Disclaimer-Don't own it...blah blah.

A/n-Review recognition first:

Tgmoxie- I didn't really like chapter 7 myself, but it was difficult to imagine their reactions to Hermione dating Draco. And Hermione is very confused right now, she loves her friends so much but there's something about Draco that she likes also. She's still getting over the shock of her friends' reactions and is a bit angry at them. Personally, taking points from her own friends and house shows them that she is serious. Maybe Draco is rubbing off on her a bit…

Greenday409- When I updated the story, I was excited too. Just a few hours and I get more reviews!

ImmortalJuliet- Here's the next chapter. Glad you like.

theBomb- I thought this was a funny chapter too. It had a bit of edgy side to it, but it made me laugh to write it.

Jaina Solo Potter- Awesome story? Woah thanks! Here's the next chapter- To this awesome story.

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Draco's Loyalties

"Malfoy! Get in here!" barked Snape. Draco pushed open the door and walked into the two professor's meeting room.

"Y-yes, Professor Snape?" Draco asked. He was shaking in fear, what would he tell them?

"I presume," Professor Dumbledore stated calmly, "that you heard the last bit regarding where your loyalties stand, Mr. Malfoy."

"Yes sir, I…" he trailed off.

"Draco, your father being who he is, it must be a difficult decision. But what is the right thing to do, Draco?" Dumbledore said slyly. His blue eyes gleamed and seemed oddly round.

"My father, sir, already has plans for me. I'm supposed to become a death eater very soon. It was planned on the Christmas holidays but the Dark Lord doesn't have time. I don't want to be a death eater but there is no way to get out of it, sir."

"There are ways, Mr. Malfoy."

"Don't you think it better Headmaster that Draco becomes a death eater? Another spy for the Order is a perfect plan," Snape added crisply.

"A spy? But that's dangerous, isn't it?" Draco asked, suddenly tense. Malfoy's may be purebloods, but they were also true Slytherins, and don't like to risk their necks for the well being of others.

"Very dangerous, but helpful. However, you are much too young," Dumbledore said firmly. "You may go."

Draco trudged out of the room and up to his common room. He was determined not to say anything to Hermione. Unfortunately, she noticed his glum look, and inquired about it. "It's nothing," he snapped at her. "It's none of your business anyways."

"I was just asking. Can't a girlfriend ask why her boyfriend is looking sad?" she said, and walked over to him. She sat on his lap, looking concerned.

"Not today, she can't," he said. He wasn't in the mood for doing anything right now. Even kissing, which was exactly what Hermione began doing. He shoved her off of him.

"I'm not in the mood, ok?" he said grumpily and strutted off to his room. He lay there very late into the night thinking about the days' events. Everything was so confusing. He turned over on his back and fell asleep.

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"Ouch, stop it! Don't touch me!" Draco mumbled as he woke up to a tapping on his head. He blinked his eyes open. It was still dark out, but little rays of sunshine were breaking through the misty morning dawn. An owl was sitting above him, pecking him to death with its beak.

Draco untied the scroll that was on his leg and read the following message:

Draco-

Why were you in such a bad mood earlier? You can tell me anything, you know that. I'll be in the library, come and find me.

Love from,

Hermione

Draco jumped into the shower, letting the warm drops of water pelt his body. He dried himself off and toweled his hair dry. He got dressed into his black school robes and set off for Hermione after one last look in the mirror.

Students and teachers alike usually avoided Draco, mainly because he didn't like to be questioned. Today, the corridors were packed with kids trying to make their way to their classes. Draco was glad to say he had 2 free periods off in a row, as did Hermione. Through the hustle and bustle he managed to push his way into the library, tracing the familiar path to the spot where Hermione and he usually worked.

There she was; as beautiful as ever. Draco immediately felt guilty for his behavior the previous night. She wasn't alone though; Harry and Ron were there also, and they were talking in hushed whispers. A stab of jealousy pierced his chest. Hermione, sensing she was being watched no doubt, looked up at him.

Her eyes killed him; they were not soft like they normally were. They were almost sad, yet they were sharp. He had never felt that he regretted anything more in his life than upsetting her.

"Draco…" she moaned softly. Her voice didn't seem angry; rather it seemed to plead for him.

"Can we talk," Draco asked, "privately?" He tried to make her forgive him using his eyes, but he was never one to be good with emotion. She nodded her head and Draco went to sit down. Harry and Ron got up and left; Ron looked murderous.

He sat down next to her and turned her face to his using his hand. He gently pressed his lips against hers and then pulled away. "Sorry about last night. Nothing gave me the right to do that to you," he said quietly. She wasn't looking at him anymore. She seemed to find a little more interest in the book she was reading.

"I forgive you," she said finally. She put her arms around him tightly. Draco, not knowing what to do, patted her on the back a bit.

"I'm not used to this girlfriend and boyfriend thing. It's a bit new to me, I'm really just used to kissing girls and stuff like that," he said, a bit uncertain.

"Well, maybe I could have a lesson?" she said seductively. Draco smirked mischievously.

"Certainly, you can, but you do pretty well on your own," he said slyly. She laughed; Draco's lungs were swelling with air, he was so relieved. "And I promise not to push you off this time," he added.

"So, what happened last night that was so bad that you refused kissing?" she asked. Draco realized that it must have had a big effect on her. Did she really care about him that much?

"I'm serious, that's none of your business Hermione. I don't want to upset you, ok?" Draco said in a pleading voice.

"I don't take 'no' for an answer. Common room, now," Hermione demanded and began packing up her books. She dragged Draco out of the library and down the hallways that were now deserted to their common room.

"Out!" she shouted to Harry and Ron who were waiting for her inside their common room. They dragged themselves out looking sulky. As Harry was leaving after Ron, he turned around and looked at Draco. He held up ten fingers and pointed to himself and then Draco and mouthed talking. Draco nodded.

Hermione had sat on the couch and was looking at him. He sighed and took the seat next to her; she cuddled close to him. Her eyes pleaded him for his answer. He sighed again.

"I can't Hermione," said regretfully. He let her lips crash onto his for awhile, and enjoyed the feeling of her on top of him.

"You can tell me anything, you know I don't like being lied to."

"I'm not lying to you!"

"You're keeping me in the dark Draco!"

"You'll worry. And worse of all, you won't be able to stay with me if you knew," he said.

"You're not cheating on me are you?" she yelled at him.

"No, of course not," he said calmly.

"Tell me Draco, what is so important that you have to keep from me." He sighed for the third time. It was no use; he would have to tell her. Maybe she would understand.

"Remember when I told you I didn't want to be a death eater?"

"How could I forget?"

"I have to become one Hermione. If I try not too, my dad will kill me. I mean, he's spent half his life telling the Dark Lord I will become one of his faithful servants, so there's no backing out now," he explained.

"You've told me this before, Draco, I understand."

"Then why aren't you disgusted with me! Hermione, I'm going to be a death eater! I'm going to kill people and take orders from someone like a slave. You should hate me…" he said.

"You aren't going to be a death eater Draco," she said easily. "Dumbledore can protect you."

"I don't want that bat's help," he snarled.

"He's going to help you, because I love you. And if you're a death eater I can't date you. And for that, I would hate myself." Draco felt stabs of guilt in his heart; what she was saying was right.

"We have time to figure this out Hermione. I'll try to do something about it. For now, can you forget about it?" he said cautiously.

"I can't forget about it, but I can try not to think about it. Now, how about that lesson?" she finished, smiling. Draco smirked. Draco let his lips push themselves onto hers and placed his tongue into her mouth. His hands went through her hair (with difficulty because it was frizzy) and her hands were around his neck.

Draco didn't bother stopping when he heard a noise coming from the other side of the room, not knowing it was Harry opening the portrait door.

"Ugh, can't you two do that in one of your rooms?" he said, disgusted with the fact that his best friend and worst enemy were making out on a couch. Draco sat up and took his hands away from Hermione face. Hermione's face was beet red.

"Sorry Harry, we shouldn't have…" Hermione said apologetically.

"Don't be sorry, he walked in on us! Of course we should have, we can do what we like, can't we?" he asked Hermione rather than Harry.

"Skip the lecture, he have to talk. Me and Draco have to talk," he added as Hermione got up.

"Oh, ok," she said and went upstairs to her room. Draco settled himself in his armchair by the fire and tried to fix his hair. Harry sat in the armchair Hermione usually occupied.

"So, you and Hermione are getting close," Harry said quietly.

"Yeah," Draco said in a bored tone.

"She's spending a lot of time with you lately, even if you seem to upset her every other night."

"That's none of your business Potter," he said angrily, "and cut to the chase, what do you want?"

"Hermione may fall for your act, Malfoy, but I don't. I know your going to be a death eater; I hear things other people don't. So what are you doing with her? You're going to break her heart, Malfoy," he said. He sounded like he had sympathy for Hermione, not really like he was jealous.

"I'm not acting. Yeah, I'm going to be a death eater, but if I had life my way, I wouldn't be. I may hate you Potter, but I don't want you dead," he explained lazily. He was growing bored of telling people this.

"It's your own fault you're becoming a death eater Malfoy. No one is forcing you."

"Again, you're wrong. Someone is forcing me to, and I don't want to be one, ok? I'm doing my best to stop it but it's a bit hard, considering it's my own father that is making me!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"You're not sorry, now get out of here. I have to get ready for classes."

Harry walked out of the room and Draco went upstairs to get ready. He fixed his hair and robes and grabbed his schoolbag. Hermione was waiting for him downstairs and they left for classes together.

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"You said you were going to the ball with me!" Draco complained loudly.

"That was just so we could tell Ron and the others, Draco!" Hermione shot back.

"But…"

"We agreed; nobody else can know about us!" she defended. "I'll still dance with you two times, I promise."

"Ok, but no kissing other guys or getting too close to them!" Draco assured her.

"Fine, but you can't dance with Pansy!" she said.

"That's unfair."

"I don't want that slut near you! She'll try to take you back to her bed. Come on, Draco, you know it's true."

"I won't do that with her-" he complained.

"You have before, what makes me sure you won't!"

"Not while I was dating you! Why can't you trust me?" Draco shouted at her.

"Why can't you trust me?" Hermione asked.

"Ok, fine, I trust you. You can dance with anyone you want if I can," he reasoned.

"Fair enough."

"And the after party is still on for me right?" Draco said slyly.

"Yeah sure, if I don't drink anything."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"If I'm drunk, I might do something with you I don't want to," she explained.

"I'll make sure to slip you something then," he said gleefully.

"Is that all you want from me?" she spat angrily. Damn it, he made another of his mistakes.

"Of course not Hermione. Wait a minute; you think all I want to date you for is to do stuff with?"

"No...I…"

"Hermione I would never! Maybe with Parkinson, but not with you. I really like you." She smiled a bit.

"You know, maybe if you asked me for a dance at the ball, I would dance a third time…" she said. Draco positively beamed.

"You're the only person who can make me smile Hermione," he said happily. Hermione kissed him desperately on the lips and Draco savored every second of it.

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A/n-well, there you have it! Chapter 8! Hope you all enjoy/enjoyed Half Blood Prince, I sure did. I finished on Sunday. This story obviously exempts from all events in Half Blood Prince. Please review, thanks!

!Krista!