Hermione opened the door, and walked into the next coach, hand still on her cheek, with a dazed expression on her face. Ron was halfway down the coach, and he turned around as he heard her come through the door.

"Hermione, I-why is your hand on your cheek?" Ron asked.

Hermione quickly dropped her hand. "I-I-."

"Don't tell me that grease ball slapped you," said Ron testily.

"N-no, he didn't," Hermione replied fearfully.

"That's good," said Ron, "God, I can't stand him." And Ron started walking to the end of the coach, through the door, and into the next one. He stopped halfway through, and pointed to a compartment. "In there," said Ron.

Hermione pulled open the door. Harry awaited them eagerly inside.

"Great! Ron, you found her! In the prefect's coach?" asked Harry.

Ron nodded as Hermione sat down. "Yeah, and sitting next Malfoy, no less!"

"Malfoy?!? Hermione, what were you thinking?" asked Harry.

"There were no extra seats," Hermione said, shrugging and sitting down.

"No excuse," said Harry, "Did he talk to you?"

"Yes, he talked to me," said Hermione distantly, putting her hand back on the cheek Draco had kissed.

"Did he call you a Mudblood?" Harry asked seriously.

"No, we just. . .talked. About summer holiday," Hermione replied, distantly again, looking out the window.

"He didn't do anything cruel?" asked Ron, "Gosh, that's out of character for him. Odd, really."

"Yes. . . How very odd," replied Hermione quietly, her hand still on her cheek.

As Hermione gazed out the window, Draco's face came to her mind. She heard Harry and Ron talking in the back of her mind, but she didn't really hear them. She began to see Draco's face in the glass. He smiled and laughed at her, the joyous Draco she knew from the beginning of the train ride. But then the smile grew into a sneer, and his face wore a mean expression. And then his face changed yet again. It changed into a dreamy half smile, and Hermione saw herself in the glass as well, being kissed by Draco. Hermione, for a reason she didn't quite understand, felt warm inside as she watched this. Suddenly, the picture began to fade in the glass. Hermione reached out for it, as the real world drifted back into her consciousness.

"Hermione, are you alright? What's the matter?" Harry asked urgently.

"He kissed me. . ." said Hermione in a trance-like state. Her left hand lay on her cheek, and her right hand touched the window.

"What? Who did? Ron?" Harry asked, looking from Hermione to Ron.

"Hey, I didn't kiss her," said Ron, shrugging.

"Draco," she said in the same dreamlike voice. She let her hand fall from the window. It was getting dark outside the train. They were getting closer to the school.

"Malfoy kissed you?" screeched both Harry and Ron.

Hermione jerked out of her trance. "W-what?"

"Malfoy kissed you?" repeated Harry. Ron was too much in shock to reply.

"I-I think he did," Hermione replied shakily.

"Why? Why did he do it, Hermione?" said Harry.

Hermione looked out the window. She saw Draco's face in the glass again. "There was only one seat left, next to Draco. I asked if I could sit there, he said yes. And we started talking. He seemed very nice, and kind," she said, as the Draco in the glass acted out what she was saying, "Then Ron came into the coach, and Draco changed. He wasn't nice anymore. Ron left, and I asked Draco why he acted like that to Ron. He said he wanted to be friends with me, and not Ron. I started to leave, but he stopped me. He said he was sorry. Then. . .He kissed me."

"That doesn't seem like Malfoy at all. . . And why do you keep calling him Draco, Hermione?" asked Harry.

"H-he-," began Hermione.

"He asked her to," said Ron in disgust, " 'I'm allowed to be on cordial terms with a lady,'" he said, imitating Malfoy. "It's disgusting, that's what it is."

"Hermione, you shouldn't let him do that to you! You know who he is! You know where he's coming from! Why didn't you slap him or something, like you did before?" cried Harry.

"I don't know," Hermione replied quietly.

As the train slowed down, Harry and Ron were still talking about the situation between Draco and Hermione. Hermione stared out the window into the dark night sky. Tears filled her eyes as she thought about what Harry had said. "You know who he is! You know where he's coming from!" The words played over and over again in her mind. She sat there wondering. Wondering about her life. Wondering why these people had chosen to change her life so dramatically.

The train came to a stop, jerking Hermione out of her confusion, and back into the real world once more. Hermione stood up, forgetting entirely about Harry and Ron, and walked to the door, opened it, closed it, and walked down the hallway. She got out of the coach, and onto the platform. She began walking quickly towards an empty carriage, but stopped when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Hermione! Wait up!" cried Draco Malfoy, running towards her.

"D-Draco?" stammered Hermione, utterly surprised at his presence.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," said Draco with a smile on his face, which was slightly pink from running in the night air.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" she asked timidly, her face turning red.

"I decided to catch up with you," said Draco, catching his breath.

"Oh, alright. Get in, then," said Hermione, nodding towards the carriage.

"Ladies first," said Draco, bowing, and extending his arm.

"Oh, all right. Thank you," Hermione said shyly, putting her hand on Draco's and stepping up into the carriage. She sat down, and waited for Draco to get in.

"So, what happened to Weasley and Potter? Didn't you go with them?" asked Draco.

"Oh, well, I sort of forgot about them," Hermione replied embarrassedly, "I just got up and left them when the train stopped. I really should go back and apologize," she added, making to get out of the carriage

"Ah, you can do that after this," said Draco, putting his arm out to stop her.

"Draco, I-," said Hermione.

"About that-that kiss I gave you," Draco cut in, "I'm sorry if it surprised you."

"Well, it did surprise me, Draco," replied Hermione, "But what I want to know is why all of the sudden you accept me. You certainly weren't like this last year."

"Times change," Draco said seriously, looking out the window, "And so did I."

"Did something happen?" Hermione asked timidly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Draco replied sternly, "Don't pester me!"

"I-I'm sorry," whimpered Hermione.

"I'm sorry too, Hermione," Draco said so quietly it was a whisper, "I'm sorry for how I've acted towards you all these years."

"Er, thank you?" tried Hermione.

"Sorry," said Draco, jerking out of his seriousness, "So, you-you like to read?"

"I thought we already established that fact," laughed Hermione.

"Yea, I guess so," Draco laughed nervously.

"Draco?" Hermione asked suddenly, trying to figure out what seemed out of place in Draco Malfoy, "Where are Crabbe and Goyle?"

"Oh, well, I did pretty much the same thing you did. I forgot them back in the train," said Draco, blushing.

"Oh," said Hermione quietly. This had been what seemed out of place, but Hermione still felt there was something left untold. But after Draco's sternness from when she had asked what was bothering him, she decided to keep quiet.

An awkward silence followed this. Draco stared at Hermione, obviously thinking of something to say, and Hermione returned the stare, but did not know why she was doing so, or why Draco was doing so. And as the silence continued, the carriages were getting closer and closer to the castle, and suddenly, Hermione and Draco's carriage stopped to let them out. The door flung itself open.

"Well, see you around, then," Draco said nervously. Not quite knowing what to do, he reached his hand out stiffly for her to shake it.

"Yes, see you around," replied Hermione, shaking his hand, then letting go.

They got out of the carriage, and the two of them made their way up to the doors of the Hogwarts castle, on opposite sides of the staircase.