Chapter Five:

Mistletoe

Hermione hummed to herself as she ran her fingers down the spines of large dusty books. She was in the least visited area of the library. The topics discussed were notoriously dull, but Hermione knew that the more background information she knew on the important things, the better her N.E.W.T.S. would be. Finally, she pulled a massive book from the top shelf. She had underestimated the weight of the book, and it toppled to the floor with a loud crash. She winced, hoping that Madame Pince hadn't heard.

"Nice one, Granger." Malfoy's silky voice came out of no where. She jumped at first, but recovered in time to give him a withering stare. He winked at her and retrieved the book from the floor. He glanced at the title and raised his eyebrows.

"The Origin of Potion-Making." He leafed through it for a moment before handing it to her. "Looks fascinating." He gave her a sarcastic grin.

"They don't call this section 'The Forgettables' for nothing." She replied, tucking the book under her arm. "So what brings you to the library?"

"You."

"Me? Why?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Did you want to have lunch?" Hermione almost dropped the book. She glanced at Malfoy quickly, wondering if he was just messing with her head. He noticed her wariness and grinned at her reassuringly.

"It's a thank you for the blanket last night."

"Oh. You're welcome."

"Come on. Let's go eat. I'm starving." He grabbed her hand and dragged her out the doors. Hermione laughed as he whipped her around corners in his desperation to eat.

"Men and their appetites." She rolled her eyes at him when they finally reached the dormitory. He rolled his eyes back at her.

"Women and their nagging." She laughed at his expression, which eventually brought him to laugh as well. The long table was covered with food, and immediately, Malfoy dug in. As always, Hermione followed her dainty procedure. With raised eyebrows, she studied the Slytherin across from her, who neglected to use utensils.

"That's disgusting, Malfoy. Could you try being a civilized human and use a fork and knife?" She wrinkled her nose in distaste. Draco rolled his eyes at her. He continued to stuff his face, just to make her mad.

"Could you at least chew with your mouth closed?" She asked, with mock impatience. Draco paused again and stared at her. She was cutting up her food into small pieces and eating them daintily. Obviously she had never seen a hungry man eat.

"Granger...I'm hungry. I slept through breakfast. I need food."

"Then eat, but don't be a wild beast about it." She exclaimed, taking a sip from her goblet. Draco was tempted to scream at her and make her understand about men and food, but decided on another method of revenge. He flicked a piece of meat at her. It landed in her hair and she shrieked, staring at him in horror.

"Oh no you didn't." She muttered, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Oh yes...I did. And what are you going to do about it?" He demanded. Before he had time to think, she had thrown her goblet of pumpkin juice into his face. Without hesitation, he picked up the nearest food and flung it in her direction. The food fight raged on until Granger waved her white napkin in the air, calling for a truce. They both stared at each other and burst out laughing. They were covered in various types of food from head to toe. She rubbed her shoulder and winced.

"God, Malfoy, you got me pretty hard with that turkey leg." She examined her arm for signs of a bruise.

"I must say, Granger, you've got a damn good arm. That rice pudding got me right in the face." Draco grabbed his napkin and tried to clean off his face. She grinned at him, and to his own surprise, he found himself grinning back.

"Personally, I'm surprised it took us this long to crack." She commented, surveying the damage done to their common room. "Scourgify." She muttered, pointing her wand at the room. It became spotless.

"Yeah, well, Malfoys tend to keep their cool very well."

"Excuse me? Who threw first?" She asked, not managing to hide the laughter in her voice. Draco waved his hand dismissively.

"It slipped."

"Oh yes...of course." She muttered, before picking up a handful of mashed potatoes and throwing them at him. "Gosh, I'm sorry! It slipped." She grinned at him, evilly. He stared at her for a moment before wiping the potatoes off his shirt. He took a few menacing steps towards her, like he was going to attack her. She remained where she was, but fear sparked in her eyes. She gasped when he grabbed her arm and dragged her to the bathroom.

"We'd better get cleaned off. Professor McGonagall is coming at three." Draco said, suddenly remembering McGonagall's meeting. He grabbed the showerhead and extended the neck so he could wash off his arms and legs.

"I'm dirtier than you are, give me the hose!" Granger exclaimed, reaching for it.

"You want it?"

"Yes!"

"Okay." He directed the water spray at her face and she shrieked in surprise.

"MALFOY!" She screeched, trying to back away from the water. Draco couldn't hide his amusement any longer, and he burst out laughing. Soon, Granger had joined in. He pointed the spray back into the bathtub and grinned at the thoroughly soaked Gryffindor.

"So that's your game, is it?" She asked, wiping her face with the bottom of her shirt.

"It is. How will you retaliate?"

"Like this." She reached behind her and snatched her bottle of L'Enchante perfume. Relentlessly, she sprayed Draco with the sweet smelling fragrance. Draco tried to wave it away with one hand, but he couldn't escape it.

"Hey! Stop! Granger, knock it- AUGH! I swallowed some! Good God!" Draco coughed and wheezed as he stumbled around blindly, searching for a glass. He found one eventually and filled it up with water. After he had downed five glasses consecutively, he glared at Granger, who had been laughing hysterically for the past five minutes.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very funny, Granger."

"I thought so." She gasped out between laughs. He turned back to washing himself off. He handed her the hose and went to his room to change. He pulled on a pair of black jeans and an emerald green t-shirt. He paused to look in the mirror and saw that his hair was wet and sticky from the pumpkin juice. He shook his head and ran his fingers through it, but it still looked horrible. Even with sticky hair and the scent of Granger's perfume lingering about him, he still smiled at the thought of her.

Hermione awoke the next morning with sunshine spilling through the window and onto her bed. It felt like the morning she had found out she was Head Girl...only it was better. Now she woke up and remembered him. Draco Malfoy was the only thing she could think about, and she couldn't, nor did she want to, fight it. She was late for breakfast, and as she entered the Great Hall, she snuck a glance towards the Slytherin table. The blonde Slytherin was entertaining some of his fellow Quidditch players, who were too frightened to tease him about the incident with Evelyn, when she caught his eye. He gave her a slight wink and a half smile that caused Hermione's heart to beat an extra time. She fought the blush creeping to her cheeks so as not to arouse suspicion from her fellow Gryffindors. Harry and Ron were involved in an animated conversation about Quidditch. What else is new? Hermione rolled her eyes synchronized with Ginny, who was sharing the same thought. Ginny buttered a piece of toast and glanced at Hermione.

"You look tired, Hermione. Late night?" A sparkle in Ginny's eyes made Hermione uneasy, but she managed to remain composed.

"Oh, yeah. I was studying at the library last night." Hermione felt uncomfortable lying to Ginny, but she couldn't just come out and say that she had been cuddling with Draco Malfoy on the couch late at night, while trying to study for their Potions exam. Confusion clouded Neville's face, who was sitting across from the girls.

"I was there last night until midnight. I didn't see you." Hermione bit her lip and felt the blush returning with a vengeance. Ginny watched Hermione with interest.

"I was there...Madam Pince gives me access to a special study room." Her voice shook slightly as she lied to her friends. Neville shrugged and returned to eating his porridge. Ginny, however, continued to stare at Hermione, apparently unconvinced.

"Hermione...you weren't at the library...were you?" Hermione blushed deeply and stuffed a muffin into her mouth quickly to avoid answering. Ginny waited patiently for her to finish, quietly eating her toast.

"Who were you with?" Ginny finally asked. A knowing smile slipped across her freckly face, and her eyes glinted with excitement. Unfortunately, Ron and Harry had stopped talking about Quidditch at that precise moment and decided to enter themselves into the conversation.

"Whoa, wait, what's going on here?" Ron demanded, looking from his sister to Hermione and back again. Ginny opened her mouth to reply, but Hermione stepped on her foot sharply.

"Well- ouch! Nothing." She muttered, reaching under the table to rub her foot. Harry glanced suspiciously at Hermione. She smiled back at him in the most convincing way, but like Ginny, he didn't seem to buy it.

"What's going on, Hermione? You look redder than a blood flavored jellybean." Hermione felt her face growing hot as her blushing steadily increased. Ginny smothered a giggle, and Hermione shot her a warning glare.

"Never mind, Harry." Ron groaned and poked Neville in the side. The unsuspecting Neville jumped a foot in the air, spilling his pumpkin juice everywhere. Ginny squealed and grabbed a napkin to clean off her robes.

"Oy, Neville. A little more grace next time, please. Now what were Hermione and Ginny talking about?"

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, horrified. How dare he ask Neville about a private conversation! Hermione fumed on the inside. Ron glanced at her once before going back to Neville. He looked like a cornered mouse, and Hermione silently pleaded with him to not say a word.

"Uh, well, Hermione said she had been in the library last night...but I was there until midnight and I didn't see her." Ron and Harry's gazes shifted to Hermione, who found a sudden fascination with her porridge.

"Well?" Ron looked at Hermione, a hint of accusation in his tone. Hermione put down her spoon and stared at him square in the eyes.

"Well, what?" Ron opened his mouth to speak, but the food disappeared signaling the beginning of classes. Hermione stood up abruptly and rushed out of the Great Hall in a hurry.

It was the last day of classes before the Christmas holiday. The trip to Hogsmeade was tomorrow, but Hermione wasn't planning on going. With the entire school there, she couldn't purchase her friends' Christmas gifts. She had asked Dumbledore for a special visit over the weekend. He had granted her this, and she was growing steadily more excited. The Christmas season was always so much fun at Hogwarts. Humming Christmas carols to herself, she walked into the library to return The Origin of Potion-Making. It hadn't been quite as dull as she had anticipated, which was probably good. It had put her to sleep quite a few times, but she had managed to get through it in two weeks. An entire week less than she had predicted. The book had actually been rather helpful. She had added many interesting facts into her most recent Potions essay, and Snape had been reluctant, but he had given her full marks. Deciding that reading up on the backgrounds of every subject she took would be to her advantage, Hermione returned to the Forgettables section. Finally she stumbled across The History of Transfiguration on the bottom shelf. This book was even larger than the previous one, but she decided that with the vacation coming up, she shouldn't have a problem completing it. It wasn't as though she had a busy schedule. As far as she knew, Harry and Ron were staying at the castle. She hadn't talked to them in awhile. Since Harry was captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and Ron was now their star keeper, they were always talking Quidditch and strategizing for the upcoming matches. It was difficult for her to get a word in edge wise. Hermione had bonded with Ginny this year, and the two girls spent time together studying and just hanging out. Hermione had even brought Ginny back to her common room and they had just chatted. Malfoy hadn't been there, and Ginny had been disappointed.

"He's gorgeous, Hermione! I don't know how you can control yourself!" The red head had exclaimed. Hermione had had a flashback to her walking in on a naked Draco Malfoy. As horrified as she had been, she couldn't help noticing how toned and muscular his body was. Shaking thoughts of Malfoy naked out of her head, she left the library with intent to go read in the common room. Upon entering, she gasped. The room had been decorated for the holiday season with thousands of glittering red and green lights that floated above like fireworks. A large Christmas tree sat in the middle of the room, decked out with intricate ornaments and enchanted candles. The fabrics of the couches and chairs had been altered to reflect the season, and the fire crackled with red and green sparks. Malfoy entered the common room from the bathroom; a fluffy green towel with Seasons Greetings embroidered on it wrapped around his waist.

"Isn't it awesome?" He commented, sweeping the common room with his silver eyes. Hermione was rendered speechless. Between the wonderful decorations and the amazing man standing half naked in front of her, there was no chance of her being able to speak. Instead she just nodded and dropped into a chair upholstered in red. Malfoy left to get dressed and Hermione began to concentrate on her newly attained textbook. She was so absorbed she didn't hear Malfoy enter the common room again.

"Is that your owl?" He asked her, pointing at the window. Hermione glanced up at the brown barn owl.

"No...I've never seen that owl before. Well let him in, Malfoy! He'll freeze!" She exclaimed, getting up. The owl swooped in and delivered a silver envelope to Hermione. Curious, she ripped it open and pulled out a small square of parchment and a silver chain with a small heart. She gasped and stared at it. She shifted her eyes to the parchment.

You have my heart.

"Granger's got a secret admirer." Malfoy winked and gave her a curious half smile.

Draco noted, happily, that the silver heart necklace never left Granger's neck. She'd play around with it, absentmindedly, as she read yet another large textbook. He rolled his eyes at himself. He was letting the Christmas season make him all soft and sappy. Granted, it was getting more and more difficult to excuse his developing feelings for her. He felt like he needed to tell her, but he wasn't just going to come out and say it. No...that wouldn't be good enough. He sighed to himself. He was going soft and romantic. The secret admirer idea had been sheer genius. A brilliant plan that had come to him during a sleepless night of deep thought. He wondered if she noticed that he didn't sleep well anymore. He spent his entire night battling his conflicted heart. Like it or not, Hermione Granger was a mudblood. The type of person Draco had been raised to hate. But father is dead now. He can't stop me from loving her. Suddenly Draco froze. Every movement stopped except for the increased beating of his heart. Did he just admit to himself that he loved Hermione Granger? No. No it can't be that serious. She's just another girl. No she's not...and you know it. A voice in the back of his mind whispered. Draco flopped down onto his bed in agony. Liking Hermione Granger went against everything he had ever believed. It was foolish to hold a grudge this long, but his fellow Slytherins already thought of him as weak. What would happen to his reputation if he publicly declared his feelings for a mudblood? The speck of his stone cold reputation that still survived would be destroyed. But he would be with her. He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was two o'clock in the morning. He really needed sleep. The next day was the trip to Hogsmeade. He knew that Granger wasn't going. Something about going another time so she could shop for all of her friends. In a way, her plan was better. But Draco had no such problems. He didn't have any friends now. Except for her. But he already knew what he was getting her. And he couldn't buy it in a Hogsmeade store. He had sent Poseidon out with the order forms weeks ago. The owl still wasn't back yet with confirmations. This is what I get for ordering presents from half way across the world. He chided himself. Deciding that he would get no sleep, he left his room and settled down on the couch in the common room. Sensing his presence, the fire that had been reduced to smoldering ashes burst into life once again. The sudden burst of light revealed a sleeping figure curled up in an armchair. Granger was fast asleep, her textbook sliding out of her grasp gradually. Grinning at the sleeping beauty, he took the textbook from her hands and placed it on the table. The silver heart around her neck sparkled in the firelight. Draco found himself reaching for the heart, as though trying to get a feel for how she felt about him. His fingers brushed against her soft skin and she shifted in her sleep. Not wanting to disturb her, Draco backed away from her and settled back onto the couch. Looking at her now, all of his worries and doubts melted away. And she was all that was left in the world. He was still staring at her when his eyelids became heavier. Soon, Draco was forced into a sleep filled with nightmares about various doubts and fears his mind held. He awoke in a cold sweat and found himself staring into chocolate brown eyes.

"Are you all right, Malfoy?" She asked, seeing that he was waking up.

"Of course...why?"

"You were whimpering in your sleep." She bit her lip and her eyes sparkled with concern. Draco tried to remember what he had been dreaming about that had disturbed him so. Of course this wouldn't be the first time that he had woken up terrified. The difference was that this time he had Granger to numb the fear.

"Sorry. Bad dream." He explained, rubbing his eyes. Worry remained in her beautiful eyes, but she nodded.

"It's only four in the morning. You can still go back to sleep." She informed him, settling down on the couch in close vicinity to him. He felt his heart give an extra beat and his pulse quickened.

"That's all right. I'm awake now anyway." He hauled himself up into a sitting position, providing her with more room on the couch. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he watched her fingering the silver heart.

"Any more news on your secret admirer?" He asked, already knowing the answer of course. But maybe she would say something interesting about it.

"No...I wonder who he is."

"Who do you think it could be?"

"It could be anyone...as long as it's no one from Slytherin. I doubt it's anyone from that house. No offense." She amended quickly, giving him a smile.

"None taken. I understand what you mean."

"I don't really know many people from Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw..."

"Maybe it's Potter or Weasley." Draco suggested, eager to see her reaction. Her eyes widened slightly.

"No...no it can't be them. Even if it were, I'd have to give this back. I could never jeopardize our friendship like that." Draco was overcome with relief at this. He had had his doubts about where the boundaries of their friendship lie. She glanced at him curiously.

"Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?" She asked, suspiciously. Draco felt a rush of an unfamiliar emotion spill through him. She was so beautiful sitting there across from him, her soft brown eyes sparkling in the firelight. Her brown hair was messy and uncombed, falling into her face and eyes. The urge to reach out and touch her was becoming increasingly unbearable.

"I could very well ask you the same question." One side of his mouth raised in a half smile as he watched her steadily breathing faster. She was freaking out on the inside, but on the outside she appeared cool and collected.

"But I asked you first."

"All right. I'm being nice to you because you're being nice to me. So now why are you being nice to me?"

"Because I felt bad seeing you upset. I know what it's like to have a broken heart." Her eyes darted to the fire, avoiding his gaze. He moved slowly to cover her small, delicate hand with his. When his hand first touched hers, she gasped and looked into his eyes. He gazed back at her, reassuringly. A sharp rap came on the window and both of them jumped in surprise. Draco suppressed a grin as he saw a barn owl flying outside the window; a red rose attached to its leg. Earlier than anticipated, but it still works. He mused and he watched the blushing Gryffindor untie the rose from the owl's leg. Draco had not attached a message. He did not feel the need to after the first gift. After all, if he continued to send her hand written letters, she'd eventually pick up on it. He had tried his hardest to write neatly, and he also did his best to make sure the work he did alongside her was messier. She was, after all, the cleverest witch in Hogwarts. He watched in delight as a smile danced across her lips. In a trance like state, she found a crystal vase that just so happened to be in the center of the long table. A new addition to our common room that she doesn't seem to notice wasn't there yesterday morning. Draco chuckled to himself, and her attention settled on Draco. He bit back the smile that was trying so desperately to break free.

"What are you laughing at?" She asked, almost defensively.

"The way your eyes lit up at the sight of a mere flower."

"It's from him. I know it." Draco raised his eyebrows, pretending to be surprised.

"How do you know? There wasn't a note, was there?"

"I just know it, okay?" She replied sharply, but there was gentleness to her eyes. He had touched a soft spot with the rose. He knew it had been a brilliant idea. She gave the rose one last glance, then settled down in an armchair with the oversized textbook.

"Almost done with that one, Granger?" He grinned at her, and was pleased to see her return a smile. The smile went deeper than friendliness...or so he hoped.

Hermione walked into the Great Hall humming Christmas carols to herself. She spotted Harry and Ron eating breakfast at the Gryffindor House table. She felt a twinge of guilt. She never ate breakfast in the Great Hall with them anymore. It was too far of a walk from the Head dormitories. They were on the opposite ends of the castle. And the fact that the house elves served breakfast in the common room wasn't the only reason she stayed. After Malfoy's mishap with Evelyn, no Slytherin gave him the time of day. Hermione felt horribly about it. She felt as though it had been her fault, even though he hadn't listened to her warning. She felt as though she should have made him listen. Harry looked up as Hermione approached and he coughed into his goblet of pumpkin juice.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" He asked in shock. Ron's eyes widened at the sight of her, and she rolled her eyes at them.

"I'm having breakfast with my friends. Is that all right with you?" Without hesitation, Harry and Ron moved aside so that there was room for Hermione. Malfoy was still fast asleep on the couch in the common room. He had had a rough night. He kept waking up every hour or so, shaking and looking terrified. Hermione wished that she could enter his mind when he slept and make everything that scared him disappear. Every day, she realized that she was caring more and more about Draco Malfoy. It frightened her, but most of all it confused her. Why did she feel this way about him? And what about her secret admirer? Already, whoever it was was capturing her heart. The rose had been a sweet gift. Hermione absolutely adored roses. She had even planted a few herself outside Hagrid's cabin. He had been wary about the sweet smelling flowers for a reason unknown to Hermione. But after they had been planted for a year, Hagrid had told her that they had grown on him. Hermione didn't realize that Harry was talking to her. She was lost in thought, as she always seemed to be lately.

"Sorry, Harry what were you saying?" She asked, apologetically. Harry sighed and rolled his eyes, but grinned and repeated himself.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade today?"

"No. Dumbledore granted me permission to go on a weekend that would be less crowded with students."

"Why?" Ron asked, his mouth full of scramble eggs. Hermione tried not to gag when she replied.

"So that when I buy presents for all of my friends, they won't be right there with me."

"You can just tell us to get lost when you're going to buy something." Ron suggested, taking a swig of pumpkin juice. Hermione winced at his horrible table manners. He should take lessons from Malfoy, who had drastically improved, since Hermione had nagged him about chewing with his mouth open.

"But then you'd know what store I was in, and therefore it wouldn't be a complete surprise. Trust me, it's going to be much more fun this way." She smiled at them both before getting up and leaving the Great Hall. She had barely touched her breakfast, but she decided that she wasn't really hungry anyway. Students were lining up in the entrance hall, preparing to go to Hogsmeade. They were all wearing their heavy cloaks and scarves, dressing warmly to avoid the harsh cold. The front doors were open slightly and the wind that blew into the castle was freezing cold. Hermione shivered and turned quickly to get away from the doors. In doing so, she ran straight into a familiar blonde haired Slytherin.

"I thought you weren't going to Hogsmeade today." He commented. Hermione looked up at him, noticing for the first time how beautiful his icy blue eyes are.

"I'm not. I was heading back to the common room when I ran into you." She fought to keep her heartbeat normalized.

"I'll walk you back there. I don't feel like going either." His eyes darted around the crowd by the door. Hermione noticed his eyes linger on Evelyn, and hate churned through Hermione's body. His hand on her arm melted her hateful thoughts. She fell into step beside him as they trekked back across the castle to their dormitory. Hermione paused at a window to watch the carriages depart for Hogsmeade. She watched them go until the last one had disappeared from sight. Except for a select few miscreants, everyone who was allowed went to Hogsmeade. Especially around the holidays. Hogsmeade was the ideal place to shop for gifts.

"Coming, Granger?" Malfoy asked from behind her. Not realizing he had been there, she jumped in surprise. He nodded towards the stairs and let her begin climbing first. Whoever said chivalry is dead obviously has not met Draco Malfoy. Hermione thought, thinking about how courteous he really was. Though he hadn't been nice to her the past six years, she always saw him being rather polite to every other female. After their fifth flight of stairs, Hermione paused at another window. Snowflakes were falling from the gray skies, painting the landscape white. Even more than roses, Hermione loved snow. It was one of her favorite things to watch.

"At this rate, Granger, it will be Christmas by the time we reach our dormitory." He muttered in her ear. His warm breath tickled her neck and she felt a swirling in her stomach. Instead of continuing up the stairs, she turned around and started to walk down them.

"Uh, Granger...you're going the wrong way-"

"I'm fully aware." She called over her shoulder, increasing her pace. Expecting Malfoy to go the other way, she didn't slow down. She reached the entrance hall and proceeded to the doors. She exited the castle, a crisp wind meeting her. Already a thin layer of snow had carpeted the grounds. Disregarding the temperature, she walked out into the middle of the large open field. Snow swirled around her, blowing her cloak and mussing her hair. Snowflakes caught in her hair and eyelashes, and she brushed them away, happily, closing her eyes. If only a certain Slytherin were here to enjoy this with me. She thought. Then surprised at herself for even thinking such a thing, she opened her eyes. And there he was. Standing in front of her. Her heart beat an extra time and she smiled at him.

"Are you bloody mad, Granger? It's freezing out here." He exclaimed. She didn't answer him. Just enjoyed for the moment where she was and whom she was with. Her breath was visible in front of her, and her teeth chattered but she hadn't been so happy in awhile. Malfoy pulled out her heavy cloak from underneath his own and handed it to her. She stared at him in surprise.

"How did you know I was coming out here?" She asked. This time it was he who answered with only a grin. She smiled back at him, pulling the cloak over her head. The snow had melted in her hair, plastering it to her cheeks. But she couldn't care less. In a quick movement, Hermione had scooped a handful of snow and thrown it in Malfoy's face. He sputtered and wiped it off, while Hermione laughed at him. He picked up some snow, and Hermione ran away shrieking. He chased after her, laughing. She was tiny and fast, but he was more athletic. Soon he caught up to her and he grabbed her around the waist. They tumbled to the ground, sliding in the slippery snow. Laughing hysterically, neither of them was able to sit up right away. Eventually, Hermione lifted herself off of the ground and brushed the snow off of her cloak. Malfoy found it in him to pull himself up and clean off the snow on his own cloak. Thoroughly soaked and freezing, the two Heads stumbled back up to the castle, slipping and sliding on hidden ice as they went. Inside, the heat burned at their numbed cheeks.

"I c-can't feel my toes." Malfoy commented as they began climbing the stairs once again. Hermione grinned at him.

"Don't be such a wimp, Malfoy."

"You can't tell me that you're not cold."

"Yes I can." He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Well I can! I can't feel any part of my body, so I don't know if I'm cold or not." He grinned at her and shook his head. Melted snow flew out of his hair, pelting Hermione with more water.

"Stop it! I'm wet enough as it is."

"I call the bathtub first." He said suddenly. Hermione wanted to smack herself for not thinking to reserve the tub for herself.

"Don't take too long. I might develop a case of the flu if I can't get out of these clothes soon." Malfoy rolled his eyes at her, but she knew that he understood. They entered the common room, which was already warmed by the blazing fire. Hermione sighed in relief and headed to her room.

"I'll only be a few minutes, Granger. I promise." He added, heading into the bathroom. Hermione remained at the doorway to her room. It was the first time Draco Malfoy had ever promised to do something decent for her. She decided that she liked it. Unable to stand her wet clothes any longer, she peeled them off and pulled on her robe. It was warm and black, falling to just above her knees. She settled in front of the fireplace in the common room and waited patiently for Malfoy to finish. She watched the clock, almost curiously. Just as he said, he was done in a few minutes.

"It's all yours, Granger." He said, walking into his room. Hermione gratefully rushed into the bathroom and slipped into the hot tub. She grinned at Malfoy's thoughtfulness. He had emptied, then refilled the tub with fresh hot water. I'll have to thank him later.

Draco was relaxing on the couch when she exited the bathroom. Her hair was already magically dried. Draco nervously glanced at the window. That damned owl better get here soon. He thought, murderously. If her Christmas present didn't arrive on time, he didn't know what he would do. She headed quickly for the door, carrying that huge textbook.

"Time for the next one?" Draco asked her. She grinned.

"Yes. This one was more fascinating than the last one, I think." She headed for the door again. Draco got up quickly.

"I'll come with you." He offered, getting the door for her. She glanced at him curiously, and Draco gave her a reassuring smile. She nodded as if to say 'very well'. Draco shut the door behind them and walked with her to the library. Madame Pince wasn't there.

"Oh dear...I can't check out another book if she's not here." Granger bit her lip, looking disappointed. "Oh well." She sighed, dropping the textbook she had borrowed onto the front desk. She headed for the doors after one more sweeping glance of the library. Draco followed her, walking quickly to catch up.

"I'm sure you'll live, Granger." Draco found that he wasn't very good at comforting her. She gave him a withering grin.

"And I'm sure you'll live without Quidditch as well, Malfoy." She snapped. Draco paused, confused. What did I do? She walked a little faster.

"God, you have some nasty mood swings, Granger."

"Who cares?"

"I do." Draco was out of breath when they finally reached their common room. She had stopped and turned around to look at Draco. He could see suppressed emotions in her eyes. It was almost as though she was unsure if she should care about him as well. Draco wanted to make all of her doubts disappear. He cared about her more than he cared about himself and that was definitely saying a lot. He didn't know if he should tell her that. What if she didn't care about him as much as he did about her? He'd be humiliated and heartbroken for the second time in a month. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it. The only thing that had kept him from doing something idiotic after the incident with Evelyn was Hermione. Losing her too would be too much for him. He'd have nothing else to live for. Wondering if he should tell her this, he glanced up at the ceiling. Hanging innocently above the doorframe was a giant sprig of mistletoe. He stared at it in disbelief. He was standing with Hermione Granger, directly underneath a branch of mistletoe. God, now what do I do? She followed his gaze and her eyes also widened at the sight of it. He lowered his gaze to meet hers, and she blushed. Why destroy tradition? He wondered, beginning to smile at the girl in front of him. He inched closer to her, taking her face in his hands. His lips brushed against hers, tentatively. Then more forcefully. Soon her arms were around his neck and his were surrounding her waist. As if realizing for the first time what they were doing, they pulled apart in surprise. Both of them stared at each other in silence, not sure of what to do next. Finally, Hermione spoke.

"Good night, Draco." She disappeared quickly, but Draco was smiling. She had called him Draco.