Chapter VII

"SO HOW BAD was it?" Harry asked as he sipped his drink. "Walking around with Malfoy."

Hermione rolled her eyes as she read, easily tuning out the rest of the chatter in the Great Hall. "I'm telling you, it was fine. We didn't really even talk much."

"And when you did?" Ron asked through a mouthful of chicken.

Hermione glanced up. "Hmm?"

"And when you did talk?" he pressed. "What did you two say?"

I liked it a lot better when these two ignored me, Hermione thought sourly, sneaking a look over at the Slytherin table. Draco wasn't there.

"'Mione?"

"What? Oh, uh…" She scratched her head and went back to reading. "If you're so curious, why don't you ask Dra-Malfoy yourself?" She cursed herself silently for almost letting his first name slip out.

Both boys eyed her suspiciously before returning to their current occupation. Hermione glanced at Ginny and subtly motioned to the Slytherin table, showing her that Draco was missing.

"Go look for him," the orange-haired girl whispered. "Something's obviously wrong."

"But that's probably because I ran away when…you know." Hermione frowned. Was this her fault?

"So go and fix it," Ginny said as though it was as simple as that. "He fixed your fight by making the window. Now you go do something about it."

"But what?"

Ginny shrugged. "It's your battle, not mine. I'm just the consultant."

"Thanks, Ginny," Hermione sighed, standing. "You're loads of help."

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?"

"Not at all. Will you at least walk with me to the dorm?"

"Yeah." Ginny stood.

"Where're you two going?" Harry inquired.

"Why do you need to know?" Hermione said, suddenly felling a little anxious to leave.

"I'd just like to know where you're taking my girlfriend."

"She's going to accompany me on a walk, thank you very much," Hermione said, linking arms with the said girl. "Any objections?"

Harry held up his hands in defense and didn't pry any further.

Hermione and Ginny left the Great Hall quickly and ran down the corridor. As they turned a corner, they slammed into a body and fell down in a heap on top of the stranger.

"Owww…"

Both girls looked up at the voice and saw the face of Blaise Zabini.

"O-oh," Hermione said sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Yeah," Ginny agreed, scrambling to get up and dragging her companion with her. As they straightened their uniforms, Blaise looked up at them.

"It's you," he said, looking at Hermione.

"Yes," she said slowly, confused. "It's me. What of it?"

"Come with me," Blaise ordered, jumping up from the floor and grabbing her arm. He tried to pull her away, but Ginny wouldn't let go.

"Uh-uh," she said, shaking her brightly colored hair. "I want an explanation."

"You're not involved in this matter," the boy snapped.

The freckle-faced girl drew herself up proudly to her full height, just barely past Zabini's shoulders, and sent him a cold glare that made him pause.

Hermione came in between the two. "I'm sure," she said cautiously, placing a hand on Ginny's arm, "that whatever you want to tell me can be said in front of Ginny."

Blaise studied her for a moment. Finally, he said, "Draco's in his room and he won't come out."

Both girls glanced at each other, guesses already running through their minds as to why the blond boy was isolating himself from the rest of the world.

"When I asked him what was wrong, he just mumbled your name," Blaise continued. Then he glared at Hermione accusingly. "What did you do to him?"

Ginny snorted. "It's more of what he tried to do and she didn't." Seeing the confusion on his face and realizing that Hermione wasn't quite in the mood for explaining, she stated simply, "Draco tried to kiss her and she ran."

Blaise gawked at the red-head. "A-and how would you know…"

"Cause she told me."

Blaise shook his head, finding his sanity again and continued to pull Hermione. "Fine, you can come, but once we get there, not a word. Got it?" Both girls nodded and he sighed in frustration. "Not you, Granger. Just the She-Weasel." This earned him a glare from both girls. "Sorry. Force of habit."

They quickly reached the Prefect common room and climbed the stairs to the Head rooms in a narrow single file. Hermione stepped forward and put an ear to the door. Not a sound could be heard.

"I don't think I should enter," she mouthed to her two companions.

Both Blaise and Ginny made a circle with their hands and mouthed back, "The window. In your room."

Hermione nodded and quickly entered her own sleeping quarters, shutting the door quietly behind her. Blaise and Ginny proceeded to make their way downstairs, knowing that they could do nothing now.

Inside her room, she paced nervously before going to her bed and peering through the window. Her view was half blocked by a head of platinum blond hair. She slid open the window as quietly as she could, but Draco slowly turned anyway.

Hermione looked at his dull grey eyes awkwardly and reached out a tentative hand. He regarded it for a moment, then brought his own hand up and touched hers. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Hermione smiled. "I've already forgotten about it."

A look of happiness and disappointment crossed the wizard's eyes. "But I don't want you to forget about it. I want you to remember."

Hermione's eyes widened. "What?"

Draco tried to jerk his hand away, but Hermione held fast and used her other hand to turn his face towards her. "What?" she repeated impatiently.

"I…" Draco was at a loss for words. He honestly didn't know what to say.

Hermione giggled a bit. "Is this your way of saying that you want me to remember that you almost kissed me?"

Something clicked and Draco resumed his usual smirk. "No wonder you get top marks," he drawled lazily, as though he hadn't been serious and quiet a few moments before. "I suppose that I do."

Hermione's heart pounded in her chest. Could Draco hear it? She hoped not. Draco looked as he was debating something in his head and she was silent, watching him. Finally, the boy said, "Well, I'm not sure that I want you to remember that I almost kissed you."

Hermione's face visibly fell and she let go of Draco's hand, much to his confusion. She slammed the window shut to the side, ignoring Draco's howl of pain as his hand got caught in the way. When it was clear of the window, Hermione closed it all the way. She buried herself under her covers, though it was a bit too early to go to bed.

Of course he would want her to forget the almost-kiss. Their blood statuses were two completely different things. She bit her lip and willed herself not to cry. How could I have been so stupid? He's…and I'm…

"What the bloody hell?"

She flinched as her door was slammed open and a livid Draco burst into her room. She knew that he was furious because of his injured hand. "Sorry," she whispered.

"Sorry about what?" Draco cried. "For practically mutilating my hand or for not letting me finish what I was going to say?"

Hermione curled up into a ball, only to have the covers viciously ripped off of her. She sat up immediately and glared at Draco, who shot her an equally annoyed look while cradling his hand. Hermione's look softened and she got up and went in to her bathroom. She turned on the sink faucet and, after a series of charms, eventually came back out with a small bag of ice. Gingerly, ignoring the look Draco still was aiming at her, she took his injured hand which was already turning red and starting to swell and placed the bag of ice on it.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes till Draco finally said, "I don't want you to remember that I almost kissed you in Hogsmead."

Hermione gave a bitter smile, even laughed a bit at her own foolishness, and was going to say something, but the pale boy held up his hand so he could finish.

"I don't want you to remember that I almost kissed you in Hogsmead," he repeated. "But I do want you to remember that I kissed you here."

Hermione had no time to react or even process what he had said before he leaned over.

SHE SMELLED OF the shampoo Draco had grown to love over the short time they had been civil to each other. Her lips were soft as he kissed her, and he reached up to brush her hair out of her face. There was a dull thump as the ice bag fell to the floor, but he ignored that, and also ignored the fact that his left hand was still throbbing.

Eyes closed, he pulled away a bit, waiting for a reaction, a slap, a scream, anything, anything but silence. Silence was deafening. After a moment, though, he could feel a warm breath ghost over his face, and after another moment, a soft pair of lips touched his. He grinned against Hermione's mouth and tangled his hands in her gorgeous hair as her own hands slid round his back, pressing them closer together.

The kiss was slow and gentle, their mouths parting just a bit. The need for air still existed and they broke apart, both panting heavily.

Draco just had to laugh at Hermione's flustered look, cheeks red and hazel eyes shining. His hands were still laced in her hair and hers were still holding him comfortably. Neither spoke, not wanting to break whatever spell was being held over the place. Draco let go of her curly locks and lay back down on the bed, pulling the girl with him.

Hermione visibly stiffened and Draco knew what her worries were. He had been labeled throughout Hogwarts as a playboy, but with this girl, he wouldn't do that. Not with Hermione.

"It's okay," he whispered into her hair. "I swear that I won't do anything."

Hermione smiled and relaxed. "I know," she replied, resting her head on his chest. "I'm just not used to…this. Are you going to, um…stay here?" Draco could practically hear the blush in her voice and he laughed.

"Of course," he said softly. "Anything for you."