Something More Chapter 2, a harry potter fanfic

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter the amazingly talented JK Rowling does…I just enjoy playing with her characters.

Chapter 2: Fifth Year:

Sliding back the compartment door to the prefect's cabin was nerve wracking for Hermione. She and Ron walked side-by-side into the compartment finding a variety of other prefects from fifth, sixth, and seventh year. There were tables of food and various places to sit around the room.

"This cabin is for prefects only Weasley, you'll have to wait until after the meeting to sit with your friends" Draco drawled from the far side of the room, casually seated on an ottoman. Hermione rolled her eyes clearing anticipating a row.

"I am a prefect Malfoy, see" he jabbed at the badge pinned to his chest, smirking as Malfoy's eyes widened.

"Well, I can honestly say I'm surprised. See I expected Granger…annoying as she is we all know she's the smartest witch in her year but you" he sneered "you've neither got brains nor talent to be a prefect. What's Dumbledore playing at making you a prefect? Trying to show they'll except anyone no matter what their lacking?" Hermione stiffened and frowned at his jab as Ron turned crimson with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"You're only a prefect because Snape favors you and is old pals with your dad" Ron growled back.

"I think being second in the year has more to do with it than that weaselbee" Draco stood, clearly angered at the insinuations Ron was making.

"That's enough" Hermione cut in "we are all prefects and…"

"Shut it Granger" Pansy snapped "no one here wants to listen to you tell us how to play nice."

"I was just going to say…"

"No one wants to hear you speaking" she said in her shrill voice.

"Honestly" Hermione huffed and grabbed Ron's arm before turning away.

"Tell Potter to watch his back Granger…rule breaking earns detentions" Pansy said in a sing song voice. Draco stood quietly watching Hermione drag Ron away, jealously coiling in his gut before turning back to his butterbeer.

"Why did you have to do that? You know how easily Ron is riled up!" she whispered to Draco as they stood in an empty locked compartment near the front of the train.

"I wasn't expecting him…I prepared myself for Potter…not the ginger rat" he snapped back.

"Well he's just as deserving as Harry" Draco scoffed "he is!" she insisted.

"You only say that because you fancy him"

"I do not" she said as a blush tinted her cheeks. Draco felt ill knowing she cared so much for Weasley. He had to remind himself to keep his jealously in check, she wasn't his…would never be his.

"Whatever Granger, I don't want to fight with you. I just wanted to ask if you'd gotten my letter?" she blinked at the sudden change in his tone and demeanor.

"I…what? Yes…I received it just before breakfast. Why?" she asked, dazed by his whiplash emotions.

"There was a number of question I wanted you to answer…figured in person would be best" he smirked knowing he had her cornered. Hermione looked confused as she tried to recall his letter. Dawning comprehension came with an embarrassed flush the crept up her neck.

"Viktor? Right?" she asked though she knew.

"Obviously"

"Why does it matter?" she was whispering again.

"I want to know" he didn't want her to know why just wanted to know if the Bulgarian would be competition later on.

"We still write" she said in a barely audible whisper.

"No wonder Ron gets upset…see's the competition and doesn't like it" Draco had to shift the focus from himself, he couldn't show his feelings too much was at stake…it was forbidden and he'd be endangering her.

"We're just friends. We broke it off after I got back Bulgaria. We…"

"After you got back? When the hell did you go there?" Draco seethed, outraged that she didn't tell him.

"The first two weeks of summer I spent with him…why does this bother you so much? We're friends, nothing more" she huffed. Draco didn't want to push it, he was already walking on thin ice and if he said to much it'd crack and expose everything.

"It doesn't" he said in a casual tone. Hermione narrowed her eyes not believing a word he said. If she had to guess she'd think he was jealous…but this was Malfoy not Ron. Though looking at him she could tell he had had another growth spurt…his jaw was more chiseled and less pointy the previous year and he was no longer wearing his hair slicked back like a prat.

"Whatever you say Malfoy" she said in a sickly-sweet voice while she batted her eye lashes.

"Don't do that" he said unnerved by her girly behavior.

"Do what?" her voice still high as she batted fervently.

"You know what" he was chuckling now. She batted her lashes once more and he began tickling her. He wasn't sure what came over him but he couldn't help himself. Her peels of laughter filled their compartment as she shrank to the wall fighting off his hands, all while laughing more than she had since the ball.

"M-M-Malfoy…s-stop-p…M-Malfoy!" she shrieked as he continued "Draco!" he fingers stilled against her sides shocked by her saying his first name. Both of them were breathing hard and standing only inches apart. Staring down into her face he couldn't help but take in the freckles speckling her nose, the almond shape of her eyes, or the softness of her hair. Then she blinked and he stepped back recalling all the reasons not to pursue her. Friends only…for now he thought.

"We should go, your friends are probably wondering where you are" he watched as she swallowed and nodded before walking around him and leaving the compartment.

"She's foul! Wretched! Simply an inexcusable choice for a teacher" she ranted in their back-library corner late one night as Draco sat back watching her. He enjoyed the fire in her eyes and the way her hair sparked when she ranted and raved. He couldn't agree more, the ministry really mucked this up appointing the toad as their DADA professor.

"Granger, I've told you I agree with you at least a half dozen times, will you please sit down before you wear a hole in the carpet?" he drawled gesturing to the chair as she glared at him before flopping down with a huff.

"She just makes me so mad! She's punishing Harry for telling the truth Malfoy! The truth…and she's got him in detention nearly every night" Draco rolled his eyes.

"Of course, she does Granger! That's how the ministry plays their games, for Merlin's sake you should know that by now. She could say whatever she wants and Fudge won't care. They will stop at nothing to discredit Potter and anyone who stands in their way." He paused letting that sink in before continuing "my father has instructed me to stay on her good side, I'll have to play nice with her Granger. Please understand it's only a game."

"I hate these games" she said as she leveled him with a glare causing him to burst out laughing.

"We all hate them…but sometimes they are necessary. Just…remember okay?" she nodded.

"Umbridge was furious Potter and the Weasley's escaped before Yuletide" they were sitting in an alcove in an unused hallway, backs pressed against opposite walls with their knees drawn up…nearly touching.

"I bet she was, explains why she's pushed through another dozen decrees while we were away" she grimaced eyeing his Inquisitorial Badge.

"I told you it was a game…I didn't have a choice."

"You called me a mud…"

"I apologized, I didn't mean it" he scooted forward and took her hands in his "please Hermione" his voice was soft as he spoke "it's all a game I have no choice but to play. I've not considered you that in a long time. She's a terrible woman and it's horrible having to work with her. Imagine having to play nice and listen to that awful 'hmmm hmmm' multiple times a day". His eyes pleaded with hers before she smiled.

"That would be awful…I guess that's punishment enough for you…for now" he smirked at her before leaning back.

"Did you have a good holiday?"

"You had it published!" he roared at her in a silenced and warded classroom. "After everything I've done for you! How many times have I hidden you or looked the other way when Umbridge wasn't standing nearby? How many times have I pretended not to know a damn thing about your 'weekly' group meetings? Damnit Hermione!" he growled.

"This isn't about you Draco!" when had they started calling each other by their first names? "People needed to know he's back! I'm sorry your father got dragged into…I really am…but this isn't about your honor!" she screamed back.

"You smeared my damn name!" they were standing toe to toe. She couldn't believe she liked him…her crush on Ron was one thing but Draco still was difficult to understand. They rarely fought but this wasn't a good day. "How could you?! I trusted you!"

"I didn't tell them to print your name! Hell, they printed your fathers name…not yours. Shut up! The ministry wasn't bringing it to light…so we did! Your father is a Death Eater…he's working for Voldemort" Draco hissed "I would think with your change of heart you'd want to bring him down!"

"I want to live Granger my life! Mine! Not my father's, not my mother's, MINE!"

"Well your life is wrapped up in this too…war is coming!" she said in exasperation. Irritated that she was slightly distracted by his proximity. Standing within arms reach made her want to reach out and bring him close.

"She's gunning for you…you and Potter in particular" he said quietly after a few minutes of silence. "I'll help as I can, but…I need some time apart right now." He turned to leave but she grabbed his arm.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry to have hurt you…it wasn't my intention."

"I know" he said quietly before leaving the room.

They were running from the room of requirement in every direction. Hermione had turned down the corridor leading straight to the library when a hand shot out and grabber her around the waist, pulling her hard behind a hidden doorway. Another hand clapped over her mouth to suppress her shrieking.

"Shhh it's me, Granger stop fighting" she relaxed against his chest, breathing raggedly from fear and running.

"Draco" she said before burrowing her face into his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around him "she got in…I don't know how she knew, but she got in…"

"I know" he stroked her hair "it was the Edgecomb girl. Stay here a while and you'll be safe, stay with me" she nodded but didn't release him.

"Thank you, Draco."

Draco sat quietly by the fire in the back of the library. He was pale with dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep. He'd been beyond worried about Hermione after she and her friends broke into the ministry. He'd secretly visited her a few times in the middle of the night while she recovered and still was having trouble processing that his father was in prison. Not that he was upset by this...just shocked. The question now became how long until he got out. What would the Dark Lord do to him and his family? He was vaguely aware of Hermione jabbering in the background as his thoughts swirled around him. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head from where she'd smacked him "Ouch, damnit Granger."

"Don't Granger me Malfoy! You weren't even listening to me" she growled.

"I'm sorry my thoughts are a bit scattered...what were you saying?" he huffed as he tried to focus on her.

"I was talking to you about what was going to happen next and how much worse it was going to be. I asked how long do you think it'll be before Voldemort breaks them out again?"

"Probably not very long" he murmured "He doesn't need to hide anymore does he? They all know..." he focused on the flames flickering, licking each other fighting to burn higher. He wondered if this would be the last time they were able to talk...able to be together. The Dark Lord coming out of the shadows put her in grave danger and he didn't want to contribute to that. An overwhelming since of fear had settled on him and he dreaded returning home tomorrow.

"Draco"

"Yeah?"

"It's going to get really bad isn't it? Worse than before?" he looked up into her worried face and saw the fear in her eyes. She still took quite a few potions to battle with Dolohov's curse and had only been released from the hospital wing yesterday. He so badly wanted to lie to her or offer to hide her away...but he knew that wasn't possible.

"Yes, I think it'll be a lot worse than before" he admitted.

"Are you going to be okay this summer?" she asked in a hushed tone before sitting on the floor in front of him and leaning back against his knees.

"I honestly don't know" he said as his fingers toyed with a strand of her hair.

"Promise me you'll tell me if you're in trouble" she said as she stared into the fire.

"No" he wasn't about to make a promise he couldn't keep.

"Why not?" she huffed, turning to look him in the eyes. He saw the spark of anger flash in her dark brown eyes.

"Because I told you I never make a promise I can't keep" a faint pink blush tinted her cheeks before she turned back to face the fire.

"I wish you'd tell me."

"You have enough to worry about...no listen. You've enough problems with Potter than to be worrying about me. You need to look after yourself and keep safe this summer Granger. I can't because I'm not there. I'll promise you I'll write but I need you to promise you'll stay safe."

"I'll do my best Draco" she said quietly. They sat in a comforting silence afraid to talk more about tomorrow or what next year would bring.

Summer Letters:

How is your summer going? I understand it must be a difficult time for your family, I'm sorry for how it's effecting you. Is your mom alright? They've sent so many updates on how to protect ourselves from you-know-who and death eaters but the pamphlets seem ridiculous to me. Any thoughts?

Do you know how much longer we have to wait to receive our OWLs results? I'm fairly certain I've failed at least half the exams. Mum and Dad said I worry too much, but they don't understand how important these exam results are this year. They decide what we can study for NEWTs and from there what jobs we can apply for. Do you know what you want to do after we graduate? Barring the war is over by then…or prevented altogether.

I'm sorry this isn't very long but not much has happened in the week we've been home. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Will you relax about your OWLs results, you probably received Outstandings in everything. We studied our brains out this past year and I know I did well. If history is to be believed you will outshine me once again.

This week has been dull. Mother has holed up in her bedroom wallowing from the shame the media has been spewing. Sometimes I hate how the media invades our personal lives, but father brought this on us. I wish we could get out of the country for a while but mother says we need to wait. I'm not sure what for just yet but we'll see. Mostly, I've stayed in my wing practicing potions and reading.

I've not given much thought to what I'll do after school. I know my father wants me to join the ministry law department and sit on the Wizengamot, but it's not something I've always wanted. I think I want to become a Potions Master like Snape or maybe a work with magical creatures. What about yourself? Knowing you, you've planned everything out…am I right?

Please write soon.

Don't jinx it Malfoy! I know I failed everything, Umbridge probably did something to keep me from passing. Without the OWLs I won't be able to make a difference in this world. I liked the idea of becoming a healer or working for The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I've always wanted to take S.P.E.W. further.

You would be fantastic with either of those positions, I've seen you in potions and to me you seem relaxed and in your element. Is it true that Snape is your godfather? Kinda scary to think about. I'm sorry about your mom, I've always hated the press myself.

I'll be leaving for Ron's tomorrow so please send the owls there.

I've been at Ron's for two days, Harry is still at his aunt and uncle's they are truly dreadful people. I was hoping to hear from you soon. My stomach is still in knots waiting for our results…don't roll your eyes.

Please write soon.

I'm beginning to get worried. Why aren't you writing me back?

Harry's supposed to be coming soon. Mrs. Weasley said any day now. I'm worried with how he's handling the death of Sirius. He still blames himself for what happened last month.

Write to me soon or I'll send a howler!

Calm down! I've been extremely busy, dad's home and unfortunately, he's brought some old friends with him. I don't know how often I'll be able to write I'm sending this in the middle of the night as it is.

I make no comment on S.P.E.W. we made an agreement not to argue about elves. But I think you'd be brilliant in that department. Yes, Snape is my godfather…that's why I am favored so much. He's taught me a lot about potions since I was a young child.

Please don't tell me anymore about your dunderheaded friends…just in case these are intercepted.

If I can't write for a while don't worry. Remember the promise you made me on our last night. I'm trying to keep mine but these days I feel this house is more like a prison. Everywhere I go and everyone I see is looking to see me fail. My father keeps losing it, I'm in trouble over nearly everything little thing. I wish I weren't his son…that I wasn't here…that this would all be over. Stay safe, I'll try to write back.

P.S. Test result should be here any day, stop worrying. There are more important things than test scores.

He's home already!? That was faster than I anticipated and nothing about it in the papers...the Minister must be leaning on the Daily Prophet. Please be safe Malfoy. I received my exam results today eleven O's and only one E, in DADA of all subjects. I wish I'd gotten twelve, but at least I passed and I can take all of my classes again until I decide what I want to do.

One of these days you'll understand about elf rights and side with me. I won't stop until they have equal representation and are paid fair wages.

What do you mean you wish you weren't there? Wish what were over? Why are they trapping you in your house? Draco, I don't like the way your sounding…please tell me what's wrong.

Write soon.

P.S. Spending extra time with Snape outside of school gives me chills.

It's been nearly two weeks since your last letter. I'm not sure why, but I just know something is wrong. I need to hear from you. Please write me back.

I know you said not to worry but I can't help it, you usually write back quickly. What's going on?

I told you it could take time to get back to you. I too received my results ten O's and two E's, History of Magic (like I care) and Ancient Ruins. At least I can still take any classes I want this fall, though that's if I return to school. Please stop worrying about me. Stop writing me more than once. I'll respond if and when I can. I'm happy you bested me again. You deserve to be in this world, no matter what other's may think.

I'm not allowed to leave without permission, it's one of my punishments for not getting perfect scores. If I don't write back I'll see you at school in two weeks. If you don't see me…well just remember to keep your promise. Stay safe.

What is going on? Why wouldn't I see you at school? You sound depressed, I wish you'd confide in me like you did before school ended. Things couldn't have changed that much. I'm sorry your being punished. Those grades are still excellent, he should be proud of you.

Write soon.

P.S. I keep my promises just like you do.

I know you said not to send more than one letter and to just wait for a response but what the hell were you doing in Knockturn Ally? I followed you and saw you where you went. Why were you there? I would have spoke to you but your mother was so nasty in the store. Did you need to be that mean? Are you feeling alright you seem paler than usual?

Write to me or I'll hunt you down on the train.