The next morning was torturous, if someone tripped over, or a chair scraped too loud in the library, Hermione flinched. As it was the weekend, the teachers had decided to 'be nice' and Hermione had no work to do. There was nothing to occupy her except for reading in the library, but that was too risky as during the weekend the sanctuary was emptier than normal. It was too easy an area to ambush. Because it was raining cats and dogs outside, the common room was full of noisy, cranky first years. Harry and Ron were playing exploding snap in their dormitory with Seamus, Dean and Neville, so she couldn't read there either. Her dormitory was occupied by Lavender Brown and her followers; obviously that was not an option. So, Hermione hid away in the rafters of the boathouse where no one would be able to find her.

.

"Blaise if you say one more thing about my hair…"

"Alright alright, I won't say anything more"

"Thank you"

"Have you ever heard of Joseph?"

"Joseph?"

"Yeah, Joseph, you know the guy from the bible"

"Yes, I have heard of him, why?"

"Well, I think he has this coat that would really go with…"

Draco smacked him over the back of the head and stood up from the Slytherin table.

"Later Blaise"

He exited the hall, leaving Blaise's guffaws behind him. As Draco was closing the big oak doors he saw a small figure huddled in a black cloak go out into the courtyard. Thinking it might be Hermione, Draco walked out into the freezing cold rain and trudged through the snow, following her footprints. Why isn't she huddled up in the library? Draco had been heading into the library the past few days to look for her, but she was ever to be found.

He stopped walking when Hermione turned into the boathouse, and waited a moment, deciding whether to wait outside for a while, but the rain picked up and made the decision for him. Draco sneaked round the boathouse and went in the opposite door before rushing to hide under one of the boat covers. He looked up to see Hermione hiding in the rafters, a book open in her hands and a frown on her face.

.

"Hogwarts a History, by Bathilda Bagshot…" Hermione looked up from her book, a slight noise in the boathouse alerting her. Ever since the war her senses had been sharpened. She glanced down to where the equipment was kept, but couldn't see anything. Deciding she must have just imagined it, she continued reading. Although the war had heightened her senses, it also made her slightly skittish. Her mind once again returned to Malfoy. It really wasn't fair that she was huddled up in the boathouse in the freezing cold when he continued to strut about the castle. Hermione slammed the book shut, deciding not to hide anymore. She climbed down the ladder book in hand and was near the doorway when a noise in the boathouse struck again, this time from behind her.

She tiptoed over towards the boxes and boat covers, pulled back a sheet to reveal a head. "OH MY MERLIN!" she reached out and knocked the revealed body to the side, accidently pushing him into the water where the boats (which were currently hanging from the ceiling) would set out.

"Malfoy?"

"No, I'm the guy who looks after the boathouse." Draco said sarcastically "Of course it's me, and don't pretend you didn't know that."

"Oh what? You think that I knew that you were hiding under some spare boat covers the whole time and I just thought, 'Hey I think I'll go chuck him in the water?' Yeah that so sounds like me."

"What, so I'm supposed to believe that it was you who just accidently pushed me?"

"I'm sorry? Who was it hiding here, I was under no pretences, I was in plain sight reading my book, I didn't try to sneak around! What were you doing?"

"What, I can't stand under some boat covers if I want to?"

"So this is the story you're going to stick with is it?"

"I don't know what you mean" he leant against the wall and raised one eyebrow. Even with his hair and clothes dripping wet he still manages to look perfect… wait, what? I did NOT just think that.

"Fine. Well I'm going to go back up to the castle."

Just as I was walking out I felt a hand wrap around my wrist. Malfoy pulled me towards the wall and leant in close, "you do realise that I am going to get you back for two things now?"

"I had nothing to do with your hair, like I tried to tell you before, I just noticed…"

"Sure Granger, just giving you a warning."

He smirked at her and headed back up the steps.