WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

Thanks to Catherine, danny (really really welcome back! I was worried :p! Anyway, just hope everything's ok now! And thanks for the compliments!), Norie Ape1 (hope your despair's gone now! Thanks!), RonWeasleysCutie-Skyler, rgFaNaTiC (hope it is a good day now! Cheers!), Draco Malfoy's Babe, luckycharms129, scarlet-knight13 (I loved to write that one! But I still think the ball's chapter is the best… up till now! Thanks!), xputteckx, random gal (I'm really glad you didn't see any mistakes! Hope I can keep like that! Thanks!), Slytherin ice princess, Jessica-McConell and curlyqntx! Thank you all for reading and reviewing!

Lucy: on the contrary! I like Draco as I like Snape! I have a thing for bad guys :p! It's just that I can't think of him as a sweet caring person cause it's not what we see in the books… he's harsh and spoiled and thinks that nobody is better than him… I don't believe that deep down inside he's nothing that he seems to be, that's all…

Masha: thank you so much for your effort! Sometimes fanfiction goes crazy, I know… do you remember when I posted a chapter and it didn't show up? You're really reading my thoughts, huh? Once again you're totally right! And thanks again for the grammatical hints! About Hermione's reaction… I think she has a strong personality so I don't imagine her showing her broken heart so easily to anyone, especially Malfoy… and, I have to confess, I'm not really fond of crying scenes, so… and you don't think that is much natural for Ginny noticing than Ron and Harry? Ginny is smart, just as Fred and George… I think I got the right character for that part! You know, I loved to write that conversation, especially when she asks him if he'll be able to accept her just as she is! I think it's the most important question of my fic… let's just see… And I just can't forget the other characters! They just come popping in my head! Thank you so much again!

Chapter XXV

"WOW!" was the only thing Ginny managed to say before her jaw dropped. She was looking at Hermione with wide eyes.

Hermione smiled sadly. "Amazing, huh?"

They were alone at the sixth year gryffindors girls' dorm.

"I can't believe he did that! I mean, he actually did that!"

Hermione sighed. "But believe it, cause it's true".

"But you know, Hermione, he could have said those things to get you out of trouble". She said more calmly.

"You don't have to tell me that. He already told me the same thing".

"So, what you did?" Ginny was finding that conversation more and more interesting.

"What I did? I stepped into my room and closed the door".

"What?!" She couldn't believe in her ears. "You just… left him there? When… when was this conversation?"

"Right after lunch. He was waiting for me at our dorm".

"Hermione, what are you doing? I know who he is and I can't say that I like him but you're in love with him and no doubt he feels the same!"

"Ginny, you're so romantic. So the frog turns to a prince in the end of the story, is that how you think? He's Draco Malfoy, the guy who has picked on me since I came to Hogwarts, the guy that can't stand any muggle born, the guy that told me he wished his father had killed me when he had the chance". She finished sounding really upset.

Ginny was really sad for her friend. "But he was not in love with you when he said that. Malfoy could…"

"He's not in love with me. It must be some stupid bet".

"Hermione, you floated, you floated when you were looking into his eyes. If he's not fighting against that feeling, why should you?"

She lowered her eyes. "I gave him the chance to prove me what he was saying is true but he failed".

Ginny was confused. "Chance to prove? What…"

"I asked him if he could forget what I am, if he could accept me just as I am".

"And… what he said?" She asked already worried.

Hermione smiled sadly again. "He said nothing. I just saw horror in his eyes".

Hermione was not looking at her, but Ginny saw when a tear rolled on her face. She said nothing, just hugged her friend and let her wash away the sorrow.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermione didn't see Malfoy for the rest of the day, he didn't even show up for dinner. When she came to their dorm, she didn't bother to ask mister Chateau and as his door was closed she couldn't say if he was there or not.

They finally saw each other at DADA class. He didn't say anything to her, or even looked at her, just passed by her desk and sat at the other side of the room beside Goyle. She felt her chest aching and smiled, after all ignoring her existence was the best thing Malfoy could do to her.

Harry and Ron noticed that something was going wrong with Hermione. They asked but she only said she was tired. It didn't convince her but they decided to not ask anymore. Ginny also said nothing more about what she thought Hermione should do. And another day had passed without any word being traded between her and Malfoy.

Potions class finally arrived, the last class with the slytherins for the week. They were waiting for Snape in front of the classroom door.

"How was detention, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"What do you think?" He said angrily. "Damned Snape".

"Ron, you should be more careful. You wanna get another detention, don't you?" She almost whispered. Some slytherins were dangerously near.

"He made me collect a lot of livers from frogs". He made a disgusted face.

"And… what he made lavender do?" She asked worried.

"She had to take care of the eyes. I thought she was going to throw up cause her face was green. I left her with madam Pomfrey when we finished. She was not feeling good".

"No wonder she's not here".

"Mister Weasley".

Ron, Harry and Hermione jumped. They didn't hear Snape coming and he was right behind them.

"Y… yes, professor?" Ron turned to him.

"I want you and miss Brown at my office as soon as the morning classes end".

"But… why, professor?" He was terrified.

"You didn't place the flasks at the right places and there's still dirt on my floor. I want you to fix it. By the way, where's miss Brown?" His eyes seemed to be two blocks of ice.

"I don't know, professor". Ron Blushed.

"Really?" Snape smirked. Some slytherins laughed. Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy were the noisier of them. Malfoy only smiled. Snape opened the door and entered. The students followed.

Hermione sat by Harry's side, Ron also at the same desk. Malfoy was sitting with Goyle and Crabbe and an angry Pansy was right behind them.

"Well, today I hope you'll be able to make AT LEAST a decent potion". Snape began with his harsh and creeping voice. "You're at the seventh year and can't make a simple potion correctly".

Hermione bit her lip to not answer. She had never made a wrong potion ever once.

"The potion you will TRY to make today…" he pointed his wand to the blackboard and a long recipe appeared written on it "… is really strong and dangerous… at wrong hands… and takes a week to be prepared. As such, I'll let you do it in pairs, so you can work together and bring it to me CORRECTLY prepared. I won't allow ANY mistakes since there will be two heads thinking… I hope so. Now… what are you waiting for?" Sooner the sound of chairs being pulled, books being closed and steps started echoing in the dungeon.

"Maybe he let you do with us". Ron said looking at Hermione grabbing her rucksack and her book.

She smiled. "You wish, Ron. Don't worry. I'll sit with Neville". She leant towards them. "Think I can help him". She whispered. They only smiled. She stepped to Neville, who was already waiting for her.

"Miss Granger".

She froze. Hearing Snape calling you is not a good thing. She turned to him. "Yes, professor?"

"I think you should pair with mister Malfoy". He said calmly.

Everybody stopped. Crabbe and Goyle were looking at him stupidly. Pansy, who was sitting by Draco's side, had her eyes wide open, fixed on Hermione. Neville's jaw dropped. Harry and Ron had her fists clenched, eyes dangerously shining in anger, dividing their glances between Malfoy and Snape. Draco was looking at her, mouth opened. His heart started beating fast and he couldn't tell if he was angry or happy. Hermione just stood there, in the middle of the room, trembling. "Pro… professor, that's ok. I… I have a partner. Neville…"

"Miss Granger…" he cut her off "… I'm not concerned about if you have a partner or not. Anyway, you and mister Malfoy will do this work together because I said you will. But, if you need a reason, I think you won't disagree with me that making the potion with him will be much easier since you share the same dorm. Am I wrong?"

Much easier? He must be kidding me! "No, professor, but…"

"You're wasting time, miss Granger". He said softly, but his eyes were rather the contrary. "And why are you all not working already?" The noise started again.

Hermione accepted her defeat and went to where Malfoy was. Pansy was still seated there. "Excuse me". She forced herself to say.

"No way I'll let you seat beside Draco, you filthy mudblood". She hissed.

Hermione frowned. "It's not like I want to. If you're able to convince Snape to let me pair with anyone else, I'll gladly thank you".

Pansy face was red in anger. She said nothing but kept looking at Hermione furiously.

"Get lost, Pansy!" Malfoy suddenly said.

She turned to him. "Draco, I can't believe…"

"It's not like I want that too, but we can't challenge Snape, can we? Don't make things worse. You will only put us in trouble. Go sit with that moron. I think he's the only one left". He said not looking at her.

Pansy grabbed her things and got up. "Don't get too cocky just because you won that battle, mudblood". She said when she passed by Hermione going to where Neville was.

Hermione was mouth opened. "What?" She sat beside Malfoy, still staring at Pansy's back. "Is she crazy or something?" She put her book and annotations over the table and placed her rucksack on the floor, beside her.

"Trying to start a conversation?"

She turned to him. His grey eyes were just like before, cold as ice. She felt like her blood had been frozen by them at the same time her heart started beating fast. "No, I'm not. I was thinking aloud, that's all".

He didn't think it could be so hard to have her near and even so far from him. Afraid of what his eyes could reveal, he turned them to her hands. She was copying the recipe from the blackboard. He smiled. Damn! I'm really stupid!

"You can thank me later for putting you together".

They jumped. In front of their desk was Snape, happily smirking. Hermione turned back to her annotations, without saying even a word. Malfoy decided it was better to prepare the first ingredient and started cutting it very precisely. Snape controlled himself to not bother them anymore and left.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermione was really worried. Their potion was not silver and the steam that was getting out from it certainly was not white. "Damn! What did I do wrong?" She turned to Malfoy. "Are you sure you cut the asphodel roots equally?"

"Yes, I am! Maybe you stirred it wrongly. How many times you stirred it to right?"

"32, I counted!"

He looked at his clock. "I'm sure I didn't stew the frog's liver for more than five minutes!"

"Well, well, well, just as I thought. None of you was able to make the first step correctly. What a pity. Anyway, don't think that I'll let you bring me anything less than the right potion. You'll have a week to discover what you did wrong and I also want you to write it down and bring your annotations to me, along with the potion, of course. Now, off you go".

Hermione make whatever they cooked in the cauldron disappear, put her book and annotations in her rucksack and threw it on her back. She was going to where Harry and Ron were when somebody held her by the wrist. She turned around and ended looking at Malfoy's face.

Draco released her. "We have to decide how we're going to do this".

"Don't worry. I'll do it on my own". She said trying to sound indifferent.

He controlled his temper. "We're supposed to do it together. I don't think…"

She looked him in the eyes. "I don't need you".

He felt the anger boiling inside him. "Fine then. So let me do it cause I don't think I can trust a mudblood to do a potion for me, but don't worry, I won't forget to include your name in it".

For the first time in several years she felt upset for being called mudblood by him. No… it was worst. It was like her chest had gotten empty for a second. "Alright. So do you really think you can do better? I must be a mudblood, but I am, and you can't deny it, the only person in this class that NEVER made a wrong potion, Malfoy. You can brag yourself to anyone, except me. Put yourself in the right place". She was still looking into his eyes.

More than her words another thing caught his attention. Although she was facing him and acting like he didn't mean anything to her, when he called her mudblood, something different shined in her eyes. He didn't want to feel that way but he wished he had not said that. "Alright, Granger, maybe you're right, but don't ask me to let everything to you. You said once you don't trust me. So let me pay the favor. I don't trust you too".

She was furious. Why is he doing it? "Listen, we can talk about it tonight, ok? Now I have to go… and I think you should be going too". She turned and left. And it was right in time because Harry and Ron were already looking at them dangerously.

Malfoy, strangely, felt relieved.

"What were you talking about with that mudblood, Draco?" Pansy woke him up.

"Nothing, Pansy… nothing". He said calmly.

She said nothing but she didn't like his tone. So Pansy just contented herself by looking angrily at Hermione's back while she was leaving the dungeon with Ron and Harry.