Author Note: I'm totally blown away by the response I've been getting for this story compared to my previous one. I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read it, review on it or follow/favorite it. It means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy the next chapter and let me know what you think of it.

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Chapter 6:

December 5th, Ministry of Magic

Hermione stared at her large stack of paperwork that was begging for her attention. Her fingers held onto the beautiful quill with no movement. She couldn't stop thinking about the last time she had seen Draco. He had been more bold and readable with emotion. Maybe it had something to do with Pansy's appearance, she didn't know. All she knew was that he had done what she never thought would ever happen between them. He had kissed her and it wasn't just any simple kiss. He had pressed himself closer than she ever thought he would go.

His lips were soft and full of passion along with a longing that almost seemed desperate to feel something. Was he numb inside like she was? Was he alone like she was? There were so many questions that ran miles inside her mind. She still couldn't grasp her own thoughts around the events that happened in his kitchen. A part of her wanted to see where it would go; but there was another part of her that was skeptical of everything. It just seemed too good to be true, almost planned out.

"Dwelling on it isn't going to help anything..." She told herself, in the process of forcing her hand to move across the page.

A soft knock on the frame of her open door startled her. Looking up quickly, her eyes met those of Harry himself. No surprise there. She had been avoiding him as well for the last few days. There was already enough to hide from him and looking at him now, the urge to spill her guts to him was overwhelming. "Hermione..." He called stepping inside the room a little further.

"What can I do for you?" She asked mentally hoping that it was just a business visit and not a personal one.

He held up the file he had borrowed from her a few days prior, which meant he was there to return it. It got her wondering why she didn't send someone else to return it and why did he come himself. She marveled if Draco refused to do the task after she had left him alone moments after the kiss had ended. "Came to return this. I appreciate it." Harry answered handing her the folder.

"No problem at all. You know you can ask for my help anytime."

"I know. There was another reason as to why I came myself today."

"Oh...why's that?"

Hermione regretted asking that. The look on his face was a sure indication that he intended to ask her personal questions. Looking down at her work to avoid his gaze, she swallowed the lump in her throat. "I've been worried about you. I know you need space; but we miss you. Ginny misses you." Harry admitted.

"I am sorry. I'm...I'm just different now..."

"We still love you and want to be there for you. None of us can understand what you went through that day; but keeping a distance from us isn't going to help."

"Is that why you've been sending Draco down here for random little things? So he can keep an eye on me, is that it? And since when did you trust him with anything?"

She didn't mean for her anger to get the better of her; but it did. Harry took the blunt of her outburst, hoping that it would get her to open up to him again. They used to tell each other everything; however, it all changed once the war ended and the subject of her torture was the cause of her nightmares.

He wasn't going to deny the fact that he did indeed send Draco with the tasks so he could keep an eye on her. The fire in her chocolate eyes was proof that the old Hermione was still in there somewhere.

"Draco is one of the best Aurors we have here and clearly he isn't the same person he used to be. I've gotten to know him quite a bit over the last couple of years; so yes, I do trust him to do as I ask of him regardless of what the task is."

"So why didn't you send him today?"

"He isn't here, hasn't been for the last couple of days."

That information perked her interest. Draco hadn't come to work at all since the kiss happened. Out of reflex, she curled her bottom lip inward. Was the reason he wasn't there because of what she did? Was it her fault? She wanted to ask for more details but thought better of it for fear of Harry finding out about her attraction to the man in question.

Harry studied her reaction to mentioning Draco's absence and to his surprise, she seemed full of guilt. Her eyes swirled with even more emotion than before and most of them he understood except for a single expression that caught him off guard. His friend was worried about Draco Malfoy.

"Hermione...did something happen? You look concerned." He asked.

"Of course not. I'm just taken aback by the fact he actually missed work. He's been such a stickler for perfect attendance."

"I know. He said he needed to take some personal time and would be back Monday."

A week for personal time seemed like a lot to her. Harry searched her face for anything else he should know. Thankfully she knew how to hide the real important things from him, always could. He smiled adoringly at her. She couldn't help but return the gesture. Standing up, she crossed the room to wrap her arms around his neck in a friendly embrace. "Really think about Christmas, okay. I know it would do you some good to be around people that really care about you."

"I will...thank you..."

Pulling away from him, Harry left her office. Learning of Draco's leave of absence, her mind went back to racing a million miles a minute trying to figure out what to do. She rushed through the stack of papers on her desk with the hope of being able to leave early. Once it was finished, she packed her things up and left the office. Draco's face flashed behind her eyes as she walked.

Fighting the urge to see him, she continued on towards the gate of her apartment complex. Aiden greeted her warmly with a cheerful voice and a smile on his face. She waved at him in passing. Unlocking the door, Hermione stepped inside the comfort of her living space. She never left the office earlier than five and here it was only four. Stripping out of her robes, she walked back to her bedroom for something else more comfortable.

Deciding upon a part of black leggings, red and black plaid skirt with a black button up top with flared sleeves. Her hair was still pulled up in a messy bun, held in place by a small clip, she moved back out to the kitchen for her black knee-high boots and her coat.

She needed to get out for a walk to clear her mind. Three days without speaking to Draco was harder than she thought it was going to be. It was weird to miss someone so quickly into whatever it was that was forming between them. Though, she couldn't deny it. She missed him, missed his touch, missed the way he looked at her and missed those soft lips on hers. Thinking about it again left a dull ache between her thighs and left her growling in frustration before closing the front door behind her.

The cold air smacked her in the face; but it was welcomed to cool her heated body down. Aiden once again waved at her as she left the complex. The gate closed behind her almost seconds after she stepped through it. Hermione walked wherever her legs decided to take her, which happened to be the park. Standing across the pathway to look at the massive decorated tree in the center, her mind wandered back to Draco.

The attraction between them was undeniable; however, there were plenty of questions that kept her from really indulging in it completely. Why was he attracted to her, when he tormented her in school? Did her blood status matter him still? Sitting down on the bench behind her, she ran a hand over the top of her head and filtered her fingers through her curls that had fallen out of her bun.

When she looked back up, Pansy was staring at her from a distance. It wasn't the person she had been hoping to see. Not in the least. Pansy started to walk toward her and a tightness formed in her throat. There wasn't anything she wanted to say to this woman, not after being called a 'mudblood' three days before that. "You look distressed? Draco drop you like he did me?" She asked.

"For your information, we aren't anything except co-workers. I was only bringing him some Christmas decorations, cause I knew he didn't have any, when you decided to lash out at me." Hermione responded calmly but sternly.

Pansy sneered at the answer. Her expensive coat shimmered against the lighting of the tree behind her. The old Hermione would have used some kind of spell to humiliate her; but now, she didn't feel it would do any good. Pansy would always be stuck up and selfish. There was no changing that. "You are what you are, no good fling will change that." She retorted before turning heel and leaving Hermione to feel ashamed once again.

With Pansy's words fresh on her mind, she got up from the bench and continued deeper into the park until she stood in the spot Draco had shown her. The same place his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, took him as a child to see the frozen stream. The snow covered field was a breathtaking view. The trees held such a peaceful nature to them with the snow resting on all the branches.

Staring at the cloudless sky, Hermione watched the stars twinkle. She had no idea how long she stood there for, except for the fact that her fingers were starting to go numb from the cold. A snapping sound from a twig alerted to someone behind her. Whirling around, her eyes met those of his. The blue-grays color she had come to enjoy looking at up close.

"Granger..." He stated softly, not bothering to use her first name like he had when she was bolting away from him.

"I'm...I'm sorry...I shouldn't...have come here..." She said pulling her coat up closer to her face, attempting to walk out around him.

"Please stay..."

His voice was more than whisper. Her feet froze from taking another step. Turning her head slightly, she could see his pleading expression on his face. Her fingers were burning from the cold so she quickly placed them in the pockets of her coat, hoping they would get warm soon. Draco stood firm in his place for a few more seconds before shifting to stand right before her. "This spot is a public place, you can visit it whenever you please." He said doing his best not to take a hold of her, pressing his lips back onto her until she begged for more.

"I just...knew how much it meant to you. I'm sure the last person you want to see standing in it...is me."

"Why would you say that? Because you ran off after I kissed you?"

"Yeah...pretty much..."

He chuckled lightly at the answer. She wasn't the first woman to bolt from his kiss, that wasn't what affected him. What affected him the most, was the fact that she had kissed him back and could feel her hands on his chest. She had enjoyed it as much as he did. She bolted out of fear and he couldn't understand why.

Hermione shivered when a gust of wind blew through them. Draco noticed almost instantly that she was indeed cold and figured that the scenery wasn't the best place for a conversation like theirs to continue. "You're cold. How about we talk somewhere warmer." He offered taking a few steps closer to her.

"That would probably be a good idea. I can't feel my hands anymore."

He placed a hand on her lower back to urge her forward. She lifted her hand out of her pocket for a moment to brush a stray chunk of her hair out of her face. Draco caught her hand with his. The warmth of his was enough to make her shiver at the simple touch. "Your hand really is cold." He commented half-teasing her.

"I told you." She replied with a smile.

Her smile was something he had been dying to see for days. There wasn't anything better than to see the brightness in it to dull the ache in his heart from the loneliness he felt from years of being formed into a person he wasn't. Lacing his fingers through hers, he could feel her stiffen obviously surprised. It didn't take her long to curl her fingers around his, soaking up the warmth in the process.

Draco noticed that she was leading them to her apartment building instead of his. He hadn't expected that. He figured that they would end finishing the conversation in his apartment, instead she turned the tables on him. Letting go of his hand, she pushed the button to be let back inside. "Back, Miss Granger?" Aiden asked lightly.

"Yes. It's quite cold out here tonight." She answered.

The sound of the gate clicking open was a relief to both of them. The bitterness of the wind was really getting to them. They walked through as Hermione lead the way to her secluded apartment in the back corner. Draco looked around and admired the design of the building. It was well thought out and much better laid out than his building.

She turned the key and sprung the lock free, the door opening without much effort. The smell of apple cinnamon waved under his nose and coaxed himself to calm down. There really wasn't anything to be nervous about, despite the fact that it was indeed Hermione's place of residence not his. Kicking the door behind her, she slid out of her coat and blew warm air from her mouth into her hands.

"Do you want something to drink?" She asked opening one of the lower cabinets near the refrigerator.

"Whatever your drinking is fine with me." He answered, trying to not to stare at her backside when she was bent over.

Hermione could feel his hot stare from behind and the flush in her cheeks returned almost instantly. She forced herself not to think about where his eyes lay, only focusing on the task at hand. A bottle of fire whiskey was in her hand when she returned to the upright position. Draco never pegged her to be a big drinker; but knew there were sides to her that he knew nothing about. It intrigued him further to know every little part of her. Physically and mentally.

She grabbed two small glasses from a second cabinet above the sink. The amber liquid was poured into the glasses and then one was handed to him. He held onto it, debating on drinking it at all. That was until he watched her lift the edge to her lips and tilt her head back, swallowing it in on single gulp.

"Harry told me that you took personal time." She said breaking the silence.

Tilting his own head back, he enjoyed the warmth and the burn from the liquid to warm his insides up. "Yes, I did. After you left, I thought I should probably rethink things before facing you again." He admitted, which was the truth. He had questioned his sanity in kissing her that night, knowing how different they really were.

"I'm sorry. I...was just overwhelmed with it all."

""It doesn't matter. It happened and nothing can change it now."

Draco sat his empty glass on the counter before turning away from her again. He looked into her living room and the neat organization of her belongings, which was completely different than her office at The Ministry. There were photos of her with Harry and Ron scattered across the space. He had to smile a little at the image, because he knew that no matter what she would always have them. "It does matter, Draco." She replied coming closer to him.

"Not really. I kissed you, you fled...not really a big deal."

"I...shouldn't have fled, because I...wanted it to."

He raised an eyebrow at her answer. Hermione continued to close the gap between them. They stood at the junction between the living room and the hallway that lead to the rest of her apartment. Her eyes were on him, searching his eyes for anything that would confirm that she wasn't crazy for wanting the same things as he did.

His desire for her tugged at him, causing a tightness to form below his pants line. The lights from her own decorated tree reflecting in her eyes, adding another level of beauty to her already addicting features. He damn near lost the control that was hanging on by a thread when he felt her hand rest on his chest. "Hermione..." He whispered, trying for it to not sound so desperate.

The sound of her name rolling out of his mouth, had her leaning in. Gripping his shirt in her fist, her lips pressed onto his. A soft groan escaped his throat as Draco pressed further until her back was against the wall. He dived his tongue through her parted lips, receiving a taste of her. Her nails dug into his arms with a soft moan of her own.

He shifted his free hand to curl under her thigh to lift the entire leg around his waist only to press his growing length against her. She moaned again, this time he left her mouth, trailing hot open mouth kisses to the shallow of her neck stopping right at her ear. "I would love to strip you down and taste every single part of your body..." He whispered, blowing warm air across her sensitive skin.

"I..." She attempted to speak; but was cut off by his mouth covering hers once again.

She was wet, heated with arousal that beyond indescribable with words. His tongue danced along hers then moved to suck her bottom lips between his teeth, leaving it slightly puffy. The lust coated his eyes when he finally opened them to look down at her. She panted, trying to catch a single even breath of air.

Releasing her leg, she shifted against him to stand more straight. She was wondering why he hadn't followed through with what he said that he wanted to do. It almost disappointed her in a way. She was so hot with desire it was almost painful. "As much as I would love to continue...I can't...it wouldn't be right." He said.

"I don't understand."

"I'm trying to be as gentlemanly as I can be here."

He backed away from her and turned to sit down on the sofa. She blinking a couple times before joining him. There had to be more to his reason that just trying to be a gentleman, she just knew it. Neither one of them knew what was forming between them and neither one really forced to figure it out. Draco sat still, trying to ease the ache his groin and was startled to feel Hermione's head against his shoulder.

The smile action took his breath away. He never imagined her not to be so pushy, because pushy was all he had seen of her growing up. The smell of her shampoo filtered through his nose, allowing him to lift an arm to wrap it around her. "I saw Pansy at the park tonight." She stated closing her eyes, breathing in his comforting scent from his chest.

"Oh..."

"She was still her self-center bitch of a self."

He let out a low chuckle. It surprised him to hear her curse like that, not that he didn't think that she could, he just never thought it would hear it like that. He liked it. Hearing her speak of Pansy, made him think that he wouldn't never be good enough for Hermione. Ghosts of the past still haunted him almost every night, making him damaged goods. It made him wonder if she could handle that. There was only one way to find out, right?

Pushing her head off his chest, she looked at him perplexed. "I need to get going. I have an errand to run." He said moving to stand up.

Hermione got up to walk him to the door. The words she wanted to say left her mouth. She wanted to kiss him again; but was left disappointed when it didn't happen. He opened the door and was almost out when he turned back around. "Do you think that you would like to have dinner at my place tomorrow night?" He asked suddenly.

"Dinner at your place?" She questioned, wondering if she had hear him correctly.

"I do know how to cook, Granger."

"That perks my interest. I accept."

A coy smile upturned his lips just as he leaned in to captures her in a single searing kiss that left Hermione breathless. "I'll see you around seven then..." He whispered before pecking her cheek. She watched him leave the whole way until he was passed the gate. It was then that the butterflies began to flutter in her stomach.

"Dinner with Draco, is that considered a date?" She asked herself aloud.