The days passed and became more and more monotonous. My eyes were clouded, everything seemed dulled around me. The only thing I looked forward to was that 20-minute period with Hermione in the morning, which we had made routine. As we watched the sunrise day after day we shared few words but understood clearly. We were lonely together, each morning introduced more similarities between us.

In ignoring both Harry and Ron, Hermione had introduced me to a new hope that sometimes kept me from sleep. Slowly I realized that Hermione and I were becoming compliments of each other. We considered ourselves tainted and therefore stood away from the world in order for it to continue on it's as peaceful as it will ever get path.

Hermione no longer raised her hand in class, if she knew the answer or not was a question not asked. During the days, she spoke only when spoken to and if only by a teacher or not at all. I had selfishly promoted myself to labeling me as better friend to her than anyone these days. School ran its course as it always had. Her grades flat-lined only a tad bit higher than mine did. Perfect meetings were done with such precision on Hermione's part. She always had every detail and subject prepared in case anyone had asked. Even during these times of 'planned fun' (as Dumbledore liked to call them), she was quiet and kept to herself. She kept herself in a restrained manner every moment of the day except in the mornings and it suited her. The rumors died down, as she did nothing to stop or kindle the fire of them. Everything was falling into place, comfortable for everyone or not.

It was 7:23pm and I had just finished my homework essays. I felt strain in my neck and determined that a trip to the perfect hot tub was in order. I stepped into the perfect bathroom after mumbling the password to the statue entrance. It was comfortably warm and there was music playing softly through an unseen source. The music was slightly eerie but was equally beautiful when the female singer started up the lyrics.

The step I took next surprised my eyes. Hermione was seated with her legs crossed under the water and her arms at her sides also submerged. The hot tub was fit for five, bathing suits were mandatory. Draco unclasped the robe he had haplessly thrown over his board short styled bathing suit. And stepped into the heated water, adjusting slowly with each step lowering him further into its depths.

"Imagine seeing you here." Hermione said. Her voice was startling, for weeks I have only heard it at a whisper and now it was a regular volume that seemed too loud for her mouth. She had been watching me gingerly stepping into the hotness. I smirked at her and the response was a lifting of her left eyebrow. She lifted her arms out of the water and laid her biceps over the corners of the tub. I couldn't help my male point of view and indulged my fascination of the female body by staring at her. Hermione wasn't a little girl anymore, she was still petite and had only slight curves to her torso but it suited her but her stature did something for the overall effect she had on me. Her arms were slightly muscled; it was rumored at one point that she was seen in the quidditch gym training. That seems to be true.

"You are in desperate need of a tan." She said breaking my stare at her body that I am sure she had noticed. I looked up into her eyes, she had taken a glance at my exquisitely pale body.

"Tans don't suit me. Contrasts my hair too much, makes me look...odd."

"You already look odd, it seems every year your hair gets whiter as it grows longer."

"Lucius's genes." I shrugged, she smiled. Silence overcame our mouths as the music flooded into out ears and relaxed us further.

"If you don't mind telling me. Why are you so tan now a days?" I asked nearly hypnotized.

"No I don't mind." She said laying her head back on the tile. "I'm half African."

"Bullshit."

"Believe what you want Draco." I liked the way she said my name.

"I've seen your parents and they were both as white as...me. Plus you didn't look like this any other year." I said a little uncomfortably in the end.

"Yes, you've seen Katherine my mother and Tom Granger, the guy who married my mother after I was born and adopted me as his daughter. I was ridiculed in my muggle school because I wasn't white like the other students, so I charmed my skin to fit in here." She said this casually. I bet this was the most she has talked since the beginning of school.

"Oh, so your biological father was a black man."

"Yes. He is African."

"I'm sorry I just assumed..." Hermione cut me off.

"You just assumed that he was dead because why else wouldn't he marry my mother himself. And to answer that, my father is in jail. He is up for parole two days from now. He loves my mother and didn't want her to have to endure a through the mail relationship."

"What's he in for?" I asked out of nothing but pure curiosity. Hermione looked at me and smiled, I searched her face for any emotion of pride and found nothing. She had taken my skill at being to able to hide all emotion.

"My father was a thief, and a good one. He was the most pronounced computer hacker in England and the only reason he was caught was because some first timer didn't do his part of the job. But he repents, he knew that stealing was wrong in the first place, although he did steal millions from the government, which still has not been found, his heart was in the right place. He stole from a highly guarded government bank account which held funds for a project that in the end would cause billions apon billions of hard working muggle citizens to loose their jobs."

"Your father seems like a good man."

"He is."

"What is his name?"

"Keith Spenda."