A/N: Thank-you for all the positive reviews!

'I saw you, Hermione,' accused Parvati at dinner of the same day. 'I saw you make out with Malfoy. So much for your story.'

Lavendar, her loyal sidekick, appeared beside her and their accusing stares penetrated me.

'O-Oh,' I stammered, quite unsure of what to say. I settled with, 'When?'

'This morning,' answered Lavendar. 'He's a Malfoy, Hermione. Don't you realize he's just going to use you, then throw you away? You'll be next on his list of broken hearts.'

With a relieved pang, I saw that they were not angry, or jealous. They were just worried about me.

'He obviously wants something,' Parvati added. 'I mean, you really pretty and all, Hermione, but he only started noticing you now, right?'

I nodded glumly.

'Then – ' she stopped abruptly, staring hard at something behind me.

I slowly turned.

'Oh,' I said. 'Hello, Malfoy.'

He kissed my cheek, and I felt my face burn and a twinge of anger. How dare he express affection so openly... in front of – how many people again?

Oh yeah.

The entire school.

Now everyone will be guessing, and making up rumors...

'Hi, Malfoy,' stammered Parvati. 'Uh – we were just talking about you.'

He smiled. 'Did Hermione tell you the big news?'

I gulped. What now? 'No, I didn't, Malfoy, not – '

'She's now my girlfriend.'

I closed my eyes in embarrassment, aware that roughly the whole Gryffindor table was staring wide eyed up at me. I had wondered what horror Malfoy was going to dream up. He had not disappointed me.

Tell me this is not happening. Its not, its not...

I could kill him!! He thinks that he can make me do whatever he wants, and make up rumors without me doing anything? Does he really think he can annihilate my reputation without me fighting back?

No way is that happening. I'm getting him back somehow.

Eventually I reopened my eyes and found now the Ravenclaw table staring at us.

'Hermione,' said Dean Thomas, breaking the silence. 'He's Draco, in case you hadn't noticed. Draco Malfoy. I thought you hated him.'

I do! I wanted to scream. But I couldn't. Not with Draco listening to my every word, his hand now playing casually with my hair.

'Um.' I said, unsure of what to say. 'Er – you see uh, its like this – wait, you don't understand, it's uh, no never mind, um... well. He's not so bad when you get to know him.'

With immense relief, I noticed the Ravenclaw table's chatter slowly rise again, but still a few sent me either shocked, angry, or envious looks.

I sighed. I am so going to kill that jumped-up, puny piece of shit.

Malfoy, I mean.

I jumped. Something was on my neck. It happened to be Malfoy's lips.

'Good girl,' he purred.

I pulled away, face still burning. 'Piss off, Malfoy,' I whispered, voice dripping hate.

'Tut, tut,' he said. 'Umbrige wouldn't be pleased to hear such language.'

I was ready to shout at him that I didn't give a fuck what Umbrige thought, then realized there was no point. I took my seat again at the table, telling him I'll see him later.

Ginny, Ron and Harry cornered me after dinner.

'What's up, Hermione?' Ginny asked. 'Something is wrong.'

'What made you go out with Malfoy?' demanded Ron. 'And you just let him crawl all over you like that?'

'You can tell us, it's okay,' added Harry.

I smiled at them, a grin bursting over my face.

'You guys are such good friends!' I cried, tears beginning to prick my eyes. I told them what had happened, from Umbridge's office, to now.

'I'll kill him,' said Harry and Ron in unison, balling their fists.

'No!' I cried. 'Look, I'll be in even more trouble, okay? And not only me, all of you! The person who'll be paying him back is me, okay?'

They saw the logic in it, and nodded.

'But how dare he?' said Ginny, shaking her head in disbelief. 'Sorry I didn't believe you before, Hermione. I thought you were lucky – '

She was interrupted by a hoarse voice and a familiar meow.

'Get off to bed!' snarled Filch, his face jumping out of the darkness.

We jumped. 'Sorry.'

At the end of the hallway we stopped. I was to walk one way, they another.

'Be careful,' warned Ginny.

'See you tomorrow, then,' said Ron.

I nodded, and then left.

The dwarf wouldn't let me in without saying the password.

'Say it,' he insisted.

'But you recognize me, don't you?'

'Say it.'

'No way!'

'Say it.'

'C'mon, I know you recognize me!'

'Say it.'

'Please...'

'Say it.'

I clenched my teeth. 'I love Draco.' Forget about getting revenge, I'm going to pummel Malfoy. And what an idiotic password, anyway.

The common room was nice, at least. Colored in shades of red and green. Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Malfoy was already there, lounging on the sofa by the flickering fireplace. 'How're you, Granger?'

'I'd be a lot better,' I replied. 'If you stopped blackmailing me, and if Umbrige died in her sleep.'

He raised an eyebrow. 'Why don't you come and sit down?'

'No thanks,' I said, pasting on an extremely fake smile. 'I'm tired. Need to sleep.'

I was half way through the door to which I assumed was my bedroom when Malfoy's next sentence stopped me.

'Look, I'm sorry about what happened in the Great Hall.'

I looked at him quizzically. 'Really?'

'Well, kind of. I know I embarrassed you... so I'm sorry.'

Malfoy said sorry. To me. The person he considered a Mudblood. I had no idea Malfoy even knew the word. I gaped at him.

'What?' he asked.

'You – you said sorry,' I stammered.

His eyes darkened. 'Yeah, so, I can say sorry if I need to, Mudblood.'

'Shut up,' I fumed. 'I can't believe you have the nerve to call me a Mudblood, after all that!'

His eyes softened. 'I don't really mean it. Please sit down?'

I tensed. 'No, sorry. Lots of homework.'

He sighed. 'Look, Granger, I overheard what you told Potty and the two Weasels. And I really don't think Umbrige would be pleased at all.'

I was appalled. 'How – you – don't you insult my friends – when – '

I stopped, realizing the pointlessness of it all. I walked over and sat at the other end of the sofa.

'Fine,' I said stiffly. 'I am sitting, okay? And don't you ever insult my friends again, do you hear me Malfoy?'

'Just whatever,' he said, moving next to me, his hands sliding around my waist.

A shiver ran down my spine, and my stomach rolled over. Like a slap on the face, I realized part of me did want Malfoy, and it wanted him bad. Another part of me despised him to his deathbed.

Then, out of the blue, Lavender's words floated in my head. Don't you realize that he's just going to use you, then throw you away?

So I stood up, looking him straight in the eye.

'Malfoy,' I said, taking in a deep breath. 'Why me?'

'Granger, what are you talking about?'

'Why did you start to like me all of a sudden – for no apparent reason?'

He stared. 'I've liked you for a long time, Granger. Just would you have ever considered me?'

That stopped me. No, I never would have. He was always just a bullying playboy to me.

'See?' he said. 'You never would have, unless you were forced to.'

I stood there for a moment, thinking it through, when there was a knock on the door.

I jumped, eyeing the door in new apprehension.

Malfoy watched me, with glittering eyes. 'I think it's for you, Granger.'

I walked over and opened the door.

'Oh my god,' I said.

A/N: Sorry, for the small cliffy, but some of you might already know what's going to happen anyway. Well, please review, even if you hated it!