AN: Hey... Sorry it took so long to update again... I've been busy and I didn't know how to work this chapter but here it is... Nikki is making me write more ''in depth'' chapters... grr... Oh well... right... back to the story...

*~* Evanescent Enchantment *~*

*~*~* Chapter Nine: Surprise, Surprise! *~*~*

When Hermione agreed to help Harry at his beater tryouts, she had no idea how BORING that they'd be. She sat at the side of the pitch observing the many beaters knocking the bludgers away from the rest of the team and a few volunteers that Harry managed to hire.

'When is this going to be over?' she thought to herself with a sigh. She had been sitting there with Ron, since there was no need for a keeper, for over an hour, just watching them play Quidditch. One person who tried out did stick out in her opinion and in Ron's too, but his for a different reason.

''So... What do you guys think?'' Harry asked the two as he dismounted his broom.

''Well I thought the only good person was Mariea! '' Ron exclaimed.

''Gee, Ron, I wonder why that could be... '' Harry said with a grin.

''Harry, he wouldn't take his eye off of Mariea through the whole thing! Although I have to admit, she was the best.''

''I thought so, too,'' Harry concurred.

''So she's on the team?'' Ron asked excitedly.

''Well, I still have to ask the other players for their input, but off the record, she's in,'' Harry said, glancing at the Gryffindors still playing Quidditch.

''Yes!'' Ron exclaimed.

''Oh, Ron. Get over yourself,'' Hermione joked. ''When are you going to announce the new beater, Harry?''

''First day back, probably. So are you guys getting along now?'' Harry asked, hoping the answer would be something like yes.

''I guess,'' she said as she and Ron exchanged smiles.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Draco? You here?" Hermione called as she entered to Head Tower.

A muffled voice answered, ''Bedroom.''

As Hermione entered the silver and green clad room, she noticed Draco in the far corner near his windows, doing pushups.

''What are you doing?'' she asked, as if she didn't already know the answer.

''Working out... what did you think?'' he asked in return with a smirk.

''Never mind...''

''So what's up?'' he questioned, looking up at her from the floor.

''I was just wondering what you wanted to do at my house over break,'' Hermione replied.

''I don't know... What do Muggles usually do?'' Draco inquired.

''Go to the movies, go to the mall, go to parties...''

''Movies? What's a movie?'' Draco asked dumbfounded.

''It's like watching people's lives in a story,'' she explained.

''Huh?''

''Never mind,'' she sighed as she on his bed.

''Mione?''

''Yeah?'' she answered.

''What's a mall?'' he prodded.

She gave him a look as if to say 'What you don't know?'

''Wow... It's kind of like Diagon Alley but indoors,'' she attempted to explain.

''So... Lots of stores in one building, in other words,'' he conveyed.

''Yes,'' she stated.

''Oh... Sounds boring,'' Draco confessed while Hermione burst out laughing.

''It usually is... But then again I'm not like most Muggles my age. Anyways, there's a lot to do near my house.''

''Cool... When do we leave again?'' he asked.

''Saturday morning, Draco. And I thought Harry and Ron didn't pay attention,'' Hermione said smiling.

''I don't usually go home over vacation so I never listened to those announcements,'' Draco replied.

''Wait a minute... Didn't you say your parents were going to Italy or something?'' she asked suspiciously.

''France... Why?''

''Then why do you need to stay at my house?'' she inquired.

''Because I need an excuse to get out of Death Eater Boot Camp,''

''Right... How could I forget that? Oh well... It doesn't matter... Hey, Draco?''

''Yeah?''

''If you could've gone home, would you still go to m house?''

''Yeah... probably. I can't stand my father,'' he said, making Hermione smile.

''Well I have to go meet Ginny at dinner. She has something urgent to tell me. See you later,'' she said as she walked out of his bedroom.

''Bye.''

'I guess I should go see Professor Snape now,' Draco thought as he threw on his robes.

As he walked through the corridors, he couldn't help but feel what he was about to do was wrong. Reaching the door to Snape's office, he knocked lightly, and was prompted to enter.

''What can I help you with Mr. Malfoy?'' Snape asked in his oily voice.

''Professor, I was wondering if I could make a potion for some extra credit. I want my grades to be at the top of my year,'' Draco proposed, although Snape could not tell that Draco was lying through his teeth.

''What kind of potion did you have in mind?'' Snape asked in return.

''Well... a difficult one... Let's say... Evanescent Enchantment?''

''Are you sure? Once you take this potion, you may lose your one true love... forever. But... if you do lose them, their love will live on forever within you and strengthen you power and it will protect you,'' Snape explained.

''Yes... I know. When can I make it?'' Draco asked calmly, although he was scared that the potion might hurt Hermione.

''It takes five days to prepare. You may start tonight, and finish Friday night. Then you'll present it to the class the first week back from vacation. Understood?'' Draco nodded, and Snape continued, ''You are to report to the dungeon tonight ten minutes before eight. I'll gather your tools, and you bring your wand and you cauldron. Understood?''

''Yes, Sir. Thank you, Professor,'' Draco said, nodded his head and left Snape's office.

'What am I doing? I could hurt Hermione!' he thought, angry at himself, as he walked into the Great Hall for dinner. He stole a glance at the Gryffindor table as he passed, but he didn't see Hermione, and Ginny was there. 'She's lying to me...'

*~*~*~* Later That Week *~*~*~*

''Granger! I need to speak to you... Head business,'' Draco said as he approached her after Potions Friday afternoon.

Pulling her aside, he waited until the last of the Slytherins left the Dungeon before speaking.

''Hermione... I need to ask you something. I didn't have time to ask you the past couple days but... Did you go to dinner with Ginny on Monday after you left the tower or did you go somewhere else?''

''Draco, I went to dinner. I didn't see you and after twenty minutes I went to see if you were still up in the tower but you weren't there. I'd already finished what I could eat and went back to the Gryffindor tower. Stop being so overprotective,'' she answered.

''Sorry,'' he muttered. ''I just don't want anything to happen to my girl,'' he said smiling.

''I can take care of myself, Draco,'' she reassured him, returning his smile. ''Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go pack then have dinner,'' she said, pretending to be a ''proper'' lady, making Draco laugh.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

''Professor Snape, I'm finished,'' Draco stated.

''Well then, bottle up some, store it near the window, and cleanup what is left. Then you may go,'' Snape instructed.

''Yes, Sir,'' he said as he pretended to bottle one sample of the potion, but bottled an extra, which he slipped into the inside pocket of his robes. After placing the bottle on the upper windowsill, he emptied the cauldron and cleaned up his supplies. After saying good bye to his head of house, he headed in the direction of the Head Tower.

On the way there, he saw Hermione walking ahead of him towards the Great Hall. He smiled when he spotted her and kept walking in his path.

After returning his supplies to their places, he quickly cleaned up and went to dinner, with the small flask still in his pocket.

When he walked into dinner late, he didn't glance at Hermione as usual, but kept his head high as he made his way to the Slytherin table. As he took his seat, he brought his hand to his robes to be sure that the flask was still concealed within his pocket.

Meanwhile, Hermione hadn't even notice Draco enter. Some things she did notice, though, were that he was starting to become protective of her and he was acting very suspicious lately. She didn't mind that he was being protective of her, but she wanted a reason as to why. But she had no idea as to why he was acting so suspiciously.

After dinner, she walked to the Gryffindor tower slowly with Harry and Ron, who were remaining at Hogwart's for the holidays.

"Mione, if he does anything to you, tell us. We'll kill him for you," Ron said smiling.

"Ron, grow up. He's not going to do anything to me in my own house!" she retaliated.

"Maybe, but you never know. We're just trying to protect you," Harry said.

"I know, but why is everyone so protective of me all of a sudden. Do you guys know something I don't?" she asked gingerly.

"What do you mean? We'd tell you if we knew something, Hermione. Best friends don't keep stuff from each other unless it's about you and Malfoy," Ron stated with Harry nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, I should know I can trust you guys by now. Well I'm going to go pack. See you guys later," she said as she disappeared towards the Girls' Dormitories.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Hermione woke the next morning, she was a little nervous. What if Draco suddenly changed and lashed out against her and her parents? What if he doesn't like my parents or they don't like him? What if...

She knew it was wrong to be asking herself these questions, but she couldn't help but think about them. Her things for today were neatly placed on her bedside chair, and her trunk and Crookshanks were already downstairs in the Great Hall, ready to be placed on the train.

After she had gotten dressed and packed her toiletries, she met Ginny in the common room and the two walked to breakfast. She saw Draco across the room and smiled. He didn't return her smile, but nodded quickly and tilted his head towards Pansy Parkinson, who was looking quickly between the two of them.

After she had finished her breakfast, she said good bye to Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Mariea. They all gave her Christmas gifts and she said that the elves had their gifts from her.

Placing the parcels in her bag, she smiled at her friends, waved, and walked to the carriages that would carry the students to the train. When she had entered the Head Compartment, she saw that Crookshanks had already curled up next to one of the windows.

Setting her bag on the floor, she plopped into the seat directly across from her cat. She rested her head against the window, and didn't hear the door click shut as Draco entered.

"Hey... You okay?" he greeted her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What was up with Pansy in breakfast?" she asked.

"Who knows? I think she's still got the hots for me, he said with a smile as he sat down next to her. The couple talked some more, but the conversation did not interest Hermione in the least, and she soon drifted to sleep with her head on Draco's shoulder.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mione... Wake up... We're here..." he said, shaking her slightly to wake her up.

"Oh... How long was I asleep?" she asked.

"You fell asleep about twenty minutes into the ride," he informed her.

"Oh. There's my mum and dad. They're probably anxious to meet you," she said with a small smile.

"Let me carry your bag for you," he offered politely.

"Draco... What would people think if they saw you carrying my bag?" she asked.

"I don't care what they think. I care what you think."

"Aw... that's so sweet!" she replied and hugged him. "We better go before we get stuck on the train."

Almost everyone else who was getting off here was gone, except for a few younger students. Hermione and Draco walked over to her parents, and Hermione said, "Mum, Dad, this is Draco. Draco Malfoy. Draco this is my Mum, Jane, and my Dad, Robert. There you've met. Can we go now?"

When Hermione had said Draco's name, she couldn't help but notice a strange look on her mother's face. She thought about it for a little while on the drive home, but forgot about it when they neared her house.

After she and Draco put their things in her room, they set up a cot for him on the wall opposite her bed.

"Hermione... Draco... dinner's ready!" Mrs. Granger called from the kitchen.

As the four sat down at the square table, her father asked, "So, Draco, if you don't mind my asking, what do your parents do?"

"Well, my father is involved with the Ministry of Magic, and my mother stays at home usually, or she... actually... I don't know what she does. She's usually just at home."

"Draco, is Malfoy a common name?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"I- I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I grew up with a girl that married a man with the name of Malfoy. What's you mother's name?" she questioned.

"Narcissa... Narcissa Black."

Mrs. Granger dropped her fork to her plate, causing a rather loud clatter. Her jaw dropped and she quickly covered her open mouth with a shaking hand.

"Mum, what's wrong? Do you know Draco's mother?" Hermione asked anxiously.

AN: Hehehaha... Thank you Parker for the names and for helping me with the beginning of the next chapter... I'll have the next chap up within the next week. ~ Dangles ~