Agh! I'm a terrible person! What kind of author leaves their readers high and dry for months on end for the next chapter? Apparently me. *sighs* I'm sorry. I hope you can find it in your wonderful hearts to forgive me. I know where the next chapter is going and I'm off of school for a month so you won't have to wait as long this time. I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to give you guys something, before KATDADDY2000 drives me crazy. So here it is! Hope you like it! Read and Review please!

Disclaimer: Alas, the visions of me owning the idea of Harry Potter is a mere fantasy. Damn fortune tellers.

"Draco! Where the bloody hell are the bangers? I can't keep eating eggs without some bangers!"

She searched frantically on her knees and huffed her frazzled bangs out her face. She picked up the few items from the fridge several times as if her to-be breakfast would appear all of a sudden.

The Slytherin prince tilted her head at the sight and chuckled to himself, getting louder by the second and almost toppling over an ottoman. "Language, Granger; it's very unbecoming of a young lady to utter such words," flashing his trademark Malfoy smirk. "Blimey, you forget about the war and all you have left to stress about are bloody 'bangers'.

Hermione gave him a look and stared at the floor. "Didn't know we were on last name basis again, Malfoy," she stated under her breath. She didn't quite understand why she appreciated Draco's use of her first name so much. Maybe it helped her forget the fact that they were enemies, and ultimately the war and life she left behind. Perhaps it was the way it flowed off his tongue that made him seem…a tad bit…attractive?

His voice echoed her name in the back of her head, seeming to put her into a trance as she smiled. When her eyes started to sleepily close, she realized the voice of the ice grey blonde was getting louder in her head, and louder, and—

"Hermione!"

Her eyes flashed open while tumbling back and hitting her head on the island; causing the bowl of fruit to tumble upon her head. "Ouuuch," she grumbled; rubbing her head and giving Draco an awkward glare.

"You may be the brightest witch of our age, but you sure can be daft sometimes."

Looking at her previous thoughts, her face flushed red. "What happened?"

"I could ask you the same thing. One minute you're grumbling things under your breath, and the next you're staring into space like you're in Professor Trelawney's crazy Divination class. I kept yelling your name but you wouldn't respond," he shuffled awkwardly, "until, well, you did."

"Oh," was all she could get out. She couldn't possibly tell him what made her space out, or rather, all of it. "I was just thinking, we should stay on a first name basis, since we're living together now."

The awkward air formed into a mini gray cloud over the two of them as they darted their eyes to anything other than each other.

"Right, um, well," He paused until he remembered his purpose of speaking, "If you want to go get some more food, I know of this muggle market that's on the edge of the forest. I haven't seen any Deatheaters or associates there when I've gone; so I assume we'll be safe."

Hermione remembered her stomach and immediately killed the awkwardness. "Really? Sounds great! Merlin, I'm hungry."

His grey eyes gave a soft smile, "I can tell."

Many trees were becoming bare as Hermione and Draco walked through the forest to get to Draco's market. They walked in silence, neither really knowing what to say to each other. Until recently, they thought of each other as enemies. What were they now? Friends? More like just roommates—but who knows what the future will hold? Author's Note: *maniacal laugh* I do.

As they travelled through the forest, Hermione's surroundings seemed more and more familiar—trails created by human traffic, open spaces surrounded by trees that wouldn't allow sunlight, carvings on trunks marking time passing by; and suddenly she remembered why she was originally in the forest, and ultimately, with none other than Draco Malfoy. Two boys of raven and red hair popped into her head as she became lost in thought.

"Is it wrong to be thankful that Ron left instead of you?"

"Harry! He's our best friend! How can you even say that?"

He sighed heavily. "Let's face it, throughout our years together, fighting goblins and Deatheaters, trying to prepare me for the Tri-wizard tournament, and even relationship problems, you always had the answers—or at least the resources to find them. Ron even said himself that we wouldn't have gotten this far without you."

Flushing red, she took in the red head actually appreciated her intelligence, contrary to popular belief. "H-he did? But, that's not the point. We worked together when it came down to it. I don't hold this team together."

"No, but you sure do help. Be honest, how upset are you that Ron is gone?"

"Don't you ever have the audacity to ask that again! You know how I feel about him, Harry." A small tear threatened to leave her eyes.

Harry suddenly looked concerned for his best friend. "How exactly do you feel about him?"

Her vision became blurry of the "Boy Who Lived".

"Mione?"

"I would give anything if I could find him right now," she said as the streams started, "He may be a bit daft about certain subjects, and talks with his mouth full almost all the time, and isn't the best about expressing his feelings…but I love him. With all of my heart." She took the back of her hand to wipe some of the tears away, but they refused to stop falling. "But now he's gone," the last word echoed in her ears, "and I didn't even get the chance to tell him."

He pushed up his rounded spectacles as he emitted a blank stare, not really sure how to react. "Mione, I'm so sorry, I didn't—I didn't"

"I didn't want you to know , because then I'd be acting upon my feelings; like every other girl. I wanted him to see that I was different; I guess, in retrospect, turns out he did. But now it's too late…"

"Granger, we're going to get back really late if we don't pick up the pace." Draco hesitantly said, finally breaking the silence.

Interrupting her thoughts, she rushed to find a response. "Right; wouldn't want the nargles to come find us, now would we?" She mentally slapped herself after she realized what came out her mouth.

The Slytherin prince softened his tense, nervous mood and sympathetically smiled, "you miss them; don't you?"

A tear fell from her face as she looked down. Why was she crying so much nowadays? "It would seem that way. But to miss those days would be missing everything, including getting harassed about my status by you and your bloody pureblood cronies. Missing those days is naïve anyways, they're not coming back."

He felt a snarl come on, but held it back, realizing how much more he deserved. "That part of me was pure influence of my deadbeat father. A lot of the shit I did and said was just to keep up appearances as a pureblood and a Malfoy," He felt his own name give him a nasty aftertaste, "I realized that what I was doing was wrong," tugging his sleeve over his forearm, "But it was already too late."

Finally looking up at her, he grabbed her hand with both hands. "I know sorry isn't enough, but I truly mean it. I was a pretty shitty person back then, no worse; but I'm trying to do bett-"

Sudden warmth overcame him; it smelled like fresh cinnamon rolls and felt like Christmas morning. He enjoyed being blanketed by this happiness and warmth, and decided he wanted to stay like this for awhile. He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation and brought it closer to him. By the time he realized what, or rather, who he was holding, she had already let go.

"Thank you; and apology accepted." She warmly smiled. By that time, no more words needed to be exchanged. She slipped his hand into his, wrapped her neck away from the wind picking up, and tugged at him to lead the way.

They walked the rest of the way in silence; although they spoke no words, they allowed their hands to do the talking.