Chapter 2 closer

'Do you want to know why I've been such a jerk?' Malfoy's voice startled her. 'It was my father. My father hates Potter, mudbloods and the Weasleys, and he hates them more that he loves me, so I was forced to act like that. I didn't really hate you, I mean, how could I possibly hate you? I mean, you're funny, pretty, nice, and the first person ever who could outsmart me. Of course I was jealous of your smartness, but why would I hate you, just for that? And this summer my father told me he wanted me to become a deatheater. At the end of this year it's going to happen, and I can't do anything about it. I'm thinking about going to Dumbledore, but there's also a problem with that. So I'm trying to find help, but I don't know from whom.' Hermione looked up. He had been looking at her all the time and now their eyes met. There was a form of sadness in his eyes. Something she hadn't seen before.

'I'm sorry, Hermione.' She was fully aware of the fact that he had used her first name. She could read the regret in his eyes. She didn't know what she had to do with all this new information. Actually, she found it hard to believe. Although he was nice to her, she couldn't believe he would tell something like that to her.

'I know, I know. You don't believe me. It's not like can blame you for that. I wouldn't believe myself either. Just forget it, okay?' Hermione slowly shook her head. He sighed disappointed.

'Why… why are you telling me this?' The words had passed her lips before she knew it. He looked surprised up.

'Because… Well, I don't know. It's just… I thought you needed to know.' Another silence fell.

It took Hermione a while to gather the courage to ask: 'Is it true? What you told me, I mean.' He took a moment to realize what she said, but then he slowly nodded.

'In that case I think I need to apologize too.' She held out her hand to him. It was a strange feeling when he took it and they shook hands. She'd hated this boy a few minutes ago and now she just couldn't hate him anymore. This was a different Draco Malfoy sitting in front of her. There was no bullying one anymore, the only thing she could see was a young man who had endured a lot in his past and was trying to live with the horrible things in his life. She looked at her watch. The funny thing was that they had been here for only two hours. Two hours long they had spend in each other's company without calling names, hexing each other and now she had forgiven him his past actions. And that had all started with ending up under the mistletoe, or actually, the so well known dream about her mother's death.

It was still the worst night, Christmas, holiday, and moment of her life. And for some unknown reason Hermione was mad at her mother for dying. For leaving her daughter alone. Her daughter, who could use so much support in her life, being bullied all the time, facing great threats, but mostly developing incredible powers. And even while Hermione was mad at her mother, she was working this hard to make her real mother proud. Sophia Granger still wasn't really Hermione's mother, and she wouldn't ever become that. But her stepmother didn't even try and even while Hermione would be mad when she did try, it was this what made her most angry, and if Sophia just tried it would all be a lot less. Sophia just wouldn't ever give the support Hermione needed, because that woman had stolen not only her father, but also her mother. Of course that wasn't true, and she knew it, but that just was what it felt like. And her father had betrayed her by getting over Monica that easily, that was why death had not only created a wall between Hermione and her mother, but also a smaller barrier keeping her father at distance. And that hurt, a lot.

'How long do you think we'll be sitting here?' Hermione was woken from her thoughts by Draco's words.

She shrugged: 'Tomorrow morning at half past six people will start to wander through the corridors. I guess they will find us and get help.' Draco nodded and silence took over again. Half past six. It was now almost midnight, that meant they were stuck here for six and a half hours more. Though, it wasn't that bad anymore. She actually almost considered giving him a kiss, but then she thought back of the jinx she used to read the mistletoe's charm. It had to be a kiss with love from both sides. She for sure wasn't in love with him, and he didn't care about her either. Although, he had told her something very important to him. Probably she was one of the very few people who knew this about him. It almost seemed stupid that she didn't tell him why she was crying.

'I was crying because I dreamt about the night my mother died. Every Christmas I see her die again,' Hermione told. She looked him in the eye again and smiled weakly.

'No wonder you didn't want to tell that,' he said. 'I wouldn't want everybody to know that if it had happened to me.' They were pushed forward again. Their knees touched and both quickly stood up, before another push forward would press them on each other's lap. 'But now I think our greatest worry is what we're going to do when were caught.'

'Well, let's just hope Filch doesn't-,' she stopped halfway her sentence. From further away they heard little footsteps, and around the corner came two small lights, red lights: Mrs. Norris. Hermione thought quick and kneeled, her head was now at the level of Draco Malfoy's knees, and he was staring at her strange action. Hermione found what she'd been looking for in her purse, she almost always carried with her, it was a small box and she opened it. In it were some snacks for Crookshranks, normally he hated it when she gave the snacks to other cats, but this was urgent.

'Come, kitty, kitty. Come, Mrs. Norris. I've got something tasty for you,' Hermione whispered. Mrs. Norris came closer.

'What are you doing? Do you want Filch to catch us?' hissed Draco, or was it still Malfoy. It didn't matter. Hermione shook her head but didn't explain. Mrs. Norris had reached them and Hermione picked the cat up. She put the small box away and took her wand.

'Stupify,' the cat became completely stiff. 'Amnesia, memory moderate.' After casting the spells on the cat she put it on the ground and gave her a push. The cat slid over the floor to the end of the corridor and stopped almost out of sight.

'Rennervate,' Hermione muttered under her breath and Mrs. Norris walked away. Then she cast a silencing charm so they wouldn't be heard by Filch, or any teacher at all.

'What did you do?' asked Draco.

'I modified her memory so she thinks this corridor is empty. She doesn't remember anything at all about us being here. It's easier to modify a cat's memory than a human's memory. I tested it on Crookshranks. I actually test a lot of spells on him. He doesn't really care. Though, he likes transfiguration. Sometimes I make him gold. Or when I change him into a mouse, he's going to chase himself. At this moment I think he's purple, but he can be black too,' Hermione told him.

'You are brilliant in class, but you can't remember the colour you changed your own cat into? You keep surprising me every time, Hermione,' laughed Draco. Wait, did she just think "Draco"? Yes, she did. And when she thought about it, she'd done it once before already. And he called her Hermione. It was actually quite logical, and felt good.

'Well, you aren't actually that surprising anymore,' said Hermione dryly. 'I think I finally figured out what's going round in that brain of yours.'

'Oh, really. Blaise said that once too, only about Pansy. He told me that she was completely in love with him. Only two minutes after that Pansy was all over me,' Draco grinned. Hermione couldn't help but laugh a bit.

'What you find it funny to have Pansy all over you? Want me to show you?' Before she could blink Draco had picked her off her feet and pushed her against the wall. 'Oh my Hermy-poo, you're so sweet. Can't you just send Blaise away to spend some time together? Or we could go to my dorm,' Draco imitated Pansy quite well. Hermione was now laughing out loud.

'Draco, put me down,' she laughed.

'First you ask politely.'

'Draco, will you, please with lots of cream and cherries on top, put me down?' Hermione said.

'Because you're asking it so nicely,' and Draco put her down. Hermione took a few seconds to calm down.

'Hermione, why are you actually wearing that dress?' he asked after they were a little done with laughing.

Hermione flushed: 'Ginny made me wear it, or well… Actually, we bought this dress for the Slughorn party, she forced me to buy this dress, and I'm still trying to get used to it. Why, do you like it?'

'Yeah, it looks good on you.' Hermione's cheeks took a deeper shade of red, and she was glad it was dark so he couldn't see it. And with another push of the wall Hermione fell against Draco's chest.

'Stupid wall, stupid heels,' she muttered while standing up again. She took them off. Was she imagining it, or had Draco's breath just quickened? She took a deep breath. A smell entered her nose. It was a sweet, delicious smell. She'd never smelled a scent like that before. It made her head spin.

'Are you okay?' asked Draco, after he gained control over his breath. Hermione just nodded, not knowing what to say. They were just a few inches apart.

'You shouldn't wear these heels when they make you fall,' said Draco.

'Well, I don't have much to choose when Ginny is around.' They both laughed.

'Wow, I actually never thought you were much of a laugher,' confessed Hermione.

'I never thought of you as funny,' Draco gave her a wide smile.

'Well, what did you think of me?' Hermione couldn't resist asking

'Actually, I though you were kind of boring. I mean, constantly reading, never really doing all the stuff the other girls do. I think Ginny has a good influence on you,' he joked. Hermione hit him playfully on his arm.

'Woman, you can hit hard,' said Draco snide.

'Do you want a kiss on it, to make the pain go away?' Hermione joked.

'Yes.' That answer wasn't the one she expected. No, she wouldn't back off. She pulled up his sleeve and kissed him softly on his lover arm, where she hit him. Then she looked up at his face, and saw the surprised expression on it.

'Wow, you keep surprising me,' said Draco.

'Well, you're not bad yourself either,' said Hermione.

'You want me to show you some more surprises?' at exactly that moment she was pushed forward again. They now stood pressed against each other, Hermione's nose in his neck, her arms, resting against his chest, kept them apart. His scent entered her nose again and Hermione took a moment to take it in her mind. Merlin, she liked it. What had she just thought? Hermione felt the blood rise to her cheeks.

This was chapter 2. I know it all goes very fast, but that's the idea of the story, it's meant to be like this.

I want to thank everyone that reviewed, added this story to their favorites, alerted it, or just read it. But especially to Rozu, who gave me a really good suggestion: "I hope alinea 8 is what you wanted, this was how I pictured Hermione's feelings.