A/N: Hi guys! First of all, I'd like to thank all the reviewers. Your comments have been helpful and encouraging.
Here's the new chapter. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of it's characters.
Chapter 4: Glares and Stares
Draco laid on his bed wide awake at 3 am. Another sleepless night because of the muggleborn Hermione Granger. And no, it's not because she's the big love of his life. He didn't even have a crush on her. That's disgusting...
It's because I suddenly care. I care about what she thinks about me.
What Father would say if he knew... And that's just it: Why do I care? It's Granger. I've always disliked her and the only reason I acknowledged her presence was to make her life impossible. Now, she makes ME nervous!! What the hell is wrong with me?? He tosses and turns around in his bed.
No! you know what? I've had enough!! I've got to turn things back to normal, they way their supposed to be!
The Slytherin punched his pillow, laid back down and forced himself to sleep.
Hermione sat at the common room a little upset.
I should have just listened to Ginny. She was right, Malfoy wasn't worth it. It was all an illusion. A picture of a sad, humiliated and misunderstood Malfoy I created in my head after I yelled at him. And to think I actually believed that after my apology, maybe, just maybe things between us would get better. Of course I wasn't expecting us to be best friends but at least to be civil towards each other.
And now that I think about it, it's ridiculous! A simple apology isn't going to stop a person from hating me.
I'm not sad, just a little disappointed...
And with that she decided to go to bed and get some sleep.
The next morning things went on as normal as possible in Hogwarts. But for some, things were more usual than what they'd like them to be.
During Charms, Professor Flitwick asked to be excused for a moment while he helped Professor McGonagall clean one of Peeves' messes. They were supposed to practice the charm they had learned last week.
As the Professor left the room, all the students got up from their seats and started talking with their friends.
Hermione, Ron, Harry and Neville started talking about their next trip to Hogsmeade.
Draco and some other Slytherins were just behind them. This was his opportunity to set the record straight.
"Hey Granger, why don't you and your boyfriends get a room? I'm about to throw up!" said Malfoy with a mocking tone.
"Hey Malfoy! Why don't you mind your own business!" said the brunette, not even turning around to look at him.
"Wow! Nice comeback, Mudblood! You got that from a book?!" At this, all the other Slytherins started laughing.
Hermione simply glared at him.
"What? No answer. Shocking for a Know-it-all." said Draco with a smirk on his face.
"Back off Malfoy!" said Ron, his ears turning red.
"Or what? You're going to spit a slug at me?" this made the other Slytherins laugh even harder. Pansy was bent over from laughter. Hermione saw Ron's hands turn into fists. She turned to Harry with worry in her eyes. He saw this and turned to Malfoy.
"Why don't you go ask your father to buy you more friends and leave us ALONE!" said Harry angrily pulling out his wand.
At this Crabbe and Goyle stepped next to Draco and the three of them pulled out their wands. Ron hurried to get his wand out as well. Hermione kept looking from one face to the other.
Suddenly, Professor Flitwick came back to the classroom. This made all the students, who were now focused on the fight, turn towards the door. The professor, seeing they all had their wands drawn out, thought they were practicing their charms and simply asked them to go back to their seats. Draco and Harry glared at each other before sitting back down.
Hermione was shocked. Yes, it was usual to see them fighting. But they had never been that close to dueling in the middle of a class before. Luckily we don't have any more classes with the Slytherins for the day. Malfoy seemed different now, but it wasn't for the better. Although there was something different in his eyes that didn't match his usual smirks and glares, but she couldn't tell what I was.
She turned towards Ron to see his hands still in fists. She sighed a breath of frustration and turned her attention back to the class.
The arguments and fights between them were more often now. Every time Draco came across "the trio"(as he now called them) they would insult each other. Not Hermione though, she simply told Malfoy to shut up and leave them alone.
Harry and Ron, on the other hand, had a terrible mood after each encounter.
Luckily, for an entire week Hermione and Malfoy didn't have to spend their detention together. Because Filch was too busy to supervise them, they each had to go with a professor who could watch over them.
(A few days later)
At lunch time, Draco glanced over at the Gryffindor table looking for "the trio". They were there with some other Gryffindors talking and laughing.
My plan is working. We're back the way we used to be. Said Draco happily to himself.
But deep down he knew this wasn't true. Yes, he wasn't nervous around her anymore, but every time he insulted her, called her a Mudblood, he could see a hint of hurt in her eyes that gave him a strange feeling in the stomach.
And after every fight he found himself secretly staring at her, waiting for another opportunity to look at her in the eyes.
After class, Hermione went back to the common room. She saw the list of the prefect's rounds posted on a board. She quickly searched for her name on the list.
"This can not be happening!" said Hermione looking over the list several time to make sure that it wasn't a mistake. Unfortunately, it wasn't! "Oh no, no, no,No, No NO!"
Ron went towards her to see what was wrong.
"Wha-" he said reading the list. "Oh!"
Ron waited for Hermione to say something but she just stood there. Not only she had rounds with Malfoy for two hours, but they had to do an extra two hours for their detention. How am I going to survive 4 hours alone with Malfoy? It wasn't like the usual detention where we have tasks to do. Today, we just have to walk around the castle together, ALONE! ... in the dark! It's like a horror movie!
After several minutes Ron spoke again.
"Well, I could come with you to make sure he doesn't bother you." he said shyly.
Hermione felt herself blush slightly. "No, it's all right. You already have your rounds and quidditch practice. I'll be fine"
"Ok... just be careful." said Ron looking right into her eyes.
"I will"
"You are going to love your rounds Draco!" yelled Zabini to the blond boy standing at the other end of the Slytherin common room.
"What?" asked Malfoy walking towards him. Zabini simply nodded towards the prefect's rounds list.
Draco read the list quickly. At first he was simply shocked, but then he noticed Blaise was still waiting for his reaction.
"Ugh! Not the Mudblood! 4 hours with that Know-it-all..." he said with a disgusted look on his face.
Zabini laughed at him and went to his room.
4 hours alone with Granger. He couldn't decide whether this thought made him nervous or excited. Wait, What? Why would this make me excited? It's just rounds... with Granger...
Oh god, tonight is going to be interesting...
A/N: So? Did you like it?
I'm sorry to leave you hanging but I thought that the next chapter has a lot of potential and I still haven't decided what is going to happen. What do you think?
Suggestions, advices and/or opinions are greatly appreciated!
Please review!!
Thanks for reading!
