Disclaimer: JK owns all things Harry Potter.

Hey everybody! Thanks for all the positive feedback so far and another special thanks to Veronica for adding me to one of the Dramione C2s! I am really flattered. And to all the lovely people reading my fic, please leave a review and let me know what you think. My review count right now is rather dismal. lol. Enjoy the chapter!

Mikey

Tap... Tap. Tap...

Hermione, awake, let out a frustrated growl. Not this again… She rolled over in her bed, ignoring the noise. The tapping progressed, later accompanied by scraping and screeching, but she still didn't move. Then Crookshanks started mewing and pawing at the window, preventing her from disregarding the noise any longer.

"Yes, I'm coming. Hold on," she said stumbling out of bed. She dragged her feet across the room and then pushed an excited Crookshanks off the windowsill. "Sorry, love," she mumbled. He hissed and stalked off, as a tawny owl hopped in, exposing a letter tied to its leg. Hermione blinked trying to eliminate the blurriness in her eyes. She untied the letter and handed the owl one of the treats she kept handy near the window. The owl hooted its thanks and was off.

Hermione rubbed her eyes and read:

Granger,

It is unnecessary that you come in to work today, seeing as you brought your work home with you last night.

Hermione scowled and continued to read.

Consider this like a paid vacation. As long as you don't let the assignment out of your sight and remain vigilant, you can basically do as you please, until told otherwise. You will be contacted if and when the situation changes. There is no need to respond.

Sincerely,

Acer

Hermione sniffed and went back to sleep.

Draco, however, was wide-awake. He had been up for quite sometime now and was trying to decide what to do with himself. He got up from bed, smoothing the sheets out of habit, and was about to leave the room when he remembered he didn't have a shirt on. He ran a hand over his well-toned chest, considering whether or not he'd be polite and put one on. He smirked when he decided against it and left the room.

He was on his way to the kitchen when a scratching noise stopped him. He turned around and moved towards the sound, stopping in front of Hermione's door. He hesitated and then slowly cracked it open. He bit back a yell of surprise as a large orange ball of fur ran between his legs. That thing is still alive? he thought. Draco shook his head in disbelief and then peered through the open door to see Hermione lying in bed asleep. Wow... She was wearing only a pale blue silk night gown, her hair tossed here and there, looking extremely wild. Her blanket was thrown haphazardly across her body, exposing a bare thigh. Draco involuntarily gulped.

When had Hermione become attractive? So sexy? Draco remembered back at Hogwarts Hermione had never had the power to raise anything besides his temper. But now... She was endanger of raising a lot more. He tried to shake the image from his head, but failed. It had been so long since he felt a woman's touch. He longed to touch her, just to run a hand down her perfectly smooth leg. That of course, was entirely out of the question. She was Hermione "Mudblood" Granger, after all. But at that thought he frowned. She was still a woman. A beautiful woman, at that. What did her lineage have to do with whether or not he could be attracted to her? What did it have to do with anything? He turned his head away from her sleeping form, contemplating. He took one more look before quietly closing the door behind him.

Draco made his way into the kitchen and was immediately greeted by a sour-faced Crookshanks. He frowned at the cat, trying to return the same look being given to him, but he wasn't sure his human features could display the same amount of unpleasantness.

"What the bloody hell is your malfunction, cat?"

Crookshanks proceeded to stare at Draco for another moment before leaping onto the counter top. He lazily walked around the sink, side stepped the coffee brewer and stopped in front of the toaster. He turned in a circle before looking up at the cabinet, then back at Draco. Confused, Draco looked at him quizzically.

"What?"

Crookshanks meowed a sound of derision and then rolled his eyes. Or at least Draco thought he did. He wasn't entirely sure that cats were capable of rolling their eyes. But if they were, the cat definitely did just that. Crookshanks meowed again to get Draco's attention. Standing on his hind legs, he pawed at the cabinet door. Draco, finally catching on, approached the cabinet. He reached out a hand, tentatively at first, as though expecting the cat to attack if he got too close, then opened the wooden door. Inside were several cans of cat food.

Draco scoffed, "That is so not my job, buddy."

Crookshanks made a terrible noise, bearing his claws, his hairs standing on edge. Draco jumped back in surprise. "Okay, you crazy beast! Calm down!" He immediately began searching the kitchen for a can opener, stopping every so often to throw the cat a dirty look over his shoulder.

After appeasing the cat, who was eating slowly, watching Draco out of the corner of his eyes, Draco looked into quelling his own hunger. He opened the refrigerator and started pulling out items.

Hermione awoke to the smell of eggs and bacon. She put on her robe before following her nose to the kitchen. When she got there she stopped dead in her tracks. Two places were set on the kitchen table, orange juice and a side of toast. On the floor Crookshanks was polishing off a bowl of cat food. I didn't feed the cat, she thought. Malfoy had fed the cat. And Malfoy. Bare-chested Malfoy was standing in front of her stove shoveling eggs from a pan into two plates with bacon. He placed the plates on the table, before looking up at her.

"Good morning."

"G-good morning," she said hesitantly.

"I made you breakfast."

"I see... Thank you."

Draco gestured to her seat, and she sat silently. Draco tucked himself in and began eating. Hermione watched him for several moments before finally giving attention to her food. What exactly is he playing at making me breakfast? She eyed him skeptically over her fork of untouched eggs.

"I haven't poisoned that you know."

Hermione blinked her head and blushed. "Oh, of course not." She ate her food quietly, watching Draco eat. He caught her looking and gave her look that said, "What?" at her from across the table. She shook her head. What the hell was going on...?

Draco laughed inside his head. Hermione was freaking out. It was quite entertaining. She looked so helpless in all her childlike confusion. It was hard to resist patting her on the back to comfort her. He watched her until she finished eating, and then cleared his and her dishes from the table. Hermione's eyes opened wide in shock, and it took all Draco had not to laugh. He started to wash the dishes and Hermione finally had enough.

"What the hell are you up to Draco?"

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"You made me breakfast. You're washing the dishes. You're being mildly... pleasant. Why?"

Draco sat down in front of Hermione and looked her in the eyes. He held her stare for several moments before speaking. "You're allowing me to stay in your place, although grudgingly… I appreciate it… And… on top of all that… You saved me, Hermione. You saved my life yesterday. Before my father attacked me, I didn't even know what I was living for. And truthfully, I still don't know... But, I have figured out one thing... I do want to live. I wasn't sure of that before you saved me. I want a new life. I haven't had a life since I left school. I want to start over." He looked at his hands. "I'm just thankful I was given a chance. I can't thank you enough for that."

Draco didn't raise his eyes. He had shocked himself. He was planning on putting her down, or at least giving her some lame excuse for his complacency. But when he opened his mouth, something deeper came out. It was sincere. He did want to live. And he was grateful. He looked up at Hermione, and felt his chest tighten.

She was crying. Her face was red, and blotchy. Tears ran down her cheeks and she swiped at them hastily.

"Hey, don't cry," he said looking around nervously, as though seeking help. "It's really not that serious."

"It is serious," she said sniffing. "You've changed… That horrible person you used to be would never be saying any of that. It's like you're finally human..." She straightened her face. "I never thought I'd be able to say that about you."

"Look, Granger," Draco began angrily.

"Hermione."

"Whatever," he said waving a hand. "I'm tired. I'm so incredibly tired of being miserable. I'm just trying to start over. Is that such a big a deal?"

She put her head down and sighed. "I don't know… Well no, of course not. I'm happy for you. Truly."

Hermione ran a hand over her face and looked up through her fingers. She glanced at Draco's form over the table. Good Lord, that's a body. She shook her head and quickly closed her eyes. "For God's sake, Draco. Put a shirt on."

Draco looked at Hermione and smirked. "No, I don't think I will, thanks."

She looked up angrily. "You are so rude. Can't you have a little decency? You are a guest in my home after all." She got up from her seat and crossed her arms.

Draco got up too and copied her stance. "It's really not that serious. Go ahead. Take a look. I don't mind." He smirked. "You act as though you've never seen someone half-naked before." He eyed her skeptically. "Or haven't you?"

Hermione looked outraged. "Why of course I have! And I don't see how it's any of your business!" She walked briskly into the kitchen to make herself some tea. "The nerve of you to ask such a thing." She paused with her hands on the kettle and sighed. Why am I so upset? Calm down. Don't let him see you act this way. So it's been a while since you've been alone with such an attractive man. Certainly you could still behave like a mature adult? She took a deep breath and went back to her tea.

Draco moved across the kitchen to lean against the counter where Hermione stood. He smiled inwardly to see her body stiffen from his presence. "What's got you so hot and bothered, Granger? Have I struck a nerve?"

Hermione glared at him over her mug, and was about to retort when there was a tapping at the kitchen window. The two both turned their heads toward the disturbance. An owl, different from the one earlier that morning, was waiting patiently in Hermione's morning glories. She immediately recognized it to be Persephone, Harry's and Ginny's owl. Hermione quickly opened the window to let her in. She shuffled in and held out her leg as Hermione untied the letter. She stayed long enough to get a pat on the head before ruffling her feathers and flying away. Hermione then started to open the letter.

"It's from Harry," she said aloud.

"I asked?" he said blandly, surveying his fingernails.

Hermione ignored him and eyed the letter with curiosity.

She read:

Hermione,

Sorry to owl you so early in the morning. I know how you love to sleep in, but I heard you had the day off and I really could use your intellect on this little project of mine. Could you maybe come by the flat around 1 and help me out? I'll owe you one.

Love,

Harry

Hermione sighed. As much she would love to help her best friend out she really wasn't sure if she was up to it. Not because she was tired, but because she didn't want to bring Draco along. She stared across the kitchen at him. He happened to look up from his hands at the same time. He met her stare defiantly. "What?"

She put her index and her thumb to the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes. "Go get dressed."

"Why?"

She sighed again and then took a long drink from her tea before replying, "We're going to Harry's and Ginny's place."

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