Blah blah blah, you don't really care about my excuses anyway. Sorry it's late, and this chapter seems really bad, but I haven't actually started the next one yet, so i'll try and make it better. Gah. Read and review, my toffee-pies!

"Granger. Granger! Granger, open the bloody door already!"

The door swung open to reveal Astoria, stood with wet hair and a towel wrapped around her.

"Good morning, Malfoy."

Draco stepped back. "You got out of the shower ten minutes ago, why are you still naked?"

Hermione blushed. "I was doing something, what's it to you?"

He stared at the bare legs beneath her towel and her embarrassed frame, before raising one eye-brow and smirking. "Come on Granger, what were you doing alone in your room that required you to be naked?"

Draco received a light bash on the arm as she realised what he meant.

"No! For Merlin's sake, I was deciding what to wear! You have such a filthy mind!" she cried, half angrily, half laughing.

Draco chuckled. "Sorry! Why didn't you just say that then?"

"I don't know, it's embarrassing." she replied half-heartedly.

"What's so bad about it? I thought all girls spend stupid amounts of time on their appearance. You never used to, I just figured you didn't care about how I saw you."

Hermione looked down. She could practically feel the atmosphere change as he understood what he himself had said.

"Oh."

Hermione thought she might die of shame at that moment- she was trying to look good for Draco Malfoy, and worse, he knew.

"Was there something you wanted?" she asked, refusing to look up and let him see her vibrantly red face.

"Uh, yeah, I just wanted to know if you still wanted to come to the kitchen with me this morning?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" she asked in answer.

"Oh, um," Draco muttered, taking his turn to look down, "I don't know, I thought you might be mad at me."

She laughed. "If I held grudges every time a boy said something stupid then Ron and I would be mortal enemies. I've learnt to ignore it- to an extent."

The pair stood awkwardly in the corridor.

"So, i'll leave you to get ready." he said, backing away from the undressed witch.

"Good, yeah, i'll be ten minutes." said Hermione as he walked away.

'And to think,' she thought to herself, 'that wouldn't have happened if you had just got up off your lazy arse like normal and had the first shower!'

"What's the day?"

Draco laughed in exasperation. "You don't know the day? Wow, Granger."

"What, i've lost track! It's not like I can rely on my sleeping patterns, they've been so messed up." she defended.

He smiled and sighed. "It's Sunday."

Hermione frowned. "So we're eating with your parents for lunch."

"Oh, Master Draco," piped up a particularly short elf, "Master Lucius told me to inform you that Miss Narcissa has dragged him to Diagon Alley for the day, and they will not able to dine with you. Please excuse my leaving it so late to mention, for I have been near you for over seven minutes before I remembered."

"Thanks Colley," he said, before turning to Hermione. "There, no parents today. Feel free jump with joy."

She didn't. Instead, she stared apologetically at Draco and wished she didn't despise his parents so much, so that she could say she was sorry for causing any trouble without feeling like she was betraying her morals.

"It was a joke, Granger, stop looking at me like that." he said casually, without looking up from the newspaper he had just opened.

Hermione smiled and returned to finishing her bagel.

Hermione looked up from her book with a bemused sigh.

"What's up, Malfoy?"

Draco had just entered the room and sat on the opposite sofa without saying a word, only to stare out of the window.

"Oh, nothing. I was thinking of taking a walk in the gardens." he replied, seemingly glad he had caught her attention.

"Lovely day for it." she commented in return and turned back to her literature.

A few moments passed before she noticed that he hadn't moved.

"Are you having second thoughts?" she asked sarcastically.

He answered with a blank "No." and watched her begin to read again.

"The west grounds are very nice at this time of day." Draco stated, still gazing at her on the edge of his seat.

Hermione finally shut her book with a huff, and said, "Would you like me to come with you, Malfoy?"

"Oh, no!" he said, sitting up straighter than before, "But if you really want to tag along, i'd be okay with it."

She smirked maliciously. "Oh, good. I think i'll stay here and read, if you're sure."

A dozen angry curses flashed through Draco's head. "Fine." he said stubbornly, standing up with a huff three times stronger than her own and moving towards the door.

"Alright, I was only messing with you!" she laughed as she climbed to her feet. "Of course i'll come, just let me get some shoes."

He smiled his victory and gestured for her to exit through the door he held open.

Five minutes later, the unlikely pair were wandering silently down the corridors of Malfoy Manor. Though nothing was said, neither felt uncomfortable; in fact, Hermione found herself peculiarly relaxed in Draco's presence.

The last door opened to reveal some authentic stone stairs leading to a large field, which in turn led to huge flowerbeds lining a path and what looked like a small forest.

Hermione gasped in the fresh air. "Oh! I- I'm- Oh!"

Draco rolled his eyes and began to make his way down the steps, pausing only when he reached the small patch off paving below and realised he was alone.

"Granger! What on earth are you doing?" he called, for she was now stroking the wall and gazing out as if she had never been outside before.

"Sorry," she replied, snapping back into sanity. "Sorry, i'm coming!"

The pair walked slowly around, Hermione making strange noises of astonishment every time they looked a different way, Malfoy trying very hard not to laugh at said noises. Soon, they became engrossed in conversation that somehow meandered through topics, starting with how much time Draco spent in the gardens, and before they had realised, landed on Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour over an hour later.

"Have you been to Diagon Alley since the take over?" Draco asked with interest, as they passed a sickly pink coloured plant that turned itself so as to watch them round the corner.

"Well, no, Harry, Ron and I went the day of The Battle Of Hogwarts. I don't know if you heard, we broke into Gringotts." she said proudly, then earnestly concluded, "But being an Undesirable kind of limits the places I can go."

He faced her and began side-stepping so he didn't get left behind. "Ah! But you're not an Undesirable anymore! You're Astoria Greengrass."

Hermione waited quietly as she thought about what he said; upon mental investigation, she realised that there really was nothing stopping her from going to such a place under the effects of the potion.

"Do you want to go?"

She frowned. "Yes, but I- I don't think I could go alone, I don't have a clue what i'd be walking in to!"

Draco recoiled. His eyes were glued to his feet as he said, "I thought - if you wanted to, I understand if you don't – maybe, you'd go with me? I mean, I planned to go with my parents the next time you were out all day, but if you want to go, it's not like we need 'supervision'."

She was so surprised she tripped over her own feet, only to be steadied by his strong arms, which were quickly snapped back to his sides.

"Yes! Yes, that would be good, if you don't mind of course? You really don't have to, it's not like i'll be buying anything, I haven't any money, and nothing to spend it on either, so that actually works out rather well, I suppose."

After a moment of silent reflection, both youths burst into laughter as they recalled how strange and unnecessary their nervous blabbering was.