Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

AN: Just trying out a few ideas of how to start a fic… Ryuujin has the same plot but I really like this one better… probably gonna replace that one with this later…

Summary: Its Harry's seventh year at Hogwarts and he's feeling great, he has the girl, he has the friends, he has the looks. All of a sudden everything he knows gets challenged by an enemy in need. Will he realize the true path of his heart and save a dragon from the Dark? Or will Voldemort get what he's been lusting after forever?

Rating: PG-13, may go up later

A whisper in the darkness.

A shadow on the wall.

The sounds, the scene, the utter darkness of the atmosphere scared the raven haired boy so he took a deep, calming breath coughing quietly as the harsh, cold air of the room filled his lungs.

Holding his arms his teeth chattered.

"…o…"

Someone was there, he could feel their presence although where in the dark room he could not tell.

"…co…"

Then he felt warm breath on his neck as two powerful arms encircled his waist and he froze before recognizing the seemingly glowing skin.

"…acO!"

A voice started whispering in his ear and the boy leaned his head slightly to the left to pick up the words…

"DRACO!"

Deadly gray eyes looked up from the parchment as the quill still held in his hand quivered above the page.

"What?" was his cold reply as his eyes regarded the annoyed Griffindor in front of him. "Can't I be left alone for one bloody minute?"

"You were doing it again," Hermione huffed flicking her bushy hair out of her face. "Day dreaming I mean."

"I was not Granger," he said and rolled his eyes as he re-read what he wrote.

"Puh-lease!" Hermione rolled her eyes right back at the Slytherin before leaning over to read the parchment. "It scared the raven haired boy, please tell me your joking!" Hermione looked at Draco with an expression that read: 'Are you really writing down your feelings and not even letting him know?'

"I am not joking!" Draco hissed and pouted. "Malfoys do not joke about things this serious."

"Writing is serious to a Malfoy?"

"HOBBIES are serious to a Malfoy, you know, as in things you like to do…"

"I KNOW Malfoy!" Hermione threw her hands into the air. "How many times have we been through this? I bloody KNOW that writing is important to you, but don't you think that LOVE would be better!"

"Oh, right," Malfoy sneered and batted his eyelids. " 'Potter, I know I'm your rival and may become a Death Eater, but I love you, wanna just forget all the times I've pissed you off and go out?' I can sure say that Hermione."

"That's not… urgh!" the girl threw her hands into the air again her face flushed in frustration. "You are so bloody annoying!"

"And so bloody gorgeous," Draco smirked and Hermione looked at him skeptically.

"Save it for Harry," she said and sat down watching as he went back to writing, his penmanship still looking like a girl's even after all the practice he put into making it seem manly.

She watched each line and curve that the pen put on paper and marveled as Draco finished the hundredth page of his little "fantasy" and groaned as she fished out a galleon from her pocket.

"Sure you didn't make any mistakes?" she asked as she handed him the coin.

"Positive," he grinned and pocketed the money. "You should know better than to bet with me Granger."

"Shove it Malfoy," she rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Pfft."

Ever since the two had become Head Boy and Head Girl they had become… acquaintances and Hermione came to know of Draco's obsession with her dark haired friend.

"When are you gonna tell him?"

"When are you and Weasley going to go out?"

"Nice come back."

"Its what Malfoys are good at."

"Other than being bastards?"

"Maybe."

Hermione chuckled and shook her head.

"You know, I'm starting to think you're actually a friend Draco."

"Acquaintance Granger."

"Scared of friends Malfoy?"

"No."

Hermione winced as she saw Draco's pen jab on the paper producing an ink blot.

"DAMN IT!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"You'd better be! I hadn't messed up for 100 pages!"

"Well sorry I made you act like a human!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You always strut around insulting people I was beginning to think that you didn't have emotions!"

"You bloody well know I do Mudblood!"

"Ferret!"

"Donkey!"

"Snake," she hissed her eyes glinting dangerously as she faced a standing and flushed Malfoy.

"You are such a…" Malfoy huffed and sat down noticing that his hair had become messed up.

"Such a what?" Hermione asked noticing that the blonde had calmed down.

"A girl," Malfoy finished looking rather pleased with himself.

If the sentence itself hadn't been enough to crack Hermione up, Draco's look of smugness and pride at his little statement did. She snorted at him and rolled her eyes giggling.

"Really glad your not the same self centered prick you were in first year," she said her eyes shining and Draco shrugged the humor disappearing as he thought.

"Yeah, people change… if only your friends could see that," Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair in a very familiar manor. Hermione frowned in thought for a minute before her eyes widening in recognition.

"Oh my god Draco!" Hermione shrieked and Draco winced and held his hands to his ears.

"My GOD woman!" he glared at her. "Your scream can kill cats!"

"You looked exactly like Harry just then! Do it again!" she said excitedly and Malfoy raised an eyebrow before running a hand through his messy hair again.

"CUTE!" she grinned and Malfoy rolled his eyes. "I'm so glad you listened to me and unslicked your hair, it makes you look so much more attractive!"

"Coming from you I can hardly take that as a compliment," Draco grinned good naturedly and got up. "Now, I have to actually study for a Muggle Studies test so do excuse me."

"A TEST!" Draco watched in amusement as Hermione's expression went from happy, to surprised, to panicked, and then to mad. "DRACO!"

He bowed his head and left the room at a brisk walk chuckling to himself.

That was 50 times in a row that gag got her… and it never ceased to entertain him.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Hermione sighed and noticed that Draco had left his manuscript. Grinning she slipped it into her own Muggle Studies book and made her way to the Gryffindor common room where Harry and Ron were playing wizards chess. Ducking slightly as a piece of knight was hit in her general direction she made her best Snape imitation.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for savagely attacking another student," Ron jumped and whirled around glaring at her. Harry just chuckled and leaned down to whisper something to the chess pieces who Hermione thought had an evil gleam in their 'eyes.'

"'Mione! Don't scare me like that!" Ron put a hand to his chest and let out a breath of air. "Geesh! You've been hanging around that prat of a Slytherin to much."

"He is not a prat!" Hermione sniffed and sat down. "Oh, Ron, Harry's nearly got you in a check mate."

Ron turned back to the very different board and looked at it in astonishment.

"That's not…" Ron glared at Harry who blinked at him innocently. "Knight to E1!"

"Queen to E1, and check mate," Harry grinned as Ron's king dropped his sword.

"That was so unfair! You cheated!" Harry grinned and stuck his tongue out a Ron as the broken chess pieces mended themselves.

"Actually, I agree," Harry started after stretching out. "Malfoy's not even half the git he used to be."

"Still looks like a bloody girl," Ron muttered and Hermione tutted.

"Still looks like a fag," Harry muttered and Ron chuckled.

"Agreed!" Ron said holding up an imaginary glass which Harry mimicked and they toasted each other making a cheesy 'clink' sound as their 'glasses' hit.

"Really!" Hermione glared at both of them. "We're seventeen! Can't you two actually behave that way? Besides… there are only about five guys who are actually straight in our year!"

"And only four girls who are still straight!" Ron said glaring accusingly at Hermione. "Or is it three…"

"Please Ron!" Hermione snapped and pulled out her Muggle Studies book along with the manuscript. Making sure that Draco's name wasn't in there at all she thrust the papers at Harry. "Here, its from a friend of mine, she gave it to me to read but I really don't know enough to comment on it, she said to make your comments on a different sheet of paper."

Harry rolled his eyes, ever since Hermione had discovered he had a knack for writing her friends had been giving him stuff to edit. Narrowing his eyes at the stack of papers he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"How many bloody pages?"

"100."

"Be prepared for mistakes and ink blots!" Ron said rolling his eyes.

"I actually lost some good money on that, 100 pages and no mistakes," Hermione turned her eyes to Ron who snorted and muttered something about people and way to much free time.

Harry rolled his eyes and started reading.

One hour later Ron and Hermione looked up from their homework to find Harry pouring over the story intently his brow furrowed as he read.

"Something wrong mate?" Ron asked coming over and reading over his shoulder.

The chill of the wind suppressed the heat that the boy felt staring at the beauty which captured his heart. The same heart which was beating so fast as that irresistible beauty turned to him.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked huddling into her robe blue eyes staring out over a soft gray scarf. "If you've come to laugh at me then go ahead, I don't care."

The boy shook his head as he walked over to the girl.

"I know why you cry alone," he said softly and the girl's eyes widened as she felt her chin being caressed by a soft gloved hand.

"Ew," Ron screwed up his face in disgust. "Mushy love stuff."

"Incredible," Harry shook his head in appreciation his eyes widened in awe. "Hermione, whoever wrote this should definitely take it up as a profession."

"She'll be glad to hear it," Hermione smiled.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Draco groaned as he looked through his bag once more. Hermione Granger had his manuscript. He flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes thinking of what may become of it. The mere though of her giving it to Harry… good thing he made himself a girl in the story. He opened his blue gray eyes and stared at the top of his bed.

Harry Potter

The-Boy-Who-Should-Have-Been-Dead-But-Bloody-Lived

Self sacrificing, great wizard, brave, annoying, beautiful, wonderful Harry Potter.

Draco covered his eyes with a hand. He hated it when he did that, he would start going on about how horrible he was but would soon turn into everything he appreciated about him.

Here he was, obsessing over Potter his initiation only months off. He rubbed the pale skin on his arms as he shuddered violently at the thought of the pain he would have to endure upon becoming a Death Eater. But could he really do it? Could he honestly go through with serving Voldemort? He liked Harry, a lot, and Hermione almost had him convinced he was in love. Sure he joked around with the idea but for him to actually be in love, preposterous, and definitely not with his sworn enemy. He was just, attached to the boy.

But the feelings that coursed through his body and onto that paper which was probably in Harry's hands screamed otherwise.

Draco groaned in frustration and pulled out a medium sized sketch pad and started adding detail to a small sketch he had done. It had been a pain getting the Harry in the quiditch picture in his dresser to stand still long enough for him to draw his outline. And after that, he had memorized every single detail so he could draw it in later.

A dimple here…

"…co…"

Some shading there…

"…aco…"

And a bit more folds in his uniform.

"DRACO!"

For the second time that day Draco's head shot up and he glared at Blaise Zabini who was smirking at him.

"Having fun Drakie?" the boy asked and sat on the bed next to him.

"More than you seeing as though you're here annoying me," Draco huffed and returned to drawing.

"Potter again?" Blaise groaned. "You need to get this out of your system before initiation."

"Which is the exact reason I'm 'obsessing' over him now," Draco muttered biting his lip slightly in concentration. "I will get it out of my system. And if I don't then I'll make myself forget about him."

"Sure," Blaise smirked and rested his head lazily on Draco's shoulder. "Come on dear cousin, you were so wrapped up in your drawing that you nearly forgot about dinner. Its your favorite tonight… mashed potatoes!"

Draco rolled his eyes and got up before waving his wand and shrinking the book and slipping it into his pocket.

"Can't wait," Draco said following the slightly elder boy out of the common room. They were soon joined by the two fatsos Crabbe and Goyle and they entered the Great Hall and seated themselves at a table.

Withdrawing himself from the conversation around him Draco picked at his food lazily and found his eyes wandering around the hall. They stopped at a certain table where Hermione was talking animatedly to Ron who was apparently groaning to Harry who was pouring over… his manuscript!

He glared at Hermione until she seemingly felt it and glanced back. She met his angry eyes for a second and grinned before turning to Ron again.

Draco sighed and gave up. He then felt someone kick his shin and glanced at the Slytherin table who were obviously waiting for him to answer something.

"Yes…" he said and then felt another kick to his shin and continued his sentence, "Is what you'd think I'd say, but no."

No kick. The Slytherins seemed happy with his answer and went back to chatting as he glared at Blaise.

"What was that?"

"Asking if you liked someone in Griffindor."

"Shit," he muttered and glanced down the table. Seemingly, no one had noticed his awkwardness and had dismissed the idea as quickly as it came up.

"Tell him ok?" Blaise said with a comforting smile. "You never know what will happen. You could end up starting something wonderful."

"Like you and Parkinson?" Draco smirked and Blaise scowled.

"That was a mistake!" he cried defiantly.

Draco shook his head amidst quiet chuckles. He found his gaze drawn to the Griffindor table and what he saw nearly killed him right there.

That bitch Ginny Weasley had her arms slung around Potter's neck and her filthy lips were pressed up against his cheek. Even from across the hall Draco could see Harry's lopsided grin as he snaked an arm around her waist.

Getting up savagely from the table Draco stormed out of the room and Blaise turned around to face the scene sadly.

Hermione's eyes met Blaise's and they both watched Draco storm out of the hall and down to the Slytherin common room.