Three days. It had been three days since Draco arrived at her home. They had managed to avoid each other for the better part of it all, but his presence was getting the best of her. He was an intruder of sorts. He had been holed up in her study and she had enough of it.

"I don't understand why you can't take all of this out into the sitting room." she said, annoyed with his attitude.

"Because I don't want to. I'm rather fond of it in here." he said with his arms crossed and his voice dripping with arrogance.

"You are such an entitled ass. What makes you think your work is so much more important than mine?"

"Well there is this small matter of rising death eaters you see..."

"This is still my house Malfoy. I have my own work to get done."

"You do have another office you know. At the ministry."

"I have an office here! We're bloody standing in it!"

"Ah, yes. But there is one problem, I can't leave!" His voice echoed off the walls.

"You know what forget it. There is no compromise with you."

"Compromise? What fucking compromise have you offered? None."

"I told you to take the sitting room."

"I'd hardly call that a compromise."

"You are in my home and I am offering you a place to work, you are such a fucking prick Malfoy."

"Yes, and you're a bloody joy to be around Granger."

They both went silent as they heard footsteps nearing towards them, both immediately drawing their wands. Hermione faltered for only a brief moment when she realized Draco had stepped in front of her, his free arm somewhat outstretched as if to shield her from whatever was to step through the doorway. Her brows furrowed. 'What the hell' she thought to herself.

"Bloody hell Malfoy." Harry said as he rounded the corner.

"For fucks sake Potter. Announce yourself next time. There's a fucking mad man on the loose looking for me."

"Exactly why every ward known is guarding this place. There is no way he can get in."

"Forgive me for being cautious." he spat as he returned his wand to his pocket.

"Hermione, I need to speak with him about something, would you mind-"

"Let her stay" Draco cut in.

"What?" asked Harry. "Aren't you the one who suggested that this case should remain confidential?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm living in her house Potter, she should know the details of what we've pulled her into." he gave a quick glance in her direction. "She's a ministry official anyway, she'll find out sooner or later."

Although she infuriated him, Draco was well aware of the severity of the situation. He knew that him staying there was putting her in the line of danger and she needed to understand that.

"Right then. I'll go over what we have gathered the past few days. You can fill her in on the rest later." Harry said as he dropped a few more files on the desk.

The three took their seats as Harry began to list off the new information.

"There is some good news, after the last break out before the war, they started placing strong trace spells on the prisoners."

"Then why haven't you located him yet?" Hermione asked.

Harry and Draco looked at each other and Draco could already tell what it meant. "Because they can't."

"What do you mean can't? She questioned.

He kept his eyes focused on his partner, not breaking the gaze to look at her.

"Someone tampered with his trace." Draco offered.

"How is this good news Harry?" spat Hermione.

Harry removed his glasses pinching the bridge of his nose. "We can detect if he tries to leave the country, which is still good, But his exact location will not come through."

"Do we have any idea who tampered with it?" the blonde asked.

"No, my initial thought was the guard that had been bribed, but his magic isn't strong enough for that."

"How can you be sure?" Hermione asked.

"These types of traces can only be changed by two types of wizards" Harry replied.

"Either an extremely powerful wizard, and I'm talking Dumbledore powerful," Draco interjected, he paused to meet his gaze with Harry's "or someone from the auror department."

"Couldn't Lucius of tampered with it himself?" she asked

"No." offered Draco. "For one he is not anywhere near powerful enough. He's a strong wizard, and definitely dangerous, but his powers aren't strong enough for that."

"And even if they were," began Harry. "It would be impossible. No one can tamper with their own trace."

"So where does this put us Potter?"

Harry let out an exhausted sigh. "There's either a very strong wizard out there that we don't know about, or we have a problem within our department. Is there anyone from Voldemort's ranks that you can think of that may be capable of this?"

Draco thought for a minute before responding. "I was pretty low on the chain so I can't say for certain, but to my knowledge mostly all of them were killed. Any remaining are in Azkaban."

"Do you think it's possible?" Harry asked.

"I'm going to say yes. I mean it's unlikely anyone from our department had a hand in this."

"And why is that?" Hermione asked.

Both men turned to her with confused expressions. When she gave no indication to what she meant Harry spoke up.

"Hermione, you know everyone in the department. Who could you possibly think had something to do with this?"

"Well I can think of one." she said defiantly as she sent an accusing glare in Draco's direction.

"Are you fucking kidding me Granger? The man wants me dead more then anyone else in this world. Why the fuck would I get him out?" he roared.

"Maybe some twisted form of retribution. You get word of a new group of death eaters rising up, spring Daddy free so he can lead. Earn his forgiveness." she spat.

"Well you've figured it all out haven't you Granger? Hear that Potter? Take me in, the golden know-it-all has solved the case for us."

"As if I'm the only one who will think it, once news of his escape hits the papers there will be plenty of-"

"That's enough Hermione!" Harry exclaimed. He turned to Draco who was flushed with anger. "Malfoy give us a minute would you?"

Draco did not speak, he gaze was so intense it was as if it could burn a whole straight through the witch in front of him. She matched his intensity, her eyes following him as he left the room. Before Harry could get a word out she had turned on him.

"You can't honestly tell me the thought hasn't entered your mind." she said.

"Actually Hermione I can."

"How? How can you not even consider it?"

"Have you not paid attention to a word I've said to you over the past few years about him?"

"Anyone could mask themselves." she said coldly.

"Come on Hermione. Do you honestly think he would do something like this?"

"I think he is entirely capable of doing it, and there is logic in my point."

"No there's not. You don't know who he is now from the prat he was in school."

"Probably because he's still the same prat that he was then."

"He's not, and you know that."

"Why? Because he hasn't called me a mudblood? I'm sure he's thought it."

"That's exactly your problem. You're so caught up on the prick he was in school that you can't see anything else."

"He's still a prick."

"He was a bloody Slytherin Hermione, what do you expect? He's not going to be fucking sunshine."

"Well excuse me for having my doubts."

"You know you didn't always think so low of him." he said in a more relaxed tone.

"What are you on about Harry?"

"Sixth year, when I kept saying he was a death eater, that he was up to something. It was you who kept trying to make be back down on my theories."

"So? I proved to be wrong on the matter."

"That maybe so, but you know...somewhere deep down, you know that he had no choice. He would've been killed"

"He was a coward, so afraid to die he allowed one of the greatest wizards to be killed."

"Of course he was scared. He was sixteen!"

"That's no excuse for-"

"Bullshit Hermione. Hell even we weren't ready for it, we were children thrown into a war we weren't ready for. And for the record, it wasn't just his own life he was protecting, it was his mother's as well."

"What's your point here Harry?"

Harry's shoulders slumped in defeat. He hung his head for a moment before shifting his view back to her.

"There was a time that you believed him redeemable. He was, it just took a bit longer for him to get there. Give him the benefit of the doubt. Talk to him. I'm not asking you to be his friend. Fuck, I don't even know of him and I would call ourselves that. But we share a mutual respect."

"Why does this matter so much to you?"

"Look, I didn't want him here solely because he would be safe."

"What are you-"

"You're not safe either! Lucius wants Malfoy dead because he turned against him but do you really think he won't be after you, Ron and I?"

She didn't answer him at first. She knew he was right, but quite frankly, she hadn't give much thought to anything of the situation aside from how long the younger Malfoy staying with her. When she offered no response Harry continued on.

"It was part of the reason he agreed to come here you know. He knew you would most likely be in danger-"

"I can protect myself Harry." she fired.

"You haven't fired a defensive spell in years. I'm not saying your incapable, and he doesn't either, but you're certainly out of practice."

She was going to argue his point but knew she would loose. He was right, she was out of practice and if put in that situation, she was likely to be injured if not worse.

"What was his reason for not wanting to come here?" she asked.

"Excuse me? You two can't stand one another."

"That's not why and you know it."

"What are you-"

"I heard you two in the study the other morning."

Harry crossed his arms, taking pause before answering her. "I can't answer that, you'll have to ask him."

She nodded in acceptance. She knew her friend well enough to tell by his tone that he would give her no further explanation.

"I'm not making any promises, but I'll try to get along better with him." She wasn't happy about it. But she could see Harry's logic in the situation.

"Alright." he finalized. "I need to get back. No one knows he is here aside from the three of us. I don't want to chance anyone discovering it by my being gone too long."

"Okay...I'm sorry for yelling at you Harry."

He let out a small chuckle. "You can be a bit hard headed, funny, much like someone else I know." he nodded his head to the doorway.

She rolled her eyes. "I thought you had to be getting back."

He smiled. "I'll see you soon. Tell Malfoy I'll stop back tomorrow with more files for him to go over."

"Okay."

He gave her arm a quick squeeze before leaving. Once left alone, her mind began wondering. She had thought Draco didn't want to be there because of her blood. Now Harry told her that Draco wanted to help keep her safe. After his action in her study earlier, even she couldn't argue that fact. She still wasn't thrilled with her situation, but surmised to try and make the best of it.

She crossed the room to a small table and picked up a bottle of firewhiskey and two glasses. She told Harry she would try. 'This will probably go over fucking fantastically' she thought to herself before she proceeded to the kitchen.

-x-

Hope you enjoyed. Please Review.