To all my readers who don't have a Valentine today:

I'm your Valentine. (Happy Valentine's Day to all :))


"How are you, Hermione?" Dr. Augsen had her legs crossed and her hands resting off of the arms of the chair- Her quill and notepad ready to take notes in the air next to her.

"I'm fine." Hermione ran her hands over the tops of her jeans.

"Just fine? I heard you had a rather exciting week."

Hermione looked up at Dr. Augsen, her face completely unreadable past the polite smile on her lips. It annoyed Hermione. "I'm fine now."

The therapist chuckled. "You started a fight with another student and dropped a class after causing a scene with a teacher. I'd imagine you would feel better now." Dr. Augsen teased Hermione, her tone implied she was expecting an explanation for her behavior.

"Both of them deserved it!" Hermione retorted immediately.

Dr. Augsen's quill scribbled into the notepad. "I'd like to talk about it then and why you felt they deserved it." Hermione inhaled through her nose then let it out at once. Hermione toyed with the ring on her finger as she spoke. "Last Saturday was the day of Buckbeak's trial- Buckbeak is the Hippogriff that attacked Draco- and he lost."

"I remember you mentioning you put a substantial amount of hours into a defense for Buckbeak." Dr. Augsen sympathized.

"I did! And Goyle had the nerve to make fun of Ha- Professor Hagrid while he was talking to me about it." Hermione had confided in to Dr. Augsen about helping Hagrid, but made sure to word her explanations in a way that their relationship seemed like any other one she had with her professors. "Goyle called him pathetic, Doctor." Hermione didn't mention Hagrid's crying or that Goyle said he was blubbering- a word she was surprised he used correctly.

"And you felt physical violence was necessary?" Dr. Augsen somehow managed to ask the question casually which made Hermione unsure how to respond at first.

She thought back to running up to Goyle, her right arm reaching up to pull him down while her left palm smacked him. The sound of her palm meeting his cheek was oddly satisfying, and she would have smacked him a second time if Ron hadn't grabbed her wrist. She then yelled at Ron and tried to ignore that it also felt good to surprise everyone in her class as she was only known to be confrontational with her studies. While she was on her way back to the common room, she had witnessed Draco's exaggerated reenactment of the scene, causing her to laugh when he thought he only had the eyes of his fellow Slytherin's on him. In all honesty, she thought it was warranted.

"It wasn't necessary," Hermione replied carefully. "But he deserved it. I understand it may have been wrong."

Dr. Augsen nodded, satisfied with the answer. With what she, Narcissa and Lucius had planned she couldn't completely hold it against Hermione on confronting Goyle, especially when Hermione seemed aware it was not the best course of action. "And what about Professor Trelawney?"

Hermione sighed. While she knew smacking Goyle may have been an over reaction, she almost wished she had done the same to Professor Trelawney. "Divination is a waste of time and Professor Trelawney ought to be sacked."

Dr. Augsen's head cocked to the side. "What happened to make you say that?"

Hermione closed her eyes and took a another deep breath, trying to calm the anger she felt rising. Hermione felt that with each passing day she had became angrier and angrier. The day she attacked Goyle and dropped Divination had been a bit of a breaking point for her as she was able to let out a bit of steam. When she opened her eyes, she recounted the Divination class.

Hermione mentally kicked herself for allowing herself to be distracted by Goyle to the point she headed to the common room for a nap, completely forgetting about Professor Flitwick's Charm's lesson. Then she berated herself for feeling guilty about snapping at Harry and Ron when they woke her up in the common room to inform her she missed the lesson. They were trying to be nice to her, when they got the chance to be close enough to her, but she was still livid on how her "best friends" had treated her for the past four months. Falling off the Astronomy Tower had opened her eyes to that and she vowed that she would not allow herself to be treated like that again. Her mother would have been livid to see she hadn't had the self-respect to stand up to them sooner.

Hermione had reached the ladder leading up to the classroom. As always, the room was hot and stuffy, having too much frankincense and sage burning to be comfortable or calming. I just need to finish the year with an 'O' and I will never take this waste of a class again. Hermione didn't care she was ten minutes late because she was profusely apologizing to Professor Flitwick for missing the lesson on Cheering Charms, but she did care that the only open seat was next to Harry and Ron. Hermione glanced over to where Parvati and Lavender sat, apologetic looks on their faces as Neville had decided to take his seat with them.

Ron immediately leaned into her, seeing the unfortunate seating as an opportunity to get into her good graces, but she held up a finger. "Professor Trelawney is talking."

He sighed, and gave her a pleading look, "You don't care, you hate this class-"

"Shh!" Hermione hushed him then turned back to Trelawney. "I knew you would be late! I had saved the most important part for last to make sure you would be present to hear it, dear!" It physically hurt Hermione not to roll her eyes and she forced herself to keep the pleasant smile on her face as she eyed her least favorite professor. Hermione's parents would have dubbed the woman to be what they called a 'Naff Nutter', with her magenta scarf worn as a head band with dingy lime green robes. Hermione wouldn't of had judged the woman so harshly, and would have settled for calling her a quack seer. "The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the orb, and I am anxious to give you sufficient practice, so we will no longer be practicing palmistry."

What an amazing prediction! 'The fates have informed her.' SHE is the one who set the exam! Hermione snorted in her head- or at least she thought she did. She didn't realize it may have been out loud until she noticed Trelawney blink several times at her though her coke bottle glasses. Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ron who were both looking at her, too, trying not to laugh. Hermione acted as if she didn't notice, allowing Professor Trelawney to continue.

"Crystal gazing is a particularly refined art," Hermione hated that the professor insisted on using a dreamy tone. It was completely fake and drove her up the wall. "I do not expect any of you to See when you first peer into the Orb's infinite depths. We shall start practicing by..."

When the last of Trelawney's instruction was over, Hermione opened up her copy of Unfogging the Future. Partially to read further instruction on how she may be able to get something out of the glass sphere in front of her, partially to ignore Harry and Ron further. It was working, as fifteen minutes later, Harry turned to Ron without speaking a word to Hermione. "See anything yet?"

"Yeah, there's a burn on this table," Ron said pointing. "Someone's split their candle." Hermione felt her mouth twitch wanting to laugh, but did not want to say anything. She put the book closer to her face to hide her attempts at stamping down on her urge to laugh.

Another five minutes passed by and Harry spoke again, "I'm starting to see something, Ron." Hermione looked over her book in disbelief and watched the two boys lean into the crystal ball. "I keep seeing 'This is stupid' drift across it." Harry and Ron laughed again, glancing at Hermione who had used the book to as a cover again, this time to hide her grin.

Hermione then dropped the book on to the desk, using action to cover up another action. "This is such a waste of time," Hermione hissed, moving her face closer to the orb so they didn't think she was trying to make conversation with them. "I could be practicing something useful-"

Professor Trelawney rustled over to them, her electric blue skirt an obvious trip hazard. "Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?" Her bangles clinked loudly and Hermione felt the urge to roll her eyes again.

"I don't need help," Ron replied. When she took a few steps away, he thought it was safe enough to whisper behind her back. "It's obvious what this means. There's going to be loads of fog tonight."

Ron and Harry laughed and Hermione bit the inside of her cheek hard, but her lips still betrayed her as they split into a grin. She missed them, but Godric, she was too hurt to forgive them.

"Now really!" Said Professor Trelawney as everyone's heads turned in their directions. Parvati and Lavender both frowning as they disagreed with Hermione's view on Divination- something that made sitting with them in class very hard as they were all aggravated by the end of the lesson, trying to be too polite to bicker. "You are disturbing the clairvoyant vibrations!" This time Hermione did not stop herself from rolling her eyes as Trelawney approached their table again, bending to peer into their crystal ball. Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose as she silently prayed for the first time in years to have the strength to get through the rest of the lesson. Hermione caught a whiff of something that smelled familiar but was hard to place though the incense thick air. "There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to the ball, so that it was reflected twice in her huge glasses. "Something moving... but what is it?"

Hermione leaned in, pretending to be interested in the orb, but trying to get a better sniff of the smell coming off her professor. Hermione was annoyed not just by Trelawny but the fact she knew the smell and could pin point it immediately. Hermione looked over at Harry, and she saw a worried expression on his face. Even if Harry hadn't talked to her about it openly, she knew he was concerned about 'the Grim' that he had mentioned multiple times through out the year. She imagined that Trelawney also noticed this, and extorted his fear all year. It was similar to the same tactics muggle magicians would use in big crowds and fueled Hermione's distaste for Trelawney. Hermione's protective nature kicked in again, despite her anger and hurt, as she watched their professor with narrowed eyes.

"My dear..." Hermione watched Trelawney's bug-like eyes flicker up at Harry. If you mention the grim one more time... Hermione swore in her head. "It is here, plainer than ever before... my dear, stalking towards you," Harry's eyes widened even more, "Growing ever closer... The Gri-"

Hermione realized what the smell was at that moment as Trelawney labored her breathing to come off as more dramatic. Her mother was not a heavy drinker, but when she did, she always drank Sherry. With the realization that Trelawney was not only a fake seer who was taking advantage of Harry's angst, but a possible drunk, she snapped. "Oh for goodness' sake!" Said Hermione loudly. "Not that ridiculous Grim again! You keep talking about Harry getting hurt, or dying, but have you ever stopped to think that he doesn't need to hear your grotty, cocked up predictions?"

The room was completely silent like it was when Hermione challenged Professor Lupin at the beginning of the year with his practical lesson on boggarts. Trelawney straightened up, keeping her enormous eyes on Hermione, but Hermione's firm comportment did not waver. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Lavender glaring in her direction after whispering to Parvati. Hermione realized that Trelawney had the look of unmistakable anger and wanted to grin at breaking the professor's dramatically airy facade. Hermione didn't know how she felt about taking pleasure in that, but didn't focus on it as she waited for Trelawney to react.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my dear, it has been apparent that you have arrived in this class, my dear," Trelawney said the word with a sneer, "it has been apparent that you do not have the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane." Trelawney started to walk back to the front of the room before stopping and turning around to face a bewildered Hermione. "It's a shame really. I hoped to help you predict anymore tragedy's that are bound to happen in your life."

Before Harry and Ron could finish their gasp, Hermione stood, hands on the table in front of her, barely registering the scent of burnt wood. "Excuse me?!" Professor Trelawney's already big eyes seemed to become bigger as she stared at the table. Hermione took no notice though as her fury made her tunnel visioned. "Before you talk about other people's tragedy's perhaps you should address the one that leaves your breath smelling of Sherry, Professor." Trelawney's jaw dropped as Hermione stuffed her copy of Unfogging the Future into her bag. Hermione now noticed the two hand prints now burnt into the wood, but refused to stop. Hermione recognized that her body was moving based off of her emotions of anger and if she tried to stop now the rest of her emotions were going to crash down on her. She didn't turn around until she had kicked open the exit for the trap door to go down the ladder. "And in case the fates don't inform you, I'm dropping this bloody class!"

Hermione looked up at Doctor Augsen after finishing her story. Hermione was hesitant to mention the hand prints she left in the table, but knew it was an issue waiting to be addressed. She wanted to act like she hadn't noticed this before, but after the panic attack she had over dropping a class- something she never dreamed of doing- she thought about it. Her hands got "weird" when she was overwhelmed and it happened since the murders in France. It happened at the manor, on the quidditch pitch, everywhere. What seemed to calm it was playing with her wand as it was made to conduct magic, but even that had its limit on helping.

"How does dropping Divination make you feel?" Of course. Dr. Augsen wasn't going to address my lack of control immediately.

Hermione grabbed the ring on her necklace. "I feel some relief at not having to force myself into something I find to be a waste of time. I do feel like a failure though. It's like I- like I broke a promise." Hermione's eyes watered, but she told herself she wouldn't cry. The only other option was to talk to Dumbledore, redact everything she said as she demanded she be taken out of the class, and go back to Divination. Possibly having to give an apology to Trelawney and her non-exsistant 'fates.'

"You mentioned before that you weren't allowed to quit anything unless you succeeded in it. Do you think that is why you are holding yourself to such high expectations?"

Hermione was aware that Dr. Augsen knew the answer already, but asked to have Hermione say it out loud. "Yes, I do. Mum served in the military, you know." The healer nodded, encouraging Hermione to continue. "She had a very strict outlook on things, and wanted me to be active in some way. She enrolled me in several different things, and if I hated it, I had to prove I was the best at it, before I could quit." Hermione thought about Divination. She was passing; book work had always been an easy thing to complete, but when it came to the actual lessons, she felt nothing. Saw nothing. Assumed there was nothing. "There was nothing for me to prove with divination though. It was a waste of time." Hermione looked at Dr. Augsen for confirmation on her feelings, but per usual, her face was like marble. Completely smooth, and untelling. "I don't think my parents would have approved of the subject very much and might have been alright with me dropping it. Both were very practical, Mum especially." Hermione felt the familiar feeling of her throat closing up. Everything hurt all the time, but speaking of them in the past tense was a special kind of pain.

"I see." Dr. Augsen paused, allowing her quill to catch up. "So how do you feel about Harry and Ron? I know its been roughly two weeks since you decided to avoid talking to them instead?" Hermione had hoped Dr. Augsen would talk about the accidental magic instead, as Dr. Augsen expressed mild disapproval in Hermione not forgiving the boys despite understanding the reasons why she had not. Dr. Augsen did not try to pressure Hermione into being lenient with them as she too felt ignoring them was warranted, but even she could see how much Hermione cared for the boys. It was obvious that Hermione was still being torn up about not being on good terms with her friends, even when it was her call.

"Two weeks exactly." She corrected. "And I still feel the same way I did Wednesday when you had last asked. I can't imagine forgiving them right now." Hermione stopped playing with her ring. "Draco and I have become friends so I'm not in a state by myself all the time." Hermione gave a small smile thinking of her unexpected friend. She wished they would have just agreed to become friends from the beginning of summer as he was delightful when he wanted to be. They hadn't been able to spend time in the music room again, but they regularly met in different spots of the library to study.

"And you mentioned Parvati and Lavender had taken you under their wing?"

Hermione grimaced. "They had." The magical quill scribbled with supreme verve into Dr. Augsen's note pad, when she stated her answer in past tense. "Turns out they were just as devout to Trelawney as they are to Woman's Journal. They haven't really talked to me since I stopped going to Divination." It left her more open to Harry and Ron trying to talk to her, but they had eased up after her outburst in Trelawney's class. It was nice having female companionship, but she did not have much in common with the duo. While they tried to gush about wizard celebrities to her, Hermione would sit there with a lost look on her face. When Hermione tried talking to them about Ancient Runes or Arithmancy, she got the same response.

Hermione and Dr. Augsen sat in silence for a couple minutes. Hermione was waiting for her healer to ask about the flames that she seems to be conjuring, but it did not seem that Dr. Augsen had intentions on asking, or saying anything else as the seconds ticked by. Finally, Hermione broke the silence. "Are you not going to ask about the accidental magic?"

"Do you want to talk about the accidental magic?" Dr. Augsen tilted her head to the side, assessing Hermione. She's grown so much since we first started. Getting information or a response no longer seemed like prying prophecies from a centaur. Dr. Augsen wanted to tell Hermione she was proud of her, but knew that was something she would share at another time, when it was needed.

Hermione's eyebrows came together from her confusion at the question. "Why, yes. You said if I was having trouble controlling myself I could lose the ability to do magic." I've been trying every method you've taught me to control it but it seems I've only been able to control my outbursts into one form of magic."

"That is true." Dr. Augsen paused. "Have you been working on meditation or trying to find your quiet place when you are able?"

Hermione paused, that was the only thing she did not practice regularly. Hermione drowned herself in homework and the case with Hagrid. She found that being alone with her thoughts with nothing left to keep her mind busy was the worst thing she would do. Her thoughts wanted to assault her throughout the day, but when she had downtime with nothing to distract her, it turned into open season for her depression and PTSD. "Not as much as I should, I imagine. It's rather difficult..." Hermione let her voice trail off, hoping Dr. Augsen got the hint.

Thankfully, she did. "You're a hard worker Hermione, you work harder than any student in your year and a few above yours I'd imagine. However, too much work- too much of a distraction I should say- can hinder you. Too much of anything, even good, will hurt you." Dr. Augsen paused to make sure Hermione understood the weight of her words. "I should have been more clear before, but now that you will have a bit of free time with Divination no longer being a factor, I want you to use that time to find that quiet place for yourself. When I said 'control your emotions,' I did not mean 'avoid your emotions.' Feel them, understand them, but do not let them be what breaks you." Hermione's face went from cautious to determined, understanding Dr. Augsen's words, despite being frightened by them. She hated how she had to walk on eggshells around herself, but she hated the panic attacks, and the flashbacks more. She would learn to be better. "I know that will be easier said than done though."

"I've learned that's one of life's themes." Hermione smiled humorlessly and Dr. Augsen returned the gesture before looking at her watch.

"I believe that's all the time we have for today. Will you and Draco be heading back to the manor next week for Easter?"

"No, Draco and I decided to stay as the professors seem to be doubling down on the school work before the holiday. We'll need to utilize the library." Hermione rubbed the back of her neck, knowing she would not be able to practice controlling her emotions for the next couple of weeks.

"I understand. I'll see you here Wednesday."

Hermione smiled at Dr. Augsen. "Wednesday."


The next couple of weeks of Easter holiday had been worse than what anyone had imagined it to be. Even Seamus Finnigan, who was as easy going as a Gryffindor could be, exclaimed in frustration at one point while several third years were studying together in the common room, "Call this a holiday!" Neville jumped at his housemate roaring all of a sudden. "The exams are ages away! What are they playing at!"

Hermione, however, still had more to do than anyone else. She was usually the last to leave the common room every night and the first in the library every morning. She didn't have time for many people, and was back to snapping at whomever approached her in the common room while she was studying. The only person that did not bother her was Draco who joined her several times a week in the library to study. Hermione did not know what Draco did in his free time, but whenever he joined her, he seemed to be in a right mood- nearly slamming his books down before sitting down next to her. She would verbally greet him, he would nod, and they would work for hours. They didn't talk for the hours spent together, but it was a comfortable silence that satisfied them both.

At least it was silent until the last Friday of the Easter Holiday. Hermione was sitting in the original spot they had worked at together when they were working on the last bits for Buckbeak's trial four weeks ago. Hermione had shadows under her eyes that looked like Lupin's, and she had closed her eyes to rest them for the umpteenth time that day. A few seconds later, her eyebrow smacked down on to the edge of a text book, one of the many stacked on top of others, causing her to groan in pain as she gripped her face.

Draco who had arrived just in time to watch it happen, started to laugh so hard he had to grip the table in front of him to stay up. Hermione felt her cheeks grow hot as the pain in her eyebrow throbbed. She opened her mouth to tell him to shove off, ready to slip back into her old ways with him when she realized there was blood on her fingers after she pulled her hand away. "Bugger!" Hermione had been so tired lately that her eyes were constantly watery but the pain and the thought of leaving her books around her to be healed by Madam Pomfrey had her tear ducts stinging.

"Language, Herm-" Draco cut himself off seeing her blood. "How the bloody hell did you manage that?" Draco slid into the desk next to her and she pressed herself, farther into the corner, hand back over her brow. Draco was offended by her moving away from him and he held out his hand. "Let me see."

Hermione had a bit of a guilty look on her face at her instinct to keep her distance from him, so she did what he said to show that she trusted him. When she held her hand out to him, he grabbed it and vanished the blood. She then turned her head to the left so he could better see her damaged right eyebrow. Draco leaned in close to her and Hermione went completely rigid, not used to having people in close proximity to her. His breath smelled of mint, but he smelled of amber with a bit of vanilla musk. It caught her completely off guard, but she thought the smooth scent complimented him. She glanced at Draco's face and saw that he had a determined look as he placed his wand closer to her face. He whisked the blood off her brow and narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going to heal it, if that's all right with you. You got yourself pretty good there." Draco waited for her reply to make sure he had her permission to take care of the wound on her face.

Hermione thought about it for a second, "Maybe I should go to Madam Pomfrey if it's that bad." Her eyes drifted down to the books in front of her again and she wanted to cry thinking about the time she would be losing going to the other side of the castle and back.

"For a minor gash? I know losing that precious time is going to drive you mad, even with your 'special privilege' from the Ministry." Draco rolled his eyes and she narrowed hers at him.

"The time-turner is more of an albatross, not a privilege- and what do you mean gash?" Hermione's hand flew to her eyebrow but he grabbed her wrist.

"You're bound to get your blood everywhere if you keep messing with it." He sounded slightly annoyed with her and still had his wand poised, ready to heal her. "Honestly-"

"If it's a gash and not a cut I should go to Madam Pomfrey."

"I've been studying healing magic for a few years now and practice regularly on my housemates. For Merlin's sake, Hermione, let me help you." Draco kept his volume low but she didn't miss how exasperated he sounded.

Hermione gave him a hard look for a moment and he scourgified her eyebrow again as the blood had nearly ran into her eye. She believed him, but the idea of someone performing magic on her face concerned her. Finally, she gave in. "Fine. But if I come out of this with one eyebrow..."

Draco snorted as he pressed his wand to her brow. "Episkey." He watched her face intently as he watched the wound healed itself. Hermione thought it was an odd feeling as she could literally feel her skin grow then close over the wound in seconds.

Draco stayed staring at her eyebrow and Hermione grew alarmed. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Draco's eyes flicked down to hers then back at her eyebrow. "I, um, just realized I don't know any hair growth spells."

"Draco." She warned before turning to face the window next to her. She transfigured one of the glass panes into a mirror and gasped at the missing hair. "I look like a bloody chav!" Hermione was completely horror stricken as she looked at her reflection, both hands on her cheeks, mouth agape.

"It's not that bad, it actually adds an edge to your look if you ask me." Hermione didn't say anything as she leaned in closer to the mirror. "The hair will grow back on it's own if you can't-."

"No," Hermione ran a finger over the bald cut in her eyebrow. "It scarred." Hermione's awe turned into anger as she turned to look at Draco red in the face. "I should have gone to Madam Pomfrey."

"That's impossible." Draco looked at the eyebrow again and realized that she was right, the skin had scarred over. "That should be impossible." He corrected. "That spell never leaves a scar. What book did you cut yourself on?" Hermione grabbed the book that was piled on top of three books to the right of the textbook she was working out of. The cover was actual wood, which explains how she actually cut her self on it. Draco grabbed the tome and started to flip through it. "These are Ancient Runes." He chuckled humorlessly. "That explains it."

"How does ancient runes explain your inability to use a simple healing spell?" When Draco looked up, he saw that she was completely seething and had her arms crossed over her chest.

Anger bubbled up in his belly. He hated when people assumed he was incompetent. Draco, having the rough childhood he did, was raised to be a perfectionist. He was precise and planned every move he made. There was no way he had botched healing her and was outright offended she suggested it. "So there are simple things you don't know. Tell me Hermione, have you ever wondered why those electric things muggleborns have a habit of trying to bring into the school don't work?"

Hermione's nostrils flared at his condescending tone, but she answered anyway, wondering where he was going with it. "In Hogwarts a History it's explained that the magic of the castle interferes with electronics."

"Correct, five points to Gryffindor for memorizing the only book more boring than a Professor Binns lecture." Hermione huffed and slammed the book in front of her book closed, gathering up her things to leave. "Now, your key word is interfere. This-" Draco lifted the Ancient Runes book and dropped it. "Is filled with literal runes of all kinds, and runes are known for being some of the most literal magic out there. You don't even need a wand to use them. I'm amazed you didn't feel the magic practicality pouring out of it." Hermione stopped and looked at him. "When you hit your head on it, the magic from it ended up interfering with me trying to heal your little laceration there." He made a circle in the air in front of her face as he said 'little laceration.'

Hermione's anger left her and she slumped into her chair, processing what she said. "Oh."

"Oh." He mimicked. Draco crossed his arms and looked away from her. This isn't what I came here for. He counted down from ten trying to diffuse his anger.

"Draco, I'm- I shouldn't have insulted you. That wasn't right of me and I appreciate you trying to heal me." She placed a hand on his arm, but he pulled his arm away, still angry. Hermione's ears went hot with shame but before she could say anything else he decided to speak.

"You're pushing yourself too hard. You need to give yourself a break." He slowly turned his head to face her, platinum eyebrows lowered and together, indicating he was still annoyed despite the change of subject.

Hermione sighed turning back to her parchment. "I can't. I need to get through the school work for the holiday then go back to doing research for Buckbeak's appeal." A wave of exhaustion hit and Hermione rubbed her face to fight it.

"And how do you expect to pass your exams in June if you burn yourself out now? And I'm helping you with the appeal, remember?" Draco raised an eyebrow to challenge her. "Stressing yourself out more so than usual is not going to help you."

Hermione pulled one of the books she was working out of closer to her. She started to ignore Draco but the more she tried to focus, the more she felt a headache creep on. She closed one eye and put her head in her hand, watching him with her other eye. "I'm beginning to think you're starting to worry about me, you know." She attempted to make the remark snarky but she just sounded tired.

Draco gave her a weird look before answering. "I promised mother I'd keep an eye on you."

She opened both eyes and faced him again. "Narcissa is that worried about me?" Hermione was aware that the Malfoy matron cared for her, but it did something to her heart and spirits hearing it.

"You've hardly given her a reason not to worry." Draco flicked his hand to gesture over the small towers of books loitering the table. Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. A part of her felt possessed, completely obsessed with getting her work done. Another part was screaming for her to put the quill down and curl into a ball to sleep until seventh year. She sat there silent, unsure of what to do. Even when Draco sighed she did not move, too caught up in her internal war. "How about a compromise? You move your studying to the music room and listen to me play? It'll be a change of scenery and some music will do you good."

Hermione looked up and into his silvery eyes at that. The description sounded so similar to how she would spend her summer days with her parents that it almost hurt, but instead of wanting to run from it, she found herself wanting to give into the cravings of a much similar time. Hermione knew it would not feel the same, but couldn't imagine it being a terrible idea. "Alright."

Draco blinked twice hesitant to believe his ears, but cleared his throat as he stood up. "Alright, then." He grabbed at several of the books, creating a stack in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Hermione looked between him and the books he was grabbing.

"It's an incentive to make sure you're going to follow me. You're not able to check out all of these books at once, anyway. The library has a limit on what you can leave with." He paused and looked down at her. "I know you're aware of the limit because I clearly remember you arguing with Madam Pince first year about it."

"I did not argue!" Draco tilted his head to the side, completely unconvinced. "I simply questioned her on it." Hermione added before he could try to contradict her version of the story. "And that's very nice of you. I'll have to tell all of Gryffindor how considerate you are." Hermione smirked when she saw him throw her a dark look.

"Wait ten minutes before heading up. It'll look less suspicious."

"I can be subtle, you know." Hermione started to stack the remaining books into a pile for her to carry herself.

"And I can be poor muggle."

Hermione whipped her head around to ask what he meant by that, but he was gone. Hermione yawned and shook her head. She spent the next ten minutes flipping through the runes textbook, looking at the different meanings, wondering what their history was. When she got up, she checked out the books, squirming under Madam Pince's glare before making her trek up the stairs to the strings music room. Hermione glanced around the third floor hallway before trying to get into the room. It was slightly difficult and very uncomfortable, but Draco informed her the trick into getting into the room when someone else was already in it, was to look away from the tapestry instead of straight at it.

With that knowledge in mind, she was able to get into the room. She was completely caught off guard watching Draco transfigure two chairs into pillows to throw into a pile of blankets and pillows already on the floor. A quick glance around the room and she guessed that the pillows on the floor were also chairs found around the room.

Hermione leaned against the closed door watching him. Draco looked up at her and put his wand away before shoving his hands in his pockets. "I thought about making a lounge chair, but you said you liked the floor better." He did look up at her as he spoke, even when she walked over to where he was standing. Hermione thought he almost looked embarrassed, as if he was uncomfortable with being so kind to someone. The feeling didn't last long as he straightened up, nose in the air, looking like a young, short haired, Lucius. "I would've been insulted if I wasted magic just so you could lay on the floor."

Hermione snorted at that. "I bet." She put her pile of books by the ones he already had laid next to the pillows and blankets. Hermione sat on the pillows and put a blanket over her legs, allowing herself a moment to relax before she went back into full study more. His magic had left the smell of him on the transfigured chairs and she inhaled deeply, deciding she liked the smell a lot. Draco sat in front of the piano, flipping through a music book he had already selected. She watched him, wondering why he was so kind to her when he had hated her for years. "Draco..." He looked up at her, but she chickened out of what she wanted to ask him and asked something else instead, too afraid of what the answer was. "Why do you think there is a piano in a the strings music room? Piano is a percussion instrument."

Draco didn't pause before answering. "I wondered the same thing myself when I first started coming here. I think it's because there's a lot of music where the pianist accompanies a violinist or some other string musician. The room wasn't designed for just one person to play, but for whomever is in the room to play without being interrupted."

"That makes sense." Hermione grabbed the book she was working out of in the library. Hermione absentmindedly flipped through the pages, looking for the page she left off at as Draco started to play Chopin's Nocturne. Hermione found herself closing her eyes again as the notes danced around the room from his smooth playing. Hermione wanted to ask her question again, but despite the burning feeling the query left in her throat, she could not ask it. Hermione settled on another question she found herself wondering about. "Who is your favorite composer?"

Draco didn't answer for a long time, until the song was done in fact, and when he did it was with a slight frown. "I suppose if I had to pick it would be Chopin." He wasn't sure why, but it bothered him that he didn't have a favorite composer. There were pieces that moved him, but they were all from various some of them being Chopin as he felt that he could emotionally relate to a hand full of his pieces.

"You have more than one favorite?" Hermione looked up from the parchment she tucked inside one of the books and watched Draco who seemed to be deep in thought as he stared off into space.

"No." He replied distractedly. "I don't have a favorite composer. I enjoy playing the piano, it helps a lot with my stress as it's something I get lost in but..." He thought of how she played the cello. It's not the same as you. It's beautiful, but not passionate. "I don't know how to describe it." Is what he said instead.

Hermione pursed her lips, but accepted the answer, as a thought struck her from he had said. "You've been in a bad mood when I've seen you lately- More so than usual." She added teasingly, not wanting to seem too serious. "Are you stressed?"

He glanced over at her. He thought she hadn't noticed much of him as she was always, sometimes to the point of literally, nose deep in a book when she was studying. It always gave him a nice feeling when he felt noticed, and it caught him off guard that she had noticed. "It's the Quidditch Final next month."

Hermione rolled her eyes and he narrowed his. "It's not you," she waved a hand in front of her. "I'm tired of hearing about quidditch- the whole common room is talking about it. Wood has been harassing Harry about it and it's still another two weeks away. You would think they should be more worried about passing." Or staying alive. She thought as she remembered the extra pressure Harry was under. She still had not talking to him and the only good thing about Gryffindor being excited about the coming game is that Wood had arranged for Harry to be accompanied everywhere in case a Slytherin tried to put him out of commission. It allowed her not to worry as much as she kept her distance from him and Ron. Hermione wanted to be friends with them again, but she was determined to have them grovel in the meantime. "I ought to cheer for Slytherin at the final."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle at her small rant, despite his own love for the sport. "I'm sure Potter would love that." Draco flexed his fingers as he flipped to the pages so could practice Etude No. 6 by Paganini and Liszt. As he played the first few notes he gave her a playful smile. "Although if you really do want us to win, you could tell us their strategy." Hermione wasn't listening though as she stared at the book in front of her, deep into her thoughts as she considered what she was thinking. "Are you all right?"

Hermione looked at him and closed the book in front of her. "What if I went to the game cheering for Slytherin?"

He missed a note and frowned, but continued playing. "What?"

"What if I showed my support for Slytherin in the final? It would drive both Ron and Harry mad."

"I'd personally have a laugh, but the rest of the school would be convinced you've gone completely barmy." He looked over at her to make sure he had not offended her. He did not expect to see the twinkle in her eye and a mischievous grin on her face.

"As if they haven't already." Her grin lessened at her words but she shrugged the negative thoughts off. "Ron was actually worse to me than Harry over a broom that wasn't even his. I think rooting for the enemy team will settle the score, 'hurting them where it really hurts' and all that."

Draco stopped playing and stared at her for nearly a whole minute. Hermione was staring at the floor, fingers laced together under her chin as she thought about how Harry and Ron would react. "Is Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Princess and insufferable know-it-all, plotting revenge before mine own eyes?" He grinned as she scrunched up her nose in distaste.

"'Gryffindor Princess'? Is that what you call me?"

"That's what a good portion of Slytherin calls you. I'm unsure who made it up." The last part was a lie. Draco had actually came up with the name while he was venting about how Dumbledore obviously favored the Gryffindor house when he had tacked on extra house points at the end of their first year, robbing Slytherin of the house cup.

Hermione's face flushed at the idea of people calling her 'Princess' while saying malicious things about her. "What do they call Harry and Ron?"

Draco laughed. "Potty and Weasel. Peeves picked fitting names for them if you ask me."

"That's terrible." Her nose was still scrunched up but she was smiling. Hermione missed her friends, but she felt gits was not a strong enough word for them at the moment. Draco watched as her face began to fall, thinking about them.

"I would say go for it if I was positive your own house wouldn't hex you for it. There's been fights breaking out in a hall way where we had one of our sixth years ending up in the hospital wing. He isn't even on our quidditch team."

Hermione nodded considering what he was saying as he made a strong point. Draco resumed his playing as Hermione thought about it. After half an hour, she spoke again. "So I'll just make Ron and Harry think that I'm a traitor. I'll explain it to anyone else who asks me, quite a few of my house owes me a favor or two so I doubt they would tell. I'll just torture them for the next two weeks and afterwards I'll make up with them. My point would be made and we'll all be done with it."

Draco paused his playing when she talked about forgiving Harry and Ron. "You want to be friends with them still?" He could feel the slimy feeling of jealousy wriggling in his stomach. He enjoyed Hermione's company just as much as he enjoyed Blaise and Theo's. Draco didn't want her to make up with them not because he was afraid they would not hang out as often, but because he was afraid she would stop spending time with him entirely. It was a part of the reason he made sure to be kind to her, he wanted to show her that he was a part of a better sort- unlike Harry and Ron.

Hermione looked up at him, a surprised expression on her face. "Harry, Ron and I became best friend's on Halloween first year. Do you remember what happened that day?"

Draco remembered she started the story in Diagon Alley in the summer, but never finished it. He had been curious about it but forgot about it before he had the chance to ask her. "No?"

"That was the day there was a troll in the girl's bathroom. I happened to be locked in with the troll-"

"How did you manage that?" Draco was completely interested in her story as he had not heard her side before and couldn't resist asking his question.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how he would react. "Harry and Ron may have locked me in the bathroom." Draco's jaw dropped as he was completely dumbfounded. She continued her story in a rush, "But as soon as they realized it, they faced the troll and managed to knock it out when they're resistant to magic in the first place. They saved my life. Ever since they we were inseparable."

Draco ran a hand over his hair as he gave a humorless laugh. "So, you're telling me you want to be friend's with a couple of blokes who nearly had you killed by a troll- because they locked you in a bathroom with one- then saved you when they realized they would probably be expelled if anything happened to you? They were just righting their wrong."

Hermione frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, not appreciating Draco's tone or what he was saying about her two friends. "That's not why they did it- and we've bonded in other ways over time."

"Of course, when you were doing their homework for them I'm sure." Draco rolled his eyes completely annoyed with her thought process. "Tell me, were you only hanging out with me because you didn't have any one else to hang out with? Am I just some place holder for Potty and Weasel?"

"What- no!" Hermione was confused and offended he would say such a thing, but Draco appeared to not be listening.

"'Brightest-Witch-of-the-Age', alright." He thought he mumbled the last part low enough, but apparently he did not. He had turned back to the piano only to have a book hit him in the shoulder. "What-"

"Get stuffed, Malfoy!" Hermione waved her wand angrily at the books she had checked from the library. His anger bubbled inside of him as he stood, hands clenched into fists. Draco fumed silently as he watched her march towards the door, his lips pressed into a thin line. Before exiting, she turned around to face him, angry tears in her eyes. "Maybe you'd know what having friends were like if you grew up with them!" Without allowing him to reply, she slammed the door and bolted to Gryffindor common room.

Draco started to walk to the door, but stopped a quarter of the way there. He ran back and kicked a pillow, but was unsatisfied with how easy it was for it to fly and flop to the ground. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the pillows and blankets. "Finite Incantatem!" The pillows instantly returned to their original state as chairs and he kicked one, feeling the satisfaction of the metal bangs it made.

"Stupid, little, mud- Ugh!" As much as Draco wanted to say the slur he couldn't. His heart not in it anymore. "I didn't want to be your friend anyway!" He kicked another chair, but it wasn't as enjoyable as the first chair he sent flying. He knew he had reacted poorly, even though it was honestly, and he recognized he was already trying to lie to himself like he did every time he was rejected by someone. Draco stood there for a few minutes, letting the events that had just passed fully sink in.

Draco's anger gave way to panic; He wasn't sure if Hermione would forgive him, like she was trying to do with Ron and Harry, but he hoped she did as he already regretted what he said.


A/N: Writing this hurt me, so don't hate me.

Alice Helena: I love that you loved the chapter! I personally enjoyed the event myself, although I was afriad (as always) it was a bit boring.

I honestly can not wait to write 4th year, it's going to be a lot of fun.

Guest 1: Thank you :D

MotekElm: Thank you so much :')

CharmedMistletoe: Thank you! And I'm going to have fun writing the scene where they find out Pettigrew is Scabbers.

Guest 2: Welcome! I am so happy you found my work and I hope you will continue to read it.