.x. Well... It couldn't be that easy could it? ;) let me know what you think .x.

Saturday

As she watched him walk away she smiled at his retreating figure. Just see what happens. Luna had talked a lot of sense about forgiveness and moving on. She hadn't felt this way about anyone for a long time so why stop something without even giving it a try? It was nonsense, and he made her feel amazing. She was still buzzing from his kiss and she could taste mint. She traced her lips with her finger and smiled before a figure sat down on the sofa opposite her. She looked up with a smaile thinking it was Draco but her smile faded quickly.

There before her was Lacey DeLotte, the girl pictured in the paper with Draco earlier on in the week. She had tanned skin, platinum blonde hair, bright blue eyes, plump red lips and a slinky black dress cut in a V to her stomach. Hermione had only ever seen her in the paper before; they didn't exactly hang out at the same places; but she was even more beautiful in real life. She seemed to radiate sex appeal.

"You're Hermione Granger." Lacey stated, a sweet smile on her face.

"Yes I am…"

"Amazing, I've always wanted to meet you! I'm Lacey." She held out her hand for Hermione to shake. "I've heard so much about you." Hermione took her hand and shook it with a confused smile. She wasn't adverse to people coming up to her knowing who she was, but this seemed like an unlikely coincidence given she had just been kissing the blonde she had been on a date with earlier in the week.

"Have you?" Hermione questioned, unsure as to where this conversation was going.

"Yes! It's not every day that you run into a member of the 'Golden Trio'. You're an inspiration!"

Maybe she did just want to say hello... "Well I don't think…"

Lacey cut in suddenly. "Draco was telling me the other day that he was working with you this week. It's great to see you two getting along… you know after your past and all."

It hung in the air like a dagger... their past. "Yes… well… "

She cut in again. "I mean I don't think you two can ever be friends, he still calls you terrible names behind your back – Oh but I shouldn't really tell you that, I've had a bit too much to drink!" She giggled into her hand.

He calls her names? "Oh…" was all she managed.

Lacey composed herself and sat up straight, resting her elbows on the table, her breasts spilling out of her dress. Hermione sunk back into the sofa wanting to put as much distance between them as she could.

"Maybe it's when he's tired he slips up. We'd had a long night the night before… if you know what I mean…" She winked and continued. "And I'd woken him up in the morning, distracted him for a bit longer… and that word just slipped out from his mouth. Awful really… Mudblood." She whispered the last word, but Hermione only saw her lips move. It was enough to send a chill down her spine. Her hands started to shake first, then her legs, after a few seconds her whole body was shaking.

This wasn't right, this girl wasn't talking about Draco Malfoy. He wasn't that person anymore. She had spent the whole week with him… he was different. He didn't care about that stuff anymore, he never did. They had been so open and honest with one another… and now they had come this far. They had kissed and she was about to leave with him… Had he been using her? Had this all really been one big joke he never got to finish from school? Let's make the little Mudblood fall in love with Draco Malfoy and then break her heart.

"I thought people were past those prejudices these days but you know Draco… he has to save face for the press and you of course. Underneath he still just the same. Merlin knows I see it often enough. I mean this morning when we were showering together it just slipped out again, although he was distracted again… I tend to have that effect on him." A smirk crept across her pretty face.

Hermione's heart sank. He was with Lacey this morning... and now, a few hours later he was here kissing her? Hermione felt suddenly dizzy and sick. She had fallen utterly and completely for this man. This man that she thought was different, but only hours before had been in bed with the beautiful woman currently sat across from her. Had been touching her and had been intimate with her. The room was getting hot, her skin felt like it was on fire.

"Anyway… I just wanted to say hello. Have a great night." She smirked again, slid off the sofa and walked away, flipping her long blonder hair as she went. Her long legs carried her away through the shadows of the club leaving Hermione to fester in black fog she had left behind, crushing her chest. She needed air, she needed to get out of the bar. She stood up and grabbed her bag from the table. She had just stepped out of the booth when an arm circled her waist. The minty smell filling her lungs, her eyes glistening over with the first sign of tears, her throat dry threatening to let the sobs out. How could he do this?

"Ready Granger?" She had felt so safe with him less than two minutes ago. She had held his hand and she had kissed him and it felt like a real kiss. It felt like he was who she had been waiting for. He felt right.

"Get off me." She said, standing still, not looking at him.

"What?" He asked, confusion in his voice.

"I can't believe I thought... Was it one big joke to you?" She turned to him, glossy eyed trying to control herself.

"Have I missed something?" He released her waist from his fingers but moved it up to her forearm. "Granger what's happened?"

"Why don't you ask Lacey?" she spat as she pulled her arm away from him and took a step away.

"Why would I ask her? Merlin, please tell me what's going on." He reached out again and grazed his fingers on the palm of her hand. She pulled away again. Tears threatening to spill from her eyes, don't let him see, Hermione. Don't let them see the tears.

"She told me about you two and... How could I have been so stupid!" She choked back her sob not able to look at him any longer. She turned and walked as fast as she could away from him. Away from the man she had come to care for so much. Away from the man she thought was different. Away from the man she thought was the start of something amazing. But instead she was heading to an empty home, having to start again. She practically ran from the bar, pushed the doors open into the summer air, relishing the cool wind on her skin. She heard her name being called from somewhere behind her. She didn't turn around to find out who it was. She spun on the spot, closing her eyes and focusing on her living room, her sofa. After a few seconds and tightening of her chest she came to a halt in the middle of her living room floor. Only the tightening didn't let off. It was still there. That's when she couldn't hold back the tears any longer and she sobbed loudly. The warm tears spilling down her cheeks, washing his gentle touches away.

.x.

Draco had just stepped out of the bar and into the street when he saw he Apparate away, her brown curls the last thing he saw as she spun away from him. He stood there for a few moments feeling the cool air whip through his hair, confused about the last thirty seconds. What on earth had happened since he had gone to say goodbye to Blaise? There was only one person who would give him the answer… Lacey. As he turned round to head back into the bar he ran into Potter and the Weasley girl.

"What did you do to her?" Potter looked thoroughly pissed off, and judging by the wand currently trained on Draco's chest, his anger was aimed at him.

"Whoa! Hang on, I haven't done anything!" He raised his hands in surrender. Surrender of what.. he didnt know.

"Then why was she crying and where has she gone!?" The dark haired Wizard demanded. His voice cracking.

"I don't know…! We were talking, then I left and when I came back she was angry at me... Stop pointing that wand at me!"

Harry lifted his wand in defiance and was now pointing it at his throat. "You were the last person talking to her, you must have said something to upset her!"

"Why because I'm such a bastard all the time!?" Draco shouted.

"Pretty much!" Potter retorted.

"Harry come on." Ginny said, tugging his arm trying to distract him.

"No, come on!" Draco goaded him. He could feel his anger bubbling away anyway so why not take it out on Potter. "You've obviously been dying to say something to me so why not now. I'm sure it's been coming for a few years."

"You know what, it has!" Harry replied. "You are a bastard! And a big one at that! So I'm going to ask you one more time… what did you say to her!?"

"You want to know!?"

"Yes!"

Draco stood still for a few moment contemplating his next few words. Why did he have to justify himself? He shouldn't have to. People always thought he was the bad guy no matter how hard he had tried to rid himself of that stigma over the years. But he wasn't a bad guy. And these were her friends… her best friends. They were the most likely chance of him seeing her again, his talking to her again. Draco ran a hand though his hair. "I kissed her, alright!" He shouted.

"You what!?" Ginny and Harry said in unison, looking at him, mouths open in shock.

"I kissed her, and she kissed me back! And I was about to take her away from this bar so we could talk and figure out what to do about it because I've never felt this way about someone before!"

He lifted both of his hands and covered his face. "Fuck!" he shouted, his hands muffling the sound. He eventually moved his hands and they rested limply by his sides before he continued. "I left for two minutes and when I came back she was angry at me and now she's left… without me… and I don't know why…" He turned his back on them and looked over to the last place he saw her before she Apparated away. He had finally gotten the girl, finally kissed her and now it had all gone to shit.

He turned back around to see Potter and the red head staring over at him, hand in hand. Potter's arm was now by his side, his wand pointing towards the ground. "You like her?" He said after a few seconds.

Draco looked at him for a few more seconds before answering, "Yes."

"Then if it wasn't you, what happened?" The red head asked.

"I don't know… but I'm going to find out." He pushed past the two of them, storming back into the bar, launching the door open with a bang. Looking first towards the bar - no sign of her. Walking round the booths searching for the bleach blonde hair that would surely stand out in the darkness. It had to have been her. Why would Granger mention her… and what had she said to her?

'She told me about you two'

Hermione's voice rippled through him. What did she tell her? His heart was hammering in his chest and he felt sick. Suddenly he saw her on the dancefloor, dancing with a tall dark haired wizard, bending over and grinding her arse up against his crotch. Lacey saw him making his way over to her and bit her lip, holding out her open arms for him and wrapping them around his neck when he got close enough.

"There you are! How about we get out of here…" She whispered in his ear, the smell of Firewhiskey on her breath making his stomach lurch, not in a good way. "We can finish off what we started on Tuesday…" She turned and backed up into him, pushing her arse into his crotch and leaning backwards so her head was on his chest. She turned her head and whispered in his ear again. "I'll let you put it anywhere…" before rubbing his crotch with her hand.

He grabbed her hand and moved it away from him, spinning her round to face him. She tried to keep her face straight but he saw the glint of fear in her eyes.

"What the fuck did you say to Hermione?"

"Who's Hermione?" She smiled sweetly up at him. He was slowly losing his temper. He grabbed her arm and pulled her off the dancefloor.

"Ouch! Draco!" She pulled away from him called but he didn't care. He tightened his grip on her arm.

He let go of her arm, backing her into the wall. "What did you say to her." He repeated again, breathing heavily and glaring at her, as if his eyes would melt her skin.

"Nothing… I just went and introduced myself." She lifted her nails and looked at them as if she was bored of the conversation, insighting his anger further.

"And…" He pressed speaking with his jaw clenched.

"And… told her, her place." She folded her arms over her chest, pouting at him. Smirking.

"What?" He was having a hard time keeping the tone of control in his voice. And control in his fists. What did she mean... told her, her place? Before he could ask her what it meant she moved towards him pushing herself into him.

"You keep coming back to me Draco…" She started stroking his chest with her fingers, reaching up to tickle his neck as she continued. "It's like you can't quit me." She reached up and placed a kiss under his ear. "Don't deny it…" she moved her hand inside his shirt.

"Do you know why I keep coming back?" He whispered in her ear, grabbing her hand stopping her from touching him any longer. "Because I know you're easy. Maybe if you weren't fucking at least five other guys in this bar alone, I'd feel flattered. But I don't. I'm sorry I ever touched you in the first place." He began to step away from her until something made him turn back around…

"You're giving me up for a dirty Mudblood!" He had grabbed her wrist again and pushed her hard into the wall. Unbeknown to him at the time, Potter and the Weasley girl had turned up, looking on at the scene unfolding. He shouted at Lacey, "If I ever hear you call her that again! If I ever hear you call anyone that name again! …" He leant in and whispered in her ear so only she could hear. "I'll tell your Daddy all about your dirty habits."

She recoiled away from him… fear plastered all over her face.

"You think he'd want to hear about how his precious little girl is fucking half of Diagon Alley? Or how his hard earned money is paying for your Muggle drugs?" She was shaking now and he loosened the grip he had on her arm.

He pulled back from her and stepped away. Breathing deeply trying to control his anger. He pointed a finger at her. "If you ever speak to her again I will destroy your reputation. Do you understand me?" She didn't say anything only nodded quickly then turned and ran away from him. He inhaled a long breath, released his fists stretching out his fingers noticing the two onlookers smiling at him.

"Where is she?" He asked not caring if he sounded abrupt.

The girl looked at Potter before she spoke. "She's at home, but she's shut off her Floo and closed her wards so we can't Apparate in."

"But you know where she lives?"

"Yeah but..." Potter said.

"Then take me there." He said shrugging his shoulders, as if it were the most logical option.

"What? Malfoy it's late, just leave it until tomorrow..." Potter started.

"No, I need to talk to her now."

The red head piped up then, "Yeah she'll calm down and you can talk then..."

"No." He cut in, holding up his hand to stop both of them from making any more excuses. "Either I knock down every door in London tonight trying to find her or you help me and show me where she lives."

Potter looked at him incredulously and Draco rubbed his face once more. "Please, Potter. No matter how hard you may find this to believe…. I care about her. And I don't want her waking up tomorrow morning hating me."

Potter looked at him for a few moments, staring him out, as if trying to find some sort of insincerity in his face but he found none. He had never been more serious about anything in his life. Potter turned to the red head next to him and shrugged his shoulders before exhaling loudly.

"Okay. Come with us."