A/N: Hi guys - thanks for all my reviews! Here's the next chappie - just a shortie one to lead onto a much more exciting one (maybe!) Enjoy all!
"DRACO!"
Draco didn't hear his name being called for his mind was too clouded with all kinds of terrible and panicked thoughts. Questions were flooding through his mind and he could barely make sense of them all.
"MALFOY!"
The shout echoed around the corridor and the tone was impatient and slightly high pitched. Draco slowed, for his muscles were burning and his breath was short. He put a hand on the wall beside him, feeling the coldness shot up his arm instantly as he doubled over slightly to catch his breath.
When he looked up, his hair was falling into his eyes and he could barely make out Hermione standing in front of him, arms by her side and a questioning yet afraid expression.
Draco stood up straight and flicked his hair from his eyes, still panting gently. Hermione was breathing loudly and quickly and her eyes looked red.
Draco had no idea what to say to the girl and she said nothing so there they stood looking at each other, expressions continually changing from questioning to wondering to anger and everything in between.
"Draco," Hermione said at long last, her voice small and wary. "I need an explanation and I need one now."
Draco didn't have one. There was nothing he could say that would save him. It was the truth or nothing and he certainly didn't want to tell her truth. He had planned on never telling anything, admiring from afar was fine by him but now he was being dragged into a situation he had fought to keep himself from and there was nothing he could do to stop it.
"I can't," Draco replied, his voice matching Hermione's. She had never heard him speak so human, he always spoke with such scathing and mocking tones whenever she was close enough to hear.
Hermione wasn't sure how to respond. She wanted to say tough, he had to explain but she just couldn't bring herself to boss him around. She felt sorry for him for his steely grey eyes were clouded with pain and misunderstanding. She could see he was just as shocked and confused over his Boggart as she was. But she also knew that he was the only one with the answer and it was glaring obvious to her and everyone else who was present in that room what it meant.
Draco cared about her.
"What are you going to do?" She questioned. Perhaps he could answer that?
"I don't know," Draco sighed. He had never been more vulnerable in front of anyone in his whole life. His mind was elsewhere, panicking about the consequences of that damned lesson. He had absolutely no idea where he go from here with Hermione or how he was going to save face.
The truth was looking to be the only way out and as he thought it, his forearm began to self consciously burn. The Dark Lord wasn't calling but his conscious was. He was actually battling with right and wrong and it was horribly alien to him, he wasn't sure how to deal with it.
"Meet me tonight at eight in the Quidditch stands. Don't mention anything to anybody," Draco said at once, realizing this would buy him time. He was being backed into a corner here and he wanted to get out.
Their eyes met and they both saw a revelation before them. Draco was being sincere and Hermione was being understanding.
Draco took a step toward Hermione, not taking his eyes off her. Why he moved was beyond him but as he watched Hermione part her lips and inhale a ragged breath, he lost whatever nerve he was running on and walked away from her.
He stormed down the corridor, cloak billowing behind him and eyes squeezed tight shut, berating himself over and over.
Hermione watched him leave and felt cold fear rise in her chest, he was the image of his father but her feelings for him were all over the place. In one heart beat she hated him, feared him, loathed everything that he was and stood for but in the next a sickly sweet love was building, his power and person was incredibly attractive to any hot blooded girl and she found herself liking the feeling.