A/N: I hope you guys like this; it gets a little bit more . . . interesting. If you have any comments or suggestions please feel free. Oh, and also please please please feel free to suggest a beginning for the next chapter, b/c I haven't started it yet. Once I get it started I should be able to just go, but . . . I got nothing. Special thanks to my friend, Nie, who supplied a few parts of this chapter, and also to: Parselmouth Princess-How did Hermione get hurt? Good question. I'm thinking it was just a bad dream, but if I think of something good, I may turn into something significant later. (Hm . . .); CeLeStIaL BeInG-Thank you so much! It's nice to know what you like. Lol. Oh, and thank you for the site suggestion; it looks pretty cool! :). Anyroad, hope y'all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own the plot, but that's about it.



Chapter 2

Startled, Hermione turned her head to look at the person whose lap she'd just sat in-and found herself staring straight into the stormy gray eyes of Draco Malfoy. Their faces were only inches apart. She felt heat rise up in her cheeks as he raised an eyebrow at her, not bothering to hide the fact that he was as startled as she was.

Then, something came over him. Something she couldn't recognize filled his eyes before they swept over her face, then met her gaze once more. He leaned slightly forward and softly brushed her lips with his own. Before either of them knew just what happened, they found themselves wrapped in each other's arms.

He looked at Hermione and said in a deep voice, "Now. What are you doing in my chair, Hermione Granger?"

Hermione wished she could say something cute and sexy, but her mind went completely blank and her face turned red.

"Er . . . I, er . . . Oh!"

She gave up with a smile and circled her arms around his neck. He leaned in to kiss her again, and there came a knock at the door. Hermione hurriedly pressed her lips against his and ran to find out who had interrupted this unexpected moment of sweetness with Draco.

When she opened the portrait hole, she saw Harry waiting. As soon as he saw her, he began to speak.

"Hermione, what's-" A look of comprehension dawned on his face and he looked her over: flushed face, red, swollen lips, and rumpled clothing. His eyes narrowed.

Hermione stepped through the portrait hole, closing it behind her. "Harry, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Hermione, don't change the subject. I know what you and Malfoy were doing," spat Harry, his face twisting in disgust. "I thought you were better than that."

He turned to walk away.

"Harry, wait!"

But her best friend just kept walking. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

The girl in the portrait sniffed and Hermione glanced over at her; there were tears rolling down her cheeks and her bright green eyes were shining with evidence of more tears to come.

"Oh, dear; what's wrong?"

"Don't worry about me, Mione," the girl said, using the nickname only she used for Hermione. "I'm emotional. My special secret is getting to me, and then Harry-but he'll get over it, Mione, I promise."

"You think?"

"I know. It'll be okay."

Hermione gave the girl a slight smile. "Thank you."

She had to step back then; the portrait swung open to reveal Draco peering at her inquiringly.

"What's-"

The girl in the portrait sniffed and Draco straightened. Then he stepped through the hole, making sure the portrait closed very gently. Then he saw the giant teardrops flowing freely from the redhaired girl's big eyes.

"Whatever's the matter?"

"Nothing, X. I'll be all right," she said with another sniff.

He glanced at Hermione and she nodded. Draco sighed. "All right, all right. Coming in, Hermione?"

"Yes."

Draco tried to pull the portrait away from the wall then, but it wouldn't budge. He looked at the girl again. She gave a small, slightly mischievous smile.

"Password?"

He groaned, but Hermione grinned. "Ferret boy."

The girl giggled again and the portrait swung away. As they stepped through, Draco guiding Hermione, his hand on the small of her back, he looked at her in false annoyance.

"You just love to say that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

He growled and "attacked" her, leading her farther into the common room as she laughed helplessly.

A few minutes later, Draco and Hermione were tired out. They were lying on their backs, trying to catch their breaths.

"Draco, why did she call you 'X'?"

There was a pause; Hermione turned her head to see Draco blushing slightly.

"My middle name."

"Which is . . .?"

He mumbled something she couldn't discern.

"Pardon?"

He sighed. "Xavier."

That one word disarmed Hermione completely. "Draco. Xavier. Malfoy," she breathed, then a small smile crossed her lips.

"What?" he asked, finally looking at her. They both were lying on their sides then.

"It's just . . . so . . ."

"Stupid?" he asked bitterly, averting his gaze from her eyes.

She lifted his chin to make him look at her again. "Perfect."

His eyes softened and he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

A little more than twenty minutes later, someone came pounding on the wall beside the portrait hole. Hermione groaned while Draco got to his feet. He was scowling and growling, muttering various curses even as he opened the portrait hole.

Ron stood there, face bright red, with a scowl to challenge Draco's. He gave Draco a look of absolute disgust.

"Malfoy, I need to talk to Hermione so just take the slut you have in there with you and go somewhere else!"

Hermione walked up to stand beside Draco about the time he was finishing that small outburst. Ron glanced at her, then did a double-take as she raised an eyebrow, glaring at him. Her face was as red as his.

"Hermione, wha-How-Why-"

He could only stammer out halves of things.

She couldn't believe he would say such a thing! Actually, she could, but still . . .

After only a glance at Ron, Hermione pulled Draco into a deep kiss. As she slid her hands up his back to entwine them in his hair, she showed him the middle finger of her left hand. (A/N: Naughty Hermione! Lol.)

By the time they pulled apart, Ron was gone. They looked at each other. Draco's face became a mask of mischief.

"Hm . . ."

Then he pulled her closer to him roughly, letting the portrait swing shut with a bang.