A/N: i wrote a mass long note for you guys, but accidentally erased it like the silly girl i am.

and so, at five o'clock in the morning(on the dot!), i leave you with this:
goodnight.

They were working on a confundus potion, review for Draco's class. He'd done this potion last year, so Draco figured today he'd just ride through this class no problem.

He hadn't counted on Hermione. She was being more frustrating and know-it- all-ish [A/N: heh, you know what i mean!] than ever before. "Pass me the sliced caterpillars," she said, never lifting her eyes from the potion.

"You didn't say the magic word," Draco drawled.

"Accio caterpillar!" Hermione stuck up her nose as she caught and then dropped the pieces into the potion, one at a time, a careful plop, plop, plop.

"No need to be so stuck up, Granger. Although I suppose you don't really understand manners, do you? I mean, growing up with muggles, its understandable—"

"Malfoy!" Hermione cut him off, her face flushing red. She stopped herself, and muttered something Draco couldn't hear. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Would you please (the please being very drawn out and sarcastic) pass me the eye of newt?"

Draco smirked. "Much better, Granger," he said as he handed over the eye of newt and she threw it into the cauldron.

Hermione couldn't contain her rage any more. "You know, Malfoy, you'd be a lot more tolerable if you'd just be more polite, instead of being a cold- hearted jerk who thinks he is better than everyone else because of a stupid thing like blood, and you refuse to see that you are being an ignorant asshole!" she sputtered.

"Ah but you see, Granger," Malfoy said coolly, as if her rant had no affect on him, "I am better than everyone else."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Well I think you just feel the need to put everyone else down, just to make yourself feel better! Ever wonder why you don't have friends? Maybe you should open up and show your feelings for once! And stop ranting about this pureblood bullshit, you're no better than me or anyone else, and you know it!"

She hadn't lifted a finger, but Draco felt as though she'd hit him in the face, yet again. His mouth fell open. He closed it, and it fell open again. How does she manage to do it? She puts him in his place, every single time. She sees right through him. How much could she really see, Draco wondered. His silver eyes fell away from hers as he became suddenly interested in his shoe. "Let's just get on with the potion, shall we?" he mumbled.

Hermione being properly distracted with stirring the potion, the young wizard looked around. Thank Merlin the rest of the class didn't seem to notice their little episode. He'd have a hard time repairing his reputation after something like that.

As he added a scoop of beetles' eyes to the brewing cauldron, Draco gained a newfound respect for Hermione. She alone saw through the façade he put on every day of his life. She could really stand up to him. Yeah, so potty and the weasel threw insults his way when he provoked them. But it was Hermione alone who understood why he was the way he was.

She could see that he was jealous of the infamous feats of Harry Potter. She could see he resented the Weasleys for being so happy when they had so little, while he, having everything he wants at beck and call, was not.

At the same time, Draco resented her for knowing what she knew, and seeing through his mask when no one else could. What gives her the right? Who says that Hermione, Mudblood and best friend to his enemies, should know what his closest friends didn't? (Not that he had any true friends, most Slytherins were intimidated by his manner and the Malfoy name... they had heard the stories just like everybody else).

Shaking his blonde head, Draco tried to sort through his thoughts. It didn't work. He was still thoroughly confused on the matter. Not knowing how to feel or what to think, he settled for adding the next three ingredients into the potion. He felt Hermione's eyes on him, but pretended not to notice.

"Malfoy." The word whispered softly of a deeper interior, of thoughts in the young witch's head Draco couldn't begin to imagine.

He reluctantly brought his eyes to Hermione's. Her face was twisted into a strange expression. Draco dealt with it the only way he knew how. Pushing her away. "What, like what you see, Granger? I know I am a fine piece of man, but really. I thought you'd know better than to even dream, there's no way I'd let you touch me."

Hermione could barely contain herself. She glared. "Every time I even start to pity you, you instantly make me think better of it! One day you are going to regret being such a selfish prat, Malfoy, and I won't feel one bit sorry for you!"

No longer in an unstable mindset, Draco inwardly hit himself for being so thickheaded. His damn Malfoy mannerisms made him a hell of a lot more enemies than friends, and the moment someone finally sees through it all, not only sees, but also understands, he pushes her away and tries to rebuild the walls.

He had no choice. Hermione was tearing down his blockades, one brick at a time. The first one came with the smack third year, and she's been tearing them out progressively ever since. He couldn't allow her to do that.

Draco's wall of indifference was all there was between him and the rest of the wizarding world. And he didn't think he could take it unprotected.

REVIEW, BITCHES!
(hey, it worked last time.)
in your review, tell me what you think Hermione's next step will be! And What do you think Draco will do about his 'newfound respect'?
3 love you all, as usual.

i got 8 whole reviews one one chapter! weewoo!!!!

of course, a thank you:

PunkxLozer05: thanks! and i hope your socks just keep on rockin'

Raiast: here you are! sorry it took so long!

Muggle Lover: thanks a lot! 333. and the smurfs are tight mother truckers. teehee.

Katanza: thank you!

major issues 4 life: heh, it's all good! i've heard that mint hot chocolate helps with writers' block. actually, i just totally pulled that out my ass. although ANY kind of chocolate can't hurt, right?? keehee.

Like Vio13ence: thanks!! i will.

XxAnimeLover14xX: hah yeah, i know, but i am really trying to keep them in character.. and it seemed like she'd act that way. i tryed to make her start to understand in this chapter, though.

stacey: thanks for the review, bitch! just kidding, yo. thank you! and for your suggestion, she definently will like him, but i don't want to throw her out of character, so it's coming kind of slow! just stick with the story, i promise you'll love it! peace n hair grease! hah.