Hi, everyone! I've written quite a bit in the last few days. While I'm not updating this every week like I would prefer, I'm determined to get an update in every month. The plot starts rolling in this chapter, and I feel like I've gotten a real handle on it. I hope you'll enjoy it, and I hope to bring an update soon.

Thank you to my friend and MykEsprit for looking this over from a reader's standpoint. As always, all mistakes are my own. I currently do not have a beta for this project because I have so many ongoing.

To be perfectly candid, Hermione had been through a gross amount of shite in the last seven years. From an evil Dark Lord determined to rise again, and even more determined to murder her best friend each consecutive year, to storming off into battle as the equivalent of a child soldier, to losing her parents of her own volition —

It's a little easy to lose her temper, especially when it's been building since the first day of summer.

And it involved someone who's name begins in 'L' and ends with 'eanne'.

Hermione Granger woke the entire fucking camp when she stumbled outside. She'd been expected to bask in the early morning sunlight and all of that rot. It was a beautiful world, wasn't it? A beautiful day. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, a perfect day for the children to finally organize their flying competition.

It was supposed to be her day for everything to go right, but she was stuck there, waving her hands around like a godforsaken mental patient.

Deciding to put wit before wand, Hermione silently had crept up behind Leanne. Her arms were folded across her chest, a very 'no nonsense' stance that she'd learned from the one and only Molly Weasley. "Please, please for the sake of my good mood, tell me that you are not cursing Malfoy's broom."

Leanne's head snapped up. A cruel and mocking smile curved her lips. "I'm definitely not cursing Malfoy's broom. A curse would be too good for him. He should really be —"

While silencing charms didn't hurt, not by any stretch of comparison, Hermione weaved the charm and a hex together. She found her patience was waning and there was no longer time or room for this sort of behavior. "Leanne," Hermione began softly. Anyone who knew her well would have known that it was not kindness that coloured her tone. "I'm going to send you home if you don't stop."

Of course, the girl couldn't respond. It was satisfying to see her mouth open and shut like a befuddled fish that had just been dragged from the Great Lake.

"What in the fuck is going on?" A door slammed open. "For fuck's sake, some of us are trying to sleep!" Malfoy ceased his yelling as he took in the sight before her. "Not that I would usually complain, but would the loud crash I just heard have anything to do with this?" He waved a pale hand, his eyes widening at the sight.

Another door opened, this time it was Padma, her shirt hanging to her knees as she rubbed her eyes. Her gaze flicked to the table that had been overturned.

Hermione didn't look the least bit sheepish for overdoing the hex. Still, there was the matter that she was the head of the entire project, and she was meant to be an example. Bollocks. "Up," she snapped her fingers, and Leanne begrudgingly climbed to her feet. "I've had enough of this. Unless you'd like to go home, I suggest you make an apology."

The silencing charm fell, but Leanne rubbed the back of her head where she'd walloped it against the ground from the blow back. "I'm sorry." she grumbled, facing Hermione and putting her hands up.

Mock surrender. How adorable. Hermione could have laughed in her face, but that would be an utterly terrible thing to do. Instead, she grinned wickedly as she shook her head. "You misunderstand. It's not me," her smile didn't slip, which probably made her look mental, but nevermind that, "that you need to apologize."

Leanne's head whipped towards Malfoy, who was still bewildered by the morning's turn of events. Before he could get a word in edgewise, she shrieked, "Absolutely not!"

Hermione shrugged. "It truly makes little difference to me, Smith. You can merrily hop back onto the Hogwarts Express for all I care. You've been nothing but nasty since you arrived, and honestly, a despicable excuse of a person. You need to let go." Hermione's features softened as she took pity. "I know it's difficult, but not cursing his broom would be a start."

"A dip in the lake wouldn't hurt him!" Leanne hissed.

Malfoy jogged down his steps, summoning his wand without a word, and with his wand still tucked away. "I don't have a need for a half-arsed apology."

Leanne levelled him with a sharp glare, but Hermione didn't notice how her bottom lip quivered. "I've done nothing wrong."

Quietly, there was a soft "Oh, I'm not missing this for the world. Keep Oliver inside, would you?" Behind them, Lisa was leaning against the railing of the Ravenclaw cabin, Padma right at her side.

"Clearly," Draco scoffed, giving his broom a once over. "If you've done nothing wrong, ride the broom."

Her eyes widened just barely. "No, thank you."

He arched a brow. "You say you've done nothing wrong. If that's the case, hop on this broom. I'll even make it worth your while. If nothing happens, you get one free shot at me. No unforgivables, of course." Malfoy smirked, but the humour twisting his lips did not meet his eyes.

"Pity," Leanne remarked. "I think I'll pass."

"Oh? That's just as good as admitting you've lied, but I understand wanting to save face. You're not that good at it, however." he said flatly. Malfoy turned to Hermione. "I'll remove the curses in my own room."

"Oh, Merlin!" Padma shouted.

Before Malfoy or Hermione could react, the broom had been torn from his grip and Leanne Smith was mounted - quite unwillingly - and was zipping through the air.

He choked on a laugh. "Whoever did that, ten points for ingenuity for the house cup we've yet to set up!" Malfoy whirled to see Lisa, twirling her wand with a satisfied look on her face. "Brilliant."

Hermione swatted his chest. "Focus, Malfoy. She's about to go into the lake."

He exhaled heavily. "Fine, fine. Let's fish her out of the bloody lake before the Giant Squid eats her, which to be clear, would not upset me."

She glared as they stomped off toward the shoreline, Padma and Lisa sniggering as they followed. "Is it worth a Ministry inquiry? Because that's exactly what would happen."

"Do you normally suck the fun out of everything?" he fired back.

"Malfoy?" she asked quietly, emerging from the tree line to see that the Hufflepuff camper was still tearing across the sky.

Leanne was forced into unwanted tricks, rolls, and dives. There was a lot of screaming.

"I see your lips twitching," Malfoy commented. "It won't kill you to laugh, Granger."

Against her better judgment, she grinned. "And there she goes," Hermione sighed as Leanne was finally released from the broom and she fell in from just feet above the water. "You know, she's likely to attempt to knock you off your broom later."

He waved off the prospect. "Let her."

Hermione would have liked to ask if it was his minor attempts to make up for his past mistakes, an ill-planned penance. And she would have if Leanne had not climbed out of the water.

"This is war," she muttered as her teeth chattered while she stalked past them all.

"It wasn't me who put you on that broom, but I suppose." Malfoy drawled. "Granger, a word?"

With one last look, Lisa nodded and left them.

"What is it?" Hermione asked. She leaned against a tree.

Malfoy looked her over. "Your pyjamas are ridiculous."

She snorted. "I know that's not why you asked me to stay behind."

He nodded, looking up into the trees to be sure the others were out of earshot. "You need to let Leanne have her feud with me. I don't like knowing the girl might slit my throat in my sleep, but I could have killed her friend. Unless she starting firing the killing curse at me - in which case, please stop her - leave her to me."

Her mouth opened and closed several times before she could say anything. "You can't be serious. She's dangerous with that mentality."

He held up a hand, and he looked as if he might just silence her so he could be done with it. "Need I remind you how dangerous I was with my mentality? Even if I think it's tosh now, I let Death Eaters into Hogwarts, and I meant to kill the headmaster."

She knew all of that already, but...the war was over and the world was supposed to heal. That's how this was meant to work, but how naive could she be? "You weren't, you aren't —" Hermione stared at her feet. "I can't stand off to the side while she targets you."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "I knew you would say that, but the truth of the matter is that you're likely to lose funding if you kicked her out. All it would take is one word of how she had to be around a Death Eater—"

"—former Death Eater," she ground out.

"—and the Wizengamot would take her side. They would manufacture a reason to harass me, and the would most likely shut this entire thing down. We can't let that happen."

Hermione stared at him, confusion clouding her features. "What?"

His cheeks were dusted with pink, and he stared right over her head. "If you tell anyone that I actually give a damn, I will absolutely ignore it. Adelaide and Henry are excited to wake up each day now. I heard them talking last night about what Hogwarts was like last year, about how they were so excited to return now if the term was anything like this summer. If Smith has a problem with me, she can hex me, curse me, or strike me in the face, but she will not muck this up for them."

Hermione was dumbfounded. Her heart was pounding in her chest and if they weren't so volatile toward the other, she had the inkling she could have hugged him. "You care."

"Of course I fucking care. Even with that bint wanting to make my life hell, she's a fly to me. I've—" he cut himself off. "I like it here, alright?"

Hermione nodded. "I understand."

"Then leave things be."

She didn't like it one bit, but she supposed she didn't have to. "You don't have to pretend you hate it here." Hermione murmured as they started towards the camp. "Can I ask why you enjoy it?"

There was a tick in his jaw as he didn't meet her eye. "I'd prefer you didn't, but there is no stopping you once you're curious. You're a part of it, though you're endlessly fucking Gryffindor and hopeful, but you're not as bad as I would have thought. Lisa. Her younger brother who likes me for reasons I cannot fathom. Henry and Adelaide are always looking to include me; they think I don't appreciate it, but I do. Padma has been trying to relate with me."

She glanced up, her lips parted. It was quite a list, and he'd only mentioned her first because she was here and naturally the first thing to rattle off, and it didn't matter. "Padma? How so?"

His shoulders deflated. "Parvati was murdered by Greyback."

Oh, oh. "I'm sorry I brought it up." She should have made the connection. Between the two of them, it was the only thing they could have in common. Narcissa Malfoy had been torn to shreds like Padma's twin. "She's trying to comfort you then? That's lovely."

He didn't truly laugh, but he breathed hard out of his nose. "Sure, we'll go with that. She's elbowing her way into my life no matter how much I try to avoid her."

Hermione laughed. "I see. Well, I'm glad you're enjoying the summer then."

While she helped plan the flying competition with Lisa, Hermione had no intentions of joining. Hermione sat securely on the ground, her back against the tree as she watched the others summon their brooms.

Out of all of them, it was only the Slytherin campers and Isobel who stayed with her. She caught the look on Malfoy's face, but he said nothing.

Harry and Ron had sent her another letter, one from each. Harry's was, again, more detailed. He told her about Auror training, about how being the Chosen One wasn't going to be enough this time and she should be proud that he couldn't skirt by.

She got a laugh out of that. As if Harry was riding the coattails of his victory against Voldemort. She was certain half of the Senior Aurors wanted him out. They expected a cocky kid, which wasn't completely Harry. That bill fit Ron, and Harry went on to explain how Ron had started no less than three fights with their trainers.

She sighed. Ron told her nearly nothing in his note, one that beat out his previous for word count. She felt pathetic to have counted. He told her he missed her and hope the camp was going well.

Hermione had gotten the sense before leaving that Ron wasn't interested in her project really, and she should have never just accepted that. It was only the beginning of things they would disagree on.

She penned a reply to both before staring up into the sky.

Malfoy was the fastest, and Oliver was right on his heels, attempting to perform all of the tricks the counsellor laid out. A few of which she had never seen before. A smile pulled at the edge of her lips. It was a miracle Leanne hadn't continued on with the rivalry, but she was hovering behind Hannah.

"Why don't the two of you join?" Hermione asked.

Henry and Adelaide exchanged a look. Isobel glanced up, giving a weak smile, almost as if she was grateful Hermione hadn't posed the question to her.

"The Carrows knocked me off my broom during my first lesson," Adelaide said. "I said I didn't understand the point of the war, and that there was no reason for it. Madam Hooch was dismissed from the headmaster's office when she argued that it was 'absurd'."

The fucking Carrows.

"Flying can be fun," Hermione told them, her fingers twitching at her side. "You stare at them as if you want to do it again." She waved to Michael as he landed in front of them. "Michael could take you up, couldn't you?"

Michael nodded.

The young Slytherin girl snorted. "I know how to fly. Getting off the ground is the hard part. I'll get in the air if you do. Michael can take you."

Hermione blanched but nodded. "Alright then." She'd had enough flying to last her a lifetime, but grabbed Michael's hand and let him pull her up. "Isobel," she called quietly, "would you mind watching my things?"

She thought about asking her if she'd like to join them, but she worried about pressuring the mute girl. Isobel shot her a bright smile and a thumbs up.

"Up you go, Hermione," Michael said, letting her slide onto the broom in front of him. "Don't sit so rigid. You're not going to fall."

She was probably going to fall, knowing her luck, but it was for the kids. She could regrow a broken bone pretty quickly with skilled healers.

Michael yelled out for the rest of them, who had only been milling about until the competition started. "Everyone to the edge of the tree line!" he shouted.

Hermione was squirming on the broom, completely out of her comfort zone. She glanced at Malfoy from her perch, noting how his brows shot up.

"Alright," Michael bellowed, "we're going to race from here to the other side of the lake, and back. No cheating. We don't need anyone falling into the lake." The last bit was pointed out with a chuckle. "One - two - three - go!"

He took off with a sickening lurch that sent Hermione into Michael's chest. "Oh, Merlin," she squeaked. At first, they were ahead of everyone else. The younger years moved slower and she turned to face Michael as they passed over the middle of the lake. "Why are you letting children fly over the lake. If they fall,"

He tucked a curl behind her ear. "Calm down. Malfoy is ready to catch them, as am I and Hannah. Lisa knows her way around a broomstick and Padma isn't the best, but she'd be able to cast a cushioning charm before one of them fell in."

It didn't do much to calm her nerves at all. "Right, okay," she replied, not believing him one bit.

They were in the middle of the lake on the return trip with Malfoy far ahead of the rest of them when Hermione lost her balance after Oliver nearly slammed into them.

"Fuck, Hermione, stop moving!" Michael shouted, trying to steady her by settling a hand on her waist.

It did nothing. She was already falling, flipping upside down over and over again as she dropped like a stone toward the lake.

He moved faster than Corner could. At the sound of a scream he knew inside and out for reasons he didn't like to acknowledge, Malfoy dove toward the surface. From where he was, still forty feet above her, he could see that she was managing to cast cushioning charms for when she inevitably hit the water.

She was a bright witch. The charms would stop her from breaking any bones when she hit, but there was the matter of worrying how it might not be enough. And it was ridiculous because he knew who she was but —

Draco pulled his wand from his sleeve. "Arresto Momentum!" By a stroke of luck for casting just before she could hit the water, and swift wand work, he slowed her fall to just above the water as he swooped down to grab her hand and pull her onto the broom, her body facing his. "Are you alright?"

Her eyes reminded him of firewhiskey up close. They were brown from afar, but this close, they resembled amber, and at the moment they were wide with fear. Granger nodded. "'M fine," she mumbled. "I told him I was going to fall!"

"Corner isn't great with a broom. Listen, I intended to win, still do actually. So I suggest you turn around."

"What?" Granger stammered, her features pinching in confusion. It was almost endearing.

He hissed under his breath, "Fuck. Corner is almost to the end."

"Then you can't,"

"I'll take that bet, Granger."

Water flew up beneath them as he took off,and her body was pushed flush against his by the momentum. A squeak tore from her pale mouth and she glared up at him. "Malfoy!"

"Shush, princess. Stop wiggling or you'll fall off again. This time you'll need to wait before I come back and save your arse."

Aware that he was her ticket back to solid ground, all she offered was a quiet, "Hmph." Her pride was beat out as she latched onto him, scared to fall again. Her fingers dug onto his chest as she clung to him, fisting his jumper in her tight grip.

Taking pity of her, he wrapped an arm around her waist as he flew faster. The momentum had her pressed against his.

Corner slowed down as they caught up with him. Jealousy wasn't a great look on him, but the hesitation worked in Draco's favour.

As he touched down, Granger hadn't let go of him yet. She blinked, glancing around before she jumped off of the broom and laid on the ground. "I am never doing that again."

"That was wicked!" Henry shouted from over his head, grinning down at them. "Miss Granger, can we do it again?"

"Leave me out of it." she groaned, dragging her hands down her face. "I don't know how you can enjoy that."

Malfoy smirked, still hovering above the ground. "Well, if a simpering idiot hadn't been the one to take you into the air, you'd probably understand."

After everyone had gone to bed that night, Hermione couldn't fight off a feeling that twisted her stomach. She didn't believe gut feelings typically, but even as she rolled over in bed to turn in for the night, it wouldn't go away.

Softly, she padded across her room, removing the pot from over the door for her makeshift security. No one was out, and she went unseen as she rapped her knuckles against his door quietly.

Malfoy opened his door, and she could smell the booze. He sighed, letting the door swing wide open and allowed her inside. "I don't want to have a heart to heart with you. Just because I saved you from an unsavoury dip in the Great Lake does not mean we are the best of friends."

She placed her hands on her hips. "You're pissed."

He nodded, falling to sit at the edge of his bed. "Five points to Gryffindor for a quick deduction. Would you like a drink?"

"I'll pass."

"Really? I'm far more likely to talk to you about it if you do. You can't be sober if I'm not. It's an unfair playing field."

She huffed. "Fine, give me the bloody bottle." Hermione held her hand out, waiting for the cool glass of the bottle to meet her outstretched hand. "Can I sit?"

"Why not?" he muttered, scooting over to give her room.

She spluttered as the booze burned down her throat, and she glared at the bottle itself. "This is terrible."

"Bet it makes you forget about anything else on your mind."

"Until later when you run out and you're drunk while depressed." Hermione pointed out.

"Thank you so much for telling me that. Wow, I never knew that drinking couldn't solve all of my problems! Who knew. You've cured me, Granger."

She'd have liked to smack the look off of his face. "You're a git." Hermione took another drink if only to make him a bit more comfortable, but she was aware of how she couldn't handle her firewhiskey. "What's wrong?"

Malfoy brought the bottle to his lips. "I can't stop thinking about the war. Padma wanted to talk after dinner again. I told her to sod off. If I wanted to talk about my mother, I would. But you already knew all about it, don't you?"

Hermione swallowed. "I was handed a file when I was told you would be coming. I didn't read it all because it wasn't my business, but I know enough. You can burn the file if you like."

"The Ministry would question it."

She shrugged. "I lost it then. They're not going to question me over a file when an Order of Merlin is hanging over my head."

"Father petrified me when Greyback moved in on my mother." he murmured, not looking up at her. He hung his head, the bottle gripped tightly in his hand, settled against his bouncing knee. "She didn't move away. She knew it was coming, and he tore her apart. He planned to rape her; he said he wanted to hear her screams while he thrust his cock in her and bred her like a whore made for the slaughter."

Hermione sucked in a breath. Her hand twitched toward his. "I'm incredibly sorry."

He nodded. "Mother didn't die from the wounds he inflicted. Greyback preferred to play with his food."

"I know," she whispered. And she did. Fenrir Greyback would leave the most vital parts for last.

"She bit her tongue off. I wonder if I'll ever forget her screams. I doubt it. I never forget yours."

Hermione froze beside him. "Malfoy, you're extremely drunk and I don't want you to say anything you'll regret."

He shook his head. "This is fine. I should have done more."

She didn't agree, but it was still so raw, and she couldn't bear to discuss it so openly. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, really." she murmured. "Is it just your mother that's on your mind?"

Malfoy hesitated as he brought the bottle away from his lips. "During my seventh year, on the Christmas holiday, I had to torture Peter Pettigrew."

She stared at him, her breathing shallow. "What?"

"Voldemort," he still shuddered as he said the name, "sensed his loyalty slipping. I was ordered to issue a gentle reminder of where his best interests lied. Filthy fucking traitor on all fronts, that man was."

Hermione was at a loss. "Does anyone know? It was never mentioned in the trial."

He was silent, and she had her answer.

"I'm not going to repeat it. Your secret is safe with me. He was a horrible man, and I shouldn't let that excuse your actions."

He tapped his foot against the wooden floor. "I don't expect you to keep my secrets."

"Well, I am."

"A terrible idea, really." he snorted.

Her head felt a bit fuzzy as she looked at him. "Are you always like this? It's jarring how playful you can be." Hermione nudged him in the ribs before she could think about it.

"It's the firewhiskey," he replied. "You've learned enough about me tonight. Off you god, Granger. You're already starting to slump over on me."

True enough, she was gradually beginning to lean on him. Her cheeks flushed and she apologized. "Malfoy?"

He towered over her as he led her toward the door. "What is it?"

She took another glance around the room, the sparseness of it. Like hers, it was only a bed and a dresser. "It goes without saying that you shouldn't let your drinking affect the children, but that's not what I want to say. If you're...if you feel like drinking away your problems, and you don't completely loathe my company, I'm next door. Or even get Padma if you prefer, but you shouldn't be alone. You don't have to be."

Malfoy chuckled as she stepped out, his hand braced against the door trim as he leaned over her. "Padma talks too fucking much. I'll get you if I need you, alright? You can bring the firewhiskey next time. Or Butterbeer if you prefer. You look like you're going to blow over."

"I'm fine!" she insisted, stomping her foot. It was a childish move and she knew it and she nearly slipped right down his steps. "Okay," she spoke of his laughter. "If you need anything, yeah?"

He nodded, the smallest of smiles curving his lips. "Yeah."

Hermione ducked back into her cabin, unaware that the camp was no longer as empty as it had been when she'd first gone to Malfoy.

It would make me so, so happy if you would please review. :)