Draco didn't respond for a moment then Hermione felt him relax and his lips moved with hers. They weren't touching other than their lips, both leaning inwards. Hermione planted little kisses on his lips, feather touches and he returned them, gentle and soft. Hermione didn't have to lead the kiss for long because Draco was using his usual magic to gently make her open her mouth so he could deepen the kiss. She felt his arms go round her, pulling her closer as they both began to melt into one another. Hermione was losing herself already, her breath shallow. She just wanted to savour every moment of being this close to him again, feeling as if there had been a drought and now she could drink again.

She felt Draco pull away and was about to drag him back again when she realised her hair was wet. It was raining and it was getting heavier.

"Come on." Draco grabbed her hand and dragged her behind him along the rows of seats and down the steps to ground level. It was now coming down fast and Hermione knew they would both be soaked before they reached shelter. She ran along behind Draco who was heading for the team rooms. It was pointless though because by the time they reached them they were both drenched to the skin. Hermione looked down at herself, dripping onto the floor. Draco was shaking his head, spraying water around the room.

"I bet half the Quidditch team saw us kissing! They were still getting changed from practise! It's going to be round the school like wildfire. We need to think of a cover story." Hermione said. She then noticed that Draco had stopped what he was doing and was staring at her. She was shocked by the look on his face.

"Draco?"

"Remember our bet?"

"Which one?" Hermione could feel the cold seeping through onto her skin.

"The one where you mail your list of the hottest boys to the school?" Draco removed his cloak.

"I'm not doing that so you needed ask me to now."

"I know you won't do that and I don't expect you to. I'm just trying to make a point which is that I know you won't want any of your friends to know if we start going out. I also know you won't tell Potter or Weasley." Draco was walking towards the door. "You'll be ashamed and embarrassed because I'm Draco Malfoy and you're Hermione Granger. Bloody Romeo and Juliet!" He opened the door, it was still raining. "So you have to leave me alone, Hermione."

"You asked me to meet you tonight! Not the other way round." Hermione knew she was raising her voice but panic was setting in. "We just kissed...I don't understand...I told you I would try to stop losing my temper..."

Draco stared at her. "And I told you that you're in here..." he pointed at his head. "What I didn't tell you is that you're also in here..." he moved his finger to point at his chest. "I have no idea how that happened! I don't let people in here and you, of all people!" Draco ran his fingers through his wet hair. "Anyway, I either have to be with you, properly, out in the open or you have to leave me alone because this strange half way relationship is driving me crazy."

"I just think it's a shock and some people won't like it." Hermione tried to defend herself but she could see his point.

Draco approached her, his face angry. "I don't care about other people, Hermione! Who cares if the whole school hates the idea? It's none of their business! You were saying all the right things up in the stand and then you kissed me but the minute you think someone might have seen us you're off again!" He turned his back to her. "I mean it now. Leave me alone." He left swiftly out the door leaving Hermione staring after him.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Hermione returned to her dormitory but didn't sleep a wink. Eventually as dawn broke she gently woke Ginny and the two girls crept down to the common room. Ginny looked at Hermione anxiously before Hermione burst into tears. Eventually she managed to tell Ginny what had happened.

"Well this calls for drastic action," Ginny said. "You should publish that hot boy list, prove you mean it."

Hermione shook her head. "It's too late."

"No it's not! You heard him - he can't get you out of his head. No-one can switch their emotions off that quickly, not even Draco Malfoy. You just need to show him how you feel." Ginny nodded at her friend.

"I did show him! I kissed him. I've never done that before in my life!" Hermione felt a little sob in her throat again but she stopped as she saw the look on Ginny's face change.

"That's it!" Ginny exclaimed.

"What? What's it?"

"You kiss him again..."

Hermione interrupted her. "No."

"Let me finish. You kiss him, a proper, passionate, full-on production and you do it in front of everyone. Maybe in a lesson or the corridor..."

Hermione sat up straight in her seat and finished Ginny's sentence for her. "Or in the Great Hall."

Both girls looked at one another and a smile slowly spread across their faces. Ginny leant back in her chair.

"Genius!"

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

As Hermione approached the hall she felt herself coming out in a cold sweat. She could hear the hundreds of chattering voices and began to panic. Could she really pull this off? She felt Ginny's hand on her arm and turned to see her nodding to indicate they were about to go in.

Hermione took a large breath to try and steady herself before glancing through the door to see where Draco was. He was in his usual place, near the end of the Slytherin table. The trouble with glancing through the door was that it meant Hermione had now seen all the other pupils in the hall as well and her stomach was clenching with anxiety.

Ginny didn't let her hesitate and she grabbed her arm and forcefully dragged Hermione into the hall. The plan had been for Hermione to sit at the Gryffindor table as usual before walking over to Draco but Hermione realised if she did sit down there would be no way she would find the courage to stand up again. So she wriggled free of Ginny's grasp and started walking over towards Draco, leaving Ginny staring after her.

Hermione tried to keep her eyes focused on the Slytherin table but she couldn't help but notice pupils from the other tables staring at her. Eventually a couple of Slytherin students noticed her approach and suddenly the whole table were staring at her. She kept walking because it would have been almost as embarrassing to stop and go back now. She caught Draco's eye and he was staring at her a puzzled look on his face.

Once she was standing next to him she offered him her hand, which he stared at for a moment before looking up at her.

"Would you please come with me?" Hermione could hear her voice shaking. She had expected him to argue but he said nothing before taking her hand and letting her lead him to the front of the hall by the teachers table. Professor McGonagall had stood up but Hermione ignored her. As she and Draco turned to face the whole room it went quiet and hundreds of curious faces turned their way.

"What are we doing here?" Draco asked her in a whisper but she ignored him as well. She cleared her throat.

"Sorry to disturb your breakfast." She coughed again, trying to not catch anyone's eye. "Draco thinks I'm ashamed of him. He thinks that I would never agree to us being a couple and for everyone to know about us..." her voice trailed off slightly because she could see Draco's astonished look out of the corner of her eye. "But he's wrong. I am concerned about what you will all think of us but I won't let that stop me being with him, because I'm miserable without him. So this is my public declaration of how much I like Draco Malfoy. I like his eyes and his hair and the way he looks when he really smiles. I like his sense of humour, his wittiness, his little teasing comments. I like his arms around me, his lips on mine. In fact I don't just like that, I love it. And just in case you don't believe me I'll show you." Hermione stopped speaking and turned to a dumbstruck Draco before reaching up to him and kissing him. Draco hesitated for only a split second this time before he pulled her close and kissed her back.

The hall was silent for a few moments before a wall of noise hit them and Hermione felt Draco smile against her lips. She pulled back from him for a moment.

"Was that public enough for you?" she asked.

He grinned at her and nodded. "Yes, that was much better."

THE END

Hope you liked it. Bit soppy and romantic at the end but thought I'd be able to get away with it as the rest of the story is more light hearted. Working on my next story, hope to get first Chapter up soon. Don't forget to let me know what you thought of this chapter and the whole story - which one of my stories do you like the best? Thanks for reading...x