Alrighty then! I'm so happy, the reviews are getting better and better. I've got a few things to say.

WiccaWitch…… Okay…I'm not really sure what to say. I'm sorry, but I still don't see what you're talking about. Draco addressed his letter to Hermione because she had already given herself away, and he signed it by his usual name. Hermione knows that Lightning is Draco, but doesn't want Draco to know at that point in time so she addressed the letter to Lightning and signed it Hermione because she already gave herself away and it would seem pointless to sign her codename-thing. Other than that, I really don't know what you're talking about. Sorry!

TomboyishRandom…… Well, I hadn't planned on anything, but now that you mention it…Naw, I'm messing with you. I don't plan on doing a sequel or prequel. Hopefully, when the story is finished, it'll all be out in the open. If not, I'll probably just leave a few footnotes explaining things. In an earlier chapter, I had considered going into that, but decided it wasn't the right time. Who knows, maybe I'll manage to put it in another upcoming chap, but there are no additions to the storyline once I end it. Thanks for asking and for your review! I like getting things I can answer.

Plooshgirl...I liked that part too. You never fail to review and I love them. Thanks bunches! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I just want to say, I really don't mean to leave so many cliffies, it just happens. Sorry. (big smile) lol


To the rest of you who reviewed and said to hurry up, here you go! It makes me so happy to know you guys are impatient for more. Always a good motivator. THANKS!

Chapter 12: How dare you?

A week later, and Harry and Ron were back. Ginny was spending more and more time with her. Hermione was finding it hard to find excuses to go to her common room. The professors were going hard on them, preparing for NEWTS. Every day now, Hermione and Draco would sit down after dinner and talk. They complained about family, talked about friends, and were real with each other. Normally they would stay up late into the night to complete homework that was due the very next day.

This particular night, Hermione was dragged into the Gryffindor common room. She had been out of it all day after a really late night and was hardly able to pay attention to anything. When Ron started asking whether this or that answer was right, she just nodded yes or no, seemingly paying attention. Ron, the smart egg that he is (yeah, right) took advantage of this and had her check over all his homework. After all, this wasn't a normal occurrence, and Hermione was always right. Or so he thought.

A week and one day later, Ron was furious. All the homework that Hermione had checked over was wrong. All wrong! She was supposed to be right, he had been counting on it. Ron was just about to find out how different things were with Hermione. She was sitting in front of the fire with Ginny.

"Hermione!" He dropped his stuff and stood towering over her.

"What?" She shared a puzzled look with Ginny.

"All my stuff was wrong! Every paper you went over was wrong!"

"Well, Ron, that's not my fault, is it?"

"Yes, it is! You checked it! You're always right!"

"No, Ronald, I am not! Stop shouting at me. I was tired that night, and ya know what? If it's wrong, it's your fault! You should do your own work and not look to me for all the answers. You are 17 years old, and you should know this for yourself. Everyone is wrong at some point in time, and you should've checked it yourself!"

"Oh, you're only saying that because you were wrong! Whenever you're right you just love to gloat!"

"Shut up! I don't have to take this! I'm going to MY OWN common room!"

"But Hermione, what about Malfoy?" Harry had come in not long after Ron.

"He may yell or call me names, but I expect that from Malfoy by now. I didn't expect it from one of my friends!" Hermione glared at Ron and turned to leave. Halfway to the exit, Ron yelled out after her.

"Oh yeah! Just go run to your little boyfriend in your room." This had gone too far. It topped all previous arguments that Ron had started. Hermione dropped her bag and slowly turned around. Ron, stupidly, took this as cue to continue with his little rant.

"After all, you've been 'tired' lately right? Has Malfoy been keeping you up at night?" His meaning was clear to everyone in the room. Hermione started deep breathing. He is not even doing this, not to mention in front of everyone. She took a few steps closer and Ron went on.

"That's why you wouldn't go with me, isn't it! Because you've been shacking up with Malfoy!"

That was the last straw. He would not insult her intelligence and integrity and get away with it. Hermione marched up to Ron and raised her hand to smack him, but he caught her wrist. He smirked at her, and had opened his mouth to say something when her other hand came up. And SMACK! The noise resounded in the silent space.

"HOW DARE YOU! How dare you call yourself my friend? How dare you insult my morals, my integrity, and my intelligence in the way you have? I demand respect as the current Head Girl of Hogwarts, and your FRIEND! Over the past seven years, Ronald, Malfoy's name calling and yelling have not hurt me as much as you have in this one night."

She finished in a low growl, and wiped at her eyes quickly for effect. Taking her things, she stormed out of the room and into the hall. Her walk was angry and fast, her rant continuing inside her head. She glared at the floor and made it there relatively quickly. Flopping angrily on the couch, she scowled at the table in front of her. Draco looked at her.

"What happened?"

She started telling him, and by the time she was done she was yelling and walking around, hitting the air. He eventually put together what happened. She concluded.

"And in front of everyone like that! He just makes me so mad!" She grabbed the first thing her hand made contact with; a large paperweight. She hurled it and it flew across the length the room and into the wall. Draco waited for her to calm down.

"I mean, how could he say those things to me? So what if I'm smarter than he is, I try. He doesn't. He says all this crap, and it just makes me so angry. I wish he would just disappear."

Draco looked at her for a moment, then got up. Walking up to her, he wrapped her in his arms. After a minute, she hugged back. She mumbled her thanks into his shirt. Pulling away a few moments later, he looked at her. Hermione was about to speak, but was silenced when she found Draco's lips on hers. He was rubbing her back, and she let herself go just a tad bit more. She didn't pull away when Draco gently moved his tongue against her lips, and instead, opened her mouth. Hermione was finding it harder and harder to concentrate, and moved closer, pressing against him. Soon they were both breathless, and had to pull away. She found her brain slowly getting back in order, and was amazed at how he made her lose control.

"Draco, could you…"

"What?"

"Could you take me flying?" Her voice was so soft it took a minute for Draco to process what she had said.

"You want to go flying?" He was amazed.

"Yes. I know everyone thinks I'm afraid or not very good, but I'm really rather good, and I love it. It's exhilarating, like being on a roller coaster constantly. Could we?"

"Yeah, of course. Shall we go now?"

She nodded, and he led her into his room, still amazed. Never dropping her hand, he first opened the window, then got his broom out. He got on, then pulled her on.

"I'll kick off, so just hold your feet up."

And they were hovering. Hermione was in front of him, and he was hugging her close to him, one arm wrapped around her middle. He started to go up, then shot down, much to Hermione's delight. Lazily soaring, he moved to the clouds.

"Draco, go back down, we'll get wet."

"But the clouds are fun."

"If you go back down I'll give you a kiss."

"Well…when you put it that way…"

Shooting down, he brought them nearer and nearer to the ground. He pulled up around 10 feet above the ground. Hermione was laughing.

"Well, how's this for down?"

" Great." She leaned further into his chest, and turned her head, giving him a quick kiss. "Now we have to go up. Somebody might recognize us from this low."

"I think I'll need some motivation."

"Oh all right. If you go up some, I'll give you kiss." She giggled. She loved flying, and she was almost certain she loved him. How could it get any better?

"That's what I'm talking about."

The rest of the night was spent outside, Draco continually teasing Hermione in this fashion, going up just a couple inches sometimes, or going to high. Only to come down with a kiss. When it finally became to cold and she could not feel her fingers, they went in. Snuggling into her warm bed under black covers, she realized she had never laughed so much as she had tonight. Then a happy thought occurred to her. Ron's argument gave her the perfect excuse not to go into the Gryffindor common room for a while. This was a good day after all.

How'd you like that? I just loved the flying part. And the part where Hermione sticks it to Ron. I think he had it coming, don't you? Well, I'll be updating soon, so yay! It's Thursday night and I just got done watching the CSI season finale. Nick didn't die! YAY! I was so nervous, I was like, hyperventilating. That's all really, so I'll get going and let you review. Bye! Dizzy