Fiercely Stubborn Hearts

Chapter 11

Hermione woke up late the next day, still pressed against Draco's chest. For an instant, she was confused, only half remembering the conversation they had held while drowsy with sleep. She looked up at the clock and stared in shock.

"I know," Draco's voice said. "We've slept through our classes."

Hermione shook her head, then yawned and stretched a bit, shifting so that she wasn't entirely on top of him.

"You don't seem too disappointed," he said, groaning as he moved his legs to a more comfortable position.

She stood and wobbled for a moment before looking over to where Winky was placing food for them on the table, "Neither do you."

"Well, I miss my classes far more frequently than you, and I don't particularly care."

She hummed, "And what makes you think I do?"

He shrugged, swinging his legs over the edge of the couch.

She gave him a brief smile before taking a bite of the eggs in front of her, "I already know all of the spells we're learning this year. There's not much point in me going."

He chuckled and they sat and made small talk over breakfast, not discussing the looming situation that had developed the night before.

In fact, they didn't talk about it for the next week. Hermione was busier than ever when the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, sent her a document on the treatment of Muggle-borns to look over. She hardly said anything to anyone for the remainder of that week, going back to her usual irregular sleep schedule in an instant. She only seemed to come from her daze over the document to give a halfhearted acceptance of apology to Neville and Luna. At the beginning of the week, after she and Draco had parted ways that Monday, she had wanted to immediately go to Pansy to ask what the hell was going on and try to get her to help her understand the feelings, but was almost automatically confronted by Kingsley's rather insistent owl. 

It was Thursday when she finally finished editing the document to her liking and she sent it back on Friday with the enormous eagle owl she had used a few weeks previously.

Then, Friday afternoon, she went to Pansy and, quite literally, dragged her out of the Common Room.

When they reached somewhere she knew no one would eavesdrop she threw her hands up in the air, "What have you done to me!"

Pansy crossed her arms, and popped a hip, "I'm sorry?"

Hermione pointed at her with and accusatory finger, "You're the one who started me realizing these stupid feelings! What have you done!"

Pansy didn't do a very good job at hiding her laughter, "Oh, so you've come to your senses, then?"

Hermione pointed a finger at her accusingly then growled and threw her arm back down to her side.

Pansy finally let go of her poorly restrained laughter, "Oh, I knew it! I knew you would realize soon!"

Hermione ran her hands through her hair, scratching at her scalp, "You're not helping."

"No," Pansy said. "You have to give me a minute to laugh at you before I'm going to do that."

Hermione groaned, "Go on then."

Pansy seemed to sober quickly, "So, what's up?"

"I don't know what to do, Pansy."

"You've avoided him all week, haven't you? What happened to cause that?"

"Well,"Hermione paused, "we sort of slept together."

Pansy's eyes flew wide open and she shrieked, "WHAT!"