AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. lostxatx7thxsea, ShatteredTruth, CrystalizedHeart, Mela, BlueIrishEyes, adrianna100, and cmtaylor531. Seriously, you guys rock my world. And you know what BIE? When you noticed the detail about Aiden's middle name, I was really surprised. I didn't think anyone would catch that. Raised an eyebrow, I did.

Unfortunately, these next few days, I will be utterly and completely busy. I'll be busy packing, preparing for my return home, so I don't know when I'll have time to write the next chapter. (Though, this time, at least I know what I'm going to write!) And truthfully, this story's been really consuming. It's eating me alive. But it does warm my heart when you review. (Har har.)

Thanks to ideabunny once again for her amazing editing skillz. (Yes, skills with a z.)

So here it is. Another memory.

Stand and Watch It Burn

IX. When They Compromised

Three years ago…

Hermione looked up to the ceiling, searching for patience. It was up there somewhere. It had to be. Malfoy was really getting on her last nerve. Sometimes Hermione wondered if he was doing it on purpose. Most of the time, she could swear he was. He certainly did seem to get some sort of devilish enjoyment out of it.

She'd been looking after Malfoy for almost a week now. No one had taken to that arrangement well. Not her, not him, and especially not Ron.

"Harry, this is absurd! You can't leave Hermione with that git!"

"Ron, I know you don't like it, but Remus and I agree… Hermione's the best choice. She certainly can handle Malfoy."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Shut it, Malfoy."

"Bite me, Weasley."

"Ron, it's decided. There's no point in arguing. Hermione's already agreed."

"But can't someone else do it?"

"What, you don't think I can do it, Ron?"

"I'm sure you're able to, love, I just don't think it's best…"

"I can do it, Ronald. And I think I know what's best for me, thank you."

"But Hermione…"

"Weasley, you're utterly pathetic."

"Stop laughing, ferret! I swear, if you hurt her, Malfoy…"

"Please. She may be Muggleborn, but she's not stupid like you. I don't think your little girlfriend needs you to protect her. More like the other way around."

"Ron, stop. Don't you see he's just trying to rile you up? No! Don't. RONALD!"

"Hermione, let go!"

"Ron, Hermione's right, just stop. Punching him won't do anything..."

"It will make me feel better! Look at him just sitting there and smirking! Let me punch that smirk off his face…"

"Ron, stop being so stupid!"

"Just once…"

"RONALD WEASLEY! YOU SODDING IDIOT."

"Hermione, where… hey, Hermione, wait!"

Hermione had gotten so frustrated. She couldn't stay any longer. Ron and Harry were leaving the next day to follow another lead Harry had mysteriously received, and she was likely not to see him for at least a week. And all he wanted to do was to argue about Malfoy. She was so angry she had told him she was happy to be watching Malfoy instead of going with him. Ron had departed without so much as saying goodbye to her.

Hermione later regretted saying that. She missed him. A lot. Malfoy was annoying. He was constantly complaining. After years of having house elves and never having to so much as lift a finger, he very clearly was not accustomed to doing things for himself. He complained when he had to do dishes. He complained when Hermione made him do his own laundry. He complained about Remus' cabin, where they were staying. He complained about the nice bed Remus had graciously conjured up for him in the living room. Merlin, he even complained that the sheets were "only" Egyptian cotton and not silk.

As the first week wore on, the complaining became less frequent, and Malfoy reverted to insulting her and finding other ways to harass Hermione. He'd get in jabs about her blood and about Ron whenever he could. And when he wasn't doing that, he was just plain annoying.

One night, they were sitting at the table in the kitchen. Remus was off on another mission (doing what, he never would say). He hadn't given them specifics, but Hermione anticipated he would be back rather soon. For tonight, though, it was just the two of them. She had made a simple dinner of porkchops and string beans and the two had eaten, then, in utter silence.

Although he was no longer eating, Malfoy remained at his seat. He began pushing around the remaining string beans. Kyeeechhh. Kyeeeechhh. The scraping noise his fork made when dragged across the plates was starting to get on Hermione's nerves.

"Don't play with your food," Hermione said sharply.

Malfoy quirked an eyebrow. An evil smile started to creep across his face. "Oh?" he asked. "And what if I do?" Kyeeechhh. Kyeeeechhh.

Hermione glared at him. "Accio fork." The fork flew out of Malfoy's hand and into Hermione's.

Unfazed, Malfoy picked up his knife and proceeded to poke the string beans around his plate. Hermione could hardly believe this. Part of her wanted to scream at him to stop, and another part of her was simply confounded that Draco Malfoy – of all people! – was sitting across the table from her, prodding string beans with a butter knife.

"Accio knife."

Malfoy reached for the spoon.

"Accio spoon." Hermione collected the flying spoon. "Malfoy, are you bored? You're playing with string beans, for Merlin's sake."

"What the bloody hell do you think, Granger? You're my only company. I've been staring at these same walls for the last week. Of course I'm bored! I'm bored out of my sodding mind!"

"Look, I'm not exactly here on vacation either, so if you could just please bear it for another few days…"

"Another few days?! Are you kidding me Granger?"

Hermione was exasperated. She threw her hands up in the air. "It's not like I can help it, Malfoy!"

"God, if only Potter and your weasel boyfriend weren't so useless…"

"Don't say that!"

Malfoy smirked. "I only speak the truth, Granger."

Hermione stood up and glared at him. "Don't push me, Malfoy."

"They're so incompetent that they probably tripped over their own shoelaces. Or maybe they hexed each other by accident! Maybe that's why they haven't come back yet. They've hexed each other senseless." Malfoy sat there, as if musing. His eyes then lit up. "Or maybe Weasley's met another girl! One that doesn't have dirty bl…"

"Stupefy!"

"Protego!"

Hermione's spell bounced off Malfoy's timely Shield Charm. He was now standing, wand ready. He looked her, amused. "Really, Granger?"

"Expelli-"

"Reducto!"

Hermione started toward Malfoy, and he slowly moved backwards. They were now standing in the living room. "Malfoy, you dirty rat!" Hermione yelled.

Malfoy smirked. "Why, thank you, Granger. I think rat is a bit of an upgrade from ferret, don't you?"

"Silencio!"

Malfoy ducked, Hermione's spell shooting right above his head. He looked at Hermione with a straight face. "You might want to work on your aim a bit."

Hermione grabbed a pillow from the sofa and threw it at him. It hit him squarely in the chest. Although it wasn't a very hard blow and the pillow was hardly heavy, the pillow caught Malfoy by off guard and with a look of surprise, he fell backwards.

"Looks like my aim is just fine," Hermione said smugly.

"You're going to regret that," he growled.

The two were soon engaged in an all-out, full-scale battle. Spells were thrown all over the place, and jets of green-, red-, and blue-coloured light shot around the room, bouncing off the walls. And, of course, there was the occasional loud crash.

Finally out of breath, Hermione and Malfoy stood on opposite sides of room, staring at each other, both too tired to move. Hermione stopped, looked around, and suddenly burst out laughing. Malfoy looked at her as if she had gone insane.

"Granger, you've gone mad."

"Just look at us, Malfoy," Hermione managed to gasp out. "This whole last week we've been fighting and cursing each other… Merlin, we're on the same bloody side now."

This bit of information had no effect on Malfoy. He merely crossed his arms and watched Hermione, as if waiting for her to continue explaining her sudden revelation.

"Well," Hermione said, flustered now, "usually when people are on the same side, they don't attack each other, right?"

Malfoy continued looking at Hermione blankly.

Hermione blinked. "What… don't you…? Oh forget it! Okay, look, Malfoy. We're supposed to be allies now. We shouldn't be cursing each other left and right, and we shouldn't be constantly aggravating each other deliberately."

"And why not?" Malfoy asked.

"Because that's the way it is," Hermione said through gritted teeth.

"Well, that's news to me," Malfoy replied airily.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Malfoy, it is obvious and clear that neither of us likes this living arrangement. You don't like being stuck with me, and I detest being stuck with you. But the reality is that that's how it is. And that's how it's going to be for a long time. Now we can continue on for a long time, making the rest of the time hell or we can try to make it livable."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Now why would we do that?"

"Can't we come to some sort of compromise?"

"Malfoys don't compromise."

"Yeah, well Malfoys don't turn themselves in either, but look what you did," Hermione snapped back.

These words had an immediate effect on Malfoy. She almost regretted saying them. His previously indifferent face suddenly turned dark and stormy. His body tensed, and his hands clenched ever so slightly. Hermione bit her lip and clutched her wand nervously.

"Fine."

"What?" Hermione's heart leapt in shock at his sudden response.

"Fine," Malfoy repeated with emphasis. "I won't curse you if I don't have to wash another bloody dish again."

"Only if you stop complaining and insulting Ron and Harry."

"I'll stop complaining, but I can't promise that bit about Potter and Weasley."

"Well, then don't purposefully aggravate me."

"I can't promise that either. You seem to get mad at the strangest things, Granger."

"You provoke me on purpose!"

"Now why on earth would I do that?" Malfoy asked sarcastically.

Hermione glared at Malfoy. He glared back.

Hermione never was good at staring contests. She gave up thirty seconds later. "Fine!" she yelled, frustrated. "Only if you…" Hermione looked around the room wildly. "… clean the floor!"

"Clean the floor?" Malfoy looked at Hermione incredulously. "Who the bloody hell do you think I am, Granger? Some lost princess from one of those Muggle fairy tales? What, I'm going to call my forest friends and we'll whistle and hum a merry tune whilst we dust the fireplace and sweep the floors?" Malfoy burst out laughing. "Jesus, Granger, you do have a sense of humor! I think I may have underestimated you! There's no way I'm going to clean this mess."

This mess? Oh, Merlin. Hermione just realized… the fight. She had been so reckless! This cabin was a mess! It looked like something exploded. She was supposed to look after Malfoy and this cabin in Remus's absence. How could she be so irresponsible?

"Okay," Hermione said hurriedly. "Forget that. Just help me come up with a story to tell…"

"Hermione, I'm back! Hermione? What the hell happened here?!"

AN: Yeah, I know... short, short, short. But they're just snippets of Hermione's past and if they were any longer it'd just be plain odd! And it's bizarre enough for me to keep having to flipflop back and forth. But anyway, tell me what you think. It really does help. I might even update faster. (Yes. This is bribery.) Review!!!