Hermione sitting in the library, reviewing a list of DA members, about to put a jinx on the list, just in case anyone snitched. Draco walked in, knowing if he was to find out what was going on, he would need to target the witch. And he knew exactly where she would be, sure enough as he came in, she was bent over a sheet of parchment with her wand out. Hermione heard footsteps. She looked up to see Draco Malfoy swaggering towards her. She quickly stuffed the piece of parchment in her bag. He wasn't sure what exactly to do, all he knew was he needed to get a hold of the parchment. Waring his normal cocky smirk he slid into the seat in front of her, and rested his arms on the table staring at her. "Where is your redhead, Granger?"
The honest answer was Quidditch Practice, but she knew he didn't actually care. "None of your business, Malfoy."
"Replaced by a broomstick..." He rolled his eyes and looked at her. "Again." Draco leaned back slowly examining her. "So what was that you were looking at earlier... you do know practical magic use is... against Umbridge's rules... right?"
'Again?' What on earth was he talking about? And how did he know that she had put a spell on that list? Was he spying on her? "Mind your own business." she reinforced.
"Oh well..." He pushed up on the table slowly a smirk spreading over his face. "Maybe we should just go take a walk to her office, and see what she thinks about it..."
Her eyes widened. "No. You have no proof"
"Really?" He asked and knocked a stack of books over on her right to make enough of a distraction to snag her bag.
She resurfaced back to the desk in time to see what he'd done. "Give it here." she growled.
"Or what mudblood." He hissed over the table and stepped back, clutching her bag in his hands.
She pulled her wand out and pointed it at him. A reflex ripped his own wand out and aimed it directly at her chest. His eyes drifted over her face carefully. "Just tell me whats on the parchment Granger..."
"You know I'm not going to do that Malfoy"
He nodded slowly, it was the only choice. Outside, into the grounds. "Stupefiy!" He shouted and aimed the curse near her, but off to the side. Make her flinch and he ducked out of the library doors.
She was outside the library now, but she knew he would follow. Surely enough he did. "Pretego!" she yelled, causing a shield charm between them. "Give me the bag back. Now."
"Not yet..." He stepped back and whispered,"Nitwit." A passage opened behind a portrait and he ducked into it, taking off down the corridor. This should lead him to the transfiguration hallway. She bolted after him, following him, heart beating fast. The bag dangled in his hand as he twisted around shooting another spell back at her, not really trying to hit her. His eyes searched the darkness for the end of the passage. At long last she caught up to him, and pulled her bag out of his hands She attempted to pull it from him, but he simply stepped closer to her, his fingers twined around the strap. "Whats on it?" He hissed in the semi-darkness. The exit was mere feet behind him.
"Not telling"
"Why not?"
"Because it doesn't concern you!"
"Says you. What if I want in?" He asked, this was no mans land. Surely not his.
She stopped, blank. 'Want in?' Was that a lucky guess or did he know what was going on? "Want in on WHAT, exactly?"
He shrugged and tugged lightly on her bag, "Whatever you were working on..." He stared down at her then frowned... "It isn't more SPEW is it?"
She almost smiled. "That's..exactly what it is."
His eyes narrowed looking at her facial features. "You're lying."
"How could you possibly know that?"
"You have a suttle blush when you lie." That made her blush harder. Ron hadn't even noticed that, and she had lied to him yesterday so he would feel confident about the match. She looked up at Draco who was still scrutinizing her face. "So tell me the truth." He tilted his head and then slowly let go of the bag and tucked his wand into his pants pocket. His eyes drifted over hers and he held up his hands. "This is also one of the few hallways, that she doesn't have bugged in any way."
"I...can't." She couldn't explain why she wanted to either.
"You can." Draco tested his luck and set a hand on Hermione's shoulder, gripping it gently. She avoided his eyes.
"Hermione... Just tell me." He thought back, and was sure, it was the first time he had even said her first name.
She took note of that fact too. "I honestly can't. It's not my secret to tell." That was a partial lie, but it was true enough.
"Who's is it? That redheads? Wesleys? Or self rightious Potters?" He didn't truly have much against either, besides the fact they were her best friends. But they had put her in some seriously unessicary danger before and his family wasn't exaclty the Brady bunch.
"It's sort of...all of ours." She bit her lip. Had she given away too much?
"Don't make me find this out the hard way..." He whispered, his hand still on her shoulder. He slid it to her cheek to brush some of her light hair from her face.
"I really can't tell you" she whispered.
"This isn't the end of this..." He whispered jerking his hand back from her face and stepping away, creating a sad space between them now. The door behind him opened as a Ravenclaw girl went to step through, her cheeks lit up. They let her pass, both wondering how she knew about this passageway - she was a first year after all. Draco's eyes slid over Hermione, this wasn't the end of it. He stepped out of the passage and gave a short wave to her, his feet carried him the the intersection between the Trans hall and the Great Hall entrance. He would keep an eye for Potter or Wesley. Hermione had never been so grateful that she got off with no problems.
It was late when the team came in and Draco had gone stiff from standing. He waited in the shadows before fallowing Potter and Wesley. They went to the common room then left, he fallowed them to a wall and watched as they went inside. He paused then waited, it wasn't long before Neville showed up and entered as well, this time Draco darted forewards and caught the door with his foot and stepped inside. A group of students turned to look at him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" demanded Ron. Hermione was sitting next to him, she was in shock too.
He shook his head and looked at her. "I told you I'd find out..." He eyed her and then stepped farther into the room, headed straight for her. She pulled out her wand again. The rest of the Gryffindor common room circled around them to watch
Draco stared at her and then pulled out his wand... and let it clatter to the floor. "What makes you think I want a fight?" Everyone was shocked. He waited for an answer, looking at her.
"If you want to talk about what we discussed yesterday..." She spanned the room quickly, looking at all the interested faces "I'm still not going to give you any answers." A sigh passed from his lips and he stuped to pick up his wand and then walked to his left to the mirror. A arrangement of items was on it, taped or magically stuck.
"Why...? I could have you all right now..."
"Get out."
"Go out with me." The room gasped.
"What?" She demanded. His cheeks lit up slightly. "I meant go out of the room..." He shook his head and then tilted his head to look at her, trying to determine her reaction.
"Outside. Now." They exited the portait hole. "Listen, last night, were you serious about wanting in to the D-whatever I have planned?"
"If I wasn't... then wouldn't Filtch or Umbridge have been waiting out here for us?" He asked gesturing to the empty halls around them. She had to give him that one. But she still didn't know if she could fully trust him, and he was aware of that. "What do I have to do...?"
"We haven't planned anything yet, but.." She explained the idea of the DA to him "We don't know when the first meeting will be, or if it will even happen." That part was a lie, but until she knew she could trust him, she wouldn't give him further details about the meetings.
"Isn't this... a meeting?" He asked gesturing to the now empty wall behind her. "All of those people... none from Slytherin... I guess I don-" He paused and cocked his head. Something... "Go back inside. Now."
Iit's not just us - there are other houses involved too." she informed him quickly, but she didn't take her chances. She quickly said the password to the Fat Lady and stepped back inside, to the puzzled Gryfindors
A minute later Filtch stepped out followed by his hairbrain cat,"See anything Draco...?" He hissed. Draco shook his head."Helping a stupid Gryfindor find her way back..."
The next day Hermione saw Draco during thier [non] defense against the dark arts class. He was sitting there copying lines from his book, ignoring Crabbe and Goyle's attempts to rouse him into teasing Hermione, Ron and Harry. After class she walked right by him. His eyes drifted to her slowly. "Hi."
She thought she should just ignore him, but decided to reply. "Hey." Another silence and his next class was different from hers, but he doubted she payed any mind as he continued to walk with her... in the opposite direction of his own class. "Hermione..." Draco stopped before they reach her class and looked at her, his hand wrapping around her wrist.
She was shocked. "What?"
Seconds before the bell rang... he ducked his head and warpped his arms around her. "I'm sorry." He bowed his head, and pressed his lips against hers. Surprised as she was, she kissed back. They broke apart before anyone else could see what had just happened. It looked like Dumbledore's Army wasn't Hermione's only secret this year...