Author's note [again]: Yes. Again. The infamous quote, "I don't own this. JK Rowling does." Here. I strike again with that phrase. But I really still do wish that I owned Malfoy. He's just plain cute. Yes? Haha. This chapter came up quite fast. Review for suggestions as to how you want the story to be yea? I intend to make this story a little more all rounded, and focusing a little more on Harry and Ron as well. So what do you guys think?

P.s. I'm sorry if I don't mention much of Ron in this chapter. The focus would be on Harry, Hermione and Draco. -swoons-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Hermione frowned. They were back in the Gryffindor common room. Ron had returned to his dormitory to get something. And Harry was sitting at a table, writing furiously on a piece of parchment. He was doing his homework for Snape. That was not like Harry at all. The homework wasn't even due till a week later. Even Hermione herself hadn't completed it yet, and there Harry was, rushing to complete it.

She sighed softly. Harry looked up.

"What's wrong Hermione?"

"Nothing Harry. It's just. Oh never mind me. You carry on with your work Harry." Hermione said, smiling sadly at him.

"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked, in a persistent tone.

"It's just that. Harry. You haven't talked to Ron and I much about how you feel about Sirius' death. Yes, we know you're sad. But please Harry. don't keep it all inside. We are your friends. And I just want to let you know that no matter what; we'll always be here for you. If there's anything. Please do tell us? We really do care for you Harry."

Harry lowered his eyes to his parchment. In a defeated tone, he replied, "It's hard to talk about it Hermione. You won't understand how it feels like. to grow up without parents. And when you finally have found a father-like figure, he leaves you. And Hermione, it hurts. It really does hurt. I can't express how I feel towards Snape, even though I know that it wasn't his fault that Sirius died. I just. Don't want to have anything to do with him. I guess that explains why I'm rushing through his homework. I just want to get it over and done with."

"Harry. Please. I know I won't ever be able to feel the pain that you're experiencing. But I hope you know that we will be here to share the pain with you. We'll always be here to support you no matter what." Hermione urged.

"Yeah Harry. Please let us know if you are feeling down. I'll be here to cheer you up! So will Fred and George! They will send gifts from their joke shop over to cheer you up immediately!"

Ron had returned from the dorms and had overheard part of the conversation that Harry and Hermione were having.
"Thanks Ron. But nothing would make me happier," Harry said, his eyes darkening, "Than Voldemort being exterminated for good."

Harry continued, determinedly, "I've had enough. He's taken away enough of what's rightfully mine. And I vow to avenge my parents. And Sirius. He will pay for what he has done."

Ron narrowed his eyes and cast a doubtful glance towards Hermione.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. Harry was bent on taking revenge. This was getting dangerous. She knew that Harry already had several encounters with the Lord Voldemort in the past five years. And she knew that Harry was the only one, besides Dumbledore, to have survived duels with the dark lord, who was the most feared wizard in the past century. But Harry was still young and inexperienced. She had no doubt that Harry had the capabilities to defeat the Lord Voldemort, but that was only if he was older and more experienced. Harry was obviously a very gifted wizard, though he didn't use his brain very much. He was still a natural, despite the fact that he was brought up in a very mean muggle family, the Dursleys.

"Harry. You just have to wait till you're older. Only then can you take revenge. You're too young and inexperienced now Harry. The Dark Lord," Hermione said, only to be interrupted by a snap from Harry saying, "Call him Voldemort!"

"Fine Harry. You must remember that Voldemort has been around for decades. He's killed many people. Not just normal people Harry. He killed your parents. He killed Sirius. You don't want to let yourself be killed by him so easily do you? You have to wait Harry. Don't let your mother's sacrifice go to waste Harry." Hermione continued.

The common room was silent for a moment. The rest of the Gryffindors had vacated the area, leaving the three of them to themselves.

"Harry. I think she's right." Ron mumbled.

"How much longer must I wait Hermione? How many more people will he kill? What if he kills more of my loved ones? What if he kills Ron? Or even you Hermione? Do you know how guilty I'd feel? Just how much more of this must I take? Tell me!"

Hermione fell silent. And when she finally found the words to say, she said quietly, "I just want the best for you Harry. I don't want you to die."

Hermione turned to return to her dorm. And as she walked up the stairs, she could have sworn that she heard Harry whispering, "And I don't want either you or Hermione to die either. I hope you understand Ron."

Tears welled up in Hermione's eyes. She was afraid. Afraid that she would lose her one of best friends. But another emotion ran through her. She was comforted at the knowledge that her friend did indeed love her.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Draco Malfoy lay in his bed quietly, residing in the silence. He was finally able to get away from Pansy Parkinson, and from the strange looks he was getting from the rest of the Slytherins and Gryffindors that had heard about what had happened down in the dungeons during their Potions class.

He had tried to rationalize what had he had done. And the reasons behind what he had done. But he was unable to provide himself a convincing enough answer. It really was illogical to him.

'Oh well, Draco. There's nothing wrong with you. It's just the hormones that are raging. And what were you thinking anyway? Granger? Merlin. She's so totally out of point. You are a Malfoy. Malfoys do NOT fall in love. Especially if they are mudbloods. So what if she's so damn attractive?'

Draco groaned at the thoughts that were battling in his mind.

'There you go again. She is NOT worth your name Draco. She's just a mudblood. A filthy mudblood.'

With that thought in mind, Draco brushed off any emotions with the reminder that it was just his hormones, and it was nothing else. He closed his eyes.

After an hour of tossing around in bed, Draco still could not get to sleep. There was a queer unsettling feeling in his stomach. And he had a hunch that the feeling was there to stay.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Hermione sat in her bed, with her head propped up against a pillow, Her tear stained face illuminated by the moonlight.

She was just so worried for Harry. Well. Okay. She wasn't just worried for Harry. Other things were weighing on her mind as well. She just didn't want to admit it.

Things were getting more complicated as the years passed. The Dark Lord was back once again, after the tri-wizard tournament that Harry had participated in two years ago. According to Harry, the Dark Lord, whom Harry preferred to refer to as Voldemort, had drank his blood, and thus been restored to life.

Things were uncertain for a while. Even Hermione herself did not expect the Dark Lord to be resurrected. However, the reality had hit Hogwarts and the rest of the wizarding world when the Dark Lord had appeared in the Ministry of Magic itself. The minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, had been in denial himself over the past year. However, when he sighted the Dark Lord personally, he had no choice but to believe what he had seen.

The strangest thing that Hermione could not comprehend was that Harry Potter had defeated the Dark Lord, as the story went, many years ago, when Harry was still a year old toddler. His act of trying to murder Harry had gone wrong, and instead caused his own downfall. However, now Harry's own blood had resurrected him. This was too strange. Though she didn't voice her thoughts out loud, she had contemplated a possibility that the Dark Lord would perhaps be not so "dark" now that he had Harry's blood coursing through his veins.

However, apparently Hermione's theories were proved to be untrue. The Dark Lord had once again struck last year. They were all trying to save Sirius, or at least they thought they were, when the Dark Lord appeared in the Ministry of Magic itself. Fortunately for Harry, their headmaster, Dumbledore, had been there to protect Harry. However, Sirius had not escaped unscathed in that incident. Bellatrix, a deatheater, who was in fact, Sirius' own cousin, had killed him.

It was most misfortunate that Sirius had been killed, and in Hermione's opinion, he definitely did not deserve to die. Harry had literally been a walking zombie since Sirius' death. He had tried to brace up at certain times, pretending to be alright. But it was apparent to any one who was close to him that he was definitely not alright.

Hermione hugged her knees to her chest. Things were definitely going to get more complicated as the year passes.

She closed her eyes. Trying to focus on something else rather than Harry and the memories of Sirius, Harry, Ron and herself that they had together. Every time she thought of Sirius, tears would roll down her face. As a friend, she already missed him so much. She could imagine the misery that Harry felt. Having to lose his parents, and now, his godfather. She pushed the images out of her mind. trying to find peace, tranquility in her own world.

Her mind wandered for a moment. And she slowly drifted off to sleep. The images of pools of blue-grey eyes drowning endlessly in her own hazel coloured ones eventually lulled her to sleep.

She had found peace in them. She found peace in the blue grey eyes. She couldn't quite put a name to it.

Suddenly Hermione awoke. Gasping.

Malfoy.

She was having visions of Malfoy. Even in her sleep.

Moaning, she pulled the blanket off her cold, sweaty body. She tucked her curly brown tousled hair behind her ears.

The last thing she wanted to do at this point in time was to think of Malfoy. It was just so inappropriate. She knew about Harry's particular hatred towards Malfoy. He felt that Malfoy and Snape were somewhat responsible for Sirius' death, even though he knew deep down that they had nothing to do with it. He was just trying to blame someone for the immense guilt he was feeling.

Guilt washed over Hermione.

She wasn't supposed to think of Malfoy. What would Harry say if he knew that she was thinking about Malfoy? Worse. How would Harry feel if he found out that one of his best friends was thinking about his archenemy day in and day out?

Frustrated, Hermione threw herself back on the bed, pounding against the mattress. She hid her face in her pillow, in a bid to force all thoughts out of her mind, whether it was of Harry, Sirius, and Voldemort. Or simply, lonely and cold grey eyes.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

~The next day, at arithmancy lesson~

Hermione walked into her arithmancy classroom, scanning the class for a certain silvery blonde haired figure. To her greatest relief, and somewhat disappointment as well, she didn't see him.

She walked over to her desk, and gingerly sat down.

Professor Vector walked into the class, and started taking attendance.

"Hermione Granger."

"I'm here professor."

"Emma Dorkinson."

"Present."

.
.
.
.
.

"Draco Malfoy."

Silence filled the classroom.

"Is Mr. Malfoy here today Ms Granger?"

Hermione hesitated before answering. "No professor. He's not here."

Just as she said that, the classroom door swung open.

Malfoy was standing at the door, looking very haggard and he seemed scratched up pretty bad. He held on to the handles of the door, breathing raggedly. Suddenly his face turned a few shades paler.

Suddenly Malfoy's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and a few girls screamed. Malfoy had collapsed.

Hermione's pulse quickened in terror. What had happened to him?! A thousand questions filled her mind.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=