(A/N: Thank you for les reviews! I love you all muchly, and I hope you're still enjoying the tale as much as I'm enjoying writing it. ♥)

When Hermione peered into the mirror on Friday morning, she found a big smile on her face. It was a pleasing smile: happy, without being smug. She paused, about to slide a clip into her unruly curls, and felt almost… pretty. "You're beautiful Hermione," Malfoy's voice echoed in her memory. The boy had spent five years of Hermione's life trying to make her as miserable as possible, yet now she was seeing a different Draco Malfoy altogether. This version of Malfoy was so deliciously mysterious, but she knew she had to play it cool. She couldn't even imagine trying to explain to Ron and Harry what she had been up to the night before. She had fobbed them off with excuses about feeling sick, but that had backfired on her slightly. No matter where they were, they were now constantly asking if she was okay.

'All right Hermione?' Harry checked as she sat down at the breakfast table.

'Fine thanks,' she said, smiling idyllically. She folded her usual Daily Prophet in half, and reached to slip into her bag.

'Aren't you going to read that?' Ron asked, not being used to seeing Hermione's usually hidden face across the breakfast table.

'Hm?' Hermione murmured distractedly, 'Not today. News is so depressing, isn't it? Too depressing for such a nice day like this.'

And it really was a nice day. Hermione had never before seen the sun quite so bright, lighting up the whole Great Hall through its enchanted ceiling, never realised just how lovely the room itself was, never noticed just how sweet morning bird-song was… If she wasn't so busy being happy, she was sure she would be disgusted with herself. This euphoria was horribly clichéd.

As they left the Great Hall, headed for class, Ron looked at Hermione's dreamy smile with raised eyebrows.

'Are you sure you're all right?' He persisted.

'Of course,' she beamed at him, 'Why shouldn't I be?'

'You're just so…' he gestured at Hermione's sparkling eyes and glowing skin, 'Smiley.'

'So it's a crime to smile now is it Weasel?' Said a familiar voice, 'You Gryffindors are such kill-joys.'

Hermione's heart beat so loudly in her chest she wouldn't have been surprised if Professor Trelawney in the Divination tower could hear it. Please not here, she thought, not now. She wasn't ready to hate him again.

'Get lost Malfoy,' Ron muttered, reddening with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance.

Malfoy pretended to look hurt, 'I was just making polite conversation. Now why did you have to go and be so rude?'

'I'm sure there are better things you could be doing Malfoy,' Harry said quickly as Ron opened his mouth to retort with something stupid.

Without warning Hermione suddenly felt a hand covering hers: its fingers entwining with hers and squeezing tight. She couldn't believe what he was doing. It was doubtful that anyone could see through the sea of tightly packed bodies in the entrance hall, but it was still a stupid thing to do. It was a downright dangerous thing to do. A wicked feeling of delight filled her from her head to her toes.

'I'm sure you're right,' Malfoy said, coolly meeting Harry's angry glare, and then loosening Hermione from his grasp and disappearing off into the crowd. Hermione's fingers, still warm from his touch, instinctively traced her lips. Trouble had always been good at finding Hermione since she had become friends with the famous, and occasionally infamous Harry Potter, but never before had trouble held her hand.

That night, heading back from the library towards Gryffindor common room, Hermione felt a familiar shiver. She raised her head, and saw him step out from behind a nearby suit of armour. She stood before him, awkwardly clutching her usual pile of books. After a silence Hermione realised that maybe for the first time in his life Draco Malfoy didn't know what to say. Well neither did she. Instead, she confidently met his gaze and smiled. A grin stole its way onto his face, and he took her hand to pull her back behind the suit of armour and away from prying eyes. For a moment she lost herself in newfound ecstasy as he kissed her and she responded. She could almost have kissed him forever, but she knew she needed to hear his voice for everything to be perfect. Unfortunately, both things couldn't be done at once…

'You shouldn't have done that today,' she said breathlessly as they broke apart.

'I couldn't help myself,' he whispered, 'I know it was stupid, but you didn't complain, did you?'

'I'm complaining now!' She hissed; caught somewhere between exasperation and the fit of giggles that had just crept up on her.

'You can't fool me: I can see you smiling,' he said, grinning himself.

'You're smiling too!' She laughed, affectionately poking him in the chest with a finger. He pulled her even closer to him. She saw his smile fade and felt him gently rest his forehead against hers.

'Listen,' he said softly. Hermione obeyed, letting her eyes drop closed and basking in the husky tone of his voice.

'We're all going to Hogsmeade tomorrow and I was thinking…'

'Yes?' Hermione asked, trying not to sound too eager. He was going to ask her to go with him: she just knew it. She couldn't believe this: of all the weird things to have happened in Hogwarts, this was definitely the weirdest. The last time she had checked Draco Malfoy had hated her guts and now they were going to Hogsmeade together! She could almost see them peering in shop windows together, having a drink in the Three Broomsticks and-

'I was thinking that you shouldn't expect me to be any different than I am usually if I see you.'

His words cut viciously through her fantasy and sank miserably to the bottom of her stomach. She pulled away from him abruptly.

'So I'm just supposed to pretend that nothing ever happened, am I?' She demanded.

'Of course not,' he said, reaching for her hand, 'Just when we're not alone. Surely you realise it would be hell for both of us if this got out. Come on Hermione, it'll be okay. Everything's much better now.'

Hermione did realise that both of their lives would be made pretty much unliveable if everyone found out about them, but it didn't stop her eyes filling with hot, angry tears.

'Oh yes,' she said, her voice trembling, 'Everything's much better now that you only hate me half the time.'

She turned to go, but he caught her by the arm.

'That's not true,' he growled, his eyes ablaze, 'You know that.'

'Well it doesn't matter,' Hermione said, wrenching her robes from his grip, 'Because you'll never have the guts to prove it anyway.'