A/N: This is set during the Hogwarts era in their seventh year. The war has been over. Although this is the first chapter, this is NOT the begining of the story. There will also be an OC.

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"I can't even look at you right now."

Draco looked at Hermione as though she were nothing but mud on his black-laced boots. She felt her stomach turning over in itself, making her nauseous and weak. She couldn't stand to have him look at her like that, looking at her in the way that he used to... when he hated her. It seemed so long ago when that sneer and disgust was directed at her, when they were enemies and their hatred was born out of pure ignorance and malice. It just makes the ache in her heart so much worse. She could feel the blade lodged in her heart twisting in the most cruel way, making her bleed that much more.

And she thinks to herself, 'How could he?' , That after everything that she had been through with him and after everything she gave him, that he could still look at her as he had in the past. That this one mistake had wiped clean all of his feelings for her, all of his promises.

She felt her stomach drop. Hermione wanted to throw up, so she did.

She barely made it to the toilet when she emptied out her stomach in painful heaves. She was sweating and shaking, barely being able to make out anything through her tears. She didn't even notice that she was crying, but she was. She was on her knees in front of a toilet, throwing up and crying, looking all sorts of a mess with her hair falling out if its ponytail. But she didn't care, she did not care one bit about it.

'So this is what it feels like' she thought in a deranged and fascinated way.

"Clean yourself up Granger." She could feel him staring at her from the doorway. She heard him pause and sigh, "Dinner starts in a few minutes, and we have that meeting with the Prefects afterwards."

When Hermione made no move to get up, Draco grabbed a hand towel and ran it under the faucet before handing it to her. Her small hand reached out and took it from him, but didn't move to use it. She looked up at him with her tear stained face, puffy eyes, and messy hair and Draco could not help himself but to hold her. He crouched down beside her and gathered her in his arms. He soaked in her scent while he was holding her. He was trying to really feel her against him. Feel the way he holds her when he rests his chin on top of her head, feel her warm puffs of air brush lightly against his chest and her breasts pushing against him with each inhale. The way her delicate arms automatically come around him to hold him to her.

When his impulse subsided he gently de tangled himself from her and took the towel to wipe her face.

Her heart almost swelled in the most deliciously painful way. Her tears stopped the instant he touched her. She honestly didn't know if Draco would ever touch her again. But as she looked at him she realized something horrible...he was memorizing her face. Looking into his eyes, she knew , oh she just knew that was exactly what he was doing.

She could almost feel his eyes caressing her on the contours of her face, the arch or her brows, the bow of her lips, the dimple in her right cheek when she would purse her lips together.

She saw the resolve in his eyes when he looked directly into hers.

'So this is what it feels like' she thought again.

After he was done, he helped her up and directed her in front of the sink. He felt her shaking and had her lean on him while he got her toothbrush out and applied toothpaste on it before handing it to her.

While Hermione was brushing her teeth, Draco took the time to re-put her hair in a ponytail. He stood behind her as he gently de-tangled the ponytail holder from her curls and let it cascade down her back. He impulsively ran his fingers through it, letting the soft curls run over his palms like water. Oh, how he loved her hair.

By the time Hermione was ready to spit, Draco gathered up all of her hair and tied it at the base of her neck.

She couldn't help but watch him through the mirror. She should be allowed to do the same.

When she was done with everything, she spun around and wrapped her arms around him. She felt hot burning tears spring to her eyes for she knew what was to come.

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