Disclaimer: don't shout or be mean, we don't own anything, its all JKR's

A/N: We have finally written our story, I wrote this first chapter, my good friend's manning the next one, all shall be as awesome as the next, please review as it makes us feel good, we might even give you a mention start of next chapter! Excitement! Love you all from us xx

Hermione looked up from her potions essay, 'he's staring again'. She turned her head and looked into those piercing grey eyes.

"What?"

"What?"

"Malfoy, I know you were looking. What do you want?"

"Don't flatter yourself Granger, you have toothpaste around your mouth," he smirked.

"Cheers Draco, how long have we been sat here?"

"Nearly three hours, whoa, can we wrap this up, my brains starting to melt."

"Sure, ten o'clock? Really? I'm bloody knackered. Night Draco."

He watched as Hermione slowly pushed all their work to one side, got up from her knees and left the common room. Snape had put them as 'study buddies' as Hermione referred to it. Placing everyone with a partner to bring out their full potential, Hermione seemed mad at first to be placed with Draco, but he was beginning to feel her warm to him.

They were the top two students in the class, so it came as a surprise to no one that they

were put together.

Draco had to hand it to the Professor, they were bringing out the best in each other, their work showed it. They hardly even bickered any more; the first week of the project was unbearable, like Hermione had set up some kind of resilience against Draco. But as he showed the more he had changed, the more she trusted him and let him in.

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"Morning' Gin"

"Mione! Darling!" Ginny chirped in a posh accent, kissing Hermione on both cheeks. "It's been simply ages! How are things? Last time we talked you were having Draco trouble, that's alright now?"

"Fine, thanks for your advice Ginny, much needed. You were right, he has changed, and he's not the same stupid rich boy anymore. I think it might have something to do with his dad."

"What do you mean?" Ginny looked puzzled.

"Well, we all know how controlling Lucius was, and now he's out on the picture Draco's finally coming out of his shell."

"His fit shell!"

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped looking round to see if anyone was listening, as usual they were the only two Gryffindors to be up this early.

"What? Oh come off it Hermione, I am so jealous, you getting to work with him all the time! Even if you won't own up you fancy him, which I know you do, at least admit that he's fit!"

"Fit is not even the word." Hermione divulged a pained look on her face, her eyes closed. "It's too much; I am so attracted to him! It's making working with him so hard!"

"Hermione finding something hard? The world's gone mad, watch out Harry the sky is falling!" Ron joked. "Morning ladies, Ginny." He added with a curt nod, gaining a punch in the shoulder. "Hey! So Mione, what's so hard then?" Harry added a curious nod.

"Oh, that… its-"

"Keeping all her admirers at bay and still managing to keep on top of her school work!" Ginny interrupted with a grin.

"Right, I'm so sure. Why not just say girls business, get lost!" said Harry laughing.

"No, no Harry you're right, get lost!" Hermione giggled.

"That's harsh Herm, they only just got here. Lets go for a walk, finish our little talk else where. You sit and pig, fatty!" Ginny quipped patting Ron on the back as she left.

"Oy!" He called after her, but none the less stuffing toast into his mouth at an unhealthy rate.

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"I mean, I can see where you're coming from mate, she's not bad looking."

"Cheers Blaise, I'm still not sure if I like her or not. Even if my father's in Azkaban, I don't think she'd be safe if I went out with her." Draco spoke slowly and thoughtfully.

"Oh get off it Drake, who's to know? I say go for it if you want to. Don't let 'the elders' get in your way." Blaise scoffed.

"Interesting theory, I like it!" Draco seemed pleased he'd talked to Blaise about it. Hermione had been on his mind since she left the common room for bed the previous evening. Blaise being his oldest and most competent friend seemed like the perfect solution. Well the only solution, seeing as the rest of the Slytherins consisted of people like Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle. Not the best group for an intellectual tête-à-tête.

Draco walked out of the Slytherin common room towards the prefect's common room, with a bit more bounce in his step. It was Hermione's and his turn to patrol tonight, being quarter to nine already, he had time to get back and clean up before they had to go out.

Clambering through the portrait into the common room, Draco saw Hermione curled up in a chair with a considerably large book on her lap. Smiling as she looked up, Draco couldn't help but smile back.

"Draco, don't forget we're-"

"I know, patrolling, I'm just off upstairs to wash up, be back in a few." Draco called dashing up the stairs two at a time.

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Turning a corner towards the Hufflepuff commons the pair were deep in conversation about their potions project together.

"So we're agreed on the phoenix theme for potions, and we'll make the potions in the lessons, write up in the common room afterwards ok?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, sounds good. We're bound to get an awesome mark for this, I mean, we are exceptional students." Draco said with a slight hint of the Malfoy smirk.

"We're only going to do well if you're prepared to put the hours in, because I'm not going to do this all my self!" Hermione seethed.

Draco turned and looked her in the eyes, his face serious as he spoke.

"Hermione, we've been through this, I'm not the same guy I used to be. I'd hoped by now you'd seen a different me, not one that's going to play you any chance I get."

"Draco, you know this is hard for me, I appreciate I can trust you." She found it hard to put into words how she was feeling. "Its just, everything…you know?" She looked down quickly.

Draco said nothing, her words made her sound so confused and sad. He just wanted to hold her in his arms and cheer her up. Then a thought hit him, 'I'll do one better'. Slowly he brought his hand to her chin, lifting up Hermione's head. He quickly brought his head to her height, and before she could realise what was happening, he had kissed her.

"Draco!" Hermione stuttered as they broke apart, eyes wide slightly caught out of breath.

"What?" he replied innocently, knowing full well what.

"Don't you play naïve! You can't just go kissing me when you feel like it!"

"Well, did it calm you down? Did it physically hurt you? Did you enjoy it?" He snuck the last question in at the end with a smirk. Hermione blushed, she did enjoy it and had no idea why she shouted, she just felt she ought to set him straight. Then remembering her talk with Ginny from earlier,

"Hermione, seriously if you like him go for it, nothing's stopping you."

"You know what Ginny, you're right; I'd definitely do something if I had the chance."

Taking her words from earlier into consideration, Hermione did the only thing plausible. Draco was still staring at her waiting for an answer. She smirked, threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a second deeper kiss. He put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer. They pulled apart to see some Hufflepuff first years stopped dead in front of them, wide eyed and mouths open. Quickly composing herself Hermione glared at the first years.

"It's half past nine! Way past first year curfew if I remember rightly! What on earth are you doing out so late? No! I don't want to hear it, get out of my sights before I decide to tell your head of house." The first years terrified of Hermione's rant squeaked and ran through their portrait into the commons. Draco turned to Hermione, a slightly impressed look upon his face.

"Way to abuse power Hermione. Actually I think I could get used to this darker, feisty side of you." He purred. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, as they headed back towards the prefect's commons.

"Find it a bit of a turn on ay?" She temptingly whispered in his ear, one eye brow raised suggestively.

"Why, Hermione, I had no idea!" Draco said in mock surprise.

"What you don't know about me, Draco dear, could fill a library." Hermione teased, walking slightly faster, making him speed to catch up.

"Anything I should know for now?" He asked cheekily, stepping in front of her blocking her way. He leaned in; trying for another kiss, but Hermione ducked and paced off again. Turning round sending him a mischievous grin, Draco took the hint and sped off after her.

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Hermione was deep within her bed sheets, warm and cosy gently drifting off to sleep. Rolling over and reaching out an arm she found her bed wasn't empty. Unperturbed Hermione reached out and embraced this new body, lazily drawing some of its heat into her.

"Why are you sat up? Where are you going?" She slurred.

"Can't sleep, don't worry love, I'll be back. I'm just going for a midnight stroll."

"Hurrmmewprestigious" Hermione had fallen back asleep, thankfully. Pulling away from her grasp, Draco put on his shirt and exited the room, heading toward the main castle.

"And where do you think you're going?" and eerie voice called behind Draco just outside the common room, startled Draco turned to face the portrait that had just let him out.

"Why…I'm sleep walking, obviously." Draco winked at the portrait and headed off into the school, as it blushed furiously and hastily fell back asleep.

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Harry was coming in from the other end of the castle; he'd got a letter off Hagrid at dinner, asking for Harry to call by that evening. It was strange that Hagrid was surprised to see Harry… 'Come to think of it, he asked me what I wanted'. Harry was deep in thought, 'We spoke for ages, how come I didn't ask him what he wanted?' But not another thought on the subject crossed Harry's mind as he heard a noise behind him. Useful as his quidditch reflexes are, his vision was shoddy. Seeing no being attached to the noise, Harry quickly wrote it off as Mrs Norris and carried on walking. It wasn't until he took a rather large club to the head, that he realised something was wrong.

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As Harry awoke he found his vision to be blurry, 'Where are my glasses? Wait, where am I?' Quickly pushing his hands under his chest, Harry made to push himself into a sitting position.

"Not so fast, Harold." 'That voice, who was that voice?'

"Harold's not my name." Harry countered a sharp tone to his voice.

"Does it look like I'm bothered? I'll call you what I want mate."

"I believe it has come apparent, I am not your mate." Harry responded, still facing the floor.

There was a slight chuckle as the voice from above mused at his temper.

"Enough small talk," the voice suddenly had a bite to it. "You have something that belongs to me. And I want you to stay away from it."

"If you had the decency to tell me what was yours, perhaps I'd have the slightest idea what you were talking about." Injected Harry maliciously.

This earned him a kick in the back, "Oomph" Harry cried as he was winded, quite unprepared for this attack.

"Quiet Potter, I'm here to teach you a lesson about observance. Consider this your first tutorial," the voice added with another stabbing pain to Harry's back.

Pain carried on until Harry could not longer breathe, lying face down on the floor listening to curse after curse inflicted on him. The voice came closer, right to his ear, Harry turned to see a hooded figure. The last words he heard before blacking out were:

"Stay away from Weasley, Potter." And with that, Harry collapsed into a state of unconsciousness.

…..