Hermione started to run again so she could find Ron. Hermione had come to the conclusion that the thought she had about Ron was just her being silly and childish. She thought it up because she was lonely. Obviously that was it. The whole Draco situation had really surprised her, but in a good way. She turned a corner and stopped dead. What she saw made her feel like collapsing and crying, but instead she felt herself boil with rage.

"Ron!" She screamed. Ron jumped and turned round, the girl still holding his hand. He brushed her away fiercely, and she scampered away. Hermione bowed her head, and Ron thought that she was crying.

"No, Hermione, you don't understand!" He said patting her shoulder. Quick as lightening, she tightened her fist and punched Ron in the face.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" He said, clutching his cheek where she punched him.

"It's for you being with...with...with her!" Hermione yelled. Ron took a step back in case she was going to take a swing at him again.

"It's not what you think! She's in the year below us, and I was helping her practice for her exam. She's my sister's friend for God's sake!" Ron tried to explain.

"I don't want to hear it." Hermione said, giving up. She ran back round they way she had came, turning corners, running down corridors and crashing through crowds of people in a frantic attempt to get Ron away, even though she was pretty sure she wasn't following. Hermione finally gave up and sat down on the hard floor and leaned against the wall. She was there a good 10 minutes before someone walked past.

"At least you're not running this time, hey, Granger?" A familiar voice laughed. She smiled and didn't bother looking to see who it was. She knew. "So, what has happened this time? Or are you just trying to get my attention?" Draco sat down beside her, looking curious.

"Even though it's none of your business," Hermione said, turning around to face him "Let's just say Ron was being a...a..."

"A Weasley?" Draco finished, scrunching up his nose. "Maybe I should have asked you to stay with me, instead of wasting my time with that Potter in our first year." Draco took Hermione's hands. "Don't let someone like Ron get you down." He smiled. Hermione had to look away from him. How come he's so different when he's with those friends of his? If only he was like this all of the time. She could feel Draco looking at her, so she tried to flick her hair in front of her eyes, but since Draco was holding her hands she found it virtually impossible. Draco laughed "Here." He said, carefully flicking Hermione's hair so that it flopped over her face. "Even though why you want to hide really baffles me." Draco smiled at tucked her hair behind her ear again. As Hermione looked back at him, she found that his eyes were still sparkling emerald. It was magical. Just then, Ron ran round the corner.

"Hermione..." His voice faded away as he caught sight of her. She looked at him and scowled, the way she once looked at Draco.

"What's that matter, Weasley? Feeling jealous? Maybe you should go trot off back to your pigsty where you belong." Draco smirked. Hermione sighed. She was trapped between both of them. Someone she loved, but was an utter bitch to her, and someone who she now is falling in love with, but can be a right jerk at times. Before she had time to get involved, Ron ran at Draco and sent him flying across the corridor. Draco landed on the concrete flooring and screamed. But, once again, before Hermione could get to him he was on his feet, armed with his wand. Hermione gasped. She never thought that this would come down to something this serious. Draco aimed his wand at Ron.

"Everte Statum!" Draco shouted, which sent Ron flying down the corridor, and like Draco, landed on his back on the floor.

"This really has gone far enough..." Hermione began, but didn't finish because Draco's laughing was provoking Ron.

"Lost your wand, Weasley? Or just too afraid to fight someone who's faster, stronger and generally better looking than you?" Draco shouted to Ron, smirking as he did so. This had done it for Ron. Remembering a powerful attack spell would have taken him too long, so instead he walked over to Draco (who thought Ron was giving up) and stood in front of him, in a way that was meant to be threatening, but Draco was taller than Ron, so it didn't work.

"You think you're so great, Malfoy. You think the whole world revolves around you. But it doesn't. You really need to get a grips with life, you stuck-up idiot." Ron hissed. Draco just laughed, but his laughter soon stopped when Ron swung his arm round and punched him in the face. Malfoy screamed dramatically and collapsed onto the floor. "You need to be taught a lesson, Malfoy." Said Ron, who was now smirking like Draco and had a cruel tone to his voice. Ron grabbed his wand from his pocket and aimed it at Malfoy, who was now looking quite scared.

"Ok, Ron. You can stop now, don't hurt him!" Hermione yelled and ran to Ron.

"Everte Statum!" Ron shouted.

"No Ron!" Hermione screamed. Just as Ron had cast the spell, Hermione grabbed Ron's arm to stop it from hitting Draco. But Ron turned around too fast and the spell hit Hermione. She got smashed into the brick wall behind her. She collapsed onto the floor and stayed there, motionless, with Ron and Draco frozen with shock.

By

Natassja xx