Disclaimer

I do not own any of these characters, except Sniffy, though I got the idea from the book. And in between the later chapters, I put in a song of Mandy Moore 's 'Cry', (I missed out one of her paragraphs towards the end) however I'm not really sure that it's suitable for the plot or content of these chapter. So… no suing? =) Nothing more to say… except enjoy this chapter and don't forget to READ AND REVIEW! Tell me if this chapter's too long or too short, kayz? =)

In the previous chapter…

Hermione yawned very loudly and broke the argument between the two of them by saying, "Will you two just shut up? And by god, genie, I simply do not care for three wishes. All I want is one wish. One wish to get back to Hogwarts and leave this place and you."

"Well, well, what ungratefulness you have shown towards me and the kind intentions of your very own Headmaster. And that was VERY, VERY unladylike of you to yawn that loudly, if you ask me." he sniffed once again.

"But I didn't ask you." Hermione interjected. "Now will you grant my wish and stop sniffing. I have a good mind to call you Sniffy."

"You shall not!"

"Yes, I shall, Sniffy. Now grant my wish."

Sniffy sniffed and turned his back on Hermione. "I can't grant your wish. It's against the rule and the six thousand eight hundred and fifty fourth law of the Witches Council and the-"

"All right, already. You can't grant it, simple as that." Draco smirked, seeing that the Mudblood didn't get her way. But he had to admit, she had spunk in her. She wasn't just good at studying and burying her head in borrowed library books.

"Stop smirking or I'll wish that your mouth would be zipped forever and I'm pretty sure that that wish will NOT be against the laws of whoever and whatever. Right, Sniffy?"

That got both of Sniffy's and Draco's attentions. "Don't you dare…" Draco warned, half afraid and sure that she would indeed do it.

"'Twas your wish? 'Twas your very first wish?" The genie asked delightfully, rubbing his tiny hands together.

Hermione stole a glance at Draco and saw that even though he was trying to play it cool, she had the upper hand. The three wishes proved to be useful, after all.

"Well… all right." Draco looked devastated.

"But you'll have to say the magic words. 'Tis 'I, whatever your name is, wish…'"

"All right." Hermione tossed a threatening smile towards Draco Malfoy. "I, Hermione Granger, wish that-"

"Stop! Stop!" Draco raced over and covered her mouth with his hand. "Don't say a word." After a moment of hesitation, he added, "Please."

Hermione inhaled sharply and smelled a funny scent. She wasn't sure that it was the scent of a male. Ron and the other guys smelled the same to her. Draco smelled… well… differently. Maybe it was because he was a cunning Slytherin and that he had Slytherin blood flowing in his veins. She looked up at Draco's eyes and saw specks of midnight blue among the grayness. She couldn't help but notice how nice his eyes were all of a sudden.

Draco felt movement against his palm and thought he saw her smile turn into a frown. Her eyes narrowed and he was so afraid that she might still command that wish that he said another "Please". Just for good measure.

And just for good measure, Hermione bit his hand.

Shed Tears, Wild Emotions, Shattered Lives

Draco bellowed and swore loudly. He jumped back and saw Hermione give him a cat-in-the-cream sort of smile. He hated it. He always hated it when other people got the upper hand.

"You bit me."

"Darn right I did. If I didn't, I would have suffocated."

Draco took five deep breaths and took another five when he saw the genie smirking in delight.

"You. Get inside." He commanded.

The genie cowered from the look in Draco's eyes. It was murderous.

"Inside the bottle?" his voice quivered.

"Yes!" Draco yelled.

"All right, all right…" the genie grumbled and quickly made his escape into the bottle before the guy killed him with his bare hands.

Draco immediately turned his attention back to Hermione once the corkscrew of the bottle was replaced back on by Draco almost venomously.

He stepped towards Hermione while Hermione retreated back slowly. With every step he took while advancing forward, Hermione took an equal number of steps retreating backwards. Yet she still held her dignity and pride forward by keeping her chin up as she glanced up and looked firmly into his eyes, as if telling him to back off. To her utmost surprise, the midnight blue flames seemed to dance and play around in Draco's eyes, indicating that trouble was arising.

She couldn't retreat further back. Her back hit a tree.

Draco placed both arms about her shoulders and Hermione cursed him silently for being taller than her by almost a head.

She glanced around for a place to run when he barked out that there was no place she could run to now.

Determined not to show her fears of his anger, Hermione countered, "Let me go." To her surprise once again, her voice had sounded firm and determined; it didn't sound like it belonged to a person in absolute fear of what was lying before her.

"No." His tone was hard and the answer he gave took whatever courage she had left in her away. Her lower lip couldn't help but quiver slightly.

Draco watched as her lower lip quiver slightly. It was a slight movement, but still noticeable to him, but maybe not to other people, for they were at such close proximity.

He had meant to strike her, but now seeing how afraid she was, he quickly banished the motion. He thought of his father and how he treated his own wife.

Draco let his hands fall back to his sides, turned his back on Hermione, and walked away, shoulders hunched.

Hermione's mind registered shock, something that she has been registering all the time that day. Draco Malfoy, letting her go? She was sure he was going to slap her right across her face. And she wasn't even sure whether it would be still her fault.

"Malfoy?" she called out gently, resisting the strongest urge that suddenly arose in her to call him by his name.

He stopped in his footsteps, but didn't turn around, nor did he say anything. All that was seen from his back by Hermione was just the tensed up shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry." She wanted to slap herself that very moment. Why in the world did she say that? All she had planned to do was to ask why he was so quiet and solemn all of a sudden. This was so not her.

Draco walked on, leaving Hermione to feel deserted and she wanted very much to bury herself in the sand. Her face flushed as he suddenly turned around.

From a distance, he saw Hermione's face turn pink. He had good eyesight; her lower lip was still quivering. God, he bet she didn't know how appealing she looked to him right this instant, even if he was mad at her and mostly, himself.

Draco walked over to her stopped in front of her and used his knuckles to lift her chin to face him. Their faces were just inches away. "I really am," she whispered softly, as if the message was only meant for his ears, even though there were nobody around them.

Draco suddenly focused on her full, quivering lips and his male instinct drove him to kiss her. Right on the set of full lips. He meant it to be just a peck, but as his lips touched her soft ones, the peck turned out to be something else; it turned out to be more than a peck.

Hermione was shocked but she found herself kissing back, with her hands entangled in his silvery blonde hair. She closed her eyes instinctively and pressed his head gently, as if wanting to prolong the kiss. She couldn't help it; he was just too good a kisser.

Their tongues met and many a times, Draco's tongue ran through the roof of her mouth, making her smile. His arms were around her waist and were clutching onto the small of her back. It was an almost protective gesture, coming from Draco.

Draco wanted himself to stop, but every time he heard the soft whimpers of pleasure coming from the back of Hermione's throat, he couldn't help but continue. It was as though this was a different him. He felt like a new person and he felt… free.

Finally, they stopped; they just had to come out for air. Hermione's face was red as she suddenly thought of how close their bodies were and her lips were swollen from all the kissing. Draco's kiss had been hard, demanding, yet soft and tender all at the same time. Hermione loved it, though she would probably never admit it to anyone in her whole life.

Draco looked at Hermione's swollen lips and thought they looked fuller. He resisted every urge and desire to kiss her once again, to leave her, as well as him, breathless. He admitted to himself that he thoroughly enjoyed the kiss; she was just too good a kisser. Yet… he was so damn confused by it all; the irony of him now kissing his sworn enemy so passionately as if she were his lover.

Not knowing what else to do, and now knowing why he did what he did before, he just walked away; walked away from her and walked towards a new kind of pain. Damn it all, as if he didn't have enough troubles and pain.

I'll always remember

It was late afternoon

It lasted forever

It ended so soon

You were all by yourself

Staring up at the dark gray sky

I was changed

Hermione sighed as she saw Draco walk away. What's going on? It seems like nothing in my life is working out. Hermione thought dejectedly.

In places no one will find

All your feelings so deep inside

It was now that I realized

That forever was in your eyes

The moment I saw you cry

First, Harry, then Draco. Two kisses that she couldn't handle. Yet, these two kisses were different. Harry's one was soft and no doubt passionate, but it didn't send shivers down her back like Draco's. She has never felt such a strange and fierce emotion before. Never in her life did she have to experience such things. And here she thought her life was going on smoothly, with her good grades and her great ambitions. And now, every thing is ruined. Simply everything. She couldn't take it anymore. She cried, with her whole body shaking. She suddenly wanted to get home to where her whole family was. She suddenly hated her own life and whatever that was happening to it. And just then, she found out that she didn't have her wand. She cried harder, with torrents of tears pouring down her cheeks.

It was late in September

And I've seen you before

You were always the cold one

But I was never that sure

You were all by yourself

Staring up at a dark gray sky

I was changed

Draco's ears were as sharp as he claimed them to be. He heard Hermione soft sobs, and as he glanced back and saw her body shaking, his assumptions and hearing were confirmed. He wanted to run to her and said he didn't mean to walk away like that. For once in his entire life, he wanted to say he was sorry and he didn't know why. She just looked so damn vulnerable sitting there and he wanted to kiss every trouble of hers away.

In places no one will find

All your feelings so deep inside

It was now that I realized

That forever was in your eyes

The moment I saw you cry

I wanted to hold you

I wanted to make it go away

I wanted to know you

I wanted to make your everything all right…

That was what he thought before he realized that he had his own sort of new trouble: he didn't have his wand with him.

I'll always remember…

It was late afternoon…

In places no one will find…

Baby cry

The moment I saw you cry

I think I saw you cry

The moment I saw you cry

Fade out

I wanted to know you

I wanted to know you

I wanted to know you