A/N- Ah! I'm so embarrassed. SO sorry for the long wait, especially after I just told y'all 7-14 days. Horrible. Please forgive me; I was insanely busy all last month.

So I got a lot of reviews asking when the romance would come. I'm sorry to say…but, never. Only joking. Umm, very soon. I think you all will enjoy this chapter- not much fighting. (It's slightly random…but I need a few random awkward/friend periods before they rush into a relationship…because that'd just be unrealistic. And bigger events are coming up soon.) Just keep in mind, that though 8 chapters seems a long while to be fighting, it's only been like 2-3 weeks since this engagement, and only a week into school. So, with that said, thank you for the support and reviews, and onto the next chapter…

Thanks g!

(Btw- I think I mentioned something about the silent treatment last chapter…but I changed my mind. :) )

Ch-8"—but look at you! Did you not pay your way onto the Quidditch team in 2nd year? And what about you and Professor Snape? You and I both know you wouldn't be anywhere without your wand and your precious father's fortune. Look at your best friend. He's rich, but he probably has the brains at least to invest his money instead of just sitting on it." she yelled and turned to slam the bathroom door.

"Fuck you, Granger." He spat, loud enough for her to hear it. Draco threw down his magazine and accio'd his robe.

"Well. That was entertaining." Blaise joked awkwardly, clearly not expecting that.

"Let's go." Draco said quietly, and they walked out of the portrait hole.

Chapter 9- An understanding. Sort of.

She was so mad. Merlin. She was furious, She had the right to be mad…Hell- she'd be mad if she wasn't mad. It was his fault. Always his fault. The things he said, the thin--….wait. What did he say? Who knows- it was beginning to become a blur; the insults came so frequently she couldn't differentiate which taunts came on one day or another. But that didn't matter. He had insulted her for the last time.

But how many times had she said that?

That was the one thing that irritated her. Everything was supposedly "the last time…", but it would always repeat itself. Though he was no better, he didn't end them either. Their words never escalated to anything further than empty threats and sardonic 30-second quarrels. Because that was real mature.

Well. When she put it like that it sounded silly.

And it was. Their fights served no purpose but to put them in sour moods.

Lovely. This was a major breakthrough. It only took her seven years and a marriage to find her relationship with him stupid…

Though in just about every way, she had always known.

Sighing, she walked out of the bathroom and into her room, effortlessly throwing her mass of unruly hair into a ponytail. It surprised her how slow she was moving this morning as she wrapped her gray uniform kilt around her.

She wasn't very mad anymore.

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"Are all your mornings as affectionate as yesterday's display?" Blaise asked on the way to the Great Hall. He and Draco were going to breakfast; Draco not bothering to wait for Hermione this Monday morning.

"For the most part," he responded distantly.

"I'm so jealous," Blaise joked in a tone that belied his words.

"I'm sure."

"Uhh…where are we going?"

Draco must have been deep in thought for he literally snapped his head back into reality, staring at Blaise and their surroundings. They were standing a good ten feet past the Great Hall's entrance.

"Right," Draco said coolly, like he always passed the Great Hall on the way to breakfast.

He turned around to face Blaise.

"Ooookay…? Slight case of amnesia?"

"Lot on my mind," he replied, and calmly walked around him.

"Can we stop with this four-words-or-less business for two seconds and tell me what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"'Nothing' is making you completely miss the Great Hall? That's interesting."

"Blaise, I appreciate it, but there isn't anything going on. Really."

He walked past him and through the doors, Blaise sighing behind him.

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Glancing around the room, he didn't spot her. Not that he imagined her to be here already for she was still in the room after he left. Not that he wantedher here…he was just making sure she wasn't.

Taking a seat across from Pansy Parkinson, he started to gather some eggs on his plate, listening to any small conversation around him.

"So Draco, how's the little wife?" Pansy asked, not looking at him but rummaging thorough what Draco assumed to be her shoulder bag, placed on her lap.

"Must our conversations always start with her?" he drawled in an uninterested manner.

"It's called being polite."

"Funny. I could've thought of about 7 other names for it," Blaise mumbled.

Pansy shot him a look and he raised his eyebrows with a smirk. She turned back to Draco.

"Fine, new subject. So…when's this so-called 'Halloween Dance'?"

"I'll give you three guesses," Blaise interrupted once more.

"Blaise, I swear to Merlin, if you don't shut--"

"Next month." Draco looked up from his eggs.

She turned back to Draco after giving Blaise a nice gesture from her left hand, "Are we having a meeting anytime soon?"

"Possibly. It's still only September. I'll talk to Hermione about it."

"You can ask her now," Blaise suggested. Draco looked up and followed Blaise's gaze towards an approaching Hermione. She walked right over to his table and sat down on his left, seating herself across from Pansy and Blaise. She emitted a small greeting smile, and kissed Draco quickly on his cheek after seating herself.

"Morning," she said quietly, looking intently at him, not faltering under his strong gaze.

For a second he thought of asking her if she had the short-term memory loss, but remembered they were in the Great Hall. She was acting.

"Morning," he responded shortly, and went back to his eggs.

Hermione always looked out of place and uncomfortable sitting at his table, which is why she hardly ever did. Usually, they would sit at their separate tables, occasionally visiting the other before or after the meal. One would think that today, after all the hostility over the weekend, she would be more than happy to sit away from him. So why was she seated right here?

True, the hall wasn't entirely filled yet; not Potter nor Weasley was there, so maybe she didn't want to sit alone. That would've been his assumed explanation if he didn't see Neville Longbottom seated. Draco knew she always had a soft spot for that inept creature.

"Lost, Granger?" Pansy asked sweetly.

"Apparently not far enough."

Blaise chuckled into his pumpkin juice and Pansy hit him on the arm. Draco, after hearing Blaise's faint cry of, "What! It was funny…" stared at Hermione. She didn't appear to be in an 'insulting' mood. In fact, she had already found some handy books and was placing them on the table, looking for a quill. She seemed…off this morning, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why.

"We have to start planning this costume thing," he whispered to her.

"That's fine. I think we should have a prefects meeting this week then."

"Whatever."

She looked at him for a moment longer, wanting to say something, but went back to her books. Part of him wanted to brush off her oddities this morning, but the other half was curious about her anxiety.

"So, Granger. Just between the two of us, how's the sex in marriage? Is it better than the dating sex? Or do you not have anything to compare it to?" Pansy asked with a smile. Luckily, the closest student to the four was a few feet down the table.

"Were you born like this or did your mum really mess up during childhood?" Blaise asked jokingly.

"It's a gift," she smiled.

"No, it's an art. And you my friend, have it mastered."

"I'll take that as a compliment." She turned back towards Hermione, "So…?"

"So what?" she asked curtly; she wasn't in the mood today…not that she was ever in the mood to deal with this witch.

"The question Granger. Don't tell me I have to repeat it."

"Oh right… well, I think that 'dating sex', as you put it, should not be abused because then one will not have anything special to share with their husband. Not that it's any of your business, but I for one have fantastic marital sex, especially since I didn't over-engage in the dating one. But, I'm sorry to say that you won't be able to feel the difference," she spat, and then started packing her bags to leave the table.

"O-ho!" Blaise was falling apart with laughter. Draco even found a smirk crossing his lips as well.

"Let's go," she said and started walking away, knowing Draco would follow.

"By the way Pans," Draco winked before he left, "Hermione is doing very, very well."

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"Where did that come from?" He asked, jogging up to Hermione who was sitting on a bench on the other side of the stone wall outside.

"I'm not sure," she answered, opening another book as if nothing happened. But somehow, Draco knew she had no idea what her eyes were reading. "She just bothers me to no end. I mean, why does she have to say anything at all? That was so embarrassing," she admitted quietly.

"It was funny as hell though."

"Maybe to you."

"Are you that uncomfortable about it?" he asked her, leaning against the stone wall with his left foot propped up.

"Yes. And I hate lying."

"Well I can't do anything about that problem seeing how you're stuck with this lie until next summer."

"I figured as much."

"Look, Pansy's a bitch. She doesn't even mean half the things she says. It's just in her nature to say it."

"That's comforting," she mumbled.

"Why'd you sit at the table in the first place?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"You had all yesterday and this morning…and you chose to talk during breakfast? At the Slytherin table?"

"Don't act as if you're the easiest person to talk to. Especially since you practically bit my head off if I came in a five-foot radius of you yesterday."

"It's not as if you we're standing at the door with a pie and a welcoming mat either."

Hermione looked over her shoulder at him and laughed.

"What?" he asked annoyed at not catching the hilarity.

"That was the most muggle reference I've ever heard you say. And I pictured you standing in front of the portrait with an apron, and a cherry pie--"

"Granger, stop. That's disgusting."

She laughed harder.

"Finished?"

She was only slightly disappointed that he didn't laugh with her…though she might've stopped laughing and died of shock if he were to.

"What did you have to say to me?"

"That we need to stop."

"Stop what?" he asked hesitantly.

"No, not this. I made a deal remember? …I mean us. How we act towards each other--"

"Granger, we had this conversation already. More than once. I can't just stop arguing with you. You piss me off, that's how I let you know," he said it so simply, like that was the way of the universe.

"That's fine, I get that. It's the same with me. But I don't get the need for the name-calling, vulgarities, and fighting constantly. It's a little ridiculous."

"Wait. Not that I'm against being rid of my daily migraines from you, but why the sudden 'talk'? Is it just now a problem to you? Because if I knew you enjoyed these fights, I would've stopped ages ago."

"No, but I didn't live with you then either."

"Ah. So…I'm a little lost…"

She sighed, "In one ear and out the other, I swear. I don't know, just… be yourself, but hold your tongue."

"Who are you, my mother?"

"See? We're not.. having.. a fight. This is what we're trying to avoid…" she said slowly.

"Speak to me like I'm 18, Granger."

"I just don't need all this stress…and you probably hate it too. Between Head girl duties, classes, and homework, I never thought my husband would be the most to handle. And we're only in our second week here."

"Yeah well, life's just full of surprises, isn't it?"

"No one knows that better than me," she scoffed. "And Draco, I agree. Arguing is what we do. We are too contradictory of each other to not have conflicting views. And that's fine- it would be nearly impossible to just stop that after 6 years. But…we just need to…to be more…you know?" she couldn't really find the words, but he knew exactly what she was getting at.

"Yea."

Moments passed, with the two just sitting there. Thinking about this…agreement, and if life would change at all. Probably not- this was most likely just been a waste of breath. But, maybe…

"By the way Granger,"

"Yeah?"

"I have three investments. One's under my fathers name and the other two are mine…one is in a muggle bank in central London."

Hermione snapped her head up at him in disbelief. She had no idea, really believing that he didn't do anything with his inheritance. But to know he did something wise with his money, for himself, and by himself….why she couldn't help but feel very embarrassed…and slightly proud.

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Wow."

He nodded.

"Muggle London?"

He nodded…with a smirk.

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"He actually agreed?" Ginny spoke lowly to her friend during lunchtime, trying to subtly get more information without looking too suspicious.

"Sort of. It was weird Gin. He didn't really oppose the idea. Actually, he didn't seem to care at all."

"Well that's good, right? I mean maybe he feels the same way."

"I don't think it's that at all. He probably just sees it as me staying quiet by my own rules, and anything that'll shut me up will make him happy."

"That could be it, Hermione. Honestly, that probably is the truth…but you never know. "

"What are you two hushing up?" Ron asked curiously, taking a sip from his pumpkin juice.

"Girl problems," Ginny lied so naturally, one would think she used this excuse everyday. Ron, being too revolted at the idea of his sister with menstrual issues, never thought to remember they couldn't possibly last 365 days a year.

"Oh," He made a face and Harry chuckled. "Carry on whispering….very, very, very quietly."

"Shut up, Ron," Ginny dismissed, waving him off.

"And I think Dumbledore knows," she whispered hesitantly.

Ginny's head snapped towards hers, "Are you serious?"

She nodded grimly, and looked up. Harry was staring at them curiously, but smiled and went back to his sandwich.

Harry wasn't dumb.

Great, another person. Its official, Draco's going to kill her.

"Hey Ron, are you aware that you look absolutely repulsive when you eat?"

"No Ginny, how about you tell me again for the sixth hundredth time?"

As they sat and argued, Hermione turned to Harry who was laughing silently at the two.

"Harry I need some ideas for this costume ball."

"Sure. But first, why don't you ask me what really is on your mind."

Whoa. Who died and made him Dr. Phil?

"It's nothing. Just thinking about Snape's essay is all. And girl…problems," she added stupidly and mentally slapped herself.

"Alright."

"So…ready for Quidditch?"

"Like you care," he joked.

She smiled, "Just trying to strike conversation."

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"…And after you add the roots, stir for about 7 minutes each. When you hand it over to your partner, be sure to switch the stirring direction. Begin." Snape directed, and sat behind his desk in Potions.

"What party?"

"It's not a party -party. It's just some people getting together. And I need to make an appearance."

"Go by yourself. It's not like you didn't do that last week."

"Very funny. And that's exactly why you're coming with me."

"I'm not going down there. I've never been in the Slytherin common room and this year won't be the first time."

"Granger. You're going."

"I'm not."

"You said it yourself- it looks bad for me to go to a party alone when I have a wife. And you don't want me to slip up again do you?"

"I could care less."

"Yes but, do you want me to see you as a hypocrite?"

She stopped cutting up the roots and stared at him. He had an incredible, through extremely frustrating, ability to change people's words around to make him look better.

And who the hell kept having all these damned parties?

"You're such a git," she sighed, not mad but wasn't all rays and sunshine in going either. Drinks, noise, a party, everything she wanted to stay away from.

"So that's a yes?" he asked hopefully. He needed her for this. Draco had never missed a party in all his years there- usually planning them himself. And now that he was Head Boy, it was harder to always be there; Blaise took over for him. But to have Draco Malfoy not be at a Slytherin partywould immediately raise some questions among the others. Besides, he needed to get his housemates used to his new wife- they wouldn't dare to question him, but that didn't mean they held unvoiced suspicions…and Draco needed to get rid of that.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Technically? Yes. But…no, you don't."

She rolled her eyes, but still nodded affirmatively.

"Great. But, we're going to need a few--"

"Don't say it."

"--lessons, on how to act around those people. They're completely different than the rest of the school. Almost like trying to get past Dumbledore."

"Greaaat. 'Slytherin education, 101'.Can't wait," she said flatly, then started to mix the potion.

"Once you know how to lie with ease, it'll be fun," he smirked, and then kissed her temple 'for show' before taking off to the front of the classroom.

Fun….right.