Hermione came back downstairs feeling a hundred times better. She was clean and rested and the clothes in the wardrobe, although not hers, were to her taste and fitted her perfectly. She found Draco in the kitchen standing by the stove. There was a delicious smell and Hermione sniffed appreciatively.

"You're cooking?" she asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Spaghetti Bolognaise - it's about as complicated as I can manage," Draco said. He seemed to be concentrating on the minced meat he was frying.

"Complicated? Spaghetti Bolognaise?" Hermione said, peering into the pan over his shoulder. "It looks and smells delicious."

Draco nodded and added a some vegetables that he had already prepared, albeit with a wave of his wand. He stirred it vigorously and Hermione bit her lip trying not to laugh at him. Such concentration to make a simple meal! Draco put a lid on the pan and then turned to her, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing."

"You're trying not to laugh so what's funny?" Draco repeated. He looked great, his hair still damp from his shower, his eyes sparkling.

"Sorry - I do appreciate you cooking for me. I just found it amusing that someone as intelligent and logical as you; someone who can learn spells so easily, could find cooking so difficult!" Hermione nodded her head at him. "I mean, cooking is just a spell! Ingredients mixed together in a certain way."

Draco looked down at her. "Thanks for the tip but I don't intend to make a habit of this." They sat down and Draco poured Hermione a glass of wine. "Do you feel better?"

"Yes, much better, thanks."

"It's a weird, old place this," Draco commented. "Especially that huge family tree mural! I mean, who paints their family tree on a whole wall of a room in their house?"

"I know, it's all a bit creepy but this place has been made plenty of use of."

"I'm on the family tree - did you know?" Draco asked.

"Well, I've seen it before but I knew anyway. You're Mother's maiden name was Black wasn't it?"

Draco nodded. "There's a Potter on it as well."

"I know. Somewhere far back, you and Harry must be related." Hermione watched Draco's face closely, wondering what his reaction to this might be but his expression didn't change.

"I know," Draco said. "There's some dodgy people on that tree. My Mother was supposed to be the good influence and yet her...our family tree is full of evil! It's in our genes."

Hermione stared at the handsome man sitting opposite her, thinking carefully how she phrased her question. "Evil can't be inherited."

"You reckon?"

Hermione bit her lip. "Maybe this isn't the wisest conversation for us to be having as we are going to have to spend quite a while trapped here together? We should stick to discussions about the weather."

"I'm just analyzing my terrible genes," Draco shrugged. "How I ended up so bloody amazing, I'll never know!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and then she looked intently at Draco for a moment before speaking quietly. "Didn't you know that what your parents were doing was bad?"

"Of course I did."

"But you went along with it anyway?" Hermione watched him anxiously, not wanting to spoil this little truce they appeared to be having.

"Didn't you do what your parents wanted? Didn't you agree with what they thought?" Draco asked, he didn't sound annoyed.

"Of course I did, but my parents weren't plotting evil with the Dark Lord," Hermione answered. She realised this sounded accusing so she explained. "You're a good person. I just can't imagine how it must have felt to be made to do evil."

"I wasn't made to do it!" Draco said. "I was trying to keep my parents happy. I loved them despite everything and when they're your only influence as a child, you want to please them."

"I suppose so," Hermione answered.

"You would have done exactly the same - really think about it, Hermione," Draco continued. "Really imagine it - your parents are evil, they support the Dark Lord. What would you do?"

Hermione stared at him and blinked. She had never actually thought like this about it. As a child you believe in what your parents do until you mature enough to question it. She looked at Draco and felt supremely sorry for him. What a terrible situation to have been placed in - no wonder he was so conflicted towards the end of their time at school together. "I'm sorry, Draco. I had never thought of it like that."

"Oh no!" Draco held up his hand. "Let's not take a trip down Pity street! It leads all the way to Condescending Town and Big Argument City!"

Hermione burst out laughing at his description - it was clever and funny. "It wasn't pity - it was...affection," she said the last word hesitantly. Draco's eyes locked with hers and she gave him a little smile. "I'm glad you decided to help us - informing Harry and everything."

"Really? Even after events of the past few weeks?"

"Yes." Hermione smirked. "Anyway, you should be happy because, if this all ends well, Harry is definitely going to be in your debt."

"I don't think I'll ever redeem myself with Potter. I'm sure he would have defied his parents, had they been evil. He would still have become the bloody saint he is now." Draco's voice was sour and Hermione hated to hear it because he rarely spoke this way any more.

"Well, that's where you're entirely wrong," Hermione sat back in her chair and folded her arms. "Harry would have been devoted to his parents and I'm sure he would have done exactly what you had to do – even if they were evil. He's not a saint."

"Glad to hear you think so."

"But he was placed in a situation he had no control over, just like you were!" Hermione continued. "He didn't ask to be made an orphan and he's had to deal with that."

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Touchy subject?"

"What?"

"That was a very swift leap to his defense – is absence making the heart grow fonder?" Draco raised his eyebrows but there was no humour in his expression or tone.

Hermione sighed loudly. "Why are you, yet again, implying that Harry and I are more than friends?"

"Well your attractiveness is obvious," Draco stopped momentarily but Hermione made sure her expression didn't change. She wasn't going to let him tease her like that. "And Potter is the savior of wizard kind, an upstanding citizen, he has half a brain and is probably on a nice little wage from his job. I would have thought he would have been top of your most wanted list."

"He's my friend," Hermione emphasized the word friend. "I don't think of him like that."

"Why not? Is there a rule that says once you're friends, you can never be anything else?" Draco asked.

"No but it's a difficult change to make. Once you're friends with someone it's hard to become anything else – it just wouldn't feel right. Harry is like my brother."

"You'll find he does not think of you as his sister," Draco insisted.

"You have no idea how he thinks of me."

"He's very protective of you."

"Why all the interest?" Hermione challenged him, fed up of his questions. "So what if I'm madly in love with Harry?"

"Yeh, you're right. So what?" Draco said and then he abruptly stood up from the table and went to check the cooking.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The meal was lovely but Hermione felt awkward as Draco was polite but nothing more. She felt annoyed that he was seemingly upset but he wouldn't talk about it. Her mind ran over their conversation and she had to wonder why Draco seemed so interested in her and Harry's relationship. Could he really be jealous? Really?

"How many of these before you're drunk?" Draco's voice broke into her thoughts and she realized he was filling up her glass.

"Is that question to stop me getting drunk or to make sure I do?"

"I'd like to see you drunk."

"I'd like to see you drunk!" Hermione came back at him with a smirk. "It would be nice to see that cool, calm exterior a bit flustered."

"Exactly the reason why I don't get very drunk, very often."

They cleared away the dishes, working well together before going into one of the downstairs rooms. It was quite small but Hermione liked it because it was less dreary than most of the other rooms. Draco had lit the fire because the nights were getting a bit chilly and Hermione settled herself on the sofa.

"I wonder if Harry has caught any of those people you were informing on yet? I wish I knew what was happening," Hermione said.

"If they'd caught them we would be free," Draco answered. He was laid out on the large rug in front of the fire. He waved the hand that wasn't holding his wine glass. "You could return to your life and never be obligated to spend any time with me again!"

"Well if that isn't fishing for a compliment then I don't know what is!" Hermione said.

"A compliment?"

"Yes. You say - you will never have to spend any time with me again. I'm then expected to say - oh but Draco I still do want to spend time with you even when I don't have to!" Hermione chuckled at the look on Draco's face.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Go on then." He cupped his hand around his ear. "Say it - I'm waiting."

"Not gonna happen."

"You're the one who asked what was going to happen after all this is over," Draco reminded her.

Hermione rolled reluctantly off the sofa and crawled over to Draco who watched her suspiciously.

"I did ask but I suppose it depends," Hermione said.

"Depends on what?"

"Has the impossible happened?" she asked.

"The impossible?"

"Have Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger become friends?" Hermione sat next to his outstretched legs and picked up her wine glass again.

"Well, until about an hour ago I would have told you that we had," Draco nodded his head. "But there is no way I'm going to tell you that now."

Hermione stared at him, puzzled. "Why not? What have I done?"

"You told me that once you're friends with someone it's really hard to become anything else." Draco was staring back at her, his voice having dropped slightly. He paused now and watched her reaction. She felt a tingle that she hadn't felt for a while as what he had just said and more importantly what he might be about to say, sank in.

"You not saying we're friends doesn't mean it's not already so," Hermione said.

"Thats true. So are we?"

"I'm afraid so." Hermione gave him a smirk and he rolled his eyes.

"So that's it then!" Draco said, putting his wine glass down and laying flat on his back. "I'm destined to be nothing more than friends with Hermione Granger forever!" He clsoed his eyes but opened them abruptly a moment later as Hermione leant a little closer, putting her wine glass down as well before speaking.

"I didn't say that, did I?"

Ooooh - is Hermione letting the wine loosen her up? More by the fire next. x