A/N-What? Are you guys like angry about something? You don't like cliffhangers? Hmpf! Oh, I'm having a bit of trouble with chapter eleven. I've only got four pages written and I'm shooting for the usual twelve. But have no fear readers! You can count on me! If you don't get an update tomorrow its not that I have writer's block, it's just that the story needs to move along and I want to make the transition realistic. You have no clue what I'm talking about! Lalalalalala! Quote me babies!

Chapter Ten

Dragon Heart Forgotten

"Hermione? Hermione wake up!" Harry said as he shook her gently.

Hermione rubbed her eyes and blinked slowly. "H-Harry? What are you doing here?"

Harry sat down next to her on the bed. "We came to check on you."

Hermione sat up and yawned. She noticed Harry and Ron looking at her…Just as Draco had described. She suddenly gasped as she grabbed for her blanket and covered up. I had to choose a time like this to wear these clothes! Hermione was wearing the pink tank top and high cut shorts. She hadn't expected company and her room had been quite warm earlier. "Why? Why would you need to check on me?"

Hermione noticed Ron and Harry's eyes dart away uncomfortably. Ron was sitting at her desk and waved her book in the air. "Why don't you explain this first Mione?"

Hermione leapt out of her bed and swiped the book from Ron. "How dare you go through my personal things!"

Harry walked over to Hermione with a curious expression. "What did you expect us to do? We come in here and find you sleeping and muttering things about Malfoy. We see this book and find that you've set your bookmark on a page that instructs you on revealing lost memories. Memories lost by an obliviation charm!"

Ron stood and kicked her chair. "What's going on Mione? And why haven't you come to us about this? I thought we were your best friends? You haven't been the same lately! You've become quiet and sad. Why?"

Hermione held the book tightly to her chest and cried out. "It's none of your business! You wouldn't understand! Now get out! Both of you!"

"No! Not until you tell us what the hell is going on!" Harry yelled.

Hermione heard a soft knock at the door. "What now?" Hermione walked over to it and swung it open furiously.

Draco was standing there smirking curiously. He glanced over at Ron and Harry and then down at Hermione. His eyes trailed up and down her body quickly as he grinned. "Trouble in paradise?"

"The only trouble is you not keeping control of your eyes Malfoy." Ron said through gritted teeth.

Draco chuckled. "You're not doing such a good job yourself there Weasley."

Hermione whipped her head around at Ron who was in fact staring at her. He looked away quickly and snorted. "Right."

Hermione looked back at Draco trying to stop her cheeks from turning pink. "What do you want Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged. "I just wondered where all the shouting was coming from. I'm usually involved when you're screaming."

"You bastard!" Harry yelled and charged at him.

"Harry no! That's not what he meant! He and I have been fighting a lot lately! Harry stop!" Hermione barely restrained him as Draco chuckled in his face.

"Too quick to jump to conclusions Potter! I haven't tainted your precious little mudblood. She's still innocent…Unfortunately." Draco said as he looked at Hermione's clothes longingly. "Nice outfit Granger…But I strongly suggest you don't wear it again. I may not be able to restrain myself if I see you in it and your precious friends aren't here to protect you."

Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder and gestured for him to step to the side. He looked Draco in the eye with a slight grin. "You touch her, you die. As a matter of fact, if you come any where near her, I'll kill you with my bare hands. Hermione is too good for you."

Draco laughed loudly and then looked at Hermione flirtatiously. "You mean you don't want me to do this?" He grabbed the strap of her tank top and snapped it against her skin.

Ron and Harry both charged him through the door and tackled him onto the couch in the common room. "Ronald! Harry stop!" Harry had Draco in a head lock but Draco some how punched Ron harsh in the chest. Hermione ran to her room and grabbed her wand. When she got back Draco was on top of Harry punching his face while Ron was kicking him and trying to pull him off. "Malfoy stop it!" Hermione yelled as she raised her wand.

Ron finally pulled Draco off and threw him against the wall. Draco socked him in the chin and Ron swung back hitting him in the cheek. Hermione screamed. "Stupefy!"

They both went still as Harry stood and brushed off his clothes. "Remove the charm Hermione! This is a fair fight!"

"Two against one? How is that fair?" Hermione went into bathroom quickly. She returned with wet towels and removed the charm. She handed one to each of them. Ron and Harry sat on the same couch as Hermione kneeled next to Draco. "Are you alright?"

"Why in bloody hell are you asking him if he's alright? What about us?" Ron yelled.

Hermione walked over to Ron and pointed her finger in his face. "You attacked him! Two against one! And he's the one in Slytherin! I'm completely disappointed in both of you! He did it to get under your skin! And it worked!"

Harry and Ron crossed their arms in a huff. Draco stood,handing the towel that now had blood stains on it, back to Hermione. He looked over at Ron and smirked. "Nice right hook you got there Weasley." He rubbed his neck. "And you almost made me pass out Potter." Harry and Ron exchanged bewildered looks at each other.

Draco leaned on the arm of the couch that Hermione had just sat at. "Look you idiots, I'm not after your stupid friend. As a matter of fact, I want nothing to do with her." Hermione looked at Draco with a hurt expression but then looked away quickly. Draco sighed as he stroked his jaw. "We can play this charade for the rest of the year but to be honest with you, I've got more important things to do. Granger knows I have no intention of coming near her. If you ask me, we're getting a bit old for this."

Harry stood and walked over to Draco. "You're right Malfoy, we are getting too old for this. As a matter of fact, we do have more important things to do. Such as preparing for the day we can take you and your sorry excuse for a Father down."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped.

Draco waved it off as he stood. His voice sounded eerily like his Father's. "You don't really think that a mere insult is going to make me act as childish as you and your little boyfriend did just now do you? I'm a patient person Potter. Our time will come. You can prepare yourself all you want. The fact remains, that I will not be taken down by you. If the mudblood wouldn't have broken it up, you would both be dead right now…I can promise you that."

"Oh really?" Ron stood and raised his arms in the air. "I'd like to test that theory! Let's see if he's a man of his word Harry. Hermione! Get in your room!"

"What?" She stood in terror. "No! I am not going to just sit here and watch you all kill yourselves over something stupid!"

Harry pointed at her door. "You're not going to watch…You'll be in your room. Now go!"

"NO!" Hermione ran up to Ron and cried desperately. "Ron please! This is stupid! This is over the strap of my tank top for God's sake!"

Ron kept his eyes focused on Draco's. "No Hermione…It isn't. It's so much more than that."

Hermione ran over to Harry. "Please Harry! Don't do this. How are you going to defeat Voldemort when you're dead?"

Harry glanced down at her in shock. "Why in the hell would you think I would end up dead?"

Draco laughed from behind. "Sometimes Granger, you make it almost impossible to hate you. You are my favorite little mudblood."

"Shut up Malfoy! Don't speak to her like that!" Ron yelled and raised his wand.

Hermione screamed. "No!" She ran over to Draco and pleaded. "You have to stop this Draco! You're Head Boy!"

Draco smiled at her and spoke calmly as he took out his wand. "It's beyond silly little things like being Head Boy Granger. Your boyfriends and I need to finally end this all. Now be a good girl and go to your room. I'll let you know when it's over."

"NO!" She whipped around to face Ron and Harry while standing in front of Draco. "I won't let you do this!"

Ron yelled in frustration. "Hermione! You hate the little ferret anyways. Why do you even care? Do you even remember all the things he's done to you?"

Draco whispered into her ear menacingly. "Yeah Granger, remember me?"

Hermione turned to face him as she looked into his eyes. She cried silently as he looked down at her with a fading smile. "What is it Granger?" Draco said quietly. Hermione shook her head as tears overcame her. "You can't do this Malfoy. Please don't. They're my best friends."

Harry snorted. "Uh, Hermione? I don't think he really cares."

"Shut up Potter!" Draco said as he returned his wand to his robe.

"What are you doing Malfoy? Raise your wand!" Ron demanded in anger.

Draco shook his head and looked at Hermione as he replied. "No, Granger's right. Not today."

"What?" Harry said as he forced a laugh of disbelief.

Draco ignored Harry as he stepped closer to Hermione and spoke sternly. "You need to understand this Granger. This will happen. All of this has to happen. It was the way things were meant to be." Hermione lowered her head as she continued to sob. Draco grabbed her chin forcing her to make eye contact. "You have no choice but to accept it Granger." He pointed at Harry and Ron but kept his eyes on her. "We're not all going to survive this. They've accepted it, why can't you?"

Draco left the common room and Hermione toppled to the floor crying out. Ron and Harry lowered their wands and walked over to her sighing loudly. They placed her arms over their shoulders. They led her back to her room and lay her on the bed. Hermione buried her face in her pillows and continued to cry. They both sat at the foot of her bed and waited silently.

Hermione finally stopped crying and wiped her eyes. She sat up and looked at her two best friends with concerned expressions. "So that's what this is all about." Harry said as he tugged at her foot.

"What?" Hermione sniffled.

"You're worried about everyone dying. You've been trying to convince Malfoy to switch sides haven't you?" Harry said as he picked up her book. "Are you trying to obliviate his memories or something?"

Hermione shrugged. I guess that sounds better than the truth. Ron sighed and lay next to Hermione. "Mione, you know you can't control what happens. Malfoy's right, we we're meant to fight against each other. You really should accept that."

Hermione nodded. "I guess I should."

Harry gestured for her to scoot closer to Ron as he lay on the other side of her. "I can't believe Malfoy lowered his wand because of you. That's unheard of."

Hermione sniffled again. "Maybe I sort of got through to him. Even if it means he's only waiting to fight you later."

Ron elbowed her side. "This is the last time I'm going to say this: Malfoys right, you shouldn't be wearing this outfit around him…As a matter of fact, you shouldn't wear it ever again."

Hermione laughed and crossed her arms. "For your information, I wasn't expecting anyone to see me wearing it. I was…I was taking a nap."

Harry chuckled. "Now Ron, don't be too harsh. You can wear it if it's only us around Mione."

Hermione gasped and covered her face with her hands. "You two are terrible!"

"That's why you love us!" Ron said and fluffed his pillow. "Jesus Mione! You have like fifteen pillows on your bed!"

Hermione laughed and elbowed him back. "Don't complain!"

Harry burst out laughing. "Yeah Ron, you finally get into a girls bed and all you can do is talk about how many pillows she's got? Very smooth mate!"

"Sod off Harry!" Ron said sleepily as he yawned.

"Oh no you don't Ronald! Get out! Both of you! I'd like to finish my nap!" Hermione said as a touch of guilt crept into her gut. She stood and gestured for them to leave. I can't believe it! They both just checked me out again! Malfoy was right!

"Wait!" They stopped at her doorway as she yelled. "Please promise me something? Stay away from him…Just until schools out. I can't expect you to show him mercy in the real world where he'll be doing terrible things. But I'm begging you to leave it alone for now. He's not a death eater yet."

Harry and Ron exchanged glances but then nodded. "Your ferret's safe until graduation." Harry mumbled and they left the room.

Hermione sat down on her bed and sighed. A tear trailed down her face as she thought about all the memories she had just relived. Malfoy was protecting me from his father. He was trying to keep me from even being kidnapped in the first place. He sent his father on some unbelievable trip so that he wouldn't rape me. He brought me to his library because he thought I would like it. Hermione threw herself back on her bed. He admitted that he was going to obliviate my memory………Hermione held her hands in front of her face and smiled. He thinks I have beautiful hands. He watches me in Potions. Draco Malfoy is a good person!

Just as Hermione decided to cast the Recurio spell again she heard furious knocking on the shelf. She grabbed her robe and put it on as she ran out into the common room. She opened the book shelf and found a hysterical red head. "Ginny? What is it?"

"Oh Hermione, it's horrible! Come quick!" Ginny pulled her through the shelf and darted out into the corridor.

"Ginny! What's this about?" Hermione said as she ran behind her hastily ensuring her robe was properly closed.

They reached a crowd of students and heard shrieking and slapping coming from the middle. "Move out! All of you!" Hermione broke through the crowd and found Pansy on top of the poor little third year Hermione had confiscated the pictures from. "Get off her Parkinson!" Hermione pushed Pansy over and helped the girl whose face was dripping blood up. "Ginny take her to the hospital wing!"

"Of course. Come on. I've got you." Ginny led the whimpering girl away from the crowd quickly.

Hermione turned to Pansy and raised her wand. "Explain yourself."

Pansy brushed off her clothes with an arrogant grin. "No need. I do believe I see the Head Boy coming."

Hermione turned and noticed Draco hurrying towards them. "What's going on?"

"Oh Drakey poo! It was just horrible! That filthy third year was writing you some sort of love letter! But don't worry love, I was just about to destroy it! How dare she-"

Draco raised his hand in Pansy's face. "Do you mean to tell me that the girl with the bloody face, who's less than half your size, that I just passed whimpering with the Weasley girl is who you just attacked?"

Pansy smiled and swung her arms back and forth proudly. "Yep that's the one my Prince."

Draco slapped his hand onto his forehead in frustration. "Yeah she's a huge threat…God! You're a seventh year Pansy!"

"Yes…And?" Pansy said as she crossed her arms happily.

"Twenty points from Slytherin." Draco spat hatefully as he shook his head.

"What? You can't be serious!" Pansy shrieked. Several Slytherin's around her started yelling in protest. "You can't take points from your own house….Can he?" She asked a beaming Hermione.

"Yes Pansy, he can." Hermione said happily. Everyone but the Slytherin's walked away gossiping about Draco's out of character behavior.

"Draco! What's come over you?" Pansy demanded as the Slytherin's booed.

Draco scoffed and leaned against the wall confidently. "You really want to know? I'll tell you Pansy. I'm sick of dealing with your crap. You so preoccupied with picking on third years that you-all of you have forgotten what's really important."

Hermione was in shock. Is Draco Malfoy about to tell the entire Slytherin class off? She leaned against the wall opposite him and stared dreamily at what would surely be her favorite memory yet. Draco threw his shoulders back and began to pace as if addressing his Quidditch team. "Those of you in certain families will understand. There are more critical things to be planning for." He pointed his finger around the group of students. "You all know what's coming! You all know the choices you have to make!" He smirked and winked at Blaise. "Some of us have already made them. It's easy to tell who's got there priorities straight around here."

He looked at Pansy in disgust. "You can't consume yourself in childish and pointless interactions with students from other houses! We've always been known for achieving what we want without regard for others. Am I right?" Draco cupped his hand to his ear and nodded as the Slytherin's muttered loudly in agreement. He held up his finger as he walked casually around the group. "We have one purpose….those of us from those certain families were already enlightened with what's to come, and the part we will have to play. The rest of you will be informed shortly." Draco's voice turned an icy tone. "Though we all know what happens if we choose the wrong path, due to our overwhelming desire for power, I'm confident we'll end up on the same side." He looked around as some of them bore fearful expressions. "If not, good luck to you. You'll need it."

The Slytherin's were silent and staring at him proudly as if he were about to send them off to battle right at that moment. Crabbe whispered something to Draco and pointed in Hermione's direction. Draco chuckled and shook his head at Crabbe. "Don't worry about her Crabbe." He looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow. "She's been passing information to me for some time now. She's not as loyal to them as she thinks she is. Granger's proven to be more valuable than she knows." Draco raised his voice to the shocked Slytherin's. "Which reminds me! I had quite an interesting encounter with Potter and Weasley earlier. I've decided to postpone their deaths until school lets out." Draco turned back to Hermione menacingly. "Wouldn't want to disrupt the school with the death of the chosen one now would we? Leave them to me or pay the consequences…Now off with you!"

The Slytherin's obeyed with laughter and whispers as they walked away. Draco nodded to his cronies as they walked away. He smirked at Hermione's dumbfounded expression. He walked up to her and was only an inch from her face. He whispered evilly. "Don't look so shocked Granger. You've always known who I am….You've always known what I'm capable of. Now I'm going to tell you one last time: Accept the inevitable. Acknowledge what will happen. If you don't, you'll only get yourself hurt."

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she looked at him in disappointment and defeat. "I don't understand."

Draco bent down and picked up a piece of parchment. "Sure you do Granger. You just won't admit it. You understand perfectly well. Ah, here it is." Draco chuckled as he read it. He shook his head and handed Hermione the parchment with a frown. "Rubbish. Looks like all you did was make the girl obsess over me more. Good one."

Hermione folded the parchment and placed it in her pocket as she looked at him pleadingly. "But you're a good person Malfoy. You protected me."

Draco jerked his head in confusion. "What was that?"

No! Don't tell him you know! "I uh. All this time, the way you've acted…It's all been-"

"An act Granger. Which I must say you fell for beautifully."

Hermione shook her head. "Then why are you still doing what you can to make me accept it? If you are as evil as you say, then why do you care?"

Draco shrugged with a smirk. "Call it weakness, but I meant what I said earlier. You make it almost impossible to hate you. But it doesn't matter what or why things have happened between us. The fact remains that the day is coming where blood lines will truly matter. And I don't have to remind you where that leaves you….Do I?"

Hermione shook her head and slapped him hard across the face. "I hate you!"

Draco laughed. "I know." He swept away leaving Hermione crying into her hands. She wandered the corridors for a while but decided to head for her common room. The enthusiastic thumbs up and approving nods from passing Slytherin's was more than she could stomach. He's turned me into a traitor. I think I'm going to vomit.

Hermione headed back for her room and lay on her bed. She grabbed her book and screamed as she threw it across the room. "None of it matters now!" She cried herself to sleep. Hermione skipped breakfast the next morning and sniffled as she walked into Potions. She felt relieved when Snape started class as she could now drown her thoughts in the potion.

As soon as Snape finished his lecture, she jotted down some notes from the chalkboard. She walked over to retrieve her ingredients and grabbed for the same eye of newt that Draco had reached for. Hermione glared at him and swiped it furiously from his hands. She double checked the label and heard him chuckle as he grabbed for another jar. She began to feel a little funny as she rechecked the labels of the ingredients she had obtained. Is he watching me? Hermione headed back for her table with her arms full of ingredients. She lined them up with the labels facing her and counted them. She quickly glanced at Draco who jerked his head down to his cauldron.

Hermione's face grew hot. He is watching me! She shook away the thought and reviewed her text book and notes before beginning. Just as she was ready to begin chopping she hastily wrapped her hair in a bun and stuck her wand through it. As she began chopping, she peeked up at Draco who again darted his eyes down. Well how do you like that? Now Hermione was on to him. My hands…he loves my hands. Hermione slid her finger up and down the text book but slower than usual. She glanced at Draco who was focused on her hand. Just to be sure she moved it up and down quickly. His eyes followed it the entire time. He had no idea she was looking right at him. After a while he shook his head and continued on with his potion.

What on earth was that about? How can he look at me like that knowing what's to come? Is he confused or am I confused? One of us is definitely confused………Or maybe he's got it all figured out. He has to follow the path that was set out for him. But that path doesn't prevent him from being attracted to me? That's it! He's attracted to me! That's all this has been about! He's a stupid teenage boy who only likes the way I look. Of course it has to end at that! He's going to be captain of the death eaters! He can't be bothered with being infatuated with a mudblood. I've been a complete idiot.

Hermione began to stir her potion absentmindedly as she nibbled on her bottom lip in deep thought. She heard a loud clanging sound and looked Draco's way. She saw him red faced and picking up his ladle silently. No one dared laugh at him of course as they returned to their potions. Hermione continued to stir hers as he looked over at her. He glanced down at her hands and then looked at her lips. He shook his head and sighed in disappointment. You know what you stupid ferret? You are weak! And I'm going to prove just how pathetic you are! Hermione inspected her potion and nodded. She looked over at Neville who was doing surprisingly well.

She slowly made her way over to Draco's table. He was pretending not to notice her as he stirred the potion. Hermione leaned over in front of him as she looked into his cauldron. Draco looked her up and down with a curious expression. "Lost mudblood?"

Hermione spoke innocently as she took the ladle from him. "No. I'm not lost. I just thought you may need some help stirring your potion. You seemed to be having trouble controlling your ladle."

Draco's jaw dropped as Hermione reached across the table (brushing up against him of course) and picked up a jar. She looked at it and laughed sweetly. "Silly me. Wrong one." She reached again as her bum brushed up against his thigh….She could sense the tension as she picked up a different jar. She looked at it carefully and held it up to his face. She ran her finger slowly across the label. "You forgot to add the dragon heart."

Hermione chuckled to herself. "What's so funny Granger?" Draco whispered as he eyed her hands.

Hermione leaned in and whispered back. "Dragon heart. Sort of ironic isn't it?" Draco shrugged as he looked at her skirt. "Well you remembered to put in the dragon hide…but you forgot about the heart of the dragon. It's the most important ingredient yet you forgot about it."

Draco gave a perplexed expression. "So?"

"I guess it just makes sense that you would forget that particular ingredient. You made sure that you added the hide, the thing that a dragon is most famous for. The way it looks. It's exterior. But the thing that is vital to a dragon's existence and survival, the heart was overlooked. You didn't seem to think it was important enough to remember. Its' similar to the way you live your life isn't it Malfoy?" Hermione said as she dropped the dragon heart into his potion.

Draco, thunderstruck and gaping, stammered as he spoke. "I-didn't-fffforget-it!" He cleared his throat and whispered as he blinked his eyes. "What are you getting at Granger? It's just a stupid heart."

Hermione shrugged as she handed the label back to him. "Exactly. Who needs it?" She walked back to her table with a grin.