A/n: Thanks to my beta Hunter's Heir!

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them- that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

~Lao Tzu

My words hang in the air between us. Obviously this is what was on his mind since the moment he came up here, but actually saying it out loud is revolutionary in a way. I can't deny the truth with it staring me in the face, and he can't ignore the strange interactions between us recently. The uncommon kissing, the physical attractions, the lingering feelings, all pointing to one very terrifying thing:

We're mates. And neither of us really knows what to do about that. I continue shifting beside him, letting the words dissolve into nothing between us as we both scramble for something to say that will make this situation less awkward. That's really unlikely to happen, though.

Eventually, he does clear his throat and speak. "That's… interesting."

"Yes it is," I agree, staring off at the wall in front of me. "Did you um… read much of the book?"

He nods, pursing his lips. "Enough to realize that this is completely insane. We don't have any say in this?"

I shake my head. "If we did, I certainly wouldn't be sitting here right now. Being a Siren definitely isn't something I like."

"I don't know that I much like it either. I mean, it's you!"

Rolling my eyes, I try to let the comment slide. "Look, you're not my ideal prince charming either, but I didn't ask for any of this. Signs just started showing up and I did some research and… boom. I figured out I'm secretly a Siren and I have no control over what's happening. The only way I can even cover over my voice is if I find my mate."

"You're voice is going to change?" he asks, looking perplexed. "Funny, I didn't notice a difference to begin with."

Oh, right. I forgot that the mate would just be drawn to me, but he wouldn't actually notice any of the differences everyone else saw in me- except when my eyes change color of course. That's much harder to miss.

"That's why so many men seemed… swayed by me," I explain awkwardly, remembering the uncomfortable incident with Ron. "My voice changed when I… came of age I guess, and my traits kicked in. Everyone else could hear it except my mate. That's why you didn't notice a difference."

"Wish I had," he grumbled. "So, there's no way out?"

I shake my head, already knowing beforehand that he wasn't willingly going to leap into this situation. "No. If I don't find a mate before a year is up of coming into my traits, I kiss my life goodbye."

"You die!?"

"No Malfoy!" Taking a breath I shake my head, finding it slightly humorous that he immediately came to that conclusion. Oddly, he sounded almost unhappy with the idea of my death. "Basically, my voice would become overpowering. Only my mate will be able to resist the draw of my voice. I don't know quite what you see that's so alluring if you don't hear my voice the way everyone else does, but there isn't much I could do if you decide to not go along with this. In a year's time my voice would become overpowering, and it would cause an uproar. I couldn't live in the city anymore, or around people in general. Basically I'd be forced into a life of solitude."

He nods, taking it all in. I knew he wouldn't jump up and down about this- Merlin knows I haven't- but I don't want him thinking he has all the power yet either. Yes, I need him in order to stay normal and get over this phenomenon that took over my body, but there has to be a downside for him. Now, I just need to read further into the book to figure out what it is…

"And there's no one else?" he asks with a sigh, rubbing his brow. "Not even Weasley?"

Rolling my eyes, I lean further into the couch. "No Malfoy, this is all on you. I already had my run-in with Ron and it's something I don't plan on repeating."

His head snaps around to look straight at me, and I cock an eyebrow. Ah, so I have his full attention now.

"What do you mean?"

Shaking my head, I relax on the sofa again. "Look at yourself Malfoy, you're already worked up about things. You can keep asking whether or not someone else can take your place in things, but in the end you're the one that was destined to be my mate. Harry and Ron, despite how much they love me, just can't be it. It's not destined to be."

"They love you?"

I stop, taking in his appearance. He's gone rigid. I can't believe the mere mention of my friends is riling him up! I really need to read more so I can figure out why he's so... upset by the mention of them. Well, if he knew the nature of what Ron did and actually had some whole-hearted feelings for me then he might be upset, but I don't see that happening in the current situation. Or, maybe it would and it would cause a massive problem.

I really shouldn't test things too much right now. The goal is to just get Malfoy to understand after all.

"Look," I say, rubbing the back of my head, "This is going to take some time to get used to. I'm not sure how much of the book you read-"

"Enough."

"Right, well, I don't know what 'enough' actually consists of, but we do need to discuss everything. I mean, it is kind of life-changing."

"You think!? You just dropped this on me."

"It was dropped on me too," I mutter, crossing my arms. "The only difference is I've had a bit longer to process things."

He nodded, refusing to look my way. Well, I guess he could be a bigger prick about things if he wanted to be, but at least he's trying to be semi –understanding. I didn't expect him to accept things with open arms after all. It's way too weird for that.

"So what do we do?" he asked hesitantly, glancing my way. I look at him as well, and the eye-contact couldn't be any more intense. Suddenly, my body's heating up, that same sense of arousal attacking me again. I shift uncomfortably, and he does the same.

Okay, super awkward. We look away again, and he clears his throat.

"Um…"

"I guess that means you felt it too," I mutter, my cheeks turning red. From the corner of my eye I can see him nodding. "Um… does it… happen often?"

"Do you really want to ask that question?"

It's enough of an answer for me, and since my cheeks are already scarlet I decide to stop asking about it. "It's part of the Siren experience…"

"So I've noticed. And to get rid of it I suppose we have to mate?"

I really want to hide my face. I can't believe we're having this conversation! "Yes… from what I've gathered. It seems to be the only way to be rid of it…"

"Not yet," he says gruffly, leaning forward to rub his eyes. "I can't take that."

"I can't either. I think we should get to know each other better first. You know, on a friendly level."

He looks towards me again, and after our awkward conversation I can't quite meet his eyes. "And there's no way around this? We both have to get partnered up whether or not we like it?"

"Yes." I pause briefly, speaking again only when he doesn't. "You're taking this better than I thought you would."

He shrugs, standing. "I can't quite ignore what I read. This all kind of… explains things. Like my sudden attraction to you."

I nod, watching as he begins to pace. Taking advantage of this I stretch out on the couch, still wondering how the hell he's remained so calm so far. "It all seems a bit far-fetched doesn't it?"

"You and I being together? Incredibly. Even if we somehow come to terms with all of this, we don't just have to deal with each other. I mean… we have to deal with our friends, the rest of the school, and my parents."

"Mine too," I mutter, knowing that I'll have to mention this to them sometime. He grimaces and continues to pace. "We can't worry about what anyone else is going to say until we come to terms with it ourselves."

"Right."

"Which means we're going to have to start spending time together."

"I gathered that much."

"And overtime we're going to have to-"

"Learn to love each other?" he asks, pausing to stare at me. I refuse to meet his eyes after the sudden jolt of passion we both received the last time our eyes met. Nodding, he groans. "I think that's going to be the hardest part."

"Agreed. It'll be hard to put the past behind us, don't you think?"

"It'll be hard for everyone else too," Malfoy remarks. "Nothing about this is easy."

"You're finally beginning to understand what I've been going through since I found out."

"I would've lost my fucking mind." He pauses to lean against the wall, rubbing his temples. "So, who else knows besides you and me?"

I shrug, adjusting in my seat. "Dumbledore. I haven't told anyone else."

He cocks an eyebrow. "No one? Not even those friends of yours?"

"No. Not even my parents. I… I wanted to sort things out first. I also wanted to find my mate. Considering that it could be anyone in the world I wasn't certain that I ever would, but it just happened to be you. Now that I know… I guess I have to start dealing with other things."

"I see. And when exactly do you plan on telling those friends of yours? I'd like to know when I should start watching my back."

Raising an eyebrow, I can't suppress the slight smile that graces my lips. "Are you afraid of them?"

He scoffs. "Hardly! But I'd like to keep my guard up since I know they're going to be roaring mad when they do find out. Out of everyone you could end up with, the last person anyone would think of is me. They won't like it when they do find out."

"And your friends?"

"Blaise will probably accept it; he's pretty laid-back. Nott, Crabbe and the others I'm not so sure about. Pansy will lose her fucking mind when she realizes I really won't be marrying her."

I make a face. "You're supposed to marry Pansy?"

"Only in Pansy's world. She's a bit delusional like that." I nod, looking away again, and silence lapses over us once more.

"I need time to myself," he says at length, and I glance his way. Nodding again, I stand, wandering to the door.

"Just don't tell anyone," I say, staring at the floor. "It will cause a lot of controversy once it gets out as it is."

"Trust me, I won't. I just won't say anything else on the matter until I can think things over, Granger."

I don't argue with that, and stand to the side so he can exit my bedroom. Our fingers brush as he leaves and the man pauses, going rigid. My body stiffens at the contact as well.

Any physical contact awakens way too many nerves.

"I'll see you in class," he says tightly, hurrying away. I don't reply as he rushes down the stairs, and instead simply slam the door closed.

This is all going to take some getting used to.

After my not-so-productive talk with Malfoy yesterday, I spent a lot of time in my room just thinking. Reading the book was incredibly tempting, but I couldn't get myself to stand up and actually pick it up. I was too interested in replaying the horrendous conversation between us again, trying to gage what was going to happen next. I couldn't quite tell if Malfoy thought I was a bit batty, if he was buying into the whole idea, or if he really just didn't know what to do next. But I'm pretty sure he's confused, just like me. Who wouldn't be when you realize that you have to change to fit into this new version of reality?

I've been wondering if my Siren traits will go away once I've… mated with the blonde. It's something that I can probably find in the book, but I still haven't picked it up yet. Partially it's because I'm wondering why Malfoy didn't have a bigger freak-out about everything. I expected him to be an angry, cursing fool, not a calm, collected, completely confused individual. I don't really know what to expect from him now.

But he did ask if there was a way out of things, which leaves a bit of worry in my heart. Does he really hope to avoid everything, just like me? While there might not be any negatives for him if he decided to ignore everything, for me it would be detrimental. Although he didn't seem like he was completely shunning away the entire idea of being with me (which I still don't understand) he didn't seem like he would mind if someone else could take his place either. It might be more comfortable if my mate wasn't someone who couldn't stand me, but it's not like I can do anything about that now. I just hope that Malfoy realizes that we should be together… and doesn't turn into a total jerk and try to use this to his advantage, since everything is kind of riding on him.

At breakfast I can feel his eyes all over me. Even from across the Great Hall I feel his gaze each and every time he looks my way, but I don't dare glance back. The moisture between my legs is bad enough. I don't need to increase it.

"Are you alright this morning Hermione?" Harry asks as he eats. "You seem very… distracted."

"Hmm? Oh, right. I'm just tired this morning Harry."

"Right." Ginny sat away from us this morning, choosing to sit with a group of girls further down. This leaves me open to talk to Harry without being glared at, and Ron is talking to me anyway. It pisses Lavender off and really makes me smile. Now that my voice doesn't create lust, everything is just a normal conversation like it used to be. It's quite nice.

"Do we have Quidditch practice later Harry?" Ron asks, munching away at his food. I shake my head, wondering where all the weight goes.

"Yes Ron, we talked about this last week. Quidditch practice is today. Positions have to be filled again. Your sister is trying out too." Harry wiggles his eyebrows, earning a shove from Ron. I chuckle at that, thinking it's funny how Ron gets so uncomfortable over Harry and Ginny dating when they've been together for almost a year.

"Are you going to come watch Hermione?" Ron continues, earning a shove from his girlfriend this time. I roll my eyes, wondering how he can stand that woman when all Lavender does is squawk and complain about whoever she currently thinks is trying to steal Ron from her. I would lose my mind being in a relationship like that. But hey, Ron's actually speaking civilly to me, so who am I to complain?

Shaking my head, I finish chewing before I try to talk. "I have a lot of assignments to catch up on."

"Weren't you up in your room all last night though? You didn't even stop by the common room to say hey."

I cringe, having forgotten my promise to go up and hang out. "I had to speak to Dumbledore about some Head duties," I lie. "Malfoy and I couldn't sort things out, so I decided we should just meet with Dumbledore."

"Are things better now at least?" Harry asks worriedly. "If he's giving you any trouble-"

"No," I cut in, quickly shaking my head. "He's fine, we just don't agree on a lot of things. Don't worry Harry."

"So you won't come watch us at all?" Ron asks, looking crestfallen. Lavender gives him another shove, and I'm glad I turned down the offer now. Sitting in the stands with that nut-job doesn't sound like a fun time to me. She'd probably just go on and on about how Ron is hers and no one else's- as usual.

Shaking my head, I sigh. "I can't. I have so much to do." Actually, I just have a lot to think about.

Relenting they give up, and a few minutes later I excuse myself. If the heat between my legs gets any worse from Malfoy's stares I'm going to lose my mind. I'll just go deal with that dilemma, respond to my mother and get off to class. Bidding my friends goodbye I get up and leave, walking peacefully towards my room, trying to will my hormones to calm down on the way.

I'm nearly to my room when he stops me. I hear someone approaching behind me and turn around, spotting a blonde head.

"You followed me up here?" I say, arching an eyebrow.

"We need to talk," he says gruffly, grabbing my arm gently. We sit at a nearby table beside the entrance to my common room and I squeeze my legs together. His touch really doesn't help the raging hormones.

"What?" It comes out a bit rougher than I mean for it to, but it can't be helped. I'm a bit preoccupied.

"Does Weasley still have a thing for you?" The question is so untimely and random that I nearly fall off my chair. He can't be serious!

"Where the hell did you get that idea?" I snap, unable to control my current irritation. Out of everything he could've wanted to discuss, he wants to talk about this!?

"Just answer the question."

"No Malfoy, Ron doesn't have feelings for me anymore, okay? I don't know where you heard that much less why you care, but he stopped feeling things for me ages ago. And now that I can lace my voice to sound normal he doesn't react anymore."

"What?"

I shake my head. "Never mind. Now where did you come up with that idea?"

"I heard you talking," he replies with a shrug, and I tilt my head to the side. "What?"

"When did you hear us talking about… anything!? Ron doesn't have feelings for me anymore."

"I beg to differ Granger."

"Why?"

"Because he really wanted you to go down to the Quidditch pitch and watch him, didn't he? I'd say he really wanted your attention."

I freeze at that, studying the blonde before me. "Where did you hear that?"

"I… heard you two talking."

My eyes widen. "As in… this morning?"

"Yes."

"But you were on the other side of the Great Hall when we discussed that!"

"I didn't say I understood it, just that I heard you. I don't know how I could."

"Are you using a spell or something?" He shook his head. "Then how is that even possible?!"

"Like I said Granger, I don't know. I just know that I could hear everything you said to your friends. I wanted to make sure you didn't have feelings for Weasley or something."

I arch an eyebrow. "Worried or something, Malfoy?"

"Hardly. We're forced to be mates, remember?"

"Yes," I reply, tapping my chin, "You just seem way too concerned about things."

"Maybe it comes with this whole Siren-bullshit. If we're supposedly destined to be together, maybe I'll be forced to be protective of you."

Yeah, "forced". "That doesn't explain why you could hear me from across such a large room."

"I could only hear what you we're saying when I looked your way."

I recall how he kept glancing my way in the Great Hall this morning, and now I understand why he kept looking at me a bit more, despite the fact that he was just talking about avoiding me and thinking things through last night. "When did you discover you could do this?"

"This morning. I glanced your way and suddenly I could hear you talking to me as though you were right in front of me. I almost ran out of there when it happened."

"I can imagine it was a bit startling."

"Yes. It's only you though, and whoever you're conversing with. I couldn't do it with anyone else in the Great Hall- trust me, I tried. And I have to be able to see you to do it."

Nodding I tap my chin again, thinking this over. "Maybe it's some sort of protective trait?"

"I don't know, Granger. I'm not about to try and understand it just yet. There are too many other things on my mind."

Sadly, I agree. "Fine. Maybe we should speak again… later."

"We have to. It's not like we've really been able to ignore each other."

"I suppose you're right," I say with a sign. "Tonight… after classes?"

"We have patrols again. We'd have to talk anyway."

"So we should discuss this then."

"We might as well. We'd probably end up discussing something about this as it is."

"So… tonight?"

"Yes."

"Good." I stand, hurrying to the entrance to my room.

"Oh, and Granger?" He stops me before I can go upstairs, and regrettably I turn back. Merlin he can do some strange things to my body, and I just want some relief. I wonder if he has the same problem.

"What?"

He clears his throat awkwardly. "So… you did mean what you said about not going to watch the Quidditch tryouts for Gryffindor today, right?"

I smile, thinking it's kind of cute that he sounds concerned about it. A Malfoy, concerned! "No, I'm not. I really do have things to do."

"Right. Splendid."

Nodding, I open the passageway and pause just inside. "And Malfoy?"

"Hmm?"

"Stay out of my mind," I say, winking. But once the passageway closes, I let off a deep sigh, marching to my door. I don't know why I had to add the flirtatious wink, but it happened before I could really process what I was doing. And I know he'll probably hold that over me later.

But I can't have Malfoy prowling around listening to what I say. Maybe he isn't exactly in my mind, but he's picking apart bits of my personal conversations from great distances. I can't have him doing that when I don't quite know what I'm saying half the time. With everything that's going on I'm pretty scatter-brained lately. Knowing that Malfoy can pick up on my conversations doesn't really help me.

I'm supposed to be the Siren right, with the cool traits and sultry voice? So why the hell did Malfoy get a benefit from all of this.

Book of answers, I am definitely reading you before I go patrolling tonight. I'm way too curious now.

A/n: So originally this chapter was a bit different. Then my computer freaked out and deleted it. So, I re-wrote it and altered things a bit. But, I really love this story! It's so crazy and fun to write.

Thanks to all you lovelies who keep reading and reviewing! Just for a little heads-up, college is kicking my butt now during the week so it's getting a bit harder to update. If a chapter in the coming weeks is late, don't fret. I'll post when I can, but I'm going to try to keep it weekly. I'll get chapters up as often as possible :)

And don't worry, next chapter we get to see a bit of Draco freaking out.