Chapter 2

October 25

The letter was different this time. That was the first thing that got my mind in a frenzy. The other things was that why would my father be writing to me, when he is nothing but a vegetable in the Azkaban prison? Well, this letter was from my mother. It started off with the usual How are you doing, I miss you blah blah crap. But I'm not trying to disrespect my mother in anyway, Its just that her letters are ALWAYS so mushy.

Anyway, I thought that it was going to be the usual bullshit. Then a certain part of the letter caught my interest.

"Honey, I also have some good news for you as well. I was looking though some of your father's paper work and I can to the one of your betrothal. Well, instead Of Pansy's name it was the one of your first betrothed. The one that we thought that die that horrible night. But as it is she is still alive. She is the same age as you, so please find her..."

I was so relieved when I read that. All because I don't have to marry Parkinson. But then again she did come when she got her letter and cried. She said somethings that I couldn't understand. It was annoying.

But the difficult part is actually finding the girl. I guess that it can be a little easier cause she is the cousin of Zabini. So that makes it a whole lot better for me. Also this makes the marriage arrangement all the better, because of him. He is the only and best friend I have ever had. Weird huh?

Anyway he is here now helping me out and complaining that I am writing in you.

I will find my bride.

Draco Malfoy

"So, you finished writing in that poor excuse of a journal?" Blaise said as he looked up from the book he was reading.

Draco closed and put down the journal. "Are you going to help me or not Zabini?" Ignoring the question that Blaise had asked.

"I don't know if you really deserve my help." He smiled. "After all my dear cousin could be a fragile thing, and I wouldn't want you to hurt her."

Draco frowned at him. He then shook his head.

"And besides I don't like you attitude!" He added.

"Excuse me? My attitude?" Draco retorted.

"Yes, Your attitude," Blaise frowned at the look Draco was giving him. "It's horrible. No wonder Hermione doesn't like living with you!"

"Why do you insist on calling Granger by her first name?" Draco asked the question that he already knew the answer to.

"Because unlike you and are other house mates, I believe in respect. And to add to that, she is nice to me." He added with a nod of his head.

Draco sighed. "I guess if you don't want to help me you really want Crabbe or Goyle for your new family members." He smirked as he watched Blaise's horrified expression.

"Fine! What exactly do you need my help with?" He gave up cause he would rather not have those oafs as relatives. "BUT, I refuse to have sex with you!"

Draco's jaw dropped and Blaise continued. "Well, we both know that I am the better looking one and that you have been harbouring your feelings for me since we were little. But friends can only go so far."

Draco laughed. "I'm sure I can control myself, and my urges."

Draco shook he is head and thought about how they always joked around like that with each other. They were the only ones who could be like this with each other. If it had been anybody else, except for maybe Theodore Nott, tried to come in on their jokes he would have hexed them into oblivion.

"Well, here is what I was thinking…" They then started to talk.

Some time later, Hermione walked into the common room to see them like that. She looked at both boys who were stilling sitting across from each other. Their heads bent in conversation. She wondered if either of them would notice she was there, or how much Blaise and herself looked like each other. She always tried to avoid him recently because of their family resemblance, but it was getting harder to do so with him always being in the common room with Malfoy. She didn't want them to see the resemblance.

Blaise Zabini, her blood, her cousin. They looked a lot like each other. Though they would have to be standing beside each other for people to notice. They had the exotic look, though his skin was more of an olive complexion and hers looked sun kissed. They both had the same shape eyes where they were sloped and heavy lidded to give them both the look of passion and getting out of bed look. The difference in their eyes were his eyes were as blue as the sky, and hers were a caramel colour. They both had the cupid bow mouth and the same nose.

The similarities ended there though. His hair was as black as the night and fell in waves to end just above his collar. Hers was a deep mahogany brown, that fell in curls to the middle of her back. He was tell whereas she was much shorter, barely reaching his and Malfoy's shoulders. He was definitely what the girls of the school called handsome.

Then there was the pain in her side, the thorn in her shoe, and the rip in her clothes. Draco Malfoy. In the look department he was what most of the female population at the school like to call "dangerous and rugged." His pale skin and lithe body were toned from the hours he practiced before a qudditch match or practice, and because of this his skin had lost the sickly pale look. She noticed that his facial features had soften and lost his pointed look. She found him more attractive. She knew that she shouldn't be having these thoughts, but she couldn't help but look at him in a different light because of everything that was happening.

She then shook her head to stop staring at the two of them and clear her head from the thoughts that she was having. She then cleared her voice and watched as two pairs of eyes looked up at her.

"Malfoy." she said in a distasteful voice. She then changed her tone to a more softer tone. "Blaise."

"Hermione!" Blaise said cheerfully, which earned a glare from Draco.

"What do you want Granger?" Malfoy said in an annoyed voice.

"Nothing, just letting you know that I was here."

"I would care, why?"

"You wouldn't." She retorted and walked up to her room.

Draco watched as she climbed up the couple of stairs that lead up to her room. Once he heard her door close he looked over at Blaise. He noticed that Blaise had a look of thought on his face.

"She's usually like that now. It's kinda weird." Draco said. "Earth to Blaise. You hear me Blaise?"

"Huh? What?" Blaise said as he came out of thought. "She became hotter didn't she? I mean it makes you think what is underneath her clothes."

"Ok…then…" Draco gave him a pointed look.

"Well," Blaise started as he got up from his seat "I think that I am going to go to bed. Potions test tomorrow. Night." He said as he walked to the portrait.

Once Blaise was gone, Draco headed up to the bathroom. He opened up the door and found Hermione standing in front of the mirror in nothing but a towel. He noticed that she didn't see him at first and took that moment to take a look at the body that Blaise just mentioned. He took his time looking down her body and back up. She was still wet from her shower or bath and the towel hugged her curves.

When Hermione felt his presence, she just decided that she wasn't going to let it affect her. She then turned around and looked over at him. He was leaning against the door frame, with his arms across his chest.

"See anything that you like, Malfoy?" She schooled her voice to be husky.

Malfoy continued to say nothing and still said nothing as she started to walk towards him.

"What cat got your tongue? Nothing to say for once?" She smirked and stopped right in front of him and watched as his gaze fell to her chest. "I believe that my eyes are a little bit higher then where you are looking Malfoy."

"What game are you trying to play, Granger?" His voice was husky as well, but it wasn't by choice.

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently. "I'm only trying to get by you."

Draco raised an eyebrow and then he didn't know what came over him. Seeing her wet and basically willing seemed to snap something inside of his mind. What happened next was a flash of movement. One moment Hermione was standing in front of him, and the next she was pinned against the wall. One of his hands were holding her hands and arms above her head. The other was gripping the front of her towel. When he looked at her eyes, he saw something that he never saw in her eyes. Lust. Confusion. And anger.

"Well, now that you got me where you want Malfoy, what are you going to do now?"

Draco once again didn't respond. He just crushed his mouth against hers and felt her surrender.

Their mouths were moving and trying when Hermione licked his lips, he opened his mouth to allow her tongue to enter. Their tongues battled for dominance and his conquered by pushing both of theirs into her mouth. He heard her moan and felt her body arch into his. He groaned at the feeling of her pressed against his body.

He stopped and pulled his mouth away from hers. He then looked down at her. He then let go of her. "I'm sorry." And with that he walked away.

Hermione stared at the spot where he just was. She touched her lips to where his just left. She sighed to herself and thought about what was going to happen next.