[forty five]

"Potter, I cleared it with Slughorn. team has the pitch this afternoon."

"And I cleared it with the , Malfoy." Harry snapped

"We let you have the pitch the last time! Don't be a rotten brat, Potter." Draco bit back

Harry glared at Draco in frustration. The two Quidditch captains were already fully dressed for practice in their robes, but can't quite agree on who gets the pitch for this afternoon.

"Look, it's still early, alright?" Celine sighed and stood in the middle of the two boys, who were already sizing each other up "Both teams have enough time to train this afternoon, just flip a coin on who gets it first."

"There's no need to flip a coin, Celine, because our house was first." Draco said through gritted teeth

"Months of unimaginable peace between our peculiar group of friends, and this is what breaks us?" Hermione scoffed, grabbing a coin from her pocket "I'm flipping the coin."

The two boys looked at her and chorused "."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the both of them "You're saying no to me?" she asked in a deathly whisper

Draco looked a little faze "But babe—"

"Don't me. Today you're Draco Malfoy, the Quidditch captain of the team going against " Hermione cut him off

Harry grinned in triumph "Bros before hoes." He snickered. Draco looked about ready to smack him.

"Don't call my fiancée a hoe." Hermione glared at Harry "Don't celebrate yet. I you to get that permission slip from McGonagall as soon as we got back! This is your fault we have to fight them for the spot. They technically first."

Harry's face fell "Yes —"

"Don't me, Harry Potter." Hermione interrupted him, too.

Everyone in their room just watched in amusement as Hermione showed the coin to both boys "I'm flipping this. End of discussion." She said "Head or tails?"

"." Draco and Harry called at the same time

"Really? Potter?" Draco snapped "You have originality."

Theo snickered from behind Draco. He was fully dressed in his Quidditch robes, casually leaning against the dining table of their common room. With his hair all ruffled and his fingers tight around his broom, it took everything in Celine not to melt under his gaze.

"You laughing at Harry, Nott?" Ron challenged, but Theo just rolled his eyes at Ron's weak attempt to start a fight

"Do not get into this, too, Ronald." Hermione warned "Heads or tails?"

"Heads." Draco insisted

"Fine!" Harry gave in "We'll still get it first anyway."

"Flip the coin, Granger." Draco ran a frustrated hand through his hair "I can't wait to get on this broom."

"Impatient, immature little boys." Hermione muttered under her breath and tossed the coin in the air. She caught it in one hand it flipped it on the other "Tails." She said, grinning at Harry. When she caught Draco's glare, she immediately masked the grin with a stoic expression.

"What?" Draco hissed "I thought you were with me!"

"Did you assume I'd cheat for you?" Hermione raised a brow at Draco

"! I mean— No." Draco mumbled, after she shot him a poisonous look that told him if he said the wrong answer, he'd be sleeping on the floor for a week.

"Harry, Gryffindor gets the pitch for two hours, after that it's Slytherin's for the rest of the evening." Hermione said "Head Girl's orders."

"Yes ma'am." Harry grinned as he, Ginny, Viktor and Ron jogged out of the common room to head to the pitch.

"Potter really didn't notice he got the short end of the stick?" Theo raised his brows

"You know, Theodore, you and I really get each other." Hermione laughed

"What am I missing?" Draco frowned

"Look at the time, Malfoy." Hermione gestured to his watch "Gryffindor get's the pitch for two hours—"

"And we get it for the rest of the evening! You're , Hermy!" Blaise exclaimed in interruption, crushing Hermione in a bear hug

"I knew you'd pick me." Draco smirked at Hermione

"I did pick you." Hermione said in defense "The coin did."

"Yeah, whatever." Draco snickered and wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulder "You love me."

", right." Hermione snorted

"So you don't?" Draco narrowed his eyes at her in question. She better pick the right answer or it's her who's sleeping on the floor for a week.

"Helga's puffs, you are in a mood today! Yes I do!" Hermione exclaimed in exasperation. This boy will be the death of her. Really.

"I'm messing with you, love." Draco gave her a cheeky grin, followed by a sneaky little kiss on her nose "Where shall we go to pass time?"

"Pansy and I are going to—" Blaise was interrupted by Celine's pointed look "What?" He scowled

"We'll be planning the engagement parties. There's so much to do." Celine said

"And that'll be our cue to leave. Let's go, Malfoy." Hermione practically hauled Draco out of their common room, genuinely afraid Celine would drag her into the mess.

"It's our party they're planning, you know?" Draco chuckled

"I know." Hermione shrugged "Not in the mood for it today, though."

"When are you ever?" Draco pressed an endearing kiss on her temple "Where to?"

"What about the Great Hall?" Hermione pondered. They had just passed the auror on shift to guard the floor, Hermione waving politely as they did. She wasn't sure where McGonagall hid the stone— whether she kept it in their common room still, or the whole secret common room is now just a decoy and the stone was actually in McGonagall's office. Nobody knew, and it was better that way.

The stone was much too dangerous for any of them to know its exact whereabouts. If any of them were to be questioned or abducted out of nowhere, at least none of them had any substantial information to give.

"Why the Great Hall?" Draco asked, carful not to drag the tip of his new broom on the floor as they walked

"I wanna show you off." Hermione grinned up at him cheekily "You look incredibly handsome in that uniform, Draco Malfoy."

Honestly, she just wanted to cheer him up. The day would be far too long with Draco Malfoy in a mood.

"Really? Shall I wear it all the time?" Draco smirked at her

"Not all the time, no." She smirked back

"?"

"I prefer you wear nothing at all in bed." She said lowly, as they passed a couple lower years on the way down the fourth floor.