A/N: I apologize for the curse words in this and if that's something that offends you, you probably shouldn't read this. To me its not really natural for teenagers not to swear and when I'm writing the story they just end up saying those words. I mean it is rated M for a reason. As always let me know what you think. For the record I have no idea how long this is going to be but it will follow them through to the end of the war and a possible epilogue.

It was 2 weeks before Rose heard from Malfoy again. Everything had seemed to return to normal, at least on the outside. Rose however couldn't help but notice Malfoy never directly insulted her anymore. He, of course, went after Harry, Ron and Hermione like usual but when she was around them and he said something it was never about her anymore. Not that he had said much about her in the past but he would, occasionally, to wind Ron up. Also during classes the Gryffindors and Slytherins shared he always found a reason to touch her. Nothing inappropriate and just subtle enough that no one else had noticed. A quick brush on the hand as he walked past her desk or pushing his body a bit closer to her then necessary when he had to go around her. Rose couldn't help but realize she was actually reacting to this. When he was near she couldn't help but let him draw her eye and when he touched her butterflies erupted in her stomach. She tried her hardest to ignore it and for the most part she succeeded but then he would wink at her or grin really quickly at breakfast or dinner and her walls would go crashing down.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked Rose after her 5th sigh of the night, "You can go if you want I'll be fine."

"Yeh I just can't concentrate. I'll see you in the common room." she replied, packing her bag.

Her and Hermione had been in the library, Rose working on homework, Hermione trying to find something to help Harry with the egg, for the past 2 hours and Rose had barely got anything done. She was usually fairly good at keeping up with her school work but this week had been rough. She was no Hermione but she usually didn't let much distract her. This week however she couldn't go a half hour without Malfoys eyes popping into her head.

She had just rounded a corner when suddenly a hand came out and grabbed her from a hidden alcove.

"Call your brothers off Weasley or so help me" came Cormacs voice from behind her.

For a second Rose was actually scared of what he could do but then she turned around and burst out laughing over the fact that his hair was bright pink.

"I don't know what you're talking about McLaggen." she said still chuckling.

Suddenly he slammed her up against the wall and leaned so close their noses were almost touching.

"Listen Weasley, tell your idiotic brothers to stand down or you will regret it" he growled right into her ear.

"Somehow I think you'll be regretting this more than me. My 'idiotic brothers' know more than pranks sweetie and if I was you I wouldn't tempt them." she said in a voice more confident than she actually felt.

"I'm giving you one last chance Rosie" he growled again snaking his arm around her waist, "You took me by surprise that night but that wont happen again."

"Yeh, you're right, it wont." came a calm cool voice from behind them.

Cormac let her go and spun around to see who had intruded on his moment.

"Move along Malfoy, this is none of your business."

"Actually McLaggen, its more my business then you know." Malfoy said just as calmly, smirking at Cormac and pulling his wand, "Now I suggest you leave and don't fuck with Weasley again."

"Or what Malfoy? Standing up for the blood traitors now?" Cormac said stepping forward and drawing his own wand.

Malfoy just laughed and looked at Rose behind Cormac.

"Are you ok?" he asked her softly.

She nodded then looked down at the wands.

"Now now boys. Put those away, there's no need for that." she said calmly, trying to defuse the situation.

"Youre right Rose. You don't want to do this McLaggen." Malfoy said just as calmly.

"And why not Malfoy? Should I be scared of you?" he asked.

Malfoy just laughed again. Rose swore he didn't even move his wand or utter a word but in the next second McLaggen was thrown to the side and his wand was in Malfoys other hand.

"If you weren't scared of me before you should be." he said finally losing his calm voice, filling it with anger instead.

"What the fuck Malfoy." Cormac yelled, standing up.

"I told you. Leave her alone McLaggen." Malfoy said, seeming calm again.

"Sorry. I didn't realize she was spoken for. Maybe I should let everyone else know too, you know so they don't try shit either."

"Leave." Malfoy told him, throwing his wand at him.

Cormac snatched it out of the air and turned to leave. Malfoy raised his wand again and leveled it with his back.

"Obliviate." he said softly.

McLaggen paused for a second before shaking his head and continuing on.

"What the hell was that?!" Rose shrieked at the blonde boy in front of her as soon as Cormac was out of hearing range.

"I told you if your brothers didn't handle it I would."

"You call that handling it? You could have hurt him!"

"And he would have hurt you if I hadn't shown up. Chill out Rose he's not going to be saying anything.. mainly because he wont remember anything but the urge to keep away from you."

"What are you playing at Malfoy?"

"What do you mean?"

"You do nothing but tease me for 3 and a half years and now you're suddenly playing white knight and even calling me Rose. I didn't even know you knew my real name!"

"Well they did call you it at the Sorting.." Malfoy said trying to hold back a grin, "and I'm not 'playing white knight', I just happen to show up in the right place at the right time."

"Seriously Malfoy, whats your end game?"

"My what?"

"What are you trying to get out of this.. whatever."

"Nothing." he told her shortly.

"Bullshit."

"Honestly? There is something I want but even I'm not stupid enough to think you'll give it to me."

"I knew it!" Rose cried triumphly, thinking she had finally found an answer.

Suddenly Malfoy had her pressed up against the same wall as Cormac, but the difference being, Malfoy wasnt holding her there. He had simply backed her up till her back was pressed against the wall. In fact he wasnt even touching her, but he was so close she could feel his breath against her face and feel the heat coming off his body.

"What.. What are you doing?" Rose whispered, not able to pull her eyes away from his.

Malfoy remained silent. Then his eyes shifted down to her lips and back up again. His face was completely blank but his eyes were on fire. They were staring at her so intently she almost gasped.

"What do you think I want Rose?" he whispered back.

"I... um.." she stuttered, at a loss for words.

This was absolutely impossible. There was no way Malfoy wanted to kiss her. According to him she was vile, a waste of pure blood. But with that look in his eyes and how he kept glancing down at her lips she couldn't help but hope he would close the space between them. She almost did herself, but she hadn't lost all her senses.

"Malfoy I.." she tried again.

"Draco. Rose my name is Draco." he insisted before backing away from her, "Curfew."

"Right." she replied feeling unsteady, her legs like jelly.

"Good night Rose."

"Uh.. night Draco?"

At that Malfoy turned and headed toward the dungeons. Rose watched him till he rounded the corner then headed back toward Gryffindor tower. Her thoughts were racing and her stomach was doing somersaults. She almost felt like throwing up.. or skipping.. or both. She had no idea what was going on but it really didn't matter. At that moment all that mattered were grey eyes and warm skin and the minty cool smell that blonde boy radiated. Could they all really have been wrong? Was there more to Draco then met the eye?

She was shaken out of her thoughts as she climbed through the portrait hole and spotted Ron and Harry over on one of the sofas. Flopping down next to them she stared into the fire for a couple of minutes before they spoke.

"Give up studying with Hermione?" Ron asked grinning.

"studying? Oh right yeh. I'm just really tired." Rose replied, feeling like the time in the library she had spent with Hermione was days ago.

"You alright? You seem a little out of it."

"Yeh I might be getting sick or something. I'm going to go lay down." Rose said getting up and heading upstairs.

She flopped on her bed not bothering to change yet. As she stared up at the ceiling she felt her mind racing again. Maybe she was getting sick. Maybe she was extremely sick and in St Mungos hallucinating. That would explain everything. Or maybe Draco Malfoy really did want to kiss her and be around her, but that was impossible. Right?

Later that night after everyone else was asleep, Rose was restless. She climbed out of bed to go to the astronomy tower, not to meet Malfoy but to just think. She loved it up there. Being able to look down at the quiet grounds lit only by the moonlight or looking up to the impossible depths of the heavens. She quietly made her way through the silent corridors till she made it to the spiral staircase. For a second she remembered the last two times she climbed this stairway only to see the boy who was once an enemy. She was climbing them now for the same reason but not because he was waiting on the top but because she had to figure out exactly what he was to her now.

She pushed the door open and finally found some peace. She loved Hogwarts, she really did, but there was no privacy. You were constantly around people and it was hard to sort through the thoughts in your head when you had a crowd of noise going on around you. Rose made her way over to the railing and gazed up to the moon. She thought back on the last few weeks and realized she finally had to admit it. She liked Draco Malfoy. She wasnt sure when it happened but she had seen parts of him she had never even thought were there and that feeling of wanting him to kiss her was still there. The look in his eyes when he had confronted Cormac for her kept coming to the forefront of her mind and she had never seen him look as good as he did when he was pissed.

Rose spun around when she heard a creek and saw none other than Draco pushing the door open.

"Oh!" he let out in surprise.

"Great minds think alike I guess?" Rose said grinning.

"Yeh. Hopefully."

"What do you.." Rose started before he interrupted her.

"What are you doing up here?" He asked.

"Actually," she sighed "thinking about you."

"You.. what?"

"You Draco. I don't know what to make of any of this." she said, deciding to be honest and pry some answers out of him.

"Make out of what? The way I'm acting?" he asked. When she nodded he continued, "Honestly I'm not sure myself. I feel like I'm losing control, which if you know anything about Malfoys, is basically against the law. Look, last year I realised you were pretty, more than that actually, beautiful. I just never thought of you past that though till you showed up here and listened to me whine about my life even though you hate me. Since that night I.. I can't get you out of my head Rose."

"Well I guess we do think alike because you're stuck in mine too." Rose mumbled.

"Good." he replied looking into her eyes, "Because I'm incredibly impatient and I can't wait anymore. If you want me to leave you alone I will."

"See that's the thing, I don't think I want you to." She told him.

He nodded then moved forward reaching for her waist. She jumped back not sure what was going on.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Will you just stand still?" he insisted shaking his head.

Then he softly placed his hands in her waist and looked into her eyes, then down to her lips and back again. He tilted his head down and softly pressed his lips on hers. After a few seconds she pulled away and stared at the ground for a few moments, her thoughts racing. Finally she settled on the one thought that kept going through her head and did the most reckless thing she could possibly have done in that moment. She threw her arms around Dracos neck and kissed him back.