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Struggling Through New Beginnings	By : HarryGinny4eva Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 31233 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Spoilers - I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 32
- 33
- 34
Chapter 34

�No,
no, no,� Draco said as he readjusted Hermione�s arm. Then he added with a teasing
smile, �You have to wiggle your arm a bit more. You know. Like a WORM!�

Hermione she rolled her eyes at him and lowered her arm, �You�ve been just
waiting to use that, haven�t you, you prat?�

�For weeks,� he laughed and nodded.

�Feel better now?� she asked around the smile she was trying to hold back.

�Not yet,� he shook his head. �Maybe one or two�hundred more times and I will.�

Hermione shook her head and let the smile come. Then she lifted her arm to
continue practicing the charm movements they�d been working on for the better
part of an hour. They�d met in the all-house common room a couple of hours
after dinner to continue to work on their Charms project as they�d been doing
for the past couple of weeks.

�I can�t believe you held out that long,� she commented after a minute. �I was
sure you would find a way to tease me about it quite soon after Daddy said it.�

Draco looked at her face as she concentrated on her movements and tilted his
head thoughtfully, �Hermione?�

�Yeah?� she asked distractedly as she flicked her wrist just-so.

He blew his hair back off his face and asked, �You don�t mind, do you? That I
still tease you a bit sometimes?�

Her curls swung back and forth as she shook her head, �No, Draco. You don�t do
it the same way you used to. You�re not��

He watched as her arm stopped moving for a fraction of a second and she winced
a little. Then she blew out a breath and went back to practicing as if nothing
had happened.

When she didn�t seem to want to finish the sentence he prompted her quietly,
�What am I not?�

Hermione dropped her arm and turned her head to look at him seriously as she
sighed, �I was going to say you�re not mean any more.�

�And? I thought that would be a good thing.� He made it sound like a joke, but
the look in his eyes, the tightness of his features and the tension in his body
made his vulnerability clear to her.

�It is,� she smiled a little at him. The she moved over to sit next to him on
couch. They had taken over a quiet corner near the back and as it was so late,
there were very few students in the large room with them.

�I just didn�t want to bring all that back up again,� she confessed, her hands
clenched her lap. �I mean, things have�I mean we�ve been��

He reached out and put his hand on her clenched ones and her eyes met his. This
time though, when her eyes dilated, he wasn�t worried that it was fear and
smiled a little at her. �I was an ass, Hermione, and I know it. I also know
everyone�s waiting for me to go back to being that guy. But, I promise you,
this is me now. I have no desire to hurt anyone anymore, especially not you.�

�I know,� she almost whispered. Then she cleared her throat and broke eye
contact to glance around nervously, �But, you�re�and I�m�Gods! This is
ridiculous! Why do I get so stupid around you?!�

Draco was shocked when she surged to her feet, put her fists to her eyes in
frustration and actually stamped her foot as she continued, �This is
ridiculous! I am an intelligent woman, dammit! I know
how to make full sentences and I even use the big words. I am the most
accomplished witch in this school and I can�t even do a simple spell around you
without my hands shaking! I liked Ron for years and never had trouble with my
school work!�

Then she whirled on him and her angry eyes met his confused ones, �Why does
being alone with you do this to me, now? You never affected me before. Now, I
sound like a twittering, giggly idiot! I can�t complete a damn thought. You
look at me with those eyes and I get lightheaded, for Merlin�s sake. Everything
I know just flies away and I�m tired of it! This has to stop. I�m acting
like�like Lavender!�

Draco�s laugh bubbled up as he realized she was honestly confused by her
reaction to him. Self-preservation made him hold it back and keep a straight
face as he slowly stood and moved in front of her.

�Okay, calm down,� he said softly.

�I will not calm down, Draco Malfoy! You can�t tell me what to do! I will be as
upset as I�oomph.�

He felt her body tense immediately and waited with his lips against hers, for
her to push him away. Then she relaxed against him and in response he pulled
her closer and deepened the kiss. His brain was buzzing with so many thoughts
he had trouble concentrating. However, there was one that rang the loudest; he
was finally kissing her. Hermione Granger. He was kissing Hermione Granger! He
was kissing someone who, less than a year ago, he had almost thrown to the Dark
Lord. The one person who, now, he wanted to protect against everything he had
been, everything he feared he might still be.

It was that thought that made him pull away quickly; so quickly she lost her
balance and fell forward into him.

�I�m sorry,� he rushed to say.

Hermione blinked up at him owlishly as she asked, �Why? That was fantastic!�

�Of course it was,� he said without any trace of the pride the words suggested.
�But, I�m sorry.�

Hermione�s eyes finally cleared as she focused on his anguished face.

�Draco, I�m confused,� she said slowly. �I was the one having the freak out.
What exactly are you sorry about?�

�I kissed you,� he answered as if it were a crime.

�And,� she prompted, completely confused.

�And, I,� he began. Then he ran his hands through his hair as he stepped back
from her, �I�m�and you�re�I mean, things have�I mean we�ve been��

Her giggle stopped him, �Now, you sound like I did a moment ago.�

When he just stopped and stared at her, she stepped forward until her chest
almost brushed his, �Do it again.�

�Huh?�

�Kiss me again,� she demanded.

�What? Why?� he asked, genuinely perplexed.

She took the final step that had her flush against him, even though her hands
stayed at her sides. She opened and closed her mouth, then closed her eyes
briefly before looking up at him.

Taking another breath she raised on hand to his face, �Because I need to know
it was real, that you might feel, um, something other than friendship for me. I
need to know this isn�t just some�And, you need to know that is was okay; that
you�re okay. You aren�t the same boy. I�m not the same girl. I want you to
oomph.�

She laughed a little at his abruptness, but then sobered as the same feelings
she�d felt the first time coursed through her again. She knew in some part of
her that she was being silly analyzing it as she was, but she couldn�t stop.
When she felt his hands slide up her hips to grip her waist and shuddered
against him, she realized the stories were true. You could get goose bumps from
one of his kisses. Then one of his hands slid higher and his thumb slid slowly
back and forth on the underside of her breast and, she heard her own moan.
Another truth, your heart could pound so hard in your own ears that it drowned
out all other noise.

Then he pulled away slowly and stepped back and she knew one last truth. You
could miss someone�s touch.

�I won�t hurt you,� he said softly, his eyes searching hers. �I know you�ve
heard��

�Stop,� she answered with a smile. �New beginnings for all of
us. That past is just that, Draco.�

He searched her face for a moment before he nodded and a small smirk formed.

�What?� she asked warily.

�I just kissed the VP, the Queen Know-It-All of Gryffindor,� he said teasingly
as he moved back close to her and his arms stole back around her. �Twice.�

She smacked his chest lightly, even as she grinned, �And, I just kissed the
�Oh-so-great� Slytherin Prince.�

�And?� he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

�And, what?� she asked as she tried to look confused as she held back her
smile.

�Don�t tease me, witch,� he laughed. Then he searched her eyes again and
nervously asked, �Was it, I mean, did you like, um��

Hermione�s face went from teasing to shocked as she
watched him stumble over his words and redden, �But, you�re, you�ve, I mean
everyone says you�re� Wait, you haven�t��

He pulled back and looked away, �Well, my last couple of years have been a bit
busy, now haven�t they?�

Hermione closed her mouth with a snap as she thought about that. He had been a
bit too busy trying not to kill or be killed to have had as many trysts as
she�d heard. She also correctly assumed his pride would have been too great to
divulge his apparent innocence to anyone. A slow smile formed when the reality
hit her that Draco Malfoy had basically just confessed to being a virgin. To her.

�I stand by my first statement,� she said as she reached out and took his hand.

His head snapped up and his eyes met hers in question and unease. She decided
to give him a bit of his pride back.

�It was fantastic, Draco. And, I look forward to doing it again soon.�

She saw him breathe a sigh of relief, even as he raised a cocky eyebrow at her
and pulled her against his chest again, �Don�t you want to know what I thought
of you?�

�Not really,� she laughed a little as she pulled back from him. �Come on. We
still have studying to do.�

Draco let her go, but watched her closely. When she�d sat back against the sofa
and pulled the large spell book onto her lap, he sat down beside her and said
her name softly. She didn�t look up and only acknowledged that he�d spoken with
a soft grunt.

�It was amazing,� he confessed softly. When her eyes lifted to his, he nodded
and scooted over closer to her. �Wanna try again?�

When she didn�t answer immediately he moved closer to loom over her, but her
hand on his chest stopped his movement.

�We need to study,� she smiled up at him.

He eased back a bit and because she didn�t seem upset he teased, �I thought you
couldn�t think clearly with me around.�

She laughed, �Well, now that the sexual tension has dissipated, I can
concentrate on work again.�

�Only you would put it that way,� he shook his head. She shrugged and looked
back down at her book which made him gawk at her, �Wait! Are you serious?�

She looked over at him with a puzzled smile, �Yes, why?�

�Just like that?�

�Well, yeah,� she nodded. �I mean, now that it�s done and we both know what to
expect, the wondering about when and if and how is behind us. Now, we can focus
again.�

He laughed and reached out to toy with a curl on her shoulder, �You have so
much to learn.�

�What do you mean?�

Draco moved slowly closer as he answered softly, �I mean, Ms. Granger, that
despite my earlier, uh,�
confession, I do still have a lot to teach you.�

Her voice shook a bit as she stared into his predatory gaze, �Abou�about what?�

He looked down at her lips as she spoke, �About what to expect, when, where and
how. I assure you, we are nowhere near done.�

�Draco, I�� she began.

�Shhh,� he said. Then he leaned into her and
whispered against her lips. �I need to show you something.�

Before she could ask what, his lips were once again covering hers. This time
she was prepared for the assault on her senses and relaxed back against the
sofa arm. It wasn�t like when Ron had kissed her, it was so much more
all-consuming. Ron�s lips had been fuller, but with a lot less pressure, and
she�d always felt a sense of contentment. Draco�s kiss was very different. It
was like he was drinking from her lips; worshipping them. His tongue caressed
hers. And, the low growl in his throat made her want to purr in response.

Then he slid his lips across her cheek to her ear and his hand moved up her
body slowly. She started a little and grasped his shoulders tighter when he ran
his tongue around the shell of her ear and laid his hand over her breast.

He felt her stiffen against him, but when she didn�t pull away, or push him
away, he whispered, �Relax.�

Hermione shivered as his warm breath blew across her ear, and glanced around to
make sure they were still alone. �Draco, maybe we should��

In answer he trailed kisses down her neck and slid his fingers back and forth
over her breast, feeling the nipple harden and grow beneath her shirt. When he
heard her sharp intake of breath he smiled to himself and went back to her
lips. As her tongue tentatively met his, he groaned and shifted to get closer,
his hand now more firm against her.

��said they would be studying together, so, oh! Oh my!� Pansy�s voice cut through their fog.

Draco jumped back from Hermione and she bolted up straight, their dazed eyes
meeting Pansy and Ron�s shocked ones.

xxxxxx

Ron felt his jaw drop and was hard-pressed to close
his mouth. Over the past couple of weeks he had mostly accepted Hermione and
Draco�s feelings for one another. He�d even swallowed his own disgust that
Draco really seemed to have finally matured and wasn�t going away any time
soon. Last, he�d finally learned to block out Harry�s tirades on the subject.
But, seeing their interest in each other up close and in person put an entirely
different spin on things. He wasn�t quite sure what to say, but he realized
with a lump in his throat, that a new chapter of their lives had truly begun.

Seeing Hermione with Draco, as Ron held Pansy�s hand tightly in his, helped
clarify for him that the past was indeed just that. They had moved on from one
another. It wasn�t a feeling of sadness, so much as a realization of closure.
They would always be closer than family, but that part of their lives, their
childhood, was done.

The silence that engulfed the four of them was heavy as they stared from one to
the other. Ron felt Pansy�s hand tighten on his and wondered fleetingly if she
was upset to see Draco with another woman. A glance at her face assured him she
wasn�t when he noticed her holding back a small smile.

Ron puffed out a breath and drew Pansy a bit closer, �We, uh, came to see if
you two were done with your Charms work.�

He noticed Hermione�s blush, lowered eyes, and the hands she clenched in her
lap. She looked very much like a naughty child waiting for their punishment and
it saddened him to see that she was so anxious over his reaction. In an effort
to relay his feelings to her without having to embarrass any of them further,
he strove for normalcy.

�But,� he continued with a forced laugh, �I guess you, uh, got distracted.�

If nothing else his comment made Hermione lift her head and look at him.

�Why?� Draco asked from his seat beside her.

Ron may have gotten over a lot of things, but talking normally to Draco wasn�t
one of them. So, he simply didn�t answer.

He heard Pansy sigh softly beside him before she answered in his stead, �A
bunch of us were thinking of going to The Hog's Head tonight and we thought you
might want to join us.�

Ron nodded, but only looked between Hermione and Pansy. Again trying to make it
seem like an every day occurrence to have seen
Hermione groping and being groped by Draco Malfoy, Ron forced another laugh.
�Unless you�d rather stay here and continue, uh, studying.�

Draco smirked at Ron�s attempt at a joke and laughed a little. He mentally
thanked the red-head for at least trying.

Hermione shook her head and stood up with her hands still clasped together,
�No, we�ll co�I mean I�ll come. Draco?�

Draco made a non-committal grunt and folded his arms across his chest.

When Hermione looked back at him in askance Draco looked away and Ron could
tell her nervousness was pissing off the man. Ron glanced over to see Draco
staring at the floor and Hermione simply looking between Draco and himself.

He felt Pansy�s hand squeeze his and glanced down at her. She smiled up at him
and raised a brow as she said, �Why don�t we meet you guys by the doors. I
forgot something and Ron and I need to go get it.�

He almost asked what she forgot, but the tightening of her grip made him
understand he was to just nod and agree. �Yeah, we�ll see you there in a few.�

�Okay,� Hermione answered.

When Ron and Pansy turned and walked away, Hermione sighed and sat back down.
�Well, that was awkward,� she muttered.

Draco stayed quiet and just stared at her until she looked up at him.

�What?�

�Are you going?� he asked evenly.

�Sure, I guess. I mean, we can�t stay in here all night,� she stood again and
started to gather her books.

Draco turned his back to her and reached for his books, �Do you want to meet up
again later in the weekend to finish this?�

�Sure,� she answered. �What are you doing after quidditch practice tomorrow?�

�Nothing much,� he answered as he lifted his bag onto his shoulder and stuck
his hands in his pockets.

His monotone voice finally filtered through and Hermione realized he was no
longer looking at her. �What�s wrong?�

He glanced at her and then away as he mumbled, �Nothing.�

She bit her lip for a second before asking, �Are you sure?�

�I�m fine, Granger. Just let me know when you�re ready to finish this project.�

Draco calling her by her last name was like a slap in the face. Her mouth fell
open in shock as she stared at him, but before she could react further, he
turned and started to walk away.

Grabbing her bag and robe she hurried after him. When she caught up to him she
grabbed his sleeve and pulled him to a stop, �Hey! What happened? What�s
wrong?�

Draco pulled his arm from her hand sharply and sneered down at her as he
indicated the others in the room, �Are you sure you want to be seen touching me
in public?�

�What?� she asked in complete confusion. �What are you talking about?�

�Forget it,� he sighed heavily and turned away again.

Hermione stepped quickly around him and stopped him from walking away by
putting her hands on his chest, �What did I miss? Why are you so angry with me
all of a sudden?�

Draco closed his eyes for a moment and then stepped back from her, �I�m not
angry with you. I just have to go.�

�Go? Go, where? Aren�t you coming into town with everyone?�

Draco blew out a breath and looked down into her face, �Look, I really like
you. I think you know that. And, I thought you�never mind. Go have fun.�

�Draco, what�you thought I what? What am I missing?�

The look of complete confusion on her face got to him and he shifted his bag
higher on his shoulder as he blurted out, �I don�t want to embarrass either one
of us any more tonight, okay?�

�Huh?� she asked blankly. Then understanding dawned and her eyes opened wide as
she half-shouted, �You think I was embarrassed to be seen kissing you!�

Draco grabbed her arm and steered her quickly out of the doors, �Damn,
Hermione! I don�t think the ghosts in the rafters heard you!�

Hermione laughed as they skidded to a halt outside of the room, �Sorry, I was
shocked. But, was I right? Is that what you thought?�

�You were freaked when Pansy and Weasel came up to us,� he accused, instead of
admitting to anything.

�Ron. And, well, yeah,� she nodded as she smiled up at him.

�There you go,� he said as he tried to step around her.

�Draco, stop!� she demanded. When he turned to face her she stepped back up to
him, �I was freaked, yes, but not because of you.�

�Right,� he said as he looked anywhere but at her.

Hermione shook her head and let out a small laugh. Then she moved to stand
directly in front of him.

�Did it not occur to you that we were snogging in
front of our very recent exes? Maybe I was worried about their reactions to it,
Draco.� She then lifted her hand and ran it slowly down his chest to rest on
his waist as she spoke, �Maybe I didn�t want Ron and Pansy to feel weird
because of how they found us. I don�t want to upset them if I can help it.�
Then she repeated the action with her other hand as she added, �Or, maybe I was
just still a bit flustered by that kiss and a bit upset that it was
interrupted.� Last, she stepped closer and let her chest graze his as she
looked up at him, �And, maybe, just maybe, it had absolutely nothing to do with
being embarrassed at being caught kissing you?�

Draco�s eyes darkened and his hands came up and wrapped around her waist. His
tense shoulders relaxed as he smirked, �So, now that you know they weren�t
upset by it, if I was to grab you and kiss you in front of everyone tonight,
you would��

��be very happy and thoroughly mussed, I suppose,� she answered with a
flirtatious grin.

�Will you go to the Halloween Ball with me?� he asked, surprising her
completely.

Her smile was wide as she asked, �Where did that come from?�

He shrugged, but said, �Well?�

�Of course,� she answered. �And, thank you fo�oomph.�

Hermione had the fleeting thought that he was going to have to work on letting
her finish sentences, before his kiss drove away her ability to think at all.
She felt her back softly hit the wall behind her and his hands sliding up from
her waist, but it wasn�t in her to stop him yet; it simply felt too good. As
her hands slid up his chest to tangle in his hair, she realized he felt too
good, too. She was so lost in the kiss that she lost track of time and place.
She had no idea how long they�d been there when her name being called slowly
filtered through. Draco being jerked away from her brought her back to reality.

xxxxx

Author�s Responses: Thank each and
every one of you who read this story for your patience with its pace. I
mentally called this chapter, �Finally!�. lol Special
additional thanks to every reviewer.

bLondpierogi & marie & kazfeist & angeles & Mrs.DracoMalfoy:
I thank each of you!

revampedfallenangel:
Oh, I will answer, it just took a bit of extra time this week. :-) Thank you.

Dreamweaver: Three at once?!
Good gracious. Thank you. lol Let�s see if I can do
them some justice�

Chapter 31 � The Ball/Pansy
and Molly/The Rose/Blaise

I
can�t believe how perfect your deductions were about Ron. I honestly think
you�re in my head, or you�ve been on my computer and already read the story
sometimes. :-) Your observations on Molly, Ron and Draco were much appreciated
and very right. Thank you. And, while you and I may agree that Ron may not be
the best judge of character, his mother would see things differently. ha ha ha
Sorry to have made you cry again, I am investing in the tissue industry just
for you though. lol�
Seriously, thank you. I am so glad you liked his �falling apart�
as he did and the way the others, including Ginny, rallied around him.

Chapter 32 �
Teddy/Diary/Letter/Musical Chairs

The
reason Draco was looking to see if they�d told Hermione was that she, like
Harry, likes to �fix� things and Draco understands that Blaise didn�t need that
just then. Also, it showed him that Ginny could be trusted. I was so glad to
see you liked the Teddy scene. And, you made me sad. It never occurred to me to
go back and write more with him in it. DARN! I just needed him and them for
that scene. Sigh�opportunity lost. Don�t feel bad for Millie. She�s made of
tough stuff. ;-) But, I was glad she/I could make you laugh (instead of cry)
about her yelling out to pick �the bloody sevenths!� :-D
I am really glad you aren�t a diabetic, too, as Draco saying �the many shades
of brown� was almost too sweet for me, too. lol

Chapter 33 � Ron/Pansy,
Vati/Theo

As
a person who had loads of guy friends, I can assure you it is perfectly normal
to be able to handle them easily and still freak when things turn the least bit
romantic. lol I see Hermione being a lot like that. lol I had to laugh with you at the Pansy/Lavender argument.
You had them all pegged perfectly, especially Ron and Draco and the fact that
they are essentially swapping partners. lol I�ll take
your �awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww� with a huge thanks!

And
finally, congrats on catching up and THANK YOU once again. :)

LadyBlueEyes:
�brilliantly written!!� I don�t know about all that, but thank you. lol I am just pleased as punch that you are enjoying this
story! It seems we agree completely on Lavender. It�s funny to me that
even in fan fiction, I simply cannot like that girl! ha
ha ha Hermione and Draco�s
first kiss�so? What did you think? And, thanks for the kudos on Theo and
Parvati. I don�t know how I ended up writing them as a couple, but it just
worked. lol� I
am really glad it�s well received. Thank you so much!!
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Struggling Through New Beginnings