Say Something, by A Great Big World & Christina Auguilera

It had been two weeks since the accident and Hermione was doing much better. After she had woken up, Madam Pomfrey had insisted she stay in bed for another few days, much to Hermione's displeasure and Draco's amusement. When she finally had let Hermione out of the hospital wing, she told Hermione that she had to take it easy. Hermione was not thrilled, and she insisted she was fine, but Madam Pomfrey threatened to keep her longer if she didn't do as she was told. So Hermione obliged, not wanting to miss any more classes.

   Draco smiled to himself as he packed his potions books in his bag. How anyone could be so anxious to attend classes he would never understand. But that was one of the things he loved most about Hermione. She was the smartest girl in the school and her intelligence matched his own. She truly was, the brightest witch of their age.

   Draco wasn't interested in a girl who cared more about looks than brains. He didn't want a girl who thought beauty was her only feature. Draco wanted Hermione. There. He'd admitted it. He wanted her with every bone in his body. Draco didn't fancy any of those other beautiful girls who fawned over him. Not that Hermione wasn't pretty, but he didn't want her for her beauty. He wanted her because he... he loved her. He loved her and cared about her more than he'd ever cared about another person before. But he wasn't ready to admit it to her just yet.

So, until she was able to leave the hospital wing, Draco would visit her and read to her from time to time. He avoided Potter and Weasley, which was fairly easy since the weasel didn't come to visit her very often. It hurt Hermione to know that Weasley didn't even care enough to come and visit her. Though Draco hated the weasel, he never wanted to see Hermione hurt.

Still, Draco couldn't say he wasn't happy the jerk didn't show his face. Draco was fairly certain that Weasley was still suspicious of him and Hermione. But Draco had been careful, not letting the weasel or Potter catch him when he'd visit her. The only one who knew about his and Hermione's friendship was the female Weasley. Ginny. Draco had become quite fond of the young girl and began to think of her as a younger sister. Even if she was the weasel's sister, she was nothing like him and Draco liked her attitude and spirit.

Draco made his way down to the hall towards the dungeons. He had skipped breakfast again. Draco refused to eat in the great hall without Hermione being there. Even if she was sitting at another table. But it didn't bother him much to miss meals. Besides, he wanted to get an early start on Potions this morning. Double Potions, first thing. Hermione would be able to come to this class.

Once he reached the potions classroom, Draco took his usual seat and pulled out his books. Professor Snape stood in the front of the classroom, with his back turned to Draco. He waved his wand in smooth streaks and writing appeared across the blackboard with the lesson for the day. "Good morning Mr. Malfoy." Snape said without turning around.

"Good morning, professor." Draco replied respectfully.

They remained silent for several seconds before Snape spoke again. "I presume you have seen Ms. Granger recently?"

"Erm... yes, professor." Draco said a little confused.

"I assumed so, seeing as how the two of you have become quite close as of late." Draco could almost feel Snape smirking. "She is well?"

"Yes, professor. She has recovered quite well."

Snape set his wand on the dest in the front of the room and brushed his hands off. "Very good. So I can be expecting Ms. Granger for class this morning?"

Draco nodded. "Yes sir. This is her first class since the accident."

Snape nodded and picked up a book, turning back around. Draco looked down at his book, trying to concentrate but couldn't help but be distracted. He found it quite odd that Snape would be asking about Granger. Since when did Professor Snape care about the welfare of Granger, a muggleborn Gryffindor? The muggleborn Gryffindor he had called an insufferable know-it-all for years? Though Snape was not as cold-hearted as he liked everyone to believe, he was not fond of Gryffindors. Especially a muggleborn Gryffindor. Draco could not fathom why Snape had not yet lectured him about his and Granger's friendship.

Draco froze as a shadow appeared over his desk. Slowly, he looked up without raising his head. Snape hovered above him with a scorn. Shuddering and dropping his book, Draco leaned as far back as his chair would allow as Snape raised an eyebrow. "Y... yes professor?"

Snape's lips became a thin line and he frowned. "There is something of great importance I should like to discuss with you. But now is not the time nor place. I should like to request you meet me during the next Hogsmeade weekend at the edge of the forest." Draco nodded, stunned and Snape walked to the front of the room as students began to enter he classroom.

Draco watched as his classmates, both Gryffindor and Slytherin alike filed into the classroom. He saw Potter and Weasley talking as they walked to their seats and Ginny following shyly behind. He felt quite bad for the girl after what had happened to her the previous year. Draco gave Ginny a slight smile and she returned it with a slight wave. But then something caught her attention. Draco blinked and looked to the door where Ginny had been staring and his eyes widened.

Hermione entered the room looking radiant. Draco stared at her in awe, she was positively glowing. Though she still wore the mandatory school robes, her hair was brushed and pulled into a curly pony tail. A few strands of stray hair hung down in front of her face. She wore light makeup. It was barely noticable but her lips were a little redder and there was a certain blush to her cheeks. Draco's eyes widened as he stared at her.

As the students began to take their seats, Snape intervened and raised his wand. "I think today we shall change the seating. For today's lesson we shall be having partners..." The students began pairing with others but Snape stopped them. "From the opposite houses." The students moaned and Snape continued. "This will test your ability to brew a potion under... non prefered circumstances. It will also test your ability to work with a non compatable partner."

Audible groans could be heard heard from around the room. Draco looked to the Gryffindors. Who would he be paired with? Definitely not Potter or Weasley. Maybe Ginny, hopefully Hermione. Draco looked over to Hermione who looked back and raised an eyebrow. Then, flashing him her brightest smile, Hermione made her way over and took a seat beside him. Draco's jaw dropped. So did everybody else's. He couldn't believe it. Granger pulled out her books, set them on the desk in front of her, and smiled triumphantly. Draco stared at her, stunned. What was she doing? Didn't she know she was making a scene? "What're you doing?" He hissed under his breath.

"I don't know what you mean." She whispered back, batting her lashes and trying to look innocent.

Draco tried not to think too much into it and shot a glance at Weasley. He grinned to himself when he discovered that he had been paired with Pansy. They made quite the pair, Weasley fuming with anger while Pansy whined and complained, requesting to be paired with someone else. Potter was paired with Theodore Nott, who was not a bad partner. He was capable, which would provide Potter with a higher grade than he would have gotten had he been paired with Weasley as usual. Though Draco did feel sorry for Nott.

"Mr. Malfoy..." Draco looked up. "You shall be paired with Ms. Granger, seeing as you have already been seated and are both in different houses." Snape announced and Hermione grinned. Draco smirked. But then noticed as Granger flashed Weasley a smug smile. The weasel turned red and began muttering curses under his breath. Draco squinted and looked at her oddly but shook his head and turned his attention back to Snape.

"Now class for his lesson we will be making the Girding Potion. Can anyone tell me what this potion does?" Snape began. Hermione's hand shot up and Snape raised an eyebrow. After waiting for someone else to raise their hand with no avail he finally called on her. "Yes, Ms. Granger?"

She raised her chin. "The Girding Potion is a potion that has the ability to provide prolonged endurance. If taken by vile, one to two per day, though it is not recommended to take more than two doses, the consumer will have much stronger and longer lasting endurance."

With the slight notion of an eye roll, Snape nodded. "Long winded today, aren't we Ms. Granger?" She blushed and Snape scoffed. "That is correct. Now can you tell me the list of ingredients?"

She nodded. "The ingredients consist of dragonfly thorax, flying seahorses, foxy eggs, and pixie wings used and added in that order."

"Very good." Snape said then turned to the class. "I have written the instructions and measurments of the ingredients on the board. Now please everyone pull out your couldrons so you may brew your potion. Begin."

Hermione smiled at Draco and took out their couldron. Then, gathering the ingredients needed she laid everything out in front of her. Draco noticed she kept glancing out of the corner of her eye. It bothered him that she was behaving so oddly. It worried him that the accident could have something to do with her odd behavior but then convinced himself it couldn't have. Madam Pomfrey had examined her head and said there was no permanent damage.

Shaking his head, Draco looked to the board and began to read the instructions. "Add one set of fairy wings. Heat until the potion turns turquoise. Add one measure of doxy eggs. Heat until the potion turns pink. Add the toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns red. Heat until the potion turns blue. Add toasted dragonfly thoraxes until the potion turns silver. Heat the potion until it turns red. Add three measures of doxy eggs. Add some dragonfly thoraxes. Heat the potion until it turns blue. Add three flying seahorses. Heat until the potion turns green." Hermione nodded.

After analyzing the steps, Hermione began to set out instructions. "I can start by heating the cauldron, will you toast the dragonfly thoraxes?" Draco nodded and she smiled. "Alright. Let's begin." Hermione started to brew the potion but Draco had trouble trying to concentrate. As she followed the steps, Draco noticed she kept throwing Weasley smug smiles and dirty looks whenever he would look her way. It became distracting. Before long, Draco couldn't consentrate at all. He tried to piece together what she was doing but he didn't understand it.

Then it hit him. She was trying to make the weasel jealous... of Draco! Draco closed his eyes and shook his head. If she was trying to make Weasley jealous that meant she still liked him, and wanted him to like her. Draco felt a pang of jealousy himself at the thought of her wanting Weasley. But what hurt the most was that she was using him to do it. He wanted to scream. After everything he'd been through. After admitting that he wanted to be with her, and finally convincing himself that he could have a chance. He should have known. The villain doesn't get the girl. Hero's like Potter or Weasley got the girl of their dreams... or in this case, the girl of Draco's dreams.

"Draco? Can you pass me the doxy eggs?" Granger asked, bringing Draco out of his reverie. He shook his head, without responding, and handed her the small vile. She smiled." Thanks." Draco looked at Granger. He wanted to confront her about it and ask her what was going on. Draco took a deep breath. He had to concentrate or Snape would fail him. No. That's not true. Hermione was perfectly capable of handling this potion on her own, but then he would feel bad. No. Draco was going to help her finish this potion. He could talk to her about Weasley later.

Taking his mind off of her, Draco concentrated on finishing the potion. After he finished roasting the dragonfly thoraxes, he handed them to Granger and she added them at the required amounts and times. Then, Draco stirred the potion as she added the flying seahorses and the potion turned green. He continued to stir and reduce the heat until it became a shiny golden color.

When they finished, Hermione called Snape over to check their work and he nodded. "Very good. Ten points to each of you. And you may take a vile with you for your success." Hermione beamed. She pulled out two viles to fill and offered one to Draco but he declined. He told her to keep it then packed his books and left the classroom before Snape dismissed them. Draco knew she would follow and was hoping she would. He needed to talk to her in private and she knew where he would go.

Making his way to the library, Draco made sure to pace his steps so that she could keep up. But when he reached the library, he continued walking, surprising himself. He didn't know where he was going but his feet carried him all the way to the opposite side of the castle. He walked all the way out into the courtyard before Hermione stopped him. "Draco please wait!" She called and he turned around. She looked him in the eye, her own eyes filled with concern. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed not making eye contact. "That was for him wasn't it?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You only chose me as your partner to make him mad. You sat by me because you wanted the weasel to be jealous!" Draco shouted.

Hermione looked taken aback, then an offended look crossed her face. "Is that what you thought?!"

"I saw the way you looked at him. You wanted to make him hurt. Well you succeeded, and he wasn't the only one."

"Do you have so little trust in me?" She whispered, trying to hide the evident pain but her voice betrayed her.

"Hermione, I know you care for him. You even changed yourself for him." He said, fingering a loose strand of her hair then brushing the back of his hand across her cheek as she blushed.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "You think I did this for him?"

"I'm too scared to believe otherwise." He whispered back.

Hermione stepped forward and took his hands in hers. "I did all this for you. I wanted to be near you. That's why I sat by you. I only acted that way to convince the other students that I had done it to make Ron jealous. It was the only way they wouldn't get suspicious."

"You... you wanted to sit by... me?"

"Yes, and I tried to make myself look nice today for you."

Draco hesitated, not sure if he could let himself believe it. He wanted to believe her words could be true. He let out a short breath. "But you didn't have to. You've always been beautiful." Hermione blushed and he looked down, ashamed. "Hermione I'm so sorry." He said in defeat. She tilted her head and didn't respond. Guilt and regret washed over him. He didn't deserve to be forgiven. "I ruined everything." Draco closed his eyes, expecting her to walk away... but then, she did something unexpected. Something that left him speechless. Hermione took his face in her hands and lifted his chin a fraction then slanted her head and pressed her lips against his.

Draco froze, stunned. He waited until she wrapped her arms around his neck then he leaned into the kiss. Her warm lips gently brushed his and she tilted her head, leaning against him. Draco melted. He could only think about her. The way her lips felt against his, the scent of her hair as it brushed his face, and how she fit so perfectly in his arms. He began to pull her closer and she sighed, her breath grazing his cheek and in an instant, it was over. Draco was left, out of breath, staring at Hermione with wide eyes.

Author's Note:

Well, there you have it!! The first kiss! I didn't expect to do it this soon but it just came to me and I think it worked out very well. Let me know what you thought of it in the comments! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I do apologize, this is a semi-cliffhanger but I don't think y'all can be too mad. The next one will be out soon but I'm the meantime it will give you all time to process and reread if needed! Thank you all for reading!!!