A/N Some of those reading are wondering where the inspiration for this story came from. Predominantly from a TV series called 'Dead like me', perhaps not much remembered, but I like it, where a girl gets hit by a flying toilet seat and gets a choice to live again if she would work as a grim reaper. Hence the premise, a second life, but only if its with Draco Malfoy. Hermione would probably choose death, so had to make the choice less obvious. Also influenced by 'Drop Dead Jane' which I have read about but not actually seen yet. Plus loads of other sources, none of which I can specifically recall.

Chapter 7

Hermione still didn't have any luck with her research. She had read everything there was in the Malfoy library about death and ghosts, which the wizarding world knew little about. The only accounts of deaths were from ghosts and their stories were all pretty much the same. Refusing to go, sheer obstinacy. Apparently there is a pull somewhere and they refuse to budge. Eventually the pull stopped.

Hermione didn't remember any kind of pull, she was unconscious. Maybe she didn't die, but her body was. This was making her head hurt.

She just wanted to go home, she hated it here, hated these people. All along they had been trying to exclude her and she had, although she'd never admit it, been jealous of being on the outside, but really, there was nothing on the inside to want. They were awful to each other, each worse than the other.

It would kill her to be stuck here forever. If she was stuck here and bound to Draco, she really might be better off dead. Not that her old life was much to brag about, she was incredibly lonely, all her friends were pairing off, getting absorbed in their own lives and none of them had a lot of time for her. Even Harry, who was now working, with a family, and all his spare time was spent building extensions to his house. Last she heard, Ginny wanted an indoor pool. Merlin knows why.

And now she was dead and they had all moved on from that experience, except her apparently, stuck here in this awful, cold existence. She guessed if you grew up in this, you would never miss what you didn't have. She wondered if Draco had ever had any true friends.

She still only saw him at breakfast, but Pansy's 'do' was coming up quick to Hermione's chagrin. Another night of being paraded around.

As per usual, she let Red dress her and make her ready. Hermione was first downstairs this time, but still got the disapproving looks. Draco side along apparated her as per norm. So predictable.

"Stay close." He said.

Hermione bristled at being spoken to like a dog, but she didn't want to seek out any dark corner either and suffer a similar experience to the last party. Some girl she vaguely remembered from Slytherin came and spoke to her. It was a pleasant enough conversation.

Draco came back and took her to greet Pansy, along with the customary air kisses. They chatted for a while, Pansy flirted while her older husband was swigging back the drinks. I would probably drink too if I was married to her, Hermione thought.

The night went on, Draco dragged her around, chatted to people, was the charming personality he seemed to conjure for parties. He got into a political discussion with an older man and Hermione offered to replenish the drinks.

She made it to the bar, which served up whatever kind of drink the partygoers wanted. Blaise Zabini came up to the bar next to her. He ordered two firewhiskeys.

"Astoria, my dear, you look lovely tonight." He said in his lazy drawl. Hermione wondered if there was some history between Blaise and Astoria. "But you always look lovely. How have you been keeping? Staying fit I see."

"Fine." Hermione said. "You know, same old usual. And you?"

"Can't complain." Blaise said. He was giving the Blaise eyes. His heavy lids over than intense stare. He was notorious in school for the try to be seductive look, that sadly worked again and again. He was hitting on her, yuck. "I get by."

"Seeing anyone?" Hermione asked, trying to get his attention on whoever he was supposedly committed too. He wasn't married, she knew. He had been the number one bachelor in this community for five years straight now.

He shrugged. Hermione jumped as she felt a hand on her back, but realised it was Draco. The one allowed to have his hand on her back. God, she hated these people.

"Astoria, darling." Draco said, his voice a bit colder than his normal cold. "I see you found our Blaise."

"Yes." She said. "He's getting some drinks."

"I bet he is." Draco said, smiling at Blaise. Draco was standing very close. "Everything alright, Blaise?"

"Never better." Blaise said.

There was something going on here, Hermione realised. She could feel Draco's body along her side. He turned to her. "Now I am going to speak to the Minister and then I would like to introduce you to Madam Denillion. Seek me out in five minutes. I will be right over there." He said as he lifted the glass he had taken out of her hand and pointed.

Hermione thought he would leave, but he didn't. Instead he brought her closer and leaned down. He was going to kiss her and Hermione was too shocked to move. It started with the barest of touches. She could feel his breath on her lips before he kissed her properly. It wasn't forced, it wasn't hard, but it wasn't light. It was thorough. The only word she could use to describe it. And it flooded her with sensation.

He stroked the inside of her upper lip with his tongue before deepening the kiss. Hermione could feel the kiss down to her toe. It ended as slowly as it began, slowly pulling away making her want to follow. She hadn't been prepared for that, it had taken her completely by surprise and she couldn't stop the heavy sigh as he pulled away.

Ok, that had been a fantastic kiss. She was still tingling all over and she had to stop herself from putting her fingers on her tingling lips. Wow. No, it was just that it had been such a long time, Hermione told herself, such a very long time since she'd been kissed.

Draco was giving Blaise a look after he pulled away. Hermione realised that she had just been a participant in some kind of pissing game between the two Slytherins, the don't touch my property variety.

Ok, a very, very, very long time since she'd been kissed like that. Draco was gone. Hermione didn't know what to do about herself. She was pretty sure she was beat red, from embarrassment obviously. Blaise was looking at her.

"I have to go to the bathroom." She said and beat a retreat. She found a bathroom and splashed her face with some water.

She'd had no idea Draco Malfoy could kiss like that. It indicated some kind of passion, which just didn't go with the cold, sneering persona. Well, he was very good at putting on a performance, she thought, and she didn't appreciate being used as part of his little turf war with his 'friends'. Had they nothing better to do than to sleep around with each others' wives.

Anyway, Hermione did what she was told and joined Draco. The last thing she wanted was little scene. In the meantime she was going to have to think of a way to stop being required at these awful get together. Maybe she would give herself the horrid and persistent acne she gave that snivelly cow who ratted them out in firth year. Maybe a nice set of matching boils. Draco would rather cut off his arm than be seen with her in public. She could blame it on a number of Astoria's 'best friends'.

Draco's hand was again at the small of her back and it burned. Hermione wanted to shift with the uncomfortable feeling, but edging away only made him pull her closer. Which at this point was only reminding her of what he expected of her in a week or so. An absolute impossibility.

How impossible was it, she wondered. A baby, a wonderful, life filling baby. It was enough to bring on some moisture in the back of her eyes. He was talking away to some lady in French. She didn't know he spoke French and really well to. She could stutter it out, but he was completely fluent.

He wasn't ugly physically, he never had been. His body, which she incidentally was squeezed up against, was toned. He could kiss like a movie star, but it was Draco Malfoy, what else can you say? Although part of her felt a little stab of glee that he would have to taint himself with her dirty existence. Even if he only found out after he died, he would still exist forever with the knowledge that he sullied himself with someone so impure, broke all his own conventions. Unwittingly, but it was revenge in a metaphysical way.

Blessedly the party was finally over and Draco walked her into the hall where the guests were saying their goodbyes to the host. Pansy gave her a light hug and then Draco, and Hermione was sure that Pansy's hand strayed a tiny bit. Whatever, she thought.

Draco apparated her back.

"Could you try not to hit on every man in the room." He said coldly. "It wouldn't be so bad if you had an ounce of discretion, but you're like a hippo on a bus. I know that brain of yours doesn't function for most purposes, but I will not allow you at parties if you're going to behave like that."

"Like what?" Hermione shot back. She hadn't done anything that was out of line. She had been a sport all night and toed the line.

"You were practically all over Blaise." He said.

"Was not." She said. "Are you seriously that jealous that you get upset if she talks to anyone."

"That wasn't anyone." He said. "That was Blaise. And quit talking about yourself in the third person."

"I will talk about myself any way I like thank you." She said. "And don't worry, Blaise's charms aren't as irresistible as you think."

"Really, Astoria. Already been there and done that?" He snapped.

Hermione didn't know what to say, she had no idea if it was true or not. She had no idea if Draco was just being irrationally jealous or just fed up with a straying wife who did a poor job hiding it.

"I don't know what your wife did or didn't do." She said. "I am not your wife and I would prefer that you didn't treat me like it."

"Oh yes, the I'm Hermione Granger spiel." Draco said with a little hand flourish. "It is getting really old. You really didn't know her well, did you?"

"Neither did you." Hermione said.

"I knew her a lot better than you did." Draco said. "Really Astoria, you couldn't have picked a person who was more different from you. You should have picked a person you would have a chance of acting like."

"I'm not acting like Hermione Granger?" Hermione said with astonishment.

"Not even remotely."

"Oh, how so?" Hermione asked, not sure if she was more annoyed or curious. "I would like to hear how I am not acting like Hermione Granger."

"First of all, she would dress leaving something to the imagination." He said and Hermione looked down. Ok, maybe this wasn't her kind of outfit, but there wasn't such variety to choose from in Astoria's wardrobe.

"Second," he continued. "Granger wouldn't go to gossip lunches with Pansy Parkinson. And thirdly, Hermione Granger would never let me kiss her."

It was just that it had been a really long time, she wanted to yell, but she wasn't sure that would sound convincing even to herself if said out loud.

"Where as you," He said nastily, "are anybodys. You have no self respect at all." With that he turned and strode away.

Hermione couldn't think of anything smart to yell after him. She had to make do with an unsatisfying foot stomp and then the knowledge of acting so childish afterwards. Everything he said was true, but she had done all those things, except the being anybodys part, although apparently she had just succumbed tonight to her hated nemesis without so much as a pause. Just a little kiss and she had lost all ability to reason. Ouch that stung.