Hermione was sitting atop her four-poster bed on a misty evening at Hogwarts. Her Transfiguration homework lay incomplete on the window sill. Hermione sighed. Everything was so confusing right now. Just when she was sure about all things concerning Draco Malfoy, he went and turned all around. The memory was vivid and electrifying. She thought back to what felt like mere hours ago...
"Watch where you're going, Granger." "Not now, Malfoy." She sobbed. His pale face immediately changed from disdain to anger. "You're crying." He said with a growl. Hermione wiped at her eyes, embarrassment consuming her face in a mask of red. "Bugger off, Malfoy." He surprised her by griping her cream-coloured arm tightly. "No." The Slytherin said sharply. He breathed deeply in, an attempt to calm his rage. Draco stared into the beautiful Gryffindor's bloodshot eyes and inquired, "Who did this to you? Who hurt you?" She crossed her arms across her chest, the periwinkle-blue dress robes swishing around her as she distributed her weight from one foot to the other. Hermione was about to scoff at his question and ask him why he wanted to know, when she was overcome with a desire to share the information with him. His sturdy stature and pale blue filled with concern for her were oddly comforting. "Ron ruined the Yule Ball for me, that's all. He was just being an arse." "Oh." Malfoy relaxed. "My guess is that he waited 'til the last possible second to ask you, unaware of the dashing date you had already acquired then got all huffy about it." Against her own will, she promises, Hermione broke out into a smile. "How did you know?" The smallest grin was playing with the corners of his lips. "Just a hunch." This of course, was a lie. He had heard Weasel talking to Potter about Hermione in the corridors. Stupid Weasel. If Draco was part of a mudblood-loving family, then he would definitely have taken hold of the opportunity to ask Granger if he could escort her right away, before she made plans with famous quidditch players.
Draco walked her back to the entrance to the Gryffindor Commen Rooms, turning on the charm as he asked her about her S.P.E.W. campaign. If Hermione Granger had been anyone other than herself she would have realized that he fancied her from this act. As
she babbled about her search for members, Draco's mind began drifting elsewhere. He wasn't sure why, but he found himself looking for her face across the Great Hall during meals and studying her profile in Potions Class. If only she knew that he sneered at her as they past in the corridors because it was all he could do. His father would not tolerate flings with muggleborns.
"Can I join S.P.E.W?" Draco interrupted her mid-sentence. Hermione looked stunned then nodded suspiciously. When she saw no signs of a sarcastic smirk across his face, she rummaged around in her purse and pulled out a S.P.E.W. button. She handed it hesitantly to the confusing blonde boy before her. He held onto her hand for a moment longer than necessary and her heart sped up. The feeling of his skin against hers lingered after they separated. She glanced at him repeatedly and they spoke no more as they traveled down the corridors in the direction of The Fat Lady. Draco considered asking Hermione not to tell anyone he had joined her house elf house revolution, but figured that she wouldn't anyways probably because no one would believe her. Hermione was getting an odd thrill from the silence shared between them and was surprised at herself for feeling disappointed when they reached their destination. The Fat Lady was asleep with a deep red wineglass sitting precariously on the edge of the small table beside her. 'Mione had been watching her snore softly when Draco leaned down and kissed her forehead. A warm feeling spread throughout her body from where his lips had made contact. I was tired. This is what she tells herself now as she thinks about what happened next. Hermione reached up on the tips of her toes and brushed Draco's lips lightly with her own. Draco felt as if he had just taken the first bite of his favourite kind of sweets. He took Hermione's face gently in his hands, not wanting to intimidate her by coming on to strong, and whispered "You looked beautiful tonight. You always do Hermione." This was the first time she had ever heard him call her by her first name, and she liked it. She closed her eyes and breathed his scent in deeply until it was gone along with him, as he drifted down the hallway.
She just a child, it was a mistake, Hermione told herself as she thought back to the time she had kissed Draco Malfoy. Though something inside her still wished she would ask him for another.