Everything, by Michael Bublè

"Meet me here again tomorrow?"

   And she did, and the next day, and the next day, and the day after that. They had made it a daily routine to meet at that very spot, then walk to the library together. It was always before dawn, so that they would not be seen together. Very few students would spend their mornings in the library, and the ones who did would not dare repeat what they saw for fear Draco would curse them. Though Hermione knew he would never do this, she was glad they did not snitch on her and Draco. If their secret were to be revealed nobody would look at her the same. And the same went for Draco.

   They were not ashamed of their friendship but it was safer to keep it a secret, should the Dark Lord return. There were times when Hermione would question Draco about Voldemort. She knew he knew more than he was letting on, but that was the one topic he would not open up about. So Hermione did not press him. She knew the idea of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named returning scared him. He was ashamed of his family's past alliances with the Dark Lord and their servitude to him. Even though Hermione made it clear that she did not blame him or his parents, though Hermione didn't particularly like Draco's father, Draco was still ashamed.

   So, each day when they reached the library they would sit down at their usual spot and pull out their books. Sometimes they would study, sometimes they would talk, sometimes they would just read silently, glad for one another's presence. At times she wondered what it was that started their friendship. Maybe it was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Maybe it had been her persistence or his loneliness. She wanted to know what had sparked their relationship, if that's what you could call it. Whatever it was she was glad for it. Their friendship was more important than anything to her. She enjoyed his company and he enjoyed hers, and that was all there was to it. That was all they needed.

   One day Hermione looked up at him and sighed. Malfoy looked up as well and studied her. "What is it, Granger?" He was back to calling her Granger. But, it wasn't out of spite or anger so she didn't mind so much anymore.

"I was just thinking. We've been friends for a couple of weeks now and we don't really know all that much about one another." Draco smirked and Hermione tilted her head. "What?"

"So we're friends, are we, Granger?"

Hermione growled in annoyance and smacked his arm. Then, standing slowly, she smiled and closed her book. "Well, I suppose if we aren't friends, then there's no reason for us to continue. Good day, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco cringed at the nickname and jumped up, grabbing her arm. "No, no! Alright, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

   Hermione faked an over-exaggerated gasp. "Did the Draco Malfoy just apologize... to me?! The pureblood Slytherin, Draco Malfoy, apologizing to a Gryffindor muggleborn?!"

Draco moaned and rolled his eyes. "Okay, okay, stop! What were you saying before?" She smirked and he pointed a finger at her. "Don't push your luck, Granger."

Hermione smiled smugly. "Or what, Malfoy? You won't be my friend." She made a pouty face and Draco rolled his eyes.

"You really do have a Slytherin side, don't you Granger?"

   They continued to tease each other until the original conversation came back up. "So you were saying that we don't really know each other all that well. So what do you suggest we do?" Draco asked.

"Well, I thought we could play the favorite game."

"The favorite game?" He scrunched his nose then nodded. "Alright. How did we play?"

"Pretty much we take turns asking each other what our favorite things are." When he still looked uncertain she smiled. "We've already established that we share the same favorite book. So for the next question, I'll go first. What's your favorite color?"

Draco gave her a sly grin and raised an eyebrow. "You tell me yours?"

"But that's not how the game works! I asked you first." She complained.

"Yes, but I want to hear your answer." He said with an all-too-innocent look on his face.

"That's not fair..."

"I won't answer until you do." He cut her off.

   Hermione groaned. Why did he insist on being so annoying? He looked at her expectantly until she gave in. "Fine. My favorite color is red."

Draco snorted. "Figures."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She asked.

"Well, red is the color of your house. Just goes to show that you are a pure blooded Gryffindor."

She shook her head, aggravated. "No. Not a maroon red like Gryffindor. But more of a scarlet." Draco thought on this and did not speak on it again.

   Hermione ran the end of her quill under her nose. "You never answered me." She said quirking her head. "What's your favorite color?"

He looked embarrassed then blurted out... "Green." Without hesitation.

"Hmph. Who's sticking to the status quo now?" She beamed triumphantly shaking her quill under his nose.

Draco twitched his nose and pushed her hand away. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm a true blood Slytherin." Hermione moaned and Draco sighed. "What?"

"Enough blood talk. No pure, nor true, or even half. None of that. Let's have a normal conversation." Hermione took a long breath at the end of her sentence. Draco looked down sheepishly.

Hermione gave him a small smiled, feeling bad for making him feel bad. "Your turn."

"What?"

"Your turn to ask me something."

Draco pinched his lips in a thin line. "Um... okay then. What's your favorite animal?"

"That's easy. It would be an otter."

"Why?" He hesitated. "I mean, why is it your favorite?"

"I've just always been fascinated with them. They are such cute and intimate animals. Did you know they sleep holding hands so that they don't drift apart?" She asked him excitedly.

He smiled at her enthusiasm. "No, I hadn't known that."

   Hermione went on about otters for a few moments more then asked him what his favorite animal would be. He sighed slightly then sat up a little straighter. "Well, see, my name means dragon, or serpent. That's why my father chose that name. Just another tie to Slytherin. But I've never been much of one for snakes or serpents so I suppose it would be a dragon."

"Just because your name means dragon doesn't mean it has to be your favorite animal."

"I guess not, I've just never really thought about it. I'm not given the option to choose much for myself. I've always been told what to like and what to dislike. Decisions do not come easy."

   Suddenly Hermione felt a rush of overwhelming sadness. She did not pity him but could feel his pain and had an immense need to relieve him of it. Reaching over, she placed her hand on his. Though she knew it had ought to have been an awkward moment, she did not feel uncomfortable as she would have with Ron. Draco noticed her sorrow and brightened a bit, if only for her sake. "I... I have always been fond of peacocks. They used to roam around the grounds of the manor when I was younger. But recently they've all but disappeared." She gave him a sad smile and he returned it then nodded to her. "Your turn."

Hermione brightened up a bit. "Alright. What's your favorite day of the year?" She asked. "Mine would be..."

"Christmas!" They said in unison then both burst into fits of laughter.

Draco looked amused. "Why is it yours?"

"It's always been the most magical time of the year." He arched an eyebrow and she laughed. "Oh you know what I mean. With the snow, and the lights and the mistletoe..." She blushed and he grinned bigger than she'd ever seen him smile. The heat rose to her cheeks and she growled to herself. Since when did she blush so much around a boy? Shaking her head she looked back to Draco. "Now you."

"Well, it's mine because it's the one time of the year my parents ever made me feel loved." Then noticing her expression he added quickly. "It's nothing to feel sorry about! I mean, I suppose it should be. But Christmas has my best memories. It's always been the most special time of the year because of the feeling it gave you." He gave a weak smile. "It was... magical." Draco winked and went on to ask the next question.

   After a few seconds, his eyes lit up. "Okay I've got one. What's your most beloved possession?"

She wrinkled her nose and scrunched up her eyes in thought as she searched for an answer. "Well, I suppose it would be that book." She gestured to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that was stacked underneath Prince Caspian.

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "That is your most beloved procession?" She gave him a quirked smile and nodded. "Then why would you give it to me?"

"Because, I wanted you to know that I was serious."

"Serious?" He asked, confused.

   "When I said that you could tell me anything. I gave you that book because it is a part of me. I wanted you to know that you can give me... a part of yourself." She hesitated then reached out and touched his hand. "Your safe with me, Draco." She promised him. Hermione looked him in the eye, half expecting him to go off on her. The other half hoping he trusted her enough to stay. Part of her wanted him to stay. Part of her was scared to know what would become of them if he did.

   Draco looked her in the eye and whispered under his breath. "My most prized possession would be the first snitch I ever caught."

"Doesn't Madam Hooch take every snitch after each game?"

He smirked. "Yes. It took a lot of persuading but I finally convinced her to let me keep it. I guess she found my passion for Quidditch either amusing or admirable."

"I don't know about admirable but amusing, yes." She laughed and he rolled his eyes, cracking a slight smile. Hermione knew how passionate he was about quidditch. Maybe even more so than Harry. It was something that truly brought him joy. She could see the way his face lit up when he spoke about the sport. Hermione laughed at his enthusiasm. She enjoyed seeing his real smile. So for the next hour, she allowed him to explain quidditch tactics to her and discuss formations. Every once in awhile she'd be able to help him figure out a flaw in their formations or an error in his tactics.

   Draco frowned as she pointed out a weak spot on his map of the quidditch field. "How'd you get so good at figuring this all out if you've never played?"

"It's called using my brain, Draco."

He rolled his eyes. "No, you know what I mean. I've never see you play, Granger. Why? You'd be fantastic!"

She sighed. "Because I can't ride a broom, okay?" She said, expecting him to make fun of her. Instead he smiled even brighter.

"I could teach you." He said, lifting his eyebrows up and down.

She looked at him questioningly. "What?"

"I could teach you how to ride." He said simply.

"No, no, no. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why? Because you don't trust me, or because you're scared?"

"Hm... both." She said and he looked down, defeated. His defeat was rare. He usually managed to get her sidetracked or blushing and she'd lose the arguement. Which in his case, was about half of the time.

   Draco looked up then raised one eyebrow, not willing to give up completely. "You know your helping the enemy, right?"

Hermione looked at him, slightly taken aback. "The enemy?"

"I'm still a Slytherin, remember?"

Her eyes widened. "You right!" She pulled the map away from his eyes and closed her book. "I shouldn't be helping the opposing team."

"Mm, not even for me?" He said teasingly, pulling the book from her hands. She reached over to take it back but he held it out away from her.

She let out an exaggerated gasp while reaching for the book. "Especially not you! We're supposed to be archenemies remember?!"

   Draco tried to look hurt. He looked down at her and their eyes met. "And here I'd thought things had changed between us."

Her eyes narrowed and she raised her eyebrows. "Well that all depends on how you behave. No more cursing my friends." She said, waving a finger in his face.

He pouted. "What if the weasel calls me a ferret again."

Hermione gave him a look that said, "Seriously?" She rolled her eyes. "Considering the fact that you call him weasel, I think it's only fair."

   Draco groaned and Hermione laughed. "Come on, it's time for breakfast."

"Ugh, Heerrmmiioonnee." He drew out her name in a whiny voice.

She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "What?"

He smiled at his own ability to annoying her. "I don't want to go back in there."

"In where? The Great Hall?" He nodded. "Why?"

He winced. "Pansy's being clingy again."

"Why don't you eat in the kitchen?"

"I don't want to go by myself." He said, giving her a condescending smile.

Hermione began to retort but hesitated and thought it through. She groaned and let out a long sigh. "Fine. I'll go with you. But don't think of this as a habit. It's a one time thing." He smiled, triumphantly. Hermione led the way, Draco following close behind. He was careful to keep a safe distance though. The halls were roaming with students, headed to the Great Hall for breakfast and they didn't want to be seen together.

Once they reached the portrait of the bowl of fruit Draco looked at it then back to her several times. "Now what?"

She laughed. "Watch." Then she reached out and tickled the small pear at the bottom of the bowl. The pear began to giggle and, within seconds, transformed into a large green door handle.

Draco gaped at her as she opened the door revealing the kitchens. "How'd you know to do that?"

"Being in the same house as the twins has its perks." Then she grimaced. "And it's cons." She walked into the kitchen and Draco followed cautiously after. The kitchen was almost as big as the Great Hall. It was filled with long oak tables covered in brass pots and pans and had a large fireplace with a roaring fire against the far wall. Altogether it seemed more cozy than the Great Hall. Though it was rather dark, the fire lit the room greatly and gave it a warm glow. The walls were lined with torches as well, bringing the room more light. House elves worked nonstop, cooking and cleaning and using their magic to transport the food up to the students in the Great Hall.

   Upon Hermione and Draco's arrival, all the house elves stopped working and turned to greet them. Draco looked mortified and one house elf approached them. "Hello Miss. Hermione. What can we do to help you?" The small creature said.

Hermione smiled curiously. "You know my name?" She asked, bending over to meet his great green eyes.

"Oh yes miss. Your a friend of Harry Potter's."

She smiled warmly at the creature. "Yes. I am. What's your name?"

   Suddenly, Draco stepped out of the shadows from behind her. "Dobby?"

The little house elves eyes widened. "Master D... Draco?"

Hermione stared at them with confusion until she remembered what Harry had told her. Dobby was the same house elf that told Harry about the Chamber of Secrets, and Harry had said he served the Malfoys. Dobby looked slightly frightened at the sight of Draco and Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Draco intervened. "It's alright Dobby. My father is not here."

Dobby smiled slightly and seemed to relax. "S...sorry sir. I did not mean any disrespect."

Draco nodded and Hermione tilted her head. "You know each other?" She asked, deciding to play dumb.

The house elf nodded furiously. "Oh yes, miss. I have served Master Malfoy's family for many years."

"Oh?"

"Yes miss. Master Draco was very good to me." Dobby said, grinning from ear to ear. "When he was able, of course. He allowed me to warn Harry Potter about what Lucius Malfoy was plotting against muggleborns, miss."

   Hermione's eyes widened and she spun around to face Draco. He had backed up and was making cut-off motions to Dobby. He blushed when she caught him. "You... you allowed him to warn Harry?" When he did not answer, she turned to Dobby who nodded furiously.

Draco buried his face in his hand and shook his head. "Oh Dobby. I said don't tell anybody about that."

Dobby whimpered slightly in shame. "I am sorry, sir. Though Dobby is a free elf now his alliance will remain to Master Draco. I did not mean to defy Master Malfoy, sir."

The house elf hit himself in the head, then ran over to a table and began banging his head off of it. Draco ran over and grabbed Dobby, restraining him. "Dobby, Dobby I told you not to do that to yourself anymore. It's alright. You're no longer under my service, you needn't follow any orders me or my father had given you in the past."

   Hermione stepped forward once Dobby had stopped trying to hurt himself. He shook his head, his big ears flopping as Draco released him. He blinked once then smiled. "What can I do for you Master and Mistress?"

She smiled. "We don't want to put you through any inconvenience but we were wondering if we could eat breakfast down here?"

The house elf's eyes widened and he nodded, smiling. "Yes, yes of course miss! It's no trouble!"

   It did not take long for Hermione and Draco to be seated with food set in front of them. Hermione smiled and thanked the house elves profusely then turned to Draco. "You didn't tell me that."

He froze between bites. "Tell you what?"

"That you were the one who sent Dobby."

"Oh thaaattt." Draco said, drawing out the word, and slowly brought a bite to his mouth. "I didn't mention it because it wasn't important."

"Of course it is!"

He shook his head. "Not in the eyes of anybody else. Only you would care enough to notice."

"Then why did you do it?"

   "I couldn't just let people be killed!" Then realizing what he'd said he tried to cover it up. "MoaningvMyrtle is bloody awful. We didn't need another ghost roaming these halls."

Hermione smiled to herself, remembering what Dobby had said. Draco had allowed him to warn Harry about Lucius' plot against muggleborns. "You knew it would only attack muggleborns. You were in no danger. At the time I thought you hated muggleborns."

   Draco looked taken aback. "I never hated muggleborns. I only disliked them because my father told me to." He frowned. "I was only trying to impress the other Slytherins and make my father proud. But you changed that... I did it for you, Granger."

Hermione looked at him with amazement. She had never known he'd felt this way for this long. Even in their second year? She looked up to him. "Thank you."

He snorted. "Yeah, yeah. You would do the same for me." And then she realized that she would. No matter how much she hated him she would have tried to save him. Perhaps it was not a matter of his feelings for her, maybe it was his sense of right and wrong.

Hermione sighed and took another bite. "Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you let everyone see the real you?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm a Slytherin, Granger. I've got a reputation to keep." 

Hermione groaned. It was not the truth but she would not press him. He would come to her when he was ready. She snorted into her food and giggled. "You are so annoying."

"Yet you can't stay away." She gasped and punched his arm. He yelped and she smiled triumphantly. Draco grumbled, giving her a dirty look and rubbing his arm while she scooped another bite into her mouth, ignoring him. He was so annoying, yet she wouldn't have him any other way.

Author's Note:

Hi my faithful readers and thank you for reading my latest chapter! I have had a lot of creative flow recently and have gotten a lot more writing done. So I hope you all like it, please leave comments and give this story a like!!

And for this chapters question... "Do you want to see more Dobby?"