Draco had no idea how McGonagall knew about him and Hermione. If this had been a few weeks ago he probably would have flipped out and overreacted but for some reason it didn’t seem like a threat. It was almost as though he knew that McGonagall would keep it to herself. He never thought that he might one day trust the old windbag. He was actually starting to like her.

A little, maybe.

The week-long break was only a week away and the more Draco thought about it the happier he became. He hadn’t told Hermione that McGonagall knew about them and he probably wouldn’t. She hadn’t told Hermione, she had told him. That had to mean something didn’t it?

She gave him side glances from across the hall every day. She had such a beautiful half smile. She looked over from under her eyelashes and smiled as if she had something funny on her mind, but she wasn’t going to tell you. She was stunning.

They saw each other only twice more before the train arrived at the station, waiting to take them home. Hermione couldn’t wait to see her parents, she was even more excited about introducing them to Draco. She had never done that kind of thing before but her parents loved her and she knew they would support her no matter what.

A few days before they left she brushed past him in the hallway and slipped a note into his pocket. She could have just sent it to him but she used it as an excuse to be near him. She placed her hand on his chest and tucked the paper into his robes with a lingering touch. All too soon she had to move past him without looking back.

He waited until he was in class before he took it out to read it.

When we get to Kings Cross catch the train to Nottingham. We’ll get picked up from there.

He felt his stomach twist a little, he was nervous. He was only spending a few days there but still. He didn’t really want to go home but he supposed that he ought to. He had a sneaking suspicion early in the week that Pansy would try to invite him to her house.

He wasn’t wrong.

“Are you going home?” She plopped down beside him at dinner a few nights prior to their departure.

“We have to. That was a stupid question.” He said without looking up.

She glared at him and pulled a sarcastic smile across her face. “What I meant was do you really want to stay at your house with your parents for a whole week when I have somewhere far more interesting for you to be?”

“And where is that exactly because spending a week alone at my place sounds pretty good if you ask me.” He said coldly.

“Mulciber is holding a meeting. Not too far from your house.” Draco looked up at her.

“Mulciber?”

“Keep your voice down. He’s staying in this run down old place, the concealment charms are more elaborate than I’ve ever seen. Meeting is on Thursday. I’ll come and get you.” She looked excited and it made Draco’s stomach churn.

Something was definitely going to happen.

He mumbled something like ‘okay’ and she began to eat her roast dinner. He had planned to leave Hermione’s on Wednesday anyway, he wanted to give her some time with her parents. He didn’t really want to head home but he knew he would have to face it at some point.

It was the Saturday night before the departure day and everyone was sitting down to dinner in the great hall.

“Are you sure you can't come to the Burrow for a few days?” Ron said to Hermione as he took a bite of his chicken.

“As much as I love it there I think it would be best if I spend some time with my mum and dad. I haven’t really had that much quality time with them. Most of the time after the battle was spent trying to find them.” She smiled, still managing to keep Draco a secret from her friends.

“I suppose we see her every day when we’re here; we could probably do with time to miss one another.” Ginny joked and Hermione laughed.

“My thoughts exactly.” She quipped.

“Mum says Teddy’s getting bigger, I think she’s almost adopted him herself.” Ron said through mouthfuls.

“I suppose she’s glad for the distraction.” Harry said.

“Does anyone know what’s going to happen to him when all of you get out into the real world?” Ginny asked.

They all forgot about their food for a moment to think about it, all but Ron of course. The only multitasking he can do is when one of the tasks is eating. Hermione thought that Harry would probably take on a role in his upbringing, it’s what Lupin and Tonks would have wanted. Of course he’ll be a wizard. With parents like his there was no doubt of that.

All the nostalgic thinking made Hermione a little sad. Things were only going to change more in the future.

Hermione didn’t sleep well that night, maybe it was because she knew she would miss them, even if it was only a week. Maybe it was because she was nervous and excited all at the same time. Either way, she was up well into the hours of the morning just thinking about it all.

When she woke up she couldn’t remember her dreams, only that she had had some. She slid out of bed and made sure her bag was properly packed before getting dressed and heading down to the common room with her trunk. Ginny was sitting on the couch with her trunk by her side and by the looks of things she had nodded off to sleep again.

Hermione wandered over to her side and gave her a gentle nudge, startling her awake.

“Gosh, was I really asleep? You’d have thought I’d had enough.” She rubbed her eyes and sat herself up straight. “All packed?”

“Probably, it doesn’t really matter does it?” She smiled.

“I guess not, Hogwarts is as much my home as the Burrow.” Ginny yawned.

“Anyone would think you’ve been sneaking into Harry’s dormitory.” Hermione joked.

Ginny’s cheeks turned as red as her hair. “Well they’d be wrong.” She said.

Hermione laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Ron came wandering out and plonked himself down next to Ginny.

“We’re just discussing the sleeping arrangements of your sister and your best friend.” Hermione said through her laughter.

Ron pulled a disgusted face. “I’d much prefer it if we didn’t.” He said.

They waited for Harry before heading down to breakfast. Hermione sat by Neville as they ate, he told her about bringing Luna to meet his grandmother.

“I know she’ll like her. She might be a little cold to start, but she just gets protective is all.” He shrugged.

“Well of course she is. Are you going to see Xenophilius at all?”

“Yeah, but only for a few days. Gran wants some time for just the two of us. She’s a bit funny like that.”

Neville’s grandmother has always sounded like a strange woman, but she raised Neville after what happened to his parents so he must see her in a similar way to how others see their mothers. She was very protective and Hermione thought that she and Luna would probably be polar opposites but Luna made Neville happy. Surely his grandmother would see that as soon as she walked through the door.

Hermione glanced over to Draco who didn’t seem to be eating much. She used to steal glances from him back before it all happened. Sometimes it would seem as though he was living in slow motion while the rest of the world buzzed around him, completely oblivious to his presence. She used to feel like when she was taking the time to notice she would slow down too, until everything was passing them by.

She broke her gaze and went back into conversation with Neville. Before long they were all heading to the station, then boarding the never-changing Hogwarts Express back to Kings Cross station. Hermione dozed off a little on the way. When she was jolted awake by the train she saw that Ginny had been doing the same thing and the boys had wandered off to different compartments to talk to people.

The two of them rolled their eyes at one another and laughed. It was an hour after midday when the train started to pull into platform 9 ¾. Hermione had to wait for another train so she hugged everyone goodbye as she made her way to her platform. She glanced back to see Arthur greeting the three of them with open arms.

She felt a pang of longing but she knew that she had all the time in the world after she finished school to spend time with them. With that thought she smiled and turned to continue to her platform.

As she waited for her train, it didn’t arrive for another fifteen minutes, she looked around to see if Draco was here yet. She hoped he didn’t get lost of misguided.

There were only a few other students catching the train with her and it wasn’t long before she saw the sleek blonde hair flash in the corner of her eye. She looked over to see him standing nervously on the other side of the platform. Slowly she walked over to stand by him, making sure that no one else was watching the two of them.

“Are you alright?” She asked with a smile.

“Yes, of course, why wouldn’t I be?” He said hurriedly.

“Well it’s just that your tie is straighter than usual and you seem to have put some real effort into your hair this morning. You know you don’t have to be so nervous.”

He looked over at her anxiously and nodded a little. “I always put this much effort into my hair. It’s not my fault that you seem to catch me at the end of the day when it’s lost some of its neatness.” She laughed and he turned away.

“Oh don’t be like that; I like you when you’re a little scruffy.” She reached out and brushed his fingertips for a second.

“I never said scruffy. I’m not scruffy.”

“Not now you’re not.”

“I don’t get scruffy.”

“Everyone gets scruffy.”

“I prefer to think of it as dishevelled.”

“You know dishevelled is just a synonym for scruffy.”

“Can we just get on the train?” He said, a hint of annoyance in his voice but an arrogant smile on his face.

Hermione laughed and they waited for the train to pull in. They didn’t sit together for the journey. It was just a habit from school. There were still a few students from Hogwarts in their compartment and so they sat a few rows from one another. They still faced one another so that they could share the occasional gaze and when they reached the Nottingham station they both stood up and dragged their trunks out.

The train pulled away again and Draco looked down at his pocket watch to see that it was almost four.

“Come on, I see my father.” Hermione started walking and Draco exhaled heavily before following her.

He watched her walk up to the man in a grey overcoat with a big smile on her face and let go of her trunk to give him a hug.

“You’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for about twenty minutes.” Her father said with a beaming smile not unlike his daughters.

“I told you it would probably be four before we got here.” She laughed and stepped back to pick up her trunk again.

“Yes well, better to be early than late. And you must be Draco! I’m Michael. Hermione’s told us a fair bit about you.” He reached out to shake Draco’s hand with a warm expression on his face.

“All good I hope.” He said nervously giving him a firm albeit clammy hand to shake.

“Well what else?” He laughed heartily and took Hermione's trunk as they started the walk to the car.

They walked up to a silver Lexus and Mr Granger clicked a button on his keys which seemed to do nothing at first but Draco soon realised that it must have opened the doors. Mr Granger opened the trunk of the car to lift Hermione’s bag in first. He leaned over to help Draco lift his in next.

“I keep telling them that I could put an extension charm in there to make it easier but he thinks it would just make them very uneasy.” Hermione smiled as she opened the door and climbed into the back seat.

“I think it’s best to leave the magic to my daughter. Top in all her classes; we’re both very proud of her.” He beamed to Draco and shut the boot of the car.

They walked around to get into the car. Mr Granger hopped in, buckled his seatbelt and looked back at the two of them in the mirror. “Next stop, Clifton.”

Hermione smiled and shook her head a little. She loved her father and his little quirks. Draco on the other hand was sitting like a statue with a nervous look on his face. Hermione reached over and squeezed his hand a little so he looked over. With a reassuring little smile he let out the air he had been holding inside and she laughed.

She was so happy to be exactly where she was.

They drove through the packed suburbs with the houses that looked exactly alike and the roads that wound in circles. This reminded Draco of his own neighbourhood. It was just as bleak and grey though the houses were much more substantial in size. Mr Granger took a left turn that led them out of the maze of identical houses and down through a little woodland road that came out to an expanse of fields with little town houses. More houses started appearing until they were back in the suburbs, but these ones were different. They all had a little more character. One had two stories and a luscious green lawn out the front, another was single with a garden bed of wildflowers and a cobblestone path that wound its way over the grass. He had never been somewhere like this.

Hermione smiled as they pulled into her street and pulled up to number twelve.

“Home sweet home!” Mr Granger pulled on the handbrake and unclicked his seat belt.

“Come on.” Hermione smiled at Draco before she opened the door to hop out.

Draco climbed out slowly and looked over at the house. It was two story with a path leading up to the house, there was a small flowerbed and a welcome mat sitting in front of the double wooden doors. He jumped slightly as Mr Granger clapped his hand down on his shoulder.

“She’s pretty impressive isn’t she? You know I planted those trees myself.” Draco could see that he was proud of his home.

And he was right, he was very impressed.

“Dad, Draco’s house is probably five time this size.” Hermione said as she started pulling her trunk out of the car.

“Even so, the boy can tell something great when he sees it, can't you son?” He beamed at Draco and put his arm around his shoulder.

“It’s very nice… I … I like the … path.” He said.

Hermione smiled to herself; he was so nervous.

“Oh you do? I laid those stones back before we’d even moved in! We built this place you see…” He began going on and on about the house and its different components as he unloaded the luggage and walked them to the door.

He was going on and on about how they had repainted the hallway and living room so many times that he could hardly remember what colour it had started when they heard a woman’s voice from around the corner.

“Oh you’re back so soon!” Hermione’s mother walked out of the kitchen to greet them with a warm smile. “Darling! Oh, I’ve missed you!” She threw her arms around Hermione and squeezed her tight.

“Come now Denise, don’t suffocate the poor girl.” Her father said.

“I’m fine dad.” Hermione beamed wider than Draco had ever seen.

“So this is Draco.” Mrs Granger looked him up and down and he gave her a polite smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you; I do hope you’ll make yourself at home.” She walked over and gave him a welcoming kiss on the cheek.

“Nice to meet you too.” He mumbled.

“Well I’m in the middle of tea dear and I would use your help with the mashed potatoes so if you’ll come and give me a hand these two can get settled in.” Mrs Granger looked expectantly at her husband.

“Well I was in the middle of a story.” He said.

“Yes, yes, you painted the hallways and re-did the carpets and picked out the upholstery; I’m sure they’ve head quite enough for one day. You can show Draco to the guest room sweet heart.” As she walked back into the kitchen she looked back to tell Hermione the last part.

“Well of course when you say it like that it sounds rather dull but I think…” Their voices trailed off as they turned the corner.

Hermione turned to Draco. “Sorry about him, he tends to get a little over excited. Having two magical people in the house has turned him into bit of a teenager really.”

“No, I was actually interested.” Hermione raised an eyebrow. “People don’t usually take the time to tell me little things like that.”

Her face softened and he decided that he wouldn’t let her feel sorry for him anymore on this day. “So show me this guest room, it has a view I expect. I should hope so anyway.” He said arrogantly and she laughed.

“Come on.” She flicked her wand at the suitcases and they followed the two of them upstairs.

She opened one door and her case floated through and she walked a little further down the hall and opened a second door. They walked into a moderately sized bedroom and Draco’s trunk hit the floor with a little thud. Hermione walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains so that light flooded the room.

Draco looked around. There was a double bed in the centre and a dresser set opposite it. It was simple but somehow it was warm and inviting.

“Why didn’t you just use that spell to get the cases out of the car?” He asked as he looked out of the window.

“I don’t like to use such menial magic in front of my parents.” She sat down on the bed. “I think it makes them feel a little useless. I mean, I could have cast a spell that helped my mother finish the dinner, I could have had it do the entire dinner for her but then what would she do? And I could have loaded the trunks into the car and out of it but then my dad wouldn’t feel like he’s doing anything to help. Sometimes it’s nice to juts… not use my magic.” She shrugged and he almost couldn’t believe how considerate she was.

She is the cleverest witch of their age and it shows, in everything. Not only can she master almost any magical task set before her, but she also knows exactly when magic isn’t necessary. Draco sat down beside her and cupped her face in his hand, stealing a lingering kiss.

He pulled his lips back only inches and looked down at her.

“What was that for?” she whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

“It was because I’m… happy.” He said.

“Well hold that thought because if I know my father he’s about to dive into a whole lot of stories about dentistry and it’s really not that interesting a profession.” He laughed and kissed her again.

He savoured her warm lips and heavenly taste, this trip may only last a few days but it has already been one to remember.