~Continue Flashback~

Hermione made her way to the Dark Arts section in the library excitedly. She saw this meeting as a challenge and wanted to prove herself to him. She was also thankful that Draco himself had suggested that she tell him more about herself, as she had wanted to do that in the first place for the exact same reason why he had then said it and now she simply had to pretend she was going along with his idea.

Sitting down on the stool which she had found Draco sitting on only yesterday, she waited patiently for him to arrive and picked up a book to read as she did so.

She had finished five pages when Draco walked into the aisle and stopped in front of her, his eyes watching her intensely for a reaction of some kind. Calmly, she placed the book back on the shelf and stood up to face him.

"Malfoy." she said plainly. She dared not say anything else in case he got angry with her and she was desperate to stay on his good side for the duration of the meeting. She swallowed and Malfoy smirked, apparently seeing right through to how nervous she was.

"Still want to help me?" he asked, amused.

"Yes." she nodded firmly and he raised an eyebrow before also nodding.

"Get to work, then." he said with a shrug, gesturing for her to do something. Hermione swallowed nervously again and sat back down on the stool. Draco frowned slightly before glancing over his shoulder and then turning back to her, sitting down on the floor.

"I uh," Hermione looked away from him. "I'm not sure what to do, honestly."

"Clearly." Draco smirked again.

"You've made it so difficult, though!" Hermione protested, now looking at him. "If I can't offer you advice, how am I supposed to help you at all?"

"Maybe we should start with the basics?" Draco suggested, reaching a hand out towards her. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

"Don't be silly." Hermione said in annoyance, frowning slightly. Draco dropped his hand.

"I have a question which I would like you to answer truthfully." Draco said. "Why do you want to help me when I'm your enemy? I've done my best ever since first year to make yours, Potty's and Weasel's lives miserable. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Hermione sighed and put her head in her hand, wondering what she was going to say to him. He probably wouldn't be interested in the truth, but would she be able to think up a convincing lie in time?

"I don't know." she mumbled, feeling ashamed as soon as the words left her lips.

Draco stared at her silently for a while, contemplating whether or not he believed her. He himself didn't know why he had accepted her offer anyway, so it was possible that she didn't know why she had offered. Perhaps it was fate...

But believing in fate was silly.

"So what classes did you have today?" he asked awkwardly.

"Oh, Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies-"

Draco scoffed and Hermione narrowed her eyes angrily.

"Just like you to do Muggle Studies, I suppose. But why bother? Wouldn't you ace it because you practically are one?" Draco asked.

"Wouldn't you choose 'Pureblood Studies' if it was a class?" Hermione asked pointedly. Draco smirked and nodded.

"I see your point." he said.

They fell silent again for a while before Draco pushed himself up off the ground to stand. Hermione looked up at him curiously but he avoided her gaze.

"Meet me again tomorrow night. I'm going to bed."

And with that, he slipped away and left the library, not even waiting for a reply from Hermione as he did so.

*

Hermione found herself doing everything she could to avoid talking about Draco Malfoy with Harry and Ron. Harry had started thinking Draco was up to something recently and every time he brought it up Hermione did her best to kill his ideas. She felt as though if Harry found out something about Draco and told her she would be cheating. She had to find out things about him by herself and she would succeed.

With a Potions assignment on her mind she was in the library again, searching for the right book which would help her complete the essay she had to write.

"Aconite... aconite..." Hermione mumbled to herself as she ran a finger along the books on one of the shelves. She had to write about the properties of aconite and what it was useful for, along with any other interesting facts she could find out.

Grabbing hold of one of the books, she pulled it out from the shelf and flicked through it quickly before sighing and putting it back. Perhaps she was looking in the wrong section, but she didn't know where else to look!

Turning around and heading along the aisle in the opposite direction now, Hermione noticed a book that was pushed in slightly further than the rest, its title hidden from view. She quickened her steps slightly to reach it and took it out, flicking through the pages slowly.

"Yes!" she muttered with a satisfied smile, taking the book with her as she walked over to a table and sat down. Pulling a quill from her bag and some parchment, she began writing down her findings on aconite.

Hermione worked hard on her essay for an hour and a half, re-writing sections and smoothing it all out so that it flowed well and connected back to the question in each paragraph. It was only when she looked up to see the library practically empty when she realised how late it was – and also that she was being watched.

Draco stood in the shadow of a bookshelf, his eyes on her. There was pain on his face and as she looked at him he looked down, clenching his teeth.

Suddenly worried about what might have happened, Hermione packed her things away and made her way over to him.

"Draco?" she asked softly, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before looking up at him again.

"I just... I wanted..." he swallowed and looked around nervously.

"Do you need something?" Hermione probed gently.

Draco's eyes suddenly flicked up to hers again and his expression darkened.

"No." he said stiffly, pushing past her and walking towards the library exit.

Sighing, Hermione went over to where she had left her bag on the table and picked it up, making her own way to the door as well. She guessed there would be no meeting between the two of them that night.

*

It was five days until Draco entered the library again and went over to the Dark Arts section, finding Hermione reading a Potions book as she sat on the stool.

"Do you always wait for me?" he asked as he walked up, startling her.

"Uh," Hermione shut the book and went slightly red. "I guess. If you ever need help I need to be here, right?"

Draco frowned but nodded, folding his arms.

"So what do you recommend for someone who's stressed about school work?" Draco asked casually, looking away.

"Well if they came to me about it, I could write them up a timetable of when they need to spend time on each subject and-"

"Alright, alright!" Draco chuckled. "I was kidding."

Hermione lowered her eyes to the ground, feeling foolish.

"How's Weasel?" Draco asked.

"Fine." she mumbled in response. "He's trying out for a position on the quidditch team soon."

"Great! I'll finally be able to tease him in the air." Draco smirked and waited for Hermione to say something in response about how he shouldn't say that.

"Why are you like this?" Hermione asked instead. "Is it the influence from your father?"

"I thought I told you-"

"-not to offer you advice unless you ask for it. But I'm not giving you advice, am I? I'm just asking a question." Hermione said stubbornly.

"Yeah, well," Draco shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want to answer it."

"You don't have to, I was just wondering." Hermione shrugged and looked down at the book in her lap, wondering what to do next.

Draco gazed at the books on the shelf beside him and tried to find something interesting about them but couldn't. He soon dropped his gaze to the floor and shoved his hands in his pockets, wanting to be anywhere but here. Why had he come anyway? He hadn't thought she'd still be here, waiting for him.

"What are your parents like? Being muggles, what are they like?" Draco asked quietly. "Anything like magical parents?"

"Well, comparing them to the Weasley's they're definitely like magical parents." Hermione shrugged. "They're really nice, loving, kind. They were so happy when they found out I was magic."

"Do they have high expectations for you?" Draco asked awkwardly.

"They just expect me to be the best that I can be." Hermione said, lifting her chin slightly.

"So they're really nothing like magical parents." he muttered, digging his shoe into the carpet floor.

Hermione frowned but didn't press the subject, fearing that he would yell at her or even pull out his wand and curse her with it.

"Did you need anything? When you came here..." Hermione asked softly, trailing off and biting her lip nervously.

Draco glanced up at her before looking down again, his eyebrows furrowed. Hermione found it strange how she hardly ever saw him smirk nowadays, the most common look on his face being pain or confusion. Was that a sign that he was beginning to trust her somewhat?

"I haven't told anyone that I'm meeting with you." Hermione continued when Draco didn't answer her previous question. She felt as though she had to keep the conversation going no matter what.

"I hope not!" Draco snapped angrily, before sighing and turning his back on her. "If my father knew what I was doing..."

"Have you finished your Potions homework?" Hermione asked, knowing that Draco wouldn't feel comfortable discussing his father with her just yet. Draco turned back to her, a look of gratitude in his eyes for a moment before he smothered it.

"Yeah, I did it yesterday." he shrugged. Hermione nodded slowly and looked around for something to hold her attention. She had known it would be difficult helping Draco, but she hadn't thought there would be so many awkward silences!

She didn't even know if she was still only in it to help him.

Swallowing nervously, Hermione hoped Draco wasn't looking at her as she felt her cheeks flame up in embarrassment. How could she have known that getting to know Draco involved noticing how much more handsome he looked?

"Well, if there's nothing else you'd like to discuss I think I'd better go." Hermione mumbled, standing up from the stool.

"Wait-" Draco swallowed nervously as Hermione looked up at him, quickly searching his brain for something to say that was notwhat he was thinking.

"Don't worry," Hermione said gently. "I'll be here tomorrow night for you to talk to. Even if you only want to talk about the weather." Ducking her head in embarrassment, she made to walk past him.

Draco shot an arm out to stop her and ended up pulling her into his chest completely by accident. She gasped and looked up at him with wide, innocent and startled eyes, and Draco's eyes also widened as he realised he had just caused their predicament.

"I'm sorry." he said as he released her and she stepped away from him.

"It's alright, I... know you didn't mean to." Hermione said quietly, stumbling over her words ever so slightly.

Draco continued staring down at her, heart pounding, and struggled to remember why it was he had pulled her back in the first place. The answer eluded him, however, only leaving him frustrated and flustered as he couldn't think of anything to say to her.

"I'm... I'm going now." Hermione mumbled, walking past Draco slowly and carefully, as if it was possible that he would reach out and pull her back again.

Draco clenched his teeth and remained silent, his face feeling hot as he watched her walk away from him. He didn't attempt to stop her this time, letting her go as he should have done in the first place.

And that was how it began.

~End Flashback~