Disclaimer: Not mine, don't sue.

"Honestly Ron, I don't believe you sometimes…." Hermione said, exasperated "We're back for less than an hour and already you're developing Quiddich tactics as though that silly game is the only reason you come to school….." She stabbed her fork into a piece of chicken "Don't you're studies mean anything to you?"

Ron took a moment of pseudo-consideration whilst she chewed her food then defiantly answered "Nope!" he tilted his head to one side and gave her a sympathetic smile. He sighed "One day Hermione my girl, you are going to realise that life is about more than books and homework….."

"And you Ronald Weasley are going to realise that you are a great big prat!" she turned away from him slightly, but a small smile played on her lips. They had been sitting at the Gryffindor table for little over half an hour before they had begun their snide play of words towards one another. Though this had been a regular occurrence between them since the day they had met, these days it seemed more playful and light. Especially compared to the heated arguments they had during their fourth year (mostly over Hermione's then-boyfriend; Viktor Krum)

Ron too turned away from her, finding himself facing his younger sister Ginny and her gaggle of fifth-year friends who were all watching the scene unfold. They all began whispering as Ginny gave him a little shrug, and he decided he was much better off facing Hermione that four girls, all of which had their own theory as to what was going on between himself and the curly-haired temptress next to him.

She however had already engaged herself in conversation with Harry about their new defence against the dark arts teacher; a tall slim blonde woman with a wicked looking smile and pretty blue robes. Ron sighed and turned his attention instead to the way Hermione's long legs were crossed away from him, revealing inch after inch of creamy thigh that he was just begging to caress. "'Mione…." He whispered, leaning over her shoulder wanting to stare into her deep brown eyes.

"What now Ron?" She said impatiently "Or are you just going to tell me that I'm an insufferable know-it-all….again.….." She was already growing weary of his teasing, and no longer seemed to be in the mood to fight with him. She was looking forward to the next day's lessons too much to have anything on her mind when she tried to get some sleep later on .

He stammered, but eventually gave up and returned to pushing food around his plate with his fork, every now and again speaking a look beneath the table at her legs that were now crossed towards him, one leg jauntily bouncing up and down atop the other.

Hermione turned back to Harry who was now animatedly talking to Seamus about a Quiddich match he had seen over the summer. She sighed and sipped at her pumpkin juice. "I guess all boys talk about is Quiddich…." She said sadly. With Ron feeling a little dejected and Harry engrossed in sport she allowed her eyes to roam around the hall taking in the sights that surrounded her.

Over at the Hufflepuff table Luna was doing a crazy kind of dance that had them all in stitches. The Ravenclaw Quiddich team where huddled around Cho, looking at a large piece of parchment she was holding in her hands. She looked past the other two tables to the Slytherin table where to her surprise she saw Draco being fawned over my Millicent Bullstrode and Pansy Parkinson.

Crabbe and Goyle were sitting much further up the table with Blaise Zambini, obviously their new leader, and very much ignoring Draco.

Draco was a new addition to Hermione's personal thoughts. A few hours ago she still considered him to be the cruel, evil arch-enemy of her best friend. But since the train ride she felt that she at least owed him her respect (If only for having common sense and choosing the right side) and her gratitude.

If Lucius really were after her then she would have to be particularly careful; he was not a man to accept defeat. Lucius Malfoy always got what he wanted.

She found herself staring at him as Pansy snaked a finger up his bare forearm "Oh Drakey….."

"Get lost will you Parkinson?" He snapped pushing her away quite roughly "I've got better things to do than sit and watch you two throw yourselves hopelessly at me." He looked at the pug-faced girl with a malicious glare "Bugger Off!" Pansy and Millicent sat back into their seats and stopped bothering him quite so much. He relaxed a little more, but felt that something was amiss. He felt almost like he was…..

…..Being watched; he looked up and his eyes locked with a pair of brown orbs he instantly recognised as being Granger's. He desperately tried to turn his eyes away, but they betrayed him and continued to stare at the girl who had been one of his adversaries barely six months ago.

He shifted uncomfortably and decided that if he left now he would be able to save face. He didn't want people to notice that he and Granger were any different to the way they used to be. It was bad enough that Crabbe and Goyle were banned from speaking to him until he 'saw sense' and came back to the dark side (Not that he appreciated their company, he just didn't want to seem different to those he might need to manipulate at a later point.)

Malfoy stepped over the wooden bench and headed off for the corridor he knew would lead to the Slytherin common room. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and shook his head, trying to get the thought of Hermione's pretty face out of his head.

He heard footsteps ricocheting off the hard stone floor behind him, but he chose to ignore them.

"Malfoy!" It was her.

"You shouldn't be out in the halls by yourself." He said turning to face her "Even here you're not safe." His face and voice were hard and cold, scaring her seemed the best way to make things sink in.

"What? Ha ha ha ha," his eyes became wide, he couldn't believe that she was laughing at him.

"What's so funny Granger?" He said, obviously unimpressed.

"Sorry Malfoy….it's just…." She ceased her callous laughter and gave him a serious look "How can I not be safe here" She gestured around herself "At Hogwarts?"

"You really think you're safe here?" He asked taking a few steps closer to her "What with Crabbe and Goyle around?"

"Hmph," She looked very high and mighty "I doubt those buffoons would be able to do much to me….I can take care of myself….at least whilst I'm within these castle walls." She looked at Draco as though he were crazy "I'm the best damn witch at this school, I'm sure a little hex would keep them-"

She had no time to finish her sentence. He had roughly thrown her against a wall, quickly pinning her arms above her head with one hand, and throwing her wand on the floor with the other "What would you do if one of those idiots did this?" He slammed her against the wall again and pressed his free hand against her throat pressing her flat against the wall.

"Ma------lfoy---let------go-----" Hermione could barely breath with the pressure from his long slender fingers.

He released the pressure on her neck and instead moved his hand down to her collar bone "You just don't get it. You're never safe. NEVER!"

Hermione was completely paralysed with his weight pressed against her, but the release of her throat at least allowed her to speak again "Why are you helping me?" She asked weakly, ceasing her attempts to escape from his grasp and almost sinking against his body "Why is it so important to keep me safe?"

"I'm helping you because you're important to Potter." He released his grasp on her and stepped away allowing her to brush herself down. She seemed eager to listen, and wasn't excessively angry with him "And if the dark lord can get his hands on you…." He emphasised his point by roughly taking her hand in his own "He can get his hands on scar-head….and we all know what that means."

She nodded obediently, seemingly caught up in the fact that he was so close again. "I….I should go. Ron will be wondering where I am."

"Weasley's not looking for you. He's still in the great hall." He gave her a slightly malicious stare "If I were him, I wouldn't take my eyes of you for a second…" he released the hand he was still holding and took a step towards her so they were almost nose to nose "….especially with the danger you're in…."

"Ron doesn't know. I didn't tell him." She said moving back a little so they weren't quite so close "I don't think there's any need to tell them right now." She crossed her arms stubbornly.

"You keep them in the dark, and you see how they react when they find out that they could be playing hero, but you're too stubborn to let them." He glared at her with his ice-blue eyes "Potter and Weasley would just love an excuse to keep you locked up all the time away from everyone else…."

"Look….I'm going to tell them, but not just now." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and gave him a little smile that she hoped would make him see reason "after what happened to Sirius and everything last year, I think they both deserve a break from all the fighting….Let them at least have a few days at Hogwarts without having to worry about whether Voldermort is lurking around the corner. In the meantime, I'm sure I can avoid a couple of stupid muscle-brain Slytherins."

He was about to retort but she put a finger to his lips "As long I've got you around watching me, I'm sure I'll be safe."

"You have to tell them."

"I don't have to do anything Malfoy." she began to turn away and head back to the great hall, much to his dismay, but after a few steps she turned back, and looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"I just want to say thank you….you really surprised me with you turn of faith. But it means a lot that you're looking out for me." she pressed her lips to his cheek in a small chaste kiss "I promise I'll watch my back…."

"You….er….you…" He put his hand to the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him, and seemed at a loss for words. Hermione Granger, goody-two-shoes prefect supreme had just kissed his cheek in thanks for something he had done. It was the last thing he had expected and he could not deny that he wanted her to do it again "You're welcome…" With that she turned on her heel and dashed back to the doors just as Harry and Ron where coming out to look for her.

"We were just coming to look for you Hermione, where did you go?" Ron asked, instinctively putting his arm around her when he saw Malfoy a little up the corridor.

"Oh, Nowhere," She said giving Malfoy a pleading look. He rolled his eyes and disappeared around the corner, much to Harry's delight.

"C'mon you two," Harry said already making his way to the stairs "I believe there is a game of Wizards chess with our names on it…."

They needed little more encouragement and all disappeared up the stairs, steadily making their way back to Gryffindor tower.