A/N reminder that this story is not Deathly Hallows compliant so, for the purpose of this story, Hermione's and Ron's relationship starts a few months earlier.

This is still a Dramione fanfic the relationship between Hermione and Draco is a slow burn.

Thank you to all of you who are reading and for the lovely messages but please, please review .

Chapter 3- Much Gentler than Expected.

Draco had been given his own room but he felt caged. He tried to keep to himself, deeming safer, but after 2 weeks of virtual solitude he was reduced to pacing the floor of his small room.

Hermione could hear him pacing from the room she shared with Ron across the corridor. She would swear he was wearing a path in the pile of the carpet and the monotonous sound of his movement was driving her insane. He was fraying her nerves and she had to do something to stop him.

Rushing to his door she was given pause as she saw him through the gap between the door and its frame. She watched as he prowled like a caged white wolf and she wondered, Does Malfoy have anything to do? Anything to read? She realised she was being uncharitable, of course he was restless he was an intelligent man and they had simply caged him with nothing to occupy his mind. Hermione realised she had to offer him some form of distraction for her own sanity if not for his.

While she had pondered this she had not realised he had stopped pacing.

"What do you want Granger?"

Snapping out of her thoughts Hermione asked, "I thought you might want something to read? I hadn't realised that no one had given any consideration to giving you anything to occupy your time." She told him quite candidly.

He stood very still making eye contact with her for the first time since the day he had arrived. Hermione had not noticed how expressive his eyes were. Grey and mercurial they reflected his moods like a lake reflected weather.

He huffed, "No shit Granger do you know how many roses there are on this faded wall paper? How many planks there are on this floor? How many seconds it takes to cross the room?"

She suddenly felt ashamed, "I'm sorry," she told him, "I should have considered this sooner. I have a collection of books I could loan one to you…" She trailed off.

"Of course you do you're Hermione Granger" unaccountably he smiled at her. She was stunned both that he had smiled and that it completely transformed his face. He looked kinder. She didn't have time to contemplate this thought before he continued, "actually I would really like some fresh air. Is there a garden we could walk in first?"

"Yes I'll show you." She turned to lead the way to the ground floor.

It was dusk as they entered the walled garden hidden behind Grimmauld Place. The red brick walls radiated warmth into the micro-climate of the small garden. The air was heavy with the thick scent of jasmine and lilies, their perfume as intense as any drug. Hermione made her way to the hardwood Lutyens' bench that sat below an arbour so crowded with jasmine flowers that they fell, like specks of tattered silk, with the slightest hint of breeze. Ruined petals puddled on the ground in gleaming perfumed drifts.

Settling herself on the bench she looked at Draco expectantly. Would he join her? She wondered could they sit together companionably like old friends rather than former enemies?

He stood awkwardly looking at the space beside her but didn't move to join her instead taking in a deep breath like a man on the verge of drowning. He looked around admiring the surroundings.

"Curious, don't you think, to have a white garden attached to a Black house." He mused neither expecting nor inviting a response.

Hermione supposed it was curious, every flower in the garden was white, the antithesis of the interior of the Black town house. It was as if someone wanted to escape it all. Just like Draco was escaping it now. How curious that he should see that, she thought, something about that intrigued her but she pushed the thought aside-Draco Malfoy was not intriguing he was an 'evil little cockroach' and she would not allow herself to forget that.

"The scent of the jasmine is amazing don't you think?" She asked trying to steer her thoughts onto neutral ground.

"It's your favourite isn't it?" He responded not answering her question.

"Yes," she responded cautiously, "how do you know?"

"It's your scent," he told her honestly, "it precedes you when you enter a room. Perhaps you should change it, it might get you killed."

"Like you care," she replied without thinking.

"I care," he said, too quietly, still standing before her.

Hermione looked up searching his face to see if he was sincere. His face gave her no reason to doubt him.

There was a moment's awkward silence before Hermione broke it. "Well I think I will go back inside now." As she began to rise Draco instinctively took her hand to assist her to her feet. Realising what he had done he drop her hand like it would brand him, a red flush appeared across his alabaster cheekbones a clear indication that he had forgotten himself, that he was embarrassed.

Draco was saved from his blushes by Weasley calling Hermione's name.

"'Mione where are you?" Ron bellowed from inside Grimmauld Place.

Hermione didn't call back instead making her way indoors to find her boyfriend. She found Ron immediately at the foot of the stairs looking up through the stairwell as if he expected her to appear there.

"I'm here Ron," she told him quietly, "what is it that you want?"

"Does a guy have to want something when he hasn't seen his girl for a few hours?" Ron questioned urgently pulling her into his embrace.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously, "usually that it exactly when you want something Ron Weasley," she told him with a little coquettish smirk on her lips.

"Come here you," Ron insisted nuzzling her neck and gently nipping at the sweet spot he knew drove her wild.

"Huh hmm," Draco cleared his throat loudly to ensure the couple in the stairwell knew they were not alone.

"Malfoy," Ron began his irritation at the interruption clear in his tone, "what were you doing out there?"

Brusquely and looking the picture of innocence Draco told him, "taking the air with your girlfriend.

So, if you'll excuse me?" Draco continued making his way past the couple still embracing in the stairwell.

Draco's words were like the proverbial 'red rag to a bull', Ron's countenance fell, he took a step away from Hermione and demanded, "Why were you outside with Malfoy?"

Hermione looked at Ron astonished, "He wanted some air, I showed him the garden…" she trailed off looking at Ron's scowling face, "you're jealous!" she told him, "jealous of Malfoy?"

"Course not," Ron responded a little too rapidly. Hermione merely took his arm as reassurance.

"Come on you," she said dragging him towards the stairs, "let me show you there is no need for you to be jealous."

Later as she lay by Ron's side she reflected on what had transpired in the garden. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. Hermione thought but Malfoy's actions had, in truth, taken her by surprise. He was embarrassed to take her hand not revolted by it. He did not hiss and spit at the physical contact as she might have expected him to. She was in all honesty a little stunned, not just that he blushed but also, to discover that his hand was both warm and gentle, his actions gentler than expected.