Stupid Weaselbee! Draco thought for himself as was wandering along the deserted corridors of Hogwarts. He was coming back from the Quidditch pitch. They had just lost to the Gryffindors He had just lost to the Gryffindors.
As he was cursing Weaselbee and Pothead to death, something interesting caught his eye.

A door.

He quickly looked around to see if anyone was following, and when he convinced himself that he was alone, he quietly approached the half-closed wooden door. As he was coming closer, he slowly drew out his wand from his inside pocket, when he heard a quiet sob.

Draco stopped dead in his tracks.

What? He thought for himself. He listened carefully. Maybe he had just imagined everything. But what he found oddly interesting, was that this was the door to the Room of Requirement. As the realization hit him, he felt his blood drain from his veins. Impossible, he thought. Who would know about his plans as a Death Eater? He did some quick thinking, and he came to the conclusion that no one could possibly know. This was The Room of Requirement after all, and no one was needing the space in the same way he did, so most probably, he wasn't the only one who knew about its existence. He was interrupted from his train of thoughts, as he heard another sob.

This time, he knew he hadn't imagined it. He frowned in confusion, because finding the door of the Room of Requirement ajar and hearing quiet sobs coming from inside it, was not something he had experienced before. He came closer to the door as he realized that the sobs could only belong to a girl, because they were quiet and delicate, and from his experience, no man could have such a soft voice.

He thought about abandoning the situation and continuing his silent walk, but as he turned around to leave, he just couldn't seem to be moving. It intrigued him too much, and judging by his somewhat curious character, he was now determined to find out who else knew about the Room of Requirement.

So he pushed the door open, not expecting to see the beautiful petite girl, whom he had presumably hated, sprawled on a couch, in front of a loud-crackling fire.

He thought his eyes were deceiving him, so he blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't delusional. And, after brushing his eyes with his arm, he realized he was not crazy, and the exhaustion didn't get to him. Yet.

Granger

It took him a while to process everything that was going on, because the girl in front of him was looking a bit nicer than usual, and, as he already considered her somewhat beautiful in general, he had never seen her look better than that before. And it was already driving him mad, because he knew, that his first instinct was not supposed to consist in wanting to punch whoever might've hurt her feelings.

But as he stepped closer to take a better look at her, his grey eyes landed on her perfect face, and then he realized she was crying. Hard. And she hadn't even noticed his presence, and then it hit him harder that any Crucio that he had ever had to endure, because he had shoved away this memory for as long as he could remember. He had forced himself not to feel since that night. That one night he had to face reality. That one night in which he had met a new feeling of pain, and one he had never met before, and as much as he wanted to ignore the memory of everything about that night, he couldn't because it came like a shock for him, and he wasn't prepared to feel something so early in his life.

He had tried to forget the night of The Yule Ball, which made him bottle up all of his feelings, because that had been the night he had taken a proper look at her, Granger. And the memory came flooding back in his mind painfully fast and clear as daylight, as though only a few seconds had passed since the Ball, for he could never forget that night properly. Because it was the night that had changed him the most, it was the moment he had become the Draco Malfoy they all thought they knew. The emotionless, evil and spoiled git, who had rich parents and was not able to show any signs of weakness, the Draco Malfoy who only cared about himself, and the one who had those cold, piercing grey eyes, whom he was so well known for, rather than his sleek white-blond hair. And why? Because why would anyone bother to remember him as a human being? Why would anyone bother to remember him for his white-blond hair, who would shine so bright in the sunshine? No. Because everyone was too busy to judge him for the coldness of his arctic grey eyes, rather than try and see the real side of him, who cared more than he should've had. And all of this happened because that was the night he had first looked in her caramel-brown orbs, and he nearly lost himself there and then.

As the doors of the Great Hall burst open, a girl had appeared from behind them, as Draco's jaw was now nearly meeting the floor. One word could describe what she truly was, inside-out:

Gorgeous.

But what worried him the most was that he had found another word to fit for the stunningly pretty petite girl, with tamed brown hair, which was very well maintained in a messy bun, with a blue silk dress which made her look better than any woman he had seen in his life, with pale skin, which was reddening up as she felt everyone's gazes on her, and her caramel-brown eyes, who were now looking straight into his, as though looking into his soul. One word he thought he hated... until then:

Granger.

He felt his eyes widen in shock as she started to descend the marble stairs, into the Hall. She was smiling and blushing, as everybody in the room had stopped doing whatever they were doing, so they can gawk at the beautiful girl in the blue satin dress.

Draco stared as she was shortly accompanied by a well-built boy, with short hair and a small beard, dressed in blood red Durmstrang robes.

A few whispers could be heard in the brightly lit room, as Viktor Krum, the famous Qudditch player, escorted Granger to the dance floor.

But when he was ready to throw his best insult at her (for he remembered he was Draco Malfoy), their gazes locked for a moment. And Draco realized that it was a single moment, in which his mouth had gone dry, and his mind had drown a blank. He was at a loss for words, even when their gazes were no longer connected, because he was too busy realizing that for the first time in his life, a girl had rendered him speechless. And it was devastating for him, because it wasn't any girl, it was Granger. And as she passed him, he felt her vanilla scent engulf him, and he resisted the urge not to sniff the air once more.

And as the others had resumed whatever they were doing, Draco felt Pansy Parkison, his pug-faced partner, drag him towards the dance floor as well. But Draco did not move an inch, for he could not take his grey eyes from Granger, who was now spinned in the air by a laughing Krum. Draco watched her smile and laugh beside Krum the entire night, as he felt jealousy eating him alive on the inside, whenever she would laugh at something Viktor had said.

That night he wasn't the only one who was apparently jealous. Potter and Weasel seemed to be speechless as well, as they saw Granger dance with Krum.

He had left the Ball shortly after it had stared, not even daring to look back. He was ashamed of himself for feeling such thing, because he knew he shouldn't. What would his father think of him? Or his fellow Slytherins? Or... Or everyone?

Draco crashed on his bed exhausted that night, even though he hadn't even danced a single time. His train of thoughts had followed him in his dreams, and since that night, Draco Malfoy had changed in what he was today.

As he remembered everything, he felt a stirring feeling inside his stomach. He was now looking at Granger, but she still hadn't acknowledged his presence.

It was strange, seeing her like that. He knew he had made her cry before, but he had never seen her look so broken. Perhaps because she had never given him the "satisfaction" of crying in front of him. However, he did not like it anyways, and Draco was sure it had something to do with Weasley.

And bloody hell he hated the ginger-head even more now.

He watched her sob for one more minute before he decided to make his presence acknowledged. Even though he had nothing to say, he said something anyway, because he thought he couldn't bear to see her crying for one more second.

'Granger' he said in his most gentle voice. He didn't even sound like himself. But the corners of his lips twitched, as he saw her react at her surname. Because he knew he was the only one who was still calling her Granger, and he loved the way her name came out from his lips.

She froze for a second and stopped sobbing. She didn't need to raise her head from her hands, to recognize the sound of his voice.

'Malfoy.' She said as she did not make any other move.

And even though her voice was muffled, Draco felt his mouth go dry as she said his name. "Malfoy". Like a song. That's what he had been waiting for so long. To hear her say his name without hatred or hurt dipping from her voice.

Draco was again, just like two years ago, rendered speechless by a simple word. But as the silence engulfed them, he realized that this would most probably be his only chance with her. So as he was not far away from the door, he stretched his arm and closed it with a light click.

That made Hermione look up, with a startled expression on her face. She was now eyeing him closely as he stood there, simply staring at her. She had most probably forgotten that she looked like a mess. She had been crying for half an hour, before Malfoy had walked in. Her eyes were most likely bloodshot and puffy and she was sure that her mascara, lipstick and foundation were smeared on her face, making her look like a horror-movie-clown.

She slowly took out her wand from her pocket, her eyes not leaving his arctic grey ones, which were now intriguing her, and pointed it towards her own face.

Draco was petrified. And not because she had done it or something, but because instead of pointing her wand at him, Granger was now pointing it at her own face. And he had to admit that the gesture caught him off guard, and he was now not sure what to do or say. But hey... wasn't she the Brightest Witch of her Age? He opened his mouth to say something to her, but Granger had already muttered a complicated spell.

He watched her face go from messed up, to extremely clean and beautiful in less than a second. He let out a quiet sigh of relief, as he was grateful that she was still sane. But his heart rate increased as he saw her narrow her eyes at him. He knew she was confused by his presence, but even with her face not smeared with make-up, he could see the pain in her eyes, which was, most probably caused by Weasley and himself.

'What do you want, Malfoy?' she suddenly sighed impatiently. She did not let go of her wand, nor did she look away from his piercing eyes. She was tired and confused and he knew that those feelings combined would soon lead to anger and annoyance.

He tried to say something. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He tried again, but unfortunately, his voice had given up on him. He expected an outburst from her, because he knew that the awkward silence between them, would soon turn into a storm.

She closed her eyes in frustration and when she opened them again, Draco's heart skipped a beat, because they were full of pain.

'Really, Malfoy just-' she sighed for the thousandth time that night. 'just tell me what you want or leave already. I'm in no mood for this so just mind your own business for a single time in your life.'

His heart leaped as he heard her speak. What was he supposed to do? Just coming in here and not saying a full sentence was obviously not his best idea. But he was determined to make her understand his feelings for her, even if it took him the entire night. He actually didn't mind spending the night talking to her.

'I'm –' he tried. But his mind was not working correctly, and he very well knew why. 'I'm not leaving this room very soon, Granger.' He said as he smirked.

Very stupid thing he did. He wanted to kill himself for smirking to her. This was serious.

She scoffed as she looked away from him.

'Why am I not surprised, Malfoy? I suppose this is one of your stupid childish jokes or something?' she asked as she looked him in the eye again. Draco felt himself quiver. 'Here to remind me that I'm a mudblood I suppose?' she asked, venom dripping from her words.

Draco closed his eyes and sighed. He had a short temper, and he could feel the anger building up inside him. Regardless, he only took a step towards the couch that she was sitting on. He painfully watched as she moved away an inch and looked at her feet. She was moving away from him, not trying yo offer him some space near her on the couch.

Draco had never seen her look so vulnerable before, and he felt the sudden urge to go and embrace her in his arms. She was usually very brave, despite the fact that she was a girl, but this time, she was clearly not herself. Draco was now thinking about different ways of torturing the Weasel.

He drew in a long breath as he promised himself that he would make her feel better.

'No, Granger.' He said in a soft voice, that even surprised himself. 'I'm not here to hurt you.' He continued, confidence coming back at him as she saw her look in his eyes again. Her expression softened. 'I don't do that anymore. Not to you.' He finished, not looking away from her.

She was watching him in utter disbelief. She could've never imagined Malfoy to be so soft. And the fact that he had been in the same room with her for five minutes and did not insult her, drove her slightly mad.

'Oh and since when are we such gentlemen may I ask?' she retorted, sarcasm clear as daylight. 'I'm afraid you'll get an infection, since you're in such close proximity to me, won't you, Malfoy?' she continued.

Draco squeezed his eyes shut at her reply. He knew she had no idea how much those words were hurting him in that moment. He opened them again, letting go of all the anger that was threatening to get out of him.

'Look, Granger, I'm not here to fight, or something like that so would you just please listen for a second?' he asked, rather impatiently. He mentally slapped himself for letting the anger get to him, but as she saw her give a curt nod, he was now determined to continue.

'I was simply coming back from the Quidditch pitch when I saw this door open.' He said as he pointed to the door. 'I thought I was the only one who knew about this room, so I came to check if everything was OK. And then I-' he rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. 'Then I found you here.' He finished, managing to look her in the eye again.

He was pretty awkward, standing there like that, and Hermione could only beam in amazement. She had never seen him like this before. But a certain word in his short story, made her remember why she had gone to the Room of Requirement. Ron. Ron kissing Lavender Brown had. And she felt the tears, threatening to spill at any moment, clouding her view. Perhaps Malfoy saw it too, because his arctic grey eyes, that she was beginning to find fascinating, were now full of concern. He resentfully took a step towards the couch, as though waiting for her to snap at him, only she didn't. She only nodded, and she felt him take a seat next to her. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught up in her throat, as she heard him speak to her in a way he never did before. Gentle and calm.

'What happened, Granger?' he said in his low husky voice, which somehow, in a way she couldn't understand, made her heart leap again.

Only she didn't give in. What did he want from her? Why was he so caring so suddenly? She needed an explanation, because she did not understand him at all.

He cocked his head to the side a bit, and she used every inch of her willpower, so that she wouldn't break down in front of him.

'Granger...' he started and lifted a hand in the air, because she opened her mouth to say something. And when she pressed her lips into a thin line, he somehow found the strength to continue.

'I know you don't want me to be here now, but I'm not going to leave you like this no matter what.' He said. He never looked away from her, and she was struggling to keep her mouth shut. She was curious about what he had to say and... and somehow... somehow she wanted him to be there. Somehow.

' I really want you to believe me when I say it, Granger, because I- I'm-' He stuttered.

Hermione could see from her peripheral view that his jaw clenched and his body stiffened. For a second, she thought he couldn't do it. She thought he was going to give up, because she predicted what he wanted to say. And she promised herself that she would believe him, if he made it. And her heart skipped a beat and her mind drew a blank, as he said it.

Loud and clear.

'I'm sorry, Granger.' He said as he sighed. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off his chest. 'Please f- forgive me.' He continued as he paused. 'For everything.'

Hermione thought she was going to go crazy. She had not yet looked at him, and she wished that she wouldn't feel guilty about that. But she did. Because she knew how hard it was for him to swallow up his pride and say the words "I'm sorry" and because she could not believe her ears, when he asked for forgiveness and said the word "please" in the same sentence. And she knew she couldn't hate him anymore since that moment. Not even if she wanted to. Because he was there, comforting and standing beside her and apologizing for everything he had ever done. When no one else was there for her, he was. And that had to mean a lot didn't it?

And she convinced herself for a moment that it was this, that made him so interesting all of a sudden.

Her train of thoughts was yet interrupted and she looked in his eyes, and as brown met grey, all of her doubts vanished instantly. Because a warm feeling had spread through her, the moment she looked at him, for she did no longer see the boy he once was. Cruel and spoiled. No, not at all. She saw the man he could become if he wanted to. Strong and caring. And she realized that he only needed help to become that man, and she couldn't help but blush slightly, as she realized that she could be the one to help him change.

So she looked back at him and his eyes were looking into hers as though he was looking into her soul, and yet she did not look away, because somehow she knew she was the only one who got to see him like this. So she took the chance, and gave him a nod. A nod that he knew it meant one thing.

A second chance.

To everything.

A second chance she wished she gave him sooner than that. The chance that she had always wanted to give him. Because she knew he was not evil, and everything he did had a reason. All the wrong choices he had taken blame for, were forgotten by her. Because she surely saw a man she knew she did not hate, whenever their eyes would meet.

Draco could die. There and then. He couldn't believe it. Granger had just nodded to him. But it wasn't just a nod to him, because he knew what she meant.

It meant that she had forgiven him for everything that he had ever done to her. Everything that he had done wrong... and those... were a lot of things. He was so happy, a feeling, which he thought he wouldn't be experiencing any time soon. But when she looked at him, she reminded him that there were things worth hurting for. And to him... she was so worth it.

He wanted to hold her in his arms more than anything. And the dim lighted room, did not help.

Only he did not move. He sat there, stone-like, and simply looked at her. He thought he had caught a glimpse of disappointment in her eyes, but if he did, it was gone in a second. So he did something that was turning all of his hopes and principles, upside-down.

He smiled.

To her.

He smiled to her.

And he knew that all the curses that had ever hit him square in his chest and made him whimper in pain and want to give up, were worth seeing her eyes brighten, and her face soften into a warm smile.

And as they were smiling at each other, he moved an inch closer to her, so that their elbows were nearly touching. And he did it just because his body needed her touch. Somehow in a crazy twisted way, it did. And relief flooded through him as he saw that she did not move away from him, as he expected her to.

He vaguely felt her vanilla scent, and he resisted the sudden urge so sniff the air again, just like two years ago.

Hermione could feel the smell of his cologne as he moved closer to her. But she didn't move away from him. She was not scared of him, and surprisingly, he made her feel more comfortable, to feel him closer.

But something clicked in her mind. His smell, she had felt that smell before, earlier that year. But where had she smelled cologne and a mixture of pine before?

And then it hit her harder than anything that had ever hit her before.

Amortentia.

She had smelled Draco Malfoy in her Amortentia potion. She had no idea what it was when she had first smelled it in class, and she had convinced herself that she had smelled Ron. But it was not even close. It was Malfoy, and there was no way she could ever deny it.

Not even if she wanted to.

And somehow, she didn't want to deny it.

And it was Malfoy's deep voice, that interrupted her from her thoughts.

'Now that we're good, Granger, please do tell me...' he started as his signature smirk appeared on his face 'who do I have to hex for hurting you so much?' he finished, and as he said the last words, Hermione saw as a shadow crossed his features, and his jaw clenched. She resisted the urge to pull him into a bone-crushing hug. She liked it, when he cared so much about her... because it was more than obvious that he was being overprotective of her now.

But what he had said, reminded her again of why she was in the Room of Requirement in the first place.

Ron.

She felt her eyes sting, and she looked away from his piercing gaze. None of them was smiling anymore, and she felt Malfoy's body stiffen, as he figured out who it was by himself as well.

She wished she wouldn't feel so terrible when she would be thinking about Ron and Lavender. But it hurt her more than Ron would ever know. And not only because he didn't feel the same towards her, but because she had gotten her hopes up, thinking he would observe that she had put a little bit extra effort into her make-up that day and that she tried so hard to find a dress in her small wardrobe, which did not consist in robes, or that she nearly went crazy just trying to tame her mane of bushy hair.

But he did not notice her.

And not because he simply didn't see her.

No, it was bloody worse.

Because he was too busy sucking Lavender's face off.

As she was lost in thought, she didn't even notice the tears that had already poured in rivers down her face, nor the loud sobs that she was making. But she came back to reality as she felt Malfoy get closer to her.

Startled, Hermione looked up at him, and she did not like what she saw.

His grey eyes were full of hatred, and they were no longer shining with hope or concern, but hey were hallow, and, apart from his eyes, his entire body was stone-like. His jaw was so clenched, that for a second, Hermione thought his perfect pearly-white teeth would shatter because of the pressure, and as she looked at him again, she saw that his fists were so clenched, that his knuckles were turning white. He now stood taller and stiffer than ever, and Hermione had to admit, that if she wouldn't have been in this situation, she would've been intimidated by him.

Draco looked away and stared off into space. Anger was spreading through him as though it was an independent creature, who had been woken up inside him. He could've bet a thousand galleons it was Weasel King or Saint Potter, and as he resisted the urge to look at the crying Granger who sat beside him on the couch, he realized he had never hated someone so much as he did hate Weasel and Potter. Not even Voldemort.

But something was telling him that it wasn't just an argument between the members of The Golden Trio. It was more than that, because Granger wouldn't be so broken just because of a little fight. And he tried as hard as possible to ignore the voice at the back of his head, that shouted Weasley's name, among other lines.

And as difficult as he knew it would be, he still asked her about it.

'Is it because of... Weasley?' he asked, the latter word spat with so much venom, that not even himself recognized his own voice.

And when no answer came from her, Draco's patience was pushed beyond it's boundaries.

'Wait here for a while, Granger.' he said as he shot up from his seat, determined to break that stupid nose of Ronald Weasley until the slimy git would bleed to death. Anger was boiling inside him, and for a moment, everything he could think about, were all the nasty curses he had ever learned. And, as a Death-Eater, he knew a lot of them. He was beginning to take the first step towards the door, towards the fall of Weasel-King, when something warm caught his wrist.

Granger's hand.

That was all it took for Draco's anger and frustration to vanish in less than no time. He even forgot why he was standing and where he was as he felt Granger's soft fingers coil around his wrist. She pulled him back down onto the couch, and shook her head as she buried it in her hands. And as she was now crying in front of him, Draco felt reality hit him for the first time that night. And that made him loathe that stupid Weasel bloke even more. She somehow managed to say something to him, and when he finally deciphered her words, he felt his heart stop for a second. Again.

'N-no.' she stuttered. Her breath was uneven, and she was slightly shaking. 'P-please. Stay.' She said, her last word echoing in Draco's ears loud and clear. "stay".

So she wanted him there. He nearly, nearly let out a small smile, but as he watched her sob, he stopped, and the fluttering feeling in his stomach was gone as well.

She was broken. Nearly as broken as he was, and it dawned to him then, that Granger was meant for him, because somehow, in a twisted way, they were meant to be together in order to fix each other. And they had to go through it together.

And he was ready to give up everything, just for her.

Anytime and Always.

So he allowed himself to forget everything, and moved closer to her. And she lifted her gaze

and met his and as caramel-brown locked with arctic-grey again, Draco somehow knew, that she was ready to give up everything as well.

And when she managed to calm down at once, she told him about Weasel-King and how he ruined her night again, how he never noticed or acknowledged her and how she felt confused and frustrated with him. And Draco only listened and nodded, whenever she looked at him, because he was lost in thought. Merely about two things. One, how he would make Weasley's life a living hell, and two, how Granger would never notice the pained look in his eyes, as he looked at her, because she would only rant about the Weasel.

He couldn't stand hearing her talk about Weasley and how he snogged someone else. Maybe... maybe Granger wasn't going to forget Weasley that easily, and he wanted to kill himself the moment the idea of Granger always picking Weasel-King over him, flooded his mind.

Why should he care? Why did he care? He didn't love her, right? She was just a girl whom he liked, but he knew this was just a school fling. They were only sixteen for Goodness' Sake! He had to give up on her. He had to convince himself that he had no strong feelings when it came to her. So he would look into her eyes, and if he wasn't going to feel anything, then he would just get up and leave.

So he looked into her brown orbs, and he sighed inwardly. This wasn't going to end up well and he knew it.

But if it was so wrong... then why did it feel so right to look into her eyes and want to get lost in them. If it was so wrong, then why did he feel like the happiest man on the planet, when she would smile at him?

He knew the answer. He just didn't want to admit it.

So he stayed with her, and let her continue her ranting about how stupid Weasley was. Because he realized that she needed to get those things off her chest in some way, and relief spread through him, filling up every inch of his body, when she looked up in his eyes and told him that she no longer cared for Weasel in that way.

And his heart rate increased when he saw her emotionless eyes, when she said the Weasel's name.

Now, Draco swore to himself, that he would never let her go. Because she had just admitted that she didn't fancy Weasley anymore, and he knew she was honest.

He watched in fascination as, physically, her features relaxed and her breath slowed down and it was then, when Draco realized that she would pick him, if it dawned between him and the Weasel.

She sighed, and as he moved his body closer to her own, Hermione placed her head on Malfoy's shoulder and completely relaxed against it. A small smile crept on her lips as she saw that he did not flinch, or move away from her touch. She closed her eyes, and enjoyed the comfortable silence that was engulfing them, along with the perfect smell of Malfoy's cologne, combined with pine.

However,things didn't go the same in Draco's head. Despite his reputation, this was a new territory for him. Never in his life, did a girl relax and put her head on his shoulder after having some things gotten off her chest. But Granger did, and Draco stopped any form of movement so she could stay comfortable. And he had to admit, he enjoyed having her stay like that, leaning on him. So he carefully snaked an arm around her waist, and held her closer to him, when he saw that she didn't move away from his affectionate gesture.

They stood there, enjoying the silence and the warmth that engulfed both of them, listening to the crackling of the dying fire. Hermione casually took out her wand and gave it a flick. In less than no time, the fire was huge again, so she placed her wand back in her pocket, and nuzzled her head under Malfoy's chin. Yes, she still called him "Malfoy",even if she felt more comfortable around him now. They were no longer enemies, and deep down, Hermione hoped that one day, they could be more than former-enemies. She wanted to ask him to call her Hermione, but then she realized that she'd rather have him call her "Granger", because he was the only one who still called her like that and she had to admit she liked him better that way. Maybe because there were more "Hermione" and more "Draco", but there was a single "Granger" and only a "Malfoy". And maybe because that's what made them so unique. She didn't know for sure, but she only knew one thing: that she loved the way he called "Granger", and that she always felt better calling him "Malfoy", no matter how close they got. Ironically, it felt more personal.

She moved her thoughts aside and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, feeling the sudden urge to hug him. Maybe she felt that way because he had listened to her talking about her problems with Ron and did not even interrupt her a single time, or maybe because he hadn't left her crying, or maybe because he made her feel safe and calm, or maybe because he was overprotective of her, or maybe... maybe because he held her so close to him now. There were too many maybes, but one thing was sure. He had changed. And she really liked the new Draco Malfoy, because she knew that she was the reason he had changed, or maybe she hoped she was. And just the thought, provoked a fluttering feeling in her stomach.

Because she had secretly liked Malfoy in her first year. The boy with sleek white-blond hair and silver-grey eyes, who was well-mannered enough, unlike others, to shake her hand on the Hogwarts Express and introduce himself. And even though he had excused himself quickly after she had mentioned her muggle-parentage, she still had had a good impression of him. Until he called her a mudblood. That was when she had started to hate him, and that was when she had started to feel proud when she would get higher grades than he did. Because if it wasn't for her, he would've been the best in class.

But she had never stopped thinking about how handsome he was. And as much as she had tried to forget him, he was still at the back of her head. And she remembered how hard she had been trying not to steal glances at him during breakfast in the Great Hall. But from time to time she would look at him, and surprisingly, their gazes would always lock for a few seconds, until he would look away, leaving her staring at his perfect profile. His straight nose, high cheekbones, strong jawline. His full pale lips that would often twitch into his well-known smirk, his wrinkle-free face, with perfect features and arctic grey eyes that would always fascinate her. He was absolutely beautiful, and she was torturing herself by thinking of him like that. Because he was emotionless and evil, and she was supposed to hate him. But even though she presumably loathed him, she could never forget how he had looked at her the night of The Yule Ball, as though she was the most beautiful girl in the world, making her blush. No one knew that Malfoy was the reason she was blushing furiously when she entered the Great Hall. She could never forget how his mouth was hanging open, and his eyes were wide, shock written all over his face as she descended the stairs and went next to Viktor. And most of all, she could never forget how his eyes filled with jealousy, pain and longing, as he watched her dance with Krum that night.

And then there was the stupid Amortentia potion, which only confirmed her secret feelings for him. Because she had smelled him, and right now, as she remembered where she was, and the fact that she was in Malfoy's strong arms, made her think about what he had smelled in the Amortentia. She wished she could ask him, without making it too awkward for both of them. But then she remembered how his grey eyes found her brown ones, as he smelled the potion in Slughorn's class, and how he instantly looked away when he had said he smelled vanilla and cinnamon, which made her cheeks flush with embarrassment as she realized he had smelled her perfume. Which meant he had smelled her, because she caught him staring at her intently during that day, which again, only made her blush more.

So she inhaled deeply, his scent intoxicating her, and Hermione wished that she could smell him forever, because she loved that fresh smell of his.

And as she relaxed again, her head on his shoulder, holding him close, as she only thought about a single thing. Him.

But her fantasies were interrupted, as she felt him move away, in order to look in her eyes.

'So you say that Weasley stood you up, huh?' he asked in his low, husky voice, which would make her go weak in the knees, if she would be standing.

She looked at him, a bit unsure of what he was implying, but nodded anyway. He looked at her for another moment, before his signature smirk appeared on his face.

He stood up, flatting his perfectly ironed robes, and looked at her, grey eyes shining in the dimly lit room. Hermione could practically see the smile in his eyes, a thing that she had never seen in him before.

He stretched his hand after a wild moment, in which his arctic grey orbs roamed her body. Hermione couldn't help but blush furiously, when she saw him standing like that, as aristocratic as ever, hand outstretched for her to take, robes without a crease, sliver eyes shining with something she hadn't seen in him before. And, the fact that he was beyond gorgeous, made her want to look away from his piercing gaze. Only she didn't, but instead, she cocked an eyebrow at him, in sign of confusion. And she convinced herself that it was not his perfect appearance, that made her feel so dizzy all of a sudden, but the dimly lit room.

'Come, Granger. I want to show you something.' He said, his voice as low and confident as ever. 'I promise you'll like it.' He finished as he winked at her, making her go red all over again.

'Malfoy, if you think I'll simply follow you like that without you telling me where are we going and what are we-' she started, but a deep sigh from Malfoy made her stop in mid-sentence.

'Granger, please, just shut up and follow me.' He said rather impatiently, which made Hermione let out a small scoff.

'Back to the spoiled brat are we?' she asked, her voice filled with something between sarcasm and playfulness.

Fortunately, Draco understood the joke, so he simply took it as a reason to shut his mouth. His hand was still outstretched for her to take, and when he saw that she was hesitating, he felt disappointment flicker inside him for a moment, but he quickly dismissed it.

'Granger, do you trust me?' he asked, slightly lowering his hand, and used his other one to sleek his hair back. He knew he had just made himself irresistible for her, because even if she was Granger, she was a girl and he was a Malfoy. So it was rather normal of her to find him attractive. Plus, Draco surely knew how to seduce a girl.

But he had to admit. He was impressed by Granger's indifference. If she would've been someone else, she would've thrown herself at him already, but no, she was Granger, and Draco realized that her slight impassiveness when it came to these sort of things, only made him love her more.

And he didn't just say he loved her. No, no he didn't. That was just a misunderstanding of his brain, he convinced himself.

She smiled at him, eyes shining as she tenderly took his hand. Draco felt the spark that ignited between them, when his hand touched hers.

'Yeah...' she said as she timidly looked up at him. 'yeah I do.' She went on, her voice ringing in Draco's ears.

Relief spread through every inch of Draco's body as he heard her say the simple words "yeah" and "I do" in the same sentence. He had had doubts when it came to her answer. He wouldn't have been surprised if she didn't trust him. He didn't think he deserved so much from her anyways.

But regardless of what he thought of himself, he knew he had changed in better when it came to her. She did trust him, even if he had his own demons inside him. And he was more than happy to hear her actually say it. Mostly because she did not hesitate, and mostly because of that smile that had crept up her lips instantly after the words had left her mouth.

He smiled back as his arctic grey eyes connected with her warm caramel brown ones, as though they were made to complete each other.

He couldn't stop himself, and he saw her blush furiously as his eyes roamed her body again. Merlin she was beautiful and she didn't even know it. His eyes found hers again, as he looked at her as though looking into her soul.

'You're beautiful, Granger.' He said, quietly enough only for her to hear, even if they were alone, as he brought her hand to his mouth, and kissed it tenderly.

His words and actions made her go weak in the knees, as she blushed under his gaze. No boy had ever told her she was beautiful before, and she was inwardly squealing. She was somehow, happy, that Malfoy got to be the first one to say it, and her cheeks turned a darker shade of crimson, if that was possible.

'...Thank you.' She replied, just as quiet.

A small smile appeared on Draco's face as he saw her blush. He loved the way she would turn bright red at any tender gesture, or any kind words. He had no idea how he knew, but he somehow did know that he was the first boy in Hogwarts to tell her that she was beautiful, and he felt privileged. Maybe because she had blushed so furiously, when he had said it, or maybe because her gaze wandered to the floor, he didn't know. But he was glad he had told her what he wanted to tell her since the night of The Yule Ball. Took him two years and a half, but he did it.

He led her outside the Room of Requirement, and stopped as he saw the door vanish. He wanted to show her how she was supposed to be treated by any guy in the world. Because he knew how to treat her right, and that was exactly what he was doing.

By taking her on a date.

He looked at her, his smirk plastered all over his face.

'So, Granger...' he said as casually as ever, 'tell me your favourite place in the world where you would want to be right now.'

Granger looked at him in utter disbelief, as though he was crazy.

'W-what?' she stuttered.

Draco sighed.

'You heard me, Granger. Now... pick.' He finished, feeling slightly nervous.

Hermione thought for a second, before making her choice.

'At a ball, maybe.' She said. She was completely honest. She really felt like dancing, and her favourite was Waltz.

Draco considered her wish for a second, but then he had a better idea. He drew out his wand and muttered a simple "clovaria".

Hermione felt the breath being knocked out of her as she took in every detail of the gorgeous man in front of her. His sleek white-blond hair, his perfect bone structure and well-built tall body. But the thing that made him even more perfect was the fact that he was Draco Malfoy, and he was standing in front of her, now dressed in a dark-black suit with a black shirt underneath it and a silver tie, which made his arctic grey eyes shine from under his black velvet, lace-embroided mask.

And Hermione had to remind herself to breathe, when he looked at her and made a long bow as he held out his hand again. He looked better than anything she had ever imagined. Wordlessly, she took his hand and went weak in the knees as he kissed hers.

He stood straight again, not letting go of her hand, as he looked at her, grey eyes shining with something she had never seen before. He pointed his wand at her and Hermione heard him mutter another "clovaria" as she felt her dress change into a blood-red gown. Her hands disappeared under a pair of expensive Italian leather gloves, which were elbow-length, and she felt herself grow an inch taller, as red heels materialized on her feet. Her hair went cleaner into a messy bun, and Hermione felt her make-up go normal again, no longer being smeared all over her face. And then, out of nowhere, a red, also velvet and lace-embroided mask appeared in her hand. Malfoy took a step closer to her, and her breath caught up in her throat as he took the mask from her hand and placed it on her perfect face, his long fingers as a warm breeze on her skin.

'Granger, I'm going to take you to a Masquerade.' He whispered in her ear, his hot breath sending shivers on her back.

She looked into his deep set eyes as he stood straight once again, her hand warm in his, and knew that she was blushing. Because Malfoy was smirking at her as he took a step backwards and let go of her hand.

Now, Hermione knew Malfoy was aristocratic and that his idea of a nice date was something sophisticated. But a Masquerade? Hermione didn't know how to dance, or how to talk to high-class people and she sometimes chewed with her mouth open, when she was alone. But she trusted Malfoy, and as she saw him pacing in front of the Room of Requirement, concentrating hard, she knew that it was only going to be the two of them in there. And that calmed her a bit, because his presence calmed her more than anything, so being on a nice date with Malfoy, couldn't be so difficult, right?

Malfoy had stopped pacing, and a few seconds after that, a golden door materialized in front of them. He looked at her intensely, and took a few steps closer, so that he was now standing between Hermione and the door.

He gave her a last flattering smile, as he bent down and held the door open so that she could enter first.

Hermione couldn't help but smile like a fool, because she secretly loved gentlemen, and Malfoy made breathing a difficult task with his well manners.

She entered a brightly lit room, and all of her fears came to life. This was extremely sophisticated. It was a ballroom, decorated with velvet masks everywhere and a few candles were floating in mid-air. The room seemed to have a halo of its own, because Hermione couldn't understand how a few candles could light up an entire ballroom like that, leave aside that the room was windowless. The dance floor was in the middle of the room, and hanging from the ceiling, was a crystal chandelier, with brightly lit candles at the end, which seemed to emit some sort of greenish light. There were long, royal blue curtains, covering the walls, where windows were supposed to be. But this was the Room of Requirement, so there were no windows. But still, Hermione couldn't help but smile to herself as she realized that Malfoy couldn't help but give the room a Slytherin spirit.

And then she remembered that he was there as well, so when she turned around to look at him, she found Malfoy already staring.

His silver eyes were practically shining under the black velvet mask, and his pale skin and white-blond hair, made him look even better in the brightly lit room, making Hermione squeal inwardly.

As Malfoy's lips curved into a proud smile, he ran a hand through his hair, sleeking it back even more. Hermione couldn't help but admire his long, thin fingers, which carried his well-known Slytherin Ring, that was shining as bright and silver as his eyes.

And Hermione asked herself how such a gorgeous man, with pale skin and fine features, who was showing her something she had never seen before, could've been the same to the one who had tormented and hurt her for so many years.

Draco smirked to himself as he admired his own creation. This was only his imagination, and he had clearly seen Granger's delighted expression, when he had opened that door. He loved the room, and he loved it even more, when he thought that it was designed only for him and Granger.

And he was also breathless, because he was looking at Granger, who was still gawking at the room he had created. And that made him feel like the luckiest man on Earth, knowing that Granger would soon be his after that night. Because he was sure he could make Granger his, judging by the fact that she was a woman, and he was Draco Malfoy.

And he looked devilishly gorgeous in that suit of his. Yes, that as well.

Draco leaned closer to Granger and whispered in her ear, as seductively as he could, even though they were completely alone.

'So, my lady...' he murmured, causing Hermione's blood to rise in her cheeks as he cupped her hand from the back, 'may I have this dance?'

She instantly turned around, as to face him, and looked into his arctic grey eyes, that made her go weak in the knees every time she would gaze into them. He was looking right back and as he did, she thought she saw a glimpse of insecurity in his eyes. She smiled at the thought of Draco Malfoy being nervous for a romantic date and she asked herself how many times had he been on a date before. Countless, she thought, but maybe never to this kind of a romantic date. Her lips fixed themselves into a dazzling smile, when Malfoy, as though remembering something important, held out his hand and bowed at her, causing Hermione's heart to skip countless beats. She loved it when he was doing such things. How could she refuse such an opportunity? She couldn't, not even if she wanted to, because seeing the new Draco made all of her fears and insecurities fly away, and somehow, she found herself being literally lured to him. Because she had to admit. She was attracted to him, and a lot of girls would probably lose a limb, just to have what she was having in that moment.

Because it wasn't a moment like any other, for you didn't get to see a gorgeous Draco Malfoy, offering his heart on a silver plate for you, every day. Because to Hermione, that's what he was doing, and her accepting his offer, would only mean her accepting him.

Which she would kindly do.

Even if it took both of them six years to realize that.

Hermione gently grabbed his hand without any sign of reluctance and, the moment her gloved hand touched his pale but warm one, waltz music started playing out of nowhere.

Draco straightened up and led her towards the dance floor. When they stopped and their eyes connected, he secretly wondered if she had observed that both their masks were diamond-encrusted. Her mask contained precious ruby, while his had bits of a rare, pure-black diamond. It was, of course, another bit of his beautiful imagination, which he seemed to find only when he was thinking of her.

But he interrupted his thoughts as he gently placed his hand on her hip, making her shiver. He held up her other hand high in the air, not forgetting to wink at her. Because he loved it when she blushed because of him.

She gripped her gown with her free hand, and positioned herself so they could start dancing, giving him a small nod.

Draco instantly got the message, and they started moving in synchronization with the pleasant rhythm of "Valse de Vienne". He was surprised by how good she could dance, because he was afraid she would be clumsy. But she was actually perfect. He himself was very good at dancing waltz, because his aristocratic status demanded him to learn how to dance from a young age.

He swayed her as grey met brown, and he lost himself. But he regained self-control and moved along with the song, not looking away from her eyes. Because he thought that if he did, something bad would happen, if he would look away. Her chocolate brown eyes had always had something sparking in them, that lured him, and every moment he spent staring into her brown orbs, seemed like hours. Hours and hours, in which he could get lost and not be found. Hours which would make any nightmare vanish, and the sleepless nights go away faster. Because her eyes made everything look so much easier, and the second Draco would look away from her questioning gaze, reality would hit him hard in the head again, making him want to hide forever.

That was the powerful effect Granger's eyes had upon him. It was remarkable, how she could make him do whatever she wanted him to. The thing was, she didn't know she could do such things, but he did. And he used to hate himself for being so reckless, so weak. But as he was spinning a laughing Granger in the air now, he realized that he was not a weak person for simply falling under Granger's spell. They wouldn't be here if he hadn't taken interest in her since The Yule Ball, right?

And then he wondered if there was anyone able to resist her.

He smirked. No man would ever be able to do that, but Draco didn't care. She was his now.

His train of thought was suddenly interrupted as Granger let out a giggle. He smirked at her as he spinned her once more.

They gripped onto each other tightly, as Draco concentrated to his dance steps. It was a tricky part, when they had to reproduce the other's moves, and Draco wasn't sure he could do it without destroying their wonderful cooperation. He always had to do something wrong, to crush other people's happiness. It was him after all, and he squeezed Granger's hand, to let her know that he would eventually mess up. He was sure that she would understand what he wanted to say, only by looking into his eyes.

So Hermione did, just as she felt him squeeze her hand, and what she saw in his silver orbs, was not enough for her to give up on him. She knew he was thinking that he would mess up, but she didn't care. Wordlessly, she motioned him to keep dancing, by squeezing his hand, tighter than he had done it.

A wave of hope washed through him as he saw how much Granger believed in him now. She didn't see him as he saw himself. She saw something he was trying to be, and that made him feel like that could be achieved.

But she saw someone that he was not after all, and Draco felt the urge to leave her there, to wake her up by screaming "I'm a bloody Death Eater!" at the top of his lungs. Maybe she would stay away from him then, because she had no idea in how much danger she was putting herself in that moment, simply by dancing with him.

And he hated it, but he was a selfish coward after all, so he obviously didn't stop dancing. He kept going, his feet synchronizing with hers, and then mirroring her difficult moves. Because the moment she squeezed his hand back, he realized he wasn't doing this for himself, but for her. He was giving her a date she surely deserved, not himself.

So he flicked his thoughts away, and furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, as he squeezed her hand again, nodding, after she looked at him. He was ready to start the complicated part of their dance, and when she squeezed his hand harder that before and looked in his orbs with determined ones, he steadied himself, gripping her waist more tightly.

Their feet were moving rapidly and, surprisingly, they were already halfway through their dance.

After another series of complicated moves, Draco had to look anywhere else but her chocolate brown eyes, just to make sure he wouldn't kiss her right there and right then.

Both panting, Granger let out a small smile which caused him to look back at her.

Big mistake.

He had to remind himself to breathe, because she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her brown chocolate eyes, shining from under her blood-red mask, her wrinkle-free skin which was sprawled with freckles here and there, her big mane of bushy hair, which was now tamed in a messy bun, her small warm hand clasped in his, her beautiful small body, with curves in all the right places, and finally, as his eyes stopped roaming her gorgeous body, her full, red lips. He was too curious for his own good. He wondered if her lips tasted like vanilla, as her scent, or if they were as soft as they seemed.

He somehow managed to bring his eyes back to hers, steel grey mixing with caramel brown for one more second, before he leaned closer to her, his grip on her tightening, but not once breaking away from her gaze.

And as he came an inch closer to her, she gave him a tender smile and wrapped her arms around his waist, causing Draco's heart to race and his breath to get caught in his lungs. And then she buried her head in the crook of his neck, breathing in the smell of him, as though it was the last thing she would ever do, and he snaked his arms around her petite body, bringing her closer to him, if that was possible. Her scent intoxicated him, and he wished he could die of asphyxiation, because she was the only thing that made him forget how to breathe.

Draco lost track of time. He didn't know how much they stood like that, in each other's arms, but he was sure about one thing. He was sure that's where Granger belonged and he wondered how he'd never seen it before. His mind was dizzy as he allowed her sweet vanilla scent to engulf him completely and he tightened his embrace, so the only things that separated his bare skin from hers, were her blood-red gown and his dark-black suit. And he felt her smile as she nuzzled her head into his shoulder, so that the tip of her nose was touching his chin, her soft breath tickling his neck, spreading warmth throught his body.

'Thanks, Malfoy.' she murmured, her eyes shut as she enjoyed the heat his body was emanating. 'For everything.'

He wished he could stay like that forever, so Draco being Draco, didn't budge, even if both he and Granger were exhausted from all the dancing. With Granger's body pressed against his tightly, the exhaustion seemed an unimportant matter to him, but regardless of his comfortable position, he straightened up and removed his arms from around Granger's small waist. Pretending to be oblivious to her disappointed sigh, he ran a hand through his sleek hair as he drew out his wand. Turning around, he made a swift gesture, and a dark green puffy couch materialized in front of his grey eyes. He smirked to himself when he heard Granger scoff at his choice of colour, because he knew how much of a Gryffindor Granger was.

As he turned around to face her once again, he noticed that her lips were trembling and she had her own arms wrapped around herself. She was cold, and Draco came back to his senses. It was chilly indeed, and that gave him a brilliant idea. Draco walked towards her, his arms discarding his jet-black jacket as he motioned her towards the couch wordlessly. Noticing the way her eyebrows knitted themselves together, Draco threw his jacket over her shoulders, making sure to let his hand brush against her bare skin for one second. Again, he pretended not to see her cheeks reddening when he grasped her gloved hand, and decided to ignore the fluttering feeling in his stomach.

They sat down on the Slytherin-ish couch and as they did, Hermione tightened her grip on Malfoy's jacket, inhaling the fresh smell of pine and cologne that radiated from the expensive piece of clothing. She was glad she was sitting down, because she didn't think she could be standing anymore after she felt his hand brush the bare skin on her shoulder when he offered her his jacket. She had practically felt the spark that ignited in her from his touch and, adding his aristocratic gestures, her knees had gone weak as they always did when she would look in his steely grey eyes.

Malfoy draped an arm over her shoulders, bringing her closer to him as she nuzzled into him. She noticed that he was extremely warm compared to her, and she felt their temperatures mixing at the sudden impact of their bodies.

And, as they stood like that, Hermione closed her eyes for a second, letting everything sink in. She couldn't help but realize that since the moment Malfoy had entered The Room of Requirement and comforted her, everything seemed to settle down for her. She had finally let go of her feelings for Ron, accepted Draco's sincere apologies, stopped crying and went on the most romantic date ever with none other than Draco himself. And the date happened to be a high-class Masquerade, where she had the pleasure to dance waltz. Not to mention the expensive gown that Draco had created for her, along with him literally looking like a god.

A smile spread on her perfect face, as she realized she had just thought of Draco Malfoy as a god. But she had to admit, she never thought someone could look so good in a suit and a mask, and him comforting her and being the epitome of a gentleman, simply made him around fifty times more attractive.

And her smile widened when she realized she referred to him as Draco and not Malfoy, and, regardless of what she had thought earlier that night, she decided she liked it better that way, him calling her Granger and her calling him Draco. They were just like two pieces of puzzle, that fit perfectly together, both with their own aspirations, with their own opinions and flaws. Different but alike, in the same time.

Just like their eyes. In permanent contrast but not complete without the other one.

Arctic grey and caramel brown.

'Granger.'

Startled, Hermione's eyes shot open as she heard Draco's low, husky voice whisper her name, sending shivers down her spine.

'Yes, wha-' she started but was instantly interrupted as he let out a small chuckle.

'Nothing...' he said, his silver grey eyes piercing right through her, causing Hermione's stomach to do a backflip due to the butterflies that were zooming inside it.

'I just wanted to say your name.' he added, rather absent-mindedly, as he closed his eyes and ran a hand through his white-blond hair, sleeking it back.

It was this little gesture that made Hermione's heart stop beating for a few seconds as her mind drew a complete blank. And, after her body started to work properly again, it took her a few minutes to let everything sink in, because she had realized something. And that something hit her pretty hard, considering the fact that she was gawking at Malfoy like a fish, her eyes wide in realization.

It had been the thing that clarified every feeling that she had ever felt when he would look at her in the hallways, with nothing but blankness and pain reflecting from his steely grey eyes. It was then when she understood why she felt so empty when he wouldn't notice her, when she would stare at him in the Great Hall during breakfast or lunch. She understood why she had always felt the need to tell him something when they would be the only ones left in the deserted library, hours past midnight. And the thing she had just realized, wasn't that complicated. It was a thing that had always intrigued her, yes, but as she looked at Draco now, that thing was actually very simple.

She realized she loved him.

And she had for all these years.

Hermione was actually impressed when her instant reaction was to touch him, rather than to run away and hide.

She wasn't thinking clearly anymore, because the light that emitted from the crystal chandelier reflected on Draco's perfect pale skin, making him look even better than before. She raised her hand and traced her finger along his chiseled jaw, his high and contoured cheekbones and his straight, pointed nose, bringing it back and tracing his perfect jawline. She couldn't help but admire his aristocratic features and his perfect complexion.

Colour rose almost instantly in her cheeks, as she stopped tracing his perfect features and her chocolate brown eyes melted into a pair of arctic grey ones. Ironically, Draco Malfoy's eyes were not supposed to be cold to make her insides melt.

He was watching her closely, his silver orbs roaming her perfect face, as he took her hand in his and placed it on his cheek again. He had to restrain himself from leaning into her touch. His other hand snaked itself around her waist, bringing her closer to him, so he could now feel the heat radiating from her body. He smirked. She was no longer cold.

They stood there like that, her gloved hand cupping his face, while her other hand rested on his chest, right over his thumping heart. With his arms around her waist, Draco felt like that was the perfect moment to tell her everything he had wanted to tell her that entire night.

He had stopped trying to convince himself that he didn't love her. Because he did, and more than she would ever know.

As Draco's forehead rested on Granger's, his grip on her waist tightened, as though holding her close was the last thing he would ever do. He had no idea what made him place her hand back on his cheek, nor what made him admit that he loved her truly. He didn't even know why he didn't leave her crying in that bloody Room of Requirement.

He was blaming it on the upcoming war, one that she didn't know about yet, and thinking that there was a possibility of never being able to see her again, Draco wanted her to know everything about what he felt when it came to her.

And Draco was very confused, but despite of that feeling, he also felt more confident than ever. He somehow knew that it was the right thing to do, to tell her he loved her, so he put aside his other thoughts and braced himself for the "final countdown".

His face came an inch closer to hers, and as he felt her warm breath wash over his face, warming up every single part of him, his mind decided to draw a blank. Just like that. Right when he was ready to tell her.

Draco steadied himself again, remembering that this was the only shot he got since that war he knew about was bound to start sooner or later. And he didn't think he could sleep soon if he knew he hadn't told her he loved her when he had the chance.

But now, looking into her deep-set caramel brown eyes, it seemed like all of his previous thoughts had gone away. And as arctic grey mixed with chocolate brown, Draco could literally see the perfect balance both of them were creating without even trying. It seemed that just the pair of them, made everything bad and unhappy go away.

But still, Draco didn't admit it was pure love. The idea was simply too cheesy for him.

But it seemed like Granger was losing her hope. For a moment, Draco could've sworn he caught a glimpse of confusion and disappointment in her gaze. But then, trying not to look as desperate as he seemed, Draco lifted his left arm and placed it on her cheek, spreading warmth in her entire being.

He successfully managed to hide a smirk, when he saw her eyes lighten from his sudden touch. And, again, he felt like he was ready to tell her.

So Draco being Draco, leaned even closer and used all of the courage he could muster. And since he was a Slytherin and he wasn't very brave, the only word that made his way out of his mouth was the first that came to his mind.

'Granger...' he whispered, desperately trying not to let his own eyes shut. They were so close, that Draco could nearly feel the tips of their noses touching.

Hermione instantly went weak in the knees from his sudden approach. If only he knew what she was thinking right now and how vulnerable she was.

As she saw him come even closer, she resisted the urge to sniff him. But she soon realized that there was no need for it, since their close proximity, caused Draco's musky scent of pine to invade her lungs with, or without her permission.

Not that she didn't enjoy it anyway.

And she thought she had never smelled something so good ... so masculine. She would've probably recognized his scent anywhere she would go, because it basically had Draco Malfoy written all over it in capital letters.

She wanted to tell him something, but her mind was completely blank. All of her worries were gone, including her memory. For a moment, Hermione didn't think she still knew her own name.

Her brown eyes darted from his grey ones to his pale but full lips. She tried to ignore the questions that were popping in her head. Mostly because all of the questions were about how much of a good kisser he was.

When she looked back up, she saw that his grey, once cold eyes, were filled with hope, lust and-

Merlin, Hermione thought for herself. Did she- did she just see Draco Malfoy's well-known emotionless eyes filled up with l- love? No, she must've seen wrong.

But as he opened his mouth, her train of thoughts was abruptly interrupted, her mind going blank once again.

'I-'

'Mal- Draco, just... just say something please.' Hermione whispered. She was desperate. He didn't even realize how curious she was, how much she wanted to know everything about him and how much she wished for him to say those three words already. (The latter, not known by her mind yet, only by her heart.)

She watched, mesmerized, how his facial features softened instantly at the use of his name. Not "Malfoy" but "Draco". And she wasn't going to deny that his name sounded extremely good, just by coming from her lips.

Seeing as Granger grew impatient enough to use his name rather than his surname, Draco decided to say everything into a coherent sentence. He inhaled deeply and locked his steely grey eyes with her chocolate brown ones once again.

There was no going back now.

'Hermione... I-' he said. Breathe, he told himself as he felt her met in his arms when he said her name. 'I love you, Granger.' He whispered, being sure to close his eyes and lean even closer, and inch separating her blood-red lips from his pale ones.

Hermione's heart stopped beating completely and for one wild moment, she thought it would never start beating again. She closed her eyes and let the first real smile to show on her face. It had been at least a few weeks since she truly smiled, but with Draco there, that didn't seem so impossible anymore.

She felt warmth spread through her when he had said those three little words. A feeling she had never experienced before, not even from his touch, so she took it as a sign and admitted to herself that those feelings she had tried to ignore earlier were real. She loved him too. She could no longer deny it, not even if she wanted to, because this time, both her heart and her brain, were telling her the same thing.

Go for it. You love him too!

She decided to blame everything that was going to happen on that fact. What else was there to blame anyway?

So Hermione decided to hell with it and closed the remaining space that was left in between them, by capturing his lips with her own.

At first, Hermione thought she had missed his lips, missed the target. But then, almost instinctively, Draco's lips started to synchronize with her own.

And she couldn't help but ask herself if she was kissing Draco Malfoy, or someone else. She had never imagined a pair of lips to be that soft, that comforting, or caring, especially from the one who used to call her "Mudblood" using the same pair of lips.

And how much she loved the taste of his lips, softer and gentler than anything she had ever wanted his lips to be. But even now, with his scent engulfing her completely, his body glued to hers, his hands cupping her cheeks and his lips gently caressing hers, Hermione couldn't seem to get enough of him.

Draco's heart had frozen the moment Granger's warm and soft lips crashed onto his. But not only his heart, but his mind and blood as well. But somehow, his instincts kicked in, so his lips synchronized with her own and both his hands cupped her warm, flushed cheeks, bringing her closer to him. And as one of Granger's hands cupped the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her as well, Draco noticed that she was no longer wearing her expensive Italian leather white gloves he had given her. When on Earth did she take them off, Draco had no idea. But he was busy now, because he and Granger were kissing the daylights out of each other, even if it was past midnight all ready.

With Draco's lips on her own, Hermione couldn't think of anything else but him. His scent was messing up every bit of her mind it could find, and his kiss was like a blessing. She felt like she did when she would spot the presents under the Christmas Tree on Christmas morning, but amplified by infinite. She knew deep down that the memory of his kiss would be enough for her to conjure up a patronus and send an entire population of Dementors away.

It was scary, because Hermione felt so many intense emotions filling every bit of her, so she put everything that she was feeling inside into their kiss, deepening it.

His hands moved from her cheeks to the small of her back, while she ran her fingers through his smooth, blond locks. Bringing each other closer, their kiss was deepening more and more with every second that passed.

Her lips warm on his, Draco couldn't stop himself. He wanted all of her for his own. He was selfish and this time, it was in a good way. Draco turned Granger around, not breaking from their kiss, and placed her back on the couch, while his hands roamed every inch of her body they could find. He started nibbling on her lower lip, begging for entrance, which, to his immense relief and pleasure, she gladly accepted.

Hermione could feel her own cheeks blush as their tongues danced together, exploring every bit out of each other. She hadn't done this before, at least not this intense and passionate, but neither did she care, because her mind was screaming two words only, like they had just become her lifeline.

Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.

But strangely, Hermione didn't feel insecure or shy. On the contrary, she felt more alive and confident than ever, and that was only because of Draco. She smiled against their kiss as she realized that Draco was the one to calm her down and make her feel wanted and loved.

So when he pressed her back against the dark green couch, Hermione slowly started to untie his black diamond-encrusted mask. She wished she could open her eyes and stare at his perfect features, but no. She wasn't done with the snogging-the-hell-out-of-him part yet.

And neither was him.

Draco felt his black velvet mask fall off his face, as Granger's hands wrapped themselves around his neck once again. He wanted nothing more but to stay like that forever, and it seemed like Granger had the same desire.

Not a problem, he thought as he too, smiled against her soft lips.

His heart had stopped beating completely, due to the powerful feelings that he was experiencing, but he didn't need his heart anymore, since he had Granger beneath him, her sweet vanilla scent taking over his entire system.

But eventually, regardless of both of their desires, their kiss softened, becoming gentler and slower And both Draco and Hermione, needed a few oxygen, rather than each other's scents.

They were both smiling as Hermione was the first one to pull away, her eyes twinkling as she could still feel the taste of him on her swollen lips.

Both panting, they still couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. Draco lay down next to her, because the couch he had conjured was big enough for two people to lie down in each other's arms. Somehow, the fact that she didn't say "I love you" back, escaped his mind completely.

To him, nothing else in the world mattered, not even the fact that he was a Death Eater, or the fact that he was one of the few people who knew about the upcoming war. He forgot everything that had to do with his task for The Dark Lord, including the fact that his days were being counted.

To him, there was a single thing that mattered in that moment and that was Granger. So he didn't find lying down next to her after having kissed the daylights out of her and telling her he loved her, such a big deal.

He snaked his arm around her waist and brought her closer to himself, in order to feel her heat. But as he did, Granger turned around, so they were now face to face and incredibly close to each other. When he opened his eyes to look at her, for his face was no longer buried into her mass of curls, he saw that she was smiling widely and had her eyes closed.

She leaned in once again, so their foreheads were now touching, just like the tips of their noses.

'Ferret?' she whispered to him absent-mindedly. When she got no immediate response, she brought a hand up and placed it on his arm.

'Draco?' she tried again, this time a bit louder. She had something important to tell him, and she could no longer wait. But even so, she felt dizzy, and the heat that was radiating from his body, warming her up completely, wasn't helping.

'Yeah...?' Draco finally murmured back, as he closed his steely grey eyes and snuggled closer to her.

'Look at me.' She said, sounding serious and gentle without actually wanting to. She watched mesmerized as his silver eyes fluttered open again, and she felt butterflies in her stomach as his arctic grey eyes locked with her caramel brown ones, making everything fall into place.

'I love you too.' She whispered to him, as a huge smile appeared on both their faces. His eyes lit up and were now full of love and warmth as he took in every detail of her perfect face.

Without thinking twice, Draco crashed his lips on her once again, but this time, Hermione was ready. Their lips moved together, and this time, both familiar. Soon, Hermione started nibbling at his lower lip, begging for entrance. Obviously, Draco obliged, letting her tongue explore the inside of his mouth. She loved him, and he never thought that he had been so happy in his entire life. He couldn't understand how he had hated her for almost four years, because it only took him the night of the Yule Ball in their fourth year to realize he had feelings for her. But this? This was something he had been dreaming about for a long while now, and when he thought he would never be able to accomplish anything ever again, she came in. And surprisingly, he gathered up every bit of courage inside him, and told her he loved her. And she said it back.

Focusing on the kiss again, Draco lifted his hand up and cupped her cheek, as he used his other arm to bring her body closer to his, so that there was no space left in between them.

All of this time, Hermione had smiled against their kiss.

Both of them had.

Pulling away due to the loss of oxygen again, Draco smirked. He still couldn't believe it wasn't a dream. So he pressed her body against his, as though trying to feel her, in order to convince himself he wasn't delusional.

He smiled.

He wasn't.

She was real, and she was all his.

They stood there like that, talking, teasing each other, laughing and kissing. Draco found a side of Granger he had never seen before, daring and playful, as she had found something new in him as well.

While he found her naughty part, she found his kind one, and Hermione couldn't think that their relationship could be more balanced. They were just perfect for one another and just the thought, made her smile like a fool the entire night. He was too perfect. She had never thought she could find everything she had ever wanted in him, but she just had, and she was the happiest girl in Hogwarts.

She refused to think about what Harry and Ron would say, because at a certain point in time, they would have to let her be. Because she knew, deep down, the she and Draco had become inseparable the moment he had first entered the Room of Requirement that night.

After a while, Hermione's eyes started drooping. His masculine scent, low, calming voice, strong arms and warm body were all luring her into a perfect sleep. She never thought that listening to someone's heartbeat could calm her so much, but Draco's surely did.

They had been talking about more personal things, and Hermione had told him how worried she was about everything going on with Voldemort and how she knew she would have to obliviate her parents at a certain point in time in order to protect them from the Death Eaters. She had told him thing she hadn't even told Harry and Ron yet, and when she reached the part about her parents, she had started crying.

But, after Draco hugged her, muttered words of comfort and kissed her some more, Hermione had calmed down faster than she normally would. His presence calmed her down more than anything, so when he told her that everything would be fine because he loved her, Hermione thought she could melt in his arms.

As he was comforting her again, Draco hated himself. As she was crying and telling him thing she hadn't even told Weasley or Potter, his heart went out for the girl in his arms, because he realized that most of her problems were due to him. To his side, and he wanted nothing more than to see Voldemort killed and the war ended. But this wasn't happening to soon, so he placed his dark thoughts aside and hugged Granger with all he had, telling her he was there for her and comforting her some more.

Of course, Draco hadn't missed any opportunity to kiss her, and after they had done that a few times, he simply reminded her that he loved her. And when that seemed too calm her more than everything, Draco forgot all about his pride being thrown out on the window earlier that night at Qudditch. He felt proud now, but even if his ego was extremely important, he still felt his heart throb in his chest when she said she loved him back before closing her eyes and nuzzling into him.

If only she knew that she had him at her little finger...

Draco was glad Granger didn't know she could make him do anything for her, because he wouldn't be able to refuse her.

Soon, Draco felt his eyes droop as well, so he decided to call it a night. H had to take her back to her common room before she would fall asleep in his arms. And not because he didn't have the strength to move her or anything, but he didn't think he would be able to wake a peaceful sleeping Granger.

'Granger...' he said as he stifled a yawn, and rose to his feet from the comfy couch. 'Come on, let me take you back to your common room before I'll have to carry you.'

Hermione groaned. 'Can't we just sleep here? No one will notice if I didn't return to my common room tonight.' She said, but raised herself from the couch anyways. 'And besides, it's around one AM.' She added, but Draco didn't seem to hear her. He flatted his black suit and held out his hand for her anyways.

She took it and soon, they were leaving the Room of Requirement.

Draco didn't hesitate to take her hand the second they exited the room. He didn't care if anyone saw them, and it was too late for anyone to be wandering on the seventh floor anyways. Everybody would find out eventually, so he saw no point in hiding his and Granger's relationship.

And neither did Hermione of course. She knew everyone was going to find out and surprisingly, she couldn't wait to tell Ginny about it.

Reaching the Fat Lady's portrait, Hermione couldn't find herself able to let go of Draco's warm hand. She didn't want the night to end. She wished she could stay with him forever. So when he leaned in and kissed her goodnight, Hermione clutched his hand tighter and hugged him with all of her might.

Almost instinctively, his strong arms wrapped themselves around her petite waist, bringing her closer. He couldn't help but smirk. She can't get enough of me, he thought as his smirk turned into a fleeting smile.

But, not even he was able to get enough of her. He didn't want to let go of her, and as she said another "I love you", (which came out very muffled because her face was totally buried in his shoulder), Draco decided to hell with it and pulled away. Smiling, he cupped both of her cheeks with his palms as he gave her a fleeting kiss, which left her lips tingling and her body aching for more.

Which she was going to get.

'You know what, Granger' he asked in his low, husky voice. He smirked as she felt her quiver. 'Let's go back to the Room of Requirement. No one has to find out we didn't go back to our common rooms tonight.' He added, rather impatiently. 'We can just sleep there.'

Leaning closer, he quietly whispered in her ear: 'I don't know what charm did you use Granger, but I can't seem to get enough of you.' He said, watching in satisfaction as her cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson.

'I thought you weren't asking!' she said, catching Draco off guard completely as she took his hand again and started dragging him back towards the Room of Requirement.

I seem to be rubbing off on you, Granger, he thought as he smirked once again.

Draco had to watch Granger pace in front of the Room of Requirement, three times in a row. As she was concentrating hard, Draco couldn't stop himself but think of how beautiful she was. If he was a girl, he would've been squealing, but he wasn't, so he tried to keep a straight face as he realized Granger was his.

Soon, a beautifully carved wooden door materialized in front of them. He held the door open for Granger to enter and muttered an "You're beautiful" to her, as her cheeks turned bright red.

Closing the door behind him, Draco entered a small room, with nothing else than a large bed in it. The bed had blood-red sheets, and seemed to be big enough for three people to sleep comfortably in it. There was a fireplace near the massive bed, which seemed to be emitting the only light in the room.

Throwing another glance at the bed, Draco raised one of his blond eyebrows towards Granger, who just shrugged. He held his tongue, and kept the snide remark about the Gryffindor main colour for himself.

He kicked his shoes aside and threw his black jacket on the floor as he clambered into the extremely comfortable bed. As he felt Granger do the same, Draco brought her closer to him by snaking both his arms around her petite body and pulling the sheets over them.

She placed on of her hands on his torso, and tried to ignore the fact that she could feel his muscles through his black shirt. Placing her head on his chest, sleep soon found her, but not before she told him another round of "I love you" and "goodnight".

With Granger completely cuddled up into him, Draco felt his eyes droop as her familiar vanilla scent engulfed him completely once more.

They had found the right amount of love that their blood and hearts needed and, if a mudblood and a pureblood had found it in the most messed up times, that meant that there was still hope for everything.

This isn't the end of Hermione and Draco's story, because having something like this, is everlasting.

The End