The Muggle Habitat

Everyone get out of the way while I smooch Southern Witch 69 a big one for beta reading this story.

Disclaimer: Sigh. Fine. I intend no infringement, and I make no claims on this fictitious world, which does not (it's a shock, I know) belong to me.

Hermione wandered back to her room full of ideas and worries. She didn't know what she was going to say to Draco, though she had a pretty good idea of what he was going to say to her. If he was half as confused, angry, and frustrated as she was, she figured he'd have several choice words to throw in her direction, and she was right.

She had only to enter their common room to be hit with, "Let's get a few things straight, Granger."

She sighed and crossed the room to sit in her chair next to Malfoy. "All right, but make it quick, Malfoy. We..."

"Shut up, Mudblood," he snarled, and Hermione's mouth snapped shut, her eyes wide. "First of all, I didn't ask for this. If it were up to me, you'd be on your own. I'd be happy to never see you, speak to you, or hear of you again."

Hermione swallowed hard, speechless. She found a spot on the floor and stared fixedly at it, waiting for him to finish. She knew there was no point in arguing with him about any of it, and she didn't really have it in her to fight with him anyway. It wasn't as if she was any happier about this than he was; she just knew what had to be done.

"If I had it to do over again, I'd leave you to bleed to death in that bathroom."

Hermione gripped her chair hard enough to make her knuckles turn white. She felt like she'd been slapped across the face. Do not cry, Hermione Granger. Don't you dare. When she was sure she wasn't going to humiliate herself, she forced herself to meet Draco's stare. Something that could have been regret if he were any other person passed though his eyes, but Hermione knew she must have imagined it. "I see," she finally said.

"Look, Granger, I'm trying to say that I don't have a choice about what has to be done here, and neither do you, but that doesn't mean we're going to be friends or..."

"You're wrong, Malfoy. I don't have a choice, but you do." She looked him straight in the eye, wanting to make sure he heard every word clearly. "Walk away. I can do this on my own. If you would really have left me to die, then I don't need you with me anyway." What she did need, however, was to figure out what she was going to say to Harry and Ron, and so she stood and walked away without another word.

* * *

Draco had known as soon as he'd said it that he'd crossed the line. The worse part was that it had been a lie, and he knew it. There was no way he would have let her die. A vivid image of her bleeding in his arms flashed through his mind, and he scowled.

No, he couldn't honestly say he had meant it, but he couldn't make himself say that he hadn't. She was right. He did have a choice. And he'd never hated himself more than he did then because he couldn't choose to leave her on her own, just as he couldn't have left her to die.

"Get back here, Granger!" Draco commanded furiously.

Surprisingly, she obeyed. She turned around and met his eyes warily. "What?"

"I'm not about to let you elbow me out of this either. I would never be able to show my face again if people knew that I'd been assigned to help you and refused. If you died because I let you go alone, I'd never live it down."

Hermione scoffed indignantly. "If that's what this is about for you, then you don't have to worry. Nobody knows anything about this, and I have no plans to tell anyone about your involvement. I have no intention of dying, so there's no need for you to be involved."

Draco shook his head. "Nice try, Granger, but you're not getting rid of me, so stop trying."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Malfoy, I'm offering you an out. Take it. You can do what we both know you want to do...leave the work to me and worry about yourself. I wouldn't even blame you."

"That's enough, Granger," he spat. "That is the last time I'm going to let you tell me what I'd prefer to do. You have no idea what I want. You don't even know me, you condescending bitch. But I have something you don't give me credit for. I'm not a coward. I'm a Malfoy, and I stick to my word. I told the old man I'd help you, and I will." She had no right to look at him like he was nothing, like he was irresponsible and lazy. She just assumed things about him, and he hated it. "Now sit down. We need to figure out what we are going to do."

Hermione stared at him for a long time with a confused look on her face, as though she couldn't believe he was pushing the issue, and it annoyed the hell out of him. "Fine," she finally said, eyeing him as if he were a wild animal that might decide at any moment that domesticity didn't suit it.

"Fine," she said again as she sat back down. "Dumbledore suggested we go to my parents first. He said they'd have some insight."

"Not a chance," Draco said, incensed by the idea that Hermione's Muggle parents could do anything to help the situation.

"I thought you said you were going to help me," said Hermione, crossing her arms.

"I did, but there's no way I'm going to spend time in your dirty Muggle house."

Hermione ignored his rudeness and said, "You have a better idea?"

Draco huffed as he thought. The truth was that he didn't have a better idea. As much as the thought of even entering Granger's filthy dwelling and spending time with her common family made his stomach turn, he couldn't think of another option. They really had nowhere else to go and no ideas of where to start looking.

"Fine," he said at last. "We'll leave tomorrow morning. I'll need today to put my affairs in order here."

"Right," she said, and apparently the conversation was over. She went into her room and closed the door softly, leaving him to consider what he'd just agreed to. Not just spending time in the Granger household, but all of it. He couldn't think of a logical reason to help her. He still couldn't understand why he was even bothering. But he'd just been so angry when she'd suggested he 'take an out,' and now he couldn't help feeling that he'd played right into her hands.

* * *

Hermione knew she was going to have to tell Harry and Ron about what had happened and why she was leaving for an indefinite period of time, but she didn't know how to say it.

She was antsy through all of her classes with them, and she knew she'd have to do it soon before her nerves got the better of her and she said the wrong thing. After their last class was over, she pulled them into an empty classroom and cast a Muffling Spell.

"Ron, Harry, I have to tell you something."

Ron, who was still avoiding her, pretended like he hadn't heard her, but Harry said, "What is it?"

"Something happened to me last night, something bad."

Ron immediately snapped out of his cold silence and said, "It's Malfoy, isn't it? He tried something. I'll kill him!"

"No, Ron," she said firmly. "It has nothing to do with Malfoy. Look, I don't think it's a good idea for me to tell you everything yet, but... I was attacked, shot."

"What?" said her two friends together.

"You don't look hurt," said Ron, his eyes narrowing skeptically.

"By a gun?" asked Harry perplexedly.

"I'm fine now...Madam Pomfrey fixed it up...and yes, by a gun."

They both stared at her blankly for a moment before Harry shook his head and said, "Wait, what? Shot? In Hogwarts? How is that even possible? Fuck, Hermione! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Really. Look, we don't know much...I don't and Dumbledore doesn't, I mean. I didn't see who did it, and I'm as baffled as you are about why someone would even have a gun at Hogwarts, let alone use it."

Harry exhaled and nodded. "That's all right. We'll help you find out who did it, right, Ron? There hasn't been a puzzle we haven't solved together yet." Harry gave her an encouraging smile, and she smiled back sadly.

"I have to leave," she said simply. "Dumbledore thinks I should be the one to solve it, and he thinks I'll be safer away from Hogwarts."

"What? No!"

"On your own?"

"Nowhere is safer than Hogwarts!"

"Why?"

"I won't be on my own. Malfoy will be with me," she said quietly.

Ron looked murderous.

"No, Hermione," Harry began, shaking his head. "There's no way we're let..."

"Why is that little bastard going?" Ron spat.

"That's not important, Ron..."

"Hermione, we need to talk about this..." Harry said.

"I know you want to talk about it, but I can't. Malfoy will be with me, and I will keep in contact with you both and with the Headmaster. I'll be fine. I just wanted to let know what's going on and explain that I'll be gone for a little while. I'd tell you not to worry, but it'd be a waste of breath." She smiled at them, but neither smiled back.

After a while, Harry nodded once, and she gave him a grateful wink. She looked at Ron for some sort of reaction, but he just stood up and walked out of the room.

She couldn't help sighing again. "I've got to go, Harry. I'll see you tomorrow morning before I leave."

She gave him another smile, which he returned this time, and turned to leave. A quick trip to the library to gather whatever resources were available garnered few results, but a handful of books were better than nothing.

She spent the evening delving through them looking for something that could help her, finally giving up and going to bed when she'd been through three books to no avail. The next morning she got into the shower almost as soon as she heard Malfoy get out. Packing was a blur, as was the walk to the Great Hall...until she met Ginny, who ran into her arms like a crazy person, hugging her tightly.

"Harry told me... Oh, Hermione! Be careful!"

"I will, Ginny," Hermione whispered reassuringly. "Take care of Harry and Ron while I'm gone."

The two girls hugged for a while and then went to breakfast together.

Hermione looked around and found Draco seated at the staff table with Dumbledore, looking as bored as usual, and she wondered why he wasn't seated with the other Slytherins. She wanted to get at least a few bites down, and then she'd be ready. Only a few spoonfuls into her porridge, Ron and Harry came in and sat down next to her.

"Well, I guess you'll be going soon," said Harry.

"As soon as I'm finished eating," she replied, nodding. The silence as they ate wasn't quite comfortable, and then it was time. Best to get it over with, she told herself. She tried to smile as she got up to grab her bag again, but almost choked on the bacon in her mouth when Ron stood and threw his arms around her.

"Come back to me," he whispered before releasing her and walking out of the Hall. Hermione smiled and relaxed. Everything was going to be okay...she knew it. She gave Ginny and Harry a final wave and went to join Malfoy and Dumbledore.

* * *

Draco slept restlessly once again and woke up early to pack. Not knowing how long they'd be gone or what he would need, he thought he'd be safe and packed a little of everything he owned. Only a few minutes after he'd left the bathroom, he heard the shower turn on again and knew that Hermione was awake and moving through her own morning routine. Good. He didn't want to draw the whole thing out. The quicker they were out of there, the better.

He pulled on the pair of trousers he'd left out and a light-grey jumper over his white Oxford. After donning his shoes and stashing his wand in his pocket, he took one last look at the room, closed the door, and went down to the Great Hall for an early breakfast.

There were only a few other people in the place when he arrived...one of whom was the Headmaster. When the old man not-so-subtly beckoned him over, he resisted rolling his eyes and veered off to the staff table. He pointedly ignored the warm smile Dumbledore gave him.

"Judging by your lack of uniform and the bag you just placed on my foot, I'd say you and Miss Granger are leaving this morning."

"Yes, Professor," said Draco, kicking his bag a bit so it was no longer squashing Dumbledore. "The sooner the better, we figured."

"I quite agree. And I'm very proud to see you meeting this challenge head on."

"Thank you, sir," said Draco, faking a smile.

He had begun to spoon his breakfast into his mouth when something struck him. "Sir?" he said suddenly.

"Yes?"

"Yesterday in your office, you were going to say something before Granger showed up. What was it?"

"I think that can wait until another time, Draco. You have enough to be getting on with right now."

Draco nodded, shoving down his curiosity and irritation, and went back to his breakfast. Dumbledore was certainly right about one thing; he had more than enough to deal with.

Hermione came in about a half an hour later with a bag similar to Draco's on one arm and a very anxious-looking Ginny Weasley clinging to the other. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he wondered if Hermione had told her what was going on. Hadn't she said she wasn't going to tell anyone? Draco frowned.

He watched as the Weasel and Scarhead came in and sat down next to Hermione. Potter looked fine...as much as was possible for him anyway...but Weasley looked sick. Draco watched the scene covertly, and it was impossible to miss the tension between them all. When Weasley finally jumped up threw his arms around Hermione, Draco looked away. He hated the closeness between the friends that was so obvious even when they were fighting.

He thought of the people he called friends and how a scene like the one in front of him would be absolutely laughable. He hadn't said a word to any of them about what was going on, and he had no plans to. He turned again to Dumbledore to find the man already watching at him.

"I will tell the student body that you have gone to see the opening of the new Egyptian library with the Head Girl once you are gone."

Draco raised an eyebrow and wondered if the long-held suspicion that Dumbledore was omniscient might actually be true.

He looked back at Hermione's table to find that she had left it and was walking towards him. "I'm ready," she said simply when she stood next to him. Draco nodded and got to his feet...he wasn't really hungry anyway. Hermione smiled at the Headmaster, and they both shook his hand.

"Good luck to both of you," he said. "Please keep me informed, and I shall do the same."

They nodded and left together without another word to Dumbledore or each other until they were out the gates and into Apparating range.

"Granger, I thought you weren't going to tell anyone about any of this. Seems to me like you told your friends quite a bit."

"I said I wasn't going to tell anyone about your involvement, not that I wasn't going to tell them anything."

"You said..."

"I wrote to my parents yesterday and told them we were coming. They're expecting us."

Draco didn't trust himself to speak without saying something that would make Hermione strike him, so he kept his mouth shut.

"You should hold my arm since you've never seen where you're going," she said, holding out her right arm for him to take, which he did, making sure to touch her as little as possible.

"On three," he said, grabbing hold of his bag tightly with his other hand. "One, two, three."

* * *

When he arrived on the Grangers' lawn, Draco was astonished. He had expected to find himself in front of a hovel of the same sort that the Weasleys had the audacity to call a house. Hermione's home was quite large even by wizarding standards...not anything near the size and grandeur of his own manor, mind, but certainly not a shack. It was built in Tudor-style, painted in browns and tans. The lawn was large and well taken care of, and roses surrounded the walk to the door. Draco, against his will, thought the house gave off an air of wealth and class, or at least it would have if it had been the home of a witch or wizard.

"Granger, what do your parents do for a living...?" he mumbled, still in a daze.

"They're dentists," she replied a little shortly.

Draco didn't know what a dentist was, but if he were a Muggle and forced to make his own fortune, it was obvious that dentistry would be his career of choice. Maybe staying here wouldn't be so bad after all....

"All right, Malfoy," she said in that same shrewd tone, "let's get a few things straight."

Draco turned his head to her, a little startled.

"In my parents' home, you'll follow my parents' rules. You may not like this, and you may not like them, but you will treat them with respect in their own home. Is that clear?"

Draco rolled his eyes and began up the walk. "Honestly, Granger, I was taught how to behave civilly towards my inferiors before you were crawling."

Hermione snorted and moved past him, walking quickly to the door. She knocked a few times before opening the door and walking in. Draco stepped in behind her and closed the door softly. He set his bag down and looked around.

Not bad...

The foyer itself, aside from being stylishly decorated, was large enough to fit the whole of the Shrieking Shack in it...or at least most of it.

She has this, and she spends her summers with Weasley? he thought, bewildered.

"Hermione!" said a woman with thick, brown hair as she came around a corner from the right. Her almost wild hair and defined jaw line gave her away as Hermione's mother. She took her daughter in her arms and held her as she whispered something in her ear that Draco couldn't hear. He imagined it had something to do with her being shot from the worried look in her eyes.

She let go of Hermione and turned to Draco with a smile on her face. Muggle though she was, Mrs. Granger exuded warmth, and he barely caught himself before he grinned back at her. He settled for a slight upward turn of his lips instead.

"And you must be Draco Malfoy," the woman said, keeping an arm around Hermione's shoulder.

"I am. It's very nice to meet you, Mrs. Granger," he said politely, if distantly.

"You may call me Jane, and welcome to our home."

"Thank you. It's quite beautiful," he replied truthfully.

Jane Granger beamed at him. "Well," she said, clapping her hands once. "I'm certainly glad I was able to be here for your arrival. Your father had to leave early for the office today, Hermione. He wanted to be here, but he sends his love and says he'll see you tonight."

"Okay," said Hermione cheerfully. "Are you leaving now?"

"Yes," her mother replied. "I'm sorry, dear. I'd love to stay, but I have a nine o'clock root canal. I trust the two of you can handle yourselves until we're home tonight. I'm sure you can show Mr. Malfoy around. Just don't set anything on fire."

The woman winked, and Hermione chuckled. "I can't promise anything, Mum."

Mrs. Granger laughed and hugged her daughter again quickly before grabbing a large, leather bag off of the mahogany table near the front door. "I made up the second guest room for Mr. Malfoy. You can show him to it whenever you're ready."

With that, her mother left, and there was quiet again. Draco looked at Hermione, who was smiling.

Second guest room? How many did they have?

Draco, who had watched the whole scene aloofly, stared at her curiously. It was as if he was seeing her for the first time. Hermione in her own home seemed somehow different. For once in his life, Draco felt out of place...for more than one reason.

"Your parents really love you," he said quietly.

If Hermione thought this was an odd statement, she didn't show it. "Yes, they do." She looked around her foyer once more and smiled again before looking back at him. "Thank you for being courteous to my mother."

Draco nodded once to show he'd heard her but didn't respond otherwise. Granger thanking him was still an idea he was getting used to.

Something strange was happening. Much of the anger he usually felt had evaporated when he'd walked through the Grangers' door. He felt more at ease than he had in a long time. Still, best not to lead himself or Granger into a false sense of security.

"Granger, this doesn't change anything. I'll behave like the well-bred individual that I am towards your parents, but don't expect me to me treat you any differently. You're still a Mudblood and a know-it-all."

"Don't worry, Malfoy," she answered. "I gave up expecting things from you a long time ago. Follow me. I'll show you to your room."

He followed her up the large, wooden staircase that curved up to the left and opened up into a long, wide hallway with many closed doors. They walked the entire length of the hall before Hermione stopped at the end.

"Right here," she said, motioning to a door on the left. She opened it up, and Draco followed her in.

It was a fair size, but sparsely furnished...with a large bed against the opposite wall, a dresser, a walk in closet, and a nightstand. A mirror with a gold frame hung on a wall, and Draco briefly caught his own reflection as he crossed to the bed to set down his bag. "This will do."

Hermione leaned against the doorframe and said, "Your bathroom is right across the hall. I'm going to go unpack and change. I'll let you do the same, and then I'll show you where the kitchen is."

She disappeared from the doorway to walk down the hall, and Draco took her place leaning against the frame as he watched her. "Which one is yours?" he asked.

She pointed to a door on the other side of the hall, then disappeared behind it.

He had a brief urge to follow her and get a good look at the inside of that room, but pushed it aside in favor of unpacking. It didn't take him long to unload everything he had from his bag. He hung most of his clothes in the closet and stuck the rest in the dresser. He didn't need to change into anything else, so he went ahead and put his toiletries in the bathroom Hermione had told him was for his use. Once again he was impressed despite himself.

He sauntered back into the guest room and lay down on the bed, inexplicably tired considering it was mid-morning. This was all so strange. It was remarkable to him that he could feel so relaxed in this place. In Granger's home. A part of him had honestly thought there would be a literal stench to her house...that Muggles would reek in their natural habitat. That was certainly what his father had always led him to believe. But then, Lucius Malfoy was not exactly what could be considered credible. And with that ironic thought in his head, Draco drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Only a short while later, Hermione appeared in his doorway, intending to show him the rest of the house or at least the parts he would be using for however long they were there. But when she saw him asleep on the bed, she decided not to wake him. Aside from the fact that Draco Malfoy was much more tolerable while unconscious, she realized that he looked peaceful for once. His breathing was deep and steady, and there wasn't even a trace of his usual sneer.

She stood there watching him sleep until she realized what she was doing. The door made only a soft sound as she closed it, and her footsteps were light as she walked down the hallway and back to her room.