a/n Hey thank you for the review myboydraco06, stephanie9999265 and to everyone who reads and likes the story! Read and enjoy this chap.!
The bell rang out for classes the next day and Hermione didn't want to go. She put her book back into her bag and got up with a sigh. This day was going to be a drag, she could tell. First she had Care of Magical Creatures, and then she had History of Magic and finally double period of Potions. She silently cursed who ever thought up of that schedule. Normally she liked classes, but she had woken up this morning in a bad mood.
Hermione woke up with a splitting head ache, which wasn't normal for her. She felt like she was forgetting something, a feeling that she hated. To top it off she had Prefect duties tonight and Professor Dumbledore got it into his head again to promote house unity. Hermione was all for that, well she was until she found out she would have to spend her rounds with Draco Malfoy. This day just can't get any better! She thought to herself as she headed to Care of Magical Creatures.
Draco was having an equally bad day. Not because if classes, no he didn't have to worry about classes. Instead he was thinking about a way to stop himself from feeling pity towards Hermione. He had stopped saying help, because he felt that it softened him up. So instead it was how to stop feeling pity, a feeling that was relatively new to him and he did not like it one bit. He sighed and got up, first class of the day was Care of Magical Creatures, and from the looks of it he had it with the Gryffindors. Draco didn't understand why Slytherin always had classes with Gryffindor. They never really got along, everyone knew that. So why did Dumbledore insist on putting them together? It was like he wanted to torture them!
Draco was so lost in thoughts that he didn't notice that two pairs of eyes were following him. What he did notice was that a particular bushy haired girl was in front of him. He ran and caught up to her, all the while they were being watched by the two figures in the background.
Hermione plastered a fake smile to her face when she saw Draco walk up next to her. I guess I can call him Draco; it is a lot shorter then Malfoy. But only as long as it's in my head! She said to herself. To her surprise the smile came a lot easier then she thought it would. He smiled back in they walked in silence together to Care of Magical Creatures. All along the way people stared and gawked at the odd pair. This was not something that you saw every day. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy walking next to each other and they weren't yelling either!
Hermione kept sneaking side ways looks at him, and when he finally caught her she blushed. He smiled to himself, and then shook his head. What is wrong with me? This is Hermione Granger we're talking about. Draco kept thinking to himself all through the class and didn't even notice when the bell rang. It didn't matter he had free time next, unfortunately so did the rest of the Slytherins, which meant Pansy.
"Draco!" She screeched and attached herself to his arm. Draco rolled his eyes at her, couldn't pansy get it through her head that he didn't like her.
"Get off of me." He said trying to pull away.
"Oh come one Drakie. Why didn't you walk with me to class?" She began to pout. "Do you like that Mudblood better then me?" For some reason Pansy calling Hermione a Mudblood really got Draco angry. He threw her off of him and stomped off.
He successfully managed to avoid Pansy until the end of the period, where she cornered him and attached herself to his arm again right outside of the History of Magic room. Draco scowled and tried to pull away, but Pansy's grip just tightened and he gave up.
"Drakie, are you mad at me?" She began to pout again and Draco rolled his eyes.
"No Pansy." He said just trying to get her away.
"Good." She said and jumped on him and fastened her legs around his hip. Just then the bell rang and Draco looked up as people filed out of History of Magic. He froze; Hermione was standing there looking at him and Pansy.
"Hermione…" He said, a crowd of people went by and she disappeared. He detached Pansy and went to Potions class in a foul mood. He didn't know why it bothered him that Hermione had seen him and Pansy, and he didn't know why he said her name. Draco actually like the way her name sounded out loud, it rolled off his tongue. He shook his head, what was he thinking? Are you a Malfoy or not? Asked the voice in his head. I am! He said defiantly. Then start acting like it! Did he really want to be a Malfoy though? That meant being like his father, and did he really want to be like him? No, but… He didn't know any more, Hermione was messing with his brain, and he liked it! There was something really wrong with that. One thing was for sure, he didn't feel pity for here any more, no it was much more. There was only one thing to do; he had to distance himself from her.
"Mr. Malfoy your late, take a seat next to Miss Granger." Draco moaned silently, it looked like his plan so far was failing. Snape went up to the front of the room to begin his lecture. "See the person next to you? They will be your partner for the rest of this unit. You can't change them." Snape said stifling the out break of protests that welcomed this news. Draco stiffened, now his plan was really going down hill. They worked away the double period in silence, Draco ignored Hermione as best as he could, but he found it difficult.
When they got up to leave Draco was glad, now he could put as much distance between him and Hermione until next Potions class. "Mr. Malfoy a moment if you please." Snape ushered him to the front of the room. "As you well know the Headmaster is trying to promote house unity." Draco snorted at this and Snape looked at him approvingly. "It is because of this that you will be doing your Prefect duties today with Hermione Granger." At this Draco moaned again. Someone out there really had it in for him. It seemed like his plan would never work! "Tonight you will do your rounds together, Professor McGonagall has assured me that Granger will be on her best behavior, and I hope that you will be too.
"Yes sir." Draco said as he left, he only had time to eat dinner and then go and do rounds with Hermione. At the rate is plan was working, he wouldn't get past stage one.
Hermione hadn't expected to see Draco outside of History of Magic, for some reason when she saw him her heart began to beat faster. Then a wave of anger washed over her when she saw Pansy on him. It was disgusting; not only Pansy's actions, but what Hermione was feeling. Deep down in her gut she felt a twinge of… jealousy. That couldn't be though, for one she didn't like Draco, did she? He had sent her world tumbling out of control and she needed to get it back in order. Starting with what she was feeling, that was the first thing to sort out. To make her even more confused, he had said her first name.
She was in an even worse mood for Potions. Snape had made her and Draco partners for the rest of the unit and he wasn't talking to her. Why? Why wasn't he talking to her was a mystery, but he seemed to have changed over night. He had said her first name just the class before, and now… Now he wouldn't even say one word to her. He was a puzzle, and she couldn't help but try to solve puzzles. Hermione noticed that he seemed a little edgy. She could tell right away that he was hiding something, and she wanted to find out what it was.
Hermione went to have a quick breakfast after double Potions. She wouldn't have time to change into new robes, so instead she went to Professor McGonagall's office. This was where she and Draco would start their rounds. She sighed to herself she was stuck with Draco for night rounds; it was the worse punishment that she ever had.
Draco looked up as Hermione entered Professor McGonagall's office and sat down. He felt that now familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. As part of him listened to Professor McGonagall, the other part mulled over his plan in his mind, as well as his feelings. It couldn't be love could it? He asked himself, it was a reasonable question. He had felt what it was like to have a crush on someone, hate someone and like someone. This feeling didn't match any of them, but that is crazy. The disembodied voice said in his head again, how Draco hated and loved that voice at the same time. He didn't know Hermione and so it couldn't be love, he back tracked. How much did he know about Hermione Granger, after going through his thoughts he found out that he knew more then he thought. Draco was lost in thought when a painful prod brought him back to reality.
"Now that I have your attention Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall's nose flared out in obvious displeasure. "You may do your rounds, but don't run through them, you have to spend as much time on them as you usually do." Draco nodded and followed Hermione out of the office.
They began to walk down the corridors silently, not even looking at each other. Both Hermione and Draco were angry at this. They both wanted the other to say something, but they themselves didn't say anything at all. Draco just managed to avoid falling over a bump in the floor and turned around to warn Hermione about it, but was too late. She fell right into his arms and he in turn fell against the wall. Draco pulled her up a little and they were face to face, all Draco could do was stare. Her eyes captivated him in their warm embrace, weaving him in and out of their depths only to pull him in further. He didn't understand how he couldn't have noticed them in the six years he had known her.
Hermione was too enraptured by Draco's eyes. They had a steel look about them at first glance, but if you looked deeper you could see the emotion behind the eyes. She leaned in closer still staring into his eyes. He blinked and so did she tearing herself out of the trance, then she realized how close they were. Hermione went to pull away, but couldn't move. She looked into Draco's eyes again as he got closer.
Draco's head screamed at him to get away, not to go any closer, but he had no control over his actions any more. He leaned in and their lips touched each other. Hermione put her arms around his head and he pulled her in closer to him. A feeling erupted in the pit of his stomach and he remembered the light that had appeared last time they kissed. I soft light played against his eyelids, but he didn't care. All he cared about was kissing Hermione. His head began to spin and all he could think about was her lips on his and how he wanted more. Draco ran his tongue over her lips and she opened up allowing him to enter her mouth.
Finally Hermione got a hold of herself and pulled away. She took a few shaky steps backwards. It seemed that Draco had gained control of himself too as he stared at her. He looked at her and then down the hall way, she could tell he was thinking about running.
"We have to finish our rounds," her voice was a whisper, but he heard her and nodded. They walked down the hall together side by side, each too involved with their own thoughts to notice the two figures that darted away from the shadows.
As soon as Hermione pulled away from him Draco had gained control of himself. He was part disgusted and part pleased with himself. Draco shook his head, something he seemed to be doing a lot, as if it could knock some sense into him. Now he remembered his plan to stay away from Hermione, that wasn't going exactly the way he thought it would. He winced slightly; he would put the plan into affect tomorrow. He strolled off down the hall way next to Hermione, for the moment lost in thoughts about her. Little did he know that she was thinking about him too.
a/n I hoped you liked it. Hey I realized something; Hermione still owed Draco for him helping her on the train. What will Draco do with it? Hmmm, you can tell me what you'll think he'll do with it. It would be cool to know what you think that Draco would do at this point. We'll see who gets closest to the real one! I don't mind criticism as long as it is constructive. Please review!