Raw

Hermione left the common room an hour after the fight. She felt bad for judging Draco earlier. In some ways, he was right: she didn't really know what it was like being a pureblood in the wizarding world. She had come into the world as a Muggle-born. Her side was already picked out for her, but he was right: there was no one forcing her to fight. She fought simply because she believed in the cause - no one was forcing her to by threatening her life. She couldn't imagine what it was like having to fight under the constant threat of death...not just your death, but that of your family too.

She felt bad for judging Draco so harshly and even worse that he must be getting constantly judged by everyone at the school. Most of his friends had had Death Eater parents, and they were on the run with them somewhere in the countryside. He really could have used her as a friend, but she had been too judgmental. She decided to pen him a quick note, as it would be easier than talking to him.

Dear Draco,

I'm so sorry for how our talk ended earlier. I didn't mean for you to feel judged by me. You were right - I really didn't understand your circumstances. I wish I had been more open minded and more of a friend to you.

Sincerely sorry,

Hermione

She left it on his door where he would be sure to see it later and headed out of the room. She walked outside to the Gryffindor common room, hoping to run into Harry and Ron. They were in there, and they had attracted quite a crowd. Ron and Harry were sitting in armchairs by the fire, while the rest of the Gryffindors were gathered around them on the floor. Ron was retelling the story of how he had destroyed Slytherin's locket with the sword of Gryffindor.

"Hey Hermione." Ron waved her over and smiled. Hermione smiled back and walked over to them, sitting to the right of Ron's armchair. As Hermione scanned the group, she was annoyed to see Lavender Brown among them, staring raptly at Ron.

"So anyways, Harry and Hermione had materialized out of the locket in like, this smoky, ghostlike, apparition. They were saying awful things - just the worst I could imagine, stuff like they wanted me gone, I shouldn't have come back...you get the gist. And meanwhile Harry's screaming at me from the ground, he's just screaming, "DO IT RON! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM! DO IT, JUST DO IT! Sometimes when I'm asleep, I can still hear the screaming."

The group laughed and Harry punched Ron on the shoulder. "It wasn't that dramatic, you prat."

"Right," said Ron, winking. "Anyways, I knew I had to do it. I knew I had to destroy the locket. But the conjured Harry and Hermione kept talking to me - taunting me. And then finally they kissed. And then that was when I had had enough. I raised the sword and ran towards the locket screaming. And Harry - Harry was so scared, he thought I was going for him. He ducked his head and threw his hands up like this."

Harry rolled his eyes next to him at the over dramatization, but he decided to let Ron have his moment and remained silent as Ron threw his hands in the air and pretended to cower in fear.

"But I was headed straight for the locket - not a doubt in my mind, I'll tell you. I lifted the sword as high as I could and I swung it down on top of it. The Harry and Hermione thingies disappeared just as soon as I hit the locket, and there was this awful roar. Then the locket broke apart and started smoking...it was destroyed."

"Wow, weren't you scared?" asked Lavender Brown in an awestruck voice.

"Yeh, a little bit." Ron shrugged. "But it was just smoke and ghosts, I knew they couldn't hurt me." Hermione stood up and slid into Ron's lap. "Hey you," said Ron, kissing her as she slid her arms around his neck. Lavender Brown got up in a huff and flipped her hair as she walked away.

"Looks like you have some admirers," she teased, as the remaining crowd dispersed.

"Well what can I say, I'm an admirable guy," said Ron, kissing her neck. "Quidditch tryouts are tomorrow after class. Are you gonna come watch me destroy all the first years?"

"I'd like to try," said Hermione, frowning. "I have a lot of work but I may be able to pop in for a few minutes. You're really the only one I want to watch."

"Don't let Harry hear that," joked Ron.

"Harry hear what?" Harry yelled from across the common room. He walked over to them and as the boys resumed their usual banter, Hermione let her thoughts drift off.

She was still thinking about her training session that morning with Draco. Even though she had been dueling alongside of Harry and Ron for years now, the three of them had never had that type of connection with each other. They hadn't been able to communicate with each other silently, to know what the others would do before they did it, or to use each other's bodies as an extension of their own. She had managed to accomplish that with Draco in one morning. Granted, it was after a week of intense physical and mental training together, but it still threw her for a loop.

She was upset that she had angered him. That wasn't her intention by asking him those personal questions. She was just curious, and she had to admit, slightly judgmental. She vowed to reassess him and to treat him like an equal. Because truth be told, Hermione really didn't know how she would have behaved if she had been born into his situation. She liked to think to herself she would have remained prejudice-free and would still have supported Harry in the war. However, she didn't know for sure. Things would have surely been different.

She felt a sharp jab in her ribs. "Earth to Hermione? Hello??" Ron was poking her in the side and Harry was staring at her, amused.

"What? What are you poking me for?"

"We just asked if you wanted to go to the Room of Requirement with us. I wanted to see if it was still accessible after the fire," explained Harry.

Hermione sighed. "I'm sorry guys, but I don't think I have time today. I need to go to the library and do some research. I have a paper due in Muggle Studies on Wednesday. Shouldn't you both be doing some studying as well? We do have N.E.W.T.s this year, you know..." Hermione trailed off as she eyed them.

Ron snorted. "Hermione, this is Hogwarts. No one here studies except for you!" Harry laughed. Ron pushed Hermione off his lap and stood up. "Hang out with us for a bit," he wheedled. "We won't be gone for too long."

"Yeah, Hermione, please?" Harry mock begged, trying his best to hold a pouty face.

"I'm sorry, I really can't." Hermione sighed as she left the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Harry staring after her, disappointed.

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Hermione spent the next week in virtual isolation. Draco had received her letter and accepted her apology, but he wasn't making any effort to go out of his way to talk to her. They maintained a civil relationship outside of their training sessions, but nothing remotely bordering on friendship.

Ron wasn't speaking to her - she had missed his Quidditch tryout. Monday at 3 a.m. Megan had woken both her and Draco up by throwing rocks against the windows of Head Tower. They had sleepily gone to join her, and she led them on a cross-country training session for the remaining hours before class started. Hermione barely made it through her classes that day and then went to the library to work on her paper, falling asleep on top of her books. She slept through dinner and through Quidditch tryouts. Although she apologized profusely to Ron, he could not be consoled. He yelled at her, telling her it was a symbol of their relationship, and that she was approaching their relationship as a one-sided affair. Hermione tried to tell him that she was just over-worked and exhausted, but Ron seemed to think that excuse inadequate.

It didn't help that the rest of the Gryffindor seventh year girls had gone to watch the tryouts, including Lavender Brown. Almost every time Hermione had run into them over the past week she overheard them talking about how many saves Ron had, or how brilliantly he had done. It was enough to drive her mad.

Ginny pretty much sided with Ron in the quarrel, maintaining that she should have made supporting him a priority. Hermione's only ally left was Harry, who remained neutral in their fight. Even though he was still talking to her, Hermione barely got to see him. He was with Ron most of the time, and when he wasn't, her schedule rarely left time for her to seek him out. She managed to run into him alone on the way to Transfiguration on Thursday afternoon.

"Hey Hermione, how are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm okay, I've been better," she said. "This whole thing with Ron is so silly. I feel so bad about missing his Quidditch tryout...I mean, I really wanted to see him play and cheer him on. But I'm just so over-worked and under slept this year. I don't think I have the time available to devote to him that he thinks I should. I don't know how to communicate that to him."

"Well, you know Ron." Harry shrugged. "This is the kind of thing that he'll fume about for a couple days - throwing around words like loyalty, consideration, stuff that makes you feel really bad. Then he'll be completely over it the next day. Just give him his time to stew. He'll realize he's overreacting. I bet he knows deep down you didn't mean it. I wouldn't worry about it too much." Harry smiled at her, rubbing her shoulder supportively.

"I know he's going to get over this incident," said Hermione. "But what about the next time it happens, and the time after that? Are we going to keep having this same fight over and over?"

"I dunno, Hermione. He's used to you two together like you were this summer - spending all your time together, talking about everything at all hours of the day. He's used to the three of us being together...like last year, the three of us were all we had. It might be hard for him to adjust to your new life."

"Speaking of which..." Hermione grabbed Harry's upper arm and dragged him into a nearby broom closet in the school hallway.

"Hermione, what the hell - " Harry exclaimed as she shut them the dark closet.

"I just didn't want anyone to overhear. I want to talk to you about some things - stuff I can't really talk to Ron about. Can you meet me in the empty DADA classroom tonight, around nine or so? Come alone, just tell Ron and Ginny you have some homework to attend to or something."

"I...err, yeah, sure Hermione," said Harry, looking confused. "Whatever you want."

"Okay, good," said Hermione, opening the broom closet. Several people turned curiously to see the couple emerge from the broom closet. "We...got lost," Hermione announced grandly.

"Nice," grumbled Harry. "The last thing Ron needs is a rumor that you and I are hooking up in closets between classes."

"Oh, screw it," said Hermione. "He wouldn't go for that. There he is," she whispered as they walked into Transfiguration. Harry slid into the seat next to Ron and Hermione sighed as Ron pointedly ignored her. She slid into the seat on Harry's other side and played with her wand absentmindedly as class began.

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Harry entered the classroom later that night and jumped as Hermione immediately grabbed him by the arm.

"Jeez, Hermione, you could have said something. I almost jumped out of my skin." Harry brushed his robes off. "So what's with all the cloak and dagger business?"

"Harry, I've just needed someone to talk to the past couple of days. It's about Draco - obviously I can't talk to him about it, and if I even mention him to Ron, he'll go ballistic."

"Okay, I could talk about Draco..." Harry said suspiciously.

"It's like this." Hermione turned around and sat on a desk cross-legged, and for a moment Harry was reminded of twelve-year-old Hermione, lecturing him and Ron about how to brew Polyjuice Potion. How complicated things had become in just a few years.

"So I've had to spend a lot of time with Draco this year, seeing as we live together. Harry, you knew how much I used to despise him. Just as much as the two of you."

"Yeah, I remember," said Harry, sitting across from her and leaning on his knees.

"Well, we've had to work together so much the past few weeks, I wanted to figure him out, you know? To see why he wanted to become an Auror. I finally got him to talk to me, and he completely opened up about his family. He said his family had been targeted by Voldemort because of their pureblood status and power, and that Voldemort had threatened to take him away from them when he was a baby if they didn't serve under him. He said that basically his family was under death threats the entire second war - that was why he tried to kill Dumbledore."

"Okay," said Harry slowly. "I guess that makes sense...I don't see what you're getting at, though. Do you suddenly think he's a good person or something? I mean, plenty of other Slytherins had Death Eater parents and didn't torment us during school."

"I'm not excusing everything he did," Hermione said quickly. "I've just come to the realization that maybe I've been judging him too harshly. I mean, this is someone I'm meant to work with this year. Shouldn't I try to get along with him?"

"Yes..." said Harry. "Hermione, is this really what you wanted me to come here to talk to you about?"

"Sort of..." said Hermione. "There's more. On Sunday morning, Megan had us train in an Auror facility. We had to work together as a team and take down another Auror. And working with him...it was just the strangest thing. I felt so connected to him. He could tell what I was thinking, and what I was going to do before I did it. I just felt like I could depend on him...the whole time. And this was Malfoy. Sorry for saying this, but I never felt like that when fighting besides you and Ron. We all had so many screw-ups, so many times where we almost got ourselves killed. None of us ever had that mental connection, where we could communicate without speaking. Malfoy and I...we made a seamless team. Is it wrong that I feel that way?"

Harry ran his hands through his hair. "I dunno, Hermione. Part of me just wants to tell you that it's the difference in experience between Ron and myself and Malfoy. He's started Auror training with you - you both are learning the same things and you're being taught to think the same way. The three of us were basically just running around blind last year. We just made things up as we went along - it's actually nothing short of amazing that we never got killed. So that leads me to think that maybe you and Malfoy are working so well together because you have the same intense kind of training. On the other hand, it's possible that you could work with him better naturally. You, Ron, and myself all have very different personalities, which came out when we worked together. You liked to plan our moves out and know what we were going to do. Ron was impatient and didn't like to have to wait around making plans. And I sort of just came up with ideas on an impulse, or a gut feeling. It's natural that we clashed all the time. Maybe your dueling style really does work better with Malfoy, who knows?"

"I hate the guy. I still hate him, I don't trust him, and I still think he's scum. But if you have the strength to put aside your feelings about all he did to us over the past six years, then more power to you. Especially since you're going to be working with him - it's important that you can cooperate. I think it's great that you've been working so hard to form a strong team with him, I really do."

Hermione smiled. "Thanks Harry, I knew you'd be understanding. Now if only Ron would be the same way..." Hermione's face darkened.

"I wouldn't tell him about this," cautioned Harry. "You've both been fighting a lot lately. If you tell him about this, he will probably just blow up at you."

"Well, he has to be talking to me for me to tell him about it, doesn't he?" Hermione said lightly, hopping off the desk.

"I have one question for you, though, and I want an honest answer. Do you have feelings for Malfoy?"

"No. No, I don't," Hermione said vehemently. "It's not like that, Harry. We're not even friends.

"I know. It's just, you know, something to be careful of."

"I know. I'll be careful. Sorry for dragging you in here," said Hermione as they walked out of the classroom. "I just didn't want any Gryffindors overhearing."

"I understand," said Harry. "And don't stress too much about you and Ron. He cares about you very much. It'll work itself out."

"Thanks Harry," she said, hugging him.

"Anytime." He hugged her back and kissed her forehead supportively. "I'm going to head back to the Gryffindor common room."

"What do you think you're going to end up doing?"

"Oh, I dunno, probably tell Ron all about our little talk." He grinned as Hermione's eyes widened in horror. "I'm kidding! I'm not going to tell him anything."

"Now you almost gave me a heart attack...alright, goodnight Harry. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Hermione." The two parted ways to their respective rooms.

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Things between Ron and Hermione didn't improve much over the next week. As Harry predicted, Ron forgave Hermione for missing his Quidditch tryouts. They were talking again, but Hermione could tell that they were both trying too hard to pretend everything was okay. She could sense Ron was still upset about their fight, and her schedule wasn't improving any. Megan's intensity was only increasing as the year went on. Hermione had started wearing her workout clothes under her robes, as Megan would often appear unannounced to take her and Malfoy on impromptu training sessions. She had even started regulating their diet as much as she could - her mantra was that lighter Aurors catch more criminals.

Draco and Hermione maintained a tentative friendship over the next few days. They talked politely about their classes and work - impersonal subjects that were relegated to the safe small talk category. It was nice, but somewhat awkward. However, she felt completely different when working with him during their training.

The connection between them during their training was inexplicable. Hermione had never had such strong mental chemistry with someone before. As Harry had proposed, though, she couldn't tell if it was a product of undergoing the same training or if she was actually connecting with Draco himself. She was beginning to form a strong bond with him and Megan that flourished during their training sessions together. When they worked together, she just felt stripped of all her defenses. She felt like her thoughts and feelings were accessible to everyone who saw her - she hid nothing.

And try as she might, she couldn't deny that there was a physical connection between her and Draco forming as well. She first noticed it that Monday. After missing Ron's tryouts and arguing with him for over an hour, she decided to take a late shower to release some of her pent up anger. She showered in the Head Bathroom and wrapped a white towel around herself as she finished. When she stepped out of the bathroom, she almost collided with Draco as he was heading in to shower. He was half naked - dressed in only boxers and holding a towel. He looked at her searchingly, staring for a few moments too long as Hermione stubbornly met his gaze. He wasn't going to make her feel uncomfortable, even though she was wetter than a drenched rat and completely naked except for a thin layer of terry cloth.

"Pardon," Draco finally said in a low voice, and he sidestepped her as he walked into the bathroom, throwing the towel over his shoulder as he closed the door. Hermione stood there for a moment, stunned. Any other guy she knew would have been flustered and blushing to have run into her practically naked. He just finished undressing her with his eyes and continued on. Hermione shook her head and tried to forget about it.

However, the physical chemistry was growing between them. Hermione took to the habit of wearing less clothing around their tower, noticing that he was following suit. She often caught him sitting at the table shirtless, reading his spell books or the newspaper. Hermione had to say, she was pleased with the way that both of their bodies were changing. He was becoming more broad shouldered and gaining muscle rapidly. His face had become stronger and yet paradoxically more gentle. She felt like she was cutting away the extra layers of flesh and fat that had crept onto her body during her summer of rest and idleness. She was getting rid of the parts of her body that were useless, and instead she was turning into a pure dynamo.

Saturday was the day when she first really noticed her changed reaction to him. She had changed after their lesson and had gathered her spell books from her room to go study in the library. She walked past him in the common chamber where he was stretched out, writing on a piece of parchment.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"Owling my parents," he replied. "I want to make sure they're alright."

"Doesn't Megan update you on them practically daily?"

Draco grinned. "Alright, you caught me. I'm adding a postscript where I ask them to send more chocolate frogs. Megan has bloody started intercepting my owls ordering sweets - she's really gone starkers about this whole "you are what you eat" business. Like I'm going to turn into a blithering blobby frog creature. Mad, I tell you."

Hermione giggled at his rant and continued out the door to the library. She wasn't more than five steps away when she realized what had just happened - she had giggled at something Draco Malfoy had said. Had she been flirting with Draco Malfoy?!

"Now I've gone mad," she whispered to herself. "It must be the heat." She had to get him out of her mind so she ducked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face. She was about to meet Ron to study together and she didn't want to be thinking about Draco while she was with him - it would just give him one more thing to fight with her about.

Sunday Megan rewarded them for their hard work all week with a slightly less intense workout. They remained on the Hogwarts grounds and went for a morning jog around the lake. Afterwards they practiced their fighting techniques. Megan joined in, and the two of them fought against her.

After they quickly pinned her several times, Megan came up gasping for air. "Whew," she said. "I thought I would at least have a chance against you two! But you're destroying me. You both work too well together."

"Good to know we can disable an Auror just in case we piss off our professors next year," Draco said to Hermione. She and Megan laughed.

"Okay you two, let's take a break. Merlin knows I need it." Hermione and Draco sat down in front of Megan, their bodies illuminated by the bright mid morning sun . Megan quickly conjured two cups of water and handed one to each of them.

"I also have a little bit of a surprise today. I have something to give to each of you." She fished in her pockets and pulled out two silver bands. She handed one to each of them. Hermione studied hers - the outside had intricate carvings around it, but the inside was far more interesting. It read "to protect and to serve with truth," and her name was carved after the inscription. She saw Draco reading his as well.

"These are rings to bind an Auror with their student. I'm also wearing the same one." Megan presented her right hand to show them. "I was waiting to give them to you until you had completed your first mission - last week in the training facility at Auror Academy. They are valuable items - if you complete training at the Auror Academy, you will wear them for the rest of the time you serve as an Auror. That's our motto engraved on the inside: to protect and serve with truth."

"The rings aren't just symbolic. They serve a valuable purpose. If you are ever in trouble, you just need to press the ring to your forehead. If you do this, my ring will vibrate and signal me that you're trying to reach me. I can touch my ring to my forehead and it will immediately apparate me to wherever you are. It's an important safety measure - as your mentor, part of my job is to protect you throughout your Auror career. Wear these at all times; you never know when you might need it."

"Cool," said Draco, putting his on his right middle finger. "Thanks, Megan."

"Yes, thank you," said Hermione, putting hers on as well.

"Remember to use them whenever you need me," she said. "I would rather you both be safe than sorry."

"What if we want a sandwich? Can we use it then?" asked Draco. Megan pushed him playfully.

"Then I really will kill you and the giving you the rings will have been in vain. Good work this week, you two. This is the first time I've ever given those rings out - I've never had another student that's lasted this long."

"Maybe cause you chase them down all over campus and make them climb buildings at five in the morning," said Draco snarkily.

"Alright, you do know I can retract ring privileges, right?" said Megan. Draco hid his behind his back. "Anyways, I just wanted to let you both know I'm very proud of you. I hope the rest of this year will be a successful one. Now get out of here, I've had enough of both of you for the day," she joked.

"These rings are sort of corny," said Hermione to Draco, watching Megan out of the corner of her eye. She fiddled with hers around her finger. "They remind me of that Muggle television show, the Wondertwins."

Hermione and Draco stood up and dramatically touched their rings together in the air. "Auror powers activate!" Hermione cried, and Draco laughed.

"I will not take this abuse," Megan called over her shoulder. "Laugh all you want but those rings may save your life someday." Hermione and Draco looked at each other and shrugged, knowing that she was probably right.

Author Notes: The phrase "Hermione, this is Hogwarts. Nobody here studies except for you" is also stolen from A Very Potter Musical, again from Dumbledore =)