Hermione went straight to her room and sat on the couch. For a while she just sat there, just letting the thousands of thoughts she had whirl around in her head. Then she buried her head in her hands. Tears wouldn't- couldn't- come. She didn't cry easily. She had been through too much to let trivial things like this make her tear up. Yet she felt like crying. She not only knew she was losing a friend. She could feel it. But the worst thing was, she had to break off their relationship. She didn't want to. But at the same time she did. She had to. Things couldn't keep going on like they were. But the only way to stop it was to end the friendship entirely.

She couldn't believe what she was thinking about doing. She knew Draco had changed. She knew it. In the end, everyone could tell he had changed. She always called him Malfoy. That's just how it was. They weren't friends really, but... Allies. Then when they got to know each other with them both being teachers, they made their way up to calling each other by their first names. That was the first sign of a friendship developing. So that's what she had to do. That was her first step. The names would also be the first sign of a friendship dwindling. Disappearing into nothing but allies again.

If she was going to do this, she had to get all the good memories of him out of her head and replace them with the bad ones. Don't remember all the times he was her confidante she would go to. The shoulder she would cry on. He was no longer her rock when she broke it off with Ron. He was no longer going to be the one she went to when she had gotten drunk and slept with Harry. He was no longer going to be her only friend when Harry and her told Ginny what they had done and she was otherwise friendless until Ginny cooled down. Now, he was the little, immature bully who picked on her and her friends. The jerk who teased her and called her that filthy name for muggle borns. His voice echoed in her mind, she forced it to. You filthy little mudblood... Mudblood... Mudblood... That was how she had to think of him now. She knew now, after all they've been through, she could never hate him, but she'll have to settle with not liking him.

The next day Hermione knew her plan. Her plan to unfriend Draco- Malfoy- in order to stop this... This... Whatever had gone on between them. No. No! Nothing had gone on between them. Whatever happened the other night was nothing. She felt nothing, it meant nothing. Except that wasn't true. She did feel something. But she refused to admit it, to acknowledge it. The very fact that she felt something was the very reason she had to end it. She knew now, after everything they've been through together, she could never hate him. But she would have to settle with not liking him. Not disliking. Just not liking.

Hermione, as usual, was one of the first to arrive in the Great Hall. Draco already knew she would, he knew her now. So he came extra early as well. Even beat Hermione there. A soon as Hermione spotted him, she wanted to leave. But as soon as she walked in, Draco immediately found her. Of course it wasn't hard. There was barely anybody there. But he had spotted her, so she couldn't just leave. Quickly she caught sight of Nathaniel Hughes, the Flying teacher, head of Ravenclaw and went straight towards him. He seemed like a nice guy. But she didn't really know him. Considering she was trying to end her friendship with Malfoy and avoid him currently, it seemed like the perfect time to get to know him. She already saw Malfoy making his way over to her, but stopped when he started talking to Nathaniel.

"Hello Nathaniel," Hermione greeted, smiling. He smiled back with his perfect teeth.

"Good morning Hermione," he replied. He ran his hand through his messy, brown hair.

Nathaniel was not back looking at all. Very, very handsome. Messy, brown hair and hazel eyes, tall, muscular, strong jaw line, chiseled chin. To top it off he was intelligent, too. There was a brain behind the brawns. More the student girls were obsessed with his looks than Malfoy's. She never understood the attraction when she was friends with Malfoy. She guessed she did now.

"So, uh, we've been working together for years now and we never really got to know each other. We should fix that," Hermione said, trying to be charming.

Nathaniel chuckled. "Why, yes we should. How about at 7? Over dinner? My room. I'll order, it'll be my treat."

Hermione smiled. "I'd like that. 7 it is."

After that little exchange, the all the teachers had arrived, so everyone started heading to their seats at the front and the students that stayed for winter break arrived. Hermione made sure to sit in a different seat this time, on the right of the headmaster, Professor McGonagall. Draco was rushing to sit on Hermione's right, but Nathaniel had beat him to it. Draco sneered and sat down to McGonagall's left, not eager to hear any conversation those two were to have. He knew Hermione was trying to avoid him, but he would find a time to corner so she couldn't escape. And they would talk.

Draco took his time finishing even after Herione had been done for a while. But her and Nathaniel had been talking for such a long time, laughing. He hated it. Finally Hernione had gotten up to leave and Nathaniel was beginning to stand as well, offering to escort her back to her room, but she politely turned him down. Draco smiled slightly to himself and followed her out. When she heard footsteps behind her, she knew all too well who was following her and she sped up, her black pumps clicking on the tiles.

"Hermione!" Draco called as he caught up with her. He tried being casual first. "Erm, how are you?" He wasn't very good at it. Considering he wanted very badly to talk to her about things. About them.

"Just fine," she replied, not looking at him.

Draco gave up. He had to talk to her. But they were almost at her room. And he doubted she would want to chat with him. "Hermione, I really, really want to talk. About anything. It doesn't have to be about that night." At least not right away... "Please.. How about you come over to my room around 6:30 and we can chat and have dinner?"

By the time he had finished, they were outside her door. She turned to him."That would be.. Nice." He smiled hopefully. "But," His smile faded away. "I have... A date. At 7." She hesitated saying it as if she couldn't believe it herself.

"With.. With who?" Draco asked through his forced smile.

"Nathaniel."

Figures...

"Well, maybe another time, eh?" He said, trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Maybe. Good bye, Malfoy," she said and closed the door on his surprised and confused expression.

Malfoy? She just called him Malfoy... Malfoy... She called him Malfoy! Something was up. He knew. Something was happening to their friendship. Something bad. And she was initiating it.