OMG! I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY for keeping you guys waiting!! I've been out of town, then had writer's block, then . . . yeah. I am SOOOOOOOOO sorry! Thanks for reviewing tho, and read!

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Chapter 8: Occlumency

Hermione woke early that morning to see Draco sleeping peacefully beside her. She smiled, remembering last night. She brushed his hair from his face. He was smiling. 'I wonder what he's dreaming about,' Hermione thought, leaning over him and placing a kiss on his forehead. She had barely pulled away when Draco's eyes slowly opened.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy," Hermione teased, looking into his gray orbs. Draco smiled. "Morning, Miss Granger," he replied. While he was straddled beneath her, he couldn't help but think about the two of them. He thought about the kisses they had exchanged while on duty, and the previous night. But his thoughts were interrupted by Hermione, who, out of curiosity, asked, "Draco? What did you dream about last night?"

Draco was surprised by this question, but answered anyway. "You."

"Really?" she asked, thinking of the smile she had seen on Draco's face only a few minutes before. She couldn't help but smile herself.

"Yeah. . . why?"

Hermione lowered her head down as she spoke. "No reason." Her lips touched his and she cupped his face in her hands. Draco traced her upper lip with his tongue and ran a hand through her hair. Hermione inhaled through her nose as she deepened their kiss and caressed his cheek by rubbing her thumbs back and forth.

Draco ran a hand up and down her back and Hermione pulled away, but still remained close enough so he could feel her breath on his face. "This is definitely not G-rated," she whispered and smiled, remember what McGonagall told them in the beginning of the year.

Both 7th years laughed, then Draco's face got serious. He looked deep into her eyes, confused. "Hermione," he began, sitting up. Hermione got off him and sat beside him. Draco placed a hand over hers. "What's going on with us? I mean, last year, I hated you and couldn't stand to be around you. But now, it's like I can't take my eyes off of you. I've got all these feelings in me that I've never felt before," he stopped and Hermione looked at him.

"You've got those feelings too? It's odd. I mean, I've had them before, but not like this," Hermione replied, and a small grin appeared on her face. "I guess I never thought have them toward a Malfoy." Draco playfully made a face and Hermione gave him a quick kiss. "Come on," she said, pulling him out of his dark green bed. "We'd better get to class. Flitwick'll kill us if we're late."

-ooooooo-

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in Charms working on making objects invisible, then appear again (A/N: I didn't know if that would go under charms or transfiguration, but I've already had them doing transfiguration homework, so I put this in charms.). Hermione was trying to calm Crookshanks down so she could try the spell, but ended up with scratches on her hands. "Crookshanks, calm down!"

Ron was having a hard time making his owl, Pigwidgeon, disappear, and when he saw Flitwick coming his way, he panicked and hid Pig beneath his desk. Then he acted as if Pig was right in front of him, invisible. (A/N: I can sooo see Ron doing something like this!)

"Where's your owl, Mr. Weasley?" Professor Flitwick asked.

"Wha-? Oh, he's right there." Ron put on his best concentration face and pointed to an empty space on his desk. Harry grinned while Hermione rolled her eyes.

Professor Flitwick looked at Ron knowingly, and Pig hooted loudly from beneath the desk.

Ron looked up at the Professor sheepishly.

While Flitwick helped him with the spell, Hermione turned her attention to Harry.

"Do you think you could teach me Occlumency?" she asked, as if it was no big deal. Harry was attempting to make Hedwig invisible, but was flabbergasted by this question, and managed to turn his owl into a nice, pink goose. "What?!?" he asked, looking at her as though she was mental.

Hermione fixed Hedwig. "I'm serious, Harry."

"Um, why?"

"Just because. I think it would be fascinating to learn about."

Harry hesitated. "Um. . . okay."

"Really? Thanks!" Hermione just finished her spell, and looked at her hands. She waved her wand and the scratches were gone. She turned back to Harry and smiled.

"Just meet me in the Gryffindor Common Room after lunch. We have an hour before my next class then. The password is 'Patronus'." Harry said.

"I'll be in the library for lunch, so I'll see you in the Common Room." Class ended and thy put their things away. Harry tried to give her a kiss, but Hermione ducked under his arm and rushed off to Arithmancy. Harry looked after her, confused. 'What's going on? Oh well, it's probably nothing. She's probably just in a hurry,' he thought, heading for Care of Magical Creatures.

Meanwhile, Hermione was on her way to class, her books close to her chest.

'What am I going to do?' she asked herself.

It's obvious isn't it? her inner voice spoke.

'What's obvious?'

You like Draco.

'No I don't.' Hermione argued.

Then why'd you do that last night and this morning? her inner voice challenged.

'We didn't do anything. . .'

Sure you didn't. . . her inner voice faded out and the truth was, Hermione did remember what happened with Draco.

During Arithmancy, Hermione tried her best to concentrate, but the Professor knew something was wrong. When he asked, Hermione simply replied, "Nothing, Professor."

After class, Hermione gathered her things and walked absentmindedly to the library. She was too busy arguing with her inner voice that she liked Harry (Then why didn't you kiss him? her inner voice asked.) that she didn't notice she had walked into someone.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood!"

Hermione picked up her books from the floor and stood back up to meet piercing green eyes, long, brown hair and a smirk that could've matched Draco's a long time ago. Faith Pierce.

"Shut up, Pierce," Hermione spat.

"Going to the library, are we?" Faith asked, looking down at Hermione, for she was a few inches taller.

"What do you think? That I just walked over here for no reason?"

"Well, I wouldn't say you were walking. . . you were more like floating. Did you finally find a way to make yourself presentable?" Faith looked at Hermione's bushy hair and basically no figure in her robes. "Or were you always like that?" Faith smirked and walked away.

Hermione glared at Faith, but pushed the thought of hexing her away, and walked into the library. She picked a table, and started to read. Soon after, she felt a dull pain in the back of her head. 'Ugh, not again!' she thought. 'Why am I getting all these headaches?? I've had one almost every day!'

-ooooooo-

After lunch, Hermione put her books in her bag and made her way up to the Gryffindor Tower. On her way, she realized she had a bruise on her arm where she had bumped into Faith. 'How could I bruise? I barely bumped into her! Strange,' she thought, rubbing the spot, and wincing a little in pain.

She reached the Tower and said, "Patronus."

"Hello, Hermione. Haven't seen you in awhile. How's Head Girl duty?" The Fat Lady asked as she swung forward.

"Hello. It's good," she replied, walking in to see Harry sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"Ok, are you sure you want to do this?" Harry asked, walking over.

"Yes. Positive."

Harry leaned in a little and tried to give her a kiss on the cheek, but Hermione backed away, saying, "Harry, please. I need to concentrate."

"Hermione, what is going on? You haven't let me give you even a kiss on the cheek in a long time. What's up?" Harry looked at her, concerned.

"What are you talking about, Harry? Nothing's different. It's nothing, honest," Hermione felt bad for lying a little, but she didn't know how she felt about Draco. . . even after last night. But she was sure she loved Harry.

"Ok, well, let's do this." He led her over to the area he set up by the fireplace and pulled out his wand. "Ok, the main idea of this is to keep the attacker, me, out of your mind. I will use the spell, and you must NOT let me see your memories and thoughts. You have to fight back. Ok?"

"Ok." Hermione braced herself.

"Ready?"

Hermione nodded.

"Legilimens!" Harry shouted and Hermione fell to her knees. She clapped her hands against her head as she fell to the floor.

Memories were whirling around inside her mind. . . . She was getting Sorted. . . . The day Harry and Ron had befriended her. . . Becoming Petrified. . . . Saving Sirius Black from the Dementors. . . the day Harry won the Triwizard Tournament. . . The day she realized Harry liked her. . . . Draco kissing her in the hallway. . .

'No! Not that one! That's mine and ONLY mine!!' Hermione yelled inside her head.

. . Draco and her in bed. . .

"Oh, God," was all Hermione could manage to say.

Harry stopped, and lowered his wand. "Nothing, huh?" he asked, way too calmly. "NOTHING??? YOU CALL SLEEPING WITH DRACO MALFOY NOTHING?? How could you DO this, HERMIONE! We were together!! I had NO idea that you were the type that did this, but oh," he walked away, shaking his head. "Now I know." With that, he walked out of the room, slamming the Common Room door behind him.

Hermione sat there, and pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hugging them close. She looked into the fire, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Ron had been working on his homework inside his dormitory, but came out to see what all the yelling was about and heard everything. He saw Harry leave and ran down the stairs. He went over to Hermione and sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He heard everything, but yet he wasn't mad. He was a little upset though that she had cheated on Harry, but it passed. He pulled Hermione close and she rested her head on his shoulder. "What did you hear?" she whispered, and Ron wiped a tear that leaked from her eye away.

"Nothing," he lied. He felt that she would tell him about her and Draco when she was ready. Harry just happened to find out the wrong way. Hermione seemed to believe him and let him comfort her. He rocked her back and forth and rested his head on top of hers.

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A/N: Hehehe, ok not much of a cliffhanger, but that's ok I guess. again I'm sooo sorry to keep you waiting, and I PROMISE: no more trips for a looooooong time.

Anyways, how about that? Ron, comforting her. Aawwww!! And how about that headache??? Hasn't she been getting those a lot lately?? And that bruise!? How could she bruise so easily?? hehehe Review!!!