"Ok, answer the problem," Hermione said pointing to the paper. They were sitting in a small room behind a portrait in the library.
"Uh," Malfoy muttered, confused.
"Do you even know what we're doing?" asked Hermione.
"Not…really…" Malfoy admitted.
"Ok…what don't you get?" asked Hermione with tried patience.
"None of it. Can we start with the stuff we learned at the start of the quarter?" Malfoy asked.
"MALFOY!" Hermione almost screamed. " Why didn't you come in for help before then?"
"Pride," he replied simply. Hermione sighed heavily and started to help him.
Slowly, week after week Malfoy was getting better. He was catching up. About an hour after classes every day, except on the weekends, boosted his self confidence. He started feeling like he wasn't a worthless slug any more. He even started to smile a little. Hermione was glad of this. She felt so happy that she could make this difference in a person. She was elated when he brought her his first test he had taken since she had started helping him.
"HERMIONE!" he yelled as he stumbled into the room.
"What?" she asked, spooked.
" I did it! I did it. I passed!" He slammed his test on the desk in front of her and couldn't help but do the happy-happy-joy-joy dance.
"That's great Draco, that's truly great!" she exclaimed as she stood up from her char, still looking at the test.
"YES!" said Malfoy, taking her by then hands and spinning her around the room with him. He paused for a second as if a light just came on in his head. "YOU did it, didn't you?" was the only warning before she was pulled into a bear hug by none other then Draco Malfoy.
" You're welcome?" was the muffled string of words then came somewhere from his shoulder. He suddenly broke apart, feeling very sheepish. Though they had grown close over the past month or so, they weren't THAT close! "Well then Draco, shall we get started?" she asked moving to the table and sitting down.
"Wha-what did you call me?"
"Draco?"
"Well then Hermione, what shall we do with our free time since I know everything so far?" he asked with a smirk on his face.
That night they spent a great time together. They mostly talked, but of course, they couldn't help but fight. Later they would be seen wrestling over such trivial stuff as who got witch seat. It was getting colder and Draco and demanded that he get the one closest one to the fire. Hermione claimed that she had ALWAYS sat in that seat, and that it was hers. He told her to prove it, and as it turned out, and had etched her initials into the chair. One day he came early and switched the chairs. Hermione had literally pushed him out of his chair and pounced on him. She grabbed the front of his robes, and he had grabbed her shoulders. The rolled around a bit before slowing to a stop.
She was panting heavily from the rolling around on the floor. She was now pinned under his, and had no more energy to roll him over again. She closed her eyes and relaxed as she gulped for air.
Draco was tired too, but he was an athlete, he was used to this stuff. He had her pinned to the ground as he watched her close her eyes and breathe heavily. He quickly snapped his eyes shut. She had looked so beautiful.
"Are you ok Draco?" she asked when she saw his eyes squeezed shut.
"Yeah," he said shortly.
"Look at me," she said laying one hand on his cheek. He opened his eyes to her worried one. " All right?" she asked.
"No," he said. He was overcome by her beauty. She was breathtaking in the firelight. The way the shadows played across the planes and angles of her face was amazing to watch as it kept constantly changing. He lowered his head a bit into her hand. It was soft and warm. She unconsciously rubbed her thumb across his light pink lips. She had heard some girls talk about kissing, but she had never actually done it herself.