Three days until Christmas.

'Nuureeghh uh wah? Gerroff'

'Draco'

'nopsminangletime, yesh ham preeze'

'DRACO!'

The covers were ripped off Draco's body forcing him to sit up with a start, feeling slightly light headed he looked over to the side of his bed to see his father looking at him with a mix of curiosity and distaste on his face. Draco's eyes widened in horror as he quickly tried to regain some form of dignity.

'Sleep well boy?' Lucius Malfoy said looking at his rather embarrassed son.

'um hmm yes hi, good morning father'

Draco rubbed his eyes and looked at his father quizzically, now awake enough to wonder what on earth he was doing here.

Five minutes later Draco was dressed and ready to talk.

'How's it going?' Mr Malfoy asked

Draco shrugged, 'it's ok I guess, I mean we don't have any lessons at the moment so there's no stress or anything, it's a bit annoying the way everyone in Hogwarts seems to be ridiculously excited with Christm..'

'Not that you idiot' Said Lucius hotly, 'how is it going with the mudblood? Have you got her under your thumb yet or is she still besotted with that bloody Potter?'

'Don't worry father it looks like Potter will be out of the picture pretty soon anyway' Draco didn't see the need to mention the fact that he had had no input in to sorting that particular problem out.

'What about her? You need her to trust you or this will never work, you need to gain her trust and then hurt her in the worst way you can possibly think of'

'I'm working on it Father' and to Draco's dismay he realised that this wouldn't be so hard. Hermione was about to lose Harry and Draco had a strong feeling that she would come to him, the argued and fought but he could see in her eyes sometimes. He saw something that was definitely not hatred, almost fondness and maybe even love. At that moment Draco tried, and very nearly succeeded, to turn his heart to stone, to forget his love for the girl he was destined to have killed. A stone heart, he thought, would not easily break.

-

Hermione woke herself up with a sneeze, 'stupid feather pillows' She muttered quietly to herself, she had always hated the idea of feather pillows it made her feel like she was resting her head on a chicken for the night. Hermione's little face screwed up when she remembered last night, he had been lying, he must have been, her relationship with Harry probably isn't fantastic but he was her best friend and she was so sure he would never do anything like that to her.

The morning went uneventfully Hermione hadn't felt like joining in the huge snowball fight that had developed outside. She spent some of it with Harry who seemed a little distant and cold but Hermione was used to that kind of thing now. In fact nothing had happened until she had entered the great hall for dinner only to rush straight out again. Nearly knocking over a confused Draco she legged it as fast as she could to her room, hearing footsteps behind her all the way.

Hermione leaped through the portrait door well aware that Draco was on her tail and made her way to her room.

'Hermione,' Draco said softly, turning her around and trying to get her to look at him.

Hermione's cheeks burned with anger and humiliation, she couldn't look at him, not now, she'd breakdown. She opened her mouth to speak, expecting a croak but instead she yelled, it wasn't Draco's fault but he was here so he was going to get the screaming.

'The BASTARD' She half yelled half sobbed and wriggled in Draco's strong arms, 'why couldn't he tell me for God's sake. He's my best friend and he let me find out like THAT' Draco wasn't letting go, 'GET OFF ME' Hermione shouted.

'No' Draco said softly

'LET ME GO' Hermione screamed

'I can't' Draco wasn't going to let go

'Let me go, let me go let m…'

Hermione dissolved in to a fit of tears and fell on to Draco who immediately wrapped his arms around her and subconsciously started to stroke her hair.

'He was my best friend' Hermione said quietly, 'so what I wasn't in love with him, he was my best best friend'

Hermione lifted her head to look at Draco who wiped her tears away. Very slowly, she reached up to kiss him softly on the lips. Draco framed her face and looked down at her. He studied her face, her teary eyes, her full lips, her cute button nose, and shook his head gently,

'Who wouldn't want you?' He said before he could help himself 'Hermione I love you'

Hermione's heart was jumping around her chest as she reached up to kiss him again.

'Hermione I've always loved you'

'Draco I love you so much' Hermione only properly realising the words as she said them.

For that night Draco let himself forget. Forget that she was going to die, forget that he was killing her, forget that this was the very thing that would lead her to her death. For the first time in his life Draco let himself love so much it could kill him he let his heart break and melt at a single touch or look. He stopped trying to turn his heart to stone and let himself feel.

When Draco woke up the next morning he was numb, he looked down at Hermione fast asleep and instead of feeling a sharp stab in his heart, instead of the rush of love he had been overwhelmed with last night he just felt drained and while he was hurting and while he loved her with everything he had all he could feel was a gentle stab each time his heart beat. Draco knew at that moment that he was going to be able to go through with this, but that it would probably kill him.

Pweeze review sorry its been so long to get this done but ive been sooooooo bizzy lots of lurve…