Thanks to all my reviewers! Um, some to name: MiaMaria, Fiery Slut, Anna Nana, Kiriko-chan, Sucker For Romance. You guys rock!!! : ) Anyway, here's the next chapter… enjoy…
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For the next few days, he stayed away from her. He saw her glance at him more than a few times with a confused look on her face. Outwardly, he was impassive, inwardly, he grinned. There was an order that had to be followed. This was a game that he was playing, with Hermione as the prize. And he was going to win. Still, it made him incredibly angry whenever she was around Potter and Weasley, which was quite often… but that couldn't be helped. It didn't really matter anyway. Potter was in love with Ginny Weasley and Ron seemed to have a thing for Pavarti. So no competition from either of them. He watched the others around her. Neville Longbottom was a squat annoying boy and had grown up the same. No problem. The only one that he could see could give him some trouble was Dean Thomas. The boy had grown into a tall, handsome guy that they girls fawned over. Ever since Draco had disappeared from her side, Dean seemed to have the annoying habit to 'run into' her everywhere from the library to the entrance of the Great Hall just so they could sit together. And she didn't seem to mind. He bared his teeth in a not-so-nice smile. Well, that would not do at all.
Hermione entered the Great Hall, talking with Dean Thomas. He'd asked her to help him study for the an Arthimacy test they were going to have next week so she'd been helping him a lot lately. Well, it wasn't as if she had much else to do with her free time. Draco had stopped talking to her. She sighed. Maybe the whole 'just friends' thing had been a huge mistake. She glanced over to the Slytherin table for the familiar blond. He was bent towards Blaise Zambini, talking. As if sensing her watching, he turned his head and looked straight at her. His eyebrows jumped and his mouth quirked into a quick smile before he turned back to the other boy. Her heart skipped a beat but she tried to quell the feeling. Remember, he was a jerk, a small voice said to her. He's supposed to be the one wanting you, not the other way around. Stop it! This is exactly what he wants you to do so that you can just crawl back to him and he won't look like the stupid one… the voice yelled. But she couldn't get that smile out of her mind. Even when Dean waved a hand in front of her face, she didn't notice until Ron bellowed,
"Hermione!"
"What?" she snapped back.
"Dean was talking to you."
She turned red with embarrassment. "Sorry, what?"
He shrugged. "Studying in the library tonight?"
"Sure."
"Around six at our usual table?"
"Sure."
He grinned. "See you then. I have to finish an essay for Muggle Studies," he said then left.
She sat down to see two identical grins on Harry and Ron's faces. "What?"
"So, Dean Thomas, eh?" Harry asked.
"Much better than Malfoy, I'd say," Ron added.
"Shut up," she replied and started eating breakfast. "I'm not going out with Dean, I'm just helping him with Arithmacy and that's all. Nothing more."
"Uh huh…" Ron said sceptically. "Suuure…"
She sighed. Boys.
The morning post started to come in, owls flying everywhere. Pig came in, dropping a package in front of Neville, he'd forgotten a textbook at home, as usual.
A owl soared down and dropped a white rose onto Hermione's toast then took off again, following the other owls out the window.
She picked it up, astonished, then turned towards Draco. But his face was hidden behind the Daily Prophet. She turned back and picked up the note attached.
There will be time, there will be time,
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to love and to create;
And time for all the works and days of hands
That life and drop a question on plate;
Time for you and time for me.
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.
She flushed and stuffed the note into her pocket, moving the rose to beside her plate.
"What was that, Hermione?" Ron asked curiously.
"Nothing. A thank you," she replied, shovelling food into her mouth at the risk of choking herself. When she was done, she gave Ron and Harry a forced smile. "I'll see you two in Herbology. I just remembered I have to do that Muggle Studies essay too…" She got up from the table and practically ran from the Great Hall. As soon as she was out of view, she ran towards her room.
Over the next week, she found several more roses and several more notes filled with poetry. Some she recognized as Shakespeare and other poets, some she didn't. Every time it was delivered by the same owl, and every time there was no signature. During class, she tried to get a glimpse of Draco's writing but never got the chance. Then again, he could have gotten anyone to write it for him. Or it might not even be him at all. Dean could have written it. Anyone could have written it. She might have a stalker, for all she knew. Some pimply little second year could be writing it to her. Well, she had no way of actually knowing who was sending it until they decide to show themselves. It would serve her right if it were a second year for all the time that she thought about Draco. Too much altogether for the fact that she didn't want to be with him.
Sighing in frustration, she left the Gryffindor common room. It was much too noisy for her when she was trying to read. She went to the library, her haven, her second home, and settled herself by the window. The night was cloudless and star-filled, beautiful, in fact. She opened her book and a page fell out.
Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Where you can be outside and inside instantaneously,
Where owls fly around the stars and humans feel free.
She stared at it. It was quite unnerving really. Someone had gone into her room to place it in her book. Someone knew her password; even if she'd changed it a half dozen times since she'd gotten the first note. She studied the note again. Let us go then, you and I… Okay, he wanted to meet… When the evening is spread out against the sky… well, that was easy, evening, which was now… Where you can be outside and inside instantaneously, Where owls fly around the stars and humans feel free… She thought for a few minutes. Where would one be outside and inside instantaneously? Owls fly around the stars, humans feel free? After a few minutes, she snapped her fingers. The Astronomy Tower.
She closed her book with a snap and ran out of the library, the note clutched in her hand.
When she arrived at the tower, the light was just starting to fade and she was breathing heavily. "Hello?" she asked. "I know it's you, Dra-" The person stepped out and she stopped. Her face fell. "Oh, Dean. What are you doing here?"
He smiled uncertainly. "Hermione, I want thank you for helping me with that test…and…well…" he trailed off uncertainly as he saw her face.
"Yes?" she asked, trying to rearrange her face. Dean wasn't a bad guy.
"I was wondering if you wanted to come to the Yule Ball with me?" he asked quickly.
She blinked. What was she going to say? Sorry Dean, I'm in love with any other guy, I can't go…? She opened her mouth to reply but someone cleared their throat behind her. She turned around, a sick feeling settling in her stomach as she saw who it was.
"What are you two doing up here?" Snape asked silkily. "I don't believe you have a class this time of night…"
Both Hermione and Dean started talking at the same time.
"We were…"
"Professor, I…"
"In my office, now."
They started after him, heads hanging low.
Halfway down to the dungeons, they heard footsteps running after them.
"Professor!" Malfoy called. "Professor, thank goodness you found her." He took Hermione's hand. "I've been looking for her all over the place. Thank you."
Snape nodded. "Of course, Draco." He nodded and turned around, continued down the hall with Dean tagging along behind, his face ashen.
Draco started off, pulling Hermione along.
"Thank you," she said finally as they turned the corner.
He led them towards the main door. "You never showed up, by the way."
"What?"
"The note. You didn't get it?"
She held up the note. "This? I went to the Astronomy tower. Dean was there. He and I talked… he asked me to go to the Yule Ball with him but Snape interrupted. What did you mean by it?"
He held up another note. "This was slid under the door by Dean, inviting you up to the Astronomy Tower. I meant the Quidditch pitch. I was going to invite you on a ride. Do you want to go?"
She studied his face for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay."
His face split into a quick grin and they went to the pitch. His brand new broomstick was hovering a few feet from the ground. He climbed on and motioned to her to get on. She did and he pushed off, taking off and flying smoothly up into the sky. They flew up above the castle and he slowed the broom to a stop.
"It's a beautiful night," she said finally.
"Mmhmm… so would you go to the Yule Ball with Thomas?"
"I don't know…" she answered truthfully.
"Well, you can't."
"Why not?"
"Because you're going with me," he replied, matter of fact.
"Am I?" She turned her head towards him. "Really?"
"Yes, you are." He smirked. "Who else would you go with?"
"Well… Dean…" she said uncertainly.
"Dean?" he said point-blank.
"Yes, maybe Dean."
"Do you really want to go with that oaf?"
She frowned. "Dean's not an oaf."
"So you'll go with me?"
"Maybe. Is that why you brought me up here? To ask me?"
"No, I brought you up here so you couldn't run away or say no." He grinned and they started to soar back down towards the pitch.
"Fine. I'll go with you," she said when they touched down. "But don't think this means we're back together. Because it doesn't. We're just going to the Ball together. I have to get back to my room. I have work to do."
"Of course you do." He watched her scamper off up to the main entrance and when he kicked off on his broomstick and soared up towards the stars, he couldn't keep from smiling.
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Okay, that's it… let me know what you think! I know he's not really in character but I didn't like Malfoy when he was completely evil and besides, he's in love! No one acts normal when they're in love.