Chapter 10

(Rewritten July 06)

Hermione squealed as she jumped upon her bed. Everything was working out wonderfully. Yes, she had just had a small fight with Draco but when haven't they fought? Their relationship isn't the same without the occasional quarrels and they both knew it.

'Spicy,' she thought. 'Or, maybe not.' She shook her head with a grin.

"I think I like him," she muttered aloud, "I really think I do...and this might just be more than lust. Wow."

And she fell asleep smiling.

Life had been wondrous over the past few days. But everything was too perfect...way too perfect.

The library was empty as a young man sat at a table in the back corner. He rubbed his hands on it's top and smiled softly.

"This is her table," he whispered. "This is where she sits every day. Mm. Hermione."

He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. He acted as if he was trying to find her lingering scent in the air, hours after she had left.

"Wow, I sound obsessed," the man muttered, "I need to stop this. But Hermione, she's so sweet, so beautiful, so - oh, she needs to be mine."

The man rose and then left the library behind. He had a mission.

Draco was whistling which was something nobody has ever seen the man do. But he was happy, even after that cold-hearted spout with Blaise, he was happy. And even though he was such an ass, he knew that occasionally he was nice, only occasionally.

The only person who had ever seen that was Hermione. Not even Pansy knew this personality existed but then again, she enjoyed Draco's bad ass, doesn't give a shit, behavior.

"I can do this," Draco sputtered as he walked through the corridors, "I can tell her I like her. It's not all that hard. I mean, I did tell her that I loved her but I couldn't really mean that completely. But I do like her, a lot."

A snicker came from the shadows. Draco spun and faced their direction.

"Who's there? Show yourself." He shouted. His wand was quickly pointed in the direction of the noise.

The malicious laughter continued. It's sound echoed hauntingly down the corridors. Draco shivered and demanded for their appearance once more.

"You're not everything they say you are," the voice spat. "Talking to yourself, getting ready to hex someone and shouting. You know that you could get expelled for behavior such as that. I heard St. Mungo's has an open bed in the psychiatric ward."

"Shut the fuck up and show yourself, you bloody coward," Draco demanded.

The dark figured complied as it began to emerge from the shadows. Draco pursed his lips and awaited the on coming attack.

Hermione was running. It was dark, it was foggy and it was chilly but she was running down a darkened path, a familiar path. She was screaming and she was begging for them to stop. They were going to kill him, they had him on his knees with their wand pointed at his head. They were going to mutter an Unforgivable. She couldn't let him.

But the path she was treading upon was enlarging itself and she wasn't making any progress. She just kept screaming for them to stop. She kept screaming that she needed him.

"Don't hurt him, don't hurt him," she shouted but it was in vain. She quickened her pace. The path lengthened.

A bright green light was emitted from a wand. The wand was still pointed at his head.

And Hermione awoke. Her hair was drenched in a cold sweat, her clothes were clinging to her body and her sheets were a mess. Within the few hours she had began her slumber, she had created mass havoc in her room.

"Merlin," she muttered. "What the hell was that dream for?" But Hermione was still shaken, no matter how many times she attempted to calm herself, so she decided to go find Draco just to make sure everything was alright.

Quietly, she tiptoed down the stairs. There was groaning below.

"Stop. Don't hurt her," she heard, "Stop it. You're going to kill her!"

Hermione grabbed her wand and ran down but all that was there was Draco, tossing on the couch. Hermione grinned and cleared her throat. He did not rouse so she walked down and shook his shoulder. He jumped and grabbed her wrist. When he realized it was only her he relaxed.

"Goodness, Granger," he growled, "You scared me."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Are we back on a surname basis," she questioned and Draco just shook his head and apologized. "It's alright. Did you know that you were screaming? I thought you were being attacked." Draco sat up.

"Pssht. Me? Get attacked? Yeah, right," he boasted. Hermione pushed his shoulder.

"Alright. What ever you say. I'm going back to bed."

"Want to sleep with me," he asked feverishly.

Hermione smiled but declined.

"I'm not that easy, Draco," she explained. "You may have gotten two make out sessions out of these lips but we're not going that far." Draco shrugged.

"Your loss."

"I bet," she responded as she climbed the stairs to her bed.

"Hermione," someone cried as she was walking down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Harry! Ron," she exclaimed. The two boys ran to catch up with her. "Harry, you look quite excited this morning. What's up?"

Harry shrugged. "Must I explain?"

"No, we don't want you to exert yourself, Mr. Potter," Ron teased. Hermione grinned.

"Agreed."

At breakfast, the usual bustle of owls and mail arrived but today, Hermione had received a note. It was so uncanny since she barely received mail in the morning.

Ginny noticed and exclaimed, "Another note!"

The nearby Gryffindor's turned to look and Hermione blushed. Ginny quickly turned red and distracted them with conversation.

"Right," Hermione muttered. "I think I'm going to go. I forgot something in my dorm and it takes forever to get up there and back so, bye, guys." The two boys waved.

Once she was alone, Hermione opened the letter.

Hermione,
I know you're probably wondering who I am,
so, tonight, I will show you.
Meet me at ten on the south side of the lake.
Love, me.

Hermione smiled.

"Er. I'm going to go. It can't hurt," she whispered. "Draco will never know."

This attention was getting to Hermione's head but she didn't mind. It felt nice to be liked and to be admired so intensely.

And as she walked away a voice from the shadows growled, "Oh, it won't hurt a bit, my dear. We're going to have a great night, such a great night.