A/N: Sorry for the long wait everybody. But here it is. I hope you enjoy it. No more cliffie.

Recap: They stood up and stretched about to enter the freedom of the plane when…"Hiya! Hermione is that you?"

Protection-Chapter 3

They froze, rooted to the spot. They couldn't acknowledge the presence behind them or move forward so they just stood there in panic. After and exaggerated pause, finally their captor caught up with them and with a startled surprise he realized that it was none other than Draco Malfoy that had his arm around the Gryffindor bookworm Hermione Granger. He just stared for a few moments before simply questioning, "Hermione?"

Regaining herself Hermione smiled nonchalantly and said, "Hello Seamus, fancy meeting you here? How have you been?"

"Umm well I've been…" he stumbled over his words as he continued to stare, "…wonderful, just wonderful."

"Great!" she replied. Then to Malfoy she said, "Draco, would you mind coercing the boarding official into waiting for just a few moments while I talk to Seamus?"

"Of course sweetheart," he replied kissing her on the cheek before jaunting off to the entrance to the plane. Seamus' wonder became suspicious loathing as his eyes narrowed.

Seamus gave Hermione an impetuous glance and once Draco was out of ear shot dared to talk.

"What exactly is going on? May I ask?"

"Listen it's all been rather sudden. We ended up working together and we really started to enjoy each other's company after blood issues were null and void. It's been kinda sudden but, amazing."

He stared at her in bewilderment. "Do Harry and Ron know about this? Wait, I heard you were going out with some auror?"

"Well the auror, we decided that we were really just friends."

"Harry and Ron?"

She bit her lip. "Can I ask you a favor?"

He looked at her uneasily but nevertheless nodded.

"It's been a bit impulsive and I haven't really gotten a chance to tell them about us. I mean they knew we were working together but…anyway, can you please not tell them, or anyone for that matter. If the public found out we'd have head hunters combing all of England. I'll tell them soon, I just think it needs to come from me."

"What makes you think I'll keep something like this to myself?" he said with a mischievous smirk, "Besides Harry and Ron are my good mates, they'd kill me for keeping something like this from them."

"Then they'll never have to find out you knew. Please?" She begged with her puppy dog eyes but he didn't relent.

"I dunno…" he muttered.

Draco was looking at her impatiently, she wasn't sure how long they would hold it for her, even with all the persuasive spells that she knew Draco was using. (wandless magic that many important figures and public speakers use) Her resolve stiffened.

"Listen, I didn't want to do this but, if I get wind that anyone in the world knows about Draco and I before I tell them, I'll just have to disclose," she lowered her voice, "to Lavender of the little make out session we had at the Ministry Christmas party last year."

He paled and his eyes went wide, "Bbut we were tipsy. I would nnever..." He stuttered.

"Yes I believe that had a lot to do with it, however, I'm not sure she'll see it that way? Do you?"

"Okay, you've got it, not a word. But you really need to tell them soon. They deserve to know."

"I know. I will." She replied awkwardly.

"Hermione!" Draco called exasperatedly to her.

"Coming Draco," she called back. Turning to Seamus she said, "Well I'm sorry but I really have to go now. I guess I'll see you around then?"

"Ya. See you around."

She waved and then ran to the gate flashing her boarding pass and almost jogging to the plane and shoving her materials into the over head compartment. Draco followed behind her and sat down just in time for take off.

As the engines revved and they began to lift off into the air Draco's hands tightened around his arm rests.

Noticing, Hermione looked up at him. He was attempting to look completely relaxed but she could tell he was quite frightened.

Trying to hide her amusement she put a hand on his arm comfortingly and said, "Draco, are you all right. What's worrying you?"

"Um I just didn't realize that we were going to be flying and I can't say I trust the muggle devise very much."

She laughed, "You have nothing to worry about. You're more likely to die in a broomstick accident than on a plane."

The woman who sat across from Draco laughed at that. "Ya it's about as likely as that," She said, not realizing that Draco flew on a broomstick all the time.

Hermione nodded, glad that someone thought she was funny, even if she didn't mean to me.

"That has a large likelihood of happening Granger." He snarled into her ear so no one else could hear.

"Okay, new example. About as likely as… dieing in a cooking accident."

"Have you tasted my mothers cooking." he countered.

She smiled slightly, this was distracting him. Good.

"Um…Scalded by a boiling liquid."

"I believe I know someone who tipped their caldron 7th year in potions class." He whispered again the nervousness slightly dissipating.

She looked offended but continued.

"Eaten by an inanimate object."

"Monsters book of monsters."

"Starvation"

"Sometimes when you get into a book, none of us think you'll ever come up for air, much less food."

She laughed out loud to that. "Toché. Can you come up with any better ones?"

"Of course." He pondered for a moment. "Head explosion."

She smirked. "Why Draco if yours was any larger it would."

This got both of them laughing uncharacteristically and they continued playing the game until the flight attendants came to serve them their drinks.

While sipping their soft drinks Draco decided to get some answers he'd been dieing for and seeing that she was in a good mood decided that this was a good time. "So what are some of the finer details of this trip?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Actually I'm not sure myself; someone will meet us at the airport and give us all the information. The American sector is orchestrating it."

"So you don't know anything."

"Even if I did, I'm not at liberty to say."

"I see." He went back to his reading slightly disappointed and irritated.

She set her cup down on the fold out table and looked at him critically out of the corner of her eye. She'd always had such a low opinion of him. He'd never given her any reason not to, but still. They'd just had a perfectly normal, without raised voices, jibes, or threats, conversation and she couldn't help but wonder if the next few weeks wouldn't be as bad as she'd originally thought. Just as the idea ran across her mind turbulence sprung up and knocked her drink into her lap. While she'd drunk most of it, the ice at the bottom of the cup made small wet spots on pants. She groaned in annoyance, put the ice back in the cup, and then stood up and went to the bathrooms at the back of the plane.

Once inside she pulled out several paper towels and tried to dab the spots dry. It didn't work completely but it would have to do. The spots would dry eventually anyway.

The excess soda in the cup had made her hands sticky from putting the ice back so she decided to wash her hands. As she went for soap, the machine must have been broken because instead of squirting it into her hand it squirted soap all over her shirt. "Great, just great." She mumbled angrily.

Stalking back to her seat to get the change of clothes from her carry on she received many strange looks. When she reached Malfoy he burst out laughing from seeing her in this state. "What happened to you?"

"Soap dispenser disorder." She replied simply.

"If I was ever given the choice between Hermione Granger or a soap dispenser in a fight…I don't think I ever would have guessed the soap dispenser would win. Guess I was wrong." He continued to laugh.

Grabbing her change of clothes she stalked back again. She was so embarrassed. How could she be such a klutz? Especially in front of Malfoy. He'd never let her live this down. Oh well. She changed into a simple blue jeans and red t-shirt and walked back to her seat sitting down as if nothing had just happened and began to read. When the flight attendant came by to pick up trash she threw her offending cup in with an indignant sniff and went back to her reading.

She changed her mind. He was still an insufferable jerk. Never mind the fact that she would have teased him if he had been in her situation. That was uncalled for. And so they continued the flight in silence.

A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks so much for reading. Please review. I love input. I wanna hear anything that can help me improve my story. And thank you to my wonderfully awesome beta True Slytherin Witch. Be grateful she makes sure I keep them in character. lol

Also, I've had a dilemma. I'm not sure where I want to send them. At first I was thinking New York and then I started thinking about other cities and I couldn't decide. So I'm going to leave it up to you. Here are the options:

New York

Los Angeles

Las Vegas

Washington D.C.

So please just leave your preference in a review. Or if you think that you know another brilliant location…I'm still open to where ever. Just somewhere in the U.S. Again, thanks for all of the support. It makes writing so much more enjoyable. And now I'm sure you're tired of listening to me ramble so go and review. You know you want to.

One White Tulip