A/N: Hey, I'm SOOO sorry for the delay. I've had to take care of my little cousin, Heidi, so.....and she DOESN'T leave me alone...so yeah... anyways, thanks for waiting, and I'm sooo sorry!
--------------------------------------------
"Hermione, calm down! We have plenty of time." Harry looked to Ron for help, but he was busy talking to Seamus about the Chudley Canons.
"Yeah, plenty of time if you want to by a Nutcracker and walnuts," Hermione mumbled, forfeiting. She let go of Harry's arm and turned back to her pancakes.
The sound of glass being tapped on was heard and Professor Dumbledore's voice rang out. "Good morning, students. I'd like to announce that this year and this year only, there will be a Christmas Party held on Christmas Eve at 8:00pm. Everyone is invited and to those who need to do their Christmas shopping,--" Hermione looked at Harry, who now seemed to have an interest in his eggs. "--there is a special Hogsmeade trip that will be allowed starting tomorrow through December 5th. Thank you," Dumbledore sat down.
Instantly, the Great Hall buzzed with excited chatter and Hermione could feel someone's eyes on her. She lifted her eyes and saw Malfoy staring at her from across the Hall. She looked down at her plate, then back at him. He was still watching her. Malfoy realized she was returning the stare and smirked. He went back to talking to Goyle, but seconds later, his eyes swerved back to Hermione, who smiled. Malfoy gave a small grin, and looked away.
-ooooooo-
The two seventh years were patrolling the corridors that night. When they reached the 7th floor, the floor the Gryffindor Tower was on (A/N: I'm not sure which floor it is. . . my friend told me if it was, but I forgot. . . so I just put 7th), they looked up and down the hallway. "Is it just me, or is it getting cold?" Hermione whispered, looking at a vase in front of them. She shivered involuntarily. Malfoy raised one furrowed eyebrow, for he thought it was quite warm, but he took off his cloak and gave it to her. "Here," he said.
"Thanks," Hermione put it on and let it hang from her shoulders. The bottom brushed against the stone floor.
"It's a bit long," Malfoy said, watching. He took out his wand and gave it a quick wave. The cloak shortened instantly, leaving a few inches between the hem and the floor. Before she could reply, Peeves the Poltergeist burst out of the vase which was now shattered to pieces and she grabbed Malfoy's arm, frightened. When she saw it was Peeves, Hermione let go of the breath she had been holding and released Malfoy's arm. "Peeves!" she hissed, trying to keep quiet. She pulled out her wand and whispered, "Everte Statum!" Peeves flew backward, slammed into the wall, and, cackling, he vanished.
"Stealing one of my spells, Granger?" Malfoy looked down at her and a half- smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Hermione blushed slightly, and said, "Well, it is a good spell." She recalled the Dueling Club in their second year. 'It is a good spell. . . He didn't have to use it on Harry, but it's a good spell all the same,' she thought.
They continued walking down the corridor and Malfoy slowly made his way to take a hold of her hand. Their fingertips touched and they both looked down at their hands, then up at each other. Hermione looked into Malfoy's eyes, and he looked into hers. She noticed his eyes were no longer the cold, steely gray. They had been replaced by warm pools of water. As she looked deeper into his eyes, she found love, warmth, and a care that hadn't been there before.
Malfoy looked into her chocolate brown eyes. Staring back at him was no longer the girl he had once considered a Mudblood and hated. He looked down at their hands, and with his own, grasped hers. His thumb stroked the surface of her hand as he gazed back into her eyes. With his other hand, he caressed her cheek, and ran a finger along her smooth jaw line.
Malfoy slowly leaned in, brushing the bushy hair from her eyes. But he didn't stop moving toward her. 'Oh God,' Hermione thought. 'He's getting close. Much too--' But her train of thought was broken their lips touched. His lips were soft on hers and she found herself kissing him back. '—close. . .' she finished, completely lost in his warmth. She slid her tongue in and cupped his face in her hands. Malfoy slipped his own in and caressed Hermione's tongue. He ran a hand through her hair then moved his hands down her back. Hermione let go of his hand so he could do so, and sucked on his bottom lip. Malfoy broke the kiss for air, and Hermione whispered while looking back into his eyes, "What is going on with us, Malfoy?"
"Draco," he replied, and Hermione looked at him questionably. "What?" she asked.
"You can call me Draco," he said, smiling. This was something never seen. Malfoys never smiled. But here was Draco, showing a true smile, his white teeth glittering in the moonlight that shown through the windows.
"Draco. . ." she whispered, leaning in for another kiss. Their lips met again, and Draco ran his tongue along her bottom lip and she let him through. His tongue grazed over her own, and his hands slid down and grasped her hip. He moaned into Hermione's mouth, and she laughed.
Peeking around the corner and staring at them, her jaw dropped, was Ginny Weasley. Furious at Hermione and herself, she quietly ran back to the Gryffindor common room, now that she knew what the crash was that Peeves had caused. That was the reason she was there: to find out what the noise had been. Unfortunately she happened to see more than she wished.
Hermione pulled away. She took ahold of his hand and they started walking again. "Draco?" she asked. "You- you aren't like you're mother and father, are you? What did you mean on September 1st on the train about Lucius?"
"My Father. . . he wants me to be just like him, but he's a Death eater, you know that, and I don't want to be one. He doesn't know, though; I'd be severely punished if he did. I've been trying to make him proud all my life, but nothing ever seems to be good enough. Like I said on the train, if I get a good mark, he's glad for a second then he goes back to hating everything I do," he explained, looking down at the floor.
"I think you've got to stand up for yourself. Show him that you're not his shadow. Start living your life, not his."
Draco didn't answer, and Hermione didn't push him for one.
-ooooooo-
The next day, Ginny Weasley sat at breakfast watching the entrance for the Head Girl. As soon as she entered, Ginny ran over to her. "Ginny, wha--" Hermione started, but Ginny pulled her out into the hallway.
"How could you?" she asked angrily. Hermione was confused. "How could I what?" she asked.
"Don't play stupid, Hermione! I saw you! How could you do it? How could you kiss Malfoy??"
"You saw? But--"
"It's Malfoy, Hermione! MALFOY! Don't you remember what he said to you at my house??" Ginny yelled. Several students around them looked at them strangely.
"He apologized! He's changed!" Hermione said defensively.
"People don't change that quickly! Hopefully, one day you'll see that!!" Ginny stomped off, leaving Hermione alone.
-ooooooo-
It had been a week since Hermione's and Ginny's argument and neither of them has spoken to each other. Hermione, though, had been surprised that Ginny hadn't told Harry and Ron about her and Draco, for her friends, showed no sign of knowing.
Draco and Hermione were in their common room working on their Transfiguration homework that Professor McGonagall assigned yesterday, when the Professor herself walked in, looking worried. "Professor?" Hermione asked, closing her book.
"Mr. Malfoy, you need to come with me. It's about your Father. He was attacked at work and is in critical condition. He- he may die within a day or two."
Draco stood up. "So?" he asked. Both Hermione and McGonagall jumped slightly, shocked at his response. "'So?'?" McGonagall repeated. "Mr. Malfoy, you don't understand. If your Father dies--"
"No, you don't understand, Professor. All my life I've been forced to live as a shadow to him, to walk in his footsteps. This is my chance to be free of him and live my own life!"
"Mr. Malfoy, you won't have much of a life to live," McGonagall replied, looking anxious.
"What does that mean?" Draco asked apprehensively.
"It means, that if your father dies, so will you." McGonagall said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: hehehe, evil me.... Well, how'd you like that chapter?? Chapter 7 will be up in about a few days to 1 week! Read and Review!!!!!