Someone said that Draco was changing FAST. Well, lol, I know! The reason's because I just couldn't wait anymore!! Ack!! I want to write some fluff SOON!!! Lol. But before that happens, lots of other things will have to happen first… though I'll try to add fluff in between ^^ I mean, I can't just make Hermione fall into his arms all of a sudden. We have to go S-L-O-W-L-Y lol. Maybe it's a bit annoying (or a lot annoying) but then, when the cheesy parts come, they'll be more

I'll try to make this chapter longer than the last, since some people told me the last one was too short. So, since I can't jump from friendship to love in ONE chapter, I'll have to do something in between!! I just hope I have enough ideas!

Oh! And I forgot to answer a question about chapter 8: In the masquerade, wouldn't they have discovered each other by their voices?

Well, technically, yes. Maybe. But it wouldn't be exciting then! So I just made them a little dumb in those two chapters :D I mean, if they had discovered each other, what would've been the fun about the masquerade?

287 reviews!!!! THANKS EVERYONE: Crystalline Lily, KeeperOfTheMoon, anty, StarJade, Suzanne, Blade Griffin, EclipseKlutz, Broken-Hermione, cheerchik113, Cho Chang, Dark Vampire, Silvermist, DolceExpressivo, empress twinx, dreamer, lil-sptifire, Gliniel of Tirragen + Malfoy, jokester515, Silver Fawkes, Jules, Hatokirei, *karli*, The Adorable Kitten Fluffy, Jubys, babmidnight, Brent, Starry Skies, fb90, Shelle, Nicole, and leogirl!!!

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Other citations will be made where necessary

******

The following days Draco found himself staring at Hermione very often.

He didn't know why. His eyes just seemed to fall upon her.

He smiled at her frequently, too.

But he was embarrassed, if not ashamed, of his behavior. What would his father think? What would all the Slytherins think if they knew he was being nice to her? What would they think if they knew that he wanted to be nice to her?

They'd hate him. They wouldn't be scared of him anymore if they knew it. Everybody would laugh.

He'd just have to keep it a secret.

***

The next day, at breakfast, Ron was in for a surprise.

He, Hermione, and Harry were eating their bacon, chattering, when mail time came.

Hundreds of owls filled the Great Hall, hooting madly and looking for the people to give their mail to.

Hermione watched as Draco's eagle owl flew straight onto Draco's outstretched arm, and delivered a package.

She was distracted by Ron, though.

"What the hell?" Ron said, looking strangely at a brown owl that had landed right in front of him. It stretched its leg, where it had a small package attached, and hooted softly.

Ron got the package, and the owl left.

"Open it, Ron!" Hermione urged him, intrigued.

Ron held the small package in his hand, looking at it.

"What?" Hermione asked, looking at it too. "Oh,"

The brown paper that the package was wrapped around with had red hearts all over it.

Hermione started giggling.

Harry was looking at the package strangely, too.

"Well, open it!" Hermione insisted.

Ron started unwrapping it slowly, something he never did. He opened the lid of the carton box, and out came a broomstick no bigger than Ron's index finger. The stick was lavender, and the twigs and straws at the end of it were brown. It floated above Ron's hand.

"Cool," he said, smiling.

"Ron, you've got yourself an admirer!" Harry said, grinning and holding the heart-covered wrapping paper.

Ron hit him with his elbow.

"Yeah, you do!" Hermione teased.

Ron shrugged. "Well, I like the broomstick,"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It's kind of cute, actually," Harry said.

Hermione looked at it. A lavender stick… brown twigs…

Lavender Brown.

She looked at Lavender, who was sitting between Parvarti and Neville.

She was looking straight at Ron, blushing.

Well, Hermione thought. I really am a very good match maker!

Then she looked at the boys again. They didn't seem to know who had sent it. Well, she wasn't going to tell them. It was a thing Ron would have to find out himself.

When breakfast was over, Hermione gathered her things. "Come on," she said. "It's potions,"

Harry groaned, and went after her. Ron followed, looking at the broomstick that floated in front of him.

"Who could have sent it?" Ron asked as they walked towards potions. "I mean, a lavender and brown broomstick?"

Harry shrugged. "Don't know,"

Hermione rolled her eyes again. How could they be so clueless?

They waited at the corridor outside the potions classroom, resting on the "Gryffindor Wall". Hermione smiled at Draco as they passed by and he nodded, as he did when Slytherins surrounded him. Hermione didn't mind much, because she could imagine that Slytherins could be really cruel.

After a while, Snape showed up in his usual silent manner. He walked silently to the door, and opened it.

The class poured in, and everyone took their seats.

Hermione sat next to Harry and Ron, and began getting her materials out.

Harry, after staring at the small broomstick, which was floating above the desk in front of Ron, got his materials out, too.

Ron seemed to be really concentrated on his gift, though, because he didn't look up when Snape stood in front of him, watching him silently.

Harry was glaring at Snape, and Hermione nudged Ron.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Mister Weasley," Snape said in a deadly whisper. "What's that on your desk?"

Hermione looked away.

Oh, no.

She looked at Lavender. She was pale, and was looking at where Ron and Snape were standing with her eyes full of fright.

"I believe it is a toy," Snape went on. "And toys aren't allowed in my class. I shall have to confiscate it. Ten points from Gryffindor,"

Snape took the tiny broomstick in his hand, and put it in the drawer of his desk while the Slytherins snickered.

Hermione quickly glanced at Draco.

He was looking at her.

She was glad he wasn't laughing along with the rest.

"And now," Snape said, looking at the class with beady eyes, "We will continue with the lesson,"

***

Hermione felt very sorry for Lavender. All throughout their classes, she seemed not to pay attention. She was pale, and no matter how much Parvarti tried to comfort her, she wouldn't calm down.

Harry and Ron both noticed that Hermione was more serious than usual as they made their way towards the Gryffindor common room that day.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Oh, I don't know!" she said sarcastically, a bit too loud. "Maybe it's just that Snape confiscated your gift!"

Harry and Ron looked at each other in utter surprise.

"Er… Hermione? I thought you'd be glad Snape confiscated it! After all," Ron said, and put a very high and squeaky voice. "Toys aren't allowed, Ron, so I'm not surprised Snape took it away. You're so immature!"

Hermione glared at him. "Normally, yes, I wouldn't have approved of your bringing a toy to class, but today it wasn't your fault! You had no choice, right? I mean, the broomstick just floated alongside you. But there's other people involved in it too, like-" she stopped. She had almost told them who had sent it.

"Like…?" Harry urged her.

"No one," Hermione muttered.

Ron eyed her curiously. "Do you know who sent it?"

"No! Rodent Rice!"

The portrait swung open, and the three of them climbed inside.

"I'm sure you know who it is," Ron said. "You're always solving tricky puzzles and finding out all sorts of stuff. Now who is it?"

"I don't know!" Hermione insisted.

"Yes, you do!"

"I don't," she lied. "And stop asking, because I'm not saying anything."

Ron stared at her furiously. "Fine!" he said. "I thought it would only be fair if I knew who had sent that to me!"

And he did something Hermione often did: storm off into the dormitories.

Hermione sighed, and turned to Harry. "Was I too harsh again?"

Harry looked at her, afraid of what to say. It wasn't easy to contradict Hermione at all. At least, if there was no one around to help him.

"Well…" Harry started, and then gave up. "I don't know,"

Hermione looked down at the floor sadly. "I don't know either," she admitted softly. Then she turned around and walked slowly towards the girls' dormitories.

***

A while later, she was getting ready to go the "Joggart Meeting", getting her materials out of one of her drawers, when Lavender, who was reading on her bed, stood up and walked towards her.

"Hermione," she said, looking at her intently. She sounded frantic. "I- I think you should know something. About Ron. About the…the broomstick," she turned red.

"I already know," Hermione admitted.

Lavender blushed harder. "Yeah, well… I wanted Ron to know who sent it. So it's lavender and brown. Did he find out?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Oh…" Lavender bit her bottom lip. "Well… don't help him, for now. I want him to find out for himself,"

"Ok," Hermione said.

"But…" Lavender looked down, and grabbed Hermione's arm. "Oh, Hermione! Ron could get in serious trouble!"

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, alarmed at Lavender's tone of voice. "Why?"

"Because…" Lavender breathed in. "Because, after about six hours after receiving the broomstick, it was programmed so the lavender stick would open up, revealing a folded map of some secret tunnels around Hogwarts,"

Hermione gasped. "What?" she asked again.

"I know," Lavender said, nodding sadly. "If Snape sees it…"

"I've got to warn Ron!" Hermione said, heading for the door.

"No, don't!" Lavender stopped her. "Who knows what he'd do?" she asked anxiously. "Ron could walk right into potions class and snatch it, specially because he'd do anything to get his hands on one of those maps, and that'd be really dangerous. I told you because… I thought you might know a way of getting it back. If you tell me what to do, I'll do it,"

She sounded desperate.

Hermione thought about Harry's invisibility cloak. Ron could easily put it on, and slip into the dungeons. But what if Snape was sitting at the desk? What if he was inside the room? He'd find it very suspicious if, all of a sudden, a drawer mysteriously opened up. Besides, he knew about Harry's invisibility cloak. He could reach out and he'd see Ron.

It was way too risky.

First, they had to know if Snape would be inside to make up a plan.

And there was only one person who would know.

***

"So do you think I was too harsh?" she asked anxiously some minutes later, sitting at the foot of the stairs with Draco.

Draco was silent for a moment, thinking of what to say. Then he shook his head. "No. I think it's normal,"

It happens to me, too, he thought, All the time.

Hermione smiled, relieved. She felt much better now that she had told someone. Draco had listened very well, and he looked as if he really meant what he had said.

"Well…" Hermione started. She wanted to get straight to the point now. "Do you know if Snape is inside potions class in the afternoons?"

"Why?" He asked, staring at her.

This was the part Hermione didn't quite want to answer. "Well… as you know, someone sent Ron-"

"Lavender,"

"How do you know?"

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You're not the only one smart around here,"

Hermione smiled. He had said she was smart.

"Yes. Well, Lavender said that…" she looked at him. Could she trust him? His gray eyes were fixed on her brown ones. Yes. She could trust him. "That, after around six hours of receiving the broomstick, the stick was supposed to open up, revealing a map of secret tunnels inside Hogwarts,"

Draco couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, Weasley, you fool…"

Hermione frowned slightly, and Draco stopped. "If Snape sees it, Ron's in trouble." she concluded.

"And why do you want to know if Snape is inside the classroom?" he asked.

"I was thinking that, if he wasn't, I could get it," she answered.

She wouldn't let Ron do it. He could be very careless at times.

Harry would be stubborn, and would go down himself to retrieve it. That wasn't a good idea, either, because Snape already hated him, and if he found out, Harry would be in trouble.

And she couldn't put Lavender in such a risky mission.

So she would do it herself. It's not like Snape was on good terms with her, but at least she had a clean record.

She waited for Draco's answer.

Draco, meanwhile, was thinking.

From what Hermione had told him, and from what he'd heard, he knew that she would do anything -even risk her life- for her friends. For example, on her first year, she had gone with Harry and Ron to help to retrieve the philosopher's stone. On her third year, she had gone back in time and she and Harry had managed to save Sirius' life.

He knew she would do it.

He wouldn't let her. Snape disliked her greatly, and if he caught her, she was in trouble.

"Yes, he is inside the classroom in the afternoons," Draco answered.

Her shoulders drooped a little.

"I'll do it," he said decidedly.

Hermione looked up at him, her brown eyes wide. "No,"

"Yes,"

She shook her head. "No!"

"Look," Draco said, trying to calm her down. "It's better that way. Snape gets along with me. I could just pretend I need a little help with something, and snatch it somehow."

"How?" Hermione demanded.

"Er…"

"For a Slytherin, you sure don't know about cunning plans," she teased.

"I'm thinking," he muttered.

"Well," Hermione said, setting aside her parchment, which almost hit Bluey. "I might as well help you,"

Draco looked at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean," Hermione said. "That I have a plan."

***

After some quick thinking, and some speedy rummaging through Harry's trunk, Hermione was at the foot of the stairs again, waiting for Draco.

He came soon enough, holding some potions materials.

"Got it?" Draco asked.

She nodded, and showed him the invisibility cloak.

"I didn't know Potter had one of these," he muttered, touching the silky material yearningly.

They started walking towards the dungeons.

"Thanks again for offering to do this," she said.

"I don't know if I should have volunteered," Draco said, almost whining. "It could ruin my reputation."

Hermione smiled at him, and that was all the reasurance he needed.

She knew this was hard for him, so she was really grateful.

They reached the corridor in which the classroom was located.

"Ready?" Hermione asked.

Draco nodded.

"All right," she got the cloak and put it around her, disappearing from sight. "Let's go!"

Draco started walking towards the door, a bit annoyed because he didn't know where Hermione was.

"Where are you?" he muttered.

He felt a small poke at his arm. "Here,"

He opened the door, and looked at the teacher's desk, where Snape was sitting.

Snape watched him awkwardly. "What is it, Draco?"

"I was wondering if you could explain something, sir," he said.

Hermione had to admit that he acted very well. She knew this was hard for him, since he was really smart and would never have to ask a teacher anything.

"Sure, Draco," Snape said, as Draco stepped closer to him.

"It's about these herbs, sir," he said, taking out little green herbs out of a small bag.

"What about them?"

Hermione had never seen Snape act so calmly. It was like a miracle.

"I don't quite remember if I should add them to the cauldron only if they're cut out in exact same shapes," Draco said. "Or if I should add them after these," he took out another type of herbs.

"Neither," Snape said. "You should only add them after the perfectly chopped blue ice herbs,"

Hermione smiled to herself. Draco already knew this, of course, and so did she.

"I'm afraid I don't have those," Draco said. "I ran out,"

Now Snape really looked at him awkwardly with beady eyes. Draco Malfoy, running out of something?

"It was, of course," Draco said in an obnoxious voice. "After some bloody idiot spilled his cauldron all over my ingredients, and now I can't use them." he sighed dramatically. "Father's busy, so he'll send me the ice herbs tomorrow. But tomorrow it'll be too late, as we have to hand it in,"

"That won't be a problem," Snape said, getting up. "I'll lend you some," he walked towards the other end of the room, looking in some drawers.

This was the moment they were waiting for.

Draco quickly opened the drawer at the teacher's desk. There it was.

A small lavender and brown broomstick. The stick had opened up a bit, and a paper was poking out.

He saw as it magically rose into the air, and disappeared.

Of course, it was just Hermione getting it and putting it under the cloak.

He felt a hand grip his arm. "Thanks," a voice whispered.

And that was the only thing that sustained him as he listened to Snape explain the lesson that he perfectly knew over again.

***

Hermione waited for him outside, still under the invisibility cloak, examining the map. As soon as she had taken the piece of parchment out, the broomstick had returned to normal.

She watched the thin, black lines on the paper that represented hallways and tunnels, the sketches that represented statutes, staircases, and other things, and read the passwords that were written next to some objects.

Ron would love this, although she thought it wasn't proper for him to have it, since he'd want to go exploring at once, and could get into trouble.

After some more waiting, Draco came out, looking arrogant.

She took the invisibility cloak off, and he gave a little yelp.

She laughed. "It's just me!"

"I didn't know you were waiting," he said.

Then his face turned to the one he dedicated to Hermione only. She guessed the arrogant one was for people not to ask him what he had been doing inside the potions classroom.

"Thanks again," she repeated.

"I only did it for you," he muttered. "Not for that Weasley. Don't you dare say anything to him,"

She nodded. "Alright. I'll make up some story."

"Well, see you tomorrow," he said. They had reached the stairs that led to the hallways upstairs. Hermione would climb them, and then climb the marble staircases.

He would keep on walking through the dark, damp tunnels until he reached his common room.

"Yeah," she said, climbing the staircases. "And, Draco?"

He looked at her.

"Thanks,"

"Stop thanking me," he said, trying to ignore the warm feeling at his chest.

She smiled. "Fine. See you tomorrow, then,"

And she disappeared from view.

********

I don't really like this chapter. I'm not satisfied of the way it came out. I don't think it was well written. *sigh* oh well, the next one will be better!!