Hermione woke up slowly, with very little memory of how she'd got to her bed. The room was dark, but she recognized the feel of her own bed. She tentatively sat up, unsure if she'd sustained injury, she certainly ached. She felt the side of her head, and found a bruised lump there, though couldn't think how she'd got it.

"Lumos." She muttered to her wand, and the tip lit up, showing her the surroundings. Yes, it was her room in Draco's apartment. Hermione looked down at herself and was surprised to see she was still wearing the clothes she'd worn to work the day before.

Apart from the lump on her head, she seemed to be fine.

The light shining around her closed curtains told her it was morning, so she got up. Hermione stretched, and she felt dirty in her already thoroughly worn clothes. After all, she presumed it was yesterday she put them on, but she really had no way of being sure. She pulled fresh clothes from her cupboard, and headed to the bathroom.

Draco's apartment had, at a first glance, appeared empty, but as she passed the sofa, she couldn't help but notice there was a hulking, handsome, dark skinned man sleeping on the couch who certainly wasn't usually there. She grinned at the thought of what Blaise would say when she announced she'd seen him drooling on Draco's very expensive couch.

Unsurprisingly, the bathroom was free, it was early and Draco liked to sleep late, and, as far as she knew, Blaise was the only other person who'd decided to spend the night. She peeled off the worn clothes and stepped under the hot jet of water. The water washed away what was left of her drowsiness, and she felt her memory flood back.

She's been coming home from work, walking fast down Diagon Alley, eager to see Draco when she'd been barged into by someone. Hermione hadn't seen their face, but the hand holding the wand that had been jabbed into her stomach had looked feminine. Hermione couldn't remember anything more.

She stepped out of the shower as she heard a light knock on the door. "Hello?" She called, inviting a response.

"Uh, Hermione? Is that you?" Blaise voice rang out tentatively through the door. "You awake then."

Hermione grinned to herself as she rubbed her hair dry. "Yes, Blaise, I do believe I am now awake."

"Oh well, that's good." She could hear the relief in Blaise's voice. She wrapped the towel tightly around herself. Hermione picked up her clothes and unlocked the door. "Oh." Blaise stepped back swiftly to let her pass, a little taken aback that she was allowing him to see her in nothing more than a towel.

Hermione strode past him, unable to resist adding a slight strut as she felt Blaise's eyes upon her. "You know, you don't look very intelligent with your mouth hanging open like that." She called back to him, closing her door as she went back to her room.

Blaise swung around when he heard a yawn behind him. Draco looked back at him, bleary eyed, fingers running through his white-blonde bed hair.

"She up yet?" He asked, blinking rapidly, focusing slowly on Blaise.

"She…?" Draco detected a hint of guilt on Blaise's flushing face.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How many "she's" are there here?" He smirked as Blaise face reddened even more.

"O, you mean Hermione!"

"Obviously. Now, is she up?" Draco pushed past Blaise towards Hermione's room.

Before he could knock, it swung open, narrowly missing hitting him in the face. "Oh." Hermione looked pleasantly surprised at the sight of Draco. "Morning."

Draco didn't hesitate. He took her in his arms and kissed her face, her hair, her neck. "Thank god." He looked her in the eyes, hands cupping her face. "Dumbledore said you'd be ok, but I still was worried."

Hermione stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his forehead lovingly. "How about you two explain to me what happened?"

The morning was spent contemplating the reasons and methods behind Narcissa's actions. The extremities one would go to for the revenge of a spouse, even at the risk of hurt to a son. Hermione remembered nothing of her attack or her attacker, not helping to prove Dumbledore's theory.

"It just seems a bit stupid." Draco said, running his hands through his already thoroughly run through hair. "For my mother, I mean. From what I know she was a bit like you at school, Hermione, top of the class, only, you know, a few more… Slytherin qualities shall we say."

Hermione sighed. "This is ridiculous. I'm fine. You're fine. We're all fine." She looked straight at Draco. "You've already said your mother isn't capable of anything particularly damaging, so what can we do?"

"I'm just worried I've underestimated her."

Hermione took his hand in hers and gave him an encouraging smile. "I swear, there's hardly an ounce of evil in you, Draco Malfoy. A few uncouth remarks and sarcastic looks, yes, but no evil. It must have come from one of your parents, and it sure as hell wasn't your father."

Harry Potter had heard little since Hermione attack the previous week. It unnerved him, how much had changed between them. If he'd been told a year before that it would be Draco Malfoy Hermione would turn to in times of crisis rather than himself, he'd have never believed it. But here he was, worried desperately about his best friend, who seemed to have forgotten he existed.

A small hand slipped itself into his, and he turned to see Ginny watching him, concern rippling in her green eyes. "She'll be fine, Harry." She told him. "Just go and see her if you're so worried."

He let out a hollow laugh. "I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about my friendship with her. I've not even spoken to her since she was attacked. I have no idea what's going on."

"She's not keeping you in the dark deliberately, Harry."

"Maybe not." Harry sighed deeply, and watched as the rain slid heavily down the window pain of Grimmauld Place. "But it really does feel like it."

Wooo. I'm back! With an extraordinarily short chapter. I do apologize. The reason behind it was simply that I couldn't think of how to extend it at all without making it tedious and I need a new plot bit to come in the next one… or something. Haven't really thought about it yet. I've completely forgotton how to use this! Oh well. welcome me back with comments!

Love to all

xxx