A/N: First of all, thanks to my reviewers for your enthusiastic comments. Second of all, I have no idea where I'm going with this. Ha, ha. So read and stay along for the ride!
At the feast she sat with Harry, Ron, and Ginny, discussing classes and watching the yearly sorting hat procedure. They cheered whenever anyone came to Gryffindor.
"Double potions at the end of the day. Ugh," complained Ron.
"But look, we've got Care of Magical Creatures right before that," pointed out Ginny.
"Trelawney first. That'll beÉinteresting," added Harry.
Hermione, however, was not listening at the moment. She was eyeing a certain blonde headed Slytherin, who was talking with Blaise Zabini. The rest of the Slytherins seemed to be a little confused about this new Malfoy, and Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy kept yelling taunts at him.
All at once, Draco stood up and marched over to their table. She tried in vain to listen. "Just because I'm acting like a fucking okay guy this year, doesn't mean you should forget your place, " he hissed. "I am still perfectly capable doing everything I could before.
His eyes blazed with fury and he turned and walked away leaving the three dimwits rather stunned. Pansy whined after him, "But Draco, darling, why can't you just be the person you were before?
He paused and turned on his heel. "Shut up, Whore.
Her eyes widened. Crabbe and Goyle pointed and laughed at her. "Don't think I have any respect for you two either," he sneered.
Hermione was quite confused. Draco had just done to his former classmates what he had always done to them. So maybe he was serious about this change.
"Hermione? Hermione?" Ginny asked, waving her hand in her friend's face.
"Uh, what? Sorry guys, I was a little distracted.
"Yeah, by Malfoy," Ron cracked up, and Harry followed suit.
"What?" asked Ginny excitedly.
"Well, Malfoy said this stuff about how he's trying to be a good guy now, and he wants to make amends with us. And it looks like our own Hermione likes him now.
Ginny laughed.
"I do not like Draco Malfoy. All I'm saying is, maybe he's really a nice guy now. Maybe he meant that stuff on the train.
"Yeah well, we're still serious about him proving himself," replied Harry, still chuckling.
"Whatever. I'm gonna go to bed, okay guys?
"Sure. We should probably head off anyway.
The four friends separated and Hermione entered into the Head Quarters common room, flopping down onto the couch. She thought about Draco, and her friends' reactions, and her coming classes. She finished her reading for tomorrow, and felt herself drift off to sleep.
In the cold of the middle of the night, she was shaken awake by someone's powerful arms. She looked up and into stunning gray eyes.
"Draco." she murmured.
He lifted her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom, pulling the satin sheets and red comforter over her. He turned to go.
"Wait. Thank you.
"Oh, no problem. Common courtesy, I guess." He smiled vaguely.
"It meant a lot though.
"Well, your welcome.
He closed the door carefully. She felt a rapid thumping in her heart. Draco Malfoy had just carried her up the stairs and into her bed. He had cared about her. Could she possibly be falling for him?
In the morning she woke and dressed in a jeans and a tank top, applying a little lip-gloss. She met Draco halfway down the stairs.
"I was just coming to wake you up.
"What a considerate offer. It might be nice to have you do that in the future.
"I'd love to oblige.
They giggled, and Hermione felt so strange as the boy took her arm and led her out into the hallway to the morning meal.
"Sleep well, Mione?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, actually. Wonderfully.
"How's Malfoy?" Ginny inquired.
"He's, well, he's very charming.
"So you have fallen for him!" exclaimed Ron.
"Shut up Ron! What if he hears!?
"I don't think he would care too much," he replied, and pointed behind her.
A crowd of Slytherin girls had surrounded Malfoy, giggling and flirting with him. However, through the look of flattery on his face, she could see he was getting somewhat annoyed. He stood up.
"All right! Enough already!
Draco walked out of the dining hall.
"He's having some interesting mood swings," Harry commented.
Hermione ignored her friend and went after Draco. She found him sitting outside near a pond, his head against a tree.
"Draco, um, may I sit with you?
"Sure.
She sat down beside him, staring at their refection in the pond. He turned to her and saw her shiny brown eyes full of awkwardness.
"Sometimes I just wanna get away from it all, you know. I'm sick of the Slytherins. Except for Blaise. He's always been a good friend.
"Yeah, my friends aren't being exactly supportive right now.
Their faces were close now, inches apart. "I never thought you could be like this," she murmured.
"Like what?" he asked, playing dumb.
"So amazing and charming.
"Haven't I always been?" he joked, and she laughed.
"Oh, I think you needed a little tweak here and there. But now you're pretty okay in my book.
He leaned in for a kiss, but she moved away, and there was a slight flash of anger in his eyes.
"Not yet, Draco. Not yet.
She stood up, her robes billowing in the fall wind, and her hair shining a beautiful chestnut color. Her full lips stood out, and Draco wanted so much to feel his own lips pressed against hers.
"Why do you taunt me so?" he whispered to himself as she left him there.
