Hey...thanks for the reviews...i was hoping you'd like the length cause sometimes i get so caught up in writing that I just dont know when to stop or i forget to stop...lol...one of the review caught my eye however...

insanely-hyperactive- about your question...im sorry i cant answer that right now but i assure you that the answer is coming sooner than you think it is...but i'm oh so very pleased that you remembered the death eaters found something when they captured hermione...brava...cookie for you...

Disclaimer: noneo iso mineo

The Back Garden

Hermione took her time in the bathroom. She felt so filthy so she decided to take a long bath. She let herself soak in the water her muscles, which had been so tight, loosened. She was relaxed for the first time since being kidnapped, which was hard to believe. She wanted to be at Grimmauld place with everyone else but she was trapped there. But she had to look on the small bit of a bright side; at least he didn't torture her. And she wasn't dead.

She climbed out of the tub and wrapped a thick white towel about her. She walked to the mirror and looked at herself. She looked the same as usual but she felt so different. She felt like she had more power, which was true. But she just didn't feel like herself.

"Are you almost done in there Granger?" called a voice from the room outside.

"I'll be out in a minute Malfoy." She called back.

Outside the door Draco sat impatiently in the chair. The reason he wanted to get going was because he was hungry. He wanted to grab some lunch soon. He was sure that she had to be hungry as well. As he thought about what he would have for lunch the door opened.

Hermione walked out wearing a white sun-dress with thin straps. The dress hugged her upper body nicely showing off her curvy figure but loosened and flowed wonderfully from her hips to just above her knees where the dress stopped. White flip-flops smacked the floor on her feet as she moved. Her hair which was still damp hung in a curly curtain behind her shoulders and halfway down her back. She didn't notice him staring at her as she past him and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked following her. All the while he tried to keep from looking her up and down.

"I'm sort of hungry so I was going to go find the kitchen." She said not looking at him. She kept walking down the hall passing Voldemort's room.

"I can show you where it is." He said walking beside her. She turned and their eyes locked for a moment. She nodded and followed his lead.

They started together down the stairs passing no one on the way. Draco thought that it was strange to see no one because the house was usually crawling with Death Eaters.

They arrived in the kitchen after turning left at the bottom of the stairs and following a all to the back of the house. Draco snapped his fingers and a house elf appeared at his feet.

"We'd like something to eat." He said in a commanding voice.

"Why cant we just fix it ourselves?" she asked. As he sat down at the small table in the kitchen.

"Because that's what house elves are for." Draco said nonchalantly.

Hermione just stared at him. She wanted to argue with him but something was telling her not too. So she kept her mouth shut. She just stared at him, like he was something new. She couldn't believe his attitude toward house elves. It was so annoying that she wanted to leave but she couldn't seem to turn away from him. She couldn't get away from him. Something kept her there.

"You can sit down Granger." He said pointing to the chair across from him. His eyes stayed locked to the table as he spoke.

"Why can't you look at me Malfoy. Was your dream about me that bad?" she asked.

"Who said I dreamed about you." He said quickly. Now she knew he had.

"Because ever since you woke up you haven't been able to look me in the face for longer than twenty seconds." She said tilting her head to the side.

"That doesn't mean a thing Granger." He said softly.

"You can tell me Malfoy. It's not like I have anyone to tell anyway. I wouldn't talk to any of these people here if my life depended on it. And I can't contact anyone. I only have you and Voldemort." She said softly.

"I don't have anything to say." He said determined to look at her for longer than two seconds just to prove her wrong.

As he stared at her though the image of her with that little boy in her arms floated behind his eyes. His wife and his son. Something in his mind told him that was what was going to happen, that was to be his future. He knew it was a dream but he knew that it was going to be like that.

"What are you thinking about?" said Granger's distant voice once again breaking him from his thoughts of her and their son.

"Why do you insist on asking all these questions Granger?" he demanded as the house elf brought them their food.

"You're a prat Malfoy. All I was trying to do was talk to you. We should talk a little before we get married you know." She said angrily. She picked up her plate and moved to the other end of the table and turned her chair so that she didn't have to face him.

Draco stayed quiet. She had mentioned their marriage. That only made things worse. That was the entire reason that he was being a prat. He neither wanted to think about or talk about the wedding but that seemed to be all that went through his mind.

"I really don't want to talk about the wedding." He called down the table to her. "But if you insist we can."

She turned around and looked at him surprised shinning in her eyes. She hadn't expected him to give in like that. She thought it would be murder to try and get him to sit down and talk with her. She smiled and nodded to him.

"You know if you just acted like that more people wouldn't see you as such a bad person." She said turning to face him but she stayed in her seat.

"But that would ruin the reputation I worked so hard to build." He said smirking to her.

They ate the rest of their meals in silence. When both were finished they stood and Draco told her to go straight out the door in the back of the kitchen. She did and found that she had walked out onto the back patio. It was a very lovely place so warm but yet cool at the same time. But just at the edge of the lawn was a forest. It was a dark dense forest that she was sure anyone would get lost in.

The furniture was all made of wicker. There were flowered cushions on the seats to make them more comfortable when you sat. The wicker table had a plate of glass over top of it to make an even surface. The glass was cleaned to perfection. Above their heads a fan spun creating a little breeze that blew Hermione's hair around.

She sat down in one of the wicker chairs looking out at the beds of flowers and the green grass of the back garden. Draco sat down near her and kept his eyes on the patio floor. When she turned and looked over to him she saw that he looked very uncomfortable.

"Do you know when we have to get married?" she asked making his head snap up.

"Two days after my seventeenth birthday." He said softly. He heard her gasp.

"How soon is that?" she asked.

"Well tomorrow's my birthday." He said.

"Three days!" she cried shocked. "I have three days until I'm married. I can't believe it that's too soon. Why can't it wait? At least until after seventh years over."

Draco shook his head. "It's apart of the prophecy. We have to be married two days after I turn seventeen on the hottest day of the year." He said just as unhappily as she looked.

"But isn't there so much to do before we can actually get married? Don't we have to send get decorations and clothes and things?" she asked a frown spreading on her face.

"My mother is taking care of all of that." Draco said simply.

Hermione turned her head away. She stared out at the grass as it swayed in the breeze. Her hair, which was drying with a slight curl to it, was still pushed behind her shoulders but pieces were still hanging next to her face. She pushed them out of the way unconsciously as she turned back to him. Her eyes were watery like she was on the verge of tears.

"What?" he asked more gently than he intended.

"It's just that I'd always thought that I'd get to plan my wedding. It's what every girl wants to do." She composed herself before going on. "And no offense but I never thought I'd have to marry you."

"Well it's not like I was privy to this information much earlier than you Granger." He snapped taking offense anyway. He was the one that was supposed to be disgusted not her. She was the lucky one.

"There you go being a prat again. I don't know how they expect us to marry and get along. We'll end up killing each other before our first anniversary." She said heatedly.

"We'll have to wait until our second anniversary for that Granger. We have to have a son before our first remember."

"Don't start again Malfoy. We're outside, there are sharper things to throw." She said in an angry tone before standing.

He watched her jump to her feet and start off onto the grass. He wondered where she thought she could go since that thick wood surrounded the whole house. It was not a place you could just walk from. You couldn't even walk to there if you wanted.

"Where do you think you're going Granger?" he called after her in an I-know-you-have-no-clue-where-you're-going voice.

"Wherever I want Malfoy." She called back.

Hermione stomped across the softy grass her anger bubbling on the surface ready to spill over. She had to get away from him or something bad would have occurred. She couldn't understand why he had to be so rude to her all the time. They were going to be married in three days. She wasn't going to be the same to him anymore. He could at least treat her with a little respect.

She kept walking until she realized that she had no where to go. If she kept heading in that direction she'd hit the forest. She stopped and sat down on the ground tucking her legs up next to her. She sat there picking at the grass feeling the cool breeze on her skin wishing that she were far away.

The sun shone down on the garden warming her skin. She tilted her head toward the sky. She covered her eyes so she could look without hurting. It was such a beautiful day. The sky was fairly clear only a few giant fluffy clouds floating by lazily. She smiled at them as a shadow fell over her.

Turning her head and dropping her hand she saw Malfoy standing there beside her. He had followed her to where she had retreated. She narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked up at him.

"Come on Granger, let's go back inside for a bit. It's starting to get hot outside." He then did something very unlike a Malfoy. He stuck out his hand to help her up.

She took it and made to stand. However in her attempt to make it to her feet something tripped her. She fell forward luckily into the arms of Malfoy who caught her with a sort of expertise. His arms had reached out and were now wrapped about her waist hugging her to him tightly to prevent her from hitting the ground.

After letting her heart settle for a second Hermione looked up at Draco. He was staring down at her looking smug with that trademark smirk on his face. He was proud that he'd saved her from the certain pain that would have befallen her if she'd hit the ground.

He pulled her into a standing position making sure to keep his arms wrapped about her waist until she was firmly on her feet. When he was sure she was steady he let her go. He then waited as she straightened her dress.

Her hands ran lightly over the thin material of the dress smoothing it out. Her head was bowed as she bent slightly to wipe the dirt from her leg. Standing up straight she ran her hands down her sides one last time. Draco's eyes followed their slow trail down her sides moving with the curves of her body. His mind went blank as he watched her entranced by her movements. When she lifted her head Hermione saw him staring at her.

"Thanks for catching me." She said slowly wondering if he could hear her at all.

"Your welcome." He said not even thinking. She smiled as he realized what he had said and tried but failed to right it with a smirk.

"I like it much better when you like that. Who do you have to prove anything to when it's just you and I?" she said their eyes locking once more. They were going to talk about something's whether he liked it or not. It was only the place and the time to do it that Hermione had to figure out.

"Let's go." He said turning away from her.

'I'll get you to talk to me Draco Malfoy. Whether it be as Granger or as Mrs. Malfoy you will talk to me.'

so...my wonderful readers...tell me what you thought...hurry hurry now...it's ohh so very important...lol...

Starry