He saw her at the Quidditch World Cup. He tried to be snarky, but he was honestly just trying to warn her. She WAS honestly at more risk than other wizards, being muggle-born and all… but Potty and the Ginger would keep her safe, hopefully.

Draco and Harry had just finished their spell-firing war of this year. How dare that prat should get to complete, when, he, Malfoy, was clearly the superior wizard? Draco was bitter as was waiting for Madame Pomphrey to start tending to Goyle's pus-filled face in the hospital wing, when he looked over to the other side of the room. Hermione was there, having her teeth shrunk by Madame Pomphrey. She had tears on her face and was making whining noises. Soon she was done. Draco smiled, he went over to tease her about it. Draco chuckled, standing over her at her bedside. "Aww, I liked it better before," he whined. She glared at him. She never knew she could hate some one so much. He smirked down at her. "Pouting, now?" Hermione glared at him.

"If you know what's good for you, shut your mouth, Malfoy." He stared at her mouth while she was talking. there was something very different about her teeth, and not because she hadn't kept the fangs he just gave her..she had actually reduced her teeth to a normal, human size. Oh shoot, say something, Draco reminded himself.

"Angry, are we?" he smirked.

"Nope. You'll just have to try again later, I suppose." He smirked, meanwhile, Goyle was all healed up. Noticing that, Draco sulked away.

"Guess I will then." he added surlily.

"Hermione, who are you going to the Ball with with?" Ron kept springing this question on her unexpectedly. Draco overheard this.

"You're joking, Weasley? You're not telling me that someone's asked THAT to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?" Was his immediate response. But this actually offended him. Someone had asked Granger out? How? That was it, he had to ask someone out now. The Mudblood couldn't have a date, while he didn't… She wasn't even attractive! He looked at her. Bushy hair, big teeth… yet there was this charm about her… no. That's crazy thinking, Draco told himself.

The next time he saw her was at the Yule Ball. He had heard she was here with none other than Victor Krum, and surely enough, there they were. Dancing together. She almost looked pretty in the blue dress and her hair all done, and, once again, human sized. Even though he had a date of his own, he felt his eyes wandering to her a lot...

By the end of the second task he saw Krum return from the Black Lake holding her. He was starting to worry, he didn't see her in stands, so he assumed she was one of the ones beneath the lake. But Krum took too long to get her back up.. if he was looking for her, he would have made damn sure he was the first one back, but not for the points either.

Rumors were going around. That Skeeter-woman had drawn up the love triangle of the century: Krum-Potter-Granger. Draco bitterly noted that there was no place for "Malfoy" in that article. As teased as she was getting from it, Draco envied both Krum and Potter. He was looking at her more closely nowadays and it seemed that she had little-to-no interest in the Quiddich player. As for Potter, well, it seemed mostly platonic… No, it was Weasley who he had to watch out for. He stopped himself right there. Why was he enduring thoughts about the Mudblood?

She now had bandages on her hand. His guess was Undiluted bubotuber pus, in addition to the daily howlers that seemed to surround her. Pansy was reveling with joy. Even Crabbe and Goyle were guffawing. He looked at her with a feeling he couldn't explain. Pity? Empathy? Sympathy? He wished people would stop teasing her… She didn't deserve all of this, if none of it was true. He knew there was no love triangle.

The Triwizard Tournament was over. Potter had won. Diggory was dead. The Dark Lord had returned. During the final speech Dumbledore gave about Diggory, Draco took one long, last look at Hermione. It was nice, these feelings he had for her. But he knew they could not continue now the He had risen again. It would be much too scandalous…much too dangerous for her...