Disclaimer: of course I don't own Harry Potter, but I wish I did!

Chapter 3: The big realization.

Hermione landed on the floor with a big thump, and everyone who had seen what had happened gasped. Draco stood there, with his mouth wide open, and he couldn't believe what had happened. He had been attracted to Hermione. He couldn't believe it at all. It must be some virus going around he thought to himself. His trail of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by a fist connecting with his face. He fell hardly, and grunted as he did so. He looked up to see who had hit him. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised, of course it had been Harry. His enemy of all time had just punched him in the face, in front of everyone…How embarrassing.

"Potter, what's your problem!" Draco said, narrowing his eyes while he stood up.

"Shut it Malfoy, you're the one who dropped Hermione here for no reason! And after she was struck by lighting! Oh poor thing," Ron said, caringly.

And at that moment, Draco realized what Harry was blind to see: Ron liked Hermione, as more than just a best friend. Draco knew he had to ruin the relationship, he absolutely knew he had to ruin Hermione's life. After that connection, he couldn't handle not hurting her. He needed to prove to everyone that the fact he had caught her meant nothing.

At the same time, Hermione was also thinking about different things. Why had there been such an intense connection when Draco caught her? She was confused, and it didn't help that her body ached with pain as she lay there on the floor, unable to move.

The nurses arrived and took her to the nursing department, and the whole time, she thought about Draco. And, after all the thinking, she came to a definite conclusion: she was absolutely positive that all the attraction she felt for Draco, if there had been any at all, was gone. She was stunned he could drop her like that, and that had made her decision final- she was never going to allow herself to like Draco Malfoy, the ferret who had made her life a living hell since they started school at Hogwarts.

She spent the night there, to make sure she had fully recovered. In the morning, there was a meeting for everyone who had been at orientation: they were to go back to platform 9 and ¾ and board the Hogwarts Express, like the rest of the students who would attend Hogwarts.

On their way back, Hermione received a letter, which had been delivered to her compartment she was sharing with Ron and Harry. It said the following:

Dear Ms.Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been chosen to be Head Girl! Tomorrow morning, after boarding the train, go to the Heads compartment, where you will meet the Head Boy of this year. We hope you are pleased!

Sincerely,

Hogwarts school committee.

Hermione was SO excited! And after she told her friends, they were also thrilled, but also sad that she wouldn't be able to ride to Hogwarts with them. She would have to stay in the Heads compartment. But, they understood. Hermione was really happy. She wanted to know more than ever who got Head Boy. She thought that it could be Harry, even though he didn't get his letter yet.

They arrived at the station again, and boarded to train. Hermione stayed in Harry and Ron's compartment until the train started. At that point, she made her way to the heads compartment, nervous and excited to see who she would be living and working with. She was the first person to get to the Heads compartment, so she just went in and sat down. And, unsurprisingly, she started reading.

Draco walked through the door, seeing Hermione sitting there, with a very serious look on her face. She was obviously really into her book. He decided not to make any noise and sit down across from her. As soon as he sat down, she looked up, and seeing Draco, narrowed her eyes.

"Well, if it isn't the book worm of the Golden Trio…what book are you reading here?" he said, as he grabbed her book out of her hands.

"Give it back ferret!" she yelled as she reached for it.

Just as she was about to get her book back from Draco, Professor Dumbledore walked in the compartment and told them both to sit down. He started to explain what being a Head meant.

"You will share a common room, and the bathroom. There will be two separate bedrooms, but if we think you two need to get to know each other better, we will make it one room, with 2 separate beds. You two are no exception to these rules."

"Yes sir" Hermione and Draco answered.

After Dumbledore left, Hermione couldn't believe it. She was stuck with him! She had to LIVE with him…She didn't know what she did to deserve it, but whatever it was, she took it back.

At the same time, Draco could only think about how he would get to live with such a gorgeous girl. Sure, she was a mudblood, and yea, she was Hermione Granger, but still, she looked GREAT. He knew that his friends would be jealous. Of course, he would never admit to anyone that he was pleased to live with her. No way could he do that. He had a reputation to live up to. He was a Malfoy. Malfoys thought nothing of humans, especially mudbloods. He would make her life horrible, because he had to. He decided to strike up a conversation with the girl.

"So…Granger…you and Weasel are together, ey?" He asked, curiously.

Hermione looked shocked, both at the question and at the fact that Draco had spoken to her.

"No! Of, course not! How do you figure we are!" She replied in a tone that matched the look on her face.

"Well I don't know…I mean he did say 'Oh poor thing' when I dropped you." he said, suddenly regretting his words.

"Oh that's right, you dropped me…Suddenly reminding me not to talk to a jerk like you." She said, turning back to her book.

As soon as she said that Draco looked down. He regretted dropping her. He didn't even mean to do it. It was like a reaction that he couldn't control. Everything that he felt shocked him because he spent the first five years at Hogwarts hating her, and her friends. He had always secretly thought that she was pretty, but now he absolutely knew that he wouldn't be the only one.

The train ride came to an end, and everyone rushed off the train, eager to get back to their great school. Draco hurried to his dorm, while Hermione took her time and talked to Ron and Harry. When she got up to the room, she walked in and was relieved that Draco wasn't there. She wasn't in the mood to fight or even talk to him.

Just as she was settling down on one of the two couches in the common room, Draco walked out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist. Hermione looked up and her jaw fell open. Draco had the most amazing muscles and abs she had ever seen. Draco spotted her with her mouth open and flexed, at the same time speaking.

"So Granger, you like what you see huh?" He said, in a vain tone.

Hermione realized that she had been caught drooling over Draco. She turned a bright shade of red and stood up to go to her room, which Draco was conveniently standing in front of. As she pushed past him, he stopped her, holding her close to his bare chest.

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Hey, I don't have much to do so I'll probably be updating often! I hope you like the story, and please review!