Nymphetamine pt 3

The rest of the train ride was a blur for Hermione. She desperately wanted to tell the others what had happened, but at the same time didn't. She still wasn't sure what had even happened. Malfoy kissed her, sure, that was weird and terrifying, but the image that was burned into her retinas wasn't his face leaning into hers, or his hand, which felt alluringly soft, cupping her face, but it was his eyes. They were black as night, Malfoy had silver eyes, why were his pupils so dilated? The question melted a hole into her brain until her head hurt.

"Mione…you coming?" Harry asked, raising a questioning eyebrow at his female friend. She shook her head, standing.

"Yeah…sorry, I'm in a bit of a fog." She gathered her trunk, following harry off the train. She looked around her suspiciously, seeking out the blonde boy who had invaded her thoughts. This hadn't gone unnoticed, and finally harry spoke up about it.

"What exactly happened? You've been acting weird ever since you got back from your 'walk' on the train earlier." Hermione exhaled. She couldn't tell him, not yet. Her Gryffindor courage failing her.

"I can't talk about it right now. I promise…in time I'll tell you but I just can't talk about it now." Harry nodded, putting a friendly arm around her shoulders.

"I understand. You can tell me when you are ready, I won't pressure you." He removed his arm, ushering her to the carriages. "But just remember…I won't judge you, and you might feel better if you talk about it." With that he stopped talking and took his seat, Hermione following suit. 'If only you knew…' she thought to herself.

Draco woke as the train was slowing to a stop, a horrible pounding in his head. 'What happened.' Was his first thought. He remembered getting on the train, then he remembered the prickling in his skin, and the Nymphetamine. He thought harder, trying as hard as he could to pull any memory from his drugged state. He remembered her coming to him once again, her talking to him, putting her hand on his shoulder, calling herself a mudblood…

He jolted awake then. He remembered now. His beloved had whispered to him that his true heart's desire would come to him, that she would guide him. Right after that someone had come in, talking of mudbloods, an almost pleading voice asking to speak to him. He sighed, putting a sweaty palm to his head before standing and gathering his belongings before stepping off the train. He pushed the thoughts out of his head, his blood boiling when he spotted the golden trio. 'saint potter and his cronies." He thought to himself, scowling. His head hurt too bad to deal with them at the moment so he stepped back, hiding in the shadow. He noticed Granger nervously looking around as if she were being followed. He scoffed to himself. 'Flaky thing, that Granger is.' He laughed to himself, stepping out of the shadows and following the path to the carriages. He found one in back where he could be alone and sat, going back to his thoughts from the train. He still couldn't place who his spirit woman had hinted at, even though he was sure his "hearts desire" had in fact made a visit to him while on the train, if the faint taste of cherry lip gloss told him anything. He licked his lips again, savoring the flavor. Unlike 'Tamine" as he nicknamed her, this woman was real, not an illusion. He would scope out the other students at the feast, surely if he saw her face again he would remember.

"Hermione, you okay? You haven't touched any of your food." Lavender pointed out. Hermione just sighed, pushing mashed potatoes around her plate with her fork. Ron swallowed a large mouthful of food, looking up at his friend.

"Are you sick? Or just too anxious to start studying?" Lavender punched his arm, giving a soft look to Hermione, which, oddly enough, she appreciated. That is…until she opened her mouth.

"Boys are so oblivious Hermione. It's obvious that you are in love!" All heads turned in her direction, causing the blood to rush to her face.

"Lavender…no…I mean…" She stuttered. Lavender cut her off, a girlish squeal in her voice.

"It makes sense! The blush on your cheeks, the sighing into your plate…the way you keep looking around, as if trying to catch their eyes! Its so romantic!" She squealed again. Ron nodded at his girlfriend and Harry.

"Looks like Gin isn't the only one bitten by the love bug." They all began to laugh as Hermione thought back to Malfoy biting her lower lip as he kissed her. Her heart began to flutter and the strange feeling in her stomach returned.

"Lavender I'm not…." She started to say, but once again was cut off by an over giddy lavender.

"So who is he? I bet he is handsome if he has you acting this way!" Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose. Handsome…yes, very. But she wasn't in love, not with Malfoy.

"There is no one. I'm not in love!" She finally yelled through, stopping all conversation. Harry started a conversation on quidditch with Ron, knowing Lavender would join in and leave Hermione alone. She sent him a thankful smile and he winked when no one was looking. She let her eyes travel to the Slytherin table, Draco was sitting next to Parkinson and Zabini, who were holding hands under the table. She seemed to be fawning over his weakened stature, if her pulling on his loose fitting robes and brushing his hair out of his eyes was any indication. He snapped his head away from her and his eyes locked hers. She saw his eyes go wide before quickly looking away and back into her mangled plate of food.

"You are a mess Draco!" Pansy scolded. "Why have you lost so much weight? This isn't healthy, look your clothes are basically falling off of you." Draco pushed Pansy's hands off his robes.

"I'm fine. Just been a little bit stressed with everything that's happened. I hated the man, but come on Pans, my dad's going to die in Azakaban, and my mother's taken off to France and probably won't come back, I'm taking care of the mansion all by myself now. It gets lonely and I've been left with the guilt of knowing Crabbe died…" Pansy cut him off then, putting a dainty finger to his lips.

"You know Crabbe's death was NOT your fault. He went crazy with power and in the end it destroyed him, that is not your fault." She moved her hand over his clammy forehead, moving sweat soaked hair away from his face.

"You feel a bit clammy Draco…are you sure there's not something else going on?"

"I'm fine Pansy." He snapped, tearing his head away from her hands and in the process locking eyes with Granger. He kept their eyes locked for a moment before a memory came crashing back into him. She was the one Tamine had said would come. She was the one who was referred to as his heart's desire. She was the one he passionately kissed on the train during his high. He lurched forward, feeling sick to his stomach. He couldn't deny it, he had always fancied Granger ever since their fifth year, but their statuses were so different…nothing would ever work for them. He dry heaved a few times, the prickling in his skin returning.

"What's going on? Malfoy, you need to tell us right now!" Blaise said, pulling Pansy closer as Draco began to shake uncontrollably. He shook his head, grabbing a goblet of juice with one shaking hand and put it to his lips. The cherry lip gloss…it was all…her. He put the goblet down, his shaking continuing through his whole body. He looked at Blaise, then Pansy.

"Its Granger." They looked at him, confusion written on their faces.

"I can't talk about it here. If we can find a private place, I'll tell you everything."