***Disclaimer!*** I (unfortunately) do not own any of the characters etc. Creds to J.K. Rowling!

***Author's Note*** A short little story of Draco confessing his love to Hermione ~~~ It's been a while, but I'm actually thinking of expanding on this story...thoughts?


Hermione

As she walked down an empty hallway, Hermione ran her fingers over the cool stone. It was rare to find such a hallway on the last day of school, as all of them were crowded with students saying their goodbyes to teachers, to each other, and to the various ghosts that roamed the castle. Hermione had even spotted Peeves sulking at the end of a hall, but she had quickly moved on before the poltergeist noticed her.

She thought about the year and all that had happened, as her fingers brushed over wood. She noticed the wall was no longer stone but the wooden door to small broom cupboard. She sank down beside it, immersed in thought and wishing she could melt into the stone.


Draco

Draco Malfoy hurried about the castle, his foot steps echoing faintly and his robes billowing out behind him as he ran. He was looking for some one. Hermione Granger. He had to apologize. To beg for her forgiveness after five years of being such a royal pain in the arse. He never knew it before his fifth year, but Draco loved her - everything about her, and he had to tell her before it was too late.

It wasn't as if he was suddenly best friends with all the Gryffindors but there was something about her that made him simply melt inside. Of course, he knew he couldn't love her, she was a mudblood. He had once hoped that if he reminded himself this enough it would be true. But he knew it wasn't.

If only he could find her alone -this wasn't something he wanted to confess in front of Potter and Weasel-bee. As he ran past an empty hallway, something caught his eye. The hall wasn't empty.

Hermione was crouched against the wall, eyes closed. He caught his breath and walked as steadily as he could down the hall.


Hermione

Footsteps. That was what made her eyes fly open. She slid up the wall just as the person she least wanted to see caught up with her. She drew her wand instinctively but he was too fast. Before she knew it she was pinned to the wall, her wand useless.

"What do you want Malfoy" She muttered, darkly.

"Hermione." He breathed. She looked into his eyes, bewildered as to why, without any warning, he was calling her by her first name.


Draco

As she spoke he savored her image, her bloodred lips against her pale skin, her hands, soft and warm, and enclosed in his own, even her wonderful peppermint breath.

He tried to speak but it came out as only a whisper. His gaze met hers and he relished her chocolate brown eyes staring into his own. Suddenly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. Seconds later he pulled away, waiting for something, anything. He had wholeheartedly expected her to slap him across the face but he realized that he had been the one to pull away. Was it possible she felt something too?


Hermione

Her head reeled with a million thoughts, the first being I hate this man. It was what she had always thought at the sight of him, her automatic reaction. She should hate every fiber in his prejudiced, Slytherin body. And yet here he was with his lips drawn up against her own and she caught herself almost enjoying it. As he pulled away, she gasped, at a loss for words. Her blood boiled in rage, or, was she just imagining it, desire?


Draco

"Hermione" He said again, able to speak, "Hermione Granger, I love you. I have loved you since the first time I layed eyes on you, in First Year." And as he was saying the words, he found that they were true. She didn't respond, her eyes, for once, were blank. It was obvious she didn't feel the same way. He turned to go.

"Wait." It was a tiny mumble, barely more than a squeak, but it made him stop dead in his tracks. He turned to face her. "Draco Malfoy," She said firmly, the soft, yet commanding tone her voice usually carried back, "Malfoy if this is some sort of sick joke, and Blaise and Pansy are going to jump out laughing at me..." She trailed off and looked up at him though her eyelashes. "Kiss me again." Hermione whispered.


Hermione

For a minute she could not quite process what he was saying. Five years of positively torturing her, Harry, and Ron, and now he suddenly loved her? Her mind went blank. What did you say when someone you thought was your arch enemy confessed of loving you? She couldn't think of any time that had happened before.

As Malfoy turned to go, a thought dawned on her. "Malfoy if this is some sort of sick joke, and Blaise and Pansy are going to jump out laughing at me..." She looked up into his ice blue eyes, and saw immediately that it couldn't be a game. There was too much pain, five years worth, pent up behind those eyes, and too much hurt. Could it, just maybe be real? The passion she had felt during their kiss? She needed to be sure.

He walked toward her, fast, almost breaking into a run and caught her hands, but not forcefully as he had before. This time, it was the kiss that was forceful. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, dangerous, dark, with an edge. A hunger she had never known. It was nothing like the quick, sweet pecks Viktor Krum bestowed upon her. As his tongue parted her lips and explored within her mouth, he dropped her hands and brought his arms around her back, his cold hands meeting low and holding her tight.


Draco

He didn't know what had come over him when he was with her, but it was wonderful. Like she was the only one in the room. When she touched him he lost control, battling his desire with all that he was brought up with, all that he knew. Finally, desire had taken over, completely. He anguish he felt at being separated from her vanished in his mind without a trance, the judgement of his parents the furthest thing from his mind.

Draco embraced her, afraid that if he let go she would vanish and it would all be a dream, pushing her gently to the wall.


Hermione

Pinned once more against the wall, Hermione broke the kiss. She nearly laughed at his expression, it was pathetic, like a puppy who's favorite toy had been taken away.

"We need to talk about this." She murmured, breaking away from his hold and reaching for the door of the broom cupboard. It creaked open to reveal a small room, neat but not much taller than Draco. She whispered a short charm, sound-proofing the room. "So you love me. Five years of your pathetic little games and you love me? Why are you telling me this now?"

"I..." He trailed off, "I don't know if I'll be here next year," He gazed down at her, "I didn't know if I would ever see you again. My parents, well, my father, and The Dark Lord are forcing me to become..." His voice caught, and he could barely speak the next words, "They want me to become a Death Eater." Hermione didn't know why she was so surprised, it was practically common knowledge that Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater but Draco? He was so young. She looked up and saw a single tear slip down his face, so she stood on tiptoe and pressed her own lips to his.


Draco

He couldn't believe he was crying. Draco Malfoy did not cry, he hadn't since he threw temper tantrums at the age of six. But this was Hermione, gentle, beautiful, kind Hermione. Unlike his Slytherin friends, she would not tease him, no she...she would kiss him.