Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Chapter 3

Hermione sat at her table in the secluded back corner of the library, parchments and books scattered all around her. She was currently working on her Potions essay about the effects and properties of Veritarserum which was due the following Monday. It had been a week since she had last spoken with Malfoy and she had finally started to let her guard down, certain that he had decided to leave her alone once and for all now that she had promised she wouldn't tell anyone about that night in the sixth floor boy's bathroom. The bruises on her wrists had pretty much faded away, the only remaining evidence of that night being the light yellowish tones leftover of the bruises. She had to admit, she was slightly relieved that Malfoy had decided to leave her alone. She couldn't bare continuing their interactions and keeping them from Harry, who was still certain that Malfoy was a Death Eater in disguise. She rolled her eyes at the thought, scribbling down the final lines of her essay.

Harry had not stopped with his obsession of exposing Draco Malfoy as a Death Eater. She found it a bit silly that Harry was constantly following the Slytherin around and trying to catch him in some sort of criminal offence. Sure, Malfoy's family had a history of being involved with the Dark Arts and being loyal followers of Voldemort, but Hermione found it hard to believe Voldemort would recruit a 16 year old boy for his cause. It was ridiculous. There was nothing a teenage boy could provide the most evil dark wizard of all time.

Hearing some commotion up ahead and a loud "Shhh!" that she recognized to be Madam Pince's, Hermione glanced up in search for the source of the noise. Her nose crinkled in disgust as she watched a giggling Pansy Parkinson stumble into an aisle, pulling along a tall, silver haired Slytherin behind her. She knew the two Slytherins had a of relationship of sorts, but surely they couldn't be serious. Hooking up in the library of all places? Hermione huffed, loudly packing up her things and shoved her textbooks into her bag. She refused to sit here and listen to Pansy's breathy moans for the next hour or however long they decided to go on for. Just as she finished corking her ink pot and began to turn to head for the exit, she jumped in surprise at the sight of Malfoy standing in front of her. His hair was messier than usual and his shirt was untucked from his trousers. She let her eyes trail up to his face and noticed a few purple love bites littering his neck. She immediately blushed, tucking her hair behind her ear and lifting her eyes to lock with his own.

"Don't you have something to be doing?" she asked, brow raised as she gestured in the direction of the aisle she had seen Parkinson slip into. "Or someone." she added quickly.

Malfoy smirked his usual trademark smirk and raised a brow back at her. "Jealous, Granger?" he teased.

She felt her face heat up at the suggestion and scoffed, shooting him a dirty look. "Oh please, Malfoy. Don't flatter yourself." she muttered, shoving the remainder of her things into her bag.

"You know…" he drawled, kicking a quill she had dropped back in her direction. Hermione glared even harder at him, if that were even possible as she snatched up the quill. "I never got to thank you,"

Hermione faltered in her movements, staring up at him in shock. "Thank me?" she repeated. "For what?"

"You know, keeping what happened between us." he replied, gesturing between them with a long finger.

"Um… you're welcome, I guess?" she said, eyeing him suspiciously. Had he really just thanked her? She didn't even know he was capable of having such manners! "Is that what you came over here for? To thank me?" she asked as she shouldered her bag.

"Yes. And because I wanted to ask you for a favour." he said, continuing before she could even speak. "I need some… assistance in figuring something out and unfortunately you might be the only person able to help me." his jaw twitched and he looked pained at having to even ask.

Hermione stared at him in disbelief, certain that he was pulling her leg. There was something that the great pureblooded Draco Malfoy needed from a lowly Mudblood like herself? There was absolutely no way he was requesting a favour from her. "Why would I help you?" she asked. "You've been nothing but a complete arse to me since first year and last week was not any better."

"Because," he began in a low voice, glancing around to ensure no one was nearby to overhear them. "You stuck your nose in my business last week in the bathroom, effectively becoming another part of my little problem. The least you can do is finish what you fucking started and help me out."

She frowned in confusion. What was he on about? How did her running into him in the bathroom and offering him her comfort affect him in any way? And what did he need help with?

"No. No way. I'm not helping you Malfoy. I tried to help you last week and you quite literally tossed me aside. I'm not interested in being caught up in your mess." she said firmly, shouldering her bag and side stepping him before heading towards the exit.

"Granger!" she heard him call behind her before she felt a cool hand enclose around her upper arm. She turned to face him, a look of anger on her face at his audacity to touch her again. Her words of indignation caught in her throat as she saw the look in his eyes. He looked like he had last week in the bathroom before he realized she was there. Desperate. Pleading. Hopeless.

"Please." he pleaded quietly, grip on her arm tightening.

Don't be an idiot, Hermione! She thought to herself. He doesn't deserve your help! This is Malfoy!

"Sorry Malfoy, but my answer is no." she said, pulling her arm free from his grasp and quickly heading out of the library before he could stop her.

Her heart lurched at the idea of denying someone help they clearly needed, but she had to protect herself, didn't she? It was too much of a risk to allow herself to become… civil towards Malfoy. She couldn't trust him, she barely even knew him as anything other than being vile! And her friends would never forgive her if she began fraternizing with the enemy. Sure, her and Ron weren't on speaking terms ever since his relationship with Lavender started, but he and Harry would never allow her to help Malfoy in any sort of way.

Shaking her head, she sped off down the hall and back towards Gryffindor tower. She had to hold her ground on this one.

Draco watched her leave the library, the too familiar feeling of dread rising in his chest. He had really thought she would help him. He had thought her constant need to make sure others were okay would force her to help him, even if she hated him. He gritted his teeth in anger, lashing out at a random stack of books on a nearby table and sending them flying. He was really done for now. The Dark Lord would kill him and his mother once the school year ended when he realized Draco could not complete his task. He miserably stared at the books scattered around his feet, completely out of ideas.

"What were you doing talking to that Mudblood?" asked Pansy from the aisle he had left her in, nose crinkled in disgust. Draco gritted his teeth, turning back to her.

"None of your fucking business." he hissed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her deeper into the aisle.

He grabbed the back of her head, a fist full of her hair in his hand as he pulled her into a rough kiss, pulling on her bottom lip between his teeth. She whimpered in slight pain before he tightened his grip on her hair and pushed her down to her knees in front of him.

"You know what to do," he muttered, leaning back into the shelves as she began to unbuckle his belt and pull down the zipper of his trousers.

He sighed in satisfaction when she pulled out his cock, enclosing her ruby red lips around the tip. He watched as she slowly, teasingly moved her mouth up and down his hard cock, looking up at him as she did. She knew he loved when she did that. He smirked down at her as he applied some pressure to the back of her head, coaxing her further down his cock. She hummed, hollowing her cheeks so she could suck him harder as she lowered her head further down his cock. She pulled back until it was just his tip on her lips as she smiled sensually up at him, moving the tip of his cock around her lips as if it were lipstick.

Draco groaned, tightening his grip on her hair once more and pushing her head down his cock again. He pulled her back up before repeating the motion, fucking her mouth roughly. This is what he needed. He was going to be dead in three months and he has finally accepted it. He tuned out her gags and choked up whimpers as he used her mouth relentlessly for his pleasure.

Fucking Granger. He thought, lip curled in a snarl as he fucked Pansy's mouth harder than ever. That fucking bitch had acted like she gave a damn about him that night in the bathroom, only to refuse him her help when he requested it. She clearly wasn't as giving as he has thought.

As his mind began to wander to the Granger situation, his thrusts in and out of Pansy's mouth began to slow until he pulled her head back and his cock fell from her lips with an audible 'pop'. The dark haired witch stared up at him questioningly, red lipstick smeared. Not offering any explanation, Draco began to pull his trousers back up and buckle his belt once more. Without another word he stepped around Pansy, who was still on her knees in the aisle, and headed swiftly for the exit.

This is really fucking with me now. he thought as he sped down the corridor towards the Room of Requirment. If a quick fuck with Pansy couldn't get his mind off Granger and his task, he knew he was doomed.

Hermione sat in the Great Hall at dinner, feeling a pang of guilt as she stared at the Slytherin table and noticed for the third day in a row that Malfoy had skipped all of his meals. It had been a whole three days since she had turned Malfoy down and she had not seen him since. His absence was not completely unusual as he did tend to skip meals and classes at times, but something in her gut told her that this time was different. Something really was wrong.

"Harry?" she called to her friend sitting across from her.

He and Ginny had become closer and closer as of late, and Hermione knew it was only a matter of time before they announced their relationship to the rest of the school. Although she was happy for her two friends, she couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the thought. It seemed that both Harry and Ron had now found someone for themselves and Hermione knew it was only a matter of time before Harry, like Ron, began drifting away from her. She pushed her insecurities aside, shaking her head to herself. This was Harry. He deserved to be happy with someone and she shouldn't make his happiness her demise.

"Yeah, Mione?" he asked, looking up from his conversation with Ginny.

"I was wondering… do you think I could borrow the map tonight?" she asked. "I really want to grab an Ancient Runes book from the restricted section but I don't think I can get approved for it by tonight. I don't want to get caught in there." she followed up with her explanation quickly.

"Yeah, sure. You know where I keep it," he said quickly, turning back to Ginny.

Hermione smiled to herself, getting up and gathering her bag before she headed up to Gryffindor tower. She didn't particularly care about whether or not Malfoy was okay… she was just curious. She wanted to know where it was that he was hiding out these days, that's all. Or so she told herself.

After entering the tower, Hermione dashed up to her dorm to drop off her things and change out of her school robes since classes were done for the day. Throwing her hair up into a messy bun, Hermione headed to the boys dorm to grab the Marauder's Map, stuffing it into her pocket before she headed out of the tower and to a deserted classroom. She pulled out the map, muttering the password before scanning the map for the dot of Draco Malfoy. After a minute of searching, she had finally located him making his way up the moving staircases. Where was he headed? She frowned, beginning to head in his direction as she watched his dot move up to the seventh floor. Hermione began to run up the stairs, making her way to the seventh floor. She skidded to a halt when she saw the familiar halo of silver hair walking briskly up ahead. Not wanting to be caught, she silently tip toed behind him, making sure to stay in the shadows.

I should've grabbed Harry's cloak too! she thought to herself.

Noticing a pause in Malfoy's step, Hermione held her breath, pressing her back to the stone wall next to her and hoping the suit of armour she stood next to would cover her. She listened for a few seconds in silence before she heard his footsteps continue again. Letting out a sigh of relief, Hermione continued following him. She watched as he stopped in front of a wall, eyes closed.

What is he doing? she thought, brows furrowed in confusion before it dawned on her. The Room of Requirement!

She watched as a large door formed on the blank wall, which he pulled open before stepping inside. Making a split second decision, Hermione decided to make a dash for the door as well, slipping in behind him before it could shut on her. She let out a sigh of relief, lifting her head to inspect the room he required, though she was met with the tip of his wand inches from her face. She gasped, staring at him in shock. He looked worse than he had the last time she had seen him. The circles under his eyes were now a shockingly dark shade of purple, and the whites of his eyes were tinged pink, likely due to a lack of sleep. His already sharp features looked impossibly sharper and his wand hand trembled the slightest bit in front of her. He did not look well at all. Her eyes softened as she analyzed him, before raising her hands up to show him she was not going to try anything.

"Following me, are you?" he asked, voice slightly hoarse and a sneer on his face. He looked angry.

Hermione swallowed, shaking her head slightly. "I… I wanted to see where you had been. You haven't shown up to meals lately and I haven't seen you in classes all day." she said quickly, nervously eyeing his want.

"You suddenly give a fuck about me again, do you?" he hissed, moving his wand so it trailed slowly down her neck. "You really need to decide whether or not you care, Granger. This is getting repetitive." he muttered, eyes following the trail of his wand down her neck and to the top of her shirt.

She didn't know what to say. He was right. She had told him that night in the bathroom that she wanted to make sure he was okay and then she had turned around and rejected his request for help the next week. And here she was again checking to see if he was alright. She felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment and shame as she tried not to pay mind to his wand.

"I changed my mind." she said quietly. "Whatever it is, I want to help you." she said, silently cursing herself. Why did she have to go and say that? She didn't want to help him! She had promised herself she wouldn't. Mentally scolding herself, Hermione took a second to look around the room.

It was a mess, things were littered all over the place and items were being stacked on top of one another to fit more in. What was he doing here? She glanced over at him again, taking in the surprise on his face at her words.

"You'll help me?" he repeated, tucking his wand away and lifting his hands to grip her upper arms. "You're sure?" he asked quickly, shaking her a bit. "You'll help me?" he asked, desperately seeking confirmation of her words.

She stared at him, slightly afraid. His grip on her upper arms was painful and he was acting a bit mad as he shook her. "Yes! Yes, I'll help. What is it that you need help with? What's got you so riled up?" she asked, hoping he would release her and calm down.

They stared at each other in silence for what felt like hours. He was inspecting her face, almost as if he were trying to detect sincerity in her words. He finally released her and stepped back, looking around the room as if he were unsure of what to say.

"What was it that had you so upset that night in the washroom? I know it has to do with whatever it is you need help with. I'll help you, Malfoy… but only if you tell me the truth." she prompted when he didn't respond.

They stood for another minute in silence before he spoke. "It's family stuff. I have something I'm expected to complete. A Malfoy's rite of passage, if you will." he explained, avoiding eye contact. "Pureblood tradition." he finished, finally looking down at her.

Pureblood tradition? She had never heard of a pureblood tradition like this before. The Weasley's -who were the only pureblooded family she had interacted so closely with- had never mentioned any sort of tradition. But then again, she was muggleborn and the Weasley's were not a very traditional family. She decided to give him the benefit of the doubt… for now.

"Okay…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say. She had a feeling he was hiding something, but she decided she would figure it out on her own later on. "And what is it you have to do?" she looked around the room in confusion. How did any of this relate?

Draco looked down at her with a calculating look on his face before he spoke. "I've been given a magical artifact… a Malfoy family heirloom. It's broken. I'm expected to have it fixed by the end of the school year if I want to see a penny of my inheritance when I turn of age." he explained, eyes locked on hers as if he were challenging her to question his words.

So that's what this was all about? Money? Typical that the filthy rich Draco Malfoy would go to these lengths to ensure he was set for life. If she hadn't already agreed to help him she might've turned away right then and walked off but Hermione was a witch who took pride in sticking to her word.

"What's in it for me?" she challenged, arms crossed over her chest. If she was going to help the disgustingly rich teenage boy in front of her become all the more richer, she figured she should ask for something in return.

"Anything." he answered immediately. So he really was desperate.

Hermione stared at him thoughtfully for a moment, unsure of what to ask for. She wasn't interested in money or social status so that was out of the question. As she stared at him she realized that although she hated the Slytherin, she was intrigued by him. His mood swings, his cold demeanour, his prejudice mindset, all of it. The way his face represented one of a fallen angel, unfairly beautiful while his personality was so cruel. She wanted to know more, maybe even challenge his ideologies.

"I want you to answer anything I ask you. Honestly. No lying." she demanded, making sure to keep her voice firm so he did not feel that he could negotiate her request. She watched as he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"You want to play 21 questions?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Something like that. I can ask the questions whenever I want. From now until the end of the school year. And you have to answer them truthfully." she said, laying out her conditions. "And you can't tell anyone about this… my friends will never forgive me if they knew I was making a deal with the devil. And you can't keep calling me Mudblood." she added her last request quickly, blushing slightly as she did.

Draco smirked in amusement and Hermione noticed a flicker of hope shine in his eyes. "Deal." he held out his hand to her.

She hesitantly raised her own, still a bit weary about the whole situation. Too late to turn back now. she thought, raising her hand to shake his own.

They locked eyes as their hands met, her warm petite hand enclosed in his larger cool hand. Her breath hitched as they shook on it and she felt a flicker or excitement rise in her at the outrageous situation she found herself in.

What have you gotten yourself into? she thought as he dropped her hand, before turning and walking further into the room. She ignored the guilty part of her that knew she shouldn't work so closely with Malfoy without telling her friends before she followed after him in search of this broken magical artifact.

A/N: What do you guys think? I know Draco is using Hermione right now but I promise Dramione is end game! I'm starting to get the plot rolling now so be sure to leave a review letting me know if you guys are liking the direction this story is heading in!