Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and all the characters except the one I created belong to J. K. Rowling. The places I mention in the story with details are not advertised, they are mentioned in order to make the settings and the story more real. I don't make any profit.

Beta: Myka Ren

A/N: A big hug to Sora Loves Rain for their reviews. Also I would like to explain something about chapter 4 oni: demon , jubokko tree: a yokai vampiric tree , Shinigami: grim reaper. I hope I didn't confuse you, in this chapter I'm having the definition of things. Also, as I mentioned in the disclaimer I use the original name of places to make the story seem more real. I'm not trying to advertise those places. Enjoy!

Tales In The Mist

Chapter 6

Their first night in Kyoto was awkward. Hermione had no problem communicating with Renji but with Malfoy? Well that was another issue on the whole. After their talk in that alley, he kept finding excuses to be in another place and he had returned drunk from the cafe. She had seen him talking with Renji,- more like writing- and when she asked Renji about it, he had just said that he was asking about their culture and that was what made her more confused about his actions.

A couple of nights after their arrival she had stayed awake to watch over a polyujuice potion she had been making, in case they needed to leave immediately and she had heard whispers. Well she was a curious being and she followed the sound. Malfoy was sleep talking and she tensed once she heard her name. She thought that she had woken him up but she hadn't. She had been shell shocked that he was dreaming about her and a 'red thread'. Leaving the room she made a note to ask him about that but when she caught sight of him the next morning, he mumbled something about having work to do and left with Renji in the morning.

More days passed after that and she was growing distressed. What if he had betrayed her? What if he was looking for a means to leave and he was waiting for the potion to be done? What if he had found another woman? What if he didn't want to be in her presence?

Hermione would rather be dead than saying it but she loved arguing with him. She loved the thrill of waiting for his remark. She loved seeing his eyes lit up with the same fire she had been told her eyes held. She loved how his lips formed an amused almost non- existent smile when she commented something smart. She loved how he would look so satisfied after their row like he hadn't just lost a verbal fight. She loved that side of him and she hated that he was growing distant.

Two weeks had passed, and Hermione was once again making potions. One of the basic things that she hadn't had time to prepare was her bag with potions. She always had her beaded bag with her and it had some things from back when they had been on the hunt for horcruxes. Basic potion books and guides for natural potion ingredients one can find in nature, Hogwarts: A History, of course, some cooking books, and two pillows and a blanket. She needed to fill her potions stack and probably find a tent. It wasn't that she wanted to leave the house and Renji was an amazing host but she had a bad feeling. A really bad one.

Her train of thought was cut when she heard a muffled scream. Dropping the book she was holding on the couch she sprinted in the corridor and in the room she heard the scream from. Her heart broke. Malfoy was there turning in his sleep, clinching his left forearm and crying. She snapped out of it when he left another scream and before she could even realise what she was doing she was on his bed shaking him awake and crashing him in a hug mumbling soft words of reassurance and that everything was over and he, dear Merlin he, he was holding on her as if his life would end. He cried on her shoulder like every one of her friends did. He held on her even after he had stopped crying and she was still there rubbing his back and resting her head on his until he fell back asleep. Hermione learned at that moment that there still were people like her. People deeply scarred, people that were afraid of the shadows in their room, people that still relived the war in the darkest and loneliest moment.

She let go of him softly managing to unwrap his arms from around her and that was a mistake. She missed his touch immediately. She took the moment of watching him sleep, absentmindedly placing those silky blond locks in place, to think about it. She wanted to be able to feel that again, his arms around her, holding her so tightly that her broken pieces were coming back together. She wondered if she had made him feel that to? If she had managed to put at least a part of him together. She wouldn't taunt him about it, no. He had respected her. He had seen her cry at the night of the anniversary of her trip to Malfoy manor, he had apologized about it, he had done everything he could to make her feel better and talk about every bit of nonsense she might have known about the town and told her off when he was fed up about it. That had pulled her to reality. He had managed to show her that she was selfish about it. He was nice to her. He stopped calling her a mudblood. He started learning things about the muggles. He turned his back to blood supremacy.

The following morning she was startled to find him home. He hadn't left with Renji. He was there and he was struggling to cook breakfast. He was trying to cook breakfast for them. For her.

Her heart melted a bit at that thoughts but she immediately sobered up. She couldn't be thinking such things about him. Yes he was a broken person too, yes he had his weak moments, yes he wasn't bad at her but actually tried to make her be herself even if he claimed to be annoyed by her and yes he was cooking breakfast for both of them but Hermione couldn't go and get attached to him. They were fugitives. They were running away from the Aurors and they were framed for a murdered. She couldn't go get a crush on him. That would be ridiculous and the only way this would end was by her getting hurt. And getting hurt was what she certainly didn't have the time for.

But she certainly was so not following her thoughts for once. She was standing in the doorway with her hands folded looking at the man in front of her with the softest and most amused smile she had ever worn. She stayed like that for a while until he turned to add to the table what he was preparing and cursed bringing a hand to his chest.

"Bloody hell woman. Haven't they taught you to speak?" He faked glared and she waved it off still with a smile.

"Haven't they taught you to cook?" She retorted good heartedly as she opened the fridge to get the milk out.

"Ha ha very funny Granger and for your information I know how to cook." Malfoy replied before taking the milk from her and placing it between their mugs.

"Oh do tell how come." She said her eyes shining with mischief but stopped moving once she saw him have that glaced eyes expression that she named 'inner debate'. "What is it?" She asked pulling her hair up in a messy bun, suddenly self conscious of the way she looked.

"It's nothing." He mumbled quickly before sitting down. Blinking she moved over and sat where he previously sat on the table and looked down to meet his eyes.

"I know it isn't nothing, tell me." She said in her bossy voice, playfully slapping his arm when he rolled his eyes murmuring about her bossing him around.

"Fine." He said averting his eyes, "I want you to make me coffee." He said turning to look at her before burying his face in his arms, "Salazar, this is ridiculous."

"No its not ridiculous." Hermione answered her mind still not quite getting how this would be ridiculous, "I'll make you coffee. It's not like you asked me something completely inappropriate." She answered standing up and making her way around the kitchen to prepare the coffee.

"Asking what type of underwear you prefer wouldn't be inappropriate right?" He asked with a smirk as she turned to him, month open in a silent 'ah' and a pot on her other. At the sound of his chuckling she smiled again and made a grimace, "Yes, that would be inappropriate."

When she finished making the coffee and they enjoyed their breakfast in silence, Hermione was surprised to see that Malfoy was up to clean up. With magic of course because as he said ' I'm a wizard, aren't I? Where's the point of bloody being one if I don't use magic to clean?'. All these though made her narrow her eyes once he turned to look at her. This smelled fishy. He wouldn't talk to her and suddenly he's all friendly?

"Granger what-?" He started but she cut him.

"Spit it out Malfoy. You certainly want something to be so friendly." She said immediately regretting it. Something new flashed through his eyes that made her heart break. Hurt.

"So only when it fits me should I ever do something good? I guess so. I'm Draco Malfoy after all." He spat his eyes, a thundering storm of greys, getting cold and distant again.

"No Malfoy I didn't mean it. This has nothing to do with who you are." She pleaded beating herself that she had been so stupid as to suspect him.

"Of course it has! You still don't trust me obviously." He hissed confusing her.

"Where do that come from?!" She returned, "I trust you! I'm just not used to be treated like that!" She yelled moving closer to him.

"Didn't Wesley treat you like you deserved? Was he so dumb to not even see what he had in front of him?" Malfoy hissed again moving closer to her too.

"Don't bring Ron into that" she warned as now they were chest to chest "Why do you suddenly decided to talk to me? You were avoiding me these two weeks what changed now?" She demanded as he gulped his eyes betraying the debate he had with himself.

"Malfoy" she demanded as he rolled his eyes angrily, " Damn it answer me!" She yelled as he caught her hands.

"I was working okay?!" He yelled as she stopped any movement and watching him pant. "I was working. Renji took me with him in the shop he owns and I worked to gain a few money. I want to take you out." He breathed letting her arms.

Hermione took that few moments of stunned silence to work her mind around his words, "Take me out?" She asked in disbelief only to receive an eye roll.

"Yes Granger. I want to take you out. You've been working for both of us ever since we came here and I only found it logical that I should do something to reward you." He explained as if he was talking to a five-year-old.

"You could have helped me. You could have helped with some of the potions. You are a potions master after all and you know how to use the Japanese ingredients." She said as she noticed his eyes going blank, "Let me guess, you hadn't thought about that."

Malfoy shook his head licking his lips. And that was all that took to take her away from him talking. The moment of his tongue as it covered his lips, oh that lips, with moisture and how that turned them silently pinker than the colour they were. Snapping out to it, she looked up at him to see him being impatient, "What?"

"I asked you if you've ever been to Gion." He explained again as she shook her head.

"No I haven't." She answered watching as his lips turned in a victorious smirk.

"I hope you have a kimono because tonight we are going to Gion." He announced blowing her a kiss as he left her there watching him surprised and ready to protest about the time she had left.

Renji returned home around midday and Hermione still had no idea of where she was going to find a kimono and Renji was her saviour. As he explained , she couldn't find a kimono. They were insanely expensive and in Gion only the geiko and maiko wore one. So she settled for a yukata. A yukata is a simpler version of a kimono made of synthetic material or cotton and tied in the middle with a simple obi. A friend of Renji's had one for special occasions and Hermione had no idea how he convinced her to lend it to him.

When it was time to go she felt more self conscious than ever. Even more than during the Yule ball in fourth year. She wore a pastel pinkish white yukata that turned blue towards the hem. On the blue part there were fallen cherry blossom petals. On the pink part there were cherry blossoms. Her obi was a lavender colored one that had lilies of the valley on it embroidered with different shades of blue threads. Most part of her time had been dedicated to her hair. They were done in an elaborate udo with perfectly curled locks hanging out of it and two framing her face. On Renji's persistence she had added the hair ornament the lady kept with the yukata. It was an ornamental hairpin in gold with white ram Russian cherry blossoms made of rhinestone with pearls and some mini diamond like crystals. She thought that it would be a same if she wore it but once Renji had pinned it on her updo she didn't complain about it.

Taking her beaded bag, she left the room (her eyes glamoured of course to a lovely green) only to gasp once she saw Malfoy waiting by the door. He wore a dark navy blue male yukata with a grey obi and had glamoured his hair to a honey blonde with bluish green eyes. She didn't know of both had a thing for green but she liked it on him. Clearing her throat she watched him turn and look at her from head to toe. His eyes had takes a dark grey colour feeling that he liked what he saw. Wouldn't it sound bad if she said that she wanted to take him out of that yukata? Well, yes now that she returned to her logical state. She couldn't crush on him and especially not now that he would be taking her out.

"Granger you look..." He started taking in her image once more and she couldn't help but smile, " Stunning." He breathed out turning to look in her eyes.

"You don't look bad yourself." Hermione said giggling as he scoffed.

"Of course I don't look bad. I'm a Malfoy. We are the perfect creation of God." Malfoy smiling once she burst out laughing.

Opening the door for her, he reached out in a polite request for her hand. Hermione smiled and decided to push her logic aside for once and enjoy her night.

Their time at Gion had been amazing. They ate at a traditional restaurant there, bought some souvenirs, visited the Yasaka shrine, they even visited an ochaya (teahouse) and were from the lucky ones to be put in a room where a maiko was performing. The geiko was playing the samisen and the maiko was dancing what later they learned was one of the traditional dances of the old capital. Geiko is a geisha in Kyoto's dialect and maiko was an apprentice geisha. They had a nice time there laughing with the jokes and games and drinking some shots of sake (alcoholic rice drink).

Walking out of the ochaya they started walking, hand in hand, down the road until Malfoy dragged her in an alleyway and took them to a different street.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked looking enchanted at the scenery.

"This is Shirakawa Area. Not a lot of people come here but I rated about it and wanted to see it. I thought you'd like it too." He explained as he took in the scenery too. The Shirakawa Area ran along the Shirakawa Canal, which was parallel to Shijo Avenue. There were a lot of restaurants and ochayas but not so crowded as the one on the other streets and willow trees lined the canal.

"Draco this is amazing." Hermione whispered turning to look at the man next to her. He was looking at her in full astonishment. His mask was down, his eyes were sparkling with something she didn't understand. "What is it?" She asked softly turning to face him.

"Nothing. It's just you called me Draco." He breathed looking down at her.

"Do you have any problem with it?" She asked kinda crestfallen.

"No, I ... I like it." He admitted. She really wanted to joke about it asking him who he was and what had he done to Draco Malfoy but he was so sincere and open now that she couldn't do it.

"Can I ask something from you?" He asked lowly and she nodded curious about what he wanted.

"Can I hug you?" He asked averting his eyes embarrassed.

"No leave it, it's-" he started almost immediately but he stopped once she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in a comfortable hug.

"Don't be afraid to ask for things. Whatever it is I'll help you with it." She said softly against his chest.

If there was one thing that she learned that night was that she didn't need logic for everything. That didn't mean that she would stop using it but she realised that some things don't need to work with logic and pushing aside feelings wasn't the solution, especially specially when it concerned him.