Hermione opened the door to Hagrid's cabin to find Draco and Harry in a heated match of Wizard Chess. In her hand she held the bottle of violent blue elixir that would heal Draco.

"Knight to F7, check, and mate!" Draco announced, jumping up and beginning to dance around the room. Hermione suppressed a laugh while Harry stared in a mixture of horror and shock. Draco was humming victory music to himself as he shook his hips and shuffled his feet.

"Days that I wish I had a camera..." Harry muttered. Hermione grinned. "The sooner we get him that potion, the better."

"Right," Hermione said, pouring the right amount of liquid into a cup and mixing hot tea into it and handing it to Draco.

"Mmm that's good... more please!" he said after draining the cup.

"It's getting late- Harry will get you another cup. I'll see you in the morning, Draco. 'Night Harry- send an owl if you need anything."

"Draco?" he repeated incredelously, but Hermione was already out the door.

Hermione woke up early the next morning and ate breakfast in the Great Hall before walking down to Hagrid's cabin. She was very excited about being with Draco. If yesterday was only day one, the next two days would be even more revealing, and Hermione liked what was being revealed very much.

But as she approached the cabin, she heard yelling. She recognized Draco's voice and hurried inside. Winky was on her knees cleaning up a cup of spilled juice. Draco was standing above her, yelling insults while Winky's small frame trembled.

"Clumsy, stupid, incompetent house elf! No wonder you were released! No one would ever want-"

"Draco!" Hermione couldn't help but shout in anger. She stooped and put a hand on Winky's shoulder, who was looking very distressed and could barely pick up the pieces of shattered glass on the floor. Draco had stopped yelling when Hermione had entered, but still stood fuming above them. Hermione helped Winky clean up the rest of the mess and helped clean the house elf's dress.

Harry had been standing near the door, looking flustered, confused, and tired. Hermione sighed as she threw the last few pieces of glass into the rubbish bin. She knelt to Winky's level and looked her in the eye. "Draco's sick, Winky, he's not right. It was an accident. You're a very good house elf." She turned to Harry and gave him an encouraging smile. "Why don't you walk Winky back to the kitchens before going to bed, Harry?" He nodded and led Winky out the door.

As soon as the door shut, Hermione reeled on Draco. "How DARE you treat her like that! She's doing you a favor, bringing your food down here for you. She's keeping your secret and you're treating her like the scum of the earth! If you want me to take care of you and help you get back to health, you'll apologize when she brings lunch and you'll treat her respectfully."

Draco sneered. "She dropped that glass. House elves should never break the possessions of their owners."

"It was an accident!" Hermione yelled. "Accidents happen!"

"If they do, a house elf's master should never know!"

"How dare you treat her as if she's some sort of slave!"

"You're the freak that treats her like an equal."

"She IS an equal!"

"Only you would say so you disgusting, fowl, loathsome mudblood. Go back to where you belong- with the muggles."

Hermione bit her lip. The words he'd said hurt her more than they usually did. Maybe it was because she'd spent half the night thinking about the boy from her daydream that was now living it Hagrid's cabin. Maybe it was because of the dream she had had that night where he held her close...

Suddenly that dream became real. Draco had moved across the room and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Hermione could smell him, a warm, salty fragrance laced with a scent that could only be described as Draco. His soft hair brushed her face. He let go and took a step back.

"I'm sorry," he said, looking and sounding honestly sincere.

"It's... uh... its ok." Hermione was so shocked that she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Smashing! Are you up for a game of Wizard Chess?" Hermione took a deep breath. It was going to be a long day....