'Are you INSANE? What are you doing?'

He sat on the edge of the bed. His head in his hands. Wincing as he remembered, what he had just done. How could he have gone so far? He was here to do a job. To protect her and to get his own name back, by doing so. He tried to imagine what his father would have said, would he have known what his only son had just done. But his father was in Azkaban where he belonged! Malfoy sen. had made his childhood one long nightmare. The time he had spent at Hogwarts had been the best. Away from the cold, soulless house. And the cruel punishments, when he had yet again failed to meet his father's expectations.

He sighed. School had been his refuge, but he had been the same heartless bully there, his father had been at home. For a moment he wondered, if he would have had some real friends like Hermione did, if he hadn't been such a... He didn't finish that thought. It was futile to rake over the past. The only thing, he should be concentrating on was the future. His future. If he wanted to ever be able to walk down Diagon Alley without everybody staring at him and whispering behind his back, he really needed to get a grip on himself and never again let his guard slip as he had just done in the sitting room.

Hermione stood there in front of the couch for several moments before snapping out off her trance. He had just very gently kissed her forehead! Why had he done that? And why hadn't she stopped him doing so? Her fingers brushed over the spot his lips had touched. She sighed. His lips had been warm and soft. She remembered when Ron had last kissed her. It had been a proper kiss, but it had failed to make her feel the way she was feeling right now. He hadn't just touched her body. Somehow he had managed to touch her soul as well!

There was a soft knock on his door.

"Fra.. Frank? I am about to do diner. Do you want some as well?"

He looked at the door. Trying to decide, what he should do now. The proper thing would be to leave, return to the ministry and ask for another assignment. He didn't want to do that. Every fiber in his body told him to stay. Stay with the woman he had known since he was 11 years old. The woman, that evolved from the girl he used to taunt, ridicule, make fun of and call names. Horrible names. He shuddered by the thought of how unthinking and cold he had been. He wasn't now. Not any longer. She was his one chance to get his life back. And he wanted to be damned, if he threw that away without a fight.

He slowly got up and walked over to the door. Making sure his hood was up, he took a deep breath and opened the door.

Hermione stood in the hall with an onion in one hand and a rather sharp looking knife in the other.

"I'm making omelette with veg. Do you want any?"

His stomach rumbled on cue.

"It seems, I do want some. Which kind of veg are you using?"

"Onions, red peppers and tomatoes."

"That sounds delicious."

"I'll call you, when it is ready."

"Shall I give you a hand?"

She smiled at him.

"No, thanks, I'm fine."

He was offering to help prepare diner? He hadn't cooked EVER! He couldn't remember, when he had been last inside a kitchen before he came here.

So he just followed her and lent in the door frame watching her slice onions, wash and dice peppers and then cut half a dozen tomatoes. She mixed everything in a large frying pan on the Aga and put a lid on. She retrieved eggs from the humming cupboard and proceeded to mix six of them in a large bowl. The eggs were slowly poured over the vegetables and then the lid went back onto the pan. She flicked her wand and then turned towards him.

"It will take about 20 minutes."

She hesitated.

"Should I..."

"Tell me about your daily routine? Yes, please."

He smiled. She could hear it. She couldn't see it though. What was he really hiding underneath that cloak of his? She would have to find out. Not tonight, but soon.

"Shall we go into the sitting room?"

He bowed and let her lead the way. He tried to not to look at her straight back. Half covered by her wavy curls. He noticed, that she wasn't actually wearing shoes just thick socks. And her calves... He tore his gaze away from her body and just tried to focus on the back of her head. With just a very quickly stolen look at her hips...

'Stop ogling at her like some love struck teenager!'

"... normally not during the week, but I could make an exception for tonight."

She stopped in front of the fireplace, turned around and he nearly bumped into her.

"Sorry!"

Hermione looked at him. Had he actually been listening to her? Or was he lost in his own world again? Should she asked him? She decided to do that sometime later.

She sat in one corner of her enormous couch and was waiting for him to join her. Looking up at him expectingly. She heard him sigh and then he sat in the other corner. Seemingly trying to keep as much space between them as possible.

"So, my daily routine. I normally get up at 7:30, shower, have breakfast and then use the Floo network to get to work. The villagers think that I'm a researcher for some famous author and work from home. Which means, my neighbours don't really expect me to leave the house every morning. I have lunch at the ministry or somewhere in Diagon Alley and do a bit of shopping in the village shop on my way home. After diner I read, meet friends..."

He waited for her to continue.

"There is one thing though."

"Yes?"

"I'm friends with two Muggle girls."

"Muggle girls?"

"Yes. They are very nice. They helped me settle in, when I first moved here. There names are Julie and Lydia."

"Do they know...?"

"Merlin! No!"

"Good."

"We meet sort of every other week in one of our homes. It's my turn tomorrow."

She glanced at him. He wasn't moving or otherwise reacting in any way.

"Is that okay with you?" She asked tentatively.

"Hm..."

"What?"

"They are your friends and if you are accustomed to meeting them, then meet them you shall. I'm here to protect you not take over your life... Hermione."

There was a noticeable hesitation before he spoke her name. It had a strange ring to it. As if he savoured saying it.

"They might be rather curious about you though. Who you are, where you are from, why are you here, if you are my boyfriend... that kind of thing."

"What will you tell them?"

"What shall I tell them? We need to make sure, that we have a convincing story."

"I could be a colleague from work. Having rented your spare room."

She thought about that for a moment and then said: "They would wonder without hesitation, if there is anything going on between us. No. You are the brother of my husband and a fire ravaged your house."

"I am your brother-in-law?"

'She is MARRIED? Seems Weasley has managed to get that one right then!'

He was surprised, that it irked him so much, that there was a man in her life. Why had he assumed otherwise? She was an attractive young woman, that had everything going for her. And if she thought that Potter's sidekick was good enough for her... so be it.

It didn't mean he had to like it though. Because he didn't!

"Now we just need to have an excuse for your clothing habits."

Was there a smirk in her voice?

"I am to shy too show my face in order not to scare people?"

"Sounds good, but these girls are really nosy girls! If we say, you are too shy to show yourself, they'll pester you as long as it takes to get a glimpse of your face. Better you are too scarred and your doctor has advised you to avoid the public as yet."

"Doctor?"

He felt a bit silly not being able to remember, what exactly that was in the Muggle world.

"Healer."

"Oh."

There was a ringing noise and Hermione got up.

"Diner is ready."

He followed her into the kitchen. She served their food on simple plates with a flowery decor. Made tea and then placed the food on the small table in the corner. They ate both lost in thoughts.

Afterwards he watched her rinse the used crockery and cutlery by hand without magic. Which he found a bit surprising. She seemed to randomly use magic. Or not.

Hermione seemed to have totally forgotten, that he was sitting in the corner of her kitchen as she just headed back into the sitting room, without so much as looking at him once.

He wondered, if he should follow her through or just stay here and see, what would happen. And he did see. Her head bobbed around the corner with an embarrassed grin on her face.

"You seem to have adjusted quite well to my presence..." He smirked.

They went into the sitting room together. Him following her. And yet again they sat in opposite corners.

"Can I ask you something?"

"I know for a fact you are well capable of asking questions."

She didn't rise to the bait.

"What are we going to say at work at the ministry who you are? I don't really want to introduce you as my body guard."

"No." He said slowly. "You are right. How about me being an Auror in training needing to brush up my Muggle knowledge? I don't think I will have to accompany you ever day in any case. When your colleagues got used to me I can stay here and enhance the spells, protecting the house and grounds."

She nodded.

"That sounds plausible. And if anybody queries it I'll refer them to the minister."

He absentmindedly surveyed her fingers. There was no wedding ring on her finger. Strange. She is married, but kept her own name and doesn't wear a ring? Was there something between her and Weasley she wasn't telling?

"Can I ask you a question?" he ventured.

"Of course." She smiled openly at him.

"You are married?"

She nodded. Just a wee bit too hesitantly he thought.

"And you kept your own name?"

Another nod. Much less hesitation this time.

"But you don't wear a ring?"

She shook her head.

"A-ha."

"Would you prefer me wearing one?"

He looked at her. Her face was guarded. She was watching him and tried to be casual at the same time. It didn't work. He could see, that she was hiding something. Something important. For a moment he was wondering, if he should just ask her about it, but he could sense that she would make excuses. Or just lie to his face. He didn't want her to do that. So he let it go. For now.

He shook his head.

"He is not here right now, is he?"

"No." It was a bare whisper.

"I am just asking as the minister didn't say, that I was to protect you both. I was told to be with you..."

'NO!'

He looked at her. She grinned at his choice of words.

"I know... You were told to look after me. Protect me."

He returned her grin. For long moments they were just looking at each other. Even so he was looking at her soft, beautiful face and all she could see were the shadows that kept his own hidden.

Had she always had these doe brown eyes? He had never noticed. He had never really look at her in the past. In all those years at school. Maybe except for that one night..

In his mind he was back at Malfoy Manor. His aunt Bellatrix was torturing Hermione with the Cruciatus Curse. Again and again. He had been terrified. How could one human being ever be doing something like this to another? His stomach had been in knots. Her screams had scourged his soul. He wouldn't have been able to save her. Though every fiber in his body had screamed for him to do so. Even if that meant to kill his aunt. And probably then be killed by Voldemort. Death would have been preferable to leaving this innocent girl to this monster of a woman. But then Potter and Weasley had suddenly shown up. He had never really found out, what had all been going on in the manor in that night, but he had vowed his life to her in that night, her the Mudblood, as repayment for his failure to protect her as he should have done.

And now he was going to repay this debts. He was going to make sure, she was save. And give his life for hers if he needed to this time...

"You okay?" she asked unexpectedly.

He looked at her. Her eyes filled with honest concern.

"Of course. Why should I not be okay?"

His voice was low. He didn't want her to presume, that she had been what he had been thinking about. She didn't answer right away. Was she suspecting anything? He hoped not. He really did! But she was smart. Very smart!

"I know, that this whole setup is not that easy for you. You probably expected to be out in the field. Having an exciting time. Instead you are stuck here with me."

"Stuck here with you... I have been in worse places. Believe me. And to be honest, to be stuck here with you is the best thing, that has happened to me in a long while. I don't have to watch my every step and I don't need to fear prying eyes." Unseen by her, he smiled. "And I don't even have to cook my own meals."

She laughed and threw a cushion at him, hitting his chest. He threw it back. She tried to dodge it, but didn't quite manage and it raffled her hair. Another one found its way across to him and this time she hit his head. For the fraction of a moment she could see his eyes sparkling at her. There was happiness in them. But there was also something deeper, darker shimmering within the liquid silver that now seemed to pierce her soul. A moment later, they had vanished again within the folds of his cloak.

"I'm sorry!" She whispered "I shouldn't have done that..."

"Don't apologize!" His voice soft and soothing. "Just be yourself. I don't expect you to behave differently just because I'm here now."