A/N: Right now I'm only saying that I love all of you reviewers! *hugs all of you until your eyes pop out of your skull* Umm . . . *grabs your eyeballs and runs away* Just to clear up some confused people . . . The chapter for the *last* title should have been the chapter for *this* title. I accidentally messed that up . . . So, I had to change *this* title and now I'm pheffed. Um . . . enjoy! Oh, and also, this chapter gets a little into Draco's head. It's only about 500 words or so - but I did it. It's in 3rd person. I suck at 3rd person so . . . bear with me.

CHAPTER FIVE: The First Snow

Harry stood there, his eyes flickering over the more pallid than normal Draco, a sobbing me, and a broken Greenhouse window. Lucky for us, when he turned his head to stare, me and Draco's fingers went back to our own hands, and he took a step away from me. "Hermione?" Harry asked, squinting from the lack of moonlight.

"It's me," my voice shook. Everything in me shook. Oh! And I was alone in this!

It happened so quickly, I didn't expect it. But then Harry had pounced on Draco, and shoved him to the ground, his fist flying towards a pale face, while his bony legs wrapped around stronger ones beneath him. For an instant, I was thinking how wonderful they would look together, but that thought was instantly pushed out of my head as I heard Harry grunt with each movement: "Son of a bitch! What are you doing to her? What is *wrong* with you?" and other, hateful statements. Things that made my left foot numb.

"Stop - stop!" I cried, rushing to grab Harry's arm before it hit Draco again. "His arm is broken! Stop it - you'll *hurt* him!" but my attempts to pull him off were useless.

And Draco looked at the point of an out-of-body experience. He looked dizzy from all the pain he was undergoing , and as his lip began to bled, he spoke. Something that as so quiet, Harry had to quit hitting him, and had to stop breathing hard to hear it. "Honestly, Potter, you couldn't be anymore oblivious to any of it, can you? She throws herself on *me* every chance she has. It isn't the other way around."

"Why'd you take her on your broom and danger both of your lives, then, Malfoy?" Harry asked, roughly.

Draco faltered here for a moment. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Then, he laughed weakly. "In only six days, Granger . . ." he looked at me. "*Six* days and I feel like I've known you forever."

That was all. No declaring his love for me. No love look in his eyes. No nothing. Malfoy, you'll never understand what you mean to me . . . And my heart broke there. I knew what I had been dreading for a long time. He would always *like* me, from now on - but there was a very slim possibility that he would *like* me.

And, I think I understood it, then. The way I was changing, too, and not even for the better. I could lie to my two best friends for a guy I wasn't ever going to have, and I wasn't dressing like myself anymore. Hell, I didn't even *act* much like myself. I was never the person who hid her feelings inside. No, if I was feeling terrible, *everyone* would feel terrible. Now, I had to watch what I said.

Through the haze, I saw Harry there, and just *knew*.

The guy that I needed had been right there. He hadn't been the one to save my life, or anything like that, but he had been there for me any other time. Ron would rather I be in love with Harry then even like Draco in the tiniest way, and I could feel that like I felt my heart pounding at that very moment.

Harry's lips shown in the moonlight, because he ran his tongue slowly across it. "You're okay then, Hermione?"

I nodded quickly.

Draco was eyeing me cautiously, as if he were afraid Harry would do something to him again.

"Let's help him to the Hospital Wing, Harry." my voice didn't sound like my own. It was low and tired, and it sounded pathetic. Only Harry wasn't paying attention to me. He was still glaring at a crunched up Draco, and evilly glaring . "Harry . . . please leave him alone . . ."

"Okay. Alright." and after a moment, he stuck out his hand, and hoisted Draco to his feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

Together, the three of us made it to an angry Madame Pomfrey.

::DRACO::

Draco walked inside Herbology the next day, glaring at the Hufflepuffs the Slytherins shared a class with. It seemed everybody knew what had gone on the previous night, even though Potter was the only one who could have said anything - and he couldn't tell everyone within just a few hours. And Madame Pomfrey was sworn to secrecy with her patients.

"So, Malfoy, we hear you've fallen for that big-headed Gryffindor," Revine Langstern said, as he took a seat beside her.

"Fuck off," he snapped back. "You don't know what you're talking about. None of you were there. None of you know what happened. I was going to *rape* the snotty ass bitch, *not* declare my home for her. *Not* do anything romantic. Herm - *Granger* - is a . . ." he couldn't find the right word to say, so he ended it lamely with, "Mudblood."

"I assumed you'd say something like that, Draco," she said, smugly, and kissing his ear. "and I'm so . . . *glad* you still belong to me . . ." her voice, though he hated the bitch, was seductive enough to make the longing in his loins stir.

"I belong to no one!" he snapped, pulling away from her tight grip around his shoulders.

Stunned, she blinked at him repeatedly. "I knew it! I knew you were attracted to that . . . to that *thing* that she is! You'll be killed, Draco, if you go after her! Your father won't be the *only* one who kills you - do you understand? Leave her alone!"

"Shut up! You don't know what I'm going through! Just leave me alone and stay out of my fucking life." and that was when the teacher told the class to cam down, and he mentally killed himself. He had defended the Mudblood, and almost called her by his first name. Never before had he thought Granger was a person. He never thought of her that way. She lusted for him, he assumed. And he lusted for her, as well, but now he was beginning to think it might be deeper than that. She might actually *like* him, and he'd have nothing to say to her. Because he had a problem with woman wanting him, which is why he and Revine ended. She got too obsessive. Too . . .

And now that he had Granger on his back as well, it was going to harder and harder to ignore her. Besides that: he had saved her life. And not just once either. And, in a way, during that night on the brooms, she had saved his life too. Sure, he could say if she hadn't of been there he wouldn't have gotten hit - but that would have been lying. He couldn't get rid of the thought that his father would have killed him if she hadn't of been there.

He would have died if she hadn't of been there. Somehow, she kept him calm.

There had been competition between him and Harry. Everyone knew that. He hated Weasly for being poor, and Weasely hated him for being rich. With Granger it was all about being smarter. He was *always* in competition with her. It would be weird t start something with someone who made him jealous constantly.

But I am not thinking about dating her, he scolded himself. I'm thinking about stealing away her virginity, and in so - getting rid of everything she ever wanted out of life. I'm going to break her heart so badly she'll need a transplant. And as each day passed, he was only beginning to wonder.

They had worked constantly on that dumb project in Snape's class. It would be due in only three days, and they still had no leads. However, it seemed they were the only ones who actually *tried* to work on it. Everyone else just forgot about it. Or pretended it didn't exist.

And Snape was enthralled about this. Draco had never seen a look on him that resembled so closely to a smile. Granger was sitting by Draco that day, stirring a potion up and muttering to herself. She was annoyed because hers came out looking more of a tan than a light brown, and didn't seem to notice that everybody else in the class was desperately trying to hide that they had gotten a blue. And Draco, of course, was as frustrated as Granger was - their colours were exactly the same, and neither knew what to do to make it darker - when Snape strode into the room, the corners of his lips turned slightly upward as he glanced at the perturbed faces. "So . . . would anybody care to read off their leads that they have at this point?" nobody moved. If anything, it seemed people quit breathing at the mention of that.

Draco assumed it was because they were trying to pretend it didn't exist, and now they had to face the reality that the project was - in fact - true.

Not to mention sixty percent of their grade.

Granger was glancing around the room - looking from stricken face to the other, and Draco heard her mutter, "Damn you to hell, Snape."

"How about . . . You. Mr. Potter." the professor said, turning to look at the green eyed boy. "Stand up and explain to the class what you had found out about your animal . . . And maybe you should tell everyone it's name, as well."

Harry looked around the classroom, and Draco could tell he was about to make up everything off the top of his head. "Well . . . er . . . I realized - um - *we* realized . . . that our project has lots of . . . *spots* . . . Really, really green puss looking spots . . . and - well - we haven't been able to find anything on it just yet . . . Er . . . The name was . . . er . . ." he quickly glanced around the room. "Ms. S . . . Ms. Sugar." and with that, he quietly sat down.

"Would anybody *else* like to talk to the class?"

Draco grabbed Granger's lean arm. "Look. Don't let him think we know anything yet. Play it off like we haven't worked on it yet. Alright?"

Granger only shrugged him off. "I was going to tell you the same."

And as soon as she got those words out of her mouth, Snape said, "Ms. Granger . . . how about you and your partner?"

She stood up, pretending to look embarrassed, "We named our racoon Mr. Really. Because he looked really weird." and then she cleared her throat. "As . . . as . . . . *ashamed* as I am to admit it . . . we don't have any leads. At all. And . . . so . . . that's it." and she quickly took her seat, her face flushed.

"Good job."

"I try." and she flashed him a grin that made his blood quicken it's course through his body.

Malfoy . . . you're losing your mind . . .

::HERMIONE::

After Draco saved my life, I had hoped that he would change. Not only the way he acted around *me*, but the way he acted around others as well. Like he would be more civilized to Harry and Ron, and not make sarcastic comments that he always did. Maybe he would walk with me to my classes or something, since we were becoming friends . . . I wanted him to announce to people that I wasn't such a snob, and I was capable of having a great conversation with.

But nothing changed.

At least, not in big portions.

He began to realize what it was like to have a person care about you. Not for your money, or for your reputation, but for the person he actually was. His eyes weren't cold any longer. Not around me anymore. Around Harry and Ron, yes, but it was more like a pseudo than anything else. Sort of as if he was only doing it because everyone expected it, and he didn't want anyone to know . . .

When we didn't want anyone to know we were only meeting to talk, we went to the library and grabbed random books, and pretended as if we were working on our project. Half the time it was, however. We had averaged on thirty five pages worth of notes each day, read about fifteen books each, snuck into the restricted section of the library and looked through books in there, and tried testing samples of Mr. Really's skin to detect anything.

No go.

And every Wednesday we just hung out. It was a sort of unwritten rule of ours.

"Malfoy." he looked up at me. "I've got an idea for our project. It's due in three days -"

"Actually. It's due in five. We have extra days for ours, remember." too bad I couldn't work past that sarcastic tone of his.

"Oh . . . Right." and then I smiled. "Then that's *better*. It was going to be a very tight squeeze, but now it's just a tight squeeze . . . I was reading an American newspaper the other day, talking about their Ministry of Magic. Not very many students from Hogwarts subscribe to that paper, I'm assuming, or everybody might have chosen my idea . . . But, anyway. I was thinking we could take pictures of Mr. Really, and send them to the American Ministry's Department of Mysterious Spells and Charms. They say they'll send back a written response of *exactly* what is wrong with our bodies - or, in this case - Racoons bodies - and they'll also send back a way to fix it . . . Or, you know, you may have to go their for fuller studies - but I'm sure that will rarely happen . . ."

Draco hadn't said anything my entire speech. It seemed he was on the verge of either congratulate me, or thinking of ways to spoil my plan. "How long will it take to get the results back?"

"If we're lucky . . . only three days. That'll give us enough time to paraphrase the report, and to add in extra notes." he nodded slightly.

"And if we're not lucky?"

"Well . . . then it'll be around midnight of the fourth day. We'd be up all night working our butts off for something that may not work out . . ."

He smiled. He actually *smiled* for me and I didn't have to coax him into it. The smile lit up his entire face, and made his eyes seem somehow brighter . . . and when it went away I was swept with tons of emotions . . . Oh, I didn't want it to go away . . . "That'll be enough for me. We can always stall our time if it doesn't work."

"So then . . . maybe we should send it off now?"

He picked up Mr. Really. "That would be the smart thing to do, eh?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

That night . . . was the one that I not only regret in a million ways . . . but also love to death. It was something I couldn't quiet remember . . . But also could never forget.

We were walking alongside the lake, our feet sloshing around in the snow. The first snow of the winter season - I had always thought was so romantic and sweet. It was always less cold to me, because it looked so warm. And Draco looked very real at that moment. Everything about him was there - and it just seemed to fit into place. His cheeks were red and his nose was too. His teeth chattered - and his pal complexion blended him into the many snowflakes.

He waited until the moon shone, and the last snowflake that night had fallen before he spoke. "You're beautiful, Granger. And for the longest fucking time I've been holding those words in me. I love every part of your body - and I want it to belong to me. And only to me. I don't want Potter to touch or, or the Weasel, or any other person who may or may not come along." roughly, he grabbed my wrists. "I don't understand it, either. I've never felt this way about anyone before. I can't wait to see you every morning - and I hate going to my bed where you're not there. You've fucked me up all over without ever laying your hands on me . . . I just want to get rid of these dumb *feelings*. And I don't even *want* to have sex with you - I just want to end it!"

He through me down into the cold snow! "Malfoy!" I cried, rolling over as he nearly jumped on me. My heart was racing in quick painful thumps. I thought : Someone should be hearing my screams! as I rolled, and punched, and scratched at him to push him off of me.

The thing with fighting him was - I wasn't sure I wanted to.

I loved Draco. Everything about him. I had sought out to make him mine from the beginning. I had been seducing him all along - hadn't I been? Were skimpy clothing around him, "accidentally" touching his tight from time to time, giving him looks, and licking my lips in his presence . . . the works. Maybe I was getting what I deserved.

I would have been more ready if he had tried to make me comfortable. It wasn't how I would have pictured anything. I was cold. I was suffocating from the amount of snow that I had in my mouth. It wasn't romantic, thought occasionally he would kiss my neck, or my lips - because it was always too rough. He never whispered anything soothing to me . . .

And it hurt like fire.

And my finger nails were scratching at the bark of the tree that was directly behind us. I broke one fingernail off. Two. I kept thinking about how I hadn't ever wanted to do anything until marriage. I hadn't even wanted to *kiss* anyone . . . But here I was. Miserable.

So, like every other terrible thing in the world, it ended eventually.

But I forgave Draco. I didn't really know what else to do. He was sorry, I knew. The way he walked. The way he stared at me.

And maybe it was the blood left on the snow that really scared him.

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

Turns out, we *did* get the project finished in three days worth of time. We pretended like everything was the same - but it wasn't. Everything I walked outside when it snowed - I had nightmares. Yes, I forgave Draco for acting on emotions he had never experienced before - but I was terrified he may do it again. I wanted to talk about it, he wanted to pretend it never happened.

And I felt ugly and sick. Maybe everyone knew it.

And the day our project was to be turned in was a terrible one. Nobody in the class had attempted theirs at all. We sure got the best of Snape, however, when we described exactly what was wrong with Mr. Really, and used the new spells we had recently learned to cure him. He reluctantly gave us passing marks, while the Gryffindor's cheered for my behalf.

Actually, the days that followed weren't so bad - until I didn't get my period again.

A/N: Yey! So. Where will things go *now*? Any guesses? Any . . . suggestions? Because, this wasn't exactly supposed to happen. But it did. And now I have no idea where to make it *go*. But I want it to end in - like - a few more chapters. Oh, and also . . . Just so I don't get people mad at me *sobs silently* Draco *does* love her. Those are the "dumb feelings" that he's experiencing.

Two choices!

1. Should she have the baby?

2. Should she get rid of it.

Or, ya know, you could make your own.