Hermione's POV

It was late afternoon, and Hermione had drifted asleep in the common room on a chair. The common room was empty, and she had a faint smile on her face, indicating a pleasant dream.

Draco was sitting on the floor, and Hermione was beside him, her head in his lap. He stroked her hair with his long thin fingers, and Hermione took his other hand and played with it. His fingers were so warm despite the pale wash of his skin. She sized up their hands together, and Draco didn't care. He seemed lost in thought, a small smile on his face. Her hand was much smaller than his, and much more frail. Although he had thin fingers, they were strong and able. He was perfect.

"Hermione," Draco whispered. When she sat up and looked in his eyes, he continued. "When's your birthday? It always seemed to come in the beginning of term, right?"

Blushing, Hermione nodded a little. "Yeah. September 19th." Then, a little suspiciously, "Why?"

Draco dropped a kiss on her lips. "Don't worry about it. I didn't want to miss it; it's such an important day. The day you turn seventeen."

She grinned and nodded.

Everything vanished in a matter of a second, and Hermione jumped, checking her watch, panicked. She sighed when she realized it wasn't super late, but dinner was soon. She had no idea why the common room was completely empty, but it didn't bother her too much. Gryffindors were typically social, so nothing was really out of order.

Practically skipping down to dinner, she was especially cheery during the meal, to the excitement and bewilderment of her classmates and friends. A dream like the last was definitely one to think about. It made her giddy like a kid, almost squealing whenever she thought about seeing him. She caught him looking at him, and she raised her eyebrows a little, making him smirk playfully. Those silent, light-hearted conversations that they had, that was the best. It was like they could read each others' minds.

When dinner had finally finished, Hermione leapt off her seat and beat her friends to the common room. When they came in, Ginny was the first to ask. "What's going on with you, Hermione?"

"What do you mean?" She replied, puzzled.

"You're too...happy." Ron said bluntly.

Hermione blinked, then smirked. Setting her face in a mock-pout, she slumped her shoulders and shuffled her feet. "Fine. I guess I'll go up and climb into bed. Maybe I'll grab a book and read away my sorrows." She kept going with the act, leaving to go upstairs to the dormitory. She only stopped when she heard a snort. Obviously Ron. She turned around, one eyebrow raised, and bowed dramatically. Her friends clapped slowly.

"See? I'm not too happy." Hermione concluded.

Satisfied, her friends piled onto the couch, and she gasped. The time! "Shoot, I forgot my book in McGonagall's room! I hope I don't run into her, but if I do...you know..." she looked around nervously as she covered for herself.

Harry nodded. "Detention," he said, his mind somewhere else.

"Don't worry, Hermione. She practically loves you, she'd never put you in detention," Ginny agreed, almost half-heartedly.

It was then that Hermione noticed how tense Ginny was while sitting next to Harry. Did something happen? She thought, concern for her friend washing over her. Ron seemed fine, and Harry didn't look like he noticed Ginny's odd behavior, so she put the thought to the back of her mind. She had someone to see.

She headed silently to the classroom, her safe haven it seemed like, and sat in thought when she saw that Draco hadn't arrived yet. Getting comfortable in a chair, she leaned forward and furrowed her eyebrows in concentration.

That dream, the one where Draco said he loved her, that ended up to be real. But...how? I must be losing my mind, Hermione thought, confused. Then, about this dream earlier, what if that happened tonight? And if it didn't, would it come later? She was so exasperated and tired that she couldn't tell if she was just exhausted or actually going insane.

With a gasp, Hermione remembered the dream, the one in Godric's Hollow Graveyard. Lucius Malfoy had stabbed her in the chest. She widened her eyes in shock. She'd had three dreams that were out of the usual, and one of them had come true. Surely it had only been deja vu? But she doubted it so strongly that she predicted the worst.

If she was seeing these things, these dreams, and one of them had come true, then...no. Hermione denied the idea. Not possible. She couldn't let herself continue the thought. I've definitely lost it.

Running her fingers through her curls, she turned when the door creaked open, revealing the strong frame of Draco. His hair was his natural curly self, tousled and platinum blond. In his arms were his robes...and his shirt. Muscles rippled on his abdomen, keeping Hermione staring. She blushed furiously when he smirked.

"Enjoying the view, Granger?" She didn't mind it as much when he used his old nickname for her; he did it in a teasing tone.

"Put a shirt on," Hermione stumbled for words and turned away. "Malfoy," she added with a small voice.

"Mmm, I'm not really in the mood," Draco closed the door, making the short walk to Hermione and bringing her to a standing position, a hug. "So, nope." He popped the 'p'.

"Please?" Hermione tore her eyes from his chest and stretched her arms around his middle, not that her arms needed much stretching. She looked up into his eyes, seeing her reflection in them. He kept her gaze for a couple seconds, then broke into a grin.

"I can't deny that face," he said, throwing on his shirt. Hermione was a bit disgusted with herself when a part of her was sad to see his abs go.

"What face?"

"This one." He imitated her, making a face that looked like a sad dog that was constipated, and she laughed, flinging her arms around his neck.

She kissed him, on her tip-toes to reach him. She only broke the kiss to whisper, "I love you, Malfoy." He smiled through the kiss, picking her up and leaning against the wall, his arms supporting her.

This time he broke the kiss, and brushed away a strand of hair that had fallen in her eyes. "I love you, too, Granger." Hermione grinned, and ran her hands through his hair, making it even more curly. She loved his hair. No, she corrected herself. I love all of him. He is perfect.

He slid down the wall, so he was sitting on the ground, and Hermione was in his lap. Her hands were cupping his face, and his were placed tenderly on her sides. She let out a small yawn, and she covered her mouth, embarrassed.

"Hermione," Draco said, a laughing glint in his eyes, "that was the cutest yawn I've ever heard." He smiled when she giggled.

Hermione sighed. She adjusted herself so she was laying on her back, her head in his lap, her feet splayed out in front of her. She looked up into his eyes, and he stroked her hair lovingly. With a lurch in her stomach, Hermione gulped inwardly. But she decided to let it play out; what if she was wrong?

She played with his fingers, and he asked her a question. "Hermione?" She nodded. "Er, when's--well, when's your birthday?"

Sitting up, Hermione replied matter-of-factly, "September 19th."

He nodded and said, "It's such an important day, but not celebrated nearly enough."

She kissed his cheek. "That's sweet, Draco, but really, I don't care how much it's celebrated. I just want to spend time with friends, and family. And you."

"I can't wait for you to turn seventeen." Draco smiled, and Hermione returned it, shakily. She had to tell him. She was positive now.

"Draco..." She started, unsure how to put what she was thinking into words. "You have to promise you won't laugh. Even if what I say is rubbish." Hermione ducked her head, only to have Draco bring it up with his hand under her chin.

"Okay." He said. "I promise."

"Well..." Hermione took a deep breath. She had to do this. If she didn't tell someone, she would explode. "That time that I freaked out, saying I was going crazy?"

Draco nodded.

"I don't think I'm wrong. That dream, that was a dream, Draco. Then it came true. And then earlier tonight, I had a dream. It literally just happened, right now. The asking me when my birthday is, the laying on the floor, all of it. I don't know what's happening, but I don't think it's normal." Her breath caught. "There was this other dream..." she couldn't continue. Their relationship was so fragile, she didn't want to shatter it to pieces.

"What other dream?" He pressed gently.

Hermione shook her head. "Never mind."

Draco sat back and let out a breath. "What does this all mean?" He wondered out loud.

"I was going to ask you," Hermione said, leaning her head on his shoulder. "I don't know. I almost want to tell McGonagall, but then I don't know if it's a stupid thing like...hormones or something." She slapped him lightly on the arm when he snorted, trying to cover it with a cough.

"That's the thing, Hermione. You don't know. If it's bothering you enough that you think you're going crazy, tell McGonagall. She's got to have something to help you." He kissed her softly on her lips. "Trust me," he said, gazing into her eyes, "there's nothing wrong with you, nor will there ever be. I love you, Hermione Granger."

"I love you, too," Hermione mumbled, letting out another yawn. Draco lay down flat on the floor, and she snuggled close to him, her head right over his heart. His calm heartbeat lulled her to sleep, his arm around her. She felt safer than ever.

But the thought that kept haunting her was still there, lingering in the back of her mind.