Disclaimer- I do not own harry potter or anyone else that pertains to the books/movies! I own only the people you have never heard of before! If you want to use them for something, ask me first!

The next morning, Hermione woke at 4:30, before the other girls. After taking her shower, she dressed in blue jeans, a red off the shoulder sweater, and sneakers. Back in the bathroom, she used a quick dry spell on her hair and then used her curler to curl it, then put on a little blush, mascara, and gloss. She checked herself over quickly before sneaking into the room. Looking over her friends, she smiled and left.

She walked around the castle, thanking whoever it was that no one else was up yet. Or, at least that's how it seemed until she came to the dance studio. She could hear soft music flow from the room. She wondered who it could be. Peaking in, she saw it was Davis. He normally didn't dance himself anymore, but he was right now. She watched as he turned, strode, and jumped across the room. And then, ever so softly, the music ended and he took a deep breath. She clapped. He jumped.

"Hermione! What in Gods green earth are you doing here at such an early time? It's only five o'clock in the morning!" She laughed softly, walking over to sit on the floor by the mirror. "You know me. Once an early bird, always an early bird. And what about you? You always talk about never getting enough sleep, saying you're going home and talking about sleeping until noon!" He smiled and walked over and joined her on the floor. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Hermione jumped up and got on the floor. Davis looked at her like she was crazy. "What are you doing, girl?" She motioned him up and he just laughed. "No way am I dancing! You know I'm not good with the tango. Besides, Draco would kill me if I danced your dance!"

"Not the tango! Just little steps! Please?" He knew, as she said those words that the puppy dog face was coming and a second later, he was right. He could never resist it for long, so when he stood up, she did a little jump. "Yes!" He waved his wand and slow music came on and they stood in position, then started the steps when the cue came. They danced in silence, each thinking beyond the others thoughts.

"It's weird, you know?" Davis looked down at the girl-no young woman-that he'd known for so long. He couldn't believe it was now eight years, nine when the new year started, that he had known her and the others. He had seen what no one else could ever see in any time, not even Dumbledor: The once unsteady, scared, and unsure children, growing into mature young adults, and with that, their still ever growing friendship, love, and trust for one another. And even with their different houses, they didn't care. They were always there for each other. They were truly what this silent war needed. Peace.

"It's just, so much as changed over the years. And now, soon we'll all be going off and away somewhere different, after we graduated from Hogwarts." But the good, and bad things, was that none of them really knew what they wanted. Sure, they had told others, friends and family, what they wanted to do, but truth be told, they were still in a dilemma.

"But you'll all still have each other. And, you'll have me. I promise you guys, I won't leave you, if you don't leave each other. Yes, you'll come to a few forks on the road and maybe have different views and opinions, and even if you go different ways . . . You'll always meet up on the other end of that road." Hermione smiled at Davis. He always knew the right thing to say, no matter what.

The music slowly ended and he twirled her out and bowed, he doing the same. "I think it's time you go and get ready for classes. You're just lucky Dumbledor is trying out the no uniform thing on you guys this year. Now go!" She laughed and waved, running out of the room.

Bouncing out of the room, she ran almost half way to the Gyrffindor Tower, when she suddenly stopped. It could be her imagination, but she though she felt someone watching her, but those thoughts were gone as she saw Draco just turned the corner. Hiding as fast as she could, when he finally came into the hallway completely, she fallowed him in the shadows silently. Soon, he slowed down, then sped up, as if knowing someone was watching him and trying to lose them.

After a few minutes, he stopped and turned around quickly. "Who's there? Show yourself!" When he got no response, again he started to walk. She giggled. He stopped instantly and took out his wand and moved around slowly. He walked forward two steps, and suddenly he was on the ground, his nose feeling like it had been punched. "Ouch! God help you, whoever you are! When I get up, you'll be begging to die!" He felt the weight off him and a sigh.

He knew that sigh. "Hermione! You are so lucky you're beautiful and that I love you or else you'd be on this floor with a broken nose!" She just smiled and held out her hand to help him up. When he was on his feet, she leant forward and kissed him. "Oh really? I have reason to believe that you do nothing of the type, Mr. Malfoy. I only see a handsome man who loves his girlfriend to the death." He couldn't help but smile. He did love her more then life, even the others knew it. But there was only one problem with that statement. "Now let's just see if we can get others to believe that." She nodded and with his arm around her waist and hers around his neck, they walked down the hall together, to the great hall, hoping that breakfast was being served.

"Draco, do you think people will ever really take to the fact of us being together?" The couple was now in the great hall, eating a breakfast consisting of scrabbled eggs, toast, pancakes, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, and orange juice. But, still being as early as it was, the only other people in the hall with them were Davis, Snape, McGonagall, and some of the ghosts. Draco looked at her and smiled. "They will. Don't worry, honey, it'll all be fine soon. We just have to wait out the storm." But she only turned her head away and looked up at the sky, which was enchanted to look like the sun rise. "And what about everyone still thinking your father is a Death Eater? And that you're next, a Death Eater in training? Do you think they'll ever take to that idea?! Draco, I know that we all know the truth about it, but...but..." And she broke down.

Draco looked up at the table, where he could feel Davis staring at them. He mouthed "later" and then gathered Hermione in his arms. "Shhh...It's ok." He puts his chin on her head, and hugged her as best as he could. He knew it had been on her mind lately, with everyone finding out about them. "Hey, what did you always tell us when something like this happened: No matter how big or how small the problem, it doesn't matter. Why? Because it only matters what you think. I doesn't even matter what I think. So come on, cheer up." She looked up and smiled. "You're right. You are right, oh wonderful boyfriend that I don't deserve." He grinned, then smirked before starting to tickle her. She laughed and tried to fight him off but it didn't work. "Stop!" He smirked and continued. "Say it! Say it and I'll let you go!" She shook her head, but continued to laugh uncontrollably. "I'll never-laugh-surrender to-laugh-you!"

"Drake! Maya! What are you two doing?!" They heard the voices first, then saw Asha, Brittany, Sarah, and Payton looking at them like they were crazy, and Leo, Alan, Jake, and Matt behind them, laughing, tears running down their faces. "It looks to me like ol' Drake here was trying to hurt our poor Maya!" Hermione glared at Alan and straitened her sweater. "Yes, but it doesn't look like you were going to help me anytime soon, now were you?" The guys looked down and smiled before answering, "Nope." She had a look of mock hurt on her face, but it was quickly replaced by a smile as she ran towards the boys and knocked Alan on the ground bringing the others with her. Soon, the girls jumped into, fallowed by Draco, making a huge dog pile.

They were all laughing when other students starting coming in, giving them strange looks. "Yes! We are alright folks!" Sarah hit Leo, and Jake saw his chance to add his word in. "Yes! We're just crazy! Do not mind us!" They all started laughing, ignoring everybody else now. They all started to stand as Davis walked down from the head table, smiling at them widely. "I see you're all here and awake. I was afraid I was going to have to wake you up myself this morning since none of you were in your dorms until late. Now, I'm hoping you guys will finish your room today, so that you can start practice soon." They nodded and all talked until almost everybody was there, so they went to have breakfast.

Potions and dance went by fast today, and soon, it was transfiguration. And this class, unfortunately, was one that the girls didn't have with the boys, so Hermione, Sara, and Asha sat at one table, and Brittany and Payton sat across from them. They were all smiling and still talking about last class. They had finished the room during class. The walls were first, adding a graffiti like "DANCE" on one wall in red, the other had their names the same way, but smaller and different colors. The mirror was almost as it was. It had little splashes of paint on it, and what people might think was frost, but it was paint, on all the edges. The benches and chairs were now gone, replaced by bean bag chairs and three couches, and a normal size entertainment center that held the stereo system and pictures, paintings, drawings, and other mementos from their years together, all dance school, and just normal little things. So, to them, the room was done, until they wanted to change it.

"Good morning class. Now, as you were told yesterday, you will be working on your animagus project today and tomorrow. Groups of five will be set up, which you may choose yourselves. Now, you all know the spell. One person will say it, while the other thinks of the animal he or she wants to become. Now, you may begin." The girls smiled and pushed their tables together. "So, who wants to go first?" Brittany asked them. Sarah smiled and raised her hand. "I want to! I know what I want to become!" They all smiled and nodded as Sarah stood and waited for Brittany to cast to the spell. "Animagi changus!" They all held their breathes as Sarah was consumed by light. When it faded, a grey wolf stood before them. "Wow! Go Sarah! Now, change back!" And she did, smiling. "Oh my, God! I did. Did you see me?" They all laughed and congratulated her. Hermione volunteered to go next, and as Sarah was about to cast the spell, they heard a voice laughing at them. "I can't wait to see what she cooks up. Probably something little and stupid, no brain once so ever!"

They turned to see Ron, Seamus, Dean, Neville, and Harry looking at them. Ron looked like he was about to kill her, but the other four just rolled their eyes. "Ron, give it a rest, already, ok?" Ron glared at Harry and pointed to Hermione. "Give it up? Give it up! She betrayed us! She's not one of us anymore! None of them are! They're as bad as Slytherin's themselves!"He turned back and glared daggers as Hermione. She just looked at him, her face black. Then, she answered. "You call me a traitor? Because I'm not. Do you guys care for me the way Draco and the others do? The way I see it, I was just there to do your homework and get you out of tight situations! You never asked me how my day was, youalways tried to ignore me! Do you know anything about me? Do you know my favorite color, my favorite band, book? Have you ever met my parents? Do you even know their names?!"

By this time, everyone had stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the fight that was about to break out, including McGonagall. She was about to intervene she remember what she had seen that morning. She knew they had to do this themselves, if peace, or a common ground, was to ever come.

"Does that matter, Granger? What matters is what you did us, to me!" She smiled and shook her head, looking away. She looked back to him, her eyes held with anger and something else they didn't know. "It doesn't matter? Like hell, Ronald Weasley! It's not about what I did to you. It's about what you did to me! You left me alone every time I needed somebody! You never gave me chance! You thought you knew me! What, a bookworm who knows nothing outside of her books?! The odd one out who had no other friends then you guys?! Well guess what?! I'M NOT!" She turned away, a tear running down her face. "And if that hurts you, then tough, Ron. I have a life. And you're not it, not anymore. If you can't take all of me, then you have none of me."

Everyone was silent. The girls glared at Ron before turning to help their friend. "Everyone! Back to work!" McGonagall used that tone and everyone went back to what they had been doing, but they still kept talking about it. "Come on. We have something to work on." Sarah nodded, and Hermione smiled. "Animagi changus!" This time, there was no light, but only a black she-wolf. They all looked at her. But she payed no attention to them. Her eyes were focused on Ron, who was laughing with the others. "Hermione, change back. Hermione! Change back!" The wolf looked at Ron a minute longer, and then at Asha. Then, Hermione was back to normal. "Good choice. For a minute there I thought you were going to bite his neck off and throw the rest of him to the dementors!" Hermione smiled. "You have no idea how good that sounded. Now, who wants to go next?"

Ohh! I loved that chapter. It was so hard to write though! I had to keep stopping and coming back to it because of finals, holidays, and other family problems! But it is, I think, a bit longer then the others! But...I hope you all like it! Review please! It keeps this author happy! And she likes happy!

-BROKENxHEARTx