Draco returned to their common room to find Hermione curled up with a cup of tea and a book. Naturally. He would be dragged around the grounds by the testicles before admitting it but most nights he wished he could do the same. It was a few moments before he realized she was sound asleep on her couch.

She must have charmed her mug to stay hot and not to fall over if she fell asleep holding it. Silly witch. How often did she fall asleep read before those two charms become normal. He was surprised to find himself smiling down at her.

Shaking his head he grabbed a blanket and covered her up removing the mug and book from her hand and placing them on the table. Without opening her eyes she reached out and took his hand giving it a gentle squeeze she said "Thank you." In a very sleepy voice.

Even though he knew she was asleep and thought he was one of her friends he felt his chest tighten at her words. Until she frowned slightly "Draco?"

"Yes Hermione?" he was not certain he had ever heard her say his given name before. Or had he ever said hers…

"Did you mark my page in the book?" Of course she was worried about her page in the book. He shook his head. Silly witch.

"Thank you Draco. There is tea in the pot if you want some." With that she burrowed further under the covers and went back to sleep.

She had taken his hand and thanked him and said his name. And she had known it was him.

Did it mean anything? Could it mean anything?

He looked down at the tiny bow on his pinky.

No probably not.

But did he want it to mean something?

When he woke the next day he noticed at some point she must have gone to her room the blanket was folded neatly over the back of the couch and the mug and book were gone.

In a few minutes she joined him downstairs dressed in muggle clothing. A pair of very tight trousers and a light pink jumper that showed off her curves in a way that no school uniform ever had. She was clutching a purse.

"I am going to my parents... well... I guess my home now." She said by way of greeting. "I will let you know what I…"

"I thought we had decided I would be joining you, or have you changed your mind and decided to take Potter after all?" he sneered.

"No." she looked down. "No one else knows about my parents. I would… like to keep it that way for awhile longer."

He did not know how to respond to that. He knew that Lovegood had not known, Hermione's responses to her the night she and she-Weasel had come over proved that. But he had no idea no one else knew. Not even Saint Potter and the Weasel.

"Don't move." He said. Going upstairs he put on a black turtle neck and a dark pair of trousers.

When he came back down Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Well, are you going to stand there all day checking me out Granger, or are we leaving?" he smirked.

"You wish Malfoy. You are barely passable. No one is going to stop and stare at us on the streets anyway." She said rolling her eyes.

"Oh I think we both know that's not true." He smirked at her again adjusting his turtleneck.

"Nice to see your arrogance survived the war intact." She said teasingly.

His heart skipped a beat did Hermione Granger just tease him? "And your insufferable eye roll madam." She nodded her head graciously and motioned towards the door.

Both were so engrossed in their quips and taunts they did not notice how many people stopped to stare at them in confused horror as they walked by. Was that really their Golden Girl with the former death eater? Laughing like old friends?

Only Ginny and Luna did not seem surprised. They shared knowing smiles as Hermione walked right past the two of them and never noticed they were sitting there.

After making their way to Hogsmeade where they could apparate Draco stopped and asked "Do you want to get a bite before we go?"

Hermione hesitated "errrmmm…"

"Oh right, can't have the wizarding world's princess being seen with the likes of…" she put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"It isn't that... I am just a little… I have to go back home where I obliviated my parents you know…?" she said in a whisper.

Oh. Right. Now he felt like a real arse. "Well, are you going to feel like eating after we leave?"

She shook her head vehemently "Definitely not."

"Then we eat now. Only maybe not…" he looked around at all of their classmates who were suddenly quite interested in their shoes and clouds. "Certainly not here."

"The Leaky Cauldron?" she suggested.

"And be splashed across the front page of the newspaper tomorrow?" he frowned.

"Right… your parents wouldn't be too keen on that…" she looked down.

"That isn't what I meant…" he said uncomfortably, except that was exactly what he had meant. He did not want his mother getting suspicious about soul marks…

"No, I understand… Harry and Ron would not be thrilled either. How about a muggle place? No one knows either of us and we can just…be? Unless you would rather not?" she hesitated.

"No, that sounds perfect." He was not happy with being reminded that neither his family nor her friends could stand the thought of them going out to lunch as… as what? They weren't friends he had to remind himself. They were at best research partners of convenience. So why did that thought anger him?

Once they were able to apparate in to muggle London it was easy to find a nice little curry restaurant where they could eat in peace. He bullied and distracted her until she managed to eat everything he ordered for her. Left to her own devices she would have ordered flat bread and tea.

Over lunch they discovered they had quite a few things in common besides the love of academic studying. There were several charities they were both passionate about.

"Did you think Malfoy's cared about nothing? Dragon Pox affects everyone Hermione, it is important that research into a cure is developed. And fiendfyre burns cannot be healed by normal magic. So of course we donate to hospitals and healing research." He said over their dessert.

"Alright, you have me there, but the preservation of historical buildings?" she said, popping another fried sweet into her mouth and licking the honey from her fingertips, an action he found far too interesting.

"The preservation of history and traditions? Really? You don't see the connection?" he asked archly.

"OK, perhaps that was a stupid question." She laughed.