Chapter 2

Draco awoke the next morning and lifted his head to look around his room. He remembered the events of the previous night and crawled from under the covers. He dressed into his robes and headed into the common room. Hermione was sitting there waiting for him.

"Good Morning Granger."

"Malfoy." She bowed her head to acknowledge him.

"Okay, well, uh… are we gonna go this or what?"

"Yes I guess. Just studying Harry's map. Making sure there is no one in the hall." She studied it for about two more minutes. "Okay let's go."

Hermione walked up and flattened out Draco's messy hair "Didn't use a brush this morning did you?" Draco shook his head and felt a shiver go through his body when Hermione touched his scalp. "There." Hermione took his hand and pulled him towards the portrait.

Draco pushed the portrait open and led Hermione through the portrait.

"Oh no." Hermione muttered. She pointed down the hall towards Crabbe and Goyle. Draco squeezed Hermione's hand and walked the other way.

"You didn't have to do that. I wouldn't have minded you dropping my hand."

"I know… But, they are in contact with Pansy… she'll find out sooner."

They walked down to the great hall together and entered hand in hand. They were late so the doors opening drew attention. There was utter and complete silence. A scream of "WHY DRACO!" and then muttering through out the great hall. Hermione looked at Draco and hugged him and whispered. "Meet for potions right here." Draco nodded.

Hermione wandered to her seat across from Harry and Ron, who of course, immediately attacked her.

"What are you doing!" Harry hissed "With Draco!"

"He… uh … asked me out last night after our episode. Which I wanted to talk about. I wanted to let you know Ron, that I would like to pretend nothing happened last night, I would hate if our friendship was ruined."

"Yeah… okay." Ron huffed. "That's good."

"Okay, good." Hermione leaned across the table and kissed him and Harry on the cheek.

At the end of breakfast Hermione bid goodbye to Ron and Harry and rushed to meet Draco. Hermione was extremely proud of how well Ginny's plan was working. I mean, She got to pretend to date a gorgeous guy and- 'wait' she though 'i just called Draco gorgeous. I cannot fall for him.' She breathed in as she saw Draco who was patiently waiting for her and ignoring a disgruntled Pansy who was screaming her head off at Draco. Hermione rushed up and grabbed his hand, she figured he helped her this morning, she would save him now.

"Hello Pansy," She said as she leaned onto Draco's shoulder and put his hand on her shoulder.

"AHHHHH," Pansy stormed off shrieking.

"Thanks for that." Draco said, his head down.

"It was nothing."

Draco coughed to hide a smile and put his arm around Hermione's waste as they walked by Ron. The minute they were out of sight of Pansy and Ron they broke apart quickly.

"Goodbye Granger," He said snidely.

"Goodbye Ferret." Hermione replied haughtily.

This went on for many weeks until one week when Hermione was climbing the stairs to the charms classroom after yet another goodbye to Malfoy, but then she began to think. ' i Draco /i it kinda rolls off the tonge.' She giggled a most un-hermioneish giggle and continued the walk to the charms classroom.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted and waved his hand towards a table that he and Harry were sitting at.

"Hi guys."

"Hermione, why are you dating Malfoy?"

"I don't know really. He really is very sweet."

"oh…" Ron hinted he was interested in is tone of voice but pressed on no further.

That night Hermione said good bye to her three best friends and headed into her common room and sat down on couch and pulled out her transfiguration homework. They had a 14 inch essay due in 3 days. Just then the portrait blew open and Draco stepped through in rage.

"Malfoy what's the matter now?"

"If I don't pass a certain class this year I will get held back! I can't get held back!"

"Well," Hermione sat up, "What do you need help with."

"Nothing of your concern mudblood."

"Fine Ferret, I just offered to help." Hermione huffed.

"Um… is that your…uh… transfiguration essay?"

"Yes, Malfoy, Why?"

"No reason."

Malfoy sat down and pulled out all of his homework. Hermione finished everything within the period of two hours, but Malfoy had only not finished his transfiguration homewok. Hermione smiled and stood, she said nothing and walked to her room. Again Draco stood and grabbed her elbow. Hermione pulled her arm away bitterly.

"Hermione, I need your help, with transfiguration."

Hermione was stunned and had a look of shock and serenity on her face.

"What?"

"You called me Hermione."

"That's your name isn't it Granger." As quickly as that feeling of serenity had entered it had gone.

"Yes." Hermione sighed. "What do you need help with?"

"Transfiguration." Hermione pulled out her essay and read through it some and walked Draco through it. He really was quite smart and simple. He was flawed and it made him seem more and more human. With in a matter of half an hour Draco and Hermione were laughing and making jokes. Draco's sides began to ache from laughing so hard for so long and the fire was now burning white hot.

Hermione had her hand near Draco's knee and was laughing hysterically at pin point impersonation Pansy Parkinson. Hermione's eyes met Draco's. How entrancing they were. With their grey-blue color. They drew her in, Hermione moved closer to him and a whole new heat wave came over her wich she suspected had nothing to do with the fire. Draco was inches away from her and the only sound now was the crackling of fire. Hermione moved closer yet till their faces had minimal space between them. Hermione closed her eyes and her breath was taken away as Draco's warm lips pressed to hers. Hermiones heart was beating so rapidly and her head was spinning so fast she didn't know up from down or right from left. All she knew is that this kiss and this moment in time was more pleasant then when Ron had kissed her on her first night back. Hermione put a tender hand on Draco's cheek but she pulled away. She had just realized how far this could go and that she could not fall for Draco.

"What's the matter?" He asked to tenderly, Hermione could not believe this was Draco.

"Draco, we can't do this, we agreed. We just-"

"Shh…" Draco put a finger to her lips "I know. Uh… thanks for the help." Draco picked his books up and his essay and went to his room. Hermione sat in the common room for what seemed like hours and stared out the window. She finally realized how late it was and she went to bed.

DREAM SEQUENCE

Hermione was awoken by a i tap, tap, tap /i on her window. She got up to open it and it was Ron on Harry's broomstick. He told her to hop on and her heart pounded, she climbed onto the back of the broom and held tightly to ron who flew onto the quidditch pitch and landed. He kissed her fiercely and hungrily. Hermione moaned a name, but the name she moaned was not Ron's.

"Draco…" Thankfully Ron did not hear her. When she pulled away from the kiss the face before her was not the face that it had started it as. The head now had sleek blonde hair and Grey eyes thatstared her down until she collapsed into his arm's crying.

(AN: following lyrics are from West Side Story) "Only you You're the only thing I'll see, forever." Hermione looked into Draco's whispering face. "In my eye's, in my words, and in everything I do, nothing else but you, ever."

END

Hermione awoke in a cold sweat. "No, no, no."

b AN: The letter Draco write Hermione are lyrics from rent. /b

Hermione sauntered down to the great hall early the next morning without Draco. She couldn't face him after her dream and after last night. When she sat down at the Gryffindor Table Draco was just walking through the door. He didn't even glance at her and she was thankful.

When the post came that morning Hermione received a letter from a tawny owl she had never seen before. She tentatively untied the letter and unsealed it.

i Open your door, I'll be your tendant, Don't got much baggage to lay at your feet. But sweet kisses I've got to spare… I'll be there and I'll cover you.

Meet me tonight in ROR after classes.

Hermione figured there was only one logical explanation for this. Draco said He would never want to date her for real so it had to be Ron. A rushing feeling flowed through her and a happiness of her plan working flowed through her.

"Ohh a love letter." Ginny grabbed the sheet of paper from Hermione and read it through once. "So who sent it?"

"I think Ron did." Hermione smiled but as she smiled, she caught a glimpse of Draco looking at her from across the room and she looked down. Has it been him?