Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has supported the story so far and I really hope you're enjoying it. I know it sometimes takes me a long time to update it but I've been incredibly busy balancing this with college work, as well as writing an Avengers fic, and I've just come back off my holiday. Thank you to everyone who has added this to their favourite stories and followed it etc. The 'something unexpected' is coming up...

I have already posted this chapter today (2nd of September 13) but I've just updated it to make something more definite at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 10 – Show him up

"This is so weird."

"No it's not, it's fine." Hermione laughed at Malfoy's expense. "Come on we need to decide what film to watch. Action? Like gun fights and car chases? Horror? That's self-explanatory. I can't imagine you want to see a romance film. Maybe a comedy?"

"I think action, it sounds the most interesting." Malfoy eventually decided.

"Mission: Impossible it is then." Hermione said, walking to the ticket booth giving him the only option to follow. The two of them were in an old cinema in the middle of muggle London where he looked remarkably out of place to Hermione, yet she doubted anyone else noticed his discomfort. Hermione paid for their tickets and led him to the ice cream parlour. "What flavour do you want?"

Draco looked up to see a big 'Ben & Jerry's' sign, so this is what she'd been banging on about. "I have no idea, you pick for me."

"Okay..." Hermione turned to the saleswoman. "Could we please have two cookie dough's please? With chocolate sauce."

"Cookie dough flavoured ice cream? The muggles have impressed me." Malfoy whispered in her ear from behind causing Hermione's breath to hitch. She wasn't quite sure what to think about their close proximity, she wasn't even sure if Malfoy realized.

"Trust me, you'll love it." She smiled, refusing to let herself flush red in the face.

The saleswoman handed the ice cream over and gave Draco an appreciative once-over. In all fairness, he probably was the best looking guy in the cinema, but Hermione would never admit that to anyone.

"Do you want me to pay? You already bought the tickets." Malfoy said.

"No it's fine, I'm sort of paying you back for letting me live with you."

"It's not very gentlemanly of me."

Hermione laughed. "Well you can pay next time then." Next time? She couldn't believe she'd just said that. Who says there's going to be a next time? He could hate this whole experience for all she knew.

"It's a deal." He obviously seemed to think nothing of it.

She led him to the screen that was showing their film and sat down towards the back where they both tucked into their ice cream.

"You're right, this is good." Malfoy said. "In fact, it's probably the best ice cream I've ever had."

"Told you."

"I think I'm going to have to come to the cinema again, just for this."

"You can get it from a muggle supermarket as well."

"I think we should go food shopping tomorrow." He turned to her.

"That's fine by me; you actually don't have any food in your house anyway."

"Sorted." He smiled.

...

Once the film was over, and after much explaining of the difference between the film trailers and the actual film, yet it being so entertaining how engrossed he was in the film, Malfoy and Hermione apparated home. "Thank you for tonight Hermione, it's not like I'd go to a muggle cinema on my own so..."

It sounded foreign, her name coming from him, but she supposed he wanted to call her that because of his mother scolding him for being rude. "It's fine Mal- Draco, and I owe you anyway." She smiled. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Hermione, wait." She stopped her journey up the stairs to her room and looked at him expectantly. He looked like he was debating whether to say anything or not. "By the way, you look really nice today, as well as the other night at The Bluebell, I forgot to mention it."

"Thank you, you didn't look too bad yourself." She replied, almost smirking. She didn't really know what else to say. He did look good. He was currently wearing muggle clothes including skinny jeans and a tight t-shirt that really emphasised his muscles. Not that paid that much attention to his appearance of course. She was obviously delirious.

"Good night, again..." He said smiling.

"Night." She turned away and walked up the stairs thinking to herself, 'what the hell was that?'

...

Hermione had finally fallen asleep when she heard someone shouting in the streets outside, and was suddenly wide awake again. She threw off the thick duvet and walked over to the window, pulling the curtain to see what was going on. It was just some drunk muggles stumbling home after a night out. She had never even been to a night club, Ron had never let her. She'd have to get Pansy to take her some time.

Since she was already up, she decided to go to the bathroom. She walked in, shut the door and turned to switch the light on. As she flicked the switch, she felt hands wrap around her throat and looked up to see Ron Weasley's venomous expression, his face telling her that he was preparing to kill her.

"Hi Granger, cosying up to Malfoy already? We've barely just broken up, and you're already with someone else? You're such a slut. I can't believe you're living together, how sweet. Now I'm going to kill you for what you did to me. I'm going to ruin you." He said, spitting his words at her.

She tried to say something back, anything. But the grip on her neck was much too tight and she was gradually beginning to see stars. She tried to kick him and his grip faltered, so she managed to let out a scream, hoping someone would hear her. Instantly he gripped her harder than ever, causing her head to start feeling heavy.

"Never, ever, scream again. Do you ever shut up? You have to be silent, for once in your life, be quiet! You were constantly shouting at me before, so now you have to shut up!"

Hermione started to lose consciousness, knowing that she was coming to the end. Her eyes flickered shut, like a dying flame, she was slipping into blackness. Just as the life was leaving her body, she heard another voice shouting her name in the distance. Then she knew, she had to wake up.

...

Her eyes flew open and she began to cough immediately, choking on the claustrophobic-feeling air. Tears were streaming down her face at a rapid pace and she was shaking uncontrollably. She blinked multiple times and looked around, becoming aware that she was in her room at Malfoy's house. And Malfoy himself? He was sat on the bed next to her looking genuinely concerned for her. It dawned on her then that it was his voice that she'd heard, the voice that had encouraged her to wake up from that god-awful nightmare. Ron Weasley trying to kill her.

She knew that she was vulnerable in front of him, she didn't care that he was probably judging her. But in that moment, Malfoy was there for her, with her puffy red eyes and crazy hair. He didn't say anything, and neither did she. She knew that she'd regret it later, but she broke down to the man that she once hated. A new wave of tears took over her and Malfoy moved closer to her, to comfort her. She all but fell into his open arms and sobbed into his shirt, most likely soaking it. But he didn't care, he was just there for her.

He was sat there, his back resting against the pillows, and she was curled up next to him. His arms were wrapped around her protectively and one thing that she was certain about was that Malfoy would protect her. The two of them must have sat there for about an hour, whilst she drenched his shirt and he rubbed her back soothingly. She didn't know how he did it, but he managed to calm her down, his presence alone did. Ron had never calmed her down; he'd always been the source of the problems. So this was completely new.

Eventually, when the tears died down, she stayed in that position for a minute anyway. "Sorry" she mumbled as she sat up slowly, knowing he was probably uncomfortable in this situation. Like she was now.

He looked at her like she was a crazy woman. "Hermione, you have nothing to be sorry about." He rested his hands on her shoulders as she sat in front of him. "Why on earth would you say sorry?"

"Well, when you said I could move in, I bet you didn't expect the emotional baggage as well." She replied, looking down at her hands in her lap.

"It's fine, honestly."

"It was about Ron." She said bluntly, looking up at him. "He was trying to kill me."

"I'm sorry." He said sympathetically.

"Now you're the one saying sorry, you didn't try to kill me." She laughed roughly, choking on her tears.

"Just remember Hermione, he can't get you here. If he does, I'm here. Despite our past, I will protect you from him if the need arises. I know you can protect yourself, but if you do allow me to give you a little bit of help, I will." He smiled sincerely at her.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it. I just hope nothing dreadful happens; he's so overdramatic that I can just imagine him doing something crazy to get back at me. He always holds a grudge."

"I won't let anything happen, I promise."

"I can't burden you with that promise; I don't want you to have to look after me 24/7. You have better things to be doing."

"I'm not going to let Weasley mess with any of my friends, and that includes you."

"Thank you Draco."

"To be honest, I think you should show Weasley what he is missing." Hermione looked him in the eye, confused at what he was getting at. "You know, tell the world that you broke up with him, not the other way round because of everything he did. No doubt he will try and pin the blame on you, pin the blame on him first. You need to show him up. Prove to everyone that he's the bad guy, not you. Go out with some other guy to show him that he's going to regret it." This was unexpected.

"Yeah, like who?" She said, looking away. Who would want to date her now?

"Me."

"What?" Hermione practically shouted, startled.

"Me." He said like it was the most normal suggestion ever. "We don't actually have to be dating, just pretending. Hermione, what do you think about having a marriage of convenience?"

"Woah! Slow down! Easy tiger. Moving a bit fast, aren't you?" Hermione exclaimed. "I repeat: what?" How could he suggest something so ludicrous?

"Let me put it this way: you need money for your school, you are also showing the Wizarding World that you don't care what they think and putting the Weasley's in their place. You said so yourself that the Weasel is capable of anything and is likely to come after you, I can look after you. Be your protection." Draco reasoned. Her nightmare was being slowly forgotten.

"And what's in it for you?" Hermione asked, knowing that there would be an ulterior motive. He wasn't doing this out of the goodness of his heart, that was for sure.

"Hermione, you see the way that people look at me. All they think when they see me is that I'm a Death Eater. Plus, I think it would make my mother eternally happy."

"What made you think of this crazy idea?"

"My parents came up with it, actually, and no that isn't why my mother is being friendly with you. She does just genuinely like you and want to be friends with you, even if you were to say no to... this."

"Why me?"

"For both our sakes. The Death Eater and the War Hero. I have the money to take care of you and your school. I can make sure that Weasley never lays a hand on you. Come on, who would win in a fight? Me or him?" He asked, trying to lighten the tense mood.

"You." She said honestly.

"You'll never have to worry about him again."

"But we haven't even dated. Or pretended to even date."

"Well let's start with that then. Date for a few months, then announce the 'engagement'. The press will have a field day. No one would believe it."

"Exactly."

"So we'd make them believe. Do loads of things together in public, which I'm sure we will be doing anyway because we're now living together. If we get Potter to believe it, everyone will. The Weasley's already think that we are." He had a point.

"And would we actually get married or pretend that we did?"

"Actually get married. No one would believe it if Potter wasn't there."

"True."

"What have you got to lose?" He asked.

"Absolutely nothing."

"So?"

"Can I think about it? It will probably be a yes because I've got nothing going for me in life at the moment, no offence."

"None taken."

"But if I do, it will be on one condition."

"Yes?"

"We have to pay Rita Skeeter a visit first."

"May I ask why? I thought you hated each other after what happened in fourth year."

"Well let's just say that she owes me and to be perfectly honest, I want to make Ron look like a fool. And who better than Rita Skeeter to achieve that?" Hermione smirked.

"Sounds like a plan, you're letting your inner Slytherin out. And once we've been to see Skeeter, you can quit your job."

"Why? How will I pay for things?" She faltered.

"Don't worry about that, I've got it covered. You're going to be spending all of your time setting up your school."

"You've got more money than is healthy. But, are you sure?"

"Positive. Just think about it..."

"I will."

"Thank you."

"No, Draco. I will do this. This marriage of convenience."

"What? Seriously?"

"You ask me and now you don't believe me?"

"I just didn't think you'd agree so soon."

"Just leave me to sleep before I change my mind." Hermione said, going back under her duvet and preparing to sleep.

"Okay, I will leave you to sleep now. If you need me, well, you know where I am." He stood up from her bed.

"Good night Draco, and thank you, for being there."

"You're welcome, sleep well." He turned, and left the room.

She looked at the clock and saw that it was 3:39 in the morning. After what had just happened, she deemed it unlikely that she'd be able to sleep. The whole thing played on her mind. Did she want a marriage of convenience with Draco Malfoy? Sure, he was being nice to her and everything, but getting married? Yep, she definitely wasn't going to get any sleep for the rest of the night.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Please review etc, it means a lot! Sorry if that proposal (sort of) was quite quick but I really want to get the story going and get to the drama! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE.