"You're completely skipping the question."

"What's your point?"

"Look, Mu…Granger," he tried a devilish grin, but failed miserably. "Dumbledore said I'm all you're sure to have at Hogwarts so you might as well try to get along with me."

"That, Malfoy, is impossible."

"I told you, I'm not that bad of a person. I mean you did kiss me. And I don't think you're the kind of girl that just goes around kissing anybody."

"I'll have your head for that," Hermione grinned.

"You know, I believe you."

"You expect me to be happy about my daughter and the son of the man who wants me destroyed…to be together."

"Happy? Dear me, no, Tom. I expect you to be furious. If you just let them be together they'll hate each other. You've got to make them think that you want them to stay far away from each other."

"I do want them to stay away from each other, Albus."

"Well that will make it that much easier, I expect." Dumbledore led them to a large door. "Ahh, you've arrived."

The three occupants of the room turned around, wands ready.

"There will be no need, I assure you."

"You want us to sit by while you have tea with Lily and James' killer?" Sirius raised his wand abruptly.

"In my defense, I was evil," said Voldemort from his hiding place behind Dumbledore.

"You've got to admit, Dumbledore, it's a bit hard to understand." Lupin lowered his wand, but made no move to put it away.

"I know, but the war is changing."

"Isn't it always," Voldemort interrupted.

"Tom," he threw Voldemort a scathing look. "It isn't for Tom's sake that we've gathered. This will be a little hard to understand."

"Why'd you let me kiss you," Draco sat down on the edge of the bed.

"To see if the rumors were true," Hermione absentmindedly looked through the books.

"What rumors?"

"That you were the best kisser in the school," she picked one out and walked to the balcony.

"And? Am I?" Draco followed her.

"No."

"This tale starts sixteen years ago, with the birth of two children. One, of course, is Harry Potter. We all know his story, but the one we don't know is the one of the other child. A girl," Dumbledore refrained from telling Lupin, Sirius and Tonks that the child was Hermione. "The child was born to Tom and his wife Helen."

"What?" Tonks said suddenly. "You? You had a child?"

"I didn't always look like this," Voldemort grimaced at her. "I used to be quite handsome."

"They met at school," continued Dumbledore as if he hadn't heard them. "They were married shortly after graduation. Now, by this time Tom was very interested in the quest for immortality. I expect he kept this side hidden from Helen."

Voldemort nodded.

"I'll spare you the mundane details. But the child was born a good few months before Harry. The prophecy was heard, Helen was aware of the prophecy too. I believe she tried to stop Tom from going. Although he was not told the whole thing, Helen was keen to believe it was a terrible idea. And with a newborn at home, she wasn't ready to be alone."

"No, she wasn't," Voldemort said slowly.

"So, Tom left and lost all his powers at the Potter's. Helen was, in fact, left to raise the child by herself. She came to me soon after Tom's disappearance with a plea to help her daughter."

"Let me say something. Someone, and I'm not going to name names, Voldemort, is a murderer and you helped his kid? Why didn't you drown the damn thing?" Sirius asked.

"You're going to feel like a prat in a moment," Voldemort growled.

"I don't believe you, in fact, I think you might have enjoyed it."

"As much as I enjoy Quidditch," Hermione said casually.

"So you wouldn't mind if it happened again," Malfoy moved closer.

"I hate Quidditch," Hermione stared at her book. She was aware Malfoy was moving closer. She was aware that his face was leaningnear hers. She concentrated on her book. She reread the same sentence four times. But she'd stopped comprehending the words as soon as he started talking.

"But you don't hate me," Draco said smugly. "Not anymore."

She looked up into his eyes.

"I'm trying to read," she said, she made the sudden mistake of looking at his lips.

"No, you aren't."

His head dipped down.

"It would leave Tom in my debt if he was to return. I helped his child; in turn he would be forced to pay a debt to me. But we aren't fighting Lord Voldemort anymore. There is a new order taking over. Lucius Malfoy is leading the Death Eaters now."

"You're kidding?" Lupin asked suddenly.

"I'm not. He was going to sacrifice both Tom and Draco in hopes for more power. And when Tom's daughter was revealed to the Death Eaters tonight, he'd planned to kill her also."

"You seem to be skipping some crucial information, Dumbledore." Sirius looked up at the old man.

"What's that?" Dumbledore pressed his fingers to his mouth, pretending to think.

"Who's the kid?"

Hermione remembered the feel of his lips against hers at the ball.

"You can't blame this one on the music, the masks, or the lights."

"Then I can blame it on you."

Hermione closed her eyes and waited for the kiss, but it never came. She opened her eyes to find herself alone on the balcony, with Draco already back inside. It had started to rain.

"Oh, Malfoy, you big pansy," she smiled at her pun. "It's just a little water."

She threw her book under the awning and climbed up on the stone ledge. She held her arms out and let the rain drench her.

Malfoy watched her from the doors. She walked back and forth on the railing taunting him.

"Is 'ittle Draco 'fraid of the bad water?"

"Shut up, I don't like to get my hair wet."

"You know, I think that much gel could be toxic."

"I don't use gel! It dries like this!"

"Well, comeplay in the rain and get wet. Then when it dries you can prove that to me."

"I'm not playing in the rain. And you shouldn't either!" He shouted. "You're practically royalty, you shouldn't be dancing in the rain."

She approached him but stayed fully in the rain, just out of his reach.

"I'm not royalty," she said. He thought he saw tears in her brown eyes. "I'm sixteen."

"You could catch a cold or something."

"Or you could," she replied smiling.

"I'm not coming out in the rain."

He began raising off the ground and moving slowly towards the doors.

"You say that like you have a choice."

"That's going to be the hard part. She isn't a traitor. She is the same girl you all know and love, understood? Her heritage changes nothing about the person she is right now. I need you all to swear, just because you find out that she is Lord Voldemort's daughter, you will not treat her with hate or disrespect."

They all waited, expecting the answer to be some outside member of the Order.

"Hermione Granger," Dumbledore said. After feeling he'd sufficiently built the suspense.

"No, she's Muggle-born." Tonks said immediately.

"A good cover, I think."

"She's a good person." Lupin added.

"None better," Dumbledore turned to him.

Sirius had said nothing but sat back down in his chair. Both Dumbledore and Voldemort turned to him, expecting and explosion.

"Well, I knew all along," he said, not looking at the others.

After Draco was successfully soaked, Hermione dropped him to the ground. He looked up at her, his silver hair plastered to his head and dripping into his eyes, which were glaring at her.

"Wandless magic is not fair," he smiled.

"You're just jealous."

"Jealous?" he pulled back his leg and aimed. Water splashed all over Hermione, she stared at him, unbelieving that he'd pull such a stunt.

Instead of being childish and kicking water back at him, she full body tackled the boy. They fell to the ground in a great splash of water, after flailing for a few moments, Draco ended up on top. He gave her a little smile and bent his head down again.

"I swear, if you don't kiss me this time, I'll have your head."

"I believe you," he whispered as his lips met hers. It was slow and sweet, but that didn't last long. Draco couldn't remember the last time he'd kissed Pansy with this much vigor. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this complete. He could barely remember his own name.

"So tomorrow Miss Granger will return to Hogwarts. Harry and the Weasley's will be notified of the situation, Mr. Malfoy already knows."

"Draco Malfoy?" Sirius asked, concerned for Hermione. "You left Hermione with Lucius Malfoy's son?"

"I assure you Draco can be trusted completely."

"You also said that about Snivellus," Sirius said.

"Professor Snape, Sirius."

"Professor," Sirius whispered to Lupin after Dumbledore was safely out the door. "My right foot."

Dumbledore and Voldemort walked back towards Hermione's room to alert the kids of the following day's plans. Voldemort reached for the door handle but Dumbledore stalled him.

"Perhaps it's best to knock first," he said.

"That'll warn them!"

Dumbledore knocked on the door, no one answered.

"Miss Granger?" he called.

Still no reply. Finally he gave in and let Voldemort throw open the door.

"Hermione," Voldemort called.

There was movement from the balcony door as Hermione jumped up. She was completely soaked but had a huge smile on her face. Dumbledore gave her a twinkly smile, but her father looked around suspiciously.

"Where's Draco?" he asked.

"Outside."

"What were you doing?"

"Watching the rain."

"You couldn't watch it from inside…at a distance…with the lights on?"

"You don't really get the same effect."

Draco appeared to her left, the same smile across his swollen lips.

"What's on your neck?" Voldemort asked him.

Draco slapped his throat immediately.

"Just a leaf," replied Hermione, pretending to pick one out of his hair. "Malfoy slipped outside. He's quite clumsy."

"We just wanted to let you know you'll be returning to Hogwarts in the morning. Try to get a good nights rest." Dumbledore tried to usher Voldemort out of the room. Voldemort turned to look at Draco. He pointed at Hermione, then at Draco, and then dragged his finger across his throat. Draco gulped audibly.

"It's not a bloody leaf!" he shouted after they'd left.

"You kissed me!" Hermione shouted back.

Draco moved to examine his throat in the mirror. "I didn't know I was snogging Vampira!"