Thanks for the lurvely reviews! Special thanks to ClosedxHeart! Loved your review :) :) :) Also thanks to Celina Corey, TreeHillLove23, Fourth Dimension, Shakuma-Marie-Uchiha. And hi again to voldyismyfather and The girl with the ink-heart :)

Everyone turned round as we walked in the room. A wave of whispering started from the desks nearest us, then spread like the plague to the front of the dungeon. I caught a few of the whispered comments: "Our Hermione and MALFOY?" "Is this a joke?" "What's he doing with that Mudblood scum?" Anger pulsed through my body. Hermione was blushing fiercely, I could tell from the heat radiating off her skin. I squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back feebly. My baby is upset! What to do…

"You know, by the way these nosy gits are staring, you'd think I'd sprouted an extra head!" I said loudly, to no one in particular. This seemed to shut most people up. Thankfully, Hermione was now smiling.

It was then that I noticed Snape had been writing on the blackboard, with his back towards us, that whole time. Terrifyingly slowly, he turned around. His face gave away no hint at his emotions, but his hypnotic, unblinking eyes latched onto mine with such intensity that I feared they would burn a hole right through my skull. However, I met his gaze unfalteringly, defiantly, keeping a tight hold to Hermione's hand.

"Detention, Draco," he snarled. "Stay behind after the lesson." Giving me one last searching look, he turned and began writing on the blackboard again as if nothing had happened. I wasn't worried, though. Snape wouldn't do anything to me. I winked at my uneasy looking girlfriend, before walking away from her to my desk, waiting until the very last second to let go of her hand.

All through the lesson, I waited for an opportunity to switch desks with Harry who was working next to her. After my years of torturing him, I was eventually realising that it's possible that he… may not be totally bad. Anyway I was sure that he would consent to swapping places, if not for my benefit, then for Hermione's.

However the chance never came. Snape filled the whole lesson with an excruciatingly boring lecture on the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and threw board rubbers and bits of chalk at anyone who appeared to be dozing off. Fortunately, I was practised in the art of 'looking-wide-awake-and-interested-when-really-you've-totally-stopped-listening-and-are-bored-as-hell', so I spent the lesson daydreaming about Hermione…

I jerked awake as an especially sharp bit of chalk collided with my head. I glared at Snape, and gave him the finger when he wasn't looking. Ok, maybe not as practised as I'd thought. I looked over to see Hermione laughing silently at me. I rolled my eyes at her, then mouthed 'I love you'. She turned slightly pink, then mouthed 'I love you too…" We just sat there staring at each other across the room, until Snape signalled the end of the lesson. In the general hubbub, I got up, walked over to the Griffindor side of the room. I sneaked up behind Hermione, and wrapped my arms around her waist, laughing softly in her ear at her adorable little squeak of surprise. She turned around and kissed me briefly, tongue flitting seductively over my lips, and I shivered in delight. I found it hard to tear myself away, but people were trickling out of the room, leaving us more and more alone with Snape.

"I'll be right outside waiting for you," she whispered. I smiled and kissed her quickly on the tip of her nose, as she gathered up her bag and left the room, leaving me to face Snape alone.

He swept down from his desk, and advanced menacingly on me. As he came closer I could tell he wanted me to back away from him, but I stood still, testing his nerve. He kept walking until he was millimetres away from me, our chests almost touching. He stared down his nose at me, although I was barely able to see him, we were standing so close together.

"What… do you think… you are…. doing?" he asked, painfully slowly.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Sir," I replied pleasantly.

"Your father will most certainly not be pleased that his reputation is being… besmirched," he growled. I smiled bitterly.

"He did that when he got himself thrown in Azkaban." For a moment I thought Snape was going to slap me, but then he said:

"It's not just Malfoy honour. It is the name of the Dark Lord you are treading into the mud. If you hope to join our ranks one day, perhaps you should start thinking more carefully about…" he looked witheringly at the door, as if he could see Hermione waiting on the other side of it. "…Where your loyalties lie," he finished through gritted teeth.

"Well maybe I don't want to 'join your ranks'? Have you ever considered THAT, Snape?"

He looked at me as if I was a lump of dog muck stuck to a new carpet. I could hear something dripping far away, and inhaled the damp, mossy smell that hung heavily in the air. There was a pause that seemed to stretch into infinity.

"That's Professor Snape, to you," he said icily, his voice saturated with loathing. "Your father shall hear about this," he snapped. "You have befouled the proud name of Slytherin for the last time. I have nothing more to say to you."

By the way, I realise this is kind of mixed up, because by this time in the books, Draco should have already joined the Death Eaters, and I'm sure that there will be other things that don't quite match up. But I'm afraid you'll have to live with it.

Don't forget to review! You know you want to, reealllyyyyy! :)

(and read Walking the Line, if you haven't already!)

Cookies for all who do! :)