A/n: Thanks to my beta Hunter's Heir!

Wake me up, wake me up inside.

~Taken from Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life"

Dumbledore, as I predicted, wasn't as offset by the information we presented to him. He actually seemed quite well read on the topic of Siren's and already knew the things that we explained to him. Out of everything I reported to him in a mad rush, he seemed the most surprised that Malfoy and I were actually getting along.

But Theo was a different matter entirely. He immediately advised us to watch our backs, claiming that Nott would be watched closely by the faculty. He then assured me that he wouldn't reveal what I was to any one of them.

"You're biggest concern with him," Dumbledore had said, "Might be whether or not he will keep this to himself. If he has a grudge against either of you, what better way to ruin your lives than to reveal this whole situation to all of Hogwarts- even Britain."

That's the part of the conversation that lingered with me the most once we left his office. If Theo meant to reveal what I was, then that would explain his nonchalant attitude towards revealing his find.

Of course, Dumbledore also stressed the need for us to tell others. With Theo possibly revealing things, secrecy was no longer an option. Although Nott would be having a conversation with Dumbledore privately later up in his office, it didn't comfort me. The Headmaster can only do so much. If Nott absolutely means to do harm in this situation, I'm sure he will find a way.

I know that's what's mostly on Draco's mind. We're back in his dorm now, having abandoned the thought of going to mine since it's still early and the library is probably busy. Oh the woes of having a dorm located in your favorite place.

Still though, sitting on Malfoy's couch isn't doing us a lot of good. We're silent really, staring at opposite walls.

At length he breaks the silence, after almost a half hour of silence. We've been excused from our classes for the remainder of the day, which will definitely help. But I'm sure it will also draw attention. What we need is a concrete plan.

"Who do we tell first? Your companions or mine?"

I shrug. "Either set of friends won't be immediately accepting, I'm sure. But I think we should tell mine first, since this is my problem."

"And then mine."

"Yes, I suppose."

He adjusted on the couch, looking uncomfortable now. "And then… your parents."

"Yes, this weekend." I look his way. "I can't even imagine telling yours."

"We might actually have to fear for our lives on that one."

"Yes. I'm sure Lucius will be overjoyed to hear that I'm going to be his daughter in law."

Malfoy cringes, and I glance his way. "I'm not entirely sure you should even be around when I bring that up."

"Why? Afraid of how angry he'll be when he realizes his pure line is coming to an end."

"Well, that… and just the fact of who you are. He hates Potter more than I do, and the fact that you're his friend isn't going to make this any easier. I'm sure he'll try some creative ways to get rid of you."

"How charming," I say, sinking further into the couch. "At least all my father will try to do is shoot you."

"What?"

I smile, having overlooked the fact that he had no idea what that meant. "Oh, you'll see."

"I don't like that answer Granger."

"I know," I say, rubbing my hands together. My mind was still on Theo, what he might do now that he knew. Would he broadcast it or leave us to think about what he would do? I was concerned, worried about what we would have to do in order to really figure out his motive. But something in the back of my mind disturbed me; something we discussed in the corridor last night.

"Do you remember what I said last night?" I say at length, and he glances my way, scrunching up his nose.

"You said a lot last night."

Rolling my eyes, I dare to scoot closer. "I mentioned that bit about Siren's being killed to remove dark magic from a person. You don't think…"

His eyes widened a fraction. "Look, Granger, I know this is all a little overwhelming right now, but I don't think that's what he's after. Nott was a coward in war and never actually stood up for himself. He wasn't very involved, he didn't play a big part, and he definitely did not take part enough in the war to be poisoned by darkness. From what you said, someone being manifested by the dark side would go through such measures to rid themselves of their troubles, and no one else. Nott just isn't bad enough to do that. I think it would be a waste of time for him."

I worry my lip, my biggest concern now pushed away. I can't help tucking what Draco said into the back of my mind though, in case I need to look it up later. "If you say so."

"I know so. If things ever got that far, I don't think Nott would be your attacker."

"Okay," I reply, not completely convinced. I shift on his sofa, letting the top of my shirt shift to reveal my skin underneath. After we were excused from our remaining classes for the day, I went back to my dorm and changed into some of my own clothes. Now I'm realizing that I should've grabbed something with a higher neckline, as Malfoy's eyes immediately move to the newly revealed skin. My cheeks color at the same time that heat starts rushing to other parts of me. I can't be getting all hot and bothered by one innocent look!

Can I?

The intensity in his eyes is different now than it was just a moment ago. There's a heat now in his look that seems to engulf me, drawing me into him against my better judgment. I really shouldn't be leaning in so close to his lips…

We're kissing before I can help it. This time they aren't heated kisses of passion, but something much softer, much more intimate. That doesn't mean that the horniness is lessoning of course. I can still feel other parts of my anatomy waking up at his touch. He's pulling me on his lap side-saddle a moment later, intensifying everything about our kiss.

It's surprising how natural this all feels, like we've done this together a million times.

Well… I suppose we've kissed about that much.

I don't push him away as we continue on. I can't seem to. It's not as though I'm not absolutely terrified that it's so comfortable to kiss Malfoy like this, but I don't want to. My curiosity, as well as my bloody hormones, are interested to see what happens, and how far exactly we trust each other.

Then again, I'm not sure how much I really do trust Malfoy. Kissing is one thing, but touching is another. There's no way I can let him get that far yet, no matter how our bodies protest. It's not the time. We do have a year to bond after all…

When his hands start roaming I pull back, resting my forehead against his own as we catch our breath. I won't look at his eyes; it's too intimate. After a few moments he gently pulls me off and puts me back on the couch.

Now things feel really awkward. Sexual tension is one thing, but intimacy is another. That follows the same line compassion does, and we certainly don't have compassion for each other yet. We barely know what we have.

Neither of us really knows what to say now. Talking seems obsolete, and I'm hoping that my body will cool down soon. The heat between my legs needs to go away, and if my nipples weren't straining against the fabric of my bra and shirt life might be a bit more comfortable. I don't dare check his lap. I might actually die of embarrassment if he caught me.

Not that he's trying to avoid gawking at me. He's openly studying my body, and I inwardly want to smack him. It's really not helping the situation. Standing, I clear my throat and pull at my shirt, making sure its covering every part of my breasts.

"I should be going," I say awkwardly, the tension between my thighs never lessening. I might need to repeat the events from a few weeks ago, finding my own pleasure. My cheeks turn red in embarrassment at the thought, but he doesn't even notice. He's doing his absolute best to avoid looking at me now.

"Yes, right."

I hurry to the door, pausing there as I consider something. "I'm… I'm going to tell my friends tonight."

"Mhmm."

Biting my lip I press my thighs together, a whirlwind of things happening inside my head at once. "I would like it if you were there… it might make things seem more believable."

There's a pause, and I know he's thinking again about our conversation in the corridor yesterday. "What time?"

"Probably around… um, eight? I'll owl you when I'm sure."

"Fine. I'll be there."

I smile softly at his reluctance. "Thank you." And then I'm out the door, practically running back to my room. These crazy hormones might just be the death of me after all.

Collecting Harry and Ron is easy enough. Their girlfriends aren't nearly as excited to come, and Lavender outright ignores my request to see them all in my room later. That's perfectly fine with me, seeing as I don't even really like Lavender. It'll be one less response I have to handle.

I really caught their attention when I told them that I would explain why I'd been missing some of my classes lately. I know Harry and Ron especially have been wondering about me. They don't think I've quite been myself this year.

They have no fucking idea.

Malfoy was supposed to arrive before Harry, Ginny and Ron did. Instead, he's about twenty minutes late. I'm going to kill that boy.

Currently my friends are staring at me, wondering just what's going on. I'm now wondering about my own ability to explain this to them, when it's almost certain that they're going to say I'm batty. Short of making Ron and Harry pounce on me with my real voice I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do this, or if Malfoy will be any help at all. Maybe I just wanted someone around who would be on my side more than anything.

"So what's going on Hermione?" Harry asked after several minutes of silence. "What's been going on with you?"

I take a breath. "It's not exactly easy to explain."

"I'm guessing that's why you called us up here then," Ginny huffed, obviously the unhappiest person here. She holds a grudge like none other.

Ron lightly elbows his sister. "Give her a chance to talk Gin."

I give Ron a small smile of thanks, but his words do nothing for my nerves. "As you guys know I've been acting kind of… strange these last few days."

"We already covered that," Ginny huffs, crossing her arms. "Get on with it."

I shoot her a glare. "You don't have to stay you know," I reply, glancing at my nails, "I can just keep Harry and Ron and they can explain it to you later."

That shuts her up. After the odd occurrences between me and my two best friends Ginny won't leave us alone in a room for a moment. It's ridiculous really. I've been friends with them longer than she's attended Hogwarts!

"As I was saying-"

For the second time I'm cut off, this time by Malfoy throwing my door open. I left it unlatched for him, figuring he was capable of coming in on his own when he arrived. Maybe that wasn't the best idea. He has this bothersome habit of pushing the door open with far too much force, causing it to bang into the wall. There will be a dreadful dent in the wall left behind from his force, I'm sure.

Besides that, the three people sitting on my sofa aren't elated to see him. Ron jumps out of his seat, pulling out his wand before I'm able to stop him.

"Get out of here Malfoy!"

The blond merely raises an eyebrow, shooting Ron an amused look. "Put that down Weasley; I was invited."

"The fuck you were!"

"Ron!" I use a quick spell to pull his wand from his grasp and into my hand, watching his ginger eyebrows rise up as he turns. "Calm down, please. Malfoy's right; he was invited here."

My friends freeze, staring at me with startled, slightly horrified expressions. But I can't even focus on them. I'm too busy glaring daggers at Malfoy, who is annoyingly calm as he stands behind the three, marveling at their silence.

"It's truly a marvelous thing when all of you are quiet at once," he continues when no one speaks. Ron and Harry spin around and start shouting at him, but Ginny remains facing me, eyes glaring into my own. It's like she's looking into my soul, questioning everything in this room.

Ginny's been on the edge since Harry and Ron were wooed by me. Of course this has her standing on her toes. Malfoy arriving in my dorm room invited is actually a big deal. And she's eager to see what I have to say.

Averting my eyes, I ignore the woman as my eyes lock with Malfoy's. I only hold his gaze for a second, knowing the consequences of such actions. Beckoning him over with my hand, he finally detaches himself from the colorful conversation long enough to make his way to my side, hands shoved deep inside his pockets.

Harry and Ron are still arguing with him, but their conversation dies on their lips as they note how close we're standing. I shuffle my feet, conscious of their intense gazes. Well, at least Malfoy's the one they're going to try to kill first. Then they'll come after me.

"So… um," I say, looking at my friends. "Recently I came into some traits I wasn't aware of before." I have their full attention, and even Malfoy is watching me a bit closer. "I, um, the reason why everything is so weird-"

"Granger, they're going to glare holes through me before you get to the point," he says rashly, looking at me. There goes my mate, the charming fellow that he is, trying to rush things. And from the smell lingering on his breath I can tell that he's been drinking a bit. Oh, lucky me. "We're mates."

He couldn't be any more stupid.

"I think they took it rather well," he said later, icing the side of his head. I shook my own, removing the remains of a picture that once hung on my wall. I still can't believe the idiocy of some people.

First and foremost, if Malfoy just kept his big mouth shut I would've been the one to reveal things to my friends and this wouldn't have happened! First they laughed, but when Malfoy and I failed to join in things cooled down quickly.

Then Ron tried to kill Malfoy. Granted, it was slightly amusing, but it escalated quickly. Somehow things went from banter and pathetic threats to dangerous fire spells and fist fights. Harry attempted to speak to me when Ron and Malfoy went at it, but our conversation was halted on two accounts; Ginny called me a liar and tried to pull Harry away, and then Malfoy and Ron started fighting.

I have to say though that I'm glad at least one of my friends was defensive. Ron is like a brother to me after all. Although I would really like my mate to stay in one piece, it's always nice to know when people have your back, and Ron certainly has mine.

Maybe a little too much.

I tried explaining what I could to Harry over Ron's screams, while trying to mend a cut in Malfoy's forehead. How he got that, I'm still trying to figure out. I didn't see everything in detail, but healing it was easy enough and I won't bother going down to the hospital wing with him over something meager like this. After all, he's not showing any signs of having a concussion.

All in all, having Malfoy along would've been so much better if he knew when to bloody shut up. Now I'll have this mess to fix with my friends in the morning, and this is only the beginning of the explanations.

I wouldn't mind waiting a few days before trying to explain things to anyone else. It's a bit of a hard concept to wrap your head around, especially when the only proof that any of this is true happens to be very uncomfortable to share with others.

But those are problems for tomorrow. Right now I need to deal with the problem at hand; Malfoy. He's currently groaning on my couch.

"Do you plan to leave soon?" I ask, glancing his way as I head towards my bed. All I want to do is crawl under the covers and sleep, but with him so nearby I don't really like the idea.

"Eh," he replied, pressing the ice closer to his head. "I'd rather get rid of my migraine first."

I smirk. "Ron got you good."

"He did perfectly well for an amateur," the blond replied, glancing over the couch at me. "I got him pretty well myself."

"Malfoy, I believe you've been drinking a bit. Your moves weren't the sharpest."

"Blame it on the alcohol."

Rolling my eyes, I sit on the mattress. Of course he won't admit that Ron's hits were a bit more focused. I can't help but wonder who he was drinking with.

"So when are you leaving?"

"Did you mean now?"

"Yes now! I want to go to sleep!"

"It's not that late Granger," he replies, looking at the clock. "We wouldn't even be on patrols yet."

"Well, it's been a stressful night thanks to you, and I'd really rather retire to my pillows for the night. So if you don't mind…"

"I'm comfortable here," he argues, disappearing behind the back of the couch again as he lies down. "Can't I just leave when I'm ready?"

"I think not."

"But what about my head?"

"I think your head will be fine- sore, but fine. I even healed the cut for you."

"How kind of you."

"I thought so. Now Malfoy, I think you're capable of getting back to your room," I continue, standing when I don't hear him moving, "So please, go?" I come around to the other side of the couch to find him sprawled out across it, ice resting against his head.

"Granger, as your mate I would be obliged to take care of you if you were hurt like this, and then probably kill whoever did it. All I want is to rest here a bit longer until my headache goes away. Is that really too much to ask?"

I place a hand on my hip, shaking my head. So, he's going down that road, hmm? "As long as you don't try to come to bed with me."

"Wouldn't dream of it Granger. I have no sexual thoughts of you right now."

This is such a weird conversation. "Oh, good." I flick my wrist and a blanket at the foot of my bed flies over and lands in my arms. I proceed to drop it, still folded, onto Malfoy. "Here, in case you get cold."

"How thoughtful Granger."

"Yeah, well, don't get too comfortable. You're not sleeping here."

"How right you are. I wouldn't stay on this dreary couch when I have my bed back in my own dorm. I'll just be a few more minutes."

"Sure you will," I reply, turning away again. I slip into my bathroom and throw on some pajamas, making sure I'm quite covered, before returning to the room. He's still sitting on my couch, but at least his eyes are open. I sigh, deciding he might stay a while. And I'm too exhausted from today to start another argument.

Sliding beneath my covers, I grab the book I've been reading. I'll just spend my time reading for pleasure until he leaves. Then I can get the sleep I so desire.

He doesn't move for quite some time. The warmth of the covers is getting to me, and he started the fire with his wand right after I started reading, declaring that it was cold. The room is terribly cozy, and I keep sliding further and further under the covers.

Soon my head drops to the side, eyes sliding shut. The book tumbles out of my hands and hits the floor with a thud, and the last thing I see before falling asleep is Malfoy turning at the sound of the fallen book, eyes looking straight at me.

A/n: I wrote this after a party last night. Go me? So my heads not on quite as straight as it normally would be. That's why there were no responses to reviews this time around. Sorry guys! My weekends are crazy for the next few weeks so it might be hard to get updates up and respond to reviews. But I'll try you guys! Keep the feedback coming! It's so helpful and I love it :)