A/N: Really sorry about the lengthy update, I've been so crazy busy. I fully intend to complete this fic however, so just try and bear with me please! Thank you everyone who has read and reviewed/added to favorites. You are all very much appreciated!

Chapter 10

Comfort Companion

July 19th

Dear Hermione,

I cannot describe how excited I feel at your promise to attend my birthday at the burrow. Your presence alone will make that day so much more special. I miss you terribly and long to hear your voice and embrace you warmly.

I will admit to my sadness at hearing of your distress. I told you before that you are free to stay behind. This is my responsibility, I know, and if anything were to happen to you I would never be able to forgive myself. If you would rather stay and protect your family, then I wholly understand. You have a good heart, Hermione.

I don't know if I can completely empathize with you on your newfound appreciation of the Muggle World, fascinating as it is. I do, however, envy your outlook. You see, for me, that place was filled with nothing but the sensation of loss and desperation. The discovery of the Wizarding World was a sort of miracle or "awakening." I would love to hear your elaboration. It is something foreign to me. You described it as "beautiful" and rich with history. I do fondly wish that my experience there had not been tainted with lies.

This news of the Malfoy's presence is somewhat alarming. It raises suspicions I've had concerning Voldemort's interest in your world. Be careful around them, Hermione. Please. They were never the sort that could be trusted. I know that Dumbledore's death was not by Draco's hand nor by his will, I saw him waver. However, his father is someone who is all comprising of every malicious intent. They have dangerous connections and I would hate for you to somehow get caught in whatever scheme may be lurking behind this. If there are any new developments concerning them, please let me know immediately. Even if they are" innocently" banished there, if what they told you is what they actually think to be true, Voldemort may still have an ulterior motive up his sleeve. Never overlook that, Hermione.

I am currently at the burrow and every day it becomes harder to look upon Ginny and not pull her into my arms. I love her, Hermione. It breaks my heart to be apart from her because I know she loves me too. I want to keep her safe though and being with her would only endanger her further. My deepest hope is that, someday, I will return and we will be together again because, once that day comes, I will never again let her go.

Other than that, I have nothing further to share. No new developments concerning the Horcruxes. Ronald is the same as always, though he is constantly telling me how greatly he misses you, almost to the point of annoyance. I understand where he's coming from though. We all long to see you here at the burrow! I told them you would be coming for my birthday and they were overcome with excitement, especially Ron, who has been talking about it every day since I revealed it to him. Silly Ron. Maybe I should have made it a surprise ;).

Take care and Be careful, dearest Hermione.

You friend for always,

Harry

P.S. If you are going to miss Crookshanks so much, maybe you could bring him along. Although I doubt he'll enjoy himself much looking for Horcruxes. Who knows though, maybe he'll prove useful! :)

Hermione laughed as she set Harry's letter down. She admitted that she hoped it would be a note from Ron, however, she berated herself as she knew full well that Ron was not one for writing letters. Harry's letter had cheered her up considerably, however, and, as she pushed herself up from her desk, she decided she was going to go out and enjoy the day before writing a reply.

Donning a light jacket with a faded pair of jeans, Hermione walked out into the beautiful day and inhaled the many scents wafting about in the air. She tied her hair up as she walked, smiling as the weight was lifted off her neck; her hair had always been incredibly thick.

She almost skipped down the sidewalk as she hummed one of her favorite tunes. Harry's letter had brightened her mood considerably. She always loved hearing from her beloved friend. A slight ache shot through her as she began to realize how much she was actually missing both he and Ron.

She bit her lip and continued walking, not entirely sure where her feet were taking her. After only a few moments though, she caught sight of the park. It was still a few blocks away but, after a moment's pause, Hermione decided to head there. If her suspicions proved correct then she would find the silly Malfoy boy there.

As she neared, she shook her head with a grin. Sure enough, upon the swing, was a familiar blonde haired Slytherin.

As her feet began to walk upon the sand, Draco turned.

"I thought I might find you here," Hermione mused, coming to a stop in front of him.

Draco smirked and looked up at her, "looking for me, eh?"

Hermione shrugged and sat on the swing beside him. "No, not particularly. I was going for a morning stroll and made an impulsive decision to see if you were here."

Draco shook his head, "whatever, Granger."

They rocked in silence, each staring at the expanse of grass upon the hill in front of them.

Draco suddenly grinned, "Would you like to race me to that tree over there?" He pointed to the top of a small slope.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly, "You want me to race you?"

"Sure," Draco replied and, upon seeing the look on her face, smiled, "What's wrong, you scared?"

Hermione gave him an incredulous look, "No. I'm a Gryffindor remember? Why should I be scared of anything?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "so do you want to or not, Granger?"

Hermione bit her lip and pondered for a moment. She really didn't enjoy overexerting herself in such foolish activities as racing.

Draco raised a brow, and continued to stare at her through a set of expectant eyes.

Sighing, Hermione rolled her eyes before finally nodding, "Alright fine."

What could it hurt? Racing was something that just wasn't offered everyday and, perhaps it would be the last chance she got to experience the activity that so many others seemed to enjoy.

Draco held back his grin as he jumped up from the swing. He looked down at Hermione and tilted his head, "are you ready then?"

Hermione stood, significantly slower than he had, and just simply nodded. "Sure, I guess."

Draco stretched and made sure his shoes were tightly laced. Hermione looked to her own in dismay as she realized they were sandals. Oh well, she didn't care if he won. It was just a silly race after all.

Looking to her he smirked, "on three."

"Don't you dare cheat," Hermione ordered with a glare.

With a scoff, Draco ignored her command. "One."

Hermione turned her attention to the finish line, and decided to slip her shoes off after all.

"Two."

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Hermione braced herself.

After sending a very brief glance in the girl's direction, Draco announced, "three," and took off immediately.

Hermione sped off just a fraction of a second later, her mind reeling with a sudden excitement. Her competitive nature suddenly kicked in and she pushed herself further. She looked to the boy who was a mere two steps ahead and bit her lip. He was pretty fast, she'd give him that much.

Draco looked back at Hermione and laughed, seeing her intense struggle to win. He returned his attention to their destination as it neared. It unnerved him that she was so close behind but, he could see her exhaustion beginning to form. He was used to running laps during Quidditch Practice, while Hermione had no routine exercise to speak of, as far as he knew.

Hermione began to feel a cramp building in her side and her breathing was becoming more difficult. 'Damn,' she thought as Draco gained ground.

As the tree approached, Draco grinned widely at the prospect of victory. Hermione glared as she foresaw her own inevitable loss.

In one last attempt to obtain the win, Hermione reached a hand out and grabbed his shirt. Draco looked back in surprise but quickly spun himself out of her grasp and reached the tree a second later.

Hermione stopped beside him, face flushed and breathing rapidly.

Draco shook his head at her, "and you told me not to cheat."

Hermione shrugged and replied breathlessly, "I was upset."

"Whatever, Granger," Draco replied, though a small smile formed. "That was your inner Slytherin ambition shining through."

Hermione rolled her eyes but grinned all the same. She then brought a hand to her chest in attempt to somehow slow her heart, which was still pounding wildly.

As his own body recovered, Draco looked to the afternoon sun, shrouded by grey clouds. "I think it's going to rain today."

Hermione looked to the sky and nodded, "yeah, it looks that way."

He sat upon the swaying grass as the wind picked up slightly. Looking up at Hermione, he patted the spot beside him.

Hermione bit her lip as she decided whether to obey the prompt. With a shrug, however, she plopped down beside him.

Running her bare feet through the cool grass, Hermione smiled before looking to Draco and seeing a confused expression on his face. "What?"

"Your toes are pink."

Hermione raised a brow before looking down and seeing her painted nails. She returned her gaze to his and nodded. "Yes, I painted them for the first time in years this morning."

Draco shook his head, "I've never seen anything like that before."

Hermione gave him an amused look, "what? Girls in your circle don't paint their nails?"

Draco shook his head again, "no, they don't."

"Huh," Hermione replied, "that's interesting."

Silence fell between the two as they simply reveled in the summer afternoon. Draco picked up a blade of grass and idly turned it about in his fingers, while Hermione contented herself with cloud gazing.

Time, she thought, was a strange concept. Life itself was also. Through the passage of years, Hermione had arrived at her current situation. A situation where she found herself sitting beside someone she had never gotten along with in a world he had always despised. Very bizarre indeed.

"What are you thinking about?" Draco suddenly broke the silence.

Hermione turned to him and shrugged, "just a random assortment of thoughts. Time, in particular."

"Time?"

"Yes," she replied, "time."

"Huh," was his response.

Another period of silence ensued, which went minutes undisturbed before a sudden beep sent Hermione reaching for her phone.

Draco again watched her use the strange device in slight fascination.

The text was from Sara and it was inviting her to attend a party the next evening. Hermione bit her lip as her fingers lingered over the keys. A party. She had never really been to one and, the idea was somewhat unsettling. She knew she'd enjoy herself but, she also felt as if she hadn't quite gotten to know Sara and her friends well enough to feel entirely comfortable.

"You look worried," Draco surmised, taking in her features, "something wrong?"

Hermione shook her head, "not at all. I just received a text from a friend is all."

"Text?" Draco asked, confused.

Hermione observed him for a moment before suddenly chuckling, "oh, right. You have no idea what that is."

Draco rolled his eyes, "thank you for putting it so delicately."

"You're welcome," Hermione replied before turning to her phone once more.

Sighing, Draco moved closer and peered over her shoulder, eager to see what this 'text' thing looked like. He read the words and looked to her, "you were invited to a party?"

Hermione spun around and pushed him back, "rule number one about texts. Don't read them unless invited to."

"Why?"

"Because it's rude," Hermione replied, shaking her head.

Draco waved her off and resumed his former position, "whatever you say, Granger."

Hermione sighed and put her phone away, opting to think on attending and make up her mind before responding.

Draco, upon seeing her put away the device, stood and stretched. "Well, I'm really thirsty now, you wanna go get something?"

Pondering briefly, Hermione decided that she was thirsty as well. "Sure, that sounds nice."

"Let's go then," Draco replied, turning to the street and motioning for her to stand.

"Wait a sec," Hermione responded, "I have to go get my shoes."

Draco sighed but nodded as Hermione took off towards the swings at a jogging pace. She cleaned the sand out of her sandals before slipping them on her feet and returning to her spot by the tree.

"Okay," she smiled.

Draco nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets as he began to walk. Hermione slung her bag over her shoulder and followed, looking about as they stepped onto the pavement. "Where do you want to go?"

Shrugging, Draco looked to her, "no idea. Know of anywhere good?"

Biting her lip, she pondered a moment, "uhm, There's an old fashioned soda shop not too far from here."

Nodding, Draco indicated for her to take the lead and Hermione willingly obliged.

They stopped at a crosswalk and awaited their signal as several vehicles passed.

"Granger," Draco stated as he pointed to a passing Mitsubishi, "if I was to ever buy a car here, that is what I would get. Looks so sleek."

Hermione chuckled, "so get one."

Shaking his head, Draco lowered his hand. "I wouldn't know how to drive it."

They were finally indicated to cross, and they quickened their pace as they walked over the street.

Reaching the other side, Hermione smiled encouragingly, "It's really easy. Maybe I can show you sometime."

Draco sighed, "perhaps."

They passed several interesting looking places, one of them being a cellular phone store, which Draco paused to observe. Hermione shook her head and continued, Draco begrudgingly following.

They arrived at the small little shop Hermione had mentioned and she grinned as she opened the door.

"It's been ages," she mused aloud, looking in excitement around her. "Dad and I used to make a point of coming here every Saturday. I looked forward to it every week."

Draco said nothing, simply walked about the antique-looking store in intense interest.

The floor and walls were solid wood, as well as the displays of century old candies and sweets.

Towards the front was a small soda bar, with a side room containing several round tables and chairs.

Hermione motioned to the counter, and Draco nodded as he followed her.

"Hello, how may I help you today?" The clerk asked, his eyes kind. He took in the pair before recognition registered in his gaze. "Little, Mione right?"

Hermione laughed, "oh you remember me?" She observed the man before shaking her head, "Sorry, but I think I may have been too young to recall your name."

"It's George Benson," he replied offering a hand.

Hermione shook it, grinning widely. "Right, it does sound vaguely familiar."

"My goodness you've grown so much," He continued, shaking his head, "you've become a very lovely young lady indeed."

Hermione blushed slightly, "thank you, sir."

The man nodded before looking to Draco, who had simply been observing the exchange with amusement.

"Who's this with you then?"

Hermione's mouth parted slightly, "oh, sorry, how rude of me. This is Draco, an acquaintance from school."

"Pleasure to meet you," George said to Draco, offering a hand to him as well.

Draco took it with severely less enthusiasm than Hermione had.

"Right well, what would you two like?"

Hermione bit her lip as her eyes scanned the beverage list above. "I think I'll have the raspberry mocha cola."

"Ah, an all time favorite," George replied before looking to Draco, "and for you sir?"

Draco's brows furrowed as he read the menu, having no idea what any of it was. Hermione noticed his dilemma and smiled, "the spiced crème soda is terrific. You like spiced things, correct?"

Draco nodded, though he was somewhat confused as to why she knew that about him. He looked to the clerk and nodded, "I'll go ahead and try that."

George grinned and then halted Hermione as she began to take some money out, "no, miss, these'll be on the house today."

Hermione shook her at him but smiled all the same, "alright then, thank you, Mr. Benson."

"It's my pleasure," he replied turning to prepare the drinks, "just say hello to that father of yours in exchange, okay?"

Hermione nodded, "will do."

They watched as George mixed their beverages, expertly measuring out the desired ingredients. It took him all of five minutes, with the finishing touch being a bit of ice in each. He handed them their glasses and then motioned to the room behind him, "enjoy. Good to see you again, Mione."

Hermione smiled, "you too, and thanks again."

He simply nodded and then she and Draco entered the sitting room, choosing a table near the window.

Taking a long, slow sip, Hermione closed her eyes, "delicious, don't know why I don't come here more often."

Draco looked to his own drink and took a sip, before his eyes widened very slightly, prompting him to take another.

"Good?"

He nodded, "it's great." Setting it aside, however, he crossed his arms on the table and looked to her, "how did you know I like spiced stuff?"

Hermione shrugged, "I'm a very observant person. I notice small, seemingly meaningless details."

"Huh," Draco responded, "that's interesting."

Hermione nodded and then looked out the window as she sipped at her drink. The cars passed in a steady hum as thin crowds of people crossed over at several minute intervals. The traffic lights steadily shifted and the constant motion of pausing then proceeding followed. She marveled at it all. The scene was almost like music. Silent, but enthralling all the same.

"So…are you gonna go?"

Hermione turned to Draco and tilted her head, "huh? Go where?"

He was dabbing his straw in his glass as he looked up at her, "to that party."

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, taking another sip.

His gaze turned somewhat curious, "why is that?"

Setting her beverage down Hermione traced her finger along the patterns of the table, "I just don't know if I'll have a good time or not."

Draco felt faintly exasperated as she continued to only offer vague responses. He motioned his hand for her to continue, "…and, how come?"

Hermione observed him with an appraising gaze, wondering if she should really confide in him. It wasn't any of his business and yet, what would it hurt? It wasn't a huge deal, she supposed.

"Well, uhm, there are probably going to be a lot of people there and, though that doesn't generally bother me, I still would feel more comfortable if there were at least one or two people I actually felt reasonably familiar with."

"Ah," Draco replied, "and were you not invited by someone you're familiar with?"

"Not reasonably. Not yet," Hermione replied, "I'm still getting to know them, which is easier in a smaller setting."

"Hmm," Draco stated, sipping at his drink, "well, I still think you should go. These types of things have a way of surprising one."

"Maybe…" Hermione replied, considering. She looked up as Draco set his drink down and looked about the room at all the memorabilia and artwork.

An idea began to formulate within her mind, though it was entirely crazy and unprecedented. She really wanted to go, simply because it was yet another thing she wanted to experience. However, she couldn't get past the feeling of hesitation that sprang from the thought of going alone and facing a room full of individuals she hardly knew. The thing that primarily tended to happen, with the exception of a few rare cases, was that even if the person inviting you was someone who knew you, they would most likely simply say hello, invite you in, maybe introduce you to a few people, and then wander off and leave you to socialize with people they were far closer too.

Hermione shuddered at this scenario. She bit her lip then and mulled over her new plan. Though, it was strange and so very ridiculous. She shied away from it, yet at the same time welcomed it as the only available option.

"Say, uhm, Draco?" She couldn't believe what she was about to ask. Time again, she speculated, was a very funny thing.

"Huh?"

Hermione sighed, "feel free to say no, there isn't any pressure, but, I was wondering if perhaps you would like to accompany me to this party."

Surprise registered on his face before he replaced it with speculation, "Well, I can honestly say I didn't see this coming. Am I correct in interpreting your question as being a request for use of a comfort companion?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "no, it's not that at all. I think I would like you to come with me."

"Not just for your own personal support?"

"No. yeah, well, partly, but mostly because I think I'd enjoy it if you came."

Draco chuckled, "don't mince words with me, Granger. You want me to come along so that you don't feel so awkward."

"Fine, yes! Will you?"

Draco considered a moment before nodding, "sure, but you owe me one."

"Whatever," Hermione replied, "you seem like you'd enjoy yourself."

Draco shrugged, "that's irrelevant, I'm still doing you a favor."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione nodded, "alright, sure. I'll owe you one but, it has to be equivalent to the one I am asking of you."

"Agreed," Draco replied, taking a sip of his soda.

A pause ensued before Draco simply smiled, "and by the way, I'm touched that you consider me to be a person you feel 'reasonably familiar' with."

"Whatever, Draco," Hermione replied, "just don't make me regret this."

"Oh, don't worry," he responded with a smirk, "I wouldn't dream of it."

The clouds then released their promised rain, and Draco and Hermione spent a large portion of the afternoon simply watching the storm and drinking their beverages, both feeling entirely content.