A/N: Bitch is back. I'm seriously so sorry but I'm grateful and happy you guys have stuck around to wait! I really appreciate it 3 JK GOT SWAG, I AIN'T

Draco felt light as he watched Hermione stroke the brush through her hair. Her curls bouncing freely under a great number of spells she's had to learn through the year to tame her mane. Draco felt as if he was invading a personal ritual by watching and decided he should probably go hang out with Theo before the show. "Hey Hermione, do you think maybe I could go back to my room and waste time with Theo?" Hermione was caught off guard because quite frankly she didn't feel like she was forcing him to accompany her in this ritual. "Why would you ask me Draco? Of course you can go, I'll meet up with you two at Drive A later. Tell Nott I said hello!" Hermione continued to brush her curls as she felt Draco give her a peck on the cheek and heard him close the door.

It was an oddly breezy day for the season. Draco liked how the soft wind felt on his face, through his hair, almost like a friend accompanying him to his dorm. He liked nature, it gave him a sense of security his hectic dorm building didn't. He contemplated whether or not he wanted to invite Theo to come along. No maybe Hermione just wanted to go just us two. Like a date? Wait. A date? A. DATE. This doesn't make sense. She didn't explicitly say it was a date. What if it's not and I'm being over dramatic. But what if it is and I let her down. OH GOD WHAT DO I DO. I don't even have her number. By the time I even figure out how to text on this god-forsaken contraption she'll probably have moved on to another boy of interest. Draco rubbed his palms on his face as he entered his room.

All Draco saw was a flash of… buttock? What on earth? "SOD OFF MALFOY!" Draco heard Theo exasperatedly yell. Draco panicked and slammed the door. He leaned against the wall. After a few minutes Theo opened the door and peaked around the corner to look at Draco. "Look dude I'm sorry you had to see that. I know I should've texted you but I didn't know what you were doing with Granger so I didn't want to…interrupt…" Theo scratched the back of his head and smirked. He fixed the towel he wrapped around himself. Draco rolled his eyes and looked at Theo. "Is she a good lay though? Is she worth you getting embarrassed?" Draco asked smiling. Theo looked at his best friend, roommate and laughed. "She's sweet as pie, man." Theo smiled and leaned against the doorframe. Draco shook his head and said finally, "I'm just going to grab my wallet and jacket. I'm going with Hermione to a show tonight. You and… Your… friend can meet up with us." Draco walked past Theo into the room and crossed the room to his desk. He looked over the girl under the sheets checking her phone. She smiled at him as he walked out. "Lovely meeting you. Nice butt by the way" Draco said as he left Theo shocked and the girl laughing.

After exiting the boys dorm Draco heard a familiar voice. He couldn't mistake this voice. The sweet sounds lead him to a… male? He was walking by a tree when he saw the back of a boy with light brown hair leaning down. Then as if nothing, saw the boy walk away.

Draco was left looking at Hermione. She looked frazzled and flustered and overall indifferent. Hermione didn't see him as she was walking towards the main courtyard to Drive A. He didn't know if he should get angry or sad or happy she isn't taking this relationship they had seriously. Either way he didn't like this one bit. He couldn't think of any legitimate way of getting back at her. Yes he admitted that this was childish of him and this isn't an appropriate way to be acting. Especially with the first girl he's liked in a very long time. He decided it wasn't worth confronting her about it… Now

000

Hermione didn't know what was going on. All she knew is that she was giving her Transfiguration IV lab partner some notes and then all of the sudden he started confessing his feelings to her. "I'm sorry Henry I'm talking to someone else right now" Hermione felt like all of this was going awry because she's never denied a boy much less accepted a boys invitation to a date. Unless you count Malfoy's invitation to his lacrosse practice but to Hermione that didn't even count as anything. "Wait. Not with that Malfoy guy right? Didn't he treat you like shit for the longest time?" Henry was getting agitated now. "Excuse me you can't speak about him like that. And it's nothing serious. Even if it were, you have no right to speak of someone you don't know." Hermione was getting defensive. "Oh so if it's nothing serious then he wouldn't mind me doing this." Henry leaned in quicker than she could muster up a witty response. He was on her lips. His mouth crashed onto hers in a desperate, sloppy kiss. She pushed him away but did nothing to the effect. He didn't move an inch but did break this invasive kiss. Hermione was left speechless and didn't move. She didn't know what to do. Before she knew it, he left her standing there alone. A million thoughts were racing through her head. Oh my god what if Draco is around? What am I going to do? I should've slapped him! Good grief what on earth was this. She covered her face and hid her anguish behind a blank, expressionless mask. Okay Hermione you need to start moving to meet with Draco. The sooner you see him the better you'll feel. She finally got her legs to move.

The second Hermione saw Draco she felt a wave of relief wash over her. She smiled and stood next to him in line. "Hey stranger" She greeted. Draco looked at her and merely nodded. "Oh I hope you don't mind but I also opened up the invitation to Theo and his friend" He simply replied. Hermione felt the sting of his indifference but tried not to let it get to her. Maybe he's in a bad mood. She let it go.

000

Half way through the show The Black Keys finally came on and started setting up. By that time both Hermione and Draco were happily ignoring each other. "I already told you it was nothing! I don't care if you believe me or not Malfoy! I'm over it!" Hermione was yelling at him at the bar. Draco turned to her and grimaced. "Oh so it's back to Malfoy? Fine. I don't care. I'm leaving this bloody place. Don't come crying to me when that arsehole comes back. I'm not coming back." Draco grabbed his jacket and stepped into the rainy night.

Hermione was left at the bar asking for another vodka. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. But nothing happened. How can I be so affected? We've only been speaking as friends or "more than friends" for a week! Not even! What the hell… Soon enough The Black Keys started playing "Howlin' For You". After her third vodka Hermione was in the crowd singing fake lyrics she decided to make up. By her fifth drink she was stumbling around the club singing along the tunes, not even trying to learn the lyrics. She stepped out in the pouring rain to find herself hit with the most extraordinary headache. She started to walk slower, and slower and slower until she ran into people completely. She heard a familiar voice call her name. It sounded distant until she felt a hand on her cheek. She saw lips form her name. She saw a familiar scar on his forehead and red hair next to him. "Ha-rry. Gi-nny. My friends." Hermione sat on the wet concrete and lay her head on the cool floor. "Help me out Gin" Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her to a standing position. Ginny got her by the other side before Hermione toppled on top of Harry. "All right Mione, you're going to have to help us out a bit" Harry said quietly.

Harry and Ginny successfully brought Hermione to her room. The second they stepped foot into her room they spotted Malfoy's duffel bag crumpled up in the corner of the room. It almost blended with the abode. It took up absolutely no space and all the pair could think of was horrible things. Merlin's double edged sword. Hermione never mentioned the ferret's occupancy in her life. Much less her ROOM. Ginny thought. Harry on the other hand was not taking it as well as Ginny had hoped. Harry was fuming. Words couldn't describe how angry and frustrated he was to think that Malfoy is responsible for Hermione's current state of affairs. Ginny instinctively turned to Harry and said, "Harry, don't you dare do what I know you're going to do. That's not fair to Hermione. It was her choice not to tell us. Maybe she was going to tell us later. You have no right." They pulled her onto her bed. Ginny instructed Harry to turn around while she undressed Hermione and put her into her pajamas. This didn't change the fact that Harry had to argue with Ginny. "Gin, this doesn't make any sense. What if Malfoy raped her or something! This is terrible. When I see the fucking ferret I'm going to… I'm going to…" Ginny interrupted, "Do what! Beat him up? Hex him? Curse him? What benefit is that to Hermione. You would be doing all of that in vain and for your selfish machismo. Hermione deserves better. So don't you dare Harry Potter." Ginny sounded resolute and under no circumstance was she going to let Harry Potter single handedly ruin Hermione's independence.

Harry fell asleep on Hermione's desk chair while Ginny took up the responsibility of occasionally dealing with Hermione's insatiable need to hold something as she slept. Well, she also had to deal with the constant awakening and running to the bathroom. So in that case, Ginny also took up the role of best friend, "holding your best friend's hair back as they puke out their mistakes and current miseries". Ginny didn't really mind. She rather enjoyed it. She felt important in her best friend's life. All Ginny's thoughts circling around Hermione inevitably brought her back to the 'Malfoy thing'. She couldn't help but wonder how they got to talking. The better question though is how they got... together. Harry would have Ginny's head if he heard these words escape her mouth, but Ginny honestly thought that Draco Malfoy was a very dapper looking guy. He held himself modestly now compared to his 'humble' beginnings. He wasn't so cocky but was still smug about trivial things. Ginny had to admit, he is quite the catch.

000

Theo was caught off guard when Malfoy decided to throw pillows at him until he woke up from a much deserve nap. "Holy shit Draco. What could possibly be the emergency at… 12 in the morning? This better be good. Oh and don't be too loud. Liz is still here" He shifted carefully to face Draco fully without disturbing the quiet girl slumbering next to him. Draco was at his breaking point. He walked in the woods aimlessly for what seemed like hours only to find himself back at his dorm merely half an hour later. "It's Granger. I saw her snogging some twat from her Transfiguration IV class. What a… What a… Strumpet!" Draco sat on the edge of his bed and buried his head in his hands. Theo, the poor confused soul, only replied, "Strumpet? As in the Shakespearian whore? That's not something you should be saying about a girl you actually like. And how do you even know she was 'snogging' some guy? Did you see it?" Now Theo had to admit that he was quite proud of Draco's new attachment to a girl. Especially an intelligent, caring girl like Hermione Granger. Theo continued, "Just a few days ago you came back talking about a new book she was telling you about. Isn't it that one right there?" He pointed to a book titled Brave New World. Draco sighed and stood up. He began to undress and put on his sleeping pants. "Well… I mean I saw the back of the guy leaning in towards her. She looked flustered and… Well the point is that I saw her with another bloke!" Draco sighed tiredly and turned on his desk lamp to read his book. "She drives me crazy. And to be honest I don't even know why I'm so worked over this" Draco concluded putting on his reading glasses and finding his place. "It's because you've fallen for her Malfoy. You found someone that likes you for the cocky bloke you are, the little twerp you were. I think what's best is to find her and apologize. She probably doesn't even like that other twat. What if it was all a misunderstanding? You'd feel like straight shite" Theo said finally as he took a drink of water from his cup on his night stand. Draco did nothing but sigh. He had a lot of thinking to do.

000

When the sun's rays were hitting Ginny in the face she knew it was time for her to go and sleep in her own room. In her own bed. Ginny lightly shook Hermione until she saw that her friend was squinting. "Morning Mione, I'm going to my room. Poor Harry has been sleeping in that awful desk chair. Ring me if you need me. For anything okay, darling?" Hermione grumbled a hungover thanks and went back into hibernation. Ginny got Harry conscious enough to walk out of the building with her when they were greeted by a familiar face. Ginny was thankful that Harry took off his glasses and was half-awake to find Draco Malfoy in their way of getting back to their rooms. "Is… Is Hermione in her room?" Draco asked feebly and equally as tired as the couple in front of him. Ginny wasn't completely ecstatic to see him but she had to give the guy a fighting chance. "Well I don't see what concern it is of yours" she quipped. Malfoy sighed and put on his glasses. He was too tired to spend time in focusing on this ginger girl who was in his way of making amends with his future girlfriend. "I'll take that as a yes. I'm sorry for any sleep deprivation I might've cause with this whole event. Tell Potter he should be walking his girlfriend to her room, not the other way around. I mean, even I know that" Malfoy replied lamely. Ginny rolled her eyes and stepped aside. "Well it was nice knowing you're still alive. Now go before Harry realizes it's you. And if you hurt her again, I'll let Harry hex you into oblivion!" Malfoy chuckled and made his way to her room.