After that day, an unspoken arrangement was made. Every day, Hermione would bring Malfoy his breakfast and then leave to check on her other patients. After she finished, she would come back to his room to brush his hair and read to him from that day's Daily Prophet. Although their sessions were good for him and he seemed to be improving, he still hadn't spoken. It was disheartening to Hermione. The last thing she wanted to do was put this man in the psyche ward.

Hermione stopped reading halfway through the latest team standings of the International Quidditch League and stared at Malfoy. Surprised that she had stopped reading, Malfoy looked up to meet the glare of one Hermione Granger. "All right Malfoy," she said angrily, placing both hands on the bed and pushing herself up out of her chair, "Enough is enough, you had damn well better start talking to me or I'm going to send you off. The last thing I want to do is send you upstairs to be with all those mental cases. You absolute, disgusting, slimy git. You're worse than you were during Hogwarts'. I don't know why I bother even trying. It's been a month Malfoy. You know as well as I that you're not insane so you had bloody well prove it. Don't make me have wasted all this time working with you." Her anger vented out, she glared irately at the blonde man who was smirking at her in that way of his that drove her absolutely mad. Then, he did something that she had never expected him to do. "Why Granger," he stated, "I didn't know you cared."

~ * ~

Hermione flopped back into her seat and stared blankly at Malfoy, not believing what she had just heard. He had spoken to her. Not only that but it couldn't have been the first time he had spoken since he'd woken up. His voice was as crisp and clear, as though he had never been placed under a deadly curse. He was still smirking. "For gods sakes Malfoy, why didn't you let me know before that you could at least speak, I thought you had gone insane because of that blasted curse." Malfoy did flinch slightly at the mention of the curse but his expression once again became amused as he began his answer. "Old habits die hard. I was waiting to see how long it took for you to snap and tell me to start talking or else. Just because I'm older doesn't mean I'm going to all of a sudden become any less bothersome." Hermione gaped at him. "I don't believe you! I've been spending the last month or more slaving for you and you did it for your own sick amusement? Ugh! Malfoy, you disgust me." Hermione threw her hands in the air in frustration. Malfoy looked almost pleadingly at her for a moment before opening his mouth once again. "Does this mean you aren't going to finish reading the Prophet to me today?"

As Hermione was finishing reading the Prophet to Malfoy, a nurse entered and told her that she had a call on line one. Putting the paper down and looking apologetically to Malfoy for a moment, she turned her swivel chair around and pressed a button on the wall. Ginny's face appeared on the wall before her. Hermione's face brightened as she recognized her friend. "Hey Gin, what're you up to today?" Ginny grinned and raised an eyebrow, looking over Hermione's shoulder to Malfoy who was listening to the conversation, trying to look as though he wasn't. "Not much, but it does seem that you've been avoiding me," turning her attention to the patient she spoke again, "Hey Malfoy, long time no see." Malfoy was shocked that the youngest Weasley had spoken to him, but he nodded and said, "Hello Weasley." Ginny grinned again. "Anyway, Hermione, I was wondering if you wanted to meet me for lunch at the Three Broomsticks today. That is," she raised an eyebrow suggestively, "if you aren't busy doing anything else." Hermione blushed slightly and told Ginny that she would, indeed, meet her in half an hour at the Three Broomsticks. Malfoy feigned hurt. "You're leaving me? Oh no, whatever shall I do?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Save it Malfoy, I'm done listening for the day, I think I'll actually take the rest of the day off. See you tomorrow." Hermione walked out the door to Malfoy's room, smugly realizing that she had gotten the last word in. What she hadn't noticed, however, was the dejected look on one Draco Malfoy's face.

~ * ~

Ginny was waiting at a booth in the corner of the Three Broomsticks with a mug of Butterbeer already in her hands. Hermione slid into the seat across from her friend knowing what was coming next. "I didn't know Malfoy had become so gorgeous since Hogwarts'. It would take a lot of self control for a lonely woman to keep her hands off him for longer than, I don't know, a day." Hermione rolled her as she ordered a Butterbeer for herself. Taking a sip she glanced at Ginny over the top of her mug before answering. "Ginny, he is my patient, nothing more, nothing less." 'I think' she added silently to herself. "Oh please Hermione, don't act like I'm stupid. I'm a lawyer remember? My job is understanding body language and sucking information out of people. I saw how he was looking at you back there and I know you're attracted to him, one: because he's totally a delectable piece of manflesh, and two: I'm your best friend and I know you better than you know yourself." Ginny had a good point but her wording.ugh. "Ginny, 'delectable piece of manflesh'? Honestly. You'd think that since you were a lawyer you would have a better vocabulary." Ginny snorted. "Sure, and you being a doctor, one would think that you would know how to read people. Listen Hermes, you don't have to take what I say seriously if you don't want to but just hear me out. I know what I saw back there and I think that he might be worth a shot. Sure he was a jerk back in school, but hey so was Ron and look at him now. People change Hermione, give him a chance."

Later that night, as Hermione was trying to fall asleep, Ginny's words kept running through her head. Technically, mixing business with pleasure wasn't a good idea, but if it meant her own happiness and sanity. Well, it was food for thought anyway.