Harry Potter 1. You want to help me?

What Did You Expect?

By ChristianMom

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A/N: I'm new to the site and this is the first story that I have ever published, so I hope you guys aren't too hard on me. Of course your reviews and any ideas for the story are always welcomed.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the plot. . .if you recognize anything it's owned by JKR lol

Summary: Hermione is opening a new bookstore in Diagon Alley, but she needs to come up with 20,000 Galleons for the down payment first. She's about to try to get a goblin loan when the money is donated from an unexpected source. . .but of course he wants something in return. Somewhat DH and HBP compliant, 5 years post DH.

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Chapter 1:

_You_ want to help _me_?

Hermione Granger was looking intently into the bathroom mirror of her London flat. By now she was rather pleased with her appearance—the bushy hair and oversized front teeth were gone, replaced with flowing dark brown ringlets and two rows of perfectly straight white pearls. She was petite, standing at about 5'3 with an average chest and a small waist. Her face was a bit long, but that didn't mean it wasn't pretty.

Turning the water on, she began to wash her face as she mulled over her current problem. _Twenty-thousand Galleons_, she thought to herself. _How am I going to come up with that in two weeks? It's impossible._

Harry and Ginny had offered to help her come up with the required funds, but she wanted to do this by herself instead of burdening the couple. She was planning on heading down to Gringotts and applying for a goblin loan first thing. She knew she had a small chance of actually getting the loan (so much for being Gryffindor's Golden Girl), but she had run out of options and she was growing desperate.

She headed back to her room and pulled on a black turtle neck and beige dress pants. Slipping into her Mary Janes, she headed downstairs to the kitchen to put on some tea and make herself some toast before she had to leave. As she was pouring her breakfast Earl Grey, a loud tapping at her window made her jump and nearly drop the kettle.

Opening the window, she gasped as a beautiful black owl graciously flew in with a note tied to its leg. She pulled the note off, absently groping for a treat for the owl, but when she turned around to give the beautiful bird a piece of her toast, it was gone. _Weird_, she thought. _Whoever sent this must not have been expecting a reply_.

She let the parchment unfurl, and written upon it was a simple note:

_Hermione Granger,_

_I have heard that you might be having some problems opening your bookstore. I may be able to help you. Meet me in the Three Broomsticks at 10 o'clock._

_Come alone._

Hermione stared at the parchment in shock. Who could possibly have known about her problems outside of her close family and friends? She hadn't told anyone else; one-third of the Golden Trio not being able to pay her down payment on a measly bookstore (even though the down payment was far form measly) was definitely first page that news she did not want leaked. Since the defeat of Voldemort, she had been trying to keep a low profile, but that was nearly impossible. She did not need to further feed the media's continued fascination with the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends.

Whoever had sent this note was obviously arrogant enough to just assume she would come to this random meeting seeing as they didn't deem a reply necessary, and her pride screamed at this indignity. She debated with herself for a few minutes, but she was getting more and more desperate. Maybe it wasn't even worth applying for the goblin loan. Maybe this was worth a shot, basically anything at this point was.

Making up her mind (after all, she could apply for the loan tomorrow), she decided to Apparate to the Three Broomsticks right then and there, as it was almost ten. She grabbed her purse, checked her appearance one last time, and then was gone.

Walking around the Three Broomsticks, she didn't see anyone she knew or anyone who would want to help her. Feeling a bit foolish on being taken in by an anonymous note that had merely turned out to be a waste of her time, she turned to leave. As she was about to push through the door, a voice stopped her.

"Going somewhere?" said someone in an all-too-familiar drawl.

She knew who it was, but did not actually want to turn around and come face to face with her childhood nemesis. Instead she continued outside and cursed under her breath, "What the hell could he want?" She was almost to the Apparition point and sincerely hoping that he was not following her, but no such luck.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she snarled as she turned around to confront the footsteps behind her. But she saw not Malfoy but just a couple walking behind her holding a squirming toddler. Embarrassed, her checks flamed red and she stared apologizing to the couple. "I'm so sorry I thought you were someone else." The woman just smiled and nodded, and Hermione was grateful she hadn't said anything too harsh. Feeling quite paranoid, she kept walking.

"Got me on the brain, huh, Granger?" came the same familiar drawl.

She spun around, knowing that this time Malfoy was actually there. She glared at him.

"Why would I have a ferret like you on my mind," she spat.

He actually had the audacity to look hurt, and strode up to her in only a couple bounding strides. He towered over her, and was so close that she could intake his scent. He smelled of lemons, and oranges, and some spice she couldn't name. She looked up at him full in the face and saw that he too had changed a lot since his Hogwarts days. He was no longer the scrawny little blond ferret-boy he had been before. In front of her was a man, clearly muscular through his robes, lean, but built. His blond hair reached his shoulders now and he no longer gelled it back. She caught herself staring when she saw a smirk grace his face.

"I see that you got my letter," he smirked. Well, that certainly took her out of her stupor for sure.

"What are you talking about, ferret-boy" she glared.

"Wow, come on Granger, can't you be an adult and let that go? It was a one-time thing, like, eight years ago," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"What do you want?" she asked, stifling unexpected laughter at his sheer bravado.

"I want to help you" he declared as his usual smirk slid back into place.

"Why?" she asked, shocked. She hadn't seen him since graduation, and now, not only had he changed, he was offering to help her?

"Why not?" he replied through his smirk.

"Let me get this straight. _You_, Draco Malfoy, want to help _me_, Hermione Granger, open my book store. Is there some wizard tax write off if you help me?"

"Yes and no."

They said she was smart, but she couldn't even figure out this stupid Slytherin. "_What_?"

"Yes, I want to help you, and no, it's not about some wizard tax write off," he said with a smile. "Are you always this paranoid whenever someone tries to do something nice for you, Granger?"

"I am when the person is an ex-Death Eater and also happens to be the bane of my existence for twelve years, and said person comes to me saying they wanna help me out of nowhere," Hermione sneered.

"That's a lie I n—"

"Malfoy, it is not a lie. I personally saw the Dark Mark on your arm," she said with venom.

"Are you finished? I was going to say that it's a lie that I've been the bane of your existence for the past twelve years, because I haven't seen you or heard from you in five, so that's impossible. I mean how can you hate someone that you don't even hear from, it's crazy you m—"

Things went downhill from there.

Finally, Hermione said, "Enough, Malfoy! If I let you help me, what do you want in return?" She was exhausted from the constant bickering with him, and if she got rid of him in time, maybe she could still make it to Gringotts at some point today.

"Oh, nothing. I just need your body, really," he smirked, looking her up and down, making Hermione feel like she was on display in a window.

"What!" she yelled, horrified at his ridiculousness.

"I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend to help get my family back in good standing with society. So, for social events and what not I need you to come with me and I also need you to be seen around town with me," he said with a shrug

She could fake a relationship for about a month, but why the hell would she ever consider getting closer than ten wands lengths to Malfoy?

Oh right. The money for her bookstore.

But what would Harry and Ron say? They wouldn't like this at all. Even though the animosity from school wasn't really there anymore—Harry and Malfoy even appeared to be friends sometimes—they still wouldn't appreciate her and the former Slytherin Prince going around together, even if it was pretend.

It was no secret that even though Draco and Narcissa Malfoy had tried to help the Order towards the end of the war and had practically switched sides their family name was considered tarnished. With Lucius serving a life term in Azkaban, the Malfoy name doesn't carry as much pull as it once had, though it did appear as though it did for Draco.

She really wanted her store. It had been her dream to open a bookstore since she was a little girl, and here was Malfoy, handing her her dream on a silver platter. All she had to do was pretend to date him.

"Really, Malfoy?" she asked shrewdly. "That's it? All I have do is pretend to date you and you will give me the money I need?"

"Yes, Granger, for only one month, and I'll pay you whatever the down payment is so that you can open your damn store," he drawled, his careful indifference still intact.

"That's it. Really." There had to be a catch.

"Yes, Granger, that's it, God, what did you expect?" he tossed out condescendingly.

Her chin came up and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Well, Malfoy, you got yourself a deal." She smiled at his surprised expression, seeing that he had expected her to hold out a bit longer. "What did _you_ expect?" she mocked.

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A/N: Hey everyone, that's the first chapter. I'm not sure how long this is going to be, but I know it is going to be romantic with a little humor. I hope I made y'all laugh a little. Your thoughts are always welcomed and virtual sno cones for those who review!!!


	2. How long have I been what?

Chapter 2:

How long have I been _what_?!

Hermione was sitting at home in her kitchen wondering what on earth she had just done. She just agreed to pretend to be Draco Malfoy's girlfriend for an entire month, partially to spite him, and now her friends were going to kill her. Even though Harry had been busy with Ginny and her new pregnancy, he would still make time to come to her flat. And kill her. And then bring her back to life and kill her again.

Well, maybe Harry wouldn't quite want to kill her, but the Weasleys would. They wouldn't be able to believe it to be true, she had broken up with Ron six months ago, and they still hadn't exactly gotten over that. Although they were rather kind to her face, Ginny had told her that her mum was convinced that Hermione had fallen for someone else because her Ron and Hermione had been too perfect. Only Ginny knew the truth: Hermione had caught Ron in bed with Lavender Brown, but hadn't had the heart to declare that in a shouting match before the entire Weasley clan. They had been good to her, and they were clearly upset. She had even sort of forgiven Ron, but that didn't mean she hadn't been hurt or that she would stay with him.

Which brought her back to now being stuck with Malfoy. She groaned. Why had she agreed to this ridiculous farce?

Right. The money. The bookstore. She just had to keep reminding herself that this was her dream. But wasn't there something called going too far? Was it really worth it?

She pictured what she wanted the store to look like, and how happy she would feel helping thousands of witches and wizards find their perfect books—and she couldn't deny it. It was worth it, and she knew it would pay off in the end. Even if it meant spending a whole month with the ferret-boy himself.

She was considering who to tell first when the fire place flashed green and Harry Potter's head could be seen floating in the flames. She gulped; Harry usually knocked, this was not going to be good. "Hermione," he said cordially enough.

"Erm, hi, Harry," she muttered.

"I think you know that you have some major explaining to do," he told her, and she could see he was attempting to keep his voice even.

"Whatever do you mean, Harry?" she replied, innocent enough. She hoped to Merlin that he hadn't found out yet, but it seemed that he had. How was that possible? She had met with Malfoy less than five hours ago.

"What?" she asked, genuinely bewildered.

"You've been dating Malfoy, and you didn't even tell us! I would have at least been understanding!"

"Harry, I'm not dating Malfoy, I haven't seen him in nearly five years," she protested, silently plotting to kill Malfoy in such a way that the Aurors wouldn't get involved.

"Then why did he hold a press conference at Malfoy Manor saying that the two of you are a genuine couple all of a sudden?"

"What press conference, what's going on?" she asked frantically. Had he really already set things in motion? He could have warned her at least!

"I don't know, 'Mione, that's why I'm here asking you, trying to figure that out. Are you alright?"

Hermione was pulling a sweater over her head and slipping on her trainers. She ran to her mirror to make sure she appeared presentable. "I'll be fine Harry, don't worry," she assured him, comforted by his look of concern. At least he wasn't _really_ angry. "I'll Floo you later and try to explain what is going on. I have to go castrate our favorite ferret."

Harry grinned and nodded, "Good luck," and his head disappeared into the emerald flames. Hermione grabbed a hand full of Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace.

"Malfoy Manor," she yelled. Two seconds later her body was flung onto the floor of what she assumed to be the Malfoy's drawing room. Standing up and dusting the soot off her clothes, she heard voices outside the door and decided to go out and corner Malfoy, who had to be the source of one of the voices.

Boy was she wrong.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, thousands of flashes went off and people were rushing towards her, waving their hands and yelling questions at her.

"Miss Granger! Are you and Draco engaged?"

"Is there any truth to the rumor you're carrying the Malfoy heir?"

"Miss Granger, how long have you been in love?"

"How long have I been _what_?!" she spluttered before someone grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the drawing room.

She had every intention of yelling at said person as the door clicked shut, but when she turned and saw the tall lanky frame and white-blond hair of Draco Malfoy she instinctively relaxed. _Wait, I really should not be relaxed with him,_ she thought to herself, but the cool colors of the drawing room were offsetting Draco's vibrancy and for some reason she was having trouble thinking straight.

There was something about the way he was looking at her that told her that he was questioning why she hadn't just started yelling at him as soon as she saw him. And he just kept staring at her, his gray eyes boring into her chocolate ones like he was trying to look straight into her soul.

His gaze made her uncomfortable, and she snapped out of it, quickly putting her defenses back up. "A press conference, Malfoy? That wasn't part of the deal," she stated with surprising calm.

"There wasn't much that was actually part of the deal, Granger," he drawled lazily.

_Ugh_ that damn _smirk_, she hated it so much, she actually just wanted to smack it off his face, but she couldn't bring herself to because he looked surprisingly sexy, leaning there against the wall staring at her like he wanted to rip her clothes off—

Whoa. Hermione shook her head. Where in Merlin's name had that come from. She clearly needed to get out of his house seeing as it was obviously making her go insane.

She looked back at Malfoy, and at that second she knew that she couldn't go through with this. It was too dangerous. She was already getting distracted by him. She would just have to find another way to come up with the money.

"Granger, I know what you're thinking," he hummed, clearly gloating.

"Really, Malfoy, what is that?" she spat.

"You wanna back out, but you can't. I already transferred the funds to your Gringotts account," he beamed.

She stared at him in disbelief. How could he have done that?! They hadn't even worked out all the kinks in the plan! And the fact still remained that she did not know how he had found out about her money problems in the first place.

"Malfoy, how did you know I even needed the money?" she asked suspiciously.

He looked uneasy for a moment then fixed his features back into his normal cocky smirk. "Sorry about the press conference, I thought it would be easier to let everyone know this way," he said, completely ignoring her question

"Easier? Easier for who? You?" she gritted out. "You could have at least _told_ me so I could have warned everyone that this was coming!"

"Warn? Who would you need to warn, did you already have a precious half-blood boyfriend or something?" he growled, and his eyes darkened, making her take a step back.

"No," she replied simply.

Visibly more cheery, he said, "Good, because we have to make this _believable_."

Hermione was confused. He seemed happier that she didn't have a boyfriend, and he had been almost scary when he thought that she might have one. And still, how had he known about her needing the money in the first place, this was all so confusing!

Draco seemed to sense her confusion and stepped in. "Listen, Granger, why don't you go home and I'll come over later. We can talk about all this over some coffee"

She wasn't sure if this was a good idea—"Um, okay, well, my address is—"

"I already know it," he brushed her off.

"How?" she gasped.

"What was that?"

"How do you know my address, I haven't seen or spoken to you in five years! How could you possibly know where I live?" she accused, still confused.

His gaze shifted before he answered, "I'm a Malfoy, we have out ways."

She looked at him like she didn't believe him, so he countered with, "I looked it up, Granger, what did you expect?"


	3. What are your rules, Granger?

Chapter 3:

What are your _rules_, Granger?

Hermione Flooed back to her flat. This was all getting a little too weird, and out of hand. She really wished she could have gotten out of their arrangement.

Malfoy was acting really strange and, to be quite honest, it was starting to scare her. She knew that he wasn't the same arrogant ferret that he had been in school. She had done a bit of research and discovered that since the war the Malfoy family had donated thousands of galleons to countless charities, and she was worried that he only saw her as a charity case. For some reason that thought scared her, she wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to be just another notch on Malfoy's belt to make him and his family look better. She wanted to mean more to him.

Why? She didn't know. She was getting scared because maybe soon she was going to find out why and she wasn't going to like the answer.

Before she could ponder it anymore, her fireplace flashed green and Malfoy stepped out.

"Hey, Granger, nice place you got here," he stated, in a surprisingly civil-ish sort of way.

"No small talk, Draco Malfoy, explain exactly what is going on here!" she finally yelled.

"Maybe I have to put this in terms that even you can understand, Granger. I pay you to pretend to date me for one month, I give you money for your bookstore. What is there not to get?" he said smugly.

She stared at him incredulously, because he couldn't be serious. How could he be so calm about this situation, how could he not see the damage they could cause with this charade?

"No, Malfoy, you git, I _understand_ the deal, what I _don't_ understand is why _me_!"

"Because I felt that we could help each other, you know, you scratch my leg and I scratch yours," he stated casually.

"Back Malfoy!" she scowled, exasperated. "The saying is: Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours! It isn't even exactly a Muggle phrase!"

"Whatever, Granger, the point is I'm trying to do you a favor, and in turn you're doing me one," he said airily.

Hermione had to think about this a little more. Sure, he had already deposited the money in her bank account and held a press conference, but surely she could give the money back and hold her own press conference saying that what he had said wasn't true. She was pretty sure she didn't want to do that, however.

"Malfoy, maybe we need to set some ground rules," she said a bit hesitantly.

"Sure," he leered. "What are your _rules,_ Granger?"

As usual, his peculiar mixture of disdain and cockiness set her off on a fiery tirade, "No kissing, no touching, no—"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm going to kiss you and 'touch' you," he smirked, making her requests seem ridiculous.

She took a deep breath. "Why," she demanded.

"Because it has to seem believable," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

Hermione thought this over for awhile. He did have a point, but there had to be some way she could limit their physical interaction, like maybe a one kiss, one embrace a day clause or something. She, being the smartest witch of her age, already knew that if she had too much interaction with Malfoy things were going to get to complicated, and fast. She could already see that this was going to lead to something she certainly didn't want.

"Fine, Malfoy, but only when people are around and watching. We can go out in public four days a week, but only to go to dinner or the theatre or something," she decided.

"That's fine, doll. Anything else you want to add?" he smirked again—damn that smirk, why did it suddenly get so sexy?

"Doll?" she snarled.

"Just trying out the endearments, sugar," he grinned.

Although she was unsure, she rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, that's about it, I think."

"Well that's brilliant. I'll be off, then. We have reservations tonight at 8:00pm at Che'Perrie in Hogsmead. I'll be back to pick you up at 7:30. Dress formal, love."

He smiled an actual smile that stunned her speechless and Disapparated away.

It was six, and she had already Flooed Harry and Ron. She told them what was going on, and not to worry because it was all just a business deal and that she was only helping the Malfoy family look good. She didn't mind that, she just didn't want to be viewed as a charity case. Of course Ron blew up and told that she was being stupid and that Malfoy was only using her so he could embarrass her in some way. She hardly thought that, but when it came to Malfoy you could never be too sure.

Her two best friends informed her that they would be there for her and at the first sign of trouble they would be there to put Malfoy in his place. She knew most of it was because they hadn't (especially Ron) quite gotten over their grudge from school, but was still grateful.

She decided that it was about time for her to get ready so she quickly hopped into the shower and came out squeaky clean. She wrapped herself in a big fluffy towel and walked to her closet to look for something to wear. She didn't have that much formal wear to choose from, only two dresses. One was her bridesmaid dress from Harry and Ginny's wedding, which she definitely couldn't wear, and the other one was a black, strapless, form-fitting dress with an empire waist and a green sash. It wasn't too formal, but it would have to do. She hastily put it on and matched it with a pair of black pumps and a small black clutch.

Rushing to her mirror, she put on a little makeup; mascara, lip gloss, and a little eyeliner. She double checked her appearance and decided that she was ready. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was 7:27, so she sat on her couch a bit nervously to wait for him.

At exactly seven thirty her fireplace turned green and Draco Malfoy stepped out of the flames. Dressed in black suit with a shiny black tie. Carrying a bouquet of roses.

Hell.

"Wow, romantic much, are you?" she joked.

"Of course, I am a Malfoy, what did you expect?" he replied loftily, and Apparated them away.

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A/N: Next chapter will be the date!


	4. A little more intimate?

A/N: I don't want to confuse anyone, I just want everyone to know that every three or four chapters I'm going to switch to Draco's point of view for a bit so that you guys have an inside on what he's thinking as the story proceeds. Sorry if this confuses anyone, but I will make it pretty obvious when I switch.

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Chapter 4:

A little more _intimate, _perhaps?

_Wow she looks great standing there in that black dress_, Draco thought. _Who knew that know-it-all Granger could really clean up so well? But then again, I remember her at the Yule Ball in fourth year, and she looked top notch that night. Getting Granger to fall me might be a harder task then I first assumed. . .she keeps asking all these questions I'm not ready to answer yet._ He straightened his tie slightly and raised his chin a bit. _Time to turn up the Malfoy charm._

Draco Apparated them to Che'Perrie, one of the most exclusive wizarding restaurants in all of Europe. He had brought her here in hopes that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Malfoy, this is ridiculously exclusive. The public can't get in or even _see_ in," she stated flatly.

That was the whole point.

"Nonsense, Granger, there's plenty of people here," he replied dismissively.

In actuality, it _was_ practically empty, but he already knew that. Why? Because he had ensured that it would be so. He had had to pay off about twenty people with a chunk of the Malfoy fortune just so they could have the place basically to themselves this night, but he obviously couldn't let her know that.

"Malfoy, I've read about this place, you have to get reservations days or months in advance."

"Try years," he muttered under his breath.

"How ever did you manage to get us in?" she asked as her eyes sparkled with genuine curiosity.

He wondered if she knew that her eyes lit up like that, with that sparkle of warmth and life. Or if she knew that he had noticed continually over the last twelve years. "Granger, you seem to forget that I'm a Malfoy," he replied arrogantly. In all reality, because he was a Malfoy, it had still taken him two years and thirty thousand galleons to get the reservation and the privacy. It seemed to be an absurd amount, but it had worked. . .

"Malfoy, there's hardly anyone here," she murmured.

"Odd," he said dispassionately.

He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her to the maitre'd. He noticed that as soon as his hand came in contact with her, she instantly tensed. Draco sighed. That just wouldn't do. He had to make a way for her to feel more comfortable around him, or else his plan would never work. She would never fall for him like this; he needed step his game up.

Once they were seated and looking over the extensive menu, he decided to try out his charm on the Brains of the Golden Trio.

"You look very pretty tonight, Granger," he smiled.

"Thank you, Malfoy," she said, looking a little uneasy.

"Sweetheart," he grinned as she rolled her eyes, "I think we should call each other by our first names, so that it seems like we are in love. First names are. . .a little more _intimate, _perhaps?"

"We're not trying to look like we're in _love_, Malfoy, just dating."

Ouch. That actually hurt his pride a little bit. Draco Malfoy's girlfriend not in love with him? Though she believed it to be a farce, he was going to make her his soon enough. He was confident that before this night was over she was going to begging for it to be real and he was going to be more than happy to oblige her.

The waiter returned to the table to take their orders he ordered the snapper on a bed of rice pilaf and she ordered shrimp scampi. They finished their dinner with a minimal of bickering and quite a lot of suave comments on the part of one Draco Malfoy. The conversation throughout dinner was good, he felt that he had learned a lot about her life. Her parents were both dentists and they lived in Scotland. She loved cats but, unfortunately, her beloved Crookshanks, whom she had had since third year in Hogwarts, had passed on the year before. Her favorite flowers were tulips, and her favorite color was blue. She had worked in Flourish and Blotts, primarily as a procurer of ancient manuscripts, before she decided to open her own bookstore, which she was expecting to open next week. He told her that his favorite color was black and that he worked as a Healer at St. Mungo's, along with other tidbits (he only like Earl Grey, he had had a pet snake once, and he was fluent in Italian). He knew many things he said surprised her.

They ordered dessert, which they ate together, and Draco was gratified in seeing that Hermione didn't seem to mind sharing their cake as they continued to talk.

t as getting late, so Draco paid for dinner and they decided to Apparate back to Hermione's flat. Draco made sure that he got her coat for her and even held the door. The flash of surprise in her eyes each time he did something nice made him feel immensely pleased. The pureblood manners had not gone to waste after all.

He was still holding her arm from their Side-Along Apparation, and there was a bit of an awkward silence as they stood in front of her door. "I got you something," he told her softly.

"Oh, Malfoy, you really shouldn't have," she said almost automatically.

Draco stared into her dark chocolate eyes. She was far from loving him, which was expected after just one night, and although he had hoped for a bit more, they had definitely gotten somewhere. All through dinner he had been charming and eloquent. She had laughed at his jokes and even touched his arm a few times. To Draco that was perfect for tonight.

You could never have guessed that the two had practically hated each other once upon a time.

He pulled a small, light blue box from his pocket and handed it to her. While she was preoccupied with the gift, he stole away, convinced that he had laid enough groundwork for tonight.

Hermione recognized that the box was from Tiffany's. She wondered how Malfoy could have known of the solely Muggle store, or if he knew that it was practically her favorite store in the world.

She opened the box and her mouth dropped open. Inside was a diamond, turquoise, and silver heart pendant, which, after a closer examination, said in deeply graven letters on the back:

_For that special_ _one._  
_D.L.M._

Hermione tried to catch her breath—this had to have cost a fortune!—and looked up sharply to question Malfoy, but, as she expected, he was gone. She stood, stunned, for a moment before turning toward the door to go inside. She nearly jumped, because right in front of her face pinned to her door was a note in the same neat cursive as the note she got earlier that day.

_Hermione,_

_I hope that you are pleased with my gift. Wear it tomorrow_ _and meet_ _me at the_ _park at quarter past two._

_Yours,_

_Draco_

_P.S. Of course it cost a fortune, what did you expect?_


	5. Can't you remember anything?

A/N If you guys give me some of your names I can incorporate them into the story! Thank you for all your lovely reviews. I also accept any ideas you guys might have. . .sorry in advance for this chapter being so short. After this one I'm going to start making them a little longer. –CM

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Chapter 5:

Can't you remember _anything_, Mr. Pureblood?

Hermione sat at home, pondering what had just what happened with Malfoy. Was it possible that he liked her for real? It certainly seemed that way. How did he know about her favorite store, how could have possibly known about her tastes in jewelry? Harry and Ron didn't even know that. And she still didn't know how he had heard about her financial problems. And there was the fact that he had practically stalked her to figure out where she lived. To say that she was confused would be the understatement of the century.

She didn't know what to think about any of this. Maybe it was all pretend, a business deal, just like Malfoy the ferret-boy had said. That thought didn't exactly sit well with her for some reason (who gives someone twenty thousand galleons if they don't actually want to be in a relationship?). And she couldn't figure out why this bothered her so much; but she certainly didn't like the way she was starting to feel. She didn't like Malfoy, that much she was almost positive about, but what if she was falling for the infamous Malfoy charm?

No. Hermione was too smart to be swept up in that nonsense. But she couldn't deny that she was genuinely surprised by the way he acted towards her, and how he had changed. Really, Draco Malfoy, ex-Death-Eater, a Healer? That had been by far the biggest surprise of the night. Besides the necklace. Damn.

The conversation at dinner had just flowed so easy with him. He seemed understanding and attentive, and very courteous. They had even split a piece of chocolate cake. Split. A piece of cake. If someone had told her that five or six years ago. . .Why did they do that? Not for show because the restraint was basically empty, and surely Malfoy was well aware of that.

So why would he have brought her there? Wasn't the point to be seen?

The only thing that she felt she had control over was her bookstore. She was opening next week. Edward Team, the previous landlord, had owled her the keys to the building. All that was left to do was furnish and whatnot, with a bit magic that wouldn't be a problem at all.

And, the only reason she could open was Malfoy. Even though she was beyond confused, she had had a really nice time with Malfoy, because he was more caring than expected. Which was why she wouldn't mind going out with him again. Oh Merlin. She was in trouble.

Deciding she was tired of trying to figure everything out, Hermione opted to go for a and then call it a night. She got dressed in a pair of worn jeans, a simple red sweater and trainers and was out the door.

She somehow managed to appear in Diagon Alley, and eventually found herself staring into Flourish and Blots, where _Hogwarts : A History, _the first edition, was on display. She would love to add that book to her personal collection, but the book was practically the same amount as her down payment for her store had been, and if she couldn't afford that, then she definitely couldn't afford her favorite book. She sighed and returned to her flat.

Once inside she changed and crawled into bed, wishing that the new Dr—Malfoy wouldn't disappear overnight.

"_Hermione, you look so beautiful," said a man with silvery eyes._

"_Thank you," she whispered, unsure. _

"_Hermione, sweet, I think I love you."_

_"Draco, I—"_

_**BEEP**_

_**BEEP**_

_**BEEP**_

Hermione's alarm went off at ten, stunning her out of her la-la land. Shocked by her own imagination she tried to shake it off and went to shower and dress. She pulled on a white off the shoulder sweater and black dress pants along with a pair of peep toe patent leather pumps. Not sure why she felt the need to dress up, she decided to add some make up to complete her look anyway. A little mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss along with her new necklace perfected her outfit, and headed out the door.

As she strolled down her street to the cafe on the corner, people were openly staring at her and pointing at the necklace. She went ordered a cranberry scone (her favorite) and a Vanilla Chai Tea, and her normal waitress made a point of complimenting her on her beautiful jewelry. She didn't exactly care, but when she sat down at a table near the window she could hear people murmuring about her. Seeing as that was the point of the whole thing, she ignored her surroundings.

A tall shadow loomed over her, and she assumed it was another member of the wizarding paparazzi, so she didn't look up.

"Hello, Granger, you're early and sparkling as always."

She nearly jumped. "No, Malfoy, I am not early," she told him patiently, still not looking up. "We were supposed to meet at the park, not here. Can't you remember _anything_, Mr. Pureblood?"

He ignored her jibe. "I see your wearing my gift," he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I assume it is to your liking."

"Of course I am wearing it, you told me to wear it." She glanced up, and she couldn't mistake the brief look of hurt that flashed on his face, and she backtracked. "But I do like it, Ma—Draco. Thank you, but you know you don't have to buy me gifts."

"You are my girlfriend, love. And besides, I want to."

Hermione visibly flinched at him calling her his girlfriend. She knew that that was what she technically was, but hearing him say it was a different experience for her and she wasn't she knew how she felt about it.

"I have something else for you," he said softly.

"_Draco_, shouldn't we be going to the park?"

"No. I just wanted to give you this," he pulled out a brown parcel from inside his robes and handed it to her, a peculiar look on his face. "I have to leave, pressing business engagements, we are discussing a merger in meetings all day today. I will Floo you later, though, love."

He got up, and before she knew what he was doing he had kissed her square on the lips and walked out the front door.

She couldn't do anything besides stare after him, her lips still tingling. She had certainly never gotten that feeling when she used to date Ron, or when she had kissed Viktor Krum. She wasn't sure what she was feeling, but she knew it was no longer hate or dislike for the Malfoy heir. . .

To divert her attention, she fingered the parcel cautiously, not knowing what was inside. She pulled back the brown paper and the words HANDLE WITH CARE on a yellowed piece of paper to reveal the first edition copy of _Hogwarts: A History_ that she had so sorely wanted.

Her mind went blank with shock and all she could do was stare blankly at the note that had fallen out of the paper wrappings:

_Hermione,_

_Don't fret over the price, you're dating a Malfoy. What did you expect?_

_Draco_

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A/N: Tell me what you guys think! I love to hear back from all of my readers, thank you for your support. -CM


	6. What do you want?

A/N: For all ya'll who read this chapter and had a problem with the errors, I'm sorry I sent it to my beta a couple of days ago and she hadn't gotten around to editing it yet and I just wanted to get the chapter out there; so sorry every one. Feel free to read this edited version over. Thanks, -CM

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Chapter 6:

Some people like _you_?

Hermione was practically skipping down the street towards her store because nothing had ever made her feel so happy. She really had Draco Malfoy to thank for all her happiness, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else behind all of his generosity.

She certainly didn't want to admit that she might have feelings for the Prince of Slytherin. And she was certain that whatever his motives involved they did not involve her falling for him.

All she knew was that she had gotten her store up and running and she was ecstatic. She had seen almost too much of Malfoy since he had given her _the_ book. He would stop by her house to make her dinner (how had he learned to cook?) or to take her to lunch. He had even been there the day she had opened her store. She wasn't sure why that excited her so much since he should have been there. It was such a huge media event; he couldn't have afforded to miss it. But still, he had been there when some of her so-called best friends didn't even show up to show their support.

During the opening ceremony they had both played their part as a couple deeply in love to perfection. Handholding, small chaste kisses, and almost contact with Draco's arm had caused her to have a growing suspicion that maybe Malfoy was enjoying it a little too much. The wizarding paparazzi and almost all the customers had practically all been gone, and he had still continued the charade.

When she questioned him about it, he had claimed that he just wanted all of London to see his happiness. _Supposed happiness,_ Hermione had thought to herself. But she didn't say it out loud because she didn't have the heart to ruin his mood.

The real problem was that Hermione wasn't quite sure that she was mad about the situation. She wouldn't say that she loved this fake-dating thing with the Malfoy heir, but she definitely didn't hate the farce anymore. She. . .sort of enjoyed it. Which was what confused her, because that didn't make any logical sense. It seemed that whenever Malfoy was mentioned nowadays, Hermione was confused. She wasn't even sure `ow o address him—half the time it was Malfoy, but then the other half it was Draco.

She had finally reached her shop and set herself to the task of opening up, which was fairly simple and she had fifteen minutes left before she officially opened. She decided to go to the back of the store (the normal "Employees Only" sign tacked onto a curtain shielding a small kitchenette and a couple easy chairs that opened into the back stock) and start preparing herself a cup of Earl Grey Tea and a scone, happy that she wouldn't have to miss breakfast.

She had finished the scone when she heard the bell chime to signal someone's arrival. She dusted her hands off and hurried to the front, expecting to find the first customer of the day.

Instead, there stood Ronald Weasley.

He couldn't even make it to the opening of her store. What the hell was he doing here so early in the morning?!

"Hello, Ronald. Fancy seeing you here," she said, obviously annoyed.

"Hermione. I just came by to see the shop and. . .check up on you."

That statement infuriated Hermione to no end; she hated when he suggested that she couldn't take care of herself. "I'm fine, Ronald," she nearly spat.

"You know, I never liked it when you called me Ronald," he said with a lopsided grin.

"What do you want, _**Ronald**_?" she asked, putting extra emphasis on his name. She felt a twinge of satisfaction when he visibly flinched.

"Well, I was going to try to approach this a bit more carefully, but it seems as though you aren't in the mood for idle chit chat," his face was set, and she got a feeling she wasn't going to like what was going to come next. "Hermione, I just thought we were really _something_ before, and I was crazy to let you go for Lavender. She doesn't even compare to you."

Hermione was stunned. Ron had the audacity to come to her store and bring up the relationship she _thought_ that they had, and somehow she couldn't detect a hint of sincerity in his voice. She wished the bell would chime, signaling another customer's entry into the shop so she wouldn't have to deal with his. He had a lot of nerve coming in here and even _speaking_ to her when he hadn't even been there for support when she had opened.

She decided to humor him and at least let him talk, for the sake of the friendship that had intermittently shared over seven years of school. But that didn't mean she was going to let him off easy. "Well, she must have been since you chose her over me," she said calmly.

"Well, yeah, she looks better, but—"

So much for giving him a chance. "Get out, Ron."

"Wait a minute! Hermione just hear me out, please."

"You've got ten seconds," she gritted out.

"Some people might say that she looks better than you—"

"Some people like _you_?"

"—but she's not better than you where it counts, you know—"

"What?" she interjected again, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"—sex, obviously. I came here to see if you wanted to try our relationship again, so that we can continue having amazing sex."

She took a step back, feeling like she had been hit by a train and completely disgusted. She couldn't believe—had he really came here to ask to try their relationship again merely for the sex? No pretext that he loved her, just that he wanted "amazing sex?"

"You do know that I am with Draco Malfoy," she said coldly, trying to grasp for the anger that had suddenly been devoured by the roaring pit of empty shock in her stomach.

"So? I'm with Lavender, and we're talking marriage," he told her with this hugely cheesy smile.

It was probably the smile that made Hermione want to hex him into the next year. How _dare_ he come into _her_ store and offer her a purely sexual relationship—a relationship that involved her being the mistress and the wife being the girl that Ron had cheated on her with. The anger came roaring back to life as her cheeks flamed red and her body began to shake. He was supposed to be one of her best friends, and all he wanted was to use her as his sexual _toy_. That hurt most of all. She mustn't mean anything to him.

"Get _out_ Ron!" she yelled.

"Mione I—"

"Don't you call me that, you bloody wanker! Piss off, _Ronald_!" she screamed, tears standing out in her eyes and threatening to pour down her face.

Ron took a step toward Hermione, but he abruptly flew backwards, slamming against a wall. Hermione looked around, hastily wiping her eyes, not quite sure if the silent spell had originated from her or someone else. She turned toward the door to see Draco storming through the store, a look of pure hatred on his face.

Hermione heaved a huge sigh of relief and her shoulders slumped as the tension in her body disappeared. Draco crouched down until he was right in front of Ron's face.

"I believe she said get out," he stated, eerily calm. Hermione walked up to him and he grabbed her hand.

"Never thought she go for the likes of you, Ferret," the red head sneered. "Well, you can have your whore."

Draco's wand was out and Ron's face was twisted in pain before Hermione could blink. "Don't you dare say such things, Weasel," he snarled. "That isn't how you speak to your betters. Get. _Out_."

Ron Disapparated with a faint pop.

Draco was silent for a moment, and she could feel him vibrating in fury that seemed to be far greater than her own. "Draco—" she tried.

"Let's go," he said shortly, turning so that his grey eyes pierced right through her.

Hermione didn't trust her voice so she just nodded her head and allowed him to pull her out of the shop and close up. He told her to hold on and they Disapprated, Hermione clinging on for dear life.

When they had been squeezed out of the tube void of Apparation, she looked around and gasped; they were back at Malfoy Manor. "What are we doing here?" she asked.

He looked down at her for a moment, and a sarcastic smile twisted his mouth. "I'm honor-bound. Mother wants to meet you, of course. What did you expect?"

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A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, but I hope this is enough! I'll update again hopefully tomorrow. I hope you like it, and thanks to my wonderful beta Conterra-san my story is now error free. (Conterra-san: Er. . .hi guys? Sorry about the delay on this chapter! Happy reviewing! XD)


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Harry Potter, Humor, Romance