Disclaimer: The voices in my head came back just long enough to yell at me for almost forgetting the disclaimer again. I own nothing except the banter.

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"Hey, 'Mione, where're you going?"

Hermione seems to shake herself out of a deep revere and looks at Harry strangely. "What makes you think I'm going anywhere? We're just sitting here..."

Ron shakes his head in mock shame. "No, no, no. He meant tonight. You know, Saint Valentine's Day?"

Hermione stares at him for a moment, before standing up and announcing to the two boys that she needed to look something up in the library.

Harry simply looked over at Ron, who had shrugged and was currently proceeding to shovel as much food as he possibly could down his throat. "What was that all about? I mean, first she ignores us, then she runs off to the library because we mentioned 'Valentine's Day'???"

"Dude, she's a _girl_! What did you expect?"

Harry shrugged and answered Ron's unspoken eating challenge, figuring that whatever it was she would tell him later.

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"Oh no oh no oh no!! What am I supposed to do?! This is a disaster! Only the most romantic time of the year and _I_ can't think of anything to do for him! I'm only..."

Hermione's ranting was stopped by a very familiar drawl. "Are the most pathetic Mudblood I've ever seen. Limiting yourself to a hyped up holiday. I suppose I shouldn't have thought you would be better than that, though."

Without even turning around to face the blond haired Slytherin, she told him exactly what she thought. "You are a pompous bastered that ever your death eater parents are ashamed of. Don't talk to _me_ about not reaching others expectations!"

"Harsh words from a little girl with no bite to back up her bark."

"Go wank yourself and leave me alone, Malfoy."

"And why would you think I'm a wanker. Do you get off watching others?"

"No, Malfoy, just a lucky guess I suppose. You really do seem like the type who would have to rely on his hand instead of his man."

"Ah, ah, ah. That's one place where you're wrong, Granger. I am _not_ a poof, unlike the Potty. All of my affections are aimed towards one girl."

"Oh really. And who might she be, some random pretty pureblooded wanna-be death eater?"

"No. She's not even a Slytherin." At this comment Hermione finally turned away from the bookcase to look her adversary in the eye.

"Uh-huh. You expect me to believe that you would settle for less?"

"You know the girls in Slytherin. You expect me to settle for so little?"

"Well, you have a point. The only member of your house I can stand is Blaise..."

"Boy."

"What?"

"Blaise Zambini is a boy. And a poof. That's why he hangs out with the girls. The boys won't go near him. He's not good enough for Voldemort and his wannabe followers. I'm his only friend form the house."

Hermione was shocked to hear You-Know-Who's true name come out of a Malfoy's mouth. They always seemed so afraid to her. And the scorn behind the word... "You hate it too, don't you?"

"What?"

"The war, the public, the ministry, Voldemort, Dumbledore. It's all terrible. I wish it would just go away."

"If wishes were fishes..."

Hermione simply stared in response to the strange comment.

Draco gave her a ghost of a smile. "It's something my mother used to say right before Voldemort fell the first time. 'If wishes were fishes, I'd live in a sea.' It's a muggle phrase, but she'd say it anyways, as long as my father wasn't near."

"I know what she means. Hey Malfoy, what are you doing here?"

"Wha..? Oh, haven't you noticed that I haven't been to the dining hall all year?" a shake of her head confirmed his suspicions "Well, I refused the dark mark just before the year started, and my father disowned me. I think that if Voldemort hadn't regained _full_ power thanks to the worm that my mother would have divorced him for doing such, but he's back and there's nothing I can do about it. I can't be near the other Slytherins because they've cursed me with two of the Unforgivables already, and tried to cast the third." A gasp met this confession. "Don't worry, it's nothing compared to a few more basic forms of torture I've seen..." For some reason this reminded Hermione greatly of Harry, and she told him so. "Yeah, we've both been through a lot of the same shyt. That's why when I started to stay in the rooms near Professor Snape's, Harry started to visit me. Snape suggested it himself. He said that he'd seen the same look in the both of our eyes sometimes. If the hat had placed it where it wanted to, things would be very different right now."

"What do you mean? I thought that since he was so brave...?"

"No, the hat was going to put him in Slytherin, but he said no. Harry told me it was because not only had Ron told him that every evil wizard that had ever come from Hogwarts was from Slytherin, but that he'd known enough about Voldemort and what they already had in common that he couldn't stand to be in the same house as him as well."

"I never knew... Though now that I think about it, he really would have done well in your house. Had he become friends with you before Ron, so many things would be different."

"Not the least of which that you would be alone."

"Yes, I suppose that's true. If it weren't for Harry, then Ron wouldn't have befriended me. I'd probably have died because of that troll. I wonder if anyone would have missed me..."

"I don't know about then, but if you died now, I know plenty of people who would miss you. Even I would."

"Why?"

"Who else would I tease?" Draco grinned cheekily at her. Hermione simple smiled back.

"This is depressing. I want to talk about something else now."

"Ok, like what?"

"Well...who do you like?"

"Hmm...that's a tough one."

"Oh come on. You already said that you liked a certain girl!"

"Well, she's very smart. Beautiful, of course."

"Of course."

Draco glared playfully. "Some people have called her brilliant. She's not in Ravenclaw or Slytherin, though. She's very close to my age. And she views the war almost exactly the same way as my only two friends and I do."

"Are you sure she exists?"

Draco swatted at her, glowering. "Of course I'm sure! Well, if Miss Granger, resident Know-it-all of Hogwarts can't figure it out, tell me who you like!"

"Well...he hides behind a mask, and was cruel to me for quite a few years before I saw a glimpse of the person underneath. He is quite a solitary person, just like me, with only a few friends. I haven't spoken to him without the cruelty behind the words often, but when I do it makes my day. Also, he's almost, not quite mind you, but almost as smart as me."

Draco glared at her cheeky smile. "Oh come off it! I'm plenty smart!"

"Who ever said it was you?"

"Who didn't?"

"Well, you like me too, there's no one else who fits the description you gave."

"Oh right, as if _I_ like know-it-all Granger!"

"Like you could resist my charms."

"You wish!"

"At least I'm not a slimy Slytheri-" Hermione was suddenly caught off guard by Draco's lips coming down to meet hers. Instead of pulling away as he feared, though, she leaned into the kiss and snuggled onto his lap. (Did I mention that they were sitting down? No? Well, I just decided that they were!) When he finally pulled away, Hermione was curled up into a ball in his lap as he was stroking her hair. Both were quite content that all was good with the world. That is, until they heard a familiar voice calling out.

"'Mione! Where are you?! I know you wanted to search something up, but you've been here for quite a few hou-Oh Bloody Hell!!" The two love birds looked up to see Ron's face horribly red as if he had suddenly lost the ability to breath as Harry was trying to both pat Ron comfortingly on the back while doubled over laughing. Draco decided that the best course of action would be to not move, but to repeat the Weasel. "Oh Bloody Hell!"

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There, how do you like it? My first real romance fic. No real purpose behind this one except to hook up one of my fav couples. I don't think that I'm going to continue this one, but if I get over 10 reviews saying that I must, then I will. Harry will be hooked up with Sev if I continue this...just warning you! I will do my best to keep it Herm/Drac though....my best isn't saying much, is it?

In dedication of Valentine's Day 2003 where I was stuck in bed all day. I even missed out on going to school and getting a flower from my ex. ~_~