So sorry it's taken me so long to update, haven't had time with school and constant homework loads. Not actually at home so ahain this is standing in the way of me updating. But here you go...

Happiness was pulsing through Hermione as she entered Draco's flat and called his name. She'd been welcomed back at work with open arms. Ginny had nearly cried when she'd seen her and had told her Harry was doing fine, though she had said something odd about him and Draco and fire whiskey Hermione hadn't quite understood.

"Draco?" She called again, eyebrows furrowing in worry. She hung her cloak up by the door and went through to the kitchen. It was empty, as was the dining room and her own room. She tapped slightly on the door to Draco's room. "Draco?" She pushed the door open without waiting for an invitation.

He was there, lying flat on his back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. His face looked odd, contorted and annoyed. "You could knock before you come into my room. You don't know what I might be doing."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him in confusion but he didn't look at her. "Is this a game or something."

"No, Granger, not a game."

Hermione was stunned. "Since when were we back to "Granger", Draco?"

Draco didn't answer, he just lay there, looking deliberately away from her at the ceiling.

"Answer me. Did I do something wrong." He remained silent. She approached him cautiously, still unsure if he was teasing her. She tried to kiss him but he turned his face, she tried to lie beside him but he pushed her away.

She was furious to find tears welling up in her eyes as she backed away from him, realising he wasn't joking. "This isn't fair." She told him, fighting hard to keep her voice steady. "I've done nothing wrong."

Draco seemed to click back into action and he turned to her, an expression of complete disgust of his beautiful face. "Yes you have." He shouted. "You complicated everything. I didn't want anything to do with this. I didn't want to take sides, I didn't want to care, I certainly didn't want to have to send my own father back to Azkaban, but because of you coming into my life, here I am, trying to do it all."

Hermione felt the a tear fall down her face as Draco's furious eyes looked at her. Grudgingly, she let another fall, her face screwed up, trying not to break down completely. "I thought…" She whispered. "I thought you loved me." She turned to leave.

"Well, I guess I was wrong." As Hermione closed the door behind her, she heard him mutter, "I'd have been better without you."

Hermione rushed across the living room, tears furiously streaming down her face. She reached her room, and slammed the door behind her, and flung herself onto her bed. She tried desperately to wipe away the tears with her sleeve, but it didn't help. She didn't understand. She'd only been gone a couple of hours, and in that time, Draco's love for her seemed to have turned to hate.

She knew it was all too good to be true.

She waved her waved at all her clothes that were piled around the room, sending them flying into her open suitcase. Books and quills and pieces of parchment were collected and thrown in as well.

From the bathroom she collected her toothbrush, her face towel and other bits and took them back to her room where they too were flung on the pile. Finally she retrieved her purple furry bean bag from the living room, and with that under one are, arm and her suitcase in the other, she went back to Draco's room, her face now dry.

"Right." She said, as he looked at her questioningly. "I'm going back to my apartment.

"You can't" Draco rolled back onto his back. "There's some one new living there now, Granger." He told her cooly.

Hermione mouthed at him wordlessly. "Again, not a joke. Eeylop must have seen me and figured he'd never see you again." He smirked. Hermione put down her bags and bean bag and neared his bed.

"But," Hermione said, finding her voice. "My stuff?"

"All here, you really don't own much."

"Why are you being such a git?" She asked, hoping this time to rake an answer.

His eyebrows shot up, but he still wouldn't look at her. "Because I feel like it."

"Right well I'm off then." She picked her bags back up and turned to leave. She guessed she was hoping he'd try to stop her.

"You've nowhere to go." He called after her.

He heard the door slam and knew she was gone.

"She'll be back."

Hermione dropped her stuff in the hallway of Grimmauld Place and looked around her. It was certainly tidier than it had been the last time she'd been here. She shuddered slightly at the memory. It surprised her a little that Harry had continued living here, but then, she guessed, it had been Sirius' home first.

"Harry?" She called out "Ginny." There were footsteps above her, and then on the stairs, and both Harry and Ginny appeared.

They ran hand in hand down the last flight of stairs, making Hermione smile. "Well, look at you two."

Ginny blushed tomato red and Harry shuffled his feet, looking shifty. "So how come you're here?" He pointed to her stuff. "With all that."

A third person appeared at the stair, with Ginny's red hair, filling the stairway. "Oh." Ginny, said, uneasily. "Ron's here."

"I noticed." Hermione waved awkwardly, and Ron returned it.

"It's ok." Ron started down the stairs, dragging his feet, arms hanging loosely at his sides. "I was just going."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Ok, well, I'm sorry about… that, but seriously mate, get over it." Ron nodded and Harry slapped him on the back cheerfully.

"Be seeing you, Gin." He waggled his fingers again at Hermione who tried to smile, and left.

Ginny sighed heavily. "Sorry about that 'Mione." They went through to the kitchen. "Ron's been a bit off about the whole wedding thing recently."

Hermione sat down, accepting a glass of water from Harry. "Oh? How come?"

The pretty red head shrugged. "Mum got over her initial liking of Vicky and has started to see flaws, we all have actually. She's been giving Ron a lot of hassle, saying he shouldn't have ended it with… you, and especially with her etcetera etcetera…" Ginny trailed off.

Hermione sat thoughtfully, here eyebrows furrowed. "Gin, your mum does understand exactly how it ended with me and Ron, doesn't she?"

"No." Harry cut in. "She thinks Ron had just met Vicky and gone all dizzy over her, so left you. She knows nothing of the awkward… position you found them in."

"Oh."

"So anyway." Ginny smiled forcefully. "How come you've got all your stuff? Things not going so well with Malfoy?"

Hermione shrugged, "He's was being a bit of a git, I got angry so I left."

Harry stood up and moved swiftly around the table. "What was he doing? Did he hurt you?" He put a hand on Hermione's shoulder, willing her to confide in him. The serious look in his eye made Hermione giggle.

"Harry, it's nothing. I just think he's just finding a it a bit hard what with his father being sent back to Azkaban and everything."

"Did he say anything to you about it? Anything at all." Harry urged her on.

Hermione shrugged again. " He said that because of me he was having to have a side when he didn't want to be on one. Again because of me he had to care and be a part of this whole battle, and he was having to send his own father back to Azkaban." Harry's eyebrows knitted as he screwed up his face in concentration. "Anything you can hate my supposed boyfriend for in that?"

Harry though hard for a minute before sighing. "No, I suppose not, so long as you believe it was genuine?"

"Yes, I think it was."

So, Hermione started to settle down in Grimmauld Place. She moved her belongings into a spare room, as the house had so many she had quite a selection. She knew she had only left in an attempt of giving Draco something to think about, so didn't really unpack, keeping her things in her case.

The room she occupied was very bleak, with whitewashed walls, and wooden floor. There was a single window looking out onto the muggle street below. She grew to enjoy watching the people pass below her.

Harry and Ginny were worried about Hermione. Ginny too had basically moved into Grimmauld Place, though she shared a room with Harry.

"You know what, I can't do this." Ginny said, sighing, pulling her lips away from Harry's and rolling off of him, putting her bra back on.

"Why now?" Harry sounded hurt.

Ginny looked at him, slipping her shirt over her head. "Because Hermione is just down the corridor, and it's just too… weird."

She threw Harry's boxers at him as he sat up. "Oh come on! She won't care." He pulled them up and climbed off his bed, snaking his arms around Ginny's waist.

"She may not, Harry. But I do, it's too screwed up." Ginny wriggled out of Harry's hold, being sure to kiss him as she left the room calling, "I'm going to make something to eat."

Draco was lying flat on his bed, arms behind his head, exactly as he had been when Hermione had left. In fact he had moved very little since then. "Did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?" He muttered. "Yes, Draco." His conscience replied. "Yes you did, now be a man and get her back."

"But what if I don't want her back?" Draco argued.

"You do."

"Fine." He rolled lazily, not bothering to catch himself before hitting the floor. "Ow." He pulled himself to his feet, and headed towards the bathroom.

Slowly, he undressed and stepped into the shower, turning the water on. He saw Hermione had left behind a bottle of shower gel, which hung from the soap dish in the corner. He squeezed some into his palm and sniffed it. God he missed her.

"What a prick I've been." He sighed, washing himself down with the bubbles created from Hermione's soap.

A little later he stepped out of the stall. "And now I smell like a girl."

Harry ran to the door at the knock and opened it to find Draco Malfoy standing on the doorstep. "Hey." Harry opened the door fully to let Draco pass. "How are you?" They stood facing one another, Harry noticed Draco didn't look so pleased with himself as he always had done. Hermione had been right. He'd definitely changed.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the fire whiskey incident…" Draco trailed off and Harry laughed.

"No problem, best fun I'd had in ages." Draco nodded. "I'm guessing you're not here to see me?"

Draco shrugged. "Depends if this is where Hermione's been hiding out or not."

"It is."

"Then, no, I'm not here to see you." Harry didn't move, he let a patronisingly self satisfied smile play around his lips as he watched Draco grow more agitated. "Ok, Potter." Malfoy finally burst out. "I know I've been a dick to her, I'm sure she told you all I said, but I know I was wrong. Just please, let me talk to her."

Harry stepped up the first few stairs, gesturing for Draco to follow him. "All you had to do was say please."

Before they reached the door to the room Hermione was occupying. Harry stopped and turned to look at Draco. "Listen, don't screw this up, ok? I need her to go back with you." His face was deadly serious, and Draco felt the corners of his mouth twitch.

"How come, Potter? Not so friendly anymore."

"No, she's my best friend and always has been, but with her here…" Harry leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm not getting any." Harry's teeth were gritted and wasn't surprised to see Malfoy looked a little shocked.

"From her?" Draco pointed to Ginny who had just passed.

"Yeah."

"Well here's a conversation I never wanted to have and never want to have again." Draco was a bit dumbfounded. "I'll do my best." He patted Harry on the back, and played around, rolling up his sleeves and patting down his hair outside Hermione's door. He saluted a frowning Harry, and knocked.

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