A/N: Sorry for this delay. I have been without a Beta and was being really really paranoid about this chapter. So, I'm in need of a Beta if anyone wants to give it go.

When Mina arrived at the apparation point in Hogsmeade Draco was nowhere to be found. "Where is he?" Since he left only moments before she did she checked the surrounding area looking for him. She searched for ten minutes before heading toward Hogwarts to report his disappearance with the Headmistress. What could have happened? Her mind was filled with all sorts of different and crazy scenarios; all of which resulted in him being dead. Her steps quickened as each horrific scene played out in her head. By the time she reached the castle she was running. It was fortunate that it was such a late hour as she made quite an unusual site running as fast as she could through the halls and skidding to a stop in front of the gargoyle.

It didn't even wait for her to say the password as she was gasping for air, "You again? You really should find an earlier time to see the Headmistress. This is most unseemly. She's not at your beck and call." The statue said as he stepped aside to let her ascend the staircase.

The staircase was too slow for her liking so she vaulted up the stairs as fast as she could and knocked on the door only to have it opened at the second sharp rap of her knuckles on the thick panel. She was about to start to explain her fears when she looked at who opened the door. There stood the man of the hour, Draco Malfoy. Her worry turned to anger in a nanosecond when she spotted the teacup in his hand. Despite the stitch in her side and the lack of oxygen in her lungs she managed to loud, "YOU PRAT!" at the person holding the door open. She glanced farther into the room to see a nice tea was set out. "You're having tea?! I've been worried sick, and you are having tea!"

As she took a deep breath before starting to berate him again, he asked, "Mina why are you...why didn't you come through the Floo?" Draco was as distracted by her mode of arrival as she was at his presence in the Headmistress' office.

"The Floo? My parents' house is NOT connected to the Floo."

"No, but the Manor is. Why didn't you use it?" Why is she so angry at me? He wondered in confusion as he retook his seat.

She took her first easy breath since she realized he was missing but her glare was still in place. "Dunderhead, how was I supposed to get into the Manor? I can't get through the wards let alone know the place well enough to apparate there. Besides, it's rude to just apparate into someone's home."

It finally dawned on him why she was so angry and the laughter that escaped his mouth should have been avoided for self preservation's sake. "Mina, everyone knows the wards around Malfoy Manor have been disabled. The only wards there now are the standard kind; muggle repelling, preservation and what not. Nothing special. Well, except the one that keeps mother contained, I guess. A condition of her house arrest is that the floo in Malfoy Manor be accessible at all times so the Aurors can floo in whenever the mood bloody well strikes them," he said bitterly. "Your parents' place is more heavily warded than the Manor. That's why we went that way in the first place."

She understood his bitterness but that didn't stop her from continuing her verbal assault on him. "And how exactly was I to know this? This information that 'everybody' is supposed to know?! You got us there! I had nothing to do with it! And then you don't show up at the apparition point in Hogsmeade and I search and wait for you and where are you? Having tea with the Headmistress!" She abruptly straightened when she realized that she was looming over him in her state of agitation and worry. And to make matters worse, she was doing it in front of her boss. She turned her head to address the elderly witch who sat patiently with her eyebrows raised. "Professor McGonagall, I..I…"

McGonagall waited a beat before saying, "Yes, Miss Granger? You wanted to say something?" She had a small smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye that nearly matched Dumbledore's.

"I...I…" She felt her cheeks get hotter yet as a blush stole over them. Her only saving grace was that she was still red-faced from her excursions earlier.

"Have a cup of tea. Mr. Malfoy was just telling me about the events of tonight." She handed Mina a cup of tea and indicated that she should take a seat next to Draco. "How are your parents?"

She accepted the tea and sat in the chair. As soon as she sat she felt the tension roll off her shoulders and the events of the night start to catch up with her. She sighed, "They're well. Upset, naturally, but doing better than I expected. I've decided not to visit them again because it's too dangerous." She took a sip of tea before she continued. "We've thought of other ways to stay up to date with each other." Pausing, "Professor, I'm sorry about my behavior just now. I shouldn't have…" She grimaced slightly as she reflected on her behavior and set the cup on the desk. She looked at Professor McGonagall with the tell tale blush having been renewed but unsure what to do now.

McGonagall started to chuckle, "It's alright, Miss Granger. I'm pleased that your parents are safe and that you BOTH are back safely but it is late." She noted the slightly drooped shoulders and tired eyes of the young professors in front her. "And I think you could both do with a good night's rest." She stood and indicated the door. Wearily, they thanked her for the tea, nodded and left.

*Two Months Later…*

The school year was quickly coming to close and Hermione was desperately searching for a flat. She had contacted several muggle estate agents but not one of them would help her find a flat as her salary for this year was less than their minimum. She had even tried for a short term lease but quickly realized she couldn't afford any of them and the shortest rental term was 6 months when all she needed was a 4 months lease. "Draco, what am I going to do?" She was sitting on a lounge in the common room while searching through three muggle newspapers & the Daily Prophet. Giving up the search she tossed The Times onto the pile that was already on the table in front of her. "School lets out in a month and I still can't find a place!" She dropped her head into her hands and rubbed the heels into her eyes. "The only places for rent listed in the newspapers that I can get for the money I have and for the time I need them are bedsits. I guess I could get one of those since it's only for a few months but I doubt my father would agree."

Draco folded the business section of The Daily Mail he had snagged from her. He added it to the pile on the table and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "If I had a say in it I wouldn't agree either."

Mina sighed, "I agree as well. The thought…yuck. I guess I'll just stay here for the summer."

He stood up and walked to the kitchenette and began making a pot of tea. "You can't. Remember, McGonagall told us all that everyone has to leave, even Sprout. How's she supposed to work in the green houses…"

"UGH!" She flopped back into the lounge. "I forgot. Now I really don't have a clue what to do. Why did Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have to go see Charlie? It wouldn't be convenient to stay in Devon but I could do it. But no! They wanted to travel. Harry and Ron are out. I've already lived with them once. Really don't want to do that again."

Draco brought the tea over and handed her a mug. "You know, you could always stay at the Manor."

"Me? At the Manor? Are you effing kidding me? There's no way."

"I'm serious. It's free. Your father can NOT complain it's a slum and you would be safe. After all what Death Eater or the wannabes that are still out there, would think to look for you there? And you'll have space to do your research." He looked over at her to gauge her reaction.

"Your mother would never allow it. Not to mention the wards."

"Ah, but we talked about this aready, the wards aren't as extensive as they once were. As for Mother, here's the best part: she doesn't have a choice. I inherited the title and everything else when Father went to prison. The rules are the rules. And the rules say she won't have a choice."

"Draco…" She still wasn't convinced it was a good idea.

"I'm going to invite you to the Manor for the summer. That's makes you an official guest of the Lord of the Manor." His eye roll told her what he really thought of being the head of the family. "Since she's my mother and still lives there and is my closest female relative, she's required to be the hostess. She can be nothing but polite with her actions; though her verbal barbs will probably be painful. What she can't do is throw you out or treat you badly." He stopped and smiled at Mina. "These are the 'rules' that have dictate her life after all. We'll just make them work for us." Making the offer just a little bit better, "There is a muggle village about a mile from us, just close enough for a nice walk. You can use that interwebs thing there." She was close to agreeing so to make his offer irresistible he added, "and where else are you going to be able to access a wizard library? I promise you, the library is at least as good as Hogwarts if not better. I bet you'll find it filled with books of which even you've never heard. And there is an entire section just on Ancient Runes. Maybe you'll find something to help with the Mirror Shield."

Her eyes lit up with the thought of all that knowledge and he knew she would accept. "Well...I wouldn't want to be a bother. But I'm kind of stymied on that shield and a place to live. If you're sure..."

"Granger!"

She smiled at him, "Thank you Draco. I accept your kind offer. You're right, Dad'll be happy because it's definitely not a slum." Her smile failed when a thought struck her, "but..um...is there a way...I mean I don't want to seem rude but...I can't, I mean I don't think I can go...is there a way to not go into..." He noticed she was rubbing her left arm.

He took her hand in his to stop her rubbing the scar under her sleeve, "Mina, I'll seal off the room. You won't need to go anywhere near it."

Her courage reasserted itself. "No. Don't seal it off. I don't want to put you or Mrs. Malfoy out anymore than I already am. Thank you for the offer; it means a lot to me. But I can avoid it. I can, can't I? I don't have to go through it to get anywhere?"

"No. It takes longer to get around but you can avoid that room. But on a sort of different subject we have house elves." When he saw her start to bristle, he added information. "They are treated better now than in the past but this last year has been hard on them. With the Dark Lord in residence and Death Eaters all 'round...well, let's just say Dobby was the lucky one to get out when he did. They had a really really bad year. They need a place to heal and feel safe. Right now, that's the Manor; please, don't try to free them."

She looked him in the eyes, "They are well treated? Not being beaten like Dobby was?"

"Promise."

She shrugged her shoulder, "I trust you. If you say they're treated well and are happy to do what they are doing…" She shrugged again. "Who am I to interfere?"

Draco's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

"What? I've learned. Though I don't like the slave aspect of it all, I'm beginning to understand more about the relationship between elves and their households."

"Thank you." He was somber when broaching the next subject, "You know, I would have stopped them if I could. I...I still hear you screaming. Besides letting those Death Eaters into the school, it's the biggest regret of my life that I couldn't help you."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, "You did. You lied to your Father and that crazy bitch. You knew it was us. I know you recognized us. I saw it in your eyes. And I believe you would have helped me if you could. I saw how you felt. It was written on your face. I think even if you would've tried you would've been stopped. If not by your parents then by that crazy bitch and I doubt it would have been pleasant."

"She really was a frightening crazy cow." He agreed. They stayed up late talking about the war, families, careers options, and everything else under the moon. They laughed and cried and argued and hugged and started to learn how important they were to each other.

The next morning as the great hall started to fill, it was obvious that O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s and end of year exams were close at hand for the students. But because the end of the year was close for all of them it was a strange mix; the anxiety for the tests and the excitement of going home.

Over breakfast the young, tired duo struggled to remain awake despite the emotions flying around the room.

Draco turned to Mina, "I'll send an owl to Mother to have her prepare a guest suite for you."

"A suite? I don't need anything like that just a room."

"No. You need a suite. I've seen how you spread out when you're in research mode. The common room was a mess for weeks before my tattoo. I don't want that all over the Manor!" His tone of voice and laughter dispelled the harshness of the words.

Professor Slughorn piped into their conversation, "Oh! Are you staying with our young Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger?" The Headmistress turned to listen more closely. "Excellent idea, excellent. Perhaps Mr. Malfoy could be persuaded to host an inter-house quidditch clinic over the summer. I was quite the player in my days here. I would be happy to help with the arrangements and listing of the best players in the lower years that would benefit from such an endeavor."

Both young professors smiled in a way that said they heard his words but understood he had an ulterior motive. Especially as Draco was fated to be the Flying Master and Quidditch coach next year. He had just spent the last 5 months working with those same younger players and was well aware of all the players. It was obvious Slughorn was after something else.

"I'm sure the gardens would be a perfect location. I'm told they are simply amazing; full of strange and unusual plants…" His eyes glazed over as his voice drifted to silence. He shortly came back to himself, "Yes, perfect place for a clinic."

Draco and Mina smiled at each other in understanding. Professor Slughorn wanted to come to the Manor and probably pilfer a few of those strange and unusual plants for himself. Harry had told Mina about catching Slughorn stealing plants from the greenhouses during sixth year.

Before Draco could respond, Mina piped up, "Thank you, Professor. I'm sure if Draco were to hold such a clinic your obvious organizational skills and advice on the players would be taken with the amount of consideration such a kind offer deserves. Why, after all he's only been the Assistant Flying Master and Quidditch Coach this year." Mina's sickly sweet comment, delivered with perfect innocence had Slughorn smiling and Draco choking on his juice.

She turned to Draco when she heard him choke, "Draco? Are you alright?"

"Just swallowed wrong." He leaned in closer so he wouldn't be overheard, "If I didn't know the truth I would have thought you were raised in pureblood circles. You sure you aren't Slytherin? You just out Slytherined the head of the house."

"Not that hard is it? I mean, it's not like he's Professor Snape after all." She smiled at him and continued to eat her breakfast as he turned back to his own food while chuckling.

Farther down the Head Table, Headmistress McGonagall rolled her eyes at Slughorn's sad attempt to get an invite to the Manor. The trepidation she felt at the thought of Mina going back to the Manor surprised her as she knew what had happened to Mina during the war. She was amazed and glad for at the developing friendship between Hermione and Draco, but to volunteer to go back there for an entire summer was astounding. Her brow wrinkled in worry as she thought about her favorite student in that atmosphere.

Three days later at breakfast, Draco received an owl from his mother. He read the letter quietly but Mina was able to see a coldness settle over his face. His posture became more rigid the longer he read. When he was done he folded the letter with precise and crisp movements before it was tucked into his robes and he calmly returned to eating his breakfast. Anyone who hadn't lived with him for the last several months would not have noticed the tightness of his jaw, the grip he had on his fork or the complete lack of extra motion in his body. He was completely still except for the necessary motions of eating.

Mina put her hand on his arm, "Draco, what's wrong?"

He looked at her but didn't try to smile for her. He gave a small shake of his head and turned once again back to his food. He poked at it for a few moments before giving up and leaving the Great Hall.

Mina debated following him. If he needed her he would come to her wouldn't he? Coming quickly to the truth, she left the Great Hall to find him. She didn't have long to look.

"Took you longer than I expected."

Mina whipped around to look behind her. There stood Draco, leaning against the wall with a letter in his hand. "This letter is from Mother. It's….it's not pretty." He handed the letter to Mina.

She was hesitant to take it but did. When she started to read it her eyes grew wide with shock. By the time she finished she was red in the face. She wanted to crumble the letter up, she wanted to incinerate it and she wanted to burn the author to the ground. "Well, I wish I could say that was unexpected." She handed the letter back to Draco. "I'll find somewhere else to stay. I don't want to make trouble between you two."

Draco pushed away from the wall. "You aren't the one causing trouble. She is. But I want you to be sure about this. I want you to stay with...at the Manor. But I don't want you to have to deal with this." He shook the letter, emphasizing his irritation.

She wrinkled her nose at it. "I'm sure...I mean, I can...honestly, I'm not sure. She's so vehement about me staying there." The internal clock that Mina used to make sure she was always on time for classes made her start to walk in the direction of her first class of the day on automatic.

Draco had no choice but to go with her if he wanted to continue their conversation. "I did tell her that you are an honored guest. Even though she didn't say it, she IS preparing a suite for you if you still want it."