Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the characters in this fan fiction belong to the amazing J.K. Rowling. Only the plot is mine, and please don't copy that.

Draco was contemplating whether or not throwing himself out from the Astronomy Tower would be less painful than listening to another second of Professor Binns droning on and on about the stupid Giant Wars. Merlin's sake, the subject was boring enough on its own, but when it was being taught, if you could even call it that, by an old, crinkly ghost who simply read through his scrolls of never-ending notes in the most monotonous and dull tone, it could be more sleep-inducing than the Sleeping Draught.

And Draco was definitely not the only one of this opinion. As he looked around the class room, he might have found the sight funny if it wasn't so utterly pathetic. Every student was halfway asleep, either trying to desperately cling on to consciousness, their eyes drooping every now and again, or there were the ones who had given up completely and were either paying attention to something altogether different, like Potter and Weasley who were playing some silly game on their parchments, and some had actually fallen asleep. Crabbe and Goyle, who shared the table in front of him, were slumbering quite loudly whilst leaning on to each other; they were probably drooling all over themselves too. Draco looked to his left and caught Blaise's bored gaze, and the two shared an eye roll over the sheer ridiculousness that was fifth year History of Magic.

There was one person, however, who didn't belong to either of the three categories.

Granger was, as per usual, paying vivid attention to everything Professor Binns was tediously droning on about, her quill moving ferociously across her parchment as she took note of anything of relevance (not that Draco thought there was much relevance in the subject). This was typical Granger fashion; she simply couldn't not know something, a trait Draco didn't know if he admired or found irritating. It was probably a bit of both. Even though Draco couldn't stand know-it-alls, is was somehow different when it was Granger.

When he thought about it, everything was always different when it was Granger. She was Muggle-born and a Gryffindor, both things something Draco had been taught to despise since before he could even talk; but for some reason, because it was Granger, it somehow made her all the more endearing to him.

He had been taught that Muggle-borns were inferior in every way, yet Granger had continued to prove this conviction wrong. In every year since first year, she had been the student with the highest marks, a fact that had always managed to drive his father absolutely mad, but Draco couldn't help but be consistently impressed by it. He knew she was by far the most hard-working student to attend this school; proven by the fact that she could not only stay awake during Professor Binns' boring classes, but even pay perfect attention to them. She never let any comments or slights against her blood status get to her, and she made sure to prove any prejudice against her wrong. Draco couldn't find the slightest inferiority in this.

And by Salazar, she was brave! Draco didn't know how Potter managed to save the day every day, but he definitely wasn't doing it on his own. In fact, Draco was willing to bet his Firebolt that the brain behind all of the intricate and perilous operations was indeed Granger. How she managed to maintain her perfect marks and reputation, and at the same time face all evil and always win, he really didn't know. All he knew was that there was definitely nothing inferior about it. In fact, if he were to be perfectly honest, Draco kind of found the whole thing pretty sexy. Granger was fierce and she never let anyone, or anything, believe otherwise.

And nobody could call Granger inferior with regards to her looks. Sure, when they were younger, she'd been cursed with some unfortunate long teeth and her hair had been downright unruly, but even then her fire had burned through, always leaving him hot in her wake. And whatever awkwardness she had suffered in her early adolescence had long since disappeared, and Granger had steadily blossomed into the stunning specimen that sat at the table in front of the one on his right.

As though feeling his gaze upon her, Granger paused in her meticulous note-taking and turned her head in his direction. Deep brown eyes met his light grey ones, and Draco was totally ensnared; unable to look away. Said brown eyes widened as Granger realized who was staring at her, and she lowered her perfectly sculptured eyebrows in confusion before quickly returning her gaze back to the front, releasing him from whatever spell he had just been under. He shook his head to shake off the haze as he realized that he had, once more, been lost in thought over Hermione Granger. He, too, quickly returned his eyes to Professor Binns who was still putting more and more students to sleep. He cast a glance around the room to check if anyone had taken notice of his intensive staring at Granger, but to his relief, most students had been bored to sleep. Even Blaise had given up the struggle to stay awake, and Draco relaxed as he focused back on the lesson.

But he couldn't stop himself from peeking at Granger every once in a while, and it seemed that she knew this since her posture had gone rigid, and her quill had gone still between her dainty fingers. She even glanced back to him once more before the class ended, and when their eyes connected again, her expression turned exasperated and she raised her eyebrows challengingly at him. Seeing as nobody was paying attention to them, or anything for that matter, he let his lips raise into a slight smirk, and he was sure some of his desires shined in his eyes. He even dared a wink at her, and her reaction was absolutely priceless. A flattering shade of pink crawled over her cheeks as her beautiful brown orbs widened once more before she hurriedly turned away from him and quickly started packing her stuff away as Professor Binns announced the end of the class to everybody's great relief.

Draco's smirk broadened into a full grin as he realized that he had had that effect on Granger; he had made Granger blush. His prideful thoughts were interrupted by Blaise, who stood up from their table with a yawn.

"Thank Merlin that's over with. I can't believe that they put Binns' class as the first class Monday morning. They can't fault us for not being able to stay awake during that," Blaise exasperatedly commented.

Draco laughed at that as he, too, started packing his stuff away and the two friends started towards their next lesson.

It wasn't until later in the afternoon that Draco got another glimpse of Granger.

Last week, Snape had assigned the class an essay on the risks and the procedure of brewing the Draught of Peace, which they would be brewing two classes from now, and so the essay was due next class. Draco was already halfway done with the essay, and he had decided to finish and be done with it in the library.

To his delight, the library was empty, save from Madam Pince who shot him a warning glare as soon as he stepped through the big, wooden doors. Draco merely returned her look with a smirk as he let the doors slam behind him, turning the librarian's glare into a vicious scowl as she reprimanded him with a fierce hush. Draco's smirk widened and he strolled past her and continued towards the tables in the back.

As he passed the many towering shelves filled to their brims with dusty, old books, he could admit to himself that he had missed this place over the summer. School had been in full swing since it had started again a little over a week ago, and Draco had barely had the time to consider anything but classes, homework and catching up with everyone. And Hogwarts had truly been bustling with energy; everyone was either gossiping over the installment of Umbridge as the new DADA teacher or Potter's rather public claim that the Dark Lord had returned, so it had been hard to find moments of silence and peace.

But now, here in the library, Draco could finally enjoy a little quiet. At least, before it was broken by the sound of low swearing from between two shelves somewhere before him to his right.

His eyebrows shot up as excitement coursed through him. He could recognize that musical voice anywhere.

He slowed his steps and snuck closer to the voice until he reached the corner of a shelf and came to a stop. He carefully peered out from behind it and grinned at the sight he found. Granger stood with her back turned towards him, her head bowed over what he presumed was a book. The long, Gothic window in front of her let the slowly setting sun illuminate her figure perfectly. Her honey-brown hair, which had been pulled into a simple ponytail at the top of her head, glimmered like spun gold, drawing attention to her delicate, creamy neck. She truly was a vision.

Her low mutterings caught his attention again, and he silently moved closer until he was right behind her. As he leaned down towards her right ear, he caught a whiff of her delicious aroma. His eyes nearly closed as he delighted in another inhale of her sweet, yet spicy, scent. How ironic, really, since Granger, too, was just an endless sea of contradictions. Her very core was sweet, yet spicy, and this was well reflected in her essence. He shook off his train of thought and opened his mouth to finally alert her to his presence.

"You do know what they say about people who talk to themselves, right?" Draco asked quietly, playfully in her ears.

He had to lean back quickly as Granger swung around with a loud gasp, and he smirked, thrilled with her shocked expression. Her gorgeous eyes were widened and her pouty and ridiculously soft-looking, peach coloured lips were parted, and he couldn't help but snicker at her.

Her eyes narrowed at that, and he let her push him a step back, her touch warming him even through the many layers of his school uniform.

"Malfoy! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Her voice was as loud as she dared make it; they were, after all, in the library, where Pince would be on you from the other end if you so much as dropped a pin to the floor. He ignored Granger's question as he caught sight of the book she was guarding close to her chest with one arm, her other one held out in front of her, as if that would protect her from him. Magick Moste Evile by Godelot. He raised his eyebrows and grinned slyly at her while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"My, my, being naughty, are we? What's a good little Gryffindor doing with such a Dark book, hm?" He asked in a flirtatious tone of voice.

Granger's eyes narrowed even further as she straightened her posture and raised her head indignantly at him. Merlin, did she even know how sexy she was when she did that? He mentally rolled his eyes at himself.

"That's none of your damn business, Malfoy. Now, why don't you move along? I know I have much better things to do with my time than spending even a second more of it with you," her words were biting as she glared ferociously at him.

His eyes darkened at her and he slowly lowered his arms to his sides before sauntering towards her; her backing away a step for every one he took forwards.

"Really, Granger, I am a prefect. It's my duty to punish students who are being naughty, so you really shouldn't speak to me like that; I might deduct points, you know," Draco had lowered his voice into a quiet purr. He was almost upon her by now, and she was backed fully against the shelf behind her. Her cheeks flushed in resentful anger and fury shone in her brown eyes. Draco swore that there was no sight more impressive than an incensed Hermione Granger.

"I'm a prefect too, you arrogant dunce, so don't-"

Draco interrupted what he was sure would be an angry tirade by bringing his arms up on and resting them on the shelves on either sides of her shoulders, caging her in. She wasn't very tall standing there, almost in his arms. This came as a surprise to Draco, when it really shouldn't have. Granger couldn't have been more than a metre and seventy centimetres when he thought about it, while he himself almost reached an entire two metres. She just always seemed so tall. Perhaps it was just her fiery persona that made her appear so big.

Granger's breath hitched as Draco leaned down and connected their gazes. Granger's was full of confusion and affront at his proximity, and perhaps something else too; something he didn't dare think of in fear of what his own reaction to that might be.

"What are you doing, Malfoy?" Her voice was hushed and slightly raspy, which had an incredible effect on his body.

To be honest, Draco didn't really know what exactly he was doing. He had just seen her standing there, so beautiful in all her glorious ferocity, and he just had to be nearer to her. He reached up with his right hand and brushed her curls back from her left shoulder. Her hair was so unbelievably soft; he barely refrained from brushing his fingers through it again. Instead, he placed his hand on the warm skin on her neck, amazed at the delicate silkiness there.

He was even more amazed that she hadn't pushed him away from her by now. Amazed and thrilled. When he looked back into her eyes, the anger was completely gone, leaving only tender confusion. Whatever she found in his eyes made her own wider with gentle astonishment, and her lips parted, drawing his gaze to them as his heart rate sped up. Merlin, he ached to kiss her now, in this moment, and judging by the look in her eyes and the rising rate of her own heart beat that he could feel on her neck, Hermione Granger, despite her hatred for him, wouldn't be too opposed to it.

But he couldn't do that, not like this; when he kissed her, because he would, he determined, she would know what he felt for her, what he had been feeling for quite some time now.

So instead he lifted the corner of his lips into a lopsided grin and stroked his thumb over the column of her soft neck, enjoying her shiver at his actions.

"I don't know what you need a book like Magick Moste Evile for, and I don't expect you to tell me, but be careful, Granger. The rules at this school are changing, so even when the Boy Wonder and his sidekick weasel feel the urge to be reckless, be careful," Draco gently whispered to her.

He managed to see her bewilderedness at his words and the flare of her temper at his slight at her best friends before he turned from her and strolled away quickly, but casually, leaving her a confused mess, clutching her book as she stared after him.

Draco grinned to himself. He was really going to enjoy this. No matter what, he would get closer to Granger, and he would convince her that he was, after all, worth her time.

If she didn't drive him completely and utterly mad before.

AN:

So what did you think? I hope you enjoyed it!

With regards to any factual information I include in this fic, most of it will be straight from the book. I might change some of it around a bit to fit my story, like for instance the fact that Hermione is going through Magick Moste Evile already, when in the books she won't do so until the start of sixth year. But everything I write is for a reason, so it will all be explained later in the story.

As you can tell, Draco is a little bit different in my story. Not much; don't worry, I won't make him completely soft or anything, I just want to emphasize that he is quite infatuated with Hermione from the beginning. I'll still try to maintain his bad boy persona. ;)

But I hope you enjoyed it!

- Kris :)