This is an updated version of this chapter because originally it was quite short and I didn't like it when I re-read it so I added bits in and I hope I've made it better. Please tell me in a review if you think it's good or not x

Ignorance

Chapter 1-Irresistable

Draco's POV:

Hermione Granger was annoying me once again. It wasn't so much as what she was doing. It was what she wasn't doing. She wasn't looking at me. Again! Obviously, this was odd behaviour. Almost every girl in school found me irresistible, but not her. Why? What was it about my fourth year self that she didn't find appealing?

"Mr Malfoy, could you please pay attention!" Professor McGonagall barked sharply. I whipped my head forward to face her instantly so that no-one would catch me looking at Granger. However, McGonagall had already returned to teaching the lesson and was taking no further notice of me. I allowed myself another quick glance at Granger. She was looking at me. I smirked evilly at her; satisfied that she had turned to see me. She shot me an angry expression in return and focused back on McGonagall with a slightly flushed face. I didn't feel that it was necessary to check on her again during Transfiguration; I had already confirmed that even Hermione mudblood Granger couldn't ignore me.

It was dinner time. All the lessons for the day had finished and everyone had filed into the Great Hall. It was an extremely large room with four long tables spread across it. At the front of the room, there was a small stage which held another, slightly shorter table for the professors of Hogwarts-the magical school that I attended. Candles filled the air, floating around our heads and the ceiling was bewitched to look like the real sky above it. I sat at the table nearest to the wall on the left hand side of the room-the Slytherin table. There were carved patterns around the edges of it, all of them were coloured green and silver-as these were the house colours. The plates and cutlery were also the same-silver with green rims around the edge. During the Tri-Wizard Tournament, we had adopted the boys from Durmstrang Wizarding School onto our table. All of them were large boys with broad shoulders and looked much older than they said they were. I didn't speak to them a lot because I didn't really see the point. There was nothing of value in it for me. Except Viktor Krum, him I occasionally spoke to. He was a very famous seeker in Quidditch and we had acknowledged each other as people that would be useful for us to know. I-being a Malfoy-was very respected in the Wizarding world. Therefore he had sought me out. Viktor wasn't too bad to be around-he was quite dim but so was everyone else I spoke to. What I couldn't comprehend was his fascination with Hermione Granger. There was nothing special about her bushy brown hair. Nor was there anything exciting about her chocolate brown eyes. No not chocolate-mud. Muddy brown eyes just like her blood. I glanced along the table to see Viktor watching Granger once again. Shaking my head I turned to Blaise Zabini-my best friend and the only other intelligent person nearby.

"I just don't understand him." I said plainly. Not caring if Viktor heard.

"Who?" Blaise replied.

"Krum of course. He spends all of his time staring at the mudblood, it makes absolutely no sense."

"Maybe he likes lion mane hairstyles?"

I chuckled. We ate in silence then for a few minutes. I was wrapped up in my thoughts-the ones that I never shared with anyone. Most of them revolved around Granger. I just didn't understand her or why anyone would want to be around her. I couldn't explain to myself why these thoughts buzzed around in my head let alone to someone else, so I never voiced them. I allowed Blaise to hear a few of them on rare occasions but he never helped me to answer my questions. We had both finished our food before either one of us said anything. It was Blaise who began speaking first.

"What do you think Snape wants us for then?"

"What do you mean?"

"Honestly Draco, do you ever listen in Transfiguration? McGonagall told us something important. " He shook his head fondly.

"You know I don't. What did she say?"

"She said that 'each of you are required to report to your head of house straight after dinner near their classrooms.' But she didn't say why. So Snape wants us basically." He mimicked Professor McGonagall's brisk Scottish accent perfectly.

"All of us together?"

"Well each house together yeah."

"Merlin this will be fun." I sighed, sarcasm dripping heavily from my lips. Pushing my white blonde hair-which I wore hanging forward now-out of my eyes, I stood up and began to make my way out of the Great Hall. Blaise followed at my heels like a loyal dog. But he was my favourite out of all of my 'dogs'. We sauntered through the hallways in the direction of the potions classroom. Several pairs of eyes followed us. As we walked past the staircases, we were politely greeted by many of the moving photographs. I ignored them.

"Where are the students from the other schools supposed to go?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Probably to their headmasters."

"Good, I was getting sick of them hanging around us." I smiled to myself. Blaise shook his head as we continued across the grounds and down more hallways.

When we finally reached the potions classroom almost half of Slytherin house were already waiting outside-gossiping loudly. I hated their mindless chatter. It was so unimportant considering the information that I had overhead my father talking about the previous summer. I shouldn't have been eavesdropping-it was dangerous. But for now I was safe. And none of the idiots in this school would know what was going on before it was too late-for all of us. At the sudden silence I glanced up to see Professor Snape striding down the corridor, his flowing black cloak whipping around him. His expression remained cold and bitter as I stared at him with fury in my silvery grey eyes. How could he continue with his life as if nothing was wrong? He knew what was to happen just as well as I did. I was only keeping up the facade because otherwise I would probably be killed. He had no need to do so. He went straight into the classroom and emerged seconds later holding the door open.

"In now." He barked. The Slytherin students began dashing into the room, their green and silver uniforms becoming nothing but fuzzy blurs of colour. I entered last with Blaise to see that the potions tables had been levitated into the air and replaced by individual seats around the edges of the room. The tables floated neatly above our heads on their own. The room appeared very spacious now and at the end of the room there was an old record player with a giant silver horn attached to it. We had better not be using that record player. If we were then I would have to hurt someone.

"Sit." Snape's snarling voice echoed off the stone walls.

The huddles of nattering girls disbanded and they took their seats on one side of the room while the boys occupied the others. The room was filled with silence. Leaning back in my chair, I let out a sigh of boredom. Snape's eyes flitted to me for a split second as he glided up the middle of the room. When he reached the end, he turned slowly on his heel to face us.

"I have some news that will no doubt irritate all of those that do not wish to comply." He drawled seeming bored. So I wasn't the only one. The other students watched him carefully, confusion evident on their faces.

"The school is having a ball. The Yule Ball comes hand in hand with the Tri-Wizard Tournament and takes place over the Christmas holidays-in one month's time." A series of groans echoed around the room. But most of the girls sat straighter in their seats and began eyeing some of the boys. I watched as several pairs of hopeful eyes rested on me. Irritated, I looked at the ground.

"It is a tradition that must be upheld so I strongly suggest that you do not return home for Christmas this year. You will be required to formally ask a partner to the Ball as there will of course be dancing." Professor Snape's thin lips twitched up at the corners, clearly happy that he doesn't have to find a 'date'. I sank lower in my seat. There was no doubt that my mother would send me some ridiculous robes that have been passed down my family line. And I would be made to attend by my father. He was a firm believer in upholding tradition-even for a Death Eater. But I would much rather sit in the common room on my own.

"Now the headmaster has asked me to teach you how to dance properly for this occasion. But I will not be doing that. So pay attention to the video." He moved to the back of the room-near the door-and tapped on a rusty tape player. It projected an old film onto the wall across. We sat in silence as a male voice guided us through the steps to the dance. A demonstration was given but I payed no attention to any of it. I already knew how to dance in this way. My mother had taught me before she and father held a small family ball some years ago. Whilst I watched the stone floor, I heard a whirring noise as the video alerted us that it was over. I glanced up to Professor Snape. He was marching over to the door and when he reached it, he held it open with his long arm. We took this as our signal to leave so we all stood up and hurried out of the classroom. Snape allowed each student to exit without giving them a second glance. However when I came to the door, he placed a hand on my shoulder to stop me. Quizzically, I looked to him. His urgent eyes bore into mine; as if he was trying to tell me something. But I shrugged his hand off and glared back at him for a few seconds before storming out of the room. He knew that I had heard. I didn't want his warnings though. Did he actually think I was stupid? I knew of the danger that I was in and I didn't need him trying to care for me.

As we were leaving, Blaise tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to face him.

"Did you notice how many girls were watching you in there?" It was more of a statement than an answer-he knew that I always noticed. I watched a group of Slytherin third year girls amble out of the potions classroom behind us and hurry past us with their heads close together, whispering about the ball. I simply nodded.

"So who're you going to go with?" He tried.

"Preferably nobody."

"But you heard what Snape sa..." But I cut him off.

"If someone asks me then I'll oblige but I'm not going to be inviting anyone to go with me. And didn't you see Snape? He doesn't actually care."

"Alright. But what was that thing with Snape at the door all about? He gave you a really weird look." He prodded wearily. I bit my tongue. He couldn't know because it was too dangerous for anyone to know. I wasn't even supposed to know. I was going to make sure that Blaise was as safe as possible-he was my best friend after all.

"I don't really know Blaise. But you know Snape; he's a bit of a creep." Anger surged inside of me at the thought of him. How dare he even stay at Hogwarts.

We made our way back across the grounds and entered the courtyard which was outside the entrance to the headmaster's office on our way to the common room. There I saw Hermione Granger sat on the fountain bench with Viktor Krum. The water shot out of the top and trickled down the sides, creating a gentle rain-like sound. My walking stopped for a moment and I shook my head in disgust. Blaise tugged on my arm to get me moving again. However, I kept an eye on the quiet pair as we passed. Viktor was sat rather close to Granger, his head stooped low to reach her level. She sat facing him with her hand lightly in his, blushing a deep crimson. Slowly, her gaze drifted away from Krum as she noticed us walking past. Her jaw dropped slightly in surprise and she looked back at Krum. After noticing her distraction, Krum lifted his head to acknowledge us and gave a curt nod. I scowled disapprovingly at them before quickening my pace. Why was he spending so much time around her? It was embarrassing really. As I travelled through the corridors and down into the dungeons with Blaise at my side, we didn't speak a word to each other. Silence followed our footsteps. Soon we entered the bitter cold, dark dungeon corridor that we would find the entrance to our common room in. The sound of our footsteps started to bounce off the walls; which amplified them as we rushed along. Water dripped slowly from the damp walls-due to the lake surrounding us-onto the floor with light thuds. The dripping often made me feel insane. Then we arrived at the cells of Hogwarts. These were no longer used for their original purpose but instead as the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Glancing at Blaise, I walked over to the correct wall and muttered the password to it. Instantly, it sprang to life. The heavy stone wall scraped across the floor without making any sound at all. As soon as we crossed through the entrance to Slytherin common room, we were hit in the face by a wall of intense heat. It rolled over our skin pleasantly and made me feel at home. Most people believed that the Slytherin common room would be depressing and cold-but really it was as warm and inviting as all of the other common rooms. My eyes wandered uninterested around the room out of habit. The long room was quite full today. Almost every silk green armchair was occupied and the fire was roaring at the far end of the room. I walked past the crowds of people and settled into the bay window that looked out into the depths of the lake. I enjoyed sitting here to observe the creatures of the lake-I had even seen merpeople occasionally swimming past. Sea green water plants crawled up the walls and floated out in front of the thick glass. Blaise had followed me over to the window but he hadn't sat down, instead he was leaning against the wall to watch me. But I ignored him. Slowly I pressed my face against the cool glass, the slight moisture forming icy water droplets against my forehead. Then he spoke.

"Stop sulking will you, that scowl hasn't left your face since we saw Krum with Granger. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were jealous." He teased with a glint in his brown eyes. A small sigh escaped my lips. It irritated me to have to explain myself to him.

"I'm not jealous. I just don't approve. Granger is a mudblood; Krum shouldn't be spending time with her. But he hangs around her like flies around rubbish. It's just irritating. And I don't see why Granger likes him but she doesn't even look at me. He's actually not good-looking; he's practically bald! Have you seen his hair? No you haven't because he hasn't got any!" My tone suddenly became loud and bitter. Blaise recoiled as if I had slapped him and the few other people in the common room turned to stare.

"Draco calm down. Not every girl likes you. And besides, you can't have her anyway. You're a pure-blood that's too proud and she's a mudblood who hates your guts. It'd never work." He lowered his voice so that it was gentle and practically a whisper.

"Whatever, I don't care Blaise." I heaved myself off the window, held up my hands on either side of my head and began to walk backwards. "I'm going to bed."

"Aren't you going to do your homework?"

"Nope."

I saw him shake his head as I ascended the winding stairs to my room. Pushing open the door, I walked forward a few paces and flopped on my green bed. With little effort I yanked the silky, soft, green curtains around my bed and lay in the midst of the green fog. Thinking about what Blaise had said caused me to scowl again. What did he mean I can't have her? I'm Draco Malfoy. I can have anything or anyone I want. Who was he to tell me I couldn't? And I could certainly have Hermione Granger if I really wanted her.

Hermione's POV:

Viktor Krum smiled at me before waving and walking away towards the lake-where the Durmstrang boat was floating. As soon as he was out of my sight, my hand flew to my head and I sat back down on the fountain bench. He had just invited me to the Yule Ball with him. I had said yes. Why had I said yes? I didn't like him really; he was much too old and not very good at participating in conversation. I suppose I was just afraid of not having someone to go with. He wasn't too bad though for a famous wizard. At least he wasn't like Malfoy. Arrogant; mean; vain. Yes at least he wasn't like that. But he also wasn't as attractive as Draco...