I sincerely apologize for the wait. This is kind of just a filler chapter so bare with me. I have writer's block really bad. Again, I do not own anything except for the new ideas.

Chapter 8

"Why did you do that for?" Draco asked her as soon as she pulled away, not that he didn't enjoy it.

"You are perhaps the sweetest guy ever and I couldn't help it. I just can't believe we hated each other for so long and it took a bloody war to make things right." She buried herself into him laying her face against his chest. His heart was racing fast. Draco wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"I can't believe it either." He kissed the top of her head. "I can't believe it either."

"And after everything you've been through, you continue to put up with everyone and the way they treat you just to be near me. It hurts my heart that I am all you have left, but it warms my heart at the same time that I mean that much to you. I am a big ball of emotions."

"When are you not, love?" He tried to joke with her because talking about his feelings and listening to others talk about theirs was still a bit new to him. Hermione gently let go and punched Draco's arm. "Ow. I guess I deserved that."

"Yes, you did." She smiled at him and made her way back to the couch. "Oh, Draco. What are we going to do?"

Draco sat down beside and put his arm around her. "Hermione, if it's too complicated for you we can just end it here?" His heart stopped beating for a minute.

"No! I don't want to end it. If things being complicated means I get to be with you then let things be complicated." She turned away from Draco as soon as she realized what she had said. Did she really just say be with him? Did she mean be with him in that way? Her mind was racing back and forth. She knew she had kissed him but what if she was moving way too fast.

"Alright, then things will just stay complicated. We don't have to push our relationship to anything more than it is. I like you Hermione and when I say like you, I mean I really like you. I know that it would be in our best interest to wait for anything more than our friendship at this point time. Especially with that weasel always on my case. But he needs to know I'm not going anywhere and I damn sure am not going to do anything to hurt you." They stared into each others eyes for a while before Hermione spoke.

"They really misjudge you. This is the side of you they need to see more often. Of course, they have to want to see it. But I agree. I really like you too and we should wait. Just until we know there won't be any bloodshed." She tried to laugh it off even though they both knew that wasn't going to be easy in the slightest.

The next morning Hermione woke and went downstairs for breakfast. She left a note for Draco saying that she would meet up with him a little later, but she had some things she had to take care of first. When she entered the grand hall she immediately spotted the threesome noticing that Ron hadn't bothered to get his face touched up at all. She stood beside the three without even making an attempt to sit down.

"Listen to me, the lot of you. Draco and I, we are friends. We will continue to be friends. Nothing any of you say or do is going to change that. I love you all, you know I do." Ron let out a slight hmph, which made Hermione jerk towards him. "I DO! DO NOT EVEN BEGIN THAT ATTITUDE WITH ME THIS MORNING! AS I WAS SAYING, I love each and everyone one of you and I would do anything for you. I would even but up with your annoying mates," she emphasized towards Ron, "and any other annoyance that might come along. So, if you love me as much as I love you then you should be able to do that. And if you can't, then maybe we aren't as close as I thought. But, I love him too. You need to get to know the man that I do because then maybe if you did, you can at least see why we are friends. Even if you can't be his friend, you could at least see why we are. He means as much to me as the rest of you do. So let up on him and give him a chance." She didn't wait for anyone to say anything. She reached over and grabbed a biscuit before turning around and walking out of the grand hall. She needed a library break.

Draco found her exactly where she always is. She sits in the deepest corner of the library where the big, comfy armchair that seemed to be made for her rested. He walked up behind her and kissed her softly on the top of her head. "Having a good read, love?"

She smiled up at him and closed her book. "Just needed a break away for a bit. I just lectured my friends about us. I'm sure they are going to get tired of it, but it's what I do. Surprisingly, I can admit that."

"It's what you do best." He sat down across from her. "You know, it's really beautiful outside. You want to go have a read by the lake? It will get us out of the dark and dusty old library and into something brighter." She nodded. Draco grabbed a rolled up book he had stuck in his back pocket. It was very thin and he would go through it in no time, but he just wanted to be by her side. He would read it three times over if he had too.

"Hermione's right, Harry. We should give Draco a chance. Or rather the two of you should give Draco a chance. I don't want to lose Hermione and this isn't fair to her. She's got a heart of gold. That's why she got to like him sooner. I like him. He seems genuine and I don't say that about a lot of people." She kept nudging her boyfriend.

"Ginny, I already said that I would hang around him and try to get a long. I was willing to do that yesterday. I think her speech was more for Ron than anyone, and ok slightly me as well," he added when he noticed Ginny glare at him, "I will do what it takes to make you both happy, but I cannot say the same for Ron."

"Let's just focus on you for now. Ron will either come around or he won't and frankly I could care less. I just wish he would realize that if he doesn't then he's going to be in for a lifetime of being miserable because if you ask me I think Draco and Hermione could be getting close to being more than just friends." She kissed Harry on the forehead and made her way out of the Gryffindor common room leaving him to ponder over what she just said. Harry began to get anxious. Ginny always had a knack for picking out relationships before they actually happened. Whether Harry liked it or not, he and Draco were going to in each others lives for the long hall.

Ron had overheard everything that Ginny said to Harry and was immediately infuriated. He stormed over to where Harry was sitting and started pounding the pillow next to him. "I hate that stupid ferret. He's ruining everything!" Harry moved over towards the other side of the couch so as to not be accidentally hit.

"Ron, don't get made when I say this. He's not ruining everything. You pretty much gave up any chance of ever getting Hermione back with all the stunts you've pulled lately. You know how she is and you sent her over the edge." He waited for the shouting he knew was coming. Ron looked at him. Surprisingly for Harry, an understanding look fell upon Ron's face.

"I know. I know. I keep doing it. I don't know how not to be mad at the situation and I know it's all my fault because I've always been a git. I don't care. I can't be ok with Malfoy. I just can't." He walked off towards the sleeping quarters. Harry sat in amusement, astonished that for once Ron owned up to something.