I love you Heva with an undying passion, this story is for you, read it and know how my heart throbs for you.

I would like to say this is my first attempt at a fanfic; please review I need all the help I can get. Any ideas will be greatly accepted.

The Little Things We Notice

The train was crowded as Hermione pushed her way through the corridor. She had, only just, arrived on time and had completely missed Harry and Ron. Now she was getting herself completely and utterly lost and no one would give her a straight answer.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?"

She didn't have to turn around to know who the slimy, nasal voice belonged to. The hairs on her neck were prickled; it was too early in the year and Hermione was far too busy worrying about other things to deal the verbal abuse this would no doubt lead to. All she wanted to do was find Ron and Harry, she was getting desperate; they had to be here somewhere.

"What's the matter Granger; your precious boyfriends dump you?" Hermione turned to snap a reply to Draco, but at the sight of him her mouth clamped shut. He was leaning against a compartment door; his recently tanned arms were crossed lazily across his chest. He looked different from the year before, he was older yes, and looked more mature, even handsome. He was, by how much she wasn't quite sure because of his slumped posture. He was broader as well, with more muscle. And his hair, it was longer, not as greasy and definitely … Hermione shook herself internally, he surrounded by a sniggering herd of Slytherins. This wasn't going to be good, and she knew it.

He smirked. Damn him, how dare he smirk like that! "I don't see why they didn't dump you sooner, though later is always better than never. Still I don't understand why they'd want to touch a filthy mudblood like you in the first place. Of course Weasel and Potty aren't exactly known for their taste." At this remark Hermione's blood began to boil and a deep flush spread across her face which in turn sent the Slytherin herd into Deep fits of laughter as Draco leant against the door with a cool smirk growing ever wider as Hermione's blush grew darker.

Oh, how much she wanted to slap that wickedly handsome face. Her eyes burned with tears she refused to shed. Dammit! Why the hell was he affecting her like this! A strangled cry barely escaped her dry lips as she flung away from him and fled down the crowded corridor. As she ran her lungs burnt with the need for cool fresh air. Her unshed tears blurred her vision and…

"Oof!"

Malfoy watched Hermione blush and fume, as she turned and raced away from him with tears almost flooding her eyes. Somehow watching her react to his taunting wasn't giving him the high it used to. Yes, he had got a reaction and he had some satisfaction with that but… He shook his head; he wasn't going to let a few tears swimming in that mudblood's eyes let him feel deflated, though they were very pretty eyes.

Uck, how could he have thought something like that about her?

His glance now rested on his fellow Slytherins, and smirked proudly at their reactions to his words. Hermione and the odd feelings she had momentarily instilled in him seconds earlier were forgotten. For now.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Hermione was sitting in one of the compartments, Ginny was gazing at her anxiously, she had been like this for the past hour or so and Hermione was getting tired of it.

"Of course she's fine; she said so, didn't she!" Hermione was glad she wasn't the only one getting tired of it. And Ron's outburst meant she didn't have to say it again, it was a little repetitive and she knew she wouldn't sound convincing. Ginny pouted at Ron, and then turned a concerned glance back to Hermione.

"I'm just a little, over tired." How was she supposed to tell them how she had reacted? She knew what they'd say. They'd say she was just over reacting and he had probably just caught her off guard, yes she knew he had but dammit there was more. He was getting to her, she'd only seen him once, but that encounter had left her shaken inside out.

"We should get changed," Harry poke mildly, "We'll be arriving soon."

Hermione stood robotically, her mind dancing around in other places.

The train slowed and Draco hissed a sigh of relief. Crabbe and Goyle had been trying to play cards, much to everyone else's amusement it would seem. To Draco it was just, plain, out another headache. He had just been about to jinx them too. Oh, well there would be plenty of people and chances to do that during the rest of the year. Maybe he could jinx Granger to go down on…Uck, gross he could never do something like that, no matter how humiliating it would be for her! No, right now all he needed was to get off this dreary train. It had been overcast since early that day, and a roaring fire would work wonders.

Draco stood, and opened the compartment door. A flood of people were already in the corridor trying to find their way out into the open. With a slight step to the side and a quick flick of his head he shot a look at Crabbe and Goyle, who immediately jumped up as though they had just sat on a blast-ended skrewt. They knocked their way out the door and into the corridor before stopping to wait for Malfoy to follow. Draco smirked; there were some occasions, not as many as there should be, that those two dunderheads were useful.

He moved out of compartment and followed his two battering rams down the corridor. On the move the occasional squeak of fear and pain would reach his ears, and even now and then he would hear the crack of bones. He smirked again. Oh, how he loved that all empowering feeling.

They slowed slightly as they reached the exit, with both the battering rams trying to get through at the same time. Undoubtedly, they got stuck. With a groan of impatience and a flick of his wand, Draco muttered a incantation which sent Crabbe and Goyle flying through out through the door much like cork of a nicely aged wine pops its top. Draco stepped out and not so carefully avoided stepping on the battering rams. He thought he heard a rib crack.

As he lifted his head to glance around his eyes were drawn to a scraggy tousle of brown hair. Hermione. Draco view was slightly obstructed and he move closer, watching her walk along to the carriages with Ron and Harry. My God. He noticed her stride, it was somewhat slow and reluctant, but he was entranced, he wanted to get closer. He had to, he had…

"Oof!" He snapped back to reality. A snotty little second year had just run into him.

"Get out of the way!" Draco sneered savagely; he reached in his pocket and grabbed his wand ready to jinx the little boy.

"Malfoy!" a deep growl summoned him from behind. He turned only to be knocked back a step buy a letter being shoved at him. The surprise passed quickly, and Draco scowled up into the hairy face of the gamekeeper, Hagrid. With a grunt Hagrid turned away.

Draco sneered after him for a second, and then turned back in search of Hermione. What had she done to him? She had disappeared. With a sigh he looked down at the letter in his hands and decided he would open it in the carriage.

I will be up dating as soon as I can, please bare with me.