Chapter 2: An Unexpected Emotion

That afternoon in the library at 4 o'clock, Malfoy and Victoria met, sat down at a table far away from everyone else, and began their analysis. Draco longed for her to talk to him, and he longed to talk to her, but Victoria only spoke when it was necessary. After about an hour's work, Victoria said, "I was warned about you, Malfoy."

"In what way?" said Draco, putting down his quill.

"Well, just that you're not very nice, that's all."

"Potter and Weasley told you that, didn't they?" said Draco.

Victoria nodded.

"Well, I suppose they have a right to. After all, we fight with each other, I insult them, I spread rumours about them, I even call Granger a mud blood from time to time," he admitted.

"But why?" asked Victoria.

"Because I don't like them," said Malfoy simply.

"So? Conflict never really solves anything does it? Besides, I'm muggle-born, and I don't see you calling me a mud blood."

"Yes, but you're different."

"You hardly know me."

"I'm aware of that, but I can just tell."

There was a moment's silence.

"You know," said Draco. "I'm not as bad as people make out.

"Really?" said Victoria. "Because from what I've heard, I'd say you are."

Draco sighed. "I hate having an image like that. I mean, I'm not nasty all the time, but I guess it just seems that way to most people."

"You're not being nasty now," said Victoria, smiling.

"Yes, well, I suppose I'm not," replied Draco, smiling back. The clock suddenly chimed nine.

"Whoa, it's getting late, and I'm getting tired," said Victoria, yawning.

"Tell you what," said Malfoy. "We've practically finished the analysis, how about I complete it now and you can go to bed, you really do look sleepy."

"Really, you'd do that? Oh, thanks Malfoy!" said Victoria, standing up. "I'll see you around okay?" She walked off, but not before giving his hand a squeeze. Malfoy sat, stunned. Had he just been considerate to a Griffindor?

* * *

When Victoria returned to the Griffindor common room, Ron was pacing back and forward, fuming, while Harry and Hermione listened wearily to his complaints.

"I can't believe that Snape put me with Goyle!" he yelled. "He must have done it on purpose, Goyle is so incredibly thick, and I know Snape wants me to get bad grades!"

"Well consider yourself lucky Ron," said Harry. "Remember who Victoria had to work with? Draco Malfoy!"

Ron immediately stopped pacing and gave Victoria a look of deepest sympathy. "Oh Victoria," he said. "You poor, poor thing. Did he give you a hard time?"

"Well, actually he wasn't that bad," said Victoria. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared blankly. "He was polite to me and everything," she continued, embarrassed. "and we ended up having quite a civilised conversation. And you'll never guess what he said when I told him I was tired."

"What did he say?" asked Hermione.

"He said that we'd practically finished the analysis, so he's complete it so I could go get some sleep."

There was a silence.

"Well, that's a first for Malfoy, I must say!" said Ron, astounded.

"Yeah, definitely a first!" agreed Harry. "Hey, look at the time, we'd better get to bed."

"Yes, I just remembered that I have an Arithmancy quiz tomorrow, I need some sleep!" exclaimed Hermione. "Come on Victoria, let's go. See you boys tomorrow, okay?"

"Uh huh," said Harry, yawning. "See you."

As the girls got ready for bed, Victoria said to Hermione, "Hey, you know Malfoy? Well, I caught him staring at me this morning at breakfast."

"In what way?" asked Hermione.

"Well in a sort of oh my gosh look at her kind of way. You don't think…?"

"Hmmm…" murmered Hermione. "Nah, I don't think he likes you. No offense or anything, but he's in Slytherin and you're in Griffindor, and you know them, they're naturally prejudiced!"

"Yeah, you're right," laughed Victoria. "I mean, as if!" But something in her mind made her unsure of Hermione's reasoning. "It was just the way he acted towards me today," she said to herself before she fell asleep. "But Hermione's probably right. He must have just been in a good mood." With that she turned off the light and wen to sleep.

Draco and Victoria got full marks for their potions analysis."Absolutely perfect," complimented Professor Snape. "Every answer is here and correctly written down, and it is very neatly presented. Malfoy and Miss Dreanadia, this work is a credit to you." Victoria grinned slightly, and Malfoy smirked at Harry who ignored him completely and concentrated on silently congratulating Victoria.

However, as they walked out of the classroom, Pansy Parkinson, who was jealous of all the attention Victoria was getting from Snape and Malfoy, bumped her book bag off her shoulder and onto the floor. All her inkbottles smashed and her books turned either black, blue, or scarlet. Hermione turned to rouse on Pansy. "Pansy Parkinson," she began, but Malfoy cut in.

"Perhaps it would be better for all of us Pansy if you apologised to Victoria, and stayed away from her if you get so jealous," said Malfoy icily.

"Sorry then," said Pansy to Victoria sarcastically, and flounced off haughtily. Then, to everyone's great surprise, Malfoy stooped mdown and helped Victoria pick up her books. The whole corridor went silent to watch them.

"Thankyou Malfoy," said Victoria when they had finished.

"Please, call me Draco," he said, and walked off with Crabbe and Goyle in tow.

"You know what Victoria?" said a dumbfounded Hermione. "You were right last night. He definitely does have the hots for you.

"Too right," said Harry and Ron together.

"Yeah, too right," repeated Victoria softly as they walked off to a History of Magic.

* * *

Draco Malfoy was more embarrassed than he had ever been in his life. For one thing, Pansy Parkinson was not speaking to him, which was no great loss really, but it was the action that bothered him. Crabbe and Goyle were acting even more stupidly than usual around him, and people in every house were giving him funny looks when they walked past him. And what was worse, the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team said to him very loudly in the common room, "Hey Draco, how's your little Griffindor girlfriend going?" amid snorts of laughter.

But from that day forward, Malfoy and Victoria payed more attention to each other. They would say hello as they walked past on the way to classes, congratulate each other on good work, and Malfoy even stopped bullying Hermione when Victoria was around. All this was done very subtly of course, as it was bad for both of their reputations when people saw. They were also paired up for another assignment by Professor McGonagall, since Snape had told her how well they worked together.

"You know," said Draco when they were halfway throught their Transfiguration essay. " I really do enjoy working with you Victoria."

"Thankyou Draco, and I really enjoy working with you as well," she replied. When they had finished and were about to say goodbye, Malfoy did something he had never done to anyone outside his family. He kissed Victoria on the cheek. Just a quick peck, but as soon as he realised what he had done, he ran to his common room and slammed the door. Victoria was left standing at the library entrance, too shocked to move. When she did, she walked quickly and quietly to Griffindor tower, grabed Hermione and dragged her into a corner.

"What's up Victoria?" Hermione asked. "You look as if you've seen a ghost!"

"He…he kissed me Hermione. Draco Malfoy kissed me," was all Victoria could manage to stutter.

"WHAT?! Where?" Hermione hissed.

"Just on the cheek as we said goodbye. He seemed just as shocked as I was when he'd done it, 'cause he ran off faster than I've ever seen anyone run," she said.

"Do you want me to tell Harry and Ron?" asked Hermione.

"No! Leave them out of this, it'll just cause trouble," Victoria replied.

"Okay," said Hermione reluctantly. "But just be careful, alright?"

"Alright," said Victoria quietly. "I'll be careful." But the thought of him still haunted her as she lay in bed, unable to sleep. What was going on?

Of course Malfoy apologised to her the very next day. "Sorry about the thing in the library last night," he said quietly. "I got a bit carried away."

"That's fine," she replied, smiling. "No hard feelings."