A little note from me: Hey everybody! Well this is chapter 6 then! Thanks to Louise, Hellbound and Lovely Foe for the reviews! Louise – aw thanks honey you're so sweet! Hellbound – wow thank you and I'm glad you liked it, and don't worry I will! Lovely foe – yes I did get your e-mail, but then I guess you figured that out from the reply I sent you…yeah. Anyway, I know I said I was going to wait until I got 5 reviews but even though I got 3 I didn't think it was fair to make them wait so long for the next one! So extra thanks to you 3 and anyone else who reviews will get a thank you too. And when I have time, I try to review my reviewers! Alrighty then, on with the story! Please R/R and don't be afraid to tell me what I'm doing wrong!

In the Corridor

            Hermione gawked at the figure standing in the corridor. What the hell was he doing here? She really didn't want to see him now. Or ever again.  Her attention turned to Neville, who was slowly backing into a corner. With one last look at the smugly smiling Draco (what did he have to look so smug about?), she grabbed Neville by the arm and pulled him into the corner.

            "What the fuck are you doing bringing him here?" she whispered through clenched teeth. Neville looked shocked at Hermione's choice of colourful language.

            "I'm sorry Hermione. Really! But he wanted to see you and I was afraid of what'd he'd do to me if I didn't bring him." He whimpered, shielding his eyes from Hermione in case she felt the need to be aggressive.

            Hermione looked at him sincerely.

            "Neville, did Malfoy threaten you?" she asked, genuinely concerned for the boy.

            Neville relaxed as Hermione's grip on him loosened.

            "Well, not in so many words…" he saw Hermione begin to become enraged again, and quickly retraced his steps.

"But Hermione, please, he's a, you know, he's a …"

            He left the sentence hanging, presuming the answer was obvious. Hermione looked at him sceptically.

            "A what?" she expected the words 'Death-eater' or something equally sinister to come from him.

            "A … Slytherin." He whispered.

            Hermione gave the boy a disgusted look. A Slytherin? That's all he had to say for himself? She felt the rage seep through her again. She knew it wasn't really Neville's fault – he didn't know any better. But he sure as hell was pissing her off.

            "Get out of my sight, you pathetic child!" she spat as she pushed him firmly away. He looked like he was about to cry. She had pushed him so far that he was now standing in front of the portrait hole, slowly cowering away from her.

            "Um, hello?" a deep and lustrous voice reminded them they had company across the threshold. A small whimper escaped from Neville's voice, before he ran off whilst begging both of them not to hurt him.

            Hermione cursed quietly. In her rage, she had almost forgotten why she was angry.

            She walked slowly to the portrait hole, standing in the middle so he would clearly understand he was not welcome into the common room.

            "What do you want?" she seethed.

            Draco let a seductive smile creep across his thin ashen face.

"In a word, you."

            Hermione looked at him. Why was he so cocky? She had just found out that he loved her – a secret that could ruin his reputation, and possibly even his father's.

            "Draco! Go away! I don't want to see you!" she whispered menacingly.

            "Seriously Herm, we need to talk." He said casually, still smiling and leaning his head to the side.

            Hermione looked around the common room. She had attracted a small audience now, thanks to her earlier display with Neville and now this rare encounter with her nemesis. She gave her fellow students a threatening glare, and they each busied themselves with some activity – no matter how preposterous.

            "No – and don't call me that." Hermione answered, wary of her audience leaning in closer to hear better.

            Draco caught on to why she was so unwilling. Pride. Well, he thought, there's an easy way to overcome that.

            "If you don't…" he leaned in closer to her so only she could here his whisper. "I'll scream."

            Hermione looked at him with fear in her eyes. The last thing she needed was to attract more attention.

            "You wouldn't dare." She said, her voice trembling.

            Draco raised an eyebrow, and opened his mouth, breathing in deeply. Just before a sound came, Hermione put her hand over his mouth.

            "Don't! Please, look I'll talk to you ok?" she pleaded. They both looked down on where her hand was. She quickly removed it, blushing furiously.  Damn, thought Draco, I was enjoying that.

            Draco smiled and moved forward to enter the room.

            "No." Hermione said quickly, closing the door over. "Out there."

            Draco shrugged.

            "As you wish, m'lady." He joked, holding an arm out to escort her down.  She scowled at him and purposefully avoided the outstretched arm.  She jumped down and looked at Draco.

            "Well, what do you want?" she asked, hands on her hips. 

            Draco leaned on the wall, bringing his eyes level to hers.  She squirmed uncomfortably, obviously conscious of his flirty manner.

            "I think we both know what happened today." He said languidly, a small smile playing on the corners of his lips. God that smile was sexy, she thought. She immediately dug her nails into her palms for punishment. It actually really hurt, she'd have to suggest it to Dobby next time she saw the house-elf. 

            "I don't know what you mean." She said, averting his gaze.

            Draco reached out and gently grabbed her chin, pulling it round so she could face him. At the same time, he laid a hand on her waist. She looked shocked and uncomfortable at this new level of intimacy.

            "I know it was you, not Goyle, today. It was kind of obvious with that scream. You know I love you, and, being the genius that I am…" he smiled, showing her he was joking and not completely self-obsessed. "I have figured out that you also love me."

            Hermione pulled away from his grasp.

            "No, oh no, you've got it completely wrong, Malfoy."  She said, backing away and moving her hands from side to side.

            "I don't think I have, Hermione." He stated simply, still looking at her with his grey-blue eyes.

            "You have Draco, you really ha-"

            "Come on, Hermione." He interrupted her. He sounded kind of desperate, not mean in anyway. But he still had a certain air of smugness around him.  "We're both adults. I think we can work this out sensibly."

            He started moving towards her again, holding out his hand as an invitation. She backed away into a corner. Was he really that scary?

            "No! Just leave me alone, ok?" she begged. Draco saw a tear escape from one of her eyes and felt a sudden pang of guilt. He moved over to her and wiped the tear away from her. She shuddered under his touch, and he felt so sorry for making her feel so scared.

            "Look," he said, his hand still on her cheek. "I'm sorry for scaring you. But you're like me Hermione, I know how you feel. Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me, and I'll walk away."

            Hermione looked up from the floor and looked him in the eyes.

"I…" she started. Those eyes. The little flecks of blue were mesmerising, and she found herself wanting to look into those eyes all day. But she knew she couldn't. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger were not alike. Not at all. She thought of all the times he had hurt her and her friends. Several painful memories came flooding back to her. She stood up straight and once again stared into those eyes, the eyes that had watched so much pain with glee in the past.

"I don't love you Draco Malfoy." She said clearly, then walked past him and into the common room, where several people had gathered around the door. As soon as she entered, they all erupted into spontaneous conversation. She sighed heavily and ran to her dorm.

"What was that about?" murmured Parvati.

"No idea, too bad these walls are soundproof." Replied Lavender.

*~*~*~*~*

On the other side of the door, Draco Malfoy slid down the cold stone wall.  He had not been expecting that kind of reply. He had felt so sure. Why wouldn't she admit it?

"Oh dear." A voice said. "You have got yourself in quite a predicament, dear."

Draco looked to where the voice had come from and found himself looking into the sympathetic eyes of the portrait that acted as a door.

            "Yeah." He quietly agreed.

            "Don't worry child, she'll come round." She reassured him.

            "You think so?" he asked hopefully. The portrait chuckled happily, as though it had been a long time since she had been involved in a conversation.

            "My dear, I know so." Draco smiled and walked away, optimistic that his next meeting with Hermione would go better. And there would be a next meeting.