ok this is not my story, i'm betaing it for a friend, but ffnet is being stupid, and won't allow punctuation to go through properly.

I do not own Harry Potter or it's characters

Sorry for not updating: starting in a new school is hard. I love it, but
it really doesn't leave time for typing. Anyway, R&R, love you!

Chapter Ten: And Time Goes On

Draco was waiting for her at the top of the Hidden Tower. She had promised to
meet him the day after her date. He was facing her as she walked onto the
landing.

"Hope the date was fun, Hermione." He said, smiling.

She smiled back, forgetting once again the years of hatred they had both
lived through. "I had the best time ever! You should have been there." He laughed.
"Ok, well, you know what I mean. It would have not as been as fun if you had
been there, no offence, but I hope that everyone feels that blissful, as I
did." She stood next to him, looking out onto the landscape.

He was still laughing when he said, "Well, at least you had fun" as he ruffled her hair playfully.

"And how about you? What did you do yesterday?" She asked.

"Spent the day with the girl I love of course". He said.

Aaahh this mysterious girl who’s name you still won’t tell me?"

"That’s the one".

You’re really like her don’t you?" she said amused.

He looked shocked. No.

Hermione was taken aback. But… but... you…

I don’t really like her, Hermione. I am completely in love with her. I
just wish she would love me back the same way.

"Aww! Draco is a romantic!" She giggled. "But seriously now, how do you
know she doesn’t?"

He smiled that mysterious smile he always got when the talked about their
love lives. "I just do." He said, brushing off the question. "Do you have
that Potions essay done yet? I haven’t done it and I was wondering if you
could help me."

"Oh, yeah. Definitely!" She said. "I have it in my bag right now, here" She reached in and withdrew the essay. Setting it down on the stone
railing she started to explain the relationships between sleeping potions and
muggle drugs.


Life had never been more exhilarating to Hermione. Draco kept his promise and
stopped bullying her, Ron, and Harry. After a little while he even managed to
talk civilly with the group, but that had not been planned. He had simply been
coming over to tell Hermione he needed help with his homework.

Hermione and Draco often met on the Hidden Tower balcony, and when the snow
came around they made their own little shelter with its own fireplace, table,
two chairs and a couch, and smuggled books from their common rooms. It was
their new favorite place to hang out, with a cup of hot cocoa and their latest
essay, or an interesting book, or just talk about Hermione’s latest date
with Star.

Dates with Star became regular and exiting. He had taken her on more than one
picnic now, as well as more than one romantic dinner. They had played tag in
the dead of night once and that had been some of the most fun she had ever had. He
had enjoyed it too.

She had the feeling that Star’s family never let him have fun. When they
had first started dating he had never stopped apologizing for acting
childish or immature. She had told him enough times that he was
being stupid for apologizing that he now didn’t say anything, he just
laughed with childish glee. She loved making him laugh.

It was a snowy day and Hermione sitting up in the Dramoine shack, as they now
called it, sipping cocoa alone and writing in her HIM to Star. She was, again,
asking him to show him who he was.

LittleMissPerfect: It just doesn’t make sense to me.

StarDragon69: Does it make you feel uncomfortable?

LittleMissPerfect: No, it just makes me feel… I don’t know.

StarDragon69: I’m sorry Hermione, I just… I’m sorry, but I really
need to know that you love me.

LittleMissPerfect: I do.

StarDragon69: I want to know that for sure. To me it sounds like your just
saying that. I need to be sure.

LittleMissPerfect: Well, will you at least not use the fake voice?

StarDragon69: Do you remember the second date we had?

LittleMissPerfect: The picnic?

StarDragon69: No, the one after that one.

LittleMissPerfect: Oh! We were playing chess. I lost, but what does this
have to do with your fake voice.

StarDragon69: You remember how you said I sounded different, and I told
you I had a cold?

LittleMissPerfect: Yeah. It didn’t sound stuffed up though… Oh!

StarDragon69: Haven’t used that fake voice since. : )

Hermione was beaming. I guess he does want to let me know but how do I
show him I love him? She paused. Then that means that Draco and Star really do
sound alike!

LittleMissPerfect: Are you related to the Malfoys?

StarDragon69: Where did that come from?

LittleMissPerfect: You sound like Draco Malfoy.

StarDragon69: So I am told. Do you promise me you won’t try and find out
who I am if I tell you this?

LittleMissPerfect: Promise.

StarDragon69: We are in the same house and year.

LittleMissPerfect: You’re in Slytherin?

StarDragon69: Yes.

LittleMissPerfect: And you sound like Draco.

StarDragon69: Yes.

LittleMissPerfect: Your not Draco Malfoy are you?

She was laughing with the irony of it, thinking back to the first day that
she had become friends with the blond.

StarDragon69: He has his own love.

LittleMissPerfect: Ah.

StarDragon69: Remember; you promised not to try and find out who I am.

LittleMissPerfect: Yes, yes I know! But thank you for telling me a little
about yourself.

StarDragon69: You’re welcome. See you at midnight?

LittleMissPerfect: You leaving?

StarDragon69: Unfortunately I must.

LittleMissPerfect: Then yes, you will see me at midnight. I can’t wait.

StarDragon69: Love you.

Hermione paused, quill just barely touching the books pages.

LittleMissPerfect: Love you too.

Hurriedly she slashed an "X" into the paper, hoping that Star took her
words for the truth that they were. She had been thinking about it for a long
time now, and it had felt so right. She slammed the closed HIM onto the coffee
table, followed by her quill and ink, unknown anger bubbling up in her.

Draco stepped through the door with a flurry of snow behind him, his bag over
one shoulder, his black winder cloak and a green and silver wool scarf wrapped
warmly around him. He looked confused.

"What’s the matter Hermione?" he asked, placing his bag next to the
table, and proceeding to unwrap his scarf.

"Nothing." She lied, her voice betraying her.

"Don’t lie Hermione, I can see right through you." He chuckled, hanging
his winter gear on the peg by the door and picking up his bag again. "How
about you tell me what happened? Here, I was in Hogsmeade and thought of
you."

She took the butterbeer that her friend was holding out to her. Uncorking it
she said, "I told him I loved him" in a low voice.

"And that’s upsetting because?" He questioned.

"It’s upsetting because I don’t know if he believed me!"

"Why wouldn’t he?" Draco asked calmly.

"Because he wants proof" She said, looking down at her butterbeer. It
was already working its magic on her and warming her up. "And I just don’t
know how to prove that I mean it."

"The dance is coming up soon."

"Yeah, so?"

"Do something special."

"Like what?" she asked.

"I don’t know, but if you think of something I’ll help you with it."
He said, looking at her with silver eyes.

She stared into the fire, sipping her butterbeer and thinking about Draco’s
proposition. "I guess… I just…"

"Just what?"

" I Just don’t know what to do! The dance is only three weeks away."

"I guess. Well, you don’t have to do anything." He sounded a bit
disappointed.

"No, no, don’t get me wrong!" She said hurriedly. "It’s not that I
don’t want to do anything, or that I’m lazy, you know I’m not, it’s
just that I have no idea what to do! I want whatever it is to be really
special, but I don’t know what it’s going to be."

"Oh." He looked a bit taken aback.

"Draco, I need your help."

"With what?"

"I want this to be special for him! You have to help me."

"I said I would, didn’t I?"

"I need an idea."

You’re going to have to do that on you own Hermione." He said.

She looked at him in shock. "What?"

"If you want it to be special it has to come from you and you alone." He
said, looking directly into her eyes. He was pinning her down with his icy
stair again.

"I…I…Ok." she nodded, turning back around to the fire and continuing to
look into it again. But what?