Thank you to;

SaruDM
CinziaTwut
Daisy Seary
Dramione4evr
mihika
echizenochi
MaronTodai

For their reviews!

.

.

.

CHAPTER 17.

.

.

.

"Draco, it's 6.30 am. Is there a valid reason for you to be ringing my doorbell at this hour?" A sleepy and dishevelled Hermione said, yawning and not even bothering to cover her mouth.

"Warm welcome!" Draco chirped sarcastically. "Your hair still doesn't take mornings well does it?"

"Really? You're going to talk about my hair at this hour?"

"Okay relax. Don't get so uptight. I just didn't know what time you'd be leaving for the hospital. So I thought why take a chance? May as well barge in early. Didn't bring my coffee mugs because I figured you'd have them too."

"Wait wait wait. You barge into my house at this unearthly hour and you expect me to make you coffee?"

"Yeah? Is that so unbelievable?" Draco said unabashedly.

"You're unbelievable." Hermione said, clutching her hair, shaking her head and wide eyed, all sleep gone.

She went back to her room and plopped on the bed even though she wasn't sleepy anymore.

Sure enough, Draco followed and plonked himself on the other side of the bed.

"Are you going to be this annoying for the whole month?" Hermione asked.

"Take a chill pill Hermione. I thought you were a morning person. And besides if I knew your schedule I wouldn't be staying up all night waiting for the crack of dawn to come see you." Draco said.

Hermione turned sideways to look at him. "You stayed up all night?"

"Well you know me. If I sleep I won't wake before midday. And you would've left by then." He said nonchalantly.

Hermione's eyes softened at this. Draco Malfoy giving up sleep! Boy! He really wanted to spend time with her.

"Also I think if you connected my floo to yours, you wouldn't have to answer the doorbell. I could come and go as I please." Draco suggested.

"That's what I'm worried about." Hermione mumbled under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Draco asked cheekily.

"Okay. I'll give you my schedule. But about the floo I'm not so sure. You may be a pain in the ass now but I actually have the option of just not opening the door. But if I open the floo, you can just come whenever you want. How will I ignore you then? It'll be the end of my privacy. "Hermione asked.

"What's wrong in coming whenever I want? And why do you need privacy? Do you walk around naked in the house?" Draco questioned.

Hermione turned red. "What in the world? Of course I don't. Even if I did it would be none of your business."

"Now I really want you to connect the floo." Draco said suggestively waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh please. Don't get too excited. You're never going to find me walking around naked. I don't do that."

"Then you shouldn't have a problem with connecting our floos. Or at least alter your wards so that I can apparate in."

"Oh no no. I'll just set the floo. At least with the noise and flames I'll have some warning. I can't let you apparate in as and when you want." Hermione said with a tone of finality.

"Good. That's settled then." Draco said victoriously and settled on the bed on his back.

"So now can we have breakfast? I'll cook." Draco offered.

.

.

.

.

"You can't just come here whenever you want to Draco. I work here." Hermione said exasperatedly.

"But you just finished your shift. That's why I have your schedule. I'm on holiday here. Won't you show me around like a good friend?" He pouted.

Hermione sighed. What had she gotten herself into? Actually it wasn't her fault. Draco was too stubborn. Once he made up his mind to spend time with Hermione, not even Hermione could change it.

"Fine. But just this once. Next time don't come here. We can meet someplace else." Hermione said, knowing well that there would be many next times.

She wondered what Draco would do after his break was over.

Would she be relieved that he would finally leave?

Or would she miss him?

It doesn't matter. Hermione thought. He's here now and he's being his usual annoying self. Make the most of it.

"Okay. So what's the plan?" Hermione asked.

"You're the local here. You tell me what's there to do here. Have you eaten?" Draco asked.

"No. But it's too early for dinner." Hermione said.

"Hmm. Ok. Let's do some shopping then. We can build an appetite that way too." Draco suggested.

"Shopping?" Hermione asked. "You hate shopping. And you know I'm not particularly fond of shopping too."

"I know. I know." Draco said casually, linking his arm in hers. "But I've just shifted. And I don't know about you, but I really need to redecorate my flat. Let's go somewhere with good interiors."

"You're kidding. Aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"Nope."

"You're a wizard. You can change whatever you want. Besides, why do you want to waste money on redecorating when you're going to stay only for a month?" Hermione questioned.

"Oh come now Hermione. Remember how you always scolded me for being too dependent on magic and not doing anything on my own? I'm just trying to have some fun. I think redecorating the normal way will be fun. Plus think of the variety I'll get to choose from. I can't imagine and conjure all different types of fabrics and patterns etc etc." Draco went on.

Hermione just stood there looking at him, bewildered. She then shook her head in resignation.

"Fine. If that's your definition of fun." She relented.

"It used to be your definition of fun too." He said softly.

"Come with me. It will be fun." Hermione coaxed.

"Oh please Hermione. Be serious. Manually doing interiors of a house cannot really be classified as fun." Draco countered. "Besides, your little fiancé will be there. Along with boy wonder and weaslette. I hardly think that it would be fun for any of us if I came."

Hermione frowned. "I'm telling them then. This is ridiculous. School's over long back. It really doesn't make sense. You're my friend too. They have to accept you."

Draco came closer and held her shoulders.

"It's your future home Hermione. A place where you're going to start anew and build new memories. I don't want you to fight for me there." Draco said.

"I want memories of you too in that house." Hermione said.

"Hmmm. I don't know. But the time you will be done with it, I'm not sure if I'll be here." Draco said.

"That is why you should come help me. There will be so many things to choose from. How can I do it all alone?" Hermione blackmailed him.

"Nice try Granger. You won't be alone. Weasley will be there. It's your home. Build it together. You don't need anyone else." Draco said.

"I guess. Fine. I need to meet Ron at Couches and more now. I'll see you around." Hermione said dejectedly.

"Have fun." Draco said as she disapparated.

"Ron! You're late again. Never mind. Take a look around. I've already picked some colours. What do you think?" Hermione asked.

"Sorry dear. I'm here now. Let's take a look." Ron said.

After a few hours, they had almost all fabrics possible for couch covers, cushions, bed covers, curtains, table cloths etc.

"Phew! This is exhausting. I wonder how muggles do it all the time. We could have just used magic you know that right?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I know Ronald! But this is so much fun. Doesn't it make you feel involved? Like you're personally putting our home together." Hermione said.

Ron kissed Hermione and smiled at her, taking in her childlike excitement.

"All I know is that it makes you happy. And Merlin knows I want a home with you. So I'm ready for round 2 tomorrow. Furniture right?" Ron said.

Hermione beamed and nodded and kissed him back.

"Umm. Yeah. Draco, I'm not sure I know any suitable places. Let me ask Katherine." Hermione said, spaced out by her sudden recollection.

Had she changed so much?

It was crazy how roles had been reversed.

She didn't even feel like she was the same person anymore.

Going through her daily routines with people who barely knew her, it had been easy to ignore the changes.

But when people from the past came into the present, the changes seemed even more prominent.

She didn't know what to feel about this change. Chucking all these thoughts aside, she asked Katherine for a few places that would suit Draco's need for interiors.

"Ready?" She asked as she walked into the lobby where Draco had been waiting for her.

He smiled and nodded as he took her arm and they walked out of the doors.

.

.

.