I want to address a couple of reviews that I received about the battle scene last chapter. While most seemed to enjoy it, a couple people thought it was too short and not in depth enough. Don't worry. The battle scene I have planned next will take about four chapters I think. Nagini in one, the cup in one, and the destruction of Voldemort in two. I finally have a beta reader. I'm glad for it. While I can catch most of my own mistakes, there are sometimes I get into a funk and type so fast and without reading what I write. Again, thank you to all those who reviewed. A special thank you to my loyal reviewers. There are several people I can count on to review every single chapter and it's always nice to find them in my mailbox. Also, remember that there won't be very many updates next week with everything that I have to do. And the week after that, I turn eighteen, so there won't be an update on Friday. I'm taking my birthday off. Unless my muse takes a huge chunk out of my ass for not writing every day. Anyway, this isn't what you're all interested in, so I'm going to get on with the story.
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Draco found himself in Harry, Hermione and Ron's apartment. And the whole thing was, surprisingly enough, not as uncomfortable as he thought it would have been. The apartment wasn't the hole in the wall he'd thought it was. It was an airy, three bedroom loft. More spacious than he'd thought, with huge bay windows and two bedrooms on the ground floor, and one directly above the kitchen that had its own staircase.
The other two bedrooms were just as large as the first, but didn't have the windows that the loft did. The boys had taken those, and left Hermione the loft. Hermione was still grateful for it. She loved her bedroom. They all loved the apartment in general, and Draco was unexpectedly impressed with it.
It was neat, with open rooms that flowed into one another. There were two full bathrooms, and a powder room off the kitchen, a living room, dining room, kitchen and a couple rooms that were being used as an office and a small library. That was the only crowded room.
Harry plopped down on the couch, while Ron made a beeline for the kitchen, and Hermione showed Draco around. "You'll take Harry's room. He'll room with me for a few days."
Draco grinned. "Seems to me, like you've got more in mind than a sleepover."
"Could be." Hermione opened the door to the first bedroom. It was decorated in a simple style. Light golden walls, emerald duvet, sage green sheets, jewel toned pillows. It was streamlined and classic. Nothing fussy, or Gryffindor, to Draco's immense relief. "Be glad I didn't put you in Ron's room. It's all done in maroon and gold. Gryffindor crest, everything." She opened the door with a casual toss of her hand, let him see the maroon walls and gold furniture. "You can borrow clothes from Harry." She opened the closet door. There were slacks, trousers and button-downs hanging in neat rows. "Jeans are in the first drawer, T-shirts in the second. Last drawer is unopened boxers. Socks are in the third drawer."
"Got it." He paused for a second. "And Hermione?"
"Hmm?"
"Thanks. You don't have to be doing this."
Hermione smiled, and Draco noticed how pretty she really was. Not in an overstated, dramatic way, but in a soft, gentle way. There was nothing blatant or obvious about her beauty, it was just hovering there, right below her skin. "That's what friends do for friends."
"We aren't friends."
Hermione turned in the doorway. "Well what do you call it then?" she asked innocently enough. "We're staying together, we're working together, you helped Harry get his parents and Sirius back, we're helping you with the Death Eaters. We Apparated without thinking about ourselves, just that you'd have a better chance with us there helping. If that isn't friendship, Draco, I really don't know what it truly is. Cause what we've been doing for you, isn't any less than we'd do for one another."
Draco was left standing in Harry Potter's bedroom, in an apartment he hadn't thought he'd ever set foot in, pondering whether or not he was actually becoming friends with the people he'd sworn he'd always hate.
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Hermione walked into the kitchen to find not only Harry and Ron devouring everything they could find in the refrigerator, but Sirius and Lupin as well. With a shout of joy, she launched herself at Lupin, and was caught up in a bear hug.
"Remus! When did you get here?"
"Just a minute ago. Harry was promising me food, and then we found the meager contents of your fridge."
"Haven't been home to go to the market. I'll go pick something up. Anyone want to come?"
The three men in her kitchen exchanged looks. It was obvious to Hermione that they simply wanted to keep eating her food and stuffing themselves with the chocolate chip cookies they had found. Hermione shook her head and picked up her purse. She moved back down the hall and rapped softly on Draco's door.
"Draco? I'm going to the market. Do you need anything?"
Draco opened the door and walked out into the hall. "No, but I'll go with you. I've decided you need some help."
Hermione's brow furrowed. "Help? Help with what?"
"We'll talk once we get down there." He opened the door for her, and Hermione became suspicious. He was never that polite. Never. Unless he was up to something.
"Okay, what's going on?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Draco asked, innocent smile on his face. Hermione didn't buy it for one second.
"You're up to something, and I'm not entirely sure I'm going to like whatever it is."
"Anything I'm up to is going to be done to help me, Granger." Draco stepped onto the elevator. The apartment building, while occupied only by witches and wizards, was outfitted with all the Muggle amenities. "And weren't you saying earlier that you were going to seduce Potter?"
"No!" Hermione's face turned the color of a ripe tomato. "I never said any such thing."
"Which is why he's sleeping in your room instead of Ron's room or on the couch. Why I'm not sleeping on the couch for Merlin's sake. You aren't exactly inconspicuous about it."
Hermione pondered that for a second. "Think they've caught on?"
Draco shook his head. "Not a chance. Guys like Harry and Ron, it just doesn't occur to them to notice things like that. They're completely oblivious, typical guys."
"While guys who make it their life's mission to get into the pants of as many girls as possible, like you, notice every sign and signal a girl sends out."
"Right." They stepped off the elevator and headed out into the street. "Now, do you want some help or not?"
"I've never tried to seduce anyone before."
"I know." At her shocked look, he laughed. "Your romantic tendencies, along with those of Harry and Ron are constantly in the gossip columns. I'm also an expert at filtering fact from fiction. I could tell you every person the three of you have actually slept with."
"I'd rather you didn't." Hermione stopped and turned into the grocery store. She picked up a basket. "I don't want to know. And my list is severely lacking."
"I know that as well. There's nothing wrong with it, Granger." Draco was feeling sympathetic. He respected a good romantic gesture more than the typical man, and was determined to see that she knocked Harry on his ass. "With the life you live, and the schedule you keep, it's a wonder you manage to date at all."
"There is one thing I'd like to know."
"What's that?"
"Whom did he lose his virginity to?"
"Harry?" Draco's mouth twitched as he tried to keep from smiling. "Katie Bell."
"The Chaser Katie Bell?"
"Right. About a year after you left Hogwarts. One time thing. See, I was staying with Blaise Zabini and the Bells have the house next door. I saw them go in, and a few hours later, I saw him come out."
Hermione was shocked. She'd never expected that one. He hadn't even talked to Katie that she knew of since they'd left school. She shook her head to clear it. "That doesn't matter."
"Glad you think so. Now, here's what I think you should do."
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Hermione was nervous. She hated that she was so nervous. Draco had coached her through everything, and still, she was shaking as she changed into her pajamas. Harry was sitting on the bed, flipping through the channels on the TV she'd insisted on having. After all, she'd grown up as a Muggle, and was rather attached to the conveniences of being one. She tied her hair back in a bun at the nape of her neck and walked out.
She couldn't do it. She couldn't possibly try to seduce her best friend. What did it matter if he was pretending that nothing was happening despite the fact that he'd been the one to kiss her? And so what if her stomach tied in knots every time she saw him? It didn't matter. He was Harry and she was Hermione and they were friends, had always been friends and would always be friends.
Satisfied with her train of thought, she slid under the blanket and laid down. Harry put down the remote control and turned to face her. "Is this bothering you? Cause I can turn it off if you're tired. I mean, it's your room and your TV and are you sure you don't want me to sleep on the couch? I don't mind you know. I'd rather not sleep in Ron's room, since Luna's in there. She came while you were in the shower by the way. And-"
Hermione couldn't take anymore. She sat up, turned off the TV and closed her mouth over his. "Harry?" she murmured when she ended the kiss.
"Hmm?"
"Shut up already."
"Okay." Harry was very agreeable with that idea. He closed the distance between them and kissed her, parting her lips with his tongue, brushing hers, urging her to participate in the kiss. She did so, avidly kissing him, pressing her body against his. It wasn't a seduction like she'd planned, but it would work. Her arms went around his neck, she pulled him against him, easing back on the bed so that his body covered hers.
Their tongues tangled, breath meshed, hands wandered. His hands swept down her body, over her subtle curves, into her hair, over the curve of her breast. She groaned deep in her throat, arching against him, a slave to sensation. She pulled his shirt over his head, and spread her hands on his chest, reveling in the play of muscle covered by skin, the wideness of his shoulders, and narrowness of his hips. She fumbled, removed his glasses and blindly sat them on the stand.
"You don't need them. You can see me anywhere."
Harry lifted himself above her. "Are you sure about this, `Mione? I don't want you to think I expect anything."
"Well I do." She laughed as she kissed his neck, enjoying the way his skin felt beneath her lips. "I've wanted this for a while. I started wondering at about fourteen. Of course then, it was only about whether or not you were a good kisser. By the time I got to be sixteen, you made some very interesting guest appearances in quite a few of my dreams."
"We'll have to see if I measure up then."
Hermione grew serious, raised her arms so he could remove her shirt. "You've never fallen short, Harry. Not with me. It'll be perfect. If only because it's with you."
Touched beyond belief, Harry lowered his mouth to hers. "I think I love you, Hermione. I think I always have. Since that first day when you burst into our car and showed Ron up at spells."
"Good, because I love you too. Make love to me, Harry. Here, now… We can't know if we'll ever have another chance."
So he did. Softly and tenderly, as if they had all the time in the world, and he intended to make use of every single second of it. He tasted her skin, explored the wonderful curves and valleys of her body. Found all the places that made her writhe and sigh. The back of her knees, the side of her breast, a spot just below her bellybutton. And when he slid into her, there was no pain, only immense pleasure. Because amidst a war between good and evil, in a world where simply living was putting yourself in danger, and the basic choice was fight or die, two people had managed to find each other, and in each other, found solace, acceptance, trust, loyalty, friendship, and love. And that, in and of itself was a miracle.
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There's Chapter 11. Some Harry/Hermione to make everyone happy. Stay tuned for some laughs tomorrow. I'm sensing a very awkward scene between a few very specific people in the kitchen the morning after. Don't forget to review.
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