1 Chapter 6

Hermione and Draco walked down the long halls of the castle, hands clasped, and in silence. Neither of them could quite think of something intelligible to say. But then Hermione couldn't take the silence anymore and blurted out, "Your eye doesn't hurt, does it?"

A slim smile came across Draco's face, "Now that you mention it," he said, "I do have a slight pounding in my eye." Hermione stopped abruptly and turned around to face him. He could see tears well up in her beautiful eyes. "No, no Hermione. I'm fine. I was just joking with you. Honestly, it doesn't hurt at all." He could never forgive himself if he had made her cry.

He raised his hand up to her face and wiped the forming tears out of her eyes. He moved his hand down her jaw line and ran his fingers over her trembling lips. It was as if time had stood still for them. He hadn't seen her hand move, but he felt her soft hand brush his hair away from his healed eye. Her gentle fingers tiptoed around the edge of his eye. And then he spoke, "I'm sorry Hermione. I don't mean to be such a damned prick …" But before he could finish, her hand was at his mouth stopping him from speaking another word.

Suddenly time had restarted at the sounds of some unruly second years running down the corridor. They ran right through Hermione and Draco, oblivious to what was occurring. Draco and Hermione continued their slow pace to the Prefects Lounge, walking with a definite distance between the two of them.

Draco had reached the portrait first. It was of the Hogwarts crest, but each of the Four Houses' mascots were animated. The Gryffindor lion was pacing around and growling. The Slytherin Snake was coiled up and hissing. The Ravenclaw Raven soared around and the Hufflepuff Badger padded around the crest.

"Valor." Draco said and the portrait swung open. He held out his hand to Hermione and they both stepped into the empty room.

The Prefects Lounge was much like any of the other House common rooms. There was a fireplace, with a fire already blazing. There where several armchairs, desks, and a sofa. Each of the four walls is decorated with the colors of one of the Four Houses. On each house wall there is a portkey disguised as a handle, which will transport the individual to the common room of the House they are standing in front of.

Draco and Hermione pulled up a couple of chairs to one of the desks. They just sat there few several minutes staring at their hands, until one of them would get the courage enough to steal a glimpse at the other. Draco started to speak several times, but just couldn't find the words. Seeing him do this repeatedly made Hermione grin.

"So…we should probably think of some ideas for our activities. Do you have any suggestions?" Hermione asked.

He just shook his head and so Hermione rattled off a couple of ideas that popped up in her head.

"We could give the house-elves a night off and get everyone together and prepare dinner for ourselves." She said looking for some sign of acknowledgement.

"That's a bit impractical, Hermione. Most of the students here don't even know how to turn a stove on." Draco replied hoping not to hurt her feelings. He didn't really want to discuss the House activities. What he wanted to do was lead her to the sofa, in front of the fire, and run his hands through her hair and watch her eyes dance in front of his.

"I guess your right. We could get a group together and go up to St. Mungo's and entertain some of the sick witches and wizards." After saying this she searched his face, but was unable to read him. Well this is going great she thought. We can't even sit in the same room together and converse. She rested her head on her hand that was propped up on the desk and stared at the wall.

"No, I don't think that is a good idea." He said it, but saw that she was looking at him wanting an explanation as to why it was such a horrible contribution. So, he continued. "It's just that, I don't think Neville Longbottom would want us to see his parents there."

"I didn't know, but how did you?" she asked with somewhat of a skeptical look on her face.

"My father. The summer before my first year he told me, 'Knowledge is power', and to be the most powerful I should now all the family secrets of the other students attending Hogwarts." Hermione thought to herself if his bastard of a father believed so much about knowledge being power he would know what the letter that was tucked in her satchel said. How would he like to know that I could rip all of his power from his hands by revealing what that letter read. She shuddered at her thoughts knowing full well she could never hurt Draco like that.

"What do you know about me?" she asked scared to actually hear the answer.

"Nothing. You came from a muggle family and had no prior wizard contacts." He hoped that sufficed and it seemed to because she did not ask anything more of him.

Finally Draco came up with an idea. She'd probably hate it, but it was worth a try.

"How about we start a Quidditch Intramural league? Anybody could join and…"

Hermione jolted straight up in her seat. This movement startled Draco. I knew she'd hate it he thought. With all she has to listen about quidditch from Weasley and Potter, she probably never wanted to see another quidditch match again in her life.

"That's brilliant!" she said to his utter amazement. And also much too his surprise she had jumped up out of her seat and hugged him around the neck. Realizing what she had done she sat back down as quickly as she had risen, but the flush was still in her face. Along with the flush, Draco also saw excitement and she continued speaking.

"Kind of like a bowling league."

"A what?" he said with a confused look.

"It's a muggle game. Imagine taking a ball, just larger than a bludger and rolling it as fast as you could down one of the corridors. At the end of the corridor would be something…like pumpkin juice bottles, and your supposed to knock down the most pins or bottles. It's quite fun with all your friends around. I should take you sometime." She could have almost bit her tongue off if it would have stopped her from saying the last sentence. Like, Draco Malfoy would want to go bowling. How stupid she thought.

"Would you? I mean, maybe over summer break." She looked at him and saw the eagerness in his eyes and she almost forgot to respond.

She replied in an uncertain tone. "Of course. If you want to, that is."

Of course he wanted to, he thought to himself. It sounded fantastic. He had never actually had the opportunity to just have fun with his friends. For that matter he didn't really have any friends. Sure he had Crabbe and Goyle, but they weren't really his friends. They just didn't have enough sense between the two of them to realize it. But when she said friends, did she mean Harry and Ron, because if she did, he knew they would never accept him. And most certainly they would never call him a friend. God she's beautiful, he thought, but then realized he had said it aloud. Maybe she didn't her me he thought, but knew he was wrong because her eyes were transfixed on him and they were unrelenting.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked softly.

There was no lying my way around this Draco thought, but he didn't want to. He wanted to race up to the Astronomy Tower and profess it to the world, because he knew they would agree. So he just repeated the words. At first she didn't do anything, but then she stood up and walked around the desk and was standing right in front of him. Great, he thought she'll slap me and tell the entire school what a stupid git I am, because there's no way Hermione Granger would ever fall for a guy like me.

Before Hermione knew what was coming over her she was pulling Draco Malfoy up by the front of his robes, until they were face to face. Draco did the only thing he could think of and leaned in and kissed her. Softly at first, but then he knew he had to taste every crevice of her mouth. He pulled her in closer to his body and he could feel her heart pounding against his own. She parted her mouth ever so slightly to invite his tongue inside her mouth. Draco followed suit and their tongues met and tangled like two snakes. He held her as tightly as was possible and he even thought he felt her body wince, but he knew if he let her go he would wake up and find that this was all just a lovely dream. Their passionate embrace didn't stop until either could breathe no longer. They pulled apart. Jaws sore, lips quivering, and bodies aching for more.

They were about to consume each other again, but were startled when they heard the voices of Harry and Ron just outside the portrait entrance.

Suddenly the portrait swung open and they were standing the lounge with them. Ron was the first to speak.

"Hermione. You've been gone for ages. Dinner is in twenty minutes. He isn't being a prat to you, is he?" said Ron letting his gaze settle on Draco's face. "Because if he is."

At that Hermione stopped him. "No, I'm fine. We've just been going over our House plans."

"Hermione, why are you so flushed?" Harry asked her quizzically. He was looking back and forth from Hermione and to Draco. Every time Draco felt Harry's eyes bore down on him it felt like dagger being driven into him.

"It's just really warm in here and Draco and I were just finishing, right?" And she shot him a look begging him to agree.

Draco gave a nod of agreement He mumbled inaudibly, "If I wanted to have her I could and there is nothing the two of you could do to stop me."

They hadn't heard the first part of what he said, but the latter was unmistakable. Before Harry and Ron could protest his remarks, Draco had brushed past them and left the lounge. With nothing else left to be said they ushered Hermione out and led her to the Great Hall. As they were walking, all Hermione could think about was what she heard Draco grumble as he left and that if Draco Malfoy wanted her she would give herself to him, body and soul.

After dinner she made her apologies and retreated back to her room. She didn't emerge until well into the next morning, completely missing breakfast.