A/N: Alright, alright, I know you guys are probably really mad at me! I'm sooooo sorry though. I meant to publish at the beginning of the year but than my teachers started flogging us with tons of final projects. I go to a school where we have 4 classes one semester and than the other 4 after that. Anyways, it's exam week and I already finished 2 exams in class last week and I have a few days off from school to write so here it is. The next installment. I know you guys must hate me. Gahh… Forgive me please! I made this chapter extremely long… Anyways, I have a facebook group against teen suicide and it's for suicide prevention. I'll give you guys the link so if you have FB please join! Please! Watch the video clip too! Here's the link, please join. Just remove the spaces, okay?

ht tp/hs .face book. com/ group. php? gi d92770 46295

If the link doesn't work, the group is called GripLife: Teen Suicide Prevention

Thanks to my loyal reviewers for their support.

EmilyLovesYOU, Deadly Phoenix, o0rebeccakelsey, BookOn, lADIDA, Dragongirl1122, Smiles Fade. Music Plays., CrazySakura Blossom, lito-pink-chihuahua, desireechampine, CrookedTeeth, bookgrl, l0st-in-the-cl0uds, pringle.sam, animejunkie1028, Sociopathic-Disturbed-Assassin, thechickengirleatsu, Slytherin's Baby Girl, DiamondEnchantress, PyroAngel8605, Hermione09Weasley, Nymphie07, pussycat06, lambtastic, Vidushi, Lina Mistress of Elements, keske, Querida Goddess, Giant Brussel Sprout, Phelix, Elven at Heart, kassandra, ginsensu, confused-Luna, CrzyInsaneFanatic, Verekai, Sukie-san, wills21, Radhika, ChocolatexDots, Ayra Rider, sailorashes, Cal8907, Stormy Nights, Katia Dashwood, kutekittiez, lvswtht, dramionerox, Diddle, Anon, Nullum Gatuitum, Pekorimomo, Vinwinz, Alexandraya, Andi, Darkness-Lightness, monkey, anpan, WinnieThaPoo92, Lya Darkfury, metarisenja, pstibons, Dimrilla, behindblueeyes1117, ginnylovesharry07, wallaceout, malena, PinkPunkF, Devantron2000, PinkSlytherin, Christopher Kidwell, nadia the demented one, Nymphie07, Slythersnake2000, Rachel9493, Panther Eyes, Miyukaii, bluebear13sg, GrlWithoutAName, reader101, Balpreet Kaur, BlackDemonAngel, Isiss2868

First reviewers were: KRL2008 and Capt. Maniacal Melody

-

Recap of Chapter 6

"Why do I care? Why do I care? I care because I am a bloody Veela and you are my damn mate!"

They both froze after his confession and just like that the world seemed to have shifted. There was a long and pregnant pause before he heard her whisper, "What?"

-

Chapter 7: Denial and The Boy Next Door…

Hermione looked at Draco with disbelief in her eyes and he had to fight back the urge to start cursing. "You're my mate, Hermione."

"This isn't funny, Malfoy." She snapped out. "First you get me into the hospital wing and now you're lying to me."

"Don't go blaming me for why you're in here!" He bit out. "If it's anyone else's fault, it's that damn Weasel! He's the one that started that bloody fight and the stupid git that he is, hit you in the process."

Her brown eyes blazed angrily as she started to raise her voice. She barely even felt the stinging sensation, all she could think of was how aggravating he was. "Don't you dare blame this on Ronald!"

"Oh! Ronald is it? Poor, poor Weasel. He hit you in the face so of course he's the one to be pitied." The blonde muttered sarcastically. "What a load of- "

"It wasn't his fault He was aiming for you."

"Right now I don't care who you blame, we're going to talk about what I just told you. Stop avoiding the damn subject."

"You're the one that got us on this subject!"

They glared at each other, their gaze never leaving one another and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.

'It won't get you anywhere snapping at her to make her listen though it'd help with the frustration since she won't listen anyway.' He thought.

"Look, love, I kno-"

"I am not your love. I am not your anything! Leave me alone, Malfoy." She muttered darkly as she turned away from him. "Save it for someone who cares."

He tugged her so that she'd face him and he looked at her with his piercing gaze. "Hermione, you are mine. No one else's. You were meant for me. I'm a Veela and you're my mate and there's nothing you and I can do to change that. In fact, I wouldn't change it if I was given the option so there's only one thing you can do, which is accepting it."

"There's nothing to accept. You're lying. I don't know what kind of game you're playing and I don't want to know, so just leave me alone, Malfoy."

Draco snorted. "Malfoy is it? I thought we'd have at least moved past that. I mean, after that kiss-"

"What kiss?" Hermione asked. "As far as I know, I have never kissed you. After all the girls that you've kissed, maybe the lack of oxygen to your head has killed more brain cells than you actually thought."

"Denial, now?" The blonde smirked, downright amused and she wanted to slap that look right off of his face. "Alright, love, I'll play your game. You didn't kiss me but I wonder what other bushy haired, brunette Gryffindor in our year it was that I kissed down in the dungeons. It was quite a fantastic-"

"Spare me the details, Malfoy." Hermione murmured, her face heating up.

Looking at the colour her face was turning, he chuckled deep in his throat. "You can try to pretend it isn't what it is for now, I'll give you time to wrap that stubborn head of yours around it but in the end, you'll have to come to terms with it. I'm not planning on dying any time soon and I'm also not planning on letting you walk away from me either."

The Slytherin leaned his face in and smirked when she squirmed. She stared back at his intense, stormy gaze before he leaned down further and brushed a light kiss against her lips before whispering in her ear, "You were meant for me love, I'm just waiting for you to accept it."

"There's nothing to accept." She whispered breathlessly.

'Oh fantastic, Hermione. You sound like one of those fluttery little twits with no brains that you've despised all your life. One kiss from Malfoy and you become one of them.'

'Come now, love. I don't think you're a fluttery little twit and even if you believe you are, you are my fluttery little twit and I'm glad you are acknowledging the kiss.'

She groaned. 'Get out, out, out of my head, Malfoy!'

"You're not doing a good job keeping me out, pet, but then again, you can never really keep me out. Not for long, at least and you probably don't even really want to." Draco told her. "Now, it's been a tiring day and as much as I hate leaving you, Madame Pomfrey will most likely be here to kick me out but first thing in the morning, I'll be here."

"You're right, Mr. Malfoy. It's time for you to leave. The poor girl has had a terribly exciting day but then again, she is friends with Misters Potter and Weasley. She's seen the hospital wing almost as much as that beloved library of hers."

"I highly doubt it, Madame Pomfrey." Draco retorted. "Don't exaggerate. She practically lives in that library."

Hermione blushed and gave him a harsh look before snapping out, "In any case Malfoy, I think you should get lost."

"Anxious to be rid of me?"

"Yes."

"And here I thought we were having our delightful daily banter followed by a wonderful ending of plenty of snogging."

"We don't end our fights with snogging."

"Ah, but we should now, shouldn't we?"

"Get out, Malfoy."

"I'm just throwing some suggestions your way, love." He laughed. "I'll be back tomorrow, bright and early. You'll probably miss me so terribly, thinking about me after that so-"

"I highly doubt I'll miss you being around me, Malfoy."

"You'll miss me so terribly after I'm gone from breakfast and you'll wonder what I'm doing throughout the day while I'm in classes. It'll be so horrid for you to wait for me and miss me all day long and since I have Quidditch practice, it'll be even harder and longer a wait for you to bear. I guess I have no choice but to join you at lunch as well."

Hermione groaned. "Get lost, Malfoy."

Madame Pomfrey bit her cheek to keep from chuckling and ushered him out the door. When he was gone, the healer sighed. While many students might assume that Ms. Granger was lacking in the boy department, most teachers knew that was incredibly wrong. Mister Malfoy and Mister Zabini, the bodyguards she had unknowingly had and Mister Potter and Mister Weasley that compromised the missing two thirds of their 'Golden Trio'.

Little did everyone know that Hermione would be expecting yet another male…

-

Hermione the very next day woke up to find Draco Malfoy's face staring back at her. She gave a yelp of surprise and he smirked widely.

"I know it's quite a shock to find an appealing face infront of you. It must be a change from seeing Potter and Weasley's almost every bloody day but I know you'll adjust, seeing as now I'll most likely be attached to your hip."

"First of all, Harry and Ron are not horrible to the eyes. You can ask any girl you want, and they'll tell you that-"

"I highly doubt that any self-respecting Slytherin girl in her right mind would ever think that Pothead and Weasel are easy on the eyes."

"Well, no one has ever accused Slytherins of ever being in the right state of mind." Hermione retorted, amused.

"I'll have you know that if it weren't for that evil Head of House of yours, my marks would definitely have been higher than yours." He accused. "We Slytherins are always in tip to shape. Mind and Body, we are far better than all the other houses. Name me one Slytherin who-"

"Gregory Goyle."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not-"

"If you add Goyle and Crabbe's brains together, you'd end up with a quarter of Crookshanks's intelligence."

He seemed to consider this for a moment than reluctantly conceded. "Fine, fine but that does not dissuade me from being your second shadow."

"I don't need you to hang around me, Malfoy. We already see each other far too much, seeing as we live together and have almost the same schedule."

"You're my mate, Hermione and as such you are also my soul mate. You've struck gold, Granger. I am positively all you can look for in a male specimen. I am brilliant, dashing, brilliant, dashing, have amazing talent, rich, dashing, dashing, da-"

"I'm wondering how you manage to walk through any doors. Your ego is practically suffocating me," She muttered dryly.

Draco shook his head. "It's not ego, darling, it's truth. Now since you already know you are my mate, that saves us both a lot of trouble. Now, I think that we should get married before we do the other ritual. I'm assuming you want to get married and really, that'll be yet another way I can claim that you're mine-"

"Yours?"

"Yes. Mine. I've found that I've grown quite possessive over you but that doesn't really matter now and pay attention to the more important things I'm saying. Right, do I have your attention?" He paused for a second and she opened her mouth to say something before he continued. "Of course Blaise will be my best man and I'm assuming that the Weaslette will be your Maid of Honor or something along the lines of that. My mother will most likely want to help with the arrangements and…"

"There's not going to be a wedding," She told him. "I'm not going to marry you, Malfoy. I am also certain that you are not a Veela and I am not your mate."

He sighed. "And here I thought we were moving forward."

"There's nothing to move forward to."

"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione." Draco shook his head. "The clock is ticking. We have no time to play it coy and for you to be all hard to get. You've been hard to get since third year. I think you've overplayed that card."

"I have not overplayed anything."

"Why won't you just give in? We both know you love me."

"I don't love you!" Hermione said quickly. "Nope. It's in fact, quite the opposite of love that I feel for you. I downright hate you, I'm sorry to say."

He faked a shocked look as his eyes danced with delight. "Oh you do? I'm wounded, Hermione. I thought all this banter meant more to you. What with that kindergarten psychology where pushing and shoving, and snide remarks really means that they love one another. I was almost at that stage of tugging your hair."

"Your wit astounds me, Malfoy." Rolling her brown eyes, she looked to the ceiling and shook her head, biting her cheek to contain her smile. Alright, so she found their fights amusing. Sue her.

"Well you say you don't love me but it seems like you do. You don't act this way towards other boys, Granger. I'm assuming it is males that you prefer…"

Her eyes gave him a pointed look. "I'm completely open minded to other preferences of other people but I, Draco Malfoy, happen to like the male variety."

"Good. I wasn't worried but you never know…"

"Sod off."

"Oh, my little hell cat, what sharp claws you have."

"The better to gouge your eyes out." She snapped.

"See, Granger. This banter, this battle of wits is something you never do with anyone else but me and you don't actually hate me. Admit it, Granger, no matter how reluctant you are, you have to admit it. You are in love with me."

"I'm not in love with you."

"If not me, tell me who."

"Ummm… well, you don't know him."

"Give me a name, Granger."

She racked her head and used the first name that popped up into her head. It was that of her childhood bestfriend. "Richard."

"Richard?"

"Yes, Richard. He lives right next door to me and we've been friends since before I could walk. Richard Kendricks."

He looked at her and smirked. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"But you won't because he's muggle so I'm sorry, Malfoy. You'll never get to meet him."

"Than he isn't here to stop me, either, is he?" He raised a regal blonde brow before looking at the time. "It's almost time for class and you've distracted me too long that neither of us have had any breakfast."

"Unlike you, I can still have food. I don't have any class."

"Well, I guess I'll just have to come back here and have an extra long lunch, no? Good thing that I have no class after lunch either." He left the comment hanging as he walked out with a bounce in his step.

-

When Draco left Hermione, he saw everyone whispering over something. They couldn't still be talking about what the Weasel did to Hermione, could they? It still made his blood boil whenever he thought of the red-haired git but he'd save that anger for a more appropriate time to be released.

He saw Blaise standing there with most of the Slytherin Quidditch team and walked over to him asking, "Zabini, what's going on?"

"Apparently we've got a transfer from Durmstrang. Just arrived with Dumbledore this morning and he just got sorted into Slytherin. From what Pansy is going on about, he's apparently 'so darling and quite handsome but of course not as handsome as Draco.'" Blaise laughed as he tried to imitate Pansy.

Draco made a face. Pansy was a friend from when he was growing up and he thought she had moved on from him. Isn't that she said? He shrugged his shoulders and ask Blaise, "What's his name?"

"Oh, I think it's Richard something or another." The boy told him uncaringly.

The blonde's blood ran cold. It was impossible though. Hermione had either made him up or he really had to be just some muggle that lived next door to her but he needed to know for sure. "Richard Kendricks?"

"Yeah that's it. Richard Kendricks." Blaise looked at him with his dark eyes. "Why? Do you know him?"

'No but Hermione does.'

-

A/N: And that's the end of that chapter. I rushed the ending but I just had to get it up and going. I couldn't keep editing it and I've already started working on the 8th chapter. You guys are going to enjoy that! Richard is AMAZING! Plus, there's a twist to his character that will be quite interesting. I'm sorry it's only Draco Hermione interaction but in my defence it is a Draco and Hermione centered fic. Now, Draco here is a little bit less possessive and more nuts and out of control but there is an explanation for that in the next chapter. Gahhh! The next chapter is bloody fantastic. That'll be up in 3 weeks, scouts honour. I promise.

lvstwht is helping me with some ideas so thank you to them!

Read and Review! At least 30, please! Now time for your favourite part, Q&A!

Q&A

Vidushi: Harry and Ron more in character…

Ally: There is a reason that they are like that! Trust me! I know they are out of character but it's all part of Draco's Veela mystique. All shall most likely be revealed in the few upcoming chapters. And keep reviewing; you'll definitely see your name here more often! Hehe. Possessive Draco is cool, isn't he? Right now, boyfriends are far from my thoughts but nice guys are out there. I hope you find one!

keske: SevMione and Forgetting about H/W

Ally: How I wish I could forget about doing it! I'm just such an over-achiever. See, I'm in highschool, and I'm in gifted and I'm also going to be taking 2 weeks of school to be part of some University programs… I can't blow off school to write fanfics all the time but hey, writing fanfics is fun! …I wonder if I could pass this off as an English assignment…

Phelix: What are you going to do next? Is Hermione going to go postal resulting in her ignoring Draco and will she tell Harry and Ron? Will she tell Ginny?

Ally: I have tons of ideas all lined up. She won't ignore him but she'll have to have a brilliant plan to get her out of the scheme that I've created and she's backed herself into. She'll probably save telling Ron and Harry but she'll tell Ginny soon or I'll somehow have Ginny find out on her own.

ginsensu: That could have been better.

Ally: Ouch. I know it wasn't up to complete total snuff but I thought it was still pretty good. Again, ouch.

Sukie-san: It's going to take forever to get them together isn't it?

Ally: You have NO idea.

wills21: Is Draco's possesiveness going to break up the Hermione, Ron, and Harry's friendship?

Ally: Definitely not. I love the golden trio and while I'm accepting and have enjoyed some stories that don't keep them together, I just don't have the heart to split them up.

Vinwinz: You love to let it hang there…

Ally: Mwahahahaahahaha! I don't enjoy cliffhangers but hey, I also seem to be leaving them at cliffhangers, no? I guess I just want to keep you all interested in the next chapter and guessing what's going to happen. Either that or I am just a meanie. I'm going with the first one though…

WinnieThaPoo92: So if you're Veela and you kill someone, are you free from Azkaban just because you're sort of mentally unstable?

Ally: I'll include the law next chapter as it will be a though Draco thinks of when Richard comes into play…

Dimrilla: Will Hermione ever learn occlumency?

Ally: She's working on it. After all, what's she going to do on that hospital bed while she waits for Draco because we all know no matter how she tries to deny, she's waiting there for him.

Balpreet Kaur: Are you going to have another character for Hermione or Ginny so that their Significant others would be jealous?

Ally: Hermione gets Richard but with a twist, one that will blow Draco away.

KRL2008: I was also wondering about the law Draco mentioned about keeping him out of Azkaban. When will we get to learn more about that?

Ally: Once again, the law comes into play in the next chapter. I'm evil, I know. I said it'd be this chapter but it worked better in the next one.

Lya Darkfury: -Insert amazing review here-

Ally: Thanks for the fantastic and encouraging review. I really needed it and I kept looking over it every time I got a little disappointed in my writing. Thanks so much! You're a great reader and please continue making other author's days.

Thank you so much for reviewing. There's a reason for the madness surrounding Hogwarts and why everyone is so nuts and why Draco is bipolar and generally why everything is going on! It'll make tons more sense in the next chapter! There is a reason for everything! I promise! It's short, I know but the 8th chapter is the longest chapter I've written for this so far.

Remember, give me 3 weeks. Review! Pass the story on to friends in the mean time.

LONG reviews make me smile! Please, if there's something you don't like, leave constructive criticism so I know what to do to make it better. Read and Review!

LONG REVIEWS!

-Ally