Draco was only halfway up the stairs leading away from the dungeons when he realised that there was no need for Hermione to go to the Hospital Wing. She wasn't hurt (and if she was then the bracelet would've already taken care of it), just unconscious. With that thought in mind, he continued up the stairs and instead turning right to go where he was meant to, he turned left and started to head towards their common room.

It wasn't long into the journey before Hermione woke up. It started off slow, just the twitching of eyelashes as she came back around to consciousness, and then the shifting in his arms, though Draco paid her movements no attention. Hermione however froze when she realised that she was being held and whoever it was (a man, she thought, by the spicy smell of his robes) was taking her somewhere. She didn't know whether they were still in Hogwarts, she could've been kidnapped for all she knew – she could only remember being in Potions, but even then her thoughts were scattered and fuzzy. It was only moments later though, that she realised that there would be no way that she could be kidnapped in Hogwarts when no one could Apparate or Disapparate on the grounds, and it wasn't as if a kidnapper could just stroll out of the castle holding her. She relaxed a little at that, but not by much – she still needed to be on her guard. For now though, she allowed them to carry her.

She didn't know when she lost consciousness again, but she woke up when she was placed on the cold, stone floor – she always was a light sleeper, even before the War. She allowed herself to quickly and briefly look around, after checking that he (definitely a boy, she decided, after seeing his shoes at the ends of his trousers) was facing away from her from how his feet were positioned. Hermione couldn't gather any information from the Hogwarts corridor that she was in, everywhere in Hogwarts looked familiar to her after seven years of being there and since most places looked identical, there was nothing she could discern about her location. Although she knew now that she was definitely still in Hogwarts, she was still highly suspicious of what was happening even with the nagging voice in the back of her head that was saying that she's perfectly safe and fine. Taking advantage of the current situation, Hermione carefully, inch by inch, moved her hand to her robe pocket and tightly gripped her wand, giving the impression that she moved her hand there in her sleep. She froze when she heard him muttering some obscenities under his breath. She heard a door click a few seconds later, relaxed once again to continue with the unconscious act when she heard his footsteps move toward her again, and was lifted into his muscular arms. A few steps forward and Hermione curiously noticed that the arms that were holding her slightly tensed as if they were no longer holding a feather but instead a sack of flour, and, strangely, Hermione took a little bit of joy in this. Good, she thought, I hope that I'm causing you hard work and you're getting tired of carrying me. Merlin, I hope that you put me down soon so I can hex your-. Unfortunately, it seemed that whoever it was wasn't finding it that much of a struggle to hold her as one hand shifted to curve round the side of her and the other reached out to close the door so softly that Hermione wouldn't have heard it if it wasn't pin-drop silent wherever she was. After the hands moved back to their original places, he started to walk again.

He was jogging up some stairs now and despite her best efforts to keep her eyes closed the entire time he was carrying her, as she was bouncing in his arms her eyes popped open long enough for her to catch a glimpse of one thing: black robes and a Slytherin emblem. And that's when the memories of Potions came back:

The Professor switched Malfoy and Ron.

They were making Draught of the Living Dead.

He was staring at her.

She accidentally stabbed him with a knife and the cut repaired immediately.

She uncharacteristically ruined the potion and Malfoy had to fix it.

She got annoyed at Malfoy for not being over Pureblood supremacy.

Grabbing his wrist.

The electricity.

His alarmed face.

Her shock.

Feeling triumphant.

Black.

Malfoy.

Malfoy. It was Malfoy who was holding her, she realised, although she wasn't sure how she came to that conclusion. For all she knew, it could've been Zabini that was carrying her. He was, after all, the only other Slytherin in that class; but something about that didn't seem right like believing that it was Malfoy felt. Now, if she did pass out, like the immediate black of her memories suggested, then it would've made sense for Cassidy to order someone to take her the Hospital Wing (again) or back to the common room. She guessed that she was more likely in the common room because Malfoy had to unlock a door to get in and in the Hospital; none of the doors were ever locked. The Professor himself could've done it, but he wouldn't have been holding her and Hermione definitely would've known if it was Ron or Harry holding her – even without seeing the house logo. Something definitely happened and, in a way, Hermione was almost glad that it was Malfoy – it meant that he'd have to suck up his stupid, egotistic, bigoted Pureblood and even worse, his Malfoy pride to make actual contact with her.

By now, they were (or at least Hermione believed they were) at the top of the staircase and Hermione froze with realisation. Malfoy's room was the very last one – the one at the top of the stairs, she remembered because she'd spent the past week trying to avoid that very door and its occupant. Therefore, if they were at the top of the stairs then they were...going in his room. Hermione was suddenly very glad that she still had her grip on her wand – the only way she was going in that room would be kicking and screaming. Her hand tightened around her wand when she felt his arms shift again so that he was holding her with one arm, ready to hex him to the next century and back as soon as that godforsaken white door clicked open. When she felt him hesitate to open the door, her hand loosened slightly but when she felt his muscles shift as he moved and felt him pull her robe, her wand dug into his neck before he even had time to blink.

"Well I see you're awake," he drawled, moving his eyes to stare directly into hers. She glared and him and as she was at the moment distracted with opening her mouth to interrogate him, he plunged his hand into her robe pocket and pulled out her key. When she realised, she screeched in frustration and pushed away from him, stumbling on her feet as they hit the floor. Draco pretended not to notice or not to care as he watched the little red otter bare its teeth at him. When she saw that he wasn't paying any attention to her and still had her key, she turned on him.

"How dare you just – just go in my pocket and take my key like that! What were you doing, huh? You – you pathetic, ungentlemanly-"

"Ungentlemanly? Granger, is that even a word?" Draco interrupted her.

"I'll use fake words if I want to Malfoy! Don't interrupt-" Hermione said waving her wand at him threateningly.

"I'm just saying, the Brightest Witch of Her Age can't even use real words. I wonder what-"

"Fine Malfoy," Hermione growled. "You are the very epitome of someone who is not a gentleman-" She emphasized her point by prodding Draco in the chest after each word until he had had enough and snatched it from her grasp as well as interrupting her tirade again.

"Not a gentleman," Draco scoffed, holding her wand out of her reach. "I'll have you know that only a gentleman would carry you from the Dungeons to here without putting you down-"

"Don't lie! You put me down outside the Tower. And anyway, what kind of gentleman doesn't offer help when a lady stumbles-"

"Wait, you were awake? And you just let yourself be carried by Death-"

"Shut up! Shut up Malfoy! I can't be bothered to argue with you anymore, it's pointless. Now give me my key and my wand and get lost." She held out her hand for things. Draco sighed, slightly disappointed that their little argument had ended so quickly. He dropped his arm down from above his head and just as she reached out to snatch the wand from him as he was dangling it a few inches above her palm, he lifted it quickly out of her grasp.

"I accept your thanks by the way," he said sarcastically, placing the wand and key in her palm properly.

"You're welcome," She said dryly, placing the key into her door and turning it, not facing him. "I accept your apology.

"And what, exactly, do I have to apologise for? For not rescuing you from being tortured in Malfoy Manor because I-"

"Oh spare me the speech! I already know you couldn't have done anything to help, even if you wanted to – I am the Brightest Witch," she said scathingly with an eye roll. "You have to apologise for..." Hermione hesitated for a second. "Well, I don't know what you did precisely, but it was like torture! When you touched me – in the common room – while we were discussing how to make the portrait – 6 days ago. I know you remember Malfoy, you were screaming too and I intend to find out what happened that day." Draco went rigid was ready to start denying everything, before he stopped himself, realising that he probably would sound defensive. She didn't look behind her to see his expression and walked into her room, shutting the door behind her but Draco wasn't quite done with talking to her. He caught the door before it closed and walked into her room after her. When she didn't hear her door close, she looked over her shoulder and rolled her eyes when she saw Malfoy in the room.

"Well I can't exactly apologise for something unknown to you, can I? Besides, I think I made up for it. I don't know whether Madam Pomfrey told you but I was the one to take you to her after-"

"I tripped over you? You did redeem yourself temporarily for that, but it was your fault, therefore it just cancelled itself out," She pointed out. "You've redeemed yourself of everything except that day Malfoy and this time, I want an apology."

Draco smirked, leaning against her wall. "I thought you hated me more than this Granger."

"I believe in redemption and I believe the best time for redemption is after a war."

"So, what? What else is it that you want from me?" Draco asked sceptically, raising one of his eyebrows.

"Nothing. All I want is an apology," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes at his paranoia. "And since you've probably never apologised to someone in your life, I don't care how bad it is."

"I'm sorry Granger," Draco drawled with a little wiggle of his head. "That's the best you're going to get so you better accept it." He pushed himself up from the wall and crossed the room to stand in front of Hermione who was glaring at him. "Now, I'd like to hear some thanks for carrying you everywhere."

Hermione hummed, crossing her arms. "Why were you carrying me anyway? Am I correct in thinking that I passed out?"

"Right after you touched me," Draco nodded his head, smirking. "Of course, there's nothing unusual about that – loads of girls have passed out after touching me. I wouldn't count you any different. Not to worry though, that git of a professor isn't actually that bad. As soon as you went down, he sent me to take you to the Hospital Wing - but it isn't like your hurt so I brought you here – and he's finishing our potion for us."

"Malfoy! You can't call a professor a git," she lectured, standing up from her perch on the chair, making herself face-to-face (or more like face-to-chest) with him. She looked up at him to look him at the eye and cocked her head to the side, her eyebrows drawing together in interest. "Well, thank you anyway. Oh, and speaking of Potions, I've got something to ask you."

Draco looked down at her cautiously. She'd already noticed much more than he would've liked and he was worried that if she hadn't yet, then she'd soon figure out that he was part Veela. And after that, how much longer would it be before she figures out that she was his Mate? He only just barely made up an excuse about why she fainted, although some of it was the truth. He wondered briefly if she actually believed him and why she was being so nice of a sudden. Maybe it was their special connection to each other, though the book never said that it would cause their mood to change so quickly, only that they would be curious. Perhaps it was written in another book, he'd have to do some more reading if that was the case; he didn't want to think that winning her over was going to be easy when it most likely wasn't. "Ask away," he said.

"Well," she said slowly. "I accidentally stabbed you in Potions. It wasn't that big, but it did cut you and seconds later, it healed itself. What did you do? I didn't see you use your wand or anything and it was like you didn't even notice."

Draco went rigid again. This was the very thing that he was worried that she was going to ask him. He never realised until now, just how much attention she actually paid him. All the little things that had been happening she'd taken note of. It was a great mystery why she hadn't shown any sign of knowing or just confronting him about his heritage, surely she'd take immense pleasure in knowing how hypocritical his family were to her when they weren't even Pureblood's themselves and revealing the news to everyone so the public would have more reason to hate him than they already do. He looked at her face – she was studying him again, probably waiting for an odd reaction such as this one. Should he tell her anything or should he just say that he didn't know and back out of the room as fast as he could? What kind of lie could he fabricate that would make complete sense? "I have no idea what you're talking about Granger. I think you've finally lost it – claiming to have seen such a strange thing," Draco said, shaking his head and taking a step backwards, ready to leave before something slipped out.

Hermione gave a small manic chuckle. "Hm, now see, I think you're lying to me," she said and quickly she grabbed a hold of Draco's arm. Before he could stop her, she pulled up his robe sleeve and, keeping a firm grip on him as she started to wriggle his arm free, pointed her wand at his pale skin, muttering a spell that created a gash on his arm. Draco hissed at the pain, started to curse and shout obscenities, twisting his arm more frantically now, as Hermione tried not to lose her hold, and watched, almost crazily, to see if the skin healed as fast as it did in Potions. Alas, she didn't get to look long as he pulled his arm back, cradling it to his chest as it bled.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you woman? Merlin, you really have lost it haven't you? Going around, being civil to people and then attacking them to try prove some point that your crazed mind has made up!" As Draco backed out of the room, glaring at her fiercely, Hermione refused to accept that it was a one off thing and came after him.

"I'm not making this up! I saw it! I saw it Malfoy and I want to know what is going on with you this year!" She protested. Draco spun round when he got to the steps and stomped down them, still cursing under his breath, but quiet enough so that Hermione couldn't hear him. There was no need to for her to hear him cursing his Veela ancestors, his Mate's stupidly clever mind and curiosity and the goddamn Charms on the Tower. But most of all, Draco Malfoy was still cursing the Fates for his unfair life. He crossed the common room quickly with his long strides, threw open the door to let himself out and slammed it shut hoping to keep Granger away from him for a little bit longer while he repaired himself. If she couldn't see it happen, he could just say that he knows some very good healing Charms. He pulled his arms away from his robes as he stepped outside the Tower and allowed himself a sigh of relief as the pain ebbed away. His relief however, didn't last long.

"I knew it," she breathed. "I knew I saw something happen in Potions! You just did it now." She looked completely satisfied with herself for knowing that something was up, though she still didn't know just how complicated the situation was and what the technicalities of it was, but she was sure as hell was going to find out – even if she had to force Veritaserum down his throat herself!

"When did you get there?" Draco found himself stupidly asking. However, it was something he wanted to know. Although, thinking about it now, he didn't recall hearing the door slam shut; she must've flown down the stairs to catch up with him so quickly.

How was he supposed to explain all this?

A/N- I don't really know how to explain Draco's behaviour in this but he's trying without the Veela side there to help...And Hermione...Well the past week has really been messing with her mind and not to mention it's been mostly Malfoy and let's not forget that all the happenings have been playing heavily on her mind. She's been craving answers and she didn't care whether it was Draco that would have to give it to her. She needed them. Today.

I don't know whether ungentlemanly is a word or not. Microsoft Word says that it isn't but the dictionary on my iPod gladly defines it. So I'm not too sure about that...

Erm, yeah, I think that's all I want to say.

Please favourite and review!