DISCLAMIER: The ideas in this story are all my own; any overlapping ideas with any other story on are purely unintentional. Some characters are my own, and all the original ones belong to JK Rowling/Warner Bros.
A/N: This chapter has a bit more language then previous chapters, because this is how I imagine Blaise in my head, so let me know how you guys feel about that. Should I change the rating?

Chapter 5: Let Me Get This Straight

Draco woke up relatively early that morning, not quite able to get a decent night sleep in his new surroundings. He closed his eyes again, not wanting to get out of bed yet. How he got himself into this he was quite sure, but he wasn't exactly complaining either; sleeping in a room all by yourself, with your own common room was much better than sharing one with some of his so called friends. Well, he had one good friend, that he could actually trust, Blaise Zambini, but that was about it. Blaise and him had been friends ever since they were little, because their dads "worked" together.

Draco got up, and let his feet dangle over the bedside for a couple of seconds before touching them to the rug-covered floor. Walking over to his bathroom, he took off his shirt, leaving him only in his boxers. He noticed the walk in shower in the corner; a stone tunnel that led to a clearing at the end, from which water fell like rain from above. He pulled off his boxers as well, and turned a lever, the water now beginning to rain onto his smooth body.

The relaxing shower could only last so long, so he walked out and grabbed one of the big, white towels hanging on a hook. Wrapping it around his waist, he walked back into his room, got dressed, magically made his bed, and walked down the spiral staircase. He noticed Hermione's door was shut, so he continued walking. The fire had long died out, and the only noise was the quiet breathing of the sleeping Hermione. He walked over towards her and looked over her sleeping body.

How badly he wanted to rip the blanket off her, just to annoy her, but he found that he couldn't because she looked so innocent and vulnerable lying there.

Scowling at his weakness, Draco stormed off, loudly, to go find Blaise in the Slytherin Common Room.

xoxo

When Draco walked in (he was given the password to his own house), he found Blaise sitting on the couch with a pretty blonde sitting on his lap. He was whispering quietly in her ear, and she kept giggling over what he said.

Draco rolled his eyes. This was a prime example of Blaise at his finest: a lady's man.

The blonde noticed Draco before Blaise, and stopped giggling when she saw his cold appearance; as if frightened he would curse her if she made one more noise. Blaise noticed this and looked up at his friend.

"Gee Draco, either fucking them or scaring them," Blaise smirked and sat up, the petite blonde getting off his lap, "Hey Violet, I'm going to talk with Draco for a while. I'll find you later, okay?" Blaise winked at her and patted her rear before she nodded and took off towards the girl's dormitories.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" Blaise asked Draco, referring to his new girlfriend, "She isn't the brightest bulb, but man is she a feline in bed."

Draco shook his head as Blaise laughed. "So how'd your summer go? Meet any chicks?" Blaise was the only person besides Draco's mother that knew how Lucius treated Draco. When times got really bad, Draco would often stay at Blaise's for a couple of days.

"You know, Zambini, you have a one track mind: girls, sex, chicks, and your broomstick."

Blaise laughed once he got the sexual innuendo, "Good to have you back, man. I was getting a little worried there," he slapped Draco on the back, a manly way of endearment, and more seriously, "So what did you do this summer, if you didn't hook up with the woman?"

"Hey stop bringing my sex life into everything," Draco asked, referring to the group of girls hovering in the corner, trying to listen to Draco and Blaise's conversation, "I got a job with the ministry. Well, it was more of a training camp. Father wanted me to sign up so I would 'look good' in the eyes of the ministry. Basically so they don't suspect me of becoming a Death Eater."

"And are you?" Blaise asked suspiciously.

"Am I what?"

"Going to become a Death Eater," Blaise knew his best friend better than anybody else, but when the subject matter involved the Dark Lord, he could never be certain on his friend's motives.

Draco looked around, checking to make sure nobody was listening in on their conversation, "I haven't quite decided yet. Sure father wants me to more than anything, but I don't know. It seems so," Draco paused, for lack of better words.

"Wrong, and there is no turning back," Blaise finished for him.

"Exactly. Turning back isn't what I'm afraid of though. I'm never going to marry, so I won't have somebody like my wife getting involved; I just don't' know."

"Oh, so Drakie's an afraid bachelor," Blaise joked, in a voice sounding strangely high pitched like Pansy's.

"Of course not, idiot. I am not afraid of anything, or anyone," Draco said a bit louder than he intended, causing heads to turn.

The meek voice of a small first year spoke up, "Not even Harry Potter?"

The common room turned silent. Draco spun on his heels and allowed his eyes to bore down upon diminutive boy, now singled out in the crowd of listeners. He slowly walked over to him, counting in his head to 10 in a weak attempt to calm himself down. Draco put his big hands on the boy's small shoulders, squeezing harder than what was necessary and sure to leave bruises, and lowered his face so it was only inches away from the terrified boy's nose.

"Especially not Harry Potter," Draco hissed, venom coating his words.

He pushed the boy back into the crowd as he let go, and walked over towards Blaise, "Come on," he said quietly, not waiting to find out if Blaise followed him through the portrait.

xoxo

Draco stormed down the corridors, Blaise running along to catch up with him, disbelief hidden in his eyes. What had Lucius done to him this summer that had caused him to get like this, Blaise wondered. Blaise had seen Draco mad, and even furious before, but he had never seen Draco let his anger out in a physical way. The way Draco pushed the little boy down was too far.

Blaise caught up to Draco and grabbed him by the shoulders, shoving him into the stone wall. "What the hell did you do that for Draco?"

"You know what Blaise, fuck off. I don't need you questioning my antics too." Draco replied, trying to shove his friend aside.

But Blaise had always been the stronger of the two, "No way, dude. There is no way in hell I am letting you go until you fess up."

Draco knew that Blaise was stronger and had no hope at getting away unless he talked first. "Fine, you win," Draco said, his cold eyes avoiding contact with Blaise's.

Blaise released him, but still stood guard. "Draco, if anyone of those at least 20 people watching reports you, you are in deep shit."

Draco rolled his eyes, but didn't reply.

"Why'd you do it, man? There has to be something else. I've never seen you get like this? What is it?" Blaise knew something else was there, hidden deep within Draco that he had to get out.

Draco took a deep breath, "Mudblood Granger."

"Granger, what does that chick have to do with anything? And might I add; she has been lookin' mighty fine this year," Blaise said, licking his lips.

"No, you can't add that." Draco scowled, although he had to admit, she was looking fine this year. No more bushy hair, and she even wore a tiny bit of makeup, to enhance her natural beauty that she had inadvertently kept hidden all those years. But of course, he would never admit to that.

"Well, then if you don't want her, I'll take her," Blaise grinned.

"Haha. How about not?" Draco retorted, somehow feeling a sense of protectiveness about Hermione. It is just the job description, that's all, Draco couldn't help but correct himself.

"Ooooh…" Blaise teased, "So there is something between you two. What? Did you find her snogging Weasley or something?"

"Shove it Zambini. No, remember that summer internship I got? Well, it's kind of like a police force, not quite Aurors, in the Wizarding world. I was assigned to protect Granger for the school year, or hopefully, as soon as I am notified."

"Protect her? Shouldn't she be afraid of you?" Blaise asked, curious to why Draco Malfoy would voluntarily help Hermione Granger without a fair fight. No, scratch that: a fight.

"Ha. That's exactly what she said. Or as she put it, 'Great, now I am going to need somebody to protect me from my protector.'" Draco quoted, surprised that he was able to remember that.

"Nice dude. Maybe I can protect her from you," Blaise grinned and shoved his friend lightly in the side.

"Wait, I thought you were with that Violet chick?" Draco asked, confused at Blaise's sudden interest in Hermione.

"Ah. She's good, but if a better one came up, I'd grab her in a heartbeat. Look at Hermione for example. Smokin' looks, really smart, has a personality; what else do you want in a girl?"

Draco paused for a second. What else did he want in a girl? He smirked his famous smile, "Nothing. I'm going to be a bachelor the rest of my life. You know, have a couple of affairs once in a while, but nothing long term and committed," so I'm not tempted to hurt her like Lucius does to my mother, Draco finished silently.

"You're one strange fucker, you know that? So, have you found out what you are supposed to protect Granger from?" Blaise asked.

"Nope. I was going to find out yesterday on the train, but things happened," Draco replied, remembering that he still didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"So something or somebody could be kidnapping her at this very moment, and you would be blamed because you weren't there to help her. Sucker!" Blaise jabbed Draco in the ribs.

Even though it was meant as a joke, Blaise was completely right, "Oh shit," Draco said, as he started running towards his common room.

"Gee Draco, I didn't mean to worry you, I'm sure she's fine," Blaise yelled after him, as Draco began to extend the distance between them.

Draco didn't pay attention, and he certainly wasn't running to go check on her for her sake. He knew that if she was in trouble, it would be his ass-kicking from both Fudge and his father.

xoxo

Draco and Blaise had reached Draco's and Hermione's room and quickly walked through the portrait. The blankets on the couch from where Hermione had been sleeping earlier were tousled on the floor, and the window was cracked open a tiny bit; a slight breeze coming into the room and causing the curtains to billow out and make columns of air.

Draco looked around. Where was she? He ran up the stairs; almost missing the fifth step in his rush and falling down. He cursed under his breath and mumbled, "Remember, this is your job, not your choice."

If it were actually his choice, he would never in a million years go around looking for Hermione.

Draco knocked on her door several times and got no answer. He tried the doorknob; it was locked. Taking out his wand, he muttered a charm and the door swung open, allowing the fragrance of Hermione's room overwhelm him. She wasn't in her room either. He walked over to the bathroom door, which he found was locked. He said the same charm as he used before, and the door opened, revealing an extremely shocked Hermione staring wide-eyed at him from her bubble bath, her hands flailing in dramatic attempts to cover herself in the bubbles that had already begun to disappear.

"Malfoy!" she screeched, forgetting their pact to not call each other by their surnames.

Draco's eyebrows raised, but he didn't say anything. He quickly turned around and quickly said a shy sorry right before he shut the door.

Down below, Blaise heard a female screeching and the slamming of doors and decided to go check out the problem. He rushed up the stairs, practically knocking over Draco who was slowly retreating away from the bedroom.

"What happened, Draco?" Blaise asked curiously, as the two of them headed down the stairs; Draco following Blaise who had his head turned around to hear the reply.

"I found Granger alright," Draco said, drawing in a quick breath.

"And…" Blaise continued.

"And I found her dressed only in bubbles from her bath that she was currently taking," Draco bit his lip, knowing what Blaise's reply would be.

"You saw Hermione Granger naked!" Blaise exclaimed excitedly, a bit louder than Draco hoped for.

"No not naked, dumbass. She was covered in bubbles," Draco lied. He forgot to mention how when Hermione had turned to yell at him, some of the bubbles had floated off, revealing a bit more on top than Hermione would have wanted if she had realized it.

"Hermione Granger naked," Blaise sighed in bliss, looking off into space.

And just at the moment, Hermione walked down the stairs, her hair still wet and tied back messily. She raised her eyebrows at Blaise, and looked curiously at Draco. "What is he talking about?" she asked coolly.

Blaise didn't say anything, so Draco nonchalantly answered for him, "Nothing, Hermione. Why would he be talking about you?"

Hermione nodded down towards the bulge forming in Blaise's pants. She gave a half-smile and slowly shook her head at him, quietly laughing with her mouth closed.

Blaise looked down and turned a color that could have made him a proud Gryffindor. "I… uhh… yea…"

"Just get out of here, Blaise. I'll come find you later," Draco smirked, obviously finding his friend's embarrassment amusing.

As soon as the back of Blaise's head disappeared through the portrait, Hermione sat down on the couch, her back facing Draco. "Sooo…" She filled the silence, not sure what to say.

Draco walked around and sat down on the chair adjacent to Hermione, "Well…" Draco said, having no idea what to say to Hermione. Should he apologize for walking in on her? Or worrying too much about something he had no idea what to worry about?

Apologizing seemed like the best icebreaker, "Sorry for walking in on you. I really didn't mean to, or want to either, for that matter."

Hermione smirked. She found it quite funny how Draco was able to twist an apology into an insult. "Ah, whatever; don't worry about it."

A few minutes of awkward silence past, both trying to think of something that might spark a conversation.

"So you still haven't told me the reason why I am here with you," Draco commented, glad he could think of something to break the silence.

"Why you are here with me?" Hermione asked, confused at what he was getting at.

"You know, the case Fudge assigned me to help you with…." Draco said, leading on her memory.

"Oh, that. Right," Hermione said, unsure of how to begin.

Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the floor, wishing Fudge or Dumbledore would have informed him of the case rather than her having to do it.

"Hermione?" Draco asked, noticing how timid and vulnerable she looked when he had mentioned the case. He leaned closer in his chair, although he was still a good distance away from Hermione. "You can talk to me, you know. I know we've always hated each other, but I've been though a lot of stuff; I've seen a lot of stuff that I wish I had never allowed my eyes to catch sight of; I promise anything you say probably won't shock me too much."

"It might not shock you," Hermione said, and then barely audible, "but you would never understand."

Draco suddenly looked up and caught her eyes, "Tell me everything," he said more as a demand than a request.

And Hermione told him everything. More than she had ever told the Weasley's, more than she had told Fudge; she told him everything from the very start, to the very moment they were at now.

Draco saw the tears forming at the corners of her eyes as she talked. He could sympathize with her about that fact that nobody really knew how she was feeling. Everybody expected her to just carry on, but nobody could realize the traumatizing effect it had on her. Knowing that you are being watched by someone you don't even know, and having no clue when the next attack will be, or how it will be done. Or what it was like to lie alone at night in your bed, in fear that you might not be there the next morning.

And the tears finally spilled out of her eyes, cascading down her face fashioning wet trails. Hermione placed her face in her hands, suddenly more ashamed than ever to be seen crying in front of her nemesis.

Draco got up and cautiously walked over to her. He took both of her hands away from her face and pulled her up into a standing position. He wrapped his arms around her in a comforting, fatherly way. Hermione looked up at him in surprise; her gaze full of astonishment. Draco squeezed her a little harder, to reassure her, and Hermione finally let down her guards and allowed her head to fall to the space right below his shoulder.

Both of them knew that the embrace was nothing more than the forming of a friendship. Nothing close to a lovers embrace, but something more along the lines of a secret handshake; a sign to show that they were in it for the long haul and most importantly, they were friends.

Draco closed his eyes, and when he was sure Hermione wasn't listening, whispered, "You will be safe with me."

xoxo

A/N: Well there… this is the longest chapter yet. And the most personality revealing, wouldn't you say? Tell me what you think of Blaise's character and if I need to tone him down a bit. What would you guys say if I changed the rating to 'M', which I probably will have to do before the story is finished (not necessarily for lemons, but for other maturer matter). Let me know… and please, please review!

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