[nine]

"Okay, but are you sure this is okay? I mean, is it a idea?" Hermione asked nervously as she and Draco walked down the hall to the dungeons for potions. Last night she learned that it was okay to be vulnerable in front of Draco -- it was okay to tell him about things that she held close to her heart . Hermione felt comfortable laughing with him during rounds and talking about the little things that made their childhoods happy. However, she wasn't sure if she could feel the same way about his friends. 

"C'mon, where did all your Gryffindor courage go?" Draco groaned "It'll be fine, I'm with you."

"I'm just not sure if they're as nice as you are." Hermione muttered "All those years were , Malfoy." she added and looked away before he could see the hurt in her eyes. Sure she  was ready to forgive them, or give them all another chance. She had done it for Draco, and she is willing to do it again for his friends, but that doesn't change the fact that she had been hurt so harshly before. This got her thinking that maybe this whirlwind friendship might not be such a good idea after all. 

Draco took her hand, stopping her in her tracks "I know, and I'm ." he said quietly, not looking in her eyes, but at their hands "If you don't feel comfortable doing this, then you shouldn't. I'll respect that."

Hermione looked down at their hands as well, surprised at how warmly hers fit in his, "The kindness you've shown me, and the trust I have in you should be enough to give them a shot." Hermione sighed "This is all so new, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, I shouldn't have put this pressure on you as well." Draco shook his head 

Hermione squeezed his hand in hers and looked up into his eyes "You're doing quite a good job at this changing thing, Malfoy." she teased "Are you sure you're being real?"

"Very real, and I like to give my best in everything." Draco shrugged with a smirk

"" Ron's voice bellowed from down the hall

Hermione let go of Draco's hand as both their heads whipped to Ron's direction Draco groaned quietly 

"You have been at this hand-holding thing since last night!" Ron growled and pointed his wand at Draco "Yes, that's right, I you two. Have you forgotten I'm a and I do rounds too?"

"What is your problem, Ronald?" Hermione sighed 

"My problem is him. I let it go last night, because maybe what I said was too much and you did need the comfort, but this? Until ?" Ron growled, his wand still aimed at Draco "Are you cheating on me, Hermione? Do you want to on me with this ?"

Harry exclaimed "You've gone too far."

"Cheat on you?" Hermione laughed coldly "Is that how low you see me now? You don't seem to mind when I hold Harry's hand or give him hugs."

"That's different." Ron snapped 

"Oh yea? How so, Ron? Exactly how is it different?" 

"Harry's not a bloody murderer trying to seduce you!" Ron yelled 

"Don't you dare make this about who you think Draco is, Ron." Hermione snapped "He has been more my friend and companion than you have been these last weeks. You don't know the comfort or the kindness he has shown me on the times you, my beloved boyfriend, hurt me. So, I'm sorry for holding his hand, because ."

With that, Hermione spun on her heel and walked into the potions classroom, where she was sure all her classmates had been listening in. "Granger." a voice called from her left, where all the Slytherins usually sat.

Pansy patted the empty table behind her and Blaise "Draco usually sits here."

"Thanks." Hermione muttered, forcing a smile while her cheeks were still flushed with anger, and sat down on one of the stools. Draco, Harry, and Ron entered the room a moment later, with Ron sporting a growing bruise on his right cheek. 

Draco stalked to where Hermione sat, and calmly settled down on the empty stool next to her "I see the signature right hook, Malfoy. work." Blaise smirked 

Hermione looked at him pointedly "You punched him?"

"I wouldn't have had he not spoken to you like that." Draco shrugged and fixed his bag "Potter will talk to you later."

"Are you not going to introduce us, Draco? I thought you had more manners than that." Theo tutted 

"Shut up, Nott." Draco rolled his eyes and turned to face Hermione "Granger, for formality's sake, these are Pansy, Blaise and Theo. Idiots, meet Granger."

"Pleasure to formally meet you, Granger." Blaise smiled and held out a fist for a bump "I hope you didn't mind skipping class the other day."

Hermione reluctantly laughed and met his fist "What?"

"Yea, that was actually his idea." Theo smiled "I'm Theo, I'm sure you already know that given all the classes we've had together, but you can call me Teddy."

Pansy scoffed ", you flirt much?" she smirked and looked at Hermione "Nice to be talking to you without snarky remarks flying back and forth. I hear we think the same way."

"Don't flatter yourself." Hermione smirked back and raised her brow, but Pansy just laughed and looked at Draco "Keep her."

"Just to be clear, Granger, we aren't apologizing." Blaise said 

"Not today, at least." Theo shrugged 

"But we do appreciate this shot, no matter how odd it is." Pansy shrugged "I mean, maybe you really are just odd."

"Gee, thanks, Parkinson." Hermione rolled her eyes, but smiled. They weren't the type of people she had always surrounded herself with, they were different. A good or bad different, she will have to figure it out first. 

"You're welcome, Granger." Pansy winked and turned to face Slughorn 

"Okay?" Draco asked, glancing at her 

"Yes, I'm okay." She nodded quietly, her gaze flickering to where Harry was healing Ron "Thank you for defending me, even if you did punch him." 

"He deserved it." Draco shook his head and looked at Slughorn with a hard expression "I might not have known your worth before, Granger, but I do now and I know you deserve more than what he's giving you." he said this as quietly as he can, so that only she could hear it

and she heard it clear as day. 

"You've said that twice now." Hermione muttered and took her materials out for note-taking 

"'Cause it's true, Granger, and you it." Draco shrugged "Let's listen to Slughorn now, okay? I have this goal of beating your N.E.W.T score in potions." 

"Oh you wish, Malfoy." Hermione laughed and began to listen 

Apparently, they were to make a new potion today "Let us start the day with earning some points, shall we?" Slughorn clapped his hands with a smile "Who can tell me what Amortentia is?" 

Hermione's hand shot up faster than Draco's could "Amortentia is more commonly known as the strongest love potion, even though theory states that you can't really use magic to make someone fall in love with you. In essence, it is a potion which causes extreme obsession, if done correctly." Hermione smiled "When brewed, the person who smells it will be able to recognize the things they find most attractive in its scent."