AUTHOR'S NOTE: HEYY YOU ALL! MISS ME? THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE! YES YES YES THIS CHAPTER WILL ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS. THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THE LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR. HOPE YOU LIKE IT! AAAAND YES MORE BLAISE! :D WHAT ELSE? OHH OF COURSE! ENTER KRUM! HE'S JUST DELICIOUS! ANY KRUMIONE FANS? LET ME KNOW..YEH?

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. IF I DID I WOUDN'T BE HERE STAYING UP LATE WRITING FANFICITONS NOW WOULD I?

I LOVE YOU GUYS!

READ, READ, READ AAAAND REVIEW! ;)

OH AND THE HIGHLIGHTED ONES ARE THE DIRECT QUOTES FROM THE BOOK. WHO AM I KIDDING? YOU GUYS KNOW THAT ALREADY!

ALRIGHT! I'LL LEAVE YOU TO IT!

"Herm-own-ninny" Hermione whirled around at the sound. She looked around confused before turning back to her Transfiguration assignment. She was pretty sure that someone called her. Although she had no idea who calls her "herm-own-ninny"

Trying to ignore all the giggling she started scribbling down her notes furiously. Library was the one place that she found peace and quiet. But no. Not now. Not today. Not since Victor Krum made the library his home. Not surprisingly a lot of girls started finding the library interesting. Interesting! Yeah right! Hermione fumed.

Honestly she was not being fair to the Drumstrang student who was currently residing in Hogwarts until the end of the TriWizard Tournament. Maybe he preferred to read like she did. And he deserved to come to the library. Like she does. The only reason girls flock around him is because they find him attractive. Which he was to some extent, Hermione supposed. Her problem was not the Bulgarian seeker. No, not at all. Her problem was a certain blonde Slytherin.

"Herm-own-ninny" Again that sound. She whirled around. This time something did catch her eye. Someone was staring at her from behind the shelves. Stifling back a shout, Hermione made her way towards the shelf, ever the curious one. What – or rather who she saw- confused her all the more. Victor Krum was leaning against the shelf. His eyes hard, his mouth set in a tight smile.

"Are they still here?"

"I'm sorry… what?" Hermione asked, politely.

"The girls. Are they still vaiting for me?" He whispered.

Hiding a smile Hermione glanced at the group of girls. Sure enough, Pansy Parkinson with a whole lot of others were waiting patiently for Krum to make an appearance. PARKINSON! Hermione seethed.

"Yes. They are still there" Hermione muttered sympathetically.

"Very vell. I believe I have to face them." With that Krum started to move.

"Wait" Hermione called out.

"Yes?"

"How do you know my name?"

Victor smiled. "Ve, Dumstrang men, make sure ve know the names of the most beautiful ladies, herm-own-ninny" With that he left. Hermione had no idea whether she should be offended or flattered.

Confused, Hermione made her way back to her seat. She opened her charms book, getting ready to write her extra credit essay on tickling charms. Losing herself finally in something familiar and comforting, Hermione dived into her work, fully submerging herself in it.

"There was a prince once who fell in love with a princess in a faraway land" Hermione gasped at the sound. For the first time in 3 hours she became aware of her surroundings. It seemed as if no one else was in the library. No one else but the person who had just spoken to her. No one else but Draco Malfoy.

She closed her eyes, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. The only reaction that acknowledged his presence was by the stiffening in her shoulders. Maybe it was enough for him to continue.

'He met her once. But once was enough to fall in love. Yet once was enough to lose her as well. For lose her, he did. He could not find her the next day. He searched for her. Every day, day and night" Malfoy said as he moved closer. Hermione sucked in a breath when she felt him stand directly behind her.

"He did find her" She meekly whispered.

"Yes." He crouch beside her, hands caging her in as he placed them on the table on either side of her. "Yes… Was he too late?" He asked.

"He could have been… She was given the Draugth of the Living dead" Hermione managed to say. Malfoy's face was now almost touching her's.

"But he wasn't"

"No"

"Why?"

"Wiggenwald Potion" Hermione said at last, turning her face to look at him. "He saved her"

"How?" A whisper.

"He put on some Wiggenwald potion on his lips and… he…he kissed her" Hermione flushed red as she said the last part in a rush. His jaw clenched.

"Why?" She asked.

"Why what?" His breath fanning her face.

Why are you talking to me again? Why are you here with me again? Why are you looking at me like that? Why…

"Why are you talking about the lost princess and her prince?"

"You wanted to" He smiled a little. Hermione scrunched up her brow in confusion.

"Today in potion's class. You wanted to tell that story" A tenderness entering his voice.

"Oh" She looked down, trying to hide the smile that involuntarily lit her face.

"What were you doing with Blaise?" Hermione head shot up "What?"

"Today in Potion's. What were you doing with him?" Malfoy spat, turning his back on her.

"I was making the potion!" Hermione said, still confused with the sudden change in Malfoy.

"Didn't seem like that" He turned, all the tenderness gone. Disgust in his face, he continued. "Talking as if you have no care in the world. Being all chummy and all smiles."

"Save it" Hermione stood up gathering all her books. "What I do, who I'm being chummy with is none of your business. You can have Zabini for all I care. He's your friend after all" She elbowed past him. He grabbed her and pulled her back.

"I don't give a crap whether he is your friend or boyfriend." He said ominously.

"Don't. Just don't. You're dangerously close to sounding jealous" Hermione whispered back, just as threateningly.

With a surprised look on his face Malfoy let go of her. Hermione stared at him, daring him to say more before turning her back on him. Leaving him, without a backward glance.

Hermione seethed. She could not believe she was hearing this. She had no choice but believe what she was hearing. She wished she didn't have to see this though. She really wished that the Bubotuber that she was squeezing right now was Pansy Parkinson's throat. In fact it was a rare day when she didn't wish that. Today, however, was special.

"Oh I don't even have a dress robe!" The shrill voice said.

"But that's soooo cute Pansy! Forget about the dress robe. You're going to the ball with the most handsome, the most popular guy in Hogwarts"

"Well Of course! We are dating you know. And the dress is the most important thing in the whole event Astoria! If Draco is the most handsome guy then naturally his date must be the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts." Pansy giggled as she made her way towards her station with Astoria.

So Draco was taking Pansy to the dance. Hermione assured herself that that should not affect her. Should not hurt her. But it did. Dear god, it did. Blinking back the tears she made her way towards her station. She let all of her frustration on the Bubotuber as she squeezed out all the pus out of it.

"Very nice Ms. Granger. 10 points to Gryffindor" Professor Sprout said. As soon as she dismissed them Hermione rushed towards the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ron closely following besides her discussing about the Yule ball. She went and sat near Ginny.

"Hey 'Mione" Ginny greeted her enthusiastically. "Harry…" She added when Harry sat beside Hermione. She flushed when he didn't acknowledge her presence. Almost as if he didn't hear her. Hermione squeezed the younger girl's hand sympathetically.

"…ask someone. He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls." Ron said sitting beside Harry.

Hermione let out a sputter of indignation. "A pair of… what, excuse me?"

"Well - you know," said Ron, shrugging. "I'd rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say."

"Her acne's loads better lately - and she's really nice!"

"Her nose is off-center," said Ron.

"Oh I see," Hermione said, bristling. "So basically, you're going to take the best looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"

"Er - yeah, that sounds about right," said Ron.

"I'm going to bed," Hermione snapped as she made her way towards the stair case. So that was all there is to it. Isn't it? Looks! Pansy Parkinson was - Merlin forgive her – a cow. With good looks. That made no sense but Hermione didn't have time or patience to make sense. All she knew was that Draco Malfoy asked Pansy Parkinson to go to the ball with him. Not her. Why would he? You're his enemy! Her conscience kept telling her. She refused to listen to it. Hermione threw herself on her bed, letting out all the frustrations and giving into the tears.

It has been a week since the disastrous incident with Malfoy. Neither of them acknowledged the other after that. She spent most of her time in the library. Avoiding him. Avoiding his girlfriend. Avoiding her stupid best friends. Really. How hard was it for Ron or even Harry to ask her to go to the ball with them? Was she that much of a bore of a company? Or was she that ugly…?

Someone came and stood near her effectively putting an end to her self-pity.

"Can I sit here?" Victor Krum asked indicating to the chair beside Hermione. She nodded with a polite smile.

"I know ve are no friends. I vant to be friends" He began uncomfortably after a while.

"Oh…okay" She smiled again.

"Herm-own-ninny" He tried again, blushing. Now he really had Hermione's attention. After all, it wasn't every day that you get to see a famous Quidditch player blush.

"Yes?"

"Vill you go to the ball with me?"

Hermione walked dazed all the way to her class. Victor Krum asked her out. Victor Krum asked her out! And she said yes. Merlin, Ron would freak out! She smiled at the thought. Served them right for not considering on taking her out. She started working on her potion when Neville approached her.

"Her...Hermione" He spluttered.

"Hey Neville" She beamed at him.

"Um…'Mione…?" He gulped.

"Just stir it twice in anti-clockwise direction. Your potion looks too light" Hermione said after taking a glance at his potion.

"Oh..thanks" Neville said distractedly. "Listen…Will you go out with me? Dance…I mean for the dance…As a date….friends…a friend date…thing…" Neville rushed out, blushing beetroot red.

"Ohh...ohh Neville! I'm so sorry! I already told someone that I would go with him!" Hermione whispered, her blush now matching Neville's.

"Oh…that's ok. Uhh…yeah see you later 'Mione" With that Neville turned his back on her.

Hermione couldn't help but feel a little sad. Neville was such a sweet friend! She was pretty sure that she would have so much fun with him than she would have with Krum. With a sad smile, Hermione turned her back on him and came face to face with Zabini. She gave him an exasperated look. He reciprocated by grinning widely.

"I never thought that he would do it you know"

"Who would do what?" Hermione muttered as she started stirring her potion.

"Draco. I never thought that he would ask you out or that you would say yes" He clarified sitting beside Hermione.

"You're right. He didn't ask me out and I didn't say yes. Now get out of my way" She said hotly. For a minute Zabini looked confused but then his face smoothened out and he smirked.

"Playing dirty are we?"

"Aren't we all?" She smiled at last.

"Tell me it isn't weasel" He scrunched up his face in disgust.

"It's Ron. And no. I'm not going to the dance with him." She said. "Or Harry" She added as an afterthought.

"Mystery man for the muggleborn. Nice" Zabini smirked. Hermione shot him an amused glance.

"You didn't say mudblood"

"Of course. Draco would kill me." Hermione snorted. He laughed and was interrupted by a voice calling out to him.

"Get your ass over here Zabini" Draco Malfoy. Hermione rolled her eyes and waved goodbye as Zabini made his way towards Malfoy. A very angry Malfoy.

After having dinner Hermione made her towards the Gryffindor common room. She smiled at the sight as the door opened. Ron and Harry were howling with laughter besides a rather annoyed Ginny. They looked at her direction as she entered.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" she said, coming over to join them.

"Because - oh shut up laughing, you two - because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" said Ginny.

That shut Harry and Ron up. "Thanks a bunch, Ginny," scowled Ron.

"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron? Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you." She smirked. She actually smirked! She stopped. She wouldn't do anything that he did.

"Hermione, Neville's right - you are a girl…"

"Oh well spotted," she said acidly. How stupid can a person get? What was wrong with Ron?

"Well - you can come with one of us!" NOW they ask! She really did have baboons for best friends.

"No, I can't," she snapped.

"Oh come on," he said impatiently, "we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has…"

"I can't come with you," said Hermione, now blushing, "because I'm already going with someone." What would they say if they did find out? Ron idolizes Krum. Maybe he would want to switch dates.

"No, you're not!" said Ron interrupting Hermione's train of thought. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. Harry actually shifted towards Ginny in an attempt to shield away from Hermione's wrath. Ron didn't understand the warning. He kept on asking her up to the point that she burst out.

"I've already told you!" Hermione stood up, glaring at her best friend "I'm going with someone else!" With that she stormed off.

The following weeks Ron kept asking her who her mystery man was, up to the point where Hermione started ignoring Ron whenever he breached the subject. It was one such evening when Ron and Harry followed Hermione out of the great that Ron started with his questions. Again.

"Hermione - who are you going to the ball with?" said Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes as Harry groaned. "I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me." She simply said.

"You're joking, Weasley!" said Malfoy, behind them. Hermione stopped dead in her tracks. She felt dread settling in her heart and her legs simply refused to move

"You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"

Hermione felt like she was being pricked by thousands of little pins at her heart. She had the overwhelming urge to break down. Right then and there. She steeled herself refusing to let him know how much he hurt her. Taking a long calming breath Hermione turned around and met his eyes. Fire against ice, clashing against the other. Just how it's supposed to be. How it's meant to be. Fire could never unite with ice nor can ice with fire. They could never co-exist together. She smiled at him. A cold emotionless smile. Yet a smile nonetheless.

"Hello, Professor Moody!" She said, deliberately looking over Malfoy's shoulder. Malfoy had been staring at her with an emotion she couldn't fathom in his eyes. The mention of Professor moody was enough to bring panic in those big sliver orbs. He looked behind him, jumping slightly. He turned back at her. She thought she saw admiration in his eyes. Yes, Slytherins aren't the only ones that can be sly.

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" She whispered at last. Malfoy stared back at her. His eyes clouded with unnamed emotions, his hands curled into fists. As Harry and Ron burst into fits of laughter, a lone tear fell down from Hermione's eyes. She brushed it away quickly. But not quick enough for the blonde Slytherin that was staring at her. He saw. Dear god, he saw…

I KNOW I KNOW! I HATE MALFOY TOO! HAHA YOU CAUGHT ME! WHO CAN REALLY HATE HIM? STILL! HOW VERY RUDE OF HIM? BUT LET'S NOT FORGET. HERMIONE WASN'T THE ONLY ONE AFFECTED BY THIS LITTLE EXCHANGE... I DID TRY TO PUT IN A LITTLE DRAMIONE MOMENT BUT MY MAIN FOCUS IS DRACO AND HIS JEALOUSY :D COZ WE JUST LOVE A JEALOUS MALFOY, DON'T WE?

NEXT CHAPTER? THE YULE BALL! WHOA WHOA CALM DOWN GUYS! EXCITED AREN'T WE?