CHAPTER: 1

Hermione Granger was called a lot of things, some rather praising, some equally horrendous, but through all of it, one word had never been used to describe her. And that was a "coward". Though she admitted rather hesitantly that there had been occasions where she'd been terrified, her entire being never allowed her to act cowardly at any turn. As she sat at her desk one night, reflecting upon the letter that had shortly arrived, she decided to choose what to do, after perusing through it once more.

"Granger,
I pray time has been treating you well, and you're no longer the insufferable know-it-all from before. I find myself in a rather icky circumstance, and I, unfortunately require your assistance. Before you reject me immediately, consider my offer thoroughly, as I plan to award you a hefty sum for your services, one large enough to rid you of all your debts. Think twice.

Sincerely (As sincere as I can be),
D.M"

A mighty sigh left her body, as she once again stratched lightly at her curls, trying to make sense of what might've been his situation, and what prompted him to make this request to her. Nevertheless, her more pressing matter at the moment, was how Malfoy had managed to find out her current monetary status. She reflected on how much of a power the Malfoy family had, and the extent of their reach. Next, her mind pondered on if this was all an elaborate scheme of his, to try and usurp her, but failing to recognise a motive, she gave up on that train of thought.

Deciding that considering how much she needed the money, it would be wise to give him a chance, she decided to write back in acceptance.

Malfoy,
Oh, how the mighty have fallen! But never mind, I was always one to help out the needy. See you tomorrow at noon, at the Malfoy Manor, I suppose? I expect your hospitality to match my standards.

Granger.

Sending his owl off without further ado, she sat back, nursing her glass of sherbet, while thinking about how she'd ended up in this situation, accepting money from a ferret. She was known to be the brightest witch of her age, graduating her sixth year at Hogwarts, after the repurcussions of the war, while being the top of her class, and with her friends and family close by. Knowing that bright times lay ahead, she'd accepted her place at the Ministry of Magic, and rose succesfully up the ladder. With her loving fiance by her side, she managed to be one of the top-paid women in her industry. While her fame rose steadily, as she, the "golden boy's best friend" had managed to triumph in all her endaevours, her feet remained on the ground, never once paying heed to her growing popularity. But, as much as she was brilliant in her career, she was that much of a fool in love. Her nights consisted of giving all her love, to her boyfriend-turned-fiance, Ronald Weasley. As she thought about it quietly now, she wondered how careless she could've been to ignore all the telling signs. As per usual, her mind conjured up images from that night, the one where everything had changed.

*flashback*
Ron had been disappearing more and more often these days, she thought absentmindedly. Ignoring rational behavior, she decided to strut behind him, and follow him wherever he went. Thinking that it might've been to procure a gift for her, as her birthday was approaching, she walked secretly, all the while trying to keep her happiness in check. As Ron approached a well-known hotel, she crept behind one of the erected pillars, and tried to watch all his actions. Ron met a woman in the lobby, and after taking her hand, and kissing it lovingly, let her lead him up to where the suites were.

Hermione stood rooted in shock, and tried reasoning, saying that it might've been a business associate. As she moved to follow them once more, the concierge pulled up in front of her, looking unexpectedly embarassed.

"I'm afraid I can't let you in there, Miss Granger." he spoke carefully.

Hermione reeled back from shock, and having her suspicions confirmed, lunged forward once more, leaving the hotel attendent in shock, and sprinted towards the rooms. Once she got there, she wandered around, listening to sounds coming from within. Her ears pricked through one particular door, and without waiting, she barged in, kicking the door open loudly.

"Mione?" Ron looked up from the bed, where he was currently underneath the woman, and not just ANY woman, it was Pansy Parkinson! Oh, for Godrick's sake, thought Hermione, did he have to choose her out of everybody else?!

Hermione couldn't help the tears pricking her eyes, nor could she do anything about the splinters wedging through her heart. Turning away from the scene in front, she held herself up against the door, refusing to let him see her weak.

"Oh my god, Mione! How did you get here? Shit, Hermione, are you crying?" Ron's voice seeped closer and closer, till her within reach, and then he continued to move, placing a hand against her shoulder.

"Don't touch me, Ronald! Don't you dare step within three feet of me!" her voice trembled, with equal parts of grief and anger.

"Hermione, let me explain!" He wailed, trying desperately to turn her around.

And then she did turn around. Upon looking, she saw her fiance with a sheepish expression on his face, and Pansy-oh, the nerve of that woman! She sat there calmly, with an expression on her face that resembled slight amusement. That did it for Hermione.

"Okay Ron, you have exactly two minutes to give me an explanation, before i hex your balls off to Askaban!" she roared, turning to him, and tapping her wand against her thigh.

"Look Mione, its not like I don't love you, you know, it's just that, I mean, Mione, we don't really match! You're so quiet all the time, and I get so bored looking at you always reading, and don't take this the wrong way Mione, but you're not that great in bed either." He hung his head low, taking steps back automatically.

Hermione could feel her body shaking with supressed rage, and she could very easily make good on her promise, and curse him. But then, the only fact that calmed her was that, he was her friend from the past ten years, and it wouldn't do any good to give Pansy the satisfaction she wanted.

Taking a deep breath, "Ron, I'll take my stuff from your house before you return, and please try not contacting me for a couple of months. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety." And turning towards Pansy, "You better keep out of my sight if you know what's good for you, and I mean it, I won't hesitate to cast an unforgivable if you ever step into my line of vision again."

"Hermione, wait, please! What about all your money you invested in my company? C'mon, don't be hasty baby." Ron pleaded, stilling her for a second.

"Consider the money as a repayment of your love over the past few years, Ronald. And don't tell me what to do. I make my own decisions." she stated, suprisingly calm over losing almost all of her hard-earned money.

Ron caught her hand as she was leaving, frantically. "Let go."

Her voice was so icily calm, and so very different from the affectionate tone she always used for him, that even he knew not to push her. Walking away, she tucked her wand in again, and tried not to let the sobs flow freely. *end of flashback*

That had been three months ago, and that was the specific day in which she had found herself, newly single, and with an almost empty bank account. Lifting her head from the desk, and drying her tears, which always seemed to appear whenever she recollected this particular tidbit, she started at the sudden tapping of a owl at the window.

"Don't be cheeky, Granger. At any rate, you can't afford to. Noon would be fine for me, and I will be letting the wards off around the manor for exactly half an hour, so make sure to be on time.

D.M

***

Hermione apparated to the palatial house just minutes before noon, all the while second-guessing her decision. Once there, she took her time to look at the humoungous monstrosity that stood, with all its splendid gardens, and its ornate statues, in the midst of which, stood the Malfoy Manor. She marvelled at its beauty, and the sense of power that it exuded just from gazing at it, before being overwhelmed by the ugly memories that were associated with it.

Sighing, she rapped twice on the door, only for it to be opened by Malfoy himself. That was a suprise to her, she thought it'd be a house-elf that would greet her. Taking her time, she let her eyes trail over him, noticing most of the similarities from before. The only fact that seemed to have changed was his face, which used to always sport a pained expression, now seemed livelier.

"Well Granger, I think you're about two minutes late." he spoke, smirking.

That was it. No hello, or no question about how she was doing, nor any regard to how she was holding herself up. But strangely, Hermione found his manner familiar, and before she knew it, she found her face twisting into an answering grimace.

"Careful, Malfoy. I think I still reserve the judgement as to why I'm here in the first place. You're not exactly helping your case."

"Ah, Granger, as witty as always. Please, follow me to my study." his answering grimace matched his sarcastic tone, and he turned to walk forward, leaving her with no choice but to follow him.

The door to his study was opened, and he held the door for her, while she stepped inside quietly. He moved to sit at his desk, motioning for her to sit in the sofa, and rearranged some paperwork on his table.

"So Malfoy, what trouble did you get in?" she asked brusquely, crossing her legs.

"No no Granger, how about pleasentries first? After all, it's been quite some time since I've seen you.", His cheeky reply agitated her.

"You already know all there is to know, Malfoy. Tell me why you need me."

"No, I insist. Atleast have a cup of tea with me. And then I can tell you all the sordid details." he moved to call for an elf, and within minutes, both him and Granger were nursing a steaming cup of Earl Grey in between their hands.

"I heard about your marriage debacle. Better luck next time, Granger?" He ventured lithely, exactly like a snake, and she found her irritaion multiplying ten-fold.

"Malfoy. I have no obligation to share my personal life with you. So drop the act, and tell me why I'm here." She minced her words, before setting her teacup down.

"Very well, then. I'll put you out of your misery." He moved to reach the other side of the desk, and crossed the space to where she was sitting.

"Tell me Granger, can I trust you?" His face moved in closer, almost touching her ear, while whispering his words. Before she could jump away from his proximity, he clamped a hand around her wrist, and continued, "You see, you might out me the minute I let you know what's troubling me. How do I know you're not here to betray me?"

"I am a professional, Malfoy. I-I find no enjoyment in circulating gossip." She hated that her voice shook. Finally gaining back her strength, she pushed him away, and rubbed her wrist.

"Okay then, I guess what I need to show you is here." He spoke, while moving back to his desk, and opening a file. Handing it over to her, he leaned back, and absorbed the array of emotions flickering across her face.

Her eyes widened, more and more with each page she turned.

"Is-is this tr-true?" Fear quaked within her.

"Afraid so, Granger."

***