Chapter 4: New Arrival

Hermione awoke the next morning feeling very happy. At first, she was a little startled as to who she woke up next to. But when she realized he had an arm draped around her protectively, and he looked so cute when he was sleeping, the events of the previous night flooded back into her mind and she loved waking up next to Draco Malfoy. Not wanting to leave his embrace she turned slightly and began lazily drawing little rings around his chest until he woke up.
Draco woke up to someone drawing circles on his chest. At first he was a bit startled, but when he looked down and saw who it was, he relaxed.

"Morning gorgeous." He said softly to her before leaning down and kissing her gently on the lips.
"Mm good morning beautiful." Hermione said slowly taking in the kiss and his scent that she just couldn't get enough of.
"Beautiful?" he said
"Mhm. What's the matter, never been called beautiful before?" she asked teasingly still resuming drawing little rings on his chest.
"As a matter of fact, no, I haven't." He answered her thoughtfully.
"Never?"
"Never."
"Not once?"
"Well, now it's been once. By you."
"Oh."
Silence.
"Why is that?" Hermione couldn't stand not knowing.
"I don't know. I guess it's just sort of too 'high class' for me. I've been called sexy, gorgeous, handsome, and all those other things before, but never beautiful. I guess I've just never been beautiful before." Draco said chuckling a little as he looked down into Hermione's cinnamon eyes.
"Oh but you're very beautiful to me." She said sitting up to kiss and she ran her hands through his already messy hair making it even messier.
"Thank you. But I'm not as beautiful as you are." He replied after kissing her back and rubbing his hands up and down her body.
There were a few moments of silence before he finally spoke again.
"I'm gonna go take a shower." And he kissed her forehead and got out of her bed and walked out of her room to the shower they would be sharing for the next year.

Hermione lay in her bed alone. Just thinking.
'Wow. He's so amazing. I think I might actually.love him. No, I couldn't. It wouldn't be right. He would never love me back. Would he? Could he? No, he couldn't. Just as I can't love him. I can't allow myself to fall for him. Because if he didn't return my feelings I'd be crushed. No, I can't let him know how I feel. I can't. But there's no sense in passing up this weird passion or whatever we have for each other. I just won't fall in love with him. That's it. But he's so damn sexy and sweet. But he could never feel for me like I feel for him. He's probably just messing with me so he can get a good fuck and then move on with his life. Well two can play at that game.'
Meanwhile, Draco was having thoughts of his own in the shower.
'Damn her. Why does she have to be so perfect? Ah! I can't get her out of my head. Speaking of head.I still can't believe she did that last night. I would have never thought Granger had the balls to do it. Well I never thought I'd fall for Granger either. No. I'm not falling for her. I can't. Can I? No. Never. She'd never feel the same way. I bet she's just out to get a good fuck. And who better than me? Yeah, that's gotta be what she's up too. Why else would she all of a sudden be nice to me and comfort me and all that bullshit? She's got something up her sleeve. Or in her pants.I wouldn't mind being the one to find out what's down there. What am I saying? She's so kind and compassionate and sweet and pretty and caring, she wouldn't do a thing like that. Or would she? She has changed. Well I won't let her know my feelings but it takes two to people to fuck. One to do the fucking and the other to get fucked. She'll be the one getting fucked. And she'll scream my name.'

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

The two very confused teenagers made their way down to the Great Hall and sat at their different tables, with their different friends, re-entering their completely different worlds. "Hey Herm." Ginny said cheerfully turning away from Harry as her best female friend sat down across from her, next to her disgustingly hungry brother. "Hey Gin, Harry, Ron." Hermione replied casually. Her eyes drifting toward the Slytherin table. Just as she found who she was searching for, her eyes met with his. It seems as though she wasn't the only one bored with her surroundings. Their eyes locked for a few seconds and the gaze was broken when Blaise Zabini nudged Malfoy in the side getting his attention. "Malfoy? So, how's it sharing a common room with Mudblood Granger?" Blaise said sounding not interested in what he himself had brought the conversation to. "Oh, uh not bad yet. I mean I don't talk to her unless I absolutely have to and she just stays in her room doing who knows what or reading at her desk in the common room." Draco answered fully lying, but he had become so good at it, that he didn't even half to think anymore when he wasn't going to tell the truth. "Oh, ya. Well I heard there's this new guy coming to school. He's supposed to be the new DADA professor. His name is Rick or something like that." "Oh?" Draco said raising his eyebrows and looking at his best friend for the first time since breakfast had started. "Rick? Is he old or what? Where'd he come from?" Draco asked. "I think its Rick at least that's what I heard. He's pretty young and he came from Gringotts." Blaise said looking up to the head table searching for a new face.

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

"So Herm," Ron began through a mouth full of blueberry pancakes. "Have you heard about the new DADA teacher? Well of course you have, you're Head Girl." "Oh. No actually I haven't heard anything about him. Who is he?" Hermione answered, wondering why she hadn't heard anything. Oh that's right, she was preoccupied with a certain blonde haired icy blue eyed Slytherin boy. "Yeah, he's only eighteen too. He's like as old as some of the seventh years." Harry entered into the conversation. "Yeah, I heard he used to work for Gringotts." Ginny said. And when she said Gringotts, Hermione's heart stopped. She thought, 'No, it can't be him. No. Why would he come here and especially teach DADA? No, well, he'd said he'd received top marks in it every year, but why all of a sudden? No, I'm just overreacting it can't be him.' She broke out of her thoughts to ask the question that would determine her worst nightmare. "What's his name?" she asked slowly. "Oh, Rick or something like that." Ron said nonchalantly. 'Shit.' Hermione thought, but then Ginny spoke: "No stupid, it's Nick. Honestly, don't you ever pay attention when anyone's talking?" Ginny said accusingly to Ron. "Oh right, Nick that's it Herm." Ron said grabbing the bowl of eggs and piling some onto his plate. 'Shit. It is him. Oh no, this can't be happening. Why?! Oh I've got to get out of here.' Hermione was thinking and then just as she got up to leave Dumbledore stood up and everyone grew quiet and Hermione was obliged to sit back down and listen to what her Headmaster had to say. "Good morning students!" He began, "I am pleased to inform you all that we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year. It most unfortunate that he could not be here last night for the welcome back feast, but he is here now, and I introduce to you all, Professor Stiles." Dumbledore finished with that ever present twinkle in his eyes and he sat down smiling as Nick Stiles stood up and everyone clapped respectfully. He was indeed very young, 18 in fact. And every girl in the Great Hall could not keep from staring at him. He was very handsome with his shaggy brown hair and his broad, finely toned body that could be seen because his robes fit him snugly showing off his muscles. He was also tall, he was 6'4 and there weren't many Hogwarts boys who could match 6'4. When the clapping subsided and Professor Stiles sat down everyone returned to their meals.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ah Nick was his name. I was close." Zabini said to Malfoy.
"Yeah, Nick. He looks like a great prat." Malfoy said as he watched Nick's eyes dance around the hall and fall onto one brown eyed, brown haired 7th year Gryffindor girl. Malfoy saw, that Nick's eyes were full of lust and longing and fire. Malfoy looked at Hermione, she looked ill and pale. He saw her sense someone staring at her and looked to the Head table, Malfoy followed her eyes. Hers met with Nick's and Malfoy saw her squirm in her seat uncomfortably as Nick winked at her and turned to talk with Professor Snape.
'She knows him.' Malfoy thought. 'And he knows her. They have some kind of past or something. I wonder why she would be so uncomfortable around him. I must find out.'

Being as it was a Saturday, the students did not have any classes and were free to do what they wanted until Monday, when all the lessons would begin again and homework and detentions would be assigned to groaning students. Everyone began filing out of the Great Hall to enjoy the rest of their Saturday. Hermione however, remained in her seat, much to the dismay of her three best friends.

"C'mon, Herm, let's go outside. It's a great day all sunny and cool. Let's go." Ron was saying trying to hoax Hermione to come with them. "No, I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm still a little hungry so I'll just stay here. You guys go ahead." She answered. "Are you sure Herm?" Harry started, "we'll wait for you if you want us too. We really don't mind." "I'm sure, I'm fine. Go ahead I'll catch up with you later, I promise." And finally they left her in the Great Hall. The truth was, she wasn't hungry at all. And she had eaten hardly anything throughout breakfast. She just wanted to be alone. She needed to think. And Harry, Ginny, and Ron wouldn't understand. They would over react and be all protective and all that bullshit she hated about them. She could never tell them about Nick. She just needed to think. But shortly after her best friends had left, and it seemed as though she were the only one left in the Great Hall, Draco and Blaise, walked over to her flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. "Go ahead, I'll be a minute." Draco was saying to his friends. And they all nodded and headed out of the Great Hall. He sat down next to her and didn't speak. He just stared at her, into her eyes. Now they were the only two people left in the Great Hall. The teachers had all gone to prepare their lessons for the upcoming week. Hermione turned to see Draco sitting next to her. "Hi." She said after several moments of silence. "Hi." He replied. "How do you know that Nick guy?" "How do you-" but she was cut off. "I saw him staring at you and when you looked at him, he winked and you squirmed in your seat. So how do you know him?" He asked again. "Oh. I've known him for ages." She said unemotionally. She was not going to tell Draco what he did to her. She was not going to let Draco know that she was terrified to death of him and she was not going to let Draco know that she was slowly breaking on the inside because of what he had done to her. She would be strong. She would put it all aside, she would pretend it never happened.for as long as she could handle. "How?" He asked concerned. "He lived in my town. About ten minutes from my house in an apartment. We were best friends as little kids and we were as we grew up. That's all." "Then why does he send shivers up her spine every time he looks at you?" "He doesn't." "I think he does." "Well, your wrong." "Whatever you say." They looked at each other and their eyes locked for several minutes before she stood up and said, "I'm going up to the room. If you need me, that's where I'll be." And she got up and left, slowly, solemnly, brokenly.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Alright, what'd ya think? Ok, um for the next chapter and later on I'm adding some songs and stuff, they're supposed to be italicized and I'm not sure if they are or aren't. So if you're confused and you don't know what's going on, it's probably a song. There's gonna be the story too so don't worry, the songs are just to kind of, set the mood or whatever. I'll add little starts before and after. Hope you like. Keep reviewing!! Thanks!

~jojo