Chapter 1

The rain was pounding hard against a small compartment window of the Hogwart's Express in which three cloaked figures sat.

"No Hermione, for the billionth time, there are two bludgers and one quaffle! How is it that you managed to keep up with an extremely overpacked schedule in our third year but you can't understand the simple aspects of Quidditch?" asked Harry. They had had this argument before at least 500 times.

"It would help if it was even remotely interesting,"said Hermione.

"You see Harry, the only reason that she can't understand Quidditch is because she only understands what she can boast about..." said was true however, Hermione thought, had this argument been about Arithmacy she would have them both beat. But she was done arguing. Gazing out of the window, Harry and Ron's voices faded away and were replaced by Hermione's thoughts. How would her 7th and last year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry be? The war was over, Voldemort was dead. So why didnt she feel like celebrating?

A familiar, hateful voice shook Hermione from her thoughts and she turned around. There, in the doorway to their compartment stood Draco Malfoy. His hair was slicked back and his emerald green Slytherin robes were completed with the look of utter dislike in his eyes. Hermione was struck with such hatred she didnt know how to express it. Although, Hermione noticed, this time he wasnt accompanied by his awful girlfriend Pansy. Shocking.

"What are you staring at Mudblood?" Draco asked sneering at Hermione.

"I was trying to figure that out myself, Malfoy." was Hermione's retort. Draco pretended not to hear her.

"So youre back huh Potter? You think that since you defeated the Dark Lord youre going to get special treatment?" Draco asked Harry.

"Here's an idea for you Malfoy, maybe you and your little cowardly Death Eater friends should go kiss some dementors. I heard that was coming to most of them anyway." said Harry standing up so that he was face to face with stood staring at each other with hate-filled expressions for what could have been hours. Draco made a sudden move for his wand but Harry was too quick for him.

"Cruc-"

"Stupefy!"

Draco fell bacward into the hallway. Ron stood up and closed the compartment door. Draco lay out in the hallway alone,frienless, and powerless. Hermione couldnt help but feel a little peice of sympathy for the boy she had hated since the very beginning of her magical life.

Hermione sat,day dreaming, at the window beside her bed in the girl's dormitories. She had felt so distant from everybody over the break. Her realationship with Ron was a bust. They decided they were better as friends(which Hermione agreed to) but things just havent been the same since then. A sudden movement near the edge of the window caught her eye. A cloaked figure was approaching the edge of the forest. It was way past curfew, so what were they up to? Hermione was going to find out. She jumped off her seat by the window, grabbed her coat, and shot out of the door, careful not to wake anyone. She flew down the stairs, out the portrait hole, and into the corridors. She ran soundlessly to the front doors where she quietly left the castle. It was a cold night, she was glad that she remembered her coat. Out on the grounds, she could still see the two cloaked figures standing. She unseeingly approached them and hid behind a large tree. The figures had apparently not heard her approaching, for they had not ceased there arguing.

"But I can't! I can't do it anymore Snape! Just because my parents trusted you to make sure I complete this so called 'quest' I refuse. And as I recall , you are entirely in my debt from when I saved your life from that horrible snake last year so do not undermind me."

"Draco, you will listen and perform the task that I have been sent to inform you of. I am here on your mother's orders!" roared Snape.

"Whatever. Im leaving." and at that, Draco marched off into the forest. The second cloaked figure(who Hermione had not seen but figured must be Snape) skulked off back towards the castle muttering under his breath. As soon as Snape had pat, Hermione jumped and ran toward the spot in which Malfoy had vanished. She didnt know what she was doing or why she was doing it but she ran to the spot and disappeared just as Malfoy had. She immediately had second thoughts. The last time she was here it had been a most frightening containing centaurs, a hated Professor Umbridge, spiders, a giant, and invisible threstals.. She trudged further and further into the forest until she was sure that she was lost. Just as this thought occured to her, however, she began to hear a low, whimpering voice. She turned towards the noise and caught sight of a small clearing. In the center sat a cloaked figure, the same one she had followed into the forest. Malfoy sat, muttering to himself. He appeared to be crying, or could someone as evil as he even possess such a human quality? Hermione stared toward him. She was Head Girl. It was her duty to intervene in mischief. As she approached however there was a loud CRACK and the figure jumped into the air and whirled aroud to where Hermione stood, concealed by the trees.

"Who's there? Show yourself or I'll hex you!" came Draco's startled voice from the middle of the clearing. Hermione stepped out from where she was hiding and into the clearing to join Draco. She didnt know why she did... it wasnt because she was scared(she knew she could take him anyday) but probably because she did feel cowardly lurking in the shadows.

"Oh, its you. What do you want Mudblood? Come to spy on my for Potter? Or do you always take long walks into the forest after curfew?"

Hermione didnt answer. Instead she just stared at Draco. His eyes were definitely swollen so he was obviously crying when she interupted him. Hermione thought this was extremely odd. Had Draco always had feelings other than hate and revenge? He always seemed so heartless, so evil. And yet, standing there, looking into his eyes, seeing him there completely powerless and alone had made him look so human. Hermione had never thought of him in this way before.

"Well, what are you just staring at me for? Answer my Question. Why are you here?"

"I was sitting in the dormitory looking out the window when I saw you walk onto the grounds and into the forest. I followed you because, as we both know, its after curfew and the forest is forbidden." Hermione said, deciding that the truth was better then a lie in this case.

"Well you shouldnt have come. You're contaminating me with your filthy blood. Did you think you could play the hero and save me from getting into trouble? Did you want to ruin my life even more then it is already? Having my father sent to Azkaban just wasnt enough for you was it?"

"Your father got what he deserved,Malfoy. And had he just gone with the Ministry instead of leading them on a wild goose chase he would have less time. Now its your turn to answer my questions. Why are you out here alone? Whats wrong with you? What were you and Professor Snape talking about back there?".

Draco became extremely tense. How long had she been behind him? Had she seen him cry? It was none of her damn buisness what he did. He glanced up at her and had a sudden flashback of the first time they had met. They hated each other from the beginning. But they had changed a lot since then. They were different. He was differnent. The war had changed him. Voldemort being dead brought shame to his family name. Sucking up to the Ministry is their new priority. Filthy Mudbloods like Granger couldnt possibly even begin to understand his pain.

"Well are you going to answer me?"asked Hermione's impatient voice. He had almost forgotten that she was there. Almost.

"Leave. You shouldnt be out-" He was cut off by a movement right over Hermione's left shoulder. There was something moving that he could not see. Suddenly a huge, fanged, venomus spider jumped out of the shadows and ran towards them. It was just about to attack Hermione who stood frozen with fear at the sight of the huge beast. At the speed of light, Draco pushed Hermione out of the spiders way and shot the only came to his mind at it. There was a huge blast of green light and the creature feel over, motionless. In the rush of what had just happened, Draco hadnt realized he had fallen on Hermione until he heard her clear her throat loudly. He quickly rolled off of her, stood up, and walked to the other side of the clearing. Startled from what had just happened, Hermione lay paralyzed and stared at Draco. She could not believe it. He had always claimed to have hated her and wanted her dead for as long as she can remember. But when his chance came he saved her instead. Shaken and confused as well, Draco stared back into Hermione's eyes for a moment. Hermione thought she saw a hint of caring in his eyes , but as quickly as it had come it was replaced by anger, greif, saddness, what might have been a touch of insanity, and a whole other assortment of emotions that were to jumbled up together for Hermione to distinguish. At the same time, Draco was lost in disbelief. Had he really just saved her life? Someone he had hated ever since they met? What was happening to him? His life was spinning wildly out of control and he couldnt stop it. He hadnt had the nerve to complete the task Voldemort had wanted him to do in his sixth year. Sure, Dumbledore still died and Voldemort was gone but he had trained all year for that night and then, cowardly, he chickened out. He gazed back at Hermione. She wouldnt understand him,his life, his family. Her life was a simple walk in the park compared to his. Hermione stood up and walked toward where Draco had saved her, and for this reason she did not fear him but instead her fear was replaced by curiousity. She tapped him on the shoulder and he reluctantly turned around.

"Thank you." It wasnt much, Hermione knew, but it was all she could think to say to him. For a moment she thought he want going to reply, but then he stood up and stared at her. He was closer to her then he had ever been before. Looking up into his face Hermione suddenly was relieved from all her thoughts. She didnt know what she was doing but before she had time to think she was already kissing him. Heat exploded through her body like her blood had turned to lava. Draco was so surprised by this that he even lost all his grips on sanity and began to kiss her back. Forgetting everything in the world. Their only thoughts were each other. This kiss was way more than what Hermione had ever experienced with Ron. It was actually better, Loads better. They stood there lost in their own world with only the sound of each others breathing echoing off the trees. There in their own little world where everything else in the world disappeard but each other. Suddenly, they were forced apart. Looking around, Draco spotted Snape.

"Shit" he muttered under his breath. Snape was the last person he had wanted to see.

"Professor! It.. Its not what it looks like! Draco just saved me from this giant-"

"Enough Mrs. Granger. I will have a long talk with the Headmaster about you both. Now if you don't mind, please explain to me why you are out her in the middle of the night?"

"Never speak of it." at this, Draco turned and walked into the shadows leaving Hermione with Professor Snape, confused and breathless.