Okay, so here's the story. I stalled and procrastinated the usual time before starting to update, but then when I was like one-third of the way through the chapter my stupid, old computer decided to finally catch a virus and die. So it was really slow and didn't want to do anything and kept freezing. My father got this weird idea of

I bore down on the pedal harder and pretended it was his face that I was stomping on.

Drive faster?

I'd drive fast, all right. So fast that the skin on his face would be stretched to the point of grotesqueness.

Not that it wasn't grotesque already.

"He's catching up."

I wanted to sputter in outrage at his tone of complete indifference, but decided that would only make me look stupid. I settled for turning red and trying to exude anger.

I wasn't really sure it was working, after all, I had never exuded anger before.

"If you'd like to see the sun dawn tomorrow on your pathetic life, Granger, I'd stop going about as fast as a turtle."

Apparently just exuding anger wasn't working.

"I'm already going ninety." I ground out, my eyes glued straight ahead.

"Then go a hundred." He snapped.

I shot a quick glance into the rearview mirror and almost blanched. Lestrange really was gaining on us, and worst, he was aiming his wand and muttering words that couldn't possibly mean good things.

"Malfoy, I can't-"

"Are you scared, Granger?" He interrupted. "Aren't you enough of a Gryffindor to break a few speeding laws to save your own hide?"

I grimaced and unknowingly went up to ninety-five.

"Can't you take that enormous stick out of your arse long enough to take a risk? Especially when that risk could save your life and another person's?"

His taunting voice rang in my ears. Oh, I'd take that stick out of my ass. I'd take it out and beat him senseless with it.

I unconsciously went up to a hundred. My hands gripped the wheel until my knuckles went white.

"Granger, can't you just-"

"Shut up, Malfoy. Just shut up."

He gave an exaggerated sigh. "He's aiming his wand, Granger."

I glanced at the rearview mirror just in time to see Lestrange shout a word and flick his wand. Guessing his intentions, I swerved left and had Malfoy banging his head on the side of the car.

He gave a surprised grunt of pain.

My hands were sweating but I wasn't so nervous that I couldn't take pleasure from giving Malfoy physical pain.

"Dammit, Granger!"

I grinned and kept my eyes straight ahead.

"Next time give a fucking warning!"

I concentrated on the road and tried to look as if it were very difficult for me to get the car back under control.

"Granger." He said in a warning voice. "Next time you better.."

I shot a glance at the rearview mirror, so that I wouldn't have to look at Malfoy, just in time to see Lestrange give a particularly malevolent wave of his wand.

Praying that I was right, I swerved left again, and once again, Malfoy's head banged hard against the window.

Malfoy cursed long and loudly.

Unable to resist I said in my blandest voice, "You know, Malfoy, I just don't think I could bend that way."

"I swear to Merlin, Granger, if you do that one more bloody time without warning me I'll…"

I tuned him out and glanced down at the speedometer. To my everlasting surprise, I found that I was going 105 miles per hour, I was having fun, and I was actually not to worried that a deranged ex-death eater was after me. Well after Malfoy, but since sodding Malfoy was with me, the deranged ex-death eater was technically after me too.

"How long do you suppose he'll keep this up?" I asked gradually, when Malfoy finally stopped ranting.

"I suppose until we reach the next town. He wouldn't want to be seen by muggles, so I suppose he'll let off." He responded sullenly.

I heaved a great sigh of relief. The next town was in sight, and although I was having fun evading death attacks from Lestrange, I couldn't always second guess where he'd aim next. So far I was lucky, but I might not be lucky for much longer.

I glanced in the rearview mirror just in time to see Lestrange looking around uneasily. Although we hadn't yet reached the town, muggles could be outside the town limits camping or doing other things like that.

Lestrange shot one last hateful look at the car and swerved off into the shadows. I began to ease on the accelerator.

"You know, Malfoy, you owe me one hell of an explanation." I muttered.

"How did he find me so quickly?" He said under his breath in such a way that I was sure he hadn't meant for me to hear.

I frowned. "Why is he looking for you in the first place?"

Malfoy's head whipped around and his stormy gray eyes met mine. "Why the bloody hell do you think, Granger?"

The anger in his voice surprised me so I kept my eyes straight ahead as we cruised into the town.

Why indeed was Lestrange looking for Malfoy?

Was he the reason that Malfoy was stranded on the highway in the middle of nowhere?

And most important of all, why did I have the feeling that Malfoy didn't have a dollop of magic in him?

"You can explain the hell happened to you over dinner." I muttered, still not looking at him. He didn't respond, but exuded anger.

Ohhhh.. So that's how you do that.

I kept my eyes peeled for a diner or something like that and finally found one. In an unnerving silence I parked the car. We both sat in silence for a while, me wondering what had happened to him and what he was doing there with me, and him thinking about.. Whatever it is that cruel-way-too-smart blonde guys think about. Probably sex.

I finally sighed. I supposed it was time to call a truce since Malfoy was apparently in a life threatening situation, and I couldn't just callously leave him to face it by himself. It really was too bad that I had all the Gryffindor instincts except for bravery in the face of some situations.

"Look, Malfoy, I don't particularly like you and I know that you don't like me. I don't relish being stuck with you until we reach New Orleans, but since I can't just leave you on the side of the road, I suppose we'll both have to deal. So can we please just have a truce?"

He turned and studied me with eyes that were strangely thoughtful.

"Fine." Malfoy eventually murmured. "It can last until after dinner. Arguing ruins my appetite."

I pushed open my door bad temperedly at his completely selfish statement. "Thank you ever so much for considering my feelings too." I muttered with a heavy sarcastic tone.

"Uh uh uh, Granger. That doesn't seem like such a peaceful statement, and we're on a truce now." Malfoy smirked at me.

"Actually, I'm changing the terms on the truce." I glared at him over the hood of the car. "The truce doesn't start until after you explain to me what the bloody hell happened to you and why Lestrange is after you."

That effectively wiped the smirk off his face.

"Fine." Malfoy slammed the door and began stalking towards the diner.

I closed my own door more gently and sauntered after him.

At least I wouldn't be having a boring dinner by myself.

Although, wasn't that why I came to America in the first place? To be by myself?

I shrugged and trudged to the diner. After all, it wasn't as if I really had a choice. And to my surprise, I saw Malfoy there, courteously holding the door open.

I gave him a suspicious look as I walked past him inside.

Malfoy being polite? I wondered what it was that he wanted.

He followed me as I made my way to a booth and sat down across from me, with a strangely earnest expression on his face before I picked up my menu and blocked it out. We had been studying our respective menus for about five minutes in complete silence before I finally gave up.

"Okay, what do you want?" I asked as I laid down my menu.

He looked at my blankly. "What?"

"I know you want something."

"You do?"

I nodded decisively. "Yes, I do."

"Okay, then what is it that I want?" Malfoy folded his hands on top of his menu and gazed at me serenely.

"What?" I frowned at him.

"You think I want something. Tell me what it is that you think I want."

"I don't think you want something. I KNOW you do."

His smirk slipped through. "And how would you know that I want something?"

I resisted the urge to throw my arms up. "You held open the door and WAITED for me. You were being polite."

"And that's bad?"

I folded my arms and tilted my chin up. "When YOU'RE being polite, then yeah, its bad."

He scratched his head puzzledly. "I thought being on a truce meant being polite.."

This time I didn't resist and threw my arms up in exasperation. "We're NOT on a truce!"

"We aren't?"

"NO!"

"Why?"

"I changed the terms! We're not on a truce until you explain what the bloody hell is going on!"

"I wasn't listening to your blabber." And then Malfoy did the most horrible thing. He smiled charmingly at me and to my complete revulsion I realized that maybe his charming smile wasn't so bad.

I almost puked at this realization.

No no no.. Hermione you don't think that. You're just suffering from hunger pains.. That's all it is.. Hunger pains..

I cleared my throat loudly but before I could come up with a suitable reply, a waitress sauntered up.

"Well, what can I get ya?" She glanced disinteresting at me.

I began to place my order but was interrupted by Malfoy.

"I'll have a cup of tea, the mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, the cornbread, and some of the roasted veggies. I'll also have a slice of the kidney pie. Oh and add some extra chicken fillets."

The waitress wrote down his order and read it back. "So it'll be the mashed potatoes, the cornbread, veggies, kidney pie, chicken fillets.. That's a lotta food mister.." She trailed off as she glanced at Malfoy, and her lipsticked mouth fairly fell open.

I swear I saw drool starting to gather in the waitress's mouth.

"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He shot her that charming smile that I didn't think was all that good looking. Not that it was bad either. Ah! No, hunger pains!

"Yes, well I'm Hermione Granger, and I'm quite hungry." I said curtly, trying to distract myself from Malfoy's un-charming charming smile.

The waitress tore her slavering gaze from Malfoy and looked me up and down. I knew what she was seeing and I swore once again that the first chance I got I was buying new clothes.

"Well what can I get ya, honey?" The waitress bestowed me with a condescending smile.

"I'll have what he had but without the kidney pie and the chicken fillets." I said through gritted teeth.

She wrote down my order with a flourish and winked at Draco before sauntering off, swinging her hips in what I thought was a excessive manner.

"Granger, you're not jealous, are you?" Malfoy murmured, his smile full blown.

"No! No." I repeated in a calmer voice. "I just didn't like the way she was looking at me."

He smirked at me. "You do know that what she saw was-"

"I know what she saw." I snapped, interrupting him. "And I don't see why she thought you were attractive, after all, you're covered in dirt and who knows what else!"

Malfoy glanced down at himself in dismay, as if just remembering that he was filthy. "Well I guess that just proves my sexiness shines through anything."

I snorted. "Of course it does. Although I think it's really your gruesomeness that shines through ." I covered my eyes with my hands as if I was seeing too much sunlight. "And right now it's blinding me."

He pouted and I tried not to notice his full bottom lip.

AHHHH! HUNGER PAINS!

"Stop pouting!" I said almost desperately. "You look like a spoiled little boy, although you do look like that normally, so I guess there isn't really that big of a difference."

Malfoy stopped and frowned abruptly. "What about our truce? You aren't being very nice."

"You haven't explained how you happened to be in the middle of a highway in Virginia covered in dirt yet." I answered mulishly.

He sighed. "All right all right."

I looked at him expectantly.

"You know, of course, that towards the end of the war, I turned spy."

A flash of expression that looked like revulsion crossed his face. I cocked my head to the side.

I wondered why he felt disgusted that he had turned spy. After all, he had helped the good side, the right side, and doing so, he couldn't have been all that evil, despite what Ron and Harry swore. I almost snorted at that thought. Harry had thoroughly proven himself to not be a good person, and Ron, who had taken his side, well I wasn't sure what to think of him. However, before I couldn't think too deeply about that, I was drawn out of my reverie by Malfoy's voice.

"I managed to pass along quite a bit of inside death eater information, that really assisted the aurors and Dumbledore." He continued bitterly. "I took my mark, knowing I would betray what it stood for, betray the people I had grown up with, betray everything I had grown up believing."

"Malfoy.." I murmured. His face looked haunted, and I wondered if there was more to it than what he was telling me. He had to have known he had done the right thing, but at that second, he didn't look like he did.

"Don't think that Granger. Don't think what I know you're thinking." He pierced me with his gaze. "I didn't do it for all the good reasons you think I did. I did them for purely selfish reasons that you'll never know about."

I held my silence and waited for him to go on.

"I.." He took a deep breath. "I did everything that I was told to do. Nobody knew of my betrayal until after Voldemort was destroyed. I was promised things that.. That never happened. Inevitably, it was my passed on information that led Potter to destroy Voldemort. After that final battle, I was told, of course, that I was safe. It was then revealed what a good guy I was, how I passed along death eater information." He snorted and studied his hands. "I was told that Saint Potter was hunting renegade death eaters, so of course I had nothing to worry about."

I almost snorted myself at the caustic nick name Malfoy had given Harry. Saint Potter indeed, if Saints were lying bastards with hidden horns and tail, then Harry was really Saint Potter.

"It has been, of course, a few years since the last battle, and only a few death eaters still running around. I was told repeatedly that I wasn't a target, not that it mattered. I wouldn't let a few renegade death eaters keep me from doing what I normally do."

"Which is gambling, sleeping with countless women, and making high end business deals." I interjected trying to lighten his somber mood. I didn't know why I wanted to do it, but I just felt like I had too. I suppose that I am a rather compassionate person, and I could very obviously see that Draco was deeply disturbed.

"Of course." He answered completely serious. "But besides that, I did live a fairly normal life, despite the occasional howlers I received from families of people killed by death eaters."

"You're not serious."

Malfoy frowned. "You can't possibly be that innocent and noble, Granger."

I frowned back. "What do you mean?"

"Hate bleeds, Granger. It festers and bleeds until it finally explodes in more hate. Those families will never ever accept me because I'm the son of a death eater and even though they know I helped the good side, they'll always think I did it for some evil and devious reason. They'll always hate me because they have no other choice, they won't know what else to do with their bitterness."

"Nobody can be that stupid and narrow minded."

He grinned wryly. "You're engaged to someone that narrow minded and stupid. You're other best friend is the same."

I almost blurted out that I was most definitely not engaged to Harry stupid Potter before I remembered that I didn't want Malfoy to know that.

"Er. Yeah, I suppose Pot- I mean Harry is like that." I paused. "And Ron too, I guess. I mean we didn't know that you had turned spy during the war, but afterwards, when it was revealed, they were sure you had done it right before the end in order to save your own hide."

"I did do it to save my own hide."

"I know."

"Then what do you mean?" He grinned and I finally felt his solemn mood lift. "Don't tell me that you, Hermione Granger, defended me from them."

"Of course I didn't." I answered primly. "After all, you are Draco Malfoy and you made it your own personal mission to make sure I was as miserable as possible."

"You can thank me later, Granger."

I laughed. "Thank you? Why I think I could happily throttle you."

He laughed but before he could come up with a suitably cutting reply, the food came with the same sauntering waitress.

"Here ya go, Mister Malfoy." She leered at him slightly. "If you need anything, anything at all, you just give me a call." She set his food down lightly in front of him.

I stiffened. "Excuse me-"

She plunked my food down in front of me, causing some of the gravy to splash, just barely missing me. "Here."

She strolled away, once again shaking her hips in what she probably thought was a provocative manner.

"I think you've got green eyes."

I frowned and looked up to see Malfoy eyeing me with amusement.

"Excuse me?"

He shook his head. "Nevermind."

I shrugged and decided to put the rude waitress out of my mind.

"You still haven't told me how you ended up on the side of a highway." I reminded him before I dug into my food.

He sighed. "You're like a dog with a bone, Granger."

I waved my fork at him. "No explanation, no truce."

Okay well, this time I haven't really left it at a cliffhanger. I hope you guys are happy with this chapter. Usually I'd make it go on longer, but my sister is kicking me off the computer and I don't know when I'll have another chance to finish this, so here it is! Thanks for waiting so long and not complaining! I really don't deserve you readers.

Here's a little poem for all you guys.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

You've read this chapter

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