Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!

Just Need Time - chapter 1

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There, of course, was Malfoy, standing against the rock with his group. He had made a joke towards Hagrid, the new Care for Magical Creatures teacher.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermione quietly stated, defending the sad-looking Hagrid.

"What did you say, Mudblood?" His voice was stronger and fiercer than hers, and they both knew it. Hermione slowly crept towards the crazy Slytherin boy; her eyes were catlike and defensive. Before anyone can stop her, Hermione tackled Malfoy to the ground, punching him in the nose.

"Don't you ever call me anything that foul, MALFOY!" She screamed and wrestled more with the bleeding boy. Crabbe and Goyle grabbed Hermione, but she just hung on to Malfoy. After about ten minutes, Hagrid, Crabbe, Goyle, and others finally pulled Hermione off the battered Malfoy. His blonde hair was messed up and in his gray eyes.

Hagrid dragged Hermione over to Ron and Harry, who held her back when Malfoy attempted to get up. Hagrid caught him, and Hermione hissed, "I hope I helped you break something, you spoiled pure-blood!" Hermione tried to charge at him again, but Harry, Ron, and everyone else there, knew that if she did punch Malfoy again, she would push his nose bone into his skull, killing him.

Harry thought about that, and no matter how much he hated Malfoy, he couldn't bear to see him die because of a simple nickname. Harry didn't even know what 'Mudblood' meant. And if he brought it up, could Hermione attack him like that?

Hagrid said "No more troubles, yer hear? Class-" He looked at Hermione- "dismissed for right now." Everyone started collecting their Monster Book of Monsters book, and poor Neville got bit again.

Hermione growled when she saw Hagrid helping Malfoy up to the castle. "I hope he's limping because I BROKE his ankle!"

"Are you kidding, Granger? You're too much of a goody-go-" Hermione whipped her head to face none other than Pansy Parkinson, Malfoy's ex-girlfriend.

"Come closer and I'll snap your neck," She hissed.

"More talk, huh?"

"Did you not see what I did to your ex, Pansy?" Hermione's voice sounded bitter; Pansy smirked.

"Oh yeah, I saw. And I'm pretty sure everyone will hear about it, actually,"

Pansy walked away, laughing. Ron and Harry stood confused; they didn't get it. Hermione shook free of Harry and Ron's grip, turning around and growling. "Oh my- ugh! I can't stand her, or Malfoy, for that matter!"

Harry was calm, while Ron was staring. "Bloody hell, Hermione!"

Harry said, "Alright, we get it, Hermione's strong. Can we please go to dinner? I'm starving! Plus, Hermione needs to calm down..." Hermione was huffing and puffing, trying to take her anger out on her book, which Hermione never does. "Like, a lot," He added, and Ron sniggered.

After cooling down with a glass of pumpkin juice, Hermione felt much more relaxed. She absentmindedly scrolled her brown eyes over to Slytherin table, where Malfoy was staring at her (His nose seemed to have recovered; Hermione scowled).

She snapped out of her 'trance' when Ron waved his hand in front of her face. He looked at who she was staring at, and muttered "Stay calm, Hermione...," Hermione looked over to the point-counter: Slytherin, from before the incident, had 250 points. Now, they have 200.

"That doesn't make sense...," Hermione muttered. She looked over at Gryffindor's point-counter, but it still stayed a solid 250. "Why had they lost points, when it was me who had hit him?" Hermione asked Ginny, who was sitting across the table from her.

Ginny shrugged, said "Just be happy," and continued to stab her chicken with a fork. Even though Hermione was happy, she still felt like she deserved a punishment. She had never acted like this before (mainly since no one had called her that name) and she broke the rules! Why weren't they sending her home or worse enough, remove all Gryffindor points, and make every Gryffindor mad at her? Why were they punishing Slytherin? It's not fair to them! (Not that they ever ARE fair...)

Hermione noticed that McGonagall was staring at the Gryffindor table. Her catlike eyes flickered back and forth, and Hermione could tell that McGonagall was looking for someone in particular: Hermione, herself. Hermione rolled her eyes back at Malfoy, who's gaze finally went from her, to Professor Snape, and then to the floor.

All of a sudden, a hundred (probably more) screeching owls came flooding in: it was mail time. Hermione got a message. She unrolled it, and she read it to herself:

"Granger,

You're probably thinking stupi- er, excellent Gryffindor got in trouble. Don't worry, you didn't. I swear McGonagall hates us, and loves you guys. I mean, you're on her team. If it weren't for her, you would be expelled, you filthy Mudb- Hermione. McGonagall said fifty points off of Slytherin, complete rubbish! She can't take off points, can she? Anyway, I guess the reason why I'm writing you is because I called you that, and started the fight - and because I insulted a teacher. McGonagall said I should apologize. So, I'm sorry. She also said to tell you that in person, so meet me by the Slytherin doors... And stay there, because I also need help with something. But that, I need to show you.

- Draco M."

Hermione gripped the parchment. Ron tried to look at it, so she stuck it in her bag.

It has to be a trick, thought Hermione. But then again, he did say he was sorry... And that's something Draco Malfoy does NOT do on his own.

His eyes stared back at Hermione when she turned to look. His ears were red, and they matched his cheeks. His gray eyes flooded through Hermione into her heart, enough to where she couldn't breathe. She took a drink of pumpkin juice. And another.

For one millisecond, Hermione heard her name being called by Malfoy himself. The way her he called her made her jump, spit out her pumpkin juice all over Ginny's food and cry out "What!"

The Weasley twins looked defensive. They looked at Percy Weasley and kicked him under the table.

"Percy made us tease him!" Fred said.

George chimed in. "Yeah, it was his fault for liking Penelope! We're innocent this time! We didn't start it!"

Hermione gave them a confused look and said "No, never mind. My mind went hazy. I just need time alone." and with that, Hermione got up, grabbed her stuff, and left.

Ginny mumbled "But what about my food? It's covered in spit-filled pumpkin juice!" Fred and George busted out laughing.

Hermione didn't know when she had to meet Malfoy, so she sat in the corridor between Gryffindor and Slytherin, hopefully trying to squeeze in some time by herself.

Unfortunately, she didn't get it.