The fact that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were dancing together was enough for their entire surroundings to fall into a hushed silence. Even Draco and Hermione did not register the fact quickly enough and continued to stand there in each other's arms, staring dumbfounded at each other before falling backwards—Draco, paler than usual, fell onto the floor and Hermione, blushing a bright red, tripped on her hem and was caught by Harry Potter, who had hurried over the moment he saw his friend swaying dangerously on her feet. The entire Hall was staring at either Draco or Hermione. Even the teachers were silently watching them for they knew how much Draco and Hermione hated each other. After awhile, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle went over and helped their leader Malfoy up. Ron and Ginny Weasley rushed over and blocked Hermione from view. The golden trio and Ginny walked quickly out the Great Hall and Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, and Malfoy left the Hall, too, a few minutes after those Gryffindors left. Whispers broke out as soon as the targets of a brand- new gossip topic left the Great Hall.

"Malfoy? With Granger?"

"Was that really Malfoy and Hermione?"

"That's crazy!"

"How in bloody hell did that happen?"

Everyone's question was how the Gryffindor Princess Hermione Granger ended up in the arms of the infamous Slytherin Prince Draco Malfoy.

-o-

Draco Malfoy fell onto his four- poster bed. He was still in shock and his friends just continued to stand there until Blaise spoke up.

"I'm sorry. I honestly had no idea that the two girls were Ginny and Granger."

"Not your fault. I said I wouldn't become friendly with anyone and I did. And it had to be Granger that I became friendly with. Argh! What can I do now? I can't show my face again! Thank god it's the holidays right now, so there's no class!"

"Draco, do you want me to walk around school and see what the situation is like out there? I could also ask Ginny to tell me about what's going on inside Gryffindor about this."

"Ginny? You're on a first-name basis?"

"What? Er… yeah…" Draco was surprised to see Blaise blushing as he said this. "I think I fancy her, but I know it's hopeless. She has eyes for Potter."

"You fancy her. The Weasley girl. And you are going to make Potter your rival." Draco said this all not as questions, but as statements. It sounded weird saying it out loud. His best friend fancies his rival's love interest. Everyone knew that Potter fancied the Weasley girl and so Draco was surprised to find out that Blaise did too.

"Well, yeah. I do. I've been talking to her all night and I really like the way she talks and thinks. She's kind and polite, but she is determined and knows what she wants unlike other girls who are quite fickle about things."

Draco sat on his bed pondering his friend's words. Draco, too, had talked to Hermione all night. He, too, liked the way she talked and thought about different subjects. She was kind and determined and she, too, knew what she wanted. Hermione was different than the other girls; that was for sure. Hermione was the first girl Draco found to be able to have a decent intelligent conversation with. Scratch that—it wasn't a decent conversation; it was a superb conversation. She knew everything from Charms to Defense Against the Dark Arts, from Care of Magical Creatures to Arithmancy.

"All the clues were so obvious!" Draco suddenly yelled, startling Blaise, Vincent, and Gregory, "She was brilliantly intelligent! No girl in this school is that smart! I am so stupid!"

"It was the spell," Gregory Goyle finally spoke.

"Yeah. The spell in the Great Hall was there so we can't recognize anyone," Vincent Crabbe speaking, too.

"They're right, Draco," Blaise agreed.

Draco pulled off his shoes and his robes. He knew they were right. He couldn't blame himself, but he was so furious at himself for getting "too friendly."

"I'm going to sleep."

"Good night."

Draco pulled the blanket over his head and after a long time, fell into a fitful slumber.

-o-

Hermione Granger was crying into her pillow, while Ginny sat there patting her back, trying to calm her best friend down.

"I can't believe I talked and laughed and danced with him! I actually thought for a moment that I fancied him!"

"Hermione, it's ok. No one blames you for anything. There was a spell cast over everyone, so there was no way you could've known that he was Malfoy."

"I know, but it's so embarrassing! How can I face the school? For the first time, I'm glad there's no classes!"

She thought back to that night. He was so mean at first, she should've known to keep away, but she had pestered him to talk. But his eyes! She couldn't get those beautiful, yet sad and lonely, silver eyes out of her mind. It was as if they were burned into her mind. Hermione started to cry again when she remembered laughing with him, remembered the wonderful philosophical conversations they shared, remembered the way he would look at her and smile.

"Ginny, what do I do? I fancied him!"

"But do you still?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then, why worry?"

"Because it happened. That's what's so mortifying! I'm absolutely horrified that I felt any attraction to Malfoy."

"It's okay, Hermione. I can see what the school is doing tomorrow about this matter. I will tell you what the school is thinking. And I'm sure Harry and Ron would like to help you, too."

"Did you see the look on Ron's face? He was so angry!"

"But not at you!"

"Of course he was angry at me!"
"How could you think that, Hermione? He's one of your best friends. The one he is angry with, though, is Malfoy and Malfoy alone, not you."

"I can't leave this room tomorrow! I just can't!"

"Oh come on, Hermione! This isn't the girl I know! You're the girl who stood up to a troll and helped Harry get to Quirrel in your first year! You're the girl who punched Malfoy in your third year! You're the girl who stood up to Umbridge last year and helped us organize Dumbledore's Army!"

Hermione looked up at Ginny with her teary eyes. Ginny smiled at her. Wiping her eyes, Hermione sat up and gave Ginny a big hug.

"Thank you."

"What are friends for?"

-o-

The next morning, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and Ron went down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Heads turned when they walked in, and Hermione felt strangely shy as she walked over to her seat at the Gryffindor table. She noticed, sitting in her usual seat that faced the Slytherin table, that Malfoy was absent, and Crabbe and Goyle looked relatively lost without their leader. Hermione saw Zabini enter the Great Hall and head over to the Slytherin table. His best friend, Malfoy, wasn't with him.

"Looks like Malfoy isn't as brave as you, Hermione. He didn't even bother showing up for breakfast," Ginny pointed out.

"Yeah," Hermione said with a small sigh.

Ron raised his eyebrow at Hermione. "Um, was that a sigh I heard?"

"Huh? What? Of course not, Ron!"

"Well, it sounded like a sigh, as if you were sad he wasn't here."

"You are so stupid Ronald Weasley! Must you make it difficult for both of us?"

Harry and Ginny flinched. They knew that when Hermione used Ron's full name, she was really angry and would lash out in anger very soon.

"I'm not making it difficult! It's you who is making things difficult! Malfoy? How the hell did you end up with Malfoy yesterday night?"

Everyone stopped talking to listen. They wondered the same question and wanted answers, too.

"You should know! There was a spell! I didn't know it was him!" Hermione screamed at him, "No one could possibly have known it was Malfoy! Why must you be a downright idiot!"

"Well, he should've been enough of a git for you to notice!"

"Ron has a point, Hermione. Malfoy must've a downright git." This time Harry spoke.

"He wasn't a git last night for your information! He was really sweet and nice and much more intelligent than you, Ronald Weasley, by a long shot!"

Realizing what she had said, Hermione quickly covered her mouth, blushing a furious shade of pink. Whispers broke out through the Great Hall and Ron and Harry stared stupidly at Hermione. Hermione was extremely embarrassed and ran out the Hall, abandoning her breakfast. Blaise Zabini stared after her with a curious expression on his face. Then, he turned to see Ginny racing after her best friend. The Great Hall broke into loud whispers.

"Did she say he was nice and sweet?"

"I think she did!"

"That's impossible!"

"Malfoy? Nice and sweet?"

The Christmas holidays this year was a time for the biggest gossip that belonged on the list along with Harry Potter, cheating to become a Triwizard champion and Harry Potter, the Heir of Slytherin.

"Will Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy become a couple?"

-o-

Blaise returned to the Slytherin common room. He saw Draco lying on the couch in front of the glowing fireplace, reading a book. Draco was always reading a book whenever he was alone during his free time.

"Romeo and Juliet, huh?" Blaise asked looking at the cover.

"So what?"

"Kind of seems like what's going on in the school right now."

"We are not in love!" Draco yelled.

"Calm down! I was only kidding!" Blaise laughed, falling off the couch to avoid Draco's fist.

"Whatever. So what's it like out there?" Draco asked leaning back on the arm of the couch.

"Well, the school is gossiping about you two. And you wouldn't guess what happened among that 'golden trio'. It's quite alarming actually."

"I'm afraid to hear."

"Weasley was yelling at Granger about last night. And Potter decided to join in too, but against Granger. Of course, she wasn't too happy and burst. Her exact words were, 'He wasn't a git last night for your information! He was really sweet, nice, and much more intelligent than you, Ronald Weasley, by a long shot.' Of course, that threw everyone by surprise. Even she was shocked and clapped her hands over her mouth and hurried out the Hall as quickly as she could. Ginny ran after her, but returned alone a few minutes later. I assume she couldn't find Granger."

"Granger said that about me?"

"Yeah, but everyone was surprised. They don't quite believe that you can be, quote, 'nice and sweet.'"

Draco didn't reply and continued to sit there stunned. Granger said I was nice and sweet? But I've always bullied her and I always call her Mudblood. Why did she defend me?

"Why did she defend me?" Draco asked aloud.

"I honestly don't know. In my honesty, I was quite surprised to hear her say that, too. Everyone knows she hates you and you hate her."

Draco didn't say anything. He just continued to sit there. He opened his book and tried to read it, but to no avail. Slamming his book shut, he stood up and left the common room. Draco could hear Blaise calling after him, asking where he was going, but continued walking and ignored Blaise. He knew the secret hallways of the castle due to his nightly escapades, so he avoided the rush of students coming back from breakfast. He arrived in front of an empty wall and thought, as loudly and clearly as he could, "I need a place where I can avoid the crowd of gossiping students, so I can be left to my thoughts and be free to read." Opening his eyes, a door had appeared before him. Draco placed a hand on the handle and pushed the door open and entered the room.