CHAPTER ELEVEN

"And if you go into my room, Granger, I WILL know! Believe me."

"I love you too, Malfy-poo," Hermione simpered sarcastically. The blond gave a prize winning sneer but immediately lost it when Hermione pulled out a large bag of sweets. "I had these confiscated from a certain Grayme Joken from Gryffindor, and certainly can't be bothered to get rid of them myself. If you promise to do so surreptitiously, can you make sure you dispose of them?"

Malfoy grinned. "If this is the only thing I ever swear to you, it is that I will make sure I dispose of these sweets extremely carefully. I won't even let Crabbe and Goyle help on the train! See you Granger! Hope you have a good holiday!"

Hermione grinned slightly at the Head Boy's disappearing back thinking mildly that he had come a long way from swearing black and blue at her on sight to wishing her a good Christmas, even if it was when no one else could see. Admittedly, she knew she would become slightly lonely staying in her common room without the cuttingly playful banter that had developed between Malfoy and herself. She even thought about heading back to the Gryffindor common room. It would be less quiet there, but on the other hand she would spend some decent time with Harry, Ginny and Ron, who she was now on talking terms with again, after he had come to her on nearly bended knee. Harry had been asked by Dumbledore to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas so as to move quickly if a solution to the first couple of Horcruxes came up. So naturally, Ginny, Ron, Lavender and Hermione had all signed up for the holidays as well.

As if on cue, Ginny opened the common room door and stepped in. "Hi! Just wondering if you wanted to camp out in my dorm. All the other girls have left."

Hermione laughed. "Just thinking that myself! I'd love to! Care to help me get my stuff?"

The girls walked up to Hermione's dorm and started going through her clothes and drawers.

"Hermione, you have more books than clothes here!"

"No I don't... do I?"

"Yes... what is this?!" Ginny was holding up a little grey rag wrinkling her nose in disgust. Hermione, however, smiled broadly.

"That, my friend, is a little piece of genius! Here. It looks disgusting, it feels disgusting, it seems completely useless but in fact, it will change into whatever piece of clothing the user desires, within reason. It's still a bit faulty in regards to elaborate pieces of clothing, woollens, silks, embroidery and lingerie, yet for your every day skirt, trousers etcetera, it works wonders! I'm still working on it, and when I've done it, I'll make more. But for instant packing, it works amazingly well!"

Ginny gave Hermione an incredulous stare before laughing. "Out of all the girls in the world, only you would be so uninterested in clothing to dress in a transfigured rag! But, yeah I suppose. It would probably catch on with boys more than girls. It sounds like the sort of thing Gred and Feorge would dream up."

Hermione frowned, as they started making their way towards the common room. "Don't you dare give them this idea! It's all mine! How are they anyway?"

"From all accounts, they are blooming. It's going to be so weird having Christmas at Hogwarts without them..."
"Yeah... who else is staying over Christmas?"

"No one, really, in Gryffindor. A few third years, I think, and then us. Oh, and I think Neville too... Apparently Zabini is staying," Ginny added slyly.

Hermione blushed immediately. "Oh really?" she asked, trying to sound uninterested. "Wonder why. Malfoy left. Thought all those pureblood freaks did."

"Freak?"

Hermione turned to Ginny, giving her a savage glare. "Yeah. Freak."

"Oh come on, 'Mione! When Lavs and I get Harry and Won-won occupied, you should go hang out with him. He certainly seems a nice guy whenever I'm in your comm."

"Yeah, and you think Malfoy is a saint. Just 'cause they're ogling over you the whole time..."

Ginny muttered the password to the Gryffindor common room and turned to give Hermione a serious glance. "Maybe to begin with. But not anymore. Give him a chance, eh? He's quiet, intelligent, selfless and the only person I've seen even compare with you in terms of the amount of study done."
"This is the same slytherin we're talking about isn't it?"

"You think he's hot and he seems to be everywhere you are. He must like you."

"When he's not eyeing you up," Hermione muttered.

Ginny dropped the conversation with a glare and the girls started talking about Harry and Dumbledore's progress while changing the room around and unpacking.

"So is Dumbledore actually at the school at the moment?" Hermione asked.

"No. He's going to pick Harry up after Christmas, or so I've gathered. Oh that reminds me! Harry asked me to owl Dumbledore. Apparently, Dumbledore was wondering if I could go too. They need an extra person."
"Oh," Hermione said, trying not to sound jealous.

"I'd better do it now. Coming?"

Hermione grabbed a coat and the girls headed out of the common room towards the owlery.

As they turned around a corner, they suddenly came across Zabini. Ginny immediately gave Hermione a 'see I told you so' look and both girls smiled politely. Zabini nodded to Ginny and then turned to Hermione. "Have you gone back to the Gryffindor common room? I just went to the Heads' 

and you weren't there. Not many people in the Slytherin room, you see..." He suddenly looked sheepish, an unusual look on a face which was usually so emotionless.

"Yeah, I have..." Hermione started.

Ginny looked as if she was about to burst from excitement. "Hermione," she said. "I really have to send this. I'll catch you later!" And before Hermione could protest, she had disappeared from sight.

In the corridor, with only Zabini, Hermione was decidedly awkward. "There aren't any Gryffindor girls about our age except for her. She asked me..." she explained motioning towards where Ginny had disappeared.

"She's a firey one," the slytherin said mildly. Hermione glanced sharply at him, only to realise he was watching to see her reaction. She blushed, and the dark haired chuckled softly. "I presume you were escorting Miss Weasley to the owlery? Well, I was on my way to the library. Care to join me?"

Hermione looked at Zabini surprised. Though she knew with her head that the slytherin worked excessively, it was still something to hear someone, most of all a boy, ask her to join him in the library.

She smiled. "Yeah. I'd love to. I mean..." Hermione cringed once again at her blunderings and quickly changed subject. "Have you finished the essay Professor Vector set us?"

Zabini was looking at Hermione, a slight smile playing on his features, almost secret. However, after a moment, he broke the gaze and started back down the corridor towards the library. Hermione walked beside him.

"Ah... nearly. Just got to check up one last thing. I'd like your opinion on it too. Which topic did you choose?"

Hermione gave a small smile. To be asked for her opinion! "The... the first one. I wanted a challenge..."

"Yeah, same," Zabini said without so much as a blink. "It is better to be over than under prepared. After you," he added, holding the library door open for her. Hermione smiled and walked in and the two seventh years moved down aisles towards the Arithmancy section.

There were a few fifth year Slytherins in one corner. Zabini strode on past, but Hermione hesitated a little, glancing at them as they stared openly at them. Zabini realised Hermione was behind him slightly and glanced around to find out why. He saw his fellow slytherins and stepped back to Hermione. "Come on," he said quietly. However, before he could tug Hermione away, one of the slytherins shouted out, "Is the mudblood rich, Zabini? Because I don't think your mother would see the appeal otherwise."

Hermione winced slightly as Zabini's hand clamped itself tightly around her wrist. She looked into his face and was suddenly scared at the fury in his face. "Don't talk about things you don't understand," Zabini hissed at the boys and pulled Hermione away.

After a few minutes, Hermione asked Zabini timidly, "Er... do you think you could let go of my arm?" Zabini blinked, his anger cooling slightly. "Oh, sorry Hermione..." He sighed and then reached for a book, flicking through to find a number. "Slytherins don't really understand things... They are slow witted and pathetic minded."

"Isn't that a bit prejudiced?" Hermione asked. "My friend Diego said that everyone is on a continuum. Just because you are in a certain house doesn't mean you don't share traits with other houses. Not everyone in Slytherin can be slow witted. You aren't and nor is Malfoy."
"Diego?" Zabini asked, his face blank.

"Diego Ashton. You probably don't know him. Ravenclaw 6th year prefect."
"Ah well I'm sorry if you think I'm prejudiced," Zabini said, his eyes suddenly flashing once more. "I'm sure you and Diego are right. I mean, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors usually are, aren't they? Thanks for your help, Granger. See you around."
Hermione watched in surprise as the slytherin stuffed the book into his bag and strode away angrily.

A/N: Thanks everyone for all the reviews!! It is very supportive and encouraging :) Wow this is my eleventh chapter. Didn't think I would last this long! And it's all because of your reviews that I have. Ooh and my story is now in another community (All of MLO's Hermionecentric stories)! (This is becoming sort of like an advertising spot, haha) So please review more and I'll update soon :)