a/n: Hey guys! So this is actually the last chapter of this story. I know this story was short, it just wasn't really going in the direction I wanted and I decided to end it here. I wanted to thank you people that followed and favorited my story, it means so much that you people enjoyed reading it even when I felt self-concious and uncertain about it. That's it, I think. You guys are awesome, and bye for now!

Chapter 12

Monday morning was easier than Hermione expected. Though her mind wasn't the clearest, she was not the jittery mess she had worried about being the previous day. She tried to keep Draco out of her mind, and surprisingly got through breakfast with only three quick glances at the Slytherin table, and counting. Only one of these glances was met with a pair of grey eyes. Admittedly, History of Magic was a difficult class to focus in. She could almost feel Draco's presence like a physical thing around her, like the air was buzzing with a certain electricity that couldn't be the product of magic. After all, this was History of Magic. It was in that class that Hermione vowed she had to talk to Draco today. She couldn't bear to have the thought nagging in her mind. When Professor Binns finally dismissed the class, Hermione was the first to get up from her chair. She did it abruptly and with such force that she earned a few squinted eyes and raised eyebrows. She tried to ignore them and salvage the situation by calmly gathering her books and parchment as slowly as she could so that the others would have time to start gathering their own books and not notice her go and talk to Draco. When all her things had been gathered, she strode off to Draco's place in the back. On the way there, she tried to pep talk herself to give her courage. Come on Hermione, you've done more dangerous things in your first year. What's a few words with a boy? It wasn't helping. Draco actually acknowledged her with a look this time, which was a shocker. "Hey, can we talk?" Hermione asked, her voice slightly wavering. "Right now?" Hermione noted with satisfaction that his cheeks were a bit pink. It was oddly attractive, his nervousness. It must be only me that finds that attractive, she thought. Or people would be falling at my feet. "Well, not now. Today.""Yeah," was his short answer. Hermione gave him a nod and exited the classroom. Their short conversation had felt somehow formal and cold, nothing like the heated arguments or sarcastic remarks they usually threw at each other. Hermione knew she was being foolish, it was a four sentence conversation and they had been surrounded by classmates. Still, the thought crossed her mind a few times that day.

It was Draco who found Hermione at the end of classes, in the corridor, struggling to carry her load of books back to her dorm. She was just at the stage of angrily pushing one stubborn book into her bag and cursing under her breath when she noticed a person from corner of her eye. She looked up and saw Draco's grinning face looking back at her. "Struggling, aren't we?"

"You bet," she said with sarcastic enthusiasm, giving him a huge smile. She waited for him to make the offer and finally resigned and made the it for him. "Would you mind taking this book for me?"

"Why, gladly, Miss," Draco replied, his smile widening. Hermione thrust the book with "accidental" force into his arms and began walking down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Tower. She had wanted to leave Draco standing there but he was irritatingly right at her heels. "So, you wanted to talk about something?" Hermione felt her skin become clammy with nerves. "Well, yes. But I was planning on a privater place."

"Right." They walked in silence and then Draco piped up with another question. "How many N.E. are you taking? That seemed like a lot of books."

"Seven," Hermione replied, her voice coming out more haughtily than she expected. Draco's response wasn't the disbelief she usually received. "Really? That's quite a lot. Though I'm taking six, so it's not much of a difference."

"Oh, it's a difference alright. It's a whole 'nother subject with homework, facts to remember, a test to study for."

"Yeah, but compared to the other students, I'm taking a lot."

"And compared to me, you're taking one less." Draco lip curled into a smirk. "That's correct." They were at the the Gryffindor Tower now. They both stopped. "You should probably wait here," Hermione advised. "Yeah, I'm not sure anyone in there would be glad to see me," Draco said. He handed her the book. Hermione turned and quietly murmured the password to the Fat Lady who opened the door and let her in.

Draco went to sit against the wall and propped his legs in front of him. He knew he looked odd, sitting in front of the entrance to the Gryffindor Tower alone, but he didn't care at the moment. Besides, he could survive some Gryffindors thinking he was odd, it really wasn't the end of the world. He felt giddy and he didn't know why. All his days since the war had been so bleak and hopeless, and ever since coming to Hogwarts, he'd been counting the days till he could flee the place and his former life altogether. But ever since that night at the Astronomy tower, Draco felt like that plan had been tampered with, and he didn't know what to do about it. All he knew was that Hermione made him want to be different, to shed the mask of ignorance that he took special care in putting on every morning and just be.

"Hey 'Mione! Would you come help me with this Potion's homework?" Harry called from his place in the common room as Hermione raced up to her dorm .She was filled with nervous energy and felt the need to let it out. As she tumbled down the steps, empty-handed, Hermione racked her brain for a way to begin her conversation with Draco. What did she even want to talk to him about? Too soon she arrived back at the common room and was hurrying across it on her way out. "Hermione! Where are you running to?" came Harry's voice from the same position as before. "Library!" she called out the first thing that came to mind. "Wait! Let me co-" but Hermione was already out the door. She stood there, panting and glanced at the hunched figure on the floor. Draco looked so young and childish with his arms around his knees and his chin resting on one knee. His eyes met hers and she felt herself go hot. Suddenly, Hermione didn't know what to do. Should she lead him outside? Maybe to the Astronomy Tower? No, that would be too obvious. It was hard thinking with him staring at her like that. "Most of the classrooms are empty right now, if you want," Draco voice broke the silence, as if reading her mind. "Um, sure," Hermione replied. She'd imagined a more...romantic place for this talk, but a classroom would do. It's not like anything's going to to happen,she reminded herself. So really, there was no reason for a romantic place. Draco awkwardly got up from his seat on the ground and they started toward the nearest classroom, which was, incidentally, the History of Magic classroom. While they walked, Hermione thought about Harry. Their interaction in the common room had gotten her thinking about the fact that eventually she would have to tell her friends about Draco, assuming he would agree with her, of course. They wouldn't understand at first, she was sure. They would get mad at her, at Draco even. She just hoped that in time the would at least let her be. They walked the whole way there in silence and when they got there, Hermione peered cautiously inside, saw that it was empty, and they entered the room. Hermione realized how odd it would be if they sat on chairs in front of desks as if they were in class, so she settled on top of one of the desks in the middle of the room and crossed her legs in front of her. Draco did the same on the desk in front of her's. He wasn't meeting her eye which gave her a bit of confidence. "So..."

And that's how far her new confidence lasted. "Er... I think it's safe to say that we both like each other." Merlin, why did she sound so childish? "Well, at least that's what I'm assuming."

"What you're assuming, Hermione? I kissed you."

"Right. Well, I was wondering..." She faltered. "What? You want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend?" Draco asked, obviously joking. It seemed like he had gotten his sting back now that the worst part was over. "I'm serious." Draco's eyes flicked to hers. "What do you want?" He asked her, his voice soft. "I don't know. I just know..." She glanced down to her fingers as she played with them. "...that I like you."

He came to stand before her. "I like you too." And he even kissed her to prove it. At first she put her hands behind her to prevent herself from falling, but then he put his hands on her shoulders and steadied her so she buried her fingers in his hair. "What are we going to do?" Draco asked when they finally pulled away and he sat back down, next to her this time. "…I don't know. I want this. I want us to…" She didn't know how to say it without sounding foolish. "Be together," he finished for her, somehow making it sound normal. "Yeah," she said and looked up at him. "It won't be that simple, you know. I'm not a class favorite around here," Draco reminded her, looking away. The thought of telling her friends popped back in Hermione's mind. Hermione got up and stood before him. They were the same height this way. "We'll manage," she said with a smile, and this time she steadied him.