A/N: I still have no rights to Harry Potter and his ilk, that's all JKR's

Thanks to those who've read/followed/favorited/reviewed, it's a treat to share this with you and I hope you're enjoying it so far. Another big thank you to my alpha/beta, Mcal, lovely gem of a human!

Chapter 4

Breakfast in the Great Hall was always a quiet and reserved affair, the students slowly coming to life with innumerable cups of tea, plates piled high with the offerings of a full English, and bowls of honeyed porridge; that is until the post owls swooped in, bearing letters and packages. The feeling of anticipation was thick in the air as eyes looked to the sky for the tell tale markings of that certain owl letting students know their family was thinking about them, caring for them.

Evangeline, Narcissa's barn owl, swooped down gently in front of Draco's plate. She held only a letter and released it easily to Draco. She watched him calmly as he tucked the sealed parchment into his bag, but continued to stare at him, her heart shaped face one of patience. Draco plucked a rasher of bacon from the platter in the middle of the table and presented his offering to the placid avian. Evangeline gingerly accepted the treat, thusly swallowing it in one gulp. Ever the elegant bird, she gently preened at her right wing before taking off with silent and powerful flap of her wings.

Draco watched her disappear through the open window and turned back to his plate. "What do you think Granger's got there?" Theo pointed to the Gryffindor table where Hermione Granger sat, eyes sparkling and a soft smile on her face as she read a letter, but clutched tight to her chest was a cloth sack. "She looks far too excited, it must be something extra naughty," Theo leered, his eyebrows dancing suggestively.

Draco made a noise of derision, "Someone's most likely sent her a book, I'm sure she'd count that as the highest form of seduction."

"Thought alot about seducing Gryffindor's Princess have you?"

"I most certainly have not," Draco defended. "In fact, Theodore," Theo mimed gagging at the sound of his full name, Draco rolled his eyes, "I am not going to give you the satisfaction of continuing this conversation." Draco stood, wrapped his cloak over his shoulders and stepped from the table.

"Draco," Pansy reached out with a hand on his forearm to stop him, "would you like an apple before you go?" Pansy looked up at him with a strange expression in her hand she held a perfect green apple.

"No thank you." Draco waved distractedly as his eyes followed something, and then swept from the Hall.

Pansy turned on the bench, the apple still in her hand as she watched Draco follow Granger out the doors of the Great Hall. She felt a spark of rage as he surveyed the entrance hall and then with a look of triumph, turned in the direction Granger had gone. Below the table, her crimson nails bit into the flesh of the apple as he disappeared, seemingly to cavort with that filthy trash once more.

At first glance, he didn't see which direction she'd gone, but as he approached the Black Lake, he found her. Her wild curls whipped about behind her as the wind picked up off the water. She was seated on a blanket, the bundle from the Great Hall tucked beside her.

Draco flicked his wand to silence his footsteps and drew closer, hiding himself behind a nearby tree. Granger gazed out across the water, her expression serene. Then she withdrew a knife from her bag. Draco stiffened at the glint of the blade in the light. She inspected the blade and waved her wand over it silently, then reaching down beside her retrieved something from the bag tucked at her side - an orange.

She brought the fruit to her nose and sniffed deeply, her face breaking into a bright smile. Using the knife she cut into the fruit revealing, not the bright orange Draco expected, but a deep blood red. As Granger brought the slice to her lips, Draco emerged from his hiding place and plopped beside her on the blanket. "What have you got there, Granger?"

Meeting his eyes, hers sparked with playful defiance, "It's a blood orange, Malfoy." Then she took the slice between her lips at last, the bright citrus smell enveloping them both as her eyes closed, savoring the flavor.

"Not the usual fare for Hogwarts. Special delivery?"

With a roll of her eyes Granger turned her gaze back to the lake as she finished the orange slice by slice. Then she shrunk and put away her knife, vanished the rinds, and rose from the blanket; but before she retreated to the castle, turned to Draco and smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know." Then flounced away.

Draco sat on the blanket for a few minutes longer, listening to the water of the lake lap at the shore; the smell of oranges hung heavy in the air.

She got another delivery a week later. Evangeline had just deposited a tin of shortbread at Draco's table as he saw Granger collect her bag and leave the hall.

Bidding good day to his house mates he followed her to the lakeside once more. This time he didn't hide behind a tree, he boldly sat himself on her blanket. She gave him a quick glance from the side of her eye and she shook her head as a small sniff of amusement left her nose.

Hermione repeated her steps to cut into the richly hued orange and began to eat it, slice by slice. Draco removed the tin of shortbread from his robes, making a spectacle of opening the lid and then choosing a piece. He noticed that Granger paused in her movements as he grasped the biscuit between his thumb and forefinger and brought the crumbly treat to his lips. The light sweetness burst on his tongue as the dense texture filled his mouth and he groaned in satisfaction, closing his eyes to allow the sensation to fill him. As he swallowed the bite and opened his eyes, he met Granger's sparkling topaz gaze, one eyebrow cocked up in bemusement and the ghost of a smile on her lips. "More blood oranges, Granger?"

Her answer was a grin as she bit into another slice of orange. Draco watched her as he ate another piece of shortbread with a bit less of the theatrics. As they finished their respective treats, Granger asked, "And what special delivery do you have?"

Draco popped another piece into his mouth, chewed, swallowed and then smirked at the amused witch. "Wouldn't you like to know." He teased, repeating her words from the previous week. Then, much like she'd done before, stood from the blanket and sauntered back to the castle.

After that he caught her eye occasionally across the Great Hall and in class. He enjoyed the mild confusion in her eyes and the searching looks, trying to figure out what he was up to. If he was being honest with himself, he wasn't entirely sure, but confusing Granger was a harmless, if not enjoyable, pastime.

The next delivery came and, much to Draco's delight, Granger met him with a challenging glance as she rose from the Gryffindor table and exited the hall. Draco scooped up the tin of shortbread he'd written his mother for and followed her.

He found himself at the lake, seated on the blanket beside Granger once more. Neither spoke as they prepared to enjoy their treats. This time however, Granger offered Draco a slice of the aromatic and visually stunning citrus. As he took the slice from her fingers he proffered the tin toward her. She smiled and gingerly lifted a biscuit, bringing it to her lips immediately. Her eyes lit with excitement as she discovered the sweet simplicity of Draco's favorite indulgence. While Draco held in a groan of satisfaction at the richly layered and nuanced flavor of the blood orange.

The light off the lake highlighted the golden flecks in Granger's eyes as Draco's swirling grey irises met hers. They smiled and shared a quiet laugh before turning back to the water, the silence companionable.

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