Another one shot from me- some Draco x Hermione here. Just recently I’ve really started to like this paring.

Well here it is.

“Filthy Moodblood!”

Hermione sat as his words rang hollowly through her head. Had she really been so naive? Did she think Draco Malfoy; the Draco Malfoy could really ever change? Had she really made herself believe that? It seemed foolish at the notion now that she thought about it. Sure he had been different in the chambers they were forced to share as head boy and head girl, but had she really expected him to be that way in front of his stupid friends?

Apparently she had- seeing that tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. Frustrated with herself- she stormed around her chambers again trying to get the pent up frustration off her chest. She hated this feeling that was so new to her. This pressure that built on her chest when she looked at him, the tension that was in the air whenever things went silent. She hated how he made her feel with every glance and every laugh….

“Ah!” She cried out gripping her hair tightly in her fingers and pulling it over her face as she planted herself on her bed again.

What had she gotten herself into? Had she really, despite her best friend’s views, despite everything that had happened the past six years, fallen for Draco Malfoy?

The lagging feeling in her mind told her yes- and that only frustrated her even more.

He was a death eater for crying out loud- he had told her so himself. And she was a member of the order? How could that work? Even wracking her mind for any possible solution nothing came to mind- there was no possible solution. And that frustrated her more. She had no right to want anything more then the sort of acquaintanceship they had seemed to build over the year (much to the dismay of Ron and Harry). She shouldn’t want anymore- it wasn’t logical… It wasn’t much of anything.

She had tried to convince herself a while ago that it was a school girl’s crush. An infatuation that would pass. She had told herself that over and over again in an attempt to convince herself of that very thing. But now, as Christmas approached, telling herself that hurt her heart more and more.

Just as the words he had spoken that day had nearly broken her heart.

She let out a long sigh as she let go of her hair and looked out her window onto the grounds she had spent the greater majority of the last seven years of her life occupying. And it left a bitter taste in her mouth. This was her last year- and it was half over.

Maybe she could make it the last half of the year without a disaster with Malfoy erupting. Maybe she could get through it- and if she did she would never have to see him again and everything would be over and done with.

Maybe she could date someone else? Ron fancied her, right…?

The thought made her shutter.

No offense- but a friend she had known and thought of as a brother for that long could not be thought of as anything more. He was more like family then anything else and his attempts to win her over were not working…

But maybe, just maybe she could date him- just for a few months- and then she could leave him when school ended. It would distract her…

But it ripped a hole in her heart as she curled into a ball.

As of right now, Malfoy was the only one in her heart.

And it hurt to say so.

Suddenly there was a loud rapping knock on her door.

“Grange- I mean, Hermione! Open up, please!” It was Draco.

“Why would I do that you little ferret!” She croaked- slightly surprised that her voice was cracking.

“Hermione!” The voice was almost pathetically whining now. “I just want to apologize.”

She sighed- knowing that if begged long enough she would let him in. Might as well give up the fight now and get the awkward conversation over with.

“Fine!” She snapped- getting up and throwing the door open before trudging off to her bed and plopping back down.

There stood Draco Malfoy, his blonde hair slightly ruffled and falling into his crystal blue eyes. His appearance made her heart stop- like it always did when she would first lay eyes on him. She snapped out of it quickly.

“Just say it so you can leave,” She snapped quickly- putting her head down.

“Why are you so-?”

“Mad? Maybe because I thought of you as my friend Draco! Maybe because I thought you had grown up a little this year! I guess I was wrong!” She cried into her legs- refusing to lift her head.

She was ashamed to say that there were tears in her eyes. She didn’t want to admit to him that he had such a strong effect on her. She didn’t want him to have any idea of what he did to her.

“I’m sorry, alright? I’m so used to it- it really just slipped out. You have every right to be mad at me… I know I said I would change!” He sounded clearly irritated that he had to apologize.

“You don’t even care- so don’t bother!” She snapped. She was breaking her own heart just by speaking- she was too over emotional right now and she knew she should stop.

“What are you talking about?”

She paused- and finally lifted her head off her knees and saw the surprised look on his face when he saw her eyes were red and blotchy and filled to the brim with tears.

“I’m saying- you don’t give a shit- so don’t you dare pretend you do Mister Malfoy!” She barked before wiping away her tears away with her hand.

God she felt like an idiot. She was sitting here crying because he had yelled at her. She was a proud independent girl and had always tried to keep up that image. And now one boy, who had been her enemy for many years, brought her strong outer shell crumbling around her. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to ignore the idiocy that she was forcing upon herself in the form of love.

She admitted it- even if it was only to herself. Somehow she had fallen deeply in love with Draco Malfoy.

She felt a hand on her head and was surprised to see Draco standing over her- a puzzled yet sympathetic look on his face.

“I mean it, I am sorry.” He said, an almost sad look crossing his face.

This was the new side of Malfoy she loved- the side that cared. He had started this year- it was a softer side. One she was sure he never showed to his Slytherin friends. It was a side that generally showed caring for his fellow humans.

One he often showed when they were alone.

“Really, I was an idiot, I didn’t realize you would get so upset,” He strained with his words as he looked at her.

“It’s alright,” She said in a hushed tone as she looked down. She didn’t know why she was forgiving him, she had no reason to. He showed that he was still the jerk from the previous six years. He showed that when it came down to it- he was still a Malfoy. But with his hand placed so lovingly on her head she had no will to fight against him. She looked up at him with loving eyes and met his confused ones.

“Why am I getting the feeling something is still wrong?” He asked. She only smiled slightly and looked at him.

“Don’t worry about it,” She answered- trying not to let her defenses down. But the urge to grab him and cry into his chest was getting stronger. Suddenly the tone of his voice changed.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to do that?” He snapped in his usual Draco tone. Like when he was frustrated.

Her heart skipped a beat and he realized exactly what he had said.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Are you that slow? Top girl in your class and you can’t realize it! You seem to lack common sense.”

Hermione felt herself go red.

“I’m not slow!”

“You seem to be slow in some issues!”

“Well excuse me! Excuse me that I’m slow on some things!”

“You aren’t making this easy!”

“What easy?”

“Hermione! I care about you!”

She felt her heart stop again looking into his eyes.

“I can’t explain it, you are insufferable and a know-it-all. Sometimes I can’t stand you and other times you are always on my mind- does that make any sense?!” He removed his hand from her head and ran in through his bleach blonde hair.

It was now or never- she felt in now as she pushed herself up on her knees and her hands wrapped tightly in his cloak as he turned to face her.

“Hermione, what?”

She pressed his lips tightly to hers and felt more tears spill down her cheeks.

It may never work but right now she was in the arms of her only one.

Not great- but I like it. Please review.