Tally ho, good folks! Lol, I like using British phrases…even if it does make me look and sound a bit foolish. Anyway, here is chapter 9, which I was procrastinating on working on, but when I finally sat down to write it, it only took me an hour which is good. The Dramione is starting to pick up, especially in this chapter. I hope you guys like and still don't think I'm going to slow. I'm rather new at writing romances, since the ones I usually start I never finish. Lol, and when they hate each other it makes it even harder to write a believable romance that keeps people interested. But I vow to try harder!

Don't own Harry Potter….which makes me sad….:(

After dinner that night, Hermione decided she needed a break from her own mind and the jumbled thoughts swirling around in it. So she met up with her best girl friend in the Gryffindor common room for some gossip, homework and butterbeer, which unfortunately didn't happen.

"Hermione" Ginny Weasley squealed, pulling Hermione into a tight hug, "Have you been avoiding me? I haven't seen you in ages."

Hermione looked away, because in all truthfulness she had been. Ginny could always see right through her and her possible feelings for Draco was not something she wanted to discuss at the present time, "Sorry Ginny, I haven't been meaning to, but I've been so busy with Head duties and homework, that I didn't realize people might miss my company."

"Well I'm telling you right now, you need to lighten up and have more fun, this closing yourself off cannot be good for you. And neither is keeping secrets, so come on up to my room and tell me about it, I'll paint your nails while we talk," Ginny said, dragging Hermione up the stairs.

When they were sitting on Ginny's bed with beauty products spread out all over and Hermione's nails in the process of getting painted with Muggle nail polish, Ginny demanded, "Ok, now spill it, something's been bothering you, and its been making you avoid us."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione said, brushing off Ginny's comments, "So why are we using Muggle nail polish anyway?"

"Because I like using it, taking the time to actually paint them and not just zap your nails, is therapeutic. And I know what your doing, now spill! Oh and what color?"

"Fine," Hermione sighed, pointing to the dark gray, "Well you know how I've been sharing a tower with Malfoy, well we started pranking each other, and then I gave him this love potion, that was supposed to make him think he was in love with Luna but he saw me instead, but it didn't work and I found out its because he already loves me, and now I can't stop thinking about the stupid git and I really think I might falling for him. Oh Ginny what am I gonna do? I can't fall in love him, he's a Slytherin and probably a Death Eater."

"Wow, I knew you were keeping a secret, but even I couldn't have imagined that this is what it was," Ginny replied, a bit shell-shocked, "And how do you know he's a Death Eater? Also there is nothing wrong with him being a Slytherin, heck he probably had the same thoughts about you being a Gryffindor. So I say stop thinking so much and just see where it leads, even though Malfoy annoys me to no end, if you guys were together I would behave myself because you're my friend. Now I'm finished with the pep talk and also with your nails, which look fabulous, which is totally because I did them."

Hermione chuckled at the smug smirk on her friends face, "Thanks Ginny I really needed to talk to you, I really need to stop trying to rely on myself all the time. Oh by the way, I forgot to tell you I might have snogged him yesterday night."

"You did what? And why didn't you tell me this earlier? This is big news Hermione," Ginny shouted.

"Well I kinda didn't tell you earlier, because I just told you about it like 2 minutes ago," Hermione responded, plugging her ears against the onslaught of Ginny's high pitched screams, "Will you stop that already?"

"Oh sorry, it's just this is huge, I can't believe you kissed him. So," Ginny said, leaning over, "was he a good snog?"

"Ginny!" Hermione cried, appalled, before giggling and responding, "Actually it was wonderful, I guess its true that bad boys really are better snogs."

Giggling, Ginny asked, "So are you gonna kiss him again?"

"I don't know, I wanna work through my feelings first, but you never know," Hermione replied, giggling, "Well I gotta go, it's almost curfew."

Hermione made it back to the Head's common room 15 minutes after curfew, only to find Draco occupying one of the couches.

"Out late, Granger, tsk tsk, first you starting snogging random people and now you're back after curfew," Draco drawled, as he stood and sauntered over to her.

His teasing had the intended reaction, as Hermione retorted, irritated, "I told you to stop mentioning that, and why do you care that I'm back after curfew, shouldn't you be happy that I could've gotten in trouble."

Draco smirked, as he walked around her before leaning over and whispering in her ear, "You know you're even cuter when you're all riled up."

Hermione shivered, as his warm breath tickled her ear, "Did you really just say I'm cute? Aren't you supposed to hate me?"

He chuckled, his breath tickling her ear again, "And aren't you supposed to hate me? But after the way you kissed me last night I guess we are both acting quite uncharacteristically, now aren't we?"

"I don't know why I kissed you," Hermione whispered back honestly, still slightly confused about her feelings for the blonde boy, "But if you're just playing with me to get back at me for the pranks, just stop it right now."

"Darling," he whispered, leaning down, his lips almost touching hers, "who says I'm playing?"

Draco leaned down the rest of the way, pressing his lips softly to hers. Sighing Hermione raised her shaking hands to grasp his face, as he deepened the kiss. They continued kissing until they had to finally stop because they couldn't breathe. Gathering her in his arms, Draco held her tight, not wanting to let her go. Finally he was forced to as he saw that she looked awfully tired and was lightly dozing in his arms. Grabbing her hand he led her to her room and pushed her lightly in, and telling her to go to sleep, before closing the door gently behind her. Then he returned to his room, a genuine smile on his face as he drifted off to sleep.

Well how'd everyone like it? If you didn't I don't care, I like it, and to a point thats all that matters. Btw, I don't know why but I've always wanted to hear Draco call someone "Darling", lol. Anyhow, please review and add to alerts so you don't miss anything!