So... I know that I made Crabbe and Goyle super evil, even though they're not that bad in the movies and books. I just needed something horrific to happen to really get Draco to realize his true feelings.

Chapter 11

Draco stared at the ceiling in his common room as he sat on the sofa near the fireplace as it was roaring away. His classmates were sitting around the common room, and Pansy was sitting next to him talking to Blaze, but Draco wasn't paying attention to their conversation. He had just gotten back from the Room of Requirement after a successful session of testing the transportation wardrobe. But that and the fact that he still hasn't come up with another way to let the headmaster go easy yet, without having to even need the wardrobe, wasn't on his mind and giving him a headache.

He actually realized that he's in love with a past nemesis. Or could it be love? He hasn't had any experience in love before, obviously, so he wasn't positive that that's what he was feeling. Who would know? He looked over at Pansy. Would she? She's a girl. Girls know all about love, right? But would Pansy be the best one to ask, considering her feelings for him? What about Annabelle?

Draco grunted, amused. Of course Annabelle would say that he's in love with Hermione because that is what's supposed to happen, according to her. He looked over at Pansy again and saw that she had stopped talking with Blaze, who was talking with another Slytherin boy. Not Crabbe or Goyle. He heard that their parents were contacted, and they would meet with Dumbledore to discuss a punishment. He hopes it's bad.

"Hey, Pansy," he said and she looked over at him.

"What?"

"I want to ask you something... and I don't want to ask it in here where it can be heard, and I mean the portraits, too."

Her brows rose, and he noticed her cheeks flush pink. He didn't want to think about what she was thinking. "Alright. How about the hallway leading to the shared lavatory?"

The shared lavatory that no one likes using, and was just off from the room that they were in. Everyone usually uses the ones upstairs where the bunk rooms are because they are far cleaner, and gender specific. "Alright."

They both got up and walked to that hallway, and went far into it, near the door to the restroom, so no one had a chance at hearing. Pansy leaned against the wall, and she ran fingers through her straight dark brown hair. Draco stood near the wall opposite her. "So, what did you want to ask me, Draco?"

He stood there with his hands in his black slacks pockets, and his heart hammering. How is he going to start this conversation? "Well... I just wanted to pick your brain about something, I suppose, and I don't know who else to ask." He knew he was going to regret it, but he asked anyway: "What do you know about being in love with someone?"

Her eyes widened at that, and he could've laughed at how red her cheeks got, but he remained serious. She cleared her throat, a tad flustered. "Well, um... that really is quite the question, Draco."

"And do you have an answer?"

She met his gaze and said in a saddened tone, "I know something about it, considering I've been in love with the same person since year one."

He knew exactly who she was talking about, but he didn't say anything on that. "Okay, so... what it's like? I mean, what is it, exactly?"

She took a step up to him, and there appeared an almost seductive look in her brown eyes. "Well... it's when you always want to be with this person all the time, and you want them to always be happy. Why? Are you in love with someone, Draco?"

He knew what she wanted him to say. He's going to have to make himself clear. "Yes, I think so. And Pansy... I'm sorry, but it's not you. You know that."

She frowned and leaned back against the wall, her arms folded. She looked away from him. "Unfortunately I do. And why ask me this when you know that you're the person who I'm crazy in love with?"

He tried not to let her confession affect him, even though he's heard it before. "Because you know about it. Now—you said it's when you want to be with the other person all the time, and you want to make them happy? What about wanting to make sure that no harm comes to them?"

She nodded. "Yes, there's that, too. And the person you love can also make you angry at times, but also terribly happy."

Again, he knew she was talking about him. And he couldn't help but think that what she said applies to what he thinks about Hermione. He smirked. "I see. What about wanting nothing more than to snog her?"

Pansy's nose twerked. "Yes, that as well. So, are you going to tell me who is she? Surely it's not that mudblood that Crabbe and Goyle beat up, and you brought her to the hospital wing after? The whole school is talking about it."

His hands went more into his pockets. His silence was enough answer for her. She let out a gasp.

"Draco, you can't be serious! She's a mudblood! Oh, good Lord, you want to snog a mudblood! You're really not in your right mind!"

He shot her a glare, and didn't like the disgusted look on her face. "I'm well aware that she's a mudblood, Pansy. And stop calling her that. She's a muggle-born who's very intelligent, gutsy, and is able to see that I have a bit of good in me that no one thinks that I have after bullying people to no end since year one. She sees past all that and... other things." Death Eater things.

"I really can't believe it..." she awed and Draco saw her shake her head back and forth. "So you pulled me away to ask me, the girl who's in love with you, if you're in love with a mudblood? And you even revealed that you wanted to snog her! You've gone mental, Draco! Either that, or someone tipped you a love potion."

It was moot trying to tell her not to call Hermione a mudblood. "There was no love potion involved. But whatever, Pansy. It is how it is. Now, I came to you since you are one of my friends and I trust your word. So, what do you think? I'm overly protective of her, I think she pretty and smart, and I really like talking to her. She's made me a better person, I think."

Pansy let out a long breath, giving up. "Okay, okay, Draco. If you want an answer, then yes. I think you are, as ludicrous as it is."

Draco smiled. He was right. He's in love with Hermione.

"Now can I go?"

"Yeah, thanks. And don't tell anyone about this."

"Everyone thinks you've gone soft because of that girl, so people probably suspect already."

"Pansy, please."

"Fine, fine. I promise."

She left and Draco couldn't stop smiling, knowing how he really felt. He walked out into the common room. His smile vanished. He saw two people walk in, two people who everyone looked at since all of Slytherin knew what they did. Given, some didn't care, which bothered Draco, but others were angry. Given Slytherin has not the nicest people in it, most of them wouldn't beat someone up almost to death. Maybe the occasional bullying.

Draco's hands balled into fists in his pockets, and anger rose in him, making his heart pound. The two large boys walked more into the circular room, but stopped when they saw Draco standing there, frowning, and giving them a deadly look. Fear overcame their features and hey hustled on passed him up to the boys' bunk room. Draco stood there for a moment.

He's not going to let this one sit. Refusing to heed Pansy when she said not to do anything stupid, he cantered on up the stairs and into the bunk room and saw Crabbe and Goyle by their beds. The Slytherins that were already in the room stared as Draco walked up to the two, still giving them that deadly look.

"Draco," Crabbe said. "Look..."

Before he could say anything more, Draco decked the pudgy boy in the jaw as hard as he could, and he fell onto a bed. Goyle went after Draco, but Draco did the same thing and both boys lay there on the bed, blood oozing out of their mouths. Draco got out his wand and pointed it at the both of them, which stopped them from making any further movements.

"You're lucky I won't rip the two of you to shreds," he bit out, his knuckles turning white around his wand and his eyes stinging with new tears. "You almost killed her. She would have been dead if I didn't get there when I did!" They said nothing and just stared at the end of Draco's wand like a gun was pointed at them. "Don't you dare touch her again, you hear me?! I swear, I'll kill the both of you if you do."

Draco put his wand away and stalked on out of the bunk room, down into the common room and out the door into the lone corridor, ignoring people whispering about him and Hermione.

His hand throbbed from punching those two as hard as he could, but he could take it. It felt good getting revenge for the girl he loves.

Draco waited until the next evening to go and visit Hermione. He knew Madam Pomphrey shooed everyone out after dinner at seven, thanks to Annabelle telling him so since she was there visiting Hermione herself. Now, it was after 9:30, when people would be heading to their common rooms.

His heart raced with excitement in seeing her and seeing how she's doing. According to passing Gryffindor students, she was still healing, but still asleep. He knew she would be sleeping for a while to allow the potions and other medicine to work their magic. He was just glad that she was on the mend.

He made his way to the hospital wing and sneaked inside. Not a soul was around, just a couple of people in beds on the far side of the room, people who were asleep from the looks of it, then Hermione lay in the bed right to his left. He walked up to her slowly, and stopped when he saw her full form.

No cuts or bruises were visible anywhere, and the blood was completely gone. Her hair looked light and wispy, not like its wavy, often tangled mess that it's usually in, and it was free of blood clots. Her light pink pajamas, put on her by Madam Pomphrey after Ginny Weasley got them for her, was perfect and neat... and her face... not a spec. Her ivory skin was porcelain smooth. Her eyes were closed, and were surrounded by long, dark lashes. And then her mouth... pink and shapely.

Hermione is beautiful, and he couldn't look away from her. The cleaning spells they used on her made this way, or... she is naturally this beautiful. Yes, she's naturally beautiful. His heart pounded against his ribs so hard, he could hear it through his head. He stood there, staring at her, and recalling what happened to her... It will forever be in his memory, unless he obliviates it from his mind. He's debating with himself if he should do that or not. Maybe not, since he really wants to chide Hermione first for going out on her own again.

"If only you weren't so proud," he said to her, even though she most likely couldn't hear him. "Those brutes... they won't bother you again. I made sure of it."

He noticed her chest rise and sink slowly as she breathed. He stared at her face, and he felt something catch his throat at remembering things that happened in the past.

"I know I already said so in the library, but... sorry for what I did to you and your friends the past six years," he confessed. "You were right that time. I took it out on you guys because I just..." He sucked in a breath. "I was in pain. I hated my life. I took it out on other people to make myself feel better. And now, when I saw first-hand what I've been doing to people, what Crabbe and Goyle were doing to you because of my influence... I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't. That's why I started to hate bullying, and tried to stop it." He paused and took a step up to her, his gaze never leaving her smooth features and long lashes. He muttered softly, "Especially when it had to do with you."

Hermione remained still and motionless, other than her breathing. She's asleep, so she won't know what he's saying to her.

"The truth is Hermione... yes, I care. I care about you, and a little too much. More than I expected to care about a girl I once wanted dead. Honestly, I couldn't help it. I couldn't help feeling like I needed to protect you and care about you. I think I might go mad if I don't know that you're safe."

He took and let out some shaky breaths, and his gaze went to her pink lips. He leaned down over her and he could smell that same perfume that drove him mad.

"I'm bloody mad about you, Hermione. I didn't want to be, but... it just happened. Now, I..."

Those lips of hers were begging to be touched. His will weak, he leaned down and pressed his own lips against them. He immediately felt their softness and warmth, and the feeling of them sent a rather pleasurable feeling through him. He wanted to feel more of it, more of her lips... he moved his own over them once, then again.

He's in reality, kissing Hermione Granger. Willingly. And he doesn't want to stop. Her moved his mouth over hers again, and even felt her teeth with his tongue.

Someone stepped in the background, and, in sheer alarm, he disconnected from Hermione's mouth. He stared at her for a moment, then up at whoever made a noise. It was Madam Pomphrey. She was looking right at him. She pointed to her watch, silently telling him to get on to his common room since it was almost curfew. He nodded, then looked back at Hermione. He wanted to kiss her again. He leaned in and gave her another quick kiss on her soft lips and stood.

"Mr. Malfoy, time to go," Madam Pomphrey said.

"Yes, alright," he said. "Um... could you you not tell anyone about what I just did?"

She smirked. "I won't tell a soul."

He nodded and left the hospital wing after one last look at Hermione. After he left the wing, he grinned to himself.

He kissed her. His first kiss was with Hermione Granger, and he he loved it, and got away with it, mainly because she was asleep. Too bad she was. Then again, maybe it's a good thing she was. He may have gotten another broken nose from her if she was awake.

The next day, Draco sat at the Slytherin table with Pansy and Blaze on either side of him. He looked off at the Gryffindor table and saw Potter and Weasley, as well as Hermione's other friends. They were all talking with one another. He fought the urge to use the voice enhancing spell. They were most likely talking about Hermione's state, and how much they want to clobber Crabbe and Goyle—who were presently in a meeting with their parents, Dumbledore, and Hermione's parents. Yes, Hermione's parents, here at Hogwarts. They came to the school and have already seen their daughter. Draco caught a glimpse of the muggles as he was on his way to breakfast. He knew they were Hermione's parents since he saw her in the man's facial features, and the woman had the same hair as her.

"Did you hear? Hermione Granger's awake!"

Draco jumped out of his thoughts and saw a boy run up to the Gryffindor table to where Hermione's friends were. The boy said it again, and Potter and Weasley shot up and exited the Great Hall in a few seconds, with a few of Hermione's other friends trailing them. Draco sat there where he was, his fist clenching with the desire to go and see her. His heart hammered with that desire, but knew Hermione's friends would be there seeing her also.

Damn it all.

He got up, with Pansy asking where he was going, but he didn't answer her and briskly walked out of the Great Hall. As he strode down the corridors, he heard some people say that they heard Hermione is awake and talking. The situation with her has become school-wide, and the fact the saved her life traveled as well. People even knew that it was Crabbe and Goyle's fault.

Draco finally made it to the wing and flung the heavy doors open. As expected, he saw Hermione's friends there around her bed—Potter, Weasley, the Weasley sister, and a couple of other Gryffindors—a boy and girl, maybe that Finnegan boy and someone else. The Weasley girl turned her head and saw him. Her eyes widened. "Malfoy's here."

All there near the bed turned to see Draco standing there, out of breath. He didn't care that all of them were staring at him. He walked straight over to Hermione's bedside, and saw that she was very much awake, and looking as healthy—and as pretty—as ever, with her eyes bright, her skin smooth, and all her teeth there. Her eyes widened the moment she saw him. "Draco!" she gasped, and her cheeks gained color.

He glared at her as he had his arms folded over his chest. She definitely read the look that he was giving her. She looked away from him and at the ceiling. "I know exactly what you're going to say, Draco, so save the lecture."

He couldn't hold this in. He's has to speak his mind. "After all that I asked, after all that I have done for you, you go and almost get yourself killed by those two devils! They left you to die! Are you aware of that?!"

She glared at him. "I'm well aware of that, Draco!"

"Then why did you go out by yourself again, huh?!"

Tears started appearing in her eyes, and she looked away from him at the ceiling again. "Draco, will you stop it?" Weasley demanded. "We've already gave her that lecture, and made her promise to always have someone with her. Just leave her alone."

"Leave her alone when she's alive because of me?"

That silenced him and the expressions on the other's faces told him that they knew what he said is true. If he hadn't gotten to her in time... she wouldn't be alive, probably from bleeding internally. That would be another death he would blame himself for, and it would be worse since he cares so much about her.

"Thank you, Draco." He looked to her and saw her hazel eyes release tears. His expression softened as her sincere gaze held his. "Thank you for always looking out for me and rescuing me when I was too proud to get out of situations myself. And... thank you for saving my life. It was actually difficult to believe that you did, at least for everyone who found out about it."

"She's right," the Weasley girl said. "Are you on some 'nice' potion or something?"

He ignored that and kept Hermione's gaze. He should say something, though his throat felt a tad tight. "You're welcome. Just don't ever go out on your own again, you hear me? I don't care if those idiots are locked away or whatever, you're always going to be with another person, got it?"

"Yes, yes, alright? I hear you. Now keep your voice down. My head hurts."

Oh. She's still healing. "Sorry. Just mind what I said."

"Fine."

Hermione's friends' eyes widened at Draco's apology, shocked that the school bully actually apologized for something. Well, he's not the school bully anymore, but still, it was shocking to them.

"So, how much longer are you in for?" Draco asked, looking at her pretty face.

"Two more days. My insides still need time recovering, as well as my bones." She sighed, frustrated. "It's going to be dreadfully boring, just lying here for two days straight."

"Serves you right," Draco remarked. "It's a rightful punishment for being too proud and not listening to me."

"Rub it in, will you? I already feel horribly about it. Just stop badgering me about it, alright?"

He smirked at that, and happened to looked over at her friends. It was really comical, the way those five gawked at him and his and Hermione's banter. He should just leave, as much as he doesn't want to.

"Well, I will be off," he said. "Don't move from this bed until you're healed, got it?"

"Yes, father," she mocked, and he let out a smile at that. He turned and heard from the Finnegan boy as he was going out the hospital wing's doors, "Wow, that was really something, seeing Malfoy get mad at you for not being careful. Are you sure he's not on Euphoria potion or something?"

It really was shocking to everyone that he saved Hermione. Nothing can be changed now since word will spread like wildfire, mainly the fact that Draco Malfoy is protective of Hermione Granger. And like Crabbe and Goyle, they're going to suspect him of fancying her. Well, they wouldn't be wrong. They wouldn't be wrong even if they went far enough to say that he's in love with her.

Since he is. Too bad Hermione's friends were in there. He would have gone in, given her a sharp reprimand, then he would lean down and kiss her, no matter her reaction afterwards. He was just so bloody relieved that she's better, and... yes, he just wanted to kiss her and feel those lips again.

He grimaced. Why did those five have to be in there? He should have chosen to see her while class was going.