Disclaimer: Beware of Dog
Er, I mean, I'm not J.K.R.

000

Hermione and her parents came into the kitchen a few minutes later, breaking Draco out of his bitter reflection.

"Well Draco Malfoy, I don't think I properly introduced myself. My name is John. While you're any my home I want you to feel free to ask me for anything."

"Thank you, sir." Draco said quietly.

"If there is anything you want or need I'll gladly give it, you have only to ask. You saved my daughter's life, I owe you so much."

"That's really not necessary…" Draco mumbled, looking anywhere but any of the Grangers.

"Of course it's necessary!" Piped up Jane Granger kindly. "You gave us back Hermione. Goodness…you've know her for years, you must know how special she-"

"Mum." Hermione interrupted firmly. "We were hoping that maybe you'd be able to help us figure this whole thing out."

Since she was speaking it was natural to look at her, so Draco did.

There was something wrong with her. Well, more so than usual. She looked flushed and a little shaky. She was refusing to look anywhere near him.

Her father was saying something. Draco tore his eyes from Hermione to watch the man sitting next to her. His voice sounded far away until Draco told himself to focus.

"Yes Hermione, I know. Your mother and I have been talking about it and we think we should celebrate first."

"What?" Said Hermione blankly, as though she thought she'd heard him wrong.

Draco was feeling the same way.

"You want to celebrate your daughter being shot?" He said, his eyebrows raised.

"No." Said Hermione's mother. "We want to celebrate her being safe."

"What?" Hermione said. "Mum no. I just want to get this over-"

"Nonsense, Hermione." The woman said, taking her daughter's hand. This is a very special day, we want to remember it."

"Mum, it's not that big of a deal…" Hermione looked extravagantly uncomfortable. I'm fine. I'm safe. We really don't know what would have happened if Malfoy hadn't…"

God, she can't even say it. Carried your bleeding body out of that bathroom? Yes Granger, we know exactly what would have happened.

Hermione's father seemed to agree with Draco. "We want to do this for you, Hermione. For both of you." He added, turning to beam at Draco.

Draco stared hard at his hands.

Hermione seemed at a loss for words. Only a few months ago this would have been nothing short of miraculous, not to mention a complete gift to Draco, but now he wished she'd open her mouth and tell her parents to get a hold of themselves. Draco wanted this over with, the quicker the better. He didn't really fancy the idea of any sort of 'celebration.'

"Nothing fancy." Said Jane. "We just want to take you out to dinner."

"Mum, I-" Hermione muttered desperately.

"We want to leave in half an hour." Her father said decisively. There was a definite tone in voice that told Draco the battle was lost.

"I have nothing to wear!" Hermione pleaded, in one final attempt at dissuasion.

"What about that green dress you wore to Jena's wedding in July?"

Hermione face turned bright red and she mumbled something about it being to fancy.

Draco raised an eyebrow, trying to smile. He leaned back a little and folded his arms.

"It's not too fancy, Hermione. Especially not for the place we're going to."

"But you said you didn't want anything fancy!" Hermione cried. "Those were your words mum, "nothing fancy.""

"Well." Her father said. "By that we meant we're not throwing a party for you."

Hermione looked like she wasn't sure to laugh or cry.

"Go get dressed, love." Her mother whispered, giving her a gentle shove. Hermione left the room completely defeated. Draco couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"She can be impossible, can't she?" Said her father knowingly.

You have no idea.

-

Great. Just great.

She just wanted to get all this over with. She wanted to be as far from Draco Malfoy as she could be. That way she wouldn't have to look at him and feel whatever it was that was strangling her. Instead, she was now going to have to put on a stupid dress and spent the evening shmoozing her parents and Draco, pretending like everything was business as usual.

She stomped up the stairs to her room and closed the door a little to hard behind her. Fine, she'd go. She'd smile. She'd even get herself prettied up like her parents wanted her too. Anything to get this over with. Then they could focus on what was important.

She turned her CD player on nearly full blast and walked into her closet. It wasn't hard to locate the dress she'd worn to her cousin's wedding a two months earlier as it was the only one she owned.

Hermione groaned. It was so…damn. She really didn't have a choice. She sighed at pulled off her shorts and t-shirt. She walked back out to her room and stood in front of her mirror. There was no way she could wear a bra with it. She hated the fact that she owned a dress she couldn't wear a bra with.

Sever minutes later she was very dressed and glaring at her reflection. She sighed again and sat down in front of her mirror. She pulled out a tube of mascara and some bronze eye shadow that matched the flecks scattered in her eyes. She might as well do the thing right…

Of course, a small part of Hermione enjoyed getting dressed up…a very small part. But it just wasn't worth it. It took a lot of work to make her hair suitable for the kind of dress she was wearing. Or at least it had three years ago for the Yule Ball.

Hermione was at least glad that her hair wasn't quite the bushy disaster it had been in her fourth year. It was more curls than frizz now. She let it down from its rubber band and watched in fall over her shoulders. Then she picked it up again and piled it on top of her head, reluctantly liking the way the wispy curls that fell framed her face.

She pulled her wand out of her dresser drawer and pointed it at her head. She muttered a simple holding charm and her hair stayed in place the way she'd put it, more or less. It was simple but it was good enough. She smiled smugly to herself, silently daring her mother to take an issue with it.

She slipped on the shoes that matched the dress and left her room to walk down to the front hall. She didn't look great, but at least she would appease her parents.

She sighed resignedly one last time and held to the banister as she walked down the stairs. How she hated high heels…

-

Draco had gone up to the guest room to change shortly after Hermione. He'd put on black slacks and one of his white shirts. He looked in the mirror and smiled. He'd at least look fit for the occasion. Although he didn't have a jacket or a tie, as he knew was custom for muggles…

He ran a comb through his hair and sprayed a bit of cologne on himself. And that was it. He walked back down the hall to wait for the others in the foyer. As he passed Hermione's door her music was unmistakably loud this time…she must be fairly pissed.

Splendid.

He found John Granger already waiting, looking very much the part of a well-dressed muggle. He had an extra tie and jacket in his arm. He smiled at Draco and motioned for him to come finish dressing.

"You'll need these." John said.

Draco nodded, slipping an arm into the black jacket that surprisingly fit him perfectly and then the other. This must have belonged to someone else other that Hermione's father if it fit Draco, who was built differently. But Draco didn't question it.

"Thank you, sir." He said.

The man nodded and said, "Do you know how to put on a tie?"

"Er…"

"I'll do it!" Said Jane Granger, entering the foyer with a bright smile on her face. She looked very nice in a simple black dress, with pearls around her neck.

She took a dark green tie from her husband and carefully put it around Draco's neck. He thought vaguely that this would be a perfect moment for her took strangle him, but she didn't. And then she was done. She stepped back to admire her work.

"Very handsome." She said, smiling.

Draco resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Hermione's not down yet?" Her mother said, frowning slightly.

Her father chuckled. "Of course not. She's up there glaring at herself in the mirror, brainstorming last minute excuses to get out of this."

"John…"

"What, dear?"

Draco was struck with a mental image of this and laughed out loud.

"See, Draco knows I'm right." He and Draco shared a knowing grin for a moment which was interrupted by Jane's voice.

"Oh Hermione, you look very lovely."

Draco head snapped up toward the stairs and he saw her.

The truth was, her mother's word hardly did her justice. As she walked down the stairs and came closer, he wondered if this was the same Hermione he'd seen leave the kitchen half an hour earlier.

She was wearing a green silk dress that hit the floor. It would have been very plain if not for the way it clung to her curves and swayed as she walked. It had narrow sleeves that went up in two lines over her shoulders. Her hair was pulled messily to the top of her head, but it suited her.

As she came even closer, he noticed she was wearing makeup. Her eyes were dark and her lips were shiny. She smiled at her mother and Draco felt his stomach lurch. If he hadn't been so captivated he might have rebuked himself, reminded himself that she was just a mudblood in a beautiful dress. But as it was…

Hermione walked to her mother's side, completely ignoring Draco. He clenched his jaw and looked at the floor.

"Put this on, dear. And these."

"No mum." She said with a hint of warning in her voice.

"Don't be silly Hermione, its just jewelry."

Draco looked it the necklace and matching earrings Jane was holding out for her daughter. She was right. They weren't bad at all. They were small and simple. Hermione was just being difficult.

"Give them to me." Draco said firmly, holding his hand out to take the necklace from Jane.

Hermione froze.

Draco had had enough. He wasn't going to go through the whole night with her pretending he wasn't even there. He walked around behind her and felt his breath catch in his chest. Her back was completely bare. He could see down to her lower back. Her skin was there were small indents on the small of her back, showing that her muscles were well defined. Yet, she looked incredibly womanly. He leaned in close to her to pull the necklace around her and fasten it. Her body was completely rigid, but she smelled like raspberries.

He remembered her tackling him and smiled as he clasped the necklace. He took her hand and put the earrings in it, then moved away.

"Wonderful! Let's get going." John said, putting his arm around his wife.

"Hermione, would you two prefer to take your car or ride with us?"

She has her own car?

Even Draco knew that cars didn't run cheep. He didn't know why he was surprised. The Grangers obviously weren't strapped for cash.

Draco looked at Hermione, who looked at her parents, who looked back at Draco.

Hermione seemed unwilling or unable to speak. She appeared to be having some sort of internal struggle.

"Actually I'd prefer it if you'd drive, sir. I don't think I trust Hermione to get us there alive."

Hermione's head snapped up and she glared at him. If looks could kill…Draco grinned. If there was one constant in the universe, it was that Hermione Granger could always be counted upon to defend her competency.

John Granger chuckled but said, "Then you'll be glad to know that Hermione passed her drivers test with 108 percent."

"Oh course she did…" Draco muttered.

"But if you'd prefer to ride with us, that's all right we me. Unless Hermione has any objections." He looked at his daughter questioningly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and mumbled something as she walked out the doors. She opened the back door to the Grangers' car and slid onto the seat smoothly. Draco walked around to the other side and did the same. He closed the door and looked over at Hermione, who was leaning against the door and looking straight ahead.

She looked physically sick. He watched her for a moment, and then watched as her parents took their seats and the car started to move.

Whoa…Draco had no idea what force was causing the car to move, but at the moment he didn't care. He was more focused on the muscles twitching in his stomach. He swallowed and shut his eyes tightly. He gripped the seat with his hand and held his breath.

Then he heard Hermione chuckling and his eyes snapped open.

"Feeling queasy?" She smirked. Well at least she was looking at his again…

"Shut up, Granger." He muttered, closing his eyes again. And she did.

Several minutes later Draco's stomach had gotten used to car moving and he'd taken to sneaking glances at Hermione again. She just stared ahead. Her body moved slightly with the car. She was crowded up against the door even though there was plenty of room between them.

Draco knew he should be thanking Merlin that she wanted nothing to do with him, but he wasn't happy about it. It was annoying and he was bored. He wanted to get a rise out of her. But he couldn't do that if she kept pretending he didn't exist.

Hermione's parents were busy talking in the front seat. He knew they wouldn't hear him, so he thought for a moment, then chose his words.

"Hold my wand, Granger?"

Hermione looked at him like she'd just had ice dumped over her head.

Bingo.

"What?" She said, her eyes wide.

"My wand, Granger." He said smoothly, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. He pulled his wand out of his pocket.

Hermione stared at it, then blushed.

"You thought I was talking about my…? Kinky, Granger."

Hermione blushed even harder, but glared at him.

"I mean, in front of your parents and everything."

He gave her a cocky, suggestive smile and she narrowed her eyes.

"Give me that." She said, snatching his wand from his hand. "I don't trust you with it."

"Hey! Give it back."

"I thought you wanted me to hold it." She challenged.

Draco's mouth snapped shut. The truth was he hadn't though beyond his initial comment, which had been purely for shock value. He couldn't think of a reason he'd actually wanted her to hold his wand. And now she had it and he had nothing.

Nice going, Draco…

Draco leaned back against the door and sighed slowly.

"Take it." She mumbled, tossing him his wand back. "I have no room for it in this…dress." She said the last word with profound annoyance.

"So you didn't bring yours?" He asked, honestly wondering if she'd left it behind.

"I'd didn't say that." She said. For some unknown reason she stared down at her dress, so Draco did the same.

He didn't know when he'd have another excuse to look at her like this, so he took advantage of this one.

She really was quite striking.

"Malfoy." She said after while in a conversational tone.

"Yes, Granger?"

"I'm going to give you five seconds to stop staring at my chest or I'm going to take that wand back and use it on you."

"Is that a promise?" He said, grinning widely.

She glared right at him, looking him slowly up and down, as though appraising him to see if it was actually worth physically touching him to get him to stop looking at her.

Apparently it wasn't. Draco was disappointed once again. She looked forward again and Draco was left to think. There really was something wrong with her right now. Normally she would have taken any opportunity to verbally spar with him, but right now she looked completely unsettled. Was it because her parents were here? Draco didn't think so. Something else was wrong.

He couldn't pretend for a moment to have any idea of what was going on inside her, but for once, he wished he were one of the people she would trust to tell.

There was still the voice in the back of his head telling him that she was a worthless mudblood slag who could fuck herself and that he was a fool for letting himself question that. But now his own voice was there too. He wanted Lucius Malfoy out of his head. He'd do almost anything to be free of his father and his father's dogma.

"Malfoy."

"What?"

"You're still staring."

-

When Draco had put his hands on her to string the necklace around her skin, she had felt nauseated. This boy who hated her was touching her. She would never tell a soul, but she'd never be able to hate him again.

She felt so much confusion. He could touch her and it was nothing to him, but his touch gave her feeling she didn't want to have.

When they got in the car she wanted to be as far from him as she could. Maybe if she couldn't feel him near her it would go away. Maybe if she didn't meet his eyes he'd drop off the face of the planet. Then she wouldn't have to feel like she couldn't swallow…

She was used to his mock sexual comments, but this time it didn't strike her as one until a few moments too late.

"Hold my wand, Granger?"

If Hermione had been drinking anything she would have choked on it.

She did her best to be the normal Hermione, hit him back, give him a taste of her own medicine, but now he'd done something truly horrible.

She found herself wondering about Draco's sexual history. He had to have…of course he had. She'd heard stories. She'd found them disgusting at the time and wondered at their credibility. Surely he hadn't slept with that many people. And there was no way he was that good. But what if he was?

Hermione swallowed hard.

She imagined what it would feel like to have his hands on her. Her body heated up slightly as she looked down at the bare skin on her shoulder and pictured his mouth there.

What have you done to me?

Then she felt his eyes. The last thing she needed was his eyes watching her, encouraging her in these perilous thoughts.

Several minutes later the car stopped in front of a very nice restaurant. She didn't wait for the valet to open her door. She needed air.

This was going to be a long night…

000

You may ask when I'm going to resume the unraveling of the mystery of the gun shot. My answer is simply that I'm having too much fun with pure Draco/Hermione-ness. I'll get there, I swear.

Also, you should know that I was truly torn between the idea of having Hermione and Draco go in her car and them riding with her parents. In the end I chose the latter for reasons that will become wonderfully apparent in the next chapter. ;)

Thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing.