Disclaimer: Plot & a couple of new characters are mine, the rest belongs to the original author.

Author's Note: Thanks for being patient with me and leaving your mark in the reviews...I try & update as much as I can and in an almost daily basis, but sometimes it just don't work that way...but stay tuned 'coz I'll do my best to update as often as I can.

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's love with prevail...but a love triangle is brewing...hehehehe, guess some of you can guess whose the third party in this coupling *winks*

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VIII. Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore

Draco has avoided Hermione for almost three weeks now. After finding out that she wasn't a pureblood like himself he had this sudden feeling from the pit of his stomach, a deep-seethed hatred he could not surpass at the knowledge that he allowed himself to befriend a Mudblood.

But he doesn't want to hate Hermione regardless of her poor family connection into the world of magic.

Truth be told he liked Hermione long before he found out she wasn't a pureblood, and even after finding out the truth didn't deter him--much. He still felt that he should hate her for what she is, but who was she to decide to whom should she be born?

Pureblood or not, Hermione Granger still pollutes his mind and it's driving him nuts! Should he or shouldn't he hate her?

I can't hate her, he thought to himself, I like her far too much to hate her for being a Mudblood.

As he sat in Transfiguration twirling his quill (McGonagall gave them time to study for their upcoming quiz), his eyes kept on straying towards the girl he has been avoiding this past few weeks. She had her book open but she was huddled so close to Potter that Draco had to keep his temper in check or else he'd be flying over everybody else's tables in class in a fight of jealous rage and pry his Hermione away from Potter.

Every time Hermione leans closer to Harry and whisper something in his ear, Draco couldn't help himself from feeling jealousy rage through him. He kept on imagining Hermione doing that to him, whispering sweet nothings in to his ear, her soft lips touching the skin of his ear...just the thought was already driving him insane with want.

And he definitely wanted her.

He wanted to taste those succulent lips of hers, running his tongue over it, tasting her and feeling her...damn! He was being turned on all because of Hermione. His Hermione.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Your Hermione? a nagging voice at the back of his head questioned, Since when did the Mudblood became yours?

Since the day he opened his eyes and found her slumbering peacefully on the bed next to his, that's when!

But does she even know she's yours to begin with? the voice questioned.

He doesn't have to stake his claim on her. Hermione and him have an understanding, a secret bond that he has shared with no one--until Hermione came into his life.

Yeah, right. You're just saying that now because you want to bone her. the voice sneered, Give it up, Malfoy. This thing you're feeling is not the real thing. You're being ruled by your head--and it's not the one that everyone sees.

His feelings for Hermione is more than just lust! Sure she isn't pretty in the conventional sense of the world, but he got to know the girl within. She's got both the brains and the beauty within that nobody else sees because they are too judgmental about her looks.

Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say.

"Shut up." he hissed under his breath, tearing his gaze from Hermione and glaring at his quill.

Pansy, who was seated beside Draco, heard him mutter under his breath and turned to him. "Is everything okay with you?"

Draco turned his icy glare from the quill he was holding to the girl seated beside him.

"I'm fine. Don't mind me." he snapped.

"You don't look fine to me. What's wrong?" she frowned.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. Just study and ignore me. I'm just having a headache." he excused, his irritation slowly escalating as Pansy continued to pry him of what was really wrong.

"You should go see Madam Pomfrey then if you're having a headache. I'm sure she'll be able to whip up a potion for you to--"

"Look, if I need a babysitter I'll ask for one. But I'm already old enough to take care of myself so back-off!" he cut her off.

Pansy was too stunned to say anything back to him. She was merely concerned for his sake and that was what she got for caring? And she had never been on the receiving end of Draco's ill-temper before.

Before Pansy could say anything back, McGonagall asked for their attention for an announcement she has to make before she dismissed them.

"As you all know tomorrow is Halloween. Hogwarts will be holding its annual Halloween feast with the regular treats and entertainment." she paused and scanned the entire room for each students' faces before continuing, "This year the faculty and staff decided to hold costume party. You can attend the feast in the Great Hall dressed as you pleased. You don't necessarily have to wear your robes and wearing a face mask to conceal one's identity is a must."

Everybody started talking at once. Excitement sizzled in the air as the final minutes before McGonagal dismissed her class approached.

"Please file out in an orderly fashion. Thank you!" McGonagall called out to a gaggle of excited girls all talking about what they planned wearing while the boys muttered amongst themselves on what best costumes to wear.

~*~

"A masked costume party. That should be interesting." Hermione said enthusiastically as she walked back to the Gryffindor tower sandwiched between Ron and Harry.

"It'll be wicked!" enthuses Ron, rubbing his hands in anticipation of tomorrow night's event. "I wonder what mask I should wear..." he muttered out loud.

"Probably something to mask your ugly freckled face, Weasley." sneered Draco from behind them.

The trio stopped abruptly and faced their intruder.

"That was a very rude thing to say, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione scolded, appalled at seeing this side of Draco she hasn't seen before. Could this be the side of him that Harry and Ron kept on telling her about but she was too stubborn to listen to them because she knows that Draco wasn't that kind of a person?

"Yeah, whatever." he snapped, his forehead creased into a frown before adding, "I need to talk to you. Let's go." he made a grab for Hermione's wrist, but Ron's hand slapped his away. "What the--" Draco glared at Ron who then stood between him and Hermione.

"You're not taking Hermione anywhere, Malfoy." Ron pushed Hermione behind him, shielding her from Draco.

"Oh yeah? Says who?"

"Says me."

"Who are you to decide what she can and can't do, Weasley?" Draco ridiculed, "You're not her keeper and as far as I know Hermione's a free agent. You are not her boyfriend."

Ron's face coloured at that. Draco's eyebrow shot up almost to the ceiling when he saw the redhead blush. Fuck, he likes her! Oh damn! he thought to himself when he realized what Ron's blushing meant. "Look here Weasley, I don't want to argue with you anymore. I need to talk to Hermione so get out of the way and let her come with me."

"Over...my...dead...body." Ron hissed, his eyes glaring at the obnoxious Slytherin.

"As you wish." Draco stepped back, his hands raised, a mischievous grin plastered on his handsome face before he pulled out his wand and aimed it right between Ron's eyes. "I asked you nicely, Weasel, and you refuse to return the same courtesy so prepare to meet your maker."

"Oh stop it!" Hermione said irately, shoving Ron away and slapping Draco's hand down. She glared at her best friend and at the Draco Hermione has never seen before. "You two are acting like a couple of babies, it's very unbecoming, really."

"He started it." Ron whined, pointing at Draco accusingly.

Draco and Hermione both rolled their eyes heavenwards at the same time.

"Look Ron, just go back to the dorm with Harry and I'll talk to Draco here."

"But Herm--"

"No buts, Ronald." she told him sternly, "I'll hear what Draco has to say then I'll join you and Harry for lunch."

Ron looked like he wanted to argue some more, but Harry quickly jumped in and dragged his friend away, reassuring a very worried Ron that Hermione's a big girl and could take care of herself. He led his friend down the hall back to their dorm then looked over his shoulder once and mouthed to Hermione to be careful.

As soon as her two friends were out of the picture she turned her attention to Draco, "Now, would you mind telling me what the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded angrily. "You were outright rude and--" the rest of what she has to say were cut-off when Draco's mouth swooped down and claimed hers for the kiss he has been fantasizing about since Transfiguration. He pulled her closer into the circle of his arms, pressing her against his body and feeling the softness of her against the hard contour of his being.

She was everything he dreamt her to be--and more.

Hermione was too stunned to do anything. She remained ramrod still as Draco tasted her lips, running his tongue over them, cajoling them to part--which they did, by the way--without much ado. Soon she found her arms moving on their own accord, lifting up to rest on his shoulders. She angled her head slightly and Draco deepened the kiss, driving his tongue inside her mouth and mating with hers.

Hermione was lost to the rest of the world except for the world Draco has shown her in his kiss. And that was some kiss too! But it didn't last long.

She let out a disgruntled whimper when Draco suddenly wrenched his lips from her, but his hands remained where they were--wrapped around her waist and she was still standing very close to him. Begrudgingly she opened her eyes and stared right into the depths of Draco's steel gray ones.

"Sorry for being rude to your friends. It was the only way I know how to make them disappear and leave you alone with me so I could do that to you." he slowly pulled away from her, disentangling himself from her soft, inviting curves that would take him more than just one cold shower to get rid off.

Hermione couldn't find the words to say back to him. All she could do was stare up at him, her swollen lips slightly apart. He watched Draco move away from her and turn to walk the other direction. She stood where he left her for a few seconds, her hand quickly touched her swollen lips that are still aching to be ravished by him once more.

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A/N: this has got to be the umpteenth time I re-wrote this chapter! every time I started it and closed it, when I opened it again to work on it some more half of what I have written down went missing--to my greatest disappointment. So I figured I'll wait until I could stay up really late and work on this chapter. Sorry it took so long to add some more. And I just have to end this chapter this way...can't think of what to add to it without ruining the chapter any further. well, enjoy & always review & let me know what you think.

Rebecca: well dearie, I hope this answer your questions as to how Draco took the news...didn't dwell much on it, but don't worry, I'll work on it some more *lol* and I wanted to make Harry the more understanding out of the three of 'em since...well since I'll be throwing in a love-triangle between Ron, Draco & Hermione *lol*

Starrynights13: thanks for your review...I read your fic too and it's good so far (only got to read chapter one out of the how many you already posted, but I'll do my best to read the rest of the chappies you already posted online! hehehe)

Multiple Lilys: thanks for leaving your mark...hope you like this chappie