To Draco's absolute surprise, two weeks after Granger had spent the night in the hospital wing no one had found out that he'd been there. Apparently Potter's girlfriend could keep her mouth shut, which Draco hadn't expected. Granger never said anything about the hospital wing incident either, and Draco followed her lead. They went back to spending the early hours of the morning together and debating irrelevant things like which class was better and who the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was. Every now and then he wanted to ask her about what had happened to make her end up there in the first place, as he still didn't know the entire story, but yet again there was the whole caring aspect that he wasn't happy with. He didn't care that much, but of course he hadn't really gone to visit anyone else in the hospital wing and his friends had been in there before.

Even though he wasn't okay with caring about her, Draco was actually getting more comfortable with her. He would allow himself to make a few sarcastic comments instead of remaining mostly serious and standoff-ish, though the few times he did that he surprised Granger, which Draco was sure was half the reason why he did it. It seemed that Granger herself was relaxing a bit with him, as every now and then she would flash a smile at him before going back to whatever she'd been doing. It was kind of nice, he thought; Draco hadn't really had that kind of experience with his friends before.

He frowned as he sat, half-listening to McGonagall explain something at the weekly Delegate meeting. Draco didn't even want to associate that word with Granger; how could he do that and continue to claim that he didn't really care about her? Everything with Granger was a problem, it seemed, though everything before her was a problem too so he knew he was capable of handling it. Thinking of problems brought him back to his father though, and the letter he'd received at the beginning of the month. Three days after getting one from his mother he'd gotten a letter from his father, which shocked him more than anything else had that year. His father wanted Draco to speak for him at the trial to try and get whatever sentence he would have lessened. And Draco wasn't really sure he wanted to. Yes it would break his mother's heart if his father went to Azkaban and she was left alone, but Draco didn't want to lie and tell the Ministry that his father had been forced into everything. He hadn't; he'd chosen to be a Death Eater and it had gotten him nothing but trouble.

"Mr. Malfoy, do you agree?"

"What?" he asked rather stupidly, his frown deepening. That was what thinking got him; he couldn't pay any attention to anything when he was trying to think through things, and the look on Boot's face irritated him more than normal. "Um, sure, whatever,"

There was a groan from beside him and he glanced at Granger, who was shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "Professor he wasn't even listening; he doesn't know what he's agreeing to," she argued, making Draco raise an eyebrow. Surely it was just one of Boot's silly groups and he would have nothing to do with those.

"He still agreed, Miss Granger. I'm sorry but that means Miss Abbott will get her party,"

Draco blinked; he couldn't remember Abbott ever wanting a party. A dance, yes, but McGonagall had shot that down weeks ago. "Excuse me?"

"Hannah proposed a party-like gathering instead of a feast the night before everyone leaves for holidays," Granger explained, her voice irritated. "Her and Terry were for the idea, Professor McGonagall and I were against it. You were the deciding vote,"

"Wait but I-" he started, glancing at Abbott to find her smiling at him for the first time in his life. "But what good is this going to do anyway?"

"It will help people interact with students in other houses and learn things about each other; doesn't it sound wonderful? I can plan it all, Professor," Abbott said, looking at McGonagall. "And I'll make sure it won't cost the school anything,"

"Very well," McGonagall said, frowning just like Granger was. "Create some plans and bring them with you next week. And I'll see you all next week as well," Abbott nodded excitedly and walked out with Boot almost immediately, excitedly telling him some of her ideas. Draco sat still, as did Granger, and they both stared at McGonagall as she looked at them with a raise eyebrow. "You two seem to be in sync for once," she stated.

Draco rolled his eyes and glanced at Granger, who looked a little flustered by the comment. "You can't be serious about letting this happen," Granger said, shaking her head slightly as if that would make McGonagall change her mind. "Not everyone is going to want this and if we force it on them they're going to get frustrated,"

"I understand, Miss Granger, and I completely agree with you, but Mr. Malfoy sided with Miss Abbott and Mr. Boot-"

"I didn't mean to though," he grumbled, his eyes narrowing.

"That's your own fault for not paying attention, Mr. Malfoy,"

"So there's no way we can stop this?"

Professor McGonagall shook her head and frowned before waving her hand. "No, there's not. I suggest you two get yourselves back to the common room though; it's getting late,"

Draco looked at Granger, prepared for her to fight about Abbott's party, but she sighed and stood up. "Have a good night, Professor," she said, turning around and walking out of the room. Draco hesitated before following her out the door with a glance at McGonagall. The next night was the first meeting of Boot's group to help those who fought in the battle and Draco had questions about it, mainly for Granger. If he could learn something about what happened there then maybe he could talk about them with Granger, as he knew there was no way she would go and let people know that she wasn't really doing well.

"I can't say I'm thrilled with you,"

He scowled almost immediately as he looked up at Granger, who was standing by the wall opposite of McGonagall's office. "Most people aren't," he shrugged.

"You know how important it is to listen in those meetings, right?"

"I'm starting to get it," he said as she fell into step beside him. "Honestly Granger, if I'd been listening I wouldn't have-"

"So then what were you doing?" she asked, looking at him with raised eyebrows.

"I was thinking, Granger. I'm allowed to think,"

"I never said you weren't. But what were you thinking about that got you so distracted?"

Draco very quickly fell silent. The two things he had been thinking about, her and his father, were not issues he wanted to share. With anyone, not just Granger. She continued to stare at him, as if he would answer her, and he stared at the ceiling. "Things," he answered stiffly.

He couldn't be sure, but Draco thought he'd seen her roll her eyes. "You're not going to tell me, are you,"

"Not a chance, Granger. Do you tell me everything you think about?"

"Well no but-"

"Then why should I tell you?"

"Oh, I don't know. I thought maybe if we started trusting each other with things we could be friends o-"

She stopped very quickly and Draco looked at her, feeling a bit shocked yet again. It didn't seem Granger had wanted to say the words either because she very quickly began to frown and shake her head. "You and I, Granger? Friends? As if that's ever going to happen,"

"It could, you don't know for sure,"

"Yes, I do,"

"No you don't," she protested, folding her arms across her chest and narrowing her eyes. Draco stopped in the corridor and Granger soon did too. "I mean we're practically there already, aren't we?"

"You must have had some bad friendships if you think that we're friends,"

"Malfoy what's gotten-"

"Into me? I don't know, Granger, maybe it's your stupidity about what a friendship actually is,"

"Don't call me stupid, Malfoy," she said angrily. "With the way you've been acting I-I mean you must be the one who doesn't know what a friendship is like!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know not everyone comes to the hospital wing to check on someone they don't care about,"

"But I don't-"

"And not everyone gives up sleep for someone they don't care about,"

"Granger shut-"

"So why don't you grow up, for five seconds, and admit that you care and we're friends and you're not the same ass you were every other year we went to school together!"

"I said shut up!" he said, beginning to storm away from her. He hadn't realized that his actions had been so obvious as to what he was feeling toward Granger and the fact that she'd notice made him uncomfortable and he started wondering if other people had noticed too, even if they hadn't seen everything he'd done.

"Wait, Malfoy-"

"Leave me the hell alone,"

"Malfoy I'm sorry," she said, walking quickly to catch up to him. "Look, I shouldn't have said anything. I should have just left well enough alone. I didn't mean to upset you,"

"Sure you didn't," he muttered.

"Malfoy really, I wouldn't try to upset you. What would I get out of it?"

"A nice story to tell Potter?"

"You know Harry told me he was okay with you and I-" she stopped, and Draco knew what she was going to say but obvious Granger didn't want to say it anymore.

"Being friends?" he supplied, scowling at the word. "You know, Granger, if we're friends as you say, then you must care for me too," he said, knowing that the realization would make Granger take back her words.

Granger looked awfully conflicted about something, and apparently it was her turn to walk away from him. Draco rolled his eyes and walked faster to catch up with her, grabbing her arm so she'd stop. "What?"

"So you'll take it back then?" he asked. "The friendship thing. Because we both know you don't really care about me,"

Granger looked furious after the words sunk in. "Well maybe I do, Malfoy! Maybe I do but you acting like this makes it really easy not to!" Granger pulled her arm out of his grip and walked away again, but this time Draco didn't follow her. He shook his head and watched her walk away for a few seconds. He could count on one hand the number of people that actually cared about him; the rather short list included his mother and Snape. But apparently Granger had to be added to that list? Granger, of all people? What was he supposed to say to that? Was he supposed to admit that he cared about her? He couldn't do that because once he admitted that to her then he would start on that awkward path to being her friend. But as he stood in the darkening corridor, he started to wonder if being Granger's friend would really be such a bad thing. He already treated her better than he treated anyone else, which was saying something because he didn't treat Granger exactly the way she deserved.

With a heavy sigh he walked back to the common room with what he knew would be an angry expression on his face. He walked into the common room to see Boot and Abbott looking at Granger's door in surprise before turning to look at him curiously. Draco did his best to ignore the two as he walked into his own room and threw the window open, glaring at the Forbidden Forest and the bitter breeze that filled his room.

Draco got ready for bed even though it was only nine at night, but he wanted to get to sleep and be able to stay up when he woke up early the next morning. Surely Granger would be over what had happened by then and they could have a civil conversation about what to do; Draco didn't want to be friends with her as that would lead to problems, but at the same time he almost wanted to. Almost. Not enough to act on that feeling though.

Getting to sleep didn't appear to be in the cards for him, as he lay awake shivering slighlty as he started at the ceiling. Granger wouldn't get out of his stupid head long enough for him to drift off. He'd upset her and it bothered him. In the past he would have been thrilled to have upset Granger as that meant he was winning in that odd game he'd always figured they had. She'd definitely won third year with that punch, but that was beside the point. Now he just wanted her to be okay and happy; he absolutely hated that he wanted that, but he couldn't deny it to himself. To everyone else, yes, but lying to himself felt wrong.