A/N: Hey, folks! So, I just wanted to let you know thst school's coming back up, and so updates might not be as frequent - this one's a little later than normal because of multiple things (the holidays, family, all that stuff) so sorry about that.

But, once again, thank you to everyone who's supported this story! You guys are awesome. :)

Happy reading!

Ex-Death Eater, Son to Lucius Malfoy, Enemies in Command

Draco was walking along the streets of Diagon Alley with his hands in his pockets, thinking about Hermione. She'd been gone when he woke up, and he had a feeling she'd be doing everything she could to avoid him when she got home. Well, he wasn't going to let that happen. He knew what he wanted, and it was her - and Draco Malfoy always got what he wanted, one way or another.

He had gone to the library and found that he didn't even have to give lady in charge an application - she hired him on the spot. The teenage girl behind the counter, whom he found was named Xanthes - though he really doubted that was her real name - told him it was because the fifty-year old boss thought he was 'smoking'. Draco just grimaced and shrugged before he said he'd be back after lunch to start. She'd popped her gum and gave him some smart answer, to which he just rolled his eyes and left.

He stood in line at one of the smaller cafes, where he found he could have the most privacy. He was third in line when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Draco Malfoy? Bloody hell, is that you?"

Draco came face to face with none other than Blaise Zabini.

"Blaise?" Draco asked dumbly.

Blaise laughed and clamped him on the back. "How's it goin', Draco?"

Draco laughed a little, shrugging. "Fine - great. You?"

He laughed. "C'mon, let's get some food and we can talk more."

XXX

Hermione walked to her destination as calmly as she could, but she couldn't promise she dind't break out into a run at some points. But finally she made it to Ginny's office. Her door was open and she was calling to her secretary to contact someone for her. Hermione knocked on the doorframe and Ginny looked up, then grinned.

"'Mione!" she exclaimed, hopping up and tackling her in a hug.

She laughed, hugging her back. "Ginny, it's been too lo - "

"Where the bloody hell've you been?" she exclaimed, laughing as she let her go to look at her face. "It took Harry and Ron to hold me down so I wouldn't barge into your apartment and steal you! And Malfoy? You're dating Malfoy! Bloody hell, Hermione!"

"Ginny, slow down, slow down." Hermione chuckled, sitting her down.

Ginny grabbed her hands, her eyes alight with anticipation. "Well? Tell me everything."

Hermione hesitated. "E-Everything?" she said absentmindedly.

Hermione was already lying to Ron and Harry about all this. She didn't know if she could lie to Ginny, too.

"Well, yeah, of course." Ginny said with an unfazed smile.

Hermione cleared her throat and nodded. "Okay. Just brace yourself."

XXX

And Draco told him everything. And by everything, he meant everything. As in, the truth. He didn't know why - it just sort of comforted him to have somene else know. It was driving him just a little crazy.

Hermione was going to kill him. But he'd deal with that later.

After he finished, Blaise leaned back in his chair and let out a low whistle.

"Damn, Draco. You . . . are in quite a situation." he said, chuckling.

Draco huffed and leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm glad I've amused you."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Blaise said, trying to control his chuckling. He leaned forward with his best serious face and nodded. "Alright, then. So, Hermione Granger - who is now extremely hot - ow, don't hit me - and extremely rich - ow, Draco. . . . And, you're . . . fake-dating her?"

Draco frowned. "Yeah, I suppose. It's sort of complicated."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you've had sex - "

"Blaise."

"And she told you she has feelings for you or something like that. And you like her, yeah?"

"Er, yeah." Draco replied, not really sure where this was going.

"But you have phsycotic serial killers out to get you?" he said, his jaw tight from trying his hardest not to laugh.

"Yes,you bastard, and it's creepy that you find that funny," Draco snapped, and rolled his eyes when Blaise burst out laughing. "I know it's crazy. Merlin, I know. And she has to live with it, too."

Blaise caught the expression on his face and his laughter faded. "Whoa, mate. You really look like you care about her."

Draco cleared his throat and shook his head quickly, shifting uncomfortably. "I was just, er - thinking. Sorry."

Blaise smirked and speared his food, sutffing it in his mouth. "Yeah, whatever."

XXX

Ginny was silent for such a long amount of time, Hermione was about to call St. Mungo's. However, when Hermione started to really panic, Ginny lashed out and grabbed her arm.

"Hermione, this is big. Like, really, really big." she said breathlessly.

"What, that I'm friends-with-benefits with Draco Malfoy? Yeah, I know." scoffed Hermione, sighing a sigh of relief at her friends recovery and sitting back down.

"No," Ginny hissed, rolling her eyes. "That people are chasing after him, 'Mione! They might be Death Eaters! Merlin!"

"Well, I don't know if they're Death Eaters - " Hermione tried.

"Hermione Granger, have you lost your senses? You should've gotten to the bottom of this in the first place," Ginny said frantically, "Why'd you even help him? You didn't know him - he was the same old Draco Malfoy for all you knew!"

"No, he was different, I could just tell - "

But Ginny wasn't listening anymore, she muttering lowly, "I should call in Aurors and have them look into it right away."

Ginny hurried back to her desk and began the hectic sorting of papers she called work and Hermioen bit her lip apprehensively.

"Shouldn't we check with Draco first?" Hermione asked meekly.

Ginny looked up at her sternly. "This is out of his hands now. It's out of your hands, and my hands, too. We haven't had an occurance like this is two years, and we're going to diminish it. We'll start tracking them as soon as possible," she said, then looked down at her papers. After a moment, she glanced up with a smile, and said brightly, "Oh, yeah, and how about dinner tomorrow night, yeah?"

Hermione stared. "Er - well, erm, yeah. Yeah, that's fine, Gin. Let me know what you find, okay?"

Ginny nodded. "Of course. And, for Melrin's sake, bring Draco in here as soon as you can. We'll need to get information, if any from him."

"Er, okay." Hermione muttered.

He was not going to like that.

XXX

Draco walked into the flat and wasn't expecting to see Hermione there - so he was surprised when she was there, of course. She was in the process of hanging up her coat and looked back at him when he entered. He kicked the door shut distractedly and studied the look on her face. This wasn't an 'it's-still-awkward-because-of-last-night' look, this was an 'I-have-news-that-you're-not-going-to-like' look.

He really hated that look.

"What's wrong?" he asked anxiously, taking off his coat and scarf but not taking his eyes off her.

She swallowed and wrung her hands in front of her nervously. "Well, erm, I went to see Ginny today. . . . "

"Yeah. . . ."

"And we talked and stuff, and - and we're going to have dinner with her and Harry tomorrow night. . . ."

Draco sighed in relief. "Oh, that's - fine, I guess. Not as bad as I thought, I mean."

She smiled sadly. "I'm not done. I, er, told her everything."

He paused. "Everything, as in the truth?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, well, good, because I told Blaise everything."

"Blasie Zabini?" she asked, then paused. "You have friends?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I suppose. I just bumped into him today and told him everything - it's okay, he can be trusted."

"Trusted with what?" Hermione muttered.

"What was that?" Draco asked like he didn't hear - he didn't want to get into this.

"Draco," she sighed, "tell me what's going on. I have to know, and you know it."

"Er . . . what are you talking about?" he tried lamely.

She stared.

He sighed. "I'll tell you after you tell me what's going on with Ginny."

She glared, but finally said, "Fine. I told her some people were chasing you, and she got Aurors looking out for you, and searching for whoever's wanting to kill you. She also wants you to go in for questioning."

He blinked, and then, "Are you mental?" he exclaimed, his eyes wide, "For all she knows, I'm still the same little douche bag prick from school! She could think this is all a huge plot, like I'm one of them, trying to kill you!"

"That's the point of the questioning, Draco, to make sure you're innocent," Hermione said clamly, yet a tad bitterly, "and she'll find out what you know about the mystery people chasing you, and then you can leave."

"I don't know anything," he protested, "If I did, don't you think I'd be somewhere else, killing them?"

"Killing them?" she repeated softly, looking down at her hands.

He hesitated, realizing his mistake. "Hermione, I was just overexaggerating - "

"I'm going to go make dinner." she said quietly, walking into the kitchen.

"Dammit." he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Then, he walked into the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe, watching her. She glanced up, but otherwise ignored him.

"Hermione," Draco prodded, "I promise, I didn't mean it."

Hermione sighed and set down the vegtable she was cutting and looked up at him calculatingly, her eyes narrowed. He didn't like that look, either.

"You know, Ginny had a point. I barely knew you when I let you live here," she said, almost scoffed, shaking her head. "And you could've been one of them, plotting to kill me in revenge or something."

"Yeah, I suppose I could've . . . but I'm not." he said, frowning.

"How am I supposed to know that?" she asked quietly, loking down at the bloody vegtable.

"Hermione, will you look at me?" he asked irritably, and when she obliged wearily, he continued, "Just - please, tell me you trust me, because if you really think I'm plotting to kill you, we have a problem."

She swallowed and her expression started to soften, so he took his chance to try and persuade her.

"And if I wanted to kill you, you do realize I have had countless oppurtunities?"

"Maybe you wanted to win me over, so it would hurt more, then explain to me why you did it, and then kill me." she explained, shrugging.

He gave her an experated look. "Oh, come on. That only happens in movies."

"Hey, you got the Muggle name right." she said lightly, smiling.

He smirked. "Yes, well, I have an excellent memory."

She snorted. "Yeah, right. Don't think I forgot the mickey-wave incident."

But Draco didn't retort, because he knew the fight had died down for now. After he went into questioning, he'd be done with that, and, better yet, the Aurors had his back now. The only reason he didn't go to the Ministry in the first place was that he thought it was proposterous that they would ever believe anything Draco Malfoy said. Especially since Harry Potter was first in command in that department, and Ginny Weasley was second. Especially since his father was Lucius Malfoy. Especially since he was an ex-Death Eater.

Yes, the list could go on and on. But now that he had Hemrione sticking up for him . . . maybe this just might work. And, also on the bright side, he didn't even have to tell her that it truely was ex-Death Eaters chasing after him, and that there were many still out there that the Aurors haven't caught yet. . . . He didn't want her to know - she'd dealt with enough in her lifetime.

The thing that was really bothering Draco lately was . . . did the Death Eaters have a new leader? If they did, first of all, that'd be really bloody bad, because that meant they were getting an organized system again, but also . . . who the hell was it?