'Out of all the girls in the school she has to be the one' The young blonde haired boy sauntered down the hall. His black robes draped over his shoulders with the precise fit that was only him. The black messenger bag that had Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Seeker, Head Boy embroidered in green and sliver color changing thread hung at his side. "Stupid mudblood." He muttered, reaching the main hall. 'I would rather be with Pansy…wait no I wouldn't' He smirked for the first time in ages, well what seemed like ages. The smirk quickly vanished off his face as he stood in the door way just starring outside. It was pouring rain and the thunderclaps were growing increasingly louder. With a quick glance down at his new robes he made up his mind. 'Knowing she's inside is worth ruining any outfit.' He bolted out the doors and straight to the lake. His pounding heart drowned out the thoughts of her. Even if it were only for a moment the brief lapse of her name echoing through his mind relaxed his tense and shaking body. She plagued his mind all summer. He knew she would make head girl with him, she was the smartest girl in school after all; when Dumbledore suggested he show up three weeks early for bonding with the head girl only her name flew to his mind. "How could I be so naive." He shook his head "of course it was her why did I even get my hopes up that it wasn't" What he could never figure out was why he thought so much about her, and that scared him. It chilled his icy bones to the core; she struck something in him something unknown, something unwelcome. So he ran, he would take 2 maybe 3 mile runs around the manor each day, the yard sure was big enough. It cleared his mind of all the death and destruction that was going on, of his father's brutal murder, of the Boy-Who-Lived and his little sidekick, but when all that was out of the way she was always left. She was the only thing that stayed in his mind at all times. When he woke up he thought of her, at lunch, at dinner, during his run, and then right before bed. He just didn't understand. "How can one girl be so bloody confusing?" He picked up his pace. 'Left Right Left Right' he chanted in his head trying to occupy his mind. 'come on Dray you can run faster then this' He challenged himself running nearly into the lake. "Bloody Hell." He whispered as he stopped at the water's edge. The storm was causing huge waves to ripple across the surface. 'The ripples looked like her hair did that one day last spring, when she was sitting on a bench in the gar-' "Stop it! Stop right now Draco! She's nothing to you. Nothing!" and with that he dived into the shallow water knocking his head (unintentionally) on a jagged rock.

"Malfoy!" a young women screamed his name; he felt the warm flesh of the women's hands against his body pulling him out of the lake and into the rain. Then all went black.

"Malfoy? Malfoy are you awake?" a light tap hit his cheek.

"What? Who's Malfoy? Where am I?" the confused blonde opened his eyes and looked around the room. 'I'm in a hall of some sort.' He thought to himself. 'And lying on a table, with this gorgeous creature sitting next to me.' "Well, well who are you doll face?"

"Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione screamed through the hall. "Mrs. Pomfrey, someone, anyone come quick!" Professor Snape came rushing around the corner and peered down at the bewildered student in front him. Seeing the state of Draco's condition he turned to Hermione who was babbling on and on "So-then-I-saw-him-head-outside-and-I-called-to-him-to-make-him-stop-but-he-just-kept-running-untill-he-got-to-the-shore-and-the-waves-were-high-so-I-knew-he-couldn't-see-the-rocks-and-he-dove-in." She finished in one breath and paused for a brief moment before saying her last sentence, which was more like three that she crammed together. "So-I-dove-in-after-him-and-pulled-him-out-of-the-water-and-then-brought-him-back-here-I-only-now-got-him-onto-the-table-and-then-I-cleaned-his-wounds-up-and-then-he-woke-up." Snape picked up Mr. Malfoy's limp and fragile body.

"That girl does talk fast." He smirked at Hermione as she ran behind Snape. Once Draco was safe in the hospital wing Hermione told her story to all the teachers.

"I wonder what got into him." McGonagall fidgeted in her chair

"I see the grim!" Trelawney jumped up and flapped her arms as she exited the room.

"No, no. lets be practical." Flitwick simply stated.

"Yes, exactly. Malfoy's obviously under a lot of stress." Hermione spoke calmly but on the inside she was scared stiff. Malfoy's injuries were nearly fatal and she knew the rough drag back to the castle didn't help. Then Madam Pomfrey paced through the door.

"Mr. Malfoy is going to be fine, he had a small concussion but I have given him medicine for that." Everyone including Hermione gave a sigh of relief. 'His death is off my hands' she joked to herself as the teachers chatted around her. "It's best you all go and continue with the start of the year preparations." The teachers all bustled out of the waiting lounge with Hermione at the rear. "Mrs. Granger a word please." Hermione hesitantly followed Poppy to Draco's bed. "Mr. Malfoy. Can you tell me who this lady is?" Draco looked her up and down which made Hermione very uncomfortable.

"Sorry, no. No I can't." he said with a slight frown. "She does look very familiar though." For some reason that she couldn't place her finger on Hermione was disappointed that Malfoy didn't remember her. Then Poppy ushered her away from him.

"Give him two days and he'll be back to normal."

"Great." Hermione said unenthusiastically. "all we need is him to be back to his old ways."

"I just need one thing" Madam Pomfrey stated ignoring Hermione's unhappy tone. "Will you please watch him till he's better, I have a lot of work to do and I don't have really anytime at all to take care of him.

"Sure." Hermione replied How could she turn her down, Mrs. Pomfrey must have really needed her help. Draco was brought up to the head's room via magic. Hermione watched closely as Madam Pomfrey dressed Draco's head wound.

"If you need anything just call Mrs. Granger." Hermione nodded and the teacher scurried out of the room. Hermione gazed at Draco he was peering around the room with noticeable boredom.

"What can we do for fun?" he asked.

"Umm how about you take a nap and I'm going to go read." Hermione started quickly then started for the door.

"No!" Draco whined like 6 year old boy Hermione knew he was harboring inside. "Let's play a game or something."

"I'm going to go read and you need to stay in bed." She said in a motherly tone and went out into there common room. After five minutes went by Malfoy's whiny cry echoed through there tower again.

"Hermione!" He howled "Mia can you come here?" Hermione trudged up the staircase to his room.

"Call me Granger please." She shuttered. "Having you call me by my first name is just weird." Draco gave her a puzzled look. "What do you need?" she sighed.

"I was just wondering what book you were reading."

"Oh it's a…" Draco slid up from under the covers showing his bare chest. Hermione was instantly speechless. She knew he had a nice body, all the girls have been talking about it for the last seven years of her life, but she never saw it. He was perfectly tan under his dark robes and it only made his already bleach blonde hair seem lighter, "…a… its called…" she searched for the name of the book in her memory. 'Bloody book what's it called' "it's the story umm." 'Man why does he have to look so cute with that stupid smirk on his adorable little face. "Romeo and Juliet, yeah that's it." Draco just starred at her.

"Sounds good care to read it to me." Hermione snorted and continued to peer at the serious boy. "Well do you want to?" then without waiting for her to answer he said. "Okay go get your book and come sit up here with me here we can share my bed." Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Malfoy you hit your harder than I thought." He cocked an eyebrow. 'No way and I going to read to Malfoy that would just be absurd.' Hermione was protesting the act on the inside but on the outside she had already marched downstairs and picked up her book. 'I'm not going to read to him, let alone sit in his bed. It's just to weird.'

"Back already." Draco painfully shifted himself to make room for Hermione. "Come on." He lifted the blanket and patted the mattress as if calling Hermione to sit next to him.

"Okay just don't touch me." She silently slid under the covers next to him and started reading. "Two households both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."