Chapter Two- The Caller

Flashbacks of filing her papers, leaving the building and walking with the occasional "Hermione" yelling being called out kept going through her mind, but she never seemed to see the face of her caller or turn the corner of the street she was in. The images were going by very fast and it was hard to focus on them.

She realized she must've fainted when she felt that some one was holding on to her, shaking her shoulder gently then stroking her cheek, saying, "Hermione please wake up."

Her heavy lids slowly opened as the blurred face came in focus. Finally she was fully awake, though her head still pounded, and looked at her beholder.

"Draco?" she asked as she lifted a hand and pressed three fingers on the side of her head while tightly shutting her eyes in pain for a brief second. Her head ached so much, she just wanted to go home and lie in bed all week.

"Are you alright?" he asked; his eyes looked so determined yet sympathetic towards her that she felt a little heat coming to her cheeks. It was actually an embarrasing situation...having fainted during who knows what time of night on a sidewalk and being found by an extraordinarily handsome man.

Yes, Draco was a greatly admired man by women. All girls wanted to have guyfriends like him. He was so mature, so elegant and graceful...so handsome...

Oh, stop! Hermione thought when she mentally slapped herself, He's your friend, stop being so lovesick. There's no chance between you two.

"Yes...yes I'm fine," she lied as she struggled to get up and Draco too arised from his kneeling position. Whatever it took to get her out of this scenario, she went for it. But as soon as Hermione stood up straight her head began to feel heavy and she fell backwards, into his chest.

"Are you sure you're alright?" he questioned, holding up up straight to make sure she could stand upright.

"Yes...just a little woozy. Didn't eat anything and had loads of work. But, you know, I think I'll just start for home now." She pointed diagonally with her left hand towards the right side she was standing as she said the last sentence.

Her head was just getting worse and worse by each minute. Why couldn't she just go? Why must she have learned the word polite?

"Can you walk?" asked Draco as she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead with her fingers.

"Mhm," She nodded and made a step forward, almost collapsing right then onto the hard stone sidewalk if Draco hadn't rushed in front of her to hold her back up.

"You're too weak," Draco stated.

"Nonsense..." Hermione started but then her head got the better of her, "No...you're right, I feel awful.. I can't focus on anything...I'm afraid I'll pass out again if I go any further," she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning on him for support, shivering a bit from the cold. Draco wrapped an arm around her for a moment to keep her warm before saying,

"I'll carry you home," Though he could have easily apparated, he knew she lived in a muggle complex because she had invited him before for dinner, a get-together, or if he needed a place to stay for the night.

They never done anything sexual when he stayed over. Sometimes he would be so tired from work he'd just walk to her house and asked to stay over, because apparating required strength and focus and he wasn't much of that during those times, and she never turned him down. He stayed in the guestroom, which was right across from her bedroom. The guestroom already had a drawer with his clothes and toothbrush because Hermione had conjucted a spell that brought duplicated ones.

Hermione mumbled something before burying her head into his neck, and Draco used his free arm to lift the bends of her leg up and started down the sidewalk.

When they reached the apartment and up a flight of steps into her place, Draco eased Hermione onto her bed and pulled the covers back over to keep her warm. She was already fast asleep, he realized this when they were going up the stairs and he asked if she was feeling any better but she didn't answer.

Draco, being a bit worn out and not feeling like walking all the way back outside the building so he could safely apparate, decided to stay over. With a tiny kiss on her forehead, Draco whispered "Good Night", shut off the lights to her room and went into the guestroom.

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A/N: Oh come on, who else would be working in the same building as Hermione? Draco, of course. You'd think there was a better person to help her? Well well, this chapter isn't much longer (sorry for those that wanted long chapters! I promise you the next chapter will be long and interesting--I'm 1/3 done with it already..and the 1/3 is like this chapter)

Yeah, I know the last chapter was very short; but this one was slightly longer, no? I think I'm better off at reading long chapters than writing them :D Thank you all for reviewing that first chapter, you all were so sweeeeet, whoo I'm feelin loved already! I didn't really know what "diddly-dash" was implying but oh well. I'd really like to improve my writing so whatever you see/don't understand, do tell!

So, if you have a suggestion for future chapters or the story in general, be more than welcome to write it in your review or e-mail; either way it gets into my inbox. I'll try to get new chapters during the weekends, so during the week I can focus on school and work on making nice long, well developed chapters.