Hi! this is my first fanfiction, thank you for reading this story. english is not my main language so i'm deeply sorry for any grammatical errors. I'll try my best to make it as good as possible. and if you want to beta this story just pm me, i think i need a beta. Thank you once again.

I hope this is better than the previous one.. I add more detail into this.

Draco Malfoy stood in the corner of the room, as Hermione Granger walked down the stairs all eyes were on her. She walked down the stairs gracefully wearing a pink dress; waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs was one of the champions, Viktor Krum. He was staring at her with mesmerized eyes. Hermione took Krum's hand, and they began to make their way to the ball walking past many people including her best friends, the-boy-who-lived and the Weasel, who seemed to be shocked by her appearance.

Draco could hear almost everyone around him was whispering about the champion and his date to the ball, even some of Krum's fan girls glared dangerously to Hermione ever since their idol offered his hand to her. Draco and Pansy Parkinson was also in shock, Pansy could not even say a word while Draco was just standing there like an idiot. He could not believe that Hermione Granger would grow up to be like this; the mudblood who beats him in almost every class, the brightest witch of her age, and the one who can get to his nerves easily to be like this, almost perfect. Her date was Victor Krum. A talented quidditch player, also one of the best seekers to play for his country's team. Draco thought that Hermione was not like most of the girls who just swoon over Krum's charm, but maybe he did not know her well enough.

People around him were dancing with their partner. Pansy is bothered with something Draco did not know so, he just ignores her. She nudged Draco, she was trying to get him to dance with her but when Draco did not make a move she was furious and had stormed off to find another date. Draco Malfoy was not in the mood to dance, and he has a reputation to keep. Quietly, he walked away from the sheer laugh and the flashy light.

During his trip to the library, he saw someone in the bathroom; since the door was not closed properly, Draco peeked through it. He found someone was sitting on the floor, the man was wearing an oversized clothes; he was holding a bottleful of disgusting liquid, Draco couldn't stop looking, the man's gestures was strange. He seemed a bit mad, Draco thought. He does not know who it was; Draco was intrigued to find a mad man inside Hogwarts. Wait until my father hears about this, the old man will be in trouble, he thought.

The man did not realize someone is watching him, so he keeps on stirring his cauldron. Green gas was floating up from his cauldron. Draco realizes he has to go right now, but he saw something on the floor right next to the mad man, an eyeball just like Professor Moody's artificial eyeball. Terror embraced him. He almost screamed but nothing came out from his throat, he could not move as if he was glued to the floor. He was scared, he wanted to run straight to Dumbledore's office to report this but he can't move, and just when he think this couldn't get any worse he saw something; a black tattoo with a skull and a snake on the man's arm, just like his father's tattoo.

Suddenly, he hears a footstep from behind him. Draco turns his head only to find a crying Hermione there. He tried to warn her, he told her to run but she could not hear him. She was only a step from him now; the man inside is still making his potion. Finally, Draco found strength and he grabbed Hermione right beside him just before the eyeball look straight to where Hermione was standing before.

Hermione could not breathe, someone had covered her mouth with a hand, panic took over her; she started to kick around to get some air.

"Ssh.. " A voice came from the dark

"Mmmh! Mmhme gohhh!" She was still trying to breathe

"Listen, Listen to me. Try to be quiet; Granger or we're both as good as dead." It was Malfoy's voice; she recognized that voice. She shook her head and stopped kicking around, that made Draco sure enough to release her mouth. "Okay, explain!" She was yelling through her whisper.

"Look, right over there.. No. Do not come in there, the man's dangerous, Granger. No, absolutely not. Just wait and see.." Hermione wanted to just went straight inside and stun him; Draco warned her not to do that, he knew how dangerous a man with that tattoo could be, especially if he had successfully get inside the wall of Hogwarts.

"He's brewing the polyjuice potion, Malfoy we have got to go to Dumbledore. Now."

"Granger, let's get out of here first." Malfoy had drag Hermione out of the corridor and went straight to the library with her.

The library was empty, a perfect place to talk about what Hermione and Draco just seen. Hermione pulled a chair and sat on it, Draco did the same. Both were waiting for the other to speak first and the first five minutes was extremely awkward; no one speak.

"Are we just going to sit here in silence, Malfoy? don't you realize how important it is to go to Dumbledore and told him about this." Hermione can't stand the silence between them

"I would, but there's something you don't know."

"Tell me then."

"I can't"

" Why?"

"Promise me you'll keep this a secret from Potter, Weasley, and anyone else"

"Okay, I promise to keep this a secret from Harry, Ron, and anyone else"

"Ok, Granger.. "

Hermione left immediately after that; leaving Draco and his thoughts alone in the deserted library. He decided to read something so he picked a book, opened it, and begin to read. After a while Draco realized he could not concentrate on reading it; his mind was taking him to an event earlier this year.

(flashback)

He sat there, puzzled when Granger showed up in his compartment, and out of the blue, asked him,

"Do you mind?"

"What?" He answered, as she pointed to where he was sitting.

"This is my compartment, Malfoy."

"Go sit with Potty and Weasel, bugger off Granger."

"Excuse me? This is MY compartment, I put my stuffs here first and I'll sit here if I want to, you're the one who should move" she sits down right across him.

"Well then we'll see how long you could survive here." Malfoy smirked as he saw that fact annoyed Hermione a bit

"We'll see, Malfoy. I'll survive"

"Why so sure?"

Hermione took a deep breath as she stare at the window, it was raining. But, sitting with him she should know that Malfoy was not one to be ignored; he tried to gain her attention with many attempts, which unfortunately failed.He knew her well enough to know that she couldn't stand an insult to muggles and her friends; sojust when she thought she had it enough, Malfoy said something about mudblood and that word build her anger immediately.

"Shut up will you."

"Annoying mudblood, how dare you tell me to shut up! I want you all vanish... Simple as that"

He smirked when he catch her speechless, his glory was short-lived because a moment after, Hermione had broke down; she silently cries and looked away from him, she directed her gaze far away through the window, there was an obvious sign of hurt shown in her eyes, he could not missed it.

He was flooded with guilt, he wanted to apologize straight away, he had made uncomfortable gestures and sweat was starting to form on his forehead even though it was raining outside and it was not hot in the compartment. He realized he had made a mistake, she punched him last year, the punch was painful enough and he knew that Hermione could hex him. There was only Hermione and he in that compartment and he had thrown that word 'Mudblood'. He had seen the effect of that word upon Hermione, not many had seen her this way. She was always that strong, stubborn, know-it-all Gryffindor who always raised her hand in class, whose friend with the-boy-who-lived. Not many had seen her in this state, when all she'd do was staring at the rain in a train ride, with tears streaming down her face, that face of hers was a heartbreaking scene, even for him to see.

"Granger." He made his move, and he cannot back down this time, not after Hermione slowly turned her head to look at him. He was nervous, never did he ever apologize to someone outside his family, to even think about it make him sick. Yet, here he was trying to apologize to a girl whom he had deeply hated since their first year.

"I, Granger, I, imsorry"

"You what?"

"imsorry" Hermione gave him no answer this time; instead, she gave him a confused look. That was a hint for him to repeat what he just said, and he understands it.

"Bloody hell, Granger. Ok, I am sorry. S-O-R-R-Y. That slows enough for you. Because I don't feel like repeating it"

"It still hurts my feeling you know, that word you said." Draco was even more nervous now but he hide it well enough that Hermione cannot see it.

"Take it or leave it, I'm not going to apologize again."

"Okay" that word is enough for Draco, his guilt was slowly fading away, his pale face was starting to ease, he knew that once she forgive him he is safe from her punch and hexes. His guilt flooded eyes was now shimmering with a slightest hint of hope and there was a small smile formed on his face, Hermione noticed this.

Then something struck Malfoy, a spell hit him. Hermione immediately took cover, thinking the Death Eaters is the one who wanted to kill her but the spell missed and it struck Malfoy instead. A certain redhead was walking on the hall when he caught a glimpse of Hermione crying, he was shocked at first but then he saw Malfoy, his greatest enemy with her.

Of course, Malfoy will always be that ignorant ferret. But, can't he at least try not to make her cry when Harry and I are not with her? Ron thought. He saw Hermione with her wand pointed at him, ready to cast a spell.

"Mione, it's me, Ron" He pointed himself and smiled

"What are you doing here, Ron?"

"I was just going to the bathroom 'Mione"

"Why did you stun him?" Hermione tried to control her voice from screaming at him

"But, he was.. He makes you cry Hermione. I was just trying to protect you"

"Ron, wow, that was flattering but, he apologized. And we don't want more problems, don't we?"

"I know, but trust me he cannot be trusted, I bet in a week he's going to make you cry again. I wouldn't want that happen, we're best friends and that's what best friends do, keeping each other happy"

"Ron," Hermione did not say anything, she just smiles at him. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Oh, right. The bathroom, blimey Hermione. I have to go, I'm sorry" He remember that he needs to go to the bathroom immediately.

"It's okay, Ron" She was laughing when he rushed off to the bathroom, almost hit a second year girl on his way.

"And now, the job must be done." Hermione sighed.She has to make Malfoy forget that he was struck with a stunning spell by Ron. Someone has to do the charm; Hermione raised her wand and cast a spell, "Ennervate."

I want to thank you Microsoft Word for this, its grammar check is really helpful :')

I revise this chapter and I put an idea into this revision so, I hope this will be more convenience to read.

Again, if you found any grammatical errors, I'm truly sorry..

Review please :D