Draco lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. I wish she would trust me. He rolled over, unable to find a spot on his bed that allowed him to drift to sleep. He looked over at the grandfather clock that was standing in the corner of his room. Slowly he pulled himself from his sheets and knelt beside his bed. He reached under and pulled out the spell book his father had given him.

Sleep… Sleep…Merlin, where is it?

Finally he found the page he was looking for. After muttering the simple spell Draco stood, and slid back under his sheets. As soon as his cheek lay against the silky green pillow, he was asleep.

Hermione stared into the ring watching Draco finally sleep. She had the same problem. She couldn't find sleep either, but she had a different reason. She felt horrible about not being able to trust Draco. Half of her wanted to trust him, but the other half needed proof that she could. And that proof wasn't easy to come by. Hermione whispered in the dark, "Book." Her spell book lifted off of its shelf and gently drifted toward her.

Trust… aha. Her finger followed along as she skimmed the page.

Proof of Trust

If you want to have someone prove their trust, this spell gives them the situation to prove it to you. WARNING: Could be a dangerous situation if the person does not prove their trust. Blah, blah, blah. Where is the spell?

If you want to proceed with this spell, read the words out loud and then tap your wand three times on the inside of your left wrist.

Hermione read the words aloud.

"This spell is for what

I do not know

Show me their trust

So that it might show."

Hermione then tapped her wrist three times. She felt a tingling sensation flow from her wrist throughout her body until it reached her heart, where it seemed to stay, and slowly calm. She returned the book to the shelf and walked back to her bed. I wonder what the situation will be. And then her eyes closed, and she was asleep.

The next morning was potions again. Draco walked in slowly, still unhappy about his un-trustily-ness. He sat down in his usual desk and dropped his bag next to him. He sat staring toward the large blackboard, watching the enchanted chalk write the notes he should have been taking down, when he felt Hermione enter the room.

He turned to watch her. Her hair was pulled back into a loose pony tail, and her walk was one of purpose. I wonder what she is up to.

Hermione could feel the spell pulsing through her veins. As she sat next to Neville she glanced across the room, connecting eyes with the silver ones that were watching her. She felt a shiver go through her and the goose bumps rising on the back of her neck. She sent him a cautious smile and quickly looked away, unsure of how the spell would play out.

Snape stood from his desk and walked to the front of the room. "Today class," he drawled surveying the students, "we will resume our concoction of the animal potion. Please pick up the flasks from the front table."

Neville quietly retrieved their flask and brought it back. Hermione felt the spell quicken through her veins. Oh crap. He set it down on the table and sat back. "Look, uh, Hermione… I finished the, err, potion." He stammered. "But, I don't think t-t-that I did it right…" Hermione felt her left hand reaching toward the flask holding the snot green liquid. No, stop. She slowly undid the lid, her eyes wide from fear. She looked past Neville's confused face, and saw Draco looking at her as if she were insane. She felt the top of the flask touch her lip. Draco stood so quickly his chair fell over. He started striding toward her, his arm out.

"Hermione STOP!" He tried to reach her faster but everyone was in his way. "Hermione!"

Her head tilted back, and the thick gelatin liquid slithered down her throat. As soon as there was none left in the tube, the class was silent. She looked at Draco who seemed to be walking in slow motion. She started to laugh; the whole room was turning slowly. Then her laughter died, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head. She began to convulse. And then the room went black.

She could hear voices.

"…she should… something something… if you hadn't of….something something… she is….something something….grateful that someone like…something something… dead."

And then she heard the mumbled response of someone who sounded a lot like Draco.

"Thank you…. Do you think... she…something…can I please…something…I know it was…something… no I don't think she was trying…something something…Thank you madam…"

She fell back into unconsciousness.

When Hermione awoke she tried to open her eyes, but they wouldn't. It was like they were sealed shut. She jumped when a wet cloth soothingly grazed over face focusing on her eyes. At least her ears were working.

"Hermione, why did you do that? You scared me so bad." She felt a wet drop fall on her cheek and run to her mouth. It slid in the crevice of her lips. Salt… salt water? No… a tear. "Hermione…Merlin! Why did you do that!"

Finally her eyes opened. It took a second for them to finally focus. She could see Draco looking into her eyes. The pain that reflected in them was so painful justto look at she had to look away. Draco stood up but squeezed her hand, that she hadn't until then known he had been holding. She opened her mouth to speak but it was too dry. He conjured a glass of water and stood with his back to her as she drank it.

"It…was…a….spell." She finally rasped out.

"What?" He turned to her his eyes still red.

"It was a…trust situation…spell…"

"What the hell. What in Merlin's name were you thinking, Hermione? You could have got yourself KILLED, just so I would have a situation to prove to you that I'm trustworthy! Don't you EVER do something like that again! Do you hear me?" Draco was livid.

"Ok," She agreed rolling back to her side. "So… what happened?"

"Um, besides the part where you stupidly consumed Neville's potion? Well, remember how Snape said that the potion, if not made right, would tear you up from the inside when consumed? That is pretty much what happened to you." He sat on the edge of her bed with his hands around his head. "Merlin, Hermione it was so scary. You started convulsing… and your eyes were rolled back. I tried to hold you close, but you were shaking so hard. I stood up with you in my arms, and ran here. Merlin, I thought I had… I though… I lost you." He looked at Hermione his eyes again filled with tears.

"I'm sorry, Draco. I didn't know…" She reached out and held fast to his arm, trying to comfort him. She looked out the high windows seeing it was dark she asked, "What time is it?"

"Madam Pomfrey already went to bed, but she said that I could stay here, which is a miracle in itself. I think it's about 2 in the morning. But I couldn't sleep. So here I am."

"Oh." She could feel her eyes slowly closing, yet she didn't want to fall asleep quite yet. Draco had something he wanted to say, she could tell. "Ask."

"What?"

"You want to ask me a question, I can see it in your eyes, just ask it."

"Uh," Draco looked uncomfortable, and Hermione took pleasure in this. It was a rare occasion. "Ok."

"…yes…?"

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Hermione looked up now wide awake. "No! Not like that! I'm not asking you to have sex with me." Draco looked away a flush rising to his cheeks. "It's just… I was wondering if I could lay next to you tonight. I almost lost you, and I think the only thing that would make it so I could sleep again was to know you were ok. To hear your heart beating next to mine." He looked at her. "I'm sorry it's a stupid idea."

"No, not to me."

"Really?"

"Sure." She raised the sheets to the bed, inviting him to lie beside her. He reached to take off his shirt, but seemed to decide not to. He slide beside her and lay looking at the ceiling.

"Thank you." He risked taking a glance toward her. Her chocolate eyes were intently staring at him. She smiled lightly and scooted closer to him.

"Any time." She rested her head upon his chest, breathing in deep his scent. He smelled of light musk, and peppermint. She lightly laid her hand across his torso, closing her eyes, smiling contently at the peace she felt.

He looked at her, his angel. She seemed to glow, her lips so soft and her hair so silky where the stray strands rested against his cheek. He leaned down and breathed in her aroma, gentle vanilla. He whispered so softly in her ear, "Hermione, I think I love you."

Her smile deepened and she muttered quietly slipping into slumber, "Really?"

He ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her forehead. "Really."

M/S: AHHHH! I LOVED writing this! Finally for all you people out there who wanted me to just make hermione trust him! arn't you happy i waited? I think this was my best chapter, Tell me what YOU think! ok?

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