It Had To Be you

Chapter One: The encounter


It was one o'clock in the morning of Hermione Granger's fifth year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had been tossing and turning, thinking about Harry. As always a new mystery had begun to unravel at Hogwarts. And unfortunately, also as always it had involved Harry being in Danger. Voldemort had come back stronger than he had been thirteen years ago. Hogwarts was in a lock down and everyone was in extreme protection. No one could get out and no one could get in. Harry had left, he told Hermione and Ron to stay, that it wasn't their fight, but his. They both of course had argued until their throats were sore, but finally Harry just swept out of the tower and had left Hermione and Ron staring speechlessly after him.

Since the beginning of the year, Hermione had developed a bit of what muggles would call a "crush" on Harry. Of course he was the bravest person she knew but it was more than that, there was something special about him, something that Viktor could, of course, never have. Hermione had never gone to visit Viktor in Bulgaria, she had made up excuses but finally he confronted her and she told him the truth. Being a generally good person, he took it well and said he understood. He was a sweet guy, but it wasn't right.

Hermione had convinced herself that she had found that rightness in Harry, but he didn't really look at her like that. Hermione was a smart girl, she had figured this out without making a fool of herself. But still she worried about him, he was all alone. Not even Dumbledore was there to come to the rescue this time. Hermione finally gave up sleep and put on a light blue night robe. She crept down the stairs to the common room and then went out the door to the empty halls. She didn't quite know where she was going, but soon she found a door. She opened it and found that it was a side door to the Hogwarts grounds where she quickly slipped out.

Hermione strode over to the lake and dipped her hand in, making ripples in the water. She lay down on the grass and shut her eyes, just enjoying the cool air and the night skies. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder tapping her. Deathly afraid she gave a shriek and stood up and ran away a few paces before she turned back. What she saw was Draco Malfoy. The childish boy who had insulted her for years and made her and her friends's lives just a bit worse. "What do you want Malfoy?" Hermione said Malfoy in a tone that would remind one of spitting venom.

"Well I was taking a walk and I saw someone just lying down over here. It isn't safe so I came to tell you that you should go back to the castle."

"Oh please, Malfoy, just enjoying a nights stroll. Anyway, what do you care about my safety, I'm probably at the top of your fathers hit list."

Draco's cold icy gray eyes gave away nothing but they seemed to have a bit of a mischievous sparkle in them. "I know you don't like being told what to do but I'm telling you, go inside. As one prefect to another." Draco's voice had a hint of smugness in it. Hermione had been furious that Snape had made Draco a prefect. So this meant that they had to spend more time with each other than was generally wanted.

"Sod off Draco! I am perfectly comfortable where I am and I am in no immediate danger so please state your purpose or get out of my sight!" Hermione was now practically screaming in more annoyance than rage.

Draco looked more impressed than anything else. "Why Granger, I didn't know you had it in you. I thought you would just have some way of talking politely out of this situation, not that it's a situation. As for why I am here, I could not sleep as I'm sure you could not either. I don't need any company but I just happen to like this spot by the lake."

"Well fine, but I'm not moving because I was here first!" Hermione knew that this line was extremely childish but she didn't really care about it one way or another.

"Ok then, I didn't think you would." Again Hermione hinted smugness in Draco's voice. But he sat right down on the grass by the lake about ten feet away from her and looked at the water, obviously not intending to leave. Sometime Hermione thought that he lived to annoy her. She wanted to leave, a lot, but if she left now it would mean losing in a way. So Hermione did the only thing she could do, she took a spot on the grass about five feet away which was about as far away as she could get from him without him thinking that she had lost.

It seemed to be a contest of the wills. It was about four o'clock in the morning and they were both still sitting there. Not moving hardly at all. Hermione knew it was juvenile and as the first hints of sunset appeared at the horizon line she decided that it had gone far enough and without another word got up with a little indignant, "hmph" and strutted back to the castle.

Next Chapter: What happened to Harry? Exactly what unspeakable evil is it this time? It Draco cute or just plain annoying? Will Hermione get over Harry?