Love Lasts

Chapter 35

The week of exams sent Hermione into a frenzy. She refused to let Harry and Ron out of the Common Room except for classes or serious illness.

Ron took some puking pastilles from Fred and George just so he could get away from her for a few hours.

Hermione gave Harry and Ron study guides, note cards, books, and copies of her notes so they had, "No excuses for not passing the exams!"

Harry rarely saw Draco anymore and it was starting to make him sad. He owled him several times and smiled when he saw Draco's neat cursive on an envelope marked for him.

Twice, Harry had taken Nosebleed Nougat so he could leave and go see Draco. He wasn't able to stay long, but it was much better than nothing.

"She's working you off your feet! Do you even eat anymore?" Harry chuckled and nodded in the darkness of the broom closet he and Draco were hiding in.

"After our last class she dragged us up to the Common Room and asks a house elf to bring us some food. It's all Ron's fault. He told her to give up on S.P.E.W. so much that she actually asks the house elves for things now. She says that any time eating is a waste of study time. I'll tell you, I better pass these exams with an Outstanding or I'm going to rip my hair out." Draco chuckled and pulled Harry close. Harry wrapped his arms around Draco's waist and didn't let go for a while.

When the first exam day finally came, Ron and Harry made sure to steer clear of Hermione. A first year had made the mistake of asking her for a quill and she shouted at him that, "This is my study time! Don't you see? These exams could determine my entire future and you are asking me questions about quills?" The boy ran away close to tears and most of Gryffindor house had gone silent.

The first exam was Charms and Harry felt he did well on it. Hermione had had him practicing all day just for Charms so he knew he was going to do well.

The next was Potions and Harry felt he did okay on that too. The only reason though is because he wrote the order for the ingredients on his forearm in vanishing ink.

After he had finished the Transfiguration exam, Harry collapsed into a chair in front of the fire, closed his eyes, and slept until dinner.

When he made to leave, Hermione grabbed him and Ron and demanded that they stay and study, otherwise how on Earth are they supposed to pass their Herbology final in the morning?

The next day was much of the same. Avoid Hermione, try to not panic, and the momentary relief when he had finished one of his finals.

Friday felt like the best day Harry had had in a long time. They only had Defense Against the Dark Arts and then they were done with finals.

Harry aced the exam then walked outside with Ron and Hermione and they all sat under the beech tree.

After a while, Draco joined him along with Ginny and Luna. Hermione was rereading Hogwarts; A History, and they all knew better than to interrupt her.

Harry laid with his head in Draco's lap, a gentle breeze tickling his skin and Draco braiding flowers into his hair. It always made him happy.

Harry stared the sparkling surface of the lake and watched several students blow off steam and swim around in the water. All of a sudden he hoped up and offered a hand to Draco.

"Swim with me." He said. Draco just stared at him.

"You do realize that we are fully clothed?" Harry cocked an eyebrow.

"Scared Malfoy?" Draco grinned and stood up. "You wish."

The two kicked off their shoes, pulled their robes over their heads, then ran to the water. It was warm on their skin and they splashed around for a while.

Ginny and Luna watched them for a while before jumping in as well.

After much coaxing from Ron, Hermione joined them in the lake as well, making sure to summon towels and a clean change of clothes for each of them before she did so.

Harry smiled and laughed as he and Draco splashed around. They teamed up against Ginny and Luna for a chicken fight then laughed as Ginny and Luna teamed up against Ron and Hermione.

It didn't take long for Hermione to topple into the water and they all burst into laughter as her head appeared on the surface once more. Harry felt happier than he had in a long time.