PART I

Hermione Granger walked along the second floor corridor with tears streaming down her flushed and puffy cheeks. She was pleased to find the corridor empty, though with it being late in the evening she was not surprised. However late it was though, Hermione was thankful not to meet anyone; she was rather ashamed of herself for getting in such a fragile state as it was.

A week had passed since Hermione had entered the Gryffindor common room only to find Ron thoroughly indulged in kissing Lavender Brown and it seemed that the image could not and would not leave her mind.

Feeling a new wave of grief overwhelming her, Hermione hurried into a nearby lavatory to calm down and freshen up. She was so overwhelmed with her tears that she did not realise that it was Moaning Myrtle's bathroom she was entering. Or that it might have been occupied.

o

Draco stared at himself in the cracked mirror, leaning on the basin in front of him. He had just demanded that Moaning Myrtle leave, which she had gone about loudly and stubbornly, grating at Draco's nerves even more.

He had spent another frustrating evening with the broken Vanishing Cabinet and once more he had walked away without being any closer to his goal. He found himself angry at himself, frustrated that he was alone in getting the job done and that he couldn't tell a soul exactly what he was doing.

He was alone and it was the first time it had ever bothered him.

Draco's eyes narrowed even more when he saw the door open and heard sobbing. He had almost expected it to be Moaning Myrtle though he knew that she was unable to open doors. He was therefore surprised when Hermione Granger entered the room with bloodshot eyes and puffy and wet cheeks.

Draco let out a growl as his eyes met hers in the mirror. The last thing he wanted was the filthy Gryffindor to worsen his already sour mood.

"What are you doing in here, Mudblood?" he spat venomously.

Hermione did not respond; she only knew that she was in trouble – Malfoy was positively furious at her presence. Moving her hand blindly behind her, Hermione desperately searched for the door handle, ready to pull the door open and run away from him.

Draco, noticing her actions, pulled away from the sink and turned to her, his eyes flashing dangerously as he slowly glided towards her. He watched Hermione gulp thickly, her teary eyes growing wide and terrified. In one swift movement he had his wand drawn and pointed at her.

"For a Gryffindor you're awfully skittish tonight, Granger," Malfoy sneered, pushing aside a strand of her hair with his wand.

His words seemed to summon some courage in Hermione as she let out a tiny growl, pulled away from the wall and pulled out her own wand. She pointed it straight at his face.

"Well you would be too if you were cornered by a Death Eater in the middle of a girl's lavatory," Hermione scowled.

Draco narrowed his eyes at her and glared for a moment. "Is that what Potter told you?" His voice no longer held venom but he sounded slightly unnerved. "Is that what he told you after I broke his nose?"

"Yes," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Though I doubt a coward such as you would ever be able to help Voldemort. Or perhaps that's why he wants you…"

Draco retreated slightly, still glaring at the witch in front of him. Hermione did not drop her wand.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand, Mudblood," Draco sneered finally before turning back to the basin and staring at himself in the mirror.

Hermione noticed that he looked tired and considerably thinner though at that moment she found she didn't at all care why. She slowly glided towards him like he had done to her several minutes earlier. She stared fixedly at Draco's eyes in his reflection.

"Don't assume that no one is watching, Malfoy," Hermione stated dryly before she turned on her heel, pulled open the door and gracefully headed back out into the corridor.

Draco looked back as the door slammed shut, suddenly feeling not only frustrated with himself but very, very uneasy at Hermione's words.

o

The next day, Hermione was walking along that same corridor with Neville when she saw Draco heading into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom once more. Hurriedly, Hermione turned to Neville.

"I'll meet you in the library in a minute, Neville," she said quickly. "I've really got to dash to the loo!"

Neville nodded and kept heading towards the staircase. Once he was out of sight, Hermione opened the door and found Draco lazily leaning against the same basin he had been the night before.

"In here again, Malfoy?" Hermione scoffed, glaring in his direction. "Ditched Pansy and taken a fancy in Myrtle?"

"I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you in here again, Granger," Draco snarled.

"Obviously you didn't make it clear enough," Hermione stated blandly. "What are you doing in here?"

"You know Granger," Draco snarled. "The stalker thing just doesn't work for you. Why don't you have Potter tell you what I'm doing in here? I'm sure he's got an elaborate theory about it in that scared head of his."

"You leave Harry out of this, Malfoy!" Hermione warned. "I want to know what you're up to; I want to be the one who gets you kicked out of this castle."

Draco chuckled. "You're here as a Prefect and not as one of Potter's nosey friends? Well that makes it all the more better for me. Granger, I came in here to get a breather from my own duties. There is no school rules that states I can't be in here for that purpose – "

Hermione opened her mouth to interrupt but Draco stopped her.

"Other than the fact that I'm a male in a female lavatory that no one ever comes into," Draco smirked. "Surely that's not enough to have you give me detention."

"I'm warning you, Malfoy," Hermione hissed. "If I see you in here again, I will not hesitate to let someone know. And I will make sure Harry is there to back me up. As you said, I'm sure he has some elaborate theory as to what you're up to."

"I'd like to see you try, Mudblood," Draco sneered, walking closer to her so only a few inches stood between his face and hers. "All I'd have to do is grab Weasley and kiss him and I'll have you in the closed ward at St Mungo's in no time."

"What I think about Ron is none of your business, Malfoy," Hermione seethed quietly. She turned of her heel and headed out, deliberately making sure that the door would slam behind her.

o

Draco was, once again, frustrated beyond belief. It was the night before the beginning of the Christmas holidays and he had just come back from Snape's office where the professor had lectured and interrogated him to no end. Not only that but he had narrowly missed running into Granger as he stormed away from Snape's office. The Gryffindor was most likely snooping around again.

Draco raised a fist and slammed it into the already cracked mirror in front of him. The glass shattered and fell to the damp floor below, leaving Draco with a bloody hand and in an even fouler mood.

Turning, he left the bathroom where he so often spent his alone moments. He had only just reached the end of the corridor when he heard crying. Looking around he saw Granger in her dress robes, nursing her head in her hands and sobbing hysterically.

Draco scowled. "What's got you so upset tonight, Granger?" he sneered. "I was under the assumption that Weasley wasn't invited to Slughorn's merry little mistletoe party."

Hermione looked up and Draco smirked at the look of her. Wet mascara was staining her face, which was very pale around red, puffy eyes and a running nose.

"I didn't think it was possible for you to look even more hideous than usual, Granger." Malfoy's smirk grew even wider. "Congratulations on proving me wrong."

"That w-was you who m-made that terr-terrible noise?" Hermione questioned, sobbing and hiccupping. "What d-did you do now?"

"I broke a mirror Granger," Draco smirked, leaning against the wall lazily. He was rather enjoying Hermione's misery.

"It f-finally realised you were l-looking at it?"

"Granger, learn to put bite in your words," Draco drawled, his smirk still in place. "Or is the Gryffindor princess really so heartbroken that she's lost her edge?"

Hermione glared at Malfoy before hiccupping once more. Draco's smirk broadened even more.

He was thankful for Hermione's appearance; it was cheering him up greatly.

"I hope you repaired that m-mirror, Malfoy…" Hermione said with the warning evident in her muffled tone.

"Of course I did, Granger," Draco said, knowing the girl was not in the state to go and check.

Hermione nodded and looked down at her hands.

"Get a grip, Granger," Draco sneered looking down at her, his temper once more wearing thin. "Surely even the likes of you shouldn't get so upset over a Weasley?"

Hermione continued to look at her hands. "Take your verbal game elsewhere, Malfoy."

Draco did not respond; he just continued on his way.