Vonne: I got so many lovely reviews on the last chapter and I apologize that it took me slightly longer than it did to update this. However, I have it up now, so hopefully, all is well. ANYWAYS, I've got some good news and some bad news. Whichever you'd like to hear first is your choice (because you can read this next sentence first or last depending on how you like it). So, the bad news is that this fiction is going to end soon- at 30 chapters, I think I would like to stop writing this fiction. The Good News? I'm going to make a SECOND PART to this in the form of another fiction. So, it will just be a continuation of this story (which will end in the form of leaving it open for a second, anyway). Hopefully that makes the bad news not so bad, too. However, if you are absolutely OPPOSED to this idea, please let me know in a review. I'm doing this due to the fact that I HATE exceedingly long fictions that seem to go on forever and ever and ever...

Still, this will end on a hopeful note for Hermione and Draco's relationship, though it WILL NOT tie up the loose ends that I am planning on covering in the second one. Now, to the review responses, then chapter twenty four!

Thwarted Moony: I adore you! :) Your review made my day, absolutely. Thanks so much for it. Anyway, I tried to make this chapter a bit silly for the lot of you. It offers a bit of hope in Draco's life, I think. I hope you like it.

Mudkiprox: Thanks! I'm so glad you like this! Anyway, as for your question about Harry and Ron finding out about Draco... I'm actually planning on having that happen in the second part of this. Hopefully you'll keep reading? :)

Megjac: Thank you! :)

Donni: I just realized that I didn't address you in my last review responses and I felt so empty! HA! Anyways, just popping in to say-- my mistake! I love hearing form you all the time. :)

Shining Bright Eyes: I'm glad you liked reading the parts where Hermione and Draco talk face to face. It's funny because I've always imagined them to bicker all the time, even though I love the idea of the two of them ending up together (even though I also love Ron x Hermione, too). Oh, and thanks for the compliments. :) I'm not looking for a beta and all those problems you described in having one just makes my head hurt! HA

Jade2099: Thanks for your review-- and you're totally right. In the light of day, things will be much more different.

Zejewbum: Your review was such a big compliment to me! Thanks so much! And I totally agree with you about the Draco x Hermione pairings-- it should be as realistic as possible, which is
why I wanted to take it slow. Hermione and Draco would NEVER just instantly have feelings for each other. Not even slightly possible. These things take time!

Avanell: Thanks! I hope this chapter answers all of your questions! :)

Rain Unwritten: Thank you! I know you reviewed on chapter one, but still, thanks! :) I hope you're still interested.

Chapter Twenty Four:
Closet Case

Hermione Granger blinked herself awake. She'd had herself a rather peaceful night and she felt just about ready for the morning as she spread herself out on top of her bouncy mattress. Her hair slightly flattened underneath the cushion of her chin and with her steady fingers, she pulled the brunette strands stuck to her face away from herself soothingly. She did the cliche; stretching vibrantly before searching her room as a whole. Everything was as she'd remembered, the candle out and the curtains drawn. On the floor near the corner of her bedroom, there was a pile of bed sheets resting in a heap, but no one was buried beneath those covers.

The first word that Hermione Granger muttered that morning, which had once begun as a peaceful one, was, "shit."She slid from the bed with a groan, angry with herself for having fallen asleep, and stumbled over to her dresser. Her fast moving hands quickly scurried around the drawers, shifting through silky scarfs and socks. Finally she pulled out out what was her generally unused flannel button-up and stuffed her arms through it. Bending down swiftly, she pulled her discarded socks off of the garbage bin that her bedroom had become and started towards the door.

"Well!" Ron Weasley exclaimed the moment he saw Hermione emerge from her room, looking distraught and a bit overly jittery, "how nice of you to greet the world!"

Tying off the straps of her sweatpants, Hermione didn't quite look Ron in the eye when she told him lifelessly, "not now, Ronald." Struck, Ron reeled back, exchanging looks with Harry, who only shrugged in the corner. "Did any of you see... uh... anyone in the house this morning?"

Ron raised a single eyebrow. His freckled face gave a slight twitch of confusion and then he cocked his chin towards the kitchen counter. "Nope, haven't seen anyone," he said, "though someone did decide to make tea this morning. Unless you did so in your sleep." Hermione's eyes followed the direction in which Ron's face was locked towards. The doors of the cabinets were left open, and the good china was pulled out, set up on a nice little tray that she was sure she'd never used once after purchasing it. "And someone sliced up oranges?"

Face flushing, Hermione shook her head, "that was me," she lied, slyly moving her eyes around the room. "I was trying to stay up last night." At the awkward expressions of her friends, she added, "for an experiment." Finally she caught it; the closet door was ever so slightly cracked open and, deep in the depths of the blackness that was behind the door, was the white outline of the very person she'd been hoping to find. Her thoughts buzzed and stupidly, she stammered out, "why are you two standing around? Aren't you tired? Sit!"

Ron flopped down on to the couch as if he were in dire need to oblige; Harry only slightly made his way towards the cushions, watched Hermione's eyes find theirs again, and sipped his tea suspiciously. "Feeling up to par there, Hermione?" he asked curiously, watching Hermione stumble backwards down towards the closet door. "You look like you've had one too many cups of tea."

"I have, Harry," Hermione counteracted unwillingly, "And I think I'm missing my coat. Have you seen my coat? I think it may be in the closet."

"Well you best go check for it, then!" Ron said jumpily, watching Hermione nod anxiously in agreement. Then, as she scooted back towards the open door, he whispered nervously in Harry's direction, "she's mental!"

However, he was probably more right than he'd very well known. The moment Hermione slipped into the closet, shutting the door instantly behind her, she turned around, pressed her back against the door, and said to the hidden figure of Draco Malfoy, "what the hell?"

"They just showed up!" Draco responded back, looking urgent and anxious.

Hermione once again let her hands grip her throbbing temples. "And so you hid in the closet?"

"What else was I going to do?" Draco hissed, "walk out the front door?" However, once he'd finished harshly croaking back at her, he winced, ran his palm in the front of his face, and groaned quietly. With his eyes pressed tightly shut, he informed her and the inside of his palm, "I don't think I've ever been this hungover in my life."

Hermione pressed her nose directly into Draco's. Breathlessly, she warned him, "keep it down!"

Heaving out, Draco had to fully consider what a morning it had been. Here, pitched in the closet with Hermione Granger, he was forced to consider the endless possibilities. Surely, never had he once thought such a moment was possible in his lifetime, let alone posses the ability not to insult her whilst with her. However, he found himself possessing the ability to keep quiet as she'd so advised. At the other side of the closet door, Ron Weasley cleared his throat, asked suspiciously, "er-- uh, Hermione? Find your coat in there yet?"

"No!" Hermione called back. With an ample amount of wit, she looked directly at Draco while she addressed Ron again, "but it seems as if it just can't stay put."

Ron shifted at the cushion of the seat, exchanged looks with Harry, who shrugged and said dryly, "shame."

"Yeah," Hermione hissed, still stuck glaring back at Draco Malfoy, "total shame."

Malfoy's face faltered. For a moment he'd completely forgotten about his hangover. He was, as a matter of fact, completely consumed in the face that this woman (because Hermione was now very much a woman) was so blunt with him. Wasn't she supposed to be sympathetic, caring, something? Or, perhaps, had he missed all that emotion last night? He had been, of course, rather intoxicated. The most he could remember was Goyle, after all. Nonetheless, he silenced himself, agreeing with Hermione that perhaps it was for the best that he kept himself quiet. "I do I get out of here?" he asked her, unfazed. In fact, he'd lost complete interest in playing nice with Hermione; she'd definitely ruined her chances.

Leaning forward, Hermione brushed her hand against Draco's lowered shoulder. Leaning in close, she hissed, "you keep quiet."

Malfoy stiffened. What was this? With her hand touching his shoulder so gently, didn't she realize that she was giving him mixed signals? Fine. Then, he'd keep harsh appearances up for the sake of things. So, Malfoy shut his lips, leaned his head backwards again, and nodded back to her, his face signifying that he'd meant to say aloud, "as you wish".

Hermione squirmed her way past Draco, whisked herself out from the depths of the closet, and stood in front of the door anxiously. "Oh well," she breathed restlessly, "I guess I've misplaced it."

"A bit uncharacteristic of you," Harry noted, still eyeing the closet. Something behind the lens of his round glasses made Hermione a bit nervous. It was as if he'd seen something, even if just merely out of the corner of his eye, that made her blood run cold. Under her breath, she swore to herself bitterly. "You sure you don't want to ask the closet again if your coat is in there someplace?"

Frozen, Hermione pretended to laugh. So he'd heard her 'talking' to someone, but that could have meant anything. "Nah," she chuckled slowly, "the closet's a bit dim, anyway. There's no reasoning with that thing." Rolling his eyes, Draco resisted jumping from the closet and strangling her just for the hell of it.

Momentarily Harry seemed to hold his gaze with Hermione, however, he instantly gave her what he suspected she needed; time to fix whatever it is that had been making her so anxious. "Ron," he said, still gazing at Hermione, "I'm going to go get the paper. Let's go and I'll buy you a beer."

"Deal." Ron said almost too instantly and as they lifted themselves from the couch, Harry only shrugged before exiting the house quietly.

Watching Harry and Ron exit, Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief. She almost couldn't quite contain herself as she sunk low, a bit limp and loose. When she spun around, she whisked the closet door open, red in the face, and planted both of her hands at her side. "You're lucky Harry's a bit too clever for his own good."

"I'm guessing you don't fancy a cup of tea?" Draco said in a mocking tone. As he pushed his way past Hermione, he rolled his eyes and peered out slightly through the curtains that hung over the window of her humble home. The image of both Harry and Ron disappearing away from the house was an all too pleasant one. Harry may have been clever, but even he couldn't have guessed that Draco Malfoy was involved in what Hermione was hiding from them and, truth of the matter was, Draco wouldn't have quite believed it himself.

Laughing sarcastically, Hermione tossed her head to one side. She pushed back her hair and blinked in absolute disbelief. "Well, you've guessed right I suppose."

"Lovely."

"Excellent."

Staring back eye to eye with the bitter woman, Draco found that he was growing rather heated. Who did this woman think she was, anyways? Surely she didn't expect Draco to have a keen personality when she'd been so rude. And, either way, Draco wasn't going to give it to her. He had no time for this foolishness-- not with this hangover, not with this headache. He said in a tone that was all too rushed and a bit sarcastic, "well, alright, Granger. I thank you for your hospitality and yet I've got to be on my way. Was fun."

However, Hermione seemed to take his hurry as an insult. "What?" she asked, watching him retreat back into her bedroom. He was bent down low on the floor, whisking up his jacket and shows from the floor. As he leaned back against the wall, he slipped each shoe on individually. "That's it?"

Draco looked up, slightly confused, he nodded, "yeah."

And before she could take another stroke of silence again, Hermione tossed her hands up in the air and said ruthlessly, "oh! You are some piece of work!"

Matching her sarcasm, Malfoy nodded, saying back, "now if you don't mind, I'm going to go off myself."

Hermione's jaw dropped open so low that it almost hit the floor. And Draco seemed to lavish in her disbelief. Smiling sneakily to himself, he slid past her with a smug smirk and pulled his jacket over his arms as he pulled himself through the living room. Hermione was hot on his heels, still dazed. Then, when he reached the back door, allowing himself to walk through her backyard briskly, Hermione called back, "fine!" before slamming the door completely shut.

But Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, shared her annoyance. Muttering begrudgingly to himself, he clenched his fists as he stalked across the emerald grass that lined their backyard. Once again he asked himself the question-- who did she think she was? Who the hell did she think she was? Sure, he'd been the lonely depressed one but she... she was...

She was so absolutely... refreshing?

Even in all his fury, Draco Malfoy found it utterly impossible to get Hermione Granger out of his head. True, she had angered him beyond belief, but she had done it so exceedingly well. And, even while fighting with her, something about him seemed different. Not once, not even at one point during the entire time in her closet, had he ever thought about his misery. So, still furious and hot-headed, Draco couldn't help the feeling of interest creep up inside his once pathetically miserable chest.

To himself, he thought rationally, "hm, what a concept."

Vonne: REVIEW!