After Hermione left, Draco and Narcissa remained for a few more moments in the weird kind of embrace Hermione had left them in. They both seemed unable to speak. Then suddenly, as if he awoke from a dream, Draco's brain started to function again.

,,What... had just happened?" he asked his mom, slowly removing himself from her arms. ,,What was that... all about?"

Without answering or even looking at her son, Narcissa turned and went to the window. She stayed there for a few moments, looking at the sky. It was a clear blue, much like her own eyes. She sighed.

,,What happened and what did she mean about what she said? What proposal did she accept?" Draco kept asking, still looking a bit dazed but stubbornness and curiosity being stronger than the trance.

Narcissa let out another sigh before turning to Draco. She regarded him for a second, then decided it was best to sooth his curiosity at least a little bit or else she knew she wouldn't have a moment's peace. That was her Draco, stubborn to the core.

,,I suspect she used the Depulso charm" she replied slowly, crossing her arms and leaning against the window frame. ,,A strong one at that" she continued ,,I told you not to anger her more than you already had.

,,Me... me anger HER?" Draco asked in disbelief.

He looked his mother in the eye. She seemed calm and almost relaxed, the way she leaned her body against the window frame, keeping her arms crossed just slightly, in a most elegant way. His mother had a way of looking elegant regardless of the situation. But staring now at her, trying to pierce that armor of cold calmness she had placed on her features, Draco was sure something more was going on. His mother was hiding something from him and, even though he wasn't worried that it was something that would potentially be harmful to him, he was still having a feeling he might not like it. Therefore, he set his mind to finding out what that was.

Better know the evil you're about to face than have a blind date with it, he thought to himself.

The problem was how was he supposed to find out. Would she tell him if he asked her? Draco knew his mother well enough to know that it would be most likely impossible to find out if she didn't want to say it. Then, he's only solution was to take the roundabout way.

,,What right did she have to get angry." he said in a low growl, turning away from his mother slightly.

,,She had every right and if you ask me, I think you should consider yourself lucky she decided to use a rather harmless spell like Depulso instead of something dreadful, like a transfiguration curse."

Draco scoffed. Narcissa ignored it, but a small frown appeared again between her eyebrows.

,,She was, after all, one that wreaked havoc among the Death Eaters and the rest of Voldemort's remaining followers during the war and after. She and Harry Potter were the ones who, single-handedly, caught more dark wizards than any other people I know of."

At that Draco frowned and scoffed again, more affectedly this time. Narcissa couldn't ignore this one.

,,You may not believe me" she said, lowering her hands and pushing away from the window, ,,but I think we're lucky she decided to accept my proposal instead of simply jinxing you in the afterlife." Narcissa finished with a satisfied look.

There it was. She had said it herself. Draco felt both relieved and surprised that he didn't have to prod her more on the subject or having to hearing more praises of the witch he hated most, in order to find out.

,,And what proposal is that?" he asked quickly, not wanting to miss his chance to find out, thinking she might take back what she said, changing her mind about telling him.

,,She kindly accepted to move in with you." Narcissa replied flatly.

That left Draco speechless. He looked as though a bludger had just hit him in the head. He didn't know what he expected but it definitely wasn't this. Draco stared at his mother for several moments, looking dumbfounded, mouth hanging slightly open and eyes widened. He was too afraid to consider the possibility of his mother going around the bend, but what other explanation was there for this absurdity? Hermione Granger, muggle-born and one of his enemies since childhood, agreeing to... move in with him?

Draco shook his head. Trying to make sense of all this or even register this was giving him a headache. This wasn't a very good day for him, that was for sure. First Granger comes and acts all smug and like she owned the place and now his own mother makes ridiculous statements like this. He needed a reality check or else he was sure he'd be the one going insane before anyone else.

,,Mother..." he started tentatively, trying to show a smug, but only managing to give her a nervous smile, ,,if this is your way of trying to joke with me, because if it is..."

,,I don't believe my sense of humor is bad enough to make up jokes like this, Draco" Narcissa replied, waving a hand impatiently, ,,This is not a joke. At my request, Hermione Granger had accepted to move in with you in order to help you with your recuperation."

She said the words with such a finality that Draco felt in front of a judge, giving him his sentence. He stared dumbly at his mother, speech seemed to be beyond his abilities.

Narcissa looked at her son, seeing the struggle behind his expression. She let out a soft sigh, coming closer to him. She knew this would bring him pain as soon as he fully understood the extend of the situation and what she meant to do for him, but nothing could have prepared her for the transformation she saw on Draco's face as his brain finally processed the whole information.

Draco's face got almost bright pink from all the rage and emotions that battled inside him. Gently, Narcissa touched his arm, trying to comfort him, but at her touch Draco jumped and let out a strangled breath.

,,Y-you can't do that" he said breathlessly, clenching his fists tightly, pressing his nails into his palms, hoping the pain will somehow help him focus.

,,As a matter of fact I can and I have" Narcissa told him in a soft, but slightly firm tone.

She had been taken back by his reaction. Knowing him, she expected to hear yells and loud protests, just like he did when he was younger and didn't want to do something at home. That's how he'd always acted in front of her, feeling safe enough to complain and show her his feelings, but the man she saw in front of her was very different from the kid she knew. The Draco that stood in front of her now, breathing heavily, looked as if he poured everything he had into composing himself. She was torn between feeling proud of his maturity and feeling sad that her son has changed so much.

,,Mother, you don't understand" Draco said slowly, desperately trying to even his breathing, clenching his fists harder in the process, ,,you can't... not her. Not her."

Draco's voice brought Narcissa back to reality. Or perhaps it was the emotions behind it what struck her harder. Her eyebrows shot up in honest surprise. She looked at Draco, trying to figure out if what she thought she heard in his voice was true or not. It seemed as if Draco's reaction could have a different reason behind it, a more personal reason than she had initially thought. But it couldn't be that, could it?

Carefully and slowly, as to not frighten him, she got even closer to him and gently touched his face, placing her pale hand on his cheek.

,,Draco darling," she said in a soft voice, ,,do you, by any chance, have... certain feelings towards Miss Granger?"

For a moment she dreaded his reaction but seconds later Draco put her mind at ease. He scoffed and took a step away from his mother.

,,I hate her!" he said scathingly. ,,I hate that creature with all of my being."

After finishing that statement he started pacing the room, mumbling to himself. That was more like the Draco she knew from home and Narcissa let out a small sigh. She didn't know what she would have done, had her suspicions been correct, but for now his pacing put her mind at ease.

,,I don't care if you hate her or not, Draco. All I care is for you to get better and receive all the help you need." Narcissa said matter-of-factly.

,,Then why her?" Draco asked irritably through gritted teeth. ,,Why not hire someone else?"

,,At this moment you need someone strong and forceful, someone who wouldn't have a problem to fight you if necessary" Narcissa added with a frown, then she continued firmly ,,And I believe that her display from earlier has proven she is the best candidate.

Draco opened his mouth to say something but Narcissa cut him off quickly.

,,Besides, she also has experience in counseling. Apparently she's been working for St. Mungo's for a while now, helping people who've suffered traumas during the war. That and the fact that she went back to finish her studies make her highly qualified for the job."

,,Finished her studies" Draco repeated mockingly, grimacing at his mother, ,,Why would that matter? She is still..."

,,The brightest witch of her age." Narcissa finished for him, cutting him off with a tint of reproach.

She hadn't been able to forget the fact that her son was always second best to Hermione in school.

,,Why are you bringing that up?" Draco asked looking away from his mother, embarrassment all over his face. He hadn't forgotten either.

,,I knew you would never be able to stand a stupid person" Narcissa said firmly, ignoring his question, ,,So it had to be someone smart, bright and strong. Therefore, Hermione Granger is the perfect choice. Don't get me wrong" she added quickly, seeing Draco's surprised look, ,,I would have preferred if you didn't need this kind of help in the first place."

Draco remained quiet. He knew his mother was worried about him and that she was doing what she thought was best, but the solution she got to was simply too much for him to bear. It was eating him alive.

Having to live with Granger, to see her every day and having to talk to her, especially considering their past interactions, all of this seemed like torture to him, and he was pretty sure it would seem like that to her as well. Didn't she hate him? Then again, if she did, why would she agree to this insanity? Was she looking for a way to get back at him, get revenge for the past? Or was there something else?

There had been so much animosity between them, so much pain and torment, so much hate and meanness, mostly on his side, true, but it wasn't like she took it gladly without retorting. How could his mother think they would be able to survive in the same space for even a day? That, and the memories he had from when he saw her at the manor on that horrific day when she, Potter and Weasley had been caught by Snatchers, seemed a good enough reason to avoid each other for the rest of their lives. She had been tortured in front of him. Regardless of who she was or how much he disliked her, he still had nightmares about that day, about her screams, about the blood and death that followed their escape. The whole thing had been engraved on his mind and he didn't think he could ever forget.

No matter how he looked at it, it was impossible. He had to do something to change his mother's mind, regardless of how futile he knew it was. He had gotten that stubbornness from her, after all. Once she set her mind to something, Merlin save the one who stood in her way.

In a desperate attempt to convince his mother to let go of this silly idea of him and Hermione living together, he even accepted to go to counseling sessions.

Anything so that he won't have to live with that annoying woman. He thought desperately to himself.

Narcissa on the other hand was firm in her decision. She knew her son all too well. If left alone and unsupervised he would succumb to his bad habits once more in a heartbeat. Therefore, no matter how much he pleaded and wined or what he promised, she refused to listen.

Finally, after almost an hour of trying and fighting, Draco threw his hands into the air and huffed in exasperation.

,,Fine!" he exclaimed, angrily, ,,Fine! I will do as you say, but don't accuse me if I end up killing that creature."

Narcissa threw a menacing look his way and then left the room without a word.

,,Or maybe I'll transform her into a squirrel" he shouted after her, breathing heavily from the effort of the past hour, ,,With that bush of a hair she could easily pass as one."

Draco grumbled and frowned. He remembered Hermione having a blast when Moody had transformed him into a ferret, back in fourth year.

,,Stupid creature!" he said angrily, throwing himself on his hospital bed.