Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the talented JK Rowling, I own nothing.

AN: I'm trying to finish up this story fairly quickly because in a month or two my life is about to become extremely busy. But I don't want to rush it and there's still so much that I haven't gotten to yet. So the only thing I can think of is combining things and making the chapters longer. That means updates may be a little more spread out, but I will do my best to have them out as soon as possible.

They had another victory under their belt. Though Ravenclaw had been a stronger team than Hufflepuff, they were still no match for the Slytherins this year. The rigorous work outs and practices their team captain put them through was proving to pay off and now they were in the finals. There would be the match between them and Gryffindor right before Christmas break, and if they beat them, they would win the House Cup this year.

The Slytherins were partying hard to celebrate their victory. Loud music was blaring, shots were being thrown back, heavy making out on the couches took place, and people were getting pissed out of their minds left and right. The fourth years and down were sent to their dormitories with a few of the sixth years keeping an eye out to make sure none of them tried to sneak up.

Draco sat in the back corner of the room, surrounded by his quidditch team and other eighth years, just talking and joking around while sipping a fire whiskey. Normally, he would have been one of the ones on the couches making out with some random girl, or taking her off to a broom closet and shagging the daylights out of her. But as soon as the team had come back, Draco hadn't given any of the girls more than a passing glance, and although he was drinking, it wasn't the huge amounts that he usually consumed like he did at the beginning of the year and especially right after the war. This didn't escape Daphne's notice as she watched him from the window sill, smiling at the fact that overall Draco just looked happy and content, not like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

She wasn't stupid, she knew his look and demeanor had little to do with the recently won quidditch game, and more to do with a certain curly-haired brunette. He'd come back to the Slytherin common room two days ago, not even trying to cover up the wide grin that spread across his face. He'd gotten strange looks which he ignored, and when asked about where he'd been, he merely replied "Doing prefect shit." Granger was having the affect on him she just knew she would, and she couldn't be happier for her friend. Now if only he'd open up to her just a bit more…

Blaise and Theo plopped down on either side of her, huge grins and mischievous looks on their faces. She raised an eyebrow, knowing those looks all too well. "What?"

"So, you and Potter huh?" Blaise said casually, while Theo sniggered. Of course, she should have known. They'd been put out when she wouldn't tell them who she was meeting in the library for study sessions, and on the last Hogsmeade trip they knew something was up when she left them to go spend time with her 'mystery beau' as they'd dubbed him.

"And? What of it?" she asked with a shrug.

"So you're not denying it?" Theo asked, looking closely at her as though he were investigating.

"Obviously not" she replied. "Yes, I've been seeing Potter. Congratulations detective, you solved the mystery."

Blaise chuckled and leaned back against the window. "I have to admit, that caught me off guard. Never in a million years would I have put you two together."

Daphne smiled. "Neither would I, but he's really sweet and has definitely helped me pull my grade up in potions. Even Draco couldn't do that."

"Please don't start all that mushy lovey-dovey crap" Theo said, taking a swig of his firewhiskey.

"And that is exactly why you don't have a girlfriend Theo" she said, elbowing him in the side.

Theo grinned and shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm not exactly looking for one now am I? You know, I figured you'd at least try to hide it a little more. You've been so keen on not telling us before, but you seem like you couldn't care less now that we've found out. 'Course if I was dating Scarhead, I'd be ashamed and make sure no one knew."

"Don't be a jerk!" she exclaimed, smacking him upside the head. "And for your information, I'm not ashamed! We both would just like a little privacy. You know how people are always in his business and the gossips here would love nothing more than to sell us out to those bloody reporters like Rita Skeeter. I don't particularly want my face splashed all across the Daily Prophet, and neither does he." Daphne truly wasn't ashamed of their relationship and once he'd officially asked her out, she'd had no problem letting others find out. Harry had refrained telling her that he didn't want them to get out just yet not only for privacy, but also for her safety. There were still a few rogue death eaters that hadn't been caught yet and he feared that if the media flashed her as Harry Potter's new girlfriend, some of them might come after her as a sort of revenge. They still weren't happy about the fact that so many young Slytherins defected to the order, and though her father was locked away in Azkaban, she knew he wouldn't be too keen on her dating the 'Chosen One.' While she admired and loved that he cared so much for her well being, she hated all these bloody secrets. And technically she didn't tell her friends, they found out on their own.

"So you're not even a little worried about others finding out?" Blaise asked. "I mean I get it, the media would have a field day if they knew, but what about his friends? How well do you think Weasel King will react once he knows?"

Daphne shrugged. "Probably not as bad as he will once he finds out you're dating his baby sister."

Blaise stared at her wide eyed while Theo chocked on his fire whiskey. "You're dating the Weaslette?!" he exclaimed once he calmed down.

"Keep your voice down, will you?!" Blaise hissed glaring at him. His coughing fit had garnered the attention of the few eighth years in the corner, including Draco. Blaise wondered if Draco had heard Theo's exclamation, but the blonde only watched them questioningly for a moment before raising his glass at him, then turning back to his own conversation.

"How did you know about Ginny and I" Blaise asked in a hushed voice.

"I've caught the both of you watching each other in the Great Hall and a few times in the corridors, I'll see you wink or smile at her. Unlike the two of you, I pay attention to what's going on around me. Also, I saw her watching me in the library with Harry a couple of days ago, and I don't think it's purely coincidence that you now know about us. She told you didn't she?" Daphne asked.

Blaise nodded while Theo still seemed to be having trouble wrapping his mind around this. "I can't believe you're dating the Weaslette."

"So? What's wrong with that?" Blaise countered. "Look, I know it's a bit of a shock, but she's not like her bloody brother. And I really like her, alright? She's smart, funny, feisty, beautiful-"

"Okay, okay calm down! I didn't say I wasn't alright with it, I'm just surprised is all. Geez, don't go all emotional on me now. If you want, we can go back to it being a secret." Theo cut in with a roll of his eyes.

"You know, I think we should just give up on keeping all these secrets" Daphne stated. "The houses are getting along fairly well, and relationships are bound to pop up more. Why should we hide it?"

"It's a different story outside of these castle walls, you know that Daph" Blaise said, taking a drink.

She sighed. That unfortunately was very true. But still, how could they change it on the outside, if they couldn't even do it on the inside? "Have you said anything to Draco?" she asked him.

He shook his head. "He knew I was seeing a Gryffindor, but until just a few minutes ago no one knew who. Thanks for that by the way" he said sarcastically while she rolled her eyes. "What about you? When do you plan on telling him you're seeing his 'arch nemeses?"

"Like I said, I don't have a problem with it" she said flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "And Draco and I have been friends for too long for something like this to come between us. If he cares about me, then he won't cut me off just because I'm dating someone he doesn't like. He won't do that to you either, and you know that. I mean he risked his life to save us last year, so that proves how much he cares. Plus, he's getting a lot more cozy with Granger anyway, so he can't say anything without being a hypocrite."

"This all seems a little ironic doesn't it?" Theo said, causing his two friends to look at him.

"What do you mean?" Blaise said.

Theo leaned back and swirled the contents of his drink around a little. "Well, technically this is all part of a domino effect. We make a bet at the beginning of the year with Draco, he in turn has McGonagall and the teachers force us all into partnering together, which mind you was McGonagall's ultimate goal by the way, and not only do we see more and more friendships between other houses pop up, but now you two are dating two major Gryffindors and Draco's possibly in deeper with one than he'll admit, and a muggleborn at that. I mean, I knew we all seriously changed our viewpoints after the war, but I didn't think it would all turn out like this. Did you ever expect that you'd date one from the Weasley clan, and that you'd be dating Saint Potter?" he asked them.

Both Daphne and Blaise pondered over his words. It was true, two years ago they would have never even thought of associating with those their parents deemed blood traitors, and filth, but now they couldn't care less. And despite the circumstances that lead them here being rather questionable, they were finally seeing the world as it should be and wouldn't want it any other way.

"Wow Theo, who knew you could be so insightful. Maybe there's hope for you after all" Blaise said with a grin while Daphne giggled behind her hand.

Theo shrugged. "Hey, I can be deep when I want to be. I just choose to leave all that mess to you and Daph here. Life's too short to be serious." He looked over at Draco, who was retelling his victory story of how he caught the snitch and making all the others cheer. Lowering his voice and turning back to his friends he said, "So how do you think he's doing with the bet?"

"I don't know anymore" Blaise admitted just as quietly. "I never thought it would turn out like this when we made it, but I think he's really starting to like her. Even Ginny said something about it. Maybe we should just tell him to forget about it or something."

"No! Don't do that!" Daphne whispered, causing them to look at her in surprise.

"What? Why not? You're the one who said it was cruel in the first place. And you wanted him to like her for real, and I think he might now. Why do you want this to be dragged out?" Blaise asked, truly confused.

"You're right, I did think it was cruel, but I also saw it as a way for Draco to finally have something good in his life. I know he's been watching her for years and although he was mean and hateful, he was also intrigued and I think he picked on her more than anyone because he realized that despite what he'd been taught about muggleborns, Granger didn't and couldn't fit in that category" she began, taking a deep breath. "Draco was always expected to be a death eater, and was brought up with the teaching of pureblood supremacy more so than even us. He had all of those ridiculous ideals shoved down his throat and was taught to follow his father without question. And he did for so many years. But after fifth year and when he got stuck with that bloody task of killing Dumbledore, is when I think he truly started seeing how wrong those ideals were and when he started thinking for himself. His mother saw it too when he pulled us back from that first raid, and that's what made her decide to help the order. Now he's free and able to think on his own, and Granger's helping him in that aspect. And although he's made a lot of progress, he's still trying to figure things out for himself. Him deluding himself into winning this bet has really helped him along, but he's not ready to give that pretense up yet. If you call it off now, I'm afraid he'll digress and shut down again. Look at him, doesn't he look so much happier than he did even during the summer and at the beginning of the year when he was sleeping with girls left and right?" The three looked over to see him laughing about something, all the while never dropping his smile. "That's not just because of the game-it's because of Granger. She's been such a positive impact on him and I couldn't be happier. He just needs a little more time."

"Daphne, the bet we made was crude. To win, he has to sleep with her. You realize who we're talking about, right? It's Granger. Sure, maybe Draco could charm his way into her bed, but she's not the type to sleep around without some kind of emotional attachment. That's not exactly up Draco's alley as you know." Blaise countered.

"No, I understand" she said. "I don't want him to necessarily win the bet. I want him to get with her for real. But the bet may be the only way he'll do it. Don't call it off, and do your best to make him think it's still going. If he continues the way I think he will, he'll be the one to call it off."

Both Blaise and Theo thought about it for a minute before they finally nodded. "Okay, we'll keep it going." Theo relented.

"You've been right before, so I trust you now" Blaise agreed.

"Besides, there's still the chance that he could fail, and I would love to see the looks on Scarhead and Weaslebee's faces when he makes a pass at them" Theo added, trying to lighten the serious mood.

"Trust you to ruin a deep moment" Daphne chided, though she did smile at him.

They were further interrupted when they looked up to see Pansy making a beeline straight for Draco. Daphne knew she'd been down in the Hospital Wing this whole time and hadn't counted on her being back for a while. They knew she was still after Draco, though she seemed more angry at him than anything, and she was probably fixing to start a scene. Sharing a brief look between themselves, the three quickly jumped up and intercepted her.

"Pansy! So good to see you" Theo said loudly enough to get Draco's attention. Sure enough, the blonde looked up with an irritated look and caught Daphne's eye while she gave him a look that told him they were going to try to distract her. He gave her a nod in thanks, while waiting for his opportunity to slip out before she could corner him.

"Move out of the way Theo, I'm here to see Draco" she barked, trying to step around him only to be thwarted by Blaise.

"Now Pans, don't be rude" Blaise said in mock hurt. "We were just making nice." The dark haired girl took her eyes off of Draco to glare at him, allowing Draco the chance to slip out of the crowd, through the shadows, and out of the portrait hole.

"I don't make nice with you. I know you've been trying to keep me away from him, but you're not going to stop me. I have very important matters to discuss with him that don't concern any of you. Now get out of my way" she said with a push. She looked up to notice that Draco was no longer in the spot she'd originally seen him, and looking around he was nowhere in sight. With a frustrated growl, she turned around and pointed her finger accusingly at the three.

"You did it again! Tell me where he is, now!" she bellowed.

Having had enough, Daphne stepped forward and glared at her. "Can't you take a hint? He doesn't care if you want to talk or not. He can't stand you! You can't be that daft, just leave him alone!"

"Why, so you can move in on him" Pansy asked angrily. "I know you only want me out of the way so you can have him all to yourself. What, are these two idiots not enough for you Daphne?"

"I don't see him that way, but I can assure you he'd choose me over you any day" Daphne spat back.

Pansy only glared harder. "I doubt that. He seems to be running around with mudbloods these days." A thought dawned on her, and she sneered all the more. "That's where he is right now, isn't it? He's off with that filthy little bitch!"

"It doesn't matter if he is or not" Theo said, pulling Daphne back before a cat fight broke out. "She's his patrol partner and he has every right to be around her. Not that it's any of your business."

Pansy stared them down hard, all the while them staring right back. Anyone could see the tension and most had stopped what they were doing to watch the group curiously. Pansy blinked first, then stomped over to the couches.

"Fine, if that's the way you want to play it, then so be it" she said, plopping down on the couch. "I'll wait right here for him until he comes back." She crossed her legs, then grabbed a half empty bottle of butterbeer sitting on the table.

The three shook their heads at her before walking off towards the dormitories. They had a feeling Draco wouldn't be back for a while, and they didn't want to answer questions regarding their exchange with the pug.

Pansy on the other hand, sat drinking and waiting patiently for all of five minutes, before she got bored and started making out with some random and sloshed fifth year. It wasn't long before she pulled him up and led him to the nearest broom cupboard.

XOXOXOXOXO

Hermione sat in the library going over an essay one more time. She'd put off doing her last essay, more so for Draco, but that just wasn't her style so she decided to go ahead and start on this one without him. Besides, she knew he was probably still celebrating the victory against Ravenclaw and his mind wouldn't be on Ancient Runes.

She'd wanted to go to the game with her friends, but she felt like that might be too suspicious. Instead, she'd gone up to the Astronomy Tower and vaguely watched it. She still wasn't very interested in quidditch, but she'd caught the gist of the game enough to know that Slytherin had dominated. And when Seamus announced that Malfoy had caught the snitch, she couldn't help the cheer that escaped her and was glad no one was around to hear it.

Ginny had come up to the common room and told her they'd won, as well as gushing about how well Blaise played. They didn't dwell on that topic too long because Harry came in soon afterwards, beginning to get extremely worried for their game against Slytherin. Ron had actually gone to this game with them, and though he'd seen just how good they were this year, he still refused to believe they'd be any match for them come time for their own game. Lavender coming over and feeding his ego did nothing to dissuade him from his smug way of thinking, though they did begin talking about new strategies they could try. That was when Hermione had gotten bored and said she was off to the library. They told her to meet them in the entrance hall in an hour and they'd all go down to visit Hagrid.

She'd been here for all of thirty minutes when she heard the chair across from her being pulled out and someone sitting down. Thinking it was Draco come to gloat, she raised her head and was shocked to see Anthony sitting there. She schooled her features into a blank look as he stared down at his hands.

"Hey Hermione" he said, surprisingly able to keep the stutter out of his voice.

"Anthony" Hermione said back curtly. She was still a little ticked at what he'd said to Draco a few days ago.

"Ginny told me I'd find you here" he said, looking for conversation.

"Yes, you can usually find me here" she answered, wondering why exactly he kept seeking her out. And furthermore, why was Ginny continuously sending him to her? She'd have to have a talk with her to find out what exactly was the meaning behind all of this.

They sat there in awkward silence for a while, though Anthony started nervously tapping his fingers on the desk. The sound was greatly annoying Hermione, but she kept waiting to see if he was going to say why he was here. The tapping got louder and more frequent and just when she thought she couldn't take it anymore, he looked her in the eye and blurted, "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"

She blinked, surprised by his question and caught completely off guard with it. He'd just asked her to Hogsmeade. Did that mean-

"Together?" she asked dumbly.

"Uh, y-yes, as in a…um…date?" he said, raising his voice in a question at the end. "Since it's so close to Christmas, McGonagall's agreed to let us visit every weekend until break so we can do some Christmas shopping if we need to. So…what do you say?"

Oh wow. No, she most certainly hadn't been expecting that. She'd never really been asked out, seeing how usually she, Harry, Ron, and Ginny always visited Hogsmeade together and that hadn't changed until just recently. And even when she and Ron were dating, they never really went out. They were too busy bickering.

She looked at Anthony, knowing he was waiting for an answer. Sure, he was sweet (most of the time) and smart, and she was positive they could talk about something other than quidditch. There really wasn't any reason to not go with him, but she really didn't want to because…because…

…because Anthony had dark brown hair, not platinum blonde. Because Anthony's eyes were hazel and not silver. Because Anthony didn't have that pale skin tone, quidditch toned body, infuriating yet sexy smirk, snarky but witty and humorous repartee, and Anthony didn't make her heart race, skin tingle when he touched her, and cause her breath to hitch with just a single look.

Because Anthony wasn't Draco.

Draco was the one she wanted to go to Hogsmeade with, though they usually wound up together on patrol without him having to ask. Draco was the one she really liked, and Draco was the one she was seriously starting to fall for.

"Um" she started, not wanting to hurt his feelings, but not wanting to go either. "I wasn't really planning on going tomorrow. I'm a little behind in my schoolwork you see, and I was going to spend tomorrow catching up." That was an outright lie, and she feared maybe Anthony was able to see through it. However, he let out a sigh and nodded his head.

"Okay, no problem. If you uh…change your mind…or something…uh, just let me know" he said standing up. She felt a little bad, so she smiled and said, "Thanks Anthony. I will." He returned her smile before turning around and walking out of the library.

XOXOXOXOXO

Draco was now in a bad mood. This was the exact reason he hadn't opened the letter when he got it at breakfast, because he feared it would take his focus from the game away. He was so glad he'd waited. He'd actually forgotten about it and it wasn't until he left the common room to get away from Pansy that he'd remembered and wandered into an empty classroom to read it.

His mom had sent a letter, begging him to come home for Christmas. She'd said it was time to put the past behind them and move on. Basically, she wanted him to make up with his father and pretend like they were a happy family again, the way they were before the Dark Lord rose again.

He didn't know how much clearer he could make it to his mom that he wanted nothing more to do with Lucius. So why was she still pushing it? He knew the reason why, and that was because she still loved the bastard. It was tearing her apart that he no longer did, and that made him feel all the more terrible.

Lucius was still sending him letters, though he didn't respond, but the fact that he always ended them with something along the lines of "I want to hear from you" only added to his anger and confusion. In all previous letters he'd ever sent throughout Draco's school years, he was always berating and putting pressure on him. "Malfoy's are the best" he'd say, or "You have to be above all others."

As Draco walked into the owlery, he felt regret and justification for what he was about to say. Regret in regards to the fact that it would just cause his mother more heartache, but justification to the fact that Lucius had caused this rift between them. Even if he did go back to the Manor for Christmas, he just wasn't ready to face the demons there yet. The memories of everything that took place still haunted him and he'd stayed away from home as much as possible over the summer. He had no idea what he was going to do once school ended, but he couldn't go back there now, especially with Lucius walking the halls.

His letter was short and precise. He said he wouldn't be coming home because he was behind in Ancient Runes and had agreed to stay over break so that he could get extra tutoring from the professor. After all, he did want to do well on his NEWTS. It was a lie, and he knew his mother would see right through it, but he figured it would cause her less pain than saying "I never want to see that bastard for as long as I live!"

He tied it to the family owl and watched it fly off into the afternoon. Hopefully, after this his mother would give up on trying to get them to reconcile, and his father would stop trying to talk to him altogether. He doubted it, but he didn't want to think about that now. He wanted to go back to the common room and continue celebrating with his friends. Surely by now Pansy had found some drunk underclassman to screw, so he'd be good. He briefly thought about passing by the library to see if Granger was there, but he figured it wouldn't be wise to see her whilst he was still in this mood. She'd been able to calm him down before, but now that he felt like such a piece of shit, he feared he'd say something to hurt her, rather than her saying something to help him.

As he made his way down the stairs that lead to the entrance hall, he wasn't really paying attention and collided into someone. He rubbed his shoulder and looked up to see none other than Weasel King rubbing his head, looking like he had no clue what hit him. His girlfriend, Purple or something, immediately walked up and said "Won-Won are you okay?" and looking behind him, Draco could see Scarhead, Weaslette and…Granger?

Ron finally noticed it was Malfoy whom he'd ran into and sneered. "Watch where you're going, Ferret!" he snapped.

Oh, now he was pissed. "Why don't you Weaslebee? What, are you blind as well as stupid? I would tell you to invest in a pair of glasses, but I'm sure that would take up your families' entire savings. Don't worry, I'm sure Potty here will share with you."

Hermione could sense the fight now coming and shot a worried look at both Draco and Ron. Draco had a scowl on his features, alerting her to his bad mood, and Ron's ears and face were turning a puce color, representing his rising ire. She had to do something. Fast.

"Shut up ferret!" Ron spat. "Get out of here, before I make you!"

"Is that the only comeback you've got? It shouldn't surprise me, you're not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Tell me you poverty stricken buffoon, what's it like always being in everyone else's shadow and being absolutely useless?" Draco taunted.

"You can't talk to him that way!" Lavender said furiously, and even Hermione had to admit that one was hitting below the belt.

"Does your girlfriend fight all your battles for you?" he pushed.

"Dra- Malfoy, stop!" Hermione cried, taking a step closer. She had a feeling if she said Draco, it would raise suspicions around her friends. He looked at her then and she tried conveying with her eyes that she was begging him to back off. He would have if Weasley would have just shut up.

"You think you're so high and mighty just because you won the game today do you? You're still a lousy seeker, and you've got no chance against us. Why don't you tell me Malfoy, what's it like losing to us year after year?"

"Ron, stop it that's enough" Hermione said in a firm tone, but he continued.

"Face it Malfoy, you're the one who's absolutely useless! You're nothing but death eater scum that should be sitting in Azkaban, and even then you sucked at that! I bet daddy wasn't too pleased with you then, was he? Does he even care about you now that he's bought his way out of prison? I doubt it."

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione stared at Ron in shock, knowing what he'd said had just crossed the line. Draco's eyes flashed dangerously as he discreetly reached his hand into his pockets and grabbed his wand. "If you know what's good for you you overgrown orangutan, you'll keep your filthy mouth shut."

"Why, truth hurt does it? You're nothing Malfoy! A failure and fuck up, whom no one cares about! Just do everyone a favor and drop dead!"

Draco whipped his wand out and struck Ron with a hex that sent him flying against the wall before anyone could blink. Lavender let out a shriek and ran to him while Harry pointed his wand at Malfoy in case he tried something else. Ginny pulled hers out as well not to hurt anyone, but to try and control the situation before it got anymore out of hand.

"Get up Weasley, you miserable oaf!" Draco shouted, anger and rage contorted throughout his features.

"Stop! Stop it, both of you! This has gone far enough!" Hermione shouted, stepping in between them. Ron slowly got to his feet, still glaring at Malfoy and rubbing the back of his head. Thankfully there was no blood, he was probably just bruised up. He reached into his pocket to pull out his wand, but Hermione shouted "Expelliarmus!" before he had the chance to pull it out. "I said that's enough!" she shouted again.

She turned to Draco and stepped towards him. Reaching her hands out to place on his arm, she said "Malfoy, you shouldn't have-"

"Keep your filthy hands off me!" he sneered down at her, jerking back as though she repulsed him.

She knew he was angry when they first ran into him, she knew what Ron had said was inexcusable, and she knew that he didn't mean what he'd just said and that it was a result of everything combined. But that didn't mean it hurt any less. She stared at him with shock and hurt written all over her face as her hand fell to her side.

The instant he saw that look, he immediately felt regret. He didn't mean any of it and wanted to take it back, or reach out to her, but he couldn't do that with her friends standing right there. Plus he was still so fucking angry. This is why he tried to stay away from people when he got like this-because when he lost control of his emotions he said stupid shit that he didn't mean and caused hurt. He had to get out of here now. Before he said something else that would hurt her, though he'd already fucked up pretty bad. He stepped around her and with one last sneer at Weasley, he stormed down the hall.

Ginny knew Hermione was crushed and tentatively placed her hand on her shoulder. She should have probably done more to intervene before it got to this point, but she'd been so shocked and it had escalated so quickly that she didn't know what to do.

"What was that? That tosser bloody hexes me and not only do you take my wand, but you don't even dock points for it?" Ron said, staring angrily at Hermione, completely oblivious to her mood.

She cleared her face of all emotions except anger and turned back to him. "What you said was horrible Ron! This whole situation got blown out of proportion because you were both wrong! If I docked points from him, I'd have to dock points from Gryffindor as well. But that's not important right now, what's important is the fact that you behaved immaturely and brought up things you had no right to bring up!"

He gaped at her. "Are you kidding me? Why are you getting mad at me over this? It's Malfoy! He knows everything I said was true."

"No it wasn't!" she said exasperatedly. "Malfoy was proven innocent at the trials and never wanted to become a death eater! He risked a lot last year to help us, and you threw that back in his face! You're so blinded by your hate for him, that you've let it cloud all common sense!"

"You're kidding right? You're really going to take up for him? Nevermind all the things he said, what about the fact that he tormented and bullied you for years? Remember him calling you a filthy mudblood and wishing you dead back in second year? He's been nothing but a foul git to all of us, especially you, yet you're taking his side over your so called best friend!" Ron was panting heavily as he stared at her in disbelief.

She shook her head at him. She hated when he got like this because he just didn't get it. "I said the both of you were wrong. And no Ron, I haven't forgotten all he did in the past, but that's where I choose to leave it. I'd like to believe that we've all grown up and matured since we were in second year, but I guess I was wrong." Ron was still angry and looking at her as though she were crazy. She knew when he got like this, there was no reasoning with him until he'd had a chance to cool off. Damn that Weasley temper.

She let out a sigh, then turned to Harry and Ginny. "I'm going back to finish up some assignments. Tell Hagrid I was busy and I'll visit with him later." She knew if she and Ron were in the same room right now, they'd start their pointless bickering again and ruin what was supposed to be a pleasant visit for everyone. Rather than have that happen, she decided to be the bigger person and leave. Harry looked like he was going to argue, but Ginny shook her head at him as they watched Hermione head back in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. Harry hated when his best friends got like this, but he agreed with Hermione. They were both in the wrong, and Ron shouldn't have said those things. He turned and began walking towards the hut with Ginny following, and Ron and Lavender though he was still visibly angry.

Hermione continued her walk, not smiling or waving at friends she passed by. This fight with Ron should have her more upset and maybe she should have gone, but she couldn't stop replaying Draco's words over and over in her mind, nor the look he'd given her. It was the same way he always looked at her before this year.

XOXOXOXOXO

A few hours later, Draco was making his way down to dinner. He'd gone back down to the common room and had a few drinks, allowing himself to calm down. He'd been in a rage over what Weasley said, and wanted nothing more than to find him and hex him some more until he couldn't walk for a week.

But then he'd remember how Granger had looked at him after what he said, and his anger would completely dissipate and leave behind regret and remorse. He felt like the biggest piece of shit in the world.

He had to find her and make it right. If she was even still talking to him that is, and after what he said, he wouldn't be surprised if she started ignoring him again. He knew he deserved it, but the thought of her actually doing it had him terrified. She was deep under his skin now and he'd come to depend on their conversations. If they suddenly stopped because of his stupidity, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

He'd go to dinner and watch for her, and when she left he's get up too, follow her and try to make things right. He couldn't approach her at the Gryffindor table because she'd be with her friends and he wasn't sure he could resist picking up where he'd left off with Weaslebee.

As he was passing a broom closet, a hand suddenly shot out, grabbed him, and pulled him in. He couldn't see anything until he pulled out his wand and muttered "Lumos." Pansy was staring angrily at him with a sneer.

He jumped back a little, then overdramatically placed his hand over his heart. "Merlin Pansy! That's too much ugly to spring up on someone all at once. You've got to ease it on people slowly."

She let out some type of grunt, then grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him close to her. "I've been trying to talk to you for weeks now, but you keep avoiding me. I got tired of waiting."

He grabbed her hands and pushed them off of him. "Maybe that's because I don't want to talk to you and don't care what you have to say. Listen closely-I. Don't. Want. You. Do you understand?"

"Is that because you prefer mudbloods now?" she growled.

He gave her a menacing look and took a step towards her. "I told you not to call her that."

"So it's true?" Pansy continued. "You like her don't you? A year ago you couldn't stand her and her kind, and now you take up for and defend her-"

"No Pansy, a year ago I was trying to survive a bloody war while you were off in Ireland playing neutral with your family" Draco cut in. "I don't believe in all that pureblood shit anymore and you would do well to forget it too. Otherwise, it might just land you in Azkaban."

Pansy huffed. "I'd rather go to Azkaban than be a filthy blood traitor."

"That's your problem then" Draco said with a shrug. "I couldn't care less."

"What would your father think" she pushed. "You think he'd be thrilled if I told him his only son was going after a mud-muggleborn? He'd be absolutely disgusted and probably disinherit you."

Draco took another step towards her and leaned down so that he was right in her face. "Do you think I give a fuck about what Lucius thinks anymore? I couldn't care less. As far as I'm concerned, Lucius is dead to me. So go ahead and tell him, see if I care."

She searched his face looking for some type of sign that he was lying, but she could tell he was completely serious. Her plans of blackmail had completely failed.

He sneered down at her before straightening up, and making his way to the door, eager to be as far away from her as possible.

"You'll be sorry for this Draco Malfoy!" she said, trying one last time to get to him. He paused, but didn't turn around. "I will make you regret it, so help me Salazaar" she threatened.

He gave a dry chuckle, then looked over his shoulder at her. "Do your worst Pansy. But just remember, I've got a lot of dirt on you. Cross me, and you'll be the one to regret it." With that he opened the door and stepped back into the corridor. The light was bright and it took a minute for his eyes to adjust, but when they did he looked up…and straight into a pair of bright amber eyes.

XOXOXOXOXO

Hermione was on her way down to dinner, feeling a little better since the incident this afternoon. She'd hoped Ron had calmed down and they'd be able to sit through dinner without any bickering. But even if he hadn't, she'd firmly told herself that she would not argue with him and subject her friends to their petty disagreements.

Also, she wanted to see if Draco was down there and if he was okay. She wasn't mad or even upset anymore, knowing he lashed out because of Ron's comments. After how close they'd gotten over these last few months, she knew how to read his moods and that she probably shouldn't have tried to touch him anyway. Not in front of her friends anyway. He'd needed to get away and her comforting him would only have caused the situation to become worse because no doubt Ron would have some things to say to that as well.

After dinner, she'd go after him once he was through and make sure that he was alright, and also to assure him that she wasn't mad. As far as she knew, her friends were going to Hogsmeade tomorrow and maybe she could convince him to come to the library with her and work on their essay. It wasn't necessarily about the essay, she just wanted an excuse to be with him and hopefully get him to tell her what had him in a foul mood before he ran into them.

As she was passing one of the broom cupboards, she heard something bump and looked over at it. There seemed to be whispers coming from inside, and curiousity got the best of her. But before she could hide behind a tapestry, the door opened and out walked…Draco?

He looked like he was adjusting to the lights as she looked over him. His shirt was wrinkled as though someone had been grabbing it. But that couldn't be it, because there was no one else with him.

He looked up and made eye contact with her, but right as he did, another body emerged from the cupboard. It was…Pansy?

The thought immediately formed in her mind before she had time to truly process just what she was seeing. No, there was no way they could have done what she thought they were doing. They just couldn't! Draco had told her himself that he hated Pansy and would never touch her again. But then, what other explanation was there for them coming out of a broom cupboard together and Draco's shirt looking the way it did?

Pansy caught sight of her and sneered. Draco's eyes widened as he took in just how bad this looked and what was probably going through Granger's head.

She felt hurt and betrayed. He'd lied to her. Not only that, but she'd thought he actually felt something for her. Had she misread all the signs? He'd been polite, become friends, nearly kissed her twice she was sure, and offered to fly with her. He wouldn't do those things if he didn't like her, right? But no, how could he when he was clearly still shagging Pansy? The hurt and betrayal was pushed aside as anger took over. She would not show those emotions to him again.

He took a step towards her and she snapped out of her trance. She quickly turned on her heel and headed for the Great Hall. She really shouldn't have been so upset. She knew he was a man slag, and the idea of him actually liking her was laughable anyway. He didn't like girls, he shagged them. No strings attached, that's what he'd said right? Well fine, she didn't care.

She came into the Great Hall, but didn't head for the Gryffindor table where Ginny was waving her over. Instead she walked to the table right next to it, ignoring the confused looks, until she came to the person she was looking for and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and gave her a surprised look.

"Hey Anthony, do you still want to go on that date?"

AN: I hope you all love me for this super quick update! Lol, actually you all probably are ticked with me because of the direction this chapter went and way it ended. All of these scenes were supposed to be longer and spread out over two, possibly three chapters, but like I said they'll start getting longer. Please review!