It was late evening now and Hermione and Draco were both stretched out on the floor of the lounge, surrounded by piles of Ministry paperwork. Draco had authorized one of his staff to apparate over here with boxes of it and they had been examining it ever since. At first Hermione had found it fascinating, reading about official Ministry operations and investigations that she knew she should never have been allowed to see. Some of this was confidential and Hermione had to wonder at Draco's influence that he had been allowed to take this documentation out of the office. Someone at the Ministry would no doubt have a heart attack should they know that she was reading all this!

Anyway, the novelty had now worn off and Hermione knew she needed a break soon because she was losing concentration. It was painstaking work because they were looking for something but they didn't know what. Draco must have been feeling the same because at that moment he threw a file down and rolled over onto his back with a groan.

"Merlin! This is boring!" he said. "What a bloody stupid idea this was."

"You won't say that if we find something," Hermione pointed out but she put her paperwork down as well. "Shall we have a glass of wine?"

"Yes! A large one!"

Hermione fetched a bottle and two glasses and poured them a drink. Draco sat up to take the glass off her, took a huge sip and then put it down and lay back down on his back. Hermione sipped her drink, again trying not to stare at him but why did he have to keep lying in this position? He now had one hand under his head, the other resting on his stomach.

"What are you looking at?" Draco asked in his familiar drawl.

"I was just wondering," Hermione answered.

"Wondering what?"

"Why you're being different towards me."

She saw Draco's eyes widen a little before he tried to hide it. "Different how?"

"Friendlier..."

"Is this a complaint?" Draco turned onto his side, one hand supporting his head.

"No. I just wondered why you can suddenly manage to be civil towards me."

"It's a two way street," Draco said, slightly mysteriously and his eyes met hers almost challengingly.

Hermione shook her head. "Why can't you just answer me straightforwardly? Every conversation is like a game of cat and mouse!"

Draco gave her large grin. "Be careful what you wish for, Granger. You might not like it if I'm completely honest with you." He pointed at his head. "This is a scary place, I'm sure you really don't want to know everything that goes on in here."

The next words left Hermione's mouth before she had even formed them in her head. "Do you still hate me then?"

Draco sat up properly, his face frowning. "Hate you? That's a strong word."

"You hated me at school."

"I hated Potter at school," Draco corrected her. "You were just bloody annoying."

"Thanks! I wasn't half as annoying as you were. So, what about now?"

"He's okay, we're never going to be best friends but we can manage to get on well enough to work together now," Draco smiled as he said this, knowing damn well that Hermione hadn't been asking about Harry. She put her head to one side, her expression conveying her feelings.

"You know I didn't mean Harry."

Draco took another sip from his glass and looked at her over the top of it. "Where's this conversation heading? You must know by now that I don't do deep and meaningful discussions."

Hermione sighed. "Okay, forget I asked. Let's get on with some more of these." She picked up a folder and leant over it again. Draco didn't answer but she saw him put his glass down and lower himself back onto the floor to start looking at the documents again. It took Hermione a few minutes to settle back into checking the files because her mind kept running over their conversation. So much for his barriers coming down! It would seem there was still a huge wall between them that he was determined to keep up.

"Hermione, read this," Draco's voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked over at him. He was holding a piece of parchment and he shuffled closer, holding it so they could both see. "I've been checking this whole file of Auror Blakewell's." He pointed to the third paragraph of the sheet which was a report on an arrest.

Peter Miller denied handling the potion and insisted it was a medicinal mixture to aid his skin condition.

Upon examination, it was unclear exactly what the potion would do but its predominant ingredients bore resemblance to a protection potion. Interesting ingredients to consider : Puttyweed was found which is used to protect against curses. Traces of rare Flitterbee wings were also contained. Unproven tests indicate that these may enhance other ingredients properties as well as boosting magical power.

Although previously arrested for various offences, Miller has never shown dark tendencies. Several contacts would suggest he is removed from central circle but has links to it.

When challenged, Miller was jumpy and evasive (report attached).

Non-conclusive criminal activity, suspect released. Further investigation to be carried out.

Auror Blakewell. 12998JHD1

Hermione read the paragraph and then looked at Draco. "It sounds a bit strange but nothing is jumping out at me. They were mixing a dodgy potion but isn't that commonplace?

"Do you have any idea how much Flitterbee wings cost? Hundreds of galleons. They are a stimulant in they can enhance almost anything. What was he trying to mix that would protect against curses and enhance magic?"

"He was obviously expecting to be put in a situation," Hermione suggested.

"What made me pick this out was the fact that Blakewell was murdered about a week after this is dated..." Draco said and Hermione stared at him then read it again.

"He was murdered just after writing this?" she sounded a little surprised. "But then that could be a pure coincidence."

"Yes of course it could but he had been trailing this Miller for weeks and there are page of notes that mention him." Hermione's face was creased with concentration and Draco stared at her. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"The name Miller rings a bell but I can't place it," Hermione explained. "I'm going to go and fetch some of my research notes." She returned five minutes later with a pile of documents.

"Great! Some more bits of paper! Just what we need!" Draco said, sarcastically indicating the parchments that were now strewn across the floor and table.

"Shut up and make a space," Hermione said. Draco scrambled around moving paperwork into neater piles. He was lifting a big, thick blue file to put it on the table when Hermione dropped a few sheets from the top of her pile. As she frantically tried to grab them, the papers tilted dangerously and she took a few large steps forward, trying to correct the unbalance. Unfortunately, her foot hit a small box that contained receipts and her foot went from under her causing her to fall head first towards Draco. The pile of notes she was holding went up in the air for a brief second before they began falling in disarray around her. Several pages that were clipped together fell directly onto Draco's head and he gasped in pain.

Seeing Hermione flying towards him he dropped the file he was holding which spilt across the already covered floor. He grabbed Hermione as she landed, pulling her on top of him and cushioning her fall. She landed quite heavily on him, making them both gasp but Hermione knew if Draco hadn't caught her she would have probably hurt herself because her hands weren't free to break her fall.

"Ooomph!" Draco made a blowing sound.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" Hermione gasped putting her hands either side of him to lift herself off him.

"No, but that big clip did some damage," Draco rubbed his head.

"Sorry!" Hermione pushed on the floor, trying to remove her weight from him but her hands were at the wrong angle and they slipped from under her causing her to fall straight back onto him. "Sorry," she said again and then a fit of giggles hit her as she tried unsuccessfully to lift herself. "This is like some bad Muggle movie," she chuckled. "The leading lady just accidently falls and lands on the leading man who would now flip her over and make love to her on top of all the paperwork."

She suddenly felt Draco's hand on her waist pulling her back down on top of him. Their noses were almost touching and his eyes had darkened. She inhaled deeply, drinking him in before realizing she was doing it and trying to get up again.

"Let me go, I need to get up," she said, surprised to hear herself sounding so low and throaty. She wished her voice sounded normal but the position they were in was having an effect on her. Draco's only answer to this was to slip his other arm around her as well before easily twisting her over, laying her on her back on top of all the papers and with him on top of her. "What are you doing?" Hermione gasped, totally taken by surprise.

"I'm being your leading man," Draco answered, jokingly. "What was it that I do next?"

Hermione rolled her eyes because he knew very well what she had said the leading man did next. "Very funny, now get off me."

Again Draco didn't answer her and he grabbed her hand and pulled it upwards, pushing it flat against his chest. She recognized the position from their one earlier and she felt a warmth spreading from where she touched him to the rest of her body. His other hand was still on her waist, resting there and then she felt him move it, just a few inches lower, hovering just above her hip. She was suddenly acutely aware of every part of him being pressed up against her and she could feel his warmth, his toned muscles moving in his chest and abdomen. She had no idea how he managed to do it to her but somehow he had managed to set her heart racing, her breathing uneven. But then suddenly it was too much. She knew that it would be very easy for them to let this continue along its natural course - they needed to, but it didn't feel right.

Last time it had been clear cut, Draco had seduced her and made it pleasurable but nevertheless it had been obvious to them both that they were having sex for one reason alone and it had nothing to do with an attraction or affection for each other. But now the lines were blurring, Draco was being teasing and flirtatious and she remembered his comment earlier about laughing again if his reward was her kissing him and now he was making all the moves. Yet when she had asked him about their developing friendship he had shut her out completely.

She pushed him off her forcefully. "No, I can't do this."

Draco let her push him off but as they both stood up, standing on all the papers he ran his hands through his hair. "You know I wasn't trying to make you," he said.

"I know, that isn't what I meant," Hermione sighed.

"But Hermione, we can't keep putting it off," Draco pointed out, looking at her from under his fringe.

"I'm not putting it off! But this is different to last time," she gulped, trying to keep calm.

"You think about everything too much, it drives me crazy!" Draco sighed. "We need to have a baby Hermione and that involves us having sex."

"Does it involve you flirting with me as well?" Hermione demanded.

"We've had this conversation before, haven't we?" Draco's voice was firmer now and she knew he was getting annoyed at her. "What exactly do you want? I'm trying to be nice and in case you missed it for the past ten years, I don't usually do nice!"

"That's what I mean! I don't understand you. Are you just trying to be nice to me just to make it easier for me to sleep with you?" Hermione knew she was saying far more than she should and asking questions that Draco didn't have to answer but her mouth was moving, seemingly without her brain engaging first.

"Yes." Draco answered bluntly and without hesitation and Hermione felt a horrible, small, sad feeling. She looked down at the pile of paper under her feet, not caring that they were treading over important ministry documents. Without another word, she turned around and walked off across the room, her heart in her mouth because ridiculously, it hurt her what Draco had admitted. As she walked away, she tried to tell herself that she should be glad that he was being honest with her. And he was right – they did need to try and have a baby and he was trying to make it all easier for her...none of which made her feel any better.

"Hermione," Draco's voice was close and she turned quickly, not realizing he had followed her. His eyes were deep grey and she tried her best not to stare at him. "Don't get mad at me, I told you I'm not good at deep and meaningful conversations..."

Hermione held up her hand. "It's okay! I get it. This is about breaking the spell and it's my fault I'm reading more into it than there is," she said and she didn't like the way her voice sounded so accusing and needy.

"Oh my god! You just won't stop until I say it will you?" Draco threw his words at her and she looked at him startled. "Telling you my very personal secret, trying to show you, making sure you're okay with everything isn't enough?" Draco stretched his neck, rubbing the back of it. "You're actually making me think and act like you! I'm actually trying to persuade you to not storm off!" He leant closer to her. "I'm actually bothered that you're upset! Have you been slipping Gryffindor potion into my drinks or something?" He seemed annoyed at his own attitude which would have amused Hermione had she not been so uptight and confused. He shook his head almost despondently. "I'm not being nice just because we have to have sex..." His voice trailed off and Hermione could tell that talking to her properly like this was totally alien to him. "I'm being nice to you despite myself! I'm being nice because you're nice! I'm being nice because I like you...it's ridiculous and I have no idea why but I really like you..." He pulled a face. "There! I've said it! Now will you stop bloody well asking me?"

Hermione couldn't help but give a little giggle because not only had he just told her what she wanted to hear, the way he had said it was amusing. It was like the confession was being dragged from him and he hated saying it. He was even glaring at her now but she didn't care because now she had heard him say it she realized just how much she had wanted him to.

So, Hermione has finally managed to get him to say something. Review, review, reveiw...x