Chapter 2

Hermione arrived five minutes late to lunch than she should have, but all the less Ron and Harry were happy she was there. She sat down between them as usual smiling to both boys to again tell them that she was feeling better than how she felt when they had found her.

"So…. did you finish next weeks assignment today?" Ron asked feeling uncomfortable as much as Hermione was.

"Umm…yes a long time ago. I was in the library earlier hoping to find a good book on the shelf." Hermione replied feeling Ron's uneasiness. For most of the rest of lunch Hermione and the others sat there talking about the Quidditch match coming up. Hermione of course was going to be there to cheer on Harry as always. She always thought it would do him good to hear it before a tough game.

"I'll see you guys later I think I'll go up to my bed for a nap just to get some rest from earlier today." She got up and left. Malfoy got up to. He wanted to talk to Hermione for a bit before the trio came to save her again.

"Something's up." Ron said to Harry watching Hermione and Malfoy leave at the same time.

"You wouldn't think that would turn out well." Harry replied facing the same direction.

It was starting to get cold outside and Hermione could hear the wind blowing against the castle. She shrived a little but it was only November, shouldn't be getting to cold.

"Granger I want to talk to you." Malfoy demanded to Hermione's back. She was trying to hurry to get to her dorms. She didn't want to get into what happened last time again. Malfoy was angered that she thought that she could just walk away and ignore him so easily. He regretted what happened earlier that day, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that he was sorry when he had never said it before.

"Look I need to talk to you." Malfoy said in a way he had never heard himself say before. He knew it had worked, for Hermione stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.

"What is it Malfoy? Do you have something else to say to a mudblood such as me?" Hermione retorted, furious again at his persistence. Malfoy walked up to her slowly, breathing hard as he was up prepared for what he was going to say.

"Well what is it?"

"I shouldn't have done what I did earlier." He knew he failed he just couldn't say he was sorry. He knew she would probably go blab to Ron and Harry about how Draco Malfoy told her he was sorry. He decided he couldn't take that chance and especially not today.

"Wow that was amazing Malfoy. I'll give it a 10 for not being purely honest." Hermione replied sarcasm growing in her voice every minute they stood there.

"You know I guess you can't ever trust a mudblood like you. Too bad I tried to hard to beg your forgiveness. Forgive me your honor." She knew he was being more sarcastic than he intended too.

"Look mudblood I came here to tell you something, but seeing as I was mistaken of how you would probably go blab to Weasel and Potty, I choose not to tell you." Malfoy turned to go, but he heard something he had not expected. Hermione was crying. Even in the library she had cried but something was different. It wasn't the cry she had giving in the library but a cry of her heart really and truly breaking.

"I'm sorry you feel that way M-al-foy…" Hermione said not thinking she should have said such a thing. She looked at him. His eyes had changed dramatically. They weren't cold and dark but caring. He walked over to her seeing her face full of tears.

"Why must you cry so much Her—mione…what troubles you so?" Malfoy said reaching for her hair.

"Why are you doing this? Why must you confuse me so much? Your calling me Hermione instead of mudblood and caring for me even if I am crying. I don't understand why are you acting so weird? You never cared before. Why do you care what happens to me now? Why didn't you act this way earlier?" Hermione said leaning back from the reaching hand.

"I thought you were supposed to know all the answers."

"Well I don't. Please answer my questions."

"I don't know Hermione I truly don't know. When you cry something happens to me. Something I can't explain. It's like I have never felt this before. Its like my heart breaks too when you cry the way you do." Hermione only cried more after hearing him say such a thing as his heart breaking.

"Do you mean it D-raco?"

"Why of course. Hermione I cannot lie of this. I just wish you would stop crying. It makes me feel so sad. I'm s..o.rry for this morning. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to do that stuff I did." Hermione gave a big grasp, still not saying anything.

"I must leave. I see this is not turning out well. But I must ask do not speak of this ever to anyone and I mean it." He called out to her as he walked toward he's dorm.

Hermione sat upon her bed thinking of what happened earlier. Christmas break was coming up and Hermione still had so decided if she was going to take the risk of going home for the holidays. She knew her father would be there and what would happen, but she would have an even tougher time trying to get out of going back to see them. She decided to go send an owl to her mother and father telling them she shall not be coming home that Christmas.

"Dear mother and father,

I shall not be coming this time for the holidays. I find myself swamped by homework and need to finish it soon or I'll well not be able later on during the break. I love you both and Merry Christmas.

Love,

Hermione"

"Hope they understand…" She said to herself. She found Harry and Ron in the common room looking at some Quidditch magazines and told them she would not be coming to dinner that evening. She went up stairs to the girl's dormitories and went to sleep thinking tomorrow would be a better day.

Draco woke up that morning in a cold sweat. His father had been busying making sure he would come home for the holidays that were fast approaching. He had been thinking of last night. He had meant to tell Hermione that he was sorry, but seeing how things went, he didn't have the time to argue with her. And he sure as hell wasn't going to tell her to forgive him again. He was going to ignore the fact that it ever happened. And why shouldn't he? She had made him look like a fool standing there telling her that he wanted her to forgive him.

He got up after that and got ready for class, which was with the Gyffindors this morning and he knew who would be there asking him questions a mile a minute.

Hermione saw him as she walked in to class. She had potions first and dreaded having to have the class with the Slytherins. She sat down next to Neville, since well Harry was sitting next to Ginny looking dreamily at her and Ron was sitting next to some other girl from Gyffindor.

"So Neville how are you?" Hermione asked feeling bored that class had not begun yet.

"Good actually. Haven't had any problems with those Slytherins yet."

"Well that's good…" She turned around and looked at Draco. She didn't understand he was back to looking at her with hate and anger in his eyes after what had happened last night, but what should she expect from him? He's always changing how he acts even though most of her time at Hogwarts had been spent with him always chewing her out of everything and the fact that she didn't have pureblood like the others.

"Today class you will be getting partners for your projects that continue over the holiday break. Your project will be due the exact day that you return and I insist that you do not argue with me about your partner or I shall fail you in this class." Snape said looking evilly at each and every student.

"This will count as your last grade in here for a while I suggest you not mess this up. Now for partners: Neville and Rolanda, Harry and Ginny, Pansy and Georgus, Draco and Hermione. Get to work!" Hermione was digusted by having to work with Draco knowing he would be his usual self now in class.

"Granger why don't you sit on the other side away from me. I don't want you near me." Draco said sitting as far as he could away from him.

"Back to your old self aren't you Malfoy?" Hermione replied her voice full of distaste. Draco didn't say anything much after that. Hermione walked over to the cabinet to grab the supplies they would need over the break. She knew she would end up doing all the project by herself but that didn't bother her that much. She expected it.

While Hermione was working Draco sat there leaning back in his chair he's head turned to the side away from her. But all the time he was sitting there he was thinking. Thinking about the project, thinking about Hermione, thinking about Christmas break, just thinking.

"Mind getting off your ass for once?" She was angered by how he was treating her. She wasn't about to do this project by herself anymore she had had enough. "I'm not going to do this project alone just so you can deal with your problems. I hope you figure that out soon Malfoy or you'll be the one with an F." She said walking out at the end of class leaving the mess and the papers on the table for him to clean up.