Accepted

Chapter 1

Draco's POV:

I'd gone to Potions, and slumped down in my desk. Pansy tried to stroke my back but i shook her off & put my head down. Nothing was really the same to me anymore since Hermione had left.  

Just when that thought went into my head, the dungeon door opened, and there she was. I sat upright, brushing myself off & giving Hermione a bright smile as she walked past me to her desk. She tried to return it, but looked very unsteady.  

Slughorn was rambling on about different potions, their effects, their looks, their smells... I zoned out the first five minutes and tuned in only once every 10 to check i hadn't REALLY missed anything. I had actually been drawing the whole of my attention to Hermione this whole time.  

When Slughorn released us to make our potions, i slipped Hermione a note under her desk while everyone made a big fuss. She opened it, and i had written  

"Meet me by the Lake. This afternoon. And don't tell anyone.

-Draco" 

She flipped it over, scribbled something on the back of it, and with a cold smile, returned it to me. 

"Okay." it said. "But there better not be any surprises, or Harry's gonna hear about it.

-Hermione" 

I smiled, and confidence, appreciation, warmth, and love boiled up inside of me. I barely even noticed my hand was near the Tentacula leaves until they started snapping. And just before Potions ended and i walked out the door, i smelled a few oddly similar things: the Amortentia, which had absorbed the smell of a fresh apple, a damp room which i took as my bedroom, and a peculiar flowery fragrance, like from a bright red rose. And as i left, Hermione brushed past me, and i smelled the familiar flower-like smell, and i saw a bright scarlet-red rose sticking out from her hair...

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Hermione's POV:

I finished my lunch in the Great Hall slowly, then grabbed my things and went down to the lake. I saw Draco, already waiting for me. I gave him a look of suspicion and stopped a few feet in front of him. 

"What do you want with me, Malfoy?" i growled. He looked stunned. I had said that pretty roughly... Nevertheless, he kept the smile on his face, ran up to me, pulled me in a hug, kissed me on the forehead, and hugged me again. I pulled back almost instantly.  

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" I suppose i looked revolted, not at all the reaction he had had in mind... I saw tears well up in his eyes, so i softened, just a bit. I didn't yell, but had the same firmness in my voice.  

"Harry WILL hear about this, Draco. I told you, no surprises." He nodded, and grabbed my face in his hands, and kissed me.  

At that moment, he fell, almost as if he was jinxed or poisoned... And the moment he fell, i saw Ron standing behind him, staring at me, bewildered. He had seen everything.