it properly."

"You're going to turn me into a proper muggle, aren't you?"

"A contributing member of society. If you want to be with me, you have to pull your weight."

"Are you accusing me of being lazy?" he said, grabbing for her.

"I'm accusing you of being comfortable."

He pulled her to him. "You're right. I am comfortable." He nuzzled her neck and she was starting to lose her ability to finish this conversation.

"Deal?" she said while she still had the ability to think. His lips were travelling up her neck, up her chin and he licked her earlobe. Her eyes swam closed. She really had no defenses against him and she just melted when he touched her.

"You drive a hard bargain," he whispered into her ear.

Swallowing hard, Hermione tried to step away. "Let's go interfere with some databases," she said, but he pulled her back.

"Later."

"You will not distract me, Draco Malfoy."

"Wanna bet?"

-0-

They sat in the enrollment office at one of the Oxford Universities while Hermione worked her magic on one of the network connected computers. Luckily Weasley's shop was now selling extensible eyes so she could see as she entered information. This was strictly illegal, but it wasn't the only illegal thing she'd done for them. He really was a bad influence on her, she chuckled, feeling a bit like Bonny and Clyde—without the psychopathic tendencies.

"Finance, really?" Draco said.

"You like money."

"I like you," he said. It was a throwaway comment, insinuating that he was here under duress, but it was the first time he'd actually said he had a feeling for her that wasn't just sexual.

Hermione faltered, turning bright red. "Don't distract me."

"Give me that wand and I will take you right her on the floor and no one will see a thing."

"Shush," she said, trying to concentrate, but was constantly distracted by images in her head. "If you are a good boy and behave, we can go look for a flat after this."

"A flat, huh?"

"With a bed. Where we'll live. Unless you want to live apart."

"That would just be a hassle, don't you think?" Moving in and an expression of feelings all in one day, my, they were almost like a couple.

"I'm done," Hermione said and turned and sought his lips. All his teasing was finally too much. Their kissing was too much display for an enrollment office, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Screw finding a flat—a fucking cupboard will do."

"You locked me in last time I had sex with you in a cupboard."

He pulled her out of the seat and she waved to the shocked people as they left. He really was a bad influence on her. Taking her wand, he unlocked a door down the hall. "You're not supposed to use a wand."

"And there are so many things I could say right now."

The End

A/N And there it ends. I'm afraid I am going to take a break for a bit. I've got a backlog of other stories and need to put some effort there, but as I adore Hermione and the Malfoy boys, I am sure I can't stay away too long.

Regards,

Camille