Although his heart was screaming for him to deepen the kiss, Draco's head told him her lips were on his completely by accident, so he quickly stood upright, unwilling to do anything that would jeopardize them being on good terms. He couldn't bear for her to give him the silent treatment again. He stared down at her, expecting to see a flood of embarrassment rushing across her face, but instead, he saw confusion mixed with disappointment.

"Disappointment? That can't be right. What could she possibly be disappointed about? Surely not the fact that I pulled away. It had been an accident. She didn't mean to kiss me... did she? No. She must be disappointed that I am the one here helping her not Ron or Harry. Yeah, that has to be it. She wishes one of them were here instead. I had better just go." But as he turned to leave, she caught his hand in hers.

"I just kissed Draco Malfoy for the second time in one day. Granted this time it was a complete accident, but still. Twice. I've kissed him twice! And what's worse... I was upset that he ended it. I hadn't meant to kiss him, but since it was happening, I wanted it to continue. What's wrong with me? I'm with Ron. Lovable, kind, quirky, slightly annoying, but in an endearing way, Ron. And here I am wishing Draco hadn't jumped away from my accidental kiss. Wait, why did he jump away? This morning he kissed me so passionately I forgot who I was and more importantly who he was for a second. Now he acts like my lips are some sort of fungus?! Oh shit, he's leaving. I don't want him to leave, but I know I shouldn't want him to stay either. But mostly I don't want him to leave. DO SOMETHING!" Her hand shot out just in time to catch him. "Great, now I've got to think of a reason why I stopped him."

He slowly turned back, his silver eyes grazing their connected hands, before sliding to her face and locking with her chocolate ones. She knew he wasn't trying to be seductive, but the intensity with which he stared at her caused her female parts to quiver. An involuntary shiver ran through the entire length of her body. She knew she needed to be the one to speak since she was the one clinging to his hand, but no words would come. Instead, she simply maintained their eye contact. The heat was consuming her, but she didn't look away.

His was able to sustain the appropriate body language, drawn up to his full height, shoulders back, head held high, but his eyes betrayed his true feelings. They were burning pools of passion. "Did you need something else, Hermione?" The way he said her name... it was cautious, like he was holding himself back, which he was. It took every single ounce of self-control he possessed to not drop to his knees beside her, take her beautiful face in his hands and hungrily press his lips to hers.

"I... Its just..." the words still escaped her. As long as he was looking at her with such desire, she'd never be able to form a coherent sentence.

Draco could see that she was flustered, but not uncomfortable with their current situation. He could tell she needed something, but didn't know how say it. His gaze softened into tender concern. He stepped closer lightly squeezing the hand that had stopped him from leaving. "Whatever it is, you only have to ask."

As soon as the fire left his eyes, she regained the ability to speak. "Can you stay with me... Just until I fall asleep? It gets a bit spooky in here this late at night." She knew it sounded childish, but it was the best she could come up with. There was no way she could tell him the truth that she, Hermione Granger, simply did not want him, Draco Malfoy, to leave her.

A gentle smile spread across his face. "Sure, I'll stay as long as you'd like."

"Thank you." She returned his smile, and gestured for him to take the chair behind her. She watched him stride around the bed and settle in. "Goodnight, Malfoy."

Their eyes met once again as he replied, "Goodnight, Granger." When she rolled back onto her side, and he was sure she wouldn't notice, he mouthed, "I love you."

"He's staying. He doesn't have to, but he is. Draco Malfoy is sitting up with me, until I fall asleep, and he's doing it because I asked him to. What am I supposed to do with that?" She didn't have the answer to that question, and she was too tired to figure it out right then, but what she did have was a satisfied grin etched on her face as she peacefully drifted off.

Draco watched the steady rise and fall of her back for close to an hour before he was sure she had actually fallen asleep. He silently rose from the chair, and crept to the front of her bed. The slightest trace of a smile was present on her lips. He brushed a loose strand of hair from her face, and couldn't resist placing a tender kiss at her temple. "Sleep well, my love." He whispered before sneaking out the hospital wing doors.

Draco woke the next morning, completely exhausted, but also more invigorated than he'd felt in nearly eight years. Hermione had wanted him to stay with her last night. She accidentally kissed him, then asked him to stay with her. He checked the time...8:30. His first lesson was in less than thirty minutes. He had time to eat or shower, not both. Draco's stomach growled, at the same time his brain said, 'You'll never be able to win anyone over if they can't get passed the smell of you.' Shower it was. After all, he could always request an apple from the special parchment on his way out the door.

Harry's side of the bathroom had several wet towels piled up next to the door. "Great," Draco thought, "Potter's a slob, just like Crabbe and Goyle." For the time being, Draco chose to ignore the heap as he didn't have time to tidy up after his roommate. All negative thoughts washed away as the hot water pelted his body. During his years at Hogwarts, his showers were the only time he had been able let his guard down, and feel the emotions he wasn't allowed to show in front of the other students. For that reason, Draco had gotten in the habit of taking epic-ly long showers. He would allow himself to get lost in the rhythm of the water beating down on him. It was where he found solace. His habit didn't change just because, this year, he could be himself all the time, so when he finally stepped out, he only had ten minutes to dress and get to class.

He didn't bother gelling his hair like usual, opting instead to speedily run a brush through it and style it with his fingers. He threw on his uniform, grabbed his bag full of schoolbooks and dashed out his bedroom door. He quickly jotted: green apple on the parchment and darted through the portal. He arrived in the Potions classroom with a minute to spare. Hermione was not there, but Harry and Ron were once again sitting at the middle table. They paused their conversation and politely acknowledged him as he slid into his seat at the table behind them.

"Have either of you heard anything about Hermione?" Draco asked nonchalantly, but his stomach flopped as her name crossed his lips.

"Actually, yes," Ron's voice was tense. Clearly he was conflicted about being on such cordial terms with his former enemy. "We visited her this morning. She had just taken her last dose of bone-healing potion, and Madam Pomfrey wanted her to stay in the hospital wing for at least an hour to give it the chance to work. She should be getting out any minute now. We brought her books to her, so she can come straight here as soon as she is released."

"Oh, that's good." The least amount of words Draco could use when talking about her, the better. If he used too many, his feelings were sure to sneak through.

The sound of chalk scratching across the chalkboard drew all of their attention.

Attention eighth years: Well done on yesterday's assignment. It was very telling for me to see which potions you chose to brew.

Mr. Malfoy...your command of the Felix Felicis is astonishing. If you were a member of a house, I would be awarding you 15 points for demonstrating such skill.

Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley...I am glad to see you two work so well together. You have made assigning partners that much easier on me. Thank you!

Miss Granger...being as I watched you brew Amortentia perfectly two years ago, I will assume there are extenuating circumstances that resulted in your minor over brew.

Partners for the remainder of the year are:

Harry Potter with Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy with Hermione Granger.

Today you are to brew the PASEO IDEAL. It can be found on page 67 of your textbook. Please leave a vial on my desk when you have finished, then you are free to leave.

"I dislike Potions more everyday." Ron whined.

"Let's just get to it, Ron." Harry sounded annoyed, and Draco couldn't tell if it was due to the assignment or his best friend's complaining.

Draco wasted no time getting to work. He couldn't be sure Professor Slughorn knew Hermione was not in class, and there was no way he was risking her coming back to a less than stellar grade. Harry and Ron continued to bicker about who was going to do what. Ron wanted to chop while Harry stirred, but Harry want to chop while Ron stirred. Draco tried to contain the amused the smirk threatening to break across his lips, but was unsuccessful.

"Well, I'm certainly glad neither of you are my partner, at the moment." Hermione said sarcastically. All three boys whipped their heads in the direction of her voice. She threw Harry and Ron a playful smile as she dropped her bag on the floor next to Draco's table.

They stared at her dumbfounded for a moment before Ron slammed the back of his hand into Harry's chest. "See, mate even Hermione's had enough of your arguing. I'm doing the chopping." And he grabbed the knife from from the table in front of Harry.

"Fine." Harry declared, straight-faced. "But just so you know, the next ingredient is dragon testicles." He shook a jar filled with a slimy lump in Ron's face.

Draco and Hermione fought the urge to laugh out loud, causing their bodies to convulse awkwardly. Ron glared indignantly at them, and began mincing the fist-sized orb in silence. He would not give any of them the satisfaction of seeing him squirm as yellow slime oozed over his hands with every cut. Harry did his best to stir solemnly, but one look at the greenish tint of Ron's face caused a snicker to escape his lips. He tried to play it off as a sneeze, but the ginger didn't buy it. Ron shot Harry a death stare so intense the lingering grin on Harry's face immediately disappeared.

Hermione and Draco stole sideways glances at each other, carefully hiding their smirks from their classmates. No one dared to speak. Harry and Ron finished so quickly Hermione was certain they had missed at least two steps, but she said nothing as they trudged out of the classroom. As soon as the door shut behind the boys, the laughter Draco and Hermione had been holding back exploded uncontrollably.

Hermione's laugh warmed a place inside Draco that had gone cold many years ago. His laughter slowly died out as he was entranced by her carefree beauty. Unadulterated adoration glowed from his eyes. Out of nowhere, she met his gaze, causing a shiver to course through both of their bodies.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked, tucking a loose hair behind her ear and blushing profusely.

Draco quickly dropped his eyes to the floor, his cheeks, too, were on fire. "I... Well... Its just that..." Nothing but the truth would come to his head, so that's what he told her. "Its just that you're beautiful when you laugh." She stared at him in shock. "I mean, you're beautiful all the time, but when you laugh, your nose crinkles in this really adorable way and your eyes sparkle, making you even more... beautiful." Their eyes locked just before he said that last word, and hers betrayed that she returned his amorous feelings. He felt an overwhelming urge to take her in his arms and kiss her, but forced his feet to remain planted.

"Is this real?" Hermione wanted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but resisted that urge. "Did Draco Malfoy just tell me I am beautiful? Ron has never even said that! And how does he know my nose crinkles and my eyes sparkle when I laugh? Why is he still looking at me like that? When he does, I feel like my insides are made of jelly. Oh crap, I have to respond to him! Think of something...QUICK!"

"Umm, thank you." She responded quietly, shifting her eyes to the floor.

"You're welcome." That would have been sufficient, but after nearly losing her the day before, Draco was determined to make the most of every second they spent together. "Just so you know, I've always thought so. Ever since the moment I laid eyes on you."

Even with her head down, Draco could see her lips moving the same way they always did when she was deep in thought. "What the heck? Where is all this coming from? I knew he was different, but this? Its the opposite of every word that has come out of his mouth since we first walked through the castle doors. Am I supposed to believe less than forty-eight hours of pleasantries over seven years insults? But you can't deny that the way he's been looking at you and the way he kissed you back up these words, not his previous ones. He saved your life, for goodness sake. He didn't have to. If he hated you like his past behavior indicates, he would have let Quill pull you under, not risk being pulled in himself. Ok, maybe he is being genuine, but what would that matter? I'm with Ron. But do you really see yourself being with Ron forever? STOP RIGHT THERE! Ron deserves better than the thoughts I am having right now. If I don't see myself with him forever, then that's a conversation I need to have with him before I have one more thought about Draco! Now I need to get back to work, I have never turned in two less-than-perfect assignments back-to-back in my life, and I won't start now!"

"Draco," Her head lifted as her internal discussion ended. "I appreciate your kind words. Really, I do, but I don't think I can process them right now. I am willing to explore what life looks like with us as friends, but I can't open myself up to anything more than that, especially since I am in a relationship with Ron."

"I understand." He would have been lying if he said he wasn't disappointed, but would have also been lying if he said he expected anything else from her. She was an authentically good person, and there was no way she would ever cheat on her boyfriend. If Draco wanted to be a part of her life, he had to accept it would be as her friend, nothing more. "Well, what do you say we knock the rest of this potion out of the park, then?"

Hermione was relieved he didn't get weird about her shutting him down. However it did have an unexpected side effect... it made him more attractive! "That, I can do." All the tension left her as she slid a finger down her notes, trying to find where they'd left off. "So, Felix Felicis, huh?" She tried to make small talk by referencing their previous assignment. "Are you feeling the need to get lucky?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew they came out wrong.

Draco could have acted like her innocent slip went unnoticed, but it was too perfect a set up. "Woah, slow down, Granger. We only just decided to become friends." The sexy smirk settled all too comfortably on his lips.

Hermione slapped him in the shoulder, her face burning with embarrassment. "Shut up! That's not what I meant, and you know it."

It was probably best to stop, but he couldn't help getting in one last barb. "Come on, Granger, Its just us. You can admit that beneath all the knowledge, your mind is actually in the gutter."

"He wants to play that game, does he? Well then, its on."

Hermione turned from the table so she was fully facing the blonde. For a moment she doubted her ability to pull off seductive, but then she saw the lust that was already swimming in Draco's eyes, and that thought vanished. He already wanted her... this was going to be too easy. She closed the space between them with one step, and placed her left hand just over his heart. It was thudding almost as forcefully as her own. Her knees tried to buckle, but she steeled them to remain steady. It required standing on her utmost tip toes, but Hermione managed to brush her lips against his earlobe as she whispered, "You have no idea." She pulled away far enough for their eyes to connect. That was the point her plan nearly backfired. His heavy breathing washed over her in waves of desire. Desire she returned. She stared at his lips. The ones that had matched so perfectly to hers yesterday. She felt herself leaning in. "Oh shit! Back away, Hermione. BACK AWAY!" She was careful to control every inch of her body as she lowered herself to the floor and resumed her previous position over their cauldron.

"There, I did it. I doubt he'll be making any more suggestive comments to me any time soon. I got the best of him. But you almost gave in to the desires you're trying to deny. Yeah, almost. Almost is too close. You need to be careful. I'll decide what I need, thank you very much." Draco was the only one she'd ever met that caused her to fight with herself.

Draco stood rooted on the spot as he tried to regain his composure. "Breathe, Draco. Just breathe." At this moment, more than any other in his entire life, he was thankful for his school robes, because without them, she would be able to see without a doubt, the longing he had for her. "Think of something disgusting. Troll toe-fungus. Giant snot. Professor McGonagall." The fact that the headmistress popped into his head in his current state, even if it was to get rid of his current state made him want to gag, but it worked. He felt the pressure subsiding, and he gradually recovered.

Hermione had returned to working on the potion, and was paying him absolutely zero attention. She didn't give him so much as a glance as she said, "Final step: Stir three times counter-clockwise." She stuffed her books back into her bag, and pranced to the door. He could only watch her in dumbfounded awe. "You'll want to wait for the bubbling to stop before you dip out a vial." She cooed, throwing a playful look over her shoulder.