In The Library

It had been quite a few weeks since Hermione had been in the room of requirement when she walked down to the common room and sat at one of the tables. Ron had made it into the quidditch team as Keeper since then – with Hermione's help of course – and Katie Bell had been cursed by a necklace while they were all out at Hogsmeade.

Hermione knew it had been Draco.

Harry had a hunch.

Pulling out her potions book, Hermione tried to concentrate on doing her work. She hadn't spoken to Draco in such a long time that she wondered whether he had forgotten all about her. The thought worried her and she hoped it wasn't true. He was probably just wound up in his mission.

His dangerous, dangerous mission.

Breathing in a deep, shaky breath, Hermione began to write down some information on what they were currently doing in potions. She felt as though each sentence was incomplete and hardly made sense, but it was all she could do.

The door to the common room suddenly opened and Ron burst through, panting and trying to catch his breath as he hurried over to her. She turned her face away snobbishly, still not quite happy about talking to him.

"Harry-" Ron began and took another breath. He now had Hermione's complete and undivided attention. "He's gone and- and he followed Malfoy and then- he hexed him!"

"What?" Hermione gasped out.

"With a spell he found in his potions book." Ron finished.

"What kind of spell?" Hermione shrieked, standing and causing her books to fall to the floor as she knocked the table. "What did it do?"

"I don't know exactly, all I saw was a lot of blood before Snape said-"

Ron didn't get to finish his sentence before Hermione had dashed past him and was out the door, running straight for the hospital wing where she was certain Draco would be taken. What on earth had Harry been thinking? Had Draco even provoked him at all?

She almost ran into a few people along the way but eventually reached the hospital wing just in time to see Snape disappearing through the door. Harry was following behind awkwardly, a shocked expression on his face. He looked up as Hermione approached and she quickly slowed down to a walk.

He can't know. You can't go bursting in there fussing over him.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked angrily.

"Hermione I swear I didn't know what it-"

"That doesn't mean you had to try it out on someone!" Hermione yelled. "It could have killed him! And then you would have been a murderer!"

"Excuse me," Snape had appeared at the door and Hermione shut her mouth, trying to calm down. "If you could just be quiet until we get him to sleep I would appreciate that."

"I'm sorry sir." Hermione mumbled. Snape raised an eyebrow before going back inside the hospital wing and shutting the door as if to block out further sounds which they might make despite his warning.

"Harry, I'm very disappointed in you." she hissed at him.

"But you and I both know he was the one who gave the necklace to Katie!" Harry replied in an equally quiet voice.

"You're only assuming!" Hermione groaned. "It could have been anyone else at Hogsmeade that day."

"He attacked me first, anyway!" Harry tried to defend himself.

"I don't care who did what first!" Hermione snapped. "Now simply as a caring Gryffindor I am going to go in there and see whether he's still alive."

Turning on her heel, she opened the door and walked inside quietly. Snape looked over at her briefly before looking back down at where Draco lay on the white bed, his clothes stained with blood.

"Is he going to be alright?" Hermione asked softly.

"Yes." Snape said. "But if I hadn't gotten there when I did he wouldn't be with us right now."

Hermione fought the tears which threatened to spill over and thanked Snape over and over again in her mind. She had known someone was going to get hurt eventually, but she hadn't known how bad it was going to be.

"When will he be let out again?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound too emotional.

"Perhaps in a week." Snape shrugged. "Now I suggest you leave so that he may get enough rest and not be disturbed by our voices."

Hermione nodded slowly and walked back towards the door, slipping out and feeling relieved and yet sad that Harry had gone. Walking back towards the Gryffindor common room, she allowed only one tear to slide down her cheek.

*

Two days later Hermione was in a situation quite familiar to her where she had two classes on at the same time. She still had the time turner which had been given to her by Professor Mcgonogall in order to get to all her classes and pulled it from her pocket as she walked out of one classroom, heading towards the next.

Just before she turned it she had a terrifying yet wonderful thought. The class she was going to go back in time for was Ancient Runes and she was already ahead in that class. Perhaps she could miss only one class...

Taking a deep breath and going to a secluded corridor, she turned the time turner back one hour to the time when Ancient Runes would begin. Instead of heading to that classroom, however, she slowly and carefully made her way up to the hospital wing, making sure she didn't accidentally run into herself.

Reaching the door, she looked around nervously before opening it up and stepping inside. She shut the door behind her quietly and looked over to see whether Draco was awake or not.

He was awake, and was staring over at her with wide eyes as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. As she got closer, he glanced over at the far door which led to Madame Pomfreys office.

"I had to see you." Hermione whispered. "I'm so sorry about what happened."

"It doesn't matter." Draco muttered, looking down at his hands which were neatly folded on his lap.

"I'm so worried about you!" Hermione admitted, pulling up a chair and sitting beside his bed.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Draco asked in annoyance, refusing to look up at her. Hermione sighed and looked down at the time turner which was still in plain view as she had forgotten to tuck it beneath her shirt.

"I am."

"What do you mean?"

"I came back in time one hour to see you. I'm also in class right now." she explained quietly.

Draco looked up at her, his eyes examining her face carefully. He narrowed his eyes slightly in thought and then sighed, looking away again. In that moment he looked really tired and she felt guilty about coming to see him so soon.

"I've never understood you." Draco mumbled, closing his eyes.

"I love you." Hermione said gently. Swallowing nervously, she reached out and took his hand in her own. She found herself holding her breath as if waiting for him to shake her off or yell or something, but he didn't.

"I know." he whispered.

"Why don't you trust me?" Hermione asked slowly, reaching her other hand over to move his hair away from his eyes.

"I still don't know why you wanted to help me in the first place." Draco muttered, clenching his jaw for a moment before relaxing again. Hermione looked away awkwardly and wondered what she could say to him. She didn't want to tell him that her plan from the start had been to pull him over to her side.

"Does it really matter why I wanted to help you? I mean, just look at where that decision has brought us!" Hermione said with a slight smile. She hoped he would see things her way just this once.

"Perhaps I'm too curious for my own good." Draco murmured. "I just don't know how to stop." His eyes were still closed and his forehead was creased slightly. Hermione moved her hand minutely in order to stroke his, trying to let him know without words that everything was alright and she understood him. She wanted to express to him just how much she cared, but wasn't sure what she should do.

Very unsure of what she was suddenly about to do, Hermione slowly bent over him and drew closer to his face. Draco opened his eyes when he felt some of her hair tickle his cheek, staring into her eyes as they were right in front of his own. After a moment he reached a hand up to the back of her head and pulled her down the remaining distance, pressing their lips together tenderly.

Hermione's hand which had been resting on the pillow beside his head after brushing his hair aside moved into his blond strands and tightened, holding on firmly but not enough to hurt him. Their lips moved together as if they had been specifically made for the other and Hermione felt Draco tighten his grip on her hand.

"What's going on here?"

Hermione sat upright so quickly she almost got whiplash. Her eyes were wide in fear as she stared over at Madam Pomfrey standing in the doorway for her office watching them. Draco looked just as shocked as she was from where he was still lying down.

"M-M-Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione squeaked out, blood rushing to her face in embarrassment and terror that word of this would get around and everyone would then find out.

Madam Pomfrey walked over to them with narrowed eyebrows. "Mr Malfoy should not be kissing anyone yet. He's too weak from losing so much blood."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hermione said quickly, now feeling absolutely terrible about what she had done. Why hadn't she thought about his loss of blood? Of course they shouldn't have kissed again so soon!

"You're not going to tell anyone are you?" Draco asked in a low, threatening voice. Madam Pomfrey looked down at him and frowned slightly.

"Of course not! Not if you don't want me to, anyway." she turned and began walking back to her office, muttering, "Well I never... Mr Malfoy with a Gryffindor!"

Hermione refused to look down at Draco, fearing that he would be upset that she had allowed something like this to happen. She felt absolutely terrible. She should have been more aware of what was going on around her. What if Harry had walked in and seen?

"Hermione..." Draco mumbled, taking hold of her hand again. "I'm not mad."

"I'm so sorry." Hermione said quietly, biting her lip and still not looking at him.

"Kiss me again." Draco hissed, pulling her hand to try and make her move over him once more. Hermione then looked over at him, her eyes wide.

"You heard what she said! You shouldn't be kissing yet!" Hermione scolded.

"Please?" Draco asked gently, a look of sorrow appearing on his face as he stared up at her. She fought to stay strong and say no, but in the next instant she was smiling and leaning down to gently kiss his lips and then pull away again.

"That's all for now." she said. Draco had closed his eyes and left them like that, a slight smile on his face.

"You'd better go before you drive me stark raving mad." he teased.

"I have to use up the entire hour! If I go back now..." Hermione trailed off and pictured herself walking into Ancient Runes late. At least she could just have a private word with her professor and lie about getting the time wrong with her time turner.

"I know you've just thought up a plan. Whenever you do you purse your lips and look completely kissable." Draco said, bringing her out of her thoughts. She blushed and squeezed his hand gently.

"Alright then, I'll come back again to see you tomorrow." she promised.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hey guys, just a quick and important note. I have a feeling I've gotten some of the events muddled around, such as when this happens in relation to when they're learning how to apparate. I don't own the books so I can't check every time I want to find something out, so if someone could help me out and let me know which order these things actually go in?

I'm really sorry if some of you get really annoyed by the muddle, but I won't be changing it now. Not after I took so long on each chapter... haha.

Anyway, thanks heaps guys!