Disclaimer-- Ya you've all heard this at least a hundred times before-- JK Rowling owns just about every name and idea used in her novel. I am in the shadow of her greatness, owning nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twenty-five minutes of searching through the forest only found them bitter, greatly scratched by protruding branches and completely clueless.

"This is utterly hopeless, Hermione," Draco complained sitting down on a rock. His usually gelled back hair was sticking up at all angles and had many twigs caught in it. A cut above his eyebrow was the source for the trickle of blood running down the side of his face.

Hermione wasn't much better off-- her hair was filled with leaves, her face and legs were scratched and her robes were torn.

"I agree that it isn't one of Hagrid's best ideas," Hermione said tearing a strip of fabric of the hem of her robe and offering it to Draco. "Put it against that cut on your forehead."

Draco gratefully accepted and pressed it against the cut. "Thanks."

"Do you think we should head back?"

"No, let's rest for a minute." Hermione sat down on the grass beside Draco.

"The forest is pretty peaceful here," Hermione observed, looking at the thick green grass and the bright flowers.

"Yeah." Draco paused for a moment. "This doesn't look like the regular forest. It didn't even look this nice a moment ago. I think it's enchanted."

"Enchanted," Hermione scoffed. She could see a brook now, with water splashing over the rocks.

"Hermione let's leave." There was a sense of urgency in Draco's voice, but Hermione wasn't listening. The only thing on her mind was going swimming in that wonderful brook. There were animals now. Little rabbits were hopping in the grass and robins flew overhead.

Draco grabbed her arm and attempted to drag her away. "C'mon Hermione."

Hermione screamed. "Leave me alone. I want to go swimming in the brook!"

"No," Draco said firmly, still trying to pull her away. He finally managed to pull her out of the cove and they both fell on the ground panting.

"What on earth was that?" Hermione asked, rubbing her head where it had hit the ground.

"I dunno," Draco said helping her up. "You started going all crazy after the cove changed and were going on about a brook and swimming."

"There was a brook, I remember." She paused. "I think the cove's gone back to normal."

They peered around the trees and found the once beautiful cove to be as desolate as the rest of the forest. The only thing that stood out was the giant delve whose bottom was covered in sharp rocks. It lay right where the brook has been. Hermione turned away shaking. If Draco hadn't been there to pull her back, she would have dove right in... probably to her death.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Draco noticed her shaking shoulders and put his arm around them.

"That... that delve. It's right where the brook was." Hermione's voice shook as she talked. She had almost died and Draco had saved her life.

"It's alright," he said softly, gently rocking her. "It's alright. You're fine now."

"Draco..." Hermione's sentence was cut short by Hagrid's arrival through the trees.

"Malfoy! What are yeh doin' to her?"

"I'm not doing anything to her," Malfoy said letting go of Hermione's shoulders and glaring at Hagrid. "She would be fine if she hadn't accidentally walken into that enchanted cove. You said that this part of the forest was safe. Safe doesn't mean that you can accidentally die!"

Hagrid's normally ruddy face paled. "The enchanted dell."

"So you knew it was here!" Draco accused.

"No, that cove moves around the forest at it's own will. It enchants the mind and leads the person unknowledgeably towards danger. It wasn' here this mornin'."

"Is that suppose to make it all right?" Draco yelled at him. "If she died would it still be 'okay'?"

"'O course not. Now let's get both of yeh out of here."

He lead them out of the forest, Draco murmuring profanities the whole way. Hagrid had dismissed the class, but Harry and Ron had waited for her.

"Hermione, are you alright?" Harry asked running over to her and taking in her torn robes. "You're shaking."

"I'm fine," Hermione said, "I'm fine." Her shoulders ceased shaking as she continued up the hill with Ron and Harry.

Harry looked over his shoulder to make sure that Draco was out of earshot. "Malfoy didn't... didn't do anything to you because of our argument, did he?"

"No," Hermione said looking down at her feet.

"Hermione, if he did anything... indecent to you, you need to tell someone. We can go with you if you need to talk to McGonagoll or Dumbledore..."

"Harry, Malfoy didn't do anything to me. He saved my life."

Ron whistled. Didn't see that one coming, did you Harry?"

"He...he saved your life?"

"Is there an echo?" Hermione said grumpily. She didn't like admitting it anymore than Harry liked hearing it.

"Did he tell you to say that? Did he threaten you not to tell?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, believe it or not, Malfoy actually did a decent thing in his life. He really did save me." They had reached the castle and Hermione started up the stairs to the Griffindor common room. "I'm going to go change. I'll meet you at lunch."

The boys headed into the Great Hall and Hermione continued up the stairs. Halfway up, she paused and leaned over the side. Draco was going down the stairs leading to the Slytherin common room.

"Draco!" she called down. Draco glanced behind him before looking up to meet Hermione's eyes.

"Yes, Granger? Is there anything else you need?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Is saving your life not enough to gain me alittle peace and quiet?"

"Thank you."

"It was nothing." Draco's voice had softened and lost it's sarcasm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanx for reading and please, please, pretty please review. I'm dying to know what you think and seeing as how this is my first fan fic I want to know how I can improve. So, if you got an extra minute, please send me a word or two.

Remember-- good things come to those who review!!

Kudos!! lana-la-banana

A special thanx to all my reviewers--Evie-DuGrey dannysdashdollie, draco's girl, Hermie 13, ash, and ckrfan. You guys are awesome-- please keep reviewing!