Confession

"Um, would you mind if I sat here?"

Hermione looked up from her Arithmancy. A rather startling sight met her eyes. It was Draco Malfoy. Not that seeing Draco Malfoy was particularly astonishing (unless you were one of his gaggle of giggly fifth year admirers that is). After all, he was always lurking around, thinking up new ways to annoy her and her friends. No, she wasn't at all startled that Draco was standing over her. It was the fact that he was being civil to her that was alarming.

He was obviously up to something.

"What do you want?" she demanded brusquely.

"I-I just wanted to t-talk to you about something," he stammered.

Stammered? Since when did Draco Malfoy stammer? It was probably all part of his horrible new plan to humiliate her. Well, she most certainly wouldn't be falling for his pathetic frightened act.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you just want to talk to me?" she asked incredulously. "Wh-why not?" Draco replied.

Hermione let out an exasperated sigh. "Because, Malfoy, ever since I had the misfortune to meet you, you have made it your mission to make my life a misery!"

"My dear Hermione," Draco said, his voice dripping with syrupy sweetness.

"I am not your dear," she snapped. Draco arched his left eyebrow in mock-surprise. "Whose dear are you then?" Hermione was beginning to feel a little flustered. He really was the most infuriating person she had ever encountered. "Well-um-nobody's" she answered with a sigh.

"Oh dear."

"Oh for Merlin's sake Malfoy!" Hermione exclaimed, "if you're serious about wanting to talk to me would you get on with it so I don't have to put up with your idiocy any more!"

Draco allowed a satisfied smirk to fix itself across his pointed face. Hermione narrowed her eyes. He hastily rearranged his features into a more forlorn expression. "Well go on then," urged Hermione, "I'm very busy you know. I don't have time to sit here all day watching you pull weird faces."

Draco sighed. "Well...the thing is...you're friends with Potter, aren't you?"

Hermione groaned inwardly. "You better not have wasted my time just to confirm that Harry and I are friends." What on earth was he up to? He certainly was acting oddly. She almost wanted him to start lobbing insults at her.

"No," Draco said, "I just wanted to know...well does he ever talk about me? Ha-Potter, I mean."

" Well, of course he does."

Draco's face lit up. Perhaps he had been hit by a Confundus charm. "Really?" he enthused, "in what context?" Hermione was more puzzled than ever now. It wasn't a feeling she enjoyed. "What do you mean 'what context'?" she asked, "what is going on Malfoy?"

He refused to answer her, "come on Granger," he said desperately, "what does he say about me?"

Hermione sighed, evidently if she wanted to find out anything she would have to play along. "Well, the sort of things you would expect from someone you're so horrible to. 'I hate Malfoy', 'he's such a git', 'I wish he would die', things like that. He's not exactly the most articulate person." Draco looked crestfallen. "He really said that? He really hates me that much?" Hermione sighed for the third time since Draco had interrupted her work. "Yes, Malfoy, he really hates you that much." Draco Malfoy, however, didn't give up that easily. "Maybe," he said with an excited grin, "maybe he doesn't hate me at all. Maybe he secretly loves me and his hatred is just an act to get me to notice him or something. You didn't think of that one, did you Granger?"

Hermione burst into peals of hysterical laughter. Now she was sure he had been confunded. "That-" she gasped, "is-the-most-ridiculous-thing-I've-ever heard-in-my-life." Eventually she managed to regain her composure. "Oh, what are you looking so miserable for? Surely you weren't being serious, I mean, I doubt anyone would go that far to get the attention of someone they loved." She stopped when she saw the look on Draco's face. "Oh Merlin Malfoy, you don't do you? Please tell me you don't"

"I knew you'd work it out eventually," he said glumly, refusing to meet her gaze, "you're pretty smart for a Mudblood."

Hermione was too shocked to be offended.

"Since when?"

"Um, since the first time I met him," Draco replied, still staring determinedly at the carpet.

"The first time you met him?" Hermione said disbelievingly.

"Yes," Draco retorted curtly, "he was a very captivating eleven year old."

Hermione couldn't believe it. It was undoubtedly the most mind-boggling thing she had ever heard. "Do you really love him? I mean do you-" She paused for a moment, "lie awake at night thinking about him and stuff?" Draco nodded.

"And, do you...do you get that fluttery feeling when you see him?"

"All the time. You have no idea Granger. Every time I see him I get this-this warm glow thing. It's the most beautiful feeling in the world. Only for a few seconds though; as soon as he notices me he throws me a dirty look and I know-I know he will never feel the way I do." Draco hung his head hopelessly.

Hermione tried to suppress a triumphant smile. She couldn't help herself. This was Draco Malfoy after all. Unfortunately he noticed. "Oh, you're enjoying this aren't you," he said, his pallid complexion reddening slightly, "For a minute there I thought you might have understood me. Obviously not."

"I'm sorry Malfoy I really am, it's just-"

"Hermione! There you are!"

Harry and Ron had just come bounding into the library. "Told you she'd be in here," Ron remarked with a grin. Harry, however, wasn't paying any attention.

"Is he bothering you Hermione?" he asked, flashing a look of disgust at Draco.

"N-" Hermione began, but Draco cut her off.

"Like I'd waste me time," he sneered, "Now if you would move out of my way Potter, I could leave."

Ron promptly slid into Draco's seat and, with some help from Harry started animatedly telling her a rather implausible story involving Snape and a dragon-hide thong. Hermione wasn't listening; she was watching Draco. He was standing in the doorway, staring at Harry with a look of intense longing. Hermione sighed again, as she realised something with a jolt. She felt sorry for Draco Malfoy.