A/N: This is just a filler chapter really, but I still hope you enjoy it as much as the rest of the story :)
Their time in the library flies by too fast, and soon she's packed her things up and left the library, returning to the Quidditch pitch to see her other friends – her real friends, she corrects herself. They were there before Malfoy, and they will almost certainly be there after. Her Muggle ballerina flats smack against the floor as she briskly makes her way through the corridors, mentally counting off the remaining homework she has to complete before Monday. Behind her, she can hear the slow thudding of Malfoy's footsteps, his thick boots almost muffling any noise in his movements. The Nimbus is by his side, his fingers curled loosely around the handle as he wanders a safe five feet behind her.
A whistled tune reaches Hermione's ears and she turns to glare at him, only to receive a bright smile in response. "Stop."
"Why, Granger? Are you not a fan of music?"
"I am a fan of music, Malfoy. I'm just not a fan of dying cats." She flicks her hair behind her as she continues walking, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Excuse you, Granger," he jogs, catching up with her and matching his strides to hers. "I'll have you know I am exceptional at music-"
"Prove it."
"What do you- do you expect me to break into a song and dance in the middle of the corridor?"
"As much as I would enjoy watching you do a complex jazz routine, no." She stares wistfully ahead of her, not looking at him. "Just if you're so good at music why don't you sing something?"
"Oh, do come on, Granger. I'm not going to serenade you in the middle of the corridor?"
"Why not?" She bats her eyelashes up at him. "Am I not worthy of a love song? Gosh, and to think I actually liked you," she gives a dramatic sigh, coming to a stop in front of the doors that lead to the Quidditch pitch. "I see how it is."
"I never said you weren't worthy of a love song…" As he says the words, a blush spreads across his cheeks. "I just said I wasn't going to sing to you in the corridor."
"Well I guess you're not as exceptional at music as you claim to be." She grins, tapping him on the nose before pushing the door open with her shoulder. She hopes he's still inside and she won't have to deal with any more of Harry and Ron's conspiracy theories about him, but he appears beside her as the door bangs shut.
"I don't think it's fair that I have to sing to you and you aren't going to return the favour. I think it's apparent that the person not worthy of a love song in this relationship is me, Granger." He runs his left hand through his hair, and she hits his arm.
"Stop! Your hairline is going to recede!" She can't bear the thought of him losing his downy soft white-blond hair. "I never said I wouldn't return it; you're the one who is bragging about his musical skills."
"You don't want to hear any of my songs, they're all old and horrible." She laughs and he smiles along with her.
"Have you ever heard-" She bites her tongue before she says normal – this is his normal. "Muggle music?" His nose wrinkles as he looks down at her. "Just – if you don't like wizard songs that much – then maybe you might enjoy Muggle music."
"No offence, Granger, but I don't believe Muggles could make music that can invoke the same reactions as wizard's music. Even if it is old and boring, it is still beautiful. Again, no offence." She rolls her eyes at his narrow mindedness. "What?"
"You have to be at least willing to try it – you can't say you don't like it without even listening to it."
He lifts his hand to run it through his hair with a sigh, stopping when she glares at him out of the corners of her eyes. He groans, dropping his hand to his side and clenching and unclenching his fingers. "Fine, I'll try 4 pieces of Muggle music."
"Just say the word 'songs'."
"I will try 4 pieces of Muggle songs."
"No, it's…" She goes to correct him again before she sees the smirk plastered across his face. She glares at him, eyes narrowed, and he throws his head back in mirth-filled laughter. A smile begins to break through her stern face, and he shoves her by the shoulder lightly.
"Oh, come on, Granger – relax! It's not like anyone's-"
"Malfoy!" Harry's angry shout cracks their happy little bubble in half. The grin drops from Malfoy's face as he runs his hand through his hair, Granger be damned. His eyes are cold and calculating as Harry marches towards them with Ron and Ginny in tow. Hermione watches his face, his mouth set in a straight line, a slight crease between his brows, and she knows he's prepared for any outcome.
"Malfoy," she whispers, but he makes a small, almost unnoticeable, gesture with his hand, signalling that now isn't a good time. She takes a step away from him and sees the corner of his lips lift into a smirk as he gives her a tight nod. "Don't do anything…" She hesitates, realising that Harry is probably going to be the loose cannon of the encounter. "Don't get hurt."
He laughs, still trying to maintain that straight, unbothered expression, but he can't help the smile that escapes. "Don't worry, Granger," he gives her a wink. "I won't let him touch me."
The trio stops next to Hermione, Ginny and Ron flanking Harry as he glares at Malfoy. "Was he annoying you?" Harry asks as Malfoy sneers at him.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Harry! Just leave him alone." Hermione grabs his arm, trying to pull him away as he doesn't break eye contact with the blond boy. "Why don't you all listen when I say I can look after myself?"
"Because he's a foot taller than you, 'Mione, and probably a lot stronger." Ron takes a step in front of her and she pushes him aside, glaring at him.
"And I'm a lot smarter." She growls back, grasping Harry's arm again and yanking backwards. Harry stumbles in surprise, nearly loosing his footing until he regains his balance. Malfoy smirks, looking directly at Hermione.
"Well, I wouldn't say a lot smarter…"
"Shut it, Malfoy," Ron steps forward, shoving Malfoy in the centre of his chest, trying to knock him backwards.
"Ronald! Will you just listen to me for once?" Hermione spins round to look at her three friends, glaring at the two boys. "I can look after myself. It's honestly rather insulting that you think I need you there to protect me."
"But, Hermione-" She cuts Harry off quickly.
"No, Harry – no ifs ands or buts – I can look after myself." Behind her, Malfoy scoffs.
"Oh, yeah, Granger. And I'm-"
"Silencio!" She suddenly whips around, her wand pointed at the pale flesh of his throat. His eyes widen as she glares at him, tucking her wand back into her pocket.
He opens his mouth and no sound comes out, and she watches him wordlessly scream at her, reading his lips (How dare you use a silencing charm on me after you had the gall to say 'don't get hurt'! I swear to Merlin, Granger, you will pay for this later when this spell wears off.) She just watches him, her face blank, one eyebrow quirked as she waits for him to finish his rant.
"Don't make me stun you too, Malfoy."
He steps back, holding his hands up with the broom handle rested against his chest, mouthing at her: do continue.
"Look!" She turns to her friends, pointing at the silent boy behind her. "I'm more than capable of hexing him, or stunning him, or anything him if I needed to. But he's not a big enough problem for me to go those lengths – he's just an annoying, spoilt prick who enjoys tormenting me. It's less hassle to just let him prattle on to himself, because he gets bored, and when he gets bored, he leaves. I'm not going to waste energy on him when I know that when I don't give him the reaction he wants he wanders off."
"We know you can look after yourself, but-" Ron starts, but she interrupts him again.
"There is no but! Either I can look after myself or I can't!" She makes a noise of exasperation. "I just told you – he's just a harmless annoyance!" Ginny scowls over Hermione's head and the brunette whips around to see Malfoy pulling faces, mocking her in the middle of her frustrated speech. "Stop it!" The tips of her ears turn bright pink as she shouts at him, and he can see that not being taken seriously is a big thing for her. He drops his eyes to the floor, biting his nails.
"Okay," Harry takes a step forward, touching her shoulder gently. "We're sorry, Hermione. We didn't mean to upset you, we just thought-"
"No, Harry, that's the problem. You and Ronald don't think."
"Sorry, 'Mione. We know that you're capable of looking after yourself. It's just not easy to trust him," Harry glares at the blond, who rolls his eyes in response. "But, I guess we're just overexaggerating the situation." He pulls Hermione into a hug, and she rests her cheek against his shoulder with a sigh, hugging him tightly. Malfoy frowns, jealousy eating his insides.
"I know I shouldn't kick off, but… It's annoying to know all you see me as is a damsel who needs saving. If he really wanted to hurt me he'd have done it. But we both know that he's not like that – he's just an inconvenience."
"I know; we didn't mean to make you feel like you're weak. We'll know better in the future." He pulls away first, smiling at Hermione with the love of a brother. "As long as he is just being a prat," he glares at Malfoy, who narrows his eyes in response.
"If I can add something," Malfoy clears his throat, and Hermione whips around with blazing eyes. "Yes, Granger, it's worn off already. Maybe try a bit harder next time," the ferocity of the sneer on his face catches Hermione off guard. "The know-it-all is right – I'm not doing anything but trying to piss her off. And, by association, I'll piss you off too, Potty." He glares at the group, at Harry's arm wrapped protectively around Hermione's shoulders. His sneer deepens as he looks in Hermione's eyes, stepping forward so he was directly in front of her. "I don't think I'll have a chance to be an annoying, spoilt prick to you now that Potty and Weaselby are back to save the day." He spits, before turning and heading back to the castle, his broom gripped in white knuckles.
"Yeah, walk away!" Ron shouts at his retreating back, before turning to hug Hermione, burying his freckled face into her strawberry scented hair. She doesn't react, she doesn't hug him back. She just stares as Malfoy enters the castle without so much as a backward glance. "Sorry, 'Mione," he mumbles into her hair.
"It's fine, Ron." She turns to them, plastering a smile on her face. "He's just a jerk, a jerk I can protect myself against."
Ginny is looking at her weirdly, slipping her arm through Hermione's and dragging her towards the castle. "I'm just going to drop my stuff off. We'll meet you outside the Great Hall in an hour." Harry turns to Ron with a frown, and Ron shrugs.
"Probably girl stuff, mate."
Harry nods wisely at his friend's statement, clapping him on the back as he started around the grounds, no doubt to spout another conspiracy about Malfoy. When Ginny is sure that the boys are well out of earshot, she unhooks her arm from Hermione's, and punches her friend in the arm.
"Ow!" Hermione shouts, rubbing her arm as she glares at Ginny. "Why did you do that?"
"Why couldn't you have just said: It's okay, Harry, he's fine, he's not doing anything wrong – you know, like you told me?" Hermione frowns at Ginny's impression of her.
"Because they wouldn't listen – not that you did either. They barely listened to me just then. And you know how he likes to rile them up."
"That doesn't mean you can lie to them."
"What, like you're not lying to Ron about Dean Thomas?" Hermione smirks as the colour drains from Ginny's face.
"You wouldn't."
"Try me," Hermione hisses as she opens the door and slips inside the building, Ginny close on her tail. "You can't lecture me about not telling them that I have a kind-of friendship with their worst enemy, when you won't even tell your brother that you're going out with a boy he actually likes."
"That's different; he's my brother."
"And Harry is basically mine!"
They both stand in the corridor, their body language dangerous, daring the other one to break first. Ginny loses, sighing and dropping her head. "Look, Hermione, I'm…I'm glad that you have a friendship with him. I'm not saying I'm not. But with the way he reacted…"
"I know, I know. I didn't think he would get so defensive… I didn't mean to be rude. I just wanted Harry off my back," she groans, throwing her head back, pushing her hands through her frizzy hair. "I don't even know if I'll be able to apologise for it."
Ginny nods down the hall where the corridor splits into a crossroads; a flash of white-blond hair was striding angrily in the opposite direction. "I'm pretty sure that was just him." Hermione turns to the crossroads, just missing him in his green shirt.
"Which direction?"
"He went to the right." Ginny shakes her head with a smile. "Are you really going to chase after him to apologise?"
"It's the right thing to do, isn't it? I upset him, I called him a prick, I was quite mean to him actually."
"I don't know, Hermione. This kind of leaves friendship territory and enters the crush area." Hermione's cheeks heat up. "Honestly, Hermione, why do you insist on lying to yourself? Just admit you fancy him and move on."
"Ginny, I-" Ginny pushes her towards the intersecting corridors.
"Go on then!" Ginny waves her on, grinning. "Tell him you love him for me."
Hermione can't stop the grin that spreads across her face as she breaks into a run down the corridor, in the direction Ginny had seen him go. She turns left, left again, right, and then she sees him – moving steadily down the corridor – and her heart seems to burst into a beam of light.
With wide eyes and a feeling of dread she realises Ginny is right.
She's in love with Draco Malfoy.