“Er, so, why are you taking ‘Care for Magical Creatures” anyway,” Hermione quietly asked. She could not stand the silence anymore, even if it meant that she had to talk to Malfoy. “You never seemed to like this class, or Hagrid for that matter.”

“Besides, he hasn’t really said or done anything to us all year, has he?”
“Exactly,” Ron stated as he thudded his fists on the table. An alertness was coming into his eyes, “Maybe he’s planning something. You never know with Malfoy.”

“I don’t think that is such a good idea, Granger. What would all your friends think? And by friends I mean the Great Potter and his ginger-haired sidekick,” Draco said.

“What did you say, Ronald?” Hermione asked. She really did hate it when he did not speak clearly. It was one of his more lamentable traits.

“I said will you come then?”

“Sure, it’s a date.” At this Hermione reopened her book while Ron’s ears turned a brilliant shade of red.

“Do you know what the frustrating thing is?” Malfoy said angrily from where he stood. Hermione jumped at the sudden exclamation. “The frustrating thing is not that I have changed, but that they haven’t.”

“Stop being so childish, Granger,” Draco said coaxingly, “I thought we were having a nice time until you decided to interrogate me.”

“Interrogate you?” she said, “I was just trying to make conversation. You’re the one that got all defensive.”

“Fine, how about we agree to disagree? We are excellent on doing that,” he said with a smirk.

“Healer’s school,” Draco said quietly as what seemed to be the final stone in his pocket plunked loudly into the water. “I won’t be applying anymore.”

“Of course I did. I love watching you. I don’t think I have ever seen you play better.”

Ron’s eyes shot up to meet her’s eye. There was a sudden look of panic, shock and intensity that she had never seen. “You love watching me?”