A/N: I'm horrible, I know it. I have writer's block for this story, and I'm struggling a bit, but I don't want to give this up because I really like it. A lot. So thanks to those of you that are still reading this!

Thanks to Hotkat144, Bookwrm17, Hermione Charlotte Granger, AmericanIdiot252, Fire Phoenix, Scream Queen, DarknessBlossoms, CareBearErin, hipergirlygirl, wow, and TripleThreatno2 for reading last chapter! On to chapter 8!


Hermione's POV

I felt terrible looking into the faces of my two best friends. Both Harry and Ron were staring at me with giant O's for mouths. It was the hair, I knew it. Even I was having trouble remembering that it was no longer bushy. Now that it was long, blonde and, most importantly, straight, I felt different somehow. And, I'm sorry to admit it, a little better.

"Hermione…we…what did Malfoy do?" Harry demanded, apparently at a loss for words.

"What?" I couldn't believe the words that had come out of his mouth. What did Malfoy do? He had to be joking. He had heard the whole story of how I was the long-lost daughter of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. I knew both of them had because there was no pretending with the looks on Harry and Ron's faces.

"You heard me. I knew you had to be making up that whole story about how you two are twins because you didn't want to tell us why you were shopping with him and Snape back in Diagon Alley. And now he's hexed you to look like a female him! I swear Hermione, I'll get you back to your normal self and make sure that this," he gestured at my new hair, "is the last thing he'll ever raise his wand to do!" With every word his voice was getting louder, and Ron was muttering under his breath to Harry to keep his voice down before anybody could overhear them.

"Harry…you know perfectly well that Draco and I were telling the truth," I whispered harshly to him.

The look on his face was terrifying. "Draco and I, is it? Hermione, I never would've thought you would do something like this. He's trying to get close to you to get information off of me so that the Dark Side will have some idea of what to expect later on! Snap out of it, or does he have the Imperious Curse on you?" Harry whispered back, glaring at Draco across the room.

"Harry, honestly, you're being paranoid! Can we discuss this later when no one else can hear?" I asked, staring at Ginny and the Creevey brothers, who were all trying to listen in. It was bad enough I was getting stares from every direction because of new true form.

"Yeah, we can discuss it when Draco is around to defend you!" Harry shot back, in a finalizing tone that was quite obvious that it was the end of the conversation and that he had no intention to discuss it later.

I had known this would happen. Harry, Ron, and I had all been Draco's enemies since our first year at Hogwarts. Harry and Ron wouldn't just stop hating Draco the first day of them now knowing we were twins, but I had hoped that they would at least give him a second chance. But, now I wasn't so sure. Would they really give up my friendship just because I was really a Malfoy?


Apparently sleep didn't dull their thoughts at all. They avoided me as much as possible, which was difficult seeing as how we had all the same classes (except for Ancient Runes and Arithmancy). I tried to talk to Draco, but so far we never had a chance to. Breakfast was devoted to the distributing of class schedules. McGonagall took her time going across the sixth years, making sure we were all cleared to go on to our required subjects.

I was given my schedule before Harry and Ron, and discovered that I had a first period Ancient Runes, which I was thankful for. I didn't think I could handle the two of them whispering about me behind my back.

But this also meant that I didn't have a chance to talk to Draco either. He didn't have Ancient Runes. But, we both had Potions, so I devoted that time to speak with him.

The end of first period could not have come fast enough. But, eventually, it did. I hastily threw my homework into my bag, making a mental note to try and focus on it later. I had different matters on my hands at the present time.

The door to Potions was locked and the people that were already waiting were either sitting or leaning against the wall, looking very bored and indifferent to everything that was currently going on around them.

Draco wasn't there yet, but both Harry and Ron were there already talking to themselves. They hadn't noticed I was there yet. I stayed as far away from them as I could without setting myself away from everyone else yet. For the first time in my life, I was hoping Draco would get here soon.

I got my wish. He was surrounded by a bunch of his Slytherin friends, laughing as though he didn't have a worry or a care in the world. It made me sort of angry. But when our eyes met he stopped laughing and told the others beside him to go on without him.

"Hermione. Are you okay?" he asked, looking into my eyes, a look of deep concern etched on his face.

I shrugged, deciding not to let him know just how much I appreciated his concern without letting it on. "Harry and Ron…it's nothing, really…"

"Don't give me that. I saw the three of you arguing last night during the Feast. Everyone was watching you. They keep asking me questions because you look so much like me now. Do you want me to go set them straight on this?"

"No! Please Draco, it's the last thing that would help…"

"Hermione, as much as I despise the two of them, they are your best friends and if they can't accept you for who you truly are than they aren't any better than the side their fighting in this war! You deserve better, and if there's anything I can do to make you happy, I feel that it is my duty as a brother to do that," he reasoned softly to me so that nobody could over hear us.

I smiled sincerely. "Thanks Draco, but I really don't think it will help. They just aren't used to my new look. But they will, and when they get used to it, I really think things will tide over." I don't know how much of this he believed, or how much I believed for that matter, but I hoped it convinced him, at least for the moment.

He looked as if he were about to argue, and perhaps he was, but at that moment the door opened and Professor Snape appeared with his usual snide sneer.

"In," he uttered simply, holding the door to his cold dungeon back so that we could enter. Harry and Ron took their seats in the back. I started to walk over to them out of habit, but instead Ernie McMillan sat down, glaring at me as he did.

Taken aback, I tried to find an empty seat, and was half relieved, half shocked when Draco sat down in the front as he usually did. Blaise Zabini made a move to sit down beside him but he waved his hand in his direction. "This seat is saved for my sister. Hermione, you can sit here," he called to me.

Everyone, including Snape, turned their heads to look at me, and I rushed to the front, careful not to look at anyone as I went. I heard Ron mutter something as I passed which caused Harry and Ernie to laugh loudly, but I couldn't hear what he said.

"Ignore them. They aren't worth it," Draco whispered, then directed his attention on Snape, who was prepared to speak.


A/N: Sorry for leaving it here, but I couldn't find any other place to stop. If you review, I'll give you a cookie!

Next chapter: Draco intervenes in Gryffindor study time and Hermione tells her story to an unbelieving Hagrid.