Author's Note:

Um, I was thinking I should change this fic to rated T. Not because of 'content', but I think there's going to be quite a bit of blood in the climax which is in a couple of chapters. Does this cause a problem for anyone?

This chapter's for Xakinera

This-recurring-dream: Well, this triangle is about to turn into a love…square, sort of. Very sorry, but I don't think you will be meeting Gareth and Sarra again. Is that good or bad? Its pronounced "Hayden", though I don't see the difference in the other pronunciation, and don't worry, you'll be meeting her in perhaps the next couple chapters. As for the rest of your questions, all will be answered in time young grasshopper…

I r e n ii: It is quite bad that you're liking Dimitrian instead of Draco. But how can I blame you? Dimitrian has grown on me too. However, I am a fierce Draco/Hermione shipper, so you should be loving Draco again any chapter now. I thought he might too, but then I decided that what he actually saw was more important than Delilah.

Miseryluvsdeath aka Fidele: I hate cliffies too. But not when I give them. By any chance, do you listen to Fall Out Boy?

Lil Pink Pixie: Yes, she is annoying isn't she? Well, guess what? She about to make the MEANING of the word annoying.

Lorel ice bear: AH! Yay, I'm so glad the emotions came out well. That's the worse thing about doing characters that you don't own. You don't know how they would react to controversy if it's not in the books. Are my characters terribly OC? They were at first, but I tried to fix them.

Xakinera: I thought it was excellent myself. Don't feel too bad, she's probably a lot older and more experienced than the both of us put together. LOL. Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement. They were inspiring, comforting and very poetic. I like poetry. Do you? Oh, and I'm glad to know you're responding to my stories so favorably. The tearing hair out and losing follicles, I mean. Very amusing.

U kno me: Well, I do have to at least make them distinguishable from a 1995 heavy metal band you know. LOL, the language. Thanks for the review. U made my day Warninkins

Hermione's P.O.V.:

As my eyes shut, my mind immediately pulled up an image of Draco. Despite the fact that I was angry with him, my brain wouldn't take no for an answer. I focused on his finely chiseled features and silky blonde hair. He was smiling one of those rare smiles he saved especially for me. He'd never even smiled at Delilah in this way, I triumphed. When my eyes met his, the vision changed. Draco faded and someone else filled his space. Black wavy hair and black eyes with golden flecks appeared along with a squared face and a warm smile. A carved body also accompanied. Dimitrian.

Why would my image of Draco suddenly turn into Dimitrian? At this thought, my eyes snapped open. Delilah was looking at me expectantly. "Did you?"

"No I didn't," I said uncertainly. Draco still sat beside me, his eyes closed, his breathing even. Dimitrian was no where in the room.

"I'm going to look around," I muttered hastily and got out as fast as I could. I didn't even bother to look around either. I found a place close enough to the house and sat on a big rock.

What had just happened?

There was a specific reason I chose Draco, because despite what I had stupidly said earlier, I loved him.

But the image of Draco had turned into Dimitrian! Did that mean I held him in as high esteem as Draco? Maybe I was just over analyzing because it couldn't possibly…

I had just met the man for goodness' sake! I could not possibly love him! But then again, he had made a lasting impression on me, my mind contradicted. He has been sweet, kind, caring and understanding toward me, something that I would never expect of a stranger. And if I was right in thinking that he felt a certain way about me, he certainly valued our small friendship very much. Seeing as he had offered to patch things up between me and Draco (potentially facing the wrath of his sister in doing so). It clearly wouldn't benefit him much if Draco and I were on good terms again, and yet he had still worked to his disadvantage because he knew I loved Draco.

Was all of this ground to base love on? The idea was absolutely ludicrous. I stared up at the moon as I searched for a plausible explanation.

DMDMDMDM«§§§§§»DMDMDMDM

Draco's P.O.V.:

The first thing I saw was Delilah's face saying, "Did you do it?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't touch it," I replied slightly startled that I'd apologized.

"It's okay. You shall learn over time."

I looked around. Dimitrian and Hermione had disappeared.

"Where did they go?" I asked, silently seething.

"Dimitrian is somewhere in the house and Hermione went outside half an hour ago."

"Half hour? We've only been doing this for a few minutes."

"A few minutes? You've been out for more than an hour," Delilah frowned.

That couldn't possibly be. I looked toward the doorway and through the filmy curtain; I saw that the dark of evening had settled in.

Delilah shifted and settled next to me. "Don't worry Draco. You'll get it soon enough." She rested her head against my shoulder.

"I need a breath of fresh air," I muttered and firmly pushed her away. I walked straight out the doorway with Delilah staring at my back.

I did a little exploring of the grounds. This place itself, I discovered, was a large clearing on its own. The rock cliff that had appeared in the cloak illusion at the entrance was situated at the far back of the house, so far that it was difficult to see in the darkness.

I found Hermione a little ways off from the house, sitting on a rock, staring at the moon that was clearly visible in the sky. The clouds had lifted. I sat silently next to her. I was mildly surprised that she didn't move away.

"Herm?" She didn't answer but I knew I'd caught her attention. "Just for tonight…could we ignore the fact that we're in an argument?"

I was inwardly relieved that my proposal didn't sound too stupid. Apparently she realized that I needed someone with whom to discuss my mind with.

"Last night, Herm, when we were talking. You said you saw Zabini…"

"I said I thought it might be Zabini. It wasn't."

"Do you know that for sure?"

"Well, no," she answered slowly.

"Because I think it might have been."

She looked at me silently. "Maybe he was sent to spy on us for your father."

"That would certainly explain what Lucius was doing back at the inn around the same time as Zabini."

"But we can't be sure that it was Zabini," Hermione concluded,"It's only a theory."

"True."

"Draco, how do you think the Thestrals came to be there," she asked suddenly.

"No idea. Any theories?"

"Delilah?"

"You think she might have called them? She can't even see them."

"We don't know that for sure, Draco. Something about her just doesn't compute. One moment she's giggly and bouncy, crooning all over you and the next, she's serious and teaching us how to connect with our inner energy. It just doesn't fit."

For a moment, I wondered if she was just saying this because she was irritated by Delilah, but I knew she was right. Half the time, she acts like a bimbo with her desperate plays for me and the other half she's wise, teaching us this and that and explaining how things work.

Hermione, who wasn't expecting and answer, had reverted to gazing at the moon. I suddenly had the urge to get down on my knees and beg her to forgive me, so everything would go back into place. That's how utterly erotic she looked with the waves of moonlight washed over her serene face. I swallowed and chocked back my feelings, too prideful to be the first to give in. I knew I was being an idiot, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Where's Dimitrian?"

"Thanks for ruining it," she muttered disdainfully and got up. Before she could go, I grabbed her elbow and gently sat her back down.

"I didn't mean it that way," I muttered.

"Yes you did! Why are you always on my back about him?"

"You're the one who started the entire thing Hermione! You got angry because I let Delilah sleep on my arm, so you ran to Dimitrian."

"I wouldn't have gotten angry if you hadn't slept with Delilah! So technically, the whole thing is your fault. And I never ran to Dimitrian! While you and Delilah were busy mooning over each other- "

"I told you already. I feel nothing for Delilah. If you'd just let me explain earlier, you would have known why I did what I did."

Hermione leaned back, supporting herself on one hand, waiting for the explanation.

"That night, I really didn't have the heart to shove her off. She'd done so much for us and we had just met her. At the time we didn't know that she had been instructed to go along. It just seemed so…goodhearted…of her," I stated, not believing how uncharacteristic I was being. Then again, my world had a habit of turning itself over wherever Hermione was concerned.

Hermione laughed scornfully. "After seventeen years of living only for yourself, you're trying to tell me that your conscious was miraculously jolted awake one nigh by…good heartedness?"

The fact that I was pouring my heart out to her, making the first move to apologize, and she was making it sound ridiculous angered me. "Oh, and I suppose Dimitrian has an excellent sense of sentiment."

"Dimitrian and I see eye to eye. He's a kind person, good humored and good natured and because of that, we're friends."

"Friends?" It was my turn to scorn. "Did Potter and Weasley ever try to coax you into their beds?"

She jumped up from the rock and faced me, choking back tears. "I'm sorry Draco, but this…conspiracy…that Dimitrian and I are supposedly planning against you...? It's only in your head. Dimitrian has been nothing less than a gentleman to me and that's all that matters. Maybe he does want me in his bed…" Her chest, which had been rising and falling violently in rage, calmed down. She shrugged and shifted her gaze bringing it sharply back to mine. "Maybe I want to be in his." At this, she turned and ran off.

Instantaneously, I knew I had gone too far. I knew I had mad a grave mistake. My head fell into my hands. God, I was an idiot! How could I be so stupid as to ruin the best thing that had happened to me? All chances of us getting back together were blown now, I despaired. I hated myself.

Hermione had been right. It was all in my head. After I gave Delilah a break, she was angry. I had vainly been protective of my ego and acted as though she was the one in the wrong, not because of any palpable reason but my pride. In doing so, I pushed her away from me and into the arms of Dimitrian.

Dimitrian. I hated his guts. Deep down I knew it wasn't his fault Hermione had run to him, but I wanted so badly to believe that he was the one to blame. He had stolen her away from me. I could blame him all I wanted because he had successfully managed to take her from me. At the end of the day he had the thing that meant the most to me.

I heard a muffled noise that caught my attention. I looked toward it. Outside the house, two figures stood entwined in each other. I couldn't see what they were doing but they were standing so close together that not a crack of light from the newly lit outside torches could pass between their bodies.

I f it were possible, I hated Dimitrian even more now. He had taken my love from me and had the audacity to cuddle with her in front of my face? I didn't acknowledge the fact that neither of them knew I was watching.

I fixed them in my gaze, my teeth clenched painfully as they slowly unfurled. He said something unintelligible to her and they both went inside.

I rose and followed some time after, not quite clear on my resolution of what to do. Inside I met Delilah in fresh clothing. She was now wearing a Slytherin green dress that showed much cleavage and hung off her shoulders. The dress fit skin tight down to her waist and then fell loose to the floor. The question entered my mind, why didn't I just give in to Delilah? After all, it's not as though I had someone to save myself for and it was better than looking like I was feeling sorry for myself.

So why not? Because I was still in love with Hermione and no one could possibly replace her, no matter how hot they were. Plus, Delilah is so damn annoying. But…perhaps I could put up with her…just to make Hermione jealous. I certainly wouldn't look pathetic, very non-chalant, and perhaps I could use her to bring Hermione back to me. Hmm, this idea was worth dwelling on later.

"Where's Hermione and Dimitrian," I asked, my mood darkening slightly.

"Bathing," Delilah replied.

"Together?" I gave a start and one of my eyebrows shot up.

"Of course not," Delilah said with a curious frown. "He is helping her prepare her shower. Normally we don't usually bath, but I think that after all we've been through; all of us could use one. You can have yours after she."

I nodded and thought that Hermione and Dimitrian together in a bathroom was quite disturbing, especially with what she had said earlier about wanting to sleep with him. And once again I wondered what he had that made her want to bang him after knowing him for a paltry two days. She had been with me ages before I even insinuated bedding her, and she had backed away. I shook my head and followed Delilah through the doorway that led to a tiny kitchen. I looked at the small circle of stones on the floor, obviously meant for the pots, and wondered if her cutlery and cooking apparatus were stone too. They were.

Dimitrian emerged from a door I had earlier noticed and pegged as the bathroom. He was wearing a new outfit too. He didn't even look at us, just headed out the door to the living room. Delilah called him back.

"Is soup okay?"

He nodded. She looked at me. I agreed.

"Help me bring in the ingredients," she asked. "Would you like to see how I make it?"

She led me to the large shelf in the living area and plucked down selected bottles. She gave me about five to hold while she juggled four. Setting them down on the floor next to the ring of stones, she went to another shelf and pulled down a large stone pot and a stone spoon. I wondered what she was going to do when the stone spoon started generating heat. Then I wondered where she would get the heat from because there was no wood.

She placed the pot in the air on top of the stone circle, but in stead of it falling to the ground, it just floated. Then, she passed her hand over each stone and lowered the pot slightly. Suddenly, the stones emitted a white smoke, and I realized that they were heating up. Delilah then picked up a bottled and muttered, "Hoisin sauce." She scooped out some with the spoon and plopped it in the pot. I watched in wonderment as she passed the tips of her fingers around the edge of the pot, and water started falling from it, invading the brown sauce. When the pot was half full, she stopped the water and stirred the pot. "Hand me that over there."

I handed her a small stone bowl with a large stone in it, rather like the grinder we use in potions. She took it and opened a bottle of cumin seeds, shaking some out into the bowl. The she ground them to a fine powder and added them. Picking up a red bottle, she emptied the contents into the little bowl and shook another bottle, letting small green leaves fall into the red paste. She mixed them and tumbled the thick substance into the pot. Another bottle contained thick white roots and when opened, emitted the most peculiar smell. Not odious, just strange and it prickled my nose. She used a knife, a stone knife, and used it to strip off the edges of the roots and chop it up, and it amazingly worked.

"What are those," I asked, coughing slightly.

"Tava roots. You'll get used to the smell, don't worry." Then, she threw the cut up tava roots into the concoction and stirred.

Hermione walked out from behind the thick white covering that hid the bathroom from view. Her hair was wet and curly, dripping slightly, and she was wearing a wine colored dress that didn't show off as much cleavage as Delilah's. A white cloth belt clasped by a golden ring hung from her waist, where the material of the tight top came down and bunched together. Over the dress she wore a thick brown mantle. All in all, she was jaw-droppingly gorgeous. She spared me a look and then went out the other door.

"I will leave this to simmer and take care of your bath. Wait outside, for this will take a while."

This left me in an awkward position. The three of us were sitting on top of the mats in front of the fire. Hermione and Dimitrian were talking and completely ignoring me while I pretended to be immersed in the wonder of the energy swirling on the floor.

"I was on one side of the river while the deer sprinted across," Dimitrian told Hermione. "I obviously couldn't wade across but I also didn't want to lose an excellent catch. I spotted a tree whose branches were lying a good way into the river and I climbed up. I then jumped off," he paused for dramatic effect.

Hermione asked eagerly, "Did you catch the deer?"

"No," he said with a serious face. "Half way across the river, I fell in."

Hermione, who had been expecting something else, let her jaw drop, with the edges tilted slightly upward. Then she laughed. Her laughter sounded all the lovelier, now that it wasn't directed at me. I gritted my teeth, hating the way he made her laugh. What was so funny about the story anyway? The ponce jumps off a tree in hopes of catching a deer but falls in a river instead. Hermione's laughter died down.

"You are so…I don't know…" She looked into her lap.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment," he asked her, and lifted her chin to look at her face. Then, he lightly brushed a curl out of her face. I was practically on my feet, ready to pound him into the floor.

"Draco," Delilah called. "Ready." She poked her head through the doorway. Hermione and Dimitrian were staring at me because of my sudden jumping up, went back to their talk because they assumed it was because Delilah. I readily went into the kitchen, grateful that Delilah had called. I had almost broken my promise to myself to act non chalant.

Delilah was bending over the pot again, that was steaming and bubbling well.

"There are towels and a fresh change of clothing in there."

I nodded and turned to go through the curtain.

"Oh and Draco, if you need anything more…call me." She smiled slyly, implying something dirty.

I was in no mood for this, and since Hermione wasn't there I replied nastily, "I'm a big boy, Delilah. I can bathe myself."

Inside the room, there was a wide circle of stones, and a smaller one close to it, closely encircling a bucket of water. Not far from everything, there was a pile of clothing folded along with a towel. The room was unusually warm. I stripped myself of my bloodstained, ripped and, grime ridden clothing and stepped into the larger of circles. The floor was warm, in contrast to the rest of the floor. The stones, I discovered, were emitting a heat. Picking up the bucket, I relished the feel of the warm water as I scrubbed down my skin. As the used, dirty water hit the floor, it immediately dried up, leaving the floor as untouched as it had been when I had just entered. After washing my hair, I set down the bucket and grabbed hold of a warm towel. Now being completely dry, I stepped out of the dry enclosure and donned the clothing assigned to me. The pants were soft dyed black buckskin, loose and comfortable. The shirt, something resembling silk, like I'd worn to my wedding and the vest a same material as my pants. The shoes were animal hide, too hard to be buckskin, but too soft to be leather. I surveyed my black ensemble and arrogantly thought, that this was the clothing more suited to me that that effeminate suit I had been wearing when I arrived. Indeed this clothing was much richer, suited to a Malfoy. In this century at least.

When I returned to the kitchen, the most delicious smell invaded my nose. My stomach in turn spoke up after being stimulated. Delilah ladled soup in a bowl for us as we sat and ate by the fire. I chatted showily with Delilah, and laughed with her, but it seemed to have no effect on Hermione, who was talking animatedly with Dimitrian.

The soup proved to be even more excellent than it smelled. I didn't think it could get any better until I accidentally bit down on one of the green leaves floating around in the soup. A burst of savory flavor immersed my mouth.

"What's this?" I asked Delilah, pointing with the spoon. "It's tasty."

"What?" She asked confused. I pointed again, but had an idea.

I fingered the leaf and fed it to her. She accepted it delightedly.

"Those are Kaffir lime leaves. They add solicited flavor to the soup. I do fancy their taste."

"So do I," Io agreed smoothly, while glancing furtively at Hermione to see if there was a change in her expression.

When I finished my soup, I put the bowl on the floor and took Delilah's shoulders in my right arm. I leaned close and whispered charmingly, "This dress is exorbitantly beautiful, not unlike your self. I think though, that on anyone else, the dress would never be so enchanting."

She giggled at my compliment. "Why thank you, Draco," She said coyly, resting her hand casually on my thigh. "But I rather think it hides my beauty. Since you seem to admire me so much though, perhaps later, I'll take the dress off."

I smirked with an anticipating air, but inside I was wondering about the difference between promiscuity in this century and in mine. Back at Hogwarts, if I'd relayed that line to any girl, she would have replied as much. Perhaps promiscuity wasn't different. Or maybe Delilah was just a Cyprian. I wondered if there were ladies of the night here at this time. I doubted it.

Hermione put her bowl down with a clunk. She hastily excused herself and walked out. Dimitrian rose quickly and followed. I excused myself silently from Delilah's presence. I saw Hermione and Dimitrian around the side of the house. I watched from the corner while Dimitrian held her in his arms as she cried softly into his chest. It seemed as though every turn I took was a mistake. A downfall for me but another stroke for Dimitrian. I was not the bad guy of this tale. However, using Delilah to get Hermione was extremely low. And now, Hermione thought even less of me because when I first told her that I'd felt nothing for Delilah, she had suspected I was lying. Now she had seeming proof, what with all the flirting.

I closed my eyes. So using Delilah was a bad idea. Tomorrow was another day. I would figure out another way of winning her back.

Author's Note:

Please don't boo me. I'm allergic to rotten fruit and disapproval. We saw Draco reverting back to his old self a bit. Well, the self he is when he's not around Hermione. Just to reassure you so you don't get worried, even though I kind if like Dimitrian, him and Hermione…not gonna happen.