Disclaimer: Anything that you recognise does not belong to me; it belongs to the very talented J.K. Rowling. Lucky her! I am doing this purely to see if I can, I am not making any money off of this what so ever. Unlucky me!

Also, I have read a lot of stories on this site, so if anything is familiar, it is not on purpose… Could you simply take it as an homage?

A/N: I would just like to dedicate this chapter to my wonderfully amazing Beta, dreamerdoll... And to Yana5, for always being the first to review, I dont know how you do it!

The next morning, a Sunday, Hermione decided to take advantage of everyone else still being abed and went to get a good table in the common room for she, Harry, and Ron to do their homework. Sneaking down the stairs, she was surprised to see that her favourite table was already occupied by a dark haired youth.

"Hey Harry, you're up early," she noted, voice low.

"I couldn't sleep; too much on my mind," was the reply that she got from the quiet boy.

Harry heaved a huge sigh and ran his hands through his hair, making it more ruffled than it already was. Hermione wisely remained silent, she knew that Harry would talk about what was obviously bothering him in his own time, and not a minute earlier. No amount of questioning would make him tell her before he was ready. After about fifteen minutes of quiet studying, Harry decided to break the silence.

"So last night, after you left, Draco came and talked to me."

"Really?" She looked rather surprised. "What did he have to say?"

Harry pondered for a moment. "He told me that it wasn't a prank, that he was acting on his feelings. And he said that even if I didn't like him that way he hoped that we could still be friends."

"Did he mention anything else? Any gifts he has?" Hermione asked

She desperately wanted to know whether Malfoy had told his mate that he was a veela. She couldn't work out why Malfoy wouldn't tell him; it would make everything so much simpler for him and Harry. Malfoy had been given a wonderful gift in being able to find his soul mate, and he needed to tell Harry the truth.

"Why would he talk about presents Hermione?" Harry was rather confused by his best friend's question. Did Hermione think Draco was planning on giving him a present?

Obviously Malfoy hadn't told Harry about being a veela. Hermione resolved to talk to Malfoy at the earliest possible convenience. What was he playing at? She was certain that she was correct in her theories, so why wouldn't he want Harry to know that they were soul mates and that if they got together they would be the happiest they could be?

"So what do you think of Malfoy, Harry?"

Harry looked confused. "I honestly don't know, Mi. I mean, Draco has become a friend; I enjoy talking to him, and working with him was surprisingly easy, as he really knows a lot. And one night he found me really upset and he just sat beside me, not judging me, 'til I felt better, and he didn't use it against me. Can you believe that? Draco Malfoy, the self-made prince of Slytherin didn't use a moment of weakness against the 'Boy Who Lived'. I think that was the time when I started to believe that we could be friends, that he might be someone worth spending time with."

"How do you feel about Malfoy romantically?" Hermione had noticed that Harry now referred to Malfoy as Draco, but try as she might she just couldn't force that name past her lips. This was, after all, the boy who called her Mudblood at every opportunity and, unlike Harry; she just couldn't let that go yet.

"Did I tell you about the time that Draco fell on top of me?" Harry asked, and, at the shake of the head of the person sitting opposite across from him, he continued, "A few weeks ago, I was coming out of the DADA room, and he just tripped and fell on top of me, which is rather surprising, really, as he is usually so graceful. I didn't really think of it at the time, though. I was so happy, with him lying there over me, and all I wanted to do was get closer to him, as close as I could. Then I remembered where I was, and how it must have looked, so pushed him off. I still wish I hadn't. It was such a nice feeling, being close to someone, when I have spent so long distancing myself from other people, not letting anyone near, for fear of Voldemort."

"He's also gotten really good looking," Hermione noted, and smiled inwardly as she awaited her friend's reply.

"He looks very different from his father now doesn't he?"

"Merlin, Harry, have you not noticed that he is absolutely gorgeous?" Hermione asked

Shock filled her voice. Malfoy may have been a complete arsehole, but he had the face of an angel, and was at the same time sinfully sexy. He looked as if he had been put on earth for the soul purpose of bringing pleasure to some other, amazingly lucky, person. Some other amazingly lucky person who was Harry, she noted with a shake of the head. And Harry was, in many ways, just as beautiful as his mate.

"I don't really care what he looks like, Hermione. But what do I do now?"

"Well why don't you simply spend time with him as a friend and decide how you feel when you really know the guy?" Hermione felt a bit out of her depth; she had, since fifth year, had a crush on Ron, and now they were together. She had never been with anyone else in a romantic relationship, so she really had no clue what to do when someone came up to you and professed their love for you.

"Thanks Mi, I might just do that." And with that the conversation died down and the two studied in a comfortable silence until the common room started to fill up. At ten Ron appeared, looking more than half asleep, and it was decided that they go down to breakfast before suggesting to Ron that they did some studying.

After breakfast Hermione spied a certain blonde and left her two friends with instructions to go up to the common room and study until she returned. When they were safely on their way, she followed Malfoy, calling out to him. Draco turned around in surprise when he heard the Head Girl call his name before quickly schooling his face into his usual mask and sneering.

"What do you want Mudblood; I don't have all day," he stated, tone bored.

She glared at him before replying with a smirk, "Save it Malfoy, I know what you are."

With that Malfoy mask fell away and for a split second Hermione saw a look of complete surprise on the Slytherin's face, but before she could blink the cool, collected expression had returned.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Draco informed her while moving away fro Hermione.

Hermione followed. "I just want to know why you haven't told Harry. I mean he is your mate, isn't he?"

"Would you shut up!" Malfoy hissed before hauling the girl into an empty classroom. Putting up his usual silencing and privacy wards he turned to Hermione, his eyes spitting fire.

"What the hell are you playing at, Granger?" He asked, advancing on the girl. She backed away in shock, having never seen Malfoy in such a temper before. Over the years, she had seen him in plenty moods, but this one was truly scary. In the back of her mind she wondered idly if it was all an act, his attitude and she was seeing the real Malfoy now.

"I am one of Harry's best friends; he tells me a lot of what is going on in his life. I am also the third top student in Defence Against the Dark Arts, behind only you and Harry. I can put one and one together and come up with two, Malfoy. I think the only reason Harry hasn't is because he really doesn't want to see farther into it than what lies on the surface."

She shrugged. She knew her best friend often didn't notice things, and a lot of times, it was because he chose not to. Hermione wasn't sure if that was what it was in this case or not.

Draco was looking at Hermione in dread. She had worked it out? How? He had been so careful in hiding it, and Granger had figured it all out! Damn her!

"What are you talking about Granger; I don't have time for your guessing," he said in reply, the fear he felt barely masked.

Hermione gave up trying to get Malfoy to admit what was happening. She had known already, and his behaviour only served to make her all the more confident in her assumptions. "You're a veela Malfoy, and Harry is your mate. That is why you have been hanging around him all the time, that's why you have done a complete one eighty change in your attitude towards him. That is why you didn't complain about Professor Snape's assigned pairs, and that is why you were so upset when you hurt Harry that night in the library."

Hermione paused to see her companion's reaction to her words. When she saw his shoulders slump in defeat, she continued.

"Am I right in assuming that you are a part veela and you came into your inheritance during the summer holidays, on your birthday?" At Draco's small nod she continued, "And you scented you mate on the train, that's why you didn't insult us more that day." She paused for a moment, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Did you know who it was right away, or did you just know they were in our cabin?" Hermione asked curiously.

"I knew that whoever my mate was sat in your cabin. At first, I had actually hoped it was you, can you believe it? I find it rather astounding myself, really. I thought that you would get less of a reaction from my father. It wasn't until the first potions class that I realized that my mate was Harry." Draco decided to go all the way and confess every thing, since he had already begun. "No offence or anything, but I am really glad its not you, Harry has given me so much joy, just by allowing me to be near him, that I cant imagine wanting to spend time with anyone else."

"Why haven't you told Harry about your situation?" Hermione asked, a frown of confusion marring her forehead.

"I don't want him to think that I am doing this all out of hormones or something. Imagine how it would be, someone coming up to you and saying that because of a smell you are destined to be together forever and live happily ever after? Most people would react with instant denial, I am pretty sure Harry would be like that. And I genuinely like Harry, I was telling the truth when I would be happy just to be his friend. I mean, the veela in me is yearning for more but I would be happy if I could just see him without being told to go away. I think I could survive with that."

"Don't worry Malfoy, I don't think it will come to that somehow," Hermione said dryly. And then realizing she had maybe said too much, she hurriedly added, "I need to go make sure my boys are studying, would you be so kind as to release me?"

Malfoy let down the wards and sat at one of the desks in the empty classroom pondering what Hermione had just told him. Suddenly his eyes narrowed. What had she meant by her boys?