Just a heads up, I may soon be starting a fic entitled Wolf Bait, which I've been kicking around for a bit. Long story short, I'd had an entire dungeon-setting sequence worked out for Silver Blood that simply ended up not fitting the flow of the story, so it never got written. However, I loved the idea of basically sticking Hermione & Draco in a cage too much to totally kill it off. This birthed a new plunnie. It will be a touch dark, a little humorous, and smutty (but given the context, possibly slow-burn smutty rather than my typical 'jumping in from chapter one' smutty). I'll have to see how the writing plays out.

For those of you reading The Prince's Pet, I apologize for the delay in updates recently. I haven't moved it to the Sporadically Updated pile, nor is it in danger of being discontinued, nor has it been pushed off to the side for the sake of plotting new fics. I simply have not had the freedom, or quiet, to work on the sort of content the pending chapter will feature. If you're one of that story's readers, you know exactly what I mean. ;)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Past Grievances

As they neared the station, Draco slid a hand around Hermione's elbow and pulled her to a stop.

Frowning, she glanced toward the group and then met his gaze. "What's wrong?"

"Um, nothing, I just . . . ." He licked his lips, fidgeting in place as he looked about for a quick moment.

The show of nervousness worried her. Turning her head to catch sight of their friends—strange as that observation was, but she supposed they were their friends, now—and cleared her throat. They'd gotten half a block without even noticing she and Draco had fallen behind.

Her shoulders drooped. They probably assumed she and her boyfriend had popped around a corner to sneak in a bit of snogging before they were all crowded into a train car together. Hermione set her jaw, her stomach fluttering a bit at that notion. She did like that idea, but . . . .

Oh, bloody hell! She couldn't even remember where she was going with that train of thought, now.

"Harry! Ginny!"

They all looked to each other and then turned to face her.

Pansy arched a brow, waving from herself to Ron, and back. "Oh, sure. We get no mention, do we?"

Hermione sighed. "It would have been a bit of a mouthful to call all four of your names. Just give us a minute, okay?"

Draco leaned close, whispering in her ear, "It's sort of personal."

She ignored the group's irritated expressions. Sure, she adored Harry . . . and okay, Ron, too, but they were really going to have to either hide their feelings about her and Draco better, or accept the fact and let it go. Instead, she pointedly met Ginny's gaze, and then Pansy's.

In that silent way of female communication, the two girls exchanged a glance. Pansy shook her head, scowling before she stamped her heel. "Fine! Ooh, look, why don't we go check out that shop of Muggle knick-knacks on the corner?"

Ginny sank her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from giggling, even as she used her hand linked with Harry's to tug him along. Pansy's approach was far less gentle as she grabbed Ron by his shirt collar and started walking.

When she was certain they were out of earshot, Hermione pivoted to face Draco. "All right, then. Let's have it."

"I want to go see my parents."

Hermione's jaw dropped, her eyes widening as she felt her heart shudder in her chest. Even with what was developing between them, it never occurred to her there might be reason for her to set foot in Malfoy Manor, again.

She liked to believe herself a brave person, but after Bellatrix . . . .

"I understand if you don't want to go, Granger," Draco said, nodding. He hadn't really thought through what his request might mean for her. "But I have to. The last time I saw my parents before I left for school . . . ."

A pout tugged the corners of her mouth downward. This was obviously important to him, and she couldn't let him go by himself with everything going on. She sighed. Maybe if she was back in the Manor under different circumstances, it would help her get past what had happened to her there.

Only . . . ?

"What happened?" she asked, reaching a hand to cup his cheek.

Giving a bitter smile, he rested his fingers over hers. "I was angry with them for . . . everything. I was always either saying things to hurt them, or not saying anything to them, at all." He shook his head, swallowing hard. "I never thought when I left for school I might never get to talk to them, again."

Dammit, all! Hermione stood on her toes, slipping her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

In response, he held her close, pressing his lips to the top of her hair. "And, of course, the only time I did get to see them after that I was a bloody ferret!"

She tried to hold back her snickering, but failed as she felt a chuckle rumbling in Draco's chest. "Okay. Okay, you've sold me on the idea. We'll go to Malfoy Manor before we return to Hogwarts."

He gently nudged her head back with his chin so that their gazes met. Smirking, he leaned down, brushing the tip of his nose against hers.

"Trying to get out of trouble with ferret kisses? You know you weren't in any trouble just now, don't you?"

Draco nodded, his face so close to hers she could feel his breath ghosting over her lips. "I know. I wasn't being cute to get out of trouble; think of it as a 'thank you.'"

She nodded back, her gaze dropping to his mouth. "Well, lean a bit closer so I can give you something to think of as a 'you're welcome.'"

Grinning, he bent his head, tracing her lips with the tip of his tongue.

Ginny rolled her eyes after the fourth round of hurled insults between Ron and Pansy. Grabbing the other witch by the elbow, she pulled her into another aisle of the shop.

Sneering, Pansy wrenched her arm from Ginny's grasp. "What is your problem, Weasley?"

"My problem?" Ginny hissed in an angry whisper. "I don't have a problem, but clearly you and my brother do."

Pansy scowled at the mention.

"Spill it, Parkinson!"

When the Slytherin girl seemed reluctant to answer, Ginny frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to ask Ron, then."

"No!" Pansy looked shocked at her own response before she dropped her gaze to the floor. "Okay, fine."

"So, then?" Even as Ginny prodded, she feared what Pansy might tell her.

Pansy sighed, her eyes raking over everything but Ginny. "I made a comment about how it was strange, but it was almost like we were all friends and I . . . actually didn't mind it. But, your brother—" She sank her teeth into her bottom lip. "He scoffed. He started saying all these awful things about how none of you could ever be friends with a person as terrible as me."

Ginny's shoulders slumped, any venom she had toward the other girl momentarily stifled.

"I would have thought I didn't care about being friends with any of you, but I guess . . . I dunno . . . ."

"People change, Pansy," Ginny said simply.

The dark-haired girl nodded. "I guess we do. Last year, I wouldn't have cared what any of you thought of me, let alone not mind being considered your friend. I wanted to not care about what he said, but it hurt."

"Look, I'm sure it's not you." Ginny shrugged. "My brother's an idiot, but he means well when it comes to protecting his friends. This whole thing with Hermione and Malfoy has both those two fools over there out of sorts."

Sighing heavily, Pansy occupied herself with inspecting a music box on the shelf beside Ginny's head. "I may have made it . . . worse after that."

"Oh, no."

Pansy snorted a giggle. "I told him he was just a stupid, sour little man, who was only taking it out on me—and likely every other female, besides you—that he blew it with Granger, and now she's with someone so much better than him."

Ginny winced, pressing two finger tips against her temple.

"Yeah. Sometimes my mouth just runs off without me."

"Look, we've got time before the train. Maybe we should all sit down at a coffee shop and get this sorted. How's that sound?"

Pansy nodded. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Fine. Let's go round up our fools."