"Talk to him."

"What?"

"You heard me. Talk to him."

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

"Dumb doesn't look good on you, Hermione," Ginny sighed irritably. "He's going to need you tomorrow."

Hermione swallowed thickly. Tomorrow was the day of Lucius' funeral, and Ginny was right. Narcissa would need her. Draco would need her. "I know, Gin," she finally said. "I'm going tomorrow, and I'll talk to him there."

"And for Merlin's sake, be tactful. You're my best friend, but you acted entirely out of line with him. His father just died. You don't exactly have the right to barge in there and act like you did."

"Dammit, I know!" Hermione snapped. "I was upset and I was angry and for once in my life I didn't think and let my emotions get the best of me. I know I need to remedy the situation, and I know I was stupid."

"Good," Ginny nodded. "Hurry up and snog him and get over it all."

Draco felt as though he could hardly breathe.

He sat beside his mother, clutching her hand with desperation to match her own, taking short, shallow breaths as the guests filed in. Before him lay his father's coffin, the mahogany exterior almost entirely invisible beneath the piles of flowers which adorned it. The air was sickly sweet and Draco could hardly stand to inhale for the assault on his senses made him want to gag.

He could hear a few people having muffled conversations but he paid them no mind. He couldn't look away from the display in front of him. He wanted to get out of there. He wanted to run, to fly, to escape. The atmosphere was stifling. He gripped his mother's hand tighter. There was movement all around him but he still could not look away. In fact, there was a distinct amount of movement to his mother's left, and he could see it barely out of the corner of his eye.

All at once a surreal hush fell over the people gathered and Draco assumed that someone was to begin speaking. As he expected, there was the low hum of someone's voice droning on about his father, about how he was a good man and how he loved his family. Draco could barely distinguish the words from the ringing in his ear matched with the soft sniffles and sobs of others. His mother sat stoically beside him, not moving, tears silently streaming down her pale cheeks beneath the black veil she had donned.

At last the speaker summoned people up to say their final farewells to Lucius Malfoy and Draco stood with his mother. He caught a shimmer of light in the corner of his eye and turned to see what it was. And there She was. His eyes soaked in the sight of Her, red-rimmed eyes but otherwise perfectly manicured appearance. She met his gaze with watery brown eyes and he wanted to reach out to Her, to sit together like they had before.

She looked away after a moment and they magic was broken. He turned away from his father's coffin, feeling the horrible lump of emotion he knew too well form in his throat as he strode directly down the aisle between and out through the doors. Once he reached the marble floors he broke into a run, not knowing, nor caring, where he was going. His breaths came in ragged, broken gasps as he burst through the back doors and launched himself into the snow covered gardens. He trudged along the slush, his black slacks dampening and his socks soaking themselves through before he finally reached the shelter of his mother's greenhouse.

He flicked his wand and rushed through the now unlocked door, the warmth enveloping him as he let out a shaky sigh. As he allowed himself to calm down he paced amongst the rows of plants, running his hand over smooth stems and inhaling the sweet scent of delicate flowers. He was so immersed in tracing the intricate patterns on the leaf of a particular miniature shrub that he did not hear the door open nor the muffled footsteps approach.

"Hi."

He jumped, wrenching his wand out and whirling around to face the visitor. Hermione stood before him, snow dusting through her hair, and indication that it had begun snowing again. The lightly freckled skin on her face was flushed with cold and her black suit was dotted with white. He raised his wand once more and she looked as though she were about to recoil until he flicked it and the snow disappeared.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

He reached her in less than a heartbeat, crushing her to his body with a strong embrace. He felt her arms wind their way around his body as he buried his face into her hair, breathing her in deeply. She began to shake slightly in his arms and he tightened his hold on her.

"Why are you crying?" he murmured after a few moments, feeling her tears soak through his shirt.

"I've ruined everything," she muttered and he slackened his grip, moving his hands to her upper arms and shifted her back slightly so he could look into her watery chocolate eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Draco asked incredulously and her lower lip quivered dangerously, a few more tears rolling down her cheeks. He brushed them away gently with his thumb and she inhaled sharply. "What have you ruined?"

"This," she gestured vaguely at the air between them. "Us. You're not going to want anything to do with me now. I was so stupid. I just took everything at face value and didn't even think about it. And then I brought it up after your father and just stopped talking to you. I can't believe myself."

"Are you insane?" he said. "You're still here, aren't you? I'm still holding you. I haven't hexed the hell out of you. I need you."

"But what about the things I said?" Hermione sniffled. "I was horrible to you. I just walked out on you."

"You have been known to have a temper," he smiled wryly and Hermione gave him a weak grin back. "Look, we all make mistakes. Hell, I've made more mistakes than either of us, and they've been worse than saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. You may have been a bitch, but I'm a bastard, and at the end of the day, I still want you."

Hermione looked as though she were about to cry again, but this time she pressed her lips to his with such force that he stumbled back slightly, regaining his balance when he bumped into one of the benches. He wound his arms around her waist and she tangled her fingers into his hair as he deepened the kiss, running his tongue over her lower lip until she allowed entry into her mouth.

When they finally broke apart they were both flushed and breathing heavily. Draco smirked lazily at her and she grinned back. "You really do want me?" she clarified.

"No, I just thought I'd snog you for the kicks," he rolled his eyes. "I need to check on my mother and make sure the guests have gone."

Hermione nodded and followed him out of the greenhouse, back through the fresh snow until Malfoy Manor loomed before them. They climbed the stairs together, shivering against the cold until they passed through the doors and into the entrance hall where the guests were gradually milling out.

"I'm so glad you could reappear," Narcissa said quietly, appearing at Draco's side. "Have you two made up again?"

"Yes, Mother," Draco nodded stiffly. "How are you?"

"I'm perfectly adequate considering the circumstances. I will be fine."

"Good. Would you mind if I went home or would you prefer I stayed the night?"

"If it's fine with you, and of course with you, Hermione, would you mind staying for dinner at least? We have some affairs to discuss," Narcissa turned to lead them away from the front doors as the last guests left, instead choosing to retire to the front parlour room where tea awaited them. "The contents of Lucius' will need to be discussed, and he has left us all something."

"All of us?" Hermione blurted out. "Me?"

"Yes, dear," Narcissa handed her a cup of tea, sipping at her own daintily. "I'm not yet sure what he has bequeathed to you but a representative from the Ministry will be here later this evening to discuss it all. Until then, where do you two stand?"

Draco snorted into his tea and received a disparaging look from his mother when he emerged from his cup, tea dripping from the tip of his nose. "What do you mean?" he spluttered and Narcissa rolled her eyes in his direction.

"You know perfectly well what I mean, Draco. Are you two an official 'couple'?"

"Do you mean can you announce it to the Prophet?" Draco said as he wiped his face clean with a handkerchief. "I haven't a clue."

"Perhaps Hermione will be more receptive to my questioning," Narcissa turned to face the brunette who was sipping sheepishly at her tea, eyes on the polished floors. "What are your intentions with my son?"

"You make it sound as though she's a whore," Draco muttered.

"Language!" Narcissa chided him. "I was simply wondering if this was going to be more than a brief fling."

"Well, um, we haven't exactly reached a point where we can define our...relationship," Hermione said slowly, picking each word with great care so as not to put Draco off or shock Narcissa. "I suppose at this point we are simply going to see where everything falls and go from there."

"That sounds like a very wise choice given your tumultuous past," Narcissa nodded her head, her lips turning upwards ever so slightly. "At this point I'm simply happy to see that you two have both come to your senses. Granted, it is a surprising choice to anyone who does not know both of you, but you are really quite similar."

"Not likely," Draco snorted and Narcissa raised a brow at her son. "She's stubborn and short-tempered and too bloody righteous."

"Hey!" Hermione protested, putting her tea back on the table. I'm stubborn? I'm short-tempered?"

"Yes, that's what I said," Draco said impatiently and Hermione glared at him.

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," she grumbled, leaning back into her chair with crossed arms. Draco thought she looked like a grumpy child when she stuck out her lower lip and the thought made him smirk.

He wondered what she had been like as a child. He could imagine her with the bushy hair and big teeth she had had during their first few years at school together, but he wanted to know other things. Had she always been such a bookworm? Had she always been brilliantly smart and talented? Sitting there with her and his mother he realized that he knew next to nothing about the astounding witch and the thought worried him. How in Salazar's name were they supposed to start a relationship – if that was what this was – if they scarcely knew who the other was?

"To my beautiful wife, I leave the promise of my eternal love and Malfoy Manor which I hope will remain her home for many more years. To my only son, Draco, I leave you the holiday houses in France, Italy, Spain and Greece, the key to your trust fund which has accumulated a great deal of money over the years, and the ring which I hope you will promise to the person you wish to live out the rest of your days with, the Malfoy family ring.

"And finally to Miss Hermione Granger. I offer you my sincerest apologies for the harm that I have caused you and your friends in the past, and my blessing to continue your romance with my son. His happiness is what should matter, not the archaic beliefs of an old man. Look after him as I am sure he will look after you."

The Ministry official rolled up his parchment, tipped his hat to the three occupants of the room and stepped into the fireplace, vanishing in a flash of green. Narcissa had tears slowly rolling down her cheeks and Draco was gripping to Hermione's hand as though it were a lifeline. Hermione was utterly speechless. She could not grasp the fact that Lucius Malfoy had been content to allow Draco to pursue her, and he could hardly believe that he had apologized.

She was grateful for the chair that supported her weight and she was thankful that she had something to hold onto, namely Draco's hand which sat in his lap. His tight grip kept her grounded and the safety provided made her feel a little bit better, a little bit more comfortable.

"Perhaps we should call it a night," she finally spoke first after a handful of minutes had passed in contemplative silence. Narcissa stood and swept silently from the room before Hermione could say another word and she stared at the spot where the older witch had just been sitting, only noticing Draco standing when he tugged lightly on her hand. "I should be getting home."

"No," he said hoarsely. "Remember how I said I need you? I need you right now."

She nodded and followed him without a word. She allowed him to lead her up to an elaborately decorated with a large bed in the centre. He kicked off his shoes and shrugged off his suit jacket, untucking the crisp shirt he wore below from his pants before lying down on the bed. She followed suit, taking off her own jacket and removing her heels, lying on the pillow beside his.

Draco's hand lifted and brushed a tendril of hair from her face, trailing his fingertips down her cheek, along her jaw and to her lips where they stayed. She reached out and cupped his cheek in her hand, letting her fingers play with the strands of white blonde hair that hung into his face. She shifted closer until their foreheads rested against one another, not saying a word and not making any other contact aside from their hands and heads.

At some point, it could have been minutes, it could have been hours, Draco fell asleep. He had allowed a few tears to escape from his eyes during that time and she had said nothing, merely held him while he let his emotions run free.

Watching him sleep now, though, she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to know how he had come to be like this, so convoluted and impossible to unravel. He was a mystery to her and she had always been one to solve puzzles. He was charming and cocky and a bastard, but she wanted to know about him. She wanted him and everything that came with him. She vowed that when they woke in the morning they would talk, and she would find out all that there was to know about Draco Malfoy.

A/N: I'm not even going to bother trying to defend how freaking late this is. It's ridiculous, I know. On the other hand, happy birthday to me for yesterday!

Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this (tiny/crappy) update. I don't know when the next one will be out, I'm drowning in assessment and writing two other fanfictions, one Dramione and the other Rose/Scorpius, so look out for those at some point!