Ok here's Chapter 10, hope you enjoy it, I've just written this after coming in from work (an 8am start! I must be mad….) so if it's a bit poo my excuse is I've done it on about three hours sleep after a four hour shift. Back to Dramione as some reviewers asked, but Pansy will be coming back. Please please please please review this! I really need feedback so I know if this is heading in the right direction, so please let me know, I'd really appreciate it. Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuu :D

A/N These characters are the property of JKR, and - oh you know the drill by now, I've said this a dozen times already.

Also, I'm really sorry if this seems like not much is happening, I seem to be writing less action scenes and more feelings-thoughts-and-emotions monologues! Not intentional, I assure you.

Though famed primarily for her intelligence, hair and close friendship with Harry Potter (and to a lesser extent Ron Weasley), Hermione Granger did, after all, have other qualities. And Draco Malfoy was slowly finding them all out for himself.

He'd felt the sharp side of her tongue a thousand times before, but he had to admit, the soft side was much more pleasant. But more than that, her qualities went beyond the physical, and for the first time in his life Draco found himself attracted to a girl not only for her body, her face, and the feeling was new and interesting to him.

She was loyal - he knew that already, had seen it time and again as she incessantly defended Potter and Weasley against various onslaughts, ironically normally his verbal attacks. She was brave - you would have to be to stand up before the Dark Lord himself on more than one occasion and live to tell the tale.

But the attribute for which he was most grateful to her was undoubtedly her discretion, coupled with her complete understanding not only of his predicament, but of he himself. She knew exactly what was at stake should this come to be public knowledge, knew exactly what he would receive as well as what she too would, and consequently kept their relationship hidden.

Because it was a relationship, not only in the literal sense of the word. About that Draco was absolutely certain. He was finding it increasingly difficult to keep away from her, to maintain their masquerade of complete hatred.

'No one can know, Draco. We can't trust anyone - not with something like this.' Hermione had said seriously to him that day at the lake, and while outwardly he had only smiled and gently tucked a curl behind her ear, inside he had been positively euphoric.

The school knowing, he could handle. What would he get from his fellow students beside whispered comments and sidelong glances? There was nothing the students could throw at them that he could not counter.

But news would inevitably reach his father's ears, and the shame of it would be more than Lucius Malfoy could stand. He would punish Draco for dishonouring their family name, punish him in ways that Draco didn't trust himself to think about. Ways he certainly would never speak to Hermione about, though he thought she guessed at them - if she knew for certain what the penalty would be she would surely have ended things simply to protect him. Draco's opinion of her had increased even further as he had realised that.

'What's going on here?' he'd said out of the blue. They were still at the lake edge, he stretched out and leaning leisurely against the trunk of the willow, she resting her head on his shoulder, fingers casually entwined. 'When did all the hate turn into this?'

She'd been silent for long moments, and for a split second he worried he'd said the wrong thing. But only for a second.

'You know, for the longest time, I couldn't think why either.' she murmured softly, the vibrations from her voice tingling on his skin and making him shiver pleasantly. Who knew something so simple could feel so right, feel so good. Hermione continued. 'I think that's why I kept it hidden like I did. I kept thinking, this is wrong, we should hate each other. But I couldn't fight it. I guess it's true what they say.'

Draco inclined his head slightly so that he was looking down on her. He liked this angle; he could see the freckles that speckled her nose. 'Who's 'they'? And what do they say?' he said.

Hermione smiled. 'I don't know - people! They say lots of things.'

Draco gave her hand a playful squeeze and said in mock irritation, 'Well what in particular do they say? You're hard work, y'know Granger.'

Hermione laughed softly. 'I do try. They say there's a thin line between love and hate. And I guess we just crossed it.'

Draco had twisted his head and tugged her to him for another kiss, a kiss that was slow and soft and gentle. When he finally pulled back, Hermione's eyes were shining and she was breathless and rosy-cheeked.

'I guess we did.' he smiled.

Finally facing the Hogwarts student body for the first time since the Potions debacle was a far more daunting task than Draco had thought possible given his previous cool and for a while he considered simply not doing it. After all, he'd managed for the past week, hadn't he? But when he voiced this to Hermione, she would have none of it.

'You aren't becoming a recluse, Draco, just because of me. And besides, isn't it more suspicious if you don't make a comeback than if you stay hidden? Just front it out.'

Draco sighed reluctantly. 'Yeah, I guess you're right. But aren't they going to suspect anyway, y'know, since I ran out the class and haven't been seen since?'

Hermione's expression had not altered one iota. 'Not if you tell them you've had 'flu or something. You've got pale skin already - all you have to do is make your voice a bit weaker and you're done.' she'd said somewhat briskly.

Brilliant and beautiful though she undoubtedly was, she was still bossy at heart and for once, Draco didn't mind.

So when, the following Monday, he walked into the dungeon once more, though he cringed inwardly at the faces that turned at his entrance, his outward appearance exuded the confidence and derision he was so famed for.

He took his usual seat at the back of the class, face wearing his uniform haughtily bored expression, and gave Pansy the prerequisite peck on the cheek. Normally she would beam at him upon receipt of this perfunctory show of affection; today however, something was different. She did smile, it was true, but not in the adoring, fawning way she had perfected. Draco didn't dwell on it, but it puzzled him somewhat and he stored it in the back of his mind.

When Snape swept into the dungeon he greeted the class with his usual contempt, beetle eyes scanning the faces of the students. They finally rested on Draco, and his voice was soft and menacing as death.

'So, after an entire week I see that the great Draco Malfoy has finally seen fit to return to my lessons. How noble.'

Draco's eyes narrowed irritably. 'I had 'flu, Sir.' Snape's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly but he seemed to accept Draco's excuse and swiftly moved on to his favourite sport - Potter-baiting.

Blaise Zabini leaned across the desk and said confidently, 'So, Malfoy, how long have you been into Granger then?'.

A cacophony of noise broke out across the dungeon as the class alternately laughed or shouted protest. Draco didn't dare chance a glance at Hermione, but if he had he'd have seen that she'd had the grace to blush slightly. Pansy's lips were pursed and she refused to look at him. Draco, however, was ready for this, and when he spoke his voice was full of contempt and mock indignation, his fingers firmly crossed and concealed beneath the desk.

'The only thing I'm into as far as that Mudblood filth is concerned is the idea that one day they'll all be cleaned off the face of the earth like the scum they are. ' Even as he said the words he wished he could take them back, knowing that despite their falsehood they would hurt Hermione a little to hear. Hell, they hurt him and he was only saying them.

Blaise raised a sceptical eyebrow. 'Uh huh. And the potion…?'

Draco laughed, a harsh laugh he would have sworn he didn't have in him, so dry was his throat. 'Oh please, you didn't think that was….?' He twisted his features into a look of disgust. 'Christ, no. That was me wishing Granger would hurry up and drop dead.'

Though the dungeon rang with the rapturous laughter of the Slytherins, who clearly had swallowed every word he had said, Draco had seen Hermione's back stiffen slightly and prayed that she realised he didn't mean a word of it. He'd known this part would be the hardest. He'd just not realised how difficult it would be, and wished that he'd been able to do it in the privacy of the Slytherin Common Room to spare Hermione the pain of listening to his cruel words.

He cared nothing for the murderous looks the Gryffindors were shooting him - that was nothing new. He had done the very thing he had initially rejected - by regaining his reputation he had been forced to hurt Hermione with vicious lies. And he had never felt worse than at this moment. He longed for the lesson to end, so that he could speak to her freely, tell her the truth, show her the truth.

But the odd thing was that what was troubling him most was not so much his guilt at what he had just done. Nor was it at Hermione's hurt at listening to him say things no one should ever have to hear. No, it was at the expression on Pansy's face.

It still bore the same vacant look that was Pansy Parkinson all over, and though she was smiling it didn't look natural on her. It was almost smug, proud. And in her eyes, Draco would swear he saw the hint of malice and suddenly he wished he had been nicer to her the past few weeks.

He shrugged to himself. Right now, all he cared about was finding Hermione and explaining to her, checking she was okay. There was no sense in worrying about a future that may never arrive. What would come would come, and he would face it when it did.

He couldn't know at that moment just how soon it would come. But Pansy, still smiling to herself, basked in the knowledge that for once, she was in power. For the first time in their relationship, she held all the cards.

She found she rather enjoyed the feeling.