"Don't forget, it's your turn to do the corridor patrols tonight," Hermione reminded Draco Malfoy as she grabbed her heavy loa

"Don't forget, it's your turn to do the corridor patrols tonight," Hermione reminded Draco Malfoy as she grabbed her heavy load of books and walked out of the communal area of the head student's dormitory. Malfoy had mellowed a little since last year…ok mellowed a lot. Hermione was glad because now he was much easier to work with.

They weren't quite friends but since Malfoy had lost Crabbe and Goyle he seemed more amiable to her company. She relished being head girl of Hogwarts even if that meant that she had to spend much of her time with the sullen slytherin.

"Hermione!" someone called to her as she clambered out of the portrait into the corridor.

"Hello Ron," she smiled, "Hello Lavender," she said as an after thought to the slender girl on Ron's arm.

Cricket….cricket

"Well we should get going." Lavender said pulling Ron away. Ron looked a little confused like he hadn't noticed the awkward silence between them. He complied with Lavender.

Malfoy walked past just then, laughing, he was laughing at her. Hermione felt her blood pressure start to rise quickly, he only made it worse by whistling a tune that sounded suspiciously like 'Weasly is our King' as he sauntered past her and down the corridor.

"Shut it Malfoy" she growled,

He turned with a humourous grin and shrugged,

"What?...It's a catchy tune" he called walking away down the corridor. She couldn't help but smile, when he had left of course, she didn't want him to know she found anything he said amusing.

"Give me that!" she growled, snatching a fanged Frisbee from some second years when she reclaimed some of her senses.

Her classes that day were disastrous, she had gotten an A- in her potions class and then even worse, she got a question wrong in Ancient Runes. Thanks goodness Malfoy was on corridor duty tonight, she definitely needed an early night. She slumped in the sofa in front of the fire in the common room, at the opposite end was Malfoy. Why did he have to be everywhere?

"Bad day Granger?" he commented, looking bored.

"The worst! Professor Slughorn gave me an A- in potions, I mean, there was nothing wrong with that potion I made at all….how could he.."

Malfoy held up a hand to stop her.

"An A-?" he said incredulously,

"I know! I can't believe it!" she agreed misunderstanding him completely.

"That's the problem with you Granger, you need to relax sometimes," he stretched out on the sofa as if to demonstrate.

"No offence Malfoy, but, if I relax, I'll end up with grades like yours…"she said with a look of badly disguised horror at the thought.

"Excuse me while I get back to my life," she snapped caustically, pulling up a huge book unto her lap and pulling it open at the right section, she began to read and pretend that Malfoy wasn't there.

"Yeah, Hermione…I…" he started but she cut him off.

"What?!" she snapped, "So suddenly you care if I'm a little stressed? When did I stop being a 'mudblood'?" She spat angrily. She did start to regret it, Malfoy's face now wore a look as if she had slapped him. He looked so much like a small child.

"Fine…I'm sorry" he said quietly, standing up and walking away. When had Malfoy ever apologised to anyone, EVER? Had been abducted by aliens and replaced with a human?

Hermione rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"I'm sorry Draco, come back," she relented and called him back to the sofa he complied.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not used to you being…so nice," she said, burying her eyes in the book on her lap so she didn't have to look at him.

"Well I'll never be a goody like you or Potty, but those things I said were wrong, and I'm sorry,"

She scowled lightly at the reference of one of her best friends, 'Potty' –perhaps not that much had changed, he and Harry still hated each other as much as ever.

Malfoy was getting uncomfortably close to her now,

"Grang…Hermione…I…"

He was interrupted by a panting and sweating filch climbing through the portrait. Malfoy looked frustrated, but Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, if he had of crossed that extra Inch and kissed her, she didn't think she would have stopped him.