a/n: Only about a month between updates: It's a new record for me. On another note:
OMG HALF-BLOOD PRINCE!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, but if I did, I think the word "fuck" would make up a large percent of the word count in each book.

Lesson nine: Some girls like to draw relationships out way past their breaking point.

It's just in our nature to never let something go. So if you have the urge to end a relationship, it's best to just be straightforward and do it instead of mucking around, hoping she'll have the sense to drop you, because sometimes, it's not that easy.

I dropped Malfoy's hand as soon as we found ourselves absolutely alone. It had taken us a while to get there because both Pansy and Lavender had put aside their differences and teamed up to stalk us through the corridors, hiding behind various suits of armor and wall hangings, staring daggers at the back of my head, and whispering to each other about how I was so beneath the Slytherin Prince, I couldn't even shine his shoes with my spit.

My hand had tightened around Malfoy's when I had decided that enough was enough and turned to deliver the sneaking pair a clever hand gesture before tugging the "Slytherin Prince" down a hidden corridor and out of sight. I could have sworn I heard him chuckle a little in amusement whether at me or those other two, I wasn't sure.

I wiped my hand across the front of my skirt dramatically and stuck my tongue out at him. "Well, I'm glad that's over. It's been nice dating you. See you around sometime!"

He caught me by the shoulders as I tried to walk away quickly in the opposite direction and turned me back around to face him. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" I conceded meekly and shook my head no. "Then I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like a leper," he continued, scowling.

"Fine," I said quietly, feeling particularly uncomfortable with the way his hands had started to sensuously slip from my shoulders to my biceps. "So I won't treat you like a leper anymore, but can I still treat you like a Slytherin? I was just getting used to it and everything..."

Malfoy exhaled forcefully through his nose, his nostrils flaring comically. "I suppose." His hands fell to his sides before settling themselves casually in the pockets of his pants. "But before we can go back to being mortal enemies, we need to finish what we've started."

"What do you mean?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. "I believe I just broke up with you when I said 'I'm glad that's over'." Some guys just don't get the hint!

"Well, we can't very well just appear together once and have everyone notice." His pale eyebrows shot up and disappeared under his skillfully-tousled-and-gelled-to-stay-that-way fringe.

I stared at Malfoy quizzically for a brief moment before I understanding dawned on me. Groaning loudly, I threw my hands up in the air and let them drop heavily.

Malfoy took a step backwards, not expecting my reaction, and nodded his head with a tight-lipped smile.

"Stupid!" I rammed my palm into my forehead startling the Slytherin once again. "Of course Ron wouldn't notice us! Damn Shepherd's Pie! That's the only meal where he's mindful of how much food he wastes trying to paint his shirtfront!"

Malfoy snickered. "Yes, well, it'll be impossible to ignore us if we show up at the party together tonight."

My brow crinkled in confusion. "Party? What party?"

He snorted and fixed me with a withering look that made me remember what it usually felt like to be around Draco Malfoy: Second rate.

"Honestly, Hermione, do you ever get out?"

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the use of my given name in this private setting, but did my best to answer his question in what appeared to be a sincere way, and combined with an indignant sniff, who was he to disprove me?

"As a matter of fact, yes, Draco, I do go out occasionally."

Malfoy leered at me. "Wandering the corridors at night doesn't count."

Whoops. He's got me there…

With a roll of my eyes that plainly said his snide comments weren't worth my time, I tersely repeated my previous question. "What party?"

He gave me a dazzling smile, nearly blinding me with the pearly luminescence of his teeth and their close proximity to my face. I wondered wildly, and not for the first time, I might add, what brand of toothpaste he used. My parents as dentists would certainly approve of his almost-compulsive teeth brushing, if nothing else.

"Ravenclaw is having a party in their common room tonight in honor of their victory against Hufflepuff in last week's Quidditch match," he informed me stiffly. I got the distinct impression that he was none too pleased with Ravenclaw getting that much closer to winning the House Cup, but was up for any excuse to party.

I must have made a face, because the next moment he was frowning and saying, "Don't tell me you didn't know there was a match last week."

Okay, so I'd lie and tell him that of course I knew there had been a match last week and that I'd have to be living under a rock not to know.

"I know," I snapped. "Spectacular catch by…" I searched my memory for the name of the current Ravenclaw Seeker, but after Cho Chang's graduation, I hadn't really followed that particular house team all that closely. "Well, you know," I finished lamely with a slightly embarrassed smile and a shrug.

Malfoy hummed, clearly not believing one word I said.

"The party starts at ten," he said as he began to walk away from me down the corridor. "But I'll be by the Gryffindor common room at eight o'clock sharp, so make sure the little Weasel isn't anywhere where he might see me before we're ready."

"Why so early?" I called after him.

"You can't show up at a party looking like that," Malfoy said with a shake of his head as if it was the most obvious thing in the world and I was the only one who wasn't aware of my own lack of style.

I looked down at my gray jumper, wondering what was wrong with it, besides the fact that it was a little nondescript and a good four years old. "And you're going to help me how?" I asked dubiously.

Malfoy just smiled deviously and turned a corner.

Full of mysteries, that one.

At seven forty-five, I found myself anxiously pacing the common room wringing my hands. My constant movement had been so distracting and out of place that it had even drawn Ginny's attention, which was hard to do when she was in Harry's presence.

Calmly and without a word, the redhead stood and went over to me where I stood fidgeting and adjusting the decorative clock on the mantle above the fireplace. She gently touched my shoulder and I jumped, nearly knocking the clock to the floor, but righting it just in time.

Ginny laughed. "What's wrong, Mione? You look really nervous."

"What an astute observation," I snapped, looking past her to the table she had just vacated and where Harry and Ron still sat, heads bent low over their Potions books, quills moving rapidly across rolls of parchment. Periodically, one of their hands would reach towards the middle of the table slowly and select a candy from the diminishing pile there and draw back, taking a detour to their respective mouths along the way. I smiled inwardly: Ron had a bit of chocolate smeared on the tip of his nose.

Ginny frowned at me looking particularly sad with her big, expressive eyes. "Sorry. I was just asking."

"Oh, Ginny!" I sighed and hugged her briefly. "It's just that I'm having a-" I interrupted myself to think of the proper word to use. "I'm having an interesting day," I concluded.

Her face lit up and she cast a glance over her shoulder before taking my hand and pulling me towards the couch behind us. She plopped down and I followed suit as she tucked her legs under her and adjusted herself so that she was facing me. "I bet! I saw you and Malfoy-er-Draco at dinner." She poked me in the shoulder playfully.

I gave her a pained look. "Yeah... Did you know there's going to be a party in the Ravenclaw tower tonight?"

Ginny opened her mouth, most likely to reprimand me for changing the subject when she was so keen on talking about me and Malfoy, but I didn't give her the chance.

"Well, Draco asked me to go and he's going to be here in-" I looked over at the clock and felt a fresh wave of panic rush through me "nine minutes. Ron can't know he's here, much less that he's going to be in my room."

Ginny stared at me, her eyes growing bigger by the minute. I could already tell her mind was jumping from one ridiculous conclusion to the next.

"Calm down: He's just helping me pick out an outfit." I assume...

The littlest Weasley gave me a sly smile and patted my hand. "Leave it to me. I'll get Ron and Harry out of your hair until you're done."

I felt perfectly at ease for the first time that day. "Thanks, Gin," I said with a smile and with that, she was up, skipping across the room towards Harry and Ron.

"I'm tired of doing homework," Ginny announced loudly, making both Harry and Ron look up from their papers. "What do you say about a quick pick-up game of Quidditch? Two-on-one? I know the charm to turn the lights on in the stadium..."

The boys looked at each other doubtfully and in that brief second where they were preoccupied, Ginny winked at me from over her shoulder.

"I don't know, Gin," Harry said gloomily. "I should really finish this before the party tonight..." He tapped his quill against his parchment and I wondered why Harry hadn't mentioned the party to me, even offhandedly in passing conversation.

"I'm for it, so's long as I'm on the team of two," Ron said throwing his quill down and slamming his book shut.

Harry sighed, but gave the two redheads a big smile. "Oh, all right. Boys against girls."

Ron made a pumping gesture with his right fist and stood from the table, not bothering to tidy the mess of candy wrappers that lay next to his inkwell as he galloped past me and to the portrait hole. Harry and Ginny laughed at him as they gathered Harry's trash and dumped it in the bin near the work area.

"Hey, Mione," Harry said, drawing my eyes away from the clock above the fireplace and towards him. "Want to even up the teams?"

I shook my head. "You know I'm rubbish on a broom," I said in response. "But you guys have fun!" I called as Harry and Ginny followed after Ron to the portrait hole, Harry shrugging his shoulders at my weak excuse, Ginny giving me a wide smile, and Ron generally ignoring my existence.

"My closet's your closet!" Ginny told me happily before her head disappeared through the portrait hole after the other two.

A sigh of relief escaped my lips and I was allowed to wait for Malfoy's arrival in peace.