When Hermione went down for breakfast the following morning, everyone else was already there, including Snape, and there was also Narcissa, who was timidly re-learning how to cook. Hermione slid into a chair next to Ginny and they exchanged perplexed glances, questioning Narcissa's sudden urge to do such a menial task as cooking.

Draco was shooting daggers with his eyes at Snape, who was watching Narcissa closely and somewhat contentedly.

Hermione noticed this odd triangle and nudged Ginny.

'What'd'you think?' she whispered, nodding towards Snape and Narcissa.

Ginny smiled.

'I think it's a bit sweet, really,' she said quietly, "except for the fact that it involves Snape.'

Hermione stifled a giggle.

'Draco doesn't look too pleased about it.'

'What are you two whispering about?' Mrs. Weasley asked.

'Nothing,' they chimed together.

'Boys, no doubt,' Mrs. Weasley said in an undertone to Narcissa.

The girls ignored this and the conversation turned towards that day's plans.

'We could go to the Burrow,' Ginny suggested. 'Mum wants to check on the chickens and the garden.'

'All right,' Hermione agreed. 'It's better that being shut up in here all day.'

'And we could get a Quidditch match,' Ginny continued. 'Before we go gallivanting around – ' She stopped short, remembering that no one else in the room knew about the Horcruxes. Ginny wasn't actually supposed to have known, but she had refused to take no for an answer.

Draco's eyes turned stormy at the mention of Quidditch.

'Yeah. Harry,' Ron said, jumping into the girls' conversation. 'Two on Two.'

'When are you leaving, Molly?' Harry called across the kitchen.

'Oh, anytime after breakfast,' she answered. 'And don't you four go leaving Draco here alone. He can come too. I'm sure he'd like to play Quidditch as well.'

'My broomstick is at school,' Draco told her. 'I'll be fine here.'

'Oh, nonsense. You can just borrow one from our shed,' Mrs. Weasley pushed. 'And Ginny, remember to hold on tight when you Side-Along with Harry.'

'I know, Mum,' Ginny said.

Hermione's smile froze. She would have to take Draco. She glanced over at him. He didn't seem too pleased either.

'Are you sure it would be wise, Molly, \' Snape said slowly,' for Draco to go outside when he is supposed to be dead?'

'Oh, I'll give him a disguise. With his hair a different colour and such, no one would recognise him,' Mrs. Weasley assured Snape. 'I'm sure you'd like your son outside for a day, put some colour in his cheeks,' she addressed Narcissa.

Narcissa looked very much as if she wanted nothing more than to keep him in, but Draco cut across his mother before she could object.

'A day outside sounds lovely. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley,' he said courteously.

Harry and Ron looked crestfallen. Ginny was only slightly annoyed, because she was amused by Hermione's look of dismay more than anything else.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny went upstairs to get their brooms.

'Be extra careful,' Narcissa told Draco.

He kissed her on the cheek.

'I will, Mother. Have a good day.'

Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand at Draco once they were in the hallway. His hair turned brown and his skin became tanned.

'And you be safe, too,' Mrs. Weasley instructed Hermione and Draco before they went through the front door.

Draco grabbed Hermione's wrist and she Disapparated into the front garden at the Burrow. Hermione marched up to the front door and followed Mrs. Weasley into the house.

'Make yourself at home,' Mrs. Weasley told Draco absently, as she continued through to the back door.

Draco stood awkwardly on the threshold.

'Oh, come on,' Hermione said impatiently, grabbing his arm to pull him into the house. Draco peered around as she shut the door. His eyes fell upon a mirror and he gasped.

Hermione giggled at his surprise.

'Do you like your new look?' she teased.

Hermione just giggled?

'I much prefer the way I look normally, thanks,' he said, examining his hair in the glass.

'So do I,' Hermione told him on impulse.

She covered up her surprise at having uttered that statement by walking into the kitchen.

She thinks I look better normally, eh? Was she flirting with me?

Draco smiled smugly, but was determined not to otherwise acknowledge her comment. His hand strayed to the basket of rolls on the table but Hermione slapped it away.

'Molly brought those for lunch,' she remonstrated him.

Before Draco could say anything in reply, there were two sharp cracks and Harry, Ron, and Ginny appeared, clutching broomsticks.

Snickering at Draco's appearance, the boys headed out the door. After having furnished Draco with a broom, and after Hermione had grabbed her usual one out of the shed, them trouped up to the Weasleys' meadow. Harry and Ron went up, laughing, Draco following them slowly, and Hermione and Ginny lagged behind at the very back of the procession.

'I don't now,' Ginny said, looking appraisingly at Draco. 'If I weren't in love with Harry, I think Draco would look sort of tempting right now.'

'Why?' Hermione asked defensively, despite herself. 'I think he looks much nicer with his natural colouring.'

'Oh? Do you?' Ginny asked. 'You don't think he's unattractive, then?'

'Ginny, for goodness sake, every girl at Hogwarts thinks that Draco is absolutely gorgeous.'

'Not every girl,' Ginny said, staring at Harry.

'Yes, well, every other girl but you. So there's no deeper meaning in me thinking it either.'

'Want me to find out what he thinks about your looks?'

'No!' Hermione yelped. 'He'll just pile on some load of tosh about Muggleborns being unworthy of a second look.'

'You never know,' Ginny said wisely as they arrived at the field.

'All right,' said Harry. 'Me and Hermione, against you three, and this bloke needs a new name.'

'Jack,' Ginny said, smirking.

Draco glared at her but nodded his head in assent anyhow.

'Harry, how about me, you, and Ron, against Jack and Hermione,' Ginny suggested.

'But,' Harry started. Ginny gave him a look worthy of Mrs. Weasley and he shut his mouth.

'I bet you won't win,' Ginny taunted halfway through the match.

'What do you bet?' Draco called across the pasture.

'If you win, you get to ride my broom next time,' she yelled back. 'But if you lose, you've got to kiss Hermione.'

'What?!' Hermione exclaimed in protest. 'Ginny!'

'It's a bet!' Draco agreed.

Hah. What are the odds they'll win? Wait. Harry has always won in the past. Why on earth did I agree to those terms?

He looked anxiously at Hermione, who was glaring at Ginny.

Holy Cricket. He'll have to kiss me. No! I did not agree to this. I am not an object. This is all just a part of Ginny's ridiculous scheme. Well, it won't work.

'Yes!' Ginny yelled excitedly. 'We won, Harry. Good job, Ron.'

'Against those two, it's not much to be proud – ' Ginny stopped Harry's mouth with a kiss.

Draco was looking surly.

Great. Now I've got to kiss Hermione. Just smashing. But maybe Ginny will forget.

'Hey, Jack, our bet?' Ginny reminded him.

Damn thought Hermione and Draco synonymously.

Draco started towards her. And then Hermione had a stroke of genius and held out her hand. Draco grinned unexpectedly and grasped her hand, kissing it gently and swiftly. Then he retreated. But the touch of his lips upon her hand had still made both of them flush slightly and look away from each other.

'Hey!' Ginny yelled.

'You never said where he had to kiss me, Ginny,' Hermione pointed out, sweeping past her friend. Ginny followed her in almost a race to the broom shed.

'Ginny, honestly, this is getting out of hand,' Hermione reprimanded her. 'Why are you even trying to make something happen? He nearly killed your brother.'

Ginny rolled her eyes.

'Oh, honestly,' she mimicked. 'If Mum can forgive him, everyone should. And I thought you trusted him now.'

'Well, I do,' Hermione stammered. 'But – personal injuries I find difficult t forget.'

'Move on,' Ginny told her. 'Sure, he's made some big mistakes. But he's paying for them now with his freedom and he has turned over a new leaf. Forget Malfoy and accept Draco. You're the one who made us start calling him that. So start believing in the change yourself.'

Ginny stalked up to the house, leaving Hermione speechless.

I can't believe her!

But she is right. I am hanging onto my old prejudices, while I can see that Draco is trying and everyone else is trying as well. I offered him Apparition sessions and accepted his offer of Occlumency lessons.

But has he truly changed? Or is he just here to save himself?

Hermione slammed the door to the broom shed and went into the house. She sat down at the table and hid her face in her arms.

'Are you okay, dear?' Mrs. Weasley inquired, concerned. 'Ginny looked a little smug when she came in. Did you have an argument.'

Hermione raised her head.

'Not per se,' she said, 'but… Oh, Ginny's right. I can't let go of my old prejudices. I'll never be able to trust Draco personally. He has insulted me too many times… Am I horrible, Molly?'

No, Hermione,' Mrs. Weasley assured her. 'Just give yourself time. Try talking to him, away from the pressure of being with everyone else.

'Well, I will be. I offered to oversee Apparition practise for him, even though it's illegal…'

'Hermione, you're doing it for his safety. He needs to be able to do it. And if the Order followed all of wizarding law, it wouldn't exist,' she said, with marked approval of Hermione's actions.

'And, er-, see, Professor Snape turned me down for Occlumency lessons, and Draco overheard, so he offered to teach me himself.'

Hermione felt a little better, having made a clean breast of it all to Mrs. Weasley, who patted her back fondly.

'I'm glad. He's becoming such a nice boy, that Draco.'

'Thanks for listening, Molly.'

'Any time, dear.'

Hermione smiled gratefully and went up to get Ginny for lunch. She opened the door to find her friend guiltily stuffing a pair of Extendable Ears into her pocket.

'Ginny, what are you doing?' she asked, knowing full well the answer.

'Oh, just tidying up. I found an old pair of Extendables and wanted to check they still work.'

'And do they?' Hermione asked, smirking.

'Yes,' Ginny replied, smiling slyly. 'Well, well, well. Hermione Granger. Fixing secret rendezvous with Draco, are you?'

'We're just helping each other out.'

The boys had already started to eat when Hermione and Ginny got down the stairs. Hermione was forced to sit by Draco, as Ginny obstinately took the one at the other end of the table.

Draco noticed Hermione's somewhat stormy mood, and really should have known not to speak to her, but her tried a bit of conversation anyhow.

'So,' he started. 'Do your parents worry about you being here, fighting a war?'

Everyone dropped their silverware, and Ginny almost landed her elbow in the butter dish. Hermione's face clouded over even more.

Okay. Wrong question.

'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have – '

Hermione cut across him with a chilly calm.

'My parents?' she asked. 'My parents are dead, Draco. Killed in a "car crash" is what it read in the Muggle paper. That's not even remotely true. Death Eaters killed them. They found out about Sectemsempra somehow.'

Draco and Harry flinched.

'My parents' bodies were said to have been pulled out of a wrecked car, because Ministry officials decided that was the only way to explain all the wounds. My parents, my innocent parents, were mutilated by curses and then killed using Avada Kedavra.'

Tears formed in her warm brown eyes.

'And it was all for sick sport. Because Voldemort, the half-blooded psychopath, has it out for anyone who doesn't have "pure" blood and anyone who stands in his way.'

Draco paled from shock.

She's so sad. But she controls it so well. I never would have known.

This is why she's here. This is why she can't stand me. Because I could've turned out just like them. Since when is it them? I still bear the Mark. I always will.

But I'm not one of them! I'm not! And I have to prove to Hermione that I can change, that I've already changed so much.

Ginny was soothing Hermione.

'You're all right.'

Hermione sniffled and the nodded, wiping the tears off her face.

Draco couldn't think of anything to say. The remainder of lunch was spent in silence. Hermione ate her food mechanically and Draco kept trying to find a way to talk to her again.

'Well, we'd better go soon,' Mrs. Weasley said gently once everyone had finished. 'Harry, Ron, Ginny, I want I word with these two. You all can leave now.'

They went out the front and Mrs. Weasley discreetly slipped out the back to check the shed.

'I – I really didn't know,' Draco stammered. 'I wouldn't have said anything if I had. I wasn't taunting you, I promise.'

'No,' Hermione said, breathing deeply, 'but you needed to know what happened.'

'I've only got Mother,' Draco related after a moment. 'Father isn't a treat. It's quite lucky he's in the gaol, actually. Well, you know that. Aunt Bella, quite a nice woman if you're into being a murderous raving lunatic, but I'm not, so I don't like her. Death Eaters have ruined my home too. In a different way.'

'And yet, you bear the Dark Mark,' Hermione reproached him.

'It was forced on me!' he exclaimed, becoming angry. 'The Dark Lord said he'd kill my mother if I didn't go through with getting it, and if I didn't complete my task! What else could I have done? What would you have done? What could anyone have done to help me find another way out?'

Hermione drew herself up to her full height and looked him straight in the eye.

'You could've asked for help,' she said severely. 'You must have known your mother trusts Snape entirely, enough to go against Voldemort's orders to her. Dumbledore would have put you into hiding! You could've gone to him at any time. And yet, you chose not to engage your brain!'

'I was scared! Do you realise what it's like to be in my position? To be in danger of being killed, of those you love dying too?!'

He knew immediately from her facial expression that he had crossed a line.

'Draco, I've lived like that ever day of my life since the end of my first year, when I realised that Voldemort was still around,' Hermione said, fury and a sense of power emanating off her body. 'Every day since then, I have been in that same situation. But I don't let it get in the way of what's right. I fight back.'

Is this what Snape meant by 'There's more to her than meets the eye'? Draco asked himself nervously.

'That's what I want to do from now on,' he told her sincerely. 'I'm not just here because I want protection. I'm here to help fight back.'

They stood for a moment in silence.

When Hermione spoke again, she was calmer.

'We will go on with starting our lessons, won't we?' she asked

'We're all right, then?'

'For now,' Hermione replied with a small smile. 'I think I underestimated you.'

Draco returned the smile.

'I underestimated you as well.'