Hi!

Pff. Anyway, I'd like to say that I'm working on another Draco/Hermione story. Yay lol. Muchh love.

-

There was not much to say after that.

Malfoy never finished what he was about to say.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Hermione shivered in the winter air, seeing Malfoy move his arm slightly from the corner of her eye, like he wanted to wrap it around her, but thought against it. Or maybe Hermione's imagination was running amuck.

Her thoughts strayed back to the forest, where she'd run into the Doppleganger while looking for Malfoy.

-

The Doppleganger had been invisible in the trees. The moment she stepped into the shade of the forest, he'd grabbed her waist from behind and pinned her against a tree.

Hermione had done research earlier, reading about Dopplegangers and red eyes. The effects of the spell gone wrong. The moment after dinner when she'd seen Draco run after someone, she had a huge feeling on who he was chasing.

So she found herself there, a wand in her hand, the Doppleganger pressing her against the tree, kissing her neck. Somehow, even knowing what he was now, she didn't feel like she wanted to fight. The copy didn't even curse her this time with the weakness spell. Instead, she allowed it when he grabbed her wand and let it drop to the floor.

He spun her around, his eyes still a bright red. She stared blankly into his face, blinked once, and smiled faintly, unsure why. The copy tucked his own hands under her rope, wrapping his arms around her waist. Carefully, she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Where's Malfoy?" She asked softly as his lips nearly reached hers. His lips tightened.

"He's fine. He went back up to the castle. I have you all to myself, for now," He replied. For a sensible moment, she didn't believe him. But she was distracted when he started speaking again, his voice quiet. "My lips, two brushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."

She smiled, recognizing Shakespeare again; Romeo and Juliet.

"My only love spring by my only hate, too early seen unknown, and known too late." She whispered one of Juliet's lines and stared up into his red eyes.

"Do you love him?" The Doppleganger asked, his eyes boring into hers.

She closed her eyes. "I really don't know. Actually, of course not! Of course I don't love him!"

"That's all I needed to hear."

His lips crushed against hers.

His lips were cold, just like the rest of his body. He was rougher now, his hands not as gentle as they were last time. Instead, they were everywhere, underneath her shirt, around her waist, and then grabbing her face and lacing his hands into her hair.

Hermione was motionless at first, her lips taut. Then after a few moments, she stopped thinking.

She laced her hands into his hair and parted her lips.

She let him explore her mouth, let him twist his hands in her hair, making her cry in pain. He shoved her back into the tree, getting even more aggressive. She broke away for air, and he didn't stop, tracing kisses down her neck and along her jaw. Her mind came back down to earth with her as she stared into the sky.

"I have to find the real you!" She said suddenly, pushing him away. The Doppleganger stumbled back, but not because of the force of her push. It was the force of her words. She watched sadly as his face pained for one moment.

He was gone.

-

Now, Hermione replaid the events in her head like a movie. Malfoy was still quiet, his arms resting on his knees. She didn't like the silence between them. In fact, she hated it.

"How did he Apparate, I wonder?" She asked in wonder, finally breaking the long silence. "Nobody can Apparate within Hogwarts grounds."

"I have no bloody idea." He said after a few minutes. His voice was rough. She sat in deep thought for a few minutes.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, sitting up and looking around to him. "Dopplegangers aren't really real, though. They're just copies," She recalled from the book she read this afternoon. "What if-what if your copy didn't Apparate?"

He finally looked up at her. "You're saying he... just vanishes? Dissapears into thin air?" He sat quietly for a few moments. "That he doesn't go anywhere, hmm, that's certainly a good theory."

She nodded thoughtfully. "It's the only thing that makes sense. Since he's not really real," Her voice broke. Draco noticed, looking at her with a puzzled expression. She continued quickly after clearing her throat. "That there's still a way to make him vanish forever."

Draco listened to her voice fade. "And how exactly do we do that?"

"I dunno. We'll think of something, I guess. Hey, the Masquerade's tomorrow, isn't it?" She asked suddenly. Draco nodded. "It's going to be exciting! Anyway, we have to watch each other's backs. He can sneak up one of us tomorrow night."

Draco scowled at the ground. "You mean, going as each other's secret dates?" He asked, revolted.

"I thought you were over hating me!" Hermione growled. "But yes, as each other's dates, if you want. We can make it subtle. We don't even have to dance with each other. We just have to keep an eye on each other to make sure nothing bad happens that night."

"We could tell McGonagall." Malfoy suggested suddenly. As much as he hated the professor, he was willing to do anything.

But Hermione seemed shocked. "No, are you insane? Do you have any idea where that would get you? Right in the heart of Azkaban! Doppleganger is a forbidden spell. It's one of the unknown Unforgivable Curses. Nobody's done it for years. It's forbidden because it creates too much power. Those with that power have abused it!"

"Okay, okay, telling nobody. Got it," Draco sighed and stood up. "Come on, let's go back." He stared at her for a few moments, then with disgust mixed with revulsion and confusion, he held out his hand.

Hermione took it, smiling. Draco blinked, his face blank. He attempted smiling back, but it looked more like a twisted snarl. She laughed and the two of them headed back up to the castle. They were almost out of the snow when Hermione retrieved her wand from her robes. Carefully, she scooped up a wad of snow with her levitation magic, and with perfect aim, hurled it it at Draco's back.

He turned, looking at the mess the snowball had made with his robes. He glared at Hermione, who was pointing and laughing at him. Smirking, he knelt down and used his wand to create a snowball of his own. He aimed it at her, who was paying no attention. The snowball hit her in the arm. The snowball war ensued.

It was the most childish game she's ever played in a long time.

"We probably have to go soon," Hermione exclaimed after about an hour of the snowball fight. "Head Boy and Head Girl or not, we could still get in big trouble for this." She said, dusting the snow off her robe with a big smile on her face.

Malfoy agreed. They walked silently together until they were in the Entrance Hall, where he had to leave to the dungeons. They paused.

She wasn't sure how she felt about saying a happy goodbye to him yet, and was sure she'll never know how to do it right. He had a look of confusion on his face before he turned and walked down to the dungeons without a word.

-

She was pretty sure she was dreaming, her imagination picking up where they left off.

Hermione had managed to lob perfectly circular snowballs at his face at least twice, whereas he never managed to hit above her neck. Even shivering in the cold, she felt perfectly happy. Feeling clever, she ducked behind a snow mound and levitated a snowball the size of a small boulder.

Giggling madly, she jumped and hurled it at him. Laughing, Draco collapsed onto his back with the force of the throw and didn't try getting up again. She ran to his aid, kneeling over him.

"Sorry, Draco!" She laughed, wiping some snow off of his face. Even out at night, where it was the coldest, his face was so warm. She left her hand there, smiling lightly.

He looked up at her, panting. "You just called me Draco." He announced happily.

She grinned even wider and nodded. She plopped herself down on her stomach and stared at him curiously. He reached up and held her hand to his face, still looking back at her.

"I prefer it when you smile." She said, stroking his face. With his other hand, he reached up and held her face.

"I like it when you smile." He said, laughing. He tucked her hair behind her ear. Hermione blushed, resisting the urge to turn away. Draco's gaze dropped to her lips. His head moved slightly, but she had a feeling of what he wanted to do.

She leaned down slowly, using her other arm for support.

Never, before, had Hermione imagined herself kissing Draco Malfoy. She never thought she'd see herself the way she was now, inches from his lips. She didn't have much experience with kissing, anyway.

Their lips were just centimeters apart before...

She woke up with a shudder. She didn't open her eyes.

For one odd moment, she wished that the dream had actually happened. But what an weird dream it was; nearly kissing Draco Malfoy. She laughed to herself, a laugh that died down quickly. She opened her eyes.

Lavender Brown looked at her curiously, furrowing her brow and wondering why her bookworm roomate was so blank-faced. Hermione only scowled.

She left down to breakfast, imagining what she could possibly say to Lavender. She pictured it in her head, keeping her mouth shut.

"Hey Lavender, I almost kissed Draco Malfoy in my dream."

I had a dream like that once. I liked it x]

Yes, I'm a female. Pshh, even if I was a guy, I'd love to have that dream.

Revieew!