Disclaimer: still obviously am not J.K. Rowling

AN: thanx to my two reviewers... you're great! And as you wished... here's the update... enjoy

Chapter 2

Getting closer

Hermione's manner became conspirational. "Right! This is the deal...."she paused dramatically, "..you tell me what you know about yesterdays event... I need a name! Something that'll help me research. And I'll be deliberately second best in one subject. I know that always being only second best has been worming on you ever since our first year!" She looked Malfoy challengingly in the eye.

She didn't feel very good about doing deals of any kind with the smarmy little git but she had no choice. Harry was right. She had nothing she could research on and it was important that she did. Obviously what had happened last night could endanger the entire school and she wouldn't be Hermione Granger if she let that happen. She was ready to sacrifice some grades for the cause; her heart bleeding.

Malfoy' eyes glinted deviously.

"This wont be good!" Hermione thought bracing herself for his reply. She was to be proven right.

"That's a bit cheap for such valuable information. Don't you think?" he said mock examining his fingernails, then looking up innocently at Hermione. "I mean what's one lousy grade?" She gritted her teeth, the need to strangle him, steadily increasing. "... go on Hermione wrap your finger around that white and smooth neck of his...." she thought. This thought caused her to notice how pearly white his skin was which i turn evoked the desperate need to bang her head against the good old Hogwarts stone walls. She resisted and turned her attention back to what Malfoy was saying.

"... I think that you being second in ALL subjects is more like it."

Hermione's eyes bulged in honest heartfelt outrage. "You must be joking!" she spluttered.

Draco smiled coolly at the swimming girl "A Malfoy never jokes."came the dry reply.

Hermione now close to pleading, "All subjects? SOOO UNFAIR! You can't do this to me."

"I assure you, I can and I'm not open to any bargaining."

She glared daggers at him. "FINE! I'll make a couple of mistakes in all test and as such leaving room for you to do better ... You're really enjoying this, aren't you." His answer consisted of a happy smile.

Hermione looked glumly at him. "Now. Tell me what you know."she said sounding tired.

"Not so fast lil' lady. How do I know you'll keep your word?"

"Griffindor honour?" Hermione suggested a little unsure. He shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous. I wouldn't make a deal based on Griffindor honour. And you know it."

"A handshake confirms a deal...."she suggested.

Draco made a disgusted face. "That's pathetic, primitive and totally inefficient muggle tradition. I mean how does a handshake stop someone not keeping his word?" he continued not awaiting Hermione's answer "Besides it would imply touching you."

By now Hermione was totally fed up. "Go to hell Malfoy! It was idiotic of me to come here. And I won't let myself be insulted by an arrogant bastard such as yourself. Your loss!"

She turned to stomp of but Draco caught her by the arm. "Oh come on Granger. Wait..."

"Let go!" she growled her eyes dangerously narrow yet without any effect on Draco. He calmly kept holding her "Obviously we'll make a magical deal...."

Now Hermione was interested despite of herself and stopped struggling. She hadn't come across any proper deal sealing spells yet. He let go of her seeing he had her attention.

"The one I know is a rather old one. I shall perform it if you're game. Are you?"

Hermione was too curious not to be and nodded. His eyes gleamed. He looked exited like a little child hardly able to contain himself. This spell was obviously something special.

Draco fished his wand from somewhere out of his robe and gestured her to get it out too. She did as he bid and held out her wand in front of her. Then Malfoy touched its tip with his, looked up and smiled a small radiant smile that reached his eyes. It said "I know this is rather intimate don't worry it'll get worse....."

It was strange to watch Malfoy communicate so subtly. She hadn't thought him capable of more than sneering and jeering which he admittedly was very good at. That there might be more to him than that came as quite a shock.

She smiled back waiting what would come next. He began to chant quietly as their wands touched. The chanting was too quiet for understanding which began to trouble her. Suddenly she felt very naive to be standing in a hallway with Malfoy wands touching and him performing the spell to seal their deal. It felt like making a pact with the devil. How could she know what he really was doing? How had she got herself it to this situation? Right! It had been that bloody sweet smile of his and at second thought, her curiosity.

Well now she had to see it through... goodness knows what would happen if she stopped touching his wand. It wouldn't necessarily result in the spell just ending....

She could feel a tingle coming from her wand going through her. It felt rather nice. Then she saw the spark. It seemed to be gathering from Malfoy and then wandered up his wand. When it reached the tip it glowed a even brighter emerald green than it already had. Then it jumped!

Hermione watched with round eyes as the Draco spark moved down her wand. She could feel its warmth. The feeling increased as the spark touched her hand and then it dissolved. It hadn't left though. As she felt its tingle inside her, she imagined it still glowing green.

What happened next was nothing like anything she had ever felt before. Her own spark formed. And now she knew that the spark consisted of her magical energy. It tore away from her and formed a red spark. It didn't hurt, not physically, but felt sort of sad. It was the first time that she became aware of her magical energy as a tangible force and now it was leaving. She felt like crying, But then she felt it still inside her. It hadn't all gone. Just a small part of it. The red spark leapt over to the other wand an also dissolved as it touched the other opposites hand. Then Malfoy broke the touch and Hermione gasped feeling peculiar and somehow awed and still aware of her own and in addition Draco's magical force inside her .

Malfoy had been watching her intently through out the whole process of the spell and was still doing so when she stood there gasping, her expression one of fearful wonder.

"Explain." she finally managed.

"First you tell me what you think of it."

It wasn't a demand. He just seemed to be curious.

"It felt weird hard to describe. I think we now both have a part of our magic hostage and I bet they will be returned when both sides of our deal will be fulfilled. How close is that?"she said triumphantly.

"Close. Couldn't have put it better myself. I knew your a clever witch Hermione. No need for explaining then." he grinned as if knowing what this sentence caused in her.

It did plunge her in quite some confusion. How does one react on a Draco Malfoy charmingly complementing oneself? She decided simply not to and rescued herself by changing the topic.

"I think it's time you tell me what I want to know. Since I 'm paying quite some price." she looked at him levelly now in turn her arms crossed in front of her breast putting some distance between them. Being on such friendly terms with him scared her. She didn't want to start liking him that would make her vulnerable. Besides she felt like a traitor when friendly to Draco.

He stepped back as if sensing the change and began:

"I'm quite sure that what we faced yesterday night was breath of death. That's what it's called. I came across it in some old book of ours back at the manor in the summer holidays I don't recall the title of the tome. Yesterday I recognised the symptoms I had read about.." Hermione interrupted him, "You mean the darkness and panic? You felt it too?" she asked her eyes concerned, "And you deduced from that it was this breath of death thingy?"

"Yes I felt it too, and no I didn't deduce it from that only.

I don't think I was in the same stage as you were I was still rather clear. A little stupidly panicky but that was all. But when you ran into me I felt the panic receding at your touch. That was when I realised what was happening. You seemed further gone. But also got better at touch and sense."

Hermione nodded. That made sense. "So is that all. This breath of death can be fought by touch and sense?"

Draco seemed a little uneasy. "Strong emotion helps too." Hermione raised an eyebrow. She thought she'd consider the facts she had later. "Is that all? Is panic as bad as it gets?"

Draco shook his head. "I think if a person is to long under the influence of the breath of death he'll go mad."

Hermione's eyes widened. Madness, complete loss of sensibility how dreadful."Can it be cured?"

Malfoy shrugged." I don't know. The book was rather vague. I don't even know what breath of death is. A spell? A potion? A curse? I haven't a clue. Your on your own there." He said and looked apologetically.

Hermione smiled a worried little smile "At least I've got a name. I can work with that. And we know what helps." She looked into his eyes. They seemed so different when not full of malice and thought. "No matter for what reason you helped me, madness would be my worst nightmare, you saved me from that and I thank you with all my heart." It sounded cheesy to her but it was nevertheless true. She had felt madness claw at her she hadn't been far off giving in to it. What would she be without her sanity and wit.

On impulse she hugged Malfoy, giving him quite a shock. She couldn't help but feel grateful to the little twerp. She let go quickly not giving him time to react, then touched an imaginary cap and took off at a run.