Love Matters, Love is Real, Love is Life

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger were all aboard the Hogwarts Express, a train that brought them to their school, Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry. That's right, they were all wizards, all fifteen, and all in their fifth year at Hogwarts. The train had left the station minutes ago. Harry and Ron were deeply involved in a conversation about Quidditch, a national sport played on broomsticks. All wizards Muggle or not played it. Harry was absently pushing messy, black bangs over a thin lightning shaped scar on his forehead. Ron, with his flaming red hair and freckles, was vividly describing a Ramming Pull, which was apparently the hardest thing to do in Quidditch.

Hermione didn't know and didn't particularly care. All this talk about Quidditch was boring her. She muttered a few words of excuse and walked on, looking for something to do. She had been involved with a Quidditch player on the international Bulgaria team. Viktor Krum, but over the summer they broke up. Hermione was probably going to be quite popular this year.

Hermione, not only became more grown up (or mature, a word we love to use so much!) but she became much prettier. Her brown hair was now curlier, and sleeker. She had grown a few inches and was now much taller than the short shy girl she had been before. Her brown eyes had taken to sparkle and he complexion was perfect.

As Hermione went up the train she met the trolley lady, who offered her some goodies form the trolley. "try our new Quidditch candy, it's very good!" But Hermione politely told her that she wasn't hungry and left. She was wandering around in search of Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, or someone else to talk to. "Well if it isn't Mudblood Granger. Lost Potty and Weasel?" a sneering voice reached her ears. She whirled around to face Draco Malfoy, their archenemy. Crabbe and Goyle, two very stupid boys worshipped him and followed him like puppy dogs were not there. And Draco looked very strange without them. "Where are your stupid cronies?" she asked coldly.

"Not here, another carriage I suppose, now why would you be lurking around here when Potty and Weasel are all the way up there. Have a fight I suppose, has the mudblood lost her friends?" Draco asked his eyes maliciously shining.

"At least I have friends to fight with," She retorted.

"I suppose two mindless idiots are your best friends?" Malfoy snarled.

Hermione looked at Draco coolly, though her eyes blazed. 'if you're talking about Crabbe and Goyle, their not my friends, their your idiots." Hermione swept out of the train passage and made a point of turning at Malfoy. He was amazed at seeing the fire in her eyes, much more attractive than a lot of things. He slapped himself mentally. She was a Muggle and he was pureblood. It would not work.

Hermione was amazed. Had she just felt what she thought she had felt? A little drawn to Malfoy, the boy she had her friends had spent trying to get in trouble. His eyes were almost silver and misty. She shook her head. Of course not. Just a little crazy. But it had been nice. She went back to her carriage.

Harry and Ron had barely noticed that she had left. They were still jabbering excitedly. Now Harry was describing a Wulling Tromp which was apparently a move he had learned from Krum, not one used much, but very hard.

The train arrived at the station on time to see Hagrid, a half giant and best friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione. "All Firs' years this way!" he shouted holding up a lantern. It was a nice evening. Not at all wet. The carriages waiting to take them up to the castle were in front of the station. Draco was searching for his friends and was pushed up on the carriage Hermione and Harry and Ron were in. He was careful not to meet eyes with Hermione. He pushed his way put first and ran up to the castle. "Whats with him?" Ron asked puzzled.

As they filed inside the Great Hall they stared in awe at the big Ceiling, which was bewitched to look like the sky. Candles were floating in air lighting the whole Hall with a fluorescent-like light. They sat down waiting patiently for Dumbledore to say his opening speech.

"Students and Friends." He began. "It is my pleasure to begin yet another happy year at Hogwarts. The third floor corridor will still be out of bounds and Mr. Filch's list of banned things have reached a total of 413 objects and anyone who wishes to view the list may see it outside his office." His eyes briefly flitted over to Fred and George Weasley, brothers to Ron. "The forbidden forest is also out of bounds due to some very dangerous things. That is all." He sat down after fiddling with his seven-foot long beard.

Professor McGonagall was now taking a roll of parchment from her robe and put the Sorting Hat on a stool. The tapped it with her wand and it opened it's brim wide to sing the particular sorting song.

There was loud applause and names were called and houses were named. No one was paying much attention though. Hermione was annoyed that her eyes kept glancing at Draco, who at last had found his cronies. Even if she did like him, which she didn't (!), he probably never would like her. After all had he not called her a mudblood, the foulest most awful name to call a Muggle? Oh well, it must have been lust.

Draco, though he wasn't looking, had Hermione etched in his mind. She was prettier than before. And he supposed she could be nicer. After all weren't two boys her best friends? Soon it was time for bed and he went up to his common room after telling the sliding wall that the password was Pureblooding would it matter if he did like her? His mother wouldn't object, but father? Well his opinion was something that didn't particularly interest him. His mother was very sweet, but how she hadn't rubbed off on Malfoy no one knew. Oh well.

Malfoy... Malfoy. The name appeared in her dreams. A dream of seeing Malfoy, silver lights blazing pale blond hair slicked back. He was a dream boy. Something Hermione wanted and didn't want. Something that could mean a lot to her and something she could treat like dirt. She sighed and turned over. Would anyone find out she liked A Slytherin?

Breakfast started the next morning. Hermione silently ate her toast and thought of Malfoy. Malfoy. Malfoy. That was something that she couldn't and didn't try to get off her mind. She wondered, if maybe, just maybe he was thinking of her. The very thought she was think of him. But why would he like me? She thought. Why would I be special to him when he calls me names? She hurried off to her Defense Against The Dark Arts.

Professor Laxon was taking over this particular lesson. He proved to be a decent teacher. DADA was turning out to be promising. But even Hermione lost her eagerness to participate. They learned about Hagons, shape shifters with one dangerous flaw, which then turned into blue snakes with very large jaws and multiple sharp teeth. They were assigned to draw a picture of a shape shifter with a flaw, and then the snake it turned into. Then Potions came next. Hermione was dreading it and looking forward to it. Draco would be there, and Draco would be there. Cute Draco, and Annoying Draco. Could he be looking forward to Potions too?

Draco wasn't looking forward to Potions, though he was looking forward to Care of Magical Creatures. Then he would see Hermione without someone badmouthing her. Snape would be sure to at least throw one insult at Hermione and take at least five points away from Gryffindor. He didn't want that to happen because of Hermione. He had dreamed about her last night. She was standing with the night sky and blue moon behind her, brown hair flying in the wind. Eyes looking shyly at Malfoy. He had loved the dream. He loved her. He had just taken his time to realize it. Maybe she loved him too. But what would everyone say? Was she really that perfect?

Hermione went through the classes like a ghost. She barely remembered anything, which was a first. She was looking forward to CMC. She would see someone special. She didn't tell anyone just yet. Then CMC came

"All right everyone gather 'round and look at this." Hagrid told his class. So the Gryffindors and slytherins crept forward and looked cautiously at the paddock. Then they saw the most beautiful creatures. They were like birds. White feathers seemed to sparkle and fathomless brown eyes reminded Draco of Hermione. "Now yuh see them and soon yuh can go and pet 'em. Not dangerous at all." Hagrid said a little disappointed. " The creatures are formerly known as the creatures o' love, they are."

It went by swimmingly. Then night came and Hermione went to bed hoping to sleep. But she couldn't. So she left for a midnight walk, praying that she wouldn't be seen. She had a soft green nightgown on. It reached a little below her knees and was thin. It was sleeveless. It was just a bit chilly. She folded her arms and walked down the corridor. Then she met someone she never thought she would.

Malfoy was waiting till everyone went to bed then he crept out. He wandered around the passage thinking. Then he bumped into HER. "Hermione." He breathed. She looked up and blushed deeply. "Draco."

He walked causally over to her. "Hi. Fancy seeing you."

Hermione smiled. "Do you roam around often at night?" she asked softly

"Only when such lovely company I shall meet." He said

" Oh Draco... I'd never thought I'd see you being nice."

Draco frowned suddenly. "That... forget about it."

"Forgotten." Hermione was almost as tall as him suddenly rubbed her arms hard.

"What happened?" Draco asked

"Just a little cold." Hermione smiled warming his heart.

"Here take my robe." Draco took off his dressing robe revealing pajamas in Slytherin colors. Probably silk.

"Oh thank you, won't you be cold?"

"Naw, we're tough stuff." Draco said flexing his muscles lightly. He laughed. Not a snicker, an honest-to-goodness laugh.

Hermione suddenly looked beautiful, more beautiful than he remembered her. He didn't it on instinct. He leaned forward and gave her a little kiss. Her eyes went up to his and she knew just then that this was something that didn't matter if you were pureblood, or Gryffindor. It just mattered that it happened. Hermione rested herself against Draco. She closed her eyes and sighed.