A/N: All your reviews were awesome!

Something That Will Make Sense Later: A Nix (also spelled Neck, Nixe, and Nyx.) is a water creature...look it up.

Now go ahead and read!

Chapter 10: Sleeping and Waking No. 8 Shocking Chess / The Daytime.

Hermione sat at lunch and chattered with her friends. She was happy, even though sleeping hadn't been the greatest. Ron stuffed himself while Ginny looked on in disgust.

Hermione cut up some of her potatoes and scooped some into her mouth. She felt like someone was staring at her. Hermione looked up and saw the silver-grey eyes of Draco Malfoy looking intently at her. Weird.

"So, Hermione," said Harry "Will you help me with the Transfiguration homework, please."

"Sure, Harry," she replied, trying to ignore the eyes of the Slytherin

"Great, thanks Hermione," said Harry

Hermione nodded and carried on eating. Those eyes. It was like he was trying to get her to look at him. Hermione stared right back into his eyes, almost challenging him. It wasn't a staring contest. It was different, more intense.

"Hermione?" said Ron, snapping her out of Draco's eyes

"Yes? What? Huh?" she said

"You just spaced completely, unlike you. Why is Malfoy watching you like that?"

"I really have no idea." She replied "I think I'm done with lunch, alright."

"You've hardly eaten." Said Ginny "Are you getting sick again?"

"No, no. I'll be in the library if you need me." She said, getting up and hurrying off

Draco watched Hermione rush out of the Great Hall and assumed that she had gone to the library. He got up and took the long way to the library. Who knew he would be 'following' Hermione Granger to the library? He wasn't following her. He was just noticing her more than usual.

Draco walked into the library immediately saw Hermione in her favorite pouf in the corner of the library. He found a seat at one of the tables near her and started his homework. Every now and then he glanced over at Hermione.

"Would you stop that?" she snapped

"Stop what?" said Draco casually

"Stop looking at me, its distracting." She said

"I wasn't looking at you, you must be going crazy or maybe you're just acting normally." He replied

"Whatever, Malfoy," she said and carried on reading.

Draco continued his homework and stopped looking at the brunette, trying to concentrate on his essay. That was hard, especially in a quiet, isolated little corner of the library where no one could see them.

Hermione noticed that Draco's eyes kept on straying from his paper. She carried stop reading, but couldn't help but notice the blondes' eyes drifting towards her.

"Do you need something?" she said finally

"No. Why?" said Draco

"Because your eyes keep wandering towards me, it's kind of annoying," she said

"I thought you were supposed to be reading." He said

"I'm trying to, but it is hard with you are doing that."

"What?"

"That!"

"Is that the same as it?"

"I hope not." She grumbled, sinking into the pouf

Draco shook his head and finished his essay slowly. He got up and stuffed his school things into his bag lazily and then left the library calmly, looking over his shoulder at Hermione.

"What is up with him?" she thought, getting back to her book.

OooOOOOoooOOOOooO

"So, Hermione, where have you been?" said Harry as they walked to Potions

"Trying to read in the library," she said

"Why trying?" said Ron

"Because Malfoy is really annoying," she said

"Malfoy? He has been acting differently lately," said Harry "Even more irritating and smirk-y than usual."

The trio sat down in their usual Potions class seats. The rest of their Gryffindor year plus the Slytherins came in and took their seats. Malfoy, Nott and Zabini sat behind them, making Hermione a little annoyed.

"Good afternoon class," said Professor Snape, swooping into the class, "Open your books to page two-hundred-and-seventy-four and make the potion there. Split into groups of two and then come up here to tell me who you're working with."

"I choose Hermione," said the Harry and Ron in unison

"Guys, guys, I know how we choose." Hermione smiled "Rock, paper, scissors."

"What? You're worth more than that…I say we-"

"Just do it! Best of three,"

"Ok, ready." Said Harry

Ron won and cheered happily. He and Hermione went up to Snapes desk. He looked at them and then the people behind them.

"Alright, Mr. Weasley with Mr. Zabini and Ms. Granger with Mr. Malfoy." He said

"Wait, what!" shouted Ron as Hermione looked as if she wanted to sink into the floor. Why did she have to be paired with Malfoy? If that was it she was going to blow. She didn't think that it was the same as that, because she had never known what it or that felt like…argh! She was confusing herself.

"Looks like we're going to have to cooperate, Granger." Said Malfoy

"Last thing I thought would come out of your mouth," she said, taking her seat next to him

"Ah contraire, Granger, and you know it."

"No, I don't. Just go get me some ingredients." She said, setting up their cauldron

"You don't know something?" smirked Draco "That's a first."

"Just go get the stuff, alright."

"Fine, fine,"

Draco went to collect the ingredients for their potion.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," said Harry, who was working to her left with Pucey

"Yeah, I feel bad for you," said Ron, on her left with Zabini

"It's not like you can do anything about it, so, no worries." Hermione said

"I got the ingredients, Granger, so where do we start?" said Draco, walking up behind her and stretching his arm around her side to put the potions materials down on the table. Hermione squirmed a little and ducked under his arm, onto the other side of the table. Draco smirked, picked up a Nix hair and dropped it into the cauldron, "Let's get started then."

Hermione put her head in her hands and sighed. This was going to be a long, long potions class.

OooOOOoooOOOoooOOOo

Draco, satisfied at how the day had gone, was ready to fall asleep. He stretched out on one of the couches, finished with the homework on the table in front of him. He looked around the common room and spotted Hermione. She was still working her homework, what with all the extra classes she took.

He watched her from where he was sitting. Her russet tresses fell over her face and papers.

Draco recalled how potions class had gone. The whole class he had gotten about Hermione so he had to put his arm around her to get to the cauldron. Every time he had done that she had squirmed and then ducked under his arm. Potions that day had definitely been pleasing.

The blond looked around the room and noticed that there weren't many people around, just a few Slytherin third years. He looked at the clock on the wall. It was 11:00 P.M. (obviously). Draco got up and convinced the third years to scram. They quickly went to bed, knowing all about the foul spells Draco could do to them.

Draco sidled up to Hermione and sat down beside her. She looked up and sighed, "Oh, it's you."

"Yes, it is." Said Draco

"Why are you sitting here?" she sighed

"Is it a crime?" he said

"Sitting isn't…but you might be."

"You usually would ignore a small comment like that."

"What do you even want, Malfoy?" she said, starting to clean her stuff up

"I want a game of chess. Muggle chess." He said

"That's all? Just chess? I love chess."

"So do I. Do you want to play or not?"

"You do realize that muggle chess has the same rules as wizard chess, right?" Hermione said

"Yes. So, chess or not?" Draco asked

"Fine, fine, do you even have a chessboard?" she said, going around the table to sit on a cushion so that she was facing Draco. He set the chess up and spun it around a few times. Hermione got the white side and moved her first piece.

The game started, neither of them saying anything to each other.

"Check." Said Draco

The game carried on for a few more minutes.

"Checkmate." Said Hermione, flicking Draco's king down with her finger. As soon as Hermione's fingers touched the black king she got an electric shock up her arm. The shock went all the way up and….she was out cold.

"Ooops, sorry, I forgot to turn off the electric shock. I use it to shock anyone who beats me. Or anyone I let beat me." Draco smirked. He put his magical non-magical chess set away and scooped Hermione up. He curled up in one of the chairs that were on the smallish side. Hermione, in her sleep, got comfortable in Draco's lap.

Draco smiled genuinely and kissed her on the tip of the nose. This was becoming a pretty regular thing, and he could definitely live with it.

OooOOOooooOOOOoooo

Hermione woke up and the first thing she saw was a green and silver school tie, which was wrapped around her hand. Her eyes traveled away from the tie and she saw a white shirt, all crumpled and a few of the buttons undone. Her chocolate colored eyes traveled up some more and found the face she knew would be there.

Draco was still sleeping. His arms were under her and both of her hands were wrapped around his tie. She had slept in her clothes again. Hermione was going to push away from him when she realized that she actually didn't mind being there…..more than didn't mind…wanted. It was warm and comfortable and….oh, what was she thinking! She was thinking wrong! Or not…..ugh, Hermione, just stop!

Hermione gave herself a few mental smacks and then pushed away from the blond. He muttered and tightened his hold on her.

"Just…let…go." She whispered and jumped out of his arms.

Hermione looked at Draco and sighed. She turned and walked away, already wanting to get back into the Slytherins warm embrace.

A/N: Hmmm…

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