To Touch a Dragons Heart

A/N: Hey you all!

I have posted this before with the title 'Florida, Here we come', but I changed the title because I got an idea for a better way for the story to turn out. This is the sequel to Miss Hogwarts, if you haven't read that story, please do so, 'cause you won't be able to read this, if you haven't.

Chapter 1: The Exchange Program

*Last time*:

Hermione started to turn around again but dropped dead in the middle of the movement as she heard Draco say: "If it had been my decision to make, you would have been Miss Hogwarts, Hermione."*

**********

Hermione whirled around, just to see Draco flying away from her, with at high speed. If she had been a little faster, she would have seen a look of both happiness and sorrow and a bit embarrassment on his face. He was attracted to Hermione, but he hadn't really wanted her to find out this way, but then again how had he planned on letting her know? He didn't know, but that didn't matter either, now she knew and only time could tell what would happen between them. "If anything will happen," he thought.

At the pit Hermione was standing, watching him as he flew towards the castle. Had she heard correctly? Had Draco Malfoy, the arrogant, selfish prat Draco Malfoy, really said that to her? And if he had, what did it mean then? Did he like her or was he just playing a prank on her? Hermione was getting a headache, so she decided to go back to her dormitory to get some more sleep.

**********

"Hermione! Hermione, wake up!" Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and before her was Ron's face. Hermione jumped slightly and exclaimed:

"Ron you scared me! What are you doing here anyway? You know you're not allowed to..."

"Oh, just stop that Hermione, I'm perfectly aware of the fact that I'm not allowed to be in here. But that has never stopped you from going into our dorm, whenever you needed to talk to either Harry or me, now has it?" Ron asked her with a smirk.

Hermione went quite red at this, and said: "Okay, okay, but still what are you doing up here? And especially in the morning?"

Ron laughed at that and said still grinning: "Hermione, it's not morning, it's almost lunch time. That's actually why I'm here, to ask you if you wanted to come to lunch with us?"

"Of course I will," Hermione said sitting up. Ron's face changed suddenly from his normally colour to red with big eyes. Hermione looked down at herself and remembered that she was wearing the nightgown, Pavarti and Lavender had given her that previous night after the contest. They had said, that it was a gift for her courage to join the contest and when they had seen it in the store, they had thought of her. It was long, white and silky, but quite see through. Hermione liked it, but she didn't want any boys to see her in it, besides her boyfriend (when she got one), so she quickly covered her chest with the cover of the bed and said: "Ron, would you please give me a minute to get dressed?"

"Sure," Ron said, but he didn't leave, actually he seemed like he had no intentions to do so.

"Without you being in the room?" Hermione asked sharply.

"Oh, yeah, sure" Ron answered going even more red. He stood up and started to walk out of the room, when Hermione called after him:

"I'll be down in 20 minutes."

**********

Half an hour later the four of them (Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny) were sitting in the Great Hall eating their lunch, although Hermione had some complications, because many guys were looking at her through the whole meal, and she wasn't used to all that attention. Suddenly two owls flew into the Great Hall, one heading for the Gryffindor table, the other for the Slytherin table. Hermione was wondering who would get mail so late in the day, when one of the owls landed in front of her with an outstretched leg pointing at her.

"For me?" Hermione asked the owl confused. Who would write to her, that couldn't wait until the next morning? The owl, one of the brown school owls, hooted at her and Hermione took the letter and untied it from its leg. The owl flew off immediately afterwards, just as the other owl set of from the Slytherin table.

"What's all this about?" Harry asked curiously.

"I don't know," Hermione answered opening the letter. It said:

Dear Miss Granger

We are pleased to inform you, that you and another student have been
selected to represent Hogwarts in an exchange program, we will have
this year. You and the other student are going to spend two whole
months in USA, more exact in Florida, on a school for witches and
wizards, just like Hogwarts. For more information about the program,
please meet in my office tonight at eight.

Sincerely,
Minerva McGonnagal

Hermione was very excited as she showed the letter to Harry and Ron. While the two boys were reading, Hermione looked at the Slytherin table, to see if she could figure out who the other person was. As her eyes searched the table, they landed on Draco Malfoy and the events of the morning came floating back to her. She was surprised when she saw Draco held a piece of paper in his hand, could he be the other student? She hoped so, it would make it a lot easier to get to know him.

**********

As Hermione sat there staring, Draco looked up and turned his attention towards the Gryffindor table and saw Hermione looking at him. Their gaze locked for a minute or two, before Hermione turned her head to look at Potter, who was asking her something. Draco had received a letter identical to Hermione's and he was wondering, who the other student could be.

When he looked at Hermione, he realized that he was hoping Hermione was the other student. He couldn't be sure of anything, but when he thought it over, it would make sense if Hermione was the other student, because she was the top student in every class and he was second (he still wasn't happy about not being the top student, but he had learned to accept it. Unfortunally his father hadn't, and Lucius was still yelling at him in the end of every term because of it.) Now Draco just had to show up at McGonnagals office at eight that night, to see who the other student was and to hear more about the trip.

********

At eight that night, Hermione was standing outside McGonnagals office, waiting for permission to step inside. McGonnagal greeted her after a few minutes and led her inside.

"Hello Miss Granger," McGonnagal said, "The other student is already here. Please follow me." Hermione followed her into a side room, and there was none other than Draco Malfoy. Were her dreams coming true?

"Please sit down Miss Granger." McGonnagal said gesturing toward a chair beside Draco. Hermione sat down without looking at Draco, she was too nervous to do so.

Draco on the other hand, had no problem looking at Hermione. He had at an early state of his life learned to control his emotions, and even now, when he was thrilled to find out she was the other student, one couldn't see any emotions on his face.

McGonnagal looked at her two top students, Hermione bright red and Draco just as pale as usually, but with a glint in his eyes, she had never seen before, and wondered if there were anything between those two, but she dumped the idea, because they had always hated each other. She then said:

"You two have been selected to represent Hogwarts in an exchange program we have arranged with another wizard school in Florida. You will be gone for two months and you will be leaving in a week from now."

"A week?!" Hermione exclaimed loudly. That was so little time; she had to say goodbye to her best friends for two whole months, and only have the company of Draco Malfoy. Yes, she had a crush on him, but that didn't mean she knew him. What if he turned out to be just as much of a prat as he had been the past six years?

Hermione "woke up" from her trancelike state and saw that both Draco and McGonnagal were staring at her, and she then realized, that she had said "A week" out loud even when it wasn't supposed to.

"Yes, in a week," McGonnagal said a bit chocked, she wasn't used to Hermione like this. "Is there a problem with that, Miss Granger?"

"No, no not at all, it's just a little short notice if we have to buy something.." Hermione started, but was cut off by McGonnagal.

"You two will get permission to go to Hogsmeade the following Saturday to get what you need, but it's only the two of you."

"Do we have to do anything special in Florida?" Draco asked coolly, this was the first time Draco had spoken and it send shivers down Hermione's spine.

"Yes, you will have to make a report of all the things you've seen, and then make a presentation. You will show the presentation to the students from 4th year and above at Hogwarts." McGonnagal said. "Now please head back to your Houses and get some sleep, and then meet me again tomorrow after dinner."

**********

Hermione and Draco were standing outside McGonnagals office looking at each other. This went on for some time before Hermione spoke: "Did you mean what you said about me earlier?" she asked, but continued when he looked a bit confused, "You know, when you said I should have been Miss Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I meant it. You truly are a beauty, Granger." Hermione heart skipped a beat, had she heard correctly? But then Draco continued: "But don't think, there's any feelings involved! It's purely physical attraction, deal with it." With that last comment, he turned around and walked away.

Hermione was frozen to the spot, she couldn't believe this. No feelings? How could he say that? And just one week before, they were going to spend two whole months together outside of Hogwarts? She was devastated as she walked back to the Gryffindor tower. Inside she said nothing to Harry and Ron. She just walked to her dormitory and laid down on her bed. She put a silence charm on her bed after she had drawn the curtains together, then she laid down and cried.

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A/N: There, first chapter done.. Second chapter is half done, so it won't be long 'till I'll put it up.. If you want me to email you whenever I update, please tell me in a review *hint hint* Anyway, please press the little bottom in the left corner of the screen, and tell me what you think, I prefer constructive criticism..

~The Charmed One