Cough. Okaaay, so there are errors. But let's all pretend and not notice about the driver's license thingy. :) Weeeee...I know they use pounds in London by the way, but last time I forgot what the code was on the Alt keypad numbers. ;) If you know what I'm talking about, which you probably don't. Anyway, here is the sign: £
I'll use it in future. ;) Oh yeah, I know their emotions are developing slowly, but love don't happen in five chapters, you know. :P Enjoy the story and the evil cliffhanger. Muahahaha!!!

Chapter 10: Discovery

Hermione tripped lightly down the steps, smiling to herself. School had not been as bad as she had anticipated. Hurrying to her car, she spotted Draco trudging along, head bent as if deep in thought. His hair fell about, framing his face, for he no longer wore it slicked back, for some reason. He looked - innocent...vulnerable...A shudder ran down her back. It was strangely...appealing.
Suddenly he looked up, and the charm disappeared. His face resumed the usual expressionless, cold, indifferent look. Wordlessly, Hermione unlocked the doors, feeling dismay surge through her. Why did he always have to be so hostile?
They cruised silently back, Hermione stealing an occasional glance at Draco, he always stubbornly avoiding her gaze. Sighing, she maneuvoured the car into the driveway and parked.
They entered the house, and immediately Draco went up the stairs into his room; that is, after trying a few doors. Collapsing onto his bed, he closed his eyes and visualised Alexis, his breathing oddly laboured. Those penetrating, icy blue eyes...that silky, pitch black hair...he uttered a final groan and closed his eyes to sleep.

"Draco?"
Draco slowly opened his eyes to find Hermione standing over him. What was she doing here...He blinked to adjust his vision. Suddenly, without warning, all at once, he noticed how she had changed during the years. It was weird, he had never actually seen her properly before. He had just assumed she was the same dull, plain boring Granger. Now...her body had taken shape, and her eyes grown more...intense, they looked as if they had not just seen the good side of the world. Also, her previously bushy, wild hair had tamed down to soft curls that cascaded gracefully down her back.
"Dinner..." she mumbled bashfully, embarrassed at entering his room; his territory; his private property without his permission when he was sleeping. What had she been thinking?
Draco said nothing, he was too busy staring at her and whacking himself mentally for not seeing this before. She was not pretty...that wasn't the right word...she looked...elegant; demure, even if shewas sporting a splattered, unflattering apron that had seen better days.
Draco suddenly realised that he had been gazing at her too long for it to be unnoticed. Hermione looked at him suspiciously, wondering what was going on in that complex mind of his.
"Er...I'll be down in a minute...or twenty," muttered Draco, carefully looking the other way. "I need to...do something...explore the house." What? Explore the house? Why did he just say that? Why couldn't he have come up with a better excuse to prevent other unintended gawping incidents? Explore the house?! He could just SEE the faceless people giving him a thumbs down and yelling, "LAME!" I mean - explore the house?!
"Okay..." replied Hermione, though she did not look convinced. She looked back at him before leaving, as if sending him a mental message: Stay away from my stuff!

Draco stole through the empty, lonely hallways, feeling immensely bored, but glad for an excuse to get away from Hermione. It was too risky to be observing her during mealtimes. He formed a mental picture in his mind; them sitting at the table, his jaw slack with bits of half-chewed dinner in his mouth, gaping at her, while she stared confusedly back.
Glad that's over.
Draco walked absently, trusting his instinct. Turning a corner, he came upon a set of stairs, a wide door at the end of them. The door was not the ordinary kind. It was those big ones with two doorknobs side by side. He ascended curiously. Placing his hand on one of the doorknobs, he felt a rush of excitement speed through him. Bracing himself, he pushed the door open and peeked around.

"Hermione!"
Hermione looked up, frowning, when she heard Draco yelling to her from somewhere in the house. His voice was faint, he had to be far away.
"What?" she shouted. This had better not be a repeat of the time he made her rush over to him for nothing.
"Come here!"
Well, so much for that.
"If it's that important, you can just scurry over here and tell me what you want to yourself!"
"I need to show you something!"
"I'm not moving!"
Hermione heard him sigh. Wait...how could she hear him if he was so far away that he had to shout? That had to be pretty loud. Oh well.
Thump. Thump. Thump. In Draco flew suddenly, grabbing her wrist and dragging her along with him. While they sped along hallways, Hermione suddenly registered that he was gripping her hard. What? First he won't even talk tome and now heis nearly tugging myarm off in excitement which he just happens to want to share with me?
Right.
Hermione started paying more attention to where they were rushing off to. Actually more like where he was rushing off to and dragging her like a sack of grain to. Okay...they had come to a flight of steps. Hermione was sure she was going to trip and fall flat on her face at the speed he was climbing them. Then...he stopped. It was over. They were on the landing where an oversized door was located.
"Here," Draco said breathlessly, his face flushed from all the running.
Oooo...he looks cute...thought something in Hermione's head. What? Now, look here, you thingy...you absolutely cannot start thinking stuff like that about Draco.
Whatever.
Then there came silence. Finally.
"Hermione, hurry up and look!" Draco exclaimed, nearly exploding with impatience.
"Okay, okay, it's not like you have a Philosopher's Stone back there or something..." she muttered, pushing the door open.
And looking around, she gasped.

Lalala...dont worry, it isn't bad, it's actually good. Not anything magical, just something that some people have for daily enjoyment. That's all I'm spilling. -Runs as mob chases with flaming sticks and pointy objects- I can't write if you kill meeeeeeeeeee!!!

:Da Poring Person: