Hermione woke abruptly as a loud crack issued from every wall from the house; echoing through the silent night and riccoshaing into her ears as she lay asleep on her side, the covers up to her neck. Quickly rubbing her eyes fully, she pushed herself up and grabbed her wand off the bedside table to see a sight that would forever stay in her memory.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!" The woman yelled at the top of her lungs, thrusting the covers up higher as she stared, transfixed at the dark figure of Draco Malfoy that stood at the end of her bed.

"I-I need-" Draco stumbled out the words but Hermione cut him off, screaming with confusion and anger as she pointed her wand at him.

"GET OUT OF MY BEDROOM! GET OUT!" She stood up and strode towards him, her wand pointing threateningly at his heart as he took several blind strides backwards away from Hermione; her bushy hair even wilder after sleeping.

"Granger I-" Draco's words couldn't be heard behind Hermione's continuing shouts for him to get out of her house. Draco grabbed the sides of the banister as he was pushed backwards towards the stairs. "Granger. Please, calm down. Listen to me!" Malfoy pleaded, trying to get the woman to stop pushing him to his death.

"DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Hermione screeched, her voice cracking slightly under the strain.

"Gr-Hermione. I need...I need your help." Draco stumbled out, looking both embarrassed and terrified; it couldn't help but remind Hermione of when she'd save his and Goyle's life in a fire some five years previously, his expression now was almost symmetrical.
"No, you don't." Hermione snarled out, stepping backwards in order to allow Draco to straighten himself before he fell down the stairs. She did not want a court case on her hands.
"I do. Please, listen to me." He didn't look frightened anymore, he was pleading with her. Hermione nodded her head somberly, there was something behind those cold eyes that suggested maybe it was help he had come to her for.


Minutes later, Hermione switched on the kitchen light, a dressing gown now wrapped tightly around her, her wand still held loosely in her hand. The woman walked round Draco, who was sitting at the kitchen table, eyeing up the fruit bowl.

"Help yourself," Hermione noted, seeing Malfoy's hungry glances, "want a cup of tea?"

"Please." Draco replied, reaching over for an apple and quickly biting into it after rubbing it on his shirt.

Hermione reached over and switched on the muggle kettle, before doing a double take and turning back to Malfoy, "I think that's the only time I've ever heard you say 'please' in your life." She said, marveled by the phrase coming from his lips.

"Just because you've never heard me say it before doesn't mean I haven't said it. I do know what manners are. Believe it or not." He scowled, setting the apple down in annoyance.

Hermione exhaled a deep and theatrical sign, her hand pressed to her chest for emphasis, "And now we have Malfoy back. Feeling better?" She smirked, turning her attention back to the tea; carefully pocketing her wand in the dressing gown.

"Shut it Granger. I still know how to hex." He growled, showing nothing but anger on his features as he bit into his fruit again noisily. The kitchen was silent between the two, the only sounds coming from the rain coming softly down on the windows, casting a darker shadow into the room as the night shifted away.

"Sorry." Hermione finally admitted, placing a cup of hot liquid in front of the man, who grunted and nodded his head in acceptance. "So, sorry to be so blunt, but what exactly are you doing here?" She asked, sitting down on the chair opposite him, cradling her own mug.

"Well, that's a long story." He replied, raising the steaming mug to his lips. Hermione looked skeptically out of the window, the sky wasn't getting any darker than the murky blue it was, and the rain hammering down on the windows wasn't getting any quieter; she wouldn't be able to get back asleep again, not now.

"We have all night." She smirked, turning back to face him; settling deeper into her chair as he gave an audible sigh.