Chapter 4:

The next day, the first day of classes. Just what I had been looking forward to, class with Snape, and the Slytherins. I went to the gryffindor tower first thing so I could walk with ron and harry to the class. Just because we were in different rooms didn't mean I could meet up with them. They were talking between each other about something Neville had done. I was completely out of the conversation as I trudged behind them, with my books and such tucked under my arm. Suddenly I felt the parchments and books slip from my grasp and they flew all over the floor. The rolls rolled across the hall, as people stepped on my homework in the process. My ink bottle shattered as it hit the stones. But harry and ron didn't even turn around, so engrossed in the conversation.

I looked around, seeing the group of slytherins snickering behind me. crabbe, goyle, pansy Parkinson, milicent, and of course Malfoy.

"Malfoy! Look what you've done, my homework, and all my ink is gone!" I screamed at him. Malfoy waved his hand, and all of his posse broke up and headed into class, leaving it to just me and Malfoy. I huffed a big puff of air and started crawling all over the floor, gathering my parchment and books. I would have to borrow some ink from harry or ron later, because I obviously didn't have any anymore. I crawled across the hall towards the farthest piece of parchment. it had a footprint on the top, planted firmly. I reached out to grab it, but someone had already grabbed it just above my hand. I sat up on my knees as Malfoy handed me the parchment. I took it and tucked it under my arm. I stood up as he stood there glaring at me. the hall was completely empty, and I was starting to panic. Was I late? But then I suddenly caught sight of something Malfoy was holding in his hand. he was holding a bottle of black ink in his palm. I took it and looked at it in my hand. I figured it was some joke from Zonkos Joke Shop or something. Like it would squirt ink at me when I opened it or something, Malfoy must have been reading my mind.

"Don't worry, its real ink, I promise," he said.

"Why? Why are you giving this to me?" I asked, stunned still. Never had Malfoy ever been generous enough to give anyone anything of his, other than an insult.

"I just dotn want you going all blubbery on me. why granger, you don't want it?"

"No, I do," I corrected him. I actually felt a smile on my face. Never had I ever been smiling in Malfoys presence. "You know, why do you act so tough and mean around those guys anyway? I mean, is your mean and evil reputation so important to you?" his face straightened up suddenly, to his usual cold look.

"Granger, that is something you would never understand, so just get over it, alright?" he glared at me, and I suddenlt remembered that class had started already.

"Oh my god, were late!" I screeched, pushing past him, and bursting into the classroom, with Malfoy right behind me.

snape stood at the front of the classroom, already lecturing about something or other. his gaze snapped to us as we entered. "Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy, nice of you to join us!" Snape hollored. The class turned and stared at us. I started to walk towards the seat that harry and ron had saved me between them in the back row, as Malfoy did the same.

"Both of our head boy and girl tardy on the first day of class, very bad example. Ten points from each house, and you both will stay after for detention tonight. Seven o'clock sharp." Snape had a look of triumph on his face.

"Professor Snape, it wasn't my fault!" I pleaded.

"Weeks detention Granger!" he shouted, turning back to the blackboard and continuing to scribble endlessly on it. I sat quietly in my chair, my arms crossed, defeated.

"Hermoine, why were you late with Malfoy?" Ron hissed at her.

"None of your business ron!" I snarled back. This just has not been my day so far, I thought to myself.

That night after supper I went down to the dungeons. I hugged my arms around myself tightly, the cold making my hairs stand on end. As I walked into Snapes room, Malfoy was already there, sitting on the desk smugly. Once I walked in Snape swooped from his desk and stood menacingly in front of us.

"Well, for the next week in Grangers case you will be cleaning out my supply closets. There are seven for each year, you know. I want them spick and span. Also, I want my ingredients alphabetized. Goodnight," he said, fleeing the room, leaving us to our long hours of cleaning, but not before snatching our wands from us.  I stepped forward and opened the rusty door. I thought I was going to scream. Inside were dried ingredients splattering the floor, cobwebs like curtains, layers of dust, broken bottles, and the cluttered intact bottles littering the dusty shelves. We sure had our work cut out for us. I grabbed the broom and handed it to Malfoy.

"Here," I said, shoving it into his chest.

"What the attitude for, Granger?"

"It is your fault I am here right now. if you wouldn't have made me chase after my supplies then I would have been on time!" I spat, grabbing a bucket and filling it with warm soapy water.

"Well Granger, you don't have to be all mean about it. you could have managed to get here on time if you hadn't have been staring at me for so long."

"What are you talking about Malfoy?" I grumbled as I sloshed the liquid over the dried potions stains.

"You don't have to hide it anymore, Granger. I know you cant keep your eyes off of me. if you wouldn't have been oogling me, then you could have been on time."

"What makes you think I like you anyway?" I questioned harshly.

"All the girls do, and you're a girl, so you must too I suppose."

"Well, Malfoy. As usual, you are way wrong. I will never like you. So just get over yourself and clean."

An hour had passed, then two. I had just barely managed to finish alphabetizing the glass bottles, filled with different ingredients when I heard a smash, then the clinking of breaking glass. I jumped up and out of the closet. Malfoy was standing by the sink, his hand sup in the air. on the ground was a warm red liquid, and glass shards, with the broom lying next to the mess.

"Malfoy, what are you doing out here?!" I demanded.

"Nothing."

"Look at this mess!" I cried. Slowly I saw as the liquid started to eat away at the stone. It must have been some powerful liquid. "Malfoy, look what you've done, we are really going to get it now!"

"Look, Granger, it wasn't my fault. I set the broom down, and it fell over knocking the glass over, alright? So would you stop saying everything is my fault?!"

"It always is your fault!" I spat back.

"You little mudblood, don't ever yell at me again!"

"Or what, you'll call your father on me?" I questioned.

His face was growing more and more twisted as his anger was rising inside him, I could see it.

"Granger, you have no idea what you are talking about! If I were some mudblood, I wouldn't be insulting other people, when I am a nuisance myself!" he bellowed at me as he stormed out the door, his robes blowing behind him.

"Malfoy! What about our cleaning?!" I screamed.

"Do it yourself!" he yelled back. I looked around at the glass. Well, he was gone, so I pulled out my wand. I had to really thank Weasleys Fake Wands, which I had given Snape instead of my wand. I muttered words and the glass and mess was magically fixed. I stuffed the wand back into my robes  and headed for the door. It burst open. I thought Malfoy has finally come to his senses and is back, but it was Snape.

"Where is Mr. Malfoy?" Snape questioned.

"He left."

"Left? Well I will be speaking with him later," he handed me my wand and I ran out the door and towards our common room. I didn't know why, but I needed to talk to him. I needed to make him feel better. I hadn't really meant to insult him like that. I had never seen him blow up like that, and something must have really affected him greatly. Once I reached the picture I muttered the password and flung myself into the common room. I saw Malfoy sitting on the couch, hands crossed, and the fire blazing.

"Malfoy?" I asked, creeping up behind him. he didn't budge.

"Go away Granger."

"Look, I'm really sorry, I am…"

he jumped off the couch and swung around so he was facing me, but a foot away.

"Sorry? Your not sorry! How could you be sorry?!"

"I am sorry!" I said back. He waved it away, like it was nothing. I had never appoligized to Malfoy before, and I could tell this would be the first and last time.

"You couldn't be sorry, Granger. You should be sorry for yourself if for anyone. you are a disgrace to the wizarding world. How can you sleep at night knowing this? how can you even show your face here, knowing you're a dirty little mudblood? You are worthless! If I were you, I would kill myself before ever coming back here, no one wants you. Potter, weasley, they just want your homework to copy off of. All you will ever be good for is your brains. So, Granger, why don't you go back to where you belong?!" he shouted. His face was contorted in anger.

I felt tears building up inside of me. and before I knew it they were gushing out like Niagara falls. Tears streamed down my face as I turned and ran into my room, slamming the door shut behind me. I laid on my bed, my face in the pillow, crying my eyes out. why had this hurt me so much? Malfoy cursed me such all the time, but why the difference now? but for some reason what he had said really had hurt me. I was lost. I didn't know what to do. I fell asleep with tears stains on my cheek, and my pillow soaked with the wetness. I dreamt of rainbows, and a giant cloud at the end. A handsome figure was sitting there, topless. His blonde hair was falling into his eyes gracefully. I took a better look, shocked to see….Malfoy.