I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS

Thank you to Hermione21 for my reviews!! I will try to make the chapters longer!

Chapter 3—Draco's Odd Behavior

Ali became really good friends with Hermione and Ginny. With permission from Hermione (since she was Head Girl), Ali was allowed to go into the Gryffindor common room.

The next morning Hermione met up with Ali on her way to the Great Hall. She avoided Draco as much as possible, as not to tempt herself from breaking her promise. She sat at the table with Harry and Ron, watching Ali sit across from Draco again. She turned around and chatted with Ginny about next Hogsmeade weekend.

"Are you going to ask her out?" Ali randomly asked Draco after watching him look at her for a couple of minutes.

"What? Granger? No!" He cried.

"Her name is Hermione, not 'Granger.'" Ali stated.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well, I call her Granger. Besides she calls me Malfoy!" He said, watching Hermione walk out of the Great Hall. Ali laughed at his response and went back to her breakfast, knowing someday they would get together.

"Maybe Malfoy will ask you to go to Hogsmeade!" Ginny said excitedly.

"I highly doubt that, Gin, we are hardly even friends, we are just on a truce." Hermione answered.

"Yeah, but he is staring at you!" Ginny responded.

"I don't care what, he's doing, I just want to get to class. See you later." She said and walked out of the hall. She proceeded she Care of Magical Creatures, whereas, hoping she would get to talk to Hagrid before hand.

"'Hello, Hermione!" She heard a loud cheery voice.

"Hi, Hagrid." She answered.

"Whatsa matter?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing important. So, what are we doing today?" Hermione responded.

"Ah, a creature called a Firebird. They help wizards get out of trouble but can set fire to burn something needed. The Firebird can be very helpful but dangerous if you don't know how to handle 'em." He explained.

They class was a successful class. Everyone loved the Firebirds and no one got hurt. Even Draco didn't disrupt class, which indeed made Hermione suspicious.

At 9:00 Draco waited by the entrance hall for Hermione to come. They had to do their patrolling. Hermione came running up, out of breath. Draco gave her a questioning look and Hermione explained, "Some one put a spell on the Gryffindor common room so that people couldn't enter their dorms. I had to run and get Flitwick and McGonagall and then I totally forgot about patrolling until Harry reminded me." Draco nodded and they walked of, in silence. When they got to the third floor, Hermione spoke, "Why are you not tormenting me?"

"Well, we did make a truce." He responded.

"I know, but, I honestly didn't think you follow it." She stared. Draco snorted a laugh.

"Oh please, Granger, I'm not as bad as you think."

"Then why do you care about blood so much?" She cried.

"That has nothing to do with what we were saying but if you must know, after growing up with my father for 11 years with out meeting a mudblood and listening to him talk you kind of start to think along the same lines!" He snapped.

"Well, what about these last six years, you were surrounded by every type of witch or wizard! You still haven't changed!" She yelled but not too loudly.

"Maybe I've changed this year! You are just too stupid to realize it! I am NOT going to be like my father when I grow up. In fact, I even got in an argument with him about it! I hate what he does, Hermione, I hate it!" He yelled. Hermione turned to look at him.

"You called me Hermione." She said.

"I wasn't thinking right." He snapped again.

"Okay, whatever." She rolled her eyes. They patrolled the halls the rest of the night, in an uncomfortable silence.

"Hermione!" Harry called, sitting in the common room with Ron. Hermione turned around and went to sit with them.

"We heard you." Ron said.

"What?" She said, confused.

"We heard you and Malfoy. Is it true he fought with his dad?" Ron asked.

"Yes, it is but it shouldn't matter to you." She said. Harry and Ron just started at her.

"What?" She cried.

"You just defended Malfoy. You like him!" Ron accused.

"Ronald Weasley! So what if he changed this year? So what if I want to be friends with him? However, I do NOT have a crush on him!" She yelled.

"Friends!?" Ron cried. Harry sat back on the couch, used to their bickering.

"Yes, Ron, yes! Why are you making such a big deal? This is so stupid!" She shouted back.

"Duh, it's stupid! But who started it...you!" Ron yelled back.

"No you did Ron!" She screamed back.

"No! You—." Ron stared but Harry but him off.

"Guys! Who cares who started it? It happened, it's over, get over it!" Harry interrupted. Hermione sighed and Ron looked away.

"Sorry." They both muttered at the same time.

"'Night." Hermione said. "Oh wait, I came in here in the first place to tell you that McGonagall changed your detention to Monday instead of Tuesday." She said and walked out.

Hermione got to the Heads common room to find Draco still there.

"Why are you still up?" She asked.

"I'm not tired. But the real question is why are you and Weasley friends? You fight ALL the time." He asked.

"You heard us?" She responded.

"Well, I was walking past your common room and heard you two yelling." He answered.

"Did you hear the whole thing?" She said quietly.

"No, only the part where you said 'Yes, Ron, yes!', and all that until Harry spoke. I would've left but it was too good to miss." He answered.

Hermione smiled slightly, laughing to herself. Leave it Draco to say that.

"Well, 'night, Malfoy. I'm going to bed." She said.

"'Night." Malfoy responded before going up himself. They both fell asleep thinking they just talked without yelling. They were definitely making progress.

Authors Note: Hope you like it! Please review!!!!!!