A/N - Whew! We made it to chapter TEN by golly! wootI WAS hoping to have fifty reviews before I posted this… (that's only five per chapter) but oh well. None of you guys reviewed chapter five…: (. Was it really that bad? Oh well. This is my favorite chapter anyway, so review this one. LoL!

And now I'm giving some MUCH deserved thanks to all of my reviewers: THANK YOU SO MUCH YOU GUYS! THIS STORY WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT YOU! I want to thank my readers too, but special thanks goes out to you that took the time to review - (In order of number of reviews)

Queenofthelameos! Madi Black! Momo-Grint '6! Sexay Sarah! DramioneLurver! Janelle.x3! Dandin! Mysterious Brunett! Nekoluver (I love you Kristina!)! xmikahx! Justine! Anoynomous (spell much? Lol!)! Toocute4u! Princessemerelda! H3r0in3x0v3rd0s3! Jevanminx! And gothicpagan!

Thanks to all of you guys! I wanna give Madi Black an extra shout out, for it was not for her… this story very well might not be here. Love you Madi!

And now… the chapter you've all been waiting for…

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Her breath was caught in her throat, and she felt as though the very ground beneath her was spinning, Everyone was glaring at her, she had just caused Ginny to lose the one guy who loved her back, and she had lost her own best friend while she was at it… all because of a stupid boy.

She couldn't do this, not here, not now. She wasn't ready.

Hermione sank slowly to the ground, her world blacking out.

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Draco looked encouragingly over to Hermione, who returned the smile and began to eat. He hoped her friends weren't being to hard on her, but he doubted it.

Blaise was looking at him questioningly, so Draco glared at him.

"What's your problem?!" snarled Draco.

Blaise shrugged, "I just never thought I'd see you with a mudblood, that's all. Especially with the whole honoring-the-Malfoy-family-name thing."

"Don't call her that," Draco said dangerously. "I may have been a bit ancestry absorbed the past few years, but I never should have used the term. It's cruel, foul, and heartless."

"Since when have you cared about being heartless?" broke in Pansy, who had been listening in on the conversation.

Draco looked down to his plate. Pansy was right…. When had he began to care? The day in Diagon Alley was only for pure amusement… he hadn't even meant what he'd said that day… it was just to upset her. But now? … now she meant so much more.

"Since I fell in love," he said simply.

Potter walked briskly by their table and out the door.

What's his problem? thought Draco.

Suddenly, there was an uproar along the Gryffindor tables, and Draco looked over to see what the commotion was about. Professor McGonagall appeared to be shooing a crowd of people away from someone lying on the ground. Straining to see who it was, Draco stood up. Blaise followed suit.

There were too many people around whoever it was, and he couldn't see.

But wait! A first year shifted to their left, and Draco could see hair… hair that he wouldn't mistake for anyone else's.

"HERMIONE!"

He broke into a run across the Great Hall, ignoring everyone's shocked faces.

"What's wrong with her?!" he asked uneasily, looking to everyone for an answer. Professor McGonagall had conjured up a stretcher and was placing Hermione on it.

"It appears, Mr. Malfoy, that she has suffered from a stress blackout. I am taking her to the hospital wing, and you may visit her later. For now, however, she needs her rest," Professor McGonagall said promptly.

Ginny looked to Draco with a sympathetic look on her face, though she had tears in her eyes and her cheeks were flushed. Draco wondered what she was crying for… but was soon caught up in his own thoughts.

Stress blackout? Oh Merlin… this is all my fault. I never should have kissed her. This wouldn't have happened… I never should have loved her.

Numbly, he walked out of the Great Hall and down towards the dungeons, slowly making his way to his dormitory.

But I do.

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Hermione lay sleeping on her bed in the hospital wing. A tall redheaded figure walked in, a piece of parchment in hand. He stopped next to her, looking down at the piece of paper in his hand. Carefully, he folded the paper and placed it gently in her hand, closing her fingers around it. Giving her a grim smile, he walked out of the Hospital Wing.

Only minutes later, Hermione stirred. Her eyes flitted open.

She lay still, looking around her surroundings. White beds… white walls… crisp clean air… and Madame Pomfrey. That's right… she was in the Hospital Wing. But what for?

She rolled over, and felt a piece of paper clenched in her fist. She opened her hand, and looked curiously at the paper. Slowly she unfolded it, and written in a hasty scrawl was,

Hermione,

He may love you, but what's he willing to go through for you?

- Ron

Hermione looked appalled at the slip of paper.

Love me? she thought. Who loves me? And how would Ron know before me?

Confused, she sat up. Madame Pomfrey turned around and beamed.

"Wonderful! You're awake! How are you feeling, dear?" she asked.

"I, uh, feel fine. A bit hazy, maybe… but, excuse me, but could you… could you just tell me why I'm here?" she asked, stumbling on her words.

Madame Pomfrey raised her eyebrows but answered, "It appears that you suffered a stress blackout, and you've just been sleeping for the past six hours."

Hermione muttered a small 'Oh.' and sat back against her pillow.

"Take this. It should help relieve the stress," she said, handing her a pill.

Hermione took the pill, swallowing it with a gulp of water as Madame Pomfrey walked back to her office.

Stress? It must have been my workload…

Abruptly, the Hospital Wing doors flew open and in walked Ginny and Malfoy.

"Malfoy!?"

He smiled at her, "I'm so glad to see you're awake. You had me right worried. I stopped in earlier, but Madame Pomfrey told me you were still sleeping."

Ginny walked up and hugged Hermione, whispering in her ear, "He's been fretting over you like crazy. You're lucky to have him."

Hermione's eyes widened in shock.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"Look, Hermione, I know-" began Draco.

"Stop! Hold on… Did you just call me by my first name?"

Draco exchanged worried looks with Ginny, before answering, "Yes… why would I call you any different?"

Hermione snorted. "Um, because you hate me?"

Draco felt his heart drop into his stomach. She didn't remember.

"Hermione, tell me. What happened to you in Diagon Alley before term started?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"What do you mean what happened to me?" she asked, confused.

His breath caught in his throat, and he paled.

"Who'd you wake up to this morning?" Ginny asked.

"A pillow," Hermione said, "thanks to you."

"And what did we talk about?" Ginny asked excitedly.

Hermione paused and scrunched up her eyebrows. "I don't… I don't remember. Did we talk?"

"Oh God. Ginny, she doesn't remember anything about me! Oh God!" he said shakily. "Madame Pomfrey! Madame Pomfrey!"

Madame Pomfrey shuffled from her office.

"Yes, yes… what is it?"

"Can stress blackouts cause memory damage?" Ginny asked.

"Well yes, I suppose. If, of course, the source of the stress is traumatic enough, a person could forget the entire chain of events leading back to the start of the stress. Why?" she asked, looking apprehensive.

Draco sighed, "Because I think Hermione has forgotten me."

Madame Pomfrey's eyes widened. "Oh dear."

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Hermione looked from Malfoy to Ginny, then to Madame Pomfrey.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on here?"

Madame Pomfrey placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Dear, it appears you have memory loss associated with your blackout. We're going to do all we can to help you remember. I need you to drink this," she said, handing her a memory restorative potion.

"But-"

"- Just drink."

Hermione sighed and swallowed the thick purple liquid. Her eyes glazed over and a tingling sensation went through her entire body.

Suddenly, Hermione began laughing. She clutched her sides, and tears began streaming down her face she was laughing so hard.

"Oh my goodness! I just remembered when I first learned how to ride a bike. I was pedaling quite fast, and my dad stepped out in front of me, and I screamed at him, and ran right into him. I always tell him it's his fault I don't like bicycling. I'm always afraid someone will run out in front of me …"

Ginny looked at Madame Pomfrey, before asking "What's a bike?"

"Oh never mind," sighed Hermione.

"So what did we talk about this morning?" Ginny pressed.

"Ginny, I honestly don't remember talking to you this morning."

Madame Pomfrey sighed.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's all I can do."

Draco felt tears welling up in his eyes.

No… I can't cry. I won't.

He took in a deep breath.

And then a light went off in his head.

That feeling! I bet she'd feel it still! You can't deny love… trust me, I've tried.

Draco strode up to Hermione, cupped her face in his hands, and gently swooped down to kiss her. When his lips met hers, a tingling feeling washed over the both of them.

Hermione made to pull away, but mid-motion changed her mind. She pushed against his lips, and wrapped her arms around his neck. That feeling… it was almost as if she had felt it before…

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He was taking her purse, and then they were both in an alley. He was kissing her!

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She slipped her tongue into his mouth.

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They were staring at each other across the Great Hall, and she was determined not to look away.

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His hands slid up her back, and he held her tightly.

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They were kissing in the hallway. Fred and George found them. She was telling Ron…

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She pulled away and looked into his eyes.

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He was holding his hand out to her. "Breakfast?"

Everything was coming back to her. She remembered that morning… and Harry.

She remembered that she didn't care.

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She gazed deeper into his eyes, and saw what she was looking for. Sincerity. He wasn't doing any of this to hurt her.

"I love you," she whispered.

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A/N - This is officially my favorite chapter. I can't smile big enough. I hope you liked it too. Another chapter Saturday I hope.