Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Harry Potter or anything like that. That's all J.K. Rowlings.

A/N: So this is my new fanfic. I'd love it if you would read it and review! Criticism, Advice, Love and all that is welcome in said reviews. I'd love you all forever! Enjoy.

Prologue

"You filthy little mudblood." Draco spat.

Hermione's eyes immediately began to fill with tears, which she ferociously wiped away. The hatred in her eyes was so intense that Draco swore if looks could kill that he would be dead. For a second, the smirk fell from his face and he actually felt bad. But then he heard the laughter of his fellow Slytherins and he immediately slipped back into being the regular old Draco.

When Hermione turned and ran off, something tugged at his heart, but he ignored it and turned around to laugh at her with his friends. No matter how much he tried though, he just couldn't shake that guilty feeling in his stomach.

"I hate him Harry. I hate him so much." Hermione cried, flinging herself into her best friends arms. Harry was shaking with rage at how Draco had treated Hermione, but he realized that he needed to be there for her, so he pushed his hatred to the back of his mind and wrapped his arms around Hermione.

"Me too Hermione. Don't listen to him though. You know that you're better than he is. Blood has nothing to do with it." Harry reassured her.

"Then why does everyone make fun of me for it?" She whimpered.

"Because there's nothing else to make fun of. They have to resort to something that doesn't matter to make themselves feel better."

"If I wasn't a mudblood, do you think I'd be better at magic?"

"Don't call yourself that Hermione. But no, I don't think that blood has anything to do with it. Look at Crabbe and Goyle. They're purebloods, but they're big bumbling idiots." Harry told her. Hermione couldn't help but crack a smile at that last comment.

"Thanks Harry. You're really the best." She said, giving a small smile.

"Anytime Hermione. You know I love you." He said, wiping away the last of her tears.

….

"You foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach!" Hermione screamed.

Draco recoiled. He'd never heard such words leave Hermione's mouth, even if they weren't all that bad. Although he pretended not to be, Hermione's words actually had some affect on him. He felt his smirk falter a little, a very rare occurrence for him. He'd never been hurt by some one's low opinion of him before.

Hermione watched as Draco walked away from her. He left her incredibly confused. For a second, it looked as if she had actually hurt his feelings, although she knew that this wasn't true. Draco Malfoy's feelings never got hurt. But then again, if that was true, then why did hurt flash across his face?

Her confusion over this brought her back to the first time that Draco Malfoy had confused her. He had called her a mudblood, and for a second he actually looked sorry about it. However quick it was, it looked as if he actually felt remorse for making her cry. Of course whatever emotion was there was quickly replaced by a smirk and some laughter, but she could have sworn it was there. But none of that really mattered, because he was still Draco Malfoy, the bully that she loathed so much.

….

Hermione shoved her wand in Draco's face, her anger apparent on her face. Draco was terrified. He knew that she hated him enough to hex him into tomorrow. Hermione couldn't help but get some satisfaction out of his fear.

'Ha, who's the inferior one now?' she couldn't help but think to herself. She was really going to hex him all the way to Albania, but then that would make her like him, and that was the last thing she wanted. She lowered her wand and began to walk away.

Then she heard him laugh. That was all the provocation she needed. Hermione whirled around and punched Draco Malfoy right in his snotty, aristocratic nose. She heard a satisfying crack, and then turned and walked back to her friends. Watching Draco and his cronies run away with their tails between their legs was probably the highlight of her life.

...

Chapter 1

Hermione ran down the corridor, looking for somewhere, anywhere that she could hide. She needed to get away from them, from him. She heard voices behind her, calling her name. She ran further. She didn't want to talk to anyone. She didn't want to see anyone. She just needed to be alone.

Picking up the pace even more, she turned corner after corner, ran up and down various staircases until she was absolutely certain there was no one there. She was just rounding another corner when she hit something hard. Hermione and whatever- or whoever- toppled over and landed hard on the stone floor.

"What the- ouch!" She heard.

"Ow!" She cried as her shoulder hit hard on the floor.

"Watch where you're goi- Granger?" She heard an incredulous voice say. She looked up and saw that platinum blonde hair over those snooty aristocratic features that she hated so much. "What're you doing in the dungeons?"

"Malfoy? Great. Just what I bloody need." She muttered, wiping away her tears. She couldn't be sure if they were from the fall, or if they were from whatever it was that she had just witnessed in the Gryffindor common room.

"Are you hurt?" Draco asked in a very un-Malfoy like voice. He even went so far as to extend his hand to help her up.

"Like you care." Hermione said, ignoring his hand and forcing herself to push past the pain in her shoulder and get up on her own. Her pride wouldn't let anyone, especially Draco Malfoy, help her up after something so embarrassing. Draco shrugged it off, but after looking a little closer, he noticed that there was more than just physical pain to it. The tears tracks on her face were not fresh.

"What was your rush?" He asked, adding a little bit of snootiness to his voice.

"None of your bloody business." She spat, trying to force her way past him, but he blocked her way. "What in Merlin's name do you want?"

"What's wrong?" He asked. He didn't know why he asked, why he cared, or why he was even talking to her. He just was.

"Nothing."

"It's Weasley isn't it? He's gone and gotten some other girl now hasn't he?" Draco guessed. Hermione struggled for words.

"Wh- How- No! Ronald can do whatever he pleases. I've no say in it, nor do I care." She said, trying to sound as dignified as possible.

"Oh please Granger, everyone can see it. You're madly in love with the bloke, though Merlin knows why. He's such a twat. Plus, you just called him Ronald. You're clearly not pleased with him."

"Am not! What do you know?"

"So if I were to walk into the Gryffindor common room right now, I wouldn't see him and some girl? And if I were to ask anyone what was wrong with you, they would say it was something to do with your parents, or your cat, or homework?"

"How did you know I have a cat?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Everyone does! Stop avoiding the question Granger."

"Why do you even care Malfoy? Just let me go." She said, trying to push past him. To be honest, Draco didn't really know why he cared. He just did. But she couldn't know that.

"Fine. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your little secret, Granger."

"Oh bugger off Malfoy." She said, storming off down the hallway.

Just what she needed, even more confusing things to think about. She continued down the hall until she was positive that there was no one around. After a final look around, Hermione sank to the ground and started crying. She didn't know why she was so upset over it, it's not like she was in love with Ron. She just… it really hurt her to see him with some one else. It wasn't something that she could explain, it was just something that was.

And now after seeing Malfoy, and all that he said, she was really starting to question her feelings. Maybe she was in love with Ronald after all. She really had no idea. And to add to all this, what in Merlin's name is up with Malfoy? Acting all nice and caring? It didn't make any sense. And since when was he so observant? Does he like stalk her or something? First he knows she has a cat, then he picks up on her feelings towards Ron.

Hermione was so frustrated with herself for not being able to sort out her thoughts that she decided she had to focus on something else. She took out her wand and began to practice wordless magic.

...

Draco watched as Hermione sank to the floor with her head in her hands. She was crying so intensely that it amazed him she had been able to keep it together around him. It actually almost made him feel sorry for her. In a weird way, he kind of wanted to go up and comfort her, or something. He didn't know why. He'd never comforted anyone before, plus he hated Hermione Granger.

He watched in awe as Hermione took out her wand and, without moving her lips, conjured three birds. They were fluttering about and chirping happily when all of a sudden they went flying into the wall, exploding into dust. He looked at Hermione and saw the frustration and anger in her eyes. He was torn between being impressed at her magical abilities, and disturbed by her brutal murder of the birds.

Now that he was thinking about it, he was also kind of disturbed by his fascination her Hermione Granger.

Before he knew what he was doing though, he found himself walking over to her. He sat down next to her silently and took out his wand, focusing on doing something without words. Hermione looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything. She watched him struggle for a few minutes before speaking.

"You're trying too hard." She told him. He looked at her and gave a half smile.

"Teach me then?" He asked. Hermione gave a half smile and started talking.

A/N: What'd ya think? Let me know please :)