Hermione was waiting for Ginny in Diagon Alley. They had decided to go to Fortescue and have an ice cream. Since she had arrived half an hour earlier, Hermione decided to stop by the bookshop on her way to the confectionery.

She strolled down the aisles, picking a book, then decided to go down to Fortescue and wait for Ginny there. The weather was still nice, so she picked a table outside, ordered a cup of green tea and looked around, waiting for her friend to arrive

Ten minutes later, Ginny came running, face flushed and arms filled with wrapped packages.

,,I'm so sorry! I had to pick up a few things and it took longer than expected", Ginny whined, slumping into the chair across from Hermione, shuffling the packages while placing them on a chair next to her.

,,It's alright. I arrived early and stopped by the bookshop", Hermione said good-naturedly.

,,Of course you did", Ginny teased.

,,And what have you been buying?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ginny's last remark.

,,Can't you guess?" Ginny asked with an amused look on her face.

,,Quidditch stuff, right?"

,,Right you are. Harry and I decided to renew our broom maintenance kit and..."

,,You where the one who drew the short straw."

,,Right you are again", Ginny sighed. ,,But I wanted to get Harry something anyway, therefore it was better he wasn't around."

A young man came to take their order. The ice cream shop was now owned and ran by the previous owner's son, old Fortescue having died in the war. It seemed the business thrived and the new businessman had quite a success with his new addition in the menu, like fiery mint ice cream that almost made you breathe fire or the Murano ice cream, that sparkled in the sunlight like the colorful Murano glass.

Hermione and Ginny decided to order different ice creams and ended up sharing them, discussing what each has been doing since the last time they had talked.

,,How are you managing?" Ginny asked Hermione after finishing the ice cream Hermione had pushed in front of her.

,,I'm holding up", Hermione said evasively.

Hermione sipped from her tea, knowing very well that Ginny won't be satisfied with that answer. She had expected a thorough interrogation, especially after she wrote her friend, explaining the situation she was in. Harry hadn't told Ginny, letting Hermione do it herself.

Sure enough, a few moments later, having finished all the ice cream, Ginny leaned back on her chair and squinted at Hermione.

,,How's Malfoy?"

,,Insufferable", Hermione replied, rolling her eyes.

,,Come off it! I'm not buying it, you know" Ginny said grinning at her friend.

,,Ginny..."

,,You used to say the same thing about Ron. 'Oh he's so annoying and thick headed and insufferable' and Merlin knows just how many other names you called him. But even so, you used to like him. So?" Ginny asked with intent curiosity.

,,So what?"

,,So do you like him? Malfoy, I mean."

Hermione goggled at Ginny, too perplexed to reply.

,,That's preposterous! Of course I don't!" Hermione exclaimed breathlessly.

,,Hermione," Ginny interjected, ,,I'm not Ron or Harry for that matter. I'm your best friend and you can be honest with me. What are your feelings towards the guy? You must feel something to be willing to go to such lengths in order to help him as to even move in with him."

Hermione pondered for a moment. Ginny was indeed her best friend and she knew she could trust her, but the truth was, Hermione herself didn't know what exactly she was feeling, other than what she'd told Harry when she decided to accept Narcissa's offer, of course. She never thought of the extent of what she felt about the situation or the person it involved. Now was a good time as any to dig a little deeper into her own feelings.

,,I don't hate him", Hermione replied slowly, brow furrowed.

,,Well that's a start", Ginny grinned, nodding approvingly.

,,If I think about it, I've never hated him half as much as Harry and Ron did. If anything, I think I pitied him."

,,Why would you pity a prat like Malfoy?" Ginny snorted. ,,He lead the good life back at Hogwarts."

,,Anyone can become a prat if they were raised in the same environment Malfoy had been raised in. And I don't know about 'leading the good life' ", Hermione said sighing. ,,He was so consumed with petty things that I doubt he actually enjoyed his time there."

,,I'm guessing he did", Ginny said pensively, ,,just not the way we did."

She stopped to think, then continued with her previous trail of thought.

,,So I take it you don't hate him but you don't like him either?"

,,I guess..." Hermione replied shifting uncomfortably in her sit.

,,Hm... then it's a 'not love, not hate' kind of relationship", Ginny mused, tapping her chin with a finger.

They both remained silent for a few moments, each lost in thought. Then Hermione suddenly broke the silence.

,,I had a nightmare a couple of nights ago. It was a rather bad one."

Ginny looked worried but kept quiet, waiting for Hermione to continue.

,,We were in the Department of Mysteries; we were fighting and I... fell. Then the scene changed to the Battle of Hogwarts, the horrors and the deaths...", she let out a shuddered breath before continuing, ,,then it ended with what happened at Malfoy Manor... It always ends there", Hermione finished in a quiet whisper, unconsciously grasping her arm where the 'mudblood' scar was.

,,Hermione..." Ginny called her softly, reaching an arm and touching her friend gently on her hand.

That seemed to snap Hermione out of her dark and painful thoughts.

,,Malfoy woke me", she said looking Ginny in the eye.

,,What? Are you serious?"

Ginny stared at Hermione bewildered. Hermione on the other hand started to smile, seeing her friend so shocked. She'd probably ask the same thing if she wasn't there when it happened.

,,Quire serious", she replied to Ginny's question. ,,He broke through my wards, stunned my cat and shook the living daylight out of me until I woke up."

Ginny's eyes went even wider with shock. Her eyebrows were so high up on her forehead that you could barely see them.

,,Oh, do tell! What else did he do?" Ginny asked with vivid curiosity in both her eyes, and her voice.

,,I think that's quite enough, don't you think?!" Hermione said outraged.

,,It's Draco Malfoy we're talking about. For him nothing is ever enough."

Hermione rolled her eyes seeing Ginny's expression sparkle with enthusiasm and glee.

,,Well I think that was enough", Hermione said firmly.

,,That's because you're a prude", Ginny told her, frowning and waving a hand dismissively. ,,Seriously Hermione, you should learn how to have fun and enjoy the life you fought so hard to save. What good is being alive if you don't enjoy it?"

The subject was then changed, and they spent the rest of their time together discussing more lighthearted things, like dress robes, hairdos for parties, books and Quidditch.

Hermione was on her way back to the flat. She decided to Apparate near the building and walk, in order to think some more about the conversation she'd just had.

She had wanted to tell Ginny about what Draco had said that night but was afraid she would take it the wrong way. Knowing Ginny, she might read too much into it and make a story out of it. Look at what she'd done with the simple fact that Draco had woken her up from a nightmare.

But was it a simple fact? Thinking about it more made her have small doubts creep inside her mind. It must have been difficult to get past all those enchantments and then having to actually wake her up, the things he'd said... Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and shook her head.

I could do with a pensive right about now, she thought tiredly.

Hermione rubbed her temples gently, looking around. She was close to the entrance of the library. The lights were off, and the street seemed deserted. Looking up at the windows of their flat she could see light coming from the common room.

I see he's finally decided to crawl out of that hole of his.

Just then, movement in a narrow corner of the street attracted her attention. She spun around just in time to see a tall cloaked figure, dressed in dark robes, running towards her, holding up a wand. Everything happened in an instant: a white flash burst from the stranger's wand, the same time a red one shot from Hermione's. Hermione managed to block the curse and was preparing to Apparate away when the figure reached her. He grabbed a hold on her and was raising his wand again, when Hermione, fighting with all her might against the stranger's strength, managed to land a hit with her elbow right in the middle of the man's torso. The man stumbled back slightly, letting out a muffled groan. That allowed Hermione to release one of her arms and she sent a stunning spell above her shoulders. The spell hit the cloaked man in the arm, and he let go of Hermione. The next moment she turned on the spot and disappeared, just as he raised his wand and shot another curse at her.

***

Draco went out into the balcony and released his eagle owl into the night. The bird soared into the dark blue sky and disappeared from view, carrying away a letter to Draco's mother. With a deep breath, Draco took in the late Autumn cool air. It felt refreshing and it made him miss flying.

Maybe I'll take out my broom one of these days. I miss how the cool air brushes against the skin when I am flying. The thrill and excitement of searching the sky for the golden snitch...

He closed his eyes and images of him at Hogwarts, practicing for Quidditch matches flashed behind his eyelids. With a longing sigh, he opened his eyes again and was about to get back into the common room, when his ear caught a sound coming from the alley next to the corner of the building. Frowning, Draco leaned against the edge of the balcony and scrutinized the dark surroundings. Both the alley and the street were quiet and in all appearance they looked deserted.

I am sure I heard a rustling noise. Or did I imagine it? Perhaps my imagination was so strong that it even conjured sounds to go with the images.

Finally deciding it was his mind playing tricks on him, Draco entered the common room and looked around. The flat was quiet. He'd been alone ever since Hermione had left.

What should I do know? He wondered, pacing around the room. I still have a few minutes before she comes back.

When he reached the couch, he circled it and stopped in front of the TV.

What in Salazar's name is this bloody thing?

He probed the TV with his wand, looking at it apprehensively. He could see a blurry reflection of himself in its screen but other than that the thing seemed quite useless to him. He frowned.

Is it a broken mirror of some sort? Or is it supposed to be like this?

Draco raised his wand and was about to try a spell when a loud crack came from behind him. He whirled around, wand still raised, and saw Hermione appearing near the entrance door.

She stumbled forward and dropped on the nearest armchair, her entire body shaking. She was breathing heavily, clutching her wand with one hand, the other one lying limply on her lap.