DON'T HATE ME! I'm so sorry for taking this long. I hope I don't disappoint you guys. Thank you for your reviews!

The next morning Hermione pointedly ignored Draco. After all, he came because of Ginny. And he was a git for leaving her and acting like an all round jerk. But she couldn't help her heart doing a flip-flop when she saw him sleeping on the armchair when she woke up the next day. She had missed seeing him. She had a sudden impulse to run her hand through his over-grown hair but she shook herself out of it.

When Malfoy woke up, it took a few seconds to remember the events last night. He got up and stretched. If he were to be honest he hadn't really slept well. Flashes of the horcrux haunted him in his dreams. Ron who was just coming out from the bathroom froze in his tracks when he saw Malfoy, having clearly forgotten that the pale blond boy had returned. When Malfoy saw Hermione in the kitchen preparing breakfast out of the things he had brought, he couldn't help the smirk come to his lips.

Merlin, he had missed her.

They really needed to talk. But things weren't that easy, of course. Hermione laid the plates on the table and the boys rushed to the table hungrily, especially Harry and Ron. Malfoy had been fed well in the burrow so he was quite alright.

"Wow, Dis tashtes gwood hermwonee." Ron said, between mouthfuls. Harry couldn't help agree. The quality of the food seemed to have dramatically changed. Hermione definitely had put an effort, even in the mushrooms she had found outside. Harry wondered if Malfoy was the reason.

"Thanks." Hermione said beaming.

Malfoy looked around for some water on the table. "Hermione, can you pass the—"

"No."

Draco looked at Hermione affronted. She gave a glare that said don't-think-I'll-let-you-go-easy.

"Weasel?" He asked looking at Ron. "Can you?"

Ron smirked. "I'm with her."

Malfoy gritted his teeth. "Of course….. Potter, will you?"

Harry rolled his eyes at his friends and handed the pitcher for Malfoy to pour his water in to his tin cup. Malfoy glared at Hermione and Ron. They were now talking animatedly about something. Malfoy wished he knew what they were talking about.

"Just give her some time." Harry whispered to Malfoy. "She'll cool down eventually."

Draco grunted in response. His dark mark started to prickle but he ignored it. He quickly finished his meal and went outside, feeling big brown eyes staring at his back as he left.

Merlin, couldn't she just give him a chance? Was this her way of getting back at him or something? Malfoy picked up a rock and threw it as far as he could in his frustration. To his annoyance, it just flopped a few feet away. How was he going to get her to listen to him that he was sorry? And that he regretted leaving her? He needed to talk to Weasley too. That orangutan needed to back off from his girl. Bloody hell, he had no right and no reason to be with Hermione.

That's what you get for leaving her. It your fault.

A little voice inside his head muttered. So was that it? Had Hermione turned to the Weasley because she thought Malfoy was incapable of…. Of loving her? But she couldn't….. Not that quickly. She cared, right? Malfoy panicked a little. He looked back at the entrance of the tent.

Did she care?

A thought popped up in to his head and his lips curled a bit.

.

Hermione ate the last bit of her bread, wondering what Malfoy had rushed out for. She felt bad for acting like that.

"You know, we need to find out what that eye means." Harry said.

"What eye? You mean that symbol?" Ron asked.

"Yeah. If Dumbledore put it in the book, then it's something he wants us to look in to it. We need to know more about it….." Harry muttered.

"We don't even know what it means, except for the fact that Grindelwald used it as his sign." Ron said. Harry winced, remembering the letters from The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore that Dumbledore had written to Grindelwald which had been signed with that mark

"But he couldn't have been the one who made it. I mean, why would it be in one of those graves then? That grave was made years ago, before his time." Harry said, racking his brains.

"Gah, I dunno. So it has some other meaning. What is it?" Ron asked, chewing his food.

"We need to go see Xenophilius Lovegood." Hermione suddenly said.

The two boys stared at her.

"Excuse me?" Ron asked.

"We need to go see Xenophilius Lovegood." Hermione repeated.

"As in, Luna's father?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Do you know any other Xenophilius Lovegoods?"

"That's a good idea. He might know something about it." Harry said, realizing why Hermione was taking this uncanny decision. "But…. Do you think it'll be safe? I don't want to pull another Godric's Hollow…."

"But we have to go Harry. How else are we gonna learn about it?"

"Wait, why are we going to meet him again?" Ron asked bewildered.

"Because he was wearing the sign at th—" but Hermione was cut off by a loud CRACK outside. Startled, Hermione looked at Harry to Ron. She knew that CRACK. And Malfoy…..Draco had gone outside….

"Oh my god…." Hermione gasped as she got up hurriedly from the table and ran off outside. He couldn't have…no… She didn't even talk to him properly! She burst outside and frantically looked around. Then her eyes settled on a tall blonde figure standing nearby a tree, smirking at her.

Draco smirked. He watched Hermione's eyes widen at the sight of him and realization dawned to her that he had tricked her, by disapparating a short distance to see if she would come running at the sound. She glowered at him and stomped back inside. But he didn't mind. She still cared. She was just giving him a hard time. Oh well, he'll show her. He could be patient if he wanted to.

Merlin, she cared. That was a relief. Malfoy's smirk grew in to a goofy grin.

Ron and Harry watched Hermione stomp back in to the tent muttering "insufferable ferret" under her breath. Soon she was followed by a triumphant looking Malfoy, with a smug grin. He went straight to his room whistling.

"I miss those good old days." Ron said.

"What good old days?" Harry asked.

"Those days when we could insult Malfoy all we wanted."

"What's stopping you now?" Harry asked raising his eyebrow.

"He brought us the food, mate!" Ron said. He leaned in and whispered. "Because honestly, I couldn't take in those food we had anymore. I mean, I know Hermione did the best, but Merlin…. This…this reminds me more of home, you know?"

Harry chuckled. He kinda had an idea what he meant.

Draco had a to-do list.

First thing to do was to apologize to Hermione, regardless whether she was going to listen to him or not, regardless whether she would forgive him or not. For a few days he had given her time, stayed out of the way but at the same time letting her know that he was there. He had to let her know how much he regretted leaving her.

Secondly, Draco was going to warn Weasley to back off from Hermione. He didn't trust the bloke. Sure, his deluminator had brought Draco back but he couldn't bear it when Hermione spoke to Ron when she wasn't speaking to him. He wanted the Weasel to give them more space without sticking around her like a leech.

Thirdly, he needed to know what had happened during the time he was away. He decided that Potter was the best for the information. They seemed to have come in to friendlier terms now.

Right now, Harry was trying out the wands Draco had stolen from the snatchers out by the clearing in the woods as Draco watched. Hermione was inside the tent, doing Merlin knows what. He would have gone to keep an eye, to see if she was with Weasley but finding it true would turn out even worse.

"So you say the Dark Lord showed up at Godrics Hollow?"

"Yeah. It was Nagini first and then Vo—"

"DON'T SAY HIS NAME." Draco suddenly roared.

"Get a grip, Malfoy." Harry said, annoyed for startling him. "What are you? Afraid of some dumb—"

"I'm not afraid, you git. The names taboo." Draco hissed. "That's how the death eaters found us at Tottenham Court Road. We mention his name, the death eaters find us."

Harry digested this piece of news. Yes, it did make sense. Quite clever. "Better be careful." He muttered to himself.

There was a brief silence as Harry cursed nearby trees.

"How did you say your wand broke again?" Malfoy asked, rubbing his shoulder. It had started to ache for Merlin knows what reason.

"We were escaping Nagini and Ron accidentally kinda blasted it off. I don't know. I was unconscious." Harry said before he muttered incendio. The nearby bush gave a weak spark.

"Of course. Weasley and his clumsiness. He should make a club for disaster magnets along with Longbottom and Finnigan." Malfoy sneered.

Harry promptly ignored that comment though he couldn't help glare. Malfoy simply smirked.

Malfoy was twirling his wand in his hand when he saw Weasley coming. The look on his face unnerved Malfoy but he ignored it. Weasley outside meant Hermione was inside alone. Time to start on his to-do list.

"What are you doing?" Ron asked Harry.

"We were just talking about your stupidity." Malfoy sneered.

"Maybe we should start talking about your own then." Ron snapped.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "What about it?"

"How about making Hermione miserable? She's the most sweet, considera—"

"Shove off, Weasley." Malfoy snarled. "It's a laugh, you know? You're saying that just because you missed a chance with her."

But Ron didn't seem fazed by it. He simply folded his arms across his chest. "And looks like you missed yours too."

Draco glared at Ron. "No, I didn't." But the thought was alarming. A bubble of panic rested inside his guts.

"You did."

"Ron…." Harry warned sensing an impending fight.

"Shut up, Weasel. I didn't."

"Yeah, you diDOW—" Malfoy had punched right across the jaw.

"What the hell, Malfoy?" Harry yelled pointing the wand in his hand at him but Draco disarmed him in his rage that Harry was thrown backwards at the power of the spell. After another glare at the duo on the ground, he made his way to the tent.

"Hermione?" Draco called out as he entered the tent. "I need to talk to you."

"Don't com—!" a voice squeaked as Draco went in to his room. Draco froze at the sight of Hermione, who had nothing on except for a towel wrapped around her. The remaining bit of his conscious mind slapped himself mentally, remembering that Hermione always shooed the boys out when she wanted a shower. How could he have forgotten that?

However her beautiful form made Draco forget everything. His anger, his purpose for barging in and their silent treatment. She seemed to be saying something but he couldn't hear her. His eyes raked down to her long legs and up to her narrow waist, lingered at her chest and stared at her bare shoulders with her pale skin. He let out his breath which he had been holding. He took a step towards her, feeling a powerful force pulling him towards her. To get a better view of her. To feel her smooth skin. To kiss her stunning face.

"Draco!"

Malfoy snapped out of his trance and blushed, to Hermione's slight amusement. "I….ah, wanted to talk to you."

"Not—"

"Hell, just give me a chance? Hear me out. I—"

"Dr—"

"I'm sorry. That was the dumbest thing I ever did. And I realized it the minute I arrived at the burrow. Weaslette nagged me the whole time but I didn't need her nagging me to tell that what I did was the most f-ed up thing I've done. And I came back because of you. I kept thinking what kind of messed up situation you might be in while I was miles away. I tried searching, I tried….. I got scared when I couldn't find you. It's all my fault and I regret it."

Draco said as he slightly panted as if he had run a big race. He was looking right at her eyes.

"I want to end this war as much as you do. I want be free from the wrath me and my parents are in. I want to be free just as you, Weasley and Potter wants to be. And I won't leave you again. Even if you're with Weasley. Because you're all I have left… and I will stay with you until you tell me to leave and you mean it."

Hermione opened her mouth then closed it back again as if unsure what to say.

"I know it's not the ideal speech…But—"

"YOU BLOODY FERRET!" Ron came roaring in. His face was set in a scowl as he grabbed Malfoy's collar. But everything halted when he saw Hermione.

"Whoa!"

Draco didn't like the way the Weasel was looking at her. He didn't really blame him but hey, it was his girl! Hermione squeaked as she went the shade of Weasley's hair and pulled her towel tight around her. That wasn't helping for it defined Hermione's curves more.

"Quit gawking you ass hole." Draco growled and pushed Ron towards the entrance of the tent.

Ron seemed to have snapped out of his little trance. "I—I mean—You –uh, Sorry Hermione—" Ron sputtered like an idiot and he fled out from the tent, his face scarlet along with Malfoy.

Hermione glowered at the boys.

They looked away from her, trying not to catch her eye as they ate dinner silently. Ron and Malfoy's faces were scratched and bruised, thanks to the fight they had continued after leaving the tent. And thanks to that, Hermione's mood which had been almost forgiving towards Draco had leapt to the opposite to Draco's annoyance. Why did she have to rush out of the tent the very moment Draco was hexing Weasley's ass off?

Harry looked at the other three. Hermione was scowling so bad that Harry wouldn't have been surprised if it had stuck on her face permanently. Ron looked regretful after been yelled by Hermione and Malfoy seemed to be glaring at nobody in particular. He looked more bummed out than angry. As for Harry, he just wished they all would just pull themselves together and act mature for once. And he had told just that to them and made them agree to it.

"Look, the important thing now is to stick together. I don't care what kind of pathetic rift is going on; just hold it in, will you? For the time being…. just focus."

He rubbed the back of his head where it had hit a trunk of a tree when Malfoy had disarmed him.

"Harry, just leave it alone." Hermione said.

"It hurts." Harry said gritting his teeth, looking at Malfoy.

"Sorry 'bout that." Draco mumbled. "You should freeze a piece of clothe and hold it against the bump."

Harry was taken aback by the quick apology and Ron hadn't seem to expect that to come out from the ferrets mouth but Hermione didn't seem to be that pleased. "Well, sorry doesn't exactly mend everything, does it?"

That stung Draco. He knew what she was talking about. Instead of rage boiling in him he felt something cold wash through him. Gee, what was happening to him? Was he going soft? He looked up and looked at Hermione. She could affect him so bad. How? Nobody had ever affected him like this.

If his father knew…. Merlin, he would flip.

"So are we going tomorrow?" Draco's thoughts were cut off from Harry's voice.

"Going? Where?" Draco asked, looking from Harry to the other two of the golden trio.

"We're going to meet Xenophilius Lovegood."

"Lovegood? As in Loony's father?"

"Yes." Hermione snapped. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Draco dared not to say yes. "Why?"

"We just need to know what that symbol meant." Harry said.

"You mean the one you told me about earlier?" Draco asked.

Harry nodded.

"But—I thought we were searching for… Horcruxes? Don't you think we need to focus on what we came for?" Draco couldn't help do his signature drawl. It reminded Harry of the first time he had met Malfoy at Madame Malkin's shop.

"Wouldn't expect you to understand. We keep seeing it everywhere." Ron said, after gulping down his food.

"But we're wasting time trying to look—"

"Dumbledore wanted us to look in to it." Hermione said.

"How would you know?" Malfoy argued. "I mean, he's dead. You maybe just assuming…"

"No—"

"Look, Potter." Malfoy said looking at Harry. "Things are getting pretty out of hand out there. I've seen it. You can't waste your time—others time—going around looking for some ruddy symbol. We need to get the horcruxes out of the way first. That's the main—"

"Yes, but the sign keeps popping up everywhere, Draco." Hermione said impatiently. "I know Dumbledore wants us to look in to it. He wrote it in the Tales of Beedle the Bard."

"But going to Lovegood's place? It's stupid and dangerous." Draco said leaning in.

"Stupid?" Ron snorted.

"You wouldn't expect the loon to know anything do you? He's off his crackers."

"Fine." Hermione said snappily. "You stay behind. We'll go."

"What part of stupid and dangerous don't you understand?" Draco was beginning to get a sense of Déjà vu. "He's been putting up mental stuff on to that magazine of his. He's the only one supporting Potter out there. He's a target. It's not safe going to him."

Ron and Harry looked at each other.

"We'll take a chance." Ron said shrugging.

"It won't hurt." Potter said.

Malfoy looked at the trio. They weren't bothered. He sighed and leant back on to his chair in a defeated manner. "Fine." He sneered. "Have it your way. I'm staying here." With that he went off to put his plate away.

.

Later that night he decided to do a bit of reading when he remembered; His journal. He had found it missing from his little packing when he had left, so he knew that he had left it behind in the tent. Where could it be? He went to Hermione's room. He used to write just before going to bed those days. He pulled the pillow away to look under it but found nothing. He looked at the little dresser by the corner.

"What are you doing?"

Draco jumped at Hermione's voice right behind him. He eyed her.

"Did you see my journal?"

Draco swore he saw something flicker through Hermione's face. She wordlessly went to the chest of drawers and pulled the dark book out from between her folded clothes. He was pretty sure it was where her underwear was kept. Draco was somewhat bewildered at the place where she had kept it.

"How did it get there?" He saw Hermione's cheeks ting a blush faintly. Cute, he thought.

"You don't want Ron and Harry going through it, do you?" She asked darkly, handing it over to Draco.

A smirk tugged against his lips. He knew that it wasn't possible even if the damned duo got hold of the book because of the password but Hermione's consideration made his eyes shine a bit brighter. "No… Did you go through it?" He asked teasingly, hoping to get a little reaction in return. But Hermione had already left the room.

Well, she had talked to him at least, without glaring much. Draco thought shrugging.

When Draco was done writing every nagging feeling down on to his journal, it had got very late that he felt tired—not to mention his body was aching slightly and his mark constantly kept burning. He made a mental note to himself to never pick a fight with tall people who ate like pigs. Everyone seemed to have gone to bed so Draco, without giving much thought stripped off his clothes and in to his pajamas right in the living room. He trudged off to the bathroom to wash his face when he found Hermione brushing her teeth in front of the mirror; like a typical dentist's daughter.

Cute, he thought, looking at her frizzy but soft looking hair to her little nose.

Hermione didn't notice Malfoy until he was right behind her. She almost choked on her toothbrush with surprise. She had thought that he was asleep by now.

"Sorry." He smirked. "Just wanted to wash my face."

She promptly moved away to give him space. Draco didn't understand why Hermione insisted on brushing her teeth the muggle way. A flick of a wand would have sufficed like it did to Malfoy's teeth, which were rows of white. Malfoy splashed some cool water on to his face and moved back so Hermione could have her place. He grabbed the towel nearby and wiped his face as he watched Hermione.

Hermione wished Draco would stop watching her so intensely. She could see him watching from the mirror. She felt it. It made her want to fling herself at him. It made her knees go weak and her heart to do crazy acrobatics. She cleared her throat.

"Do you need anything?" She asked, cuttingly.

Draco shrugged. "Yeah, but it's not like I'm getting them." His eyes were boring at her that she had to look away. She felt her face heating up as she looked down at her brush.

Hermione inhaled sharply when she felt a hard body press in to her from behind. She peeked in to the mirror form her lashes to see Malfoy looking at her reflection. Right in to her eyes. His hands rested by the sink, trapping her between his arms. She felt his body heat radiating and his hard muscles against her back, her thin pajamas not being much of a barrier. Draco snuggled his face in to her hair, inhaling her sweet scent deeply. Merlin, he missed that.

"Go away, Draco." Hermione said feebly, loving the feeling he was giving her. And he knew that she loved it, that she missed it. Draco smirked in to her hair.

"Good night." He whispered huskily lingering his lips by her ear before swiftly kissing the crook of her neck. Hermione gasped at the contact and at the shock that ran through her. It felt wonderful, as if she was feeling it for the first time. She watched him leave with an arrogant smirk on his lips but a blissful gleam in his eyes.

"Ferret." Hermione muttered, but her lips tugged in to a shy smile. Hermione could still feel tingles.

Draco drummed his fingers on the table. Merlin, they are taking long. The next day, the trio had left him to watch the tent as they pranced off to meet loony's father. Draco had managed to occupy himself with his journal, Hermione's books or his aching shoulders. He had expected his shoulder to be back to normal, but it seemed to have gotten worse. After a few moments of lying around did Draco realize that the culprit for his aching shoulders was his not-so-comfortable sleeping place.

It was when he was trying to adjust the armchair a few unsuccessful times when he had heard a CRACK. With a start, Malfoy instinctively drew out his wand. He looked out from the entrance of the tent to see Potter and Hermione panting kneeling on the ground. There was a flash of red on Hermione's arm. Draco didn't hesitate to rush off to her.

"What the hell happened?" He growled, helping Hermione up on her feet. Her arm didn't look that bad as he had feared but it was still bleeding.

"Nothing bad…Ran in to some—"

"Death Eaters? Why am I not surprised?" Draco snapped. "Where's Weasley?" He asked, noticing the absence of the Weasel. For a sudden moment he wondered if the fiery haired boy had fallen in to an unfortunate fate.

As in Death.

"Why, Malfoy worried about me?" A mocking voice came behind Harry and Ron appeared from beneath a cloak. Potter's invisibility cloak.

Malfoy scowled. "In your dreams."

"I'd rather not." Ron shuddered. Meanwhile Harry was swearing under his breath as the group made in to the tent. Something must have gone really wrong.

"Sit here." Malfoy ordered Hermione to his armchair as he went off and returned with a damp handkerchief. He gently cleaned the wound without saying a word and then finally with a little healing charm, he mended Hermione's wound. Hermione smiled a bit. Draco always wanted to be a Healer. He would make a good one.

"So, what went wrong this time?" Draco asked smugly, with an I-Told-You-So look.

Ron scowled. "That git betrayed us."

"Well, he was doing it because of Luna…." Hermione muttered.

Harry and Ron gave her an indignant look.

"Loony? What about her?" Malfoy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"She's been taken by Death Eaters." Harry mumbled. The other two looked grim.

"No wonder. He practically worshipped you in that retarded magazine." Draco said with a shrug.

"Do you…. do you think she's alright? Luna?" Ron asked in a low voice.

"Yeah… Of course." Potter said quickly. It was as if he was trying to convince himself. "She's brave. She must be teaching about nargles to the other cellmates in Azkaban. She's tough."

There was brief silence between the group as they thought of the predicament Luna could be in.

"Anyway, that was an unwanted and useless trip, wasn't it?" Draco said with a glare to Hermione. "Think a bit more next time."

"Well, it wasn't exactly useless." Hermione said hotly. "We learned about the Deathly Hallows."

"The what?"

"That's what the sign means. The Deathly Hallows. You know the tale of the three brothers' right?"

Draco grimaced. "Never liked it. But yes, I know about it."

Hermione continued to explain what happened when they met Xenophilius and what the eccentric man had said before the death eaters had arrived.

"Wait, so the tale is actually true? There IS an Elder Wand?" Draco asked bewildered.

"Not necessarily." Hermione said frowning. "For one, you can't bring back the dead."

"But doesn't Potter have the invisibility cloak?' Draco asked, feeling a little excitement at the thought of three objects that mastered Death.

"There are loads of invisibility cloaks, not just this one." Hermione said impatiently.

"But Hermione, this is kinda really old. Invisibility cloaks usually wear off or get damaged after some times. But I've been using this for seven years." Harry said. "My dads been using it too."

"Oh, Harry, you can't think the Deathly hallows exist, can you?"

"I—I think it does Hermione. I have the cloak, and I think… Vold-"

"DON"T SAY IT!" Draco cried.

"fine! you know who is trying to find the Elder wand. That's why he's been going after Gegorovitch and Ollivander."

"But what about the stone?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know… it must be somewhere…." Harry said, deep in thought.

"Harry, I think Draco's right. We need to focus on the horcruxes." Draco smirked at this.

"Marvalo Gaunt!" Harry exclaimed excitedly.

"Sorry?" Draco, Hermione and Ron said in unison puzzled.

"In one of those memories….. He was holding out that ring and it—it had the sign! Merlin's PANTS!" Harry said jumping up. He ran straight to his room with excitement in his face. He came out bringing the snitch. "It's in here!"

"Harry…"

"No, Hermione. Dumbledore had the invisibility cloak, it said in my mum's letter. He wouldn't need one; he can cast a disillusionment charm that's strong enough. He knew… and he had the ring with him. He must have put it in here."

Hermione looked frustrated. She wanted to say other wise, because surely such a wand couldn't exist unless in a fairy tale, could it? And that stone… no way. But Mr. Lovegood's voice whispered in her mind.

"You are, I gather, not unintelligent, but painfully limited. Narrow. Close-minded."

Was she? Hermione mentally shook her head. "I'm hungry. Let's talk about it later." She said stiffly and she got on to her feet. "Sandwiches?" She asked.

The boys eagerly nodded.

Then did Malfoy realize that Hermione had talked to him normally without one glare.

"Draco?" Hermione's voice whispered from her dark room.

Draco looked up from his book, as he lay on his armchair. "Hmmm?"

There was a silence.

"You called?" Draco drawled.

"Uh….." Hermione hesitated. "You—you can come here if-if you want. Your body must be getting sore sleeping there."

Draco blinked. Did he hear right? So he was forgiven?

"Draco?"

"Uh—yeah. I'll come." He said grinning. He gathered his pillow and sheets and went to Hermione's room. Or their room. She was sitting up on the bed, looking at him.

"Am I—forgiven?" Draco asked dumping his pillow on the bed.

"No."

Draco rolled his eyes. She was so damn stubborn. "Why the sudden pity then?" he asked sarcastically.

"Do want to sleep here or not?" Hermione asked dangerously.

Draco pursed his lips and got on to the bed. They looked at each other for a while.

"Stay in your side of the bed." Hermione finally ordered and lay down to sleep. Draco simply watched her. He smirked a bit and decided to go to sleep.

"Good night."

The two stayed in their respective sides that night.

The next night Hermione didn't object when Draco showed up to her bed. But as hours passed, she woke up to find him shifting around the bed. Rather distractingly.

"Draco." She hissed.

"Huh?"

"Will you stay still and go to sleep?"

"Okay."

There was more shifting. And groaning too.

"Gee, what's wrong with you" She turned to face him. "Is your mark hurting?" She asked worriedly.

"No…" His voice sounded a bit strained.

"Draco, what's wrong?"

"Everything's fine." He literally squeaked.

Bewildered Hermione grabbed her wand under the pillow and muttered 'Lumos'. A light flooded on Hermione and Draco. Hermione squinted at the light but soon adjusted her eyes and looked at the boy next to her.

Hermione blushed crimson when she saw Draco's pants. He looked incredibly embarrassed, trying to sputter words. She tried not to stare at It.

"Oh." She said.

"Yeah."

"Does—does this uh, happen usually?"

"Sometimes."

"Is—is it bothering you that bad?"

"Looks like it." He muttered.

"Do…do you want me to—"Hermione was asking without thinking

"YES—I mean, no! I'll—I'll take a shower." He gasped and dashed out of the room.

Hermione blinked and started to giggle.

Draco watched her a few nights later, tugging her sheets tightly around her. That day had been especially cold and Harry suspected that it probably were affected by dementors.

"Aren't you cold?" Draco asked.

"No."

There was a cold silence.

"Hermione… just come here." He said.

She merely ignored him and turned her back to him. Draco sighed.

"Fine." He said.

Hermione suddenly felt two arms wind around her waist and pull her. She gasped as she felt her body contact Draco's—hard. His body heat simply radiated on to her. His legs intertwined with hers and he rested his head against her ear.

"There," He whispered to her ear. "Better?"

"Hmmm…." Hermione sighed.

Draco chuckled. He pulled her tight against him and he lowered his lips on to her crook of her neck. Hermione shuddered as she felt soft, soft lips graze her skin. She gasped as she felt him nip her shoulder. She moaned along with him as he did wonderful things to her with his mouth.

"Stop…" She said huskily.

"Why, love?" Draco murmured, sliding her hair away from her neck.

"I won't be able to sleep."

Draco paused and chuckled. "Alright then… Good night."

Hermione turned to face him and snuggled in to his chest.

"You're forgiven."

*nervous* So, what do you think? Any suggestions, criticism or comment? I'm starting to feel very unsure about this story :P