Hermione had begun getting ready. A party was the last thing on her mind, but she didn't want her friends to begin speculating what was very much on her mind. As she slipped in to her coral dress with gold details in front of the mirror she was haunted by memories she had been trying to repress for months now. It seemed as if it got harder every day. Every brush of her skin felt foreign, not right. If she was being honest with herself she knew why, because it wasn't the touch she wanted, his touch. Her hair brushed against her back as she put half of her curls up, and she thought of his hand brushing her hair away from her collar bone as he placed hot kisses on her skin. She had never felt anything like his touch. It had changed something in her, but she didn't know what exactly.

Her mind was flooded with thoughts of him. All the thoughts of him she wouldn't dare allow herself to think all rushed in at once. It was like this wall she had built up inside her head came crumbling down in a weak moment. She could smell him, taste him, and feel his skin. It was as if she was there in that room with him on that wonderful night, that wonderfully beautiful disastrous night. The night she had made love to the enemy, the night she let her body choose what she was going to do, the night the brainy ignored all her logic, the night she let her feelings guide her. She was completely exposed. Exposed to someone she was supposed to hate. She didn't fully understand it but she never felt more alive.

She turned around to get her make up bag and caught a glimpse of her scar. Something she had in common with him, they were scared by the same man. That same man that happened to be his death eater father, and just one of the thousands of reason that they would more than likely never have anything together again, she had screwed up.

She had let her guard down. She had let her guard down with the one person she should have been the most guarded with. Draco Malfoy, everything about that name should have sent her running. She should have been more careful, more logical, and more protective of herself. But she wasn't, not with him. He had changed though, he was different with her. Even if it was just in that brief window of time he had been different, possibly he had done just the same with her. Maybe the Draco he had been with her was the unguarded Draco. "Her Draco." She allowed herself to think.

She had allowed herself to look past the bluster and bravado that she had come to associate with him, because he had let his guard down. And it wasn't easy for him to do that, it couldn't have been. He had shared with her a part of him no one else had seen. But then the rug got pulled out from underneath her. The normal Hermione would have seen that coming, the normal Hermione wouldn't have ever done anything she did with him.

Maybe she was under some sort of spell…no she wished it was that simple. But it wasn't nothing was simple anymore, and in a way she was glad. For all the pain and confusion she was feeling, she didn't feel any regret. It just wasn't there. She had tried to hate him, to resent him, to feel any negativity towards him at all, but she just couldn't. Not anymore.

She sat down on her bed in her dress and her heels as the room felt like it was spinning underneath her feet.

All she could feel was want. She wanted him, wanted to be close to him, wanted to know him better. Wanted to help him, she wanted to help him even though she had no clue what he needed help with. But she knew it was something, it was all in his eyes. He wasn't himself. Well not the Draco she had come to know at least. She realized she couldn't say he wasn't himself with complete certainty, but she had to believe that.

"Hermione, you ready?" She heard Ginny call from down the stairs. She pulled herself up off the bed and was gone with one last look in the mirror.

"Tonight." Snape spoke in a clear low voice as he looked into Draco's eyes.

"Ominous, but would ya mind telling me what you're playing at? I don't exactly like being surprised by greasy haired men when I turn the corner." Draco sneered into Snape's face; he was in no kind of mood for any of his bullshit he brought along with him.

"Everything is happening tonight."

Draco's eyes widened in utter shock, "But that wasn't the plan!"

"Yes well the Dark Lord has changed the plan, and everything is now set to happen tonight." Snape drawled in his usual monotone, as if what he was saying didn't affect everything in their world.

"Why?" Draco said in a loud whisper his eyes frantically searching for an explanation.

"Draco I suggest you learn not to question his desires, just follow. You know what you're supposed to do correct?" Snape asked with a slightly quirked eyebrow.

Draco couldn't speak, he only nodded.

"Good." Snape said as he turned on his heel leaving Draco standing there feeling as if he'd been punched in the gut.

Draco was completely taken aback by Snape's words. He was supposed to have more time. This wasn't supposed to happen this month, let alone this very night. There was a fresh panic in his heart, his godfather's words repeated on a loop in his head as Draco wondered the castle franticly and aimlessly. He didn't know what he was going to do.

But he knew what he was going to do. He had to protect his mom. He was making his way towards the Room of Requirement. His mind was made up but it was killing his soul. The better part of him wanted to throw caution to the wind and be the guy that he thought Hermione deserved a guy worthy of her company at the very least. But it was too late now, he had no choice. She would never love him. She would hate him. She would want to kill him. The worst part was he wouldn't even get to see her look at him with those warm chocolate eyes filled with her understanding and caring, perhaps even something more, if he ever got the chance to look into those fiery irises again he would only see hatred and contempt.

Slughorn's party was worse than Hermione had anticipated. Not only had her friends been pestering her every minute asking why she looked as if something was wrong, but she also had to deal with the off putting come-ons of Cormac Mclaggen. Every time she tried to get a peaceful moment at this dreadful gathering he would be there with some cheesy pick up line. It was god awful. When he wasn't spouting off some crap about her 'lady lumps' he was droning on about his accomplishments on the Quidditch pitch, she thought she'd gotten rid of him by standing in the corner with several large men, no such luck.

She was being delighted with the details of his daily sit ups when she saw Filch enter the room dragging someone in with him. The entire party fell to a whisper, except for Cormac, but Hermione had easily drowned everyone and everything out when she caught a glimpse of perfect platinum blonde hair. It was him. Without noticing it she had stopped breathing she was intently listening to the conversation about five feet from her.

"Found this one lurking about, says he was invited to your party." Filch said proudly.

"Ok, ok I was gate crashing." Draco said frantically.

She'd never seen him like that, frazzled; she could've sworn he looked worried. Their eyes met just as Cormac tried to snake his arm around her waist, she slapped it off with great force and returned her eyes to Draco.

She saw him smirk evilly and watched as his eyes lifted to meet Cormac's.

"Hey Mclaggen, quit boring Granger with stories of your nonexistent work outs, it's well know you use a glamour spell to put on those ripped abs, and you still can't manage to get laid."

Hermione began to laugh loudly as Draco smirked and winked in her direction, she was certain her friends were too distracted by their laughter to notice anything.

Snape stepped in between Filch and Draco at that moment offering to escort Draco out.

Hermione was beyond done with the party and decided she would follow Draco and at the very least thank him for making sure Cormac wouldn't continue bothering her. Besides if she was being honest with herself she needed to talk to him about their earlier interaction.

She was headed down the hallway towards the Slytherin commons when she heard voices the other way, so she began walking back. She peered around the corner hearing Snape and Draco arguing. She couldn't believe her ears.

TBC-please review! Any thoughts ya have send them my way.