Author's Note: Okay well here is where I make my HUGE apology. I truly am sorry that it has taken so long to put up this chapter. I'm not too happy with it. But I guess I have to let you guys be the judge of it. Life happened and that's why it took so long to get this up. I can't promise when the next chapter is going to be up because I've got a lot going with the holidays coming up, crazy hours at work, and I'm moving in about a month and a half so please bear with me. I have some of the next chapter written so hopefully you'll get at least one more chapter before I move. check my user page for any updates that goes on. Again I really am sorry it took so long for this to be posted.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did I'd be one of the richest son of a bread eaters in the world.

Days after the incident in the back room of the kitchen, found Draco and Hermione walking briskly down a busy Muggle sidewalk a few miles from Grimmauld Place. The pair was dressed in suits, Hermione with a brief case, and Draco in his disguise of Casper Towns. The general thought process behind the blond going as the non-blond of his makeshift Muggle disguise was so not as to welcome any unwelcome attention to the female that he was to be around. She liked to say that it was for his own good, because the Mark hadn't fully faded. However, he knew when Potter had approached the subject there was no doubt why the scar-head wanted things done that way.

The decision was made that they were to check out the orphanage turned office building first. For two reasons, one being it was closer, and two because it was the less likely of the two. Potter had some theory about it having some significance on some damned way or another. He had said something under his breath that Malfoy hadn't bee able to catch. And of course Granger jumped at whatever Potter had said. Hanging on his every word, it made him sick. She had a head and mind of her own, so why did she take orders so willingly from someone like Scar-Head?

Draco didn't understand the slight anger he felt as each one of those thoughts had crossed his mind that morning while Potter was going through all the things they should keep a lookout for, what to do if we should encounter a Hor-whatever-the-fuck, and other matters that he had no interest in what-so-ever. He let his mind wander. Since Potter found him in the back room of the kitchen the Boy-Who-Lived kept a close eye on him. His mood had slowly lowered to new depths. He was fighting the dreams and the guilt about his mother's death. With things settling down, so to speak, since he had joined forces with the Annoyingly Good Guys (as Draco had sarcastically dubbed the Order of the Phoenix) his mother's death nagged and tugged, allowing the guilt he had initially felt grow into a huge beast. As he grew more depressed he lashed out like he had at Hogwarts. No one was safe from his sneered barbs that he spewed. Things usually went downhill if Granger wasn't in earshot. He had over heard Tonks and Lupin talking the night before about how it was as if he were growing feelings in one way or another for the Know-It-All. He sneered at the thought, hearing his father's voice echo in his head about how he couldn't believe that any blood of his would allow a Mudblood to beat him in any subject. The two should just take that thought and shove it, he thought grimly.

Hermione's nervous cough brought him crashing out of his internal reflections. They had arrived. Before them was a ten-story office building. Malfoy walked up the four steps up to the large double glass doors. He opened it up to Granger and followed her inside. The lobby that they entered was huge. Their footsteps echoed on the polished granite and marble floor as they made their way to the thirty-something receptionist in the middle.

The former Gryffindor girl said too smoothly, "Hello, my name is Rose Donahue and this is my partner Casper Towns, we are here for your bi-annul building inspection," You almost can't tell she's lying, Draco thought to himself.

Ms. Thirty-something blinked up at Hermione and said, "I'm sorry Miss Donahue, but we had ours last month. There must be a mistake somewhere."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione's brief moment of hesitation and doubt cross her features, and picked up the woman's allegations. "We are well aware that your inspection was last month. However," Hermione set her briefcase on the receptionist's desk and fiddle with some papers. He continued like he hadn't noticed, "there were a few things that came across that didn't seem like they were up to par. So the agency sent us out just to double check. You wouldn't want to have the building fall around your ears, would you?"

Hermione passed the receptionist a few papers, "This should explain everything."

Draco kept his gaze normal though he was astonished that the woman was drinking the blank papers as if they were filled completely with writing. Finally she looked up with an apologetic smile, "Okay well I'm sorry for the incontinence. Go have your inspection. I'll just let my superiors know what's going on."

They were dismissed. Granger waited until they had entered the elevator behind the desk before she let out a sigh of relief, "I never thought that was going to work."

"Why not? You are a witch and Ms. Thirty-something with a bad boob job is just a Muggle," Draco replied.

"What does her being a Muggle have to do with anything? Plenty of things could have gone wrong! If you weren't so quick to make up that bit about their real inspection being bad we wouldn't be here right now."

"As far as her being a Muggle goes, she knows nothing of magic, so how could she see what you did coming? And Slytherins were always good at being quick words."

Hermione shot the boy a disapproving scowl, and then went on, refusing to even acknowledge his view on the matter. "And that spell that I cast on the papers, I didn't even know if that would have worked. Harry mentioned something like it before. If you didn't make that story up I would have forgot all about that."

"You worry too much," Draco said with a sneer, however void of maliciousness.

Ding! The doors opened. The two started from the top down, checking, searching, and testing. It was tedious and immensely boring for they knew that there wouldn't be any results. The only saving grace was that the time didn't drag like it did at the Order's Headquarters. After the first floor, they had worked out a good system. After nearly three hours of searching they concluded that the building was officially a Horcrux free zone. They checked for any trace of magic, everything from a quick Wingardium Leviosa to something as big as an Unforgivable. Up, down, left, right, three-quarters to the east, horizontally, and even metaphorically. They found nothing. Nada. Nilch. It was half on Draco's mind to complain about the pointlessness of their task, but decided against it. Just about anything was welcome after being in that forsaken dung-hole that he'd been living for the last month and a half. So they worked on with only a minimal amount of grumbling from Malfoy.

After they finished up Draco suggested dinner on their way back. He wasn't looking forward of the gloom that exuded from... where wasit that he'd been staying? Yeah it was the Order's Headquarters, but that didn't tell him where. He pushed the thought out of his head. He was determined to savor as much of the time out of there as he could.

It just so happened that Granger was up for staying away from the Order for a while longer, so they stopped at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

"You know, Draco, I think we make a pretty good team," his female counterpart said with a hint of a smile playing on her lips. He mentally kicked himself for noticing it.

He recovered with, "Don't let Potter and Weasley, hear you say that."

Hermione laughed, "It's good to be out of the house. It's too depressing in there."

Draco nodded. They ordered and conversation picked up on a variety of topics from Quiddich (though Hermione was rather dispassionate about), potions, Snape, Weasley's ridiculous anger, and her infamous slap back in third year.

"I never would have though that you of all people would slap me. I underestimated you. That is the only reason why you got away with it you know," the former Slytherin said with a smirk.

"Oh, but I had every right to do so that day. You were being so evil, gloating over an innocent hippogriff's execution."

Draco exclaimed, "That damned hippogriff nearly killed me!"

"Buckbeak didn't almost kill you, and you know it. Besides, Hagrid did warn us not to insult them."

"I still fail to see how that was my fault, Granger," he laughed.

"You were such an arrogant jerk!"

"Were? I wasn't aware that I stopped. Thanks for letting me know. I won't let that happen again. You do pack quite a punch though."

Hermione could only laugh. They fell into a companionable silence as they worked through their meals. Before they got up to leave Hermione took a slip of paper out of the briefcase and showed it to him. It said, "The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at 12 Grimmauld Place, London". Suddenly he realized exactly why he could never quite wrap his head around where he was staying on the few occasions that it crossed his mind. Who was the Secret Keeper? Either way it didn't matter. He was officially part of the Order now. He watched as Hermione burned the paper in the candle on the table.

They walked slowly down the street back up to Grimmauld Place, choosing to draw out the day longer by walking rather than Apparating there. The sun had gone down completely but the sky was trying feebly to keep some of it's light. He was surprised that he had actually enjoyed the day. The day had started with him being in such a bad mood that it was a wonder that he was in the spirits that he was in. It was truly the first pleasant day that he had had since he'd gotten to the Order's headquarters. He hadn't quite realized that he had missed the days when it was just Hermione and himself, working in the bookshop together. It surprised him and like with many internal surprises he suppressed, unwilling to accept it.

"I'm so stupid," Hermione said suddenly, "I forgot my briefcase. I'm going to run back and get it real quick. I'll be right back."

Before he could respond, she had dashed back to the restaurant. Shrugging and figuring she was a big girl he leaned against the wall and waited. It was about ten minutes later where he was just beginning to wonder where she was when he heard panicky shuffling and muffled words from the direction that she had run off. Inquisitive, he wandered toward the noises. Rounding the corner he saw a man with Hermione pressed against a building with a hand clamped at her throat and the other tearing at the waistband of her slacks.

Draco could only react to the sight. There was no thinking involved as he rushed Hermione's attacker. His fist landed solidly on the man's temple. It diverted his attention from the girl but he had no time to defend himself. Draco was on the man each blow found purchase. He was only satisfied when the man was on the ground bleeding. His head was spinning from the adrenaline. The man didn't move, Draco sneered at him.

He looked at Hermione. She was slumped against the side of the building. There were angry bruises on her neck already making their way to the surface of her skin. He slowly picked her up supporting her as he directed her away. Draco concentrated on the address that she had shown him at dinner and Apparated to Grimmauld Place.

The house appeared agonizingly slowly as number 12 squeezed it's way between eleven and thirteen. As soon as the door was clear he rushed through the door and up the stairs with Harry Potter at his heels spouting off questions. Finally when he had laid Granger down on her bed he turned to Potter.

"She was attacked," he said.

"Who?"

"A Muggle."

"How?"

"She forgot her briefcase at the place we had dinner at and went back for it."

"And where were you?"

"She told me to wait so I waited, until I heard her being attacked."

"How do you know that it wasn't a Death Eater?"

"If it were a Death Eater she wouldn't be alive right now, or she would be at their mercy in front of the Dark Lord."

"But why would she be attacked if Death Eaters weren't involved?":

"Death Eaters aren't the only evil in this world Potter. Her attacker is laying in a gutter right now bleeding to death hopefully."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Why did you do that?"

"She saved my life, so I returned the favor," Malfoy said coldly.

"She had help saving you."

"It was her that saved me. If I would have come to you, you would have hexed me or turned me over to the Ministry."

"IF that were true I wouldn't have giving you the help that I have."

"She is the heart of your little group, Potter. You wouldn't have done anything to help me if she hadn't done what she has. She is able to see things that you and Weasley would never take the time to see."

"You've changed," and with that Potter left the room. Leaving an utterly bewildered Draco Malfoy in his wake.