Chapter 3
Potions and So On

Double potions. Hermione sat next to Harry, carefully mixing her crushed beetle eyes and newt tales. She stole a glance over at Draco, who was forced to sit next to Pansy, who kept purposefully dumping her shredded dragon tongue on his lap. She sighed, feeling sorry for him, something she had thought would never happen.

"Mione, have you noticed anything odd about Malfoy this year?" Harry asked, causing Hermione to jump, spilling half her mixture on the tabletop.

"No! Why would I?" She sputtered, brushing the powder back into her vial.

"No reason..." Harry said, sending her an odd look.

Draco pulled a slimy piece of purple dragon tongue off his school robes, and tossed it on the floor in disgust.

"Pansy, watch what you're doing, would you?" He said through clenched teeth.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" She asked, flipping her hair and aiming her pointy nose in the air.

Draco grumbled and dumped the rest of his ingredients in his cauldron, watching the fuchsia potion turn a ghastly green hue.

"Now, remember not to add too much tongue to the solution. That's too much, Longbottom!" Snape was saying, glowering at Neville. The lesson in Growing Potions was not going well for neither the Slytherins or Gryffindors.

It was a huge relief when the class was dismissed. Draco saw Hermione motion for Harry and Ron to go on to Quidditch practice, while she cleaned up her work area. Draco quickly scribbled out a note on a bit of parchment and folded it in half. As he walked by her, he dropped it on her desk, then left the room before Snape could notice.

Hermione unfolded the note a few minutes later, sitting by the fire in the common room, which was empty, except for her and Crookshanks.

---Hermione,

Meet me in the astronomy tower tonight at midnight if you can.

---Draco

She folded it again and stuffed it in her pocket, wondering what he would want her to meet him there for. But for some odd reason, she wanted to go, to talk to him, to see him.

That night, Draco waited impatiently for her to show up, pacing the circular tower as he checked his watch every few steps. Finally, she appeared at the top of the steps, looking like an angel in the pale moonlight, her curls wild around her face. Draco gulped and smiled at her, motioning her in.

"Hello, Draco." She said softly, and he could tell she was wondering why on Earth he'd asked her there.

"Hey," he said, searching for the words to say, "I guess you're wondering why I asked you to meet me?"

"Yeah, kind of." She replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I just wanted someone to talk to..." He said honestly, sitting on the windowsill of one of the many windows.

"Oh...OK," Hermione said unsurely, "About what?"

"Anything."

"Fine. Why did you change all of a sudden. Let's talk about that." Hermione said, her eyes challenging him.

"Why? Why does it matter why I changed?" He said, not meeting her gaze.

"It matters, because up until now you have hated me and humiliated me. My life was miserable! But now, suddenly, you want to be my friend! That's why, Malfoy!"

"Please don't call me Malfoy," He said, wincing slightly. Hermione looked taken aback, but nodded her head anyway, "I changed because I realized one day that I wasn't my own person. That I was my father's puppet, and I realized that I hated myself."

Hermione was silent, staring at him, finally meeting his troubled eyes, and seeing pain and insecurity in them.

"Want to know something?" She asked. Draco nodded mutely, "I'm alone. I have been for years."

"What about Potter and Weasley?" Draco asked.

"They have girlfriends and Quidditch, Ginny has Neville. I have no one." She said, looking down as tears stung her eyes. Draco pushed away from the windowsill and moved towards her. She looked up, a tear sliding down her cheek. Draco
wiped it away with his thumb, looking into her eyes as both of them froze, realizing how close they were. Draco moved his hand from her cheek to her hair, running his fingers through the spirals of silky hair. She closed her eyes, leaning her cheek into his palm, feeling the warmth of his hand. He leaned over and kissed her lips softly, and before either one knew it, they were kissing passionately, wrapped in each other's arms.

Hermione finally broke the kiss, and backed away, her eyes panicked.

"I...I have to go. I-I'm sorry." She stuttered, running from the tower.

"Hermione! Wait!" He ran down the steps as fast as he could, but she was gone. He sat on one of the cold stone steps, and ran a hand through his silvery hair, knowing he'd messed up.

Hermione got into the girls' dormitory faster than she thought possible, and was soon hidden under the covers, sobbing into her pillow. She had kissed him. He had kissed her. And now all she wanted was to kiss him again. But somehow, she felt more alone than ever.

A/N: I really hope you liked it I am just trying to do something different from what I normally write, so tell me what I am doing wrong what I am doing right, or just if you like it, by reviewing I would be ever so grateful.

Monkey