Draco is the first to wake the next morning, though that really isn't surprising. While he had certainly been resting peacefully, he is still a light sleeper. When his mother happens across him and Hermione in the morning, her gasp is enough to snap him from sleep.

Eyes flicking open, he groggily stares at his mother. "What?" He murmurs, licking his dry lips to help the words along. Hermione twitches and Draco holds his breath, willing her to stay asleep.

Narcissa watches Hermione for a moment, recovered from her shock now, and purses her lips. When the girl does not move, she arches a brow at her son. "Is that who I think it is?" She asks, quiet enough that it does not disturb Hermione.

Nodding, Draco mouths, "I'll explain later, let her sleep."

His mother hesitates before letting out a sharp breath and turning on heel, leaving them alone. Draco's sleep doesn't come again, but he's more than content with holding Hermione. He doesn't want to let her go, not when an undercurrent of fear is running through his head, worried he'd imaged last night.

It's an hour later when Hermione stirs, lifting her head from his shoulder and stretching luxuriously. She sighs as her back pops then slowly opens her eyes. It takes her a while to blink away the light of the room, but when she does, she lets out a squeak and nearly tumbles right off his lap. Draco catches her just in time.

"Don't crack your skull when I only just got you back," he jokes, pulling her closer.

Hermione sits still for a while, catching the breath that had been startled out of her, before relaxing. "For a moment, I'd forgotten that I fell asleep on you. Thank you, though, for catching me." She flushes a pretty crimson and meets his gaze. "I think I should also apologize for falling asleep on you, given that it was a bit rude. I hadn't meant to, really, I swear it."

"No, it's alright," he reassures. "It was the best sleep I've had in a long time." The second he says it, he realizes his mistake. Not giving her time to linger on the words and decide she doesn't like the meaning behind them, he quickly says, "what do you say we find something to eat and catch up in the gardens?"

Just as he'd hoped, Hermione ignores his previous words and focuses on the suggestions. She considers, briefly, denying him and returning to her own home. The idea of being there again, after so long and before she's seen any of her friends, leaves a foul feeling. Besides, her stomach is growling. Home can wait a while longer.

"That sounds lovely," Hermione agrees, grinning as she slides off his lap and stands up. They walk through the manor in silence with only the sound of their shoes, which they hadn't taken off the previous night, hitting the floor to fill their ears. Once or twice a portrait of some great uncle or another great-great grandmother snaps at Hermione, but she just smiles in a feral way and fingers her wand threateningly. They fall silent each time and the pair keep walking.

When they finally get to the kitchen, Hermione gasps and gazes in awe. "Oh merciful Merlin," she breathes, moving from Draco's side to run a hand along the black marble counters. "I haven't seen a kitchen this large since Hogwarts!"

Draco watches her as she explores the kitchen, pleased that she's happy after last night's confession of guilt. "Do you like it? I don't come in here often myself," he admits.

She turns away from the stove she'd been fiddling with and looks to him. "Can I cook something?" Hermione asks, eyes wide and pleading. "You know I love cooking and it's been months since I've had a home cooked meal, let alone made one myself."

"What've you been eating then?"

Shrugging, she mutters, "whatever I could find that didn't cost much. It's not like I really planned ahead for a four month trip around the world. I didn't have a lot of money on hand all the time."

Draco's heart stutter at that and he's agreeing before he does something stupid like hold her tight and never let her leave again. "Go on, have your wicked way with our kitchen."

Hermione rolls her eyes but she's grinning bright as she launches into action. She goes for the cupboards, pulling them open and examining the contents. To herself, she murmurs, "pancakes, or french toast even. There's the cinnamon there, and I think powdered sugar...yes, there it is. Oranges over there, for juice I suppose. Blueberries and raspberries for the french toast. Draco!"

Draco, who's jumped up on the counter to watch her, jerks to attention. "What's the matter?" He asks after clearing his throat. His cheeks heat in embarrassment even though she hasn't actually caught him staring.

"Where are your pans?"

He doesn't immediately reply, still out of sorts from nearly being caught staring. It's a long enough pause that Hermione stops and turns to meet his gaze. Swallowing hard, he forces himself to focus on what she'd said. "The pans are in the top cupboard, closest to the stove."

She nods and looks away to follow his direction. "Thank you," she replies while tugging out a large skillet and placing it on the stove. As she went about cooking, she pulls random topics and initiates careless conversation just for the sake of filling the silence. For a while, it's like the past for months had never happened and they were back to how they were.

Just under an hour later, Hermione and Draco sit at a small table in the gardens behind the manor, plates piled high with food and the extras waiting inside the kitchen. The starving pair eat quickly, working through their meal with vigor. It isn't until they're nearly finished that Hermione breaks their calm with a soft giggle.

"What're you laughing at?" Draco asks, pausing in the middle of sipping his fresh-squeezed juice.

Hermione laughs again and shakes her head. "Nothing much, I was just thinking."

He smiles into his cup and takes a drink before replying. "Dangerous pastime that is, especially considering your intelligence and what you're capable of doing with it."

She sticks her tongue out playfully and flicks a blueberry at his head. It misses, but a second one follows and hits right in his smug face. She throws her head back, laughing loud and making Draco's heart thud. It takes nearly five minutes for her to settle down, because every time she looks at his disgruntled expression, she bursts into peals of laughter all over again. Finally, she takes a deep breath. "I was just thinking about if you had ever realized that the wards I'd placed on my home had been taken down not long after you first arrived."

After choking on his juice in a very unflattering way, he rasps out, "you took them down? Why?"

"I figured that after you'd already been shocked once, you wouldn't be so willing or dense enough to try it again." She stops and looks him over critically. "You really didn't notice?"

He thinks back to his time at her home, recalling a few instances when he'd been able to open the window of his room without trouble. "I think I'd noticed, but it never really connected to the wards." Draco chuckles at his own obliviousness.

"Really? Huh..." she trails off, pursing her lips. "I thought you would have sprung at the very first chance you had to escape. Which is why it surprised me so much that you never made any attempt to flee, not even when you slipped out behind me when I ran to my hidden library."

His brow arches up high. "You must think I'm as daft as the weasel if you think I'd ever consider making a move against you. I may have wanted out, but getting out would have required magic, and you had it all. Merlin only knows what sort of wards you've got on your wand." He scowls at the very idea of all the horrid curses.

She smiles wickedly. "You're right, there is a ward that is very similar to the one I had on the house. Much more powerful, though. Strong enough to knock you unconscious, actually." His eyes widen in horror and she pulls the offending piece of wood from her pocket to show him. "I had the head auror cast it himself. Very powerful wizard that man is. Intelligent, too."

Draco has to fight a glare as her eyes glow with admiration over this man. When he speaks, his voice comes out strained. "I'm glad I didn't touch it, then."

Hermione, sensing something is off, tilts her head and considers him. He gives no hint as to what he might be thinking, so she moves on. "This place isn't too dreadful in the daylight," she admits, leaning back in her chair. She beams at him with half-hooded eyes, full from the food and sleepy from the warm morning sun.

Distantly wondering if she can hear the way his heart speeds up, he gestures towards the manor. "You haven't even seen our library. It's stupendously large and filled with every sort of book you've ever heard of."

Hermione nearly leaps from her seat. "Could you show it to me sometime? I haven't been in a proper library for months and I'd love to see it."

"I can take you now, if you want, I mean."

This time, Hermione can't stop herself and she jumps from her seat. She claps joyfully, evoking a laugh from Draco, who compares her now to a child, and she makes to move towards the house without him. She's hardly taken half a step before she freezes and her face falls.

"What is it?" He questions, frowning.

Hermione sighs and turns back to him. "I can't go today, I've only just remembered."

"Why on earth not? I invited you to see it!"

She nods. "I know, but I got so wrapped up in the excitement of seeing you again that I forgot I was supposed to go and see Harry and Ginny. They both still think I'm dead and I can't stand them thinking it any longer. I feel monstrous already for it." Shoulders sagging under the weight that he'd thought he'd help lift the previous night, she starts picking up plates and carrying them to the house.

Taking his own plate and rushing after her, he says, "it can wait another hour at least, can't it?"

"The aurors will have already picked up on traces of my magic and will think Ronald stole my wand. They'll follow it here, thinking he'll give them some answer as to where my body is. Imagine if they find me here instead and come to the conclusion that I was kidnapped," she replies, not looking his way. "I can't let that happen to you or your mother."

"So you're leaving then," he states, still clinging to some small hope that she might change her mind.

"I'll visit again, I promise. I just have to fix all the wrongs I made by running away," she reassures as they dump their dishes in the kitchen sink and head towards the front door. A quick wave of her wand has the dishes being cleaned by themselves with the extra food being stored away.

He doesn't have a reply and they lapse into a quiet. They don't speak for a long time, both too consumed with their own thoughts to even come up with something to say. When they reach the front door and still have not said a word, Hermione wonders if he'll let her go without even a goodbye. Only when warm fingers wrap around her wrist does she stop.

"Hermione?" She turns and looks up at him in question. He gazes down at her, soaking in every detail and committing it to memory, fearing that she might answer his next question with the opposite of what he's hoping for. "You won't leave again, will you?" His voice is soft, tentative almost, and so very unlike him.

It's as if his entire life hangs in the balance with this question. In truth, it may very well actually be at risk. Without her, he knows he'll fall back into how he'd been only just yesterday morning. He doesn't want that to happen again, he'd been so empty then. But he won't push her to stay, not if she doesn't want to, he could never do that.

"Of course not," she says. "I couldn't leave now, even if I wanted to!" She places a hand on his arm and watches as he jolts with the touch before relaxing into it. Both a still for a moment before Draco realizes he hasn't replied.

"I'm glad," he breathes. "Losing you after you just came back would...it would be miserable, truthfully." Meeting her gaze now, staring into the eyes he had missed so dearly, nothing else seems to matter. He wouldn't care if the entire force of the ministry came pounding at the gates, or if Voldemort rose from the ashes. He only cares for Hermione. Draco has to fight tooth and nail to restrain himself from doing something drastic and scaring her off.

Unbeknownst of him, Hermione is dealing with a problem not so different that his.

She swallows around the lump that's formed in her throat and forces away the twisting feeling in her stomach. "I don't want to lose you either," she admits. Hermione gauges his reaction, biting her lip and peering up through her lashes.

Draco's eyes widen a fraction of an inch, just barely hinting at his surprise. Against his better judgement, he leans closer, bringing his head down towards her.

A thousand thoughts run through her head, ranging from wonder to curiosity. As he draws closer, though, all thoughts evaporate and she feels her heart speeding up to impossible speeds. Her palms clam up and her eyes flutter closed. She finds herself leaning forward, rolling up onto her toes to meet him, prepared for whatever he was going to do even though she isn't entirely sure why.

That's when a pair of arms wraps around her waist and she's yanked against his chest. Her gasp is muffled in his shoulder and it occurs to her, then, that he'd only wanted to hug her. Quickly, she weaves her own arms around him and returns the embrace, a blush tinting her cheeks with the embarrassment of misinterpreting his actions.

Had she honestly thought that he was going to...to kiss her? Her, of all the woman he could have? She's barking mad for even considering such a thing! And why in Merlin's name had she been prepared to return the kiss. Maybe she really is insane.

Draco pulls back with a small grin gracing his features. Hermione half-expects some mockery for her actions and even braces herself for it, but it never comes.

"Be safe," he tells her. "And write me soon. We'll find a time we can visit again." He acts as if nothing is amiss, though for him it would be easy. He hadn't done any wrong. Hermione, though, is internally screaming her thanks.

He must not have noticed her foolish actions, or maybe he'll let her alone about it. Write it off as a mistake and let it lie unbothered.

He clear his throat, capturing her attention again. "I'll see you soon. Have fun sharing the news of you being alive with your friends." He smirks at her.

Hermione turns blindly away, narrowly avoiding tripping over her own feet, consumed by her thoughts. She only just remembers to shout a goodbye before apparating to Harry's house.

There is a faint pop and then she's gone. Draco's left staring at the place she had stood moments ago, a wistful smile pulling at his lips. It's dropped the moment the front door opens behind him and his mother's voice reaches his ears.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do," Narcissa announces. "Starting with why you never came home last night and this explanation had better include why you woke up with a girl who is meant to be dead suddenly in your arms."