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Chap. 7—I'll admit it

--From Chap. 6

"So will you finally admit you like her?" She asked.

"Yeah, I think I will. I think I like Hermione." Draco replied, grinning at Ali.

"Really?" She asked, her eyes wide and happy. She squealed when Draco nodded.

"Yeah." He said simply and Ali smiled in delight.--

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The next morning Ali came running up the Gryffindor table, skidding to a stop just in time.

"'Mione, 'Mione, 'Mione, guess what??" She cried.

"What?" Hermione laughed nervously.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't tell you this but I talked to Draco yesterday!" Ali said really fast.

"And?" Hermione said confused.

"He likes you! He admitted it! He likes you!" She announced happily. Hermione laughed in surprise.

"What?" She answered.

"I said, 'will you finally admit you like her' and he said 'Yeah, I think I will. I think I like Hermione!' Isn't that awesome?" She said. Hermione said nothing, she was really surprised, so she didn't know what to say.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Draco saw Ali laughing and talking happily at the Gryffindor table. He had a feeling he knew what she was saying He looked at Hermione's face, smiling but shocked. Yep, he thought, she knows. He repeatedly banged his head on the table, ignoring stares from the other Slytherins.

"You know, you'll get a bad headache if you do that." He looked up and saw Hermione sitting down at his table, while she got glares from the Slytherins.

"I have a good reason." He said glumly. Hermione bit her bottom lip.

"Is it because Ali blabbed?" She asked, carefully. Draco gave her a sarcastic smile and Hermione took it as a yes.

"I'm glad she did." She put in.

"Why?" Draco asked. He felt uncomfortable talking about it but he figured get it over with.

"Well, I know now and quite frankly, I think it's alright, really." She smiled and Draco looked at her.

"And?" He said, knowing there was more. This was Hermione, there was always more.

"And, I think I like you too." She said and walked out of the hall, leaving a stunned Draco.

"Ha!" Ali said, making him jump. "Glad I told her?" She asked, sitting down to eat.

"Yes and no." He answered. She frowned.

"Why?"

"I mean, it's nice Hermione likes me back and all but now I'm confused. It would be too weird to ask her out as my girlfriend so now we're just back to where we started." He replied simply.

"No, you're not." Ali stated.

"How, Ali, how?" He questioned. She pushed her food away and looked right into Draco's eyes.

"You know something, something that does make a difference, Draco. You like her, she likes you back. Simple as can be. Who cares what everyone else thinks, do what you want, what you feel is right." She said and walked out of the hall just like Hermione. Ali was smart, no doubt about that, but Draco still didn't have an answer. He grabbed his bag and headed to Transfiguration, thinking along the way.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hermione and Draco were partnered up in Care of Magical Creatures. They had to share a flobberworm, and take turns feeding it shredded lettuce.

Harry, Ron and Ali who were partnered (there was an odd number in the class) together looked over as Hermione laughed at something Draco said. Harry and Ron raised their eyebrows while Ali smirked. She turned to the guys.

"Hermione told me about how Draco was the last six years. Notice a difference in him?" Ali asked them. They shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, are you that clueless?" She stated.

"I guess he has changed, but we don't want to say it." Harry said.

"Yeah, I mean, he's all nice, he likes Hermione, by the way, we heard you at breakfast, and anyway, he doesn't torment us." Ron comprehended.

"See, I told you so." Ali said, happily.

"Yeah well we still aren't saying it. And we still don't fully trust him." Harry replied as Ron nodded.

"Do you trust me?" She asked.

"Yeah." They both chorused.

"Well, trust me on this. Draco's changed, believe me. He's a good guy." She said while poking lettuce towards the flobberworm.

"I don't know--." Ron started to say but was cut off.

"Ron, Ginny admitted he's changed and she and I hang out with Hermione a lot, in the Heads common, where Draco is. He shows his true self. You can't even trust your own little sister?" Ali said innocently.

"Well, I, uh, well you see—." Ron stuttered awkwardly.

"Let me know when you finally get our heads out of the clouds and into realization." Ali snapped and went to work with a different group. Ron and Harry felt guilty, they didn't mean to make Ali mad at them and she was right, he was different this year.

"We should apologize to Ali. I mean, I understand why she snapped at us, which she rarely does, but we were being to stupid to realize it." Harry said.

"Yeah." Ron agreed and they walked over to Ali. She of course forgave them, being the sweet girl she is, but they still didn't come out and say it, which truly bugged her.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Hermione and Draco were in their common room, proofreading each other's Potions essay.

"'Mione?" Draco asked. She let him call her that like her other friends.

"Mmhmm?" She responded.

"You put two in the wrong order. Snape will give you a D for that, since you're from Gryffindor." He said.

"Oh." Hermione said, took it and fixed it.

"Well, you spelled something wrong but I doubt Snape will do anything about that." She said, and they both knew that was true. Draco shrugged.

"Hey, it's not my fault." He said.

"I know." She sighed and read the rest of his essay while he did the same.

"Here, done." He said, giving it back to her.

"Thanks." She said, as she handed him his too.

"I'm hungry." She said randomly. Draco nodded in agreement and thought of something.

"Hey, come with me." He said and stood up.

"Where? Why?" She asked suspiciously. Draco sighed and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the common room. They stopped in front of a portrait of a fruit bowl. Hermione grinned.

"You know this place?" He asked, surprised. Hermione laughed and nodded vigorously.

"Perfect Hermione sneaks around the castle?" He joked. Hermione lightly shoved him.

"Hey, I'm not that perfect!" She answered. Draco laughed and the opened the door. House elves rushed up to them giving them food. Hermione finally got over the whole 'S.P.E.W aka spew' thing so she graciously accepted the food. She and Draco sat on the floor eating a ton of yummy sweets which the house elves kept bringing them non-stop. They sat in the kitchen for a long time sitting and eating. After they were stuffed Draco went to the Slytherin common room to talk to Ali while Hermione met up with Harry and Ron in the Gryffindor tower.

"Where were you, Hermione?" Ron asked.

"Well, if you must know I was at the kitchens with Draco." She answered.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Oh, gee, I dunno maybe to eat, Ron! Will you get over it, he's a good guy okay?" She said. Hermione was beginning to hate the Gryffindor common room, as almost every time she went in it she argued with Ron.

"You're right." He said, taking her by surprise.

"Huh?" She replied.

"You're right." He repeated. "He has changed, I've just been to stupid to admit it. So I will now. Malfoy's a good guy." He admitted.

"I agree too. Sorry 'Mione." Harry said. She grinned at her best friends.

"Thanks guys. I'm glad you said it, it made me feel better." Hermione answered. They grinned back at her and they played a fun game of Gobstones together, like old times.

Authors Note: Hope you like it! Please review!!!