Labyrinth Of Life

Chapter Three: Found

By coeurnoir

Disclaimer: I once owned Harry Potter, and then my brother snapped the figurine in half.

A/N: Hey guys I decided to revise this chapter due to a review I got and some comments from my mates who read my notes. I wasn't explaining the relationship developing with Draco and Hermione very well and what was in my head wasn't exactly coming out on paper. Sorry it's been a really bad week for me with personal reasons and all so I'm sorry for stuffing it around.

I need the reviews guys, my hits and my reviews are NOWHERE near matching HALFWAY with each other and I don't know if it's because people don't like what they're reading or if they just cant be bothered. I need the reviews to keep the story going!

Hermione awoke and found herself in a good mood despite the previous nights events. She wasn't completely certain about what happened with Draco, wasn't he supposed to be her enemy? He didn't act like it in the least. She wondered what brought about the change. She decided that she was going to find out at breakfast if he was in the dining room.

She dressed comfortably after her shower in a pair of black jeans with a dragon embroidered on the side and a red singlet top. She used her wand to dry and curl her hair, a neat trick the other girls in her dormitory had shown her last year.

Draco was shocked when Hermione walked straight to his table at breakfast and started ordering her meal as though everything were normal. He stared at her groggily, still slightly asleep.

"What you doing sitting with me?" he asked sleepily. Hermione popped him a friendly grin. "Good morning, Draco. How did you sleep?" He asked ignoring his sleepy comment. She dug into her porridge that he noticed was disgustingly drowned in brown sugar and apricots.

"Fine, once I got rid of the smell of owl." He scowled. Hermione gathered that he liked staying clean. She decided to be her usual direct self and ask him what the go was. "Malfoy, what exactly happened last night? I mean, one minute you're treating me like an incurable disease, the next you're concerned about my welfare. Sorry to state the obvious but it's not really like you!" Draco wasn't sure what to say.

"Maybe I've left certain influences in my life that made me a mean person and I didn't realise till last night that being that person really isn't me." He felt confused. "I don't really know. One minute I was bagging on you, then the next, I felt bad for it! can we not go on about it?" He muttered uncomfortably, "this isn't exactly my favourite topic." Hermione didn't really completely understand but she appreciated his effort in explaining. She noticed that he was about as confused as she was so she let it drop.

Realising that Hermione didn't find him mean and scary anymore, he was surprised to find that he felt good about the fact. He was sick of being like his father, cruel in every aspect of his life, even family. His father no longer directly influenced his behaviour and he liked it. it was his chance to become his own person. (A/N: I had questions as to why Draco and Hermione were getting along so well, this paragraph is one of the reasons, Draco only acted like he did because of his dad. Well, in my story anyway…)

Hermione and Draco kept up a cheerful banter throughout breakfast. They discussed school and found that they were doing a few of the same subjects.

"Have you got your booklist yet?" inquired Hermione, "I found out what all my textbooks were last year except for potions, Snape wouldn't tell me his. So naturally, I already have all my books except for his." She growled in frustration, she liked to read all her textbooks at least once before she started her school year. Draco smirked,

"You mean Advanced Potions for NEWTS Students? I have a copy in my room. I found out what it was the week before school ended. As you know, Snape loves me and I had but to ask!" Draco saw the look on her face and could imagine what Snape had said to her last year when she had asked for the book list. "Would you like to borrow it?" Her face lit up like Christmas lights. He took that for a yes and promised that he would bring it down for her at tea.

"Hey, do you know how to play wizard's chess?" asked Malfoy, he loved the game like any typical wizard and had been craving a game for a few days.

"How can I not know how to play? I'm a friend of two of the biggest chess nuts in the universe! I think that it's needlessly violent but I can play."

And with that Hermione headed to the Lounge room while Draco rushed upstairs to his room to get his set. And then the competition began.

Hermione rarely played the game but she was a brilliant tactician, despite being rusty. Draco won the first couple, then Hermione started to get into it and soon the groans were coming from Draco's side of the table. The competition went for hours, neither could remember whom had won the most games. They had repaired the set too many times to count and so decided to take a rest.

Hermione stretched, running her slender fingers through her golden brown hair. She glanced at the clock on the wall and started.

"Merlin! It's close to half three and we haven't even had lunch! Tom stopped serving over an hour ago. Dammit, I'm starved!"

Draco swore, then pointed out that they could just go somewhere to eat. Hermione convinced him that she knew a great place to go. In Muggle London.

It took magnificent negotiating skills on her part, but he finally agreed to go. She took him to a pizza parlour not too far away from the Leaky Cauldron, Peppi's. Hermione had grown up in London and the owner, Carlos loved her to bits and had no problems telling Draco stories about when Hermione used to come in as a toddler with or without her parents.

He served up a margarita pizza and Draco immediately fell in love with it. He ended up eating a whole one to himself. They sat chatting for a while as they had a cool drink. Hermione glanced at her watch and then at Draco.

"We'd better head back, it's almost time to get dark. Thankyou Carlos! It was great to see you again!" He sent them off with another mini pizza in a bag for Draco.

"I have the world's biggest stomach ache!" cried Draco. Hermione simply laughed at him and kept walking. He'll learn, she thought, eventually.

As they walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, Draco couldn't help but to feel a little uneasy. He kept looking over his shoulder, and at one point he swore that he had just seen someone in black robes turn into an alley just as he turned around. Hermione sensed his unease and looked over her shoulder as well.

"What's wrong? Why do you keep acting like we're being tailed?" her voice shook a little, she was nervous.

"Because someone is tailing us. And I don't want to find out who." He started walking twice as fast, Hermione trotting to keep up with his long paces. It was almost dark now and they were still a few minutes from the pub. Looking back they saw three people in flowing black robes and hoods over their faces. Draco dragged Hermione into a run.

"Why are we running Draco?" She panted. "Who are they?" it was hard for her to keep up with his quidditch-trained body, as unlike him she didn't do sports.

"Just keep going! I'll tell you when we get there!"

They rounded the corner and saw the pub. Renewing their efforts they made it into the door before their pursuers made it around the corner. Panting they continued up to Hermione's room and sat on the floor next to the bed.

"You are going to tell me what that was about and you're going to tell me now." Hermione's expression was dangerous. She didn't like it a single bit when things happened around her and she didn't know what was happening.

"It's a long story," sighed Draco. Hermione leaned against him and shut her eyes. She was tired out. "Take all night if you want to Draco. Trust me, I'm not moving."

Draco let out the story, in an edited form. He didn't mention his mother, or his punishments from Father. He did tell her about Pansy though and laughed as she shuddered at his description of her evening wear.

"I ran away last week. My father had made some decisions for me in my life that I didn't want to do. He had arranged a marriage and basically arranged my entire career for me before I could decide what I wanted to do with my life. Everything that he organised, even the marriage was going to happen tomorrow and some people are going to be pissed that I'm not there, my father is one of the less dangerous of them. There, there is my problem in a nutshell. One day I'll probably tell you the rest. When are you going to tell me your story girl?"

Hermione stiffened in his lap a little. She wanted to tell Draco about Connor, more than anything to have someone to talk to about it. She just didn't know how he would react. So, taking a deep breath she told him. Everything. Draco just sat there in shocked silence. Wrapping his arms around her as her eyes started leaking tears. As she finished Draco pulled her up onto her bed and wrapped her into his arms once more. His shirt was soaked on the front where Hermione had her face pressed into it. He didn't mind, Draco just continued to hold her and rub her back as she calmed down.

He looked down at her; she was beginning to get drowsy. He kissed her on the forehead and went to leave. She tightened her hold on him and begged him not to go. So fully clothed, the two of them slept, wrapped up in an embrace that comforted them both, letting them know that they weren't alone.

Hermione woke early the next morning, and realised that Draco was sleeping next to her on her bed. She wondered what in Merlin's name she had been thinking. She remembered their day yesterday and how much fun they had. She smiled when she remembered his explanations for his change in behaviour. Just hearing him unsure of how to explain himself made her sure he was telling the truth.

She didn't want to move for fear of waking Draco he looked so peaceful. So she lay there watching him sleep, his clothes wrinkled, his colourless hair had come out of its tail and surrounded his face. She continued to stew on his change in character. She'd see what he is like when he wakes, that'll tell it. She hoped that it wasn't just a one-day wonder event, she'd had a lot of fun with him and she felt a kind of connection with him she'd never felt with anyone else. She sighed; she'd see when he woke up. She eventually fell back into a snooze; unable to keep her eyes open in her relaxed state.

He finally woke to the sight of Hermione whom had dozed off again. He thought about their day yesterday and again wondered what he was doing with Granger, it went against everything that his father had forced into him since he could talk. He didn't regret it though. He couldn't think of words that described how he felt when he was with her, unlike anything he had ever felt. She was intelligent, witty and liked to have fun. He liked this whole living his own life thing. He could learn to love to live with it. Without thinking he leant over and kissed her on the forehead, waking her. She looked at him and smiled. He leant over again. This time he kissed her on her small soft lips.

Shocked at first, it took a couple of seconds before she kissed him back. They both then lay back and looked at each other. "I think the world just changed a little for the both of us," Malfoy whispered. "I just want to say I'm sorry for all that I've done to you over the years, and I know this is fast but how I feel with you is just too awesome." Hermione grinned. "Thanks Draco. Right back at you."

"I have to go get changed," Draco murmured tiredly. And he got up slowly, stretching to his full height of six feet four inches and slowly walked from the room.

His mind was ticking real fast as he headed up to his room, slowly climbing a set of stairs at one end o the maze of corridors. He didn't regret kissing Hermione, she was a beautiful girl and he couldn't believe it took him so long to figure it out, he just didn't know what the rest of the wizarding population would have to say about it.

Upon entering his room he got a shock. The place was a shambles. His clothing was thrown everywhere, his schoolbooks ripped up and his broom was snapped in half. There was only one empty spot in the whole room and that was his desk. All his belongings had been swiped off it and there sat a letter, written in deep red ink with his name in big letters at the top.

Draco,

Needless to say I am very disappointed in you. Your mother and future wife are very worried as to your health and safety and our Master is anxious that you don't miss your big day. As you failed to meet with my colleagues last night, you have one more opportunity to meet them at Knockturn Alley at 12 noon or they will come and collect you from the inn along with your new friend, we need to have a conversation about your consorting with mudbloods. It's very disappointing to hear..

Lucius.

A/N: There's a really cool button just down on the bottom left of the screen!!! it lets you review my work so i can make it better just like i did with this chapter, (well at least i hope i did..) if you read this chapter before it was changed, or even didn't pleeeeeez review!!!

P.S for those of you who may not know, a margarita pizza is not an alcoholic pizza! It's a pizza with cheese and herbs, (sometimes garlic or tomato) its really nice you should try one. I wasn't sure how popular they are so I thought I'd pop this just in case.