Weeks passed, and Hermione continued to keep an almost solitary eye on Draco. Most of their days were spent in the musty library at Grimmauld Place, occasionally marked by a Sunday dinner filled with Weasleys and Aurors alike.

For three hours Hermione had been reading a manuscript, written in Albus Dumbledore's own hand. It was describing the basics of wandless magic; how to concentrate and focus one's thoughts into a sudden burst of energy to achieve the user's intentions.

"All right; that's it."

Draco raised an eyebrow at Hermione's outburst. She had been very quiet since the last time anyone had been in the house. He had taken to watching her from behind whatever book he'd managed to randomly select, and she always kept to the same studious ways he remembered from Hogwarts.

"Come on Malfoy. Let's get out of here. Malfoy? Draco, I'm talking to YOU, you know."

His heart skipped a beat as she sat on the hassock in front of him. It didn't hurt that she'd managed to give him one of the first genuine smiles he'd received in a very, very long time.

Hermione sat on the edge of the hassock, peering over the top of the book she was sure Draco had barely even looked at.

"Whatcha reading there, Malfoy?"

"Uh…uh…."

She chuckled, smirking much in the same manner he himself did when he thought someone was uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"You haven't read a single word, have you?"

Hermione knocked the book out of his fingers and extended a hand. Draco shook his head, looking at her and wondering what in the world she was thinking.

"Granger, we were told to stay here. Or have you so quickly forgotten?"

Smiling, she pulled him up by his arm, and not very gently.

"Malfoy, we're not going very far. There's still a yard attached to this old place."

"But…but that's outside!"

"Yes…that's quite a brilliant deduction, Malfoy. But you have obviously forgotten the wards on this place. That would include the wards on the yard. No one can see us if we go out there. Oh, come on already!"

With the next tug of his arm, his resolve to stay put in that dank, dusty room full of books went out the doorway faster than Hermione could physically move him. He was temporarily blinded by the bright sunlight that met his eyes as they stepped out the back door.

"Merlin, Malfoy…. I never fathomed it possible that you could be paler than you were back in school, but…. Your skin is practically translucent."

He flinched as he felt the warmth of her fingers reaching up to touch the side of his face. It matched the creeping warmth in his blood as he fought to stay in one place, watching her studious expression. After a second, she blinked, and then drew her hand away.

"Um…sorry. Shouldn't have done that."

Swallowing hard, he nodded, moving back a few steps to put some space in between them. Hermione closed her eyes and held her arms out to her sides, spinning slowly in place. To him, she was fascinating; the cool breeze fanning her hair out in waves before she dropped to the ground, giggling and exhausted.

"Ahem…."

The peace and happiness he felt watching her was quickly forgotten. The boyfriend had arrived, his presence interrupting Draco's quiet moments.

"Granger, you have a visitor. If you'll excuse me…."

The tone in Malfoy's voice had a hard edge to it. One that did not go unnoticed by Hermione as she sat up and watched him re-enter the house with hooded eyes. Curious. She had found many things about Draco Malfoy curious as of late. Hermione quickly smiled as George walked up to her, offering one of his large and steady hands to pull her up of the moist grass.

"Hello, love."

She gave him a quick peck before jumping and pulling him back inside the house behind her.