Hermione didn't remember falling asleep and when she woke up she saw through the Room of Requirement window that the sun was rising. She sat upright in the bed and saw Malfoy next to her, his body tangled in the blankets and she remembered that it was a Saturday; she didn't have to be anywhere. She lay back down and found that she didn't care that she should be at breakfast, that Harry, Ron and most likely Ginny too would be wondering where she was. Something seemed to have changed within her through the night and although she couldn't put her finger on it, she felt it. Malfoy stirred beside her and she waited patiently for him to wake up.

"What's the time? Shouldn't you be leaving?" He asked and Hermione wondered if he ever greeted people properly.

"I'd rather stay here." She almost added 'with you' but thought better of it and the look on Malfoy's face told her he'd realised. "I still don't get you." She said and he sighed loudly.

"Not this again. I've only just woken up." He said irritably and rubbed his eyes.

"I know I just – I can't stop thinking about how different you are. I'm the mudblood, filth, remember? Yet you claim to be falling in love with me. It just doesn't make sense, Malf-Draco." She said and bit her lip nervously. It did seem right to be having a serious conversation at that time of the morning but she felt like she needed to know – she was desperate for clarity. Her paranoid mind pictured herself falling more and more for him and then falling flat on her face when it all turned out to be a joke. She couldn't quite get her head around the idea of him being any different than she had known him to be over the years.

"I don't know what to tell you." He said quietly and Hermione grew frustrated.

"I know guys don't like talking about feelings and all that rubbish but come on – you told me you were falling for me the other night!" She exclaimed and stared at him.

"Don't look at me like that, Granger."

"Oh, it's Granger now, is it? Funny how when things suddenly get serious, you change." She said furiously, sitting up and flattening her hair.

"Are you leaving? Don't leave. Stay here with me." His tone was demanding rather than pleading and Hermione glanced over at him. "Hermione, please?"

She let out a frustrated growl and lay back on the bed, shooting him a glare. "Why can't you just tell me what's in your head?" She asked and he sighed loudly from next to her, his hand now creeping its way towards her. She watched it approach and drew in a breath as it finally touched her.

"You're in my head, Granger." He said and she laughed lightly. His hand slowly made its way across her stomach and up to her chest which was barely covered by her shirt that she had slept in. She made no moves to help him as he unbuttoned it and climbed on top of her, awakening desire deep inside of her and she smiled shyly up at him.

"Nobody knows this side of you except me." She said quietly and he ignored her, taking one of her breasts in her mouth and causing her to gasp loudly as he bit it. "You make me feel so good and no one even knows how kind you can be."

He looked up at her, her other breast in his mouth and she saw something in his eyes. He took his mouth off and reached up to kiss her on the lips, their tongues crashing together in a sudden burst of unbridled passion. Hermione's hands found his shirt and pulled it off; she loved the feel of his bare skin on hers and she felt goosebumps over her entire body.

"Look at what you do to me, Draco." She whispered into his ear and he shivered visibly. This new confidence she seemed to feel made her feel ten times better and she moved her hands down his chest and held him firmly, hearing a loud moan escape his lips.

"What are you doing, Granger?" He asked and didn't wait for an answer. He took her hands away and pulled her skirt and briefs down, his eyes looking at her hungrily. There was something different about the way he entered her though and as Hermione watched him she realised what it was. Usually he was fast, impatient and rough. As much as she enjoyed that, there was something about the tenderness in his expression that made her wonder even more what he was thinking.

Slowly this time he withdrew and re-entered her and she heard herself moaning loudly as he lowered his head and kissed her neck softly. This new Malfoy stunned her and she felt herself reaching climax quicker than she normally did, feeling as if she was floating above everything and the bliss she felt in those seconds as she came was beyond anything she'd ever felt. Malfoy seemed to notice the change in her and after he came, his lips caught hers and Hermione felt as if she could never feel as happy as she did then. He bit her lip softly and she opened her eyes, staring up at him in confusion.

"Do you love me?" She whispered as he collapsed next to her and she felt the happiness ebb away as nervousness replaced it. He didn't answer right away, but pulled the blankets up over the pair of them – something Hermione was thankful for, still not comfortable with being completely naked in front of him – and she turned on her side to watch him.

"Don't ask me something so serious after we've just – "

"Malfoy." She said sternly and he sighed.

"Yes." His voice was barely a whisper and if she had not been watching him, she would not have heard it. The word brought up feelings she couldn't describe and she knew that although she didn't feel the same, she could. She moved closer to him, the sun now streaming inside and she knew it was probably nearing ten am. He kissed the top of her head and she marvelled at how different he could be when he was around her.

By the time they finally emerged from the room, Hermione felt as if she had lived longer than everyone else and was somehow wiser than everyone else though she knew this wasn't true. The fact that Malfoy had told her that he loved her made her happy and scared at the same time and she felt like she needed to tell someone though she didn't know who. Malfoy disappeared in the other direction as they left the room and Hermione made her way to the Gryffindor tower, knowing that breakfast would long be over. She passed familiar faces as she made her way there but she ignored them all, knowing who she was seeking out.

"Hermione!" The sound of Harry's voice calling her name made her whirl around and she saw him approaching, a grim look on his face.

"Where've you been? We've been so worried." He said, panting slightly and it was obvious he had been running to keep up with her. "After you left last night, Ginny tried to follow you but said you just disappeared."

They started walking towards the common room and Hermione fished around for something to say. "Oh, right. I went for a walk." She said lamely and she could tell Harry didn't believe her.

"What time did you get in? And what time did you leave? Ginny doesn't remember seeing you coming back." His eyes stared at her and she could see him trying to work out the truth. They reached the portrait hole and climbed in, finding it reasonably empty and not a Weasley in sight.

"Late, okay. You sound like Ron – why does it matter?" She said, a hint of anger in her voice and Harry took a step back.

"Sorry for caring." He said, sounding hurt and Hermione immediately regretted it.

"Harry, I'm sorry. Ron just got to me last night and I felt as if you were interrogating me as well." She explained as they sat down on a spare couch and Hermione let out a deep sigh.

"He's kind of right though, Hermione. What's going on?" Harry asked and Hermione stood up as quickly as she had sit down.

"Nothing! You and Ron are just – you're so – " She let out a growl of frustration at not being able to get her words out and made for the girls staircase, stomping her feet as she did so. At the top of the stairs she bumped into Ginny and pulled the girl into her dormitory.

"Hermione – what?" The younger girl exclaimed and Hermione glanced around her dormitory, finding it empty.

"Ginny – I – er – " She took a deep breath and steadied herself, sitting on the bed and Ginny followed, a concerned expression now on her face.

"What's going on?"

"I have to tell someone – I have to tell you. Please, promise me you won't tell anyone, especially Ron." Hermione pleaded and Ginny nodded quickly. "I – Malfoy – I've been s-seeing Malfoy." Once the words were out, she felt relief wash over her and even as Ginny's eyes widened in confusion, she felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders.

"What are you talking about, Hermione? Seeing him? What do you mean?" Ginny's voice was filled with horror and Hermione knew how crazy it must sound. She explained everything, from their first meeting up until their most recent and throughout her telling it, Ginny's mouth hung open in shock.

"He's different though, Ginny. I can't explain it. It's like he's a totally different person when he's with me." She heard the pleading tone in her voice and was desperate for Ginny to believe her.

"Hermione, I can't believe this. Is this what Ron was talking about – you being different?" She said, ignoring what Hermione had said about Malfoy.

"I guess so. He doesn't know though; no one does. Except now you do – please don't say anything. I just had to tell someone. Ron – and Harry too, I guess – would flip if they knew."

"Are you guys...together?" She asked and pulled a face.

"Yes." Hermione said and Ginny shook her head.

"Do you love him?" Hermione had been expecting the question but it still stumped her and she stared at the floor, her fingers twitching in her lap. "Hermione – did he say he loved you?"

"He did." She said, choosing to ignore the initial question simply because she didn't know how to answer it. Did she love him? She heard herself think no but she knew she was growing more and more fond of him as the days wore on and today proved she could very easily fall for him. As she thought about it now, she realised she wasn't letting herself.

"And you believe him?" Ginny asked in shock and brought Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Yes, I do, Ginny. You don't know him like I do – he just – "

"Hermione, his favourite name for you is Mudblood and all he's done is pick on you every single day you have been at Hogwarts – along with insulting your best friends – I don't understand this at all." Ginny said, pain written across her face. "He insults my family every chance he gets – when Ron finds out – "

"Don't tell him!" Hermione cried and Ginny sighed deeply.

"I'm not going to. But if you guys are...a couple, then eventually people are going to know. You can't expect him to react the same why I did. I think you know that already, though." Ginny said and Hermione looked at her in a new light. The younger girl sounded older than her years and she was grateful Ginny had reacted the way she did.

"Ginny, I'm sorry." She said quietly and the red head took Hermione's hand.

"Don't be sorry. If this is what you want, then none of us can stop you. Ron and Harry won't be happy but if this is serious, then there isn't anything we can do anyway." She said and Hermione nodded. "But listen to me. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into and I hope that whatever he has told you, whatever you believe – I just hope your right."

Ginny stood up and gave Hermione a brief smile, leaving the dormitory and leaving Hermione to her thoughts. She was extremely grateful for how she had handled it but it only made her more worried for how to tell everyone else. With a deep sigh she stood up and followed Ginny out of the dormitory and down to the common room. She instantly wished she hadn't when she found Ginny, Harry and Ron sat together and the latter ignored her as she sat down with them. There was a tense silence and all three of them seemed to avoid her eye.

"Harry – "

"Leave, Hermione." Ron said and Hermione pushed away the tears that threatened to fall so suddenly. "You've treated us like – "

"I haven't treated you like anything!" She protested and Ron glared at her.

"Harry's just told us how you yelled at him earlier." Ron said coldly and Hermione looked at Harry who avoided her eyes. "Leave."

Hermione stood up and again fought away tears. She took one last look at the three of them – Ginny gave her a small sympathetic look while the other two simply glared – and turned to leave. She stopped at the portrait hole and glanced around, locking eyes with Ron.

"Ginny, tell them." Hermione narrowed her eyes at the Weasley she hated more than anything at that moment and left, not before hearing both Ron and Harry's demands to Ginny for her to tell them what she meant. With a satisfied smirk, Hermione shut the portrait behind her and ran, to where she didn't know but wanting to put as much distance between herself and Ron as possible. The tears that had threatened to fall earlier now fell in earnest and she wiped them away angrily, the consequences of what she had just done only now occurring to her.

What had she done?

Okay, ready for a big authors note. I hope I am writing Malfoy okay - I never really write him much and especially not like this. It's hard to keep him in personality when I want to show his growing feelings for Hermione. I hope I'm doing an okay job, he is such an awesome character and it's tricky to get him right!

I have been wondering for awhile what to do in regards to Voldemort and everything else that happened in the Half Blood Prince, especially regarding Malfoy and the whole kill Dumbledore thing. I toyed with the idea of keeping it the same and running this story alongside HBP but now I've decided to not to do that. So, while reading this story, some things are the same and some aren't. There is no Voldemort, no Death Eaters, nothing like that. Harry's parents therefore are alive, nobody is out to kill Dumbledore and no scar on Harry's head. It's a bit of an AU fic but at the same time it's not. Malfoy is still obviously Malfoy with his views of superiority over people with different blood statuses. I hope this clears things up and please keep reviewing – I love them! Thank you so much for reading :)