Author's note: So I'm back, with another chapter. I have to say sorry for the delay and for the fact that there is not much action in this chapter. I feel it necessary to build up the relationships though, so when I come to knocking them down you can see the differences. Passion and all that! Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Acknowledgement: Firstly to HermioneG89 – I think that's the biggest compliment to my writing that I might ever have had. Thank you! To BlackCat – Don't worry! I like Oliver too, so he won't be too much of a loser by the end. Finally to everyone else – Thank you! There are too many to mention, so I hope that suffices.

Disclaimer: Only the words are mine. Also, for everyone who keeps asking, I do write the italic bits at the beginning and end of every chapter! I don't steal them from other people.

Inclination

Chapter Two

Appreciation is something can be gathered in time or something that is instantaneous, but most things never fully get it at all. Colour can only be appreciated truly by the blind man that lives in darkness. Sounds only ever considered important by the deaf to the world. Sight and sound are things often taken for granted by the greatest of minds. When it comes down to it though, the simplest things can be the singular most important. Sometimes though things can be over analysed…

It was amazing how time affected the human body. It had been five years since Draco had last set eyes upon Hermione Granger. Well, he conceded inwardly, it probably been as long as that with all the pictures in the newspapers. Even though they were discreet images of her, she stood out far more then that dim witted boyfriend of hers. He bit back the pang of jealousy quickly. It had been a long time since he had had any right to feel anything more then indifference towards her.

Looking at her now though, without the glare of the camera, e could see that she had been treated well by time. Her hair was a little longer, but still in the same style. Her nose still curled slightly towards the end, which added to her look of general intelligence. Her body…he smiled slightly to himself. Well, that had changed quite a bit. She had filled out and developed gentle curves, which hadn't surfaced till after she'd left school. Draco glanced back up into her eyes. They held a different story all together.

Hermione had never been an expert in hiding her emotions but when she did it was always her eyes that deceived her. Unlike him, she hadn't been taught from an early age that emotion was a weakness that could destroy you. She was lucky in the respect, yet unlucky that to Draco she was like an open book. He itched to turn the pages and read the rest, but realised that to do so would be too intimate.

They were dark pools of chocolate that seemed so gentle and calm, he thought to himself. Then again, he considered, she was not everything she appeared to be. She was a bomb just waiting to explode. It would never happen though. None of her boring friends or colleagues would ever be able to spark that reaction. They had neither the guts nor the stamina. Hermione would never know the full extent of how it was to be alive in the world.

Then again, neither would he.

'I apologise for my late arrival Professor,' he said in a smooth voice, 'I fear that I was delayed a little by a storm.'

'Ah well Draco, you should know by now what the weather can be like at Hogwarts.' Something sparkled in his eye, making Draco wonder how much the old fuddy duddy really did know.

He had never been a big fan of education. It had been something forced upon him, which had to be tolerated until he came of age. An age where he would be able to be the cat that got the cream, and could live of Daddy's money. This had never happened though. Expectations were held for the only child and they were to be met or he would feel the circumstances.

Inevitably though, when it had come down to the crunch, Lucius needed him. He needed him more then Draco could ever imagine. So, being the Malfoy that he was, he had used it to his advantage. He had bent the rules and done something that no one expected of him, but no one was surprised by. Draco did as he was told.

'I expect you already know Professor Granger here,' Dumbledore said with a swift gesture of his arm. 'I do believe you were in the same year. Then again my memory may be failing me.' He smiled gently at the two of them.

Draco averted his eyes back to Hermione and smiled charmingly. Her brow was drawn down into a frown, with her bottom lip formed in a confused look. This was obviously the last thing she had been expecting. He smiled. It was nice to have the upper hand in these matters.

Taking her hand, he bowed and gently kissed it, letting his gaze stay constant upon her face. 'Nice to see you again Granger,' he drawled in the same familiar tone.

'I never knew you got a position as Snape's trainee.' Hermione said simply. There was no greeting, no recognition of their time together, just a bitterness that seemed to be rooted by memory and forgotten by will.

'There's a lot you don't know,' he replied with a whispered ease.

Dumbledore looked between the two with certain unease. Even Draco had to admit that there was a noticeable tension between the two of them. Ah the irony of it all, he thought. Hermione had been the woman who had haunted him throughout his five years away from Hogwarts. Now that he was back, so was she. It was like history was giving him another chance to take back the only person he had ever been able to really say he loved. This thought was quickly shooed away though. He was here on business, not on a mission to relive some long gone dream. Severus would be none too pleased if he failed because he let his inactive heart get in the way.

'I'd better show you both to your quarters. I'm afraid that age is taking its toll on an old mans ability to keep up with all you young people.' Dumbledore's voice cut in to his thoughts.

'I wouldn't worry Professor. I'm sure you'll outlive us all,' Draco replied grimly.

Dumbledore looked away sadly. He knew too well the underlining statement of his words. In some ways Draco pitied him for the knowledge. It must be difficult knowing that death had the upper hand in taking away the children you had brought up. Not many people would ever know though the fear that knowledge held. They seeked it out until they met their graves when really it had been pointless in the first place.

Draco himself had once searched for that greater truth. The meaning to a life he didn't particularly want to take part in. It had come to no avail though. In the end he had just lay back and realised that it was probably all sex, and that love had nothing to do with it. He found it comforting as he could get plenty of sex, but only one woman he loved. The pleasure outbalanced the pain.

'Come this way then…mind the puddles of water Miss Granger…'

They were led through the main hall, and out a small door located at the back. Draco busied himself with noting down every move they made so he could recall his steps. Hermione on the other hand looked around in awe. He scoffed inwardly, it hadn't been that long since she'd seen it and yet she was acting like a small child on their first trip.

To their left was a grand staircase that seemed to reach up higher then any of the others. It was with struggling breaths that they finally managed to reach the top and were confronted by nothingness. He looked around uncertain. It had been said that Dumbledore had a lot of tricks up his sleeves, but maintaining invisible quarters within the school would have taken too much magic. His eyes seeked some form of deception, when suddenly Dumbledore clicked his fingers and a bridge appeared.

'It's like the bible gone wrong,' he muttered as he followed the example of the other teachers.

Once they'd got across the bridge there was a long corridor with lots of rooms leading off. Hermione was frowning slightly. Probably wondering about the fire hazards, he thought bitterly. Or how she can smuggle that cheap boyfriend in! He bit back his sudden urge to tell her what he thought of her and continued to follow the others. His time would come when he would have to speak to her about certain flaws in their relationship.

'Now these two rooms are yours. Seeing as you're both of the same age, I thought you might appreciate the company of one another….' Dumbledore began in his sturdy voice.

'But Professor! Severus informed me that I was to have his lodgings so I could…use his recourses to the best of my ability. To not give me this access would be limiting my ability to teach his classes!' Draco intoned in a voice that was too calm. Many had come to see it as a deadly calm that came before the storm, and he didn't blame them. Even he knew he was formidable and not many had the guts to cross the line.

'Calm yourself Draco. You shall have access, but I believe that Severus would not like you changing his room to suit your needs.' His voice seemed to gather an edge of knowing. 'After all, he isn't going to be gone forever.'

'You and I both know that the chances of his returning now are very slim,' Draco said quietly, in the hope that no one would hear. 'It would seem you are going to be stuck with me for some time.'

'Professor Malfoy, your lack of faith in Severus disappoints me.' Dumbledore said sternly. 'Fate has not yet been decided.'

'With all respects, sir,' he said tightly, 'I feel that as I was instructed to do so, I should take up residence immediately.'

'I know your feelings Draco and they have been taken into account. I on the other hand will play no part in signing his death sentence before he is even dead. That is my final word.'

With that Dumbledore swept away, leaving only a graceful smile upon Hermione, who was watching the whole event unfold with great interest. He turned to face her and ran a hand through his hair. In turn, her eyes seemed to roam his face and his body. She was probably either sizing him up, or noting all the differences, and there had been a lot of those.

For one, Draco's long silver blonde hair touched his shoulders in graceful curves. His face was not as pale as it had been once, even though he'd seen enough horrors to last him a lifetime. His body had filled out with intensive training, of which had been compulsory for the job he had required. He had grown a couple of inches taller and she seemed lower to the ground then she had. No longer was he the lanky brat who made people's lives a misery. He was the well built bastard, who could make your life hell at the drop of a hat.

'Checking to see what you're missing out on Granger? I'm not surprised by the look of that boyfriend of yours again. What was his name again…oh yes, Ollie Wood.' He couldn't help it. Looking at her and feeling the stirring of old emotions, just made him want to insult her life and make her feel like dirt in the progress.

'Oliver,' she corrected primly, hurt showing in her eyes. 'And actually I was determining how much uglier you looked then last time we saw each other.'

He smirked. 'As I recall Granger, you weren't complaining about my looks last time you saw me.'

The blush rose up on her cheeks, reminding him of all the times he'd kissed her. He stopped that thought. There was no way he was going to allow himself to become emotionally involved with her again. It had been difficult enough turning away from the bright colours she had bled into his being, without having to see them again. The reds of his passion were too vivid and bright.

'Yes well, that was in the past. A lot has changed now.' Hermione said unsteadily. 'I've changed now.'

He regarded her intently. Summing her up, he concluded that nothing had changed about her at all. She was probably still a control freak, who passed every test, dotted every 'I' and kept her clothes in order of colour. She probably still even hung around Potter and Weasel, never actually making a name for herself but letting them take the glory. It had been her brain behind their actions and without her they would have been lost. What had they done in return? Grown up and discovered a life beyond the three of them.

'Actually I don't think you have. I think you're still the same thrill seeker, who restrains herself because of her own urge to please others.' He said snidely. 'In fact I think that you are only here, doing this, because you think that by doing it, you'll have made yourself a name. You'll always be that teacher who taught Defence of the Dark Arts for a few months. Maybe it'll be longer. Who knows?'

'You have no right to say those things to me!' she said angrily.

'No, you're probably right. It's a little late now though, don't you think.' Sharply, he pushed open his door and sent his luggage flying in with a point of his wand. 'Now if you don't mind, I have things that are actually more important then mooning over my boyfriend.'

He turned to leave, but was pulled back by a tight grip on his arm. Turning his head a fraction, he looked down at Hermione. Her face was contorted in anger, which only made him smile more. This was the Hermione he had pined for since he'd left. This was the woman who had seduced him by doing nothing at all. It wasn't the woman who organised her books alphabetically and thought she was better then him. It was the woman who knew she was better then him.

'Don't you dare think you can push me around Malfoy,' she said in what was almost a snarl. 'I don't deserve it.'

Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead gently.

'No one deserves anything they get. It just happens.' And with that he was gone.

…and you realise that it doesn't matter what you're looking for. It doesn't matter if you haven't got everything you wanted. You should want everything you have because that is the only real way to be happy. Human nature though does not play this tune though, making sure that no one will ever be truly happy or content. They will swing from one dream to another until they meet the end. Then what is left? It's the memories that make the man.

Author's Note 2: Hmmm, what do you all think so far? I tried not to make it boring! You know what to do.