A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers for the last chapter. A couple of you said that it had lots of suspense and it was a thriller, and thanks for that! I didn't know it was so like…sense-suspending as you all said it was! But that was a major chapter. This one is slightly sadder, but very…thrilling as well. Enjoy! PS to Cortex and Hullabub, be on the lookout for my special thanks thing in this chap!

Disclaimer: Nothing but the plot is mine, everyone is JKR's.

Chapter 14: Forgiveness…Almost

The atmosphere couldn't have changed any more drastically. Hermione sat with her back facing the Slytherin table during breakfast, and she walked in between Harry and Ron. The two boys made it seem that Draco was out to kill Hermione and stood by her all the time.

In Potions she sat at the edge of the table, farthest away from Malfoy. As soon as Snape walked in she thrust her hand in the air. "What Ms. Granger? A question right before the start of class? How unexpected." He said sarcastically.

"Professor, as it is the start of a new term, these seats are a bit old. Don't you think we should get new ones before we actually make friends with each other." She forced herself to look directly at Snape, and resisted the urge to glare at Draco and kick him in the shins.

"Fine, whatever. Sit wherever you want. 20 seconds or it is points off and detention!" he said. His patience was obviously low at this time in the morning.

There was a mad scramble of people to sit with their friends. Hermione settled in between her best friends and threw a death glare at Malfoy who was looking at her with a scowl. She stuck out her tongue at him, which caught him off guard and he blinked. Hermione smirked victoriously and listened to Snape talk about Fire Potions, which made the drinker feel intense heat. It was a perfect tool against enemies and when in cold climates.

An idea whizzed in Hermione's head and she took extensive notes on this potion. Harry and Ron shrugged it off thinking, "Typical Hermione." And "Probably taking her mind off the dirty great prat" (hmm I wonder who was thinking that one…) Truth be told, half of it was the latter, but spending an awful amount of time with her ex, it was hard not to pick up some of his scheming mind…

By the end of class, Hermione's mind was off the subject of Malfoy…almost. She practically begged Harry and Ron to walk faster on their way to Charms when she felt an icy stare on her back. She refused to massage the prickly hairs at the back of her neck until they turned the corner. So as to not show him the affect his gaze gave her.

In her new, least-favourite class, Arithmancy, she dreaded spending the 45 minutes in the same room as Malfoy, let alone sit with him without the extra protection of Ron and Harry. So she immediately sat with two new Ravenclaws: Prince Xavier, and Andréa Cali. This served the dual purpose of aquatinting herself with them (something a Head Girl should do) as well as staying away from the Dragon.

Care of Magical Creatures was easily avoidable from him. Basically because Harry and Ron were there to 'guard' her. As that was the last class of the afternoon, they stayed behind and talked to Hagrid. "Wonderful lesson Hagrid!" Hermione beamed as she walked up to him. At the corner of her eye, she saw Draco storm back to the castle. He was obviously trying to talk to her lately.

"Yes, amazing! Up until the other two Runespoor* heads bit off the right one. Did you hear Pansy scream! She practically jumped on Malfoy when the head rolled her way." Ron looked at the scowl on Hermione's face and immediately shut up.

"They only did that because it didn't like the Left's idea of trying to bite us all. And the middle head was daydreaming about rolling down a hill filled with rocks." Harry added in. When he saw the confused faces of the other 3 people, he quickly said, "What! I overheard the conversation!"

They all laughed, "So that's why you were chuckling. I thought it was because of Hagrid's explanation of how it lays its eggs." Ron laughed.

"Hey Hermione, I saw yeh shooting dark looks at Malfoy. What's that 'bout?" Hagrid said, "I thought yer two was together or summat."

Hermione's face darkened and she scowled, "Well I doubt we really were! Actually I'm just his 'flavour of the month!'" she pursed her lips.

Well yeh can't trust Malfoy's most of the time Hermione. They'll go sour on yeh in the end."

"Thanks Hagrid." Hermione smiled.

"Would yeh like ter have a rock cake?" Hagrid offered a plate of grey rock cakes.

Ron hastily denied, "No thanks Hagrid. Class is going to start soon an we have to go get our stuff."

"OK there. I'll see yer all later. Bye!" Hagrid waved them off as they walked back to the castle.

~ After Classes ~

Hermione was in her common room working on a Transfiguration assignment when Draco walked in, clad in his green Quidditch robes. He was tousle-haired from the winter wind. When he saw Hermione, he walked over.

Unfortunately, she simply got up and made her way to her room without a backward glance. He yelled at her door. "Hermione! Stop avoiding me!"

"Make me! And stop stalking me!" she retorted.

"I'm going to barge in there and make you listen to me!"

"Barge ahead Malfoy!" she yelled back.

When he swung open her door, the second door to the Gryffindor Common Room closed shut. He knew better than to touch it so he yelled through it. "Hermione! Talk to me!"

"Get lost Malfoy! Just leave her alone!" Harry yelled through to Malfoy.

Hermione was crying on the couch, being comforted by Harry, Ron and Ginny. "Hermione! Just tell me what I did to make you hate me!"

Hermione snapped. "Go ask Pansy! I'm sure she'll open up to you! That's what you did to me! Made me open up, then cast me aside like every other used toy you have!" she screamed at him through the door. Her face was void of tears by now.

There was no reply. She sat on the couch crossly and stared into the fire.

~*~

When she finally returned, she went to the common room to retrieve her Transfiguration book. She quickly snatched it and went back to her room before Draco heard her.

~ The next day in Transfiguration ~

Hermione sat in Transfiguration, listening to Prof. McGonagall. "Now turn to page 392 and read on Transfiguring inanimate objects to animate ones, and back (a/n I know they already know how to do this, but hang with me). When turning her pages, a folded piece of parchment fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and looked at it, analyzing it. "I'll read it later. It's probably just homework." She thought and put it in her bag.

~ In the library ~

Hermione sat in an excluded table, away from the center of the library. While searching her bag for a quill, she came upon the note. It was a letter addressed to her.

~ Dear Hermione,

Please read this first before you rip it into shreds. I want you to understand that I really have no idea to why you are mad at me. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you so badly.

When you said I would throw you away when I used you, I really felt bad, and I was racking my brains trying to remember a time when I did that to you. If I really did something to hurt you, then please forgive me. I would never throw you away the relationship we have…or had. Not for all the money in the world.

I love you Hermione.

From,

Draco

When Hermione put the note down, she was on the verge of tears. "Maybe I was too harsh on him? I should've listened to his side of the story." She thought.

She ran to the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry and Ron were at Quidditch practice and Ginny was doing her homework in the corner of the room. Ginny looked up and signaled her over. "Oh Ginny, I think I was too harsh on Mal—Draco. He wrote me this letter saying he was sorry and wouldn't ever make me feel that bad." Hermione gave Ginny the note and she read it.

"Well Herm, if you want to forgive him, go ahead. He sounds like he's telling the truth."

"OK. I'll forgive him. He should be in the common room now. See ya later!" she went through her personal door and into the common room.

He wasn't in the common room. Neither was he in his room or bathroom. She was leaving to see if he was in the Great Hall. As she opened the door, she gasped when she looked through. (a/n. DUM DUM DUM!)

~ 10 minutes later ~

Draco was sitting in his room, thinking about the letter he wrote to Hermione. "I wondered if she found it yet. What if she just burned it when she found out it was from me. I hope she forgives me for whatever I did…"

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the common room door. When he opened it, his face darkened. There stood Pansy. She was smiling and dragged him out into the hallway. He shook her off his arm and snarled, "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I've just noticed that you've been sad and I want to know what's wrong." She pouted.

"Nothing that concerns you." He said.

"Why? Did Hermione break up with you?"

"What do you know about that?" he said suddenly.

"Besides the obvious fact that she's avoiding you and ignoring you, nothing. But I know a way to make you happier."

"Oh yeah? How?" it was a rhetorical question, and he wasn't expecting an answer. However he got one.

She pulled him by the collar and kissed him firmly on the lips.

At that exact moment the statue door opened and he head a strangled gasp. He roughly pushed Pansy to the floor and turned to see Hermione lower her hands from her mouth. Her shocked expression turned to anger. She spun on her heel and stormed to her room.

"Hermione! It's not what you think!" He grabbed her arm and held her back.

She spun around and slapped him full force across the face. His faced turned from the blow, his blonde hair covering his eyes. "Yeah, it's not what I think! So I didn't see you eating Pansy's face! It was just an illusion wasn't it!" For the second time there was an angry red aura around her, but it was fairly faint. "Puh-leaze Draco! You can't keep doing this! Saying you love me one minute, then go off and exchange spit with someone else the next!"

"I didn't exchange spit with her! She kissed me! Damn wench Pansy kissed me, OK Hermione! And I do love you Hermione." His voice softened when he said that. His normally pale cheek was red and had a hand print on it from where Hermione hit him.

"Yeah, sure, whatever! And to think I was coming to apologize and forgive you, and take you back! But all it shows me is that a Slytherin will always be a Slytherin!" she hissed those last words then turned around and walked back to her room. Before she went in, her hands flew to her neck and fiddled with something.

She went back to him and shoved something in his hands. "Here, go and spoil pureblood Pansy with it. I'm sure she'll love it. Then again, she already has a dragon."

Then she slammed her door in his face.

~ End Chapter 14 ~

A/N: What's Hermione's potion plan? How does Draco feel about this sudden event? How does Pansy feel about this? What other thrilling things are in store! How was that chapter? Thrilling? Could you feel the drama? I think it was a bit dramatic. The whole aura thing is going to be explained in the next chapter!

Magic bunny: glad you like my fic so much! Review again!

Michee: Draco has more pain to go through than this. Sorry I have to do this, but it's for the best! Wow, I didn't know I had such an ability 2 suspend people at the computer screen. Lol.

Little me: pansy is very nerve wracking. Its fun to write her though because I think of all the mean things that I would like to say to people, but are to mean to actually say, so I "transfer" it to pansy's character.

(R@ZY_6@|_: im making suspense! Yay! How suspense-ful was that chapter?

Book-lover-210: hmm…that's an idea…turn her into a toad…I'll consider it. LOL.

Katelyn: I don't have any other fan fics. This is my first and only one so far. I might make a sequel to this. Depends on how many ideas I have for it. I have one so far, but it could be the beginning to that, or the end to this. Ill probably need people to convince me…::hint hint::

~*~SugarPlums~*~: sorry but I can't give away the plot! Im honestly having an inner debate against whether 2 tell you all some facts, but the surprising, thriller inside me won't let me! But thx for ur review!!

Fire Goddess: That's ok, as long as I get reviews, im happy. J had to do that to hermione! Absolutely had to! And im gonna do some more heart-breaking things to our favourite couple! Ur ch. 8 better be sooooo long! Well not really long, but…u know what I mean! Luv ur fic too!

Amo il ragazzo: yup, I hate pansy too, evil draco-stealer…argh…ok what was I saying? Oh yeah, thanks for reviewing! Beyond awesome…wow…

Pauline: yup, that's my number one inspiration, imagine myself as Hermione and for all the bad scenes, think about what's the worst some1 could do to me…well not the WORST, but u get it! Oh man…a book? Maybe. I might print out all my chaps and put it on a book-style. I dunno for sure…thanks for the idea though! I used spanish? When? Where? Im confused! But no I have absolutely no clue about conversational spanish. O I think I know what you mean, my tango scene right? Well other than the things you see on tv I know. My only fluent language, other than english is french. Well nt even that fluent, cuz I'm canadian ya know, so bilingual-ism rules! Lol!!

I dunno, I might be a writer. Or a journalist, or a reporter. Dunno for sure, im only 13, too many decisions! Actually, I have a different idea to how she'll really forgive draco, but your idea was good too! Thanks for your super long review!!!!

Thanks to my other reviewers!!! I'll keep the chapters coming! And BTW, I already have chapter 15 written. Ill upload it when ive finished writing 16. You hear that, when im done SIXTEEN!

*Read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for information about Runespoors.