A/N: Apology: I have no idea of the currency exchange between US$ and British pounds, so I put all currency in US$, since that is what I'm accustomed to.

"We've found her," Adam said to his longtime friend. "She has agreed to meet all of you on your visit Friday. She went to school with him, and her name is Hermione Granger."

"Good, good." After he had finished talking to his friend, the man went to find his son.

"They have found the girl I told you about. Her name is Hermione. They told me she went to school with you."

Steely green-grey eyes stared curiously out from under pale blond hair. "Hermione what?" He asked suspiciously, vaguely remembering someone who people called Hermione… but no face came to mind.

"Hermione Granger, I do believe he told me."

"No." His eyes turned even colder when he remembered just who she was. "Hell no, father. Terminate the agreement. I will not marry that Mudblood scum."

"She's not a Mudblood, Draco! She was adopted by Muggles, yes, but she was born through a pure-blood family. She's the blood daughter of Adam and Natalie Drake. You know that. I promised him a groom for his daughter, and he promised me a bride for you. It's been decided. You have no choice." His father walked off and Draco went to his room.

Not only is Granger Mudblood scum, but she was also ugly as cheap dirt all through school. No one can make me believe that has changed until I see her with my own eyes. He found a slip of paper near his door. "We visit on Friday."

Damn. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist over the slip of paper. Just bloody peachy, isn't it, having to "meet" that Granger Mudblood, who is supposedly a true-blood, according to his father… Could she really be?

"Who is it?" Hermione asked Adam the morning after she had moved in.

"Oh, my friend's son? His name is Draco Malfoy." He said all this very nonchalantly. Personally, though, Hermione was shocked and more determined than ever.

She didn't want to hurt her newly discovered father. She didn't want to insult him by refusing his best friend's son. At least, not right then. She didn't want to make his impression of her completely horrible by saying, "Draco can go to hell, and so can the thought of meeting him again," which was what was sweeping across her mind.

She simply went to her bedroom. She stared at the ceiling before she heard a little pop. She jerked her head up to see who had Apparated into her new home, and her bedroom at that. Expecting to see Harry, Ron, Ginny, or Lavender, she saw Draco Malfoy.

Unfortunately, she also saw that he wore no more than his denim jeans. Her jaw almost dropped. Sure, she hated him. But, man oh man, did he have a body!

"What are you doing here?" She asked it spitefully, hoping to God that she didn't reveal that she had been staring at his naked top half quite brainlessly.

"My father forced me to come a day early to apologize. For all that I did to you at Hogwarts."

"Let me rephrase that question. What are you doing here dressed like that?" Hermione scanned his… outfit.

"What do you…?" He glanced down briefly, and realized he had on no shirt. "Oh, that. I guess I forgot my shirt."

"Good thing you didn't forget your boxers and trousers, then," she said dryly.

"Keep hoping, Granger." She held that mistake for later. She knew he would set himself up again.

"Tell it to your numerous girlfriends. Not interested."

"Mud—"

"Uh, uh, uh, Malfoy. First, my name is Hermione. Granger is no longer accepted. For one, our fathers are friends. For another, my name is Hermione Drake, not Granger. Another thing… I happen to be as pure-blooded as you are. Though nowhere near as cold-blooded."

"Of course. Sorry about having a habit or two. Must be left over from my—"

"Naughty days at school?" She finished for him.

"Sure, what ever you say." He added something else to gauge her reaction. "You know, you've grown up a lot in the past few years… Enough to make some people notice, I'm sure. Even so, I'm still not attracted to you. Mudblood raised, Mudblood she stays."

"Pure-blood born, still as average as a rose's thorns." Hermione smiled. "If you're not attracted to me, then, just by the way, why are you staring so intently at me?"

He scowled at her, not knowing what to say for a moment. Unfortunately, as his luck was running a dry spell, and therefore his bed too, he was attracted to her – he told himself – and couldn't keep his eyes off her. Damn it. He was going to have to go to the bar tonight and find some willing witch. Then he would see Hermione again tomorrow and see her for what she really was – a Mudblood at heart, even if her pedigree said pure. "Because, Hermione," he said, remembering to use her name, "I was wondering how many times you've had either Potter or Weasley all over you in the past few years."

Her eyes flashed. "Sure, I went out with Ron while we were in school, but I've never felt that way about Harry. I don't have affairs with friends like you're talking about."

"Oh, so you have them with enemies," he said, raising his eyebrow suggestively. He knew he was flirting. He wanted her to want him. She would pay for making him want her, even if it was only because she looked decent now, and he hadn't gotten any for over a month. "If I recall, you had quite a temper in school, and obviously still have it. I've often heard that if a lady has a temper, she's also red-hot in bed."

She glared at him, but then her eyes softened as she stepped closer. "You obviously have changed a lot since school, too, Draco." She was inches from his face, inches from kissing him. Her lips were parted and she was almost touching him.

She grabbed his hands, and yanked. She kissed him. She'd only meant this as a tease. But the payoff from a kiss would be even better than an almost-kiss.

When she pulled away knowingly, she merely smiled. "But still not enough so I'd want you, even if our parents say we have to marry, or even if you were the last person on earth." She turned around, obviously waiting for him to leave.

Draco almost growled. He was angry. She had completely fooled him. And, not to mention, her fake kiss was the best he'd had in… a long time, anyway. He walked out nonchalantly. "Good," he said in the doorway, "because I'd hate to see you begging on your knees for me."

She laid back on her bed. Damn him. Damn this whole arrangement. She hated that what had meant to be a teasing kiss to make him think she wanted him… had turned into something she had definitely not expected. She expected to feel as cold as ice, but… She shook her head. She wasn't going to think about it. For one, she hated him. He tried to say that stuff about Harry and her. He had the nerve to say all those things… He had hated her through school, and she had always been glad to return the favor. She set her jaw determinedly. She looked in her closet and was happy to see that she had "nothing suitable" for the next day. She told Adam and Natalie – she didn't know quite what to call them yet – she needed money for a nice dress to have for the weekends. They had given her a credit card and very, very nice limits.

"No less than (US$) 500, Hermione. Buy a nice dress, a few nice outfits." Natalie had smiled at her. "Besides, I hear Draco's quite handsome, though I haven't seen him since he was a toddler." She had winked at her.

Hermione mumbled back, "So I've heard."