Draco paced the confines of his room anxiously, pushing all obstacles out of his way. His dorm mates Crabbe and Goyle were obliviously snoring. He had no clue what to do about his life. He had been spending almost every day with Hermione, and they were becoming fast friends… and maybe more than friends. In that aspect, he was very happy. But besides that, his life was rotten! He had been receiving letters from his Uncle Lecial for almost a month now preparing him for "what to expect" when he came home for the next break… when he was supposed to take the Dark Mark. But he didn't want to become a death eater! It was just a tricky situation to avoid. How could he deny his uncle without fear of being killed or tortured or put under a controlling spell? He had told Hermione about his home situation, and she had been sympathetic, but she had even less of an idea than he did about what to do. She was very sheltered in some ways. Her only recommendation had been to speak to Dumbledore about it, but he wasn't really comfortable with unburdening himself to someone he considered a stranger.

Draco sighed and looked out the window blankly for a moment before deciding to go to the library. It was late, but he was a prefect and could use that as an excuse for being out if Filch or anyone else caught him.

When he reached the library he lit up at the sight of Hermione, engrossed in a book and writing notes frantically, her hair in a crazy bun. The sight of her always made him happy, but this time the happiness faded quickly when he remembered his troubles. Nevertheless, he went and sat next to her.

"Hey kiddo." He said, touching her shoulder lightly as he sat down next to her, looking over her shoulder at what she was writing. She smiled at him drowsily.

"I'm no more of a kid than you. Ugh I'm so tired, but I've been so distracted lately… well I haven't studied for this test yet." Hermione blushed, but Draco simply smiled at her wanly. "Maybe I should take a break. Do you have a story to tell me?" She asked hopefully. He frequently told her stories, but tried to keep them lighter than the Lissvia Malfoy/ James Potter one had been- he hadn't meant to make her cry!

"I'm a little tired myself, to be honest, Hermione." Seeing her pout he rolled his eyes, and leaning back in his chair, he began, "Once upon a time, there was a boy who was very happy. He was friends with a wonderful girl at school and had everything he wanted. But he had a dark past. His evil uncle had murdered his parents, because they wanted to do good things in the world and not help his evil plans. Now the boy was alone in the world, and it was hard to stand up to a wreckless murderer when you were completely alone. The memory of his parents kept him going, but even that wasn't enough as his Uncle's plans neared their culmination. The boy was expected to join a club, an awful club that murdered people and did other terrible things. He tried to tried and fight it, but his induction into the club was getting closer and closer, and he was more and more alone. Always alone…"

Draco watched Hermione fondly; she had fallen asleep somewhere into his narrative. He reached out and stroked her hair, wondering how to get her back to the Gryffindor dorm without waking her. She was sleeping like an angel and she worked so hard. It was already 2 AM! He had just decided a levitation charm would work best when he heard a voice behind him, coming from the shadows.

"You aren't alone Mr. Malfoy." Draco spun around to face the person, and was shocked to see not just the speaker (Dumbledore) but also Professor Snape looking back at him with sympathy shining in their eyes.

"I didn't mean for you to overhear…" Draco furrowed his brow, trying to think of a way to pass the story off as a joke or something of the sort. Dumbledore simple raised an eyebrow.

"Draco, don't play games with us. Snape and I are both perfectly aware of your situation at home, and in fact came here tonight hoping to speak with you about it. Your story simply served as a confirmation to what we already knew, and an explanation of your very normal feelings." Dumbledore's voice was soothing and hypnotically even, rising and falling in a comforting, lilting rhythm.

"I don't know what to do." Draco said quietly, looking at his feet. Snape finally spoke up in his dry tones.

"Well, whether it will be good or bad news to you I'm not sure, but you're situation has been resolved for you. Last night Aurors surprised Lecial and, I regret to tell you, he was killed in the ensuing struggle. I expect the other Death Eaters won't press you, since they know what your parents standing on them was, and they are very busy with the fighting going on at the moment. Lecial was their only link to you." Draco sat down at the table, trying to absorb all the information.

"Are you alright, Draco?" Albus asked, stepping from the shadows and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, the death of Lecial isn't a great disappointment to me, I must admit. But it still is surprising. And now I really am alone…" Draco trailed off, not wanting to go into an inappropriate speech about his worries of living alone in the manor and… well being completely alone and without guardianship… he was only 16! He couldn't think of any relatives other than Lecial.

"Draco, I know you must be thinking of your future. Sadly your unwitting parents left you to Lecial in their last will, however the back-up guardian was the Zabini family. They are now your legal guardians. They aren't death eaters or anything you should worry about. Your fortune and the manor are yours of course." Severus nodded quietly, his tranquilly cold eyes glinting as he looked down his long nose at Draco. The poor boy.

"Oh. Actually I'm quite good friends with Blaise, and I've spent a lot of time at the Zabinis' house. I'm not extraordinarily close with them or anything, but I really do like them. I hope they don't mind being my guardian." Draco's expression became more animated as he talked. In a few moments his life had changed and his future looked bright yet again. After so long in the shadow of impending doom, he felt giddy with relief. Dumbledore chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling merrily.

"Aah my boy don't worry, they already contacted me expressing their fervent wish for Lucius and Narcissa's wishes to be carried out! They really were good friends, right from their Hogwarts days. The Zabinis have suffered greatly watching Lecial's control of you." Draco smiled. Things were going to be a lot better.

Hermione awoke the next morning in a panic… the last thing she remembered was falling asleep listening to Draco's silken voice as he told her a story about a happy boy who went to school… that was as much as she remembered. But she was in her own bed? She would've pondered it more if not for the fact that she suddenly recalled her upcoming test! Springing out of her bed, she quickly got ready and began towards the breakfast hall at a quick trot, reading her study notes as she went. Unsurprisingly she soon smacked straight into Draco Malfoy, who grasped her upper arm to keep her from falling and moved the papers from in front of her face.

"Good grief Granger, do you ever stop studying? Even you can't see through paper and read it at the same time!" Draco scolded, smiling. Hermione looked at him distractedly before pulling away.

"Not now Malfoy, I've got a big test!" She said, putting her notes on the wall as she scratched in an addition with her quill. He smirked calmly.

"Hermione, I do hope you realize that the first class doesn't start for two hours. I was wondering why you were up so early." Hermione dropped her notes and spun to face him.

"What? Oh… I thought it was a little quiet." She shrugged and began picking her papers up again. Draco waited for her to finish and then they went down to the hall in silence. They both ate at the Gryffindor table since there was no one else in the hall.

"Hermione, remember when I told you about my family?" Draco broke the silence. Hermione nodded. "Well my uncle has died, happily, and I'm not under the guardianship of the Zabini family, which is great." Hermione grinned genuinely, having woken up with the assistance of a little caffeine.

"That's great Draco!" She said encouragingly.

"And now that that's all cleared up I wanted to speak to you about something. Although it is a little early in the morning…" He glanced around blearily at the grey morning light in the hall. Hermione giggled giddily.

"I'm awake from the two cups of coffee." She said in a high-pitched voice.

"Hermione, don't lie. I'm sitting right across from you, and you've had 4 cups of coffee." Draco waggled a finger at her half-heartedly.

"Well it's good for you! Anyway. Go on." She retorted, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him. Draco sighed.

"It was nothing. We can talk about it later." He suddenly felt a little blah. Hermione sighed loudly and went back to studying.

Draco wasn't making a move. Hermione knew he liked her, and she liked him. Draco was probably used to girls flinging themselves at him, and it had been a year since Hermione had dated, or even been interested in anyone, so she definitely wasn't above making the first move. The trouble was she had to find a suitable way to do it. It's not like she could just jump him. Well she could. But no, she didn't want to give him an idea that she was easy or anything. Hmm. Well, Easter was coming up…

Draco was moping. While his problems were all resolved, he wanted to find some way to impress Hermione. Girls usually flocked to him. But she wasn't really that type, he reckoned. Well, the logical thing to be would be to jump her. Ah, obviously, he thought, smiling brilliantly. It will be so romantic! What girl could resist me? Why hadn't he thought of this before? It was much more romantic than all the flowers and notes crap. HA! I am such a charmer, Draco thought smugly as he set out in search of his paramour-to-be.

Hermione had searched for Draco, but he remained frustratingly elusive. Plus, she was damned uncomfortable and beginning to forget WHY she was doing all this elaborate plotting. Ugh. She poked her head out the massive doors of Hogwarts into the warm spring night, looking for her prey. And glory be! There he was, by the lake, rooting around in some bushes. She couldn't wait until he saw her. She made her way down to him triumphantly, and then leaned on a tree while he continued to search a bush rather violently. She cleared her throat and he spun to face her. He flushed a little and his eyes lit up when he spotted her.

"Hermione! I've been looking for you everywhere!" He said, coming toward her at an alarming pace. Hermione was a little chagrined that he seemed not to be noticing her outfit.

"And you thought you'd find me in that bush?" Hermione was cut off as Draco lunged for her, backing her into the tree and possessing her mouth in a very persuasive, if very random, kiss. Hermione abruptly remembered her earlier thoughts and pushed him away. Draco looked at her confusedly. Was she immune to the Malfoy charm? It was then he noticed her costume. His eyes went as big as saucers as he took in her form, clothed in the same outfit he'd been cursed to wear weeks ago, right down to the ears… a throwback to when they had met.

"Malfoy, I hope you don't think you can just kiss me, because I'm easy. I'm not, I don't just go around randomly kissing people you know, I have high standards, and…"

"You just happen to be dressed very… suggestively right now as a mere… coincidence? You were looking for me wearing that because you wanted… to have a friendly chat?" He teased her, loving the fiery look in her eyes. He was really having too much fun taking her in. The sexy heels, fishnets, corset style black body suit and the little necktie… even the ears.

"It's just a costume, not suggestive at all! You wore it for almost a week and I never jumped you!" Hermione ranted, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Well Granger, I have my pride but even I'll admit it looks a damn sight sexier on you than it did on me." Draco replied calmly, his eyes never leaving her scantily clad body. Hermione turned crimson as she pulled her cloak around her.

"well… I… you… hmmph! I just came down here…" She stuttered, trying to find an excuse as she turned even more red.

"Relax. Sit down. How bout I tell you a story?" Draco sat with his back to the tree, pulling her down with him and putting an arm around her. Hermione couldn't think of any reason to protest, and she didn't really want to. The sun was rising and the lake glistened pink before them in a reflection of the sky.

"There was a boy. He was dreadfully handsome, rich, popular and smart. He went to a school and was feeling very well about life in general. And then he met this girl. At first he thought she was a little bossy, and annoying. But as they got older, he realized the real reason he disliked her was because she was perfect. She was intelligent, beautiful, loyal, and just amazing in every way. His dislike turned to admiration. One day they were thrown together by fate, and he began to like her even more! She was… Well hell Hermione, you're funny, and cute, and sexy and adorable at the same time, and you've really grown on me. So can't we knock off the bloody awkwardness and get on with this? You know you want to be my girlfriend. We'd be the hottest couple Hogwarts has ever seen!" Draco finished with a smirk, tightening his grip on her to let her know that despite his joking manner, he was totally serious… and totally smitten.

Hermione was, as usual, shocked by his confidence and downright audacity, but she had to admit she was flattered. And she knew she felt the same way about him too.

"Draco, even though you are a cocky prat, you are quite charming when you want to be. And… well I fancy you too." She said simply, smiling. He leaned in for a kiss and she met him halfway, their lips touching with a spark as they both felt contentment and passion wash over them.

And that's where it all began.

THE END

AN: Yes, this is extraordinarily random and odd. I wrote the first eleven chapters of this story years ago… then I went on my profile and remembered its existence, and decided to finish it out of guilt and a rare occurrence of a little spare time (don't worry, it won't happen again for another few years). Anyway, I tried to keep it in character, and I doubt anyone will even read it. This fic is so diff. from what I normally write, and I wrote it SO LONG ago, but whatever. I just wanted to clear my conscience of it, hehe. I hope no one has actually been waiting for this chapter… Anyways, it's over folks! Nothing to see here! grin Ta Ta!