Hello! This is my first ever fanfic so I really hope you enjoy it! Just a wee thankyou to Before He Exits who betaed for me.

The characters and other wizard-related things do not belong to me.

"Malfoy?" Hermione stared wide eyed at the man standing next to her. This was unexpected, to say the least. "You do realise this is a ski resort? A muggle ski resort."

Malfoy, who appeared completely unfazed by the meeting just raised his eyebrow at her, "You may be the brightest witch of our age, Granger, but that doesn't make the rest of us completely brainless." Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but no sound came out. She just stood there, gaping like some kind of deranged fish. Unfortunately Draco seemed to notice. He chuckled before speaking again, "Close your mouth Granger, you look like some kind of deranged fish," he turned to the receptionist and started to fill out the details on the form he had been given. Hermione did the same, unable to find the words to string together an even vaguely coherent sentence, and kept quiet. Draco put down his pen and picked up his suitcase.

"See you around, Granger." He turned around then stopped, as if he had forgotten something, and moved to face her again. "Nice hair by the way," he said with a wink which, if she was honest, did make her insides tingle. Just a little bit.

Wait, what?

Nice hair? A wink?! He had just winked at her. Draco Malfoy had just winked, at her, Hermione Granger. This was Draco Malfoy, legitimately the most eligible pure blood bachelor available. And he just winked at Hermione Granger; muggleborn, elfen rights enthusiast.

And she absolutely did not feel anything.

She must have sat there thinking about this for quite some time, as the receptionist had to ask if there was something wrong with the form. But she was entitled to, right? This was Draco Malfoy. She had heard he was a changed man since the war and everything, but surely he can't have changed that much. And her hair was nice? Had he not spent 7 years of their childhoods commenting on the atrocious mess it was in? That was him right? Of course it was, shut up.

"Miss, are you sure everything's alright?" The receptionist was looking decidedly worried now and Hermione realised she had in fact finished the form about 10 minutes ago.

"Oh! Yes, yes I'm sorry!" Hermione apologised to the girl and made her way out the door and set off for her cabin. Number 25. She briefly wondered if she would be anywhere near Draco, then realised he would be staying in the fancy, updated parts of the resort, while she was in the modest, but pretty, small ones. Only after realising that she shouldn't really give a toss whether he's even staying.

She had been to this resort once before with Ron, when they were together. It seemed like so long ago, even though it had only been a week since she broke it off. She had loved Ron once, but the love that they shared wasn't enough to make up for the constant fighting and their relationship ended with Hermione wondering why they ever made the transition from friends to something more. She longed for intelligent conversations with someone who could match her intellectually, and she knew that was a big ask, but a girl can dream right?

Although she wouldn't admit it, Ron was the main reason she was here. She wanted to forget about him, and getting the hell out of the country was just what she needed. But she was really looking for reasons why she had stayed with him all those years. Deep down she knew it was a lost cause, but she had to try, she had to prove to herself that all the years spent with him weren't a complete waste of time.

Hermione arrived at the cabin and stood outside. This was one of the reasons the resort had appealed to her when she first saw it. It was just beautiful, with the tiny Christmas lights around the roof and snow on top. She could almost detect that cinnamony smell that reminded her so much of happy child hood Christmases spent with her family. She smiled and made her way to the door. To her surprise it was already open. It was odd, but she didn't think much of it, the resort staff had probably just forgotten to lock it. She entered the cabin and looked around. It was just how she remembered it. It was only when she spotted a brown tattered suitcase sitting in the corner when a horrible, horrible thought hit her.

Ron is here.

"Ronald? Get your ass out here now!" This was just perfect. How could she forget that she booked the room for two? This was her holiday, officially, ruined. Well think about it, would spending a week at a ski resort in a cabin with your ex-boyfriend appeal to you?

Ron appeared at the door to the kitchen with a packet of crisps in one hand and a bowl of salsa in the other, mouth full. "Yeah?" he stood there as if he had a right to be there, as if he had as much right to the cabin as she did. Sometimes he could be such a twit.

"Get out. This is my holiday. I came to get away from you, and although you may think you have a right to it, you are sadly mistaken," as an afterthought she added," I paid."

"But… Hermione, where am I supposed to go? We're in France, remember?" he looked at her like she was some kind of crazy person, but she wasn't giving in. Why should she leave?

"You're a fully grown bloody wizard, Ron, I'm sure you'll think of something. You shouldn't even be here in the first place! Stay at the pub!," She meant it but there was no real venom in her words. It didn't matter what she said, he wouldn't leave either way. What she didn't expect was what came next.

"And you'd just love that wouldn't you!" Ron spat back at her, eyes bright with anger. Hermione just stood there confused as to where the sudden outburst of hate had come from, "You would just love another reason to get at me! 'Ron chew with your mouth closed! ''Take your shoes off the table Ronald!' 'Why can't you put your dishes away for once?' 'Must you spend the whole weekend with Harry?' 'It's leviosa not leviohsah!'"

Hermione tried to stop the tears, but his words just hit her so hard. It was like he had just stomped on their whole relationship with his huge feet then picked it up off the ground and thrown it in her face. She couldn't contain them no matter how hard she tried. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing that he had got to her.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Ronald," she whispered, as she coughed back her tears," I'll be going now." She picked up her suitcase and made for the door.

"Hermione wait. I didn't mean-"

"No really its fine. I'll see you around," she wiped her eyes and closed the door behind her. Hannah and Neville were staying at the resort this week too, she would go to theirs for the night. She got her bearings and began to climb the hill up to number 111.

The tears kept falling and she so badly wanted to just collapse into the snow and cry. But she was cold, she was hungry and she badly needed someone to talk to. So she kept going. She reached the cabin after about 10 minutes of ploughing through 3 inch snow and collapsed at first step in front of the door. She pulled herself to her feet once more and picked her way up the steps, avoiding the great puddles of ice, mocking her heels. She took a deep breath, prayed that she had remembered the right number, and knocked on the door. She waited for what felt like bloody days, until the handle turned, the door swung open, and there stood a rather confused looking Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing he- Are you crying?" Draco's eyes went from confused, to bewildered and then concerned. Hermione had to blink and re-check to make sure her eyes were still functioning properly but it was true, he looked genuinely worried. She didn't let that faze her. It would be for his own selfish reasons.

"I'm fine, Malfoy, just got the wrong cabin," she said, as the tears started again. Where was she supposed to go now? If Hannah and Neville weren't in 111 then she had no idea where they were. She started to make her way down the steps but slipped on one of the ice sheets. She let out a small scream and screwed up her eyes, waiting for the inevitable bump to come, but it didn't. She was steadied by a strong arm around her waist and pulled back onto her feet. She looked up into his usually cold grey eyes, and found more of the foreign concern that had been there before. Was there something wrong with him? Did he have some kind of disease?

Malfoy turned her around so she was facing him and, after realising where they were, removed his hands from around her waist. "Granger, where do you think you're going?"

"Ron's here so I'm spending the night with Neville and Hannah," Hermione explained between sniffs.

"Granger, Longbottom left last night, they had this cabin. Listen, just come in and you can blubber about the weasel somewhere that I'm not going to freeze my balls off."

"Are you offering to help me?" Hermione was slightly sceptical, "It's okay. I'll just go back to Ron," and she turned to leave.

"Fine. Whatever Granger, go back to Weasley. Good luck."

Hermione heard the hurt in his voice and turned round but he had already shut the door. She sighed and started to make her way back to the lodge that she would have to spend the next week in, with Ron. She got half way down Draco's steps without really concentrating, only really thinking about Draco's reaction, when she slipped again, only this time he wasn't there to break her fall before she hit the ground. "Draco?" she managed a brief whimper as she lay there. The pain in her ankle was enough to make her want to scream, but she didn't because she was a calm and collected person and didn't want to waste precious energy that she could be using to scream at Ron with. Not that he was worth it. She was just enjoying the idea of screaming at him.

Hermione tried to get up several times but landed on her ass after every attempt. Upon realising that escape was going to be virtually impossible, Hermione started to drag herself back up the steps to Malfoy's and knocked at the bottom of his door, before taking a rather awkward seat on his door mat.

The door opened and Draco stood again, looking decidedly less worried and more angry, but he surprised her yet again, as his expression quickly returned to one of concern, "What are you doing still- Shit, Hermione what happened?" She didn't question the concern this time. But first names? What was happening? Hermione decided to put it down to concussion and an overly active imagination.

"Your stupid ice attacked me again, you should really do something about that," Hermione winced as he hoisted her onto her feet, throwing her arm around his shoulder and putting his own around her waist, pulling her close. Their close proximity was enough to make her blush, and honestly? It did hurt her to say it, but she didn't mind one bit.

"Right, we're gonna take this slow, okay? Just go at your own pace," his words were whispered and his lips were so close to her ear she could feel his breath on her neck and it sent shivers down her spine. What are you playing at? Hermione mentally hit herself. This is Draco sodding Malfoy.

But he has changed. She could see it now and he was a whole new person, or he had just got rid of the cold exterior. She liked to believe he had always been this way on the inside. And, on a less philosophical note, Draco sodding Malfoy just happened to be completely and utterly drop dead... hot.

"Okay... thanks," the words 'thanks' used in a sentence while talking to a Malfoy sounded so foreign to her she struggled to suppress a giggle.

"What? What's so funny?" Malfoy looked down at her, a bemused expression graced his features.

Hermione just shook her head and continued to giggle to herself.

Draco shrugged and attempted to pick Hermione up and carry her through the door and into his lodge, "Christ woman," he hesitated putting her down for a moment, "how much do you weigh?"

Hermione stopped giggling immediately to glare at him, her hazel eyes being met with an amused grin. His amusement quickly faded as he remembered that fateful day in third year... and realised that getting this particular witch riled up probably wasn't the smartest idea he'd ever come up with.

"You pig!" Hermione smacked him on the shoulder before turning away and attempting to storm off, attempting' being the key word there. Having forgotten the pain in her ankle she promptly collapsed with a yelp of pain.

"Really, Granger, I make your legs that weak?" Malfoy looked down at her with a glint in his eye and all she could do was look at him and scowl.

And realise how gorgeous his eyes- no.

"Just help me up, Malfoy!"

"Yes your highness." Draco muttered, before hoisting Hermione up and over his shoulder. She squealed in surprise and went to show Draco just who he was messing with, but his grip on her waist only tightened. Hermione huffed but said nothing.

And that had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she got a great view of his a- wait, what? Never mind, it's nothing. Nothing.

Draco carried Hermione into his cabin and set her down on his couch. Hermione realised that before she said anything else there was something that she had to get off her chest.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Hermione whispered, half hoping that he wouldn't hear. He did.

Malfoy turned around to face her. There was a look of being somewhat defeated in his eyes.

"Hermione." There it was again. Was this some kind of a joke? "Listen, it might surprise you to hear this but I never hated you. I'm not going to lie, I tried so hard to, and believe me it would have been so much easier if I had, but I didn't and I don't and I never could. I never understood the hatred my father had towards people like... you"

"Malfoy, those were the most sincere words I think I have ever heard come out of those gorgeous lips of yours," Hermione giggled then froze as she realised exactly what she had just said.

Shit.

"Out of my what did you say? Didn't quite catch that last bit," Malfoy's eyes were practically dancing with amusement and Hermione could do nothing to prevent the blush that graced her cheeks at her own stupidity.

"I said your slimy snake lips. Go away."

Malfoy chuckled but said nothing. It did strike Hermione as slightly strange that he didn't make up some sneering retort but she suddenly realised that she didn't know much about Malfoy anymore. Maybe she never did.

Malfoy got up from the couch and moved to inspect Hermione's ankle. He took off her shoe and sock, and began to examine it with his hands, pushing at certain parts, making Hermione flinch. He quickly apologised as one particularly hard prod caused Hermione to hiss.

"Malfoy? What are you doing?" Hermione was confused as to what he was trying to achieve by this painful massage-like torture.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Malfoy answered, without ceasing his attack on her feet. "I'm a healer Granger, this is what healers do." He took out his wand and began to mutter under his breath.

"It's a pretty bad break you've got in there, and I'm pretty sure I can't mend it here without my equipment, but I've cast some pain-relieving spells just in case it starts to throb. Do you want something to drink?"

Hermione stared at him, "You're a healer? Since when was helping people top on your list of priorities? Tea please."

"A lot of things have changed since the war, Granger. I would expect you of all people to be aware of that fact." With that he turned around and left the room, leaving Hermione alone to her thoughts. Something was wrong. The way her pulse quickened when he smiled, how his fingers felt on her skin, it felt awfully like attraction. But how could she be attracted to him? Hermione Granger fancies Draco Malfoy. What a headline that would be.

Has he turned the heating up? Hermione took off her scarf and tried to distract herself from the thought of his arm around her waist.

Draco strode into the room and sat down beside her, placing two mugs on the table, casually snaking his arm round the chair behind Hermione's neck, "I thought you might prefer something sweet, so I made us some hot chocolate instead. Now what was that about my gorgeous lips?" Draco winked at her. Hermione shoved his shoulder and tried her hardest to suppress a giggle.

"I told you I said nothing of the sort!" She was about to thank him for the hot chocolate when there was a knock at the cabin door. Draco looked slightly confused but arose from his seat next to her and made his way to the door.

And who was standing behind it? None other than Ronald I-shit-you-not Weasley. By the looks of it the sight of Hermione sitting on Draco Malfoy's couch at goodness know what time of night did not improve the thunderous look that adorned his face. He glared at Malfoy before striding past him and pulling Hermione roughly up from the couch.

"No-" Draco attempted to stop Ron before he made Hermione stand, but the pained expression on her features as she crumpled to the ground was enough to tell him he was seconds too late. Ron's expression altered to one of pure hate as he turned on Draco.

"What did you do to her?" There was practically steam coming out of Ron's ears by this time, but Draco had other problems that were worth more of his time. He just had to get rid of Weasley as quickly as humanly possible.

"Just get out," it was worth a try, Draco thought. Even if the outcome was more likely that it would make him angrier. Which it did.

"Get out?! You think I should get out? AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO HER?!" Ron looked as though he was about to lunge at Draco when Hermione spoke up.

"Malfoy did nothing! It's you who's at fault here Ronald," Hermione's voice was calm but Draco could tell that she was finding it hard to keep it together, "You have the nerve to turn up in my cabin, ruin my holiday and then claim that it was all Malfoy's fault?"

"Hermione, you're not seriously siding with that git are you? After everything he did to you? To us?"

"People change Ronald. Others, I understand, do not. Malfoy..." Hermione seemed to change her mind, "Draco-

Draco spit out the gulp of coffee he had been about to drink.

Hermione smiled slightly but carried on,"- has changed since school and I believe that he deserves another chance. If you don't believe me then I expect nothing more, but I'm sorry I can't take your side in this."

Hermione watched as the anger in Ron's eyes seeped away, and for a second she believed that he might forgive Draco too. But then he turned away, without giving her a second glance, and walked into the night.

Draco walked to her side and helped her back up onto his couch, "Don't worry about him," Draco grinned at her, "What do you need him for when you've got me?"

"You're insufferable!" Hermione tried to keep a straight face (she wasn't even a little surprised by now at how difficult it was to resist), but she smiled slightly in spite of herself. Yes, Ron had been a large part of her life for a long time, but it felt good to finally be free of him.

Hermione tested her ankle and found, with a worrying amount of disappointment, that it was probably okay to walk on. By now, leaving wasn't a particularly appealing prospect, but she didn't want to outstay her welcome, and she had no idea if he wanted her there or not.

She stood up and started to make for the door, "I can walk on my ankle now, so I can go if you want. I think I'll just apparate home, and go to Saint Mungos in the morning." She turned back to Draco who stood and walked to stand in front of her.

"Well.. uh, okay, yeah. See you around," Draco muttered. He looked as though he was going to say something and then thought better of it.

Hermione smiled weakly, turned around and left, closing the door behind her. She felt tears come to her eyes again, but this time she didn't try to stop them. Everything just felt okay when she was with Draco. And she hadn't felt like that since the start of her relationship with Ron.

Shit! Hermione sighed, stopped, and made her way back to Draco's cabin. In her rush to vacate, she had forgotten her bloody scarf. She made her way carefully up those dammed steps of his, reached his doormat and paused. Before she could knock, the door opened, and there stood Draco, running his hand through his hair, looking as though there was a small civil war happening in his head.

"I forgot my-"

And then Draco's lips were on her lips and she forgot completely what she was going to say. He was kissing her. He was kissing her and there were no thoughts running through her head. Draco Malfoy was kissing her with his lips and it felt like she had never felt anything worthwhile until she felt whatever this was. His hands were in her hair and around her waist and everywhere, just making sure he would always remember what it was like to touch her.

And then he broke away and she still couldn't remember what the heck she was doing.

More to the point, what the heck was he doing?

"Sorry you were say-"

"Scarf. Now can you go back to where we were before you rudely interrupted?"

Hope you all enjoyed it! Leave a quick review and tell me what you liked or didn't

HIDDLYDIDDLY