"Harry would kill you if he knew you were flirting with him," Hermione turned back into herself and faced a giggling Ginny.

"Bye, Hermione!" said McLaggen, clearly smitten.

"Come on, the look on his face when he thought Bookworm Granger was being flirty," Ginny caught the look on Hermione's own face. "It was horrible, his eyes all welled up. Just awful."

"Draco wants me to meet him in our common room." Hermione said seriously.

"And will you be going?" Ginny asked, seeing uncertainty flash through Hermione's eyes.

"No," Hermione looked at her clothes. Sneakers, jeans and a black hoodie. "I'm gonna go for a run."

"Hermione! It's raining!" Ginny yelled after her. "Oh, Gods."

Ginny took off toward the Heads common room.

"Malfoy! Malfoy," Ginny yelled outside of the portrait. He poked his head out.

"You know the password, Weasley."

"I do not…" She paused, realizing what Hermione did. "Oh, yeah I do. Well, it's open now. Uh, you need to go on the grounds."

"Where's Hermione? Shouldn't she be with you?"

"I might have lost her."

"Lost her?" Malfoy repeated.

"Maybe."

"Where did you lose her," Malfoy said rolling his eyes.

"She went for a run…on the grounds. Somewhere." Ginny smiled, hoping to distract him.

"Then I'll be going for a run," Malfoy said.

"You can't catch her!" Ginny yelled after him. "When are people gonna stop running away from me!"

"Hey, Ginny," McLaggen appeared at her shoulder.

"Gah!"

Draco paused on the front steps, looking for any sign of movement. There wasn't any. He took the path towards the Herbology greenhouses, a familiar running ground for Quidditch, but no Hermione. He never knew that she liked to run, but he had noticed her lithe frame and long legs. The grounds were becoming darker as a storm moved in, bringing back more rain. He tried to remember what she'd been wearing the last time he'd seen her.

"Damn black," he said quietly.

"Oiy! Hermione!" he heard Hagrid's gruff voice boom over the grounds. He turned, catching her silhouette by the lake. The moment she knew he saw her, she bolted towards the forest. He turned, sprinting quickly after her, but not quick enough.

Crash!

Rain pounded on the grounds, turning everything to mud. Draco fought to keep his footing while he followed Hermione's footprints.

"Please, Hermione!" he called but she wouldn't stop. "I need to talk to you." He paused for breath. "I have to explain! I have to talk to you."

"I'm done talking to you." She called over her shoulder, only slightly out of breath.

Draco gasped for precious air. "Well that'll work out great then, I'm the one who has to talk to you! You were mad about what I said the other day. All I was saying were nice things about you! I called you perfect." He gasped again.

"Stupid Quidditch, making me think I was in shape." He mumbled to himself. He looked up; realizing that he'd lost her again. He searched the ground for her prints but there weren't any. He panicked and turned around.

She was standing by a tree.

"You're a lousy runner."

"I know."

"You didn't call me perfect."

"I bloody well did too!" Draco sat ungracefully in the mud. Waiting for the fire in his lungs to abate.

"You said I had stupid hair, and stupid friends, and stupid thoughts."

"What? No! Well," he thought. "Yeah, I guess I did say that. But I also said I wanted to touch your stupid hair, be your stupid friends and that your stupid thoughts made me like you even more! And I did call you perfect."

"Well, I'm not."

Draco stood up slowly, knowing that his future with this soaking wet witch depended on his next moves. He walked towards her and carefully brushed away a strand of hair from her wet face. He realized, as her warm tears blended with the cold rain, that she was crying. "Please don't," he said.

"Please don't what?" she asked, crying harder.

"Please don't hate me."

He moved slowly, bringing his face closer to hers. He brushed his nose over hers, before lightly touching her lips with his own. Her breath caught, not expecting such a spark. She pulled away, afraid of what could happen. He leaned his wet forehead against hers. "Please don't hate me."

Neither of them spoke as they headed back towards the castle. As soon as they hit open ground Draco pulled ahead, hoping to beat her. She whizzed by him, and stood waiting for him at the door. He laughed, feeling embarrassed. They walked to their common room.

A figure stood in the entrance hall. It sniffled slightly, then coughed.

Pansy Parkinson sidled out from the shadows, revenge was the only thing on her mind.