A/N: I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU ALL TO READ THIS CHAPTER! Sorry you had to wait almost 2 months for this, but I'm trying to juggle 3 jobs (yes im crazy) with my social life, chronic illness and hobbies.. It took some time to get used to it, but it's slowly getting better. I hope this chapter was worth the wait hehe :)

Beta love: BIG BIG shout out to my wonderful beta TheLastLynx & my lovely alpha mandi762.
Extra credit to TheLastLynx, cause without her this chapter would be a mess.

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It was the day of Ginny's game and Hermione decided to wear the football jersey her best friend had given her a while ago. She knew Ginny would appreciate the support. The shirt was a shade of dark green, and had the logo of the football club on the left side of the chest. Because it was still quite hot outside, Hermione slipped into her jeans shorts, and put on her converse trainers. After quickly braiding her hair, and brushing her teeth, she went downstairs for breakfast.

'Good morning, sweety,' her mother greeted her from the stove.

"Morning, mum! That smells delicious. Is it what I think you're making?" she asked as she strode to look into the frying pan.

"What do you think?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes!" Glancing into the pan, she wrapped her mum in a hug, "You're the best!" She placed a kiss on her cheek, and turned to greet her dad. "Morning, dad!"

Richard was reading the morning paper with a mug of coffee in hand. He looked up when his daughter approached him and smiled at her.

'Look at you, wearing sportswear,' he teased when she kissed his cheek as well.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and sat down across of him, grabbing the business section of the paper which her father had already read. After a few minutes, Helen placed a plate full of pancakes on the table, and the Granger family enjoyed a peaceful breakfast together. All three of them read a section of the paper while chewing on their pancakes, and switched sections when they were done. For as long as Hermione remembered, breakfasts had always quiet, the Grangers just like to give their brain time to wake up before they got chatty. Cause they did. Once their plates and mugs of tea were empty, they put the paper away and talked about their plans for today.

At half nine Hermione went over to the Potters' to pick up Harry. They would go together as Ginny was already at the club for her warm-up. Luna and Neville would meet them there as well, as would Theo, Draco, and Pansy. The Slytherins had happily accepted the invitation to join them, even after Luna told her boyfriend he could not cheer for the opposite team; apparently, Theo was no fan of The Harpies, Ginny's club. Hermione felt excited about seeing Draco again. Yesterday had been amazing, and she looked forward to spending some more time with him.

'I heard you had a good time at work yesterday,' Harry grinned as soon as they got into his car.

Hermione chuckled. 'Sirius?'

When her friend shook his head she frowned; who else could have told him?

'Neville; he came over last night. Pansy told him, just as she said he should avoid Draco today. Any chance you might explain?' Harry asked, his eyes shining with mischief.

He knew very well why, and she was aware that he enjoyed seeing her squirm under his teasing glance.

'Oh, shut it, Potter. You know Neville and I are just friends; Draco just got a little jealous,' Hermione said, keeping her eyes on the road.

Harry had accepted her offer to drive his car for once, and it was a great excuse for avoiding his inquiring look.

'Yeah he looks like the possessive type, just like Theo. I guess it's a Slytherin thing,' Harry nodded.

Hermione raised her eyebrows and eyed him for as long as traffic allowed her to.

'You sometimes act like that, as well; as does Ron, and don't get me started on your dad. If we're out with your family, and someone looks at Lily even longer than for two seconds, he gets all over her. Theo's definitely not the only guy that's protective of his girlfriend. Some got it more than others though.'

Harry laughed softly. 'Fine, you're right. But you have to admit that Theo's a bit over the top.'

'He is; but it's none of our business. If it bothers Luna, she'll tell him off ,' Hermione replied.

They smiled at each other, and dropped the subject as they arrived at the stadium where Ginny would play that day. Hermione parked the car as close to the entrance as she could. She had already spotted Draco and the others, and with a smile on her face she dragged Harry over to where they were standing.

Draco was leaning against his motorcycle, looking all hot and sexy. It was just unfair how good he looked in his leather jacket, really. His blond hair was messy, probably from wearing a helmet. Hermione had to contain herself from jumping him. When he spotted her, a beautiful smile graced his face, and he pushed himself from his motorcycle towards her. Pansy spotted her next and the brunette happily waved at her, which made Neville notice her as well. The latter immediately wrapper her in a hug, and over his shoulder Hermione saw Draco frown. She laughed quietly and patted Neville's back.

'It's good to see you, Nev,' she smiled.

Pansy pushed Neville aside to hug her, and Hermione smiled at her eagerness. The brunette pressed a sloppy kiss to her cheek and shot her a wink. Draco was finally next. Hermione bit her lip as she looked up at him. He immediately lifted his hand to pry her lip from her teeth. His own lips curled into a smirk as he wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her against him. His body was fully pressed against hers now, and Hermione gasped at the feeling. Before she could say anything, Draco had already leaned forward to claim her lips in a kiss.

She shivered at the feeling and grasped his t-shirt with her fingers. He kissed her with so much passion, that she thought she would melt into a puddle at his feet. His touch made her skin feel like it was on fire. All she wanted was more. More kisses, more touches, more fire; she wanted it all. She wanted him.

'Get a room,' Hermione heard Pansy chuckle from behind her.

With red cheeks, she pulled back from Draco and hid her face against his chest, not wanting to look at her friends. She couldn't believe she had let Draco kiss her like that in front of Harry and Neville.

'No need to feel embarrassed, Princess,' Draco grinned as he softly pushed her away from his chest so he could look at her.

His grey blue eyes gazed into hers, and he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Hermione cleared her throat and straightened her shoulders, refusing to react like the lovesick teenager she felt like. She turned towards her friends, and ignored the wide eyes and smiles they were all giving her.

'Shall we find our seats?' she asked no one in particular.

Before they could answer she grasped Draco's hand and started to walk towards the ticket stand. Pansy jogged after them and linker their arms.

'You should have seen the look on Harry's face. Priceless,' the brunette laughed.

Hermione felt her cheeks burn up again. She'd probably mortified her best friend by snogging Draco like that. The embarrassment she felt was soon pushed away when she remembered Harry and Ginny snogging everywhere they could when they first started dating, and the two lovebirds still liked to show the world how much they loved each other. Well.. Ginny loved it, and Harry just went along with his girlfriend.

The security guards at the entrance narrowed their eyes at the sight of the Slytherins walking among Ginny's support group. Draco just smiled lazily at them as he slipped his hand in Hermione's, Pansy batted her eyelashes at the man as she found her spot beside Neville, and Theo wrapped his arm around Luna and kissed her temple. Hermione almost rolled her eyes at the statement they were making. We belong with them, don't you dare send us way. The men let them through and the group continued their way to stands.

Hermione was well aware of the stares of everyone around them, but she didn't care. She actually felt safe between the Slytherins.

'Do you want some popcorn or cotton candy?' Draco asked as they passed a few food trucks.

'I want some,' Luna said, and immediately Theo smiled at her and lead her to the truck that sold cotton candy.

'I'll get some popcorn for Ron, he'd kill me if I didn't get him any food' Harry said, and he, too, quickly made his way over to one of the food trucks.

Ron and Daphne would also join the group, but as Daphne had to go see her sister's ballet performance first, the two had told them not to wait for them. They would be here just in time and Hermione had a feeling Ron had made sure there would be food ready for him when he arrived. How typical. She was surprised though that the redhead had agreed to go the a ballet show, but as she thought about it, it was probably Daphne who had either convinced him, or forced him to come with her. Hermione smiled. Daphne really was perfect for Ron. He needed someone to push him, and not be afraid to speak their mind.

'Princess?' Draco interrupted her thoughts.

'I would love some salted popcorn please,' she replied as she had already smelled the snack back at the entrance.

Draco pulled a face. 'How can you eat that? Sweet is the way to go!'

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him. 'You asked me what I wanted, right? I prefer salt over sweet; if you don't want to share, just get both.'

The blonde narrowed his eyes at her but still nodded and walked away. Pansy chuckled beside her and linked their arms again.

'You're so perfect for him. You can be so bossy; I love it.'

Now it was Neville's turn to laugh; he had stayed behind with the girls.

'You think that was bossy Hermione? Oh boy, you Slytherins are in for a treat when she really gets to it.'

Hermione stuck out her tongue at her friend. She knew she could be bossy, and even though she wasn't particularly proud of it, she wasn't about to let people walk over her or make decisions for her; she was her own woman, thank you very much. She was no damsel in distress either, and she had a feeling Draco was already figuring that out. Which was good. He should know what type of woman she was. Yes, he could be possessive, Pansy had already warned her about that, but she wouldn't allow him to reprimand her for her choices. A part of her liked that he wanted everyone to know she was his; she also felt cared for, and she did feel exceptionally safe when she was with him. But she also knew that she would get frustrated if he acted as though he didn't trust her and continued to treat her as a possession.

These were all challenges. But they would figure them out together, she was sure of it. So, right now, she didn't worry too much.

'Shit,' Pansy suddenly muttered beside her.

Before Hermione could ask what was wrong she noticed three large guys walking towards them. All three of them wore tight black shirts, showing of their big arm muscles and tattoos. She immediately noticed they had the same skull on their left arm and shivered. She remembered Sirius had told her about the only thing the Marauders and The Slytherins had in common; they both hated the third biker gang. The Death Eaters.

The Death Eaters were mostly old member of Slytherin who got kicked out or weren't allowed back in after they served time in prison. Hadn't Sirius told her they were the worst criminals out there right now? And hadn't he also said she didn't have to worry, cause they've been quiet for a few years now?

This was bad.

'Get Draco,' Pansy hissed at Neville.

'If you think I'm leaving you alone right now, you're out of your mind,' Neville argued immediately.

Pansy glared at him and tightened her grip on Hermione's arm.

'Please Nev, go get Drake. They won't do anything in public'

Hermione could see the doubt in her friends eyes, but when his gaze fell on the gang members again he nodded and disappeared into the crowd.

'Keep your mouth shut, okay,' Pansy managed to whisper to Hermione just before the largest of the three stopped in front of them.

The man had a dangerous glint in his golden eyes, it made him strangely attractive. His hair was tied back in a low ponytail and when Hermione looked closer she could see the skin around his neck was marked with scars.

'Well, well.. If that isn't Parkinson's little girl,' the man said in a deep voice.

'Greyback,' Pansy snarled.

Hermione frowned. There seemed to be some history here, and she had an inkling it wasn't to their advantage. The two other man looked just as dangerous as the one Pansy referred to as Greyback, and Hermione suddenly wished she had gone with Draco. One of the man was covered in scars, and the other had a malicious grin, and his tongue kept flicking out of his mouth like a snake.

'Who's the pretty lady, Parkinson? She looks way too innocent to be one of the snakes, is she your new plaything?' The latter asked and licked his lips again.

Hermione glared at him and was about to speak up, when Pansy squeezed her arm in warning.

'It's none of your business Crouch, why don't you run back to your lap dog Rabastan and leave us alone, yeah?' the brunette smirked, but Hermione could feel how tense she was.

What the hell was she doing? And what was taking Neville so long? Hermione was glad they were in public, but as she looked around everyone walked by quickly, not daring to interfere.

The creepy man named Crouch took a step forward and growled at Pansy with a murderous look in his eyes. Greyback, who was obviously the leader of the three, grasped his arm and shook his head, which made him take a step back.

'Watch your mouth, little Parkinson. Given the unfinished business we have with your father and his friends, we wouldn't want anything to happen to you and your beautiful friend, now would we?' he asked calmly, with an evil grin spreading over his face.

'Greyback!' someone suddenly snarled.

Within seconds, she and Pansy were pushed behind Draco, Theo, and Blaise. Where Blaise came from, she didn't know, but she was happy he was here nonetheless. Daphne had also arrived, but she stayed next to the girls, fiercely glowering at the men. Her blonde hair was in boxer braids, and she wore her Slytherin jacket; both made her look like an absolute badass. Hermione turned her head around to look for the rest of her friends. She spotted them a few meter back, watching. The Slytherins probably had told them to stay out of it. Harry seemed nervous, he wrung his hands and clearly didn't know how to act. Ron looked shocked, his face pale and his mouth agape. Neville looked angry, his brows were furrowed, and his hands were balled into fists.

'Ah, baby Malfoy. How wonderful to meet you here,' Greyback said cheerfully.

'What are you doing here?' Draco demanded.

The blond clenched his jaw as he glared at the man before him with so much hatred, it made Hermione wonder if Draco's family had a history with the man as well. She wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Damned gangs...

Greyback raised his eyebrows and held up his hands as if he was about to surrender himself.

'Calm down, little Malfoy. Am I not allowed to be here? This is an open event for sports fan We're just here to enjoy a good game of football. Aren't we, lads?' he said, smirking at the man behind him.

Crouch grinned and nodded with so much enthusiasm he actually looked like a madman. She also noticed the man was rather scraggy. Although his arms were muscled, the rest of his body was abnormally skinny. The third man had been quiet all along. His black hair was cropped short, which allowed us to follow the scars disfiguring his face. It looked like he had been attacked by some sort of animal, and Hermione almost felt sorry for him. Suddenly his dark eyes fixed upon Hermione as if he felt her stare and she quickly looked away.

'Aren't you going to introduce us to your new pet, Malfoy? How rude...' Greyback continued, an evil smirk still plastered on his face.

Hermione saw Draco ball his hands into fists, and he growled like an animal. Was this what Sirius had been afraid of? What he had warned her of? Was she now a target for this criminal gang because of her involvement with Draco? She hadn't been scared before, now her throat painfully tightened as she felt fear spread through her body. This was bad.

'You stay away from her, do you hear me?' Draco snarled, and he took a step forward.

Theo and Blaise followed his lead, probably to show the man they would back their friend if they tried anything at all.

'Or what?' Greyback laughed. 'You and your pathetic little gang members will come after us? You'll kill us? Please.. You Slytherin's aren't going to do anything against us, little Malfoy.'

Crouch chuckled beside him, and even the silent man showed us a little smile.

'You better run to your father, laddie, and don't forget to tell him to watch his back. We're back, and we haven't forgotten,' Greyback continued with a dark look on his face. 'Today we'll leave you be, but the next time you better have more for us than your big mouths and empty threats. You're not worthy of being a gang member, little Malfoy, and you better remember it.'

The three man slowly started walking backwards.

'Until next time, lady snakes,' Crouch said with a wink at Pansy and Daphne, his eyes lingering a bit on Hermione.

She cringed at his stare, but refused to look away. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. As soon as the three man disappeared out of sight she rushed forward to Draco. The blonde was fuming and still staring at the spot where the Death Eaters had just stood. When Hermione touched his arm and let her hand slide down to intertwine their fingers, he relaxed considerately. His hard gaze met hers, but his grey eyes softened when she shot him a little smile.

'Are you okay?' they asked each other simultaneously.

They both chuckled. But Draco's face grew serious again quickly, and his free hand cupped her cheek tenderly.

'You are okay, right? They haven't touched you or threatened you before we arrived, have they?' he asked.

'I'm fine, they only asked who I was. Pansy didn't give them anything other than snarky remarks. I'm okay,' she reassured him.

He pulled her into his arms and buried his nose in her fuzzy hair.

'Good,' he whispered.

They stood there for a while, catching their breaths and thinking about what just had happened. Draco's strong arms around her made Hermione feel safe again. She desperately hoped she'd never see Greyback or his men ever again. At least not when she was alone. Maybe she should take Sirius and James up on their offer to learn how to defend herself, just in case.

When she finally felt the tension leave Draco's body she removed his arms from around her waist and grabbed his hand again. She wanted to get back to her friends. When she turned she could see they were all huddled together. Theo had his arms around Luna, and glared at every single guy who looked at her, while the blonde girl just smiled dreamily at her boyfriend. Neville was holding Pansy close, and they were talking softly. Her friend had lost the angry look on his face, but instead he looked worried. Ron and Daphne were talking with Harry, the latter kept glancing around nervously. Daphne was leaning against Ron calmly, and she was actually the only one who didn't look affected by what just had happened.

'Where did Blaise go?' Hermione wondered out loud as she couldn't spot the last Slytherin.

'He's probably trying to find out if there are any other Death Eaters around, and I bet he's already called father as well. He'll join us again when the game starts, I'm sure,' Draco replied, tensing up again.

Hermione frowned but didn't say anything, and looked down at her watch. They only had fifteen minutes left before the game started. She tugged Draco towards her friends, but he made her stop.

'What's wrong?' she asked immediately, wondering if he saw Greyback again.

Crap. She wasn't about to get paranoid now, was she? As if Draco read her mind, he pulled her closer to his body again.

'I won't let anything happen to you,' he promised.

Hermione slowly nodded and allowed Draco to lean in to seal his promise with a kiss. His soft lips made her worries disappear almost immediately, and she wished they could just make out all day. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

'Come, we should get to our seats,' Hermione said as she leant back slightly against her will; being responsible was such a drab sometimes. 'Or we'll miss Ginny play.'

Draco sighed, but nodded. He probably wasn't feeling the spirit of the game anymore either. It wouldn't be fair to Ginny though, as she had no idea what had just happened. So Hermione plastered a smile on her face and lead Draco over to her friends.

They had a game to watch, and a friend to support