Hermione rolled herself to her right side, thinking she would get some sleep but no such luck.

She sat up in bed and looked around, Ginny was snoring somewhere to her left and Hermione had a strong feeling that was the reason she could not get to sleep.
Sighing she got up from the bed, shrugged on her nightgown on top of her red nightie and opening the door quietly left the room.

They all were in Grimmauld place right now, which was Harry, Hermione, the whole Weasley clan and a few Order members, but the most surprising house guest was Malfoy.

He had come to the Headquarters a few weeks after the whole chapter at Hogwarts. Hermione herself had opened the door when he had knocked and was shocked to see him and she did the only thing natural to do after seeing one's enemy on their doorstep, she screamed.

After a few seconds the Order members who were present at that time took Malfoy inside a room to ask him a few things and 'children' were restricted to the second floor.

That night at dinner, it was announced that Malfoy would stay here and that's all every one had to know. At this Harry, Ron and the twins created uproar but they were shushed by Mrs. Weasley.

Hermione had just looked at him then and the only scene she would not forget was how he had looked when she had opened the door.

He looked very thin and his hair had looked as if it hadn't been washed in weeks which it probably wouldn't have, but his eyes were the most haunted looking, they had looked empty and closed.

"Damn", someone cursed and Hermione came back from her thoughts when she noticed Malfoy get his foot stuck in the trip stair that Hermione had skipped just a few moments ago.

He tried pulling his leg but that obviously made it stuck more and he gave up and looked around in the dark and his eyes settled on her and he squinted his eyes to see her since she was standing in the dark.

She took a step forward.

"Could you help me with this?" he asked after staring at her for a few moments, although the politeness was forced.

"Yeah, sure hold on", saying so she walked in up to him and helped him to pull himself out.

"So, what are you doing down here so late' asked Draco after climbing down and standing in front of Hermione.

"None of your business"

"Whoa, don't get your knickers in a twist, I am just asking" said Draco and followed Hermione into kitchen.

Hermione took down a glass from the cabinet and poured herself a glass of water refusing to answer him, she didn't know why but her eyes kept straying to his topless attire. Although he was as thin as a stick when he had first come here, had stuffed him up pretty good and he had filled out and now almost looked like he did in school.

Draco was enjoying bantering with the Mud…….. Granger girl. After the shit week he had had, he wanted some sort of an escape and what better way then getting on the nerves of her.

"Red, how typical Gryffindor" he drawled while looking at her up and down.

She thought that she didn't need this and self consciously pulled her robe tighter against her.

"Green pants…… how typically Slytherin" remarked Hermione with a raised brow.

"Wow, the girl talks something other that the 'None of your business' words" chuckled Draco while getting himself a glass of water too.

"You know what Malfoy, I think it would be best if you go hide away in your room like a ferret like you have been doing since now" said Hermione and looked at him to gauge his reaction.

He looked angry now, but Hermione didn't care much now.

"I mean look at yourself, You failed at the first task you get as a bloody Death Eater and need Uncle Snivellus behind you and you came here like a coward running aw….." she was not able to complete her sentence as Malfoy had pushed her against the wall holding her hands above her head with one his hand.

He looked damn angry and pissed now and for once Hermione was actually a bit scared, after all this was actually the person who was responsible for Dumbledore's death.

"Shut up, just shut up you little…….., you have no idea what it feels like, you have no bloody clue how it feels to have your stupid life planned before you were born, my parents………."

"Oh just quit it Malfoy, don't try blaming this on your parents or anyone else for that matter, that just makes you more of a coward, you bloody make your own choices" hissed Hermione back interrupting him from his previous speech.

Draco just stared at her, his anger rising and suddenly released her.

"Just get out, you have no damn clue how I feel" he said, turning away from her.

"I have no damn clue, you think I have no damn clue?" asked Hermione back, her own anger rising when her past memories came to her.

"YES, I think you have no damn clue, Hermione Granger, the perfect student, the perfect prefect, the perfect friend, yes now I see that you know exactly how I feel" drawled Draco sarcastically while circling her.

"Did you ever think that why do I act so bloody perfect, you are just so bloody engrossed in your own damn world that you know nothing, and when your perfect world gets hard, you come running to us perfect people like a GODDAMN coward?" Hermione took a deep breath, wanting to continue but she again found herself in the same position from before, but now Draco was dangerously too close.

"Don't call me a coward" he hissed dangerously in her ear.

"How can I not call you a coward when that's all……" she was shut off because of Draco lips crashing on hers hard.

He pushed her more against the wall and kissed her with a rough passion that left Hermione as a non thinkable creature so she did the only thing natural at that point.

She kissed him back.

When Draco felt her kissing him back, he released her hands and wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer while Hermione's hands strayed to his hair.

After a few moments, Hermione's hands left his hair and started to slide down to his topless back, feeling everything she had seen before, Draco answered her hands with a moan pulling her head back and kissing and suckling her neck while Hermione started moaning.

He found her lips again with his and this time kissed her softly and pulled back burying his head in the crook of her neck breathing in her smell.

They both got their breathing back into control and Draco slowly moved and looked at her.

Her eyes were still closed and she had a small smile playing at her lips, she had never looked more beautiful to him.

He again softly kissed her once again on her lips, her closed eyelids, turned and walked way without saying a word.

Hermione watched him walk away and slowly slid down the wall, wrapping her arms around her knees.

After a few minutes she got up and walked back to her room.

The next day Malfoy was gone.

She got to know that he would be serving as a spy for the light side and not to be returning anytime soon.