Draco was across the room in a flash the moment she made a run for it. Before the door could even be opened he grabbed her by the waist and flung her up over his shoulder in a manner that could easily be mistaken as barbaric. Then, without further ado he flung her onto the bed and grabbed her wrists so she wouldn't try to hit him.

"Hermione..." He said, obviously tired of her antics.

"No! Lemme me go Malfoy!" She said sharply, arching up to try and dislodge him from his position above her. Immediately he pushed down to make that idea futile, thus causing him to lay practically sprawled on top of her. All movements stilled when she felt his breath by her ear and realized the position they were in.

"Think about the last few days Hermione. Think about right now. I know you're smart. You graduated top of our class, your marks even outdoing the ones by all the other magical schools. Think about how we've been these past days and compare it to the past. We're not the people we were then."

Her eyes closed in pain. She knew that, she knew it very well. But...the past was... Her eyes flew open. The past is exactly what it was, the past. He was right, they were different people. She wiggled her wrists out of his hands when she realized that the grip was loose and flung her arms around his back. He relaxed and hugged her back. For a few moments nothing happened except for the embrace, and then he felt her breath by his ear.

"I know...and I'm sorry...Draco."

Then she tensed.

"My parents!" She said in a panicked tone.

oooooooooo

Jane and Gregory Granger were sitting in their living room when it happened. At first it was a matter of Jane making basket out of thin wood pieces and Gregory reading a newspaper, but when the loud cracking sound happened both dropped the work they were doing and looked up only to see their deceased daughter. Jane's eyes welled up.

"Hermione?" She said, blinking rapidly to hold back tears. Her voice wavered.

"Hello mum."

Draco was forgotten as the mother and daughter rushed towards each other and embraced. Hermione and Jane's sobs filled the air as Gregory stood and watched amazed. Draco let a smile quirk his mouth when he saw the man pinch himself to see if he was dreaming or not. And then Jane stepped back a little and motioned for him to come forward, which he did, grabbing both daughter in wife about their waists and crushing them to him. His face buried itself in his daughters hair as sobs shook his shoulder.

Draco began feeling like a fifth wheel at that moment, and decided to walk over to the fireplace. On top of it were tons of pictures, all muggle in design except for one. He stared at it, almost mesmerized. In the background Hogwarts Castle stood boldly. In the foreground Hermione stood with her parents, dressed in traditional wizarding garb and holding a diploma. She was waving and grinning at the camera, along with her parents. A flash of movement in the background caught his eye and he watched his younger self walk past them, so far into the background that only his hair gave him away.

The rest of the pictures did not move at all, and he wasn't sure whether her preferred it that way or not. There was one of Hermione as a small girl, jumping out of a swing. Her bushy hair was shorter, and her face was happy beyond anything he had known. Another one showed her with Harry as teenagers in front of some place that said "Disneyland" on it. A huge mouse was being hugged by Hermione in it. A few more showed her in various stages of life. As a baby, as a little girl, a teenager…

There was a picture of her in her gown that she had worn for the Yule Ball. It was further back, and harder to see, but it was another wizarding picture.

In it she twirled around, letting the gown flow about her like some fairytale princess of old. Her hair was still down, and already straight. He was amazed to see that it went all the way to her midback.

A polite cough sounded behind him and he turned to meet the hazel eyes of Hermione's mother. He gave a polite bow.

"Mrs. Granger."

Her eyes were still shiny and puffy from all the tears she had cried, and her face had wet streaks going down it. Regardless she was still a striking woman.

"Hermione said that you were a friend. Did you two know each other in Hogwarts?"

He glanced at Hermione, amusement in his eyes, then looked back at Mrs. Granger.

"You might say that."

"Hmm…I don't remember you."

Hermione walked up and put an arm around her mom's waist.

"Mum…this is Draco Malfoy. We um…weren't friends."

"That rotten Malfoy boy?" Her father interrupted, glaring at Draco.

"Yes, dad. But he's not as rotten as he used to be. Only a little."

"She means to say that I'm horrible now. Much worse from back then." Draco said, trying to make the tense air a little easier to breathe in. He pointed his index fingers and placed them on either side of his head in mock horns. "See? Pure evil."

Hermione gave a tight laugh as her mom relaxed a little. Unfortunately Draco's teasing had the opposite effect on her father, whose lips pursed in disapproval.

"Dad, he's kidding. He's a good person now."

"Once a bad egg, always a bad egg."

"Da-ad."

"I don't like him."

Hermione's shoulders slumped in defeat. She looked at Draco.

"I…well…personally I want you here, but this might be easier without you. I'm sorry Draco, but can you let me be alone with them for a while?"

He nodded, and blushed when she stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He apparated without a farewell.

oooooooooo

Ron Weasley was upset.

No, that was an understatement. He was livid. He was jealous. He was wishing Draco Malfoy had died all those years ago, or been put in Azkaban, but he was not just upset.

He had been trying for years to get Hermione to notice him as more than a friend, and then Malfoy had to come along and spoil everything.

So what if they hadn't been entirely honest with Hermione? After what had happened during the final battle it wasn't a shock. And so what if they had done as they were told by St. Mungo's? Any muggle doctor would have said the same. Let her regain her memories on her own terms. Tell her nothing about her past, real or imagined that might affect that, and let her live her life. Letting her know about a past she doesn't want to remember may damage her mind.

They had done a fine job of doing that too, regardless of the pain it brought her. Regardless of the fact that they had to hurt her parents in the process, by telling them that their daughter did not want to see her, but if they hadn't modified their memories of the war…It was just better this way. He wished he could tell Hermione about the past, he really did, but the doctors said no to the world before the war, and cold logic said no to the world during.

He kicked a chair over in his apartment to help ease his frustration over the matter. In front of the TV his daughter sat, a reminder of the days when he had been with Lavender, before her death.

"Daddy, could you not be loud right now, I'm watching the Lord of the Rings."

He sighed, then let a small, sheepish grin poke though.

"Don't four-year-olds watch stuff like…Barney or…I dunno, something more childish?"

She rolled her eyes and gave a huff.

"Stupid four-year-olds watch Barney. I watch the Lord of the Rings."

He gave a full grin then, letting out a chuckle as well. "Okay then, do as you like." Not that she didn't usually do so. In fact whenever she was at the wizarding daycare he sent her too he often had reports of her disobeying orders and bossing some of the other kids around. At home, even when he tried to spend time with her she didn't like sharing it. As of last year she was 'grown up' and being a big girl meant that daddy was unnecessary. His sister and Hermione and his mom were okay to hang around with, but daddy wasn't fun enough.

Ron Weasley hated that part of parenting. And if she was feeling like he was uneccesary at this age it could only get worse when she became a teenager.

Ron Weasley now had a migraine of epic proportions.

oooooooooo

She appeared in his fireplace, a few hours later. Draco looked up from the book he had been reading, and quickly stood and walked over to her. She looked happy, but upset.

"Apparently the reason they have not tried to contact me is because they received a letter, from me, saying that I had no desire to associate with them for the time being. I also mentioned that I would contact them at a later date to resume contact with them." She said, looking a little confused.

"Er…" Was all Draco could think to say.

"That's what I said too. Then I told them the truth, as far as I know it."

"Well…that's good."

"They invited us to dinner tomorrow."

"Us?"

"You, myself, and Harry and Ron if they can be in a room with you longer than one minute without the urge to maim and destroy being acted upon."

"I can control myself if they do."

"I'm not mentioning it to them."

"Oh…then…okay."

"You'll go?"

"Yes."

She smiled at him and abruptly tackled him in a hug.

oooooooooo

A/N: Whew! It's been forever since my last update, hasn't it? Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, short though it may be, review, and stay tuned for the next one!

Thanks to: csmith20, Sirius's Crazy Chick, Breezenby, Allie, icyhotsista1422, Gwinna, The Lady of the Four Leafed Clover, Jane H.A.S. Doe, cheeky splash, S E Cooper, Varietygirl9143, and Dom-Basher CHAMPION.