A/N: ok I'm soooooooooooo sorry! I don't know if any of my previous awesome reviewers can even remember this fic after 2 years but if any of you are reading this, I'm really sorry. I had a tough 2 years in 6th form doing A' levels so I didn't have time to write. As hollow as it may sound, I promised to finish this fic and I will... no matter how long it takes. I apologise in advance if the writing seems different. It's been a while but I hope I still have the same writing style or better. Please forgive me and R &R!!!

Thanks to all the ppl who reviewed and added this as a favourite story in my absence!

Soccerqueen237, bestavvie, Isabella Heart, Vinwin., erii-baby ,ChelseaBabe93, kayy : Thanks so much for reviewing!! Lotsa luv! I really needed the encouragement to get through writing this next chapter.

Linkin Park 04: ahhh!! you were one of my most faithful reviewers!! I would be totally psyched if you're still interested in following the fic to forgive my betrayal and keep the reviews coming... *sniff* lol yea Hogwarts is really cool isn't it? Thx I'm actually going to listen to dancey music when I'm writing that chapter... and mayb watch reruns of dancing w/ the stars! lol xoxo

D.M. lover: *blush* that wait was nothing compared to this one right? Lol I loved writing the bathroom scene too and the dance should be interesting!! :D

Krazy Kara: 3 cheers for sexual tension!!! LOL I guess I've lost you, you being impatient and all but thanks for reviewing nevertheless!

WinnieThaPoo92: aw I'm glad you liked it. Yea it was kind of a filler. This chapter kinda is too since I'm reappearing after so long I needed to write another filler to get back into it. Anyways YES Malfoy is definitely cute and sexy... and its gonna get better!

Sakura evil twin of Sango: LOL don't worry my mum looks at me odd all the time :D

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Exactly one hour later, the bathroom door opened and Draco Malfoy stepped out with a towel slung casually around his waist, looking extremely smug with himself. He paused at the opening and swiped his hand through his wet hair. He then stroked his hand lightly over his chin, as if trying to strike a nonchalant but sexy pose for some camera that only he could see.

A frown suddenly appeared on his face and he dashed back into the bathroom and looked frantically in the mirror. He grabbed his wand, pointed it at his chin and quickly muttered a spell. The microscopic hair that he had missed earlier on his chin disappeared completely even from him.

His confident smirk now returned as he looked at his face from every angle. "Well you really are a sexy bastard, aren't you?" he quipped confidently to himself. He was slightly put out when he received no flattering agreement from the mirror but then he remembered that he was at Hogwarts and his hero- worshipping mirror was still at the Manor. He made up his mind to owl his mother and have it sent to Hogwarts. After all, he had his own bathroom now... well almost. His mood darkened slightly when he thought of sharing with Granger for the rest of the year.

However, as he caught sight of his stunning reflection once more, he banished all such dampening thoughts from his mind. "Oh hell, I'm not just sexy; I'm the sexiest bastard alive!" he pronounced. With that, he walked out of the bathroom, absentminded in his own vanity.

"I'm surprised you made it through the door with a head that big," an amused voice said dryly.

Draco jumped violently and his head snapped around towards the voice. There, leaning against the wall opposite the bathroom, a little ways down from the doorway, was Hermione smirking at him.

"You know, shallow, self- centred people usually irritate me to no end but I mean, you're so vain that it's actually a lot more amusing than irritating to watch you!" Hermione said, shaking her head.

At this point, Draco partially recovered from his shock and in his embarrassment, he verbally lashed out at Hermione.

"Listen, Granger," he snarled, taking a threatening step towards her, "Your precious Potter and Weasel may have spoiled you into thinking that you can impose your Mudblooded opinion on everyone unfortunate enough to be found in your company but a word of advice to you. Stay. The. Hell. Out. Of. My. Business and keep your know- it-all opinions for your own kind... Mudblood!"

Hermione had been glaring intensely at Malfoy through this outburst, with her eyes like hot coals, smoldering with resentment and anger, but as the final 'Mudblood' left Malfoy's mouth, she snapped her hand up to slap him.

This time though, Malfoy was ready and he brought his hand up just as swiftly to grab her arm. He yanked her arm, pulled her closer to him and met her smoldering eyes with his ice cold ones. And as fire met ice, neither of them was able to break away from the sizzling tension that resulted. They stayed locked in the same position for what seemed like eternity but was actually mere seconds. Suddenly though, it seemed like some unseen force gave both of them a nudge and caused them to look down.

Hermione jerked back from Malfoy, yanking her arm from his hand in the process. However, she was unable to tear her gaze from the... sight in front of her.

"Well if I had to guess Granger, I would say that you're neither irritated nor amused at this point. " Draco drawled and keeping his eyes on Hermione's he bent down slowly and retrieved the damp towel that was pooled at his feet, having fallen off sometime during their moment of intensity.

Hermione's head snapped up and she flushed.

"Oh sod off, you self- centred son of a bitch!" she snapped and turned around to stalk away. She paused a second later, turned around and walked back to Draco, who now had the towel draped loosely around his waist again.

"You know, you were right about one thing; you really are a bastard. It's the 'sexy' part that's debatable!" she said, sneering at him.

If there was one thing that Draco Malfoy could not stand, it was for someone to question his obvious sexiness. It was of no consequence to him that Granger was obviously trying to get a rise out of him (no pun intended).

"Is that why you spent such a pleasurable 20 seconds admiring my anatomy? Or why you made a point to stalk me when you knew I would have the least clothes on?" he demanded forcefully.

"For your information, Malfoy, I was not stalking you. I came to give you a message from Professor McGonagall! We apparently have to meet her outside the Great Hall in 15 minutes before we go in for breakfast. And for the record, admiring your anatomy as you so eloquently put it, is the last thing any sane girl would be inclined to do. Now if you're done boasting about your hallucinations, go get dressed and meet me in the common room in 10 minutes!"

With that, she spun on her heel and stalked to her room, with a slight victorious swing to her hips, closing the door after her.

"Bloody hell," muttered Draco, shaking his head, too shocked and disoriented to retort or even summon a healthy dose of anger. He padded lightly to his room, still shaking his head.

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Once in her room, Hermione collapsed weakly on her bed, the adrenaline rush having faded. Bloody hell, that was intense! She tried her best not to think about Draco's... anatomy. She blushed when she remembered the sight of him standing completely naked in front of her.

"Oh gosh, I can't believe he noticed me staring. I wasn't staring that long was I?" she muttered to herself. She refused to admit, even to herself that yes, she had been admiring Malfoy. His masculine body- strong shoulders, broad chest, hard, well-defined torso........ and his manhood. Hermione blushed even deeper when she thought about this. She hadn't seen any other- er- manhoods in her lifetime but she could not help but be certain that Malfoy was indeed well- endowed. Since when had the pale scrawny demon become a man?

At this final thought Hermione jumped up and hurried over to the mirror to check her hair in an effort to distract herself from her traitorous thoughts.

"He called you a Mudblood, Hermione. At least twice this morning. Get a grip. You hate him, he hates you and that's how it's going to stay."

She looked with regret at the beautiful, yet silent mirror. She would have to ask Professor McGonagall if they were allowed to have charmed items at Hogwarts now that all the magical restrictions were to be implemented. She had ordered a special mirror from one of her favourite stores in Diagon Alley, Erndsrus and it was due to arrive tomorrow. It was bewitched to recite extracts from several educational magical books. Needless to say, Hermione was quite looking forward to its arrival.

Now feeling a great deal less flustered, Hermione left her room to wait for Malfoy in the Common room. She was anxious to delve into some of the books in the massive bookcase there.

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When Malfoy entered the Common room a few minutes later, he could not help but be slightly peeved at the sight of Granger sitting curled up comfortably in one of the armchairs with her nose buried deep in a book. So deep in fact, that she failed to notice Draco's quiet footsteps as he approached.

Draco could not believe that she had the audacity to be sitting lounging around reading while he had been trying valiantly and dammit, frantically to pack his usual hour long grooming rituals into 10 bloody minutes. He had been determined not to give Ms. Know –it-all any ammunition against him by being late. His temper began to simmer as he contemplated this. His annoyance was further exacerbated by the fact that he had also spent a good part of his precious morning trying not to think about Granger or how it felt to have her beneath him wearing nothing but a towel.

His thoughts skidded to an abrupt halt however, when Hermione, still oblivious to his presence, absentmindedly blew a strand of hair out of her face as she turned a page. It was a mystery to Draco why this simple action suddenly seemed to cause all his irritation to be replaced by... tenderness and lust??! Bloody hell, he thought, giving himself a sharp mental shake, I'm going soft. Naturally, this caused him to become irritated that he had not been able to remain irritated at Hermione.

"We really haven't got time to be reading this morning Granger. Do try to control your dorky urges, or we shall be late." He drawled in a superior tone. He took great pleasure in the way Hermione jumped, knocking the book to the carpet. Without sparing her a second glance, he breezed swiftly through the Common room and through the portrait hole.

Hermione stood sputtering for a while before swearing and setting off in hot pursuit of Malfoy.

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A/N : I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please let me know if you did!!!! Review, review, review!! I seriously need feedback cuz after all this time I feel rusty and unsure of myself :(