Chapter 2

Hermione woke up the next morning to an owl hooting from outside the window. She groaned and got up taking the letter from the owl. She crawled back under the sheets and opened the letter. It was from Dumbledore, stating that the infirmary needed more herbs for potions, and that Draco and her had to go together to Hogsmeade.

Hermione sighed and got up, dressing in her muggle clothes, her favorite pair of jeans and a black v-neck, ¾ length sleeves, shirt.

"I see you got the letter." Draco walked into the room, eyeing the girl up and down.

"Yeah, when did you want to go?" Hermione pulled back her hair and pulled on a black cloak.

"Now, unless you have other things you need to do." Draco whispered.

"I'm ready now." Hermione looked at the boy and sighed. "You have the list?" Draco nodded and held open the door. Hermione walked out of the room and down the spiral staircase, Draco behind her. They quietly walked out of the school, the only sound was their feet crunching on the snow.

"I didn't mean it last night, if I had known." Draco started.

"Don't, you didn't know." Hermione looked at the boy.

"Still, I haven't been the most civil towards you, I misjudged you." Draco said softly.

"What?" Hermione said, stopping in her tracks.

"I'm sorry, for how I've treated you." Draco sighed, looking at the girl. "Can we go, it's rather cold out here." Hermione nodded and the two began walking again.

"Is something wrong?" Hermione whispered as they walked into the magical town.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked back.

"You know what I mean, you hate me, yet you apologized for taunting me last night. Is this some sick joke?" Hermione asked, staring Draco straight in the eye.

"No, I've just had a change of prospective." Draco said.

"Why?" Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"That's not important right now." Draco opened a door. Hermione swallowed her next words and walked into the store, Draco following her.

After a few hours the two returned to Hogwarts and turned the potion herbs over to Snape. Hermione turned away from the boy without a word, heading back up to the room.

"Hermione." Draco called, following the girl. Hermione stopped and took a deep breath, turning around.

"What?" She said, trying to control herself.

Draco bit his lip and sighed. "You aren't going back to Weasley, are you?"

"Why do you care? Stop this, stop this stupid act. Just leave me alone." Hermione yelled before running away.

She got to the room and grabbed a book, she sat down on her bed, her back leaning against the headboard. She stared at the same page for an hour, thinking about Draco's new attitude. He was different, he had changed, for once Hermione saw a chance. But at the same time she knew it was a trick, she knew he was just acting until she let him in, she knew he was just looking to hurt her. It was the only explanation that made since.

Hermione looked over at the door and saw Draco walk into the room, carrying a plate of food. "You missed dinner, I thought you might be hungry." Draco whispered, setting the plate on her bed, along with a set of silverware.

"Thanks." Hermione said softly before picking up the plate and eating.

"Listen, I've changed." Draco said softly.

"Why?" Hermione demanded.

"Last Christmas I saw my father and you-know-who kill my mother. I knew they were both evil, but I never thought that my father would actually kill my mom, his wife. I came back to school and tried to act like nothing happened. Then over the summer I lost it, I stopped talking to my father and other Slytherin." Draco sighed.

"Yet you still harass Ron." Hermione pointed out.

"Yes, because to avoid my house I wonder the halls at night, or hide in the library, among other things. But a few months ago, when I was walking the halls, I saw you two. Ron had you pinned to the wall, you were crying. I saw him get fed up and storm off, leaving you there in tears." Draco stared into Hermione's eyes, seeing the shock.

"You saw that?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes, and I didn't tell." Draco whispered.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered. She looked down at the food.

"Why were you crying?" Draco asked, taking a seat down on Hermione's trunk.

"I had just gotten a letter that my parents were moving to France and I was being kicked out of the only home I knew." Hermione was playing with her mashed potatoes. "I was so upset, just wanted to talk. Ron had had a bad day, wasn't in the best of moods."

"So." Hermione's head shot up, jaw slack as she stared at the boy. The last one she figured would understand her was Draco. "You were obviously upset, he shouldn't have treated you that way."

"Thank you." Hermione whispered, looking back down at her plate.

"Any idea why he cheated?" Draco asked softly.

"The tramp put out." Hermione said spitefully.

"You two hadn't done it, but he was bragging." Draco trailed off, remembering having to listen to Ron talk about it during classes.

"Yeah, I know, but we didn't, I never wanted to." Hermione looked over at the fire. "We'd always fight about it, but I figured if everyone thought we had, he wouldn't pressure me as much, you know, because no one was taunting him. No pressure on him, no pressure on me."

"The git." Draco whispered. Hermione once again looked at the boy.

"Thanks." Hermione blushed. Draco stood up and moved closer to the girl, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"You never answered me before. Are you going back to him?" Draco stared the girl in the eye.

"Why do you care so much?" Hermione stared back into the boy's eyes, not wanting to look away.

"Because he doesn't deserve you." Draco whispered, touching the girl's cheek.

"Draco, stop, please." Hermione stood up, standing with her back to the boy, hot tears pushing into her eyes. "I'm in no mood to deal with your stupid games."

"You think this is a game to me?" Draco whispered, standing up.

"Yes." Hermione turned around, yelling at the boy. "I'm just a filthy mudblood to you!" She continued to yell. "What do you care? You hate me, ever since I walked through the school doors. You would probably be happy if I jumped out of the window right now."

"You're beautiful." Was all Draco said.

"What?" Hermione stepped back.

"You're smart, kind and beautiful. Even though your parents are muggles, you're smarter than any other student. I've been wrong about you. And I haven't hated you since last Christmas." Hermione took another step back. "It's when I figured out that blood status doesn't effect a thing." Draco stepped towards the girl, reaching out and touching her cheek.

"I-I…" Hermione couldn't think of what to say. Her mind was a buzz, she wanted to believe him but she was scared. Before she could say anything coherent Draco had closed the gap between them, kissing her softly.

"Do you believe me?" Draco whispered, breaking the contact.

"I want to." Hermione whispered without thinking. Draco leaned in again, kissing the girl softly. He broke away again and stepped back.

"I'm going to go." Draco whispered.

"No." Hermione said without thinking. She didn't know what she was doing but the next thing she knew her arms were around Draco's neck, her lips on his. Draco smiled inwardly and wrapped his arms around the girl's waist.

Neither knew how long they had been wrapped in each other's arms but quickly broke away when a knock came from the door. Hermione blushed and rushed to open the door.

"Headmaster." Hermione said, smiling at the man.

"Good Evening, just coming to make sure you weren't killing each other." Dumbledore smiled as his eyes went from Draco to Hermione. "And Peeves has seen to knock all of the ornaments from the tree in the entrance hall. I was hoping that you two could see to redecorating it tomorrow."

"Of course, Headmaster. Anything else?" Hermione asked.

"No, I think that should be it for now." Dumbledore smiled before walking off. Hermione closed the door and sighed.

"We were given desserts." Hermione smiled at her bed. Her dinner plate had been replaced by a tray containing two mugs of hot chocolate and a plate of cookies.

"It'd be rude not to enjoy them." Draco smirked. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

"This isn't a game." Hermione whispered.

"You finally believe me?" Draco cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't know, this feels like a dream." Hermione whispered.

"Am I often in your dreams?" Draco smiled, taking the two mugs. He walked over to the girl, handing her one of the mugs.

"Yes." Hermione whispered. Draco leaned forward, lips next to her ear.

"You're often in my dreams too." Draco leaned back and found the girl blushing.

"This isn't going to be a just two week thing, is it?" Hermione whispered, looking down into her mug.

"Only if you decide Weasley is better than me." Draco said softly. "Come on." Draco took the girl's hand and led her to her own bed. They both sat down, looking at each other.

"This is just so strange to me." Hermione whispered, bringing her knees to her chest.

"Why?" Draco asked, taking a cookie from the tray.

"Ron was my first actual boyfriend. I mean, I never really liked Krum. Not to mention the fact that you've hated me for the past few years." Hermione sighed, sipping the drink.

"I was stupid." Draco sighed. Hermione couldn't hold back a laugh.

"What are people going to think? Won't your father flip out?" Hermione asked, picking up a cookie.

"I couldn't care less what anyone thinks, that includes my father." Draco moved so he was sitting next to the girl. "What about your friends?"

"Ron has that fourth year, and Harry's been so busy with Ginny. I guess if you don't care, I won't either." Hermione sighed, resting her head on Draco's shoulder.

After an hour the cookies and cocoa were gone, the tray and mugs sitting atop Hermione's trunk. Hermione was laying under the boy, enjoying his lips on hers. Hermione felt happier than she ever did with Ron, something awakening inside her.

"I must say this." Hermione panted, Draco and her pulling away for air. "You are hundreds times better than Ron ever was." Draco laughed a little.

"I'm glad. So much easier to steal you from him that way." It was Hermione's turn to laugh.

"How long have you liked me?" Hermione asked, playing with Draco's longish hair.

"Not sure really. I always told myself that I hated you, but I don't think I ever did. I do remember, though, wanting to curse Weasley after he left you crying that one night." Draco sighed. He moved so he was laying on his side, head propped up by his hand. "What about you?"

"Not sure either. I remember dreaming about you the night after the Yule Ball in our fourth year." Hermione continued to play with the boy's hair.

"Dream, eh? Do share." Draco smirked.

"It was nothing too special. Just you and me. In a bed." Hermione pulled the boy close, lips inches from his. "Ok, it might have been quite steamy." Hermione whispered. Draco smiled, kissing the girl gently, before moving down to her neck. "Yeah, there was a lot of that." Hermione mumbled, closing her eyes and tilting back her head. Draco kissed down the girl's neck, followed by kissing along the neck line of her shirt. He reached the lowest point, flicking his tongue in between Hermione's breast. He went back up and kissed the girl deeply, tongue playing with hers.

They pulled away again, Draco just smiling goofily. Hermione glared at the boy and sat up, before pushing him down to the bed. She leaned over him and kissed him deeply, one hand keeping her balanced above the boy, but the other was resting on the inside of one of his thighs.

"Mean, mean girl." Draco glared at the girl as she pulled away. Hermione stood up and looked at her watch.

"It's one am." Hermione whispered. "Would you mind if I changed?" Hermione asked, suddenly feeling very comfortable in front of the boy.

"No." Draco laid back. Hermione dug through her trunk, trying to find her sleep wear. She found her clothes and took off her black shirt. Draco whistled. Hermione's shame suddenly came back and she flushed crimson. "Suddenly shy?" Draco sat up.

Hermione turned her back to the boy and went to slip on her sleep shirt. "Forgot who I was stripping in front of."

"Wait a second." Hermione froze, the memory floating back as Draco touched her back. "What happened?" Draco undid the girl's bra, trying to fully see the bruises covering her back. Hermione ripped off the bra and threw on the over sized shirt, before turning back to the boy.

"Nothing." Hermione forced a smiled.

"Tell me!" Draco said forcefully yet gently as he caressed the girl's cheek, staring into her eyes.

"When I caught Ron, I started yelling. The fourth year ran off and Ron started yelling at me. He grabbed me and threw me from his room, I sort of fell backwards down some stairs." Hermione whispered softly.

"He hurt you?" Draco seemed to get mad.

"It was only once." Hermione seemed to shrink back. "And I made a potion to healing everything else, the bruise one is just taking longer to finish." She rambled.

"Hermione." Draco whispered, pulling the girl close. "Whoever does something like that to you, even once, deserves to rot in a cage." Draco held the girl. "If I ever see him raise a hand against you, he will pay." Hermione wrapped her arms around the boy's thin waist, loving the feeling of his arms around her.

"I wish we could remain here for the rest of the year." Hermione whispered.

"I do too." Draco whispered. "Come on, we should get to bed." Draco pulled away but Hermione grabbed his hand.

"Sleep with me." Hermione let the words flow, slightly scared for his reaction.

"If you want." Draco smiled, tucking a clump of Hermione's hair behind her ear. Hermione nodded. "Let me change." Hermione nodded and let go of his hand. She turned her back to him and continued to change, crawling under her sheets she watched the boy. She whistled when he took off his shit, to dawn a clean pair.

"I never realized how fit you were." Hermione whispered as Draco slipped on a clean pair of silver silk boxers.

"Is it bad?" Draco poked his six-pack stomach.

"Nope, quite opposite." Hermione smiled. She opened her arms to the boy. Draco waved is wand so the lights dimmed. He threw is wand down on his bed then joined Hermione in her bed.

"Good night, love." Draco whispered, holding the girl closely. He kissed the top of her head before laying back and letting sleep over come him.