Disclaimer: HP characters not mine--the rest, plot included, are mine

Author's Note: I'm trying to spice the events in Draco and Hermione's life a bit. I also want to show a different side to Hermione and on how she wants to overcome her so-called 'feelings' for that certain Slytherin boy. Also Draco's slowly becoming his old self again--with new feelings he never knew he was capable of feeling until now...

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: Slytherin Golden Boy & Gryffindor Golden Girl

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

XV. What Has Gotten Into You?

By Friday afternoon the entire school was abuzz with news about the new appearance Hermione Granger, that perfect Gryffindor girl, was sporting. Every time Draco walked down the hallway and corridors he would hear snippets of guys talking about Hermione and on how she agreed to help tutor them with one subject or other. Some even boasted that Hermione agreed to have some butterbeer with them when they visited Hogsmeade this weekend.

Damn, damn, damn! he thought to himself, mentally kicking his skinny behind for acting so stupid. When at first he thought Hermione was just another one of those girls who got lost in the crowd, now she stood up amongst the ton of pretty girls at Hogwarts. And she got every male at her blasted beck-and-call!

As he neared his History of Magic class--his final class of the day and the last one with Hermione in it--Draco was close to contemplating about skipping it all together. Since it was Friday he might as well run amok with the others and skip Binns' class; it would be another boring lecture of stuff he had no care for.

He was about to walk past the classroom when something caught the corner of his eye and made him stop to look inside the classroom. There, right in the middle of the room, sat Hermione surrounded by at least three Slytherin boys all looking googly-starry eyed and making his Hermione convulse into uncontrollable giggles. From the looks of it his housemates were trying to make a pass at the Mudblood and giving no care that she didn't come from magical parents.

Well, I guess my skipping Binns' class will just have to wait another time. he thought grimly and stalked angrily into the room. Since Hermione was sitting alone in the middle row, he made himself the sole occupant of the seat next to hers. He cleared his throat over the top of the captivated Slytherin boys.

"Excuse me fellas, but I believe you're crowding over my seat." he said sternly.

Hermione quickly whipped her head from looking at Davey Cricher and turned to smile up at him, "Malfoy!" she exclaimed feigning surprise, "I don't believe this is your seat. I'm actually saving it for Harry or Ron." she told him sweetly, batting those gorgeous long lashes of hers.

Draco raised an eyebrow and did a quick sweep of the room in search of Hermione's usual bodyguards.

"I don't see hide nor head of those two so I guess this is my seat now." he replied smugly and slipped on to the seat beside Hermione before she could even protest.

"Don't be a bully, Malfoy." scolded another Slytherin boy, Ernie Davis.

Draco turned a pair of bone-chilling steel gray eyes at him and instantly shut the boy--as well as the others who decided to grow a backbone just then--up. Intimidation was one of the Malfoy traits he was proud to have mustered down to a T. Each boy then bid Hermione a good day and slithered back to their respective seats, murming amongst themselves and sending slicing glares over at Draco.

Hermione reluctantly bid her admirers goodbye and with a heavy, disgruntled sigh faced her unwanted seatmate.

"Just what the hell was that?" she demanded to know.

"What the hell was what?" Draco asked indifferently, slouching in his seat with his arms loosely crossed over his chest.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about, Draco Malfoy. You didn't have to be a total ass to those guys. They were just being friendly."

Draco raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "You do know who you were just talking to, right Hermione?" he questioned.

Hermione raised an eyebrow as well, "Of course I do, Draco. They were boys from your house."

"Yeah. And you know that most Slytherins don't like Mudbloods." he pointed out a matter of factly.

"So? Doesn't look like they give much damn about my being a Mudblood." she gave a careless shrug and tossed her hair over her shoulder, a habit she had grown used to having had such long hair before.

Draco sat there mesmerized by the slightest action she just made. Her careless toss of hair over her shoulder and the way her newly chopped 'do bounced slightly was enough to drive him insane. Right at that moment he wanted to run his fingers through the thick mass of curly mane, press his nostrils against in and inhale the scent that was purely Hermione Granger.

~*~*~*~*~

to be continued...

A/N: Ooh, Draco and Hermione butting heads once again. Well, more like Draco looking for a fight where Hermione's concerned while our headstrong heroine just bask in the glory of suddenly becoming one of the most popular girl in school. I think it's high time we put a little bit of the 'old' Draco/Hermione relationship into the picture...but is this new Hermione all an act or what? Read and find out in the next chapter--IF I get to post it later today, hehehehe

Hannah, Slytherinange1922: thanks for leaving your marks and I'm doing my best to update as much as I possibly can before I go back to work and be lost with work for the next few days

Draco's one and only: thanks for loving the story and yeah, Draco/Hermione pairings are cool. After reading one I was inspired to write a story about this two headstrong people