Author's note: How are my lovely readers? How could you think that it was over, I wouldn't leave it like that, they aren't even together! Well enjoy! And please read my other story Another Hope.

Chapter 26: A Kiss

Draco looked at her one more time but she was talking with her friends who kept asking her if she was all right, but she just kept on smiling. He smiled at himself as he ate his dinner, then he saw her get up. He decided to do something out of the ordinary. He got up and ran after her as she was going up the staircase to go to her dormitory. "Hermione," he said.

"Yes," she said turning around to face him, when she saw him her mouth curved into a smile.

"Well I was wondering if you weren't doing…" he said not getting to finish because Lavender and Parvati interrupted him.

"Hey Hermione we heard that you were in the hospital and wanted to know if you're alright," Lavender said.

"Oh I'm fine," she said.

"Great, we're having a party in the common room like right now," Parvati said.

"Oh um…I don't know," she said.

"You're coming right?" asked Lavender.

"Of course," she said looking at Draco, she mouthed sorry at him before walking away. "Well, I'll see you later Hermione," Draco said. He watched as she disappeared around a corner. "Damn it," he said frustrated at himself. He decided to go ride his broom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hermione felt more carefree than she had ever felt in her whole life or since the accident with her mother. She didn't care about her grandmother and her grandmother's pettiness anymore. She was free from that constraint. She got up to go to the common room so she could get caught up on homework that she had missed during her loss of consciousness. (Sounds weird, huh?) Then she was startled as she heard someone call out her name.

When she turned around it was Draco and immediately her insides melted. She smiled at him, glad that it wasn't anybody else. He was going to ask her something, she knew it but what was the question. Lavender and Parvati had to ruin the moment, so Hermione would never really know what he was going to ask her. She felt really guilty for leaving him like that; she would have to make it up to him. But how? She wondered. The party wasn't going to be that great.

She decided to go to the party for awhile and then maybe ditch it to go find him. Hermione went to her wardrobe to pick something out to wear to the party. She had a black halter dress, a white strapless dress, and a light blue spaghetti strap dress. She couldn't choose which one, so she got Ginny to help her choose a dress. "Definitely not the black one," she said throwing it back into the closet.

"Put on the white one, I want to see what it looks like on you," Ginny said in her professional voice, "No it looks good, but it doesn't say GORGEOUS! Put this one on."

"Okay Ginny I was going to wear this one because its lighter and more like me but then again I wasn't sure because the black dress is sexy and the white dress is sexy, but not smutty," Hermione said.

"The blue one is perfect!" said Ginny looking at Hermione like as if she was dumb. Hermione just laughed at her facial expression.

"Now I want to wear the black one because it matches my hair," she said snatching it up from the closet.

"Yeah just take my dress why don't you," Hermione said sarcastically.

"I knew you'd understand," said Ginny who was grinning.

"Oh go ahead and take it, now get out of my room!" said Hermione, "Stealing my dress."

"I heard that!" a muffled laugh from outside of the door. Hermione laughed again, she gently picked up the blue dress and put it on. It was a little shy of her knees but it showed off her tan legs. The dress kind of flowed when she walked and she could twirl around in it. Hermione decided to put her hair up in a curly bun, put on her shoes, some makeup, and left the room for the party.

Ginny looked good in her black dress, normally it would look smutty but not on Ginny. Hermione smiled at Ginny as she walked over to her and Harry who looked happy. Ron was with Lavender telling her secrets in her ear that she would giggle at. Hermione just shook her head at them. Parvati saw Hermione and squealed grabbing Lavender from a shocked Ron as they ran over to Hermione, "This is the guest of the evening!" they squealed. Sometimes those two were as bad as Pansy.

"Let's party!" somebody said grabbing a bottle of butterbeer and shaking it everywhere. Hermione walked quickly away from the butterbeer mess not wanting to get her dress dirty. Harry, Ginny, and Ron walked over to her, "Having fun?" asked Ron.

"Oh, yeah, it's lots of fun," she said smiling at her best friends.

"Yeah and I picked out her dress!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Good choice, it looks good on you," said Harry.

"Thanks," Hermione said smiling at them.

"Well let's have fun!" Harry exclaimed as he and Ginny went to go dance and Ron went to find Lavender. An hour later the party was going full blast and Hermione just watched the people having fun, she was having fun watching them, but something was missing. She didn't like not being able to have fun but she couldn't. So she decided to get some fresh air.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Draco was flying around for hours when he heard the commotion of the Gryffindor party. He flew over to the Gryffindor balcony where he watched them for a few minutes when he noticed a beautiful girl in a light blue dress. Her hair was in a curly bun with wisps falling down her face. She looked up and she gasped as she realized who he was. He could recognize her anywhere. It was Hermione.

Draco landed on the balcony tucking his broom under his arm. She smiled and he just looked at her, "You look beautiful," he said.

"Thanks," she said blushing, "You been out here long?"

"Yeah, just riding my broom, taking a load off," he said.

"Cool," she said.

"How would you like to go for a ride?" he asked looking at her with an unknown shine in his eyes.

"Um, I don't know Draco; you remember what happened last time. I crashed. And I don't have anything to keep me warm, plus my friends are in there," she said pointing into the common room.

"I'll keep you safe," he said stepping closer holding out his hand to her.

"But…I'm afraid of heights," she said quietly looking down at the ground ashamed.

"Don't worry; it's not a weakness or anything. People have things to be afraid of. They're supposed to. And I won't let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?" he asked.

"Yes," she said still looking at the ground.

"Then come with me," he said cupping her face in his hand.

"Okay," she said quietly taking his outstretched hand. He put his quidditch robes on her so she would be warm. Then he helped her onto the back of the broom, while he got on the front. He kicked off of the ground hard and she grabbed him in alarm. (Remember she was being brave that one time, she really is afraid of heights)

He smiled at her grabbing him; he rode slower above the treetops and the lake as she slowly opened her squeezed tight eyelids. The view was astonishing. She loosened her grip on his waist as she blushed at feeling his abs. But it reassured her because he was strong. Draco stopped about five feet from the ground so they could switch places, "But Draco it's dangerous and I could fall!" she exclaimed.

"I won't let you and we're only five feet above the ground," he said in a reassuring tone.

They switched places as she sat in front while he steered the broom with his arms around her. He taught her to steer the broom so if she ever got on one again by herself she would know how to control it without crashing. Then the wind started to pick up and Hermione turned around to face him so the wind blew at her back instead of her face.

They looked at each while he steered the broom, she blushed and snuggled closer to him. Her heart was pounding as he held her and controlled the broom at the same time. He stopped underneath the balcony on the ground where there was slow music coming out of the French doors. "May I have this dance?" he asked. She looked at him and just nodded her head. He put his arms around her waist as she put her arms around his neck. They just swirled there in a graceful slow circle for awhile until he pulled her closer to him, her heart pounding she just stared at him. Then she put her head on his should and they danced like that for the rest of the song.

Neither of them wanted the song to end, but it did and both just held on in that embrace for several minutes until they both broke away. "That was really nice," she said quietly, "I think that I should go back so that they aren't worried."

"Yeah," he said quietly taking her hand before climbing back on the broom and escorting her back onto the veranda.

She climbed off the broom while he stood over it; she started to walk away when she remembered his robes. The robes had kept her really warm. She turned around when he grabbed her waist and kissed her. She was shocked but she melted into the kiss. They stood there kissing each other like there was no tomorrow, he was holding her back with one hand and the other hand gently cupped her neck. She had one hand on his neck and the other was running through his hair, which sent chills down his back.

Neither wanted to pull away from the mind blowing and tender kiss, but he pulled away first, "I just wanted to say good night," he said looking at her. "Okay," she said as he put on his quidditch robes and turned to leave, she turned back to him before he could fly away and kissed him again. She pulled away smiling, "Goodnight," she said. He just grinned and kicked off of the balcony and flew away waving at her. Hermione just walked back into the party with a dreamy look.

She had just shared her first kiss with someone who cared for very much. And just to think that he had been her enemy a couple of months ago. Now her stomach was doing butterflies whenever he was around, her heart pounded, and she couldn't stop smiling at the thought of him. She didn't really know it, but she was in love. As was he, when they both laid down that night to go to sleep, they were on each other's mind as they drifted off to sleep. And they both dreamt of each other.

A/N: How was that? Aw so romantic, I wish I was Hermione! THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! My story is almost done, yes, but this is not the last chapter.