Hermione didn't come back until a few minuets before curfew. This time Hermione stared at Draco in the soft candle light. He was reading a book, she couldn't see what the title was since he was laying down with his back to her. As he flipped the page she noticed how long his fingers were, and his ring catching the light seemed to make the scene more elegant.

It felt as if time had stilled. She wasn't sure how much time had actually passed when she realized she was staring at him. He also still hadn't noticed her enter the room. She thought it was strange but brushed it off as him being engrossed in his book. Lord knows she's been in that state numerous times.

She walked a little closer to him, "Hey...I'm back." She felt awkward as she sent down the bags from her trip.

He looked up from his book and checked a small clock on the end table, then stretched his neck to see her, "Good. Welcome back."

She tilted her head at the short greeting. Usually they had some conversation when the other returned.

Maybe he had a long day.

She smiled and hoped to get more of something out of him, "What are you reading?" She pointed.

He remained neutral, "Just an old charms book," He held the book to the light so she could see the cover, "First thing I found."

She hummed joining him at the edge of the couch.

He bookmarked the page and set it down on the table sitting up.

She felt her anxiety rise for a moment, "I didn't mean to make you stop-"

He waved a hand to stop her, "I know there's just a couple things I found out while you were gone and need to talk to you about it."

He patted the space beside him and she carefully scooted closer.

"Seems serious." She started to play with a small bit of her hair.

"It unfortunately is." He still sounded off to her. He even looked as if there was no emotion in his facial expression or eyes. She sat quietly bracing herself for whatever he could say. Thinking whatever it could be she could handle it.

Draco took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose gathering his thoughts, "To cut to the point there is a rumor of someone wanting to brew Amortentia to drug you and there is another rumor that we are dating. I don't know who started either but Potter, Weasley, and I are looking into it currently. The Headmistress and Slughorn are also aware. I will probably ask Theo and Pansy to keep an eye out as well."

There were a lot of things going through her mind, obviously top of the list was someone wanting to drug her. But then she felt odd about how she was receiving all of this information. It was like he was far away despite being less than an arm's reach away. That is when it clicked.

"Are you Occluding?" She looked into his grey eyes looking for, well she didn't know what exactly but she felt like she would know if she saw it.

He paused a moment. He was expecting a much bigger reaction to this information, not her noticing this.

"Yes."

She looked into his cold eyes, "Why?"

With every word she said he could feel his walls cracking. "Because I am extremely upset."

She nodded having the sudden urge to reach for him but decided to hold them together in her lap, "I can understand that but I'd rather talk with you, emotions and all."

"Why?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

The silence stretched out as she thought of how best to put it. She didn't want to accidentally phrase it in a way that would diminish his feelings or imply her wants were more important. She was very aware this conversation had to be carefully dealt with otherwise it would hurt them both.

Finally she said, "Because I know if this were reversed you wouldn't want me to."

He nodded, "You're right, but I need you to know when I do stop I'm not going to be a delightful person to be around for the foreseeable future," He was trying to give her an out, "But if you want me to stop now, I will."

She nodded keeping her gaze locked on his eyes. Eventually she saw them change. It was subtle to most but after spending so much more time with him it felt like a world of difference seeing the fire back in his eyes. However this fire was different, a kind that she had really never seen before. It looked painful.

Before she knew it her hand touched his arm. It seemed to surprise both of them.

"Granger."

She froze. She isn't sure if she's ever heard him growl her name before even when they hated each other. But she knows this anger isn't directed at her.

"I'm going to-"

"Stop it right there." She squeezed his arm and pointed her finger at him.

She attempted to stay calm but her voice still strained, "I don't care what people plan because I can handle it. I know how to recognize that potion along with most others if I'm being frank and it's not like you Harry, Ginny, Luna or even your friends will leave me alone long enough for anything to happen now."

She knows her friends and they can sometimes care to a fault. Since none of them noticed her feelings before...she knows they will be very overprotective in an attempt to compensate.

"Let me finish Witch!," He held her arms squeezing them slightly harder than he meant to, "As I was saying I'm going to find out who they are and they will pay!"

"Absolutely not! You'll get caught, and that means you go to Azkaban!" She felt her eyes start to water.

"If I promise not to get caught?!"

"You can't possibly know-"

"Then just let me tell the others."

"No! What if things get out of hand and they have to take Veritaserum?"

He groaned as his hand flew to his forehead, "AAGH I hate when you're right! Damn it! What the fuck will you let me do! I need to protect you."

"You can do that without plotting. Just stay and don't do something rash or stupid!" Just stay with me!

He grabbed his hair and let out a frustrated groan, "I don't think you understand this need I feel to keep you safe. I wasn't able to protect you in my own damned home and now..." He trailed off not really knowing how to express his complex emotions loosening his grip. When he felt a tear slip from his eye he looked down in hopes she wouldn't see.

The mood had shifted drastically then. The anger seemed to rapidly dissipate and was replaced by an overwhelming since of unease, "Draco you did what you could, you knew exactly who we were and you didn't say-"

"But look what still happened to you! I should've-" He started to sound panicked. The only thing grounding him in this moment was her constant touch.

"No! If you had done anything different then you and your family would've died! All of us would've died!"

"I should've-" He is broken off by the weight of Hermione flinging herself on top of him causing them both to fall back on the couch.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened to me. You did what you were able to do and I have forgiven you."

They both looked at each other with tears running down their faces. He lifted his hands and wrapped one around her and the other rested on her head as he pulled her crushingly close. She tried her best to hug him back but given the angle, it was odd. She buried her head in the crook of his neck closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

They stayed like that for a while. Both lost in the feeling neither could name.

"I am so sorry." AS the heavy mood lifted from them he felt her move then utter some words he realized too late. He pushed to sit straight up, "You did not."

She moved back a bit, "I am a woman of my word. It will only last for the night don't worry." She wiped her eyes with a soft smile.

He wanted to be angry all over again but her smile, even with the fresh tears, prevented that.

He sighed wanting to apologize again but thinking she would extend the time on the jinx decided against it so he turned his attention to the bags.

"I take it you experienced one of Pansy's famous shopping sprees?"

She felt the mood lighten more and her smile brightened, "Yes she actually came up with a rather interesting idea to help with the unwanted attention and hopefully help boost my own confidence."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I let her and Luna give me a makeover, you probably can't see it in this lighting but she taught me some makeup techniques and gave me some hair potions to help with every day and some new clothes for the weekends."

"Lumos."

She quickly went to hide her face, "No it's probably all smudged from earlier!"

He studied her anyway. Her hair wasn't the usual frizzy mess he had come to care for at all but was expertly curled and rather shiny. He reached up to her hands covering her face, "Please I want to see properly, besides I highly doubt Pansy would let you get anything that wasn't waterproof." He smirked.

She peaked behind her hands showing just a little bit of her makeup.

His smirk softened still holding her hands patiently waiting for her.

She relaxed a little more letting her hands fall.

When she did he felt like all the air had left his body. She was easily beautiful enough to have that effect on him before but seeing her with makeup was new. He didn't have any way to describe it. He thinks the last time he saw her with makeup was the Yule ball, he remembered not being able to keep his eyes off of her.

"Wow..."

She felt the blush start to creep across her nose and cheeks and also a little silly causing that reaction from him.

With the new light she also saw what she did to his hair, "You know orange isn't the worst color for you." She started giggling.

He playfully scoffed enjoying this more carefree side of her she keeps hidden, "I think you may just like red heads." He stood and started to reach for the bags at the ground.

She rolled her eyes, "I'll have you know that Ron is actually not my type." She followed getting a few of the bags.

"Oh? And what may I ask is the Golden Girl's type?" He teased and poked her side.

She laughed, "I'm not saying. A woman has to have her secrets you know."

He smirked, "Alright then what isn't your type?"

"Oh definitely someone who tries to cheat off of me in Charms."

"He did that?"

"Tried. I caught him before he could actually read it but I mean really?!"

He hummed in agreement.

When they reached her room he had offered to help put some of the stuff away but suddenly Hermione became very flustered and refused his help. He raised an eyebrow very confused.

"Granger what could you have possibly gotten that would make you this embarrassed?"

"I'm not embarrassed per se...it's just...intimate..." She felt warmer than her house colors.

He thought for a moment trying to figure out what Pansy could have bought the brave Gryffindor for her to act like this. He had an idea but he would be a tad surprised if he's correct.

"Granger?"

She clutched one of the bags close to her chest, "Hm?"

"You know that I won't touch anything you don't want me to right?"

She nodded, "Of course!"

"Right so you can put away stuff you don't want me to see and I can put away the rest. That would work don't you think?"

She nodded again, "Yes but the problem is she...well...it is quite a lot of the bags."

"Merlin just what did Pansy do?"

"This was actually more Luna's doing..."

His eyebrows shot up now really having no idea of what to expect, "Oh?"

She sighed and started to separate the bags for what she felt comfortable Draco could handle and then the rest, "This is basically everything Pansy had set out to buy then Luna made an...observation let's say and took us to some other shops..."

"Other shops?"

She hid her face more and muttered something.

"Afraid I missed that."

"...lingerie shop..." She said in a small voice hoping he wouldn't hear.

"What?"

She huffed, "You know when you get flustered and suddenly loose the ability to say no?"

"No."

"Right well anyway that happened to me and while Luna made some excellent points I was just so stunned and overwhelmed by it all I'm not even sure what happened. One moment she's showing me some undergarments the next I leave with bags of more than just that!"

While he's amused by her he's trying very hard to not imagine her in a sex shop and trying even harder to no think about what she could do with said possible purchases.

"Alright Granger, I'll just help with these bags then." He opened the first bag to find some jeans, a small black skirt, and a mauve blouse. He waved his wand and sent the items to the closet and Hermione worked on one of the other bags. After a few more bags were put up he looked at Hermione's pile seeing she was putting things up the non magical way.

"You know things will go much faster if you use magic."

"Faster yes, but I tend to forget where things go if I don't do it like this.

"And you're sure you don't want help?" His voice had deepened and the teasing tone sent a shiver up her spine.

"Very!" Her face was red as she got up with the intension to shoo him out of her room.

He smiled she she slammed her hands on his chest to push him out. There really wasn't much fore behind it it be he let himself be pushed by her.

She mumbled her goodnight her face still bright red when she heard him say, "See you in the morning Granger."

Once he was gone she sat on the floor trying to figure out why he affects her like this.

You aren't blind or dumb you know why!

Damn her, it feels far too soon to have these feelings but the more she felt the harder it was to ignore.


AS Draco was walking back to his own room he was replaying the events that just took place. He could've sworn that she had a reaction to his teasing but maybe he was projecting what he wants.

Also why were you teasing? stop trying to push for something that will never happen.

But maybe...

When he reached his room he jumped as he passed the mirror completely forgetting the jinx she placed on him.

"Fucking Merlin's ball sack this is atrocious!" He exclaimed seeing his bright orange running his fingers through it.