The women stood in the crowd eyeing the silver car as it sped off down the road, Mr. Potter wasn't going to like this information. Turning on her heels she walked back into the mall to collect her partner. A small group had gathered around the fallen body all probably wondering if they should call someone.

"Move aside you wankers," she said her voice sharp with authority.

She knelt down by her partner and checked his pulse, he was alive that was for sure. But the spell that had hit him wasn't a bidding charm like she thought. Her partner seemed to be sleeping as if he had just fall to the floor and went off to dreamland.

Removing her badge she called in for a car, as she waited she pushed everyone on their way. Then tried to wake her partner. After a few charms and one firm slap across the face nothing happened, other then the ministry car showing up.

"What happened?" Two more aurors had arrived with the car and they were now carrying the sleeping man into the car.

The women was silent only shaking her head. "It was Granger and her captor."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I use to see her every morning in the elevator. She even stopped when I called her name."

"You called out to her! Are you mental?"

"What was I suppose to do? Let her leave with that guy?"

"Well no, but you should of tried stunning the guy then taking Granger. What the hell are we going to tell Potter?"

"Nothing," she whispered climbing into the back seat with her partner.

The driver was silent, if she didn't want to say anything that was her problem but he sure as hell wasn't going to keep this from Potter. The man was already in a rage, if they kept this from him he would be in more of rage then he is now. He wasn't going to like the fact that they let Granger go but he rather tell him then not tell him. It was good news almost, Granger was alive.

"That was close," said Draco looking in his rearview mirror.

When he didn't get a reply from Hermione he looked over at her, Hermione was shaking from head to toe, her hands were in tight fist her knuckles turning white. She was looking straight ahead her sunglasses were off and her brown eyes were watering over.

"Hermione, talk to me," he reached a hand over into her lap gripping her hands.

The contact was all that she needed, the tears came in waves her shaking out of control now. "This is my fault."

"No. Don't say that," soothed Draco.

"It's true if I hadn't pushed you into taking me, we wouldn't of been through this," she sobbed.

He pulled his hand back onto the wheel and pulled off of the road into a side alley. He turned in his seat to get a clear look at Hermione, when she didn't look at him he reached over and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her back allowing her to sob into his shoulder, her hands had loosened and were now flat against his chest.

"Hermione this wasn't your fault. It was mine, I said yes to this I knew what could happen," whispered Draco..

She was silent now her sobs finally subsiding, she pulled back and looked up at Draco wiping her wet face. He brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. He put a gentle smile on his lips as he took his sunglasses off to look her in the eye, she looked back returning the smile.

"Don't blame yourself, we're okay that's all that matters now," said Draco.

She nodded. "You're right. Let's go home."

He smiled as he put the car into reverse and returned onto the road and heading out of London toward home. Home. That's what Hermione called it, was she starting to soften up to the whole keeping her in hiding. That's what it sounded like, it was once a prison to her but now it was home. He liked the sound of it.

The drive home was silent and fast in no time at all they had arrived in the small village, it was near five in the evening and the children they saw early had all retreated to the warmth of their homes. The sun was setting behind the thick covered trees by the time they pulled up to the drive-way. Draco parked to the left of the house under a heavily snow covered pine tree, he turned the car off and turned to Hermione.

"Hermione…."

"Draco….."

They spoke at the same time causing then to look at each other as their cheeks turned pink. Hermione noticed that Draco had finally removed his glasses and she was now staring into his crystal like eyes finding them very intoxicating, her head was already beginning to fog, her throat dry, tongue thick. Yet why did his eyes seem to be getting closer.

Draco could feel down in his stomach that what he was thinking what he was about to do was wrong, that his actions might just be from the close call they just had, from the excitement, the heat of the moment. But he wanted this so bad, from the nine months he had been watching her, from the six years of watching her raise Lucas. Draco Malfoy wanted Hermione Granger more then life itself.

He was close now, she could smell his cologne, the perfect amount, the smell of peppermint from his breath. She could see his fine eyelashes of the same faded blond hair on his head. His stray locks brushing his forehead that she found cute and could she herself pushing them back when he sleep. Her mind was lost his grey eyes as well, they truly did have her under a spell as she felt herself move closer.

Just one more inch he thought, so close I can smell her the sweet vanilla smell she seems to always have no matter what. Draco was in a fog, drunk with the aroma of Hermione, his hand was slithering forward on its own free will. One more inch and you'll have her…..

"Mom what are you doing?!"

Hermione jumped so quickly that her head nicked the ceiling of the car, she held her head as she twisted in her seat to look at her six year old his hands high on his hips and a pair of oversized boots on his feet.

"Where'd you get those?"

Lucas looked down for a moment the back up. "I found them in a closet. But what are you doing so long in the car for?"

Hermione thought for a second, what was I doing? Rubbing her head feeling a start of a small bump growing she figured it out. I was going to kiss Draco. Somewhere in her gut she wanted to gap, but higher up in her chest something kicked in and pushed that gagging thought down to the bottom of her body. But she couldn't, not possible, think about the trouble it would cause. She couldn't possibly be falling for Draco, could she? She put a smile on her lips and stepped out of the car and grabbed her bags handing a few to Lucas, then turned to Draco.

"You coming?"

He didn't look at her just stared at the steering wheel. "No."

His voice was thick and heavy, giving Hermione the hint that he had wanted it to happen and that he was hurt now. But she didn't know what to do, comfort him, apologize, crawl back in and kiss him. She nodded though he couldn't see and shut the door.

He was hurt, his heart sank, his eyes were burning, his muscles shaking. He had her, right there, he would have had the one thing he ever wanted since she arrived. Her temper in the beginning only drove him mad with need, and now her calm and exception to her surrounding to him only enraged his need to have her. He was burning on the inside, screaming and yelling, the one thing he wanted that was so close was yet so far away. How was he suppose to protect and focus when he was falling for her and his mind was a fog around her.

Hermione and Lucas had carried the bags to his room where she was removing the tags off the cloths and passing them to Lucas who was placing them in a drawer. As they worked Lucas talked about his day with Blaise though Hermione wasn't really listening which wasn't like her. No matter how boring Lucas' stories were she would always listen but her mind was still outside in the car with Draco only inches from her face.

She was going to kiss him, she wanted to kiss him, but she couldn't. She knew that it would only cause problems for them, even just the smallest contact of affection would crumble all of his hard work. She knew she was only there for protection, nonetheless there was something in her that just wanted to hold him, to take his pain away and to tell him that he was a changed man.

"Mom you're not listening to me,"

Hermione looked up and found Lucas sitting in front of her his eyebrows knitted together. She smiled even in his fury he was cute, she sighed and pulled him into her lap then sat back on the pillows .

"I'm sorry baby, I'm listening now so you can start over if you want,"

Lucas took a deep breath and dived head first into his day. "Blaise can't cook, he tried to make burgers but they turned into charcoal and the kitchen was black with smoke"

Draco walked into his house feeling foolish for ever thinking he could have Hermione, it sunk in after he had repeatedly punched the dashboard of the car. He was just being stupid, there was no way Hermione could like him back, he was just lonely. You're not lonely, said a voice in his head. You're just confused.

He walked into the kitchen and fell heavily into a seat, placing his head in his hands. "This is so stupid."

"What's stupid,"

Looking over Draco spotted Blaise by the counter a apple in his hand, wearing a white T and a pair of blue jeans. Draco slatted his eyes then glared at his friend. "Those are my cloths."

"Yeah well mine were getting smelly and I didn't think you would care," said Blaise walking over and taking the seat across from Draco. "So what's stupid."

"Nothing," mumbled Draco looking out the window.

"Mmhmm right, Draco I've known you way to long to know that nothings wrong. You walked in here like you lost a quidditch game."

Draco looked at his old friend it was true he did know him to well. "It's….Hermione."

Blaise smiled. "Of course she's got you heart struck."

"I don't know what to do, since she's been here I just can't think straight I mean I almost kissed her just now and…"

"Whoa, you almost," Blaise leaned forward frowning. "What do you mean almost?"

"Lucas came,"

"Figures, that boy loves her way to much to let any man walk up on her and take her away from him," said Blaise leaning back. "I should know."

"It's stupid anyway. I can't fall in love with her anyway, she's just a task, and I'm just a man trying to protect her," he sighed and placed his head back in his hands.

"Look don't think like that, it's good for you to feel something for someone, I mean all through school you had to choose between the Slytherin girls and believe me you were miserable with any of them," chuckled Blaise remembering Draco being tailed by the girls and his sulking face.

"But this isn't school, and I don't know what to do,"

"Take her out on a date,"

Draco looked up raising an eyebrow as well. "What?"

"A date, you know a nice candle lit dinner, walk through a park, talking. Just the two of you."

Draco was silent, a date. He hadn't been on a date in a few years, and being alone with Hermione would be a little nerve wrecking he doesn't know how to act around her alone anyway and being civil. What would a date be like with Hermione Granger? There was only one way to find out.

"You have to help me Blaise," said Draco.

Blaise only nodded and smiled leaning back and finishing his apple. "You need a hair cut first, and keep shaving the no beard suits you."

Draco chuckled as he stood up and left Blaise in the kitchen still listing the things Draco should fix. He picked up a bag by the door that he noticed was left behind, picking it up he looked inside and found that it was the object he had bought early that day. Smiling he climbed the stairs toward Lucas' room.

The door was open and the little boy's voice could be heard from the hallway, glancing around the corner Draco could see that Hermione sat with her back against the head board of Lucas' bed as the boy sat in her lap talking. Draco smiled, he enjoyed watching the sentimental moments between mother and child. These moments always reminded him of his own mother and the times he would sit with her.

He stepped into the room and Lucas immediately looked up with a smile on his face, he scrabbled out of his mothers lap and crawled to the end off the bed then stood so he could look Draco in his eyes.

"I watched the house for you just like you said, and Blaise almost burned down the house but I took care of it," said Lucas his eye vivid with thrill.

Draco smiled. "That's great and I got you something."

He reached into the bag and pulled out a medium size scruffy brown teddy bear. There was nothing special about it, no scarf or sweater no sunglasses or shoes just a plain brown teddy bear. There were many different bears when Draco looked neither seemed to jump out at him that said Lucas would like. But this one did, it was sitting alone on a chair at the back of the store that was calling to him so he bought it.

Lucas was silent for a second and Hermione was beginning to think he didn't like the thoughtful gift that Draco had gotten him. When she was about to say something Lucas pounced off the end of the bed and leaped into Draco wrapping his little arms around the mans neck. Draco stumbled back a few steps then wrapped his big arms around the little boy.

"Thank you Draco," said Lucas' muffled voice.

"You're welcome Lucas," said Draco looking over his shoulder at Hermione and finding that she was smiling.

Hermione got off the bed and walked toward the door. "Come on you two let's go get dinner ready."

As she walked down the hall Hermione thought to herself that maybe falling in love, if that's what it was, then maybe she should just let it happen. She glanced behind her and smiled even more, Draco was good with Lucas very good. Her mind was made up she was going to let her protective shield down just this once to see what could happen if she let her heart get what it wanted.