A soft moan escaped her lips as she rolled onto her back. Her eyes fluttered opened and it took her a moment to take in her surroundings. She could tell she was in the hospital wing but why exactly was she there? As soon as that thought came across her mind she received a mental image in her head of Pansy Parkinson speaking to her…Pansy falling down the steps…Blaise looking up at her..herself passing out..

Hermione gasped and set up quickly on the soft hospital bed. Her hand went to her heart as she stared to breathe deeply at remembering what had happened not too long ago.

"Hermione, are you alright?" A voice said near her that sounded full of concern.

Hermione looked up and finally realized that Blaise was sitting at the edge of the bed. She could not think of a better explanation of why he was there than to ask her why she had pushed Pansy down the stairs. And she really did not know the answer to that either, all she knew was that she had let her anger get the best of her and before she knew it Pansy was tumbling down the staircase.

"I'm fine Blaise," Hermione started, "Umm, why are you here?" She asked a little more hesitantly.

Blaise smiled when she said that she was ok. He leaned over and gave her a quick hug, which Hermione gave a small gasp at, and then set back up and answered her question.

"You passed out on the staircase and I brought you in," Blaise replied simply.

"Okay, but that doesn't answer why you're here right now," Hermione declared.

Blaise stood up abruptly, making Hermione jump slightly, and turned his back to her. He clasped his hands behind his back, leaned his head down, and closed his eyes in concentration.

Hermione started to say something when a few moments had passed and he had still not given her a reply, but just as she was about to open her mouth, Blaise turned back around looking very serious. When he spoke Hermione could tell that Blaise was not saying things just to make her feel better, but he was speaking from his heart.

"I'm in here right now because…I care about you, and what happens to you." Blaise whispered sincerely looking straight into Hermione's eyes without blinking.

Hermione did not know how to reply to this. She tried speaking several times but her mouth would only open and close with no sound coming out. Finally deciding the best thing to do, Hermione through back the bed sheets that were tucked around her body, and sprung from her bed and grabbed on to Blaise's neck.

Blaise, not expecting Hermione to jump on him, fell backwards onto the wooden floor below him. Hermione let out a small, "Sorry," from atop of him and carefully stood up before reaching out her hand to help Blaise to stand.

"How is Pansy doing?" Hermione asked after Blaise had gotten to his feet.

Blaise frowned and looked over to a bed that was a few feet away from Hermione's.

What Hermione saw only made her feel worse about pushing Pansy down the stairs. Pansy was sleeping peacefully but her head was tightly bandaged and she could see blood that had seeped through the cloth. Hermione hands came up to her mouth as she looked at Pansy. When Blaise saw fear in Hermione's eyes he touched her shoulder and smiled weakly at her.

"Come on Hermione, let's get out of here," Blaise soothed.

Hermione nodded her head and followed Blaise from the horrifying site of Pansy, out of the hospital wing, and followed him outside onto the Hogwarts grounds.

Ginny woke up from a restless sleep. She had been looking for Hermione all night but could not find a trace of her anywhere. She had been kicked out of the library for going around every corner and whispering Hermione's name, hoping that she would be in there. She tried to look in the classrooms and the hospital wing, but no one would let her in. After she tried searching for Blaise also with no avail, she retired to the Gryffindor girls' dormitory, where she laid down and tried to get some rest. She was far from resting though, for her mind kept playing tricks on her, making her see Hermione in the most terrible positions.

Ginny lay still in her bed for a few moments before she sighed to herself, decided to get dressed and go meet Harry in the library like they had planned. Ginny had given Harry a note the day before telling him to meet her in the library on the 18th of November at five o-clock in the evening.

It was already four so Ginny dressed quickly, throwing on a pair of jeans with a sweater, and made her way down to the Gryffindor common room. She frowned at not seeing Hermione there and shook her head when those terrible thoughts started to creep back into her mind.

Ginny set down at the red plush common room couch that was in front of the fireplace and sighed deeply to herself. She couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. She really did hope that nothing bad had happened to her. She hoped that Hermione was with Blaise, not that she completely trusted him yet, but he seemed to be ok. Trying to forget about Hermione for a moment, Ginny turned her thoughts to Harry. She still liked Harry very much, but she wasn't sure if he liked her.

She started contemplating on ways she could let Harry know that she liked him when she heard a soft cough behind her. She turned her head slightly to see who was behind her and smiled when she noticed that it was Neville.

"Harry and my brother still arguing about Hermione?" Ginny asked as Neville came around the side of couch and set beside her.

Neville glanced up towards the boys' staircase and frowned. He winced remember how just last night he had to endure ranting of Ron going on about Hermione. Harry tried to talk Ron into giving Hermione a second chance, but Ron refused to listen.

Neville turned back to Ginny and sighed. "They were up all night fussing over her. Harry tried to tell Ron that he should give Hermione another chance, but Ron only yelled at him louder. He kept saying that Hermione never really cared about them, because if she did, she would have never started to see Malfoy."

Ginny groaned and placed her head in her hands She closed her tightly and started to rub her eyelids with her wrists. She opened her eyes and white spots appeared in her vision. Raising her legs onto the couch, and crossing them Indian style, she turned towards Neville and stared at him intently.

"Neville, do you think that Hermione killed Draco?"

Neville was taken aback. To be honest, he hadn't really thought about it. Though he never really thought that Hermione Granger would ever hurt anyone. Even if it was Malfoy. He had heard rumors that Hermione was some how involved with Malfoy, but he wasn't too sure about that either.

"I really don't know Ginny. All these rumors going around the school…Hermione this…Malfoy that…but I don't think that Hermione would ever hurt someone. So no, I do not think Hermione killed Malfoy."

Ginny smiled brightly before lunging onto Neville. Neville flushed crimson before Ginny let go of his neck and sat down again.

"Neville, I think I have a plan to make Ron on Hermione's side again."

Neville gulped. Ginny's plans were never a good idea.

The cool breeze whipped at their faces lightly as they sat under the tree that was right by the lake. The sun was glowing bright but it was still a bit chilly. Hermione leaned back against the tree and sighed.

Today wasn't all that bad, not really. I still feel bad about Pansy though. But at least I have Blaise here with me. Hermione thought smiling to herself.

Blaise looked over to Hermione and noticed, for once, how comfortable she felt. He knew that she was still worried about Pansy, but she looked so calm, so serene, just lying under the big oak tree, so peaceful.

"Hermione, do you ever wish that you could just turn back time?" Blaise asked.

Hermione looked down, her hair falling slightly into her eyes, and then turned her gaze to the curious boy beside her.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't. Sometimes I do wish I could turn back time, go back to the night of that party, I would have never gone if I knew then what I know now."

"Oh," Blaise said and turned his head, looking in the other direction towards the Forbidden Forest. He coughed but to Hermione it sounded more like he was trying to choke back tears.

"But then sometimes I'm sort of glad that it happened. Not that I want to see Malfoy hurt or even myself in the condition that I'm in now, but if that situation never happened, I wouldn't be such good friends with you right now," Hermione finished.

Blaise looked back at Hermione with a smile forming on his lips. For some reason, Hermione felt a blush rising to her cheeks, and cast her face down, pretending to be very interested in grass.

"Of course, I knew that. I really did," Blaise implied trying to sound very serious. But soon is serious tone turned to fit of laughter when Hermione raised her head back up and nearly bumped it with Blaise.

The two set into a fit of giggles, like two young schoolgirls, before Blaise stopped laughing and grabbed Hermione's arm, pulling them so close together, their noses almost touched.

"Hermione, you know I like you right?" Blaise whispered never leaving Hermione's gaze.

Hermione could feel Blaise's breath tickling her cheek as she searched her eyes. She did not know how to reply to this. The last boy that had liked her was Victor Krum back in fourth year, and she hadn't really thought of boys since then. Especially not since all the things that had happened lately. But here was Blaise Zabini, a Slytherin and one of Malfoy's best friends, of all people, admitting that he liked her. And by looking into his eyes, really looking, she could tell that he was not lying to her.

"So what do you plan to do about that Mr. Zabini?" Hermione teased before leaning in and quickly brushing her lips across his cheek softly.

Blaise leaned in very close to Hermione, to where this time, their noses were touching. Hermione closed her eyes, expecting for Blaise to kiss her, for that's what it seemed like to her. But instead she was knocked to the ground, with a soft groan, and opened her eyes to see Blaise sitting on top of her, smirking in all his glory. She was about to push him off of her before she felt two hands slinger to her sides and started poking her playfully. Hermione screamed with laughter before, she too, started tickling Blaise in return.

Ginny was starting to get impatient of having to wait on Harry. She set at an empty desk near the back of the library, so they wouldn't be disturbed. Neville had followed her to the library, where they had discussed their plan further, before Neville remembered that he had to leave to serve detention for Snape. Neville had accidentally concocted the wrong potion the previous class, and was in turn, given a night of detention for his, "Despicable show for the art of potion making."

Ever since Neville had left, which had been about an hour ago, Ginny had stayed in the library passing away the time, reading up on a few of her favorite hexes, for the next time she saw Pansy Parkinson, as she waited for Harry.

She didn't have to wait too much longer though. Harry walked into the library just as Ginny had finished reading about, 'The tongue twister hex, guaranteed to twist around anyone's words it is used on'.

Harry pulled up an empty chair beside of Ginny and set down, leaning his Firebolt carefully against the table. Ginny looked up and noticed that Harry was still in his quidditch clothing, and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sorry it took so long," Harry began, "quidditch practice went on a bit longer than I expected."

"Well as long as you're here," Ginny said.

Harry was about to say something when Ginny held up her hand and started to speak again.

"Oh, before I forget, Neville has agreed to helping us with the M.R.B.F.W.H.A.O," Ginny grinned.

"The what?" Harry asked looking very confused.

"It means, Make Ron Be Friends With Hermione Again Operation. It's a little long, but I'm sure we'll think of something better to call it later on," Ginny replied cheerfully.

"And shorter I hope," Harry muttered.

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry.

When it started turning dark, Hermione and Blaise decided to make their way back into the school. A few nasty glares met them as they walked the halls together, hand in hand.

Blaise had left Hermione at the beginning of the staircase before she made her way to the library.

When she arrived in the library, it wasn't very crowded. Only a few Hufflepuffs were at a near by table, studying. Hermione made her way to the back of the library, as she rounded a corner, she stopped upon hearing voices that she recognized very well.

They were the voices of Harry and Ginny.

"Neville said that you and Ron were arguing last night." Ginny stated.

Harry sighed. They sure had been arguing. Harry had tried to convince Ron into giving Hermione a second chance but Ron wouldn't hear of it. He refused to have a conversation that consisted around Hermione. Ron had made him so angry at point that he had to hold himself back from hitting him. The argument ended with Ron casting a silencing spell around his hangings so he could no longer hear anything Harry had to say.

Harry nodded his head and Ginny and she too sighed in frustration.

"Okay, then please tell me why Ron is being so mean to Hermione. He has either ignored her or yelled at her ever since Malfoy died." Ginny insisted.

"Because he was in love with her. He wanted her to himself but knew he could never have her with Malfoy always around her."

"You almost make it sound like Ron killed him." Ginny pointed out sounding shocked.

"Honestly, at this point I wouldn't very much doubt it." Harry shrugged.

Hermione gasped. At first they thought I killed Draco, now they think Ron did it?

"And what about Blaise? Him and Hermione are becoming very close you know. Do you think he would kill him too?" Ginny asked wide-eyed.

Harry fidgeted before answering, "No, this time I think he will kill Hermione..."