A/N: SORRY!

I know I'm late with the update. Appallingly late actually.

I have no excuse other than life which has resulted in a lack of focus, but here it is! The next chapter and I hope you'll enjoy it.

HBSJ

Chapter 14

The tension in the bus on the way back was palpable.

Theo and Blaise made an effort to cheer everyone up but only Ginny seemed to laugh at their jokes.

Hermione felt queasy. What could Ginny possibly have told the reporter? She knew very well that when Ginny babbled and really got into her stride, she didn't really know what she was saying. Hermione had heard her spew the most insane theories and thoughts during a rant and, when confronted about it afterwards, she'd had no idea what she'd said or that she could have been very misunderstood.

She looked out the window, watching as the sky darkened ominously in the distance. Perhaps the good weather would be swept away right along with her good mood.

They'd had unprecedented great weather for a couple of weeks now, despite the usually moody British weather and it made sense that it was changing back to overcast and rain. Logically, it made sense.

But Hermione couldn't help but fall further into her sour mood.

Around the bus, there were many differences in the reactions to the end of their day at Badminton. Daphne and Pansy were both passed out on different double seats and Astoria was texting and mysteriously smiling down at her phone. Harry was staring blindly out the window and Theo, Blaise and Ginny were laughing and playing some sort of game at the back of the bus.

Draco was… well, he was by far the most handsome man she had ever seen.

Even now, looking angrier than she had ever imagined. He was glaring at the seat in front of him, grinding his teeth with his jaw working furiously and Hermione had an insatiable urge to distract him from his anger.

Well, why not distract him really?

He was sitting behind her on the aisle seat, so she leaned against the window and propped her now shoeless feet up the seat beside her.

Her movement snapped him out of it and he watched her with careful eyes. She smiled, trying to seem cheerful and probably overdoing it. "Hi." Oh yes, she was definitely overdoing it. Her voice sounded completely foreign.

He obviously couldn't seem to help it at her expression, so he quirked sort of a half-smile at her. It suited him eminently well. "Hi to you too."

She tried to modulate her tone to her normal pitch. "Are you done with getting your knickers in a twist? There's nothing you can do about it now anyway." She hated it really but it was the truth. No matter what information that woman had, they had no possible way of doing anything about it.

He sighed heavily. "I know, that's what's bothering me. I can't defend myself from some accusations I don't know about yet."

She shrugged. "It might not be about you, you know. It could be about any of us. We're all vulnerable in this and your brooding isn't going to change any of that." She tried to interject her rather serious statement with a bit of playfulness and was probably failing spectacularly. She kept the smile on her face with sheer effort.

He smirked and just like that, sitting in a bus on the way back to Dartmoor, he took her breath away.

She blinked to clear her head, it wasn't working.

Her mind suddenly spun a rather fetching daydream of the two of them lounging about, laughing and kissing. It was a fantasy that soon took a rather salacious turn as her imagination had Draco remove his shirt slowly. She swallowed. Ever so slowly.

He interrupted her errand thoughts. He leaned forwards with a smirk, bringing their faces perilously close through the small gap in the seats. "I know, it might be about you."

She did not handle his playful side well, it always made her all hot and bothered and with her sudden daydream fresh in her mind, she blushed to her roots.

He continued undaunted. "What could you have done to be scared of a gossip reporter, that's what I want to know." He smirked again and Hermione could literally feel the warmth flood her insides.

She blushed even deeper, she had no way of stopping it now. "Uhm, nothing… I think?" It wasn't supposed to be a question because she was quite sure that she had never been mentioned in any of the gossip rags before. They didn't even know she existed. Well, except for Tatler magazine perhaps but they knew everything about anyone who came from titles and money.

Impossibly, he leaned in further, almost sitting on the edge of his seat and her heart sped up. His eyes were alight with something utterly indefinable and she was riveted. He opened his mouth to say something and she bit her bottom lip in pure nervousness.

That stopped him cold and he swallowed slowly, his gaze alternating between her eyes and her lips.

That strange magic between them had sprung up again and it was wreaking havoc with them in turn and Hermione couldn't look away from him even if she wanted to.

Fuck!

He'd barely stopped a loud groan from escaping him as tremors rocked through his frame. He stiffened to ensure that it wasn't visible.

She had been trying to snap him out of his bad mood and he had wanted to tease her in return but this chemistry was something else entirely.

The bus was quiet and subdued but he felt quite the opposite. His body was on fire from just talking with Hermione Granger.

He was so utterly fucked, it wasn't even funny.

So, he did whatever men usually did.

He cleared his throat and changed the topic. "So are you ready for the next phase of your training? You and Weasley?"

She blinked, obviously taken aback by his rapid change in conversation. "I… uhm, yeah. I think I am. We're doing runs next, right?"

He nodded, trying to keep his facial expression as professional as possible. "Yes, you're doing runs with me and Weasley is going to practice hitting the ball and not hitting the pony with the mallet with Harry."

She nodded with an impressively blank face. "Alright. I'm ready." Well, perhaps it wasn't blank as much as sleepy. She closed her eyes slowly and burrowed into the bus seat.

He smirked. He knew she was ready, but the Weasley-girl was another thing. She might have some basic skills but he was not in the business of maligning ponies so she better step up her game for this part of the training.

He didn't try to wake her up, he was content to sit back and plan the training for the upcoming week. He would have to instruct Harry to keep the shenanigans to a minimum, Harry had a knack for messing about.

His thoughts strayed to his mother and aunt Lucretia. Their points about Hermione having to survive the press, if they decided to pursue a relationship, was not invalid and it was something he had to consider carefully.

A soft snore interrupted his musings and he was caught yet again. He looked around quickly, he was the only one still awake on the bus and they were only ten minutes or so from Dartmoor.

Hermione Granger was completely unaware of his gaze on her and he couldn't look away until they arrived home.

It was Monday and it was pouring down outside.

They'd had exceptionally lovely weather for the past couple of weeks, but now the British weather truly showed what it was capable of.

Hermione sighed and put on her wellies. She'd eaten breakfast alone since Ginny needed help putting on her skin-tight riding clothes and Luna was upstairs with her.

She wanted to go to the stables before training began and Ginny had been spending most of the morning in front of the mirror anyway, practicing her reactions. It was actually very funny to watch if she didn't take it so seriously.

Hermione was trudging across the lawn between the Dowager House and the stables under an umbrella. She knew very well that there was a possibility that Draco would insist on them training outside but she had high hopes for spending the day inside the arena instead.

By the time she reached the stables it was sheet-raining and everywhere that was supposed to be dry felt damp and soggy.

She didn't really mind the rain but in these quantities it was too much. As she looked up at the darkened sky but there was no reprieve in sight. She shook out her sodden umbrella and hung it up to let it dry.

A soft wicker caught her attention and she couldn't help her smile as Bolt the stallion claimed her attention. He really was a beauty. She took out a few pieces of apple from her pocket to spoil him and he huffed out a happy breath and ate them up.

Soft noises from the ponies all around her could be heard and she smiled to herself. "I guess I'll have to bring more apple slices from now on."

A chuckle interrupted her and she was rewarded with the glorious sight of a semi-wet Draco Malfoy, looking like some sort of Swedish supermodel just stepped out from a waterfall.

His polo shirt clung to every one of his toned muscles and his pants seemed to have become tighter from the moisture.

Her mouth went dry and she swallowed convulsively. He was gorgeous. She already knew that of course, but damn.

He smiled that half smile and she felt like swooning. She didn't of course because she was basically an advocate for female empowerment after all, but she wanted to. She just wasn't the swooning sort, that was all.

"Can I have an apple slice too?"

She cracked a smile herself. "Sure, if you like your apples with a bit of hay, sugar and pony saliva on them."

He fake-wretched. "No thanks. I'm into a lot of things, but not that."

She blushed at his blatant double entendre and laughed it off nervously.

Why was she so often feeling extreme emotions around this man? Why did he inspire the worst of her anger, the best of her mind, the hardest beats of her heart? And he could make her nervous like no other. It was just as exhilarating as it was infuriating.

Bolt, seemingly tired of sharing her attention with Draco, nudged her hand that was absentmindedly stroking him. She jumped and immediately cuddled up to him to try to mask her obvious reaction.

He clearly decided to take pity on her. "I'll see you by the arena doors at nine Granger." He chuckled as he turned to walk away and she studiously ignored every sensation this tiny action of his caused in her.

She sighed heavily. This kind of complication was not what she needed but somehow, it couldn't really be helped either.

Training was grueling but at least they were inside.

Ginny had arrived five minutes past nine looking gorgeous but uncomfortable. And she didn't wince once the entire day, Hermione had to give her that. It didn't matter what Harry had her do, she kept and eerily insistent smile on her face for the duration of the day.

Harry and Draco seemed to ignore whatever both of she and Ginny wore completely in absolute favour of the training.

Hermione preferred this approach but Ginny seemed to get more annoyed with every hour that passed. They were training on the opposite sides of the arena and Ginny was shooting furtive glances towards Draco, who seemed completely unresponsive to her charms.

No matter what had happened during the weekend, Draco was in full work mode on a pony. He was completely focused on the task at hand and he made her do the runs over and over.

The runs themselves were difficult.

Hermione had to steer her pony mostly with her knees, making her inner thigh muscles ache before the day was done. She held the reins in one hand and the mallet in the other, trying to send the ball toward the goal.

It was a lot to keep track of but she tried.

She missed the goal more times than she hit and it was endlessly frustrating but she gave it her all. But Draco seemed to take it all in stride, he kept on reassuring her that she was doing great in between barking out his orders.

When she went back to the Dowager House that evening, it was still raining and she was aching all over.

She'd had practically no time to think any coherent thoughts during the training and there was none pressing in to catch her attention.

Luna pushed her in the shower and was quietly but annoyingly insistent had her eat something for dinner. Hermione knew dinner was delicious but she was too tired to even process what it was.

She collapsed on the bed, completely unaware of the drama taking place at the Dartmoor Manor.

"Why the fuck should I calm down Draco? I might have been drunk yesterday but my memory is perfectly clear. We have a fucking problem."

Draco wanted to roll his eyes but by the look of her, she might just punch him if he did. Pansy had come down on him like a banshee with a vengeance the moment he returned from the latest training session.

He was still walking towards his rooms and he hadn't even had a shower yet. She'd probably been lying in wait for him, the wretch. "I'm very well aware that we have a problem Pans, but we can't do much about it, now can we?"

This time she was the one to roll her eyes and his fists were itching as she spoke. "Ugh Drake, there's always something to do. Haven't you shagged some dumb bimbo in a media company that's usable?"

His jaw clenched shut with a snap. "You will never shut up about that, will you?"

She smirked and he almost flinched. He'd just given away the strategic advantage and they both knew it. Damn. "You're right Draco,-" Her voice was like lethal honey. "-and I probably never will. But a media executive, no matter how much of a slag she is, is usable."

They'd reached the door of his rooms and he opened it without preamble.

Of course she jammed most of her body in the doorway before he could shut the door in her face. "Call her and just fucking muzzle Skeeter. You know she's capable of it."

And with that, she vanished from the doorway and he sighed deeply. But in reality he wanted to shout and rave.

Fuck!

The week dragged by and Draco's mood progressively worsened as the days came and went. When it finally became Friday he was a grouch.

Hermione was completely flummoxed as to why he was acting the way he was but she put it down to Ginny's debacle with Rita Skeeter. It probably stressed him out to no end that his family was exposed like that.

It showed in everyone, just how much power that woman with a laptop could have. Blaise was a lot more serious during his visits, so was Daphne and Astoria and Pansy just didn't turn up at the stables any more. Hermione would swear that Harry reacted physically every time something resembling heels walked around the cement floor of the stables.

Hermione had been thinking about this Skeeter-thing a lot too and it had occurred to her late at night on Monday that as Ginny's friend, she could have been spoken of a lot too.

But in reality, Ginny spoke only of Draco. It was Draco this, Draco that and only about Draco. Which meant that it was probably only fair that Draco was so irritable.

But this was the issue, as the last training day of the week wore on he wasn't just grouchy, he was downright mean.

He had her doing the most grueling of the drills over and over for hours until she finally had had enough!

She panted and narrowed her eyes at him. She could give him leave for his lousy attitude and she had dealt with a lot of his moods during the week but this was it.

No more.

"Again!" He barked, refusing to look at her.

She ground her teeth and got off her pony and patted him on the neck, both she and her pony were panting hard.

This time, he looked straight at her with obvious annoyance. "Again!"

She set her jaw. "No."

His eyes narrowed and his voice had gone deadly quiet. "What did you say?"

She crossed her arms. "I said no."

His face contorted from the mask she'd known all week into a towering rage of fury. "We still have two more hours of training today! Get back on your pony now!"

She scoffed, trying desperately to keep calm despite her racing heart. But it was racing from anger and it only fueled her resolve. "I won't cater to your antics any longer."

That set him off. He jumped off his pony and stalked over to her. "My antics?! You're supposed to do the exercises that I determine!"

He was right in her face now and she could just feel the anger surging within her. "Well, excuse you for the right wanker you're being! You might've had a stick up your arse all week but I will not be your personal torture puppet!"

He ground his teeth and his voice was low and dangerous. "What are you saying? That you're quitting my training?"

She rolled her eyes at him. Such a stupid leap to make. He was angry and irrational and taking it out on her.

"No." She said it like it was obvious, because it bloody well was. "But I won't accept being your punching bag any longer." She handed him the reins to her pony and marched away from him, back straight and fists clenched.

Draco glared after Hermione as she stalked off, away from him and he wanted to fucking hit something. Hard.

Sure, he might have been a tad harder on her than usual but that was a complete and utter overreaction. He hadn't done anything wrong.

He was her trainer and it was his damn job to train her. It wasn't his fault if she couldn't keep up.

He was still frowning at her back when he was smacked hard across the back of his head. "Ow!"

"You deserve it and you know it." It was Harry, looking more serious than Draco had seen in a long time.

Draco glared at him, what the hell was happening around him? "What the fuck did I do now?"

Harry rolled his eyes and Draco could have cheerfully smacked him right back then. "You rode both her and her pony to hard and you damn well know it, you arse."

"It's how I always train them. Every single one of them." He answered but it left some distaste in his mouth to say it.

He scoffed annoyed and shook his head. "Liar. And I never thought I'd be calling you that Draco." He sounded so disappointed and it cut Draco deeper than anger might have.

To add insult to injury, Harry just turned on his heel and walked after Hermione, leaving Draco with three ponies and an overly flirtatious Ginny Weasley.

"Oh Draco, are you alright? Can I help you with anything?" She simpered at him.

He thrust the reigns of Harry's pony at her without a word. He had no interest in fending her off or encouraging her in this infatuation.

He walked back towards the stables thinking hard. He seemed to be pissing off everyone around him and they all pissed him right off in turn.

Fucking hell but this was a mess.

He sighed heavily, a frustrated puff of air escaping him but his frustrations hadn't left. He knew, and not very deep within, that he'd botched whatever rapport he had developed with Hermione during this one week.

Harry wouldn't be a problem but he had a feeling that an apology would be well met. Or perhaps an explanation of his behaviour. Harry had no idea of the deal with the devil he'd had to make a day or so ago. Or rather, his ex, the she-devil herself.

He had been tutored intensely in gentlemanly behaviour for his entire life and in a week or so it had all gone to utter shite.

He grit hit teeth. He ought to be a gentleman but his damned emotions were getting the better of him.

He needed to get a hold of himself. Emotions was not a desired feature in a British aristocrat. He had to get them under control.

He needed bloody strength for the laughable façade he would have to show the world only a day later.

A/N: I hope you like it, please let me know in the comments!

HBSJ