A/N: the last little bit before I change to another day. (again, sorry for slow paced), but all your alerts tell me I'm doing something right, so without further ado, here is the next installment!

I also realized my mistake that I forgot to mention that Dean wasn't in the classes! Oopsy. That's what I get for rushing...

thanks for taking the time to read and reviewing :)

Chapter 6

"Malfoy?" she said straightening her posture, "You! You..." but her voice was lost, out of complete shock. Did he actually wait for her to get out of class? Her whole body became uneasy at the thought. 'This can't be good, no one's around...'

Draco took a deep breath, but remained perfectly still against the tree trunk. 'Curse you Blaise and your bloody Galleons' he would be on his way to the Great Hall with all the other Slytherins to enjoy lunch, but instead he chose to stay back and fix his mistake.

"Have fun talking about me, did you?" he said casually, as though bored. "Thought to get a great ol' laugh for getting me in trouble?"

Hermione furrowed her brows, "I did nothing of the sort. That, was all you" she was about to leave, but Draco stepped in her way once again.

"You know, what's even more humorous?" he drawled, "McGonagall thought it right for me to apologize, but I see now, you just did it for attention"

Hermione scoffed, "Much like what you do, of course. Damn it anyone who dares to defy you, Draco Malfoy!"

Draco was ready to respond, but someone had already beat him to it.

"Uh do you mind? You're blocking the door!" sneered the bitter voice of Lavender. Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped forward to allow the girl to leave; hand in hand with Ron.

"Wait Lavender..." called Ron as he slipped his hand out of her grip to look at Hermione, and then at Draco then back at Hermione. "What are you doing with him?"

"Same reason you are with her," Hermione hissed, as she turned back to Draco, "Just having a bit of fun" she had no idea where that sentence came from. In fact, she was completely stunned to have said something so crazy, so quickly.

"Wait a second." Ron nearly shouted as he took a hold of Hermione's wrist. Hermione yanked her arm from Ron. "Don't tell me Malfoy is the reason you...we never..."

"What Ronald? What exactly are you trying to imply here?" Hermione's eyes flashed with anger, although her voice was completely calm. "That I've cheated on you with Malfoy?"

Ron scoffed, completely shocked of the idea. "You're joking me, Malfoy? You...with...Malfoy?" his eyes drifted over to his arch-enemy and sneered. No, it just wasn't possible. Hermione felt scared and nervous and...just not ready. Could this be the reason she didn't go through with it, cause she had already did with Malfoy? He shuddered at the thought. "After all he's said to you? How he's treated you, you..."

Hermione wanted to laugh, at Ron's assumption that she had slept with Malfoy. She wanted to laugh even harder of how jealous he was acting, despite he had cheated on her.

Draco took a moment to realize exactly what Ron hinting at, and smirked. It was just the invitation he needed to get this, game in motion.

"All water under the bridge now, Weasley," he said, taking a hold of Hermione's clothed arm and pulled her against his side. Hermione felt her insides squirm from Draco's grip on her arm; something she never dreamed he would do.

"Unlucky for you, Weasley, Granger's forgiven me. You see, it takes a big man to own up to his mistakes,"

Ron scrunched up his face, "Ya right, you're no bloody sorry than-"

"How do you know?" Hermione piped in, "You never talk to Malfoy to know, he's actually changed!"

"No he's not! He only did it cause you're stupid enough to fall not just his act, but into his bed too!"

"You're such a hypocrite," Hermione said with a disgusted face, "You certainly had no regard to my feelings when you slept with Lavender, so hearing you judge me on my feelings toward you when I am with Malfoy is simply hysterical! God, and I so glad I'm done with you!"

Hermione nudged Malfoy in the arm, with the one he was holding, "Come on, let's go" she was ready to leave, but Ron just stopped them again.

"Out of the way, Weasley," hissed Draco, "Granger and I have business to do"

Ron stood, mouth-opened agape, feeling sick.

"I don't think you should keep Lavender waiting, you should go to her." Hermione said with a ghost of a smile on her face from seeing Ron's expression.

Draco scoffed and then tugged Hermione along with him toward the castle. Once they were out of view, Draco released his hold on her. He took a quick look around, making sure if they were on their own and then returned to her.

"Well, well look at you," he began with a smirk, "The little kitten has claws"

"Don't think so highly of yourself, Malfoy! That was all for show! I-"

"Right, you are angry and annoyed because I invaded your privacy, whatever. You see what you did, Granger? Your little stint will have those two talking, which is what you wanted I am sure,"

"Don't you-"

"What I am trying to tell you is," he said holding his hand to her, "Your ingenious plan has a major flaw."

Hermione studied him for a moment, searching his eyes. Draco took a deep breath and shrugged, "We're not together."

"I am aware of that, Malfoy!"

In truth, Draco was rather surprised of how well that off the whim remark of hers earned him just the ticket to get the ball rolling. His lips twitched to an evil smirk as he tried to picture Blaise's surprised expression that Granger will be talking to him again.

"Well, that can change" Draco added with a drawl.

"Sorry, what?" Hermione said, watching him skeptically as Draco shrugged his shoulders. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, "Exactly what do you mean by that?"

"Well considering you gave the idea we've been together..." just as he said those words he felt the familiar drop in his stomach.

"That was all Ron. I just went along with it, I didn't actually mean it!"

"Then how do you plan on explaining when we're not together?" he said, folding his arms and glaring at her. "People can say nasty things about floozy girls, you know"

Hermione furrowed her brows, at his insult. "And you want this? Ya right!" if she were honest, she rather be labeled as a floozy than associated with Malfoy; even if it annoyed Ron - there was just no way Malfoy would go along with it.

"It's nothing about wanting Granger. It's trying to fix what you did" Draco sneered, 'Heck, if it weren't for the Galleons, we wouldn't even be having this conversation!'

"And your solution is to just...roll with it?" she whispered, without any doubt, she was rather confused. 'Malfoy actually wants to...but why?' "Why?" she said, furrowing her brows.

'With one hundred thousand Galleons at stake, you would too, Granger.' he thought as he chewed on his lip, trying to keep calm.

"It's not like it means anything," he muttered, "So don't get all huffy about it."

Draco glanced around the corridor again for anyone listening in before returning to Granger. Her face was completely set.

"I'm trying to help you," he said slowly,

'Help...me?' she thought, eyeing him up and down, "And that right there, is what I don't understand, Malfoy. Why?"

"Because, I am a whole different person now, remember?" he straightened up his posture, "Speaking of which, you should do the same."

Unsure to take his comment as an insult or not, Hermione just stared. Draco motioned to her face, "Fix your appearance," and then he sauntered off.

Evening

Hermione found herself in the Gryffindor Common Room, spotting Ginny all flushed and agitated.

"What's wrong?" Hermione said taking a spot in the chair in front of the fires.

"Dean," Ginny said with a low mumble, "He, he was trying to apologize, saying how the one-off was just that. A one-off, that I am the one true girl he loved and...well all that hoopla"

"And?" Hermione said anxiously, "What was your response?"

"I told him to sod off," Ginny muttered. "I don't need that, or anyone for that matter! You know he skipped class just to speak to me? Idiot. Anyway, where were you at lunch? Seamus and Neville were waiting for you; I was waiting for you! But no one knew where you went!"

Hermione huffed a breath, 'Trying to figure out why Malfoy wants to help me...' she thought, shaking her head, "Sorry, I went to the library! I had a huge Runes project I had to finish up on for the class today,"

"Hermione..." Ginny said slowly.

Hermion paid no mind to her friends tone as she inspected her long hair through her fingers. Hermione spent a good hour examining her appearance, figuring after many, many, many, years with the same style and cut, it was time for a change. Sure Malfoy may have suggested to her for a change, but she certainly wasn't doing this for him - he was just giving her some advice.

"Say Ginny, you have hair products here, don't you?"

Confused from the sudden change of subject, "What? But you look just-"

"Plain and boring. Ginny, I need a change" Hermione dropped the hair from her fingers and pouted.

Ginny studied Hermione for a moment, "It wouldn't have anything to do with what happened today with Malfoy, would it?"

Hermione shook her head. "No! Look, this hair is a disaster, I need to fix it. Will you help me?"

Ginny looked shocked, "Alright, fine, no need to bite my head off"

E/N: I didn't have this in my original plan for the story...so I feel rather indifferent about the whole thing. if Draco seemed out of character, oh well. sorry, at least the story is getting somewhere...