Story Begun – 12/26/04

Chapter one begun – 12/26/04

Chapter one completed – 12/27/04

OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER: I do not own (unfortunately) any Harry Potter Characters, trains, buildings, etc. That honor is JKR's.

Ch 1 – BLUSHES AND GOOD SUMMERS

'OH NO, not now…Concentrate Hermione, just concentrate.' Hermione groaned while forcing her eyes downward to review the notes she had copied thus far and trying desperately to focus on what the Head Boy was prattling on about. She was currently on the Hogwarts Express in the Head Student's compartment in the middle of the Prefects final meeting before summer and she needed to pay attention.

After all, if things went as planned she would be Head Girl next semester, as it would be her 7th and final year at Hogwarts. It's what Hermione had been planning on and working toward since first reading 'Hogwarts A History' the summer before she began her first year.

And now she was so very close she could almost FEEL the weight of that badge against her cloak proclaiming to all that SHE, HERMIONE GRANGER was Head Girl of Hogwarts!

Oh how she wanted that badge, that title, that authority. She wanted it desperately and she was ALMOST positive that the title would be awarded to her. Only a few more weeks of waiting and she would know!

And seeing as the war was over she would have no other distractions to take her away from focusing on making this, her senior year, the year that she TRULY excelled in all her classes.

Yet even as Hermione thought about all the studying to be done, she felt an uncomfortable fluttering in her belly as her eyes drifted over to who she expected to be the next Head Boy - Draco Malfoy.

It made perfect sense. He was second in school only to her when it came to grades. Although, she had a sneaking suspicion that he could probably best her if he just put his nose to the grindstone a bit more instead of flirting with so many girls and playing Quidditch all the time.

Though she'd be hard pressed to EVER admit that little nugget of information to ANYONE.

Not to mention that Draco was an absolute celebrity now, since it had been revealed at the beginning of their 6th year that both Draco and his father Lucius, at great personal risk to themselves, had been spying on Voldemort for the past two years.

With their help The Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry of Magic were able to capture of all the most prominent Death Eaters and were instrumental in aiding in Voldemort's ultimate demise at the hands of Harry Potter just months ago.

Even the Slytherin camp had eventually come round toward the end of the year. It took the crafty lot a while to get adjusted to the fact that Voldemort was truly gone. But once they realized that the danger was indeed past, they once again accepted him back into the fold and he reclaimed his throne as their unspoken leader.

Hermione was happy for him as the first half of their sixth year had been trying for Draco. She remembered his grades slipping – that WAS, in Hermione's opinion a sign that things were very bad.

In all their years together, Hermione had never seen Draco's grades slip once. Not from any of his many injuries - feigned or real, problems with his family or with Harry for that matter – never, so she knew he was having trouble.

It was in fact, the reason that they had even a tentative friendship today. Hermione had approached a sullen and subdued Draco one evening in the library after seeing him there for many evenings alone and clearly depressed and confronted him about his grades.

He had been, well, his usual 'charming' self and snapped at her. She persisted and finally after several weeks and shot down attempts he opened up to her and told her the Slytherins were less than happy to have him around.

He had lost his friends.

Hermione told him to be patient and wait it out. Things would work out, she was sure of it. He had simply rolled his eyes at her and promptly tuned her out.

But it was a beginning. An opening toward a friendship perhaps, that she wasn't even aware she had been looking for.

From there they would regularly meet in the library late into the evening to work on assignments – never together per say– but in companionable silence and occasionally to trade witty banter back and forth.

Draco would never have admitted it, but it was Hermione who got him through those tough months of being alone. The library was his only solace to escape the glares and snide remarks the Slytherin constantly ridiculed him with. Within its walls he had also found a source of friendship in Hermione.

It was something that Draco would never forget, although he had not so much as thanked her once for her kind words or support. Yet somehow he knew that she knew, even if he didn't know how to express his gratitude with words, she knew and he was grateful for that as well.

However, there was one thing that Draco was unaware of and Hermione had threatened death and dismemberment should he ever be told…

Hermione, after months of sitting by and giving silent comfort to an ever increasingly grumpy Draco finally decided to take matters into her own hands when one evening on patrol she happened across Blaise Zabini and a very pretty Ravenclaw girl in an empty classroom.

Seeing much more exposed skin than she ever wanted to from either of them, she was nevertheless happily informed on new ways and places in which to use strawberries and whipped cream. (She took a mental note of that and stored it away for another day.)

Hermione, always a clever witch, saw her opportunity and gave a very disgruntled Blaise an option. Five minutes of his time alone, to listen to her with an open mind or 100 points from both Ravenclaw and Slytherin and detention for them both for one month.

Blaise, to his credit, had listened raptly and surprisingly, with an open mind and not one day later Draco was at returned home to the snake's den.

Blaise Zabini's acceptance of Draco pushed the tides back in his favor and he was immediately returned to the good graces of the Slytherin brethren. It appeared they had just been waiting for one of their own to speak up for him and once one did they all followed…So typically Slytherin of them - the crafty lot that they were.

Hermione suddenly found herself without a grumpy Draco around to poke in the shoulder and tell to pep up or compare notes with or to challenge her as a reluctant but excellent study partner.

With an unfamiliar pang of her heart Hermione realized she missed her cranky Slytherin more than she cared to admit. He was still snappy and cool toward her, but if anyone looked at Hermione the wrong way or spoke crossly to her in any way, they were immediately subjected to the torment from the very formidable and frightening duo of Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco was back on top and though he wouldn't say the words aloud Hermione was one of his friends and Draco Malfoy ALWAYS looked out and cared for his friends.

So the rest of the year had progressed and here they were, with an unspoken, tentative friendship forged over the past year behind them and a summer and final year ahead of them. Hermione wondered what these next months would bring in regard to her and Draco and the fragile bonds of closeness and acceptance that had begun to grow between them.

With that Hermione allowed herself one more peek at him through the thick fringe of her lashes and felt her cheeks grow warm.

'Oh for heaven's sake Hermione, don't LOOK at him and it won't happen.' she scolded herself sternly. Yet even as she tried in vain to concentrate on the meeting she could feel it, her face heating up, her cheeks growing hot against the palm of her hand and her pulse quickening.

No use, it was too late to stop it, that completely illogical, silly, slow flush that had began occurring recently every time she laid eyes on him…

It was really quite annoying, if truth be told. Yet try as she might, she just couldn't help it. Every time she looked at Draco Malfoy she found herself blushing like, well, like a schoolgirl with a giant crush.

And Hermione Granger does NOT blush. And she most certainly does NOT have a crush on Draco Malfoy!

Certainly not.

'Then WHAT in Merlin's name is happening to me?' she argued with herself, her mind still not willing to admit what her heart already knew.

Hermione gave a frustrated little "hrumph" as she covertly spied on Draco sitting across the table from her through the fringe of her lashes and watched him keenly as he jotted down a few notes.

Hermione was always surprised by how fascinated she had become with Draco Malfoy. She couldn't quite understand why she never tired of looking at his beautiful sparkling eyes. Those eyes could with one glance bore into the depths of her soul if she would let them. Then there were those wide, luscious lips of his that more than once Hermione had wondered what would feel like pressed against hers. Even now she raised her thumb to her bottom lip and pushed down wondering if the pressure would feel anything like the pressure of his lips on hers. She loved how when he was warm his cheeks would flush slightly and damn her for knowing this, but she was quite aware of when he was concentrating seriously on something, as the dimple on his right cheek would show itself. It only did when he was frowning slightly deep in thought.

That elusive dimple did not however show when he was frowning in anger or smirking. Don't ask how she picked up on these subtleties, because she really wouldn't be able to give an answer, all she knew was that she knew these things very well.

She knew his face so well, so very, very well.

Hermione blinked and held back a little gasp as Draco's gaze shifted to her. He had felt her eyes on him.

'OH DAMN he's looking at me. Worse, he SEES me looking at him. Worse still, he KNOWS I'm blushing because he's looking at me…'

Hermione groaned, this was getting harder and harder all the time.

Finally, mercifully, the meeting ended and Hermione had managed to push her wanton thoughts of Draco from her mind to concentrate on the last few minutes of the meeting. She felt better when she was thinking about school. It calmed and centered her.

She was busily finishing writing up her notes and waived off Ron who had been sitting idly by her side the entire meeting trying to conjure a picture of him riding his broom to fly about the page.

When he had finally succeeded he slid it in front of her face and Hermione had tutted at him and gave him the 'we'll discuss this later' glare. With that he had crumpled the paper and sat in brooding silence, slumped in his chair the rest of the meeting.

"Coming Moine?" Ron grunted at her as he bolted up from his seat the minute the meeting was over.

"No, no Ron. You go ahead, I'm just going to finish my notes and I'll be along." Hermione didn't even bother to look up, just gave a dismissive wave of her hand to him and continued on.

Ron shook his head and left without a second glance.

Draco finished putting his notebook away and sat back in his seat to observe Hermione.

He was always intrigued at how she could absolutely lose herself in her thoughts and drown them in her paper and quill. Once her concentration was focused she only saw that paper and nothing else. It was like she was in a trance, just her that quill and her thoughts flowing like a river from her mind to the paper.

She had that look on her face now. Her eyes darting back and forth across the page reading what she'd written and then shifting to what she was going to write next, her hand moving seamlessly and just as quickly as her mind. It was one of the times that Draco thought she looked most attractive.

With her curls pushed over one shoulder and her eyes crinkled in thought. She always bit her bottom lip when she was thinking. It made him decidedly uncomfortable when she would finally release it and his eyes saw how pink and swollen it would get.

He took an involuntary gulp, as she had just let go of her lower lip and ran her tongue across it. Draco thought she never looked more inviting.

Hermione, in Draco's eyes always looked so damn sexy when she had absolutely NO IDEA that what she was doing was sexy. Like when she licked her lips, (which she did a lot) drove him positively mad.

He wondered what she would do if he got up right this minute went over and threw her down on the table and snogged her senseless.

Would she let him? Would she be offended? Or, would she surprise him and touch him with the same kind of passion and longing that had begun to build up inside of him as of late?

He just wondered.

Finally Hermione put her quill down and after looking over her notes once more, closed the book and looked up to see Draco leaning back in his chair across from her, his arms folded and watching her intently. They were the only two left in the compartment.

"OH!" she said with a start, "Draco, I didn't know you were still here."

At seeing him her cheeks grew warm again instantly. 'Damn it! STOP BLUSHING THIS INSTANT HERMIONE!'

"I know. I was waiting for you to finish."

Hermione's heart began to beat faster again, "Oh?"

He gave her a lazy grin, "I have to lock up the compartment. The Heads are off saying their goodbyes to everyone. Don't you remember they asked me at the beginning of the meeting to lock the compartment after them?"

"OH! Er, yes, I'm sorry. I'll be off, just let me pack up my bag." Hermione was throwing her things into her book bag as she spoke, half up from her seat and completely embarrassed.

'DAMN, DAMN, DAMN. Of COURSE he wasn't waiting for me…' she fumed silently.

Draco chuckled and crossed the table to stand beside her, "It's all right Granger. I don't mind waiting for you."

Hermione was suddenly aware of how very close he was standing next to her. She could smell his cologne and his scent. It made her knees weak and she felt suddenly dizzy.

"Well, I still feel bad," she grumbled, "the last thing you need to do is to be held up by me…" Hermione was nervous now and dropped a few books that she had been hastily shoving into her bag.

Draco took her arm and pulled her upright, and with a flick of his wand her book bag jumped up onto the tabletop, opened its flap and all her books fell in and the flap closed with a snap.

He took it and slung it over his should along with his own, crossed the cabin wordlessly and turned to open the door for Hermione. She looked at him with wide eyes and followed him as they exited the compartment together.

"Which cabin are you in Granger?" Draco drawled. He was still standing so very close to her and she noticed how much taller he had grown even these last few months than she.

She liked Draco being tall. She liked looking up into his eyes; it somehow made her feel safe and secure looking up at him, so tall and strong. Like he could protect her from the weight of the world if she needed him to.

'OH DEAR LORD what is happening to me?' she fretted silently, more than a little irked at her girlish musings.

Hermione blinked, "Uh, number 12 I think." she managed out, angry at her body for betraying her yet again as she felt her cheeks flush under his gaze.

Draco looked at her and his eyes were positively dancing with amusement. He knew what kind of effect he was having on her and he enjoyed it VERY much.

He put his hand at the small of her back and nodded his chin in the direction of her cabin.

"You don't have to carry my bag Draco, I can do it." she said trying to take it from his shoulder.

Draco turned her around and propelled her forward, "Don't be silly Granger. I'll see you to your cabin." It was more of an order than a statement, so she went along silently.

Reaching the compartment door Draco opened it and stepped in, dropping her bag on the floor and turning cool eyes toward the occupants already seated.

"Potter, Weasel" he grunted and turned nodding companionably toward Ginny, "Ginny."

Ginny grinned and leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees, her long, silken firey locks falling forward and shimmering around her shoulders as she looked up at him with twinkling eyes. "Hey Malfoy!" she said in a flirtatious tone and winked at him. Harry's eyes snapped to Ginny then back to Draco and narrowed dangerously.

Harry shot up out of his seat and moved to stand possessively beside a still grinning Ginny.

If there was one thing you could say about Ginny, she positively knew how to work her man when she wanted too…

Besides, she had always liked Draco and told Hermione years ago that there was more to him than met the eye. "Just you wait and see." Ginny had told her, "He's going to surprise you."

Hermione had to agree she had been right. Everything about Draco Malfoy was surprising her as of late.

Harry's jaw was tight and his arms were crossed staunchly across his chest as he regarded Draco with the same cool expression that Draco was currently giving him.

This was what they did, stared at one another until one or the other gave in and grunted or mumbled a word or two in greeting or response or goodbye.

Hermione really couldn't complain though, Harry was doing his very best to overlook the past 5 years of shoddy treatment from Draco and accept that he had changed, but they had a strenuous relationship at best. Thankfully however, these last few months they were at least attempting civility toward one another.

"Malfoy" Harry grunted in response his eyes snapping in warning as he inched closer to Ginny.

Draco stood his ground and only raised an eyebrow at Harry and his ridiculous jealousy. If Draco had wanted Ginny she would have been his LONG ago.

Draco Malfoy always got what he wanted and though he thought Ginny was beautiful she was a little too in your face for his tastes. Draco preferred his women to be more on the subtle side in public and feisty in the bedroom.

Something like what he imagined Hermione might be like…

Draco turned cold eyes on Ron then and glared at him, daring him to make a move. Draco didn't like the Weasel and he doubted he ever would.

He thought the Weasel was entirely way too possessive and overprotective when it came to Hermione. Couldn't he see she wasn't interested in him? Clearly not, the thick headed, dim witted prat that he was.

Ron for his part, didn't trust Malfoy still and didn't believe for ONE BLEEDING MINUTE that Draco was sincere in anything he did or said.

He was one of the people who spoke out the strongest in regard to Draco and his father being opportunists and changing sides at will to suit their needs once Draco had made his true allegiance known.

He would tell anyone who listened that it was only when they saw that Voldemort was going to lose that the Malfoy's immediately helped Harry and the Order conquer him. But when the role was reversed and Voldemort looked to be gaining power the Malfoy family stood proud and strong with their loyalty to the Dark Lord.

Ron's views of Malfoy had NOTHING to do with the fact either that he had noticed how Hermione looked at Malfoy recently. How she watched him when she thought no one was looking…That she had suddenly started calling him 'Draco' instead of 'Malfoy' and that she heatedly defended him on more than one occasion when Ron went on one of his tangents.

No, that had NOTHING to do with it at all…

"What do you need Malfoy?" Ron spat out, the loathing evident in his scathing tone. He was flexing his fists openly in a vain attempt to control his temper.

"Draco was just walking me to our compartment Ron. Please just behave." Hermione sighed exasperated.

Ron's jaw dropped open and seeing Draco's eyes light up with triumph he snapped it shut and glared murderously at him.

Draco smirked at Ron and turned to leave.

Hermione walked out into the corridor with him and they looked at each other for a long moment, molten silver eyes boring into warm brown.

Hermione broke the silence, "Have a good summer Draco. I hope it's pleasant for you." She took one of his hands and squeezed it affectionately between both of hers.

The move disarmed him.

It was the first time she had ever really touched him, other than the time she slapped the shit out of him in their third year or the occasional good natured poke in the arm she had given him in the library over this past year.

He decided he liked it.

Draco nodded and turned to leave, striding down the hallway with his shoulders and back straight and tall. Hermione watched him go with a sadness in her heart and turned to enter the compartment when a deep voice halted her.

"You too Hermione."

She looked up startled, her eyes locking with his down the corridor just before he entered his cabin with a curt nod at her once more.

The dazzling smile that lit her face when she rejoined her friends in the cabin made Ron's stomach twist in envy when he saw it.

Hermione didn't notice.

She didn't speak much after that or notice much of anything at all really. All she could focus on was the fact that it was the first time Draco had ever said her given name.

She decided she liked it.

Hermione didn't see Draco again upon exiting the train, but that was OK, because for Hermione, it now looked like she was going to be a having an amazingly brilliant summer after all.