Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, it wouldn't be called Harry Potter now would it?

A/N: Thank you so much to the people who took the time to review, it means alot to me. Although one review, I understood what the person was saying, I just think after all, this is MY story and things I think are needed for the plot people may not see. Anyways, still no one has even tried to guess the plot twists. So please if you would like all the chapters e-mailed to you before anyone else, please, oh please, review and tell me what you think are the plot twists, alright. I decided that Hermione would have a big house, owing to both her parents being dentists, you have to know that dentist have nice big houses. Enjoy!

Chapter 10
Fussy Boots

"When Your The Best Of Friends, Having So Much Fun Together, Your Not Even Aware, Your Such A Funny Pair, Your The Best Of Friends, Lifes A Happy Game, You Could Clown Around Forever, Neither One Of You Sees, Your Natural Boundaries, Lifes One Happy Game, If Only The World Wouldn't Get In The Way, If Only People Would Just Let You Play, They Say Your Both Being Fools, Your Breaking All The Rules. They Can't Understand, The Magic Of Your Wonderland, When Your The Best Of Friends, Sharing All That You Discover, When These Moments Have Passed, Will Their Friendship Last, Who Can Say, There's A Way, Oh, I Hope It Never Ends, Cuz Your The Best Of Friends."

~ The Fox And The Hound "Best Of Friends"

Hermione was laying in her backyard on a hamock, that her father had put up for her arrival. She had already put all her things away, and her mother was making chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen.

Yep, life was back to normal, at the Granger house. Hermione had a rather large book entitled, "Defence Spells, Be Prepared For The Worst", by Bathilda Bagshot, propped up on her stomach.

Hermione winced slightly as she shifted in the hamock, she had scraped the back of her leg on the car when she was getting out, and now she had a rather large and ugly red wound on her leg.

"Hermione, the cookies are almost done, and there is an owl here for you", Bridget called out the back door of Hermione's four story Tudor home.

Although Hermione's house didn't quite meet Draco's mansion, it was not to shabby. Both her parent's being dentists really made Hermione be able to afford whatever she liked really.

Hermione sighed, sat up, tucked her book under her arm and made her way through the back garden and into the spacious kitchen. The Dursleys, if they ever met the Grangers, would have loved them.

Their entire house was gleaming from the spriging cleaning, their maid, Rosie had given it, and as Hermione sat on a wooden stool, by the counter, she smelled the scent of cleaning products still lingering in the air.

"Rosie want's to know if you want anything washed, dear", Bridget said as she, wearing an oven mitt, pulled out a steaming pan of delicious looking cookies.

"Alright, just tell her to wash all my clothes in my trunk", Hermione said as she eyed the owl sitting on her mother's clean counter.

Hoffer gave a dignified hoot and glared at Hermione as she took a cookie from her mother. Hermione smirked at the owl and took a big bite, making sure to wafted the scent towards Hoffer.

"Why are you teasing that owl, just hurry up and take it's letter, I don't want, bird droppings and feathers in my house", Bridget said wrinkling her nose up at the thought.

"Alright mom", Hermione said grabbing a thick hand towel from beside the sink and wrapping it around her arm.

"Hoffer", she crooned as she set a tiny bit of her cookie on the towel and held her arm out towards him. Hoffer looked at her skeptically for a second, before gliding to her on his long wings.

As Hoffer sat contentedly on Hermione's arm munching the cookie, Hermione pushed open the back screen door and went back out into the sunshine. She went over to the hamock and sat carefully on it.

Hoffer didn't even pay attention, until Hermione began to take the letter from him. Then he began to hoot, clutched the letter just a bit tighter, so Hermione couldn't get it.

Hermione stopped what she had been doing and glared ruthfully at the owl. Hermione grabbed the second cookie she had put into her pocket and gave it to Hoffer, who ate it quickly, hooting happily.

Hoffer dropped the letter in Hermione's lap and took off for home. Hermione muttered,"Prissy owl", before ripping open the letter. Of course it was from Draco and today, he had quite alot he wanted to say;

Dear Mione,

Hello! Well I am in high spirits, my Death Eater trail was canceled, because Voldemort is going to be planning something else. Most likely trying to capture Potter, for the seventh time. You'd think after so many faluires he would give up. Haha, that reminds me, Pansy is a Death Eater! I found out on the train home when she basically attacked me and tried to kiss me. She said that she took the trials earlier that year and that as soon as I take mine we will be married. I was like, "Umm, right, didn't you forget something, like that I don't like you at all". It was quite hilarious. I think she shall be sending me a Howler soon. So how is your summer going, well I mean, it just started, but how is it thus far? Amanda owled me yesterday. She says that she really misses you and can't wait till she goes over to your house. I feel so left out! I didn't even get invited. My summer is going to suck. I will be stuck at home, with father, and I will have to studie up for the trails, and most likely father will invite Pansy to come and stay, seeing as she is "the one" for me. God people are so blind, and stupid! Athena is doing all right. She got your owl, and wouldn't stop going on about it. I think she really needs a good girl friend. As I am just to self-invovled to do the job. Actaully she is coming over in a week or two. Since she is a pureblood, my father doesn't mind. Goddamn racist. I wanted for you to come over, but I am really having a hard time figuring out how to arrange that. Maybe I'll say I am going to Athena's for a week and we both could come to your house. Hmm, might work. Anyways, I'll get back to you with that. I have to go tea time with mother,

Your Enemy,

Draco

P.S. I want some of your mother's cookies! You told me how good they where, so now I want some, please?

Hermione snorted. That little pig, he was just like all guys, all they thought about was food. Hermione folded the letter back up and slipped it into one of her pockets. She would write Draco back later. Right now she wanted to do some gardening.

***************************************************************

Draco was sitting in the second dinning room with his mother sipping on the bitter concoction that she called tea. The room although not being the grandest of the three dinning rooms that were at Malfoy Mansion, was finely decorated.

It was his mother's favorite room. The walls where a mint green and all the furniture was black. The seat backs to the chairs where a darker green, there was a nice tapestry picturing Circe, in all her glory, adorning one of the walls and a beautiful Chinese rug, with mint lotuses on it, lay across the wooden floor.

"Draco, will you be staying with any friends this summer", Narcissa asked putting a lemon in her already strong tea.

"Well, I was thinking of staying at Athena Hartford's for a week or two, maybe at the end of July", Draco said taking this opprotunity to ask for permission.

"The Hartfords? Aren't they that nice couple from Surrey that have seven kids", Narcissa said, she was talking about the Morgan's, a family she had met at one of Lucius' dinner partys.

"No mother, you've never met the Hartfords", Draco said, thanking his lucky stars that she hadn't.

"Oh, your right", Narcissa said, giving Draco a puzzled look as she tried to remember who she was thinking of.

"So can I go", Draco asked hopefully.

"What, but you said you'd have tea with me", Narcissa said startled and looked at Draco wildly.

Draco sighed and patted her hand. This morning, his father had hit his mum, and she had fallen and hit her head on the dresser in their room, so she was still a bit out of it.

"I know mum, I am staying for tea, but I want to go to Athena Hartford's for a week or two", Draco said slowly, as if he were talking to a small child.

"Alright then dear, but not until July, you just got back. I want some time with my son", Narcissa said as Draco rolled his eyes.

"Okay, mummy", Draco said knowing that calling her that would make her smile.

Sure enough Narcissa's face broke into a beautiful grin and she brushed her long blonde hair back from her face. She grabbed one of the crossants from the small china plate in the middle of the table and began to butter it.

Draco sat there sadly watching as his mother gleefully went about getting a scone. She was so much like a child. He had grown up quicker than he would have ever liked too, due to him having to immedaitly become his mother's nurse after fights.

He grabbed for his tea, and took a long swig of the bitter substance, which matched his mood at the moment.

***************************************************************

Hermione lay in bed, crying as she listened to her mother, softly crooning to her little sister, Keyelle. Keyelle was born prematurely, and she had many medical problems.

It broke Hermione's heart just to look at her, she was so small and she always had those funny tubes running through her nose. She even had her own nurse in case she went into shock in the middle of the night.

Fortunately that hadn't happened. Hermione dried her tears on her pillow, rolled over onto her back and looked around her room. Her room was huge, and the walls where a light with the glow of the moon, which was seeping through her curtains.

The summer before, she had insisted that they re-decorate her room. The walls where a dark purple, with all the trim red, while her ceiling was a rich blue. Her adjoining bathroom was done in all yellow, and her closet was painted lime green.

She had a light purple down comforter across her bed and all her furnature had been spray painted gold. Over-all she was very happy with the drastic change of her room. It used to be light blue and white, white everywhere.

After spending so much time at the hospital, because of Keyelle, white was Hermione's least favorite color. She was glad when she rid herself of it.

Hermione sat up and turned to her side table, after rumaging through it for a few seconds, she found what she was looking for. It was a red phote album with the Gryffindore Lion on the front, it had been a Christmas gift from Harry in her 5th year.

She opened it up and peered inside at the old photos she had in there. There was a picture of her with her mother, who was holding little Keyelle, and her father. They where standing in front of their house and they all had tired smiles on their faces.

Hermione flipped the page and saw a picture of her, Harry and Ron when they where in third year, Colin had taken it and had given it to Hermione. As Hermione looked closer, she realized that someone with extremely blonde hair was standing right behind her.

Hermione pressed her nose against the old photo and laughed as she saw the look on Draco's face. He was standing directly behind Hermione and he kept pointing to her and smiling, then she watched as Ron turned around to sock Draco for something he had just said.

Draco ran and off, Ron in hot pursuit. Hermione could tell Draco was laughing. Her picture self stared after them, then stomped her foot and followed Harry as he walked slowly toward the direction in which Ron had just dissapeared.

Hermione set her photo album back down on her bedside table and smirk in the darkness. Angelina would never get what she had. Hermione didn't even know why she was thinking of that wench at the moment, but that thought just came to her.

Hermione lay back down and immedaitly fell asleep.

***************************************************************

It was a bright and sunny day at the Malfoy Mansion and Draco was enjoying none of it. His father had aproached him earlier about the whole Death Eater issue.

It had all resulted in a big fight, and Draco now had a hint of a black eye, showing up on his pale skin. Draco sat in the middle of the small orchard that bordered the edge of the Malfoy property.

He was sulkily listening to the birds chirping as they picked at the green apples that adorned the trees. His father was such a cowardly bastard. Draco had told him that he wanted a different life, then that of a Death Eater.

Lucuis would have none of it. Draco was his heir and if he didn't join He- Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would look badly on the good Malfoy name. Draco was seething. How could his father just sell him down the river like this.

Draco knew that his father never had cared for him. He was never really a good father, but Draco had excpected him to at least listen to his wishes, for his future.

Not just sweep him aside like an unruly puppy. Narcissa was holed up in her room. Afraid of Lucuis' rath, now that he was in a fowl mood. Draco leaned his back against the closest tree.

Hermione was going to hear all about this. As soon as Draco went back inside that hell-hole he would write to her. Things where more drastic now. Draco really needed to get away from his greedy father for a while.

**************************************************************

Later that afternoon, as Draco sat inside his room, listening to angry music. Narcissa came in, wearing a beatiful green cloak with silver stars across it, and she was pulling on her silver traveling gloves.

"Where you going, mother", Draco asked as he turned off the music with a flick of his wand.

"Shopping, Draco," Narcissa said briskly,"There has been a change of plans, you are going to have to go to the Hart's house earlier than I expected. I am going to be gone for two weeks".

"Alright , mum", Draco said not to keen to argue about the Hartford's name, and quite happy about the change.

"Owl her immedaitly", Narcissa ordered, grabbing some green ink, his quill, and a peice of parchment from off his dresser and handing it to him.

Draco nodded and quickly wrote Athena a note. He signed it and hand it to his mother.

"Did you say we were arriving by Floo Powder", she asked.

"No", Draco said as he grabbed a warm cloak and his trunk and began to pack his things.

"Well I'll add that in the post-script", Narcissa said grabbing his quill and adding in what she wanted to say.

"Alright that's everything", Draco said slamming his trunk shut and heaving it off his bed.

"Did your remember to pack clean underwear, dear", Narcissa asked sweetly.

"Mother," Draco said exasperatedly.

"It was just a suggestion", she said shrugging and following him out of his room and onto the landing.

"Who are you staying with", Draco asked, as he drug his heavy trunk down the stairs.

"Well the McNairs actaully. Milly McNair and I are going shopping in Hogsmeade." Narcissa said happily. She rarily got to go out shpping. So when she did, she would spend at least a thousand Galleons or more.

"Oh", Draco said nodding his head and pushing open the door to the third floor parlor.

"I need to remember to get some more Floo Powder, we only have a tiny bit left", Narcissa said as she looked inside the delicately painted vase she held.

Draco said nothing and taking bit of the powder and pushing his trunk in beside him, stepped into the fireplace and shout, " The Hartford's".

Draco immedaitly felt like he was going to be sick. No matter how many times he had traveled by Floo Powder, he would never be used to it. Draco spun faster and faster until the air rushing through his now disheveled hair stopped and he fell forwards into the Hartford's kitchen.

Athena was lounging at the counter and smirked as she watched Draco swipe at the soot in his hair, on his face, and on his cloak. Draco looked around him. The entire room was black.

The counter top was black, the cupboards where black, even the walls where black. The only non-black color in the whole room was the white curtains, the white daisys, that where perched beside Athena and the seat covers for the stools.

Athena even matched her room, she was wearing all black, except a white tie, that he supposed was supposed to make her look punk.

"So what took you so long", Athena asked boredly as she bit into an apple.

"I had to pack my things," Draco explained.

"Oh right, here I'll have them brought upstairs, BEEBLES", Athena said shouting the name of some unkown person.

A tiny little house-elf came bounding into the room. She was wearing the customary tea towel and she had a small, button like nose, dwarfed by the size of her enormous green eyes and her head was shaped sort of like a pear.

She was the cutest house-elf Draco had ever seen and he bent closer to her, to get a better look. The little elf stuck out her tongue and wiggled her ears at Draco.

"Beebles, that's enough. Take this trunk up to the guest room, please", Athena said pointing at Draco's trunk that sat in front of the fireplace.

"Yes, miss Beebles will do as you say", came the high pitched squeak from the tiny creature.

Beebles snapped her fingers and the trunk flaoted up into the air. Draco watched Beebles directing the trunk into the hallway, a few seconds more, then he turned back to Athena.

"So have you owled Hermione", he asked stiding over to sit on the stool beside Athena.

Athena's eyes lit up and she nodded, losing her aloofness for a few tiny seconds. Draco smirked and poked Athena's tiny waist.

"Ahh, don't play with my fat", Athena said swatting his hand away, her nose wrinkled up in disgust.

"Like you have any", Draco retorted pointing his affending finger at the tiny bit of flesh showing, between her pants and her shirt.

"Oh get stuffed", Athena said pushing off from the stool and walking out into the hallway.

"I would look awfully good on your mantle, now wouldn't I", Draco said smugly as he followed Athena.

"Only you would think of such a comment as flattery", Athena said shaking her head.

"Well they always said I was a specail child", Draco said nodding his head.

"And they sure got it right", Athena said, just realizing that while they had been talking they had arrived at the door to her room.

"This is my room", she said opening the door and throwing out her arms dramitically.

"Wow, has it always been, this....... red", Draco asked. He was blinded by the crimson color that was splashed on every item in Athena's abode.

"Well actaully it's a charm. Mother put it on for me when I was little. As soon as you stick a foot over the threshhold, your clothes will turn red. I always have it charmed with my latest favorite color", Athena explained.

"So right now it's red", Draco asked suspicious about her color choice.

"Well actaully Ginny was just over, so I changed it. It was green", Athena said smirking as she saw the nod of approval from Draco.

"I see", Draco said turning away from Athena's room as he heard a crash on the stairs.

"Oh that would be my little brother, Jolie," Athena said, upon seeing the suprised look on Draco's face.

"I didn't know you had a brother", Draco said a little miffed that she had never told him this detail.

"Well, he's a royal pain. I like to try and forget that I am related to him. Be happy that you are only staying here a night, so you won't have to live through the terror that is Jolie Hartford", Athena said in all seriousness.

"Your joking right", Draco said, suprised that Athena was so mean about her little brother.

"No, I am being entirely truthfully", Athena said shrugging her shoulders unsympethically.

"So why is his name Jolie", Draco asked changing the subject, but only slightly.

"Well it's short for Joliethe Teagen Zars Montiga Hartford," Athena said laughing slightly.

"So your parents have a thing for long names don't they", Draco said.

"Well, they both have three middle names, too. They decided to pass that on to us, I guess", Athena said kicking the wall infront of her slightly.

"Very cool", Draco said sarcastically.

"Oh let me tell ya", Athena said half smiling as she led him to a side door that led into their backyard.

A/N: I was having problems finding a place to stop in this chapter. I really hope you all liked it, but I won't know until you review. SO PLEASE REVIEW!