Hermione's POV

I'm walking in the hallway when suddenly someone lightly pushes me up against the wall that was nearest to me. I look up in fear, not wanting to know who it is. Who I see is no surprise, Draco Malfoy. He teases me a lot, so of course I would expect him to push me against a wall eventually, but not as lightly as he did. "What do you want, Malfoy?" I ask curiously. He's been acting a little different towards me lately, not teasing me as much. I wonder what has gotten into him. "I was wondering if you'd like to," he starts but someone suddenly tackles him to the ground. It's Ron, of course, he doesn't trust Draco so he probably thought that he was hurting me or something. I don't want anyone to get hurt so I decide to interfere. "Ron stop!" I yell. "No, the ferret needs to learn not to mess with you!" Ron yells back, still hitting Draco. "Ron! He wasn't teasing or hurting me! He was just going to ask me a question!" I yell angrily. Ron stops hitting Draco and backs off, looking at me. "He just wanted to ask you a question? That's all?" He asks, clearly shocked. "Yes," I reply. "That doesn't seem like him, this is not the Draco Malfoy I know," he says, turning to look at a frightened Draco still lying on the floor in pain. "Well, maybe he's changed, he's not completely hopeless," I reply, giving Draco a quick glance. "Whatever," Ron says, stomping away. I start to approach Draco when Ron's voice startles me, "Take the stupid ferret to the hospital wing!" I nod as if answering him, even though I can't see him anymore. I kneel down to Draco and give him a good inspection. He has a lot of bruises arcoss his arms and face, and a black eye. I just don't know how to take him to the hospital wing, there's no way I can carry him. I know there has to be something, come on Hermione, think! Ah, the levitation spell! "Wingardium Leviosa," I mutter. Draco hovers a few feet off the ground and I start walking towards the hospital wing, careful to not lose my focus and cause him to fall onto the ground. I finally arrive and place him on an empty bed. Madam Pomfrey approachs me. "What happened to him?" She asks in a worried tone. "Ron beat him up," I say. "Ron Weasley?" She asks, looking surprised. "Yes," I answer. "I would have never expected Ron to do something like that," she replies, walking towards Draco's bed. "Yeah, me either," I respond. "Anyway, he's got quite a few bruises and a black eye, but I should be able to heal him up in no time, he'll just need to spend the night so his bruises will have time to fade," she announces, casting healing spells on Draco. "Okay, mind if I stay with him for a while?" I ask. "No, not at all, stay with him as long as you want, dear," she replies sweetly, leaving his bed since she's done with all the healing spells. Draco is unconscious but I still feel the urge to talk to him. "Draco, I'm sorry about Ron, he can be a little protective of me sometimes, I feel like he has feelings for me, anyway, getting off topic, I hope you feel better soon," I say, deciding to hold one of his hands in both of mine. His eyelids flutter and he moves slightly. He might be starting to regain conscienceness. His eyes open and he immediately turns to look at me. "Hermione?" He asks. "Yes," I say. He nods. "What happened?" He asks. "Ron, uh, beat you up," I say truthfully. "Oh, why?" He answers. I'm about to answer when he adds something. "No wait, I remember now," he says. I nod. "You were going to ask me something, but you never finished it because Ron interrupted," I mention. "Right, yes, well, it doesn't matter anymore, since I'm all bruised up," he replies. "Draco, your bruises will be gone by morning," I say. "Right, I'm stupid. I was going to ask you to the Yule ball but it seems like you'll be going with Ron," he says. "No, no, I'm not going with that idiot," I say matter of factly. Draco cracks a small smile, a real one. "So, Hermione Granger, would you like to accompany me to the Yule ball?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "Yes," I say, starting to feel myself blush. "To make up for what Ron did to you," I say, wanting to cover up my blush. "Aw, come on Hermione, I thought we had something there for a moment," he replies, blushing uncontrollably. I giggle and blush even harder. "You wish," I reply. "By the way you're acting, seems like it's your wish too," he replies smartly, smirking. "Maybe it is," I answer, smirking, to mimick him. "Oh, really? Now you better not be playing with me," he warns. "I'm not playing," I reply seriously. "Prove it," he says. A huge grin takes the place of my smirk as I lean in close to him and place my lips on top of his. I pull away fairly quickly, making sure it wasn't long. He looks up at me, surprised. "I wasn't expecting that, Hermione," he says, smirking happily. "I know you weren't," I say. "I liked it," he replies. I raise an eyebrow, "Oh really? Because I did too," I say. His smirk turns into a smile. I decide to sit on the empty bed next to his. "What are you doing?" He asks. "Getting comfortable," I reply simply. "Why?" He asks. "Because I'm staying here with you," I say. "Thank you," he says as he closes his eyes, probably to go to sleep. "Goodnight my cute little ferret," I whisper, hoping that he's already asleep because I don't want him to hear that embarrassing nickname I gave him. A smile creeps onto his face but he remains silent.

Draco's POV

The Yule ball is soon and I want to ask Hermione Granger. Yes, I know it seems crazy but I have been nicer to her lately so maybe there will be a chance of her saying yes. I spot Hermione walking down the hallway, I'll ask her now. I approach her and push her lightly against the wall. She looks up at me, looking frightened. But once she notices that it's me, she relaxes. "What do you want, Malfoy?" She asks, actually seeming interested to hear what I'm about to say or ask. "I was wondering if you'd like to," I start. But someone suddenly tackles me to the ground and starts hitting and slaping me. I try to figure out who my attacker is and I know it's Ron Weasley when I see a flash of red hair. "Ron stop!" I hear Hermione yell. "No, the ferret needs to learn not mess with you!" Ron yells in response, still hitting me violently. I can't fight back because my arms are pinned down by his legs. "Ron! He wasn't teasing or hurting me! He was just going to ask me a question!" Hermione yells angrily. Ron stops hitting me and backs off, looking at Hermione. "He just wanted to ask you a question? That's all?" He asks, clearly shocked. "Yes," Hermione replies. "That doesn't seem like him, this is not the Draco Malfoy I know," he says, turning to look at me, who is still lying on the floor, in pain. "Well, maybe he's changed, he's not completely hopeless," Hermione replies, giving me a quick glance. "Whatever," Ron says, stomping away. Hermione starts to approach me when Ron's voice interrupts, "Take the stupid ferret to the hospital wing!" She nods. She kneels down to me and gives me a good look. "Wingardium Leviosa," She mutters. I hover a few feet off the ground and Hermione starts walking towards the hospital wing just as I lose conscienceness. "Draco, I'm sorry about Ron, he can be a little protective of me sometimes, I feel like he has feelings for me, anyway, getting off topic, I hope you feel better soon," I hear Hermione say, just barely. I feel her wrap both of her hands around one of mine. I love it, I love her presence, her comfort. I love her. My eyelids flutter and I move slightly in attempt to regain my conscienceness. My eyes open and I immediately turn to look at Hermione. "Hermione?" I ask. "Yes," She says. I nod. "What happened?" I ask, I don't remember anything. "Ron, uh, beat you up," Hermione says truthfully. "Oh, why?" I answer. But then everything hits me, I suddenly remember everything that happened, me trying to ask Hermione to the ball and Ron interrupting, beating me up. I even remember Hermione levitating me to the hospital wing. "No wait, I remember now," I say. Hermione nods. "You were going to ask me something, but you never finished it because Ron interrupted," she mentions. Right, about the ball. But I'm all bruised up now, I'm not fit to go to a ball. "Right, yes, well, it doesn't matter anymore, since I'm all bruised up," I decide to say. "Draco, your bruises will be gone by morning," Hermione says. Right, of course, what was I thinking? The ball isn't for a few weeks, my bruises would definately be gone by then. I'm suddenly nervous to ask her, that she'll say no. So I make up another excuse. "Right, I'm stupid. I was going to ask you to the Yule ball but it seems like you'll be going with Ron," I say. "No, no, I'm not going with that idiot," She says matter of factly. I crack a small smile, a real one. That gives me hope. "So, Hermione Granger, would you like to accompany me to the Yule ball?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "Yes," She says, starting to blush. "To make up for what Ron did to you," She adds, probably wanting to cover up her blush. "Aw, come on Hermione, I thought we had something there for a moment," I reply, blushing just as much as her. She giggles and blushes even harder. "You wish," She replies. "By the way you're acting, seems like it's your wish too," I reply smartly, smirking. "Maybe it is," She answers, smirking, probably to mimick me. "Oh, really? Now you better not be playing with me," I warn. "I'm not playing," She replies seriously. "Prove it," I say. I wonder how she's going to prove it. A huge grin takes the place of her smirk just as she leans in closer to me and places her lips on top of mine. I love it, and sadly she pulls away pretty quickly, probably not wanting it to be long. I look up at her, actually surprised. "I wasn't expecting that, Hermione," I say, smirking happily. "I know you weren't," She says. "I liked it," I reply honestly. She raises an eyebrow, probably to mimick me again. "Oh really? Because I did too," She says. My smirk turns into a smile. Hermione decides to sit on the empty bed next to mine. I wonder why, so I'll ask. "What are you doing?" I ask curiously. "Getting comfortable," She replies simply. "Why?" I ask, still confused. "Because I'm staying here with you," She says sweetly. Aw, that's wonderful. I'm so happy that she's decided to stay with me. "Thank you," I say as I close my eyes to go to sleep. "Goodnight my cute little ferret," I hear her whisper. That's really cute, in my opinion. I hope she sticks with that nickname. Now I need one for her. Hmm, I can't think of any, oh well, there's always another time. A smile creeps onto my face but I remain silent, not wanting to ruin this beautiful moment between us.