Title: Complicated Matters
Author: SpartanKatty

Pairing: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Rating: MA

Chapter Rating: MA
Word count: 1,989
Disclaimer: JK owns all that you recognize. I own all that you do not recognize.
Summary: Hermione is left by Harry and Ron and she has to live with the family that they do not know about. She must pick sides for the benefit of everyone. Draco makes it a tad bit complicated.
Warning: Cursing, slight alternate universe, coarse language, limes, OFC, OMC, slight slash, torture

Hermione's room was a mess. Her muddy boots from her Malfoy endeavor were laid haphazardly around her bedroom. The cloak was still on her armchair near her floor-to ceiling bookcase. She currently was positioned on her bed – curled up on her side reading Hogwarts, A History. Her depression had sunk in even more after yesterday's events with Malfoy and she clearly wasn't a fan of being kissed by the blond male. The moment started replaying in her head all night and whenever she thought of Harry and Ron she felt like vomiting. Did she betray them by kissing him? Of course not, she thought.

Sighing she sat up in bed and tossed the book to the foot of the bed in aggravation. Things were bad enough at the Greyback home; between Morgana pushing Hermione to spend more time with Phaedra and the distinct awareness that her father was setting her up, Hermione clearly did not want to be around anyone. Especially anyone related to the Dark Arts. She pulled the band from her hair and shook her hair out gently. She looked up as there was a knock coming from the other side of her door. Not bothering to wait for an answer Mars opened the door and both, he and Günter walked through the door way. Without saying a word Günter pulled Hermione's cloak off the armchair and dropped it to the floor. Not noticing the scowl she was sending to him, he sat down on the damp armchair. Mars was the first to talk.

"What happened?" His voice startled her and she looked up very fast. Mars was angry. His voice took on a soft growling sound and was raw as if he had been shouting recently. It was controlled and tense, like a rubber band about to snap. Hermione looked over at Günter. He was staring at her with his arms crossed over his chest. He was intimidating but she knew he wouldn't do anything to hurt her.

"What do you mean?" She asked back.

"What happened between you and the Malfoy boy yesterday?" Mars' control was slipping rapidly.

Hermione bit her lip and got off the bed. She walked towards her desk and shuffled around a couple of papers, pretending to look for something. "What ever do you mean, Mars?"

Before Mars could reach Hermione in a throttling grip, Günter had somehow moved between them and was pushing at Mars' chest with one hand. "Back off, Mars. I'm sure there is a logical explanation," Günter's voice was soft and almost gentle. It was something Hermione wasn't use to. Mainly because Günter refused to talk most of the time – confrontation was with fists and glares in Günter's world. Not words. The fact that he was talking currently meant something bad happened between her rendezvous with Malfoy and now. Gulping, Hermione didn't say a word. Günter urged her on as he kept a firm grip on Mars' shirt.

She licked her lips tentatively and watched her older brothers very closely. "What happened? Did someone say something?"

"Hermione! Merlin's beard, just tell us!" Mars shouted across the room. It took all of Günter's strength to not let his elder brother get to their sister. Mars would never have acted this way unless something happened, unless someone squealed. Was someone watching Malfoy and Hermione kiss? Was this some cruel joke?

"Alright, alright," Hermione gripped her head in her hands. "He kissed me. He started talking about things that were happening – things he couldn't take. He kept talking and I wanted to leave," She stuttered a bit but soon got back on track. "I was about to leave and he grabbed me and kissed me." Mars had already stormed out of the room and was shouting for their parents. She bit her lip and Günter was tenderly massaging his temples with his middle and index fingers. "I'm sorry Günter, I took care of it. I slapped him across the face and got out of their in a second," she struggled to prove herself.

He looked up at her slowly. His cold blue eyes mimicked their father's calculating eyes. He was literally a younger version of their father. "You shouldn't have even been in that situation in the first place." And with that, Günter walked out of the room, brushing past Phoebe. She walked quietly into the room.

Phoebe was the younger twin of Phaedra. Her appearance was softer then Phaedra's but it was obvious they were fraternal twins. Phoebe was much nicer as well. She was sweeter and friendlier than her older twin sister. There was something about her though that screamed 'two-faced'. She was a snitch and usually told their mother the gossip she heard around the house. It was Phaedra's job to discipline. However, Phoebe seemed very sentimental right now. "I heard." Hermione licked her lips and sat down on her bed and then flopped down on her back. "Listen, I know I'm probably not the right person to talk to right now but you can talk to me." Phoebe leaned against the doorway. "His mum owled our mum. He told her and then she felt it was necessary to apologize on his behalf. However, you didn't tell anyone anything. Now may I ask, why not?"

Hermione sighed and sat back up. She didn't have time to answer Phoebe's question anyway because Morgana and Fenrir appeared beside her in a swirl of black clouds. Morgana's features were pinched in dissatisfaction and her luxurious auburn hair fell down her back limply. She must have been pulling her hair out again, Hermione thought. Fenrir's face had darkened considerably and she noticed that he would probably put a curse right through her forehead if she moved at any point. Her mother grabbed Phoebe and pushed her out of the room and savagely slammed the door shut. Hermione jumped. Fenrir had taken a seat at the foot of her bed while Morgana continued back and forth.

"I have no clue where to begin, Hermione Jean. This is ridiculous. I received the strangest letter this morning," her mother looked deranged as she spoke. "Narcissa Malfoy was apologizing profusely. I'm pretty sure the whole letter was just 'sorry' being repeated over and over again, but then she started explaining about her son. Hermione, you left the safety of this house to go out to Hogsmeade at a time like this. We are in the middle of a bloody war, Hermione. I don't believe you. I lift your sentence of being under house arrest and you fuck it up." Hermione realized the severity of the situation. Her mother never cursed unless it was extremely important. She only cursed at Phaedra and Malcolm. Hermione never wanted to be like Phaedra and Malcolm. She cringed. "You, my youngest child, will never leave this house ever again without someone accompanying you. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, mother, crystal," she said quietly. She hoped Morgana couldn't hear the slight inflection of sarcasm. Morgana opened the door and exited without a look back.

Fenrir let out a breath that he had been holding in. "That went well."

The next day, Hermione was forced to go with her mother to Borgin and Burkes. Morgana even thought of using muggle handcuffs to keep Hermione close to her. Fenrir persuaded her not to be so dramatic. On entering Borgin and Burkes, Mr. Borgin had tried to take their cloaks to hang on his new state-of-the-art Troll Cloak Hanger. To Hermione, it didn't look so new. It was made out of troll arms and hands, and witches and wizards used the interesting, multifaceted, stubby fingers to hang their cloaks on. Her mother went to look at the new type of Dark Magic ruins sitting to the far right. Hermione went in the opposite direction.

Hermione tried to look really enthralled with the wands made out of human bones. To her knowledge, they were fake wands for children. How could parents let their children use those things as toys. Hermione had no desire to know why. Hermione stiffened as she got a whiff of something pure and blond. Swallowing a feeling of revulsion, Hermione looked left and right – no one was behind her. Her eyes widened as she heard a steady breathing pattern. Hermione turned around and glared at Draco Malfoy. Her brown eyes looked him over once before travelling back to his face. He was looking at her with the most curious expression. His eyes were hooded and he bit his lip in order to stop himself from saying something. She noticed that he had a black eye and her sympathy kicked into overdrive.

"Oh my gods. Malfoy, what on earth happened? I know I didn't slap you that hard," she timidly reached for his cheek.

Malfoy swallowed his pride. "My father - after I told my mother and him. He well… gave me a smack. It's no big deal," he leaned into the semi-touch she was giving him. "I've dealt with worse."

"I'm sure you have," she muttered and quickly pulled away from him. Draco Malfoy was much taller than she was but she spotted her mother and Mrs. Malfoy over his shoulder; they seemed to be talking quite animatedly. "Malfoy, our mothers," she cautiously pointed towards them. Looking over his shoulder, he grabbed Hermione's hand and led her to the back of the shop and out the back door. He quickly pressed her against the dark, cold brick wall. Their lips came in contact with a desperate need that reverberated through their chests.

It was true; Hermione had slapped Malfoy across the face, but that was before she became spellbound by his feverish kisses on her neck moments afterwards. After their kissing session, she had chastised him - pelting horrid words at him. They were quickly followed by a heated kiss once more. Hermione wasn't entirely sure what that had meant but it sure did mean that they were at least a tad bit civilized towards one another.

Malfoy curled his fingers around her thighs and gently hoisted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she tilted her head up so that he could continue down her neck. He suckled on the soft flesh of her collarbone. Hermione's fingers weaved through his hair like slender cream-coloured needles. She couldn't believe this was happening. "Malfoy? Why did you tell your mother?"

Hearing this question, Malfoy stopped his ministrations and looked at her with interest. He licked his swollen lips. "I had too. It was like she knew what I was doing and who I was doing it with when I walked into the manor. I couldn't hide it from her. But I just told her half of the truth," he whispered this part in left ear. Her eyes widened at the feeling of his warm breath on her neck. "I only told her that you hit me because I dragged you out of your manor to confide things to you."

Her blood ran cold. She had told Mars and Günter half the truth as well but added in that she hit him due to the first kiss. What if they told their mum? Was that why Morgana apparated into her room quicker than the wave of a wand.

"His mum owled our mum. He told her and then she felt it was necessary to apologize on his behalf. However, you didn't tell anyone anything. Now may I ask, why not?" "I'm pretty sure the whole letter was just 'sorry' being repeated over and over again, but then she started explaining about her son. Hermione, you left the safety of this house to go out to Hogsmeade at a time like this. We are in the middle of a bloody war…" Hermione recalled the conversations between her mother and Phoebe. Perhaps, her eldest brothers did not tell their parents anything at all. Perhaps this was all just a huge misunderstanding.