HUNTED
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Chapter 10: Almost
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A cat's meow brought Draco screaming back to reality and he tore his hand away from Hermione's cheek like he'd been stung. He felt, more than saw, her snatch her face away from him, and he did the same. Hermione had pulled away so fast that she stumbled backwards and slammed her back into the coffee table, hissing through her teeth when a shuddering pain shot up her spine.
Draco righted himself and evaluated the situation with a quick reminder to hex himself later for being such an idiot. He watched Hermione as she reached around to nurse her aching back and he considered offering her a hand but decided that the distance was safer. Yes, distance was good.
She looked at him then, and he saw the embarrassment in her eyes. He realised he was staring at her, waiting for her to say something but he didn't care because she was doing the same. If ever he had thought there had been awkward silences between them before, this moment could have eaten them whole and had room to spare.
"I'm sorry," Hermione muttered quickly, her breathing a little erratic. "I'm just so tired-
"You've had a rough day," Draco told her sharply, frowning when she flinched at his voice.
"Yes," the witch nodded absently, rising from her seat on the floor.
He rose from her sofa, deciding he didn't like her standing over him. She wrapped her arms around herself and he noticed that her cheeks were still shiny with fresh tears after the day's events. She really had had an awful day. What the hell was his excuse?
"Do we need to talk about this?" Hermione asked suddenly, absently stroking her arm.
He tried not to cringe at the thought of discussing what they had almost done. He knew that he was the direct type. He liked things to be out in the open and he wanted things to be confronted, but with this, he wasn't so keen. He had no idea how he would even begin to discus it! What the hell could he say? What would she want him to say?
"No," he said simply, realising his tone sounded cruel.
"Alright," Hermione offered a distracted nod. "I just thought-
"We're both exhausted, Granger," Draco stopped her, moving past her to stand by her fireplace. "Don't analyse this."
"Okay," the witch agreed with a concerned expression. "But don't you think-
"No," he said with a scowl. Wouldn't she just shut up? "Leave it be, Granger. I'll see you Monday-
"Sunday," Hermione corrected him. "We agreed that we'd work on the case this weekend. We should meet Sunday. I'll owl you."
"Fine," Draco muttered, grabbing some Floo powder.
And then he was gone.
Hermione stared at the fireplace for a few moments after he had disappeared and then moaned to herself. She felt inquisitive eyes staring her and she turned to shoot Crookshanks a heated glare. Her pet didn't even have the decency to look at fault.
"I love you," Hermione told her half-kneazle cat with a disapproving tone. "But you can be a pain in the arse sometimes."
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When Draco was back in his home, he released a heavy huff of air. He was so angry that he actually considered slapping himself across the face. He'd done it once before when he had failed to kill Dumbledore in sixth year, and even though it hadn't changed anything, he'd felt better for doing it. But no, it wouldn't help this time. What he needed was an Obliviator.
"Stupid git," he scolded himself.
He ran his hands over his handsome face like he could rub away the memory, and then snapped his arms stubbornly at his sides. Just what the hell was he so agitated about? Their lips had barely grazed and he was stressing like some hormonal virgin. He thought back to that to that time in his house when she'd leaned into him before Penny had interrupted them. He had decided that the little incident had been nothing, but what had she made of it? Had she been leaning in for a reason? And why was it such a big deal anyway?
And then, of course, he had tossed off to her. And not just the once either. She had managed to bury her way into his head a few times since then, always unwelcome, but there nonetheless. It was like she was haunting his orgasms.
He considered giving his dick a quick tug to ease the tension that had settled in his shoulders, but decided against it. He realised then that he needed to admit something to himself.
He was attracted to Hermione Granger. Constant Library-Dweller and Gryffindor Golden Girl. How disconcerting.
Perhaps he was overreacting. She was an attractive woman. She had always been rather plain at Hogwarts, excluding perhaps the final years, but he'd been too busy to notice. He could notice it now though. She wasn't spectacular looking but there was certainly something about her. Something...was enticing the right word? Maybe.
It was only normal to look at her. He spent five days of the week with her. Except it wasn't normal.
This was Hermione Granger, the girl he had bullied relentlessly since first year. The girl he had once wished dead. The girl who had beaten him in every single exam and essay and had caused his father to frown with disappointment. The girl who had hushed all the theories that muggle-borns were inferior by scoring higher grades than any pureblood. Perhaps even the girl who had made him question that purebloods were superior. He was getting ahead of himself.
He was doing exactly what he had told her not to do. He was over-analysing it.
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"You look shattered," Narcissa informed her son with a worried look.
"You read what happened," Draco answered, nodding at The Prophet his mother was reading. "It was a tiring day."
"That poor girl," the witch sighed, taking a sip of her tea. "She must be devastated."
"What are you talking about?" Draco didn't have the patience for his mother's whimsical mood today.
"Hermione," Narcissa confirmed, and Draco felt his lip twitch. "It must have been awful for her, having to see the body."
"She recovered quite well," the blond wizard informed his mother, thinking back to how quick she had reacted. "Does it mention that she was the one who took charge?"
"Yes," the witch nodded. "I can't imagine how she held it together after seeing her boyfriend like that-
"Boyfriend?" Draco's stormy-grey eyes shot up to his mother with a scowl. "They weren't a couple."
"That's what it says here," Narcissa explained. "It says they'd been dating for-
"Let me see that." Malfoy snapped, snatching the newspaper from her hands.
His eyes automatically went to the two pictures on the page and he arched an eyebrow. The first one showed Finch-Fletchley and Granger at a restaurant together, laughing at something he doubted could be that funny. The second pictured them hugging, showing mostly Hermione's smiling face. His eyes lingered for an unnecessary moment on Justin's hands, settled on the bottom of Granger's back.
Merlin's ghost, he was suspicious of a dead man.
Then his eyes wandered down to the author of the article, and his frown hardened when he realised it was Skeeter. That woman could bullshit that fire was water.
"They were just friends," Draco tossed the paper back to his mother. "You should know better than to believe everything your bloody friend writes."
"Are you sure?" Narcissa looked uncertain as she observed the photographs again and it annoyed him.
"Certain," her son finalised. "They were just friends."
"Even if that's the case," the witch continued. "It must have been awful for her. Was she okay?"
"She was fine," Draco told her, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. "She was completely professional."
"She didn't seem upset at all?"
"She didn't really have time to be upset," he admitted with a dull voice. "She had to deal with everything quickly, but it looked like she'd been crying when she came came back to her house."
He instantly realised his mistake and grimaced.
"You were at her house afterwards?" Narcissa's attention went straight to her son. "What were you-
"We needed to discus the case," Draco stopped her before she could finish. It was a lie but he'd be damned if he tell his mother that he'd been there to feed her cat.
"I see," his mother remarked, and he didn't like the look she was giving him. "And what did you decide?"
I discovered that I find her attractive and that she haunts my orgasms.
"That we need to spend more time on it," Draco said instead. "The fact that he broke into the Ministry changes everything. This guy's good. We're meeting tomorrow-
"Tomorrow?" Narcissa frowned. "I was hoping you would come here tomorrow."
"You need more help with your birthday?" Draco asked her, taking a sip of his firewhiskey.
"Not really," the witch admitted. "Rita can't make it to visit me tomorrow and this Ministry breach has me a little-
"You're worried," Malfoy confirmed, giving his mother a concerned look. She nodded and he instantly felt guilty. "I'll cancel my meeting with Granger."
"You don't have to do that-
"Yes, I do."
"I was going to suggest you invite her here to work on the case," Narcissa offered with an elegant shrug that only a Malfoy could manage.
"Here?" Draco repeated in an unsure tone. "Why don't you just come to my house?"
"I may as well do some preparation for the ball while you're working," his mother explained.
"Why don't you just live with me for a while?" Draco wasn't sure why but he wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of Hermione meeting his mother. "Or I could move back-
"Because we'd drive each other insane," the witch replied. "And I see my friends everyday and you hate them, and if I ever bumped into one of those girls you take home I think I would have a nosebleed."
"Touché," her son relented with a roll of his stony eyes. "Are you sure you want Granger coming here?"
"Absolutely," Narcissa smiled. "It would be nice to meet her before the ball, and what's safer than having an Auror in your house?"
"Fine," Draco sighed, deciding he still wasn't comfortable with the idea. "I'll owl her later. And don't tell Blaise I went to Granger's house last night. You know he'll make a snarky comment about it."
"Well I-
Whatever the Malfoy widow was going to say was cut short when Blaise stepped out the fireplace. He grinned at the two relatives and poured himself a firewhiskey before he took a seat.
"What did I miss?" Blaise asked, reclining comfortably in the couch.
"We were just discussing my birthday," Narcissa lied, and Draco shot his mother a grateful look.
"Cool," the dark wizard grinned. "You need some help with the plans?"
"That would be lovely," the witch smiled.
Draco paid little attention as Blaise and his mother started discussing her birthday. His friend had a bit of a knack for arranging celebrations and he really didn't care to think about potential themes and colour-codes for the Manor. Instead he thought about what he would write in his letter to Granger.
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Hermione nursed a cold mug of tea at twelve Grimmauld Place. Ginny had moved in with Harry shortly after he had proposed and she had done wonders with the place. Gone were the dreary drapes and furnishings that had always somewhat irked Hermione and now the house was homely and verging on cheerful, like the Burrow.
It reminded Hermione of when Draco had told her Narcissa was redecorating Malfoy Manor. Everyone was slowly erasing the bleak memory of the War and it was strangely comforting.
"You're so tense today," the pretty redhead told Hermione with a little apprehension. "Do you want something a little stronger to drink?"
"It's fine, Ginny," the witch assured her friend. "I'm just a bit tired-
"No, you're not," the young Weasley argued. "You're upset about Justin. What happened, 'Mione?"
"He was just dead," Hermione's face contorted as she tried to block out the image of her fallen friend. "There was nothing I could do-
"You did everything," Ginny told her friend, placing a comforting hand on her friend's. "Harry said you were brilliant, said that you did everything he would have done and more."
"I froze when I saw him," the Auror admitted, rubbing her eyes to smother the stubborn tears. "I just couldn't move."
"Well you must have recovered very quickly," Ginny offered her friend a comforting smile. "You just had a moment of shock before you-
"No," Hermione shook her head furiously. "I panicked and I had no idea what to do. If it wasn't for Malfoy I would-
"Malfoy?" Ginny repeated, casting her friend an unconvinced look. "He was there when you found Justin?"
"Yes," the witch confirmed, ignoring the Weasley's sceptical face. "He helped me get my bearings and then he helped round up everyone and test them."
"Interesting," Ginny replied with a thoughtful glimpse at the brunette. "So he's actually doing some good on your case?"
"Immensely," Hermione said honestly. "He's been working really hard on this with me-
"Hermione," the redhead started slowly. "I know you keep saying Malfoy has changed and everything but I think you should be careful. Harry still isn't completely convinced about you two working together and I agree with him-
"I've been working with him for a month, Ginny," the witch reminded her friend. "And not once has he given me a reason to question him-
"Not once?" Ginny looked shocked. "Not even a little thing?"
"No," Hermione shook her head. "We've argued a few times, but no more than I would with Ron. He's been completely professional and we've had no problems."
Except for last night. And possibly that night I went to his house. I doubt they would be considered professional.
"Well that's good," the Weasley sister nodded, seemingly satisfied with the Auror's explanation. "But if you need any help you know where I am."
"Of course," Hermione grinned.
"And don't be such a stranger," Ginny said with a forced frown. "I know you're busy as hell but Luna and I miss you. With Harry off doing Auror stuff I get quite bored."
"Sorry," the witch sighed, knowing her workload was only going to increase. "I'll try and show my face a bit more."
She knew Ginny didn't believe her but there was nothing she could do about it. She was going to be working her arse off for...well, Merlin knew how long. Until they found something. Someone. Although, she realised with severe disappointment at herself, that she had agreed to go to a social gathering with the Malfoys. She hated lying to her friends but there was no way she was telling them about Narcissa's birthday. Everyone had enough issues without her revealing that bizarre detail.
Still, she couldn't help but feel awful. She could squeeze in some party time with some Slytherins but not for the friends she had known for years? Well, she had already she'd go, and a small silver of her was a little excited about it.
She returned home to two owls tapping furiously on her window. She recognised Draco's Eagle Owl but her eyes went to the Tawny Owl, clutching an envelope with the Ministry emblem, and she decided Malfoy's letter could wait.
Hermione,
Thank you again for all your efforts after the events on Friday.
In light of this, I have asked the Aurors to meet me on
Monday at ten o'clock in my office to discus security measures.
Thanks again for your bravery, Hermione.
Until Monday.
Kingsley.
Hermione allowed a shadow of a smile to grace her features. Even the man's writing, whilst always to the point, was warm and reassuring. She had expected Shacklebolt to organise a meeting to discus the possibilities and she was pleased because she had a few suggestions of her own. She looked then at Draco's note and nervously opened the envelope.
Granger,
We are working at the Manor instead.
Come around one o'clock.
Malfoy.
His letters were like him. Blunt and precise.
And beautiful.
It was true, his handwriting was wonderful and elegant, and actually quite similar to hers. Perhaps it was just a Hogwarts thing. She couldn't quite decide if working at the Manor would be a good or bad thing. She assumed that they would be working there because his mother was concerned about the Ministry break-in, which meant she would be there.
Perhaps with his mother around, there would be no possibility of another almost kiss. Not that she assumed he intended to pick up where they left off, but the man was unpredictable at the best of times. If there was someone else around then she was guaranteed not to have any problems. She hadn't quite decided what to make of last night so she'd rather not be alone with him until she had established what had happened and why.
.
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Hermione had thought about the almost kiss all Sunday morning and had decided that she really was just over-thinking it, just as he'd said she would. They had both had the most stressful day at the Ministry and she had been shaken by Justin's murder. It was only normal that their brains would be a little muddled, and she had an awful habit of getting touchy-feely when she was upset.
So that was that. Nothing to worry about.
She dressed herself into some comfortable jeans and a white jumper, finishing off with black scarf to fight the Autumn chill, and her bag full of notes. She accepted that she was a bit nervous but it was only natural seeing as they hadn't left on good terms. She was also a little anxious about meeting his mother, considering the last time she'd seen her was not under the best circumstances.
Malfoy Manor had hardly been a pleasant place for her, but she knew that the Malfoys weren't the muggle-hating morons they had once been. She actually quite wanted Narcissa to like her. She told herself that was why she graced her face with some light make-up and checked her reflection before leaving.
She wasn't sure what she had been expecting to see when she walked through a beautiful fireplace into a large lounge, but it certainly wasn't a cheerful room with pastel walls. She remembered the Manor having dark and cold rooms, not the charming décor she was observing now.
She was about to wander further into the room but she stiffened when she heard expensive heels drumming against the wooden floor in the corridor. The door was open, and Hermione forced a soft smile when the Malfoy matriarch appeared in the room. The woman had barely changed, still powerfully beautiful with an aura of elegance that demanded respect. Save a few extra wrinkles and the welcoming smile, she was the same Narcissa Malfoy she remembered, complete with expensive robes that made Hermione regret her choice of clothes.
"Hermione," the older witch greeted, walking up to Hermione. "You're a little earlier than I thought."
"Sorry about that," Hermione muttered quickly. "I'm not very good at keeping a check on the time."
"It's no bother," Narcissa dismissed quickly, taking a seat on one plush couch. "Take a seat."
"Sure," the Auror nodded, relaxing on the ridiculously comfortable sofa. "Miss Malfoy-
"Please," the woman grinned again, and Hermione couldn't help but smile back. "Call me Narcissa."
"Narcissa," the witch repeated, and Hermione found herself nearly staring at the mother. It was strange how a smile could change a person's face so dramatically.
"Is everything okay?" Narcissa asked her companion with a raised brow that instantly reminded her of Draco.
"Yes, sorry, it's just," Hermione paused and tried to think what she was trying to say. "You haven't changed much. In appearance, I mean."
"I suppose I haven't," the older witch agreed, allowing her eyes to dance over the girl she hadn't seen in four years. "You, on the other hand, have changed a lot."
"I have?"
"Certainly," Narcissa nodded, flicking her wand to conjure some tea. "You've grown into a very attractive woman, if you don't mind me saying so. And it's nice to know you've got a good head on your shoulders too."
"Thank you," Hermione's smile widened. What woman didn't love hearing she was attractive?
"Draco failed to mention how pretty you've gotten," the mother continued. "But then he's not that good with words."
"Where is Draco?" Hermione asked, realising she couldn't exactly call him Malfoy to his mother.
"He's around," the witch sighed. "He'll be here shortly. How are you finding working with my son?"
"It's been interesting," the Auror said honestly. "I didn't think it would work but he's impressed me. I can see he's really changed."
"Children grow up," Narcissa offered a shrug. "But I'm glad you're finding it okay. I know my son can be a bit temperamental."
"It's nothing I can't handle," Hermione grinned, and Narcissa's lips morphed into a Malfoy smirk.
"I can't begin to thank you for removing my Trace, Hermione" the witch said suddenly.
"You're welcome," Hermione said, and she realised she already liked the woman. "It was no worry."
"Well you truly made my year," the woman confessed. "I've already planned some shopping trips to Paris."
"Oh, I love Paris," Hermione exclaimed. "I got to spend a few weeks there when I was staying in Europe and it was beautiful."
"I've missed it," Narcissa sighed, but there was no sadness to her breath. "So thank you for making it possible for me to go back."
"Thank you for inviting me to your birthday," the Auror replied.
"It will be a pleasure," the mother said softly. "I understand that you might have been a little anxious about it but I can assure you that none of my guests will give you any trouble."
"I'm looking forward to it," Hermione said, realising it was the truth. "I suppose I could do with a bit of relaxation. These past few weeks have been rather stressful."
"I can imagine," Narcissa sympathised. "Well hopefully you will enjoy yourself on Saturday, and I think you will. I may not be good at many things, but I know how to organise a party."
"I'm sure it will be lovely-
"It better be," a new voice invaded the room. "It's costing a bloody fortune."
Hermione's eyes shot over to Draco, who was leaning casually against the door-frame with an amused expression carved into his handsome face. She eyed his relaxed clothing, which consisted of black trousers and a loose green jumper. Her mind inevitably lead her back to their incident on Friday night and she tried to ignore how good he looked right now.
"It will be worth every galleon," Narcissa gave her son a proud look. "You know I never disappoint, Draco."
"We'll see," the blond smiled at his mother, before offering Hermione a secretive glance. "Are you done with your little reunion, ladies?"
"We were just having a chat," Narcissa stole a knowing glimpse at Hermione. "You're just nervous because we were talking about you."
"Of course you were," Draco rolled his eyes before settling his silver eyes on his colleague. "We should get started-
"You're not going to join us for some tea?" Narcissa asked her son with a frown that only slightly dulled her beautiful face.
"No, mother," the wizard eyed her with impatience. "Lives to save, psychopaths to catch and all that."
"Okay," the older witch sighed in defeat. "It was nice speaking you, Hermione."
"You too," the brunette beamed at the woman as she left the couch, lingering a little to offer her an appreciative look. "Thanks again."
"Come on, Granger," Draco breathed harshly.
She left Narcissa's warm presence to follow Draco to a study down the corridor and she noticed that the rest of the Manor was decorated in fresh and relaxing styles. She found it hard to remember that this was the place Bellatrix had so callously tortured her as the calming colours washed over her, chasing away her memories of her last visit here. It was a completely different house.
The study was a little darker in appearance but still a far cry from the dreary décor she had expected. Draco settled himself in one of the chairs around the large oak desk and Hermione decided on the seat opposite his, removing her scarf. She quickly started organising her parchments on the table before them, doing everything she could to avoid his stare.
She could feel his eyes on her, like that tingling sensation you feel before you realise something is burning. She could feel it on her exposed neck and she shuddered, a little too violently for her liking. Warily, she met his gaze and instantly regretted it. The man looked good enough to swallow whole.
"About the wards," Hermione started, hating the nervous hitch in her voice. "Goyle's were very advanced but there's an issue. We couldn't decipher them enough to figure out who they would let through-
"So we're back to square one?" Draco's agitated tone silenced her.
"No really," the witch argued. "Goyle would have known whoever killed him. And I think Justin knew the killer too."
"Why would you say that?"
"Justin didn't use his wand," Hermione explained. "It was on his desk when we found him. Clearly he didn't feel threatened enough to use it. And I'm willing to bet that Nott wasn't attacked from behind. I think he knew the killer too."
"So you're basically saying it's someone from Hogwarts," Draco realised with a scowl.
"That's certainly the most likely possibility," the brunette nodded. "And it was someone who knew the Ministry quite well. He managed to get in and out rather quick."
"Not bad, Granger," Malfoy graced her with a smirk. "So what do you propose we do?"
"I think we should section off anyone on the Trace list who would have known the victims well enough to be allowed into their homes," Hermione offered, her eyes once again looking away from his handsome face. "After we've done that we can take a closer look at their lives."
"That sounds fine." Draco rested chin against his knuckles and watched her closely.
They started working through the list of ex-Death Eaters, selecting around thirty people who they suspected had known the victims on something close to a personal level. Hermione would forward these names on to Harry, and a couple of other Aurors, who would then watch them for a week or so and provide Hermione with any interesting information.
"The Aurors have a meeting with Kingsley tomorrow," the witch revealed after three hours of compiling their list. "We're going to discus some possible security measures and I have some suggestions."
"Such as?" Draco eyed her with something close intrigue.
"I think the targets who are at high risk should be listed," Hermione explained quickly, and Draco recognised that intuitive gleam flickering in her eyes. "I think I could create a method whereby the targets have very advanced wards and if they are breached, an Auror is alerted."
"Elaborate," the blond wizard requested, sensing she was having one of her moments of genius. "It sounds interesting so far."
"Well maybe the targets could be divided equally between the Aurors," the witch continued. "And then the Aurors could have a charmed object that could alert them if the wards are breached."
Draco's smirk widened when he realised her idea was actually quite brilliant. But then what did he expect? She hadn't been called 'the smartest witch of our time' for nothing.
"Very clever, Granger," Draco admitted, grinning when she seemed to brighten at his compliment.
"Thank you," Hermione said, having calmed in his presence over the hours, although thoughts about the almost kiss were still plaguing her mind.
"So what were you and my mother talking about?" Draco asked her, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Just her birthday really," the witch shrugged, finding the sudden change in conversation rather uncomfortable. "And she asked me how I found working with you."
"What did you tell her?"
"The truth," Hermione shrugged, looking away from him again. "That it wasn't easy to begin with but we've worked things out."
Draco nodded absently, regarding her with shielded eyes. He wasn't entirely sure why but he was pleased Granger and his mother had managed a decent conversation between them. He supposed it was because Narcissa's birthday would possibly be a little less uncomfortable for his colleague. He was also impressed that Granger had managed to regain a level of composure considering what had happened on Friday night. He had half expected her to be a fidgety mess with too many questions, but she had only looked nervous a couple of times since they had been alone.
"Nice to see you took my advice, Granger," Draco remarked as she jotted down some more notes.
"About what?"
He contemplated reminding her that it was him who had suggested that the people on the Trace list receive some sort of protection but realised that wasn't what he had wanted to broach. No, he wanted to test how she felt about Friday. He wanted a reaction.
"About not over-analysing things," he drawled, knowing too late that he probably shouldn't have said it.
Her confused and almost panicky gaze landed quickly on his face, examining his guarded features. A delicate but delicious blush waltzed on her cheeks and her lip twitched in barely-concealed irritation. She started gathering her things, erratically shoving them into her bag.
"I should go home," Hermione mumbled, rising a little too quickly from her chair. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Granger," the pale wizard muttered as she scrambled for the door.
"Goodnight, Malfoy."
The door slammed behind her and Draco exhaled an agitated sigh. It was barely five in the afternoon. Why the hell had he said goodnight? She would have probably been fine in work but now he'd gone and made it all awkward again.
On the bright side, she had looked bloody inviting when she had gotten all flushed. He had a feeling that little image would pop into his skull the next time he relieved some sexual frustration.
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A/n: thanks again for your delightful reviews. Though I would get this up quick as I have exams this week so hope it's okay. Next chapter will be the ball. Let me know if you have any suggestions! Thanks for reading and please Review!
Bex-chan