Chapter8

Ginny stood there, her mouth had dropped. She silently backed away and left. She headed to the Gryffindor common room and sat on one of the cozy armchairs. She stared at the fire, reenacting the scene over and over again. This explained a lot. The sudden don't-know-where-Hermione-is-and-haven't-seen-her-in-months to the Hermione-is-everywhere-I-look to the Hermione-is-hugging-Draco-Malfoy!

She sat there for hours.

Hermione POV

She headed to the Gryffindor common room skipping. She gave the password and let herself in. she found Ginny staring longingly to the flames. She crept behind her and covered Ginny's eyes.

"Guess who?" she said in her best boy voice.

"Hermione." She answered gloomily.

Hermione let go and looked at her gloomy friend.

"What's up with you?" she asked.

"You were hugging Draco Malfoy." She said a little too at the point.

"You...you saw us?"

"Yeah. I was in the shadows. I went in to surprise you and saw the whole thing. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. Please don't tell Harry and Ron."

"Tell Harry and Ron? Are you crazy? They are going to go ballistic! If they find out you'll be deader then someone set on the killing curse! Of course I won't tell. But Hermione? Why?"

"It's 'more dead'. Besides, I don't know. I have this plan to get him back for all these years and its still in action. Here's how it started..."

Hermione told Ginny everything, well, except for the strange efects on her. She felt so much better. Ginny quickly understood Hermione and told her she would help. She was skeptical on the idea of hurting Draco that much but Hermione was too far into the game. Hermione headed to the heads room filled with happiness.

When she got in she gasped. The whole room was covered with décor. She saw Draco putting the final touches to the Christmas tree.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Decorating." He answered.

"Why? It's kind of late."

"No its not. I want this Christmas to be happy. Not like my others."

"Oh."

She was heading to her room to change. It was already 10pm by the time Hermione came down. She saw Draco in front of the fire on a blanket and hot chocolate in hand again. She crawled towards him and said,

"Can I stay beside you? This is the only spot which is at least a little warm. Why did you cast that spell to let the snow drop in here anyway?"

"Don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time. The whole dorm is freezing but at least it looks great, right?"

"It's beautiful."

Draco let Hermione lay down beside him. She conjured up another blanket that fitted them both just fine. She was staring into the fire, totally absorbed.

Suddenly, she felt her heart skip a beat. It was pounding harder and harder. She looked up at Draco's icy blue eyes and felt herself melt into his arms. She snuggled up closer to him and sighed.

Draco POV

His heart was pounding so hard. He could fell his head be filled with nothing but her. He didn't know why, but Hermione always gave him a feeling that he was special. He was someone she could count on and he liked that. He stared into her chocolate brown eyes and she did the same to him. He could feel his heart flutter. He never realized how beautiful she was. He leaned closer to her. Their lips only an inch apart when...

She backed away. She blushed and said,

"Your mystery girl wouldn't like you to kiss other girls."

That was it. She picked up her things and headed to her room.

Draco stared into the fire, utterly confused. He really liked his mystery girl, but he was subconsciously falling for Hermione. He didn't know what to do. He finally stood up and headed to his room. All through the night, his dreams were all about finding out who his mystery girl was. And he felt cold. Colder then he ever felt before. It was the sort of cold one experiences when one feels loneliness consume him.

His dream...

"Wait!" he shouted.

She looked at him with disbelieving eyes. Her eyes full of tears. He came closer to her. He held his breath as he bent over and was taking of her mask. It was almost of when...

He woke up.

"Bloody Hell! I was so close! That's the 7th time ive dreamed of her!" he shouted at his wall.

He hadn't known his mystery girl was only a few rooms away, sleeping and dreaming of him. And she didn't know that he was wishing and praying that she was his unknown princess.

Hermione POV

Hermione's dream...

"Draco, I..."

"Shh..." he silenced her by putting his finger on her mouth.

She placed her lips together and stared longingly at his silvery blue eyes. He leaned in to kiss her and she leaned as well. They're lips were only a few centimeters apart when...

She awoke. Hermione stifled a yawn and stared quizzically at the wall.

'Why am I dreaming of him? Were supposed to be enemies! Sure he is a good friend of mine but im only pretending!' she thought.

'Are you sure?' said a nasty little voice at the back of her head.

'Yes! I just want to get back at him for the last 6 years!'

'Yeah right. And what happened back there? You know you wanted to kiss him.'

'No I didn't!'

'Stop lying! You're fighting a losing battle.'

'Oh shut up!'

Hermione went in the bathroom and took a long cold shower that made the voice disappear. She walked to her room and started studying. After a while an owl appeared at her window. She went over to let it in but found it had left the letter by the windowsill instead. She opened it and read:

Ms. Granger,

Please proceed to my office. I believe you already know the way. The password is, 'ton-tongue toffees'. Please inform Mr. Malfoy as well.

Signed,

Professor Albus Dumbledore

Hermione tucked the letter in her pocket and headed down to the common room. She found Draco there, in front of a heap of books. She headed down the steps and walked towards him.

"Draco, heads meeting. In Dumbledore's office. Now."

"Okay, give me a sec." he said, not even looking up from the dozens of books in front of him.

"What's all this?" Hermione decided to ask.

"Researching."

"Obviously. But why?"

"I've got to know who she is. It's driving me crazy."

"But, why can't you just wait till Snape gives the go signal to test the potions?"

"I just spoke to him. He says we would test it in two weeks. I can't wait that long."

Hermione was shaken. She had to talk to Ginny, Dumbledore can wait. She ran out of the common room and Draco stared quizzically at the portrait hole she had just left.

She ran to the Gryffindor common room without a second glance at Draco. She ignored Harry and Ron and ran up the girls dorms. She found Ginny, thankfully, alone and ran up to her and hugged her. She didn't know what to do. She told Ginny her dilemma and Ginny looked at her in a loving way.

"Maybe I should tell him." She told Ginny.

"It's your choice. But do you really think he'll give up his entire world for you? No offense, I know your friends and all, but were talking Malfoy here." Ginny answered.

"Yeah, your right."

"But... you love him, don't you?'' she said.

"No! No! It's not true!?!'' Hermione said way too defensively.

"Then why are you so defensive!?!"

"Coz it's not true!"

"Yeah right. Don't lie to yourself anymore. Besides if you didn't really love him then you wouldn't want to end his pain and tell him. C'mon! You are really head over heels in love!"

"So what if I am?!?" Hermione said. Confirming what she was feeling.

"So you admit it!"

"Bloody hell! Yes I admit it okay? So what if I can't stand the idea of him suffering? Or how I love how he treats me and how he desperately wants to know who I was in the ball? Or how I don't care what other people think? I can't tell him anyway because of our differences! And I can't tell him because I know that he doesn't feel the same way! Okay? So leave me alone!?!" Hermione cried.