CHAPTER 3
Hermione awoke the next morning to the sound of rushing water. Turning over, she looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was only six. She wondered if Malfoy always woke up so early, and tried to go back to sleep, but found it quite impossible. Groggily, she stood up and stretched her arms way over her head until her back cracked.
What she really wanted to do just then was listen to some of her Muggle music, but she didn't know how well that would go over with Draco, so she decided against it. Instead, she walked out onto the balcony and looked out over the horizon at the rising sun. It was really beautiful that morning. She didn't know how long she had been out there, but was startled when the door leading to the room next to hers opened and Draco stepped outside as well. His hair was still slightly damp and was falling in his eyes.
"Good morning," he said with a smile.
"'Morning, Draco," she responded. He was about to say something else when she said, "Are you finished in the bathroom? I really need a bath." His response was a nod and a perplexed expression.
He watched her walk back into her room, her hair fanning out behind her. //She's very pretty// he thought. //For a Mudblood anyway// He returned to his room and laid down on his bed. It was incredible that he had never noticed her beauty before. He knew that his feelings were of pure lust. They had to be. If emotions got involved, he would be screwed.
Sighing, he stood up and grabbed his bag off the floor. He headed down to the common room, where he decided to wait for Hermione so they could walk down to breakfast together. He figured it would take her a while to finish, so he pulled out a book and began to read. That's why he was surprised when she walked down the stairs, fully dressed and ready to go.
"What are you still doing here, Draco? I figured you'd be half way through breakfast by now," Hermione said when she saw him sitting on the couch.
"Half way through breakfast? Are you kidding? You didn't take long enough up there for me to walk down to the Great Hall!" he retorted with a slight smile. "Anyway, I was waiting for you to come down so that we could walk down to breakfast together. It would make a good impression, you know, and maybe inter-house relations will improve. That's always a main goal of the school, isn't it?"
Hermione stared at Draco half in shock, half in amazement that he would even think about inter-house relations.
"It's all right, Granger. You don't gotta say anything, but at least walk with me. I'm starving." He shoved his book into his bag and walked over to her, shuffling her out the door and passed the tapestry. His hand was holding onto her elbow as they continued down the corridor toward the staircase.
Finally reality hit her and she pulled away from Draco's grasp. "I can walk perfectly fine by myself, thank you," she stated indignantly.
"It didn't look that way from where I was standing," he mumbled.
Hermione glared at him. "Is that so? How did it look to you, Malfoy?" He raised an eyebrow in response and headed down the staircase. "Oh! That is real mature! Are you not decent enough to answer my question? What happened to inter-house relations?"
"Aha!" He stopped and faced her, standing a step below her, so that they were about eye level with each other. "You see, that's where this all stems from, Hermione. I mentioned that I thought that idea of inter-house relations sounded like a good idea and you froze like a statue or something, so I decided to lead you out of the common room so we could eat and you got all pissy at me. Contrary to popular belief, I do care about the fate of the houses and I want to leave knowing that I made a difference in reuniting them once again." His subconscious was laughing at the words that had just sprouted from his mouth, but he paid no attention. To get ahead in the world, he knew he had to lie, and lie he would. It was one thing he did well.
Hermione folded her arms across her chest and stared into his eyes defiantly. "Well I'm sorry that the thought of you actually caring about the school stunned me. I was under the impression that the only person you cared about was yourself, but-maybe I should have realized differently when I met you in Diagon Alley over the summer," she finished softly, allowing her arms to fall back to her sides.
He reached up and caressed her cheek softly. "You had every right to believe what you did. I should have only expected that reaction after the way I've treated you over the years. I'm sorry for all of that." Slowly, he leaned toward her and softly covered her lips with his.
For the second time that morning, Hermione was stunned. No one had kissed her before, not even Viktor Krum. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, before she realized what was happening and she quickly pulled away. "We-we shouldn't do that," she stuttered, looking everywhere but into his eyes.
Smirking a little he tilted her chin so she had to look at him. "Why not? You know you liked it."
His grey eyes seemed to bore into her cinnamon-colored orbs. "That has nothing to do with it," she whispered. "One of us will end up getting hurt."
"That's not true!" he stated harshly. Hermione's jaw quivered a little as she was forced to remain where she was standing. "I-I didn't mean-I didn't want-I'm sorry," he stammered as he looked up at her. For some reason he didn't want to lie to her just then. The look on her face made him feel a pang of sadness inside. It would be impossible to tell her what he was supposed to do though, so he left it at sorry. "We should really get down to breakfast before your friends start to worry that I did something to you."
"What friends?" she scoffed as they continued down the stairs and to the next landing.
"Potthead and Weasel," he said slowly.
Hermione actually started laughing. "I don't know how good of friends they could be considered at the moment. They seem to think they're better than me 'cause they're involved in something I have no desire to be a part of."
Draco's head began throbbing. If they weren't friends then Voldemort would have to find a new way to go about getting Potter. Once he had a chance he would write a note to his father, telling him to relay the new bit of information.
"Well then they're not exactly good friends. I always seemed to think that you three were the inseparable Golden Trio. Is that not so anymore?"
Hermione just shrugged. She didn't really want to talk about it at the moment. She had no idea what was going through Harry and Ron's heads. If they were friends or not wasn't really up to her anymore. It was up to the two of them at this point.
Draco seemed to take the hint and didn't push any farther. They would be arriving at the Great Hall soon anyway and would soon have to part ways to go to their House tables.
Right before they entered the Great Hall, Draco turned to her and said, "If you ever need anything, I'll be here for you to talk to. Okay?"
She nodded. "Thank you, Draco."
"Anytime." He kissed her softly once more and walked through the doors, heading for his table.
As soon as he sat down and grabbed a piece of toast, a hand clasped down on his shoulder. Startled, he looked up into the mocking eyes of Blaise Zabini. He rolled his eyes at his best friend. "What do you want?"
"Well, that was some disgusting display of affection back there!" he joked. "I guess you were right when you said that she was falling for you. Although, it does appear that she is having a similar affect on you." He raised his eyebrow questioningly.
"Yeah right," Draco scoffed as he buttered his toast. "What makes you think that? I am simply doing this for our Lord and the 50 galleons you will owe me. That's it. I do not have any feelings for that-thing. Ugh! How could you even think something like that? It ain't even like she's pretty or something. I think you have some problems to work out in your mind."
Blaise laughed as he looked at his friend and then over at the Gryffindor table, where Draco's eyes had traveled. "If you have no feelings for her, as you claim, then why are you looking at her, and why are you getting so damn defensive over a joke? You are just giving yourself away."
Draco decided not to answer, but studied Hermione instead. She still sat across from Potter and Weasley as usual, so not all hope was lost. Hopefully they still told her enough so that she could relay the right messages when it was time.
Hermione was sitting quietly at her table facing Harry and Ron, who appeared not to notice her once again. They were talking about the girls they had a crush on.
Once again, it was not her favorite topic of conversation. //At least Draco cares about what I think and lets me talk to him// She nibbled on a piece of toast as she drifted away in thought.
The schedules were soon being passed around the table. Hermione had Advanced Potions first, followed by Advanced Transfigurations.
"What do you have?" Hermione asked the two boys as they received their schedules as well.
"Divination," Harry said absently as he turned back to Ron.
Hermione sighed. It was no use trying to get through to them. It just wasn't possible anymore. What had happened to the days when they were just friends because they enjoyed each other's company? When had Hermione been thrown the curve? Why was she all of a sudden on the outside of their circle? It wasn't fair and it certainly wasn't right.
Taking one last sip of pumpkin juice, she headed out of the Great Hall and toward the dungeons, even though there was still twenty minutes until class started. She sat down on the floor and the hall and pulled out her book and began reading.
At last, some of the others from the class started to arrive and they conversed quietly in separate groups. There were only about fourteen students in the class from all the Houses combined-most being from Slytherin. No big surprise there.
Draco soon came walking down the corridor, talking to a raven-haired boy, whom Hermione recognized by sight. His last name began with a Z. Zabini was it? That sounded right. Hermione figured that they would go over and talk with Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode, and was actually surprised when they both approached her. She raised her eyebrow slightly as she looked between the two boys. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Is that how you greet a friend, Hermione?" Draco replied with a mock hurt look on his face.
Hermione frowned a little. "It's just startling that you would rather talk to me when you could be talking to someone like Parkinson instead."
"Don't be silly. I'd much rather talk to you." Blaise elbowed him in the side and looked up at him expectantly. "Ah yes. Hermione, this is Blaise Zabini, my best friend in the world."
Blaise took her tiny hand in his larger one and kissed it softly. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Granger. You do look very pretty today."
Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Was this boy actually put in the right House? A Slytherin with manners? Who would've thought? "The pleasure's all mine." She smiled at him as their eyes met.
"All right, Zabini," Draco said as he pushed him aside. "Stop pretending to be charming. You know she won't fall for it."
Hermione and Blaise shared a laugh and Hermione turned back to Draco. "Oh, but Draco, how do you know that I haven't already fallen for his dashingly good looks and his charming smile? I must admit, he can contend with you."
Draco felt a pang of jealousy rush through his body. "But do you know how good of a kisser he is?" he whispered so that only the three of them could here.
She felt a blush creep up to her cheeks as she turned away from him. "Well, I don't think I want to find out if he is as good as you," she admitted sheepishly. Draco looked up at Blaise with a look of triumph. "He might be better." She dared to look up at him once again as his face fell. Just then, the rest of the class stared filing through the door, so the odd-looking trio followed suit and they took the three seats in the back of the room.
Once Snape had come barreling through the door and surveyed his class-his eyes lingering slightly longer on the back where Draco, Hermione, and Blaise sat-he began the lesson. They would be starting a very difficult healing potion that would heal the deepest wounds and the worst burns. Since they were still suffering through his class, he let them work in groups of two or three with whomever they pleased.
This made Hermione, Draco, and Blaise happy, as they were all quite fond of the others potion-making abilities and brains. Both Draco and Blaise were brighter than they let others believe from first glance.
They were diligently for the remainder of the period until they could do no more on it for that day. The rest would have to wait until the next class when they would add the next ingredients.
Transfigurations went by rather quickly. Hermione was torn when she entered the classroom because it was now a choice to sit with Harry and Ron or Draco and Blaise. Draco and Blaise noticed her discomfort when they entered the room and told her to sit where she felt more comfortable.
That was her problem, she couldn't decide. She was really having a good time with Blaise and Draco, but Harry and Ron were supposed to be her best friends. Neither of them even glanced in her direction when she walked in, so she continued to stay with the Slytherins instead.
"What's going on with them?" Draco asked her once they were settled in the back.
She shrugged and glanced longingly in the direction of her "friends." "I truthfully don't know anymore. They said they weren't mad at me and that they'd always be there for me, but they seem so preoccupied with girls and Quidditch that it's like I'm not even here. I don't get them, Draco. I didn't do anything to them and it's suddenly like I'm the enemy."
Blaise didn't have any idea as to what she was talking about, so he decided to just listen and stay out of the conversation.
"Did you try talking to them?" Draco questioned.
She nodded slightly. "This morning at breakfast. But I don't know. They didn't appear to be interested in anything I had to say. It was never like this before. Not until this summer. They don't know what I want. They don't know who I really am."
Draco looked at her quizzically. "Maybe it's 'cause you don't show them who you are. You tell me that you want more, but you don't say what you want, so maybe they're also having that problem and they just don't know how to approach you about it. Perhaps they are scared to find out who you really are because it won't be like what they've had for the past six years. Things would be different, and to some people different equals scary."
Hermione sighed and looked up into Draco's grey eyes. They always seemed to entrance her. "I suppose you are right. Maybe it would be easier if I just remained who they want me to be."
"But maybe it would be better for me if I knew who you really were," Draco suggested with a raised eyebrow.
She stared at him, but didn't get the chance to respond as Professor McGonagall took that moment to stride into the classroom. She too let her eyes linger on the mismatched trio in the back of the room, but soon had the entire classroom taking notes.
After Transfigurations was lunch. Hermione separated from her new friends to sit with Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor table.
"How come you didn't sit with us last period?" Ron asked, stuffing his face with a potato.
"Maybe it's because you were too busy flirting with Malfoy?" Harry answered for Hermione, glaring a little.
Hermione clenched her jaw tightly. "I was not flirting with Malfoy," she said defensively. "He was trying to help me, which is more than I can say for the two of you. Just a few days ago you were swearing to always be there for me, and since we've returned you have done nothing but ignore me. It's like you don't even see me anymore, and I can't take it."
"What are you talking about?" Ron questioned as he swallowed. "You're the one who never gets involved in our conversations. You never say anything. You just sit there. It's not like we can help that, you know."
Hermione looked at him incredulously. "Did it ever occur to you as to why I don't participate in you conversations?" When neither boy made an attempt to answer, she continued, "It's because you never talk about anything that would interest me. I mean seriously, Quidditch and girls. Tell me, where can I get involved?"
"That's a no brainer, Hermione," Harry said. "There's plenty for you to talk about in those topics."
With that, Hermione stood and huffed out of the Great Hall, heading toward the Head Boy and Girl dormitories.
Hermione awoke the next morning to the sound of rushing water. Turning over, she looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was only six. She wondered if Malfoy always woke up so early, and tried to go back to sleep, but found it quite impossible. Groggily, she stood up and stretched her arms way over her head until her back cracked.
What she really wanted to do just then was listen to some of her Muggle music, but she didn't know how well that would go over with Draco, so she decided against it. Instead, she walked out onto the balcony and looked out over the horizon at the rising sun. It was really beautiful that morning. She didn't know how long she had been out there, but was startled when the door leading to the room next to hers opened and Draco stepped outside as well. His hair was still slightly damp and was falling in his eyes.
"Good morning," he said with a smile.
"'Morning, Draco," she responded. He was about to say something else when she said, "Are you finished in the bathroom? I really need a bath." His response was a nod and a perplexed expression.
He watched her walk back into her room, her hair fanning out behind her. //She's very pretty// he thought. //For a Mudblood anyway// He returned to his room and laid down on his bed. It was incredible that he had never noticed her beauty before. He knew that his feelings were of pure lust. They had to be. If emotions got involved, he would be screwed.
Sighing, he stood up and grabbed his bag off the floor. He headed down to the common room, where he decided to wait for Hermione so they could walk down to breakfast together. He figured it would take her a while to finish, so he pulled out a book and began to read. That's why he was surprised when she walked down the stairs, fully dressed and ready to go.
"What are you still doing here, Draco? I figured you'd be half way through breakfast by now," Hermione said when she saw him sitting on the couch.
"Half way through breakfast? Are you kidding? You didn't take long enough up there for me to walk down to the Great Hall!" he retorted with a slight smile. "Anyway, I was waiting for you to come down so that we could walk down to breakfast together. It would make a good impression, you know, and maybe inter-house relations will improve. That's always a main goal of the school, isn't it?"
Hermione stared at Draco half in shock, half in amazement that he would even think about inter-house relations.
"It's all right, Granger. You don't gotta say anything, but at least walk with me. I'm starving." He shoved his book into his bag and walked over to her, shuffling her out the door and passed the tapestry. His hand was holding onto her elbow as they continued down the corridor toward the staircase.
Finally reality hit her and she pulled away from Draco's grasp. "I can walk perfectly fine by myself, thank you," she stated indignantly.
"It didn't look that way from where I was standing," he mumbled.
Hermione glared at him. "Is that so? How did it look to you, Malfoy?" He raised an eyebrow in response and headed down the staircase. "Oh! That is real mature! Are you not decent enough to answer my question? What happened to inter-house relations?"
"Aha!" He stopped and faced her, standing a step below her, so that they were about eye level with each other. "You see, that's where this all stems from, Hermione. I mentioned that I thought that idea of inter-house relations sounded like a good idea and you froze like a statue or something, so I decided to lead you out of the common room so we could eat and you got all pissy at me. Contrary to popular belief, I do care about the fate of the houses and I want to leave knowing that I made a difference in reuniting them once again." His subconscious was laughing at the words that had just sprouted from his mouth, but he paid no attention. To get ahead in the world, he knew he had to lie, and lie he would. It was one thing he did well.
Hermione folded her arms across her chest and stared into his eyes defiantly. "Well I'm sorry that the thought of you actually caring about the school stunned me. I was under the impression that the only person you cared about was yourself, but-maybe I should have realized differently when I met you in Diagon Alley over the summer," she finished softly, allowing her arms to fall back to her sides.
He reached up and caressed her cheek softly. "You had every right to believe what you did. I should have only expected that reaction after the way I've treated you over the years. I'm sorry for all of that." Slowly, he leaned toward her and softly covered her lips with his.
For the second time that morning, Hermione was stunned. No one had kissed her before, not even Viktor Krum. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, before she realized what was happening and she quickly pulled away. "We-we shouldn't do that," she stuttered, looking everywhere but into his eyes.
Smirking a little he tilted her chin so she had to look at him. "Why not? You know you liked it."
His grey eyes seemed to bore into her cinnamon-colored orbs. "That has nothing to do with it," she whispered. "One of us will end up getting hurt."
"That's not true!" he stated harshly. Hermione's jaw quivered a little as she was forced to remain where she was standing. "I-I didn't mean-I didn't want-I'm sorry," he stammered as he looked up at her. For some reason he didn't want to lie to her just then. The look on her face made him feel a pang of sadness inside. It would be impossible to tell her what he was supposed to do though, so he left it at sorry. "We should really get down to breakfast before your friends start to worry that I did something to you."
"What friends?" she scoffed as they continued down the stairs and to the next landing.
"Potthead and Weasel," he said slowly.
Hermione actually started laughing. "I don't know how good of friends they could be considered at the moment. They seem to think they're better than me 'cause they're involved in something I have no desire to be a part of."
Draco's head began throbbing. If they weren't friends then Voldemort would have to find a new way to go about getting Potter. Once he had a chance he would write a note to his father, telling him to relay the new bit of information.
"Well then they're not exactly good friends. I always seemed to think that you three were the inseparable Golden Trio. Is that not so anymore?"
Hermione just shrugged. She didn't really want to talk about it at the moment. She had no idea what was going through Harry and Ron's heads. If they were friends or not wasn't really up to her anymore. It was up to the two of them at this point.
Draco seemed to take the hint and didn't push any farther. They would be arriving at the Great Hall soon anyway and would soon have to part ways to go to their House tables.
Right before they entered the Great Hall, Draco turned to her and said, "If you ever need anything, I'll be here for you to talk to. Okay?"
She nodded. "Thank you, Draco."
"Anytime." He kissed her softly once more and walked through the doors, heading for his table.
As soon as he sat down and grabbed a piece of toast, a hand clasped down on his shoulder. Startled, he looked up into the mocking eyes of Blaise Zabini. He rolled his eyes at his best friend. "What do you want?"
"Well, that was some disgusting display of affection back there!" he joked. "I guess you were right when you said that she was falling for you. Although, it does appear that she is having a similar affect on you." He raised his eyebrow questioningly.
"Yeah right," Draco scoffed as he buttered his toast. "What makes you think that? I am simply doing this for our Lord and the 50 galleons you will owe me. That's it. I do not have any feelings for that-thing. Ugh! How could you even think something like that? It ain't even like she's pretty or something. I think you have some problems to work out in your mind."
Blaise laughed as he looked at his friend and then over at the Gryffindor table, where Draco's eyes had traveled. "If you have no feelings for her, as you claim, then why are you looking at her, and why are you getting so damn defensive over a joke? You are just giving yourself away."
Draco decided not to answer, but studied Hermione instead. She still sat across from Potter and Weasley as usual, so not all hope was lost. Hopefully they still told her enough so that she could relay the right messages when it was time.
Hermione was sitting quietly at her table facing Harry and Ron, who appeared not to notice her once again. They were talking about the girls they had a crush on.
Once again, it was not her favorite topic of conversation. //At least Draco cares about what I think and lets me talk to him// She nibbled on a piece of toast as she drifted away in thought.
The schedules were soon being passed around the table. Hermione had Advanced Potions first, followed by Advanced Transfigurations.
"What do you have?" Hermione asked the two boys as they received their schedules as well.
"Divination," Harry said absently as he turned back to Ron.
Hermione sighed. It was no use trying to get through to them. It just wasn't possible anymore. What had happened to the days when they were just friends because they enjoyed each other's company? When had Hermione been thrown the curve? Why was she all of a sudden on the outside of their circle? It wasn't fair and it certainly wasn't right.
Taking one last sip of pumpkin juice, she headed out of the Great Hall and toward the dungeons, even though there was still twenty minutes until class started. She sat down on the floor and the hall and pulled out her book and began reading.
At last, some of the others from the class started to arrive and they conversed quietly in separate groups. There were only about fourteen students in the class from all the Houses combined-most being from Slytherin. No big surprise there.
Draco soon came walking down the corridor, talking to a raven-haired boy, whom Hermione recognized by sight. His last name began with a Z. Zabini was it? That sounded right. Hermione figured that they would go over and talk with Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode, and was actually surprised when they both approached her. She raised her eyebrow slightly as she looked between the two boys. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Is that how you greet a friend, Hermione?" Draco replied with a mock hurt look on his face.
Hermione frowned a little. "It's just startling that you would rather talk to me when you could be talking to someone like Parkinson instead."
"Don't be silly. I'd much rather talk to you." Blaise elbowed him in the side and looked up at him expectantly. "Ah yes. Hermione, this is Blaise Zabini, my best friend in the world."
Blaise took her tiny hand in his larger one and kissed it softly. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Granger. You do look very pretty today."
Hermione's eyes widened in shock. Was this boy actually put in the right House? A Slytherin with manners? Who would've thought? "The pleasure's all mine." She smiled at him as their eyes met.
"All right, Zabini," Draco said as he pushed him aside. "Stop pretending to be charming. You know she won't fall for it."
Hermione and Blaise shared a laugh and Hermione turned back to Draco. "Oh, but Draco, how do you know that I haven't already fallen for his dashingly good looks and his charming smile? I must admit, he can contend with you."
Draco felt a pang of jealousy rush through his body. "But do you know how good of a kisser he is?" he whispered so that only the three of them could here.
She felt a blush creep up to her cheeks as she turned away from him. "Well, I don't think I want to find out if he is as good as you," she admitted sheepishly. Draco looked up at Blaise with a look of triumph. "He might be better." She dared to look up at him once again as his face fell. Just then, the rest of the class stared filing through the door, so the odd-looking trio followed suit and they took the three seats in the back of the room.
Once Snape had come barreling through the door and surveyed his class-his eyes lingering slightly longer on the back where Draco, Hermione, and Blaise sat-he began the lesson. They would be starting a very difficult healing potion that would heal the deepest wounds and the worst burns. Since they were still suffering through his class, he let them work in groups of two or three with whomever they pleased.
This made Hermione, Draco, and Blaise happy, as they were all quite fond of the others potion-making abilities and brains. Both Draco and Blaise were brighter than they let others believe from first glance.
They were diligently for the remainder of the period until they could do no more on it for that day. The rest would have to wait until the next class when they would add the next ingredients.
Transfigurations went by rather quickly. Hermione was torn when she entered the classroom because it was now a choice to sit with Harry and Ron or Draco and Blaise. Draco and Blaise noticed her discomfort when they entered the room and told her to sit where she felt more comfortable.
That was her problem, she couldn't decide. She was really having a good time with Blaise and Draco, but Harry and Ron were supposed to be her best friends. Neither of them even glanced in her direction when she walked in, so she continued to stay with the Slytherins instead.
"What's going on with them?" Draco asked her once they were settled in the back.
She shrugged and glanced longingly in the direction of her "friends." "I truthfully don't know anymore. They said they weren't mad at me and that they'd always be there for me, but they seem so preoccupied with girls and Quidditch that it's like I'm not even here. I don't get them, Draco. I didn't do anything to them and it's suddenly like I'm the enemy."
Blaise didn't have any idea as to what she was talking about, so he decided to just listen and stay out of the conversation.
"Did you try talking to them?" Draco questioned.
She nodded slightly. "This morning at breakfast. But I don't know. They didn't appear to be interested in anything I had to say. It was never like this before. Not until this summer. They don't know what I want. They don't know who I really am."
Draco looked at her quizzically. "Maybe it's 'cause you don't show them who you are. You tell me that you want more, but you don't say what you want, so maybe they're also having that problem and they just don't know how to approach you about it. Perhaps they are scared to find out who you really are because it won't be like what they've had for the past six years. Things would be different, and to some people different equals scary."
Hermione sighed and looked up into Draco's grey eyes. They always seemed to entrance her. "I suppose you are right. Maybe it would be easier if I just remained who they want me to be."
"But maybe it would be better for me if I knew who you really were," Draco suggested with a raised eyebrow.
She stared at him, but didn't get the chance to respond as Professor McGonagall took that moment to stride into the classroom. She too let her eyes linger on the mismatched trio in the back of the room, but soon had the entire classroom taking notes.
After Transfigurations was lunch. Hermione separated from her new friends to sit with Ron and Harry at the Gryffindor table.
"How come you didn't sit with us last period?" Ron asked, stuffing his face with a potato.
"Maybe it's because you were too busy flirting with Malfoy?" Harry answered for Hermione, glaring a little.
Hermione clenched her jaw tightly. "I was not flirting with Malfoy," she said defensively. "He was trying to help me, which is more than I can say for the two of you. Just a few days ago you were swearing to always be there for me, and since we've returned you have done nothing but ignore me. It's like you don't even see me anymore, and I can't take it."
"What are you talking about?" Ron questioned as he swallowed. "You're the one who never gets involved in our conversations. You never say anything. You just sit there. It's not like we can help that, you know."
Hermione looked at him incredulously. "Did it ever occur to you as to why I don't participate in you conversations?" When neither boy made an attempt to answer, she continued, "It's because you never talk about anything that would interest me. I mean seriously, Quidditch and girls. Tell me, where can I get involved?"
"That's a no brainer, Hermione," Harry said. "There's plenty for you to talk about in those topics."
With that, Hermione stood and huffed out of the Great Hall, heading toward the Head Boy and Girl dormitories.