Summary:

Harry and his friends are in their sixth year at Hogwarts. Cho wants Harry back and is willing to do anything. Draco and her conspire with each other to do something, because Draco wants a pretty intelligent witch to himself, and not for Harry to keep.

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Chapter 1: The first incident

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She was so beautiful. Picking up her book gracefully of the floor. Placing it in her bag. Harry looked at her for a fraction of a second and then hoisted his own bag over his shoulder. They were on their way to their Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

"Hermione lets go. We're going to be the last ones for Hagrid's class" said Ron irritably.

"Sorry Ron I just couldn't find my book for it." Hermione snapped.

They said nothing else and walked along the grounds towards Hagrid's hut. The day was as cheery as any January day could be. It was cloudy white and the sun was hiding beyond all the clouds, unseen by the students.

"Well gather 'round an' quiet down now. Ok. I know yeh've seen these last year, o'ny today we'll be goin' a bit further with 'em. Now take a bowtruckle from these crates here. I got enough fer one to three of yeh." Said Hagrid happily to the students.

After they said 'hello' to Hagrid, Ron got the nearest bowtruckle he spotted and carelessly picked it up, practically squashing it in his big hands, because it kept moving.

"Ron stop squeezing it!" Said Hermione looking at the bowtruckle in between Ron's hands. Ron gave the bowtruckle to Harry. Who took it, though wasn't to keen on it, since their fingers were long and needle like though quite fragile.

Half an hour later they were doing what Hagrid told them to. They were to use their books if it helped them, and just what they had learned last year, which made Harry very glad to be partnered with Hermione, and thought that Ron would most likely be thinking along the same lines. Hagrid set them to examine the bowtruckles, this task, he said would be useful, so they could know how to deal with them if they needed to in the future.

"You know what I still can't believe that that oaf is still here teaching us." Malfoy's voice came to Harry, Hermione, and Ron, since he and his two cronies were not far from them. Harry's face contorted with anger. "I thought with Umbridge here he'd be long gone, but that hag went and got herself kicked out of here too."

"Harry don't pay attention to him, just ignore them." Said Hermione. Harry wished she would of kept talking so he could focus on something else rather than Malfoy's cold voice. He didn't notice he was now squeezing the bowtruckle in his hands.

"Hey Ron, yeh ain't doin' nothin' come an' help me with these." Hagrid asked brightly pointing to a box. Ron looked at Hermione and Harry and gave them a puzzled look then went to Hagrid.

"Yeah my father is trying out a few different tactics to get him kicked out with other useless lumps." He was squeezing the bowtruckle even more now. Harry's blood was boiling, he knew that Malfoy was talking about Lupin, who accepted his new teaching post. He thought it would help and give Harry some moral support to be there, Sirius's death being just the year before.

Hermione was examining one of the bowtruckles fingers carefully trying to detect whether it was broken. "Harry you're squashing it. Stop it!" but too late the bowtruckle other long fingers ripped her robe at the bottom of the sleeve, and also cut her fingers deeply. "Ow!" She gasped. Her fingers were bleeding freely down to the tips and blood was drooping on the grass.

"Hermione I'm sorry." Said Harry alarmed.

"It's fine, you're hand is bleeding too." Then she went over to her bag and pulled out a Gryffindor colored handkerchief. "Here." She put it in Harry's hand which was stretched out a bit because he had given it a quick look when she said that it was bleeding too. Harry wasn't aware of taking the handkerchief from her, he just looked at her. Her hand was covered with the torn piece from her sleeve.

"What? No. You're hand is bleeding way worse than mine." But the handkerchief was already covered in blood.

"Here Granger you can have mine." Malfoy was handing her a very clean and white handkerchief which was outlined in Slytherin green and on a corner there were his initials stitched in cursive. The bottom of them outlined with a slithering snake. Hermione was about to take it, but something told her clearly that it wasn't like her to do so. She knew perfectly well that Harry and Ron would boil if she did. Besides she definitely didn't trust anything Malfoy would give her, or any other Slytherin for that matter. "But then you might want to take yours back, since it's covered with his half blood. That can only be an improvement to your mudblood —?"

Hermione blinked taking in what he had said and glared at him hard.

Harry's fists were clenched and he automatically stepped in front of Hermione. He was very angry, but he couldn't pick a fight with Malfoy, not in Hagrid's class. This was definitely taking all his self control.

"Malfoy get out of here!" Demanded Hermione, stepping in front of Harry, she was well aware of what could happen. "I don't need anything from you. Just leave!" She stood tall. Damn, she was small, but not when she was angry. She stood as tall as a giant. Her stare made anyone squirm, under it. But Malfoy was not fussed. He liked the mudblood for her way of showing her temperamental side. Her mood swings made her unpredictable, which was funny, since to Draco she was totally predictable; she was a book loving, know-it-all. But as Malfoy found out if you were reason for her wrath, you might just get smacked squarely in the jaw, or fix you with an unmoving gaze, that made you prefer being lynched. Malfoy's silver hair fell to his matching eyes as he looked down at her. His furtive face turned into an evil little smile and he walked away.

"Hermione let me take you Madam Pomfrey, she can fix your hand." Said Harry, he felt guilty, because he couldn't control his anger, again.

"Don't worry. I'll go now, after I tell Hagrid. The bell's about to ring in around five minutes anyway. I'm sure Pomfrey can sort this out quickly," she said holding out her hand. "Just meet me back in the common room." Harry watched her go up to the grounds to the entrance of the castle. He had unconsciously always watched her leave his sight safely before returning to whatever he was doing.

Hermione was down the corridor leading to the Hospital Wing when she heard the bell ring. She went inside and Madam Pomfrey was there just finished making a bed.

"Miss Granger what's that in your hand?" Hermione held out her hand and said "bowtruckles." Madam Pomfrey nodded and motioned for her to sit on a bed.

"I'll be right back. This is a nasty cut." She said briskly and walked away to bring her things to heal Hermione's hand.

When she came back Madam Pomfrey started to un wrap the torn piece of Hermione's robes from her hand. Muttering angrily to herself. "Oh Hagrid" she said shaking her head. Hermione looked down at her bloody hand and then looked up when she heard someone sniffing.

"Yes?" Asked Madam Pomfrey.

"Mam. I hurt my finger." Said pug-faced Pansy Parkinson in her stupid girly baby voice. She was accompanied by Malfoy.

Hermione looked back down to her bleeding hand and so did Malfoy, before he stared at her face which was half hidden behind a few locks of her soft chestnut curls.

Madam Pomfrey sighed in an annoyed sort of way. "Excuse me Miss Granger. Just hold this cloth to your hand." Hermione nodded.

"Now Parkinson, let me see your finger..."

Malfoy kept watching Hermione and when she looked up she found him looking at her with great coldness. His grey eyes bore into her brown ones and she looked back down quickly, still feeling his gaze on her, making her shiver.

"Parkinson this is nothing," said Madam Pomfrey.

"Mam. It hurts a lot. It was those stupid bowtruckles. Look at it, it's huge." Indeed Pansy was an idiot. Her "huge cut" was a tiny speck. Like the cut of a needle or safety pin at the tip of a finger.

Madam Pomfrey shook her head impatiently. "Then you'll have to wait until I'm done with Miss Granger." She said walking away from them and going to Hermione, but no way was Pansy letting a mudblood go before her.

"Madam Pomfrey it really hurts. I'll bleed to death before you're done with her." She said her bottom lip trembling dramatically. (Madam Pomfrey shook her head and left to heal Hermione first anyway.) Malfoy had to admit Pansy was very stupid. He even wondered himself why he was even there, but then he looked at Hermione across on the other bed.

Something made him want to keep looking at her. He had no clue why. He loathed her. He was superior to her. His father always said scum like her didn't deserve to live, or breath the same air he did.

When Madam Pomfrey finished healing Hermione's hand she gave her a polite 'thank you' before leaving not looking at Malfoy, but minding her own business thinking she had to go finish her Transfiguration homework.

Obviously Pansy's finger had stopped bleeding long before Madam Pomfrey had finished with Hermione. So Malfoy and the pug face left after that.

Malfoy could just make out her form turning a corner, and out of his sight. Something made him want to follow her, he resisted thinking he was being very stupid for letting his mind wander off on useless thoughts.

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