Hermione's POV

I started awake when I heard the doorbell ring. My wards alerted me that it wasn't a threat. Not a hint of dark magic radiated from whoever was outside my door. I pulled on my dressing gown, and stowed my wand up my sleeve. Making my way down the stairs, I turned the lights on as I went. When I opened the door, Draco was there again. Twice in one night, I must be one lucky girl to have his attention. I checked the time.

"Draco...It's 3 in the morning." I said, groggily, and immediately blushed.

"I know...and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here..." he said, turning away. I sighed.

"Come in, Draco." When he hesitated, I opened the door wider, giving him a 'do as your told' type look. He grinned sheepishly, and walked through the door, closing it behind us.

"I'm very sorry for coming so late...but...Mother has said some things and I needed to get away from the Manor. I didn't really know where else to go." When I saw him blush a little, the anger still evident in his eyes, I shook my head.

"You have never been one for controlling your anger. Although, with something this impulsive, you'd think you were a Gryffendor," I teased. He playfully held his hand to his chest, looking insulted. I laughed. "It's ok. Do you need somewhere to stay for the night? Or are you here until you calm down?"

"Both?" I laughed slightly. "Honestly, Hermione...Me calming down could take all night."

I nodded before leading him to the couch. "Tell me." I urged him.

"I told Mother that I met up with you in Diagon Alley, though she doesn't quite know who you are. I never said your name. Luckily, she doesn't have any friends, and I stole the Daily Prophet before she saw it."

"Are you hiding the fact that you are talking to me for your benefit or hers?" I asked. I was honestly curious, I wasn't mad that he hadn't mentioned it was me. He always had a motive, a reasonable explanation.

"Yours." He stated calmly, at my blank look he continued. "If my mother knew it was you, she would not stop until she made your life hell. In whatever way she could. She may not have agreed with Bellatrix's methods, but she still follows the blood purity discrimination." He could see me shaking with badly suppressed anger. He reached out and touched my hand lightly, and smiled when I stopped shaking before I had even realized it. "When I told her you were a muggleborn, she didn't take it too well and said that I had to be careful with you. That muggle born witches are manipulative, and only want a pure blood's wealth and title. And I...kind of exploded. I made sure she knew what I thought of you, and what I thought of her. Don't give me that look, I'm not telling you what I said." I glared. "Look Hermione, I want us to be friends. I know there is a lot of history between us. Too much for anything more than a timid friendship to even be considered. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to ignore you now that I've seen you. I'm going to do what I've always wanted. Be the person that you want me to be. I can't promise much, I won't change. Not for anyone. But I will try to be better to you than I had ever been. To be perfectly honest, I had to force myself to be that awful to you. But because of your friends, and mine...I couldn't be the guy that you would want around..." I could tell that he'd waited so long to say something along these lines to me. I could tell he was being honest. It made me smile.

"Draco, I would love to be friends with you. But...how can you believe we'd ever be timid with one another? Look how easily we talk to each other? The hours went by earlier. And...You came to my house first when you needed somewhere to go. We have too much history to not be timid." I smiled, and then got an idea. "So...what exactly did Rita say in the article? I canceled my subscription to the Prophet so I haven't seen it yet."

Draco grimaced before pulling it out of his pocket and handing it to me.

"Looks like there are new love birds in town, dear readers! This very afternoon while I was roaming Diagon Alley, I found something rather surprising! The Slytherin prince, Draco Malfoy, and the brains of the Golden Trio, Hermione Granger were sharing a lover's embrace today out in front of Greenvitch's Apothecary! That's right readers! This girl has moved on from the safe and brave bunch of Gryffendors that she is used to and decided to let a snake into her bed!

Now, I was very surprised considering their history together. I still haven't found her ex-husband and best friend, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, so I have yet to have comments regarding the pair. I know what you are all thinking, First Viktor Krum, Then Harry Potter, at the same time, none-the-less, then Ronald Weasley and now Draco Malfoy? Is this Granger trying to make up for what she doesn't have? Or does she just love to prey on these delectable men. I'll have more when I know, readers. As always!

Rita Skeeter.

I seethed. "Preying on delectable men? Making up for what I don't have? What in bloody hell is she even talking about?"

Draco flinched. "I think this is more blood purity nonsense. Considering that you've only been seen in such a way with pureblood's and halfblood's. You've never been seen with other muggle borns or muggles."

I couldn't believe what Rita had written. "I need you to do something for me, your slytherin enough to think of the best way to do this. But I'm going to need your help." I looked at Draco, and watched him nod for me to continue. "Rita Skeeter is an unregistered animagus." His eyes grew wide. "She turns into a beetle. That's how she manages to sneak up on everyone. Finds information about people that no one would ever share in public, because she gets in with you and spies."

"What exactly are you asking?"

"Expose her. In the most slytherin way possible." My gaze darkened. "I want her to suffer for the bull shit that she spits. We've barely just become friends, and she's already calling us lovers! Lover's embrace my ass!" I spat. Draco almost looked hurt, but I was too far gone to even register this. "I can't believe this." Draco touched my hand again, and I felt my body and mind calm down against my will. But somehow I was still grateful that I responded in such a way to him. Not even Ron was able to calm me with just a touch of the hand. I would have pulled away from him and ignored his warnings. Not that he would have disagreed with me on anything. He was usually the first one to jump. But Draco's presence alone was enough to make me feel better.

"I'll think of something Hermione." he promised. This time though, I did see the shadow of hurt in his eyes.

"What did I say? Are you ok, Draco?" I tried to think of something that I could have said that would have hurt him, but I kept coming up with nothing. The only thing I said regarding the two of us was...Oh shit...

"It's nothing, Hermione, don't worry about it." He pulled away a little. I scrambled to grab his hand again.

"Draco...When you held me in your arms in Diagon Alley... What-What were your thoughts about me?" That confused him a little.

"What do you mean?"

"'Lover's embrace,'" I quoted Rita's words. "You aren't hiding from me. I know I hurt you somehow, and I know it had something to do with that."

"Look, Hermione, it doesn't matter." Draco tried pulling away again.

"Like hell it does Draco Malfoy!" I threw his hand away from me and stood up. He looked up at me in surprised confusion. "I'm settling for friendship from you because I believe that is all you are willing to give me. I'm scared of anything further than that, and here you are hurt in your eyes because I made "lover's embrace" sound like it was the dirtiest thing with you. I'm not disgusted with the idea of you and I...like that. On the contrary! For years, I would have given anything for you to care for me in that sort of way, even though I know that it will never happen. Draco, I'm disgusted in her. In Rita Skeeter. You know how much hell that woman has put me through. She has nothing but crap to say about me. And she loves getting her antennae dirty if it brings her more juicy gossip about the Gryffendor slut. I am tired of having my name in the Daily Prophet-" He lunged at me, his lips crashing against mine, almost desperately. And in fact, he did seem to be desperate. For what? I didn't know. But for that moment, I didn't care. I closed my eyes and leaned into him willingly, urging him to take what he needed from me.