Author's Note: Sorry been working hard/hardly working on school stuff and original stories, but I have no abandoned this fan fic. I am determined to get it done and will do so. I apologize for the delay and will now pin the blame on my beta...who hasn't actually read this chapter…*worries* But it should be okay…

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"I'm surprised that Ron hasn't written you yet."

Hermione managed a smile. She really loved Professor…well, Remus—He had decided she might as well call him that seeing as she was working at Hogwarts now—but she really wished he wouldn't bring up Ron. She supposed it was her fault really for bringing up Mrs Weasley and the cookies.

She sipped at her tea thoughtfully. It was nice to be able to chat with an adult that didn't treat her like she was still a student.

"You still haven't told me what you plan on doing once this year is over though, Hermione."

"Hrm. I haven't figured it out yet, I guess."

"You really ought to do some traveling. See the world before…well, before you do anything else."

She wondered if he had been going to say 'Before you move into Hogwarts.' It seemed to be where her life was headed anyway. Predictable Hermione Granger, the mudblood who never left.

"Maybe I will…"

Remus smiled in a fatherly fashion and sipped at his tea.

The rest of the conversation focused on Harry mostly, who was still undecided with what he was going to do but was planning to come visit her soon. That would be wonderful. Just thinking of Harry made her missing him. He was more than just a best friend…he was almost like a brother. Maybe when he figured out what he was going to do, she'd do something similar so they could be in closer proximity to one another.

She smiled as he opened the door for her. Then she sighed softly as she realized it was nearly time for another tutorial. This one was for the 3rd years that were all fairly better at magic than the 1st years. Thankfully.

She scowled when she saw Lucius Malfoy walking by. It was almost enough to make her wish Voldemort was back. At least the wizard would have better things to do than skulk and sulk about the school grounds.

He smirked as he noticed her and Lupin. She didn't like it one bit which only seemed to encourage his thin shark-like smiling. She shook her head at him while Remus offered a small frown of disapproval.

"Well…I'll see you later, Professor," Hermione said softly before leaving the threshold of the door as Remus could close it. He paused but she nodded. She could manage one extremely annoying ex-Deatheater all on her own.

Well, while the traitor was on school grounds, at any rate.

"Having a nice friendly chat with the werewolf, I see."

"…He has a name, you know, Mr. Malfoy."

"Do you not find it curious that the werewolves have benefited a good deal more from Voldemort's departure than…"

He seemed to be searching for a word that seemed oddly unlike him. Certainly mudblood should have been right on the tip of his tongue. Hermione wasn't a 2nd year anymore. She wouldn't have been devastated. In fact years of putting up with the vulgar term had made her build up a tolerance towards it.

"You could just say it."

He chuckled. "You would prefer that I did?"

"No, but I don't think it's ever stopped your son or you before."

"The times may have changed, don't you think? It wouldn't be wise of me to give voice to a term that would only serve to make you uncomfortable."

Hermione blinked. Was he teetering on the verge of being nice to her? Still, his reasoning were what she had come to think of as 'typical Malfoy logic.'

"Why were you talking to the werewolf anyway? Shouldn't you be tutoring some poor, inept First year?"

"I do other things beside spend my entire day in the classroom."

"Things really have changed then," he said with a smirk. It wasn't quite cruel, if she didn't know better she would think it was almost playful.

Did neither one of them have anything better to do besides speak to one another? She guessed not. She didn't seem as ill at ease as she might have been even several months ago.

"And if they have?"

Was she actually encouraging him? She could feel her ears turning crimson. She really needed a way out of this conversation.

He frowned thoughtfully before smirking again. "If they have then I suppose it is for the best. A pretty thing like you must have better ways to spend her time than with her nose shoved into a book."

Okay, she definitely was crimson now. He obviously was doing this to torture her. She resisted the urge to make a small murmur of annoyance as he grinned.

"Maybe."

"So how does the newly liberated, exciting Hermione Granger spend her evenings?"

"How does the newly disgraced Lucius Malfoy spend his?"

Hermione smirked. Sure the victory was pretty much meaningless, but she felt a surge of triumph as the wizard worked to control his temper. She was briefly reminded of Snape as his eyebrows twitched slightly while he worked on a reply.

"…Touché. But don't look so pleased with yourself, Miss Granger" he said crossing his arms. "It's not a very appealing quality in a man or a woman."

For all his bad and irritating qualities, Hermione did herself grateful to be conversing with someone who seemed to have a wit almost as sharp as her own. That wasn't to say that no one else had Hogwarts was clever, but those that were weren't the kind she fancied herself bickering with and the others never seemed to have very much to say. It was obnoxious to be so lonely at a place that had always felt like a second home.

"I apologize then. I didn't expect it to bother you so much, Mr. Malfoy."

"Oh of course you did and I wouldn't mind if you didn't look like a cat who had wandered in an aviary and eaten every bird in sight."

Hermione glared at him like the very same cat only drenched by a gallon of water.

"You never answered my question."

"If you must know, I don't do very much. Satisfied?"

"No, though I might consider both my wounded pride and curiosity satisfied if you'd join me for dinner."

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tbc