Hermione closed her amber eyes and exhaled softly. It was the last day of her sixth year at Hogwarts and for once, she didn't want to go home. Her eyes slid open as she watched all the commotion in the Great Hall from afar. There were first years, frantically trying to remember if they left anything, fourth years groaning when they realized that Hogsmeade would not be open to them in the summer, and seventh years crying and hugging as they said goodbye for the final time. Hermione was usually excited for summer, especially now that she would be at the Weasly's for the summer months. She laid her head back against the cool stone wall and chuckled as she remembered how nervous Ron had been when he asked her to spend the summer at his house. She had of course said yes, he was her best friend after all. Also, she sighed, at the beginning of the year, she had been madly infatuated with him. But now she abandoned those hopes and surprisingly found affection in an unlikely place. Could she say that she loved him? She wasn't sure, but she did know that her feelings were more than friendly, especially after she discovered how perfectly his lips molded with hers, or how her skin felt on fire when he touched her. She found herself blushing as she thought about it.

Hermione was pulled out of her not so innocent thoughts by Harry, who had recently announced that he would also be spending the summer with her and Ron.

"Ready to go 'Mione?" Harry asked, grinning wildly. He was ecstatic for the summer, which had been made even more spectacular by the fact that he would be spending it with his two best friends.

Hermione smiled up at him, "As ready as I'll ever be." They had decided to get onto the train early, in order to get good seats and a room to themselves. "Where's Ron?" she asked when she noticed that their ginger counterpart had not joined them.

Harry shrugged, "Who knows, let's get on and he can find us later." They made their way onto the practically empty train and found a room. Harry pushed open the door and flopped onto the seat. He closed his eyes, but then opened them again when he realized that Hermione had not sat down. "You ok?" he asked concerned.

Hermione nodded with a smile, "Yea, I'm fine. I've got to go say goodbye to a few other friends first. I'll be back soon." She wasn't quite lying. She did have to go say goodbye to someone, but she wouldn't call him just a friend. Harry grunted in response and continued to stretch out along the bench.

Hermione made her way out of the train and back into the Great Hall. Where could he be? She scanned the room and smiled when her eyes landed on a familiar blonde head. She started to call out to him, but then remembered that their "relationship", if you would call it that, was a secret. What would people think if they discovered that she had been snogging a Slytherin. What would Ron and Harry think, they hated him, and she did too until they met in the Room of Requirement and actually started to talk as human beings. She allowed herself to become lost as she remembered.

~Eight Months Earlier~

Hermione ran down one of Hogwarts's many empty halls with tears streaming down her face. Lavender had just humiliated her in front of the entire common room, and on top of that Ron hadn't done anything. Harry would have said something, but he was talking to Professor Dumbledore, so he wasn't there. As she weaved through the halls, not really caring where she was going, she came upon a pair of large doors. "The Room of Requirement..." she mumbled to no one in particular. She stared at it for a moment before walking over and opening the doors, it appeared as though it was empty, so she deemed it safe to enter. She slowly slunk into the room and threw herself down onto one of the couches offered. She started to sob uncontrollably, clutching onto the soft canvas of the cushion; it wasn't like anyone could hear her, right? As her sobs started to retreat she heard a voice above her.

"Granger?"

Her eyes flew open as she bolted upright. She blinked a couple of times and stared shocked right at Draco Malfoy. "Malfoy?!" she asked quickly, "What are you doing here?" She watched as he stood above her, her head tilted to the side as she awaited a response. He looked different, less cocky and more vulnerable, less smug but more concerned. What the hell? Why was she noticing this? She hates him after all. Her eyes widened as he crouched down in front of her. He gazed at her, his steel eyes flickering with concern.

"Are you alright?" It was almost a whisper, but she heard it. She froze, taken aback. Did Draco Malfoy really just say something kind to me?

"Not really..." she murmured, "But why would you care. You hate me." She protested defiantly and glared up at him, tears still in her eyes.

He looked back at her calmly, "I don't hate you.." he stated plainly. Draco started to stand up and walk away when Hermione reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his blazer. He stood in surprise for a moment before turning around and looking at her once again. She had her face turned down and was staring at her shoes.

"Please…Don't leave.." she begged. Hermione had confused herself. Why on earth was she asking him of all people to stay? Draco Malfoy the boy who had tormented her up untilfifth year. She supposed that she hadn't seen him much this year; he always seemed to be by himself. Her mind returned to what was happening as she found herself staring at him. Maybe she just needed the company, or maybe she saw something different in him. Maybe he actually could care. Whatever the reason, she didn't let go of his jacket. "Please… Just stay.." He stared at her for a moment before nodding slowly moving to sit down next to her. They sat there in silence for what seemed like hours; Hermione still staring at the floor, and Draco looking ahead and occasionally glancing at her.

He finally sighed and turned to her, asking softly, "Do you wish to talk about it? I've been told I'm a good listener once I shut my God-forsaken mouth." Hermione finally looked up at him smiling slightly. What is wrong with you Hermione? Get it together. But he does seem genuinely concerned, which is more that you can say for Ron. She pulled her legs up onto the couch and hugged her knees.

She nodded slightly, "I suppose…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before proceeding to tell him about Lavender and Ron and how they humiliated her. Then she found herself telling him about her feelings for Ron and how he never noticed her, how he always made her feel inferior and horrible. Draco never spoke, unless to encourage her on, but sat there just listening. She didn't know why all this was pouring out, especially to him, but he was just so easy to talk to once you got past the teasing smirk and fitting suit and gorgeous grey eyes. What, what? Gorgeous? Where did that come from? After she finished, she sat there quietly blushing, surprised at how open she had been. She normally wasn't an over sharer. He was definitely going to use that against her now. But what he said next, shocked her.

Draco placed a slender finger under her chin and forced Hermione to look at him. His silver eyes shone as they stared into her chestnut ones. Hermione felt her blush deepen as he gazed at her.

"You don't deserve to be treated like that." He told her firmly. Hermione's eyes widened at how honestly he spoke. "You deserve so much better than what that Weasly could ever give you." He added softly, still staring into her eyes. She felt her eyes start to wander from his eyes down to his perfect lips and back up to his eyes again. What on earth was she doing? She hadn't kissed anyone ever, and here she was basically inviting him to, because there was no way he missed that. This was Draco Malfoy we're talking about. The person she is supposed to hate, the alleged death eater, the cruel Slytherin. But in this room he wasn't any of that. He was just a boy, a very attractive boy, who seemed to care about her. Alright she would admit it, Draco Malfoy had grown up nicely, his face thinned and his cheekbones and jaw became more prominent. His hair suited him now, and his grey eyes gave him a unique allure. Not to mention how well his tailored suits fitted him.

Draco noticed her traveling eyes and he started to lean in closer, tilting her chin up and narrowing his eyes slightly. The place where his finger held her was ablaze and she licked her lips subconsciously. She tilted her head up to meet his. What was she doing? Her conscious was screaming for her to get up and walk away, but she couldn't. They were mere centimeters apart now and Hermione allowed herself to slide her eyes closed. Then out of nowhere a loud, DING pounded through the Room of Requirement. They jumped apart, clearly confused. Hermione flushed as she realized what almost happened, while Draco seemed disappointed. Disappointed? Was he actually going to kiss her? Hermione stood up straightening her blouse and tried to calm her wild hair. That bell symbolized that the Quidditch match would be starting soon, and she couldn't miss it, not when it was the first match of the season. She looked up at Draco quizzically before nodding to him.

"Umm.. Goodbye Malfoy…" she trailed off while desperately trying to control her shaking voice. Draco smirked, his face returning to its normal cocky state.

"Until next time Granger." He nodded to her, and then walked out the door, his hands folded into his pockets, leaving a flustered and confused Hermione standing alone in the dark room.

AN:: Hey guys! Thank you so much for reading! This is my first fic, so please don't be too hard on me. Sorry for any errors, I don't have an editor or anything. Also, sorry for the flashback so early on, and there will be more as we go along. That way we can see Hermione and Draco's relationship develop. The next chapter will still be in the past. Please comment and subscribe! Any questions or critiques will be answered in the review box. Thanks again ^. ^