A/N: Sorry this took me so long to write, I was caught up writing the first five chapters of my new fiction, a Hermione/Fred entitled, 'Mission Impossible?'. You should go check it out, it's pretty good, if I do say so myself. The scene where Draco is so sweet to Hermione is a scene I used from when me and my boyfriend were coming home from a camping trip. I love him dearly.

Last time:

"Relax, Granger. You have nothing to worry about from Miss Swanky Knickers." He said reassuringly and Hermione turned to look at him seriously.

"Why would I worry about her? I don't even like you." She said with complete conviction.

Draco just shrugged and let her sulk, but he was smirking to himself that he had gotten under the little Know-it-All's skin again.

Hermione sat on the edge of her bed that was in the room she and Draco were to share. She was alone, as Draco was currently in the bathroom, making himself look spiffy for his date with Veriae. Now that she had a moment to herself, Hermione had time to think about things. Her first thought was of her parents and how they must be doing. Next she wondered how this whole world switching thing worked and if her parents knew she was gone, or was she still in the other world, or was this world a second a way from that one? She didn't know, so she didn't persue those thoughts any longer, because they made her head ache.

Instead her thoughts turned to Draco. It wasn't as if he had changed, but they were at a different place in their lives now. A very different place. She had never thought that she could take his cold aloof attitude so well. It was like she had grown an immunity to it. Maybe it was because now that she knew him better, she realized it was all pretty much an elaborate cover. She had to hand it to him, he was one hell of an actor.

The lock on the bathroom door clicked and the door swung open revealing a dashing Draco, dressed in black dress robes. He paraded in front of Hermione, smiling in a highly superior way. She looked at him with as much composure as she could muster and gave him a curt nod. Inside she felt like throwing up at the thought that he had gone to all this trouble, for Veriae

"How do I look," Draco asked vainly and Hermione gave him a cold leveled look.

"Fine," She said flatly and turned away from him to look sullenly at the bedclothes.

"Well, I better get going," Draco said glancing at his watch and he strode to the door and exited, leaving Hermione to brood heavily on how much she hated him.

As Draco walked down the stairs he couldn't help thinking of a certain brunette he'd left behind. She really was a jealous creature, but somehow it thawed him, because it made him realize that she cared about him, in own her pushy and stubborn way. He liked it, he liked that she cared what he did, maybe because it was just another in a long row of buttons he liked to push.

Veriae was downstair in the dining room, dressed spectacularily in a scooping black halter top. She may have been beautiful once, but her skin had a strange gray hue to it that denoted her age. Draco smiled as nicely as he could and came across the room to kiss her hand and help her be seated. Veriae blushed like a shy schoolgirl and made a big to-do about putting her napkin in her lap, as Draco sat across from her.

"My dear, how do you find the acomodations?"

"Very nice, Veriae. Did you decorate the room yourself," Draco asked pouring himself a glass of wine.

"No, daddy's decorators did, but I picked out the samples," Veriae said in a voice that reminded Draco of Pansy Parkison.

"Ahh, I see," Draco said sauvely even though inside he was cringing slightly.

"I'm very sorry you came to me like you did, a prisoner of my father's, but sometimes fate has a sense of humor," Veriae said and Draco inwardly sighed, at least she wasn't talking like an immature twit anymore.

"You're right," Draco said sipping his wine slowly.

His plan had been to butter up Veriae and get her to let him and Hermione go, but somehow he just couldn't do it. Maybe it was because the more he was around Veriae the more he was reminded of his mother's twittering friends. It was odd because he was usually so good at faking emotions and flirting. Veriae didn't seem to notice the absence of his usual charm though, as they dinner in companiable silence.

The next day and a half passed without much going on. Hermione and Draco fought, made-up and argued incessantly. Variea rarely came in to see them, except when she brought in their meals. Then, she would sit at a small little wooden table and ask Draco to join her, while Hermione was left to eat her food on her bed. She would do so, grumpily keeping her ears peeled to everything their 'hostess' had to say.

It was never very much, loads of compliments and praise for Draco, one or two references to his companion, and lots of airheaded talk of fashion and luxury items. Each time Hermione felt herself heaving a sigh of relief when the bothersome woman had gone. She found it intrigueing and ironic, that Draco seemed to do the same. She hadn't brought her up though, not since their arguement on the first night.

It was dusk and Variea was due with their evening meal. Draco was sitting primly at the small wooden table, while Hermione lay across her bed, deep in thought. At the sound of their door creaking open though, Hermione shot up and hoped to see a laidened Veriae coming through the door, with the food that Hermione's stomach so desperately needed. It gave a growl of protest, when Variea slipped around the door, devoid of anything edible.

Instead she had some robes draped over her arm and she beaming.

"There is to be a ball tonight, with all the most respectable and well connected people coming," She said airily and Hermione and Draco exchanged glances.

"You are both to attend," Veriae said after a moment of shocked silence.

Wasting no time, she threw Draco a dashing set of navy robes and then handed Hermione some crimson ones.

"Get dressed," She wheedled and then disapeared out the door.

Hermione looked at Draco and he at her. Throwing up her hands, Hermione slipped into the bathroom. Draco threw the dress robes on over his head. He knew he was supposed to be Veriae's tarted up partner for this dance. His chest heaved painfully at the thought of being pinnioned by her again.

Hermione meanwhile, was lamenting that her hair was so unmanagable. It was terribley unruly, she hadn't been able to brush it, since she didn't know when and it showed. Luckily, Veriae had left a hair brush in a drawer and Hermione found it and put it to good use. A little water was used and soon Hermione didn't think she looked that bad, in fact, she felt pretty for the first time in a long time.

Hermione slipped on the red robes that Veriae had tossed her. Crimson really did fit her, and she wondered if Veriae had noticed how form-fitting the slinky black dress was that had been rolled up inside the dress robes. Hermione wore it of course, having nothing else of attractive nature to wear to this kind of party. She wasn't a fool of course, she was sure these clothes were cast-offs of Veriae's that she hadn't liked. After all Veriae wanted to be the center of attention and especially catch Draco's eye.

She also knew that since so many well to-do ladies would be coming, that Veriae wanted to show Draco off, like a stud horse that's been purchased for a large sum, he'd be paraded around the party and shown to all the women. In her mind this was sick treatment of a male.

Variea appeared sometime after she had first arrived and pulling Draco along by his elegant sleeve, made for the door. When Hermione held back for a moment, Veriae turned and shot her a reproachful look.

"There will be men there for you to dance with, now come with us," She said, as though speaking to a rather slow child.

Hermione colored with resentment at her tone, but followed them nothingless. Variea was gripping Draco's arm like a vice and once, or twice he turned and grimaced at Hermione. She could only smirk at him, because he'd gotten himself into his current situation.

The ball was being held in a large ballroom, decorated, much like the one Hermione had been in when she'd first realized that she wasn't where she was supposed to be. Attendants had opened the doors for them and now they descended down onto the dance floor, by way of a large sweeping staircase. People lined the floor already, laughing and gossiping. They were all in high spirits, but for what reason, Hermione could not determine.

Suddenly a loud voice boomed out over the crowd, "Presenting you host, Madame Chloe Variaen Rihanda, your hostess and her date, Draco Atermis Malfoy."

Everyone looked towards them, and Hermione cringed behind the couple, even though it was not really her that was being scrutinized so closely. Draco seemed unfazed though, he smiled coldly at those all around him, and as he set foot on the black marble floor, he walked with his head held high, Veriae still clinging clumsily to his arm. Hermione followed timidly behind them, trying to strut just like Draco, but feeling foolish instead.

"Chloe! How long has it been," Asked a woman with long blonde hair. She looked not only like she was old enough to be Draco's mother, but that her appearance fit the bill as well, but that didn't stop her from eyeing him up and down, in interest.

"Ages, Mely," Veriae said in a tight lipped fashion. You could tell that she hadn't missed Mely's lusty gaze.

"Who is this lovely eye candy you have with you," Mely asked with a fake smile.

"Oh, Mely, always so witty," Veriae said laughing in an equally fake fashion, "This is Draco Malfoy, he is a guest here and my companion for most evenings."

Veriae felt threatened, you could see it in the brash way she was acting as though Draco and her were lovers.

"How wonderful," Mely said her voice losing most of it's gilding.

"Talk to you later," Veriae said quickly and she steered Draco to a part of the room, where there less females.

Hermione tagged along uncertainly. Where Veriae had led them was crammed with well dressed men, most chatting and smoking, in the most business-like fashion. Hermione coughed slightly and this made Veriae notice her for the first time since they'd left their room.

"Oh, Hermione, you're still here," She said flatly and then she looked around vaguely as though wanting to send her to some remote place in the room, "Why don't you find a young gentleman and dance with him. Tonight is a party, so you should have fun."

Hermione nodded, rolling her eyes at the thinly vieled snub, but she was quiet once again, all her self-control straining under a perfect mask of indifference.

"Want to go for a whirl," Asked a man with a black mustache at Hermione's elbow, she turned and smiled shyly and was about to say no when he took it upon himself to grab her arms and pull her close. Whirl was the right word for it, it seemed like the only thing they did was go in circles. Hermione soon felt dizzy from all that spinning. She excused herself and made for the large punch bowl situated along one of the ballroom's walls. Draco was there, for once devoid of Veriae.

"She's talking to her parents," He said, when Hermione shot him a questioning look.

"Oh."

"Saw you out there, twirling the night away," Draco said with a smug smile, he knew Hermione was having as lousy a time as him and was thrilled with that idea.

"Yes, well I don't think I will be doing that again," She said as she poured herself some punch.

"This would be much easier if we were roaring drunk," Draco suddenly observed as he watched Hermione sip her punch.

She cracked a wry smile at him, he knew that was an impossible idea, especially for her.

"I don't think that would help," Hermione said giving him a funny look.

"You're probably right," Draco said making an ugly face so that Hermione would laugh.

She was looking so sullen, although she was very prettily clothed. Who knew she could actually fix herself up. She shook her head at his weak attempt and turned to survey the dance floor.

"Oh, lovely! Here comes Veriae," Hermione said setting her cup down on the table and turning to flee into the crowd. She successfully squeezed between a couple of elderly men and disappeared into the crowd.

Draco wasn't about to be caught, so he dash after her, upsetting the old men and nearly knocking one of them over. Hermione was halfway across the floor, only the top of her head was visible over the heads of some grey haired biddies, but Draco knew that bushy hair anywhere. He rounded the ladies and nearly ran smack into Hermione. She looked up at him in suprise and peered around the ladies to see if Variae was going to materialize.

"Why'd you follow me," She whispered angrily to Draco. She had been running away as much from him, as Veriae.

"You're the only one in this world that I can talk to," Draco said rolling his eyes as if she were a dafty.

She laughed at how stupid and love-sick that statement made him sound, it was pure irony!

"Dance with me?"

"What," Hermione said wrong-footed by his sudden request.

"Oh, no! She's spotted us," Draco hissed urgently and Hermione understood at once, who she was.

Draco didn't let her answer though, he put his arm around her waiste and pulled her unbearabley close. Hermione pushed at him to let her have some space, he obliged, but didn't let the arms holding her relax much. He began to move them, leading with his usual grace. Unlike when they'd been in that other ballroom, she didn't feel pressed upon, or otherwise entrapt, instead she just felt a heavy stream of emotions, leaving and entering her system as quickly as they could.

Draco looked down at her and smiled, he'd caught site of Veriae's face when she saw them together. She hadn't looked please, not at all.

The song seemed to end in mere seconds. Hermione's heart was beating a mile a minute with supressed feelings. Draco had been staring into the space above her head, but now he turned his gaze to her upturned face. Their eyes met and they stared intensely at each other.

Draco of course shattered the perfect moment with a stupid question, "Do you have an idea of how we can get out of here?"

Hermione cursed herself mentally for ever thinking she'd felt something for this annoying ferret.

"I'd like to discuss this sometime later," Hermione said through gritted teeth as Veriae moved in.

"There you are, Draco. Darling, I've wondered where you were. It's so sweet of you to dance with Hermione," Veriae said as though Hermione was some unwanted leper that Draco had taken pity on.

"It's no big deal," Draco said shrugging and letting Veriae lead him to where a large group of colorfully deck-out woman were standing. For lack of anything better to do, Hermione followed, feeling alot like an unloved step-sister.

Hermione instantly knew these were people Veriae was trying to impress. She acted much more like a timid schoolgirl, than the domineering aristocrat that she was used to. At the same moment though, Hermione could see exactly why Veriae's attitude had changed, these ladies were judgemental and snobby.

The fancily dressed ladies stared at Hermione, she was vision in the crimson velvet and tight black dress, which showed off her figure and she had the air of someone quite important. They couldn't help looking. She stood boredly to the side, feeling like no one was watching her at all. As Veriae sweated and answered the ladies nit-picky questions, Draco sloped away to stand beside Hermione. Veriae sniffed when she noticed that Draco had left her side to pay attention to Hermione.

Trying to regain her control and composure, Veriae moved over and grabbing Draco and Hermione's arm dragged them into the crush of women.

"This is Hermione Granger," She said in a flat tone, then she turned to Draco and with a wide smile, said, "And this is Draco Malfoy."

"Nice to meet you," Hermione said a few times, and then she fell silent again, glaring at Veriae behind her back.

"How did you come upon such wonderful companions?"

"Oh, father captured them. They're being held for ransom. He almost escaped," Veriae said proudly stroking Draco's broad chest.

"How dreadful," Said one lady voicing what most of them must of been thinking.

Veriae laughed giddily and shook her head like a silly bauble-head doll.

"He's very smart. I was very pleased he nearly made it out," Veriae purred, still with her hands moving about Draco's person.

"Very interesting," Said the same woman who had spoken before.

"Yes! Is there anyone more clever than my Draco," Veriae said to Draco in a sacharine voice that made Hermione cringe inwardly.

"Yes, Hermione, here," Draco said suprising Hermione entirely.

The gaggle of women kept quiet as Veriae tried to think of what to say next.

"Draco, may I write my number on your arm," A lady, who was younger than the rest, said suddenly and Hermione wasn't the only one looking shocked at her boldness.

Veriae pretended to be preoccupied with getting another glass of wine from the man walking around with a tray of them. It took a moment for Draco to answer and perhaps if he knew how his words would be taken, he'd of thought better of it.

"No, but Hermione can, she's already got her number on me," Draco said jokingly, partly because he didn't know what number she was talking about and partly because he thought his statement made sense.

Veriae dropped her wine glass, and it shattered into a million pieces on the finely-wrought wooden floor. She looked embarrased for only a moment.

"I think Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger are tired. It has been a long day. Why don't you to go up to bed," Veriae said tightly and Draco still had his stoic facial expression but underneath he was writhing with confusion.

"It was a pleasure meeting all of you," Draco said and Hermione nodded and curtsied to the flittering flock of aristocrats.

"Make sure to sleep in your seperate beds," Veriae called pettily and comprehension dawned on Draco.

He didn't try to rectify the situation with Veriae though, he just walked out the door with Hermione on his arm.

Once out in the hall, Hermione pulled away from him and whirled, her expression stormy.

"You shouldn't have made her mad. She owns us, we can't use magic against her. We're at her mercy," She railed.

"Calm down, Hermione. I didn't mean to make her think there was something going on between us," Draco said defensively.

Hermione stopped glaring and her face lit up in a self-satisfied smile.

"I bet she checks up on us before she goes to bed. To make sure you're not in my bed," Hermione said and Draco laughed.

"See what I mean now about jealousy," Draco said and Hermione blushed, but didn't comment.

They walked to their room in silence, both wondering what form Veriae's wrath might take.

They soon found out when she burst into their room at five minutes to midnight. Her make-up was a bit smudged like she'd been crying and and she was wearing a silky rose colored house coat and a negligee of white. She looked suprised when she found Draco laying on his bed reading a book and Hermione fast asleep acrossed the room in her own bed.

"You are being taken to a new place," She said in a barely composed voice.

"Why," Draco asked and Veriae looked at him sadly.

"My father orders it," She said slightly sniffling.

"When," Draco questioned and Veriae moved over to where Hermione was breathing peacefully.

"Now," She said and she poked Hermione awake, none to gently.

Hermione rolled over and sat up, yawning and stretching.

"What's going on," She asked when she noticed the state Veriae was in and the agitated look on Draco's face.

"We're leaving," Draco said bluntly and Veriae nodded forlornly.

Hermione got out of bed quite quickly then and luckily she had been fully dressed anyways, having only one set of decent robes in her possesion. She slipped her shoes on and was ready to go in a matter of seconds. Draco got off his bed at a more leisurely pace, grabbed his fancy black robes off the back of a chair and slipped them over his head. Once this was accomplished, he walked to stand beside Hermione. Veriae didn't say anything, but kept wringing her gown in her hands in an agitated fashion, as she led them out into the hall.

The two men from before were waiting, both had their wands out and pointed at Hermione and Draco.

"The carriage is outside," Said the man with the dark beard.

"Very good, Brokaw. Take them out there," Veriae said, and she turned her back on them with dramatic flair.

Hermione was shocked she didn't want to say goodbye to Draco. Instead, they watched as she disappeared down the hallway, stiff backed and regal, the whole way. Once Veriae was gone, the doughy man laid his fat fingers on Hermione's arm and started marching her down the hall. The rugged man did the same with Draco, although Draco looked bored and petulant about it, instead of harrased, like Hermione.

The walked down many hallways, all lavishly decorated and down two large staircases, until they reached the entrance hall. It was large, with white marble pillars holding the eloborately sculpted ceiling up. Hermione looked at the lavish room with awe, but Draco just rolled his eyes, he was used to such things and in his mind, was comparing this ruddy little shack to his own beautiful mansion.

They didn't have long to look about them, their keepers hustled them out the two large front doors and down some grey stone steps. It was night outside, and a very dark night indeed. There was only a sliver of a moon and Hermione could make out a hulking object in the dark, but only the outline. This object turned out to be their carriage, as they were pushed towards it and one of the doors popped open and light flooded the courtyard. Hermione shut her eyes against it, because it illuminated the grotesque face of the man holding her arm in a painfully strong grip.

Draco was shoved in first and then the doughy man shoved Hermione up the steps and she nearly tripped over the doorjam, but luckily, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her into the cushion lined seat. The door snapped shut and they began to roll forward.

As the wagon rolled down the rutted track it swayed from side to side in a sickening manner. Hermione felt like vomiting, but didn't want to show that to Draco. She hunched down in her seat, letting her legs splay out on the floor. Her hands were on on her lap, and she had her head back in what she hoped would be a relaxing position. Suddenly she felt a warm hand envelope hers and the sensation made her stomach dropped uncomfortabley, but it wasn't from disgust. Draco let his thumb play over hers and Hermione breathed heavily, feeling dizzy all of a sudden.

"Try to sleep," Draco said from the dark, but Hermione barely recognized his voice, it was so low and warm.

"I don't think I can," Hermione whispered.

"Let me help you," Draco said and he softly pushed Hermione, so that her head rest against the soft side cushion of the coach.

If she thought that was all, she was pleasantly suprised when he started stroking her back in a very soothing manner. Hermione felt her eyes closing in bliss, Draco's hands were large and warm, and felt like heaven. Even with this wonderful treatment, Hermione wasn't comfortable. She shifted restlessly and Draco eventually sighed and pulled off his robes. Wadding them up he stuck them on his lap and bade Hermione lay down again.

She did, without much reluctance, all the fight had gone out of her. Draco continued to stroke her back lovingly until he heard her breathing settle. Then he carefully laid his head on her back and fell asleep.