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

Author's Note: OMG!!! This has got to be the first fic I ever posted here that got so many reviews!!! Thank you all for reviewing, and I'm doing my damnedest to update as much chapters as I can so that ya'll have something to read until I could update again! hehehehe and BTW, in the previous chapter in the last paragraph I wrote down "three days ago" when it was suppose to be "a week ago"--sorry, wasn't paying much attention to the consistency of the days! *lol*

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

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XVII. Penny for Your Thought

Draco nursed his black eye and hid himself from the rest of the school after last night's scuffle with Weasley. He was thankful today was Saturday and the weekend when the students were allowed to go to Hogsmeade. Draco would've come with his friends, but since he was sporting a very unappealing shiner at the moment he opted to be left behind, using the excuse of visiting Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing to help him with his black eye.

As soon as he was sure that the common room was empty, he left the sanctuary of his dorm room and ventured outside. He decided to take a walk by the lake to cool off and think. He was still hurting from last night; and it wasn't from the blows he received from Weasley.

How could Hermione act like the way she did with him last night then took off with Weasley when he too was bruised and bleeding? Couldn't she have accompanied both him and Weasley to the hospital wing instead of leaving him on the floor with a cracked lip?

He was walking by the lakeshore for almost half an hour when he spotted a figure perched on a big rock overlooking the lake. As he neared the rock the figure sitting on it soon looked familiar to him.

"Hermione?"

Hermione lifted her head from her arms and turned her gaze to the person who spoke, tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks and staining the sleeves of her robe. She quickly wiped her tears away when she saw Draco standing there and forced a smile.

"D-Draco. Hi." she managed to smile, but that smile didn't reach her eyes. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I didn't go to Hogsmeade." he shrugged, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at Hogsmeade right now drinking butterbeer with one of your numerous admirers?" he couldn't help from sounding too crass, but he was hurting from what she did the night before and the green-eyed monster was still lurking inside him at the thought of Hermione sharing a drink or two with any other male student at Hogwarts.

"Why?" she frowned, studying his face carefully but obviously missing the obvious fact that he was currently sporting a shiner the size of Russia (okay, okay, it was an exaggeration, but it was a big shiner nevertheless!) right now.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Please don't tell me you've suddenly gone blind, Hermione." he mocked and showed her his black eye.

"Oh." her face flushed a deep scarlet colour, "Did--did Ron do that to you?" she asked meekly.

"No, I did this to myself." he snarled.

Hermione bit on her lower lip and lowered her gaze to his neck instead. She couldn't look him in eyes right now, not after what happened last night. She was still reeling from shock when she woke up this morning and realized that she was close to getting down and dirty with Draco Malfoy in a darkly lit hallway just meters away from everybody else in the Great Hall! Good thing Ron appeared when he did and put a stop to her sudden madness, but of course Ron's interference had a price: a broken nose and ribs.

"I'm sorry." she apologized, "But if it makes you feel any better, Ron's in a whole lot worse shape than you do."

Draco merely snorted and shook his head. He turned to face the lake, slipping his hands inside his black trouser pockets and stared at nothing in particular. He couldn't look at her and not feel his heart break. It was a weird feeling inside; he never knew he'd be able to feel this way, never counted on having his hear broken in two, but he underestimated himself.

~*~

Hermione willed herself to lift her gaze once more and studied Draco's face. After she escorted Ron to the hospital wing and was assured by Madam Pomfrey that she would take good care of Ron, she went back to where she left Draco only to find the area deserted with no sign of him anywhere.

She wanted to talk to him last night about what almost happened between them. She also wanted to apologize for Ron's behavior. Her best friend only acted on impulse. Ron explained to her that when he found her and Draco necking in the dark after he went searching for her after she failed to show-up for dinner, he thought she was being accosted by his and Harry's worse enemy. She went into great lengths explaining to Ron that Draco didn't accost her on her way to the Great Hall to do his wicked ways with her.

"You mean to tell me you let Malfoy touch you like that?!" he asked incredulously as they ascend the stone steps leading to the hospital wing.

"It's...complicated." she placated, giving her best friend a sheepish glance.

"Hermione..."

"Look Ron, so much has happened this last few weeks and whatever my feelings were for Draco before I woke in the hospital wing with him I don't think they are relevant to what is happening now."

"The hell it doesn't!" he exploded, pulling away from her. His eyes were wide and incredulous as he stared at her in utter disbelief, "You're making out with Malfoy of all people." he pointed out sardonically, "Malfoy!" he repeated the last name as though it hasn't sunk in to Hermione's head yet.

"I know who he is, Ron. God, what does him being a Malfoy have anything to do with everything?" she demanded, "He's only human for Chrissakes!"

"Yeah, and he's a Death Eater's son in case you have forgotten!" Ron pointed out angrily.

That news should've shocked the living daylights out of Hermione, but somehow she knew, hidden somewhere in the depths of her memory, she knew that Draco was related to a Death Eater.

"I know, Ron, and I don't care."

Ron's jaw looked like it was suddenly torn from his face at her unabashed announcement.

"What has that son of a bitch done to you?!" he gave her a chilling glare before storming to the hospital wing all by himself.

She called after him, but Ron only ignored her. She knew he felt betrayed, especially by her, and she let him be. She went back downstairs in search of Draco but he was no where to be found. She waited for him to make another appearance, but after an hour of waiting and no Draco showed-up she decided to check up on Ron up in the hospital wing.

Ron was already asleep when she got there, but Madam Pomfrey told her he will be alright. She told Hermione of the bruises Ron received from the scuffle and told her that Ron will most probably remain in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend.

"What are you thinking about?" Draco's question broke into Hermione's private reverie.

"Huh?" she frowned up at him.

Draco glanced down at her, a smirk marring his handsome face. "A penny for your thought?"

"What makes you think I'm thinking of something?"

"You've gone suddenly quiet. And your eyebrows are furrowed in the center. A tell-tale sign that you're deep in thought.

Her lips thinned into a tight line.

"You know me that well?" she teased.

"Not really." he shrugged then decided to backtrack his reply, "I mean, in the recent weeks I think I got to know you well considering the amount of time I spent watching you and learning every damn thing about you."

"Oh." she nodded and let her gaze stray towards the lake, "I was just thinking about Ron, that's all." she shrugged.

"Weasley." he sounded bitter and quickly averted his gaze from her face, "You love him?"

Hermione frowned up at him, "Of course I love him. How can I not?"

"I see." he took a deep breath and forced a smile on his face. "Well, I think I better leave you alone with your thoughts then. Sorry to disturb you." he made his excuses and walked back the way he came, leaving Hermione staring after him dumbstruck.

She called him to come back, but Draco kept on walking away and ignored her.

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to be continued...

A/N: Hmm...I think I'm starting to lean more on some 'drama' here *lol* a whole new twist to the Draco/Hermione saga...enjoy reading & don't forget to review!

Starrynights13: actually the cliffies just happens that way--it's not for your benefit *grins* and btw, I finally got to chance to read another chapter of your story...I'm slowly working on getting through to the latest chapter!

kristatwen: I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you, thanks for leaving your mark!

Hermione18: thanks for enjoying & liking the fic

Queen Li: yeah, totally Hermione/Draco forever! *lol* thanks for loving the last chapter...hope this chapter didn't disappoint you

Draco's one and only: well I thought I'd put a little spin to Draco & Hermione's make-out sessions in the previews chapter and make it a big hot and heavy *winks* hehehehe, now I am kinda mellowing things down a bit in this chapter

Kara-Malfoy: thanks for the input, I'll see what I can do about working on that idea of yours, enjoy this chapter!

Angela: hmm...as for other good stories, there are quite a few of 'em on here but I can't remember the titles off-hand *grins* hope you like this chapter