A/N: Hello everyone!

I'd just really quickly like to say: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Whenever I read your reviews, I feel like I just want to explode with happiness :) And a lot of you annonymous reviewers make me really frustrated, though, because you say the nicest things, but then I can't reply to thank you! So I'd just like to thank you all right here :)

Also (I forgot to put this in the last chapter...), I just wanted to quickly say, yes, I was quoting "A Very Potter Musical". :) Congrats to all who found the quotes!

So without further delay, here is chapter 35!

Draco POV

There was one day of break left, and naturally, Hermione, Blaise and I went back to the manor. I was still mad about the whole "Hermione's hurt" prank that I fell for. Partially at Blaise for coming up with it, at Hermione for doing the prank, and myself for falling for it so easily. There must've been a scowl on my face, because Hermione looked at me and smirked my signature smirk.

"Thinking about how I made you almost wet your pants?" she asked.

"Shut it." I growled.

"Draco, you seem to be more and more gullible." she said, laughing her cute little tinkling laugh that I liked so much.

She stood up and was heading out of my room when she suddenly turned around. "Oh, Draco, your socks are untied."

I looked down to see my bare feet. "What?" I asked.

She was laughing, and one word screamed in my mind: DAMN!

She winked and close the door behind her.

Frustrated, I picked up my pillow and threw it against the door. "Go burn in hell!" I yelled.

"You'd miss me too much if I did!" came the reply.

I clenched my jaw and stood up to go pick up my pillow.

I sat back down and looked at my wand. The patronus incident was still fresh in my mind. What had happened? Why was she the thing that sparked my patronus?

I picked up my wand. The hawthorn wood felt smooth and light in my hand.

I cleared my mind and thought of Hermione. Her laugh, her breath-taking smile. The way she looked the night of the ball, and again at the party at the manor. The way she said my name, and how comfortable I was around her.

"Expecto Patronum." I said, loudly and clearly. The tip of my wand shone and a sliver-white dragon came flying out of my wand.

There was no doubt now. Any little hesitations or thoughts of denial were completely gone, and there was no way I could avoid the truth.

I am totally and completely in love with Hermione Jean Granger.

Hermione POV

I skipped back to my room, feeling happy. I sat on my bed, and pulled out my suitcase, and started to pack my clothes.

"Oh, rats. My wand is still in Draco's room." I said, thinking out loud. Quietly, I snuck back down the hall, and pushed the door open just slightly. Inside, I saw Draco standing in the middle of the room with his wand held out in front of him. Hovering around him was a dragon that glistened like the moon.

I pushed the door open, and somehow, and I will never understand how he does this, he kept his focus on the dragon, but nodded slightly in my direction.

"Your patronus?" I asked. He nodded. "It's lovely." I gasped.

I picked up my wand from where it was on his bed, and closed my eyes. My happy thoughts came flowing into my mind.

"Expecto Patronum." I said, and my patronus, which took the form of an otter, came hopping out.

"An otter, huh?" he asked silently, his eyes still fixed on the dragon.

"Yes. I believe it's a calm, but playful animal." I said, quietly.

I could see a small smile form on his face. "Calm and playful? How is that your patronus, seeing that you are neither?" he asked. I kicked him.

"You see? My point exactly." he said, smiling wryly.

I rolled my eyes, and I put my wand down. The small animal disappeared before my eyes, fading away, until it was nothing more than silvery wisps until it finally disappeared.

He slowly put his wand down as well, and the large creature disappeared the same way my otter did.

I stood up. "I'd better finish packing." I said quietly. He nodded.

Before I walked out the door for the second time, I turned around and looked at the floor next to his feet. "Oh, Draco? You've dropped your pocket." I said, with a straight face. He looked down, and I burst into laughter.

"Damn you."

The next day, we headed back to Hogwarts. After a lot of hugs from Narcissa, we disapparated to Platform 9 and 3/4. Draco and I climbed aboard the Hogwarts Express.

"I'm going to go sit with Ginny today, alright?" I asked.

He scoffed. "Since when did you need my permission?"

"Good point...well see you then!" I said, waving two fingers at him and walking down the isle of the train.

I looked into each compartment, scanning for Ginny. I looked into one compartment. "Ah! Harry! Ron! Ginny!" I said, sliding into the compartment.

"Hello 'Mione." said Harry, smiling warmly at me.

"Hi 'Mione." said Ginny, who was holding Harry's hand. I smiled at that.

"Eh Ermahneh." said Ron, whose mouth was full of Chocolate Frogs.

"What?" I asked.

He swallowed. "Hey Hermione."

"Merlin Ronald! Do you ever stop eating?" I asked.

He shrugged. "What? I'm hungry!" he protested.

Ginny reached over, took the rest of the giant stash of Chocolate Frogs, and offered me one. "Frog?" she asked.

"I'm fine, thank you." I said.

"Oi! Why are you offering people my food?" yelled Ron.

Ginny ignored him. Neville suddenly came walking by. "Ah Neville! Care for a Frog?" she asked. He took one, causing Ron to attack him to get it back.

"Don't mind him Neville! Hurry and run!" I called. He dashed out of sight, leaving an angry Ron laying in the isle.

Within minutes, we reached Hogwarts, and after another hour or so, we were all settled in the Great Hall.

"Welcome back everyone! I hope your little break was wonderful! So please dig into our welcome back feast!" called Professor Dumbledore. Food appeared on our plates.

Ron, of course, was already piling loads of mashed potatoes onto his plates.

"Honestly Ron! You are going to get so fat that you are going to turn into a giant balloon, and then toy won't even be able to fit through doorways! And then we the whole school's going to have traffic jams thanks to you! So when that happens, I will be there, laughing my ass off." declared Ginny.

I burst into laughter, and Ron just glared.

Harry gave a hearty laugh. "And this is why I love her." he said, smiling widely.

The next day, I was forced to wake up. I got my clothes on and did a cleaning spell and I walked out of my room. Draco was just coming out of his, looking clean and crisp. He took a look at me and burst into laughter. "Well, good morning, Sleeping Beauty." he said, sarcastically. I wanted to hit him, but I could gather the energy. Instead, I settled with "Damn you. How can you be so awake?" I asked.

"I don't know. I just am." he said.

I growled at him, and we both headed out the door for the Great Hall for breakfast.

When we reached the hall, I took a seat next to Ginny.

"Merlin Hermione! Are you even awake?" she exclaimed.

"Physically, but not mentally." I said, my head plopping down onto the table.

"Well, she needs a wake-up call." said Harry.

"HEY HERMIONE! SNAPE GAVE YOUR POTIONS ESSAY A 2 OUT OF 10!" yelled a loud voice.

I shot up. "I DEMAND A RE-GRADE!" I shouted. I looked around me, and all I saw was people trying to hold in their laughter. An arm snaked in around my shoulders. "Well there you are! Awake and ready to face the day." chuckled Draco. I rolled my eyes.

"I hate you." I said, my eyes narrowing.

"I know."

Draco POV

Breakfast was over, and Hermione and I headed into Potions. It was reasonably easy, especially since Hermione was my partner, and also extremely boring.

Transfiguration came, then Defense Against the Dark Arts. Finally, I headed into Divinations, one of the few classes I didn't have with Hermione, since she couldn't stand the class. As I walked in, I saw a huge group of people crowding around someone.

"What's going on?" I said loudly. Suddenly, a horribly familiar voice rang out. "Drakie!"

A tall, slender girl wearing green-and-black robes came out from the middle of the group. She brushed her long, straight, dark brown hair behind her shoulder.

Pansy. She's back.

Oh shit. This is not going to end up well.

A/N: Yep. I brought Pansy in.

And real fast, since I know I'm going to have questions about this, I just wanted to say that for the purposes of this fanfic, I decided to make Pansy leave Hogwarts for the first term, so now, she's back. I will explain more about her in the next chapter, so please hold your questions! If they aren't answered by then, go ahead and ask those questions :)

Another thing, I am sad to report, is that I will be traveling for the next few days, so I won't be able to update for a while... :( But when I can, I most definitely will upload the next chapter ASAP! I just had to upload before I leave...

So I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Luv,

Cherri