A/N: Hey everybody. New chapter, hope it's liked. (This has been edited a little from the original chapter I posted.) Lady J.

Ch. 2

It took so long to see
You walked away from me
When I need you
Wake up I'm pounding on the door
I'm not the man I was before
Where the hell are you
When I need you
Wake up I'm pounding on the door
I won't hurt you anymore
Where the hell are you
When I need you
It took so long to see
You walked away from me
When I need you

Draco

Draco didn't want to hurt her. He loved her. With all his heart. He just didn't want her to be hurt too soon or leave him too soon.

Ha. That did me fat lot of good. She left me anyway.

But you betrayed her. She had every right to.

Why Granger is troubling me so much, I haven't a clue. I can't sleep anymore. She's always in my thoughts, always in the back, making me remember what I did to her and how much of a bastard I am. It would be great if she didn't hate me but I think I'm hoping for too much.

You probably are. And you acted like a git to her; she'd have to be Mother Theresa to not hate you. But since you're here, you should go and see if she a.) Remembers you and b.) Wants to see your pointy face.

Good idea. And my face is not pointy.

Great. I'm having a conversation with myself and standing outside Granger's flat in the rain. I have gone mad.

No you haven't, you've just come to your senses.

Draco looked up and down the list of names on the flat directory. Finally he came to Granger. He hesitated before pressing the button.

Do it!

"Right," he said to himself, and pressed the button.

"Who is it?"

He was shocked that she actually answered. He cleared his throat.

"It's Malfoy. Let me up."

There was silence for a minute.

The door to the building buzzed open and Draco walked in.

"Damn. I forgot the flat number."

It's six C you feckless idiot.

Shut up.

Draco walked up the stairs and finally got to the sixth floor. Looking down the hallway he saw a dark green door with the letter C in brass.

"Muggles," he sighed to himself.

Draco knocked on the door and Hermione answered it wearing blue plaid pajama pants and a baggy Weird Sisters t-shirt.

"Well isn't this interesting. Draco Malfoy finally has come to grace me with his presence. You haven't spoken to me for five years. For what reason should I let you in to my flat?"

"It's nice to see you too, Granger. And you should let me in because…you just should."

Awkward pause…

"Uhh… so, can I come in?"

"I guess."

Hermione opened the door wider to reveal a rather modern living room with a small kitchen to the right and a hallway off to the left.

"Sorry it's a little messy," she told him, "I have been working a lot recently."

Draco really didn't notice much clutter except for a few magazines and an empty Chinese food take-out container on the footstool.

"It's a muggle flat. Messy was my last concern."

"You never change do you?"

"Thanks Granger. It's nice to see you're still the same self-righteous twat I always knew."

"If anyone is a twat here, it's you Malfoy. And how does living in a muggle flat make me self righteous?"

"Because you're a muggleborn you think you have to keep the muggle part of you in the forefront. You're a witch. Being a muggleborn doesn't matter."

Hermione just stared at him for a minute and then went over and sat on an oversized chair, Draco followed and sat on the couch opposite her.

"So, Malfoy, you never answered my question."

"Which one would that be?"

She glared at him. "Why did you come here?"

"I had an argument with the whore."

"The whore…oh you mean your wife?"

"Yes."

"Ok, but couldn't you have gone to Zabini's or something? Why here?"

"Because you were really the only person I felt that could help me out of this situation."

"It never fails, when something bad happens and you need a shoulder to cry on you come running to me, is that right? Well you know something Malfoy? I'm over this! I'm done with you. Everything about our… whatever we had was illogical and stupid. If I never see you after tonight it'll be too soon!"

"Granger! I couldn't very well just keep going out with you! I was getting married!"

"But you could have told me sooner!"

"I didn't want to cause you any pain any earlier than I had to!"

"Bollocks. You just didn't want to stop shagging me until the last possible minute."

"No. Even though you were a fantastic shag, I didn't want you to hate me until it happened."

"Always looking out for number one aren't you? And thank you for treating me like a sex object," her voice dripping with sarcasm. Hermione sighed. "What's the reason for you annoying me with your presence?"

"Pansy and I got into a fight because I won't sleep with the filthy bint and produce an heir to the Malfoy fortune. I will not touch her. Never have, never will."

"Wow, never thought I'd see the day. Malfoy controlling his libido. That's new."

"You're a riot Granger. And I'm trying to get her to violate the pre-nuptial agreement so I can get out of this hell hole of a marriage without sacrificing half of my estate."

"Has she had an affair yet?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well, considering the fact that she was the biggest slag at Hogwarts, she's probably got something on the side to keep her occupied."

"You really think so?"

"Malfoy. She couldn't go a week without trying to jump Theodore Nott's bones. I'm positive she's getting some."

"How do you suppose we catch her? And I don't want to actually catch her in the act; I just want to get proof."

"Well since stalking is illegal in the muggle and wizarding worlds, we could hire a private detective."

"Alright, how do we go about finding a good one?"

"Easy, we post an ad in the Prophet and then we interview the ones that respond."

"How soon can we get an ad in?"

"Well, because I am Hermione Granger and I know the editor, I can get it in tomorrow morning's paper."

"Wow, how large is your ego?"

"Nowhere as massive as yours."

"Ha ha. Put that ad in the paper."

"Not if you tell me like that."

"Fine Granger, would you please get that in tomorrow morning's post?"

"Fine."

"Thank you."

Hermione walked over to her desk, pulled out a quill, and started her letter to Collin Creevy.

"Wait!"

"What, Malfoy?"

"Don't mention me."

"I wasn't. That would be stupid. Since someone might find out. I'm giving us aliases."

"Us?"

"You came here and asked me for help. I am definitely going to be involved in the rest of this since you can't even figure out how to catch your own wife having an affair."

"Fine. I guess I could use your snooping nose."

Hermione stopped writing and turned around to look at Draco. "I am NOT a snoop! You asked me to help you! I am putting myself at risk just associating with you!"

"How, Granger? How is Harry Potter's best friend being put in jeopardy by talking to me?"

She mumbled something.

"Speak up Granger."

"Never mind. It's not important."

"Sure, whatever you need to tell yourself so you can sleep at night."

Hermione harrumphed and returned to writing the letter. Draco got up and began to pace.

"Would you stop that, it's distracting."

"Sorry, helps me think." He sat down on the couch again and Hermione continued with the letter. A few minutes later, Draco started to cross and uncross his legs repeatedly.

"Malfoy, the loo is right down the hall."

"What?"

"You keep crossing your legs like a schoolgirl with a full bladder. I assumed you needed to use the facilities."

"You know what happens when you assume Granger. And no, I don't. But I'll keep that in mind for future reference."

Hermione sighed and once again returned to the letter. She was then interrupted a few minutes later by Draco tapping his fingers on the end table.

"Do you need some Ritalin? Or do you just have a nervous twitch?"

"Keep writing Granger."

Hermione returned to the letter one final time and finished it. "Here," she said, "read this."

Draco took the paper and started reading.

Dear Mr. Creevy,

Please make sure this is posted in tomorrow morning's Prophet.

ATTENTION!!! Private Detective needed! If interested, open interviews will occur at the Leaky Cauldron, on Friday the 18th at 1pm. Please be prompt.

Thank you,

H.G.

"Seems fine to me," Draco said.

"It's not too short?"

"No, we don't want to give away too much and be conspicuous."

"But shouldn't we add at least some details about the job?"

"No, Pansy does read the Prophet Classifieds for estate sales and the like. She might see it."

"You really think that she'd see the ad and then connect the invisible dots back to us? She's a moron Malfoy; I don't think she's capable of that high level of thinking."

"She is rather stupid. Fine, send it before we miss the deadline."

Hermione went over to the cage where she kept her barn owl.

"Come on Velma, got a job for you."

"Interesting name for a bird."

"I…named her after a character in a muggle cartoon about solving mysteries. Velma was the smart one that everyone just used for the answers."

"Story of your life eh, Granger?"

Hermione hesitated before she nodded slightly and opened the window for Velma to leave.

"And now, all we have to do is wait for confirmation of the ad being accepted," Hermione said.

So they waited. Hermione walked into the kitchen to get some butterbeer for them.

What am I doing? She thought. Why is he here? I won't let myself get pulled into this again. I won't let myself get hurt like that again. I'm still not completely up to snuff but if I let myself fall for him again, I don't think I'll ever recover.

She sighed and returned to the living room. "Here," she said, and handed a bottle of butterbeer to Draco. As she did, their fingers brushed together and Hermione felt a chill go down her spine. She looked at Draco and suddenly let go of the bottle which started to fall to the floor. Draco, luckily, was able to reach out and grab it before it smashed and spilled everywhere.

"Merlin, Granger! Watch what you're doing!"

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Obviously," he sneered.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and sat down on the oversized chair again.

Did she feel that too? Is that why she dropped the bottle? Draco tried to collect his thoughts. Was she surprised or disgusted by it? Why am I still thinking about this? We ended things years ago. Well, I ended things years ago. Stop dwelling on the past, move on. She hates you and you couldn't have asked for more. But she's helping me, why?

The pair heard a quick tapping on the window. Hermione got out of the chair and walked over to let Velma in. The bird had a piece of parchment attached to her leg. Draco stood while Hermione proceeded to read the letter aloud.

"To whom it may concern,

Your ad will be placed in tomorrow morning's Daily Prophet.

Thank you for your patronage,

Colin Creevy

Daily Prophet Editor"

"Well, it's in. No turning back now Malfoy."

"I guess not. So you're alright with helping me with this, Granger?"

"Yeah, I'm not exactly Pansy's biggest fan so getting her in trouble will be my delight," Hermione said this with an evil grin.

"You're scary when you're angry."

"You should have seen me after graduation. If looks could have killed, Malfoy…"

"Then we wouldn't be in this situation here."

"I guess it's all for the best then."

Draco shifted nervously. "Yeah, I suppose." There was a short pause. "So Friday at one at the Leaky Cauldron?"

Hermione thought for a second. "How about we meet at noon in the alley behind the pub so we can get our disguises in order?"

"That's fine. I'll see you soon Granger." And with that he dissaperated with a pop. Leaving Hermione standing alone in her living room.

She collapsed on the couch in a lazy heap. Wow, she thought. How's that for ironic.

A/N: Next chapter soon!

Love,

Lady J.