Draco sat at the dining room table. It had been weeks since Ginny had delivered the twins and Hermione had wanted nothing to do with him yet again. She had locked herself back up in her private room and wouldn't come out for any reason. It was just like it had been months before. There was no progress at all being made with his wife. Maybe it would be best if he went to stay with his cousin in America for a while. It would give her some time to herself to think about what she wants. She's so on again off again that I'm getting ill. This is worse than a muggle roller coaster ride. His head hit the table with a audible thud. I don't want to go, but what other choice do I have?

He had been miserable yet completely happy all at the same time over the past months. He loved being around her yet he knew that he couldn't hold her like he had before she had lost her memory. The house was becoming like a prison, holding his attention every moment that he wasn't at work. He took Hermione out all the time but she always tensed up every time he tried to put his arm around her or tried to hold her hand. It wasn't even worth the effort anymore. She always pushed him away, and what made it worse was every time she let him get a little closer she pushed him back further than he had been before.

While his head was down on the table from when he had thumped it, he could have sworn that he heard the padding of bare feet in the hallway outside the dining room but as soon as he paid attention to the sound he had heard, it was gone.

Well I might as well go and pack. I can be gone before she wakes up in the morning. I can walk out of her life, since it's not like she remembers anyway. tears streamed down his face as he sobbed into his arms. He hated crying but no one was around to see him anyway. It didn't matter.

Hermione sat on her bed with her arms locked around her knees. She had spent days in her room just thinking about everything. That one day in the hospital waiting room she had really let herself get close to him that day. It scared her that she was letting that happen so she had pulled away again. She didn't feel she was ready for that. Yet that was what she wanted most. She had started to remember bits and pieces of what had happened before. Like her first date with the Slytherin.

The freshly fallen snow crunched under her feet as she walked hand in hand with the platinum-blond that had once been her worst enemy only a few weeks before. She had been unwilling at first to accept his offer but when she had heard that Harry and Ron were going to spend the holidays with the Weasley's she didn't want to be completely alone. Besides he had promised to behave, not that the word of Slytherin was worth much but still. It was the holidays. Forgive and forget.

It was the first time she had seen him genuinely smile in the entire time she'd known him. His face was all aglow and his normally gray eyes were a bright blue. He was actually happy to be there. Another first that she had experienced was that he didn't have his body guards Crabbe and Goyle right by his side. It was nice. She actually felt comfortable being alone with him. A blush crept across her face.

"Cold?" he asked, his voice almost in a whisper.

She looked up into his crystal clear eyes. "No."

"Then why are your cheeks red?" he smiled down at her as he removed his cloak and put it around her shoulders. Hermione's blush only grew deeper. Draco reached out to hold her hands. "You know I have been waiting for this for years now. And now that I finally have the chance to impress you." He kissed both of her hands. "This is the best day of my life Hermione."

Nothing else had happened that day except casual conversation and a kiss on her cheek when it was time to go inside. That was most of what she remembered for that day. But there were other little memories she remembered.

She had just told Harry about Draco. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GETTING YOURSELF INTO HERMIONE?"

"Harry, calm down."

"CALM DOWN? CALM DOWN?" Harry screamed basically pulling his hair out. The entire assembly in the Great Hall was staring at them. Harry saw this and lowered his voice. "He's a Malfoy, Hermione. No matter what he is always going to be that little ferret who picks on us and is constantly trying to get us in trouble!"

"He's not like that unless he is trying to impress his father. He's not a bad guy. In fact…" she brought her voice down to a whisper. "In fact he's against You-Know-Who as well."

"What if I told you that someone else liked you?" he said his eyes wide. "What If there was someone else?"

"Like who? Ron?" she crinkled her nose.

Harry shook his head.

"Oh Merlin, don't tell me its Neville!"

"No Hermione. I love you. I always have. Go out with me, not him."

"Harry, I love you like I would love a brother. I'm sorry. Besides, I know that you have always had your eye on Cho or Ginny, so don't lie to me to keep me from him Harry."

Harry sighed deeply. "How long has this been going on? You and him I mean?" His teeth were clenched and so were his fists.

"A few weeks. Why?"

"Have you done anything with him?" there was anger in his eyes, but clouding that over was the worry he had for Hermione. She had always been like his sister and he like her brother.

"He kissed my cheek and held my hand. Other than that he hasn't even suggested anything."

"Then… Then I guess it's all right. So long as the moment he does something you don't like…" he looked over at the doorway to the Great Hall where the Slytherin was leaning against the doorframe. "You tell me so Ron and I can beat the living shit out of him. Promise me you'll tell either Ron or I if he steps out of line?"

"I promise."

"And that you'll tell Ron so he doesn't embarrass himself later?"

Hermione nodded and laughed to herself. "I promise." She stood up and walked over to the entrance nad threw her arms around the very tall blond and kissed him gently before pulling away a blush creeping across her face.

Now Hermione sat contemplating what she was going to do. Those memories gave her a warm feeling inside, yet she was still afraid. Come on Hermione. Face that damned tiger already. You know you want him! And with that she walked out of her room and down the hall towards the kitchen. As she was about o pass the dining room she heard someone sobbing and just stopped. Was that Draco she heard in the kitchen? Her heart melted because she knew that it was her fault that he was crying. She was the cause of all the hurt he felt.

Sighing softly, she knew that she didn't want him to hurt anymore. More importantly she felt as if he could be the part of her that was missing. That she had longed for for months. She walked into the kitchen and Draco's head shot up from where it had been. He quickly wiped away his tears and stood up.

"My cousin wants me to come to America and help out with my aunt," he said not quite looking in her eyes. "She fell and had to have a hip replacement done. She's not exactly into magic being Christian and all, but my cousin says that he needs help taking care of her. I'm leaving in the morning. And since you don't know how you feel yet, well it will give you time by yourself to think. Maybe when I come back you'll know what you want." He looked directly into her eyes when he said that last bit.

"Draco, you don't have to leave because of me. I-"

"No!" he said rather louder than he had expected that he would. "It's better this way. My nephew needs help with-"

Suddenly Hermione kissed him. It was a quick kiss but it silenced the blond. "Stop lying to me. There is no cousin, there is no nephew, and there is no aunt in America." She looked into his sad gray eyes. "I know what I want." and she kissed him again, this time a little more passionately.