"I don't really have anyone else to talk to…" Draco leaned his elbow on the cold sill of the window, he stared out down through the greyness caused by overcast sky. "Anyone that I would have spoken to before – wait, what am I saying? I wouldn't have spoken to anyone before because this wouldn't have been an issue before…" He sighed and watched a few spots of rain hitting the surface of the lake. "I don't understand how… or why on earth Hermione would even take the time to talk to me and get to know me, let alone like me… Especially after I was such a bastard to her and her best mates." He was shivering slightly as a breeze ruffled against his face, the cold draft reminding him that winter was falling around the castle. "Why on earth would she want to go to the ball with me? And what on earth possessed me to say yes? Oh god everyone's going to be staring and me, and her…" Ever since Hermione had asked him to go to the ball with him, Draco had been aware of this pressure in his chest – at first it had been happiness, and slight disbelief about what had happened, but then as that disbelief about what was going on faded and it became reality, the pressure in his chest became more akin to anxiousness. He didn't enjoy the thoughts that plagued him about going to the ball with Hermione – every time he imagined it, all that came to mind was everyone staring at him – gawping and talking rather loudly about why Hermione had come with the death eater… The mere thought of that, of Hermione being caught in the middle of all that, made his insides curl up within him. He couldn't stand the thought of putting her into that situation – but how could he possibly back out of it when he had already said yes to her? "I don't get it… she's been so nice to me, and yet all I seem to do is upset her or turn her down – and that's not what I want to do, I just don't want her labelled and penalised by other people because of me…" This had been plaguing Draco's thoughts for a while, that their association was not a problem for him, but it was already making problems for her. He didn't want that to be the case, but he couldn't stop other people thinking what they thought – that was completely up to them. "I could just go to the opening bit, and if anyone says anything I'll tell them that I'm there as head boy with the head girl…? Then once the opening bit has finished I could leave and Hermione could spend the rest of the evening with her friends…?" He suggested aloud, "And then that would stop any real rumours or incidents occurring at the ball…" He sighed. He really didn't want to do that; he wanted to go to the ball proudly with Hermione next to him – he could envisage the two of them dancing together, perhaps they even might kiss again… When he closed his eyes, he could almost feel the touch of her lips against his. "Hermione likes me…" With his eyes still closed, the words came out of his mouth as a whisper. "She likes me…" He had to keep repeating to him that that conversation had actually happened; Draco felt a ruffle of wings brush past his head then the soft clatter of claws upon the window sill, he opened his eyes to see his eagle owl perched on the ledge. Draco stroked the bird's head gently as he gazed out of the open window: "I like her, Flyboy…." His owl, Flyboy (named very aptly by the precocious eleven year old he had been when the owl had been given to him), had been rather redundant since he arrived back at school – he didn't have anyone to write to now; he didn't want to write to his parents, he didn't know how to write to his former friends – so his owl had spent most of its time in the school owlery. It clicked its beak as Draco stroked its head absent mindedly. "I really do…"

"Oi, oi you!" Draco looked over his shoulder, the corridor was basically deserted apart from a gaggle of girls; assuming they had called out in error or were just talking among themselves he kept on walking. "Hey Malfoy! I'm trying to talk to you!" Draco's heart leapt up into his throat, the last time he had heard those words the individuals uttering it had proceeded to beat him up. He heard running footsteps and one of the girls ran alongside him, Draco took a couple of steps back just as a precaution. "Is it true?" She asked, peering at him with wide eyes, he noticed that she was wearing a Slytherin tie, but for some reason this didn't reassure him.

"What?" He said, wanting to take another step back away from her but knowing that he would then be backed right up against the wall.

"Are you going to the Christmas ball with Hermione Granger?" She questioned, looking intensely interested and casting a quick glance to the gaggle of girls that she had been with. Draco stared at her, dumbfounded – how on earth did she know that?

"Yes…" He answered slowly, wishing that the girl would take a step back from him.

"Oh my god guys, it's true!" She shrieked towards the group of girls who had remained several feet away.

"How did you know about that?" Draco asked in a rather weak voice as she turned back to her friends, she threw him a rather scathing look.

"Everyone's talking about it!" She answered as though it should be obvious to him, before flouncing off with her groups of friends. Draco stood, feeling as though he had just been stunned in the middle of the corridor, and watched as the girls left. So everyone was talking about it, were they? How did they even know?! Would Hermione have told people? He felt rather embarrassed, he had been trying to figure out how he was going to get out of staying the entire length of the ball so as to avoid people talking, but that had been scuppered before he had been able to fully formulate a plan. He had to find out how "everyone" knew about him and Hermione going to the ball together. He was shaking as he stormed from the deserted corridor which he had been standing in for several minutes, while he had gathered his thoughts. He was walking blindly – it was dinner time and everyone would be heading towards the Great Hall. Normally he would be avoiding it, but right now he didn't mind about people talking about him or staring at him, as he already seemed to be one of the main topics of gossip right now. He was trembling as he went from corridor to corridor, searching for Hermione. He found her as she was coming down the stairs with Neville and Ginny, and for once he didn't care about interrupting them or for barging in.

"Hermione can I speak to you?" He asked very abruptly, she looked a little surprised, but quickly smiled at him.

"Yeah, of course." She agreed and he took a couple of steps to the side of the corridor out of the way of the other students.

"Have you been telling everyone that we're going to the ball together?" He asked, forgetting how impolite it must sound to interrupt a conversation and then be so demanding.

"What? No?" Hermione said, her eyebrows knitting together on her forehead, she looked slightly perturbed by Draco's manner. "Why?" Draco looked at her, trying to determine the sincerity of her truthfulness, but he couldn't honestly believe that she would have lied – what reason would she have to lie about it?

"I've just been stopped by a group of girls who asked me if I was going to the ball with you." He told her quickly, Hermione just stared at him for a second.

"I haven't told anyone…" She said, sounding just as dumbfounded as he felt. "Well, the only people I have told are Neville, Luna and Ginny…" The light in Hermione's eyes seemed to suddenly switch on. "Oh my god…" Her hands had gone up to her face and she groaned aloud. "I know Neville and Luna wouldn't tell anyone…" She muttered, "The only other person that could have told people is Ginny…" Draco could feel himself shaking and he didn't care that there were students walking past.

"Everyone is talking about us!" He exclaimed, this had been what he had been worrying about – the two of them being in a persistent and unforgiving spotlight.

"Is that a problem?" Hermione asked him, sounding unconcerned about this.

"I – just – I - " He struggled, how to convey his confusion and his worry about the whole situation without saying exactly what he thought. "I just don't want everyone talking about it, and staring at you because you're coming with me! I don't… I can't…"

"Why?" She asked.

"People are already talking about me, and I don't really mind that because that's expected!" Draco felt exasperated, "And I don't want people dragging you into that!" Hermione looked down at her feet, and Draco realised that he had been louder than he thought.

"Do you not want to go to the ball with me?" She asked, her voice so low that Draco almost didn't hear her.

"That's not what I'm…" He refuted, but she was still looking down at the floor and he wondered if she was getting teary. "I don't mind people thinking that it's because we're head boy and girl showing confidence in the event that we have organised for inter house unity, but I don't want them judging you because of me!"

"So what you are saying is you don't want to go with me other than in our official capacity…" She responded and her voice definitely sounded as though she was upset me.

"I don't want you to… Oh I don't know!" Draco didn't know what to say or how to explain what he meant, he wanted to protect her from the nasty comments and the consequences that her appearing with an ex death eater could bring.

"Okay, then you don't have to come with me." She replied slowly, still not looking up at him, and he felt his heart pounding inside him as he knew this whole conversation was a huge mistake, but not knowing how to rectify it.

"I didn't mean that…" He said glumly feeling terrible.

"No, it's okay." Hermione muttered, and without another word she turned away, heading back up the stairs that she had been coming down when he first found her, rather than going into the great hall where he presumed she had been heading.

"Hermione – wait!" He called after her, but she did not respond and her pace quickened as she ascended the last few steps up the marble staircase and turned into the corridor at the top. Draco was left standing, feeling both confused and miserable; this wasn't what he probably just blown it with his only friend, and the person who he knew he liked…

A/N: I don't know how to apologise for the huge gap in between the last chapter and this one - the only thing I can say is I've had some job interviews and have been super busy with them... thanks for holding on and reading this far!

I'd love to know what you think of this chapter/story so far! :)