When she came back down from getting ready, there was no sign of Draco but the kitchen was already pristine. She guessed he had gone to get ready as well, so she meandered around the large rooms for a while before being drawn to the snug with its huge, comfortable sofa's, heaps of cushions and high windows. It was late morning but it was still gloomy, with large, soft snowflakes obscuring the window frames, gathering in little drifts against each pane. This room felt warm, cosy and welcoming, so she threw herself onto a sofa and stretched out, trying to relax.

When she heard Draco come back down, she was determined to not to get back onto the subject they had discussed over breakfast. She could hear him moving around in the lounge and then she heard the door open behind her.

"Hiding from me, Granger?" The familiar drawling voice came to her ears.

"Yes and bloody hell, you've found me!" Hermione didn't move from her prostrate position. "Oh and stop calling me Granger."

Draco walked over, coming into her line of vision. He looked down at her smirking. He wore casual trousers and a tight fitting, blue top. His hair was still damp from his shower and he smelled delicious, as always. Again, she had to wonder what the matter with her was. Her thoughts kept going down the same dangerous route whenever she was near to him. She summoned an image of Erik into her mind and left it firmly planted there. Erik was an unbelievably attractive man and very nice with it. Not only that, Hermione had grown fond of him, so if he couldn't stop these ridiculous feelings she was experiencing, no-one could.

"Are you quite at home?" Draco asked, looking her up and down. "The polite formality didn't last long did it? You're lounging around like a bloody teenager!"

"Do you want your house guests to feel comfortable and relaxed or not?" Hermione asked, bluntly.

"Yes, of course I do - when I've invited them," he emphasised the invited. "If they've just bloody well turned up and given me no option..."

"I was checking if you were okay! I'll not bother next time."

Draco lowered himself onto the end of the sofa, lifting Hermione's legs out of the way unceremoniously, so he could sit down before placing them back, this time resting over his lap. Hermione, surprised by this, felt a little awkward, lying with her legs on his. It seemed intimate and affectionate and it felt very strange.

"Have you heard from Durmstrang?" she asked, partly because she wanted to know but also to cover her awkwardness.

"No, not yet," Draco answered. He seemed to find sitting like this perfectly normal. "Are you scared we might have to spend another night together?"

"Terrified," Hermione said, with a smirk. She didn't mean it because actually, the terrifying thing was that she was enjoying his company. He was acting differently, friendlier and not so defensive. She wasn't sure exactly what had caused this change but there was a definite thaw in the ice inside the lodge even if outside was still snow locked. The more Draco's attitude changed, the more her own did too. Was this really the same person who had stood in her office not long ago, looking down his nose at her and making snide remarks? His 'spinster' remark leapt into her brain and she smiled without realizing it. Somehow, now it seemed amusing rather than hurtful.

"What's funny?" Draco asked, observing her.

"I was just thinking about your insult, calling me a Spinster when you came to my office that day."

"It wasn't intended as an insult."

Hermione made a disbelieving noise. "Of course it was!"

"So, why would that memory make you smile?" Draco asked.

"Because, now we're getting along, it seems just silly rather than hurtful," Hermione explained.

"You think we're getting along now then?" Draco questioned and he put his head to one side.

Hermione cursed herself for not thinking how her casual remark might be interpreted. "You know what I mean - we're not threatening to hex each other every minute or so."

"Les contraires s'attirent," Draco gave a little shrug.

"Oh! Don't start with that again."

"Start what?"

"Saying things you know very well I can't understand!"

"You should try and learn." Draco looked over at her. "We have time to kill - how about a lesson now?"

"No thanks."

"I thought you'd agreed that French is a beautiful language?"

"It is but I don't need to learn to speak it."

Draco raised one eyebrow and shrugged again. "In that case, you'll go on not understanding some of the things I say – like things about opposites attracting."

Hermione stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"Les contraires s'attirent – opposites attract," Draco explained. His mouth twisted into a smirk and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Opposites attract?!" Hermione's tone betrayed her opinion on this but Draco just chuckled and didn't answer her. "Anyway, I don't need to learn French – I can cast a translation spell" She smirked at her own cleverness and Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fine! If you want to cheat then that's just fine," he said, over dramatically.

Hermione now sat up a little. "It isn't cheating! It's magic."

"Use the spell then. You'll get a direct and probably exact translation. What you won't get is the feeling behind the language or the way the words work together."

Hermione shook her head at him. "You sound like Erik! What is it with you all? He tells me that I need to feel the wand and now you're telling me I need to feel the words?"

"Maybe it's time you started feeling something then?!" Draco grinned at her, sexily. Hermione grinned back at him, unable to pretend that this wasn't amusing. Draco made a little, sexy wiggle with his hips. "Help yourself..."

"I suppose this would be the point where most women would be rushing to take you up on your offer?"

"I don't usually make offers - I'm usually the one being propositioned."

Hermione pulled a face and lay back down. "Thanks for sharing that." She looked around at the sofas distastefully.

"Why are you looking like that? I told you - no girlfriends are invited here."

"That's a bit of a harsh rule to inflict on yourself," Hermione pointed out.

"No, it isn't. This was a special place for Astoria and I..." Draco glanced over at Hermione and she watched him thoughtfully. He seemed to change his mind about speaking and ended the conversation, his tone changing. "Anyway - no girlfriends here."

Hermione sat up again, this time pulling her legs back towards her, folding them underneath herself so that she could lean closer to Draco. "If I ask why it's special, are you going to throw a tantrum?"

Draco's eyes met hers and she was pleased to see amusement in them. "I don't throw tantrums."

"So, why is the lodge special then?"

"I didn't say I'd answer you."

Hermione sighed loudly and shook her head. "I don't know why I bothered asking." She was about to move away again, when Draco grabbed her arm.

"I didn't say I'd answer you, but I will," he said and Hermione pulled a face at him.

"Why must you make every conversation a battle?"

"Because it'd be boring if I didn't," Draco answered, without hesitation. He paused and bit his lip before speaking again. "We...Astoria and I...came here on our first weekend away together," he paused again. "I think it became real then. It was the uninterrupted time together, it made me realise that it wasn't just attraction for her that I was feeling." Draco looked uncomfortable, as he always did when they discussed this subject. Hermione put her head to one side and spoke quietly.

"This is where you fell in love," she said. It should have been a question, but it wasn't. For some reason, this didn't feel embarrassing to Hermione. Draco didn't answer her so she just took that to mean yes. She'd spent enough time with Harry and Ron to know that men didn't always want to put things into words. You had to read between the lines. "It's a good place to fall in love - it's romantic here," she said.

"We came back here often - I suppose it reminded us both why we were together..." Draco pulled an awkward face. "How did I get onto this subject?"

Hermione made a show of trying to remember. "I think you told me to 'help myself' and then went on to explain that actually the offer was void because I'm not allowed to."

Draco burst out laughing, throwing his head back. Hermione watched him with a grin, pleased she'd made him laugh like this. He chuckled a few times and then looked over at her, his eyes still dancing. "Qui aurait pensé que tu serais bon pour moi?" he said.

Hermione pushed his arm, quite forcefully. "Stop it!"

Draco shuffled around until he was facing her and then grabbed both her hands and leant close. "So how about lesson one?" he asked. Hermione nodded.

"Go on then - you're obviously not going to let it go until I do."

"Let's translate what I just said," Draco suggested. "Let's start with qui."

"Why?"

"Why are we staring with qui?"

Hermione giggled at the confusion. "No - does 'qui' mean 'why'?"

Draco shook his head. "You can't guess the words, Hermione. Try this - qui êtes-vous?'"

Hermione listened to his pronunciation and smiled. The tone of Draco's voice and the sound of the words made it easy for her to guess their meaning. "Who are you?" she guessed and Draco nodded.

"Yes - so qui means who. This should be easy for you - how about pensé?"

"I have no idea."

"Yes, you do. Don't you think it sounds like another word? A magical one?"

Hermione wracked her brain. Which word did it sound like? A magical spell? Then it suddenly came to her. "Pensieve! Ooh! So pensé means think or thoughts?"

"Thought," Draco confirmed.

"I'm not sure I'm learning anything really - I'm just guessing."

Draco ignored her. "Pour moi?" he prompted her. "Guess that."

"Me - moi is me," Hermione said. "For me?"

Draco nodded. "And you must know what bon means?"

"Good."

"Yeh, good," Draco confirmed. "So put it together."

"Who...thought...good for me...?" Hermione frowned. "Sorry, not getting it- but something is good for you?"

Draco's demeanour grabbed her attention because he was looking at her intently. He paused before speaking again. "Yes - I said: who would have thought something would be good for me."

"What's the something?"

"Tu."

Hermione stared at him, not quite sure if she was interpreting this correctly. She didn't know what 'tu' meant but she could take a guess - and if her guess was right...? Draco spoke again before she had gathered her thoughts into order.

"Tu means you...who would have thought you'd be good for me...?" Draco's incredible eyes were still glued to her face and Hermione found herself staring straight back. Draco had said that she was good for him?! Suddenly, inexplicably, unbelievably she wanted very much to be good for him.

She spoke, her voice just above a whisper. "You think I'm good for you?"

Draco's voice was low as well. "You are good for me."

"How can I be good for you? All we do is fight."

"That's not true and anyway; I was in desperate need of someone to fight with."

"I don't understand."

"I needed the life put back into me. When Scorpius got placed into Gryffindor I suddenly cared about something again and I cared enough to get off my arse and go to Hogwarts to call you a sad, little spinster." He grinned, looking just a little ashamed and Hermione also smiled.

"In that case you should be thanking the sorting hat because I had nothing to do with what house Scorpius was placed in."

"I know – but you're the one who put a fight for him," Draco shrugged. "Fabien would have had him moved to Slytherin within 30 seconds of me arriving."

"Scorpius has been placed in the right house."

"I know, I mean that if it wasn't for you….."

There was suddenly a flash of light which interrupted Draco's words and a small seal appeared. It was glowing and was obviously a Patronus. Draco leant forward and the animal began to speak.

"The weather – it is very bad," Erik's voice came from the animal, slightly spookily. "We are unable to leave Durmstrang and I think it would not be wise for you and Hermione to attempt to return here yet. I shall contact you again first thing in the morning. Stay safe."

The animal disappeared with a pop and Draco turned to Hermione. "Looks like we are here tonight – sorry."

Hermione smiled. "Well, it's not a problem. If they were continuing the competition without us I'd be upset but if everything is on hold anyway it really doesn't make any difference."

"We could try to apparate or floo somewhere else? Maybe straight back to Hogwarts?" Draco suggested and Hermione looked at him for a moment. She hadn't considered that possibility and she should be jumping at the chance to leave here. She could return to Hogwarts and help prepare for when the competitors did arrive and maybe teach some lessons. She stopped her train of thought and bit her lip. The honest answer to that was that she didn't want to. She wanted to stay here and then return with the children. She realized Draco was watching her, waiting for a response.

"Is that what you'd like to do?" she asked.

"No – I want to bring Scorpius and Ella back with me but that doesn't stop you from returning. There's nothing to keep you here waiting with me."

Hermione looked down at her lap for a moment and then back up to Draco. "I want to go back with the children as well, if that's okay? If you'd rather have some time alone here then I understand….."

Draco gave her a lop sided grin. "Yeh, okay. Maybe I'd like some time to myself."

Hermione looked at him cautiously, not sure if he was joking or not. "You're joking, aren't you?" she asked, unsurely.

"No, I mean it. So, bugger off," Draco said but he was grinning widely at her. He then leant closer and lowered his voice. "If we're not going anywhere – how about I try and get you drunk?"

Hermione did a double take at him and then giggled. He really was very amusing when he was in this mood. She'd never seen him so relaxed and easy going and it was a revelation.

"It's only just lunchtime!"

"I didn't know there was a time limit on when you could drink." Draco stood up and looked down at her. "Are you hungry or did breakfast fill you up?"

"No, I'm full thanks."

"So just a big glass of red then?"

"Maybe a small glass."

"If you have a small glass, I'll just have to fill it up more times."

Draco left the room, Hermione's eyes following him. She lay back against the sofas, not entirely sure what to make of their conversation but feeling just a little thrill at the way Draco was being with her. Lighthearted, fun and…..she gave a little grin to herself….flirty. He was being flirty!

Ooh - I'm enjoying this time at the lodge. More to come...next chapter is almost ready so won't be long until I post it. x