To the End of the Earth and Back [[Hr/D romance]]

Chapter Six

I had spent weeks trying to get him off of my mind. No one knew that I had been dreaming about him. No one will ever know that I dreamt of him. I hate that I keep thinking about him. It kills me to know that I have been thinking about someone who doesn't even respect me! I didn't want to think about him or even acknowledge his existance. Knowing that he was wasting precious space upset me more than anything. Then, as if he knew that I hated him, he started trying to make things better between us. He was nice to me when we were in the carriage. He didn't really say anything to me and when he did, it was just to make sure that I was okay. He was being sincere too. If he wasn't, he sure acted it well enough.

We spent the rest of the night together. We were only walking around the castle and making sure that everything was going well. The first night back is always a quiet one while everyone settles back into the life of the castle. It was still nice. It felt comfortable. I didn't feel like he was going to do anything to me. I actually felt like he was going to protect me if something bad was going to happen.

We even had a conversation. Like, an actual conversation. He told me about the Malfoy Manor. I actually feel a little bad for him. It also makes him make a little sense. His childhood explains his darkness. He covers his undying depression with anger and being ride to anyone that he had a reason to dislike. I told him what it was like to grow up as a muggle. He would never be able to do it. He doesn't have to tell me that.

I don't want to like him. I don't want anything to do with him. I'm supposed to hate him! Why don't I hate him anymore?

Hermione looked at the words that she wrote and shook her head. "Invisibilis," she whispered before closing the diary and stuffing it under her mattress, rolling over, and falling right to sleep.

Draco, on the other hand, continued to stare at the ceiling as he laid on his back. Usually, he would be able to fall asleep easily even though almost every boy in his room snored. Tonight, after his time with Hermione, he was even more confused than he had been before.

"I've heard stories about The Burrow. Are they true?" Draco had asked.

"Excuse me?" Hermione replied, turning to look over at him. She had been enjoying their silence. It made her not hate him. At least, she didn't hate him for that moment. When he was silent and she didn't have to think about what he had put her through over the years, she actually thought that he could be cute. He was rather attractive, actually. He didn't even have that look on his face like he just walked into a room where a dead animal has been for months.

Draco's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink as he looked away from Hermione and down a dark corridor. "I try not to touch upon Weasley's house because I've never been to it or even seen pictures of it. All I have heard are stories about it; how it's cluttered with muggle junk because his father is absolutely obsessed with muggles, how it looks like more floors were added with each kid that they had. I even heard that they keep some sort of animal in the attic."

Hermione snorted with laughter and looked over at Draco, a smile on her face. "Sorry," she said as she tried to convey that she wasn't laughing at him. "First off, he keeps his fascination in the garage. Only on occasion with something of muggle origin make it into the house and most times that was only because I brought the object into the house. Yes, floors were added to it but at least the additions give the house character. Honestly, it probably looks more welcoming than most manors. No offense."

Draco let out a sigh. "None taken."

"And as for the animal in the attic, it's a ghoul," she said. "It's annoying and makes a horrible racket. I only have to really hear the ghoul when I'm in Ron's room." She tried to keep a straight face as she looked over at Draco and saw him grimace at her words. She wanted to know what it was that was going through his mind at that moment for him to make a face. "Before you get any ideas, I sleep in Ginny's room. I'm only in Ron's room when we're all awake."

Draco nodded his head and glanced over at Hermione before quickly turning away. He didn't want to think about Hermione being in Weasley's room. They probably weren't alone, Harry would be there. Did that make the thoughts any better? Not even close!

"Are you okay?" Hermioned questioned.

"What?" Draco replied.

"You have gotten rather quiet. You had spent the first ten minutes of this speaking and now you have been dead quiet since I mentioned being in Ron's..."

"Shove it. I'm fine," Draco responded. He glanced over at Hermione who continued to keep from looking at him. She had to try to keep the smirk that kept trying to come to her lips from appearing. He, on the other hand, had to try to keep his cheeks from turning pink. All he had been thinking of for the past few months was Hermione and now she put the image in his head of her in another boy's room. It shouldn't bother him. They weren't even friends. They were barely even acquaintences. But it bothered him.

"If you say so," she said before they fell quiet. The rest of the night was filled with soft banter every couple of minutes and silence.

"I love you!" he yelled.

She smiled at him and moved forward towards him. She looked like a spirit floating in the air in front of him. He wanted to touch her. Slowly, he reached his hand out. She moved so that her cheek was resting in his hand. Her feet were planted on the ground and she had a smile glued to her face. "Say it again," she said.

"I love you," he whispered, shocked that she was staying there. He thought that she would have run off and away from him. He didn't deserve her. He knew that he didn't deserve her. He wanted her more than anything in the world, though, and was going to take complete advantage of her standing in front of him. "Please, I have loved you for years. I just...I just didn't know how to tell you! You are everything my family despises which is probably why I have kept this hidden for years. But, I  am madly in love with you!"

The aura around her began to glow brighter as her happiness swelled. "I have been waiting years to hear you say that," she said, her body growing solid. As she went from just being an apparition to being a solid, human-being, she lost her balance, falling into him. Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her just as her lips collided with his. They both were jolted by an electric spark that ran through them, shared with their lips.

Draco awoke with a jolt. He and Hermione had kissed. She had become whole in front of him. She had accepted his love. She loved him too. But it was only a dream. It was just another crazy dream that he had had. He didn't understand. He was positive that once he came back to school, he would stop thinking about her like that and the dreams were sure to stop. But this dream was stronger than the ones that he was used to. She kissed him. His lips got to touch hers. It was magical.

Slowly, he moved into a sitting position, swung his feet over his bed, and started to get ready for a day of being lazy and picking on the first years that started to bother him since his was a prefect. He looked around the room at his friends who were still snoring away. He refused to wake anyone up. He didn't want to be with anyone that could possibly find out about his crush on Hermione Granger.

The next morning, Hermione made her way down to the Great Hall to grab something to eat. Normally, they would recieve their class schedule, go retrieve the books and other supplies that they needed, then go to class. Today, however, was Saturday. So, instead of going to class, they were going to get their schedules and continue to have a lazy afternoon.

After running her fingers through her hair, she walked into the Great Hall and made her way to the Gryffindor table. As she sat, her eyes locked on the gray eyes of Draco Malfoy across the room. His eyes didn't move from hers.

"Hi," she lipped.

"Hi," he responded.

"Hermione! Can I sit here?" Jelltra asked.

Hermione broke eye contact with Draco and nodded her head at the first year. Almost immediately, the girl started rambling. She now understood what Harry must have gone through with the Creevy brothers.

Draco continued to look at Hermione for a few minutes before moving his attention to the food that was on his plate.