Hermione felt herself shudder as Malfoy's lips touched hers. Was it the cold? Or maybe it was…She shut her eyes tightly, praying for it to be a dream. Malfoy couldn't be kissing her again! He hated her! Despite his pathetic efforts at being nice, he still hated her!
Hermione's thoughts grew fuzzy as the kiss deepened and suddenly she no longer cared anymore.
" Oh god no! " she gasped, wrenching away from his lips.
" I'm sorry! Did I- hurt you? " his voice grew small and he looked away.
She stared at him. " N- no…"
Hermione scrambled up and began to run. Her heart pounded loudly inside her ears, as if someone had cast a Sonorus spell to it.
" Wait! " he yelled getting up quickly.
Inexplicably, and to her horror, tears began to fall from her eyes as she raced across the icy banks missing a shoe on one foot and shivering terribly. Draco Malfoy had kissed her again! She had fallen into an icy lake and Draco Malfoy saved her and- he had kissed her again!
" Hermione! " Draco called out, his throat hurt and he was horribly cold but still he ran, soaking cold and shivering like hell. " Stop! Please? "
Hermione suddenly stopped, and Draco gratefully did too.
" I'm sorry- " he began.
She spun around, her cheeks stained with cold tears. " You're- sorry? Whatever for! This has to be one of your greatest jokes, isn't it! " she said, trembling.
"No! If you'll just let me- "
" Stop it! " she cried out, covering her ears with her hands. " I'm not hearing you! La la la la la la la! I'm not hearing you!- "
" Just hear me out! – "
" La la la la la la! "
" I tried not to! I really did! - "
"God save our gracious Queen! Long live our noble Queen!- " she sang loudly, closing her eyes as well.
" I swear! But that moment, in the library! – I know this isn't right! Even I hate feeling like this! – "
"God save the Queen- " she kept on singing, trying hard to block off his voice.
" Listen to me, damn it! "
"Send her victorious- Happy and glorious!- " and she felt his hands on her shoulders and he shook her had enough to make her open her eyes.
" I'm sorry but I think I've just fallen hard for you! –" and he let go and he grew quiet as they stood beside the lake, shivering and soaking.
She looked down and saw that she had lost one of her shoes. She had a black sock left in one foot.
" The Veritaserum, " he began, sounding tired. " You knew it was true- I did- I do like you- don't ask me why- I don't know myself- I don't know if it's bordered by lust or something else- but I like you, I'm sorry I kissed you again- I- I'm- bloody Merlin's shit…"
She was quiet. It finally sunk in. If this was another lie, by all means, Draco Malfoy was good at it. But- it seemed like it wasn't- But a Malfoy was a Malfoy, scheming, conniving, treacherous and all the other words that were vile enough to describe him as a whole. But he liked HER.
An improvement? A better version of Draco Malfoy?
Hermione's shoulders slacked. She stared into his eyes. His eyes were rather beautiful, gray or silvery, with specks of blue…crap! What was she thinking! She wanted to kick herself.
" Hermione! " a voice called out.
Draco's eyes widened. Bloody Harry Potter!
Hermione spun around to see Harry and Ron running for her.
" What the hell- " Ron breathed in, seeing Draco Malfoy. " Hermione- you're wet- "
Hermione's mouth opened but she said nothing.
" Okay, what did you do now, you prat! " Ron bellowed glaring at Draco.
Draco frowned and raised his chin. " Why the hell would you think I did something? Is it marked on my face that I always do something bad? "
Harry took off his sweater and jacket and placed it around Hermione. "Are you okay? " Draco heard Harry murmur. " What happened, 'Mione? "
" I fell into the lake- I was standing there- " she pointed to the tiny cliff of stone. " I didn't know the place I was standing on was falling apart- I fell- "
" You saved her! " Ron spat out.
Harry's eyes widened. " You saved Hermione? " His grip on Hermione's shoulder, as Draco looked, had tightened as he said that.
Draco felt his ears burn. He raised his chin higher. " So? What's it to you? So I saved her? Are you going to hex me now? "
Ron's face turned red. Damn it! He had so wanted to freeze the bastard! But he had saved Hermione! He saved a Gryffindor! Saved Hermione! The world was going mad, that was for sure.
Harry eyed Draco's movements. He had the right to be uncomfortable. Not only did he save a girl, Hermione at that, but he had saved an enemy. Enemy was an understatement. I don't believe it, Harry thought. " He saved Hermione…"
" Thank you, " his voice suddenly rang out in the silence.
Ron's eyes widened in shock. Harry was thanking Malfoy now! Following the suit (since he couldn't think of any other nasty thing to say), he thanked Malfoy too. " Thanks, " he grudgingly said.
Draco's eyes widened too. They were THANKING HIM? Oh this was rich! He should've had this recorded or something! He saw the look in Hermione's eyes as she shivered. " You're welcome, " he said in a low voice.
Ron's feet shuffled uncomfortably as Harry still stared at him intently.
" Let's go, Hermione- you might catch death out here- " Ron began talking her hand.
Harry stood still as he looked at Draco's gaze. He was looking at Hermione. Then Draco turned to him. Harry said nothing more, and he slowly left, the snow giving a crunching sound under his feet.
He heard Weasley's fading voice, scolding Hermione. " What the hell were you thinking! We should've accompanied you or something! "
He sighed and flopped on the cold ground, staring at the lake. So he saved her! What was the big deal? It never really did mean anything, anyone would've done it! So what if he wrote an apology and smiled when she accepted it? So what if he kissed her twice! It never really did- Shit, what am I thinking? It meant a lot!
Draco didn't move an inch as he sat on the ground. The night came and still he sat, staring at the castle lights. He hadn't been alone in along time. He actually liked the quiet. He wondered what it would've been like to have a girl like Hermione sit beside him to stare at the view in silence.
Pansy paced around the common room. It was almost supper time and still Draco hadn't come back.
" Will you stop that? " Blaise said, annoyed.
" How come he's not yet here? " she demanded.
" Probably wanted to stay away from you, " he snapped. Then he laughed. " He should've heard that! "
"Shut up! " Pansy said walking out of the common room. She was a little annoyed that he wasn't back in the common room yet. She had to tell him something. Her father had owled her, and she knew Draco would've loved to hear about the news.
Pansy walked towards a window to look out and see if any blonde haired boy would come walking across the meadow. She looked behind her and saw a few Slytherin first years walk towards the dungeons. They were giggling about something, annoying Pansy even more.
Then she saw three people walk up towards the castle. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and a shivering and drenched Hermione Granger! Her eyes narrowed. Then something had happened? She felt it. Woman's Intuition. Pansy's intuition.
She waited for one more hour until she saw a tall, lithe but shivering figure walk up to the castle. Draco was back. A few minutes later, she saw him walk down the hallway for the dungeons. She tapped one shoe.
Draco looked up blearily.
" Where have you been? " she asked with her hands on her hips.
" What are you? My mother? " he asked annoyed.
She sniffed. " You're wet, and cold- like that Granger prat! " she said loudly.
His eyes narrowed. " So? "
" Took a swim in the cold lake waters, Drakey? " she asked inching closer to his ear.
He stepped back. " Why, yes, how observant of you, Parkinson. Now if you'll excuse me- I'll take a warm bath and a hot meal. " He sniffed.
Pansy glared at his retreating back. What had transpired in the lake?
As soon as Draco stepped into the sort of empty common room, Blaise smiled. "Ah, Malfoy, took a dip? "
" How'd you guess? " he sad dryly.
" It's winter, if I may recall, " he began and then he laughed. " You'll get sick, in no time! "
Draco rolled his eyes and went upstairs to get his hot shower.
Hermione sneezed as she sat in the common room, reading a book as Harry and Ron played wizard's chess well after dinner. Harry looked up.
" Catching a cold, Hermione? " he said, trying to sound not too concerned.
She shrugged. " I don't know. "
" You know, " Ron began. " That Malfoy looked weird. "
" Seemed weird is more like it, " Harry said. " Isn't that right Hermione? " He eyed her and she nodded, hating the strange look in Harry's eyes.
A/N: TBC! am i going to fast? any of you got ideas? hahahaha
many thanks to: angelraine, Elemental Dragon1, flipchick, MioneRox, kionkichi, curvychick, SoulHaunter, Aeris1172...and tot the many others who have stuck with this story. I think i'll love you to bits!