A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing! They are so awesome...!

Ann-Marie: Thank you...and I am addicted to your reviews!

thelovelyladyLily: I think Draco should stop caring bout reputation too...ho hum.

Anon11: you know what, have another cookie...anyway; your reviews are so amazing. I think that there's a next step too...just read this chapt...

Angelicwun: thank you so much!

RedPillow: they didn't take it very well did they? Seeing as how they fought in the last chapt

SailorHermy: I think its going along just fine. This slow is how I intended it to be. They get angry with each other because the bond couldn't break...go figure...actually there's no actual reason...they just got pissed coz it won't break.

Flavagurl: It's all about the twists! ;)

Deep blue quill: yep I think pushing me over is the best way to get a chapt to spill outta me...but I've been pushed over too many times today so I think that I'll just write it coz I love all your reviews especially the one for my RhR one-shot

Banana Flavored Eskimo: amazing...asteeg (cool) uh yah so... I really like your penname...! Thanks for your awesome review! ;)

Sarah Felton: this story will most probably be finished on Tuesday or maybe Wednesday if all goes well

Kelly: sure...here's more

Sxcting: thank you...!

Colie: don't worry I won't disappoint you...I hate lil short fics

ThelovelyladyLily: Thank you!

Sad-soulz: you amaze me!! You are such a great critic!

NOW ON WITH CHAPTER SIXTEEN!

Chapter 16: Falling Deeper Into You

Hermione woke up early the next morning to study up on Charms. (She couldn't master the camouflage charm.) She took a quick shower, but spent about fifteen minutes fixing up her hair and applying light makeup.

About halfway through putting on some lip-gloss, she thought to herself, "Why do I want to look so good?" Although she already knew what she wanted to look good for, or rather, who she wanted to look good for. She chuckled to herself and finished putting on the lip gloss.

Draco hated it when she left around her "girl" stuff, not that she had a lot since she never really enjoyed putting on makeup or fixing up her hair. Honestly, it was too much of a bother if she did that every day.

When she got out of the bathroom, Draco wasn't there yet. She checked her watch. Thirty minutes till first period. She decided to look in the bedroom.

Draco was still sleeping.

"Draco?" she whispered gently. Draco didn't move.

She came closer to him and knelt beside the bed. "Draco?" she said quietly, "wake up, we're going to be late"

"Can't we just skive off DADA?" Draco mumbled, and covered his face with a pillow.

Hermione felt the urge to take off the pillow. She wanted to see his perfect face in the morning.

"No we can't" Hermione said, "There's another obstacle course"

"But we have advanced DADA later" Draco whined and he turned over to sleep on his stomach, face on pillow.

"So? It's a completely different thing!" Hermione whined back.

She suddenly reached her hand under the pillow where Draco's hands were buried in. She hoped to pull him off the bed like her mom used to do to her. Instead, he pulled her towards him.

Hermione blushed as he pulled her closer to him. He began to take his face off the pillow revealing the most beautiful, most mysterious smile Hermione had ever seen.

She smiled back, and started pulling him towards the floor. They started pulling each other and at one point, Draco pulled Hermione really hard and she fell on the bed just beside Draco.

"Hey" Draco smiled.

"You look really sleepy"

"Got a lot on my mind", Draco said, not mentioning that 'a lot' meant 'Hermione'

Hermione suddenly pulled her hand up and brushed away Draco's hair from his pale eyes. She suddenly brought it down again.

"Sorry" she muttered.

"Alright" Draco smiled.

"That smile", she thought, "That beautiful, irresistible smile"

He brushed away her hair from her face too, bringing his hand to touch her perfect face. His hand wandered over to her neck and he slowly pulled closer to her. She leaned closer to him too.

He was about to kiss her when she suddenly pulled away from his touch and said, "We have to go" and she took a deep breathe. She saw Draco's face fall. Suddenly she added, "Do you hate me for doing that?"

"Maybe", he breathed.

"Sorry", she smiled weakly, "It's just that..."

"I know..." he said, "We better get ready"

"Yeah" she said, deeply regretting that she pulled away, "I'll wait in the common room"

--

Draco spent about ten minutes in the shower. He didn't usually take that long but today his mind was flooded with thoughts.

Why did he try to kiss her? He didn't know.

Why did she pull away? He wanted to know.

Maybe she didn't feel the same way as he did, or maybe she wasn't ready for something like that. He could've sworn that she was as ready for that as he was. He saw the glint in her beautiful golden brown eyes. Her eyes. They were the most beautiful he had seen, full of power, something that no one can resist.

"I'll just have to try harder", he thought to himself as he got out of the shower.

--

Hermione couldn't concentrate on the camouflage charm. She was just thinking about Draco.

Why did she pull away?

Why did he try to kiss her in the first place?

Maybe he felt the same way as she did, but she couldn't admit that she loved him. She couldn't admit that to anyone. She couldn't tell him how much she liked his mysterious smile, his beautiful eyes, and his platinum blonde hair. She couldn't tell him how much she liked spending time with him. She couldn't tell him anything.

"But I want to tell him everything", she breathed to herself., "Why couldn't I?"

--

"Ready?"

"Yup"

They took a quick breakfast and they went straight to first period.

"Wotcher" Tonks said as they sat down beside Harry and Millicent.

"How's it with the ferret?" Harry whispered.

"Things are okay" Hermione smiled, "he's actually civil with me"

"Or pretending to be", Ron cut in. He was seated behind them.

"Yeah Ron, maybe"

"Okay" Tonks said, "Ministry set up today chaps"

"Ministry?" some people whispered.

"Yes, yes, yes" Tonks said cheerfully, glancing at Harry. She winked, and Harry beamed at her.

"Through this door," she pointed to a blue door at the side of the classroom, "is a replica of some of the ministry's departments. If you are successful, you should be able to get out from this door here" she pointed to a red door on the other side.

"And if we're not successful?" Pansy's high-pitched voice asked.

"You will all have to be", Tonks said shortly, "And please remember that when you get into the right room, take an orb with you...and don't try to exit the red door without one"

The first few pairs took a little longer than it took them to do the forest set-up. It was only Harry and Millicent who emerged from the red door in fifteen minutes flat. Most of the girls who came out ended up crying. ("The brains...they were horrible")

Draco looked at Hermione who just nodded. "You scared?" he asked.

"Me?" she said "Of course not"

She smiled her smile again. Draco's insides slowly melted. Here was another thing he liked. She was also brave and strong-willed, something that was hard to find in most girls.

"You?"

"No" Draco said in mock pride, "Me? A Malfoy, scared?"

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh please"

"Fine"

Hermione gave him a small smile and started to say "Sor—"

"Malfoy and Granger?"

The class looked up to watch them. They heard that they were the first to finish the forest set-up. They wondered if they'd be able to finish this one first too.

"Ready?" Tonks asked them

Hermione nodded and Draco led her into the blue door.

"Whoa" Draco breathed, "what is this place?"

"This," Hermione said, "is the department of mysteries"

They kept on walking until they arrived in a large circular room. In that room was a number of doors.

"It's this one", Hermione said pointing to one.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Trust me"

Those words felt so good coming from her lips. He nodded then followed her into the door.

They stood in a room with sparkling light. The light sort of danced as the two walked as close to each other as possible. There were clocks that lined the walls, and bookshelves too. They passed the bell jar to open the door.

"This is it?"

"Yeah"

The door swung open and they faced rows and rows of shelves with orbs on them. It was very cold there, and Hermione shivered a bit. Before he could stop himself, Draco held Hermione in his arms, trying to keep her warm.

"It's alright"

"No...I want to"

Hermione hesitated. She didn't want him to let go, but if they were going to finish this test, he'd have to. Draco didn't want to let go either, but he did, and Hermione smiled at him.

"Thanks"

"Sure"

"Okay let's take an orb"

"Er—what?"

"Didn't you listen? We'd have to take an orb"

"Oh", Draco wasn't listening. He'd been busy thinking about some other things...

They walked briskly to the nearest shelf and took an orb from it. It glowed brightly. Draco pocketed it.

"So how do we get out?"

"I'm not sure"

"It's probably a dead end here" Draco said, looking at the rows and rows of shelves.

"Yeah"

"Maybe through another door?"

Hermione and Draco left the room of orbs and they found themselves in the circular room once again.

"Maybe it's this one" Draco said reaching for a door.

Hermione remembered it as the door with the brains in them. "No", she said reaching for Draco's hand just in time, "It's not that one"

She reached for the safest door; the one with the arch in it, with the veil. There had been nothing horrible there.

"Except for Sirius' death" a little voice in her head said.

She pushed open the door, and they found themselves in the dimly lit, rectangular room. There was an archway at the far end, covered with a dark veil. Beside that archway was a red door. Hermione could make out the word "exit" on the red door.

Draco pointed and ran to the red door. Hermione followed closely. They slowed down. Hermione reached for the door, when she heard a muffled gasp.

Draco almost fell into the veil, hanging onto the arch. Hermione rushed to pull him up. It was difficult. He was too heavy for her.

"Hermione"

"Hold on"

"Don't let go"

"I won't"

Hermione pulled him up slowly. He almost slipped from her grip a few times, but she held on. After quite a struggle to hold on, Hermione managed to pull up Draco.

"Thanks"

"Sure", she smiled reassuringly.

They exited the red door, and the orb they were holding glowed the number 18.

"Second" Tonks said, clapping, "Brilliant"

"Thanks"

--

Hermione and Draco decided to skip lunch and rest in their common room.

"Hey Hermione, thanks again", called Draco from the couch. Hermione was seated in front of the fire place.

"It's alright" Hermione said quietly, not looking up.

"Are you okay?" Draco noticed a change in Hermione's tone. Was she crying?

Hermione didn't reply, and Draco came over to see how she was feeling.

"Are you okay?" he said again. Hermione looked at him. She was crying.

"What happened?" he said, a little confused.

"You almost fell"

"But I didn't"

"Almost"

"If I did, I wouldn't get hurt. That was only a replica, remember?"

"But what if?" she sobbed. Her tears fell down her cheeks non-stop. Draco didn't know what to say.

"I'm here now," He tried to comfort her, "No need to worry"

Hermione took a deep breath and kissed Draco on the cheek. Draco touched his cheek and said nothing. He hugged her tightly, and they just kept in each others arms, in front of the crackling fire, not wanting to let go.

A/N: Sorry this one took so long. I did so much today...I'm a bit sad I didn't get many reviews the last chapter...please review this one! Thanks.