A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! You can also follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

please let me know what you thought of chapter five and be on the lookout for chapter six soon!


Hermione didn't know how to feel the morning after her date with Cormac. She had dozens of missed calls and a couple of threatening texts about the man that had punched him, but Hermione could always feign ignorance about who Rabastan was if Cormac really made such a stink about it. It wasn't as if she ever planned on going on another date with him, no matter what she was feeling about Rabastan.

She had had such a wonderful time running from the chip shop with Rabastan, showing him how to use the Oyster system, and burning their fingers on greasy fish and chips on the train ride home. She couldn't remember the last time that she'd laughed quite so hard as she had seeing the look on Cormac's face.

It was such an up and down roller coaster ride of emotions. While she was pleased that he'd opened up to her about his past, she couldn't pretend as if she was totally cool with what he'd done. After all, attempted murder was a pretty serious charge, no matter how he tried to explain it. He'd still held a blade to a woman's throat, and the thought of it made queasy.

At the same time, she did believe in second chances and he seemed to have taken his time in prison seriously. She believed that Rabastan really was trying to turn over a new leaf, even if she didn't know how successful he was at it. But, could she really blame him? He'd been pulled out of what could be considered normal society for ten years, and there was obviously a huge learning curve.

She thought about the kiss that he'd given her and immediately her pulse sped up, warmth blossoming in her chest. There was something about the way that he'd held her, as if she were a cool drink of water to a man dying of thirst, that made her feel incredibly sexy. However, she worried that he was merely focused on her because of proximity first, and her continued denials second. As if she were just some kind of prize.

She knew his type. As soon as he fucked her, he wouldn't give her a second thought.

Needing to clear her head, she texted Harry and Ron to see if they wanted to come over to study. Ron had a date, but Harry had readily agreed, bringing over a pile of books with him. Hermione made a little space on her kitchen table for her friend.

Secretly, she was glad that it was just Harry for a change, knowing that her friendship with Ron was still a little bit too odd since they had decided they were better off as friends, and he would be sulking to hear about her date. Harry was perhaps her oldest friend, and he was a bit more focused with his academics, if only a bit, than Ron, which she appreciated.

"So, how was your date last night?" Harry asked, his eyebrows raised over his round glasses, once they had gotten settled in. "Did you get a goodnight kiss?" he teased.

Instantly, Hermione blushed, her head going a bit fuzzy once more from the thought of Rabastan's kiss. "Oh, well, the date with Cormac was terrible - I walked out on him," she said her shoulders slumping a bit. "We didn't click as well as I thought we did."

"Good," Harry said with a snort. "I'm glad that you left if he was being a jerk. Sometimes you are too nice."

"Yeah, well, he followed me and he wouldn't leave me alone when I went to get some dinner," Hermione said twirling her pen in her hand. It seemed infinitely more interesting to her in the moment than Harry's far too perceptive green eyes. "I was lucky my neighbor happened to be walking by and he helped me get home."

"Is this the new neighbor that Ginny was telling me about? God, I didn't think that Hagrid would ever find someone to fill that dump," Harry asked, leaning back in his chair, his hands laced behind his head. "Apparently he's super dreamy."

"He's...not bad," Hermione said, biting her lower lip. She was certainly attracted to the man, but it just didn't seem right to talk about that with Harry. "I don't know what to think about him. He always leaves me feeling off kilter."

Harry raised his eyebrows once more, but didn't say anything, waiting for Hermione to elaborate.

"He kissed me last night," she said, her cheeks flushing at the words. "Which...well, I am just worried that he is ...he's not like the other guys I've dated."

"Hermione, you've only dated one person, and that was Viktor and that was eight years ago," Harry deadpanned. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I've gone on dates!" Hermione answered indignantly, though she knew that what Harry was saying was true. It wasn't as if she had a lot of experience. "I just mean...he is really coming on strong - hot and heavy. And I am just nervous that if I give him what he wants, he will never speak to me again. I'm just not ready for that kind of a relationship."

Harry sighed. "Hermione, that's not a relationship, that's called a one-night stand," he said authoritatively. "Well, good, you shouldn't...just because he walked you home doesn't mean he's entitled to you. So, I think you should just forget it. You don't want to be with someone who is pressuring you into doing something you don't want."

Hermione's heart softened. Somehow, Harry had grown into a protective older brother figure, even though she was nearly a year older than him and had gotten him out of trouble more often than not. It was sweet that he didn't want her to get hurt, but she wondered if he would be happier if she never dated anyone. "The thing is, I just don't know that all he wants is a one-night stand. He keeps trying to tell me that he likes me."

"How can he like you?" Harry questioned, before scowling, realizing how terrible his comment sounded. "I just mean...well, he's only just moved in right. I doubt that he's been able to truly learn and appreciate what a wonderful woman you are. I just...don't want you to get hurt, Hermione."

Biting her lower lip, Hermione thought that Harry was probably right. "Alright. I know what you mean," she answered with a nod.

"And if he really likes you, well, he'll show you eventually. You can always change your mind," Harry counseled her, sounding far more confident than she felt.

"Of course Harry," Hermione agreed, before returning to her notes. She just hoped that they could keep this little conversation between them. She couldn't imagine the kind of blow up Ron would have over it. "Oh, and Harry? Can you not tell Ginny about the kiss? She sort of implied that if things didn't go well with Cormac I at least had an alternative with Rabastan, and you know how annoying she can be when she's right."

Harry snorted in response. "Don't I know it," he agreed. "Yeah, your secret is safe with me."

The pair of old friends quickly became reabsorbed into their studying, until the alarm on Harry's phone finally went off. "Wow, is that really the time?" Harry questioned, rolling his back and cracking his spine over her chair. "Sorry, Hermione, I really have to get going. Got dinner plans with Sirius."

Hermione nodded, helping her friend pack up his belongings so that he could return home. She thanked him once again for his advice, though she felt as if the issue was even less resolved than it was before she'd spoken to him. Something about Harry telling her to forget about Rabastan only made her more curious about him

After Harry left, only giving her more to think about that when he had first come over, Hermione had decided to dig back into her work. It helped that there was a steady drizzle outside, making her want to hole up on the couch and act as though she were dead to the world.

She'd ordered Chinese and was waiting patiently for her lo mein noodles to arrive when she heard a pounding on the front door. Excited to finally have some dinner, Hermione eagerly shuffled to the doorway, opening the door, only to see the last person that she suspected.

Or really, maybe she should suspect him at this point.

The open door was letting in a chill, but Hermione was stuck staring at Rabastan. The tall man was wearing his trademark leather jacket in the pouring rain and he held a tiny grey kitten in his outstretched hands. Immediately, she narrowed her eyes, wondering just what he was playing at. "If this is another one of your insane attempts to win my heart, don't bother." Hermione said to her neighbor.

She had to admit, Rabastan did seem to be trying all sorts of traditional moves to woo her, but Hermione was suspicious that they were little more than tricks to try and get in her pants. Flowers, expensive wine, telling her he could get cocaine if she wanted it... even when he'd saved her from Cormac at the chip shop...they all seemed perfectly chivalrous on their face, but after the way he'd behaved the day that they first met, she was inclined to believe that he was trying to make her fall for him, just so he could fuck her.

But Rabastan still hadn't wormed his way into her heart yet.

The grey ball of fur was mewling in his arms, it's wet fur matted down. "No, I found him. And he looked so helpless, I wanted…he can stay with me," the man said in a rush, pushing his own wet hair back out of his face. "Only, I realized I don't know anything about kittens, fuck, I don't even have milk in my flat!" he trailed off with a wry laugh. "Then I remembered you have a cat, so…"

Hermione did feel her heart melt a little bit, seeing such a tough guy with the little kitten in his arms, who seemed quite content to stay wrapped in Rabastan's body warmth. "Alright, come in," she said, without having to think on it too long. She moved out of the doorway to let him come in.

Once Rabastan was inside, Hermione held out her hands to take the little cat. "Let me see him," she requested. The kitten looked upset to be separated from Rabastan, but quickly settled in Hermione's arms. "He's all wet...we should give him a quick bath before drying him off."

Rabastan nodded, willing to do whatever she said in this instance. He bent over, pulling off muddy looking boots and leaving his leather jacket behind as well. "I was out for a ride, and I found him near a storm drain," he explained, quickly, following her from the entrance back into her bedroom. He paused a moment when he realized where they were, looking at her dirty clothes that hadn't quite made it into the hamper, but didn't give any lascivious comments about her knickers. "I couldn't leave him."

Hermione felt her heart clench when she realized that Rabastan was feeling as though he needed to explain why he would have helped such an innocent little creature like the kitten. Turning on the water in her bathtub, she waited until it was an appropriate warmth for the kitten. "It was good of you to rescue him," Hermione said honestly to Rabastan. "Just think...he probably would have died out there if you hadn't helped him."

Moving quickly, Hermione lathered her hands with a tiny drop of shampoo and rubbed it into the kitten's matted fur, muddy water flowing down the drain. Not wanting to put the poor creature through more tramua than necessary, she finished the bath as quickly as she could before asking Rabastan to bring her a clean towel. Gently as she could, Hermione dried off the kitten as much as possible.

To her amusement, the kitten was tougher than she would have expected, his tiny claws swiping at the fabric of the towel while he mewled indignantly at the treatment. It made Hermione laugh. She looked at Rabastan. "He's just like you - a little rough around the edges," she teased. "He's probably been fighting in alleys."

"Kindred spirits," Rabastan agreed with a smirk, before rescuing the still slightly damp kitten from her towel, pulling it to his broad chest. Immediately, the kitten calmed down once again, and began purring loudly the closer he was. His damp little body was making Rabastan's white shirt clingy and slightly see-through, and Hermione quickly realized that she was staring at him.

Clearing her throat, Hermione decided that sitting on her bathroom floor was probably not the ideal place to be hanging out with her hot neighbor. "Let's go to the kitchen," she said abruptly, hoping that Rabastan couldn't sense where her thoughts were headed. "Crooks has got some wet food for when he's being especially good. We can give the kitten some of that. I'm sure he's hungry."

Rabastan's face softened when the tiny kitten meowed up at him. He stood from the floor, following her through the flat. "Thank you so much, Hermione," he said, sounding truly grateful. "I really don't know what I would have done without your help."

Hermione shook her head, before digging around in the cupboards, looking for Crookshanks special food, and grabbing two cans. Crookshanks would be far too jealous of the kitten and try to steal it's food if he didn't have his own. "Don't worry about it," Hermione waved him off. "I think it's really sweet that you helped him. Speaking of...what are you going to call him?" she wondered, thinking it was rather rude to keep calling the kitten "him".

"I hadn't given it too much thought," Rabastan revealed, having been so busy with trying to keep the kitten alive.

Before he could speak on it more, Hermione heard the doorbell ring. "Oh, that's my food, I'll be right back," she said, before hurrying down the front hall. When she returned to the room with her Chinese in hand, Rabastan was sitting on the floor with the kitten, who was eagerly into the can of cat food. "I've got dinner. Do you want some? There's more than enough," she questioned. "I swear I don't always eat takeaways."

Rabastan laughed at that, but agreed that some dinner would be nice. "Hey, it's a helluva lot better than what I normally eat," he explained. "I haven't been to a proper grocery store yet since I've been out. I usually just go to the corner store and get a frozen pizza," he said sounding miserable.

Hermione wondered how much of his life must feel odd after ten years in prison. How banal going to a grocery story must seem after having practically every decision made for you nearly your entire adult life. Rabastan needed time to adjust, but he also probably needed help adjusting to the way the world was now...new technology, new slang, new issues. He just needed a helping hand, not unlike the kitten.

They sat at the kitchen table, bowls in front of each of them, while they dug into the lo mein, Crookshanks watching the new kitten with interest. Rabastan laughed as he continually pushed the can across the floor, greedily trying to get more food. "I think I'm going to call him Salazar," he said, a bit of wonder in his voice.

"Salazar?" Hermione questioned, a bit incredulously. "Well, I suppose that I can't say too much. I do have a cat called Crookshanks."

After they had finished their dinner, Hermione and Rabastan moved into the living room and she showed Rabastan how to brush Salazar. Flipping the television on, she was amused to see Rabastan and Salazar become entranced with the Top Gear marathon that BBC2 was running. Apparently, Rabastan had never heard of it before.

Hermione settled down on the floor, with her books in front of her, working on editing her latest essay, hoping to throw in a few more supporting quotes to bolster her argument. Salazar seemed utterly content to spend the whole night curled up in a ball on Rabastan's chest, purring away.

Before long, she heard snores in addition to the little purrs and turned around, only to find Rabastan dead asleep, stretched out on her couch, his legs nearly too long. It was such a heart melting scene that Hermione had to stop a second to savor the image, something that she was sure would be ingrained in her memory for a long time.

Yes, Rabastan was an ex-convict, but that didn't mean that he didn't deserve a second chance. He was trying to turn over a new leaf, and it was wrong for Hermione to continually assume what his motives were. After all, he'd certainly surprised her with his gentle treatment of Salazar. Perhaps, she had been wrong to assign motives to his wooing of her too. Maybe he really had been sincere when he told her he liked her?

Knowing that she really should wake him, Hermione couldn't bare the thought of destroying the cute scene that the two of them made together. Instead, she pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, placing it over Rabastan's legs. Salazar gave a contented yawn, which made Hermione smile fondly.

Giving the pair one last look, Hermione turned down the hallway towards her own bedroom.