I Learned Your Pulse

"Can I kiss you?"

Draco watched Hermione as she pored over books in the library, apparently reading the textbooks for fun; she had all assignments for the year done. Every time she turned a page, his heart leapt to his throat; every time she settled into the long list of words, it'd skip a beat and then settle, like her. Her eyes moved so fast across the page they were a blur. She didn't even notice him watching. He smiled a small smile to himself whenever she finished a book. He'd been here for hours already today, watching her go through book after book, never tiring as he twired a quill between his fingers. Harry and Ginny had entered about an hour ago together, her engagement ring glittering under any light that shone on it, and his smile doing the same.

Just then, Harry sat down right beside him, looking at the red-head fiancee as she sat down next to Hermione, disturbing her peace. Draco reluctantly tore his eyes away, and turned to his friend. "Congratulations," he said again.

"Thanks," said Harry, his happiness almost pushing through his whisper and cause Madame Pince to glare at him. "I asked Ron if it would be okay, and then wrote to her father and every single one of her brothers."

Draco paused for a moment, before saying slowly, "If only you could've contacted Fred."

Harry's face fell the slightest bit. "George didn't have anything against it, so I can't imagine Fred would," he said honestly. And then he brightened. "Neville and Luna offered for it to be a double wedding. Ginny loves the idea."

Draco saw, out of the corner of his eye, Ginny whisper something to Hermione that made Hermione's face light up like a Christmas tree.

"I can tell," he said.

"Molly, though," Harry said, with a frown, "might be a bit miffed."

"What?"

"At me not asking her permission to marry her only daughter," Harry explained. "I assume Arthur told her, but he never said anything about it..."

Draco snorted. "After your mother wrote her that note, you marrying her only daughter must seem like a godsend to her."

Harry smiled. "You're right." He sighed.

Draco was curious. "How'd you get the ring?"

"What?" Harry had been admiring his fiancee - Draco had distracted him.

"How'd you get your mother's ring?"

"Oh." Harry's smile grew considerably. "They were in my vault, hidden under hundreds of gold coins that kept accumulating."

"When did you go to get it?"

"About two Saturdays ago," he said, turning his attention from Draco to Ginny. "God, she'd beautiful."

Draco's eyes, however, had strayed in that direction as well, and he couldn;t help but otice how her hair, still glossy waves from earlier that day, reflected the lights, but made them look like fairy flames. She is, he thought, and then felt like hitting himself. Glad he hadn't said it out loud, he saw Ron walking through the door, with Hannah on his arm, looking as if they'd just had a pleasing experience - judging from how Hannah held her legs apart, he felt fairly confident in guessing what is was. Ron sat down across from Harry and Hannah went to join the girls, who were giggling under their breath.

Harry raised his eyebrows at his friend and smirked. "How was she?"

Ron smirked back. "Better than most. Likes being on the bottom."

Draco's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. He had no idea that Ron and Harry were so open with their sex lives... nor that they ahd such avid ones.