Chapter 10: Changes

"You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." - Albus Dumbledore.

"I think I could get used to this," Hermione admitted as they lounged beneath an oak in her yard. Draco stroked her hair away from her face.

"Mmm, I suppose so," he said quietly. Hermione couldn't help but sigh. "What is it?" Draco asked curiously.

"It's depressing," Hermione warned, but Draco shrugged. "It's just... well, we're going back to school soon."

Draco didn't say anything for a long time. He was trying to see what she was getting at, in an objective, mature way, but he couldn't help but leapt to the conclusion that she was going to say they couldn't be together. It's not an unlikely conclusion, after all. They were from different worlds. And they were together in a different universe.

"So?"

Hermione sat up. "So, that means that we can't, well, we can't even talk without looking weird," she told him. He wondered if she could see how his heart sank.

"Sure we can," Draco soothed her, pulling her back down against his chest. Hermione shook her head stubbornly, and he wished that she would just let him enjoy this last day with her, this last day of perfection, before taking his heart, stomping on it, and throwing it away.

"No one would accept it. Your parents definitely wouldn't."

"Who cares about them? It's our life, Mia. We can do what we want."

Hermione gazed at him, taking in all of his features, perhaps picking up on the fact that his heart was breaking. "How did this change come on?" she asked, tracing the line on his jaw with her fingers. "I thought your parents' word meant everything to you."

Draco was silent while he thought how to phrase his answer. "It changed when I realised how much I wanted you with me, always. What I want is more important to me than what they want."

Hermione's heart felt like it would explode with happiness. She snuggled into his arms. "You know Draco, I've hated you since I met you, but... turns out all I needed was a summer with you."

Draco smirked and finally, his nerves dissipated. "It sounds like you wished it happened earlier."

"Oh, I don't think I could've survived a holiday with you before now," Hermione murmured, smiling. "You're way too spoilt."

"Hey, I am not. You're more spoiled than I am."

"That's not what you've always said."

Draco felt slightly guilty about that, but since her tone was light he didn't let it affect him too much. "We'll take it as it comes, okay?" Draco murmured, his lips brushing her cheek. It made her shiver in pleasure.

"Sounds like a plan," she whispered, turning her head around to snog him properly.

Last Day of Summer with Draco,

Best holidays ever. Draco, Jade and I... I will never forget this. I've never been happier, and it's all thanks to him.

Who would've known?

"I can't believe I won't see you for another year," Jade sniffed, tears running down her cheeks.

"We do this every year, Jade," Hermione reminded her, but tears were running down her face too.

"But it never gets any easier!" she cried, wrapping her arms around Hermione tightly.

Draco watched the two say goodbye with a sort of amusement. He would never really understand their friendship, would never understand the bond between two girls. He was sad to leave Jade behind too, though; he felt like she was his friend now, not just a friend of Hermione's. But whatever the depth of his sadness, you didn't see him crying.

Jade reluctantly let go of her best friend and turned to Draco, wiping her eyes to give her best intimidating stare. "Draco," she sniffed. "You'll be good to her," she warned. Draco was reminded of the first time she said that, and grinned.

"Always," he promised, and hugged her. Upon letting go, Jade erupted into tears again.

"Oh, Jade, I'll come home for Christmas," Hermione said almost desperately.

"No you won't. You always say that, but you never do. But you will write to me. Okay?" Jade looked at Hermione defiantly.

She nodded and they hugged one last time, Hermione checking her watch behind Jade's back.

"Okay, well, we really need to go," Hermione said regretfully. Jade nodded.

"I love you both," she said.

Draco grinned. "Which is odd, since I seem to remember you calling me rather rude when we first met..." Hermione hit his shoulder.

"You are rude, I just happen to love you anyway," Jade laughed.

"We'll both write you, won't we Draco?" Hermione emphasised. Draco groaned silently but nodded. "Bye!" Hermione smiled and sadly got into her parent's car. Draco sat next to her and together they waved goodbye to Jade, who was steadily crying.

"I'll miss her," Draco told Hermione quietly. She nodded.

"So will I. But I'm glad we're going back. I've missed school."

"You know it won't be the same?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, but I also know it's going to be great. You, me, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna... all together as one happy family." Draco could hear her doubt and put an arm around her, squeezing.

"And Blaise. But they'll deal with it, cause they love you. Though I have my doubts about Weasel."

Hermione couldn't help herself; she laughed.

"Excited for school?" Mrs Granger called to them. They both chorused their yes'es they continued talking all the way to King's Cross about the things they were most keen for. Hermione said the classes, of course. Draco said the feasts. At the station, the Granger's helped them load their stuff onto trolley's and left them to get onto the platform themselves. Although their goodbye was no where near as teary as Jade's, Draco knew he would miss them. His own parents could not compare.

Hermione felt a knot of nervousness in the pit of her stomach as she walked through the barrier to Platform 9¾. It was one thing thinking about her friends' reactions to her new life. It was another knowing she was about to received a first-hand account. But Draco was right behind her the whole way, and that comforted her.

"'Mione!"

"Hermione!"

"I've missed you so much!"

Hermione was surrounded by red hair and a raven haired boy all shouting her name. "Guys, come on," Hermione laughed, "Let me put my stuff on the train, then we can talk." Her friends were too impatient for that, helping her pull her trunk along, chatting all the while. She looked around her for Draco, but he had disappeared, and she was crestfallen. She'd find him on the train, though.

Draco had (rather nobly, in his opinion) left her to get reacquainted with her Gryffindor friends, so he was free of his belongings quickly. He wandered around the steamy platform looking for Blaise, but he found Draco first and tapped him on his shoulder.

Draco looked up at Blaise (he'd grown a few inches over the summer) and grinned. They gave each other a manly hug and started talking. He'd known of Draco's arrangement, despite the utter secrecy of the whole shebang.

"So she didn't hex you to the next century, then?" he asked casually.

"Obviously not."

"Do anything fun?"

"Snogged."

"Sounds pretty fun to me."

"Yeah. There she is," Draco gestured, almost smiling because his and Blaise's conversation style was something he'd missed.

Hermione felt his eyes on her when she returned to the platform after loading her trunk, and she turned her head and locked eyes with him, smiling.

"'Mione, who are you smiling at?" Ronald asked nosily, looking over her shoulder. But of course, the steam had covered Draco's face.

"My boyfriend," Hermione murmured, but no one heard because the train whistled, signalling that it was about to leave. Together, Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione waited in line to get on the train.

Draco stood in line behind Hermione and tugged lightly on her hair. She lightly turned her head in his direction.

"Sit with me," he murmured. She nodded but followed her friends onto the train.

Draco found an empty compartment with Blaise and waited impatiently for Hermione. Blaise could sense his mood and decided to stay quiet since he was out of smart-ass comments.

"Tell us about your holidays, 'Mione," Harry said around some Droobles. "We barely heard from you at all."

Hermione had forgotten that they didn't know Draco had stayed with her.

"Draco came over, and speaking of, I promised I'd sit with him," Hermione said politely. She then excused herself and, almost laughing at their shocked faces, left to find Draco's compartment.

Helpfully, he'd chosen one only three down from hers. She slid the door open and stepped inside, closing it with a bang. Blaise grinned at her.

"Hey," he greeted. Hermione smiled nervously at him and sat next to Draco. He winked at her.

"Ignore him, he's an idiot," Draco said easily. Blaise gasped.

"That was rude. Granger, you should slap him for being so rude."

Hermione looked at Draco doubtfully. "I think he'd curse me if I did that again," she replied, hiding her smile. Blaise's eyebrows rose incredulously.

"Again? Draco, shame on you, you said nothing interesting happened over your holidays!"

Ignoring Blaise, Draco slung an arm around Hermione's shoulder. "How did you get away?"

"Ever heard of the element of surprise?" Hermione asked. "Yeah, well, it makes a good getaway. Their faces... wow."

"I don't think I even want to know," Draco said quietly. Hermione giggled and shook her head.

"I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone," Blaise said smoothly before leaving. On the other side of the door he raised his brows at Draco suggestively, which made him roll his eyes.

"Did you tell him?" Hermione asked curiously. Draco shook his head.

"No, but he's smart enough to figure it out after I told him we snogged."

Hermione sighed. "Smooth."

"That's me."

She leaned into his shoulder and he wrapped his other arm around her, hugging her tightly. She welcomed his warmth.

"This is going to be so weird," Hermione said, mainly to herself.

"If it makes it easier, we could break up and no one would ever know," Draco offered, but his entire heart was hoping she'd say no. Why he offered to put himself through that heartbreak for her, he didn't know, but as much as he wished he could revoke his offer, he didn't.

"I'd never look at you the same if we did," Hermione admitted. Draco was unashamedly relieved.

"It's because I'm just too wonderful," he explained. "And since you've had me all to yourself for nine weeks..." he let the sentence trail off while Hermione laughed.

"If you say so," she said once she calmed down.

"No? Was it the amazing snog, then?"

"That's more likely."

They sat in each others arms for the train ride, chatting easily, with Harry and Ron walking past once but not looking in.

Draco was playing with Hermione's fingers when the door slid open. Ginny flounced in and sat opposite Hermione, ignoring her position. "What's going on?" she asked immediately. Hermione frowned at her.

"Isn't it obvious?" she snapped. Then she blushed. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."

"Hermione, we've been waiting for you all day. We've been so excited, and Ron... well, never mind him. But Hermione! We're your best friends! And you're here sitting with, um, Malfoy." Ginny looked uneasily at him then turned her attention back to Hermione.

"Okay, let me explain. Draco stayed at my house for the summer. We became friends. Now we're together. Okay?" Hermione looked imploringly at her best girl friend.

"No? What the hell?" At Hermione's pleading look, Ginny's confusion melted away and she sighed, promising herself she'd get a more in-depth explanation later. "Oh, they will not like this... You'd better be prepared for some serious shit, Hermione Granger," Ginny said seriously.

Hermione shrugged and pulled Draco's arms around her tighter. "For now, Ginny, I'm just focusing on the now. And right now, I'm very happy."

Ginny made an Oh, I don't know, look and slid open the doors, muttering to herself. "They aren't going to like this one bit, no they won't." She was closing the door when she stuck her head in.

"And Malfoy?"

Draco looked up questioningly. "What?"

"You hurt her, and I'll Bat-Bogey hex you." She shut the door.

"Why does everyone think I'll hurt you?" Draco wondered.

"Because you've never liked me, always insulted me, are a pure-blood and I'm a muggleborn, which you've always oh-so-kindly reminded me, are a Slytherin and –"

"Alright, I get it," Draco interrupted. Hermione smiled angelically up at him.

"I love you, Hermione," he murmured, then looked out of the window into the night sky. It was the first time he'd ever said that to a girl and he felt embarrassed. He noticed it was a half-moon. Hermione's breath hitched in her throat because it was the first time any boy had ever said that to her. Her mind began to panic because she didn't know what to say; did she say thank you? Or maybe, I know?

Then, the answer came easily to her lips.

"I love you too, Draco."

Complete.