"I loved dinner. It was delicious now we have to get ready to take the perfects to the evening training, right?" Hermione asked Draco as they left the dining room together towards their common room.

"If I'm not bad, yes. We have to go to potions class... we'll do better... I hope" he responded with some humor to Hermione.

They were walking down the steps when they heard an angry shout behind them.

"Hermione!" Ron shouted from behind them-"where do you think you're going with... HIM?" His angry face and tone of voice was all she needed to know that Ronald was jealous... again.

"I'm going to OUR common room to get ready and then take the new perfects to potions class" She had taken him aside so Malfoy wouldn't hear anything.

"Ohhh, no, you and him? No, you're not going anywhere together." Ron grabbed Hermione's hand but she broke away. Her face showed the surprise and disappointment she had because Ron treated her this way.

"No? What do you mean no!? I thought I made it very clear to you at the Burrow! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DECIDE FOR ME! Leave me alone!" She began to cry. Hermione wanted Ron to put aside his jealousy and support her in whatever she chose, but instead of showing that he showed the opposite.

She took Draco's hand and began to run towards the astronomy tower. Ron did not follow her because he had just realized what he had done.

Hermione could not see her way, the truth is, she thought she was going to her tower where the common room of the Caretakers was but Draco knew that was wrong. Draco just followed Hermione without telling her she was going in the wrong direction (both because he knew it was better for her to notice and because he was afraid of her when she was angry).

When she reached the top and saw that she was in the wrong tower she let go of Draco's hand and collapsed on the ground while crying inconsolably. How could it be that the boy she once loved treated her like this? Why didn't he realize that they weren't going to get back together? Her soul felt broken and her heart hurt and then... someone was hugging her. She lifted her face from his hands and saw Draco at her side comforting her and hugging her. For a moment no one spoke and after a few minutes of silence Malfoy spoke.

"I'm sorry, if I hadn't been with you Weasley wouldn't have..." Hermione knocked him down and said angrily

"No! It's not your fault. Ronald doesn't understand that I don't love him anymore and his stupid jealousy isn't helping him much. You have nothing to do with this, don't blame yourself for something you didn't do." She threw herself at him and hugged him. Her arms were around Malfoy's neck and her tears stopped. She felt safe with him. When she hugged him she smelled the same scent she had smelled on the train when she arrived, green apple and cinnamon. She couldn't deny that he smelled very good.

Draco for his part didn't know how to react. The girl he once hated was hugging him. He didn't want to keep lying to himself about what he really felt for Hermione but would she give him a chance to enter her heart? It was better for now to stay quiet. He hugged her and smelled her perfume, wild flowers and festivities. That smell suited her well.

After a while the two separated and looked into each other's eyes. Did they both feel the same? Could it be possible? Hermione decided to look away and ask,

"Thanks Draco, Wh-what time is it?"

"Uh? Oh that, we have half an hour left for potions class, don't... don't worry Mione." He stood up and extended his hand to lift her up too. Hermione accepted Draco's hand, she couldn't believe it, he had just called her by her nickname that very few used. Not even Harry Potter himself called her that way. The two of them walked to their tower guided by Malfoy.

"If you'll allow me, this is the real way to our common room. Ladies first, right?" He opened the door and let her in first then he went inside. She quickly lit the fire and told Hermione to go wash her face.

"Don't let anyone see you like this. You look like you just cried." Hermione laughed and took a shower taking advantage of the situation. 'If Ron is going to make me cry, let his actions be of some use' she thought over and over again.

When she got out of the shower she stood in front of her wardrobe and opened it. A white blouse and a pink sweater caught her attention immediately. She put them on and then put on a pair of dark blue jeans. She came out and saw Draco reading Anne of Green Gables. She laughed a little and asked him,

"Which part are you going to?" She sat down next to him because he was on the big armchair.

"The part where this... Guilbert gets hit by... Anne after making a joke about her red hair. She must be a Weasley in disguise in the Muggle world." He looked very focused. When he turned to look at her he started laughing.

"What is so funny Drake?" She looked at him strangely and oddly.

"Sorry but... it's just... I remembered our third year... You know, when... you punched me on the face. You were wearing a sweater of the same color!" he said between laughs trying to calm down. "By the way, that hurt."

"I hadn't noticed that detail and I'm sorry. I think we should head to potions class now." The two got up and left. They decided that it was quicker to get to class if they used the secret passages so they used them and were the first to arrive.

Not many arrived, it was about five fourth and fifth year students. After everyone arrived Professor Slughorn walked in with a big smile of enthusiasm. The class started and Hermione taught them several important facts. Draco showed them how to do their work and told them how much they had to keep in their grades to keep the title of Perfect. After this quick lesson they sent everyone to bed. Draco and Hermione were each reading on their own when they saw something odd in their tower.