Sorry for the lack of updates, unfortunately I've been busy and there is going to be a few days wait for a bit, as I'm away for the weekend, but I'll try and update straight away when I come back, thanks for being patient and thank you to all of the reviews and readers

I woke up the next morning thinking it was all a dream, but I couldn't have dreamt that surely, that Draco Malfoy would kiss me, no way that I'd dreamt it. I just couldn't quite understand it. He kissed me, Draco Malfoy! I had a quick wash and got dressed in my jeans and a thick jumper, made for me by Mrs Weasley. I felt slightly guilty wearing it, but it was my warmest item of clothing and the storm last night had got worse. I walked out of my bedroom, my mind elsewhere, I didn't realise I crashed right into Draco. After regaining our balance he laughed at me, I blushed.

"Good Morning Hermione!" he smiled cheerily.

"Good Morning!" I laughed.

"What' so funny?" he frowned.

"Oh nothing. You just seem… happy." He blushed and then said to cover it up "I could say the same for you!" I just smiled at him, he smiled back, I didn't really know what was going to happen now, after the kiss what were we, I didn't know whether I could trust him with my heart yet, I mean, I'd seen how he treated girls in the past, but was I just that to him? I didn't think I was.

"I'm going for breakfast, are you coming?" he asked me, frowning at my sudden silence, my head was all over the place this morning.

"Yeah sure!" I agreed, we walked down to the Great Hall together, and then separated at the door to our tables, smiling at eachother before we went. It was the first time I'd seen Ron since our fall out, he looked up as I walked in, his ears turning red, but he turned away to talk to Neville without saying a word to me. Ginny rolled her eyes at this and Harry looked strangely annoyed.

"Hermione, how're you?" Ginny asked loudly, clearly attempting to get a stubborn Ron to talk to me, it didn't work.

"I'm okay, how're you?" I asked, sitting down opposite her.

"I'm okay thanks, got any plans today?" Ginny asked, Harry listened in to the conversation, he didn't pay any attention to Ron, I had a feeling that they'd had an argument, probably over mine and Ron's argument.

"Urm, not really, I think I'll probably spend most of the day in the library. How about you guys?"

"Quidditch Practice we have a match in 3 days!" Harry said excitedly "and then we're going to visit Hagrid, want to come?"

"Sounds good!" I nodded enthusiastically; I hadn't spoken to Hagrid in a while.

"So shall we come and get you from the library this afternoon once we're done?"

"Yeah, sure!" I agreed, just then Bill Weasley and Professor McGonagall approached us, Bill struck up a conversation with Ron, Harry and Ginny about the Quidditch match while McGonagall stood by me.

"Miss Granger how is that favour I asked you to do coming along?" she whispered.

"Very well Professor." I said blushing slightly.

"Well that is very good; I actually need a word with you and Mr Malfoy. Come with me?"

"Of course!" I said getting up and following her out of the hall, Draco looked up as we left and she ushered him to come with us, he got up and followed in silence, and walked into her classroom, I was grateful ,I didn't want to go in Dumbledore's office, there were too many memories of him. We sat down again in the chairs facing her desk, and she sat down behind it smiling at us.

"Well, your NEWTs are approaching and well the end of your Hogwarts years will come around very shortly."

My eyes filled with tears at that point, I had loved every minute of being at Hogwarts, it was my home and I couldn't bear to leave it. Draco squeezed my hand out of sight of the headmistress, he even looked upset.

"As a final treat for the eldest year in the school, there will be a ball, like the yule ball but it will be on Boxing Day, in 2 months, I understand that this is far away, but we need to announce it soon, as the teachers and students will want to organise decorations, outfits, music, dates and everything else, I would appreciate your help in this, you and the other prefects, well, I will be announcing it tomorrow night at dinner, but I wanted to ask you now, to maybe convince you to stay here this Christmas."

"Of course, I wouldn't want to go home anyway." Draco said, but I was stuck, what about Mother? She was all alone this Christmas. Could I leave her? No.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall prompted.

"I would love to Professor, but my Mother is going to be all alone, and, well, I think she needs me this year."

"Miss Granger, I know these are difficult circumstances, but if it makes it easier, your mother can spend Christmas here at the castle."

"Really?"

"Of course Miss Granger, the Wizarding world owes you a lot; this is but the simplest of things."

"Thank you professor!" I said happily. I truly was happy, and Draco was still holding my hand.

"Very well, you may go." she said. We got up promptly, I tried to snatch my hand out of Draco's, thinking he wouldn't want McGonagall to see, but he kept hold of it firmly as we left the room. I turned back to look at her before I left and she smiled at me, looking very smug with herself.

The door shut behind us. And Draco stopped, and turned to face me.

"So what do you think about this ball?"

"It sounds pretty good! It'll be a good way to finish our time at Hogwarts." I said a lump forming in my throat.

"Hermione, no matter when we leave Hogwarts, it'll always be a part of you, you can't get rid of it."

"I know." I said finally breathing, Draco wiped the tears from my cheek and then kissed it, I felt my cheek tingling after his lips had left it.

"What do you think of the ball?" I said looking into his silver eyes.

"I think it is a very good idea."

"Wow! Really?"

"Of course, Hermione I think I may have proven, I've changed this year, and for the better!"

"You have proved that, I mean I never thought I'd see the day when…" I was about to say 'you kissed me' but I thought better of it.

"You never thought what?" he said playing confused but smirking at my flaming cheeks.

"Nothing!" I said quickly.

"oh you meant this!" he said, leaning forward and kissing my lips again, this time the kiss was gentle and soft, just a simple kiss, but it was still… amazing!

He smirked at my face.

"Stop smirking at me!" I said playing angry and hitting his hand away from my face gently, he laughed.

"We better be getting back!" I said then. "Ginny and Harry will want to know what's going on."

"I guess, hang on not weasel?"

"No he's not talking to me."

"So there's no chance he'll be your date to that ball then?" he said playfully but also sincerely, as if checking. I decided to play along.

"I don't know, a lot can change in 2 months." I smirked this time at his shocked face. Then he composed himself.

"Damn Gryffindors!" I laughed at him, before walking back to the Great Hall, he walked beside me, in silence but a comfortable silence and then we parted again to go to our tables. I gave Ginny and Harry the answers they wanted to the questions I'd predicted that they'd ask and then left for the library. I read through a lot of the books that could help me with my NEWTs, when I didn't realise Ginny was sitting on a chair opposite me. She made me jump which she found hilarious.

"How long have you been sitting there?" I demanded. She laughed again.

"about ten minutes!" even I laughed then, I noticed Harry in the doorway laughing too, I put s a few of the books into my bag, and then followed them down to Hagrid's hut, we were served tea and Hagrid's famous rock cakes, which we ate politely, being quite used to them by now. Then after an hour or so of Hagrid's gossip about the teachers, (like the fact that Professor Slughorn wanted to ask Professor McGonagall to the ball) we left and headed back to the Gryffindor common room.

"Are you still going to apologise to Ron?" Ginny asked "not that I think you have to, just someone should be the bigger person."

I sighed "yes. I guess I should." We went through the portrait hole and Ron looked up at us as we walked in. "Ron?" I called "can I talk to you? Outside?" he got up in a strange way and walked ahead of me into the corridor. We walked away from the portrait hole, so that even when it shut people couldn't hear us.

"Ron? we need to talk, look I'm sorry, I shouldn't have had a go at you, and recently, I guess I havent really treated you that well, so I'm really sorry, can we please go back to normal?" I said calmly, Ron looked at me happily, and then hugged me, I hugged him back, finally thinking I'd gotten my friend back, even though he hadn't apologised and we'd only not been talking for a couple of days I'd missed him, but then he tried to kiss me saying "I thought I'd lost you!"

I pushed him away. "Ron? What're you doing?"

"You said we'd go back to normal? I thought that meant 'us' again" I suddenly felt guilty, my heart sank.

"Ron, I'm sorry, I really am sorry for everything, but well, right now, all I can offer is my friendship." And then I saw his face fall so I added "at least for now." To which his face lightened again.

"I guess friendship is enough, for now." He said before going back to his common room, I instantly regretted what I'd said, I knew now that Ron, well I didn't love him, I probably wouldn't get back with him, because he just didn't want the same things as me, or at least he didn't understand me, I wanted romantic unsuspected kisses. I wanted things to be spontaneous, not like how it was with Ron. And then I realised definitely, I wanted what I had with Draco.

I walked back to my common room; I didn't want to deal with Ron anymore tonight. Draco was sitting on the patchwork sofa when I got back.

"Hey." He said as I walked in, I smiled at him, he was perfect, his smile was gentle as he looked at me with his sparkly silver eyes, his platinum blonde hair fell perfectly. But I frowned, was I good enough? Did he actually want me?

"What?" he said taking in my look, he stood up and held my shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing just me being silly."

"Tell me, please?"

"No its fine, seriously Draco, don't worry." He still looked concerned, so I reached up and kissed him gently on the cheek, like he'd done to me earlier. I sat down on the sofa, where Draco joined me too, we chatted for a while, and I thought the whole time how much I wanted Draco to ask me to the ball, because every moment I had with him was special, and that was something I never had with Ron.

So that's the end of that chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, please remember to review, and I'll update ASAP!