Hermione was sitting outside the hotel in the courtyard that the guests could use to relax. It was quiet out here and she leant back on the bench, shutting her eyes for a moment. It had been 36 hours since Draco had left for New York with a smug looking Abigail in tow. Hermione had said a brief goodbye to him in the apartment so that she didn't have to see Abigail.

She'd spent a very unproductive few hours in her office this morning, unable to concentrate properly. She come outside to try and clear her head but it wasn't working.

After a few more minutes, she went back upstairs and sat back down at her desk, pulling a ledger towards her to go over the figures again. As she worked along the columns, something caught her eye on the corner of her desk and she lifted her gaze to see a piece of parchment glowing. She reached over to it, surprised and puzzled, and lifted it up.

It was blank, so she turned it over but could still see nothing. She tried 'revelio' on it but nothing happened. Shaking her head and thinking that maybe she was going crazy, she put it down again. As she did so, words appeared on it and she quickly picked it up again.

"Hey…hope this is working….."

Hermione stared at the letters as they faded away, bewildered.

"If you get this, then just use the quill I've left on the table behind your desk to reply to me. D x"

Hermione turned around and saw a quill. She picked it up and pulled the parchment towards her. Whatever type of communication this was, she'd never seen or heard of it before. She wrote one word on the parchment.

"Draco?"

A few seconds later more words appeared.

"Of course it's me! Who the hell else would it be?"

Hermione grinned but shook her head at his tone. Typical Malfoy!

"Just checking – how did you learn how to do this?"

Again her letters faded and she waited for his reply.

"Ah! Do I know a spell that you don't?!"

Hermione could hear him saying this in her head. He'd be very happy that he knew a spell that she didn't.

"Looks like you do. Bet you're pleased with yourself."

"Of course I am. Call yourself the brightest witch of her age?"

"Well, for once I don't mind you being 'cleverer' than me. This is a great spell!"

"It is! How are you?"

Hermione bit her lip, staring at the newest words on the parchment. Draco had caught her out with his abrupt change of tone and his question. She hesitated, not sure how to answer.

"I'm okay. It's nice and peaceful here – no troublesome guests."

"You mean boring?"

"I suppose I'm missing the constant hassle and harassment."

"You're missing me then?"

Hermione smiled at the swiftly fading words. He was such an arrogant twerp sometimes!

"That isn't what I said."

"It's what you meant."

"I'm changing my mind about this form of communication - I feel aggravation may be about to invade my life again after 36 hours of peace."

"Aggravation! Don't you mean joy?"

Hermione actually laughed out loud at this. She realised she hadn't asked him about his friend yet.

"How is New York? Any news on your friend?"

"Nothing. I'm worried to be honest."

"Sorry – hope you get some news soon."

"Just trying to restore some sanity to the office here. It's chaotic – I could do with your organisational skills."

Hermione smiled at his compliment. She also smiled because he didn't mention Abigail and her organisational skills. Vindictively, Hermione hoped that she was really struggling! "That was a compliment – did you forget who you're communicating with?" she joked.

"I can be nice….sometimes."

Hermione wasn't sure how to reply and before she could answer, Draco wrote again.

"So, you're not missing me then?"

She sighed. Truth, half truth or just feed him any old answer? Without really deciding she wrote the next words.

"Actually, surprisingly and annoyingly, I am."

"Correct answer."

"Try not to let your head swell any further!" She joked again but actually, Draco's honesty was making her feel a little sad. She really was missing him. As if he could read her mood, despite her jovial reply, he wrote again.

"I'm missing you too."

Hermione felt a sudden swell of emotion and gulped. This was fast becoming painful. Again, Draco wrote before she could reply.

"Too much niceness? Have I freaked you out?"

She grabbed the quill and wrote quickly.

"No – not freaked. Just a bit..." She paused. She had been about to write the word sad bu she wasn't sure she should tell him that. Was it too much to tell him that him being away from her made her miserable? She should probably stick to the joking and teasing.

As she tried to think of another word, the letters she'd already written started to fade and, before she could change them, they'd been sent. She bit her lip - Draco was going to wonder what she meant! She watched the parchment intently, but no message came straight back. She was just about to write again when his message popped up.

"Just a bit? Just a bit what?"

Hermione tried to think how to answer. Tired? No - that just made her sound like a boring workaholic. Unhappy? Miserable? Busy? She groaned - just put a word down! Any word!

"Hermione? Are you okay?"

She tutted at herself impatiently and for the want of finding anything more suitable she just wrote on the paper.

"That should have said - just a bit sad."

Again there was a slight delay before she got a reply.

"Sad?"

Hermione rubbed her forehead - what was she getting into here? She'd dug herself into a hole now so she may as well be truthful. She wrote back again.

"As much as I hate to admit it - I wish we were having this conversation in person," she paused just for a second and then added a lighter tone, "admittedly, we'd probably be shouting it at each other and threatening to hex each other at the same time..."

She watched the words fade, her heart thumping in her chest. It wasn't like she was confessing undying love or anything but there was no mistaking that this was more than she'd dared to admit before now. She wasn't quite sure how she'd ended up at this point in the conversation but it was too late to change it.

"I can't wait to shout at you and threaten to hex you again."

Draco's reply gave Hermione a small thrill. He'd replied in his typical, sarcastic but amusing manner but somehow managed to tell her he wasn't happy being away from her either. She tried to think how to reply - it needed to be in the same tone as his message had been.

"I think this might be the most civilised conversation we've ever had! Maybe long distance communication is the best way to go, after all?!"

She let the words fade, happy with her reply. When she saw Draco's reply, her mouth dropped open, her eyes widening.

"What about the kissing? Can't do that long distance, can we?"

She laughed again. He had the cheek of the devil.

"What makes you think we can do that even if you were here?"

"I didn't hear you protesting too much when we did it before."

"You caught me off guard."

"Okay - no more kisses then." The words popped up on the page. Before Hermione had thought of a reply he wrote again.

"Not ever."

And then again.

"Never."

She giggled at his repetition and wrote her answer.

"That's right - never. Glad you understand."

"I'll just have to find someone else to kiss..."

Hermione read the words still grinning. He added to his next message almost immediately.

"Now where is Abigail when I need her..."

Despite her feelings about his hateful P.A., Hermione started to giggle. Draco's humour could be sarcastic and cutting but nevertheless it didn't mean he wasn't funny. She laughed again, knowing he'd sent this last line purely to antagonise her and she grabbed the quill to reply.

"You mean she hasn't tried to jump on you already? No romantic holding hands over the office desk? I thought she wouldn't have wasted any time with me out of the way."

"I've been keeping her busy."

Hermione bit her lip - not enjoying the images his last words conjured up. Not wanting to sound possessive or jealous, she went with another humorous comment.

"Eurrghh!"

"Ha! Not like that! Hermione Granger, you have a one track mind!"

Hermione laughed out loud again. She knew this was all a joke but it did reassure her a little. Draco didn't seem to be trying to hide anything. She stopped and twisted her lips. She was acting like he would need to hide it from her - she had to remind herself the whole girlfriend thing was fake.

"I'm supposed to be working - you're disturbing me." She wrote this to make sure she wasn't sounding needy but she wasn't expecting the response she got from Draco.

"Sorry - this place is getting to me. I needed a bit of normality - I thought one of our chats might restore my sanity."

She felt her stomach to a little flip, a little tingle running through her. His words were those of a friend, someone you really care about. Again she felt that horrible sad feeling. She knew what she wanted to write but she hesitated, the quill hovering over the paper. She knew that this conversation between them would never have happened face to face. She took a deep breath and started writing.

"You can disturb me from my work anytime you want to, Draco. I think I needed one of our chats as well."

The words faded and Hermione waited for his answer.

"Thanks - you can expect more 'disturbances' then. Why did you need one of our chats? Is everything okay there?"

"Everything is okay. It's just that the sarcastic, moaning noise I've had in my ear has suddenly gone. It's a bit too quiet."She laughed at her own joke and sent the message.

"Funny aren't you, Granger? Sorry, I'm going to have to go."

"Okay - no problem." Hermione frowned. She hoped her joke hadn't upset him. Hermione stared at the parchment, holding her breath.

"No, Abigail...keep your hands on the desk...we can do that later..."

He was teasing her again. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"You still there?" Draco's message popped up.

"I hate you." Hermione wrote.

"No, you don't."

She could hear him saying these three words in that deep, smooth voice of his and she smiled.

"No, I don't." She wrote and put her quill down. She wasn't sure if that was the end of their conversation and she stared at the parchment, ready to put it to one side. Suddenly, another message appeared.

"Hold that thought...we'll continue this later. D x"

Hermione found herself grinning and then sighed. He was now signing his messages with his initial and a kiss? Things were going from weird to peculiar.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''''''''''''''''

"Blaise has heard from Draco. They haven't found his friend yet," Ginny said, as the two of them sat in the empty nightclub, checking the bookings.

"Oh, I know. It's awful, isn't it?"

"How do you know?"

Hermione looked up at her friend. "He sent me a message."

"Using that parchment and quill thing? Blaise described it to me - I've never heard of it!"

"Me neither. He now thinks he's clever because he knows a spell that we don't!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So, he contacted you?" Ginny asked, her eyes on her friends face.

"Yes."

"What about?"

Hermione stopped writing in the bookings book and looked up again. "Nothing in particular..."

"Are you avoiding the question?"

"No! Really, it wasn't about anything in particular."

Ginny raised her elegant eyebrows. "So, Draco Malfoy just sent you a message to say hi?"

"Yes."

Ginny leant forward. "Just to say hi?"

Hermione sighed. "Ginny! Just say whatever it is you're trying to say!"

Ginny sat back and folded her arms. "He likes you."

Hermione sighed loudly.

"And you like him," Ginny continued.

"I've never said I don't like him," Hermione answered.

"You know what I mean. What did he say in his message?"

"He asked if everything was okay and said it was chaotic in New York."

"And?" Ginny prompted her.

Hermione shrugged. "That was it really."

Ginny shook her head. "Did you tell him you're miserable without him?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

Hermione looked at her friend and sighed again. "Well, as you won't let it go, actually, I did tell him that I'm missing him."

"Yeah!" Ginny did a little punch in the air. "Did he say he was missing you?"

"Yes, he did."

Ginny grinned widely. "Hee! I love it."

Hermione looked intently at her friend, debating with how much to say to her. "He said he was going to message me again later." She bit her lip. "This all feels weird, Ginny."

"Of course it does - you're falling for our arch enemy!"

Hermione groaned. "I'm not falling for him!"

Ginny smirked. "Not yet."

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''

She stayed late at the office telling herself it was because she had lots to do. The truth was, she wanted to see if Draco messaged her again. She thought about taking the parchment home with her, but she wasn't sure if it would still work if she removed it from her office.

Eventually, she sighed and started to get ready to go. He obviously wasn't going to contact her now, so she may as well go home. She then stopped and stared at the parchment. She could just send him a message? Why not?

She pulled the parchment over and grabbed the quill.

"Hey - on my way home now so probably catch up again tomorrow?"

She watched as the words faded, not really expecting an answer, but almost immediately words appeared on the parchment.

"You're there? I thought it was too late and you would have gone home."

Hermione felt a rush of relief. "I'm here - I'm always here!"

"They found him, Hermione."

"What? Oh, that's great!"

"He's dead - they suspect someone he wrote a article about killed him."

Hermione felt her whole body drop and stared at the paper, feeling awful. This was terrible.

"Oh, Draco! That's awful. I'm so, so sorry."

"I feel terrible. He wrote the story for my bloody magazine!"

"It's not your fault - you can't think like that."

"Feel shattered but I know I won't be able to sleep."

Hermione felt a lump in her throat and sighed. This was terrible and she couldn't help him.

"I wish I was there."

"Not as much as I do." His reply was immediate, his next words making her heart thump in her chest. "I need you."

She took a shuddering breath and if she could have climbed through the paper to him, she would have.

"I'm sorry." She didn't know what else to write.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I can't help you."

"You are helping me."

"Are you going to be okay? You should try and get some sleep."

"Yeah - I will. Goodnight Hermione."

"Goodnight."

She now had to wipe a small tear that had escaped from her eye. Suddenly, she wanted to hold him, she wanted him to be upstairs in the Penthouse, she wanted to hear him making his sarcastic comments, she wanted him smirking at her when she got mad at him.

The truth was - she wanted him.