The moment Hermione's eyes landed on him, Teddy began to wail in her arms. She looked down at him, trying to calm him with a soothing tone, swaying her arms as her brain buzzed. She looked up as Ron groaned, his eyes shut and palms digging into his chest. Draco was still looking at her and she found it hard to return his gaze.

Draco? Here? It made no sense.

"Lovely catching you here, dear," Theo said, holding Hannah tightly by the waist. "If you don't mind, I should get this one into the house."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Hannah assured him softly, standing up on her own as she looked around. "Just a tad dizzy, but I'm fine."

Hermione clutched the baby to her chest tightly as she watched Draco help Kelly up and turned to run up the porch steps. She opened the door, motioning for all of them to follow her.

"Narcissa!" she called, with Theo brushing past her, headed straight for the kitchen. Hermione and Hannah walked into the kitchen as Theo ran up to Pansy, scooping her into his arms and holding her to his chest. Ginny stood up, looking around, her face red and puffy from tears.

"Ron's outside," Hermione told her, causing Ginny to dash past her.

Narcissa stood as well, walking briskly out of the kitchen and reaching for Teddy. Hermione handed him over, slightly missing the little warmth he had provided, and watched with a small smile as Theo held Pansy's face in his hands, kissing her nose and lips interchangeably.

"I've missed you---" One kiss. "--so fucking--" Another kiss. "--much," he crooned in between kisses, and she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Blimey, get a room," Ron moaned as he entered the kitchen, closely followed behind by Ginny. Ginny had her hand wrapped tightly around her brothers' arm, her lips trembling like she would burst into tears once more, which made Hermione's heart ache for her.

"You know what? I just might," Theo retorted, putting his arm over Pansy's shoulders.

"I think we all just need to settle down and get something to eat," Hermione said, her voice shrill. "You know, regroup a bit."

"Obvious plan."

Hermione could feel her confidence shrink as Draco walked up next to her. The smell of mint wafted in her face and she tried to keep a steady gaze as she met his eyes.

"Glad you can agree with me," she replied and felt lightheaded as she peeled her eyes away from him.

There was so much she wanted to say to him, so many things she wanted to ask him. She needed him alone, needed to hug him, to hear him say her name.

Narcissa walked into the kitchen, cheeks flushed and voice tight as she said, "Living room. Now."

-

April 5th, 1997

Hermione clutched her books to her chest, running at a full dash down the hallway, her feet echoing on the stone flooring. She was already nervous for her presentation with Draco and now she was running late. Reaching her classroom, she pulled on the door handle, rushing inside as the door closed with a harsh click behind her. She breathed hard as she was greeted with the eyes of all her classmates and she searched the sea of students for silver eyes. When she found them, she paused, trying to read them.

He blinked back; eyes empty, distant.

She looked away.

"Lovely for you to join us!" Trelawny exclaimed, which caused Hermione to break her eye contact with Draco in order to look at her least favorite professor. "Why don't you and your partner present first?"

"Excellent idea," Draco spoke up, standing from his seat and walking to the front of the classroom.

Hermione took a breath before she walked to the front, standing a few feet apart from him, and placed her books on the desk. As he started to talk to the class, she put her hands by her side weakly. She was so unprepared, she had not even gone over the vocabulary again, and she was sure her notes were--

He brushed his hand against hers.

It was light, could easily have been a mistake, but then she felt his knuckles brush against her hand once more, his skin cool against her own, and she bit the side of her mouth sharply. she kept her head straight and began to talk along with him, hoping no one had seen the interaction, and felt a new confidence in their assignment. She was sure they'd get a passing grade, but she could not help the feeling of dread as she realized she would no longer have to work with him.

She took his hand gesture as a sign of hope, a silent promise.

She hoped she wasn't wrong.

"All of that work just to get Exceeds Expectations!" Hermione hollered as she exited the classroom once it was over, with Ginny by her side.

Ginny rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I swear, only you would be angry about receiving another grade less than an Outstanding."

"Well, I am," Hermione huffed, pulling her satchel against her. "We worked hard on it." She spotted Draco and Blaise walking in the opposite direction towards the Slytherin Dungeon and she turned to Ginny. "I left my presentation notes. I'll catch up with you later."

Hermione didn't give Ginny a chance to protest as she walked quickly down the hall, turning the corner before she spotted the two boys.

"Draco, wait up!" she called, finally catching up to them. They both turned around, and Blaise gave her a curious look. Draco stuck his hands in his pockets and she watched as his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Hello, Granger," Blaise greeted her softly, looking between her and Draco. "I didn't know you two were finally on a first name basis. How civil."

"Piss off," Draco hissed, to which Blaise laughed before turning and continuing his walk down the hall.

"Catch you later!" Blaise called, not turning back, and leaving them alone. Draco turned his gaze towards her, his jaw clenched, and Hermione took a deep breath.

"Could we, I don't know, talk? For a moment?" she asked, quietly afraid he would reject her, and she was anxious of yet again reading his actions wrong.

"Sure," he replied and walked back into the Divination's classroom.

She followed swiftly behind and shut the door, leaning against it as she looked at him. Hermione watched as he placed his satchel on a desk carefully and turned to her, his blonde hair falling slightly into his eyes.

She gulped. "Draco..." she started and looked down at his shoes as he started to walk towards her. "What...what is this?"

He loomed over her, his hands once again in his pockets. "What is what?" he asked slowly.

She rolled her eyes, gesturing between the two of them. "This...I mean us," she clarified, and he took another step. "I just, we haven't really talked since the library. When you..." she trailed off.

"When I what?" he asked innocently, and she noticed he was just an arm's length away from her now. She felt her back press into the door, the wood solid and unmovable. The smell of mint was strong, and she tried to remember to breathe.

"When you...when you came up to me in the library," she said softly, not meeting his eyes. She felt his finger touch her chin and lift her face up to meet his silver eyes. He was exhaling slowly, and she felt dizzy with his scent, bringing her hand up to touch him, but he pulled his hand away.

"Granger," he murmured. "I have spent the greater part of my life hating you, but mostly hating myself more. Things are going to be changing and not for the better. I want to...be better."

Hermione felt her mouth open at his honesty. He shook his head slightly, like the words tasted bad in his mouth. Attentively, as if asking permission, he cupped her face, his fingers barely touching her skin. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, his nose brushing against hers slightly, and sighed.

"We might never work.," he whispered, the sadness choking his voice and she shook her head.

"We...we could. But why now, Draco?" The questions were burning in her chest. "Why all of a sudden?"

His eyes were closed and he smirked slightly. "I'm used to getting the things I want, Granger, unless they are off limits." He opened his eyes and eyed her mouth before looking up once more. "You've been off limits for a long time. I am starting not to care about limits anymore." He closed the gap between them, his hands cradling her face, and Hermione determined she did not care about limits, either.