Had a bit of a mental block trying to write this chapter, so sorry for the slight delay. Thank again for all the reviews, they honestly do mean a lot, especially when I can hear how much you're enjoying this. :-)

Ten

There were no other people or buildings around. Just that one enormous…cottage. There wasn't anything else I could call it, with the thatched roof and gable windows it almost looked welcoming. Almost being the operative word when I remembered what lay within.

I absently played with a thread on my sleeve as the residual fear and adrenalin from a nearly two hour climb ebbed away. Malfoy had sat himself next to me, but we didn't talk. I think he was just allowing me time to regain my composure. I re-strapped my ankle instead; it no longer hurt so it was more for something to do with my hands than actual necessity.

After ten minutes or so I stood up, brushing dirt from my school robes and held out a hand to my blond companion. "I think I'm ready to go now." He stared up at my hand for a moment before taking it with a cheeky grin on his face. As he righted himself, he gripped my hand harder and tugged on it, pulling me against his solid chest and holding me tight.

My nerves were still a little frayed from before and I wanted space, this was not helping me in the slightest. "I always knew you couldn't resist me Granger." He whispered in my ear, his hot breath sending a shiver down my spine. I got stuck for a moment, mesmerised by his mercurial eyes, but eventually I managed to push on his chest, forcing him to finally release me.

"You wish Malfoy." I huffed. He laughed happily, relishing in my irked attitude. I stumbled away from him; his close proximity was doing funny things to my head. "Please shut up." I practically shouted.

His smile fell. "What's wrong; I was only joking?"

I shook my head sadly. "No you weren't, not really." He raised an eyebrow but remained silent as he looked at me with an unreadable expression. "You can't suddenly like me…this way," I gestured between the two of us "I'm probably just some sort of distraction because there isn't anyone else here." He still didn't say anything, which proved my point. He wasn't even going to deny it.

I know that we had shared some wonderful kisses and all, but were we really anything more than friends; if that even? I had to tell myself to nip any feelings in the bud, now before they got out of hand and I was inevitably rejected. That was easier said than done as he continued to observe me carefully. He was just so ridiculously attractive.

Eventually I managed to drop my gaze, regaining some of my senses. With a defeated sigh, I stepped forward onto the dusty path. "Are you coming Malfoy?" He was still standing in the same spot, brows and nose crinkled in confusion. I almost laughed. Somehow, I Hermione Granger had managed to make the illustrious Draco Malfoy speechless.

His eyes finally flickered back in my direction and a slow smirk spread across his face. "After you then Granger." His mood had shifted from confused back to normal so fast that I found myself watching him carefully; he hadn't said anything about my little outburst. Looking at me, he simply shrugged his shoulders and followed me onto the path.

The silence was stifling as we walked; simply pushing him away had once more made the atmosphere tense and awkward. With slumped shoulders I continued to trudge forward. The proportions of the cottage became clearer with each step. By the time we had made it to the white picket fence, the scale of it all was unbelievable; even Hagrid would have seemed small in comparison. The daisies were as big as my hand.

"It's definitely a giant that lives here then." He said, sounding surprised.

"Did you not believe me when I told you that it was?"

"What's got your knickers in a twist today? Anyway, why should I believe anything you say," he paused, "or do?"

"What do you mean?"

He folded his arms across his chest, looking at me again as his eyes slid ever so slightly towards my mouth and back again. "Nothing, don't worry your frizzy little head about it." So we were back to petty insults again and I had no real idea as to why.

Casually, he strolled past me, continuing up the short stone walkway to the door. I was in awe as I craned my neck to look up at it. It was solid wood and had to be at least thirty feet high.

Malfoy was searching around the bottom of the door when I looked back down. "Uhm, what are you doing?"

"Finding us as way in, as you appear to be doing nothing." He turned slowly to show me a gap in the wood with a triumphant smirk. "Are you scared Granger?" He was still smirking at me.

I huffed indignantly, not even bothering to answer his question as I pushed past him and contorted myself through the narrow gap. It was a tight squeeze and Malfoy stumbled a little when he emerged after me.

"Wow, I'm amazed that you managed to get through with all of that hair of yours."

"I'm more surprised that your inflated head allowed you to fit through to be honest."

"Childish much?" He stated, rolling his eyes.

"If I remember correctly Malfoy, it was you who started it." I really was being childish wasn't I?

He shook his head and turned away from me. "Wow."

Wow indeed; the room we were currently in was colossal. It was richly furnished and had an undeniable air of splendour. The most outstanding feature however was the gold. Everything was gold, from the walls to the furniture; pure gold which gleamed lazily in the dancing candlelight.

The furniture itself was bigger than anything I'd seen before, towering a good fifteen to twenty feet from the floor and was covered in rich velvet cushions and throws. "Now this is my kind of place." Malfoy said, also looking a little awestruck.

"Of course it is; filled with all the pomp and circumstance a Malfoy could ever require." I mumbled bitterly.

He whirled around to face me, anger plain across his face. "Shut up Granger; just because I was brought up with expensive tastes doesn't mean I can't also enjoy things of a more…simple nature." He was looking pointedly at me as he finished his tirade with a somewhat hurt expression that I'd never seen before.

"What are you talking about?" I whispered. Could he really be saying that I was something of a simple nature that he could enjoy? If it hadn't sounded sweet as he said it, I would have almost been insulted at the thought of being 'simple'.

He looked at me for a moment before rubbing his eyes tiredly with the heel of his hands. "It doesn't matter Granger; just leave it alone and help me find…whatever it is we're supposed to be doing here."

We split up, each taking half of the room; there wasn't anything useful here, so if and when a giant decided to make an appearance, then I wasn't sure what we would do.

"Granger?"

I looked around, trying to locate him. "Where are you?"

"Look up more, I'm on the table." So he was; standing atop a solid gold table which had to be at least fifteen feet tall. "How tall do you suppose this giant is?"

"Well in our world, they're generally anywhere from twenty to twenty five feet. Don't you remember them from the battle at Hogwarts?" He nodded. "Judging from the furniture, this one is probably about the same height." He bobbed his head thoughtfully as I wondered how exactly we were meant to escape something that big. "Why did you call me?"

"Oh, I've found some food up here if you're interested."

"Are you actually going to share it willingly with me this time?"

He scowled down at me. "For that, you have to come up and get it yourself."

"I can't climb up there. Don't you think that the beanstalk was enough torture for one day?" I asked, trying to convince myself that something much worse wasn't going to happen all too soon.

"Your loss Granger." How could one person be so annoying? I glared up at the git, hands on hips. He only shrugged and walked out of sight. "Hey, there's something else up here as well, it looks like a goose."

"That'll be the goose that lays the golden eggs."

"I thought you said it was a chicken?"

"Well…it's still a bloody bird isn't it?"

"Merlin, little-miss-know-it-all got something wrong. I never thought I'd see the day." He chuckled.

"Yes, well there's no need to go on about it is there."

"You're always telling me that I'm wrong, just thought I'd return the favour."

"That's because you generally are wrong Malfoy." I was getting annoyed again. Why did he feel the need to start fights with me, it was always a case of one-upmanship with him.

"No I'm not; you just can't admit that like every other person you're sometimes wrong. You don't always have to be right Granger." He sounded frustrated.

"When else have I been wrong?" I asked.

"Apart from the wolf in the last place not being dangerous? You're forgetting how much of an open book you are." His voice was getting louder with each sentence as he got more and more angry. "You can spout off about me using you as a 'distraction' all you want, but I see the way your pupils dilate and how you become nervous around me, I can see what you're feeling, and yet you manage to completely miss the same reactions within me. Think what you will about me Granger, but just know that you're definitely wrong."

Why did he have to change the subject? "Wh…what are you going on about Malfoy?" I couldn't bear to look up at him this time.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Hermione…" I involuntarily stiffened at the use of my first name. "So don't even try to deny it."

He was still glaring down at me, breathing heavily when we heard the first footsteps. They were incredibly loud as they thundered through the house. I looked up at him panic; we had to get out of here.

"Granger, go and find somewhere to hide; now."

"But…"

He talked over me. "Go, I'll find somewhere up here, don't worry."

I ran across the room towards the nearest wall. Looking around wildly I realised there were very few places to go. Nothing I could hide in, or gaps I could sneak through. Eventually I spotted a sideboard. It wasn't flush to the wall, and there was a narrow gap, it was tight, but I managed to wriggle my way in.

Malfoy was right, I had been wrong to try and deny what I was feeling; what we were both feeling apparently, and as much as he had annoyed the hell out of me today, I really hoped he would find a hiding place in time. These thoughts however didn't distract me from the fact that it was probably his shouting that had alerted the bloody giant to our presence in the first place.

"Fee, fi, fo, fum; I smell the blood of an Englishman, be he live or be him dead; I'll grind his bones to make my bread."

The voice was loud, reverberating painfully in my chest as the door swung open to reveal the giant.

Lemme know what you all thought.

Gemsibob