Chapter 1

'So sorry, I'

Hermione began to apologise to the person she absently bumped into on the stairs, but stopped when she saw who it was, her eyes flashing angrily and ready for the inevitable fight but it never came.

'Stay away from me Granger, if you want what's best for you' he muttered quietly but in a menacing tone, looking like a broken boy. He'd lost weight and this close he was even paler than usual. She could have sworn she heard 'sorry' whispered but thought she was mistaken as next he quickly shouted angrily.

'Oi watch where you're walking Mudblood'.

She glanced around noticing his cronies approaching from behind her before deciding that alone it wasn't worth it. She missed the sorrowful look in his eyes as she turned and walked away.

That was back at the end of sixth year at Hogwarts, a few days before the death of Dumbledore and the beginning of the end of the war. The man she'd bumped into now was doing a good impression of standing tall but she could see he was no longer the cocky self assured teenager she'd known just a few months ago, was it really that soon? The long summer full of trials, questioning, funerals and recovering had both passed slowly and sped by. Harry had been plagued every time he stepped foot outside and she'd received marriage proposals, howlers, letters, you name it, every day until she'd thought wisely to banish all owls. People she wanted to talk to knew how to get hold of her. They'd ended mostly hidden at The Burrow, healing after Fred's death and letting the media storm calm down.

Granger' he acknowledged curtly as she picked up her dropped books hurriedly and headed into the lift before him, surprised to see him here. She'd been a witness at his trial but had only heard a hurried and awkward quiet 'thanks' at the end before he'd swept out with his mother and he'd not been seen in public since. He could see her fighting against herself before she spoke meaningfully.

'Turner not Granger for now. What are you doing here?'

She spoke eventually, struggling to balance her books on her hip, then giving up and sighing as she shrunk a couple into her bag.

'The same as you I imagine. The Ministry keep two spots open for Wizards, surely you know that?' he drawled as the doors opened on a busy hall full of students.

'Yes, but that doesn't explain why you're here, you're...'

She was confused but her brain was slowly coming round to the exact why he was here and she was furious. It was her dream, she was off to Christ Church College at Oxford University and to be honest she was looking forward to avoiding the wizarding world for a bit, try and forget the horrors of the year or even years before. She was craving normality, no death threats or dark wizards or running for her life or torture, or wizards in general really. She couldn't quite believe on her first day she'd bumped into quite possibly the worst person to be there with her and it seemed he was staying.

'I took the second spot Granger' he said calmly.

He'd known who the other was but it was obvious she hadn't been told. He wondered why briefly but didn't let it bother him, he was enjoying seeing her so riled. Made up a little for being in this muggle hell hole.

'You just had to follow me didn't you?'

She hissed angrily although realised it probably wasn't his intention, she was more angry it had been hidden from her. They exited the lift and stood face on.

'And as you can tell I'm just as glad you're here as you are I am. Don't worry, it doesn't mean we have to speak to each other or even pretend to know each other, in fact that's preferable. Ignorance is fine by me'

He stalked away as she sneered 'see that you do' after him.

If he'd have glanced back he'd have seen she was apoplectic with rage, and rightly so. She was angry, how dare Kingsley not have mentioned the other student to her when she was briefing he just days before. No one had come last year or the previous year with the rise of Voldemort so she was, she thought, the only one to be currently studying and that suited her fine. She'd come partly to escape but seeing him here too was going to ruin that; a constant daily painful reminder of everything she was trying to forget. Still, he probably wanted to escape too and she could at least understand that so she decided to give him no more than a fleeting thought and forget about him. Ignorance sounded a good plan, one she intended to stick to.

It had made him grow up, he and his mother had been one of the early trials, pardoned with heavy financial penalties and for him a very short stay in Azkaban, probably rushed through because the Ministry needed money Draco thought cynically but who could blame them? He could afford it and it gave him freedom, the absence of the overwhelming fear that he'd gained two years ago, the night he was forced into taking the Mark. That freedom was worth a hit to the family pot, it would have been worth every penny in there but it hasn't been too bad. There was still plenty to go round, well, once it was released that is. His father was still awaiting his, currently expected he'd stay in Azkaban for life where Draco hoped he would rot. He'd shut himself away as soon as he could mostly shunning society and the endless rounds of celebrations and dinners and rebuilding and funerals and trials, but then hadn't most people who'd actually been involved.

True to his word, he completely ignored her and everyone around her, much to her Hermione's new friend and flatmates annoyance.

'Ooh, he's beautiful' she'd said that first day, noticing him entering the lecture theatre.

'If you like that kind of thing' Hermione said loosely, changing subject quickly after catching his eye. He'd turned round to see who was talking as Laura hadn't been as quiet as she'd thought and made eye contact with Hermione, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Laura had moved in next door to Hermione and they shared a common room with another girl they never saw and Hermione was glad of a muggle friend right now. The other rooms in their little flat were empty, for some reason not as many muggles attending this year. Hermione was glad, the less people she had to share with the better and thank God she didn't have to live with Malfoy. Hermione had introduced Laura to Ron who'd helped her move in the first evening but had sent him away quickly as he just couldn't pretend to be a muggle. Laura had proclaimed him 'nice but weird', she was definitely one who spoke her thoughts freely. He'd been trying to update Hermione on the latest gossip from dropping Ginny at the train but in code and it wasn't working. She'd hustled him off wanting a good nights sleep before that all important first day, and here she was sharing it with bloody Malfoy.

'What's his problem though?' Laura whispered about an hour later as they sat through all the boring introductions and ice breakers where he hadn't even spoken and broke Hermione's daydreams.

'You still on about him?' Hermione asked.

She'd been watching him secretly, sat behind him and seeing him struggle with simple things like a pen. She sighed to herself as they got up to leave, packing her things in her new bag. Her satchel wouldn't do here.

'Library, 10pm' she whispered silently in his ear as she passed him, him being slower to pack away the unfamiliar things. She saw a flicker of understanding but he otherwise resolutely ignored her.

She sighed. What was she doing? It was Malfoy and she wanted to ignore him but also he looked so out of place that she didn't want him slipping up and outing the pair of them. Usually it was muggleborns or at least half bloods who took the university spots, purebloods if they even wanted to go generally stood out too much. Muggle University didn't appeal to the vast majority and only the top students got to attend anyway. She forced herself to listen in to Laura as they headed home.

'Did you see? He looked at a pen like the oddest thing in the world. I wonder what his story is? I looked but he's not living in, I couldn't see his name on the house lists anywhere. Strange name it is too, I wonder if he's foreign? He looked so far away. Sad. He's really very handsome though'

Hermione spluttered, struggling to regain her composure. Laura looked affronted.

'What?' Laura cried indignantly.

'Sorry, Sorry, not funny' Hermione laughed.

'Ok, I'll talk about something else' Laura agreed, slightly affronted as they entered the bar opposite their college with some of the new people on the course. Hermione zoned out, loosely joining in the chatter round the table but letting her mind wander.

'Earth to Hermione'

Laura clicked her fingers in front of Hermione's face.

'Sorry, just, just tired I guess. I might head home' Hermione said, making her excuses and refusing Laura's offer of coming back with her, she didn't want to give Laura the slip and was running late.

She made her way outside and down a side street. With a quick glance round she tapped her wand on her head and disappeared under a dissolutionment charm. It wasn't she wanted to hide, she just didn't fancy being spotted heading away from the direction of her rooms and the secrecy was appealing so late.

He was sat at a desk, rubbing his eyes, a massive pile of books in front of him. She slipped into the chair beside him silently, turning the pages without him seeing and stifling her giggles at the fleeting shocked face before his usual impassive emotionless stare reappeared.

'I can smell you Granger' he muttered. 'So fucking childish'.

Reference room' she whispered angrily, getting up.

He looked around and noticing no one looking and no cameras flicked the books into his bag with the swish of a wand and followed her, holding the door open long enough for her to get through. She reappeared lounging against a desk and locked the door behind him, casting a silencing spell too for good measure.

'What do you want Granger?' He demanded.

'You stayed, you must be curious?'

She wasn't pushing for a fight yet, instead watching him intently. He huffed down on a chair.

'Better than elsewhere and it appears I have a lot of catching up to do. Plus better not fuck off the Gryffindor Princess'.

'About that' she started by he interrupted her.

'Compulsory muggle studies last year I learnt a little, took it as an opportunity to research some things I could put down to, er, understanding the enemy. So even if it was taught by Alecto Carrow I'm not completely stupid'.

She summoned his bag before he could stop her, but awaited his permission before looking in it. He have the slightest nod of his head.

'You may be many things Malfoy, stupid is not one of them. A pen. Like a quill, much more reliable, no ink splots. We don't use parchment, more notebooks or loose paper' she pulled them out. 'Although I just transfigured mine, so although it's what I'm used to everyone else sees pen and paper'. She muttered a spell and turned them all into wizarding parchment and ink.

'Alright Granger, I'm ok with a pen and paper. I'm not the Twatling Weasley. Why are you helping me anyway?' He asked.

'Because I'm nice Malfoy, and because the less suspicion there is of you the more likely I am to stay hidden. Did you not get lessons over the summer?' She asked surprised.

'Oh yeah, I popped an ad in the prophet and had any number of muggleborns lining up to spend the summer in the Dark Lord's headquarters, with an ex death eater only just released after a short spell in Azkaban because his arch enemy took pity and spoke up for him. Really Granger'.

'Alright, that was a stupid question. Thought Kingsley might have sorted something' she replied, reddening slightly.

'I rather think that's a little payback. Watch me struggle' he said sardonically. He sighed, realising she deserved an explanation.

'McGonagall got this added as a condition of my sentence. I have to be here and complete the three years. Humiliation but not. Quite clever really'.

'I think, she probably thought of it as a good thing. Immerse yourself in the muggle world and ultimately be out of sight. You're definitely intelligent enough to do this' she said, staring at him.

'Did you just compliment me Granger?' He quizzed, raising his eyebrows. 'Well, you were stupid enough to be a Death Eater so I retract it' she replied haughtily. He paused, staring at her.

'I didn't have much choice' he spat back eventually.

'We always have a choice, Draco' she said softly.

'Well I didn't. I hate it, hate myself, hate what I was forced to do. You're such a bloody goody two shoes you can't see that others can't always be' He shouted at her.

'You think I had it easy? You're not the only one who suffered you know, I don't see you carved up'.

'Don't talk about what you don't know Granger. Oh, you think my side was easy? I never wanted any of it. I had no cause to fight for. It was a choice made for me. Never mind, I'll figure this out myself'.

'Last time I try and help' she replied angrily.

'I didn't ask you to, as you said I'm pretty intelligent. Sure I'll work it all out. Don't worry, I won't let it slip you're here, apart from not wanting to admit I'm here with you I don't particularly have anyone to tell' he countered.

'Fine' she said, storming out.

'Fine' he shouted after her as the door shut. He sat down abruptly. What was that all about? He regretted it instantly but she was so infuriating. Still, they could just ignore each other and get on with their lives. He packed his things and not caring who might see disapparated back to the manor.