Chapter 3

"Woooo…it's really cold now," Hermione shivered as she and Draco started for the entrance to the castle. It was still early in the morning and they had just finished plowing and making snowmen. Hermione's snowman stood proudly on the snow while Draco's was quite deformed.

"Come on, let's go in, Granger," he said, leaving her alone to walk towards the door. He entered and loved the warmth the castle. He walked to a nearby sitting room where a fire was burning in the fireplace. Hermione followed him in. Both were wet with ice.

They sank back down on the carpet in front of the fire after taking off their wet robes and scarves. He was a foot away from her, but he could feel her closeness. He glanced at her and noticed how her brown hair fell into masses of beautiful great curls. She turned her head and caught him looking at her. He looked away and felt red-hot blood running up to his cheeks. A moment later, he glanced at her again and their eyes met. This time, he didn't look away. He was enticed by her soulful brown eyes that stared back at him uncertainly.

"What?" She finally asked, breaking the silence. As she said that, he noticed how her lips lusciously parted as she said the word and closed back again with a hesitant smile.

Damn me! Draco knew he wasn't supposed to notice how her hair curled and framed her face, how her eyes sparkled when she smile, how her lips pout when she was thinking… he wasn't suppose to notice her at all, but for a couple of days, he hadn't been himself lately. He had found himself looking at her more and more without even realizing it. He wasn't supposed to do that. He was supposed to ignore her. He was supposed to be the devil who drives girls crazy and who drives Hermione to the brink of suicide. He was her enemy, but why is his head leaning closer to her?

Hermione turned her face towards the fire and frowned. What the hell was he thinking? She wondered angrily. What the hell was I thinking? I better go before something… But instead of standing up, she turned to face Draco who was then looking back at the fire in deep thought.

She noticed his blond hair in beautiful disarray and blushed when he turned to her, brushing his hair back. Damn me! She cursed. She wasn't supposed to become aware of how his disheveled blond hair looks. His blue eyes looked straight into her eyes and she immediately drowned into the soul of Draco Malfoy. There was something in those eyes – hurt, pain, suffering, anger, even rage and all the negative emotions that had molded him into a cruel, cold and hard person.

He looked away, angry with himself for letting her see him. He had read her eyes and his heart melted at the thought of the concern in those eyes. He knew she had read him too and he was afraid…afraid of what might have happened if he continued staring into her eyes.

He felt a movement next to him and turned to see Hermione standing up. "Where are you going?" He asked, his hands aching to touch her and pull her to him.

"I'm going to my room," she said and left.