A/N: Yes, I managed to update faster this time! :) This chapter might be longer than my previous ones, but I hope that's okay? I added a bit of background story to the Dramione ship so that Draco won't be entirely OOC in this story.

There's also a bit of Ginny/Hermione towards the end, but don't get your hopes up for that pairing. They won't develop any romantic feelings for each other in this story. :)

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter characters. I own anything else that you don't recognize.

Chapter 5 – Rule Number 5: Don't Stalk Your Boss

"All right, tell me again," Ginny sighed lazily from Hermione's couch, flipping through a magazine that lay on the coffee table, "when did pompous Malfoy become such an obsessive stalker? I thought a meaningless one-night-stand back at Hogwarts was all there ever was between the two of you?"

"Ginny, please!"

Hermione shivered at the memory. With her back turned to her friend, she stared through her curtains towards the street, feeling as though she was being watched. She had a perfect view of the London Bridge, with all its lights illuminating and sparkling, brighter than the stars at the night sky. The water of the Thames was clear and dark and reflected the lights of the bridge. Her office was just amidst the other buildings on the other side of the London Bridge, in Southwark, and getting there in time despite the daily traffic jam wasn't an issue if you can perform magic and Apparate.

In the four days since Zabini's unexpected visit to her office, a lot had happened. Draco Malfoy showed up. Draco had sent several Owls to her, and when Hermione disregarded them, he appeared at her office personally and waited hours in her waiting room.

Hermione's mouth literally fell open when she found him sitting in her waiting room, drinking a cup of coffee and smirking behind it. Physically, he hadn't changed at all since she last saw him at his mother's funeral two years ago. He still looked very attractive, Hermione admitted to herself, so masculine, and well-groomed.

He was dressed nicely in a white long-sleeved shirt and khaki pants. His skin was pale and smooth-looking. His lips was curved to that arrogant smirk that Hermione wished to slap off of his face like the last time in their third year, those same lips that once trailed kisses down her neck to tease her. His steel-grey eyes were captivating; there were the remnants of long buried hatred, spite, and detestation that they once felt for each other, that was soon replaced with desire, lust, and maybe love as the years flew by. And then, of course, the sadness, his disappointment in her, the pain; all that surfacing all at once when their eyes met. His light-blond hair had grown longer though, hanging in his eyes as he pushed his lower lip forward to blow them away.

For a moment Hermione was enthralled by his sight, remembering all the bitter-sweet memories she had shared with him and almost smiled, but then Amanda stepped in her line of vision. Her head was tilted to the side; she was looking curiously at Hermione, then frowned a little when she looked back to Draco. And Hermione had never seen Amanda frown before.

Before heading off to her next client, Hermione had instructed Amanda to inform Draco about her extremely tight schedule and therefore would not be able to hold a meeting with him for the rest of the day, and the upcoming weeks. Amanda looked almost gleeful when she sent Draco out of the office.

Then, the next day, Draco had waited in the lobby for her, even followed her to her flat, and knocked in the middle of the night at her door. Being a bit frightened though she knew that Draco wouldn't hurt her, Hermione had asked Ginny to stay over. But Ginny was living with Harry and of course it would arouse suspicion when Ginny stayed every night over at Hermione's place for no apparent reason, and the last thing she wanted was to involve Harry in this complicated situation. Because if Harry knew about this, then certainly Ron would find out soon enough, too, and that would only mean unnecessary trouble.

"Hermione, you okay?" Ginny asked from behind her, pulling Hermione back from her worried thoughts.

Instead of giving an answer, Hermione walked to her bedroom and looked through her drawers.

"What's wrong?" Ginny called after her.

"Just hold on a second," Hermione called back.

When she returned, she held a shoebox in her hand, and placed it in front of Ginny on the couch. As Hermione opened the lid and pulled out a handful of letters, Ginny's eyes set to a confused frown, taking a letter and reading it. When she was done, she picked up another, her lips curving to an amused smile.

"Malfoy wrote you all these love letters?" Ginny asked in wonder, stifling a laugh behind her hand.

"God, no, they aren't love letters, Ginny!" Hermione snapped, feeling her cheeks blush.

Taking in a deep breath, she told Ginny that Draco had been writing her the whole time since they left Hogwarts, even when he started dating a Muggle-born just to prove her a point, that the woman could have been her, that he wasn't afraid anymore. He even wrote her years later when he got married to Astoria, and then throughout his marriage. He kept Hermione on update about his life, sharing everything, giving far more detail than she really cared to know.

Thinking back, when they were still together, during their midnight encounters at Hogwarts he never did anything remotely like letting his guards down, divulging his secrets, sharing his problems, nothing that was personal that would have made him more human in her eyes.

When did he turn over a new leaf and actually became the person she had wished him to be?

All their meetings merely constituted of making out, heated and passionate groping, but most often fights and hurtful name-calling.

Then his mother passed away and he invited her to come to the funeral.

"It was all over the Daily Prophet, about Narcissa Malfoy's death," Ginny said in sympathy, knowing the pain when losing a beloved family member. She opened another envelope and pulled out the letter, asking casually, "How did he react though, when you didn't show?"

Hermione returned to the window, crossing her arms. "I lied, Ginny. I did show up," she admitted in one breath, "But I didn't want Ron finding out, I didn't want to hurt him unnecessarily. How could I possibly refuse Draco, though? Even Astoria begged me to come; she said she couldn't comfort Draco, that he was devastated. Attending the funeral and comforting a grieving, well, ex boyfriend over his mother's death was a natural thing to do, I didn't think too much of it."

"Well, I understand if you lied to my brother," Ginny said, just a little put out, "but you could've at least told me, you know. So, what happened then? When you saw each other again?"

"Hmm?" Hermione looked over her shoulder to Ginny, who dug her hand inside the shoebox and shuffled through the letters. She wasn't sure whether she could tell Ginny the whole truth now; it was still very personal. But having kept everything inside her over the years had become a growing burden that she couldn't carry alone any longer, she possibly had no other choice.

Ginny looked up when Hermione hesitated, and whatever it was on Hermione's face—the strained, pained smile, or the tears that now streaked down her cheeks, or her blushed face—that betrayed her, Ginny suddenly knew.

"Oh, no…" Ginny heaved a sigh, her shoulders sagging, "You didn't! Tell me you didn't!"

"It just happened," Hermione said lamely, shamefully, and disgusted at herself. She covered her eyes and wept. "Oh, God, how could I do that? Why did I do that?" She felt more tears running down her cheeks, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Ginny stood up and walked to her, taking her into a tight hug. "Stupid," she said softly into Hermione's hair, stroking her back. "You're so stupid!"

Ginny shifted a little, pulling Hermione away. "Hermione," she said, "reading some of his letters, it seems like you wrote him back, too."

Hermione nodded as she wiped angrily at her eyes.

"Can I take it then," Ginny said quietly, almost anxious at Hermione's answer, "that you've been…in love with him all these years?"

"Goodness, Ginny," Hermione laughed through her tears, "would I have dated him for two years and a half and lied to my friends or gone to bed with him if I wasn't in love with him?"

"Two years and a half? Wow!" Ginny leant her forehead against Hermione's, wiping her tears away. "You fooled us all, silly," she said, shaking her head.

Hermione looked away, nodding. "Oh God, I'm so sorry. I betrayed you, what kind of a friend am I? How disloyal of me—a Gryffindor, dated a Slytherin. Draco Malfoy of all people! Ron and Harry despised him, I pretended to hate him, but secretly I—I…"

"—you shagged," Ginny finished, chortling. Hermione scowled, but couldn't deny it. "You know, Hermione, we have to catch up on that. I need to know every detail, when and how it started, why you fell in love with the ferret, how the sex was. Can't believe you've been bedded before me!" said Ginny, sounding both stunned and impressed. "I had my first time with Harry when I already left Hogwarts. Hmpf, I'm blaming Harry for that."

"Ginny," Hermione groaned, pulling away from her friend's arms. "Can we please not talk about Draco? However amazing of a lover he may be, I don't want to remember."

Ginny's eyes lit up, her grin growing. "Okay, go on," she said eagerly.

"What do we do now with him?" Hermione asked to change the topic quickly. "What if he comes back again? Should I really follow Zabini's crazy, and absurd and very juvenile advice? The reason why he's probably suggested that was just to get turned on by the idea of Amanda and I making out or something. I doubt he was really serious."

Hermione felt uncomfortable at the mere thought of being with another woman, but her head filled with heat when this woman took the form of Amanda. She turned away from Ginny, who giggled amusedly beside her. "I should go to Malfoy and just talk to him, try to get through him that he better stay with his wife. That's what I'll do and keep Amanda out of this," Hermione declared obstinately.

"Sure, try it; talk some sense into Malfoy," Ginny said, "meet up with him, in some hotel, perhaps. If you think you can be trusted to be alone with him, resist him and keep your hands off of him unlike the last time you met—" she lifted her hands to draw quotation marks in mid-air, "—to 'comfort' him, then it won't be a problem."

Hermione covered her blushed face, feeling guilty.

"You can take Amanda with you, you know, just like you'd take her as your secretary to a meeting or a conference," Ginny suggested, "without having to explain the whole situation, as long as she acts like your 'little sweetheart'."

"Oh, God, kill me!" Hermione whined, "Just be there when I ask her, all right?"

Ginny patted her shoulder reassuringly, saying smugly, "Don't worry, I'll be there to make sure the situation won't be too awkward for you."

*,*,*,*

The next day, Hermione stared outside the café window, sighting Amanda from across the street as she jogged over to the café, where she and Ginny sat waiting. Instantly, her breath caught up, and then panic took over. She still hadn't wrapped her mind around the idea that she experienced an attraction to another woman, or rather, to Amanda who she had known for seven months now without having ever acknowledged the beauty everybody was talking about. She even barely knew her on a personal level.

Was Hermione so sex deprived that a simple kiss—and unfortunately from another woman—was causing her to feel this confusion?

Amanda was elegantly dressed, as usual, her sultry strawberry-blonde waves was pulled up with a clip at both sides of her head, while the afternoon sun was shining on her face. She looked marvellous.

"Ouch, damnit, Hermione," Ginny cried out, "that hurts. Let go off me!"

Realising that she was grasping Ginny's lower arm and squeezing it hard, she let go, and chuckled nervously.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," she whimpered. "To hell with Zabini, to hell with Malfoy! Blimey, what if she has a boyfriend? I know nothing about her except the little background information I got from her employee file. I'll only embarrass myself and this'll just add up to the already awkward tension between us," she rambled, grasping a bunch of her hair.

"Shut up now, it's too late anyway," Ginny groaned, sipping her butterbeer leisurely. "Even Zabini noticed how Amanda's been doting on you, and he's not the most perceptive person I know to notice human emotions. He's a fucking Divorce Lawyer, after all." Noticing Hermione's scowl, Ginny laughed nervously and cringed. "Of course, you're different!" She patted Hermione's hand, and squeezed it once.

Outside the café, Amanda threw a quick look at her handy mirror, licked her lips and smiled contently as if she was practicing a perfect smile before entering the café. She took a deep breath when she pushed open the door, and let her eyes wander in search for Hermione. She seemed rather uncomfortable with herself, almost anxious and the total opposite of what she usually was when in front of Hermione. Once she caught Hermione's eye, she walked over to her with her shoulders pushed back, displaying the smile she had practiced outside.

She greeted Hermione and Ginny in her cheerful voice, apologising for her tardiness, that she didn't know this place well to Apparate, and therefore had to take the bus, which she'd missed due to some familiar problem at home. She was really bubbly and so talkative, Hermione realised and smiled. Amanda dropped her head as her cheeks blushed.

"I'm really sorry, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley," she said at last.

Ginny waved a hand, saying, "Don't worry, it's all right. And please, call me Ginny."

Amanda nodded, planting herself down opposite to them. "So, what's the matter? I was worried coming here; you've never Owled me at my home address before, Miss Granger. And never on a Sunday, that is." She let out a soft but nervous giggle, and dropped her head when neither Ginny nor Hermione responded. Maybe the same question popped in her mind: Why Hermione would ever Owl her at her home address, unless it was an emergency. She took the menu card and flipped through it, occasionally trying to sneak looks at Hermione.

"Don't be rude, Hermione," Ginny muttered, nudging her in the side. Hermione started and frowned at Ginny. "Say something. I'll be right back; washrooms," Ginny said, standing up.

"Hold on, I have to go, too," Hermione said hastily.

By placing her hands on Hermione's shoulders Ginny pushed her back down. "You can go afterwards, talk to her," she said in a low voice, squinting at Amanda, who was now immersed in a conversation with the waiter. "Stay here."

Amanda was talking with the waiter politely, passing her orders as he flirted with her while she seemed rather oblivious. He asked her if it was her first time in this café for he had never seen her around before, while offering the various specialties on the menu just to prolong the conversation. Amanda made a gesture towards Hermione, explaining that she had a meeting with her boss, and thus, no time for chitchat. The waiter threw an accusing look at Hermione before he turned and left.

"Seriously, it took Ginny and I forever until he noticed us to take our orders," Hermione mumbled behind her glass.

Amanda laughed with a melodious sound in her voice, shrugging as if it was a natural occurrence in her life to have the males' attention on her. Not that she was being conceited; she seemed rather bothered by that.

"So, what's the deal, Miss Granger? This is obviously not a date," she joked, arching her brows, "I assume it's about work business?"

Hermione disregarded the question and looked out for Ginny. "Maybe we should eat first?" she suggested, forcing out a smile that made Amanda blush further before she looked away and studied her fingernails.

When Ginny finally returned from the washrooms, she smiled smugly at Hermione before pushing her further inside the booth so that she sat closer to Amanda. Hermione rolled her eyes and glared at her friend, kicking her under the table.

"Ouch," Ginny cried, rubbing her knee.

"Don't be immature," hissed Hermione.

The waiter came with their drinks, serving Amanda first but not without winking down at her. He placed the two plates in front of Hermione and Ginny, and asked Amanda again if she would like to order something to eat. Amanda shook her head and looked away, clearly irritated that he was being persistent.

"You on diet, Amanda?" Ginny asked once the waiter left, cutting her steak eagerly.

"No, just…I already ate at home," she explained, not looking at Ginny but at Hermione.

Averting her eyes, Hermione looked down at her plate, trying to find something interesting on the fish that was bedded in salad and potato, garnished with a slice of lemon.

"Me, too, actually," Ginny said, shoving a forkful of meat in her mouth, "but Hermione can't eat if not everybody's eating. It makes her feel self-conscious."

Hermione groaned in exasperation, but said nothing.

"Oh, I see," Amanda said, taking the menu card, "I can order a salad." After looking in her purse first, she waved for the waiter. A moment later he appeared beside her, grinning, and she returned a smile that seemed rather forced as she passed her order.

"If you're worried about the prices, this treat goes on Hermione," Ginny said with a gesture of her hand. "So, feel free to order anything you want."

"Oh, God, no, I can't accept that," Amanda said, giggling nervously, "it's okay, I'm really not hungry. But you can start eating now, Miss Granger, really, it's fine. My salad will be here any minute."

Hermione smiled back. "It's fine, I'll wait so we can start together."

An awkward silence passed, then, "Merlin! Want me to leave you two alone?" Ginny suggested teasingly, slurping her butterbeer. "Just kidding. Ouch, what was that for?" She rubbed the spot where Hermione pinched her, giving her a scowl. "How will I explain to Harry where I got all the bruises from, huh?"

"Then cut it out," Hermione spat through her teeth, her head tilted towards Ginny so that Amanda couldn't see the threatening look she was giving her friend.

Amanda laughed, looking from Ginny to Hermione. She had her chin on her folded hands, watching the scene in front of her with great interest until the waiter came with her salad.

Their meal was long finished and they were drinking gillywater and butterbeer in the late afternoon, when Ginny finished her tale about how her team won the last Quidditch match against New Zealand. They talked mostly about Quidditch, which seemed to be Amanda's favourite sport, Hermione realised, even though she never played herself, then about Hogwarts, work, and the latest on-sale outfits in the stores. Hermione just sat there, listening and nodding courteously, while trying to ignore that Amanda's elbow had been brushing against hers the whole time.

Surfeited, Ginny patted her belly and took Hermione's wrist to read the time on her wristwatch. "Fuck, it's late," she announced, gathering her purse and robe, "Harry'll be waiting. You'll be okay, right?"

"Ginny, wait," Hermione cried, her hand shooting up to grasp Ginny's arm. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Uh, home?"

"You can't leave now. We haven't even brought up the subject yet that we wanted to talk with her about."

"You know, it might be better if I leave you alone with her, because it seems like you keep tensing up whenever I say and do something wrong," Ginny murmured, easing off Hermione's fingers from her sleeve, "C'mon, she won't bite you," she said, then leaned in to whisper, "—unless you want her to." She winked and pulled away quickly before Hermione could smack her.

Hermione felt her head heat up, her jaw ajar, and looked at Amanda, who was restraining herself to smile. She looked confused and amused.

"Bye, got to go," Ginny said, waving, and blowing Hermione a kiss as she headed off to the door.

"The hell with you!" Hermione cursed, pursing her lips.

"It impresses me how 'different' you are outside the office, Miss Granger, and I mean 'different' in a good way," Amanda pointed out, her smile reaching her eyes, "so playful, and sweet, and yet very aggressive. It's giving your personality another dimension."

"Oh," Hermione said, embarrassed, realising too late that she seemed to have fallen back into being a bitchy teenager instead of a mature woman who found such behaviour inappropriate especially when around other people. She really ought to behave in a manner befitting her position, someone Amanda seemed to respect dearly and looked up to. "Sorry 'bout that. It's just, Ginny drives me crazy sometimes that I lose control of myself," she admitted, drawing circles on the table with her index finger.

"Nah, it's okay if you lose control once in a while and…just be yourself, y'know, and loosen up," Amanda said good-naturedly. Hermione looked up to see if the statement was a generalisation or if Amanda was actually referring to earlier incidents between them, but then she added quickly, waving a hand, "Landon is just like that sometimes, y'know, and even though I love him to pieces he annoys the hell out of me, and I curse and swat him, but only playfully of course." She laughed softly, her eyes crinkling at the corners at the mention of this Landon.

Dabbing with the napkin her lips, Hermione dropped her eyes to the table. "I see," she said, then looked at her wristwatch and faked a shock surprise, exclaiming, "Oh darn, it's gotten really late, and I still have to meet with a client."

"But today's Sunday," Amanda said matter-of-factly, looking confused.

"Yeah, but I arranged a meeting for today, since my schedule is overloaded on weekdays," Hermione explained without looking at Amanda, belatedly realising that she was trying to fool the person who was actually in charge of all her schedules, and thus knew that she was lying. "Oh darn!" she said, biting her bottom lip.

Amanda sighed her understanding, reached a hand forward to brush the back of her fingers against Hermione's cheek gently. "Don't need to get upset," she said, "I just thought you'd wanted to speak with me about something."

Hermione felt her cheek burn. "I—It's no longer necessary."

Standing up quickly and leaving the money for the bill on the table, she hurried to the door and left Amanda flabbergasted on her seat.

*,*,*,*

"She has a boyfriend?" Ginny exclaimed in disbelief, "But it can't be. She's so into you!"

Right after their dinner, Hermione had Apparated to Harry and Ginny's flat, and even though Ginny's excuse had been Harry waiting for her at home, he wasn't there yet. He went out with Ron and his brothers, maybe hanging out in some bars and getting drunk.

Their flat was bigger than Hermione's, designed in red and white furniture and a black leather couch and two sofas near the fireplace. There was a glass cabinet with Ginny's Quidditch trophies, while all of Harry's achievements were plastered along the wall, from medals to award and all kinds of certifications. They each had an own bedroom, a study room, not to mention the kitchen that was twice as big as Hermione's.

"I didn't ask if it was her boyfriend," Hermione conceded, pacing up and down the living room.

"Oh, Merlin, give me a break!" Ginny grunted, slipping down on the couch behind her. "Admit it, you only panicked because I left you alone with her. In Bloody Baron's name, Hermione, for all I care, order her to fuck you in front of Malfoy, if that'll help. And knowing that pretty flower, she'd obey and give you that huge cute smile she keeps throwing at you all the time, when she goes down…" Ginny cut off, chuckling when she caught Hermione's glare. "Just kidding."

"Ginny, please, have some respect," Hermione reprimanded her friend, grabbed a pillow and threw it at Ginny. With her skills as a professional Quidditch player, Ginny dodged the pillow with ease, and yawned to mock Hermione.

Hermione sank on the sofa behind her, exhausted, her eyes wandering towards the picture frames that were lying on the mantle of the chimney. There were pictures of Ginny's whole family, a single one of Charlie—Ginny's favourite brother—one with Harry and Ginny of their engagement three years ago, and one extra of just Hermione and Ginny.

"Did you really have to enlarge that picture, Ginny?" Hermione asked, pulling a face, "I look horrible on that one."

"You always look horrible; deal with it," Ginny chortled, a smile in her voice.

"Well, thank you!" Hermione laughed, then added with a sly smirk, "Doesn't seem as though Draco and Amanda share your opinion." Remembering these two people again, Hermione's face fell, and she crept over to Ginny to put her head in her friend's lap. "Oh, what am I suppose to do with him, Ginny?"

"Look, it's not that you're asking her to provide you with pleasure for that would be immorally wrong, not to mention that you're both women," Ginny said, giggling, "You just gonna ask her for a simple favour. Merlin, that ain't so hard. Your heart's practically screaming for that woman! Ouch, stop pinching me. Pinch me again and I'll bite your ear off till you bleed!"

"You know what I've been wondering?" Hermione flipped on her back and stared sideways. "When Amanda and I kissed, it felt all tingly in my stomach, but I know I don't have desires for her 'in that way'. Is that normal when you kiss another woman…especially one you barely know?"

"Duh, how should I know? Never kissed another woman throughout my entire life," said Ginny.

"And you never thought about it before? Ever?"

"Hermione, we are not teenagers anymore to experiment and play around, y'know?" Ginny shifted underneath Hermione, trying to push her off her lap. For once Hermione realised the seriousness in Ginny's voice. "It feels tingly in my stomach when Harry kisses me, so I guess you have to love the person you kiss, or at least be attracted to them."

Hermione sat up to face Ginny. "You're very confident with your sexuality, aren't you? Never had any doubts, right? That you like men…" She moved closer, boxing Ginny into the corner of the couch, and reached for her hand. "And kissing another girl is all right, isn't it? As long as you don't enjoy it TOO much and only do it when nobody's watching."

"Uh, guess so…"

"Good," Hermione said smugly, "then kiss me, Ginny, because that wouldn't be problem, would it?"

"What? Are you serious?"

"Pretty sure. Kiss me, just once."

"I—I don't think Harry wou—"

Hermione leaned in, pressing their lips together. At first she felt Ginny resisting underneath her, trying to struggle free from her grasp, trying to push her away. After a short moment, however, Ginny gave in and reluctantly returned the kiss. When Hermione pulled away, she saw that Ginny had her eyes still closed, out of breath, which made Hermione smile and giggle.

Then she sat up, still none the wiser. "Nothing," she concluded, toughing her lips. The confusion was still there. However 'okay' the kiss was with Ginny, it was nothing remotely close to the sensation she felt when kissing Amanda. "Figured it's not the gender I'm attracted to."

"Where the hell did you learn to kiss like that?" Ginny asked, looking stunned as she wiped her mouth and grimaced at Hermione. "You could've at least warned me, you know?"

"Oh come on, don't pretend as if you didn't like it. Anyway, I have to go. Will I see you tomorrow for lunch?" Straightening her skirt and combing her hair with her hand, Hermione stood up and walked to the door.

"Yeah, sure, if you insist."

Hermione smirked as she noticed that her friend still had a bewildered look on her face, then she laughed and left the flat.

When she arrived at the Apparition point of her apartment building, hushed voices and strained hisses caught her attention, and she looked up to see where the noises were coming from. At the other end of the dimly-lit hallway nearby the emergency door that was meant for Muggles living on this floor were two people, both tall, a man towering over a slightly shorter woman with wavy long hair.

Because of the distance, the woman's voice sounded muffled though the shrillness was still discernible, demanding. She tried pushing the man away, while the man just stood there like a stone wall, glaring down at her. He wouldn't budge, even from this distance Hermione noticed that his hands were clenched on his sides as if only years of practicing self-control had taught him to not hit women was keeping him from hitting her.

It seemed as though they weren't just in an argument, or had a lovers' tiff, but something else that Hermione couldn't quite figure out. She chose to ignore them at first, walking slowly to her door. Being familiar with this kind of situation from work, however, made her hesitate.

Before she knew, she called out, "Excuse me, can I help?"

Then both turned their faces just at the same time and they walked towards Hermione, hastily, with long strides. When the light hit their faces, Hermione gasped in surprise and shock once she recognised the two.

It was Draco, and the fuming woman was Amanda.

Hermione rummaged in her purse for her wand and key to unlock her door, in the hope to escape from this nightmare. She couldn't face either of them right now. Not now. But her hands were shaking, making it impossible to unlock her door.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she started and spun around.

"Didn't I tell you, TO FUCKING LEAVE ME ALONE, you IDIOT?" she snarled, hoping to scare off Draco.

But the sight of a frightened Amanda interrupted her thoughts of various curses that she could use on Draco. That was Amanda's hand, and she staggered backward right into Draco's arms. And Draco, for some reason, placed a hand carefully on the small of her back as if it was an inborn reflex, some instinct, to protect women.

Seeing them in that close position together, Hermione couldn't tell whether she was jealous of Amanda…or of Draco.

"There, you heard her," he said scornfully to Amanda, his eyes fixed on Hermione's, "she said you should leave her alone."

A/N: Please leave any comment below. I love reading them! :) Thanks to everyone who've left a comment so far, and/or added this to their favorite story and/or subscribed for an update!