"Just.a dance?" Hermione surveyed Draco wearily. She couldn't be too sure anymore.

"That's all." He extended his hand simply. She regarded his hand for a moment. It looked smooth, yet hardened by years. A true masculine hand, it was one any woman could feel safe in. She took it.

"Alright."

She got up and they walked to a little corner where there were fewer couples. He put his hands gently on her hips and she laced her fingers around his neck. The dance was slow and their rhythms matched exactly. He was a marvelous dancer.

"I suppose you're pretty smug now that you've won." She looked down at their shoes.

Draco didn't say anything, just bowed his head slightly.

"I mean," continued Hermione, "you must've wanted that title for so long-"

"The title's not important," Draco said, cutting her off.

Hermione searched his eyes. "What.do you mean?" she asked slowly. "Of course it matters."

"I won the game, Hermione," Draco said, "but it seems I haven't gotten what I really want-"

"Oh, boo hoo. Cry me a river," Hermione said impatient. "What more could you possibly want?"

Draco's jaw set into a hard line. "Forget it."

"No, no, I'm curious to know now!" Hermione mocked. "Tell me."

"It doesn't matter." Draco broke from their embrace and swiftly strode out the doors and into the gardens. Hermione followed him.

"Draco!" He walked even faster and she quickened her speed to follow him.

"Answer me!"

Draco turned around suddenly and Hermione stopped in her tracks, surprised.

"You really want to know?" he said dangerously.

She stopped for a moment. "Yes, I do."

"Fine," said Draco. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his blond hair. "In the beginning, all I wanted was to screw you silly and walk off with the title. But.I later realized that you weren't like the other girls. You were different somehow. After my little revelation, I didn't care about winning the game, all I wanted was you."

Hermione's expression softened and so did his. You could even see the beginnings of a smile on Draco's lips.

"Now are you so sure you wanted to know? I don't know what it is about you.and as long as I'm coming clean I might as well tell you, you're the first girl I've slept with out of love. You can take the stupid title.it has no meaning to me.you're all I want."

Hermione was stunned. Finally, after a couple of minutes of just standing there, letting the whole idea sink in, she said, "I'm a bit tired now."

She slowly turned on her heels and started to walk away.

"I hope you liked the shoes," Draco said after her retreating figure.

She stopped still and turned around. "You.sent the shoes?" she asked incredulously.

"I thought it'd look nice with your dress."

She didn't answer, just kept on walking.

She wearily opened the door to her room and slumped in. She closed the door lightly and locked it with a charm. "Oww.my head."

Hermione didn't even bother to kick off her heels as she flung the doors to her balcony open. She had always loved that balcony, it was her place where she could find solace from her sometimes hectic life. She leaned against the railing and watched the night pass by. She stood out there until dawn thinking. Thinking about her life, her future, her friends, and most of all, Draco. She didn't know quite what to think of him.he was a mystery.

As the first signs of dawn began to appear in the horizon, Hermione suddenly had an idea. And she had reached a conclusion. Flinging her dorm room door open, she ran off into the corridors. She was headed to the Slytherin dungeons.

A/n: ahhh one more chapter! What do you guys think of it so far? READ AND REVIEW!!