Authors Notes: Awwww! I feel like going on a strike. I'm not getting alot of reviews but I thank those who have. And honestly I just have the need to know that my story matters. Lol. It's just something an author feels. Now as usual I'm a few chapters ahead of you guys and if I get alot of reviews for this chapter I promise to upload the next one quickly.

Chapter 9: The Nice Guy

Hermione woke up feeling a pain in her chest and noticed her night gown had blood stains. She almost fainted at the sight of blood but remembered that last night she got hurt. Hermione quickly got up from bed and took her toothbrush, toothpaste, brush, school robes and towel. It was six in the morning and she hoped no one would be awake at this hour. She made her way downstairs and turned right to the bathroom. But the moment her hand touched the door knob, Draco opened it from the inside.

"I didn't know anyone was-"

"-save it!" Draco said calmly and stepped aside. Hermione didn't know why she couldn't argue with him the way she usually did but just nodded and waited for him to pick his things up and leave. As Draco turned around once more and brushed against her, Hermione fell back unexpectedly and the items she was carrying fell to the floor. Draco glared at her for a second then helped her up from the floor. Hermione didn't know weather she was thankful or weather she wanted to smack him for making her fall in the first place so she ended up doing nothing.

"What happened to your night gown?" Draco asked pointing to her chest. Hermione looked down and stared at the blood stains then back up at him.

"Umm...this...it's nothing really." Hermione said as she bent down to pick her things up. Draco didn't move at all which blocked her way to the door.

"I asked you, what happened to your night gown?" Draco said a bit more aggressive. Hermione looked at him confused, why does he care so much? Hermione shook her head, seriously she needed a break from all of this Draco business.

"Nothing-"

"-happened?" He asked arching his eye brow.

"I don't know why you care so much about it anyways." Hermione said getting her confidence back trying to push Draco away from her. Once she made her way inside the bathroom Draco still stood there watching her. Then he did something un-Malfoy like, he grabbed a cloth from the sink counter and began to wet it.

"Here, that cut looks pretty bad." Draco said handing her the cloth. Hermione took the cloth slowly, shocked at what he just did.

"Ah..thanks." Hermione said. Then Draco walked off and closed the door behind him. Hermione locked the door and stood in the bathroom completely confused. Last night Draco wanted to kill her for following him and now he sort of helped her. Hermione shook her head and began to get herself ready for school. The cut on above her right breast was deep. But after she washed the blood off and put a spell to take away the little sting, she felt better. When she got everything cleaned up and was ready for a new day, someone banged on the door.

"Who is it?" Hermione asked.

"It's Ron, open the god damn door. I need to piss." Ron yelled. Hermione rolled her eyes, she didn't need to know why he needed the bathroom. She unlocked the door and Ron rushed in. He didn't even care that she was standing there because he pulled his zipper down and began to use the toilet. Hermione disgusted turned away before she saw anything.

"RON! THATS JUST SICK!" Hermione yelled.

"Sorry, I really needed to go." Ron said. Hermione began to pick her things up and was about to leave when Ron was done and asked her where she was last night.

"I had some things to take care of." Hermione replied. Ron nodded and she left him in the bathroom. Pansy was outside waiting for the bathroom holding her things in her hands.

"Who's in there?" Pansy asked as she closed the door.

"Ron."

"Tell Weasley to get out. I need the bathroom." Pansy ordered. Hermione looked her up and down.

"Ask him yourself." Hermione replied. The next thing she knew Ron was running out of the bathroom holding something in his hand.

"Hermione! What the hell is this?" Ron asked showing her the blood stained night gown. Hermione had forgotten to pick that up and grabbed it from him.

"It's a night gown!" Hermione replied.

"It has blood! Hermione did some rape you?!" Ron asked in worry. Pansy stood there listening with a large smirk on her face and then quickly ran into the bathroom.

"RON! No one raped me!" Hermione cried out.

"I'm sorry, I was just scared there for a second."

"It's okay."

"What was the blood then?"

"It was just a cut. Okay? So stop worrying." Hermione reassured him by patting him on the shoulder. Ron arched his eye brow and shrugged.

"Whatever." Ron muttered and walked over to the living room. Hermione ran upstairs and put her things away then came back down to find Ron was gone. Hermione was disappointed and felt rather angry that he didn't even tell her he was leaving. She walked out of the common room and down the corridors to the Great Hall. Once she reached inside, Harry grabbed her arm and took her back out into the halls.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"WE need to talk." Harry replied.

"Okay. Talk." Hermione said crossing her arms around her chest.

"Last night I had this really creepy dream about you."

"Like what kind of dream?"

"That you were being attacked by spiders and somehow I was saving you. And then the next thing I knew I woke up."

"Really?" Hermione said surprised to hear him say that. She at the moment was afraid to confess the story of last night. She didn't know how to explain it if she could but Hermione promised herself she would figure something out to save Harry.

"Yes really, and that's not even half of the story." Harry said. Hermione listened desperately for what she feared of next. "When I woke up, I had this strange feeling so I ran off and got my map. And I saw Malfoy entering the school and a second later I saw you entering the school. Hermione, where were you last night?"

"I..uh..I was out." Hermione stuttered.

"Ron also said you weren't back after detention. What happened?"

"Harry, I can't really say right now but trust me on this for once okay?" Hermione didn't understand why she was doing this, it's not like she had anything going on with Draco. Why couldn't she just tell Harry? Harry looked at her dumbfounded and after a while nodded his head.

"Whatever." Harry muttered and walked back inside the Great Hall. Two looks of disappointment and worry in one day, how was she going to live with this? Hermione needed to talk to Draco and see if he would change his mind about being a Death Eater and if he says no, which she expects, Hermione will have to break the news to Harry and find another way of saving him. Hermione lost her appetite and left to go back into the prefect common room.

Blaise came up to her once more this time he was with Draco but that didn't seem to stop him from smiling at her.

"Hey Granger." Blaise said.

"Oh, hi." Hermione replied but her eyes were on Draco who seemed to be sending her death glares.

"Professor McGonagal wants me to help you with tutoring. You up to that?" Blaise asked. Hermione gave him a smile for being the only nice guy in Slytherin.

"Yeah, that would be good. I don't think I would have managed it alone." Hermione replied.

"Cool, see you around." Blaise said and walked off with Draco who couldn't seem to take his eyes of Hermione. She just rolled her eyes at him for being immature, was he jealous that Blaise was being nice to her? And why was Blaise being nice to her?

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For the rest of the day Hermione spent her time working in class and tutoring. Blaise turned out to be really good in helping other students, even though he chose to stick to helping girls. Ginny had became fond of him, she kept asking him questions and he never minded it at all. Once all the student's left the room, she began to pick up the books and return her notes back into her bag.

"So Granger, you got a boyfriend?" Blaise asked. Hermione was surprised he asked such a question, she had never thought of really having a boyfriend and Viktor Krum was more of a friend then boyfriend material. Hermione looked up at him and his eyes were watching her.

"Umm...no I don't. Why?" Hermione asked.

"Well you seem to have your head on right. Just wondering if you did." Blaise replied. Hermione nodded and went back to cleaning up. Blaise did the same and they both left together afterwards.

"So Granger, is it okay if I call you Hermione?" Blaise asked.

"Sure, its actually a better thing if you do."

"You know not all Slytherins are bad."

"You're the only one who isn't." Hermione replied. Blaise began to laugh at what she said. She kind of enjoyed seeing him laugh so she gave a small giggle.

"You're cute you know that?"

"Umm..thanks I guess." Hermione was really surprised now. Blaise was complimenting her and he was a nice guy to talk to.

"Let me guess, no one ever told you that before?" Blaise said watching her expressions. She blushed, it was true. He was the first person who complimented her on her looks. She never considered herself to be dead gorgeous but she knew she didn't look hideous, somewhere in between maybe.

"Guess you're the first." Hermione said. Blaise nodded and then they both reached the staircase leading to her Prefect house.

"Nice to talk to you Hermione." Blaise said and walked off. Hermione was left there standing, thinking about exactly what happened the last few minutes. Blaise Zabini was nice to her and complimented her not to mention called her by her first name.

"Granger?" Hermione looked up at the sound of her name and saw Draco walking down the stairs towards her.

"What do you want?" Hermione said in a rude tone.

"I need to talk to you." Draco said calmly.

"Talk then." Hermione replied.

"Don't order me around, Granger." Draco said putting his hands in his pockets. "Did you tell Potty about what happened last night?"

"No, I should have, I could have, I would have but for some fucked up reason I didn't." Hermione replied. It seemed that every time she was happy, Draco came along and destroyed everything.

"Good. If you do, you'll know what will happen." Draco threatened.

"Excuse me? Like what?" Hermione asked.

"Like get killed."

"Are you threatening me Malfoy?" Hermione asked calmly. Draco didn't sneer, didn't even have any hate in his eyes.

"Maybe, maybe not." Draco replied.

"Typical." Hermione replied and began to walk up the steps. Draco grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

"Don't mess with Blaise." Draco warned. Hermione stared at him in disbelief, who was he to tell her who to mess with?

"Funny, he's a lot more nicer then you." Hermione replied. Draco leaned in close to her and stared into her eyes.

"I'm telling you, I know him better than anyone. Don't mess with him."

"Malfoy, let me go. Unless you want another painful experience down there." Draco automatically released her and glared. For no reason, a tear came down Hermione's eye. Why was she crying struck her so odd. Hermione wasn't planning to mess with Blaise but the fact that Draco cared enough to warn her had caught her off guard.

"Why the hell are you crying?" Draco asked.

"I-I really don't know." Hermione replied and ran up the steps to the Prefect house and then into her room. Ron was sitting on the couch but she ignored him calling her. Hermione threw herself on the bed and lay her head in her pillow. Why in the world was she crying? When did she become so soft?

"Hermione?" Ron said walking in to her room.

"Go away." Hermione said calmly.

"Why are you sad? What happened? Did Malfoy do anything?" Why did everything in the world have to do with Draco?

"No, just go. Please. I need time to think." Hermione replied. Ron left and closed the door behind him. Hermione turned around and stared up at the ceiling. Something was beginning to change the way she felt about Draco and although she couldn't exactly consider it anything. She wanted whatever she felt for him to be returned to her, more then ever.

Sneak Peak:

"Have you ever questioned his motives?" Harry asked. "Have you ever thought why would Blaise Zabini, Slytherin talk to Hermione Granger, Gryfinder out of the blue?"

"I did, at first but he hasn't done anything. He's been helping me in Tutoring as a partner." Hermione said. She never thought of the day she would be defending a Slytherin. Harry raised his hands up in surrender.

"Fine 'Mione, you win. Just be bloody careful." Harry said as he grabbed Ron's arm. "Let's go Ron."

"Hermione, please be careful." Ron said worriedly and walked off with Harry.