Disclaimer:Would you believe six chapters in and I still own nothing? Hmpf.

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone that favorited or alerted this story despite the fact that I haven't written in months. You guys made me want to pick back up again. Since it has been a few months though, I apologize if the writing isn't up to par right away.

Chapter Six – You're Hot Then You're Cold

Draco sat back against the pillows with a resigned sigh. He'd gone ahead and told his godfather to make the potion that was going to effectively shut down his libido for months on end, thereby making it easier for Granger to perform the duties entrusted to her. But he still couldn't believe he'd actually gone through with it. Merlin, am I really that bloody desperate not to get a stiffy around the bookworm?

Apparently so.

"Dinner time, Malfoy."

Speak of the devil.

Hermione walked into the room carrying a tray loaded down with bread and bowls. "I didn't actually think to ask if you're allergic to anything." He watched her worry her lip between her teeth and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. Seeing the blonde giving her an expression not unlike she gave Ron when she was annoyed with him, her lip pulled away from her teeth with a soft 'pop'. "Well beef stew is what was made. So if you're allergic I suppose you can just eat the bread."

She set the tray down on top of the dresser at the foot of his bed and walked over to where he was laying prostrate on the mattress. "Give me your hand." Brows knitting together, Draco inched his hand forward slightly until it touched her fingertips. Grabbing it, she pulled him forward and set a pillow behind him so he could sit up farther.

"Ach!" Draco's whole body protested to being moved as it was, but having angered Granger, with whatever he had done this time, had caused her to drop his hand back onto the bed unceremoniously, his broken hand making contact with the bedframe harder than he'd anticipated. The pain shooting up his arm and into his shoulder, then down his spine. "You know sometimes I think I'd really rather be with Voldemort and the gang than with you. At least I know for a fact that they'll hurt me. You run so hot and cold I never know what you're going to do. Which I'm sure is what you intended in the first place."

The brunette stood inches away from him, looking down at the top of his head as he bit the inside of his cheek against the pain and had to fight the angry tears starting to blur her eyes. Stop it, Hermione. You don't cry. You're not a crier. You're not emotional. Don't let him get to you like this. He always yells at you, since when does it bother you so much? She figured it was since she had started playing nursemaid. It was one thing to be insulted when you weren't doing anything to deserve it. It was another thing to be insulted when all you were trying to do was help someone out.

"I'm sorry. I didn't intend to hurt you. I-" Hermione took a breath in through the nose, releasing it out of her mouth before she looked at him again. It would do no good to let her temper show through. Best to just come up with a reasonable excuse and get it over with. Only five more weeks until they would be done with each other anyway. "I forget that despite the potions you're probably still in pain." Okay so it wasn't much of a lie in the end. "You never complain about the pain, or at least not while I'm around. Not since you mentioned that the amount of pain you're in was practically a vacation."

The pain slowly began to lessen as his body became accustomed to the angle that he was pulled into. Though he was still far from being comfortable. "Can we just get on with dinner so I don't have to listen to your rambling any longer?" He watched as the brunette girl flushed with embarrassment but he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment.

She nodded and placed a tray down on his lap, sitting on the edge of the bed near his feet. "Do you believe you're capable of moving enough to eat? Or do you need help?"

He noticed that she didn't ask if he needed someone to feed him and felt a small twinge of thankfulness. It was bad enough that she was playing caretaker, he wasn't sure if he would be able to stand it if she treated him like the invalid that he'd become.

"I may -" Draco cleared his through in aggitation. "I may need some help still." To Hermione's credit she didn't say anything as she scooted closer on the bed, lifting a spoonful of the beef stew out of the bowl and placing it close enough for him to swallow. Another couple of spoonfuls later and Draco was already full, but Hermione wasn't letting up. "Perhaps you've never had to deal with feeding someone before, Granger, but for future reference, when the person you're attempting to feed turns their head away it is not an invitation to try and shove the food down their throat. It is in fact loosely translated to 'I don't want anymore of your bloody food. Get that sodding spoon out of my face.'" He sneered at her when she narrowed her eyes at him. "But as I said.. that's just a rough translation."

"How about this for a rough translation, Malfoy. I have in fact babysat for plenty of children in my own neighborhood and I know exactly what a small child turning their head away means. However, I had been informed prior to my coming up here that you requested a potion from Professor Snape. A potion that was supposed to make both your life, and mine, easier while you're here."

Draco brought his eyes up to meet hers when she mentioned the potion that Professor Snape was supposed to be making for him. Had the older man told her what kind of potion it was? Had she overheard? Was that why she was trying to be so difficult tonight? Because she knew how his traitorous body reacted to her now that he'd read over what he now referred to as The Letter?

"Wow. The look on your face, if only I had a camera." The brunette giggled softly. "I am really curious as to what this potion is now. But you can get that look off your face that says you're going to pee yourself if I find out your secret. Professor Snape didn't inform me what kind of potion it was, and I wasn't able to figure it out based on the look or smell of it. All I know is that he told me to make you finish everything in the bowl, and the bread, before giving it to you. So -" Hermione was just about to put the spoon back into the bowl when she was suddenly pulled forward. Draco's mouth had wrapped around the spoon, his teeth pulling it forward before it could move out of his reach.

"'Mione?" Hermione turned her head to look at Ginny who had just stepped into the room. "Why is your hand on Malfoy's thigh? I thought there were rules against that kind of thing with your own patient." Hermione's brow furrowed as she looked down to where her hand had indeed settled on Malfoy's upper thigh. She pulled it away like it burned to the touch, her face turning bright red.

Ginny's tinkling laugh reached out and took the bowl and spoon from Hermione's hands. "Professor Snape wanted you downstairs. Something about not being able to send the potion up via magic because it's volatile or something." She shrugged. "Who knows. I never actually listen to him, which is probably why I'm doing so abysmally in his class. Anyway, I'll finish up here. You just go down and see what he wants."

It wasn't until Hermione left the room that Ginny began feeding the rest of the beef stew to the boy who had made her best friends' lives hell since the day they started Hogwarts. She didn't say anything until the bowl was cleaned and she had placed the bread in his mouth. "So what's this secret potion that the bat is working on for you?" Draco's glare practically had a voice of it's own, but she didn't let it discourage her. "It must be pretty important considering he went out of his way to mask the color and scent from Hermione." Again, a glare was all that responded. With her second shrug in the last few minutes, Ginny picked up the tray. "I saw the look of pain on your face when I came into the room. Considering she keeps everyone updated on your progress, I know you aren't hurt there. I also know that she isn't heavy so it couldn't have been her weight hurting you."

Draco's mouth opened to tell her to mind her own business when Hermione stepped back into the room. The vial of potion in her hand held carefully so that even if she were to trip, she would be able to keep it safe from harm. Ginny stood up with a knowing smirk and went to the doorway, tray in hand. She watched as Hermione stepped closer and uncorked the vial, placing the lip of it against Draco's lip so that it wouldn't spill when she gave it to him. "Hey Malfoy," the redhead called out just before the liquid could spill into his mouth. "It's okay to think she's pretty."

With another tinkling laugh, Ginny left the room and headed down the stairs while Hermione poured the liquid into Draco's mouth. Once again her face took on a flushed color, though the look on her face told her that this time it was because of annoyance rather than embarrassment. "Don't listen to her," she said, knowing that if they had been speaking about a girl it was probably herself, and knowing that Ginny was no doubt trying to play matchmaker.

"I wasn't planning on it," he said before shutting his eyes and letting the potion do it's magic.