A/N: alright, I know you're going to say, 'astronomy tower again?' after you read this chapter.  I'm so sorry about that, I simply could not think of another place.  However, I have to admit that this setting has been grossly over used in all of my fics, so if any of you guys have ideas as to where else in Hogwarts Hermione and Draco could have met in private, please let me know in your review.

How To Marry a Malfoy

By Me (Romantic Fool)

~Lesson 1: Braving the Porcupine~

This author has never understood why anyone would want to marry a Malfoy.  (Of course, this author has already married one, but she assures you that it was a complete accident.)  Anyhow, before you can even dream about marrying a Malfoy, you need to get him to acknowledge your existence in 'his world.'  (This may seem like an easy task, but these little prats happen to have small attention spans and conveniently short memory.  There personal 'world, as you may call it, is also so exceedingly small that usually, no more than 2 people are given a place in it.)  There are two ways to accomplish this feat, however.   The first way, of course, is having the right bloodlines and connections and then happening to be around him when he decides that it is time for him to marry.  (A word of caution: getting into his world this way will eventually make both of you miserable.  He will marry you for convenience, use you when convenient, and ignore you at all other times.)  The second, and in this author's opinion, the best way, is stealing a place in his heart without him knowing it.  But for all those who attempt this, beware!  Malfoys have something called a Porcupine complex; the moment you get close enough to touch his heart, he will do all in his power, including hurting you, to prevent you from doing so again. 

                                                                                                ~ Morwena Morgana-Malfoy ~

Hermione paced in front of the room.  Even from the outside she could hear Draco Malfoy's voice - Cold, calm, and composed.  He was saying that the only reason he was here was because his uncle was concerned about Professor Morgana's safety, and although he had never approved of the match between his uncle and a half-blood, his uncle's position in the ministry of magic made it difficult for him to refuse.  Of course, he would only be staying for as short a time as possible, no more than six months.

SIX MONTHS!????

Hermione felt her mind protest in horror.  How could this be happening to her?  She hadn't done any thing wrong – she had been obedient, hard-working, diligent, and productive, and this was her reward??  She might as well have done no work at all if she knew that this was going to happen to her.

Of course, this refers to Draco Malfoy's renewed presence in her life.

Hermione felt like crying.  How could she face Draco Malfoy after what happened on their graduation day?  (In all fairness, it should be the other way around.  He should be worried about facing her, but since he did not yet know of her existence in the house, she had to do the worrying for the both of them.)

For a whole month now, Hermione had been trying to rid Draco Malfoy from her mind.  In fact, she had tried to forget every single detail about him – his silky blond hair, his silver-grey eyes, his broad shoulders . . .urgh!!!!  Obviously, her attempts had made her memory of him all the more vivid.  It wasn't her fault, it really wasn't.

 After four weeks of unsuccessful forced forgetting, Hermione had been compelled to resign herself to the fact that although he may have already forgotten about her, she would never be able to forget about him.

This was not because he was special, (although in a way, he was), or because he had gained her respect, (although he might have), or because he was charismatic, (although she could never take her eyes off him when he was in the room), or even because he was damnably good-looking.  (Hermione would not stoop to deny that fact.)  It simply was because no girl could forget the man who had given her her first kiss!

And Hermione, despite her intelligence, was still a girl.

~~~*Flashback*~~~

Hermione stepped gingerly into the astronomy tower, eyeing Draco Malfoy cautiously.  His normally pale skin was lightly flushed, the room smelled heavily of brandy, and he was lying on the floor with a bottle in his hand.

Hermione didn't need to use much brain power to figure out that he was most definitely foxed.

She walked slowly up to him and had to duck when he threw the bottle in his hand straight at her.  It crashed into pieces against the wall.  With a whispered word, she transported it into the trashcan outside the tower.

"Professor Dumbledore sent me to look for you."  She said softly.  "You're missing the graduation party."

"Tell him you couldn't find me."  Was his slurred reply.  He didn't even get up from the floor.

Hermione walked up to him, flicked her wand, and muttered

"Sobrio!"

Instead of thanking her, he shouted

"Look Granger, I went through a lot of trouble to get myself drunk!  Why didn't you just stick your pretty little nose out of my business."

Hermione looked down at the boy on the ground.  Carved on his face were signs of stress, disappointment, and resentment.  However, more importantly, there was a lot of hurt.   Although her instincts told her to just leave him, she couldn't.  She may not have liked him much over the years, but she simply couldn't stand seeing anyone unhappy.  It was an annoying trait, it really was, but as yet, she was not able to rid herself of it.  Therefore, she sat down next to him on the cold stone floor.

"Why don't you just sod off, Granger?  I don't want you here!"  He said, his eyes closed.

"It is a public place, and, as yet, I have nothing better to do."  She said lightly, trying to keep an amused tone.

"Look, I don't want you hexing me today, alright?  We can pick fights later.  Right now, I'm simply not in the mood."  He snapped at her.

Despite her instincts shouting "stupid, stupid, exceedingly dumb move" at her, Hermione lay down her wand and kicked it to the other side of the room.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Malfoy."

He looked at her, his eyes showing a hint of confusion, as if he couldn't quite figure her out.

"What are you here to do Granger?  Shouldn't you be out there celebrating?  You did graduate with the most N.E.W.T.s after all."  He said, and to Hermione's surprise, there was no hint jealousy in his words.  He was simply stating a fact.

Hermione sighed, it had been quite a while since she had talked to some one who wasn't jealous or resentful of her in someway or another.  It was quite relaxing actually.  Hermione gave him a lopsided smile and said as brightly as possible -

"I'm here to cheer you up."

He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You don't even like me Granger."

She nodded.

"That's true, though I don't see the connection."

"We aren't friends, Granger.  It would even be stretching it to say that we are acquaintances.  There is no reason for you to cheer me up."

Observing that she made no move to leave, he sat up.

"I don't need your sympathy Granger."

"Trust me, I don't feel any."  She answered, her voice matter of fact.

"Then why are you here?"  He asked.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"I hate seeing people unhappy."

"Then close your eyes."  He snapped.

"There's no need getting all moody at me, Malfoy.  I'm not the person you're mad at."  She sighed and waved her hand in the air.  "Boys!"  She said resignedly. 

"What's that supposed to mean?"  he asked.

"You guys are soo immature, and for all the macho façade, you're really overly sensitive, if you ask me."

She explained.

Draco gave her a bemused look.  It was quite difficult catching on to her train of thought.

"I'm not asking you, but since you've already proffered an opinion, I might as well understand it.  What, exactly, are you trying to say about me?"  He asked.

Hermione gave an exaggerated sigh.

"You're not the only person whose parents didn't show up for their graduation, you know."

A dead silence enveloped the room.  Draco Malfoy's eyes turned to steel.

"Curiousity kills the cat, Granger." He threatened, his voice low.

"Luckily, then, I'm not a cat.  And don't get all uptight and angry with me.  If you have issues with you parents, go and get uptight and angry with them.  I'm not a punch bag, you know."

"Well, seeing as my father is in Azkaban, and my mother has disappeared with her most current lover to, most likely, Bermuda, I won't be able to release my anger unless it's on you."

To his surprise, instead of running away at the sight of his thunderous look, Hermione lay a hand on his shoulder, and said

"If it'll make you feel better, by all means, hex me.  Just make sure that you get someone to unhex me once you're done."

Draco could almost see is jaw dropping open.  No girl had managed to drive him to anger and amusement in less than 10 seconds before.  Most importantly, he had no idea what she would be doing from one moment to the next! 

"I already told you that I didn't feel sympathy for you, and I still don't.  Your problems aren't the end of the world, although it might just seem like that right now.  You have a lot of things going for you that others don't"

"What would you know of it, miss "I have a perfect Mudblood life Hermione Granger?"  Her roared at her.

"If you weren't too busy wallowing in the fact that your mother didn't come to your graduation, you would have noticed that neither of my parents, and none of them are in jail mind you, have come either."  Hermione said, her voice almost nonchalant.

Draco frowned and recalled the Graduation ceremony.  Hermione was Valedictorian, and her parents had a reserved seat up front.  They were both empty.

"Why . . ."

Hermione waved her hand dismissively in the air.

"Just because I'm intent on meddling in your affairs does not give you the right to attempt to meddle in mine.  Suffice to say that both my parents thought they had more important things to do than attend a ceremony with a bunch of weirdos.  Since I barely saw them in the past two years, it didn't matter to me one way or the other.  Now, didn't I say that I was going to cheer you up?"

Draco stared at her, trying to find a trace of hurt or resentment in her eyes.  There was none.  Aside from the determination to solve his unhappiness, there was no emotion in her eyes whatsoever.

"How are you going to cheer me up, Granger?  Tell me a joke?"

"From my experience, the truth sometimes is a better medicine than a joke."

Hermione turned and looked him in the eye, comfort and kindness flowing invisibly from them.  Although they weren't touching, Draco could almost feel her soft hand on his cheek.

"Malfoy, if your father weren't in Azkaban, would he have come today?"  She asked

All he could do was nod.

"That's more than many of us can ever ask for."  Hermione said with a wistful smile, and to his horror, Draco suddenly felt the urge to smooth her hair and fold her in his arms. 

"Put that way, my problems do seem trivial, doesn't it?"  He asked.

Hermione shook her head.

"Problems are never trivial, Malfoy, and only you can realize the extent of its damage.  But it does help to know that you're not the only one with them."

Draco had to use all his self control to stop himself from giving her a smile of gratitude.  He had to do something; he had never felt this close to anyone before.

"I don't know about your mother, but I'm certain that you know that your father loves you very much.  With that knowledge, whether or not he's there to show it doesn't really matter."  She said softly, and got up.  She held out her hand to him

"For a very intelligent person, you can be rather stupid, Granger."  He said as he caught her hand in his.  She widened her eyes in question.

"Just to make me feel better, you've put yourself in a situation where you're alone, unarmed, and completely at the mercy of a man who won't hesitate to take advantage of you."

With those words, he pulled her to him, hard, causing her to fall down surreptitiously into his arms.  Her eyes wide with panic and shock, she fought him, but there difference in size and strength made her struggles useless.   He turned around, pinning her under his body on the cold stone floor.

"Accio Wand"  Hermione cried, but Draco outmaneuvered her by catching her hands and pinning them harshly to the sides of her head, his large palms completely covering hers.

"You're a bastard, Malfoy, do you know that?"  She spat at him, trying to wriggle out from under his body.

"Yes, Hermione, I am.  But you should thank me.  I'm teaching you a lesson here, so that you'll be more careful and less trusting in the future."  He drawled, his face inches from her.

"Have you been kissed before?"  He asked, smiling as she shook her head frantically.

"Then this will be something that you'll remember for quite some time."

With those words, he pressed his lips against hers.   Hermione tried to purse her lips together, escaping his attacks by turning her head to the side.  Deftly, Draco moved to pin both of her hands above her head with one of his and used the other hand to hold her face still, angling it to ease his lips' assault.  Hermione gasped as his hand tightened around her nape, allowing his entry.  From there, there was no stopping him as his tongue pushed cruelly in to explore her mouth.  Her inexperience made her freeze, not knowing what to do.  Her smallest movements seemed to encourage him to go further, and when she held still, it seemed to go give him permission to plunder and take as much as he wanted.  What scared her most was the fact that she could feel her body responding to him, wanting to ask for more. 

By the time he stopped, she was trembling.  She had never felt this vulnerable, this weak, this out of control.  She cursed herself for wanting to help him moments before.  No matter how sad he looked, she should have remembered that he was just a slimy git who never cared about anyone but himself.   The moment he released her hands, she slapped him hard across the face and reached for her wand.

"If you touch me again, " she said, her voice trembling "I'll . . ."

For some reason, she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Don't worry, Mudblood.  That was just to teach you a lesson.  Never try to help me again."  He said coldly as he got up and strode out of the room.

~~~end flashback~~~

"Hermione, you can come into the room now."  Professor Morgana called.

Draco Malfoy winced slightly at the name. I couldn't be her, could it?  There had to be more than one girl named Hermione in the country. 

"I think you already know my nephew Draco, 'Mione.  Draco, Hermione's my Healer in Training as well as my assistant.  She and I spend almost all of our time together, and since you'll have to spend all of your time with me, I guess you'll be spending all of your time with her as well."  Professor Morgana said with a chuckle.

"It shouldn't be a problem, should it kids?  You do have a history together after all, going to the same school and all that"

Both Hermione and Draco looked as if they were going to cry.

"Draco's going to be sorting out some of my husbands and my business affairs. For some unknown reason, we have a lot of investments in the same companies.  Since Draco here's my husband's only heir, he'll be getting everything once we die, mighty unfair if you ask me."

Professor Morgana barely paused before continuing.

"See, you agree.  Well, to make it a bit fairer, I thought that if he's going to get it, he might as well work for it, if you know what I mean."

The look Professor Morgana sent Draco was both a dare and a threat.  'Walk out, and you'll get nothing' was what she was implying.

"Oh, 'Mione dear, please show Draco to his room, it's right next to yours, there's even a connecting door between them that can't be locked either way, in case you need any help from him or" Professor M&M chuckled again "if you want his company. 

Disclaimer: Nah, don't own the characters.

A/N: I know this chapter's a bit low on humor.  I just needed to set ypthe foundation for the Romance and I didn't want it to be superficial, so I delved a bit into the heavy stuff. I'm sorry about that, will focus more on comedy in other parts.  This is meant to be a happy story, but it's difficult to make a Draco/Hermione believable without just a bit of angst.  Besides, I wanted to make Draco's character in this story a bit more round than in Temptation, where he was just, . .  well . . him. 

p.s. If you want me to email you when I update, tell me in your review.