Disclaimer: I own NOTHING with the exception of unrecognizable characters & the plot.

Author's Note: I am inspired! After finishing the previous chapter I couldn't wait to start right away on the next one while the plot for this next chapter is still fresh in my head. Thanks for all the reviews & just keep 'em coming!

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: You already know whose it about...and maybe some other new pairings in this chapter or the next--I still haven't decided.

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VI. the Truth About Hermione

Draco was still reeling from shock after finding out from Pansy Parkinson that the girl who has been polluting his mind since he woke up next to her Sunday morning was a Mudblood.

He was busy trying to make sense of his attraction towards the Gryffindor girl that twice in Potions Snape had to yell at him because his mind kept on drifting off elsewhere. Everybody turned to him, all frowning at his obvious lack of interest in class.

"Sorry, Professor." he apologized and sat up straighter.

"Mr. Malfoy, is there something bothering you?" Professor Snape inquired irately.

"Uh...nothing, Professor. I'm--I'm perfectly fine." he assured his Potions teacher and the Slytherin House head.

"Good. Then you won't have any problems paying attention to what I'm saying here."

"Yes, Professor." he nodded meekly.

"Very well..." Snape went on explaining the procedure for a certain talent-enhancer potion.

Draco only listened to half of what Snape was saying. As soon as Snape's attention was turned away from him, Draco drifted back to what he has been thinking about since breakfast. The truth about Hermione Granger.

As soon as Potions was over Draco gathered his stuff and was the second one out the door of their dungeon classroom. He didn't retain much of what Snape was yakking about in class, but that didn't matter much to him right now. He was too preoccupied with thoughts about Hermione and her lineage to pay attention to anything else. Besides Pansy would be all too willing enough to help him out with what they did in Potions today--provided she wasn't fuming mad with him because of her jealousy towards his sudden interest towards a Mudblood.

A Mudblood? Draco stopped from taking another step, causing the people behind him to skid to a full stop and bump against him. It wasn't a pretty sight since quite a few of his classmates were following his lead and weren't too happy when they suddenly collided with the most notorious Slytherin sixth year.

"Dammit, Malfoy! Watch where you're going!" yelled one of his Ravenclaw classmates when he walked around him.

"Jeez, mate! Give out a warning before you suddenly skid to a fucking stop!" sneered his fellow Slytherin.

Draco ignored all the hissing he received from his classmates and housemates alike. He doesn't have time to dwell with them right now. He has more pressing issue to deal with than to argue his head off with these useless people. He still couldn't accept that Hermione was a Mudblood.

It was inconceivable! No Malfoy would be stupid enough to fall for a Mudblood.

But you like her, dummy. a nagging voice at the back of his head insisted. Admit it, Malfoy, she enchanted you right from the moment you first laid eyes on her.

True. He was captivated by Hermione Granger's beauty from the moment his gaze fell on her angelic face, and that had nothing to do with her being a Mudblood and him a pureblood. He liked her for her--regardless of her being born to non-magic parents.

~*~

The courtyard was almost deserted from students by the time Hermione emerged from her last class of the day. She was walking back from their Care for Magical Creatures class with Hagrid when she spotted Draco sitting on one of the stone benches near the fountains, an open book on his lap, but she noticed that his gaze was directed someplace else--somewhere far away from the book he was suppose to be reading.

She excused herself from Harry and Ron, telling them she would just see them at dinner before heading towards where Draco was seated.

"Hey Draco. Find what you're reading interesting?"

Draco nearly fell off the stone bench the moment he heard Hermione spoke. He was too busy thinking about her to actually pay attention on the book he borrowed from the library for Charms.

"Sorry." Hermione apologized, stepping in to his line of vision. "I saw you sitting here by yourself on my way back from Hagrid's hut. I just wanted to say hi since we never really got the chance to talk much at all today." she shrugged.

"Oh. Well I'm doing fine. Hardly paid attention in class, but what else is new?" he smiled shyly, scooting to the side a bit to let her sit with him, "How was your day?"

"So-so." she shrugged, "Snape gave us so much homework plus I have to do my Arithmacy project which is due the day after tomorrow. I'm looking at a very full evening tonight." she frowned.

"I have an Arithmacy project too which is due...oh damn! It's due tomorrow," he groaned and punched his face with his balled fist, shaking his blond head and mentally cursing himself for forgetting about that project, "And I don't recall Snape giving out assignments in Potions today." he added, racking his brain to go back to early this morning when he wasn't paying any attention in almost all his classes. Damn! If Snape gave out homeworks and he didn't bother writing them down--least of all paid attention in his class--he was toast!

Hermione gave him a startled look. "Honestly, Draco, we have the same class this morning!"

He almost forgot about that. He had Potions, Charms and Transfiguration with Gryffindor and the rest of his classes with students from the other two houses.

"Oh yeah." he blushed and turned his gaze on the book on his lap, "Guess I wasn't really paying that much attention this morning." he admitted.

"I was watching you in class earlier. You looked like you were somewhere far, far away. Care to share what's troubling you?"

Draco had to bite his tongue before he said something. Asking her right now on whether or not she was a Mudblood might dampen their friendship--if ever they have a so-called friendship to begin with.

"It was nothing." he lied.

"That's not true. It must be something or else you wouldn't be caught daydreaming by Snape."

"I wasn't daydreaming!" he denied vehemently.

"I know you weren't. But it was close to what you were doing in class earlier. Honestly when Snape asked if you were alright I thought that the blow you received on your head was bothering you, but then you said it was nothing and pretended to listen to him for a while before drifting off elsewhere once again." she observed.

"You were watching me?"

"How could I not? I told you I was worried because I received the same blow to the head too and have been to see Madam Pomfrey earlier this morning and asked for some remedy for the splitting headache."

"Are you okay now?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm fine now. The potion Madam Pomfrey gave me sure worked its magic!" she grinned enthusiastically.

"That's good to hear." he nodded. They sat in silence for the next little while. A few students passed by in the hall behind them, chattering about what happened to them today and whatnot. Some even noticed Draco sitting on the stone bench and called out to him. He was gracious enough to look over his shoulder and wave. Hermione looked over her shoulder and chuckled when a couple of the girls swooned after Draco greeted them.

"Honestly, Draco, if I didn't know better you are indeed the resident heartthrob!" she teased.

"Maybe I am. But in all honesty, Hermione, none of those girls ever catches my fancy." he admitted.

Hermione gave him an are-you-kidding-me look, her dark eyes wide from surprise as she gazed at a couple of skinny blond-haired girls with glass-hour figure stare longingly at Draco Malfoy then back at the guy responsible for half of the female population of Hogwarts going gaga over him.

"Are you blind or something?!" she squeaked, "Half of the girls here are so damn pretty you've got to be cold-blooded not to notice it!"

Draco smirked. "They're all alright, I guess. But seriously, none of 'em could even get me up." he winked, watching her face for any reaction. And she didn't disappoint him.

Hermione's eyes briefly widen at the innuendo before her cheeks became a fiery crimson colour. Draco chuckled and shook his head. Damn, she looks cute when caught off guard.

"Gotcha." he said softly, inching closer to her and nudging her slightly.

She chuckled and shook her head, throwing her long curly dark brown hair over her shoulder she grinned at him, "And you're a sick pig, you know that?"

"Hey, I'm only human, Hermione."

"Yeah, a human with a very sick sense of humour."

He raised an eyebrow, "It's better to have one that is sick than to have none at all." he pointed out.

"True. But do you have to be outright blunt when talking to ladies?" she questioned, "I mean, you're suppose to be a gentleman, for crying out loud! And gentleman don't speak the way you do when in the company of a lady."

"You don't seem to mind that I say some sexual innuendos. In fact as I recall you pretty much said something along the lines of us sleeping together just last night, remember?"

It was Hermione's turn to blush now. She couldn't believe she was bold enough to make such innuendo like that!

"Well, at that moment it felt like the right thing to say." she shrugged.

Draco only smiled, his steely gray eyes watching her face intently. Since she came up to him a few minutes ago and started talking he has been plagued on whether or not he should ask her about her family background, but a voice at the back of his head kept on telling him it would be rude to do that. She might take it the wrong way and the last thing he wanted was to be enemies with Hermione.

Hermione felt Draco's eyes on her. He was watching her again and it was really making her feel quite uneasy.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Draco?" she asked without meeting his gaze, "Please stop it 'coz you're making me nervous." she admitted.

"Sorry." he mumbled and looked away, "It's just that...earlier I heard something about you and it kinda bugged me."

She frowned and looked at him then, "Heard what?"

This is it. This is your chance to get an honest-to-goodness answer from her. that nagging voice told him. He took a deep breath lifted his gaze to meet hers, "Are your parents Muggles, Hermione?"

"Yes." she replied unblinkingly, "Why?"

So she is a Mudblood! Pansy wasn't just making things up. For once the girl was actually telling him the truth.

~*~*~*~*~

to be continued...

A/N: Okay, I think I better leave this chapter as is. I know, I know, cliffhangers sucks, but then again cliffhangers are often effective. It gets readers to start wondering what the heck's gonna happen next. And sorry for the delayed update. I meant to post this chapter up earlier today, but like what I mentioned before this week's going to be hectic for me with work and all. But that doesn't mean I won't get to work on my chapters for this fic! Just keep those reviews coming & I'll make sure to deliver the next chapters to you readers as soon as I finished 'em.

[anonymous reviewer]: Whomever you are, thanks for leaving your mark & I'll do my best to finish this fic as soon as possible. Just watch out for chapter updates.

couch-potato: thanks for the review, I'll try to make this fic even more cuter--if ever I can get it to become even more cuter than it already is *lol* but anyways, enjoy the next chapters.

Rebecca: I'm glad you're excited about the upcoming love-triangle. I am getting excited about it too, but I'm thinking of ways to showcase it. But I'll eventually think of a way to show it as well as have Draco & Hermione's "secrets" be revealed to them by other peeps. I hope you enjoy this chappie--it's a bit longer compared to the first few chappies I posted *winks*

Starrynight13: thanks for leaving your mark. I wonder why you said it was weird in a good way??? Weird how? And no, I didn't take offense with your comment, in fact you just irked my curiosity with it. And I'll make sure to check out your story. Again thanks for the review!