disclaimer: i don't own the harry potter characters

(A/N) i hope you like this one. review and tellme what you think. i'm pretty happy withtheresuls so far.

Chapter 5: first day and studying - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Hermione woke up the next morning in her room. She looked around. It was beautiful, but she didn't remember getting up there.

Draco must have carried me. Then she remembered waking up slightly in his arms last night. Was it just my imagination or did Draco Malfoy kiss me on the forehead while I was sleeping. Well if he did I won't mention it.

She got up and grabbed her towel and went to the bathroom to shower. She turned on the hot water, stripped off her clothes and got in. As she was washing, she all the sudden remembered the conversation she had with Ron.

"boy do I miss you back in the Gryffindor common room." Then he whispered. "It sucks that you're here stuck with the ferret all the time."

She looked over at Draco to see if he was listening and he was walking to the kitchen with a disgusted face. She looked at him apologetically and turned to Ron. "That was so rude of you. I mean you get all mad when he calls me a Mudblood so I think you should really stop with all that stuff."

"Geez Hermione I was just kidding. Why are you defending him? Its not like he's ever been nice to you." Ron replied

"Actually for your information he has been bearable." She said with a sneer.

"Okay I'm sorry then. I don't want o fight anymore. I came to see you and it's almost curfew. Wow when your angry you look absolutely beautiful." As he was saying all this he was pulling her to the fireplace.

She giggled loudly and he touched his lips to hers.

She was content and happy with her boyfriend. Then she remembered Draco's statement… "Honestly I think you deserve better but it's your choice not mine."

Then she looked up to find Draco staring her and Ron.

She was so embarrassed. She was sure she was blushing. Then Ron looked up at him and scowled at him...

Her thoughts were interrupted when someone came walking into the bathroom.

"whoa! Hermione I'm so sorry I didn't know you were in here."

She jumped at the sound of Draco's voice and turned around and could see a silhouette of Draco's half naked figure through the foggy glass shower doors. "Well, now that you know could you leave?"

"yeah, sorry." he slowly turned around and walked out the door.

This encounter had brought her out of her thoughts. She quickly finished her shower and got out.

She realized all she had was her towel. Oh crap. After what just happened I don't want to walk out in just my towel. She had no choice so she sucked it up and let all her pride shine through long enough to make t to her room. She walked out of the bathroom and towards her dorm

To her relief Draco was nowhere to be seen. She ran up to her dorm and got dressed.

She came down about 20 minutes later and still Draco was nowhere to be found. So he made her way to the great hall to find Harry and Ron.

They smiled at her as she took a seat by Ron. She returned the smile and then glanced over at the Slytherin table and Draco was sitting there, next to Blaise and Pansy. She kissed him on the cheek and he shrugged her off. He looked over at Hermione and she quickly looked away.

In the next 30 minutes she went with Harry and Ron to potions class. They reached the dungeons and professor Slughorn greeted them with a big smile.

She thought to herself… I wonder if professor Slughorn is going to have the slug club again this ear. It was always fun. She took her seat near Harry and Ron.

After all the students filed in, Slughorn called them quiet. The room went silent and he said, "I have a project for all of you this year and you are to pair each with one assigned partner. I don't want any arguments with who I pair you with because they are all for a reason:

Ron Weasly and Harry potter

Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini

Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy

Pavarti Patil…"

Hermione did not hear the rest Professor Slughorn better have a good explanation for this. I will ask him later why. I just don't understand why so much of my life recently has to do with Draco Malfoy. I'm totally confused. When she came out of her thoughts everyone was moving over to their chosen partners. There was much rumbling and complaining, but they all went where they were assigned.

She walked over to where Draco was and said, "Hi, well I guess were stuck together most of the year. I mean we got to pair up for every project and potion that takes more than one person to do it."

"Yeah, no offense or anything but I kind of caught that when professor Slughorn said pretty much the same thing." He said with a blank expression.

She was kind of offended but decided not to say so, instead she just shut up.

The class went by surprisingly fast. She quickly told Ron bye and hung back in the class until everyone left out.

Slughorn turned around and looked at her, "can I help you with something Mrs. Granger."

"Yeah, you can. I was wondering why you paired me with Malfoy for this whole year. I'm not really to excited about having to spend most of the year working closely with him."

"Well Mrs. Granger I put you two together for many reasons. Number 1, I put Mr. Weasly and Harry together so that put you away from one of them as well as putting Mr. Zabini with Mr. Goyle, so Mr. Malfoy was away from his friends also. Number 2, you and Mr. Malfoy are both the heads so it seemed like a logical reason. Number 3, oh yes there's more, both of you are very intelligent students. I didn't think much of Malfoy in your 6th year but then I realized that he was under a lot of pressure, and I'm sure you know." I notice he is very gifted and a wonderful wizard."

"Oh I see. Well thank you for explaining."

She turned to walk away and he stopped her saying, "I never thought much about the boy myself, but it was mainly because of his family. After the war I've come you realize a lot of students have changed and I have a feeling he's one of them."

She couldn't believe he was saying this, but she took it none the less and said "you know what I've been thinking the same thing. Goodbye professor."

"Goodbye Mrs. Granger." And with that she walked out towards her next class.

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Draco walked out potions class straight towards his next class. He thought about everything that was going on in his life. He was truly tired of the problems his father had caused him and his mother. He was glad he was in Azkaban.

He went through the rest of the day with thoughts like this. He didn't eat much for lunch so when dinner came around he was real hungry. He ate until he was full and then headed up to the head common room. He gave the password and walked up to his room he changed into so pajama pants and a white t-shirt. He came down stairs to find Hermione at her desk studying.

He rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen to get some kind of snack.

He walked out back in and sat down on the couch. He realized he sat on something and jumped back up.

He picked up the book he sat on. He saw that it was the book Hermione picked to read the night before. He started flipping through it. It looked pretty interesting. He looked up to find Hermione looking at him.

"What is wrong? Am I not allowed to read a good book?" He smirked at her.

"It's just interesting to see you read. I've never seen you read before."

He laughed and said, "Well thanks a lot. I'm not as dumb as you would think."

"I never thought you were dumb Draco. I just simply never saw you read before." She replied feeling stupid once again.

"Well, I had a lot to deal with before, but enough of that. What are you doing?"

"I'm studying for transfiguration and ancient runes tomorrow" she replied.

"Why are you studying for classes you haven't had yet?"

"I want to be prepared before I get into the class."

"Whatever, I'm going to do my Quidditch exercises," and with that he peeled off his undershirt and got into positon to do push-ups in front of the fireplace.

He was at 37 when he felt eyes on him he looked up and Hermione was staring. No telling how long she's been doing that. I don't think she realizes that I've caught her. Should I joke about it or be serious. I don't think I could be serious at this point. Dare I think it, she's got me freakin nervous. God. She hasn't realized that I've noticed she's staring. I wonder what she's thinking about. Honestly at this point I'm not sure I want to know. I'm shaking like a little coward. Well here goes..

"I think your studying the wrong subject. I know it may be more interesting but your making me a bit uncomfortable." He tried to put on a smirk but it didn't work. Sure he was used to being stared at but for some reason this is different.

He noticed that she had finally realized what was doing on and she was blushing so deeply he decided to play it off with another joke because quite frankly he was getting more nervous by the second.

It's not the fireplace that has me burning up.

"I really don't care, just don't let Weasly catch you staring at my bare chest. He might feel a bit jealous." He said trying to laugh and sound like he didn't care.

She looked mortified. "Sorry, I really didn't mean to stare. I looked over to see what you were doing and I got lost in thought. And I guess my eyes didn't shift position."

Her voice was shaking with embarrassment, so he decided to leave it alone and go back to his push ups. He closed his eyes and started counting where he left off

He was t 56 when he heard the portrait hole open and close he opened his eyes and looked up to find Hermione gone. He shrugged and continued… 5, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62… ahh I can't handle this no one ever does this to me. I never get nervous around a girl. Maybe I've turned into a pussy since the war. Well we will see about that. Starting tomorrow project get a good lay commences, to prove that I haven't lost my nerve. Shit where was I? I've done like 20 more since this random thought process occurred. Well I'll start at 70to play it safe… 71, 72, 73, 74, 75…

About 30 minutes and 125 push-ups later he went to take a shower. He loved having a shower at night and in the morning. He stripped down and tuned on the hot water. He stepped in and thought about who he could convince to sleep with him.

I know I promised myself that I wouldn't do that anymore to these poor girls who I will never sleep with a gain but I can't handle all this stuff this nervous stuff. This mooring I got nervous over her silhouette through the shower door. Then I got all nervous over her staring at my bare chest while exercising I've got to get my edge back.

He tried to concentrate on something else but his mind wouldn't let him. He felt bad for embarrassing her.

He finally went to bed. A few minutes after his head hit the pillow he heard the portrait open. He couldn't resist the urge to apologize.

He jumped out of his bed and ran down stairs. As soon he got there he wished he hadn't ran so fast.

She was giving Weasly a goodnight kiss. He watched them this time. She looked like a great kisser and hi s mind wondered but not for to long he heard them bid each other goodnight. He stopped looking and drew back his composure.

She walked over to the couch and picked up the book he had picked up not but a couple of hours ago.

He walked down the rest of the steps. "I'm sorry for embarrassing you earlier. I really didn't mean to."

She quickly looked up and blushed deeply. "Look I'm the one who should be sorry, and I really am."

"Look lets forget about it, okay? Hey I got a serious question. Why do you stay with Weasly when you could do so much better?" he had no idea where that last part came form but he had to no.

"I don't know where you get that I could do better, but as for why I stay with him, well because as I said before, he cares about me. I don't know anyone else who would be interested in me except for Viktor Krum."

"Despite what you think that means a lot. Do realize who that is?"

"I guess your right. Why do you care anyway?" she said with a curious expression.

The question caught him off guard but he quickly removed and said "I just want to make sure that al my friends have the best that they can and that they are happy."

She smiled "Well I never thought Draco Malfoy would call me, a Mudblood, his friend."

He smiled and told her good night and retreated to his room. As he drifted into sleep he smiled to himself, not sure why, but he was just smiling.

Little did he know Hermione was doing the same thing except she knew why.

what did you think? well review. and in the next chapter you will find out what hermione was thinking while she was watching Draco do his push-ups with no shirt on!!! don't we all wish we could see that!! adn their first kiss will be comming up in the next couple of chapters.