"This is yours?" Hermione asked incredelously

"It used to be my mother's...a wedding gift from my father, then she gave it to me." he explained distractedly, and before Hermione could reply he started talking again "There is food in the kitchen but there are obviously no house elves so I don't think a decent meal is possible, but.."

"Unlike you, Malfoy, I'm not a spoilt brat who is used to being served all the time, I can make my own dinner, thank you very much." she interrupted him derisively.

"You know, Granger, every time I decide to behave like an adult you give me a reason not to. Enjoy your so called dinner." he grimaced at her "I hope you choke on it." he sneered, before taking the stairs, two steps at a time.

Hermione didn't know what caused that, she didn't mean to snap at him when he -for once- didn't do anything that called for it. But it wasn't him, it was the stress of everything that's been happening, fully catching up with her. The stress she'd been trying so hard to block out because if she let it consume her she would just sit there and cry her heart out till there was no energy left in her body, but she would never do that.

Rolling up her sleeves, she started looking around the kitchen to see what was available, but when her arms were exposed she took a good look at the scar on her arm, she had hidden it well so far, even Malfoy hadn't known it existed. But it hurt so much, not just physically, looking at it reminded her of the pain Bellatrix had so happily inflicted on her, definitely an unforgivable curse, she thought grimly. But she didn't want to hide it anymore, she will not let a stupid scar mark who she was and she will not let it happen to anyone else. Maybe Malfoy was right about what he said before, this war did have something in it for her and she was going to fight for it till the last breath.

Shaking her head as if this would shake off the thoughts that had clouded it, she started opening cupboards to see what was there. After a long search she finally decided to make chicken salad. She missed Mrs. Weasly's cooking, and she wished she was as talented as her when it came to food charms, but truth was, they were never her strength point so she had to cook like she did at her own house. She seriously considered making only enough food for herself, but Malfoy didn't seem to be eating anything lately either, just like her.

They needed a truce, he had a point when he said they should act like adults about this. He wasn't trying hard enough to act like an adult, though, Hermione frowned. Or maybe that was what he would be like as an adult, still enjoying getting on her nerves but practicing more restraint. Will she ever get to see what Malfoy would be like when he's older? Where did that thought come from!
Taking the plates to the dinning room one by one, she looked around her to see where Malfoy was but he was nowhere to be seen. She opened her mouth to announce that dinner was ready but she didn't, it sounded too intimate in her head, and anyway she wasn't there to serve Malfoy, he can feed himself, or not, she couldn't care less.

Draco stood looking through the window in the study room. He could hear her footsteps outside, the sound the plates made when they connected with the glass of the dinning table, the echo of cutlery as they dropped to the floor and the muffled swear that followed. He was able to see everything that was happening on the other side of the door just by listening to the sounds, and he hated it.

He wanted to block her out, that was why he had locked himself in that room instead of going to the kitchen and finding something to eat. Because if he went out there and saw her he would be so tempted to throw something at her. Who was she to judge him? What did she even know about him? She had such a nerve, insulting him for no reason after everything he'd done to keep her alive! Had she any idea of the great measures he had taken just to get her out of that place?

His mind traveled back to that night at the astronomy tower, he had been so tempted to take Dumbledore's offer. But he was glad he didn't, because now he knew that no matter what he did, they would never accept him. It didn't matter anymore, it didn't do well to dwell on the past. He was so hungry that he couldn't ignore it anymore and he will not let Hermione Granger limit his movements in his own house, he decided grimly.

"You have to be starving to eat all this by yourself, Granger." he remarked, his mouth twisting. Hermione who was surprised by his sudden entrance coughed and spluttered as she choked on a piece of toast.

"Told you you were going to choke on it." he smirked at her.

"Just so you would know, I didn't make all this for myself. I thought you might want some." she replied indignantly

"Going out of your way to prepare dinner for a spoilt brat who had been served his whole life, how very considerate of you Ms. Granger!" he mocked.

"I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry." she sighed

"Said what exactly? Oh yes, the part where I'm a spoilt brat. Yes, you definitely shouldn't have said that." cold fury laced his voice

"I apologized, alright? Can't you just be civil about it and accept the apology?"

"I could, but would that change the fact that you said it?"

"No, you're right, I shouldn't have even bothered with it. You obviously can't act like an adult even if your life depended on it." she provoked

"Me? You have such a nerve Granger! Accusing me of being juvenile when you were the one who couldn't miss a chance to disparage me!"

Hermione looked at him long before finally looking back to her plate. Whether Malfoy was fuming because he too was finally dealing with the stress of the past days or because her words hit home and he knew they were real, she didn't want to know the reason; she just wanted him to stop.

"Malfoy, I don't want to argue anymore." she said quietly.

"That makes two of us." he conceded and pulled the opposite chair to sit down.

He reached to help himself to some salad when he stopped suddenly dropping the spoon from his hand. He caught a glimpse of her arm and the scar that marked it. Hermione followed where his gaze rested and she hardly held back from covering her arm protectively, she had nothing to be ashamed of, she decided with a lift of her chin. His gaze lingered on her arm before looking up at her.

"Bellatrix?" he asked and Hermione nodded faintly before looking back at her plate, unable to find her appetite anymore, she randomly played with her food.

"If you have anything to say just say it." she finally sighed, getting fed up with the awkward silence that was only interrupted by the noises made by cutlery.

"I have nothing to say; this isn't new to me. It's not the first time I've seen someone branded against their will." he replied impassively, and Hermione knew exactly who he was talking about.

Shortly after, Malfoy stood up holding his half finished plate and went to the kitchen and emerged from it empty handed.
"The bedrooms are upstairs, choose anyone_" he informed "_you'll find parchments and ink in the study, and the owls are in the attic." he added. "I strongly recommend you start writing to your friends tonight, their responses will take time and they might not respond at all, so the sooner we know, the better." he suggested.

"Alright." she nodded "Goodnight." he said and with that, he left, not waiting for her to reply, and she didn't.

After clearing the plates, Hermione went to the study, it looked too organized that it couldn't have been used before and it smelled of Cedar and another familiar smell she couldn't identify.

After long hours of rephrasing her words and writing different versions of the same letter, all very similar but not quiet the same, she was finally done. She had four letters one for Harry, one for Mrs. Weasly, one for Lupin and one for Tonks. She left the study and climbed the stairs to the attic, attaching a letter to each of the owls, she watched them as they flew away. More than anything she wanted to get at least one reply from any of them, she didn't think she had any to go on a search for them, they could be anywhere and she didn't even know where to start.

The view was beautiful, Hermione thought, and the sea breeze was cool against her face, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, it was refreshing and Hermione sat down and decided to enjoy it for a while longer, until she fell asleep.