They pulled apart from each other after minutes of standing together in silence. Draco looked down into Hermione's face.
"So now what?" he asked her.
"I have no idea."
"Um, do you want to go have some dinner in the great hall?" he asked her shyly.
"Yeah okay" she said smiling and blushing slightly.
They walked into the Great Hall side by side. Heads of intrigued student started turning in their direction as they walked between the tables. Hermione lead Draco to two vacant seats at the Gryffindor table. Gryffindor's up and down the table were not even trying to hide that they were starring at them, mouths hanging open slightly. Something that Draco and Hermione didn't notice because they were deep in conversation.
"You're kidding me?"
"No, he tried to lock me in my room so I couldn't come back. He thought that it would be indecent considering what ... well you know."
"Gosh, I realise that it would be much more difficult for you this year, but it is your education. He really can't think that staying away is what is best for you."
"Of course that is what he thinks. He always thinks he knows what is best. He also doesn't think that I'm able to make my own decision."
"That is ridiculous. You have the highest grades of boys in our year."
"I know. He knows. That didn't stop him from locking me in the room."
"How did you get out?"
"He didn't know that I have a safety tunnel leading to the grounds."
"That's very clever Draco."
"I know," said Draco smirking.
At that moment Ginny Weasley sat opposite them at the table.
"Sooo ... What are you guys doing?" she said grinning widely at Hermione.
"Oh." Hermione blushed. "Well you see, I ran into Draco upstairs, and, well, we got talking."
"Mhmm" Ginny replied. "And have either of you noticed that the entire of the great hall has been starring at you two since you walked in together?"
They all looked around. Ginny wasn't exaggerating. People were standing up further down the hall to get a better look. Others were pointing and whispering to their friends. Hermione blushed again.
"You two didn't think that people would notice? The ferret and the muggle born being all cosy and friendly with each other?" Ginny said with a raised eyebrow.
"To be honest, I don't even care. I do whatever I want," Draco said coolly.
"I didn't think about it. I was just kind of excited to have a conversation with ..." she trailed off feebly, blushing profusely.
Draco looked at her with a slight smirk. "I'm going to go see Blaise. I'll catch you later." He got up from the table and strolled across the hall. The heads of eagerly watching students followed him all the way until he sat down.
Blaise instantly started talking with him excitedly. Hermione sat in her chair suddenly unable to look into Ginny's eyes.
"So are you going to explain?" came Ginny's voice.
"I ran into him upstairs when I was walking back to the common room to drop off my library book. He stopped me and apologise for what happened in his house. With his Aunty I mean."
"Well that was nice. I thought that he had turned over a new leaf. Well, as much as a Malfoy can."
The next morning Draco woke up tired. Blaise had kept him up late the night before talking about what had happened with Hermione. Every time he had tried to get away he had cornered him again. Blaise was now under the impression that Draco was madly in love with Hermione, even though he had told him multiple times it was absurd.
The great hall was alive with chatter as he walked in surrounded by his usual crowd of Slytherin's. Excited faces flittered between Hermione and Draco as he made his way to the Slytherin table. Their faces slowly dropped as they realised that Hermione had her back to Draco, and that he wasn't even looking in her direction. He sat down in his seat, Blaise to his right and Crabbe to his left. Draco shot a quick scowl around the hall, the students quickly went back to their breakfast, but continued to whisper excitedly to each other.
Hermione stood up from the dining table. She flung her bag over her shoulder and waited for Ginny to join her. They walked out of the Great Hall talking casually as they walked. Hermione too had stayed up late. The girls in her dormitory had refused to let her rest until she explained completely about Draco.
They lined up outside the Transfiguration classroom waiting for class to start. The bell rang overhead as Draco walked around the corner, followed by his loyal Slytherin gang, Pansy scowling at her more than usual. Hermione quickly turned around feeling herself blush again. She had held his hand and hugged him. What had happened to her? She hurried inside of the room as soon as her the door was opened and she sat down in her usual seat. To her surprise it was not Ginny that had sat down next to her at the table. She was sitting in the tables behind, a large smile on her face. Draco had sat on her left. What was he doing? Why wasn't he sitting with his cronies?
"Can I help you?" she said as politely as she could.
"Well you see, I talked to this girl yesterday," he turned sideways in his chair, "I have a lot to make up for."
"And why is that?"
"You know exactly why," Draco was starring straight into her eyes. His voice was back to his normal serious, cold tone.
"Good morning class," came Professor McGonagall's voice.
Hermione's eyes snapped down to her table. She could feel Draco still starring at her, smirking at her obvious discomfort.
"You're going to get us in trouble" she whispered to him.
Draco smiled, swung his legs back under the desk and opened his textbook.
"You worry too much" he teased. "Meet me at the lake for our spare. The library is too public".
Hermione's eyes slowly moved to Draco's face. He was pretending to read the passage assigned by Professor McGonagall, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"Trust me" he added.
"Where at the lake?" she whispered, smiling slightly.
He turned to face her again and smiled broadly. "Under the tree."
Hermione had never seen him smile like this before. His whole face was alive, his eyes lightened with a fire behind them.
"I'll be there."
"Miss Granger. Mr Malfoy. Is my class interrupting your important discuss?" came Professor McGonagall's voice from right beside them.
"No Professor," they said quickly turning back to their work.
When the bell sounded Hermione and Ginny quickly ran back up to their dormitory to drop off their bags for lunch.
"Did Malfoy really just ask you out in front of our entire class?"
"I don't think that that is what he was doing."
"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione. " Ginny said shaking her head every time she said her name. "When a boy tries to get you away from the castle so that there is less of the "public" he is asking you out. He didn't even care that the whole class was starring at you both."
"No they weren't."
"I heard every single word. Just like everyone else. Why did you think he was being so vague with his answer about what he had to make up for?"
"Oh my gosh. Everyone was listening."
"Yeah they were. To him flirting with you. I don't think I have ever seen him actually smile. He is gorgeous" Ginny laughed. "I will meet you in Library when you are finished meeting him. You can tell me everything."
Ginny hugged her, twirled on her heal and walked down to the common room.
Draco was standing under the tree beside the lake, starring out over the water. For some reason he was very nervous. His stomach was in knots and he was wringing his normally immaculate cloak in his hands. He didn't know why he was so eager to talk to Hermione again on their own. Probably because it was easier than talking in front of a group of people who just wanted to gossip. He couldn't believe that he had flirted with Hermione Granger, and in Transfiguration, with the whole class listening to their every word. He heard someone clear their throat behind him, and he turned around elegantly on his heel.
Hermione was standing in front of him, looking slightly wind swept but cheerful non-the-less.
"Draco" she said looking at his feet. "I have to meet Ginny in the library before the end of lesson. What did you want to say?"
He didn't think. He dared not too. So many things about their parentage would come into his mind. So he ignored his own brain and took two steps forward.
Draco was right in front of Hermione again. She wasn't looking him in the eye. He took one final step toward her so they were almost touching. He lightly put two fingers under her chin and raised her head gently until their eyes met. Leaning down slightly he pressed his lips to hers.
