Born The Day You Kissed Me

Snow Fights and Fevers

Hermione had been full of despair when she returned to Hogwarts. Every time she turned around, something would cause her to think of her parents. Every morning, owls came and delivered packages and letters to students, and she couldn't help the few tears that slid down her cheeks when she heard them exclaim that their mum had sent them chocolates, or that their dad had written them a letter.

She hated it. She didn't like crying like this, especially in public. Ginny kept telling her not to hold back her tears, and that it was healthy to grieve. She knew Ginny was just trying to help but Hermione knew that she couldn't keep crying like this. She needed to accept what happened, hold onto what memories she had left, and continue on with her life.

Hermione was immensely relieved when classes started up again. She could immerse herself in school work and not have to worry about anything but her marks.

It was Saturday morning, and Hermione walked briskly through the corridors to the library. It was her safe haven, and the only place where she could be left in peace. She made her way to the back of the library behind the dusty bookshelves that no one visited anymore to the most deserted table she could find. She had the liberty to spread every book out all around her, while measuring out a few feet of parchment to begin her advanced transfiguration essay.

Hermione worked vigorously, and completely lost track of time. It startled her when she heard a voice out of nowhere speak to her.

"Hermione, what are you doing?"

Hermione turned around to find Ginny, wrapped comfortably in her Gryffindor scarf, with bits of snow in the wild red hair that framed her rosy cheeks.

"Hi Gin," Hermione said turning back to her paper.

Ginny sat down across from her frowning. "Hermione, it is Saturday. Our one day of absolute freedom...and you're blowing it in the library!"

"That's not true," Hermione said, finally looking up. "I still have Sunday."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm tired of seeing you sitting in the library day in and day out. Even on Saturdays. You need to stop overworking yourself," she said ruffling her hair and flinging snow everywhere. "Come with me, there is a massive snow fight going on outside!"

"I've got a lot of work to do," Hermione insisted, motioning to a mountain of books at her side.

"No you don't, I know for a fact that that essay is not due for another two weeks."

"I didn't want to wait until the last minute."

Ginny let out a silly groan of annoyance.

Hermione gave up and threw her quill down while leaning back in the wooden chair. "Ginny, it relaxes me. No, don't laugh at me! I'm serious...it reminds me that there is part of my routine that isn't broken. That there is still a part of my life that wasn't turned upside down because of what happened...."

Ginny stood up and began gathering her books.

"What are you doing?"

"You're coming with me. Isn't spending time with friends your routine as well?"

"Well...I suppose you're right," Hermione said. She felt satisfied for what she'd accomplished so far. A break didn't sound too bad. Besides, her stomach was beginning to rumble with hunger.

"Let's start by dropping off all books, schoolwork, and book bags into your room. Then we will grab a scarf, and then we will go outside, and enjoy the snow with our fellow Gryffindors."

Hermione was left with no other option than to follow her out of the deserted library, and through the empty corridors. Apparently the whole school had decided to spend the day outdoors.

They reached Hermione's room, where Ginny found hot chocolate and cookies on a tray by her bedside. She looked to Hermione with her mouth hanging opened.

"So this is the kind of treatment the Head Girl gets?"

Hermione waved her hand, "Dobby," she said, as the word explained itself.

"Okay, forget the snow, this sounds better," Ginny said pouring herself a mug and reclining against the golden laced pillows that decorated her burgundy comforter.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "I was hoping you'd say that, it's dreadfully cold outside!"

The girls chatted while sipping hot cocoa and nibbling on chocolate chip cookies, and suddenly wandered into the topic that Hermione had been avoiding for sometime.

"Tell me about the Pensive," Ginny said flat-out. "I know there's something you're not telling us."

Hermione bit her lip in hesitance.

"Fine," Ginny said, as she pulled out her wand. Accio Pensieve! Soon the Pensive was souring through the air to Ginny's outstretched hand.

"Okay, okay," Hermione said, snatching it away quickly and placing it on her nightstand behind her. "It's about Malfoy," she whispered.

"I knew it!" Ginny squealed loudly, grinning from ear to ear.

"Why are you smiling?" Hermione asked, laughing at her silly appearance.

"Because I knew it had something to do with him. The way you defended him, and talked about him...I just knew something was up," Ginny said pouring herself another cup of steaming cocoa.

"Am I that transparent?"

Ginny laughed at her astonished look. "So?" Ginny prompted excitedly.

"Well, it is basically the same story as before. I just left out the parts with Malfoy being polite to me then saving me and...and then kissing me-" Hermione tried to say but was cut off by Ginny's high pitched squeal of surprise.

"Kiss you? You kissed? You kissed Draco Malfoy?"

"Is that bad?"

Ginny's mouth was gaping open, "How was it?" she asked suddenly.

"Ginny!" Hermione said, blushing at her reaction. She spluttered for a moment, not knowing what to say before asking, "Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Yes, okay. Sorry, please continue."

But before Hermione could resume with the story, they heard a loud knock at the door.

"Granger! Granger, are you in there?" Malfoy yelled from the common room.

Heat rose in Hermione's cheeks as the topic of their conversation presented himself. She ran to her door, afraid he'd break it down if she didn't hurry.

"What Malfoy, what is it?" she asked when she managed to open her door.

"McGonagall is looking for you. There is big fight among some fourth years outside and she needs our help," he said motioning for her to follow him.

"Ginny, I'll be right back," Hermione said grabbing her cloak, and quickly following Malfoy out the door.

Ginny plopped back against her headboard. Right when Hermione was going to explain everything, she got out of it again! She was getting impatient; she was dying to know what had gone on between the two of them.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, Ginny caught sight of the Pensive on Hermione's night stand. Deciding that this was her chance to see for herself, she opened the top and dipped her head into Hermione's swirling memories....

* * *

Just as Hermione suspected, a fight had broken out between some fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins. Apparently, the Slytherins had charmed some snowballs so that whomever they hit with them, they'd turn into stone, and had purposely gone about hitting Gryffindors.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall yelled, motioning for her to hurry. "Would you please calm your house down and separate them, the same goes for you Mister Malfoy," she said while trying to perform a counter-curse on a statue of a young Gryffindor girl.

Hermione and Malfoy took off toward the group and the two managed to separated them and calm them down. After getting the story from each side (though it was obvious that the Slytherins had begun the dispute) Hermione and Malfoy sent them to their houses and reported back to McGonagall.

"The tensions between the houses are rising. Why, just the other day I had a Hufflepuff and a Gryffindor fighting in my classroom!" she ranted while the three of them made their way back into the castle. "It is getting quite out of hand, something has to be done to reunite the houses," she complained. "Well, thank you for your help, you may go."

Malfoy and Hermione watched her briskly walk towards her office.

"Where have you been all day?" Draco asked Hermione as they started walking back to their dorms.

"Oh, uhh, I've just been in the library. Well...I was until Ginny came and dragged me away," Hermione laughed.

They made small talk until they got back to their common room. "Well, I better get back to Ginny. She's probably fallen asleep on me," Hermione joked, taking her cloak off.

Suddenly, their eyes met. "Can I ask you a question?" Draco whispered stepping closer to her.

Hermione merely nodded.

Draco tilted his head towards hers, as if he were going to kiss her on the cheek. Instead, he buried his face in her hair while breathing his hot breath onto her neck.

Hermione's eyes fell closed and her lips parted as shivers raked through her body. She had no idea what he was doing, but it felt too good to stop him. She leaned her neck back to give him more room, wanting to feel his breath on more of her skin.

In moments, she felt his hands slide up her arms and into her hair.

He pulled back to look at her, and marveled at how beautiful she was. Her eyes were closed lightly and she was leaning into his hands as he lightly massaged her scalp.

"Ahhemm," they heard suddenly as they pulled away quickly. "Hi," Ginny said, making her presence known.

"Umm, I'll see you around," Hermione said to Draco not looking him in the face. She was blushing furiously at being caught and practically ran into her bedroom.

Ginny had her arms crossed as she stared at Malfoy. She had just witnessed first hand every episode that the two had shared during the holidays...this seemed to be about where they had left off. She walked closer to him, to prevent Hermione from hearing her.

"Don't you dare break her heart," she whispered as she stared at him. She kept eye contact as long as possible as she slowly turned around towards Hermione's room. She shut the door harder than she meant to for emphasis.

Hermione sat crossed legged on her bed with a pillow covering her face. "Do you absolutely hate me now?" she asked Ginny in a muffled voice as she sat down next to her.

"Why would I hate you?"

"Because! I'm attracted to a Slytherin! The king of all Slytherins! The boy who has been cruel and uncaring and unkind to us all for seven years!" Hermione said throwing the pillow on the floor.

"Well, when you put it that way," Ginny said laughing. "Hermione, you've said it yourself. He has changed, we can all see that. Ever since the beginning of term this year, he has been...tolerable."

Hermione fell back onto her bed groaning. "I'm just so drawn to him...I don't know what's wrong with me!"

Ginny pulled her up to a sitting position. "Okay, don't be mad, but while you were gone I looked in your Pensieve. I saw it all, and obviously you have feelings for each other," Ginny said, relieved that Hermione didn't Avada her on the spot.

"Feelings...oh, I don't know, it is all so complicated," Hermione said flopping back onto her bed. "Ginny, I can't believe you snooped behind my back! I should kick you out," she joked, rolling onto her stomach. Suddenly, she didn't care that Ginny had watched it, considering she had just caught them being intimate with each other. Then it occurred to her, that not only had Ginny seen her snogging Malfoy...she'd seen her parents, and the Death Eaters. "Did...did you watch all of it?"

Ginny nodded. She knew what Hermione was referring to. "Yea," she said softly. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, it was horrible."

Hermione sniffed, resting her chin in her palms. The girls sat in silent reminiscence for a while.

"Hermione," Ginny said after a long time, "I think that this thing, whatever it is, with Malfoy is worth a shot. I think that after everything, he has pretty much shown that he doesn't want to follow his father, become a Death Eater, or follow the Dark Lord. Now, if it were me, before I pursued him anymore, I would find a way to check, just to be absolutely certain."

"Check for what?"

"The Dark Mark. Check his arm. Make sure he is being truthful," Ginny said.

Hermione nodded. "I can try," she said, biting the inside of her cheeks. Deciding that it was time to change the subject she stood up and said, "Are you ready to go outside?"

"You bet I am, lets go," Ginny said standing up to put on her warm clothing.

* * *

The afternoon flew by, and before she knew it, she was eating dinner in the Great Hall. Hermione found herself stealing glances at the Slytherin table, but Malfoy was nowhere to be seen. She kept moving around to try and see over people, but still couldn't spot his blonde head.

"What are you looking at?" Ron asked her when he noticed her movement.

"More like, who are you looking for," Harry said realizing where it was she was staring.

"Uhh, nothing, nobody" she lied bowing her head. She picked up her bread and began picking at it.

Ginny changed the topic quickly before the boys could ask her anymore questions. Hermione gave her a grateful look, glad that she hadn't had to explain herself to Harry and Ron. She was by no means, ready to tell them of the feelings she harbored for the Slytherin.

Dinner was uneventful, and she made her way back to her room, promising to hang out with Harry, Ron, and Ginny all day long on Sunday.

Hermione entered the common room to find Malfoy, lounging on the couch with his head tilted back and his eyes shut. He looked utterly exhausted.

"Hello Granger," Draco said to her. His head was still tilted back and his eyes were still closed.

"Where were you at dinner?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Wasn't feeling well."

She could feel the heat coming off of him as she sat down beside him. Instinctively, she reached her hand up to feel if his forehead was hot.

His eyes shot to hers at her touch and she gasped when she felt how hot he was.

"You have a fever. You should go to the infirmary and get some medicine," Hermione said. She had yet to remove her hand.

"Just got back," he said, shaking a bottle of potion in front of her face that he'd had in his lap.

"Oh," she said. She slowly lowered her hand, but he caught it with his free one.

Draco lounged back into the sofa, and once again closed his eyes, seemingly ready to go to sleep.

"Hello?" Hermione said in mock irritation.

"Shhh, I don't feel well. I'm taking a nap," he mumbled, shivering slightly.

She attempted to get up to leave him alone, but when she tried she realized he was still holding onto her. When she tried to pry her hand away, he mumbled something. "What?" she whispered.

He pulled her closer to his side. "Stay here," he whispered back. "You're warm."

Hermione almost started to laugh. She summoned a blanket as he obviously had the chills. She reclined into the couch herself and placed their interlocking hands above the blanket. Ginny's words suddenly echoed in her head. This was her chance to make sure that Malfoy didn't carry the mark of the Dark Lord.

When she heard his steady breathing, she took her free hand and lifted the sleeve of his robe and pushed it up slowly. There lay his perfectly white skin. No blemish. No Dark Mark.

She sighed in relief and physically felt her shoulders relax. With this new knowledge, she sunk deeper into the depths of the couch and smiled when Malfoy's head leaned against her own. Soon, she too was fast asleep.