Author's Note: So here we are again. Another chapter, another day. I've moved away from the watcher for this chapter, but don't worry! Who saw them shall be revealed next chapter…hopefully.

Acknowledgements: To all my lovely reviewers again. Where would I be without you? Well… who knows? This chapter is for all of you! Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 6

The universe is made up of millions upon millions of questions. Each one consuming time like a wild beast. They drive you to distraction, make you crave the knowledge you feel you need to survive. Moments pass you by while you ponder. Ponder everything you know already, questioning yourself. Actions speak louder then words…

Tick tock. Tick tock.

Draco glanced up at the clock, his eyes willing on the second hand. Time moved so slowly when you needed to be somewhere else. Especially when at that somewhere would be a someone. A person who made your pulse race faster then the shooting star plummeting through the night sky. A person who, as corny as it sounded to him, lit up the room with her mere presence. A person who embodied everything you ever desired, and everything you ever hated. In other words the girl he thought he was in love with. He was pretty sure he was but something nagged at his mind. Her friends.

Ever since the First Year, Draco had loathed and detested Harry Potter and his circle of friends. He had hated them for being so good. For being so popular. So famous. Now he hated them for being the obstacle. Nothing more, nothing less. They were the thorn in his side. The only thing keeping him from Hermione. He loved her enough to know that hurting her friends would drive her away from him. Under all of that was fear. Fear that she would see the error of her ways and go running into someone else's arms. He suspected he knew the owner of the arms too. Weasley. All through dinner the previous night, he had seen those eyes on her. Lustful and loving. Draco was disgusted by the thought that he might be jealous of a nobody Weasley. That was the problem though. He wasn't a nobody. In her eyes he was a somebody.

In the distance a bell tolled calling the end of the lesson. Draco stood regally and smoothed a hand through his hair. It was beyond him why he was so nervous. Maybe it was the thrill of the secret. He sighed heavily. The secret was beginning to weight heavy on his heart. It seemed to pull and tug in every direction.

Moving out of the classroom he slunk down the corridor, his face darkened by his mood. Looking over to his right he saw Potter. He seemed to be talking to the Weasley girl. They were deep in conversation. Draco smiled. Being attached to Hermione didn't have to stop him from having his fun. With that thought in mind he marched over with a sly smile on his face. 'New girlfriend Potter? Always knew you liked losers.'

'What do you want Malfoy?' Harry said in a low voice.

Draco ran a finger down the side of Ginny's face bringing out an intense blush that only a Weasley could have. He laughed callously. 'Better keep a grip on this one Potter. You never know what might happen.'

He spun on his heel and walked away with his head held high. A smile teased the corner of his mouth. There was nothing more satisfying then tormenting Potter & Co. Well, if there was he hadn't discovered it yet. His mind flitted back to his last meeting with Hermione. How she had smelt good enough to eat. How the taste of her lips had almost driven him insane. Instead of going wild though, he had stepped back. He had let her slip through his fingers for the second. Soon he would get close again. This time he wasn't going to step back. He was going to let everything he felt be known. Vent off all the frustration she was the epicentre of.

As he strolled along, he felt suddenly aware of a presence by his side. He stopped dead and turned, giving the person a casual look. Inwardly he sighed. Over the past few weeks Pansy had been taking an increasing interest in him, and he could partly understand why. He was the bad boy. The boy who took what he wanted when he wanted. The boy who was dark and mysterious. A closed book. An unknown entity. That was the way he liked it. He wanted people to think they know him, and then surprise them by proving it wrong. Now he was older he had grown taller and his whole body had developed. It was toned and slim. As Hermione had said he looked "innocent" with his angelic features. Those who chose to judge the book by its cover were largely deceived. Draco knew he was far from angelic, almost the complete opposite in fact. Unlike his father he had a soul though and it craved to be released from its cell of damnation. The only time he would do so though was when he was alone. So alone that only his thoughts kept him company. Blinking a couple of times he gave Pansy a blank, yet quizzical look.

'Nice work with Potter, Malfoy.' She said with a silky smooth voice. 'Maybe one of these days you'll be able to…show me the ropes.'

This brought a smile to his face. Pansy was propositioning him in her own special way. In some ways it was quite flattering to have a semi attractive girl wanting you. In other ways he found the mere thought stomach turning. Though he tried to keep up appearances with his fellow Slytherin's, he found the majority of them tedious and lacking in any brain power at all. They often reminded him of sheep in a field. Always following the example of someone else and almost never thinking for themselves.

'Maybe not,' he almost spat.

The look on her face was priceless and Draco found regret seeping through to his thoughts. He knew what it was like to feel the fear of rejection weighing heavy on your heart. It restricted its movements and made it seem like you couldn't breathe anymore. Instead of showing his feelings though, he graced her with a cool, cruel, smile. She would get over it eventually.

'I'll get you one day Draco,' she hissed quietly, 'where it will most hurt.' With that insight she spun on her heel and stomped down the corridor sending some Ravenclaw First Years flying.

Draco laughed. Nothing could hurt him. Well nothing except…

***

Across the way, she could see the breeze flowing through the dappled coloured trees. The soft scent of damp leaves and grass dew filled her nostrils. Everything seemed more alive then it had done the day before. Hermione smiled. It was a blessing that she'd been able to escape the hustle and bustle of the school crowd. The noise of it all seemed to drone on continuously, making her itch to be free of it all. Now, finally, she had succeeded. She was sat on a small bench looking out over the Forbidden Forest, her back was to the school, and the existence of the bench was shielded by a sweeping willow. Its graceful branches swayed in the breeze, breaking the silence of the noon. It was all so perfect.

Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and peered round her. He was late. A growl built up in the back of her throat. A part of her knew that this would happen. He would walk into her life then discard her like some broken toy. She rubbed her hands together attentively, trying to shut out the cold. Draco couldn't be trusted, she had known this. Rising, she closed her eyes and sighed. Why was she letting him do this to her? Letting him invade her thoughts constantly. Taking a deep breath she opened her eyes. Someone was approaching her and they were trying to be unknown. Grabbing her wand from her waist, she turned abruptly and was faced with Draco.

'Easy tiger,' he muttered turning the wand point away from his face. 'You could take someone's eye out with that thing.'

Hermione scowled slightly. The joke was not funny. He knew she could do a hell of a lot more with the wand if she really wanted to. It soon disappeared as his hands soothed the place between her eyebrows tenderly. She looked up at him, and a true smile was on his face. 'I thought you might have…forgotten.'

'How could I ever forget you?' He murmured leaning in close to her neck and kissing just below her jaw gently. A subtle sigh escaped her lips and she pulled him closer, needing the warmth of him. The familiar feeling of his smile against her neck took her back to the first time he had got close to her. Kiss after kiss were making their way along her jaw lovingly. All the past doubts slipped from her mind and she found herself pulling them both down onto the bench.

'Draco…' she whispered running her fingers along his cheek. He moved away slightly and straightened so he could look down at her. Slowly she reached up with her head and kissed him deeply. Instantly it was return. One of his hands was on her waist, holding her close. The other was gently rubbing against the side of her thigh. It felt strange to Hermione. Having Draco this close and not caring where his hands wander. Sometimes she wished he would be as cruel as he had always appeared, wishing he would just take her then and there. That was only a small fraction though. The rest screamed for her to stop living in a daydream. To snap out of it and see that he wasn't what she wanted. It was all lies though. She wanted him. 'Yes' she said between kisses.

'What?' Draco pulled back and searched her face. A blush rose up on her cheeks and a small smile appeared. He brushed her cheeks lightly with his fingertips, cocked his head to one side and waited.

'Yes…I want you…' she said in a small voice, glancing up at him.

The small smile grew on his face. Hermione looked down at her lap, the ground becoming incredibly interesting all of a sudden. Disbelief of what she had done, ran through her mind. What was she thinking saying that to him!? She stood up quickly and briskly began to walk away from him, her chin buried in her neck. After a split second a tug sent her down into the sitting position in Draco's lap. The blush was a furious red now and she struggled to get up, but he had her pinned.

'Weren't you ever taught not to tease men like that, and then leave with no explanation?' He whispered in her ear. His fingers trailed up her spine slowly, sending shivers through her body. His lips brushed against the skin below her ear. Hermione shifted position on his lap and looked into his eyes. As usual not a hint of his true feelings were there, just the mask he paraded in. 'We need to talk.'

Hermione bit her lip and looked away. That sentence seemed almost fatal. She knew that talking would make everything so much more difficult. All she wanted to do was block out the world so they could be together in a bubble. Shaking her head slightly she reached up and kissed him again.

Draco's hands pushed at her shoulders, making her gently break the kiss. He smiled and tutted softly. 'This isn't going to solve anything. You should know that.' Gently he brushed her cheek. 'I need to tell you things. I need to make sure that nothing can hurt you. I need to make sure I can't hurt you.'

'Ok, talk.' She said briskly, slightly annoyed by his rejection of her kiss.

'People don't exactly like me and if they found out about us I'm afraid…' he began.

'Afraid it'll spoil your image?' She said sharply.

'Afraid you'll be hurt. Your friends for example…'

'My friends have nothing to do with this!'

'Will you stop interrupting me!?' He snapped. 'Sorry. Please will you let me say what I need to say before jumping to conclusions?'

Hermione nodded. It wasn't like her to be so pushy but she had a sinking feeling that what he was saying wasn't going to end happily.

'If your friends ever found out about us, then it would hurt you. I don't know the exact reaction but I'm willing to bet that they wouldn't be too happy. I don't want to jeopardise your relationship with them. Hurting you would kill me.' He said slowly.

'Kill you? Don't be so over dramatic.'

'I'm not. I need you to make a decision. Now.'

'What?' She whispered, looking into his eyes.

'Are you willing to let me jeopardise that? Are you entirely sure I'm worth that much?'

'My friends mean the world to me but…'

'But?' he whispered.

'They have nothing to do with this.' She said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Draco sighed, moved her off his knee, and stood abruptly. 'They have everything to do with this! Everything.' He added bitterly.

'I don't see why this is bothering you. Surely it should be that worries about them. You're not exactly going to fall out of their graces.'

'It bothers me because it bothers you,' He took a deep breath; 'I love you.'

…or do they? Words can mean a million things. They can scorn and hurt. Hurt you so deeply that they constantly remind you of everything your not. Everything you want to be. Other words can mean everything. Make you feel that everything in life is great. Words can hold the keys to your heart. Three little words making you understand everything. How do you fall in love?

Author's Note 2: Ah! The horrible cliff-hanger moment. Let me know what you think.