Disclaimer: Unrecognizable names & the story plot are mine, the rest belong to the original author, the mastermind of this wonderful series, J.K. Rowling!!!

Author's Note: As always thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews. I am getting inspired to write the next chapter. I better warn you faithful readers now that after this chapter it might take me a while to upload the next one due to my busy week ahead--I'll be very busy with work so I might or might not have enough time to sit down and write (or type up) the next chapters.

Summary: Hermione & Draco received a nasty blow to the head when an out of control bludger careened towards where they stood bickering during a Quidditch practice. They woke up in the hospital wing not knowing each other--but they know everyone else--and an instant attraction towards each other soon formed.

Setting: 6th year

Pairings: Draco & Hermione obviously and...uh...a love triangle involving Ron, Draco & Hermione perhaps??? I'm also thinking of pairing Ron up with another chick because obviously he won't win Hermione! *evil laugh*

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III. Stolen Glances

Hermione and Draco were released from the hospital wing late Sunday afternoon with a reminder from Madam Pomfrey to take it easy for the next few days. The swelling on the side of their heads hasn't completely healed yet although she did her best to perform magic on their bruised temples.

"Remember, if either of you felt dizzy come straight to me, you understand?" she reminded her two young charges sternly, eyeing Draco and Hermione carefully.

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey." they nodded in unison.

"Very well. Off you go now. I'm sure your friends are waiting for you to join them." she shooed them away and went back into the hospital wing without as much as giving them a backward glance.

Hermione and Draco walked back towards the stairs leading to their dormitories. Neither of them spoke nor could think of anything to say to say to each other, so they continued walking in complete silence. The hallway was quiet, saved from a few squeals of delight coming from girls they passed by who are all turning googly-eyed as Draco walked past them. Some even braved a breathy, "Hey Draco!" greeting and when Draco acknowledged their presence they would dissolve into uncontrollable giggles or some even passes out.

"Hm...you must be some kind of a heartthrob to have such fan base." Hermione couldn't help from teasing him after another girl fainted after Draco inclined his silver-blond head at her.

Draco was blushing heavily by now. Under normal circumstances he would be basking under all the attention he was receiving from every female occupant of the school, but right now he couldn't even muster a smug reply. Not around Hermione anyway. She was different from all the other girls, and Potter and Weasley seem to be taken with her. He couldn't possibly mess around with her then face Potter and Weasley's wrath! Not that he was afraid to be up for a challenge where Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were concerned, but earlier when the two nincompoops were in the hospital wing visiting, he noticed the way Hermione looked at the twosome with so much love in her eyes.

"Uh...I don't know." he shrugged.

"Aw, c'mon now, don't be too modest. It's obvious from the way girls swoon whenever you walk pass by and acknowledge their presence."

He smiled uncertainly at her and shrugged, "Well, whether I'm considered a heartthrob or not, I can safely say that I don't have any girlfriends." now where the hell did that come from?! Why was he setting the record straight with her? So what if he doesn't have a girlfriend yet? She doesn't want to know about his personal love life--and he doesn't care about hers either.

They finally reached the stairs where they were to part. Hermione turned and bid Draco a casual "See you later!" and started up the stairs. Draco, meanwhile, remained at the bottom landing watching the girl with an amazing smile and carefree attitude ascend the stairs until she disappeared from his view.

~*~

Dinner in the Great Hall was abuzz with laughter and non-stop chattering. Everyone in the Gryffindor table were all celebrating their victory from the day before against Slytherin, and everyone was kind enough to fill Hermione in on what she missed. From what she could digest she didn't miss much. Since Malfoy was out for the count and recuperating in the hospital wing he had to be replaced by somebody with enough skill as a Seeker.

Who was the lucky one to replace the famed Draco Malfoy of Slytherin Quidditch team?

~*~

"Earl Winger?!" Draco excplained in mock horror after Pansy Parkinson updated him on Saturday's Quidditch match result. "The four-eyed git who couldn't even tell the difference between an animate and an inanimate object?!" he groaned inwardly, suddenly losing his appetite for dinner.

"We have no other choice, Draco. Earl was the only one brave enough to step up and volunteer to take the position of Seeker while you were recuperating." Pansy said almost apologetically, "Good thing you weren't there watching. It was a pretty ugly sight to see. Potter creamed Winger, especially when they both dove down to catch then Snitch." she shivered as she remembered the nail-biting scene when Harry Potter and Earl Winger looked like they were going to crash to the ground doing a very deadly stunt just to grab the Golden Snitch.

In the end Potter came out the victor while Earl was rushed to the hospital wing after he went SPLAT! on the ground. He wasn't skilled enough to maneuver his broomstick after doing a dive like that.

Draco could only shake his head. That was a very terrible call on Snape's part to put Earl Winger in on the team. Honestly he was good, but Earl lacked tactic and a backbone. The poor git must've clamed up when Potter flawlessly maneuvered his Firebolt from the dive, hence why he ended up knocked unconscious.

He was busy wallowing in self misery over the lost game when he felt somebody watching him. He frowned at his half-eaten dinner plate and lifted his head, whipping it here and there in search of the person whose gaze was making the hair at the back of his neck stand.

Then his gaze fell on the table across from theirs, and his eyes locked with the girl with curly, wavy dark brown hair and smiling brown eyes. Their eyes locked for a while before she broke eye contact.

Hermione.

She looked very familiar and yet he doesn't know a single damn thing about her! A nagging voice at the back of his head was bugging him that he knew her, knew her so well and that he shouldn't even feel this way towards her, but for the life of him he couldn't remember a single damn thing about the girl except that he woke up in the hospital wing with her sleeping on the bed next to hers!

~*~

Hermione felt her cheeks burning after she averted her gaze from the rowdy Slytherin table. He caught her watching him. It was very embarrassing really to be caught ogling at a guy whom you fancy. But she doesn't fancy Draco Malfoy. He was just a cute, polite Slytherin who happen to be the occupant of the bed next to hers when she woke up this morning.

Laverne noticed Hermione's sudden disinterest in her food and commented on that. Hermione gave her an apologetic smile and made up some lame excuse, excusing herself from the table.

"Herm, are you sure you're okay?" she asked worriedly, clamping her hand around her wrist to stop her from walking away so soon.

Hermione looked down at friend and smiled, "Yeah. Just feeling a little headachey, that's all." she assured her worried friend.

"Oh, alright." Laverne let go of her hand and bid her goodnight.

Hermione was thankful that Laverne didn't press her for further explanation. She gave the same excuse to Ron and Harry when they both looked up at her just as she was leaving their table, asking her what was wrong. She gave them the same excuse she gave Laverne and made a quick escape before everybody else started delaying her departure.

She quickly slipped out of the Great Hall and headed straight towards the Entrance Hall where she snuck out and headed towards the lake for some quiet time. There was still some light out and it wasn't that cold yet for her to get chills so early. After all it was only the end of September. Fall hasn't settled in yet, but she could see the signs. The leaves were slowly turning to bright, orangey-yellow colour. It was her favourite time of the year.

"Mind if I join you or is this a party for one?" a voice spoke from behind her, startling Hermione.

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to be continued...

A/N: Okay, now I think my chapters are starting to get lamer and lamer as I go along...I think I need to rest my brain for now and rethink of how to proceed with this fic. Hopefully this chapter didn't suck. I kind enjoyed writing it myself, but I'm trying to interject some more humour in to this fic...maybe in the next succeeding chapters I'll be able to add quite a few more humour to it. As always keep those reviews coming!

Rebecca: thanks for leaving your mark. like what i already mentioned before this, i'll do my best to add some more humour in the next chapters after this one.

[anonymous reviewer]: whomever you are, thanks for leaving your mark in the reviews section! hope the next chapters that followed the first one ain't a disappointment...