Chapter 8- Feelings unearthed.

~*~ Hi! Well I've been kinda overwhelmed by the response I got from chapter 7 and I really wanted to write more straight away but I had a lot of school work and I haven't been able to find the time. Until now! (obviously). This chapter is very corny, lots of clichés and so fluffy you'll get hairballs. But you love it really! There is quite a bit of swearing in this one so please watch out if that isn't your thing.

Disclaimer: Same old, Same old.

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(Last time: "I think you know the answer to that as well as I do Hermione." He brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes and leant down…)

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'I'm going to do it.' Draco thought. 'I'm actually going to kiss her!'

 'He's going to kiss me!' Hermione thought and she leaned in towards him before another thought floated across her mind. 'What had Lucius said? When the time is right Draco will bring the mudblood back as an example. It is a trick!' her commonsense screamed and Hermione jerked away suddenly.

Draco pulled up sharply and stared at her, reddening. Then abruptly he jumped to his feet, brushing himself off and looking everywhere other than at Hermione. She too sat up and as she did so she realised for the first time that she wasn't wearing her own clothes*. She gasped and blushed furiously. 'He hadn't…he must have. Right!' and she leapt to her feet and grabbed Draco by the arm. She had meant to slap him with everything she had but as had happened on the train he had anticipated her move and grabbed her arms.

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"What the…?" he asked confused.

Then Hermione realising her arms were useless drove her right foot into his knee cap(AN I was thinking of her kicking him 'somewhere else' but I love Draco too much!). He grunted and released her which she was hoping he would do.

"You bastard." She yelled, "You stupid bastard. You said you hated your father and it's not true. It's all lies. You were nice to me and you looked after me when I was sick and helped me run across the moors and you fed me some stupid sob story when all the time you were just going to take me to your father as a trophy. How am I supposed to know what you did when you took my clothes off you bloody pervert? You took advantage of me being sick. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…" all the while she was hitting him and slapping him but they were like the beat of butterflies wings against him for all he cared. It was her words that were hurting, stinging and cutting him until he felt he couldn't breathe. Hermione sank to her knees, sobbing.

"I want to believe you Malfoy, I want to believe you so much. If I thought that you were only mean because your father had destroyed you when you were 7 and thought that you really cared about me and that's why you almost…almost.." but she couldn't finish and she covered her face with her hands.

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Draco rubbed his knee absentmindedly while wondering what to do. 'Would she attack him if he comforted her?' Probably but he couldn't let her just sit and cry. He sat down beside her almost touching shoulders.

"Hermione." He whispered, "I didn't do anything when I changed your clothes. I had to because they were wet and you were sick. You're a smart witch you must know it would have been worse if I had just left them on."

"Why would you bother? Except as a way to belittle and embarrass me." she sniffed raising her head and looking at him with a flushed and tear-stained face.

"Hermione!" Draco almost shouted with frustration. "If I had had the slightest inclination to do belittle or embarrass you I would have done them long ago. I certainly wouldn't have looked after you and…ah…everything." He mumbled cursing himself as he reddened again. Hermione was the only person who could make him blush or, for that matter, make him show any kind of good emotions.

"You mean everything like take my clothes off." She asked harshly.

"NO! I mean everything like nearly kis…kill you!"

"Kill me?" Hermione looked a little frightened. "When did you nearly kill me?"

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'Kill you' wasn't what Draco had wanted to say but now he thought about it, it was quite true.

"They're after me Hermione. They don't want you, you're nothing to Voldemort. You were probably sent away too because you're the only Hogwarts student who could figure out what was going on and think up a counter curse. My father just wanted you out of the way as a precaution. I should have left you earlier and then you could have gotten clean away. They wouldn't sense you, it was all me. Oh shit Hermione what have I done?" the full realisation of her predicament was sinking in and Draco felt waves of guilt cascade over his heart. He felt a soft hand on his arm and he looked hopefully at Hermione.

"If you had left me, Draco, I wouldn't be at risk of being hurt. I'd be dead. Because of the fever." She added hurriedly though she had actually been thinking of how she would have felt if Draco had left her. 'Like dust I imagine!' she thought sadly.

"Thankyou for saying that Hermione but I know it isn't true."

"God Draco!" she suddenly exploded. "You can't blame yourself for everything. Sometimes things happen that you can't change and they are not necessarily your fault!" Draco stared at her and even though she was dishevelled from sleeping in the car and had smudges of dirt on her cheeks from lying on the ground and red eyes from crying he thought she was the most beautiful sight he had ever beheld.

'Deal with it!' his brain shouted. 'You are crazy about her. YOU LOVE HER!' Draco smiled. He accepted it. She was beautiful, he loved her. It all seemed so simple he wondered why he hadn't realised it before. But of course he had realised it, he had just refused to admit to himself that she was the most perfect being on the Earth. And he strode over the short distance dividing them and swept her up into a hug.

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Hermione was surprised to say the least but she instantly relaxed and snuggled in to him finding that her head fit perfectly into the crook of his shoulder. Again she had the feeling that everything was right. They were right! She was surprised at her admission but she knew that she could no longer sustain the whole 'Draco is evil' thing. Not after all he had told her and all they had gone through. No wonder Draco was so nasty at school, with a childhood as screwed up as his had been you could allow for a little bit of jealousy. And she realised now that's what it must have been. Jealousy. Hermione had had a great childhood with a loving and supporting family, Ron had a huge family that always seemed to be having such a good time together. And Harry, although he didn't have any family, the wizarding world had adopted him in a way and there was no chance of him ever being left alone.

"Poor Draco." She murmured and he went rigid.

"Don't pity me." He said huskily but Hermione didn't answer she just leant into him and delighted in the feel of his strong arms around her.

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Draco was amazed that she hadn't pushed him away but that she was actually returning the hug seemed too good to be true. He inhaled her soft scent and smiled into her hair. Without thinking he softly kissed the top of her head and when she still didn't pull away he relaxed totally for the first time in 9 years.

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Lucius was sitting in his study when suddenly he felt a rush of awareness from the back of his brain. A sudden kaleidoscope of senses flashed across his mind a hill, a car, a girl, a sweet smell and a soft touch. He only caught fleeting glimpses of these things before they were swept away. He smiled cruelly; Draco had let down his defences.

"I've got you now, Draco." He whispered harshly.

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*Okay so if I was wearing different clothes that would be the first thing I noticed. However, it fits into the story there so deal with it!

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Oh dear. Just when things were looking up! Never mind. (LOUD COUGH) Ladies and gentlemen I would like your attention please. When I originally posted my chapter 7 I had the title as 'Secrets revealed' however I have now changed it because that name is already being used as chapter one of Icy Stormz extremely cool fic. I would like to publicly apologise for my accidental plagiarism and I would advise everyone to go and read her story 'Forced Love' because it is really fantastic. I feel really bad about using her chapter name and if I have done this to any one else please forgive me and let me know!

Please review and tell me what you think. I love my reviews! Speaking (or writing) of which here are my thankyous:

Tabitha: I'm an evil person?! I love cliffies so much! Thanks for your review I'm glad I had such an effect on you!

Judge DP: Evil again?! Oh dear! Thanks.

Herm-oh-ninny: Not nice?! Wow I feel popular! Thankyou so much for the spelling thing. I don't actually have the books so I rely on other peoples input! I think I changed most of them.

Hermione Malfoy: Love your name! I think you'll have to fight Mrs Amanda Malfoy she thinks Draco is her husband. I'm sure there is enough Draco loveliness to share! I'm so glad you're 'Lovin' it!'

Lyra: people banging down my door, huh? Thank you for your view. I don't think I'm that good!

Mrs. Scower: Good idea but that wasn't quite what I was thinking!

Zombie-miho: Yes a cliffhanger! I love them. This one wasn't too cliffy.

Anastasia: I…I…I'm very sorry. Please don't hurt me! Seriously cliffies rock!

Steph: Exciting?! Thank you so much!

Dreamer: yeah I did. Wonder how I did that?! I'm very sorry. I think I have fixed the problem. If not tell me again and I will see what I can do.

Icy Stormz: I hope you don't mind me writing that stuff about your story back there but I really do like it. I'm glad you are still reading my story. What stamina!

Moon Revenge: Thank you very much.

Fearless Kitty: why must I torture you?! Because it is fun of course! I'm glad you were so distraught. (wow that sounded bad. You know what I mean, I was glad you were unhappy my story was a cliffie!)

Hazeleyez: I never promised it wouldn't be a cliffie, but I am sorry about the length this one is about the same I'm afraid!

Kristina: You hate me?! That's great I love cliff hangers they make my reviews all the more interesting!

Kerofan: your review made me laugh. It was very cool maybe Hermione will beat Lucius with a 2x4! You never know!

Blueberryfig: wow you are so great with your big inspirational speeches. They make me feel so good about my writing. Thankyou a thousand times over!

Alicia Malfoy: Wow Draco is a bigamist! Thankyou so much for saying it was brilliant. Really kind.

Strife21: Old friend! People have to stop thanking me. That's my job! Thankyou as always!

I think that is everyone. Thankyou, Thankyou and Thankyou some more to all of you and everyone who has read my story! Draco and Hermione forever!

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