A/N: Hmmm, definitely not one of my best pieces, but I was bored, so I decided to write another chapter. I hope it's not that disappointing!

------------------------------------------------------------FULL MOON--------------------------------------------------------------

Dozens of stars littered the black blanket of sky that Ron was impatiently staring up at. The full moon, in all its natural beauty, was present. Ron cursed. He turned to Hermione.

"Where the hell is Malfoy?" he spat.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "He should be coming now .... And why are you so irritated?"

Ron let out a strangled sound. "I've got to hold hands with the idiot, for crying out loud! Do you really think I want to do that?"

I'd trade positions anytime, Ronald, Hermione thought.

They were standing in the middle of the Quidditch pitch - Ron wanted luck for his "torture".

"Remind me why I am here, Ronald?"

He glanced at her. "To help out one of your best friends?" Hermione raised her eyebrows. Ron threw up his hands into the air. "Aw, c'mon, Hermione. What if he wants to seek revenge or something? I thought that he wouldn't want to do it in front of a girl."

Hermione flared up at that. She said hotly, "I can assure you that I'm no mere girl, Ronald. I-" she was cut off by a tall figure that was approaching them. His features were gently lit up by the moon's generous light. He came to a stop a few metres from them. He turned towards Hermione and met her gaze.

Draco, Hermione thought, and her heart ached. She refused to show her weakness in front of him, so she returned his gaze with a cool look. He nodded his head at her.

"Malfoy." She returned the nod. No weakness will be shown. She continued to stare at him, until he was forced to look away.

Ron cleared his throat. "So," he asked Draco, "are you ready?" Draco looked enquiringly at Ron.

Hermione blushed. She knew what he was wondering, but didn't think Ron did. "Ron, I didn't exactly tell him."

Ron looked puzzled. Before he could say anything, Hermione explained, "I didn't have time. Head duties, you know. I'm sure Malfoy would understand."

Malfoy's eyebrow crinkled slightly, and then straightened out.

-------------------------------------

Draco's POV

Why was Hermione acting so indifferent? She seemed so ... cold ... towards me. Maybe it was because Weasel was here?

I nodded once in response, trying to not show how emotionally attached to her I was. I chose to slide my gaze over to Weasel instead.

Hermione whispered to Weasley, "Tell him."

"Why can't he speak for his bloody self?" Weasley grumbled. I rolled my eyes. The boy was daft.

Hermione imitated me - without knowing, I guess. "You cast an insulting spell on him, Ronald. I don't think he wants to waste time insulting people and hurting them. So could you just tell him already?"

Weasley blushed. "Well, it's bloody stupid," he told me, "but seeing that I cursed - cast a spell upon you, I should be the one to reverse it." Hmmm, that sounded fair enough. He continued, "So what we have to do is"- he fake-coughed disguising a few words, and I'm pretty sure I heard the words "hold hands".

I jumped a metre or so away from him, bewildered. Did he just say hold hands? I looked at Hermione for confirmation, but was distracted by the small smile that seemed to pull at her lips. So beautiful.

I shook my head to clear it. I looked at her, trying to ask her with my eyes whether it was true or not. The smile had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

She nodded wordlessly. I sighed and turned back to Weasley. He seemed to understand.

"Right," he said awkwardly, "let's do this." He walked over hesitantly towards me, unsure. I would've laughed out loud if I was in a better mood, but I wasn't, so I just stood there, waiting.

"Uh, I'm going to need your right- no wait, your left - no, no, your right hand to, er, hold," he said. Via my peripheral vision, I could see Hermione observing the situation.

I gave Ron my right hand, resignedly. He took it, awkwardly.

Hermione laughed. Ah, like music to my ears. I sighed.

Weasley misinterpreted my sigh. "You can't honestly be enjoying this, Malfoy?" he cried out exasperatedly. I rolled my eyes. "And what do you think is so funny, Hermione?" he asked her.

It looked as though she was about to say something, but decided against it. Weasley was brought back to attention. He coughed. "Right, let's do this," he repeated. He took out his wand, and muttered, "Insultus momentus." A hiss flew out of his wand, and then ... nothing.

Weasley looked as confused as I felt. He looked at Hermione, and asked, "Well, is that it?"

She sighed. "There's only one way to find out." Did I imagine the hope that coloured her voice?

Weasley nodded and ordered, "Malfoy, say something."

I hoped against every hope of mine that this would work. I closed my eyes.

"Hermione," I breathed, my voice rough with all the pent-up emotion I had. I opened my eyes to find Weasley staring at me with annoyance.

"Oh, this is just great!" he huffed, and stalked back to the castle.

I stared after him for a moment or two, and then returned my attention to Hermione. She didn't seem to be affected by what I had just said. Her eyes were ambivalent.

"Hermione, did I - did I say something to offend you?" I asked, concern filling my voice. I took a step closer to her, and was surprised when she took a step back.

I felt my eyes widen. "Hermione -"

She held up her hand. "Don't." She started to walk away, but I caught her wrist and pulled her back. "Wait, I just wanted to say thank you. You've done so much to help. Just, thanks."

She shrugged, looking nonchalant, and backed away from me slightly. "I helped you because the school needed their Head Boy back. A Head Boy wouldn't be a Head Boy without saying anything. I did it for the school." Her words hit me like a whip. What was with the hot and cold treatment?

"There's no other reason? Nothing at all?" I asked just to make sure.

She looked away and laughed, her laugh sounding empty. She said, without looking at me, "What reason would there be, Malfoy? That I cared so much for you? That I wanted to be able to have proper conversations with you, just like old times?"

She was lying. I knew it. She wouldn't look at me.

I grabbed her shoulders, and the action was so sudden that she looked at me, startled. I held her gaze and whispered, "Look into my eyes and repeat what you just said."

"What do you want me to say?" she asked in a hard tone.

"Tell me," my gentle whisper contrasting her tone, "that you don't care for me."

Instead of answering me, she pushed herself away from me. She glared at me. "I don't care for you." I didn't notice how her voice slipped on the last word.

I felt hurt. "Sorry."

She sighed. "Why are you sorry, Malfoy?"

I ran a hand through my hair, and faced away from her. "I'm sorry that I kissed you. I wasn't supposed to. I hadn't even known that you would've wanted -" My voice grew frustrated. "I really liked you. I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry." There, it was out in the open. I turned slowly back to face her.

Her eyes were wide with shock. She whispered, the harsh tone now a ghost of the past, "You ... liked me?"

I nodded.

She took a step closer. My heart hummed. "And now?" she breathed.

I closed my eyes. I could smell her; she was that close. I took pleasure in the scent, knowing that I might not be able to be that near to smell it ever again. After what I was about to say.

"I still do," I said, my eyes still closed.

"Oh," she said softly. I opened my eyes. She wasn't looking at me.

"Hermione?" I asked hesitantly.

----------------------------------------------------------to be continued-----------------------------------------------------------

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