Summary: Draco is being a little too nice to Hermione as she catalogues the Malfoy library.

What did you do?

Now

Hermione punched Lucius' shoulder. "Make up your mind."

Lucius rubbed his shoulder with his free hand. "I don't appreciate this violent streak you show from time to time. It's unladylike."

"Unladylike?! I'll give you unladylike if you don't pick a bloody room for us to sit in!"

Lucius' other hand was currently glued to Hermione's wrist.

Four Hours Earlier

"Morning, Granger," Draco said happily. Sweetly.

Hermione paused at the door, narrowing her eyes as she shrugged off her jacket to hang on the coat stand. "What did you do?"

"Can't an old school friend be happy to welcome you into his home?" He held his arms out as though to embrace as she stepped near.

"Friend?" she asked sardonically.

"Rival?" Draco suggested.

Hermione snorted before going ahead of him up the staircase towards the Malfoy library. "I don't know what you're up to, but leave me out of it."

Draco said nothing. She glanced over her shoulder to see him still following her with what could only be described as a devious glint in his eye.

She kept looking back every few steps, his expression never changing. When she entered the library she ignored Lucius' greeting and said, "Sort your son out."

"Draco?" Lucius closed his book. "We've discussed you not stalking Miss Granger while she catalogues the library. What are you about?"

Draco held his hands up. "Just trying to be more accommodating to a friend."

"Acquaintance," Hermione corrected, already pulling books off a shelf.

"You're very particular on your words, Granger. It's what I like most about you," Draco said with a grin.

Hermione pointed a book at him, which made him flinch. She paused her rant to enjoy for a second that she could still make him nervous. "This is the behaviour I'm talking about," she told Lucius.

Lucius narrowed his eyes at Draco. "Yes, I see it."

"All right," Draco said reluctantly, "I was after your help, if you must know."

"Sure," Hermione said, suspicion in her voice.

"I've been working on some things with my potions and was thinking about trying to create something like that hair stuff Potter's grandfather did. Something I can be proud of," Draco explained.

"Draco, that's wonderful," Lucius praised.

Hermione decided to not buy into what he was saying and continued about her job she'd been hired to do. She ignored the expectant look from Draco and sat down with her pile of books at the desk by one of the large windows looking over the front of the house. She liked it there because the peacocks were always a bit of light relief from some of the darker books they still held in their library.

"Granger?" Draco said.

"No. Whatever it is, ask your father. He's not busy," she said as she opened up the top book.

"Rude," Lucius muttered.

Draco sighed. "I suppose you could, Father, but it's a hand cream. I was only asking Granger to do it because I know how dry her hands get dealing with these books."

Hermione felt a pang of regret at her behaviour now. She looked over to Lucius as he stood up.

"I do love a hand cream," Lucius said. His cheeks went a little pink, like he'd realised he'd said his comment out loud.

"We all know you love to be pampered, Mr Malfoy. You've not been fooling anyone," Hermione said with a grin. She got a sneer off him.

Hermione watched as Draco pulled out a little phial and put two drops of a thick, blue liquid on Lucius' hand. Lucius smelt it first before rubbing his hands together.

"What's in it? Roses?" Lucius asked as he had another sniff of his hand.

Hermione decided to give Draco the benefit of the doubt and went to join them. "Can I smell?"

She held her hand out and Lucius grabbed on to her wrist. "No, no, Miss Granger," he said with a smile, "you didn't want to trust Draco after he was being nice to you."

Draco tried to stifle a snort. He sounded like he was being throttled. Lucius and Hermione looked to him, Lucius' hand still holding Hermione's wrist.

"Something funny, Draco?" Lucius asked.

"What have you done?" Hermione asked through gritted teeth.

"This is so much better," Draco announced.

Hermione reached out to grab Draco's jacket. Lucius' hand followed. "Let go," she snapped.

Lucius turned his head and frowned at his own hand. He pulled his hand away from Hermione, she took a step forward at being yanked so suddenly.

"For pity's sake, Mr Malfoy. Let go!"

Draco, who had taken a few steps backwards towards the exit, said, "Oh, he would… but he can't."

Then he was gone, his shrieks of laughter echoing down the corridor as he ran away.

Now

Narcissa stepped into the drawing room to find her husband and Hermione slouched on the bay window seat, each with a tumbler of whisky, slurring their words as they giggled like schoolchildren.

"Is there something I should be aware of?" Narcissa asked sweetly. A little nervously too as she'd never seen them be so friendly to one another.

"I'm going to kill your son," Hermione answered. At least, that's what it sounded like she said.

"I'm going to dig the grave," Lucius added.

"By hand." Hermione tried to point at him with the hand holding the tumbler, that only served to get whisky over their laps.

"By hand," Lucius agreed, peering down at his lap. "Did I just wet myself?"

It was then Narcissa spotted Lucius' hand wrapped around Hermione's wrist. She sighed. "He got you with the glue, didn't he?"

"Not me," Hermione said indignantly.

"No, he got me," Lucius said happily.

"Then he got me," Hermione continued.

Narcissa did something she'd only done twice in her life. She shouted Draco's name at the top of her lungs.