Hey! I'll just say that writing this was a very catarthic process, as it mirrors my feelings at the moment, and to some extent it's an attempt to come to terms with them. So due to that, it may be slightly out of character. I love reviews, so even if you hate it, don't see how it's related to HP at all, anything, please write me. Anyway, on to the story, and I hope you enjoy. :)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They had a certain chemistry. She'd always known that. He was different than she'd assumed, and they had potential. She'd known that since their first actual deep conversation. And yet that conversation had destroyed any chances she ever had. Little did she know that him asking her seriously about her feelings for Ron would open the floodgates to her heart.

She thought she'd hid it fairly well. The fact that he had guessed immediately shocked her. Thinking about it, she guessed it was. Ron had grown different over the years. He'd become confident, good-looking, popular, Quidditch star of Hogwarts, admired by half the female population. When he'd asked her if it made her jealous that other girls fancied Ron, she'd honestly replied 'no'. Because truthfully, it didn't. It actually satisfied her to know that she wasn't weird for liking him. Furthermore, she knew she didn't have a shot in hell. They were best friends, he saw her as a sister. Since she'd discovered her feelings, she'd become awkward around him, closing up and freezing. He'd never see her as a girl, especially since she couldn't be fun or flirty since discovering her feelings. She tried to joke, but knew her jokes were weird because the whole time she was judging herself, trying to make sure she didn't say anything that would reveal her deepest secrets. Really, in trying to hide it from Ron, she didn't think that she hadn't managed to hide it from anyone else.

Apparently Draco had known. And now, he questioned why she hadn't done anything about it. "My greatest fear is rejection," she'd replied. That wasn't a good reason, he'd argued. Wasn't it worth risking your heart sometimes? No! Not when there was no hope. Even the way he'd phrased the question made her realize that there was absolutely no hope. Ron would never like her. So really, why risk destroying what they did have? She was going to bury her feelings, hope to get over them. It's how it had always worked with her crushes. But what about this newest one? Draco was different.

Ron had mature moments, but he didn't get her. Draco did. She discovered that in the course of their conversation. Yeah, they'd talked before, and known each other for years, granted mostly as antagonists. And their Head duties had brought them into close proximity. But they'd never had a deep talk before. So while she saw that he was tolerable, she never saw that he was what he was. Sweet, intelligent, kind, caring, philosophical, and genuinely concerned about her. And he was trying to empower her. Help her. Make her face her fears. And yet he understood why she wouldn't. That was what impressed her most. She couldn't say she'd immediately fallen in love with him, she'd been attracted to him before, but this talk had made her realize that maybe Ron wasn't who she should be liking. It was Draco. Who understood. But who she felt could never like her now.

A girl wasn't supposed to reveal her soul, and talking about your crush on another guy was not the way to get a guy's attention. She knew that. She wasn't supposed to spill her deepest darkest secrets in their first real conversation. She wasn't supposed to look absolutely ridiculous while doing it. Sleep-deprived, in sweat pants, a t-shirt, a fleece jacket, eyes red-rimmed due to her tiredness, with her colorful socks that clashed with everything. She wasn't supposed to tell him all this trusting him immediately. What kind of impression did that make? Seriously, she had done everything wrong.

Now everytime she saw Draco, it was awkward. How do you go to speaking casually after having that type of talk? Furthermore, how do you go to speaking normally realizing your new feelings? It wasn't that she was over Ron. She couldn't immediately switch her affections. But she was on her way. And she really didn't want to be. It was almost worse developing another un-requited crush. Especially since this crush was based on something deeper than what she and Ron had. Yes, she and Ron had been through everything together, for almost seven years. But they had never connected on the emotional level that she and Draco had. There was more than attraction there, there was the hint of soulmates. But she'd never ever tell. For the same reasons her feelings for Ron would remain buried forever. This is the conclusion Hermione came to.

And as Draco walked into the common room, she snapped herself out of her reverie and went back to her reading.