A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. Writer's block..I'm not sure when I'll update next. I have a big mid-term paper due soon, even though it's only October and the semester doesn't end until December..but that's the crazy world for you. I'll try to update as soon as possible.

The next morning, Draco was wide awake at 4:00AM thinking, while fingering the amulet. 'I will never be nice to Hermione again. Who I am kidding? I CAN'T ever be nice to her again. Then my feelings for her will return.' He tossed and turned for another hour before falling into an uneasy sleep.

            Draco was having a nightmare about Hermione hitting him on the head with a book, but then he woke up and realized it was Goyle hitting him over the head with a pillow. "Draco, man, wake up. I've been trying to wake you up for a half an hour." He grunted. Draco pushed a few stray blonde hairs out of his eyes and stumbled past Goyle to the bathroom. He emerged from the bathroom, ready to go to breakfast, twenty minutes later.

            "What took you so long?" Crabbe, who was at the front of the line for the bathroom, asked.

            "The mirror wouldn't stop flirting with me." He said. Then, he left his annoyed roommates with his trademark smirk. He entered the Great Hall and involuntarily looked over at the Gryffindor table, where Hermione sat, watching him too. He remembered his conversation with himself last night and sneered at her. He mouthed "mudblood" at her, then sat down.

            Hermione hadn't been able to talk to him last night because it took her awhile to get over the shock of what Ginny told her on her way out. She sighed and went back to eating her breakfast, where she avoided eye contact with Ron, who was still hurt that she broken up with him after they went out for an hour. She didn't blame him. She had used him to get over Draco.

            After breakfast, Hermione headed to her first class, Transfiguration, that was unfortunately, with the Slytherins. She started to go inside, but Malfoy cut in front of her, knocking her over. He just looked at her, smirked, and went inside. She was suddenly hit with a severe case of déjà vu from their encounter on the first day of classes. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and entered the classroom.

            "Today class," Professor McGonagall began, "You will be transfiguring an item of yours into your house mascot. Then, I will pair you up, if done right,  the two mascots will duel. Hermione took out her copy of Romeo and Juliet and easily transformed the book into a Gryffindor Lion. Only one other person had managed to transfigure theirs and it was.."Malfoy" Hermione muttered. He had a Slytherin Serpent slithering across his desk. Being the first two done, Professor McGonagall paired them together. Hermione picked up her miniature lion and walked over to Draco's desk. She sat down in a chair next to him and placed her lion on the table. The lion and the serpent circled each other before they started moving forwards. By now, the whole class was watching with interest to see who would win. They got within fighting range, and everyone held their breath, expecting the fight to begin, but the snake just started circling through the lion's legs. Then, the two animals moved to the edge of the table and disappeared with a pop.

            "That was odd…" Hermione said.

            "Yep," Draco agreed. Then, he realized he had talked to her and turned away, scowling.

"Well," Professor McGonagall started, "Something must have gone wrong with the incantation." Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"No. I think there was something wrong with MALFOY'S incantation." Hermione said loud enough for the class to hear.

"I think that GRANGER can't stand to ever do anything wrong every once and awhile." Draco retorted. Both students gave each other menacing glares.

"Children, please," Professor McGonagall said.

"Granger is a little mudblood. Even she knows it deep down. Don't you, Granger?" Draco mocked.

"Well, Malfoy can't stand the fact that maybe for once in his life someone actually cares about him!" Hermione yelled.

"Children! Sit down! And you both have detentions tonight at 8:00 with Professor Snape." Professor McGonagall declared. Draco and Hermione stared at her in shock and reluctantly obeyed.

At 7:45, Hermione left for her detention. When she arrived, Draco was lounging in a chair with his feet up on the desk. 'Why does he have to sit like that?' she thought to herself, as her heart pounded in her ears. They both stayed silent for awhile. Hermione walked around the room and Draco watched with interest out of the corner of his eye.

"Snape's not coming," Draco said after a moment, "He told us to start cleaning and he'd be back to check on us in an hour. I guess we'd better get started." He said, standing up with a deep sigh. They scrubbed cauldron bottoms for twenty minutes and then moved on to cleaning the remains of potions off the floor. More than once, Hermione could've sworn she'd heard Draco mutter, "Servant's work." Right as they were taking a break, Snape came in.

"5 points from Gryffindor and another detention, Miss Granger, for not working." Snape sneered.

"But what about Draco?" She protested. At this Draco stood up.

"Really, Professor Snape, we were both taking a break. I want a detention too." Draco declared. Snape looked shocked at this show of courtesy, but he gave them both midnight detentions with Filch the next night in the Trophy Room.

Hermione went to the Trophy Room the next night and, once again, Draco was there first, leaning up against the wall. Filch came in, told them their assignments, and then left. Hermione was taking down a rather heavy trophy, when it slipped from her hands. Draco and Hermione both dived for it at the same time, Hermione landing on her back, and Draco on top of her. Draco caught the trophy right before it landed on Hermione's head. He placed it down bedside them and propped himself up on his elbows over her.

"What're you doing, Malfoy? Let me up!" Hermione yelled, but he just placed more of his weight on her. "Let me go!" She screamed. He clamped his hand over her mouth.
           

"I'll let you up, but only if you want me to. Not what's right. Not what should happen. But what you want." He said. She didn't say anything. It seemed like hours passed, until her body relaxed under him. He lowered his mouth onto hers. "Who cares what my father thinks? I'll just have to protect her. There's nothing I can do to keep myself from her." He thought to himself as she returned his kiss. He trailed the kisses across her jaw, and down her neck. She closed her eyes as his warm breath tickled her neck. Suddenly, he stopped and got off her. "I'm not going to any farther. I may be a teenage boy, but I have my morals." He explained.

"Good. Because so do I." Hermione agreed. "So…are we..a couple?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, but no one can know. My father," Draco paused, knowing that the truth would scare her. "Well, my father doesn't approve, so it can never get back to him." He answered. They finished their detention and headed back to their dormitories.

"Have fun with Filch?" Justin asked her. (A/N: Remember he's Head Boy and shares a dormitory with her.)

Hermione grinned. "It was a night I'll never forget." Then, she headed off to bed leaving a very puzzled Justin behind her.

The next morning, she woke up to an owl tapping on her window. She opened the window up and a great screech owl flew in. She gave it a treat and took the letter from its leg. Sitting down on the bed, she tore open the letter. A necklace fell out along with a note.

            Dear Hermione,
Now that we're going out and on a first name basis, I need to know if you can figure out what this amulet is. I've never seen anything like it before. It might have to do with the Dementors being here. Meet me in the library this Saturday.

                                                                                   Love,
                                                                                      Draco

Hermione put the letter back in the envelope and looked outside of her window at the cloaked terrors surrounding the Forbidden Forest and the entrance to Hogwarts. She shivered and picked up the amulet. She examined the smooth, emerald, surface and the tiny silver serpent in the background. She traced her finger along the emerald and immediately words started to appear over the serpent. She dropped the amulet in surprise, but quickly picked it back up before the words faded.

Un'arte dimenticata porterà l'amore per due e con il sacrificio del nemico la malvagità il suo reign sarà attraverso. The amulet read.

"What language is that? I know I've seen it before. The library can't wait until Saturday. I have to get Draco now." Hermione said, and she walked out of her room. Unbeknownst to her, someone was listening to her every word.

Another A/N: Rebecca, vix, poopookachoo, Danialla Rahl, Elven Dancer/Draco Fluff, DiOsA4u, Katie Crickett, MellonKidd, sakura angel90

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