An hour later Hermione was standing by Neville as he unlocked a large, oak door. They had gone to Professor McGonagall's office and then Neville had walked to a portrait behind her desk. He lifted from the wall, the occupant staring at him curiously, and then took the large, round end of the key and pressed it to a indentation on the wall. A handle had appeared and after hanging the portrait back up, Neville had turned it and indicated for Hermione to follow him. They descended some stone steps, along a very narrow and badly lit corridor at the end of which had been this door.

As Neville turned the key, Hermione put her hand on his arm. "I feel completely nervous and excited about this! What a privileage!"

Neville nodded and pushed on the heavy door. They stepped into the room and both stared in awe. Hermione had been expecting a small, dusty little room with a few cabinets but she couldn't have been more wrong. The room they had just entered was cavernous, with a high domed ceiling and seemingly hundreds of shelves, crammed with rolls of parchment, files and documents. Hermione almost felt slightly faint at the sight. It was awe inspring.

"Bloody hell!" Neville said beside her. "Bloody hell!"

Hermione stepped towards the nearest shelf and ran her hands along it. "This is incredible!"

They spent at least half an hour just walking around, picking up random things and examining old files.

"Hermione!" Neville called her. "Come and look at this." He was holding a large file and Hermione walked over to him. "It's an assessment of our performance in Charms from our first term."

Hermione giggled as she read lines from it. "Mr Potter is undoubtedly a capable pupil but he lacks the ability to remain focused." She jumped a few lines. "Mr Malfoy, as expected excels in this subject. He is hard working and a very quick learner." Hermione stopped reading and pulled a face. "We can't let him see this!"

"We should try and find some sort of index for the shelves, shouldn't we?" Neville suggested and they set about doing that. Unfortunately and typically of Hogwarts there didn't seem to be a logical order to the filing. It was as if the documents had just been added as they were not longer in use.

"I'm guessing these shelves are the more recent ones," Hermione said after a while and Neville nodded.

"We need to go now, we've missed lunch!" he said. "If you can tell the other two at some point this afternoon and then we could all come back later?"

"Yes - I will."

"Keep it quiet, Hermione."

"I know."

As Neville locked the large door he glanced over at her. "I feel hopeful that there might be something to help in there, do you?"

"Yes, I do," Hermione agreed. She patted Neville's arm. "Thank you for helping, Neville."

"Don't be ridiculous! Why on earth do you think you have to thank me? Of course I'll help you."

"Which lucky students have the pleasure of your knowledge next lesson then?" Hermione asked with a grin.

"1st years!" Neville's tone conveyed his feelings on this and Hermione chuckled.

"We were first years once!"

"I know and I do try to be tolerant. I remember how awful I was!"

"I think you're being unfair to yourself."

"No I'm not, stop being nice," Neville answered. They had climbed the stone steps and he was shutting the door under the portrait.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter. You're living proof of how wonderful someone can turn out to be, no matter how they start. You're an example of just how much Hogwarts can teach you." Hermione bit her lip, realising she was saying a bit too much but Neville playfully covered his face.

"Stop it! Did the great and knowledgeable Hermione Granger just call me wonderful? You'll have me blushing in a minute!"

Hermione laughed. "I mean it - you're one of the nicest people I know."

Neville twisted his lips. "Oh dear! It's definitely not a good sign when an attractive women tells you that you're nice! I mean attractive, hot, witty are fine but nice - that's not good."

Hermione shook her head, bewildered. "You're the other three as well," she said with a cheeky grin and actually she meant it because he was.

Neville bit his lip, his eyes dancing. "It's not use back pedalling now, Granger. You used the word nice and that's it!" He then stopped pretending to be offended and leant a bit closer. "I liked the 'hot' though. I'll remind you that you said that when I get round to asking you out again. You cut our first meeting a bit short."

"I know, I'm sorry." Hermione giggled and then looked around them. "But I'm not sure we should be having this conversation in Professor McGonagalls' office!"

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Harry and Draco were already waiting when Hermione got to the Quidditch stadium. Harry was hovering around on a broom, doing some twists and turns whilst Draco examined his own broom. The students were due in half an hour.

"Hi," Hermione said. Harry landed and came over to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked and Hermione saw Draco glance over at them.

"I don't know, Harry. This is a big thing for me."

"I know that and as much as we want to do it, I totally understand if you want to pull out."

Hermione leaned closer. "You might understand but there is no way on earth he will!" She nodded her head towards Draco. "He can't fly a broom without me, remember?"

"I did wonder if you should tell him," Harry said but Hermione shook her head vigourously.

"No way!"

"It's up to you, of course."

Draco approached them and Hermione turned to look at him. "Is everything okay?" Draco asked, sensing that something was going on.

"Harry's trying to reassure me," Hermione lied, quickly. "So can you show me what we'll be doing on the broom?"

Draco looked up at her. "You want me to show you?"

Hermione looked around the Quiddtich stadium. "Well, no - I meant tell me, so I know what to expect."

Draco stepped closer and pretended to mount the broom. "So I'll do a vertical climb..."

"That's not vertical is it?"

"No - it just means you climb steeply and it's a great skill to have when playing Quidditch. I'll then do a few of the stunt moves that we will have talked to them about. A quick stop, a half turn loop, a dodge..."

"Oh my god!"

"What?" Draco asked, impatiently.

"I have an idea what some of those are but I do not like the sound of any of them!"

"I thought you'd know what they all are now you charm brooms for a living," Draco said. "And now you can fly."

"Compared to you and Harry I can hardly fly. It's all very basic stuff," Hermione said, giving the broomstick a glare. "And I haven't done it for a while."

Draco's eyes now had amusement in them. He stepped close and leant towards her. "Hermione, I promise you will be perfectly safe as long as you do one thing."

"Which is?"

"Don't let go of me - if you do then you and I will have a close encounter with the stadium floor."

Hermione's face showed her terror at this idea. "What if you do a stunt that means I lose my grip? Maybe we should keep it a bit safer."

"If you lose your grip then find it again quickly!" Draco suddenly grinned and then stepped even closer. "Did you want to practise 'gripping' me now?"

"Only if it's around the throat," Hermione managed a quick answer back and Harry gave a little chuckle at Hermione's answer.

"Maybe the two of you should just do a couple of circuits around. Just so Hermione knows how it will feel - we have a few minutes spare."

Draco looked at Hermione. "Do you want to?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "No! I want to go to the library and bury my head in a book but as I don't have that option I suppose a fly around is a good idea."

Without a moment's hesitation, Draco mounted his broomstick and indicated for Hermione to climb on behind him. She did so feeling uneasy and uncomfortable. Not only was she about to do one of her least favourite things but she was about to do it whilst clinging to Draco Malfoy.

"Put your arms right round me," Draco instructed.

Hermione glanced over at Harry, who nodded encouragingly and then she reached around Draco and held onto him. Suddenly, a strange feeling washed across Hermione. Instead of feeling worse as the moment she had been dreading finally arrived, she felt better. She felt warm, content and happy. Draco had stopped before he kicked off and he turned to look at her over her shoulder.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked, sensing that something was going on.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "I felt different."

"Stop thinking about it, Hermione. Just hang on and relax," Harry said, thinking she just meant she was nervous.

Draco remained silent and so Hermione wrapped her arms around him again and this time he pushed off. He rose swiftly and Hermione's wonderful, contented feeling was overtaken by a desire to scream her head off. She realised she'd been worrying unnecessarily about not being able to hang onto Draco. There was no way in a million years that she was letting go of him! He suddenly swung the broom left, circling the stadium.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked, over his shoulder. Hermione nodded but couldn't speak."Are you sure?"

"No!"

"Relax - take in the view." Draco swung the broom around and he was right, from up here there was an incredible view not that Hermione was in the mood to appreciate it. Flying on a broom had always been one of her least favourite things to do but now it was like opening a door to a terrible nightmare and if she was a weaker person, she would never have done it again. But she wasn't weak and she wouldn't give into her fears and memories. Draco was speaking again. "I'm going to circle twice and then do a quick stop and half turn loop. It'll feel fast so hang on."

"Can't wait," Hermione mumbled. Draco flew left around the stadium and then suddenly and amazingly quickly he stopped, flinging them both forward on the broom as the back end lifted. Hermione clung to him, her head buried in his back. She didn't care who he was, right now she just wanted to be as close to him as possible. The next moment she gasped as she was suddenly swung around and ended up facing the opposite end of the stadium. Bloody hell he could fly! Hermione knew a few of the stunts from having to charm the brooms and she knew this was advanced stuff.

"Still okay?" Draco asked.

"Yes - I'm having the time of my life!"

"Leave the sarcasm to me," Draco said and he nodded his head to the left. Hermione followed his gaze and saw Harry hovering a small distance away.

"What's happening now?" she asked.

"I'm going to demonstrate a dodge. Harry will follow behind us and as he catches us up I stop and let him fly past before turning and flying in the other direction. Hang on because you'll be thrown about a bit."

He was right! Hermione was flung forward, then down, then left. Harry hovered close again, shouting over to them.

"That was great!" He looked at Hermione anxiously. "Are you still okay, Hermione?"

"Yeh, I thinks so."

"We should land now - the students will be here soon," he said before flying away from them, towards the ground but Draco didn't follow him.

"Why aren't we following him?" Hermione asked, nervously.

"Why is Potter so concerned about you?" Draco asked and Hermione bit her lip behind him. They needed to be careful because he was perceptive.

"He knows how much I hate this."

"But you can fly now? Surely that's made it easier?"

"Not really."

"Well, the whole point of you being here isn't to ride passenger while I perform stunts," Draco said. "So we thought you should demonstrate what you've learnt, despite your fear."

"Oh god."

"We thought you could land? Do you know how to do that?" Draco raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Of course I know how to land! How do you think I ever got off the broom?"

"I mean from this height, with me on the back and elegantly?" Draco asked.

"No, no and no! I told you, it was basic stuff."

Draco turned round more to face her. "I don't know who it was who taught you but they deserve a medal! It must have been a nightmare!"

"Thanks."

"So don't descend too quickly and watch the balance. The broom is more difficult to handle with a passenger..."

Hermione interrupted him. "I hate to point out the obvious but I'm at the back of the broom. I can't fly it from here."

"No - we'll have to do a switch."

"No way!" Hermione almost let go of him.

Draco grinned. "So you know what a switch is then?"

"Yes I do and never in a million years will I do one." A switch was when the two people on a broom changed places. It was a skilled manoeuvre that involved one of the riders swinging around the other, whilst still maintaining the delicate balance.

"You don't have to do much, except shuffle forward. I'll do the difficult part," Draco reassured her but she shook her head.

"No way."

"It'll impress the students."

"I really don't care."

Draco flew downwards and she thought he had given in but she was wrong. He approached Harry and shouted over.

"She doesn't want to do the switch but I'll persuade her. Do we have time?" Harry nodded and looked at Hermione questioningly. Before she could indicate that she really didn't want to Draco flew high again and then turned to her. "Have you seen what broom you're riding?"

"It's yours isn't it?"

"I mean the make of it. It's a lightning broom - you should have faith in your own invention."

"I bet it's not the one with the self deploying safety net?" Hermione asked, knowing full well it wouldn't be. That broom was for beginners and Draco most definitely didn't fall into that category.

"No - you know it's not but it is the pro-balance so it will stay steady."

Hermione obviously knew that this meant the broom helped with keeping the broom balanced. It was used by the top Quidditch players because it allowed them to manoeuvre the broom quickly. It didn't reassure her though because nothing would. She began to feel anxious, some old feelings resurfacing. She knew she couldn't do it and she just hoped that the little truce that she and Draco had would make him be understanding when she told him. "I'm sorry but I really can't do it - I'm not being pathetic. I can't explain it to you but I just can't do it."

She waited for his scathing reply, holding her breath. He wasn't going to be happy about this at all and she actually began to feel quite upset by the situation she was being placed in and knowing she was being a coward. After a prolonged moment she realised he hadn't spoke and she lifted her eyes to find him looking at her. His expression wasn't one of impatience or condemnation, his eyes were soft and questioning. Unfortunately, this surprising show of patience just made Hermione feel even more emotional and she screwed her eyes up, willing herself not to cry.

"You're upset," Draco said, still half turned to her.

"I know you'll think this is ridiculous but I can't help it," Hermione tried to keep her voice steady but failed.

"It's okay - we can try to include you flying in the second lesson." Draco turned and flew down towards the ground, landing them gently.

"Hermione?" Harry's face was anxious but Hermione just shook her head at him.

"I couldn't do it, Harry. I'm sorry."

"I told her we could try and include her flying in the second masterclass, " Draco said. He looked from Hermione to Harry then back again. "But maybe it would help if I knew what the problem was?"

"I'm sorry I can't tell you," Hermione said, her voice quiet. She watched him again anxiously, still waiting for a reaction but he just studied her for a second before nodding.

"Will you be okay to do the stunts as my passenger? I can't do them without you?" Draco asked.

"Yes - I'll do that, of course," Hermione tried to convey how sorry she felt for spoiling their plan but the words seemed inadequate.

The first students started arriving and Hermione tried to pin a smile on her face. That awful, down feeling was with her again and she hated it. As Draco and Harry started the masterclass, Hermione let her mind wonder to the feeling she had when she'd first got on the broom with Draco. She should have been feeling terrible, scared and nervous but instead it was as if the weight she felt she was carrying around had lifted. As if the sun had come out from behind a cloud. Was it from touching Draco? Was it because when she did, her magic was re-established?

A loud round of applause drew her attention back and she turned to see Harry a few feet from the floor, demonstrating positions with Draco on the ground, directly beneath him, demonstrating the same position. It looked affective and Hermione could see how this would be a great help. Not only that she actually felt herself being drawn into the demonstration, watching the positions and listening to what they were used for. The dialogue was quick and funny, switching between Harry and Draco and Hermione was stunned by how well they worked together. Who would have thought it?

When it was time for her and Draco to do their stunts, Draco introduced her and explained about her fears and how she had tried to overcome them. He then explained what he was going to demonstrate and mounted the broom. Hermione got on behind him, feeling a little self conscious in front of the students and as soon as she slipped her arms around Draco the warm feeling hit her again. She didn't have time to think about it though because she was soon clinging on again, hoping it would all be over soon.

Hope this was okay? I'm throwing in a few unanswered questions and stuff to keep the plot moving but not much Dramione so how about I make up for it next chapter? Let me know what you think so far - do you like how it is progressing? x