A/N: HAHA! I wasn't planning on leaving it cliffed for as long as I did, but when its midnight on a school night, you kinda wanna get to bed ;o) Anyway, here IS the next chapter, and an explanation for that whole hand thing....the title is in honor of poopookacho, who wanted a "descriptive snog" haha. I FOUND a BETA!!! Thanx to sxCreedxs, you rule! Email me back!

~Mandy

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the twisted interactions between childish characters and my demented mind. Enjoy!



CHAPTER FIVE: The Descriptive Snog

Hermione nodded, wiping the tears from her face. She turned to Draco, who was looking straight ahead, away in thought. He was smiling, the autumn air gently ruffling his hair. Hermione watched him, smiling too. She liked him, and she knew it.

But it was forbidden, they could never be together. Ron would kill her, and probably him as well... Harry might understand, but he would be 'disappointed.' Hermione hated it when he was 'disappointed', even more than when he was angry.

Draco was just sitting there, staring. Hermione wondered what he was thinking...if it had anything to do with what she was. Her smile dwindled. This was Draco Malfoy! He hardly considered her a friend, or at least she thought, much less want to be romantically involved with her.

He sighed, not averting his gaze. Hermione brought her eyes back to his face, and was overcome with something similar to worry mixed with a tiny amount of fear as her eyes met his pale skin. Tears slid silently down his cheeks, falling onto the dark green suede of his robe and disappearing. Hermione wanted to say something, but the sorrow that clouded his eyes stopped her from breathing, much less speaking.

Instead, she cautiously lifted a hand and instinctly wiped a tear from his skin, holding him as she had longed to moments before. She was surprised at herself, and his eyes showed that he was too. He turned to here, startled.

"You're crying," she whispered, breathing shallowly. Draco looked even more surprised, if possible, and Hermione slowly took her hand from his cheek.

Draco's hand shot up to hers smoothly, pressing her hand to his skin. He closed his eyes, taking in her warmth. Hermione watched as the blonde boy turned his head in her hand and brushed his lips against it. Draco opened his eyes, focusing them on the pretty girl's face.

He read surprise, and what seemed to be, and he hoped was, longing in her honey-brown eyes. Draco took a deep breath and lifted his other hand to her face. He noticed Hermione was not attempting to stop him, and that gave him courage. He hoped he was making the right decision. He leaned in, and pulled Hermione's head gently with him.

Hermione felt him draw her near, and knew what was about to happen. She dare not speak his name, even in her mind; for fear that it would drive her to pull away. The Head girl looked deep into the eyes of the handsome (A/N: hella hott) Head Boy, and knew his actions were genuine. She felt an adrenaline rush, and had to fight the urge to jump into his arms and cover his mouth with her own. She leaned in, not needed Draco's assistance, and closed her eyes as their lips touched.

(A/N: HAHA! I was gonna end the chapter here, but that would piss off a lot of people, plus it would be a damn short chapter....plus the title wouldn't really fit, as the snog is in the NEXT chapter....but here's that chapter too....just to keep the suspense, I have an badly placed, yet planned to be, flashy! Haha!)

The kiss was neither Hermione's first nor Draco's, but neither of them had had one so real. Hermione had gone out with Ron for a while, but their kisses were never more than a hasty display of affection. She had also kissed Harry after the defeat of Lord Voldemort, and it was long and passionate, but there was no real emotion behind it. They had simply been caught in the moment.

Draco had kissed Pansy numerous times, despite his loathing of her, but the kisses were usually stolen from him. No other girl would have him, many swooned over him of course, but none had attempted to become involved with him. He assumed they did not do so out of fear, of him or Pansy, but Draco had despised his entire charade with the horrible Slytherin girl.

This kiss, the one shared between them, was different. It was deep and passionate. Hermione had let herself pry her tongue into Draco's mouth and, seeing that she wanted this as much as he did, Draco deepened the kiss further, exploring her mouth with his tongue, scaling her teeth. Hermione wrapped her arms under Draco's and held his shoulders close to her. One of his hands was exploring her chocolate brown hair while the other remained rooted to her flushed cheek.

The kiss lasted for what may have seemed like hours to on-lookers, and when the two broke apart, neither could speak. Breathing deep, Hermione laid her head on Draco's chest. She felt his heart beating in unison to her own, and held him closer. Draco kissed her head and leaned his chin gently on her auburn locks. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Hermione, her closeness, the smell of her hair...her heartbeat. He could think of nothing else. **Hermione Granger kissed me....Draco Malfoy - willingly. **

It was almost too good to believe, but here she was, leaning on him...he supporting her. Draco could have stayed like this forever.

(The following is a flash to right after the kiss; by the way...it seemed a little misleading, so I just wanted to make sure you knew....)

Hermione closed her eyes and leaned her head on Draco's chest. She could hear his heartbeat, smell his cologne....feel him breathing. He was so close to her, and she wanted it to stay this way more than anything. **How did it get like this? ....we were talking...I turned to him and reached to wipe away a tear....he was crying...** She felt herself tense slightly; the thought of the all powerful Draco crying sent shivers down her spine.

She knew Draco had felt it, for he quickly lifted his head from hers and pulled back a little. She knew he wasn't going to say anything, and she needed him to, she needed to break the silence.

"Draco?" She inquired quietly. Before he could answer, she continued...almost sternly. "Why were you crying?"

She did not look at him, and didn't know he had smiled at the question until an unexpectedly cheerful answer broke her worry.

"All that and that's all you have to say?" He asked her jokingly. Now Hermione did look at him, and she smiled. He was right; it seemed as if he always was. Despite the remnants of worry that still plagued her, the pretty brunette decided it best to just drop the whole idea.

Draco moved down, brushing his cheek against hers and plunging into the nape of her neck. Taken a bit of guard at his collarbone kisses, but not really surprised, Hermione threaded her arms under his once more and gripped his shoulders. Draco kissed behind her ear, along her jaw-line, and up to her lips. They shared another deep kiss. Lost in an oblivion of passion, Hermione thought she heard a faint pounding, then a voice...but brushed it away and fell back into the kiss.

She heard it again, and was sure she was not mistaken. Hermione pulled away, leaving a hurt-looking Draco. She realized what he must be thinking and immediately began to explain.

"Draco, there's someone at the portrait!" Hermione jumped up and opened the door to her room, just as a very annoyed McGonagall knocked again.

"Miss Granger? Mr. Malfoy! Please open this door at once!"

"Coming, professor!" This comment came from Hermione, who glanced back to Draco once before practically flying through her room and the common room, stopping at the portrait. Draco sighed, a little put down. **Everything was perfect...why do the damn teachers have to have such bad timing? **

Draco was about to follow Hermione, but turned to his own door instead. **Walking out of her room might look a little suspicious, huh?** He said to himself as he quickly made his way through his room, dodging clothes and books, jumping over a large pile of Merlin knows what, and finally making it to the door. He stepped into the common room casually. Hermione and McGonagall were talking and didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Draco strolled over to them and joined in the conversation silently, standing behind Hermione. He had caught the tail end, and wished he had been quicker.

"I trust you will explain this to Mr. Malfoy. Am I correct Miss Granger?"

"Of course, Professor."

"Good. Now I must be leaving." McGonagall turned and left the room without another word, and Draco and Hermione stared after her. They heard the portrait slam, and then turned to look at each other.

"What's all this then?" He inquired of the missed conversation.

"Heads meeting, I suppose. McGonagall said that Dumbledore wished to see us this afternoon in his office, two o'clock to be exact. She wouldn't tell me why, only that it was important." Draco just nodded and stared at her as Hermione's eyes tracked across his face.

Suddenly, Hermione started giggling. Confused, Draco asked a simple question which he seemed to repeat often.

"What?" Through fits of girlish giggles, she tried to spit out,

"You....you've....you've got...." Draco was beginning to become frustrated with her.

"What?" He smiled on impulse, hiding his true annoyance. "I've got what?"

Still giggling slightly, Hermione walked past him to a desk on the opposite side of the common room. The desk was home to their bottomless box of tissues, and she pulled one out before turning back to Draco, whose eyes had followed her. She walked to him, and lifted the tissue to his face, proceeding to remove her element of hysteria. She wasn't laughing anymore, but smiling brightly. Hermione removed the tissue from Draco's face and held it up for the bewildered boy to see. Draco looked at the tissue, eyes widening slightly, then back to her, then again to the tissue. The soft white cloth was bruised with a pinkish discolorment. Draco smiled slightly, a red tinge prickling into his cheeks.

"You wear lipstick to bed?" he inquired, merely to break the embarrassing silence. She shook her brown curls and answered him.

"Colored lip balm....muggle thing." Draco rolled his eyes and smirked.

* * * * * * * * * *

It was quarter after one that same day, and both Draco and Hermione sat in the common room, reading. They had showered and dressed, and Draco had ventured to the kitchen for sustenance. They had spent the whole morning there, and with only minutes to go, they were ready and waiting for their anticipated meeting with Dumbledore. Suddenly, Draco looked up from his book.

"Hermione?" He said, staring ahead of him, but not looking at her. Hermione was deeply involved in her book and simply murmured a reply.

"Mmm?"

"Do you think she saw?"

Now Hermione's full attention was on the tall blonde boy, who happened to be seated in the chair next to hers.

"What are you talking about, Draco?"

"McGonagall, do you think she noticed the...." he trailed off, gesturing to his face. Hermione understood and smiled, he was so arrogant.

"If she did," She answered, "then she was pretty good at not showing it. Personally, I would probably have burst out laughing." Draco nodded, half listening, rubbing his cheek as if the lip balm had left a burn. Then he realized what she had said and smirked.

"You did." She smiled.

"Yeah, that's right....Oh, Draco...don't worry about it. I'm sure she didn't see."

No longer smirking, Draco voiced his next statement semi-uneasily.

"And if she did?" Hermione snapped her book shut at the question....Draco seemed way too worried about this.

"Well, I don't think she'll tell anyone, if that's what you're worried about" She said hotly. That had come out a little harsher than she had wanted, but nonetheless got the job done.

Draco realized his mistake and mentally slapped himself. **Oh, how could I have messed this up already? Damn I suck at this relationship thing...gotta fix it....what to say? I'm a bad liar...**

"Hermione, it's not that, it's just....well....lipstick and, um....it's just embarrassing." He forced out, this was even more degrading than the lipstick had been in the first place. But, Hermione smiled, and he relaxed as she turned to him.

"I don't think she'll owl your friends, Draco." He smiled at her for a moment, then frowned. He tried to hide it again, but failed. **Too late, gotta say something...**

"What friends?" Draco blurted before he could stop himself. **Oh great, that'll make it all better now won't it?**

Hermione was dumbfounded. She was at a loss for words, but she knew she should say something...comfort him. She opened her mouth repeatedly to speak, but nothing came out. The small clock on the mantle struck two, and averted her eyes from the mislead boy she adored.

"We better go, we're already late." Draco said, sensing her befuddlement. He stood, and Hermione was grateful for the break from answering, but also because Draco wasn't angry because of her hesitation. "Shall we?" he asked, extending an arm to her. She took it and stood. Together they made their way to the headmaster's office, neither dreading the outcome of the trip any longer.

* * * * * * * * * *

A/N -- THE FOLLOWING WAS ADDED AS OF 11/26/02, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVIENIENCE.

Seated in Dumbledore's office, Hermione began to get nervous. Draco sensed her feelings and tried to comfort her. Unfortunately, he wasn't very good at it, and only managed to make Hermione more uncomfortable. After what seemed like hours, Dumbledore entered the room. Hermione looked at Draco, very nervously, and Draco looked back with a comforting look. His actions had made her heart flutter, despite her fear. **What am I getting myself into?**

Dumbledore cleared his throat, causing Hermione and Draco to snap heads in his direction.

"I know you may be wondering why I've asked you to come this summer, and have yet to ask of you anything." He said in his normally calm voice. Hermione snapped her eyes to Draco's, and he did the same, together sharing a thought. **How did he know?**

The old wizard chuckled. He knew what they must be thinking, and looked at them with twinkling eyes.

"I assure you, I, nor any of the staff, have been spying on you in any way, and neither of you are subject to any curses or charms. This meeting was scheduled months ago... we knew you'd begin to wonder. You two are perhaps the brightest students I've know in all of my career, and I would have been surprised if you had not realized."

He smiled at Hermione, who blushed. **Why had I not seen it before Draco made it so painfully obvious?** Then, she spoke.

"But Professor, Draco and I had been discussing just that moments before we were informed of this meeting." She said innocently.

Draco looked at her...**Why did she tell him that? What else will she tell her beloved Professor Dumbledore?** Draco waited for...wanted...that surge of anger to churn in his stomach, but it never came. This wasn't just anyone, this was Hermione Granger, the same Hermione Granger that had kissed him only a few hours ago. The thought almost scared him. Why couldn't he be angry with her? She was just a girl, and not only that...she was a mudblood.

Draco paled, looking frightened. Why had he thought that? He liked Hermione, a lot...possibly even loved her, and now he was calling her names behind her back?

Dumbledore was looking at Draco, but he hadn't noticed. Draco stared tearily at the floor, not really seeing it. Hermione had been talking to Dumbledore about the odd coincidence, but Draco hadn't heard much more of the conversation. Hermione noticed Dumbledore looking at the paled blonde boy, and turned to him herself, looking bewildered. She trailed off of whatever she was saying and looked back and forth between the young boy and the old man.

Draco had been kicking himself mentally for the thoughts of Hermione and didn't notice the eyes until an old familiar voice broke him from his torture.

"Are you alright, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco snapped to attention, and some color broke into his face. Hermione let out a silent sigh when she was this, and was about to reach her hand out and put it on his when a thought stopped her. Draco wouldn't want that. It pained her a little that despite the kiss, it was obvious he was still embarrassed by her friendship. She turned to the old Professor and looked at him expectantly.

"Yes, fine Sir." Draco answered a little shyly, when he had realized his hesitation.

"Well then, on to business. There is a small problem that involves the both of you." Quickly he added, to the looks on their faces, "Not to worry, though! It's nothing dangerous, I simply need you two to stay here as planned and complete a small project, so-to-speak." He finished, smiling. Hermione was leaning back, a relieved look on her face. Draco however, was more suspicious that she had been nervous. He looked at Dumbledore and rose an eyebrow.

"What sort of project, Professor?" he asked, forgetting for a moment the thoughts that had plagued him.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, as you know...the other students will not be arriving until after Christmas, therefore, not only will you two be alone in the school, you will also be the only students allowed to take your final wizarding exam in June. I realize that this will cause a bit of a ruckus among the other students, but I also know that you are up to the challenge." He finished, allowing that to sink in. Then Hermione spoke.

"But Professor, how can we be qualified and not the other students? We are simply on the school grounds, and have not learned anything more than they have."

"I agree, Miss Granger. Unfortunately, however, you must take the tests. Not to worry, though! I have confidence in both of you, and I have reviewed both of your N.E.W.T. s and O.W.L. s. As a Hogwarts tradition, the last few pages of each test are not counted in the final grade, but are merely an...aptitude test, if you will, showing us how prepared each student is for the final exam. Both you and Mr. Malfoy received near-perfect marks o both tests, and technically you could be given the exam right now and pass it. However, it is required that you complete all seven years of schooling before you are granted graduation."

Hermione's gaze had drifted, but now she looked at him and asked eagerly,

"Professor, will you tell us our scores for those tests?" Draco had been looking at Hermione as she spoke, but now focused his attention on Dumbledore.

"Strictly speaking, Miss Granger, it is not of my power to reveal to you that information. However, in this case, I shall make an exception." Hermione brightened. "That is, if Mr. Malfoy agrees?"

"Yes, of course Professor." Draco answered without hesitation, and became instantly nervous and excited. What HAD he gotten?

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy." He nodded his head at each of them as he spoke their names. "You each received only one question wrong on each exam. I must inform you, however, that every Hogwarts student to ever take these exams has gotten questions number 136 on the N.E.W.T. s and number 321 on the O.W.L. s incorrect. They were, of course, the same question, and I must admit that I myself do not know the answer." He smiled, but Draco smirked.

"Forgive me if I seem out of line, Headmaster, but if you yourself do not know the correct answer to those questions, how can you be sure that neither of us gave a correct response?"

"Not at all, Mr. Malfoy. That is a very good question, and one I can assure you I do know the answer to, but that is a story for another day."

Hermione looked at Draco and felt sick. That handsome blonde boy was not the same Draco she had kissed that morning. **How could he challenge Dumbledore? What was he thinking?** Hermione felt the tears build up in her eyes and looked away from him, attempting to gain her composure.

"Is there anything else we should know Headmaster?" She said sweetly, not wanted to sound sarcastic...or to reveal her present state of being.

"No Miss Granger. Both you and Mr. Malfoy may leave now, but remember that the library is open, and some studying might do to pass the time." Hermione was about to get up when she thought of something.

"Professor? Why exactly are we here? It can't be because you wanted Draco and I to take the exam and not any of the other students." Dumbledore smiled his usual smile, and said with twinkling eyes,

"That is also a story for another day, Miss Granger."



Here is the REAL end.

A/N: I know a couple parts were really corny, but I was forced to get this out as soon as possible, which means neglecting to send it first to my BETA. Sorry xCreedx! I PROMISE I'll send you the next one before anyone else!!!!

PRF:

Helly120: Thanx, and I like them that way too......I guess I'm idealistic, haha.

Clover: Thanx for that, but I'm sure it isn't true.....this story has no plot twists or anything yet....I can't believe no one has flamed me complaining of how boring it is! And I am very proud, thanx....;o)

xCreedx: I e-mailed you back....thanx!

The Cheese Meister: Sorry, but it just seemed like a good place. I am not offended by being called a poopyhead....I've been called much worse.

Avi: Thanx, and sure....I'll e-mail you

Prgdsmk: Sorry, but (as you said) you did it too!!! Hehe

Poopookacho: I read yours, they're great! Thanx....and you better make it good! Haha, here's your "descriptive snog" I hope it's descriptive enough....hehe

JENNY! You're reviews aren't actually showing up yet, but I know they're there....I was there when you wrote them, haha

Shalita: Here ya go, now stop bugging me! Hehe