"Please, please don't play with me," whispered Hermione. Tears wanted to fall, but she fought them back. "I don't want to be played with.

Draco waited until they got to their common room to reply. He didn't want anyone that wasn't at the Christmas Ball to overhear him. Actually, he didn't want anyone to hear anything. She sat down on the couch and looked. Her eyes filled with sorrow and fear. He mind was reeling with different thoughts.

"I'm not playing with you Hermione," said Draco. He sat next to her. "I would never play with you Hermione." He moved closer to her and cupped her face with a hand. Hermione was surprised to find it warm against her skin and not cold.

"Then what was that down there, Draco? Someone like you couldn't possibly like someone like me," said Hermione. She stood up and backed a couple steps away. Uncontrolled tears started to slowly fall from her eyes.

Draco got up and walked slowly towards her. He felt her shiver as he touched her arm. He pulled his hand away and cupped her face, ignoring her shivers. "Hermione," he whispered.

"Draco, stop," whispered Hermione through her tears. She backed up a step so he wasn't touching her. She loved him touching her, but she hated it at the same time. It was a confusing feeling and she didn't like it at all.

"You stop," said Draco. She looked up with questioning eyes, "Stop running. Stop

running away from everything. From," he gulped, "me."

Hermione thought her heart would pop out of her chest because it was beating to hard. "W-What?" This couldn't be happening. 'No, no, no it's not happening. I'll wake up and it'll be the night before the Ball,' she thought to herself, but it was no use. This was reality. "What are you saying?"

He took a step closer, cupped her face with both hands and kissed her for his answer. He heard her gasp, but ignored it. He waited for her to kiss back, but she didn't. He broke the kiss and looked into her shocked eyes. He closed his own eyes, took and deep breath, and headed for the door. 'I guess I was wrong…' he thought glumly.

Draco ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He couldn't believe he just did that. He knew she didn't like him. She never had. He walked into the Great Hall and disappeared into the crowd.

He though about what he just did, replaying it over and over in his mind.

Hermione stood in the common room in complete shock for a few minutes. She didn't know what to do or think. She saw the look in his eyes; they were filled with hurt and disbelief. "What am I just standing here!" Hermione ran as fast as her heels would take her.

She reached the Great Hall about five minutes after Draco had disappeared into the crowd.

"Draco!" she called, but the music was way too loud. "Move!" she cried as she pushed her way through the crowd in search of Draco. "Draco? Where are you!"

At the call of his name, Draco turned to see Hermione running to him. He looked questionably at her. He set his glass on the nearest table and turned back to her just in time to catch her. She actually jumped into his arms, cupped his checks with her hands, and kissed him, She was lucky she was so petite or they would have fallen to the floor. He had to swing around once to keep his balance.

"Why didn't you do that back in the common room," asked Draco. He still held her when they broke apart.

"I-I don't know," admitted Hermione. "You surprised me I guess. I didn't think I was ready…when I snapped back to reality, you where already gone." She looked into his eyes. For the first time, she noticed that they were an aqua blue color.

Draco looked around and gulped. Everyone looked like they were going to murder them. He gently put Hermione. "Did you have to do it here? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy you did, but here? Everyone's going to murder us."

"I wasn't thinking," said Hermione as she looked around too.

Suddenly, they were pulled away from each other. Hermione was pulled by some of her fellow Gryffindors; Draco by fellow Slytherins. They looked at each other until each was surrounded.

"Hermione-"

"Draco-"

"What the hell were you doing!" the whole hall seemed to scream at Hermione and Draco. They fought to get away. They ignored the other students and prayed that one of the professors would notice the commotion.

"Let me go," growled Draco quietly.

"Not until you tell us what the bloody hell that was about!" hissed Blaise. The other Slytherins nodded, arms folded over his or her chest.

"What I do is none of your business," hissed Draco, raising his voice steadily "Let me go before I make you."

"Ok, break it up!" growled Snape. "Leave Mr. Malfoy alone before I decide to take points. Yes from my own house." The crowd slowly backed away. Draco glared at them all, his hand tightly gripped his wand, hidden in his robe. McGonagall, Harry, and Ron broke up the Gryffidnors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs,

Hermione ran back to Draco one the Ball resumed. "I am so sorry. When you kissed me, I didn't know what to think. I completely froze. I never thought you could come to like me like-" She was cut off by Draco's lips on hers. She realized she was babbling and turned slightly pink.

Draco was surprised that Potty and Weasel weren't beating him to a pulp. He looked around when they broke the kiss. Harry and Ron were chatting away like nothing happened. He blinked at them, confused.

Hermione followed Draco's confused gaze. "They knew," she whispered. "They were surprise, but in the end they didn't mind…"

"Knew? For how long?" asked Draco, looking into her eyes. A slow song came on and they danced slowly, embracing each other tightly, but gently.

"Since about middle of November," admitted Hermione. "I'm not sure when I fell for you." Hermione laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heartbeat.

"You know, the rest of this year will literally be hell. You and me, a muggleborn Gryffindor and a pureblood Slytherin shouldn't be together. People will hate us, torture us, make hell for us," said Draco. He felt Hermione nod into his chest. "Our love is forbidden. They'll break us apart."

"I know that," said Hermione, watching as people shot death glares at them. "But, I don' care. Let them. I'll be happy just to be with you." Draco smiled. "We'll get through anything as long as we're together." She closed her eyes.

Once the song was over, Hermione lead Draco to Harry and Ron. They looked at Draco and Hermione hold hands and shook their heads. Hermione and Draco sat across from them. The table remained silent for some time. Sure, Harry and Ron didn't mind Hermione and Draco, but that still didn't mean they had to befriend Draco.

Draco eyed them. They were being awfully calm about this whole ordeal. Come think of it, he hadn't seen them glared at him at all tonight. He noticed Harry noticed he was looked at him funny.

"We're ok with this, you know," commented Harry as nice as he could muster. "We're not doing this because we want to." He added when Draco looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "We're doing this because it will make Hermione happy." He lowered his voice and said, "But, if you break her heart, we'll break you."

Hermione looked nervously at Harry then at Draco. She didn't want this. She wanted everyone to be friends -or civil- to each other. "Come on Harry, be nice. Let's all try to be civil. It might do us some good. At least call a truce.

Harry and Ron gapped at her, Ron looked at her. He couldn't make her happy, but Draco Malfoy could and would? How did that make any sense? 'But this is for Hermione,' he thought to himself. He reluctantly held out his hand after Harry did.

Draco looked at their hands. He couldn't believe he was going to agree, but he knew Hermione wouldn't be able to choose over him or them. 'I guess this is for Hermione,' he thought to himself and sighed, shaking both hands. Hermione smiled at them, apparently happy.

A/N: Sorry for the LOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGG wait. i had a writers block which sucked. but i got over it, and here it is! Can't wait for the 6th chapter that i haven't even started yet .