Death by Granger [rewritten version]

11

Hermione sat up at the incessant tapping at her window and threw her covers back with a soft growl. She stalked over the the window and yanked the curtain back, fully prepared to yell at Parvati's girlfriend to remind her for the umpteenth time that Parvati could be found in the Ravenclaw tower. Instead, her furious glare melted into a giddy grin as she was faced with the only other person she knew whose hair matched her own.

She waited for Draco to duck out of the way so she could push the window open.

"Hi," Draco said, peeking at her over the windowsill — not unlike a baby in their crib.

Hermione smiled. "This is becoming a habit," she teased. "And an awfully Muggle habit at that."

"You adore it when I do Muggle things," Draco said. "Try and lie to me. I dare you."

Hermione sighed as she stepped back, amusement tugging her lips as Draco pulled himself in and missed her nightstand, tumbling to the floor.

"It's late, Lizard, and I just narrowly escaped an argument with Harry."

Draco stood up and fixed his clothes. "First, are you ever going to let that go?"

"Promise to never call me Honeybee again and I wouldn't bring it up even if Blaise paid me half his fortune."

"Well, I can't do that."

"Then no, I'm never letting it go. Second?"

"I want to tell you about the third of all from earlier this evening."

"And this couldn't wait til morning?" Hermione teased, sitting down on her bed and backing up against the headboard, gesturing for Draco to sit at the foot of her bed.

"Probably," Draco said, kicking his shoes off and jumping on Hermione's bed.

She smiled at the sight of him so carefree and excitable. It was a rare sight and she treasured each time it happened, knowing that Narcissa aside, there wasn't a single living soul who had seen this side of Draco.

"But you had to tell me now," Hermione stated.

"Third of all, who says 'us' isn't a thing?"

Hermione lifted one eyebrow. "Who says we are?"

"We could be."

"Draco," Hermione said gently, leaning forward, "we can't ever go back to the place you miss. That was a war. I don't ever want to feel like that again."

"You're missing the point, Honeybee. I don't want to be holding your hand because otherwise I'll lose you in the dark. I just want to hold your hand."

Hermione looked down to see her hand in Draco's, resting on her off-white bedsheets. "I. . ."

"What is it?"

Hermione refused to lift her head. She no longer had her curls to hide behind and so she kept her head ducked down and focused on her bedspread as she spoke. "Stay here tonight. None of my roommates stay here anymore, so you can choose whoever bed looks most comfortable to you. Parvati's sharing with her sister. Fay sleeps in her girlfriend's dorm. I've been meaning to ask Ginny if she'd like to room with me but . . . That can wait a little longer."

Draco smiled.

Hermione lifted her gaze then, knowing that he would be smiling and knowing that this was another rare Draco that no one else ever saw. She returned his smile before she even realised it.