"Morning, Granger. Sleep well"?

"Yes, I am feeling so much better I can manage alone" she smiled sweetly.

"Nice try but it's not gonna work. Listen, I have been meaning to ask you this..um..have you planned on telling the father about this? You don't need to answer if you don't want to, of course."

"It's all right. But..erm..I feel very ashamed I don't remember when or how it happened." She hung her head low.

"That's perfectly all right. May be you were drunk. These things happen, you know. That too with that weaselbee."

Oh? She wasn't expectin that. "Um..no..I mean..me and Ron never..we never.."

Now he was shocked. "So you mean whoever the father is, it is not him"?

"Yes. And I don't sleep with strangers carelessly. I am not sure how it happened. I don't remember such a thing, I honestly don't. How would I forget this..I must have been drunk..or oh no somebody must have drugged me..how will I find them..I knew I should have left you. You didn't listen. Even now there is a chance, let me go please. I don't wish to be an embarrassment..pleasee" she was sobbing, her body shaking, with her face in her hands.

"Hermione Jean Granger, just listen to me now. You are not an embarrassment. It is my decision to let you stay here and not someone else's. Although I fail to see how they will come to know of this. And I know you enough to believe you don't sleep with strangers for fun, so stop justifying. We still don't know who did this to you, but I am sure we can track it down, just give me some time. And for God's sake Hermione, please don't go crying whenever your pregnancy is mentioned. I feel very awkward already."

"You called me Hermione" she pointed out.

Uh uh he did. "Yes I did. I also said other things"

He sounded angry. Not good. "Thank you Draco. I appreciate it, really. Don't be angry, I listened to what you said"

"I am not angry. Since you established we are friends, it's only normal we call each other by our first names. Although I must say, my name on your lips sounds..."

"Funny"?

"No"

"Different"?

"No. Will you stop it. I was going to say 'nice'. My name sounds nice when you say it." He was looking away now.

"Did the great Draco just compliment me"?

"It was not a compliment. It was a confession"

"Of"?

"I don't know."

"Look at me when you talk to me, Draco". He was embarrassed and she was having a nice time.

He turned to her. "What"?

"Nothing. Your face is colorful" she stiffled a chuckle barely.

"Oh stop it."

"He he, I won't. Admit it Draco, you are blushing"

"So what if I am"? He could hardly hide the smile at his lips now.

"You are cute when you blush"

"Not as cute as you did yesterday after our kiss"

She suddenly felt the carpet very interesting. "Um..I..about that.."

"Is The Hermione at a loss of words"?

"Oh shut up, Draco." She was trying very hard to look angry

He walked slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, his lips just next to her ears and said "I don't regret our kiss, not a bit. By the color of your cheeks, neither do you, apparently"

He winked and left the room for work.