Disclaimer - All characters are the work of J.K. Rowling

A/N - This one shot has to be the weirdest one I've written... possibly. I don't even understand the storyline myself, so I forgive you if you don't either. In the coming weeks I may change it slightly because the beginning of it is the only bit I really like. The rest is a bit odd. But hey, it's my own fault. I severely lack the patience to plan anything I write and it does show in my writing unfortunately. Oh well, I hope you enjoy it anyway. R+R!

Warning - There's a couple of swear words in there (from Draco, of course!), but it's only like, a repeat of the F word. I think it's in there twice, so not too offensive.

The sun was beating down on to the pier, reflecting off every surface it could find and dazzling the masses of people that were taking advantage of the rare sunny day in Britain. Children screamed and ran around, excited to be outside for once and the bars and restaurants along the beach were buzzing with happy but dehydrated tourists.

Separated from the swarms of the public was a young woman, leaning casually against the metal bars, gazing out on to the sandy beach and watching the waves gently lapping against the shore. A small smile graced her features and her eyes were closed, taking in the ocean breeze and warm golden rays. Light chocolate brown curls whipped around her face and she had to keep shaking her head slightly to keep them out the way. Her dress was simple; cream, just above the knee and billowing slightly in the gentle winds. She looked completely at peace with herself and her surroundings.

"Granger…" Draco called, scowling at where she was standing, right in the glare of the sun. The young witch turned around towards the noise and frowned at the blond, still sitting in the spot where she had left him. A very disgruntled Draco stared back at her, his eyebrows knotting in frustration and his mouth turned downwards. She put her hands on her hips in exasperation and looked at him in question.

"Yes, Malfoy?" she said with slight irritation in her tone. Draco scowled back at her still and remained under the canopy, in the shade and away from the colossal ball of heat in the sky.

"Just because you have a normal skin tone and a head of rat tails protecting you from the sun, that doesn't mean I do" Draco snapped, keeping up his trademark scowl as Hermione walked towards him.

"My pale complexion only looks perfect in places not as sunny as this" he carried on while looking around the pier, grimacing at all the happy, smiling faces of Muggle families and couples.

Hermione rolled her eyes and reluctantly went under the canopy away from the golden rays and into the all too familiar gloom. Looking up at Draco, she tutted and started tapping her foot in frustration. The one day she got to go outside and he had to act up like this. Having a job at the Ministry was extremely demanding and she rarely got to experience such pleasures as being in the sun, next to a beach surrounded by such optimistic and contented people, whether they were Muggles or not.

"Look Draco" she said in a softer tone, "I just think it's nice to have a day off once in a while. When the sun came out today, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get away from work and just be ourselves, you know?" In a lower voice, she carried on. "Away from all the rumours of continued Death Eater activity, wouldn't you say this glorious day provides a great distraction?"

Draco looked down at her, disdain still evident in his sneer and hardened eyes. At Malfoy Manor, although it was always dark, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. At least in the darkness you didn't get burnt and prickly red skin if you were in it too long. Why did they have to come to the beach of all places anyway? What was so good about sand blowing into you and blocking off your senses? Or stupid Muggles getting in your way and having a jolly old time? He couldn't see the appeal himself and would even rather be in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop than at a beach. Hermione had always told him that she loved being by the sea, as it gave her a sense of freedom, a sense that she could escape if she wanted to.

When everything got too much and they were having one of their famous shouting matches, she would promise to leave him, swear to it, and go a live by a beach somewhere. It would preferably be on an isolated island away from Death Eaters, the Ministry and him.

He grinned then. They always made up though… usually later that night when both of them wanted to forget the words they had screamed at each other. Ironically, they found each other to be pretty good distractions.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Hermione cleared her throat.

"Got a cough coming on, Hermione?" he drawled, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Maybe we should go home… you may have even got a bit of heat stroke…"

He waited to see if his plan had worked. He didn't want to stay at this blasted beach any longer. He'd leave if it weren't for the fact it was too dangerous to leave one third of the Golden Trio happily waltzing around Muggles on an open pier.

Hermione recognised the glint in Draco's eyes and smiled up at him. Touching his arm lightly, she gazed up at him innocently. "But Draco… I was hoping we could buy an ice-cream first… it's only over there…" she said, motioning towards an ice cream parlour across the pier, already full of people in the early afternoon heat.

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. Reaching up a hand, he stroked Hermione's cheek and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Bloody Muggles" he muttered under his breath, and then stalked towards the ice cream parlour, with an amused Hermione skipping behind him.

When they got to the parlour, Hermione grabbed Draco's hand and pulled him up some side stairs towards a blue and white stripy door with an anchor decorated in the middle of it. How tacky and nautical, Draco thought in disgust.

"What – I thought you wanted an ice cream?" he protested pulling on her waist, suddenly feeling suspicious of her actions. Hermione stopped in front of the door and whirled round, with her eyes dancing in excitement.

"I've got you a surprise actually, I hope you'll like it, I mean it took a lot of effort to get it-well I suppose them-her. You'll see I suppose, but oh Draco, whatever happens in there, I don't mind what you decide to do okay? I mean, I love you, we've been together for a while and oh, well I suppose it will make more sense when we get in there, but once we're in there I'll explain everything okay?" Hermione said quickly, stumbling over her words in her excitement.

Draco stiffened and let Hermione go. Straightening out, his eyes narrowed and his mouth set in a straight line. Nudging Hermione gently to the side, he hesitantly put his hand on the doorknob, twisted it and pushed open the door.

The first thing he noticed was a woman standing there. Her hair hung in loose tendrils and her cheeks looked hollowed out and bony. She had a pale complexion and she was so thin that Draco wasn't even sure how she was standing. As if on cue, the woman started swaying slightly, and he watched as Hermione rushed over and gently moved the woman into a nearby sofa.

Draco still stood there, dumbstruck. Hermione looked at him expectantly then, biting her lower lip and not knowing whether to smile or look worried.

"Well?" she said "I hope you know who this is" motioning towards the slumped woman on the chair who still seemed too weak to speak.

He found his voice then. "Pansy…?" he croaked. "I thought… I thought you were in Azkaban?"

He walked over slowly, each footstep dragging towards her. Hermione stepped towards the corner of the room and watched in anticipation. She put her hand in her pocket towards her wand, just in case.

Draco knelt down in front of Pansy and stroked her cheek, tracing the outlines of her once beautiful features. Her face crumpled at his touch and she burst into tears. Drawing her into a hug, he let her cry over him. When he felt she had quietened down a few minutes later, he pulled back and joined her on the sofa. Trying to ignore Hermione's sympathetic gaze, he looked at Pansy once more who was now looking at him with a watery smile.

"I was in Azkaban… but apparently there's been recent Death Eater activity going on. I'm not sure what happened, but they finally realised I was innocent of any wrongdoing during the Last Battle. It may have had something to do with my father… but I'm not sure" she shrugged, still looking at Draco.

He nodded, trying to take in this new information. He was about to say something when Hermione strolled over to them and spoke instead.

"I got you out Pansy. You may have not exactly been a close friend at Hogwarts…" she chuckled slightly, "but you were Draco's friend. That's what's important. Besides, I knew you were innocent, but perhaps you did need those few years in Azkaban to bring you down a pedestal or two".

Draco snarled at Hermione's nasty comment. How dare she say that about Pansy? Especially while she was sitting here in such a vulnerable state. He stood up and in one step was face to face with Hermione. Or rather, chest to face.

"Granger, you bring me on this fucking beach trip, reunite me with Pansy, only to fucking insult her?" he spat, his body shaking in anger.

Hermione stepped back, shocked and gaped at him.

"No… Malfoy. I brought her back for you. I brought her back because I thought ever since I took that job at the Ministry and started spending more time again with Harry and Ron, that you were getting jealous. I thought maybe you needed a friend. I thought maybe you wanted her" she shouted back at him.

"The beach was purely for my own selfish reasons. I felt it'd be the best place to leave a loved one and then wallow in my own self pity" she whispered, unsure of herself suddenly.

He snorted at her choice of words, but then what she said sunk in.

"Leave you?" he asked in confusion. "Why would I leave you?"

Hermione had expected the situation to be like this, so she cast a Silencing charm over the room.

"Harry, Ron and I have reason to suspect that Death Eaters have stupidly been making Horcruxes of themselves to follow in their Dark Lord's footsteps."

Ignoring Draco's surprised expression, she carried on speaking. "We want to find them, and destroy them. We think we know where they are and before you ask 'Isn't that what Aurors are for', just let me say that we've done this before, and we know what we're doing when it comes to destroying them."

She paused briefly to let Draco take everything in and before letting him speak, she carried on, with a heavy heart and shaking hands. "I brought Pansy back to… to keep you company while I'm gone. Now… I won't judge you if… if you… you know" she whispered, finally finishing what she had to say.

Draco barked out a laugh then, and stared up at the ceiling, with a huge grin on his face.

"Merlin Hermione, I thought for a second there you were telling me that you were going on a suicide mission with Tweedledee and Tweedledum and leaving me on my own with my old best friend" he said, amusement clear in his tone. Looking over his shoulder, he winked at the defeated figure on the sofa, "No offence Pans, you're great company".

Folding his arms, he smirked at Hermione, who was now gawking at him with her mouth open.

"Draco… I'm being serious" she said slowly, enunciating every word.

Realization dawned on his face.

"You're not going" he said with an air of finality. Walking back over to Pansy, he sat down and put his arm round her, pulling his old friend closer to him.

Hermione watched, feeling slightly envious of Pansy. Shaking her head to get rid of her thoughts, she pouted at Draco.

"Look, just, come here a second please?" she said pleadingly.

Draco heaved himself back up, and gently put a now sleeping Pansy on the arm of the sofa. He walked over to Hermione, snaked his arms round her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"Don't leave me… don't make things even more complicated" he said, trying to sound as casual as he could, swallowing the lump in his throat. He tried to keep up the Malfoy façade and attempted to sound as natural and emotionless as possible.

Hermione recognised the poorly disguised emotion and smiled into his chest.

"I've always liked the beach. It's so… uncomplicated. The two major aspects are sea and sand. Nothing more. It has the same pattern every single day, and it is regular… if only life could be as routine as the beach" she said quietly.

Draco kissed her forehead and stepped back.

"Enough with the analogies Granger, lets wake up Pansy, get some stupid icecream…" Hermione's eyes lit up at this, "- and then let's get the hell off this beach. We're going to do some research and I'm coming with you whether you like it or not" he said stubbornly.

Picking up Pansy from the sofa, he followed Hermione back out into the hallway. As Hermione walked slowly down the stairs, her thoughts making her cautious on her feet, Draco called out behind her.

"For the record Granger, it's you I love. Not Pansy. Not anymore" he said, with a hint of amusement. "Besides who else would bring me to a beach, reunite me with someone who I thought I would never see again and provoke me into an argument while still making sure they're the one in the right?" he drawled.

Hermione could only smile. Her intentions had been clear and she didn't feel the need to justify herself. However… if she was going to be spending the next few months with Harry, Ron and Draco all together with barely any alone time with him… maybe it was necessary to have an argument with him… if only for the make up se-

"I know what you're thinking Granger, legilimens remember?" he smirked. She blushed, and Draco laughed as he watched his beloved bushy haired, insufferable little witch walk down the stairs that little bit faster.