Disclaimer: I'm still not JK Rowling, which means I still don't own Harry Potter. Because if I did, I think I'd be a bit too busy with Draco to get any writing done. *Wink Wink*

Chapter 5

Kiss Him Once Again

"So, where do you think we should start?" Draco asked Hermione, eyeing the shelves filled from floor to ceiling with books on any and almost every subject.

They had both just come from the Great Hall after breakfast and decided that it would be a good idea to begin researching the plant as soon as possible. If Pettigrew found the plant before them, he would destroy it. Which meant they would be back to square one. As far as they could tell, this was their only shot at defeating Voldemort.

"Well…Dumbledore thinks the information might be in the Restricted Section…I guess that would make sense. Any plant that vaporizes a person would probably be considered dark magic," Hermione answered, heading towards the blocked-off area of the library. "We don't have anything else to go off of, so we might as well start there."

Entering the Restricted Section, Hermione felt a slight tingle along her spine. That area of the library always gave her a feeling of trepidation mixed with fear and fascination. It seemed to scream at Hermione to stay away, but at the same time beckoned her to discover its secrets. There was so much knowledge locked away in there, only needing to be rediscovered. Of course, knowledge could be dangerous, especially in the wrong hands.

Together they began looking at the titles of books, trying to guess which ones might contain the needed information. They knew they were looking for a plant, but that didn't necessarily tell them where they could find it, and the state of the books made their search even more difficult. Many of the tomes were so worn they looked as though they would fall apart if they were disturbed. Others were written entirely in Latin, and although they both understood the dead language fairly well, neither wanted to pore through one of those large volumes if they didn't have to. Upon leaving, they each carried ten books apiece. Most were specifically pertaining to Herbology, while others were more of an overview of dark magic.

Hermione directed Draco towards a small table in the far back of the library that stood in a rather dusty corner surrounded by equally dusty volumes regarding the Goblin wars and revolutions. There weren't very many students who cared enough about the topic to bother with that area of the library, which was exactly what they wanted. It wasn't entirely out of the question for the Head Boy and Girl to work together, but it was better to be on the safe side and avoid any speculation.

* ~ * ~ *

Madame Pince glowered at the two students exiting the Restricted Section. She still couldn't understand why Dumbledore allowed them in there.

'Never in all my years at Hogwarts has any student been given full reign over that area. I don't care if they are Head Boy and Girl, they don't belong in there. If I was the Headmaster, I would never have allowed it.'

But she wasn't, so there was nothing she could do about it. Yet she didn't forget about them. Even as she shelved away the returned books, she kept sending looks back to the hidden corner of the library they had disappeared to.

* ~ * ~ *

Draco and Hermione silently worked together at the table. They had been diligently working for five hours straight, and had missed lunch once again. The unfortunate thing about the old crusty books was that they lacked any sort of index. You were forced to turn every page, and hope you came across what you were looking for. It was a thoroughly boring and time-consuming process. In all the time they had spent there, they had only managed to go through six books each; none of which held the slightest clue. Dark Discoveries only primarily dealt with complex potions requiring strange plants, but nothing specifically about plants. Hermione didn't even bother with Moste Potente Potions, she had looked through it before, and knew it never mentioned 'Lacrimosus' or any plant that could vaporize someone. Enter Death's Door and Quick Kills had looked promising, and had mentioned many different fatal plants, potions, and spells, but never once mentioned 'Lacrimosus'.

Leaning back in his chair, Draco broke the silence, impatiently asking, "What the hell does 'Lacrimosus' mean anyway? And do we even know if it has any relevance? None of the books here have even mentioned the damn word!" The chair came back down to rest on all four legs once again with a slight crash.

Obviously Draco was getting frustrated, and this was only their first day researching. Hermione noticed Draco leaning forward on the table, waiting for her to reply. She could only wonder how he did so well in his classes if he couldn't stand looking through all those books for even a couple of hours.

"Well," said Hermione in a very matter-of-fact tone as she laid down the book she had just picked up. Looking at Draco's expectant face she continued, "I've been thinking about that a lot since the discussion with Dumbledore. I looked up the word and it translates to 'mourning' or 'sadness' in Latin. I don't exactly know how it fits into all of this, but Nutricius made it sound very important. I tried to ask him what it was, but…he died before he got the chance to explain…The last thing he said was 'Just find Lacrimosus'…"

For a moment both were silent. Hermione lost in her thoughts, reliving Nutricius' death with vivid clarity, and Draco absorbing the new information.

When Draco looked back at Hermione, he realized that her warm chocolate-brown eyes were once again brimmed with unshed tears. But she looked as though she was trying to fight them. Her face was angled towards the ceiling, as though she was hoping gravity was going to keep her from crying.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Hermione asked, looking down at Draco.

"I shouldn't have brought the subject up. I mean, you just witnessed a gruesome murder. You don't need a dick like me forcing you to remember it again." Draco said, looking genuinely apologetic, which wasn't something Hermione would have ever expected from him. In their first years at Hogwarts, he took exceptional delight in causing her grief. This just reminded Hermione how much he had changed, and how little she knew him.

"Don't worry about it. Obviously I'm not about to forget it anytime soon. I guess it's just going to be one of those things that's with me for the rest of my life. Besides, I'm not the only one who lost Nutricius. I doubt you're feeling too great about it," Hermione assured, trying to sound carefree as she looked at Draco.

'I wonder, is he really even upset? I don't know how he actually felt about Nutricius. He may have been the one to turn him over to the Death Eaters for all I know,' Hermione thought suspiciously. As much as she would like to trust that Draco had changed over the years into a better person, she still couldn't help remember the boy she thought she knew.

"Yeah. I guess it just hasn't really sunk in yet, you know. I mean, last night I thought about it. It was a bit weird not going out to see him like I usually do, but other than that, it almost just seems as though he's still away gathering information," Draco responded, looking thoughtful.

Hermione suddenly felt guilty. 'Either he's an amazing actor, or he's being sincere. It really looks as though he does miss Nutricius. And here I am questioning his lack of a visual display of grief. Not everyone's a fucking crybaby like you, Hermione.'

The two sat in an awkward silence, both feeling guilty; Draco for making Hermione remember the horrible incident, and Hermione for thinking that Draco would have turned Nutricius over to the Death Eaters. Neither one knew what to say to the other. The books on the table were long forgotten.

Hermione glanced out one of the frosted windows to see snow lightly falling from the sky. Suddenly she had an incredible desire to go for a walk outside. The library felt suffocatingly warm and the chairs too hard. The tears were still threatening to spill over her eyes, and she couldn't stand the idea of Draco watching her cry again.

"I think I'm going to step outside for some fresh air. I don't think I can look through another musty book today," Hermione said as she began stacking the books they had looked through and moved to put them away.

"Don't bother. I'll get them," Draco assured as he put his hand on her arm to stop her.

"I think I can manage a few books," Hermione said, feeling slightly defensive.

"Look, I'm not trying to insinuate that you can't. I just figured there was no point in us both putting away books. Besides, I thought you were desperate to get out of here anyway," Draco replied, slightly angry, as he too began to get defensive.

"Oh…um…thanks," Hermione said, feeling guilty once again.

'He doesn't think I'm leaving because of him, does he? Because it really doesn't have anything to do with that. I just had to get out of the library. Okay, so part of the reason is because I don't want him to see me cry again, but he's not at fault for my tears,' Hermione thought, as she put the books back down on the table and began walking toward the door, but stopped and turned back around.

Draco was still standing where she left him; his eyes still trained on her.

'I can't believe I just made her cry. And now, she can't wait to haul ass out of here,' Draco thought in disgust with himself.

For a moment, Hermione just stood where she was in indecision. Not knowing whether to just leave or explain herself. Finally making up her mind, she walked up to Draco, and standing on her tiptoes lightly kissed his cheek, before saying "Thank-you."

"What was that for?" Draco asked, looking down at Hermione, confusion clearly written across his face.

"For last night. When you claimed you were tired, just so I would go to bed instead of researching in the Library. It was really…nice of you."

With that, Hermione turned around and left the library, heading towards their common room. Anyone who passed her could have seen her cheeks burning a bright red, in an unmistakable blush.

'Why on Earth did I do that? I just kissed Draco Malfoy. Well, on the cheek, but still. What could have possessed me to do that? I don't even know if I can trust him, and yet already I'm practically jumping him. Well, he can't be all bad if he was working with Nutricius. Regardless, I shouldn't have kissed him,' she chastised herself.

Entering the common room, Hermione went to her room and quickly grabbed her winter cloak and a scarf. Heading outside she called a quick good-bye to Elladora.

"I wonder what could have made our Miss Granger blush?" Elladora wondered aloud. "I wonder, could she possibly have fallen for a boy? She could definitely use some romance in her life. The poor girl spends far too much time either studying or crying over her unfortunate friend Harry."

But Hermione was halfway down the corridor, and didn't hear Elladora's musings. If she had, her face would have probably turned an even darker shade of red, if that was even possible.

Finally she exited the castle and the cold winter air stung her flushed face. It was a nice change from the overly warm library. For a moment she just stood there, feeling the frozen flakes melt upon contact with her fair skin. Finally, she began moving, walking towards the Quidditch field.

Passing the Quidditch stands, she continued walking until she came across a large Evergreen near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The long branches of the tree reached all the way to the ground. Pushing a few aside, she quickly glanced around to make sure no one was watching her, and then ducked beneath the limbs.

The branches that brushed the ground were actually about six feet up on the trunk, leaving a large open space that was protected from the wind and snow. Hermione had discovered the tree by accident. She had dropped her wand once and it had rolled beneath the needle-covered branches. Kneeling on the floor she had pushed the limbs away, looking for her wand, only to reveal the hidden sanctuary. That had been in their third year when Harry and Ron were mad at her about the Firebolt. She had come back ever since when she just wanted to be alone.

* ~ * ~ *

Draco looked out the window and saw Hermione walking in the direction of the Quidditch field. He still hadn't moved since she left. His mind remained focused on the kiss. He could still feel how her soft lips barely brushed his cheek. He had been so convinced she was upset with him. He had after all caused her to cry. Unintentionally yes, but she didn't necessarily know that. He had been such a jerk in the past; it would be difficult for her opinion of him to change in the course of one day. But that kiss had been entirely unexpected.

"Maybe I actually have a chance with her," Draco thought aloud.

Turning from the window, he began to collect the books left on the table, and noticed that Hermione had left her bag on the floor next to her chair. 'She probably didn't even realize she left it behind,' he thought as he picked it up. 'I'll just leave it for her in the common room. There's no use in her coming back up here to get it.'

Turning from the table, he failed to notice a certain red-haired boy scowling behind one of the bookshelves. He hadn't been standing there very long, but enough for him to see Hermione kiss the sick bastard.

"And he actually thinks he has a chance with her." Ron seethed, glaring at the tall Slytherin's back. If looks could kill, Draco would be a dead man.

* ~ * ~ *

Hermione made her way back into the castle, taking her time. She was heading towards the Great Hall for dinner, along with most of the other students. She felt incredibly refreshed after being outside, and although she hadn't forgotten about Nutricius, she didn't think she was going to cry. Under the tree she had spent a lot of time thinking about him, and of course crying, and had realized that being upset wasn't going to bring him back, and that he deserved much more than her tears. She was determined to discover the plant, and destroy Voldemort.

Taking a seat next to Ginny, she took a quick glance at the Slytherin table to see that Draco was looking at her. A slight shiver went down her spine. Not of fear, but perhaps anticipation. Unless she was entirely mistaken, once again he was looking at her with desire clearly written across his face.

"Hey, Hermione!" Ginny said enthusiastically.

"Huh? Oh, hi, Ginny," Hermione said, turning her head from the blonde to her best friend.

"So, what have you done to my brother?" Ginny asked smiling, pointing to Ron, sitting several seats down the table. He was glaring at Hermione in obvious anger. When he saw her look over at him, he averted his gaze, but the frown never left his face.

"I have no idea," Hermione said honestly. She was completely puzzled as to why he would be so incredibly angry. "Anyway, you have to tell me about Lavender and Dean. I heard today that they've hooked up…"

* ~ * ~ *

Draco watched as Hermione ate her dinner with Ginny Weasley. The two girls were giggling about something. Their laughter seemed to resonate throughout the hall. He almost smiled at the sound.

'Wow. I never realized how good Hermione looks when she laughs. Although she looks even better when she's just come out of the shower, her hair still wet and smelling faintly of violets.'

'Stop thinking like that! You don't want to embarrass yourself in front of the whole school do you?'

But despite his self-reprimands, he still couldn't take his eyes off the breathtaking girl. His mind reverted back to the library. He could still see her as she stood on her toes, eyes slightly shuttered and oh so ever softly pressed her warm lips against his cheek.

"Damn it! Stop!"

Draco had meant to say that in his head, but somehow it had come out of his mouth. Half of the Slytherin table heard him.

Pansy quickly jumped away from him, her face blushing profusely. Her hand had been only inches away from stroking Draco's crotch. Oh, how badly she wanted him, but not once did he accept any of her advances. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that he was gay. But a man like Draco could never be gay. He was too perfect. It would have been such a waste.

Draco turned to look at Pansy, noticing her blush and watched as her hand moved from his lap to rest on the table.

"What is wrong with you! Are you fucking blind? I'm not interested. Never have been, never will, so keep those nasty paws to yourself," Draco nearly screamed at the girl.

The entire Slytherin table, aside from Crabbe and Goyle, was now cowering away from him, sure that he was going to attack someone else next. Both Crabbe and Goyle were still engrossed in their meals, having long since grown accustomed to Draco's outbursts.

Giving them all his patented Malfoy sneer, he barked out at them, "What the fuck are you looking at?"

Turning back to their food, they eventually returned to their previous activities of eating, poking fun at the other houses, and thinking of mischievous plans that would surely end in the loss of house points. Draco himself went back to his former thoughts.

'There's only one girl that I'm interested in…' Draco thought to himself as his gaze once again rested on the curly-haired girl.

'The only problem will be convincing her that I'm the only guy she should be interested in.' He couldn't help but smirk at that thought. 'Not that it should be much of a problem. Our research will of course mean we're going to be spending much more time together…alone. I'll just have to come up with a plan to seduce her.'

With that, he turned back to his meal, all the while trying to think of something that would cause her to kiss him once again.

* ~ * ~ *

Author's Note: I'm so sorry it took me so long to finally get this chapter out. I mean, it's been a whole week. Oh well, I hope this chapter was worth waiting. Next chapter we'll get to see Hermione and Draco's relationship bloom a bit more, and they'll discover something to help with their research. Anyway, please review. I love getting your opinions, and impressions. Even if you flame me, I still want to know what you thought.

If any of you have really good ideas of scenes I should have, I'd love to hear them. I have to have a lot of in-between time before they finally discover what Lacrimosus is, and what to do about it, etc. So if you really want to see a certain character, go to a certain class, or anything like that, just let me know and I'll try to work it into the story.

I know some of you expressed concern over Draco's character. I tried really hard to demonstrate in this chapter that he's kind of a different person when around Hermione. He wants her, and knows he won't get her by acting like a bastard. That doesn't prevent him from acting that way around his classmates though.

On another note, I want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Your reviews really mean a lot to me.

Michelline, Yes Ron is a prat, and he's going to be an even bigger one.

harrypotter4ever, Well, there's still a bit of speculation as to whether or not Draco's really good, and we won't learn more about Lucius until later.

HarryPotterWanter, Snape is just a bastard who loves to take points off from Hermione and Hermione's a little naive at times. However, this is the magical world, so there might be some kind of sickness that makes your lips turn blue. Draco doesn't mind when Ginny spends the night, because they don't exactly bother him. However, if their relationship gets to the point where Ginny's presence might interrupt something *wink wink* then he might get annoyed.

tainted black, Yeah, the dream was just a nightmare. It was there just to show how disturbed she was over Nutricius' death and her concern that she could have been killed. I'm so glad you like my Draco. I got a lot of reviews complaining he was too nice.

Dark Vampire, I'm glad you didn't think it was sad in a bad sense. When I was writing it I really didn't stop to think how sad it would be for the readers, because the story really does wind up happy…in the end.

Lady Ashley, Yes, I promise my story does have an actual plot. I even wrote out an outline before I started writing. (Something I normally never do - teachers hate me for it)

Starlit Night, If you notice grammatical errors that I accidentally left in please let me know. I try to get them all out, but every now and then I miss them. Oh, and I still think it was really cool that you put Nutricius' name at the bottom of your author's notes.

Dreaming One, I'm glad that you like my Draco and Hermione, and that you don't think I'm rushing the romance. It will be there eventually, but I'm trying really hard to hold off on it a bit.

Rain-chan, I will tell you why Draco's on the 'good' side and how Lucius died, but it's going to take a while. I don't think I go into it until chapter 11. I know that's a really long time, but I thought it would be a bit boring if the first few chapters were all history.

some1, I'm so flattered that you added my story to your favorites, I mean I've barely started it. I just hope you continue to like it.

Brianna, I know the dream was a bit graphic, but it was a nightmare. I just wanted the readers to see exactly what she was dreaming about. I hope it didn't gross you out too much.