Disclaimer: Same as ever, until further notice.

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Chapter 7: Out of the frying pan

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There is no reason that kissing Draco should feel this good. His arms wrapped around me should have filled me with disgust and not sent prickles of sensation running up my spine. The skin of his bare back shouldn't feel like smooth satin under my hands. Clearly none of this was right. In fact it was all very, very wrong. I really should stop him. Right now. Yes I really should stop him, and I will too.....soon. Very soon, just maybe in a minute. But really where was the harm in this? Everything for the last week had been building toward this moment...ahhh yes, I tipped my head back to give Draco better access to my throat...of course, this was wrong, so very, very...ahh, ohh...yes very, wrong. Draco nipped little bites behind my ear, oh yes that was nice. BUT WRONG!

"AHHHHHHH!! STOP!" This was not right, what had I been thinking? This was Draco bloody MALFOY!

I pulled on Draco's hair to move his face from where it was nuzzling into my neck. It was a shame my hair wasn't that silky, I wondered what shampoo he used? My fingers flowed through it like flowing through water, his face was back at my neck, trailing hot kisses along the pulse point. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on my skin. NO! NO! NO! I tightened my hands on his hair again, pulling him away from my neck . OK clearly neither of us was thinking!

Draco tried to pull my head down to him once more, and for a moment I was so willing to give in that it scared me!

"NO, no, no, no, no! NO!" I released my arms from around him and he fell back to lie flat on the floor, his head making a thunking sound on the hard floor of the hall. I grimaced, hope he didn't give himself a concussion on that one. No time to think of that now, I had to remove myself from the situation.

I quickly got to my feet and looked down at Draco, he had his eyes closed, but I could see his bare burned chest rapidly rising and falling as he breathed. I could almost hear him mocking me for running away. I didn't care.

Without saying another word I turned and walked quickly to my room shutting the door tightly behind myself. Letting the cool wood of the door cool my cheek, I caught my breath. Hermione, you have really gotten yourself in it now. My whole life seemed to be falling down around my ears. The children were hopeless, their mother was trying to kill them, I didn't know anything about this whole mess, I felt out of control, and now I had been in the hallway snogging the undisputed git of man, Draco Malfoy. I knocked my forehead against the door a few times. Oh great, and now I was acting like Morio, maybe I would join him in his next bout of self punishment. Nice. Very nice.

I heard commotion in the hall and peaked out, to see that a large number of house elves had arrived at the scene, some of them were brandishing kitchen utensils. Ok, any port in a storm I guess, although I couldn't really see what sort of help an elf with a spatula would have been against the magic we had just encountered. I suppose it is the thought that counted. Draco, was on his feet and was issuing orders of some sort, I couldn't hear everything he was saying. Morio was nodding, his large eyes shifting nervously, his ears wilting. His very posture was one of fear. Whatever it was that Draco was saying wasn't something Morio wanted to hear.

Part of me longed to march back out into the hall and demand to be let into this little conference, but then Draco turned and noticed me hiding behind my half closed door, and I suddenly didn't want to be anywhere near him ever again. My breath caught in my throat when those gray eyes encountered mine. Merlin but he's lovely. I am sorry its probably wrong to say that about a man, but he is. Even burned to a crisp he still made my heart flutter in my chest. I should have cut my losses when I saw him studying, and just accepted the death sentence that an unfulfilled contract meant. Now it was much too late.

Without a word, I shut my door and slipped back into bed.

[[Dumbledore had seen Ron and me, and he had recognized us. I knew we weren't supposed to come to the trial. I wish I had been able to convince Ron of that. If we were recognized and followed...I didn't dare let my mind complete that thought.

I was following Ron as he pushed his way through the crowd of wizards and witches.

"Well, well I didn't think that Dumbledore would have the audacity to show his face here today of all days." I recognized that voice, it was coming from my left, and sounded very close. Lucius Malfoy was here?

How he managed to keep his place in the Ministry and his reputation so clear after the things he had done, was beyond me. I certainly didn't want to run into him today, all our intelligence suggested that he was still Voldemort's right hand man.

I kept my hood up and turned slightly. There with his back to me was Lucius Malfoy and with him was Draco. Draco's gray eyes bored into mine and I felt a sudden fear. No one knew for certain where Draco's loyalties lie in this whole thing, but no one was taking any chances. As far as I could tell he was still his father's son. I grabbed Ron's hand and tried to push him through the crowd faster. There was a bottle neck at the door and no one was really getting anywhere fast.

I turned slightly and saw Lucius Malfoy start to turn, my face went ashen. OH please Merlin, please don't let him see us...please....

"Father, I believe the passage over here is clearer, let the rabble fight for the door." Draco's voice rose over the crowd.

"I do believe you are right Draco." Lucius lifted his cane, swept past his son, and headed in the opposite direction from us.

Draco glared at me, before turning to follow his father. I breathed a huge sigh of relief, as Ron grabbed my hand and we broke free of the building and out onto the sunlit street. ]]

The old memory faded away and I wondered why I hadn't realized before, but Draco had saved us. My last thoughts as sleep claimed me was to wonder if it had been on purpose?

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"Hermione.....Wake up" Draco's voice came softly into my ear.

Wake up? I was awake, and I was sailing high above the Quidditch pitch looking for the golden snitch. Didn't he know anything?

"Mmmhnmngngm..." I mumbled.

"Hermione!" This time there was shaking, and he was louder. My glorious triumphant broom ride dissolved and my eyes snapped open.

"AHH! What are you doing HERE?!?" I tried to back away from him, hitting my head on the carved wood of the bedstead. "OUCH! Look what you made me do." I glared at him.

He put his hand lightly over my mouth, and leaned over me. The silk from his pajama tops caressed over my skin. Well at least he wasn't half dressed anymore. Umm...I breathed in, he smelled good. My eyes got huge in my face and I tried to wriggle away from him. It was impossible. He wouldn't budge.


"Shhh...are you always so loud?" I shot him death looks, which seemed to have little to no effect, he was still THERE!

I tried to free myself again, then I bit his fingers, and he quickly pulled his hand away. His face was furious. Was he planning on hitting me?

"Blast! Why did you bite me?" He pouted.

"Why are YOU in my room?" I countered.

"I need to talk to you, there are things you need to know." He was serious again.

What I was finally going to learn what was going on around here? Did I really want to know? I felt like I was already in far enough.

"Come on." He pulled the covers back and picked me up out of bed.

"What are you doing?"

He set me down and grabbed my hand.

"Lets go, I have some things to show you." And with that he dragged me along behind him. I had no idea where we were going. He had things to show me? What did he mean? My mind hit the gutter and I blushed a bright crimson, it was lucky he was ahead of me and couldn't see my expression. I would never live that one down. As if his ego wasn't big enough, he didn't need to know I was lusting after him...I trailed off as I realized what I was saying. Now was not the time, in fact with Draco Malfoy it would NEVER be the time! With that vow I followed him quickly.

The library loomed ahead, the golden light from the room should have looked inviting. All it did was make a bad chill course up my back. The cozy feel of a dimly lit room, WITH BOOKS. Oh no this was worse than I had imagined.

"Can't we do this in your office?" I asked lamely.

Draco stopped walking and turned to look at me fully.

"What's the matter with you Granger? Have you gone daft all of a sudden? You bit me, and now you are acting strangely, even for you. " It appeared he was waiting for an answer.

"Nothing is the matter Malfoy, except YOU! I was sleeping and now I am rudely woken and dragged from my bed in the middle of the night, how am I supposed to act?" I hoped I sounded convincing. I was not about to say, 'I can't go into the library with you, because I saw you studying earlier and now I can't help but remember you looking all golden and yummy.' (did I just use the word yummy?) Nope I wasn't going to say that! Not this year!

He was still looking down at me in a calculating way.

I put my hands on my hips. "Well?" I questioned.

He turned and walked to the library, and I had no choice but to follow.

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Ten minutes later found Draco and me sitting at a table with large books open all around us. All thoughts of his 'golden yummyness' were wiped from my mind as he started talking and showing me what he had found.

My face became a mask as Draco handed me book after book. I read more and more hastily every marked passage. Things were much worse than I had suspected.

Finally the last book was pushed away and I looked over to Draco. He was leaning his head against the chair rest and appeared to have dozed off. There were blisters on his face and the part of his chest I could see above the V of his pajama top. As if he could sense my gaze on him, he opened his eyes and looked back. That tight feeling was in my stomach again. I was unsure what to say to break the uneasy silence.

"Well?" Draco questioned.

"Well?" I queried back, what was he suggesting? I could feel my face flaming even redder than I knew it already was.

"What do you think?" He motioned to the books.

Blast! Stupid Hermione, really stupid of course he meant what did I think about what I had read. Of course he meant that.

"Do you really think that Beneficent is using Ilse as a conduit for her magic?"

"I can't see that there is any other explanation for what has been happening, there is no way Ilse can have that much power and untrained. She is doing things that only something like this would explain. We already know that the Dark Lord tried to use Harry. So we know in theory that that is possible." Draco's face was grim.

"So she is living like a parasite, using her own daughter. Ilse of course is a willing channel so that is going to make things much more difficult, at least with Harry he fought it! I hate to admit it, but I don't know what options we have until she makes a move in person. We can't risk harming the children, but another episode like tonight could very well kill one or both of us." I motioned to our burned skin, and frowned.

"Yes this was not the first time she has done something like this. I knew that when you heard the alarm tripped you would go to check on the children. I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time...." He trailed off.

"How did you know that the door was going to be bespelled, has she used this exact tack before?"

He was quiet for long moments and I was starting to think he wasn't going to say any more.

"Hermione, one of the first witches that I hired to watch the children was transported away and killed." At his words I felt a chill rush over me.

" Her body was found the next day in the wood beyond the house. Beneficent through Ilse had turned the doorknob into a port key of sorts. After that I had the spell put upon the nursery and the nurses slept in there with the children. Well, until the children managed to drive them away. They all left of course but at least they left under their own power." He looked defeated and I could finally understand for the first time just why he had behaved as he had the first night I arrived. He had been doing this all alone for so long. I felt a wave of pity wash over me.

Pity is a much more dangerous feeling than lust...at least for me. I have lusted after a great many men, but pitied very few. Pity opened the door to understanding, liking and loyalty. I groaned inwardly. I was NOT developing a friendship with Draco Malfoy! I WAS NOT!

"Yes well, just what was that spell last night? I haven't seen anything like it before."

"I have no idea, but I KNEW that she had done something to the door. I had a feeling. I can't explain it. I know that sounds stupid doesn't it. I have been under so much stress lately I am not even sure what's real and what is in my mind anymore. I just assumed it would be a similar spell to last time and dealt with it the same way. As you witnessed that wasn't entirely successful. " He laughed in a derisive fashion.

I had to laugh as well. Yes I guess he could say it wasn't very successful, unless you count blisters and singed off eyebrows a good thing.

"I agree with you though, I don't know what we can do until she comes...and she will come. In the meantime, all I can do is what I have been. Keep the alarms up and keep studying. There has to be some way to block the contact with Ilse. I just can't find anything." He rubbed his face forgetting the burns and then grimacing in pain.

"Hermione, I trust the children with you. I want you to know that it has been a relief having you here." His gray eyes bored into mine.

"It hurts me to say it Granger, but thank you. I didn't realize how much I needed you here." His words threw me, I didn't know whether to be flippant or say thank you, so instead I didn't do anything and the silence built between us.

Almost in slow motion he moved toward me. I started to lean to meet him...Damn!

Coughing I hastily stood up evading his grasp, and headed for the door. There was NO way I was going to start something like that in the LIBRARY of all places. Being well aware of my weaknesses with regards to that sort of thing, it was better to not tempt fate.

"I will see you in the morning Draco." I turned at the door, he was once again leaned back in his chair as if asleep.

"Fine Granger. Run away again." Run away? I turned back to him, he hadn't bothered to open his eyes. Funny now he looked like a pouting little boy. The pity I had felt earlier was washed away with the desire to laugh. I didn't have a clue how to handle pity, but mocking on the other hand, I was a master.

I left the library and headed toward my room. Quite forgetting until I reached my door that I still didn't know what was going on with Morio and Draco. Drat!

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A/N Thanks for all the reviews and nice words about my move etc. I appreciate everything you all have to say. (good and bad, whether I agree or not.) ;)

I am going to attempt a weekly update with each of my stories, now that I am settled into my new place. SO until next time.

(Hope you have all been reading new and interesting ficcies...and the oldies and goodies too...Right Arbitrary?)

To my sister Steph, thanks for your unfailing support and nagging...here is an update! (L)