Disclaimer: Potterverse belongs to JK Rowling, of course. I only own the plot.

her name is hermione

Three whole days passed by before Madam Pomfrey reluctantly agreed that Draco had indeed fully recovered and was to be released from the hospital wing and back into the hustle and bustle of the school. He thanked her, something he had never done before in all his times spent there, gathered what little get-well-gifts he had received and made his way to his dormitory, disposing them haphazardly onto his bed. One of the cards fell open upon hitting the bed and his eye caught sight of the signature. Slightly raising an eyebrow, he picked the card up and sat down on the edge of his bed gingerly.

It's strange how lonely it gets in the dorm without your snarky comments. Get better soon. By the way, Merry Christmas.

Hermione Granger

"...merry christmas" he muttered the words out in a low whisper and snorted. 'Hardly merry was it, being unconscious at Christmas ... having no family to go home to anyway if I wasn't. Bah humbug.' He released a soft sigh and stood up slowly, leaving the card on his bed along with the other items. His bookbag lay as he had left it, on the floor next to the bedside table. Packing his bag according to and getting ready for his classes for the day, the boy cast the card one last look before striding out of the room. His entrance to the Advanced Charms class was met with immediate murmurs and excited whispers. Professor Flitwick almost bounced himself off the tall stack of books he was standing on at the sight of the blond student.

"My apologies for my tardy, sir. Madam Pomfrey only released me from the infirmary barely a little while ago."

"Oh no, dear boy, it's quite alright. I do hope you're feeling well enough to pick up on the lesson so far!" The little professor twittered, making enthused little movements with his wand such that bright little sparks flew from the tip. Upon noticing this, he proceeded to busy himself with trying to calm his excitable wand with random mutters such as "oh! oh dear me, dear me!" heard every two seconds.

Draco smirked to himself, amused with the professor's flurried actions. Scanning the room quickly, he walked over to the only empty seat available which just happened to be right next to Pansy Parkinson. A wide grin appeared on her face and it was all he could manage to ignore her instant incessant questions and babbling. The charm that Professor Flitwick had set the class to work on was complicated yet something he could achieve without much effort. There was after all, a reason why he was made Head Boy but lessons were not the only thing on his mind. Apart from trying to block out Pansy's annoying voice and focusing on the charm, his mind was painfully picking apart memories of which he had been trying hard to push to the back of his mind.

"...and now that you're back you can keep Crabbe and Goyle on their leash, they've been so annoying, following me around and asking me when you are getting back. Oh it's been ever so lonely without you in classes and meals. It's lovely that you're back though, I've been meaning to tell you about the other day..."

"Hermione ..."

"Yes ... Draco?"

"I think I might love you..."

He frowned. 'Don't remember it, don't start remembering it ... oh hell, why can't I stop remembering it?' Mentally kicking himself, he waved his wand with a trifle more vigour than he meant to and a bright green flame erupted from his wand tip. He blinked and quickly muttered the counter-spell to extinguish it. So much for concentrating on the charm.

"I'm ... I'm sorry, did I hear you right? Because I thought I heard you say that you ... ahh, never mind..."

"You didn't hear wrong."

"But ... oh it can't be.."

"Why not?"

"Because, you shouldn't!"

"Hermione..."

"Draco, are you even listening to me? As I was saying, it's a pity you missed Christmas. I was looking forward to spending it with you - I chose to stay here at Hogwarts during the holidays as well since you weren't in any position to go home of course. Then there's this whole ball coming up next month..."

"Oh hang the bloody ball," he grumbled, extremely put-off with Pansy's unyielding rambling.

"... would be great going together, don't you think?" she prattled on as though he hadn't said a word. "I already have the perfect dress robes for the occasion and I had it fashionably altered at Rose's Robes during our last Hogsmeade visit..."

"For goodness' sake, Parkinson, will you shut it?" Draco huffed just as the end-of-class bell jangled out. "I'm not going to the stupid ball with you!" he half-yelled at her before swiftly grabbing his belongings and sweeping out of the class leaving behind a very stunned Pansy who forced herself to gather her bearings and rush out after him.

"What in Merlin's name did you mean by that?" she demanded, striding hard to keep up with his pace.

"I mean exactly what I said, I'm not going with you."

"You're taking that disgusting dirtybred aren't you?"

His fists clenched, his jaw firmly set as he checked his anger. "Who I take to the ball with me is none of your business, Parkinson."

"You are! What could you possibly see in her except filth, she is beneath us, Draco!"

"Who are you to make assumptions about her? You know nothing about her."

"I know enough, she's a bloody mudblood that's what."

He stopped abruptly, his temper reaching an almost uncontrollable point as he turned to face her. "Her name is Hermione, Parkinson and if I hear you utter that filthy word about her or even make any crack about her I will personally see to it that you will live to regret blabbing your nasty little secrets to me all these years. Have I made myself clear?"

Her face paled, horrified at the suggestion that he would actually spill her secrets to the world. Of course, Draco had no intention of doing so; secrets told to him would always remain secrets but Pansy was not to know that. He was merely making empty threats to shut her up. She nodded slowly.

"Crystal," she replied, eyes wide and searching his face.

"Now leave me alone before I change my mind and spill anyway."

Pansy made a strangled sort of noise, dejectedly turning around and stalking away, the sulkiest of looks apparent on her face. Draco on the other hand, rolled his eyes and went on his way out of the castle. He had a free period but instead of using it to catch up with his staggering accumulated workload, he decided to while away the time by the lake. Sitting down by his favourite tree, his eyes idly looked over the wide expanse of the glistening surface of the lake, broken now and then by random schools of fish leaping over the water. Every now and then, a large tentacle would lazily break out of the water only to submerge itself again almost immediately.

"No, no you can't ... you don't mean that."

"I do..."

"Oh sweet Merlin ... please don't.."

"Why? Hermione ... I know what you're thinking and I don't care."

"But you can't just throw your whole empire away just because you think you fancy me! I won't let you lose everything on my account, Malfoy, I won't allow it."

"I said I don't care."

"Malfoy please ... it's the fever you're having ... you shouldn't say things you'll live to regret."

"I regret nothing."

"Don't do this to me..."

"To you? You're the one constantly on my mind!"

"No! You don't know what you're saying! I won't let you throw your entire life away because of me!"

"HERMIONE!"

He groaned angrily, gently rubbing the spot between his eyebrows with his thumb. She had ran out on him, away from the hospital wing and not once did she come back during his remaining stay there. Worry bubbled within him and he wondered briefly if telling her was a big mistake, then quickly shoved the thought away. No, he was sure he did the right thing coming clean with his feelings to her. He knew exactly what risks he was taking. He remembered every word of the letter, every word Dumbledore told him, every single detail of his horrid dream. Yes, he knew it all and he was absolutely certain his feelings were reciprocated. His lips blew out a small sigh.

"Oh Hermione," he whispered softly to himself, "I didn't mean to scare you so badly..."

'I just want to love you before you leave me forever.'