a/n: I am so so sorry! I know it has been a long time since I've updated...so this is a longer chapter. I hope you enjoy it! x

"What do you reckon they're talking about in there?" Ginny asked Hermione. "They've been talking for an hour already! Mum's getting antsy, ugh, I just know it. If we don't leave in another five minutes, she'll have my head."

"Is Molly the one getting antsy or you?" Hermione teased as she served her friend a cup of tea. She nervously played with her teacup as she nibbled her bottom lip. Should she tell Ginny about what Pansy Parkinson and Narcissa Malfoy had told her? Though it would be nice to hear someone else's opinion on this, Hermione felt that it was a bit personal...Merlin, She groaned mentally.

"Oh no, I know that look," Ginny cautioned. "You're over-thinking again. What is it this time? Don't you dare keep it to yourself. I've seen that look, and now I want to know. Tell."

"Well," Hermione stole a glance towards Malfoy's door…see, calling him Draco still did not feel right! Even if she did call him by his first name when conversing with Pansy…now see it wasn't hard to use her name! Draco Malfoy's going to be my husband and I can't call him by his given name! I'm pathetic!

"Hermione!" Ginny called for her attention. "I'm still waiting."

"Pansy and Malfoy's mother told me that he likes me…" Hermione frowned.

"There's a but isn't there?" Hermione nodded.

"…he doesn't seem to know it himself?" Hermione looked at Ginny, whose eyebrows shot high enough to reach her hairline. "I know it sounds strange, but…that's what they told me." She said helplessly.

"That certainly is interesting," Ginny commented before she sat back in silence, sipping her tea. "Wow, I don't know what to think about that. It sort of makes sense, I mean…he picked on your all the way through school…isn't there a saying about that? Anyway, since we're on this topic…you have to tell him, Hermione. He has to know…I mean, seeing as he supposedly likes you and is doing to marry you…"

"I know…but even if he doesn't like me, he has to know. Who would want to be wakened in the middle of the night to screams every night without knowing why?" Hermione sighed and cleaned up the bar counter just as Pansy and Malfoy exited his room. The two ex-Gryffindors looked up simultaneously.

Hermione noted with worry that the ex-Slytherin's eyes were bloodshot and puffier than ever, but she was smiling. Is she in a sort of denial? Hermione wondered as she approached the two with Ginny in tow.

"It's about time!" Ginny exclaimed. "You can't imagine how sorry we are, Pansy! Ron's out of his mind most of the time, please don't take him seriously. And mum's going to punish him for it! Mum always punishes him."

Hermione giggled as she remembered the Howler Molly Weasley had generously sent Ron in their second year.

"I guess we should get going then," Pansy said softly as she embraced Draco and, though unsure, she hugged Hermione as well. "Thank you."

Hermione wasn't sure whom it was directed to, but she smiled nonetheless. "You know, if Ron ever does something like that again…you can always send him a Howler. Merlin knows how frightened he is of it."

Ginny laughed as Pansy grinned. "I think I will keep that in mind," she turns to Draco, "she's a keeper. I can't imagine...being best friends with him yet you can still tell someone else his weakness."

"Ah, well, Hermione's like family already," Ginny giggled as she looped her arms around Pansy's. "And not to mention, Hermione's older, so she has the power over both Harry and Ron, let's say. Come on, Pansy, mum's waiting."

Both Hermione and Malfoy watched as the two young women walked out their portraits. Then, they turned to each other. "Er, well-" "Look, Granger," they said simultaneously. "You first," they chorused.

Hermione felt her cheeks warm as she looked down to her feet.

"Thank you," she heard Malfoy murmur. She looked up in surprise. Did Draco Malfoy just thank her? She thought. "Pansy's my best friend, other than Blaise…She's like my little sister…so er, thank you."

"You're welcome," Hermione said softly as she looked into his grey eyes. "Ron's a git, Pansy didn't deserve it."

They stood in silence. Neither knew exactly what to say. It felt like a long time for Hermione, yet, she couldn't think of anything to do or say. Then Neville walked in, shouting excitedly, "We're getting married in a week's time!"

Hermione jumped away from Draco and looked at Neville in shock, "you're what? I thought you planned a month later?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "Hannah and I don't want to wait, and well, we're thinking of having a small wedding anyway. We just want to get it over with, you know."

"That's wonderful, Neville," Hermione beamed and hugged her friend.

"Thanks! I've just got to run and tell Gran and the others," Neville grinned and then ran up to his room before running out the portrait again.

"Oh, by the way, Malfoy—"

"You should really start calling me by my name, Granger,"

"Says the man who calls me by my surname," she snorted. "Fine. Dr-Draco. There. Anyway, my point is, we have to set a date."

"Right, well, how bout we get married now?"

"What!" Hermione squeaked. "Ma-Draco! You can't be serious?"

"Well…why not?" Hermione almost laughed at the perplexed expression that he had on his face.

"Well…" she tried so search for an answer. "I don't know…but we just can't! I…I have a lot of papers to mark and I have a class in an hours time and…er…I'm hungry," she finished lamely.

He rolled his eyes at her lame excuse and took a velvet box from his pocket. "Then wear this."

"What is it?" She took the box and opened it. She gaped at the jewellery in front of her, "It's a… it's a…"

"Honestly, Granger, it's an engagement ring. It's the Malfoy engagement ring. Mother owled it to me when you were out looking for Pansy." He informed her. "It's the Malfoy official engagement ring. You're going to have to wear it, you know."

"But…alright, but there's…there's something I have to tell you," she bit her lip nervously as she eyed the ring whilst placing the ring box back onto his hands. "Er…"

"Well?" He asked impatiently, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at her action.

"I…I'm not going to live in the manor." She said lamely, "because I…I get nightmares…about that night." she looked down at her feet.

The uncomfortable clearing of his throat was clear to her that he knew exactly which night she was talking about. She looked up at him and pursed her lips. "I…I don't want you to feel bad or anything…It's just…a warning. They get pretty…physical."

"Honestly, Granger, it's alright," he said hesitantly, "We'll worry about that later. Now, let's just worry about the matter on hand. Would you please just put the ring on first?"

"The…the ring?" Hermione stammered; the memories pushed to the back of her mind. "It's…just so beautiful. I can't possibly-"

"For Merlin's sake," he growled in annoyance and held up her left hand and slid the ring onto her fourth finger. She shivered at the sudden cold air that passed through her. "There, now you'll just have to get used to it. I'll check the vaults for simpler wedding bands, alright?"

"Can't we get a pair ourselves?" she suggested. It's not that she didn't like the ring, it just didn't…suit her-too flashy. The tiny emeralds filled the silver band and the only spaces that didn't have the emeralds had the letter M carved on it. Then, the main thing about the ring that Hermione didn't like- the diamond, as it was roughly the size of an Every Flavoured Bean. "I mean, I doubt your family would have anything without emeralds or diamonds."

He sighed and looked at her, "I s'pose that could work. I doubt my ancestors would want you to wear any of their possessions- I mean…well I think they're voices may very well be heard beyond the gates of the manor actually."

"What do you mean?" She questioned, and then she gasped when her ears caught the sound of the bell. "Merlin, I'm late!"

"Well, because your name just appeared next to mine in the tapestry."

"You have a tapestry?" Hermione paused momentarily.

"All pureblood families do. I don't know why, really."

"Right, erm, I should go, I'm really late" she said, fumbling through her table with one hand in search of her wand. "Ah!" She shrieked in annoyance when her scrolls fell onto the ground.

She was startled when her scrolls started floating upwards. "Of all the massive bags you own when we were in school, Granger," the tone of his voice convinced her that he was smirking.

"Shut up," she growled as she stood up.

"I'll walk with you."

"What?"

"Well, seeing as you don't bother getting a bag, I'll carry these and I can walk with you. I don't have a class right now and seeing as you're my fiancée…I…shouldn't I be doing something?" She raised and eyebrow at his offer and declined.

"It's really alright. You can just…oh my wand!" She hurried to take her wand and held out her arms when she returned. "Ok, now just put those right here."

"Now you're really late. I'll come, you have Slytherins and Gryffindors now anyway," he said as he looked at her timetable, which was laid out on her table.

"Oh, you're right!" She groaned. "Fine, hurry."

Hermione hurried as the loud rants from her classroom became louder and clearer. She opened the door and looked at the scene with wide eyes. Fists were pounding and blood was strewn. The ugly conversation between a pair nearest to them was easily heard as they were shouted by the speakers themselves.

"Your Head of House is a filthy-"

"Don't you dare say-"

"Or what?"

"ENOUGH!" She gasped when Malfoy's voice roared behind her after a few seconds of standing by the door. Heads snapped towards their direction as everything halted. "Another word out of any of you and it'll be detentions and 50 points will be taken," he said coldly.

"Now," he strode into the unkempt room, continuing his speech in a cold voice, "another word about Professor Granger you will have to deal with me, is that clear?"

"Yes, Professor," the disgruntled 6th year students muttered under their breaths. Hermione followed his footsteps and cleared her throat.

"Right, well," she pursed her lip, "I think that's enough trouble. Your books out, chapter seven."

She pulled Malfoy aside and looked behind her shoulders to check if her students were doing as told. "I don't know whether I should thank you or…" she shook her head, "You're not staying, are you?"

"I would rather. So I know-no one but I can call you that."

"So I've heard," she frowned, remembering what Park-Pansy had told her not an hour ago.

"You…you have?" Draco looked at her with confusion. "I mean…"

Hermione scowled. "As much as I don't mind hearing that now, I would very much prefer it if you don't call me that. They won't even get the chance-"

"Well, then I'm staying. No harm is there? I know for a fact that there's no rule in the Hogwarts handbook that says another professor cannot be in another professor's class." He said haughtily and looked at her, daring her to argue with him.

She sneered at him and stuck her tongue out as she turned back to her class. "Now, we're going to learn how to Transfigure humans into animals, something that I'm sure Professor Malfoy has a lot to contribute for."

She felt his glares searing at the back of her head and she smirked in triumph. Unfortunately for him, she hadn't told him what she was about to teach her class and fortunate for her, she knew the exact memory she can show her class. He didn't have to know that she wasn't going to tell.

"Human Transfiguration is more difficult than other forms of Transfiguration and I do not,"she glared at the few Slytherins who smirked at the Gryffindors, who glared in return, "want to see anybody getting hurt be it in class or out. Now, all you have to know is in that chapter, however, as I understand it, it is not as clear as a demonstration. Now, human Transfiguration can be used to roughly replicate the natural abilities of Metamorphmagi (who does not need to use a wand to change their appearance), thereby allowing the caster or target to take on an entirely different form, or make various individual changes to their appearance-such experiments which I presume you have attempted on your partner last year. Professor," she swirled to face Malfoy. She was pleased to see fear flicker in her eyes…and was a little nervous at the anger she saw. "Would you mind if I perform an example on one of your students?"

He raised an eyebrow. The relief immediately flooded his eyes. "Why not one from your own house? Surely they're just as of use as my students." He said coolly.

A screeching noise interrupted them and a snow-white owl flew in, dropping a letter on Hermione's desk, before perching itself on the blackboard. She looked at it apprehensively because it was in a red envelope-it meant that it was important (something her, Harry, Ron and the Ministry workers have decided on) and because Hedwig had delivered it. "Professor Malfoy, would you mind?" She gestured toward the rest of the class and hoped he had gotten the hint to take over her class as she hurried to her desk.

She nearly sighed in relief when she heard him take over. "One of the known instances of human Transfiguration is during the 1600s. A man named Thaddeus Thurkell had seven sons, all Squibs…" Hermione shuddered at the cold, drawling voice that reminded her heavily of her previous Potion and DADA professor and droned Mal-Draco's voice out as she ripped the envelope open and read the contents:

Hermione,
This morning, we received notice that Goyle's missing. I think you need to tell Malfoy; he is his friend after all. We found a note. It's not good- there was blood. 'Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock. What makes a lion tick?.' Try to decipher it? I mean there has to be something between the lines right?
Get back to us soon alright?

Love,
Harry and Ron

She gasped quietly and quickly wrote her reply.

Harry, Ron,
Is that all? Tell me everything.

Love,
Hermione

She gave Hedwig a few treats and gave it the note. "Back to Harry please."

She hooted softly and flew out the window. Hermione sighed and turned back to her class, silently observing Draco Malfoy as he demonstrated human Tranfiguration on one of the Slytherins- Maddox Augustus- one of her worst students. Worst meaning troublemaker.

She looked down with a small smile crawling up her lips when Malfoy turned Maddox into a rat. It reminded her immediately of when Mad-Eye was their professor-turning Malfoy into a ferret was the most hysterical thing to see ever! Then she looked up when she heard a pair of foot stomp onto the ground.

"Pair yourselves together. Anyone who doesn't turn their partners into rats will have to write three feet long on when human Transfiguration come of use." Malfoy smirked coldly. Hermione rolled her eyes-there wasn't that much of information to write three feet- as she pushed herself off the window ledge.

She took a deep breath and headed towards Malfoy. He has to know that Goyle was missing.