A/N: Wow thanks for the reviews people, this chapter took a little longer as expected sorry!
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing!
Review-answers:
Lizziememe – Sorry took a little longer as expected... I'm glad you like it so far :)
Avery-88 – Well thanks for the review :) Harry, Ron and Ginny will be helpful about the Granger's death... But I don't know what they'll do if they knew about Hermione & Draco :p
Meenyrocks – Yay! :)
Last Time: Hermione received some devastating news about her family and Draco comforted her a bit...
When Harry, Ron and Ginny said goodbye and left she called for Draco, she needed a little comfort. Draco walked down the stairs and sat down next to Hermione on the couch. She snuggled up against him and he laid his arm around her. She whispered to him 'Thanks for being here for me... I know we weren't always friendly towards each other... I'm sorry...' she looked up at him.
'It's my pleasure to be here for you 'Mione, don't be sorry, I wasn't always that nice to you either ...' she smiled at him and leaned forward, she felt like her heart was going to jump out of her body from excitement when their lips met in a nice and warm kiss.
Ch 07 A Kiss Changes Everything!
She felt at ease, Hermione Granger felt at ease in the arms of Draco Malfoy, she had never thought something like this was going to happen ... but now it was inevitable... They needed one another more than they ever needed anyone else. Draco needed her to be human again, to love, to like, to help and comfort.
Hermione needed him for support, love, comfort, friendship and many other things. They couldn't deny it, they couldn't ignore it, when they're lips found one another, they lost theirselfs in the other person.
Hermione wrapped her arms around him and lay her head down on his shoulder, Draco's head was resting on her head... it was a beautiful sight seeing the two of them like that. They looked like a perfect couple.
Draco comforted Hermione on the couch, it looked like they were sitting there for ages when a house-elf plopped out of nowhere. 'Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy?' the elf said. They looked up and Hermione spoke up 'Yes?' and looked at the elf. 'Master Dumbledore asked if you were alright because you weren't in the great hall for dinner, and Master was a little worried.'
'We're ok, tell Professor Dumbledore that I've just received awful news, and I'm not in the mood to come down to the great hall... I'm sorry' Hermione said to the elf. The elf nodded in reply and poof he was gone....
The next couple of days Hermione was in a blur, When she wasn't with Harry, Ron or Ginny she stayed alone in her room... She was beginning to feel a lot better now..., she was still mourning over the lost of her family, but realised that she had to move on with her life...
She began to take her distance from Draco again, in fear of her friends reaction. This didn't confuse Draco because he knew her friendship with Harry, Ron & Ginny, and it was far more then what he and her had.
Friday night, the day before the ball Draco and Hermione had to go to Dumbledore's office for some last minute arrangements. So they walked silently towards the office, when they arrived at the gargoyle Hermione said the password (Butter Cookies) and they walked up the stairs. When they were called in to the office Dumbledore was watching Felix and looked up when they entered.
'Ah, Mister Malfoy, Miss Granger, sit down please' he motioned them to sit down. 'I wanted to discuss the ball tomorrow-evening... Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, you two as head boy and head girl are going to do the opening dance, so I strongly suggest you two go together... this is not to punish you, but I wanted you two to give a strong example of friendship between the houses'
Hermione nodded and so did Draco 'So you two go together that's arranged, that's all, you can go now...' Dumbledore turned his attention back to Felix. Hermione and Draco stood up, and walked outside. 'So Draco Malfoy, it seems you're my date for tomorrow, I hope your tuxedo matches my dress' she smiled and walked back to their common rooms.
A smiled came upon his lips when he walked after her, he had wanted to ask to the ball from the beginning of the weeks, when he was comforting her, his smile faltered, for her parents death. And he knew she hadn't had any proposals to go, and now they were going together.
He walked through the painting, and sat down on the couch in the common room, Hermione had already left to her room to get some sleep. So he read a little in his book 'Care for Dragon, Part 31' from his collection. After reading 2 chapters he fell asleep with his book on the couch.
When Hermione woke up the next morning and walked to the common room she saw Draco lying asleep on the couch, she silently approached him and smiled. She sat down on the floor on her kneed and shook his shoulder a little to wake him up. 'Draco, your going to be late for breakfast'
He murmered in his sleep so she shook a little harder and that made him wake up 'Huh? What? What's going on?' When he looked forward he looked into the hazel-colored eyes of Hermione and she replied 'You're going to be late for breakfast', she smiled at walked out of the room.
She walked to the great hall and sat down next to Ginny. When Draco walked in a couple of moments later their eyes met, and she smiled. Ginny whom always noticed small things saw this and made a mental note to speak to her best friend after dinner.
Harry and Ron on the other hand didn't notice Draco enter at all. They were discussing their next Quidditch Match. Harry as team captain, and Seeker had the largest weight on his shoulders. Ron was the keeper of the team. Ginny too had entered the quidditch league in her 4th year, but decided it took too much of her time and stopped.
When Hermione left the table, Ginny quickly followed her out, and stopped her before she could go upstairs. ''Mione? Can we talk?' Hermione nodded 'In my common room?' now Ginny nodded and they walked towards Hermione & Draco's Common Room.
'Is there something wrong Gin?' Hermione asked when they sat down. 'No, not wrong at all... at least from my point of view' she smiled 'I saw the look on your face at breakfast?' now Hermione was a little confused. 'What look Gin?' Ginny giggled. 'The look on your face when Malfoy entered the room, well I don't mind if your getting closer with Malfoy, but I warn you, you got to tell Ron and Harry if you are even beginning to be friends, otherwise they'll blame you for not telling it...'
Hermione blushed at Ginny's words. Yeah she realised herself that she and draco were growing closer. She tried to deny it earlier in the week, but since their weekend out they were no longer enemy's they were friends, and Ginny was right, she had to tell Harry and Ron, but she didn't know how... Draco was their enemy for 6 years, and suddenly one third of the Golden Trio decided to get friends with the enemy.
It wasn't meant to happen, she knew it, but what if it was meant to happen, professor Dumbledore put them together for everything, well at least since last year. It started in the 6th year for their Potions class, it happened really subtle, no one realised it, first they were put in groups of 5, Hermione was mostly in the same group as Draco... at the end of the year they didn't only get assigned for their potions classes, but for all their classes and their prefect duties.
And this year Dumbledore had made them Head Boy and Head Girl, he sent them on a trip he could do himself, he said that it was best if they went together to the ball. What next?
Hermione looked at Ginny 'yeah I know... I was just afraid of their reaction, but I'll tell them if we get down ok?' Ginny nodded 'Do you feel butterflies?' she asked. Hermione looked at her friend surprised 'uh, what?' 'I asked if you felt butterflies, are your feelings for him more then just friendship?' she asked again.
At that point Draco had entered the room, he was getting his stuff to sit outside. The girls hadn't heard him come in, and he kept quiet because he had heard Ginny's question to Hermione... He stayed back so he could hear her answer.
Hermione stared at her hands. 'I don't know Ginny, he's being so nice to me... I just don't get it... why this year? Why couldn't he be nice for the last 6 years? Not that I mind that he's finally nice but I don't know my feelings... 'Ginny nodded while listening to her friend.
'and sometimes, like this morning, he was lying on this couch, sleeping, and I just wanted to kiss him to wake him up... but I couldn't do it... I don't trust him yet...' Ginny embraced her friend. And then she looked up because she heard the portrait close.
Draco had opened the portrait and acted like he just came inside. He looked at the two girls and walked to his room to grab his stuff... he was still hearing Hermione's words in his head, she liked him, she wanted to kiss him (again), but she didn't trust him... but she had said one magical word... 'Yet' he was going to gain her trust... starting with tonight.
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: I'm really really sorry it took a little longer as usual, but here it is the next chapter...!!