Sorry this is late, too! Hope it being uncommonly long will make up for that! Again, thanks to all my reviewers!

Draco's lip pulled to create a sneer, gray eyes incredibly hostile as he watched Molly Weasley inspect his leg.

"Watch your wand, woman," he snarled when she poked a tender spot. "If I wanted to get mauled again, I would have stayed in Hogwarts."

"You watch your tone, young man," Arthur ordered. "You are a guest in our home, but you had better mind your manners."

"I would rather be a guest in a morgue."

"That can be arranged," muttered one of the many Weasleys that were crowded into the living room. Hermione glared at the redheads before fixing a pointed look on Draco.

"Be civil, Draco."

"Draco?" The room was in uproar for the third time that day and Arthur had to threaten forcing everyone out. Draco smirked at the dark looks he received but said nothing else. Molly finished looking at it and stood.

"Well, I'll order some potions from St. Mungo's. You're lucky it hasn't fallen off, Malfoy. It should heal up before school starts up again."

"I am so grateful," Draco muttered and Blaise snorted derisively. Molly's eyes narrowed and she went to the door.

"Everyone out, save you two," she added with a look at the Slytherins. Hermione touched Draco's arm before following the others out to the kitchen. When the doors were closed, Molly and Arthur turned to her and Harry.

"Now, I want an explanation for this, Hermione," Molly demanded. "And it had better be a good one."

Hermione folded her arms over her chest. "Any other explanation but the truth would be a terrible one and I can't tell you that. Not yet."

"Hermione!" Ginny shook her head. "What is wrong with you?"

"It's sitting in the other room, Ginny," Ron growled. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Oh, shut up, Ron," he muttered. "You've no idea what's going on, so stop making stupid comments like that."

"Oh, so you've taken her side, eh?"

"Because I know what her side is!"

"That's enough!" Arthur slammed his hand down on the counter. "That is quite enough!" He looked around the room before sighing. "Hermione, Harry, as you have brought these two…guests into our home, you will be responsible for them. They will stay in Ron's room-"

"What?"

"They will stay in Ron's room," Arthur continued while his son fumed silently under his mother's stern gaze. "And Harry will stay there as well. Hermione, you'll share a room with Ginny and Luna."

"As if Ginny would want to," George grumbled.

"Go to hell," Hermione shot back, fed up with the reception she had received. Arthur shoved open the door.

"Everybody out." Arthur stopped Hermione before she got to the door. "I need to talk to you."

She sat down at the table, watching him as he closed the door and then sat across from her.

"Hermione, are you feeling well?"

"No."

Her curtness drew a frown. "Can you tell me what-"

"No…Mr. Weasley, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so hard. It's just-"

"The creature. Yes, I know. Word's spread around the office about it and your name got brought up."

"Can I ask why everyone thinks I have something to do with this?"

"Because, unfortunately, Minerva…Headmistress McGonagall believes you lied to her about what you saw. And then there's Mr. Malfoy's appearance. That's not very helpful to your case."

She sighed. "Mr. Weasley, right now…I can't tell you anything."

He observed her for a moment before shaking his head. "If that's your stance, then I can't sway you. But I wish you weren't involved in this, and especially with that Malfoy boy. It's not looking very good, and if it turns out its what everyone thinks it is, then the problem could be worse."

"What are they planning on doing?"

Arthur stood. "I can't say. Hermione, if you would? Try and keep your guests from starting an all out war in my home. I understand they have nowhere to go and…that you have some kind of relationship with them. But I do not want my holiday ruined by two intolerable Slytherins."

She nodded and returned to the sitting room. Blaise and Draco were alone, to her surprise. She suspected Molly had herded everyone outside.

"I'm surprised you're still in one piece," Blaise said as he looked around for a place to sit down. He settled on standing by the fire while Hermione pulled a seat up to the couch Draco was lying in.

"I think they're more mad at Harry," she muttered. "So, everyone thinks we have something to do with Easter."

"We do."

"Yeah, but they shouldn't know that!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, I would rather take my chances with the bipolar cat than your redheaded friends, Granger."

"Amen," Blaise said. "I've never seen a place so vile."

"You know, Zabini, I will be very happy to do the family a favor and curse you myself."

"Take up for them while they plot to kill me," Draco growled. "That's classy."

She grabbed him by the collar, pulling him close. "You listen to me, Draco, because I am only going to say this once. I...I care about you. But if you make one more snark about the Weasleys or the Burrow, I will relieve you of your pain by simply taking the offending leg off!"

She released him with a huff and started pacing the room. "I can't believe you're being a prick."

"Yes, Draco being a prick is so surprising?" Blaise said before starting to laugh. "Look at his face, Granger!"

She turned and blushed at the shock on his face. "Fix your face, Draco. I didn't say anything that surprising."

He closed his mouth and sunk down into the couch. "Are you going to tell me why you didn't tell them?" he said after a while. She sat back down, sighing.

"Something didn't feel right. And before you get that smug look on your face, I'm not talking about telling the truth. I mean about Easter. You were unconscious, so you didn't see how he looked when he brought you out of the dungeons. You didn't see how hurt he was. It was so different from what I saw in the dark. It just felt wrong."

Blaise grinned. "Granger, we all know you didn't say anything because, let's face it. For you, the only thing worse than being expelled would be to separate you from your little love toy here."

Her blush put a smile on Draco's face. "Well, do you know how long we're going to be out of school?"

"Longer than it took for you to change the subject."

"Blaise, stop talking."

"I can't. I literally can't. Look at this damn place, Draco! I swear, I will contract something just breathing."

"Hopefully it will mellow you out," Hermione said before turning to Draco. "I don't know. I think we go back the same time."

"What, do they plan on waiting it out?"

"They haven't told me anything, Draco. They think I'm involved!"

Draco could see Hermione floating between enjoying his attention and wanting to hex him. He was glad when the door opened and Harry stormed in, most of the male Weasleys behind him.

"Harry, will you listen to us?"

"I will not." He glared at Draco. "This is your bloody fault."

Hermione stood, gesturing Blaise over. "Help me get him up to the room."

"He's not staying in my room!" Ron asserted.

"That's perfectly fine with me," Draco said as Hermione helped him stand. "I can stay in whatever room Granger's in."

"Me, too," Blaise said, casting an interested look over Ginny. Harry flushed and pulled his wand out.

"Get Malfoy up to the fifth floor."

A storm blew in the day before Christmas Eve, bringing in so much snow that anyone staying at the Burrow was locked in. The atmosphere had been tense already even with the ability to escape outside. With everyone shut up inside the house, things quickly turned worse than the weather outside.

Hermione had taken to sitting with Draco in Ron's room since Draco rarely left the room to avoid the influx of friends and family that poured in for the holidays. Blaise stayed until the couple got awkwardly quiet and then went out into the yard, where redheads constantly harassed him. He then returned to the room to find the couple in much the same condition. Harry managed to keep the Weasleys away from the two Slytherins, actions that increasingly got him on their bad side.

When the snow had started piling high against the door, Hermione went up to the attic room after ensuring Ron was gone. She climbed over Draco's sleeping form to look out the window. It was late morning and a sleeping draft had put him out for a while, so he was just waking when she settled down on the other side of his cot near the window. She leaned her face leaning against the cold glass pane to watch the snow bear down on grounds outside. She could still make out the outlines of trees and some rocks.

"Granger, what are you doing?"

She smiled, turning to him. He turned on his side, eyes barely open as took in her appearance. A faint smile passed over his lips.

"I think I had a daydream like this."

"You're an idiot."

"You're not dressed."

She looked down at herself. She was wearing the same t-shirt and shorts he had given her the first night she had stayed with him.

"Dressed enough to be seen by you, which is all I really care about."

He chuckled dryly. "I'll take that in the spirit it was given." His eyes moved to the window. "It's been snowing all night?"

"Uh-huh. It's gotten really high, too. I think it must be above the door now."

"Great. Now we're really stuck here. You know, Weasley snores like a damn train!"

She grinned. "I know."

"You know?"

At his curious look, her cheeks warmed but she shrugged. "We've shared a tent."

"For what reason?"

"That's really none of your business. And I can't see how it matters anymore."

He reached over to touch her leg. "Yeah, probably."

Her stomach flip-flopped at his touch and she pushed his hand away. "Cut that out," she muttered. "Ron could-"

"What, walk in and see you with me?" Draco rolled his eyes. "Like he doesn't know already."

"Flaunting isn't my style."

He shrugged, turning onto his back. "Whatever you want. I'm very patient."

Smiling, she leaned close to him. "I have a confession."

"What is it?"

"I don't remember you kissing me."

He sat up, frowning. "What?"

"I don't remember it."

His affronted look amused her thoroughly. "You're taking that the wrong way. I was shocked. I shut down, so I don't remember any of it."

His eyes narrowed. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie about that?"

"Nobody forgets Draco Malfoy."

She laughed. "Yeah, well I did."

"I can't believe this."

"Do you really think that much of your kiss?" She shrugged. "It must not have been that good."

"Bullshit, Granger. That's a damned lie and you know it."

"Well, maybe next time you shouldn't run up and kiss someone when they're not expecting it."

His eyes narrowed and he leaned up. "You need advanced notice?"

"That would be nice." Hermione scooted closer when his lips captured hers. A tremble moved through her body and her heart raced at his touch. It was a gentle, caressing motion that warmed her all the way through. His hand took hers, squeezing it. She wanted to laugh, she felt so wonderful in this little moment.

"Has anyone told you that you taste like peppermint?"

She did laugh, pulling away so she could look at him. "You taste like you should still be asleep."

He smiled and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Does this feel weird to you?"

"No…yes…Easter's not here."

Draco sighed, lying back down. "I hate that bloody cat."

"It feels weird, doesn't it?" She ran a finger over the back of his hand, frowning. "It all feels wrong, Draco. Easter…we raised him. For him to just turn on us…"

"You saw what he did."

"Which is why it doesn't make any sense! You read the same things I did about the different creatures Easter could be. None of them ever mentioned such radical mental states! One second he's calm and caring. The next, he's trying to kill us?"

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know!" She shook her head. "Why didn't he kill you? He had you, Draco…I could hear you. I could hear you and he could have killed you. According to everything we've read, you should be dead." Taking a deep breath, she met his troubled gaze. "Instead you're here because he suddenly decided to spare you?"

Draco sat up, glaring. "You're doing this to get out of the other thing, aren't you?"

She leaned in, kissing him softly. "I'm doing this because of this other thing."

The door opened, followed by a very enraged yell. Hermione and Draco pulled away to see an infuriated Ron standing there, Harry behind him. Draco's lip curled while Hermione just blushed.

"Weasley, privacy means nothing to you, does it?"

"I'll kill him!"

Harry grabbed Ron, yanking him back while Hermione got up off the cot. "Stop it, Ronald," she ordered. "You cut this out right now!"

"I told you he was thick."

"Draco, say one more thing," she hissed, giving him a look to kill. "Ron-"

"So this is what you've been doing behind my back!"

"I haven't been doing anything behind your back! You forfeited the right to know any of my business when you called me a bitch."

"You know what, you're absolutely right. What was I thinking, calling you a bitch? If I had known you were going behind my back with the ferret, I would have called you a whore!"

"Wow, Weasley," Draco said and Hermione could not see any sarcasm. "I don't think it's possible for me to loathe you more than I do now."

"Stay out of this, Malfoy! I can't believe you, Hermione."

"Don't look at me like that, Ron. Despite what you think, I never went behind your back. I had things I couldn't tell you-"

"But you could tell Malfoy?"

"At least I could trust him not to turn on me!" she hissed. "I couldn't tell you things because I didn't want any of you to get hurt! I would have told you eventually but you hateful boy, you didn't trust me one bit! You couldn't trust me when I begged you to trust me and this is what happened!" She suddenly felt very drained and with a sigh, she returned to the cot. "Just leave me alone, Ron. If you can't trust me, then I don't know what else we have to say to each other."

Ron's face turned beat red and his gaze turned to Draco. The platinum blond ignored him, tilting his face to get a better look at Hermione. With a frustrated growl, he stormed out. Harry watched him go, feeling a little torn. Hermione pressed her forehead against the windowpane, breathing onto the glass.

"Go ahead, Harry. I'm fine."

Harry nodded and closed the door as he left. Draco leaned his head against the window, observing Hermione carefully.

"Go on and say what you want about Ron before I change my mind," she told him. He shrugged with a wan smile.

"I really can't imagine a worse way to get into Weasley's position than to talk about it."

Hermione leaned up and kissed him quickly. "I hope your leg feels better," she muttered before leaving. She made her way slowly down the stairs, finger running over her tingling lips. She would remember those moments.

As she came down the stairs, she could hear yelling so she stopped and crouched in the stairwell.

"Why are you taking up for her?"

"Ron, you need to stop-"

"I need to stop? She's up there snogging Draco Bloody Malfoy and you're telling me to stop?"

"She's what?"

"Yeah, Bill. Hermione's up there with Malfoy!"

"But I thought you and her…Harry, you knew?"

"I didn't…this isn't something I was aware of."

"You knew she was doing Malfoy?"

"She's not doing anyone, George. God, what the hell is wrong with you all?"

Hermione hurried to her room and closed the door. Ginny and Luna looked up in surprise, obviously having been listening themselves. The three girls had not talked at all since they got to the Burrow. Ginny had spent time with her sisters-in-law, Angela and Fleur, while Luna had been in her room or outside with the others. Ginny seemed more hurt by Hermione's new alliances than Luna and now that all three girls were alone together, she voiced this.

"You're with Malfoy?"

"I'm not…" Hermione sat down across from them. "It's complicated. Things have happened that I can't really explain but…Draco and I-"

"Draco?" Ginny shook her head. "I can't believe you, Hermione."

"This isn't something I did on purpose. It just kind of happened. And your brother wasn't doing anything to help!"

"Are you saying my brother drove you into Malfoy?"

"No! Nobody drove me anywhere. Things came between us and we couldn't trust each other anymore. We couldn't communicate anymore. I could…can talk to Draco. He understands."

"Understands what? That you completely dropped your friends to be with him? I'm sure that's the only thing you two have in common."

"I never dropped you! I never meant to hurt you all." Hermione put her face in her hands. "None of this was supposed to happen."

Ginny and Luna glanced at each other and then Luna moved over to sit beside Hermione. "Does it have to do with why they closed down Hogwarts?"

Hermione looked up at both girls with a sigh. "I can't-"

"Hermione, they shut Hogwarts down. You're here with Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, and Ron's downstairs turning the rest of the family against you." Ginny's eyebrow rose. "I don't think right now is the time to be holding on to your secrets. They're what got you into this mess in the first place."

Hermione shook her head. "It's not that simple."

"Then what can you tell us?" Luna asked. "I want to believe you're not involved in what they all think you are. That this all has a reasonable explanation."

"It has an explanation, just not a reasonable one."

"And you can't tell us."

"There are still parts that I don't understand. I can tell you that this thing with Draco…Ginny, I swear that nothing happened until that last day of school and even then, it was all on his part. I never went behind your brother's back. I wouldn't do that to him."

"But you were with Malfoy, weren't you? Why?"

"He found out what I was hiding. Look, I can't tell you anything else. I don't want anyone to get in trouble. Hopefully, when we can go back to Hogwarts and all the bad things will be behind us."

Ginny frowned. "But you do like Malfoy, don't you?"

Hermione's cheeks warmed. "I can't tell you how to feel about him because I know how he's treated everyone. But…he helped me deal with my problem before it became a problem. And he saved my life. Those things count for something."