A/N: Hey everyone. Okay firstly I would like to thank everyone who read my story and a special thanks to those who have reviewed: Natasha2014, w1cked angel, Mariana, omnipotent otaku and also a thank you to Lil' Bode who emailed me her review.

This chapter was difficult for me to write because I had a plan for the beginning of my fic, and I have a plan for the end chapters however I have no specific plan for the middle ones; however slowly but surely I'm getting there. Also the romance is coming… I just don't want to rush it… I mean they have been enemies for years; they are not just going to fall in love out of the blue are they? (Well okay they could… but not in this fic).

This chapter is a bit boring in my opinion but it was needed to move along the story line. I hope you enjoy it anyways, and I promise to have the next chapter up soon. Please review, and thank you to anyone who reads my fic.

Disclaimer: I'm sure this will come as a great shock to you so brace yourselves… I… do NOT own Harry Potter.

Hogwarts School was in pandemonium without Dumbledore. It had not taken long for the news of his leave to get about. The Slytherins walked around like they owned the place and the rest of the school constantly had their wands poised in one hand, ready to defend themselves. Then of course there was Neville, who refused to leave the boy's dormitories.

The teachers had given up on doing things the normal way, and with many threats from Snape, detentions from McGonagall and even a few bribes; some sort of order was restored in the school.

"Mr Zabini," cried McGonagall exasperated, "what do you think you're doing?" she had been patrolling the corridors when she had come across the seventh year Slytherin and his small gang of friends.

The boy shrugged carelessly, not answering the enraged witch.

"Is there a particular reason why you are not in your lessons?" she asked the group.

"Not really," smirked a skinny blonde boy, making the rest of the gang laugh.

"In that case," smiled the teacher, "You'll be in detention for the rest of the week," she said grabbing his ear and dragging him down the corridor towards her office and away from his friends, ignoring his protests,

"Ow! Let go of me!" he cried, "what do you mean the rest of the week… it's only Monday!" his voice went slightly higher pitched as McGonagall pulled on his ear tighter, "This is child abuse! Crazy old witch."

"Make that two weeks detention and fifty points off Slytherin.

Hermione, who had spent most of the night awake, worrying about the missing Draco, decided to spend her Sunday morning with Hagrid, in hope that the company would distract her. Before she could lift her hand to bang on the door, it swung open startling her. "'Mione, what yeh doin' out there?" the large man asked merrily ushering her inside "Come in."

She smiled and stepped inside the hut, whilst Hagrid bustled around making tea "How yer been?" He asked.

"Okay, I guess, how about you?"

"Fine, I were just on my way to see Malfoy when I found yer on my doorstep,"

Hermione was suddenly very alert, "Malfoy?"

"Ye, found him early this morning by the lake, must'a spent the night out there. 'E was unconscious like, and err well I ain't a biggest fan of that family, but he didn't deserve to freeze to death. Dun' no what he was doin' out there. Took him up to Madame Pomfrey, 'e was barely breathing."

The head girl paled slightly, then she was up like a shot, "Thanks Hagrid. I have to go."

"Bye," the giant called out after her in mild amusement, but the girl didn't hear, as she was already out the door and sprinting towards the castle. It was only once she reached the doors of the infirmary that she paused to gather her breath and thoughts. She was worried about Draco, and felt rather foolish for it. Shrugging away these thoughts she stepped inside the room.

The first thing Draco saw when he opened his eyes was Hermione. He sat up gently as so not to disturb her sleep, as a strange turn of fate, the girl was sitting on the chair next to his bed. He looked around taking in the surroundings of the room. He was in the infirmary, with no recollection of how he got there, or why.

"You're awake," smiled Hermione having also just arisen from sleep, "I must have falling asleep," she commented, pointing out the obvious as so to fill the silence.

"How did I get here?" Draco asked confused, not bothering to exchange meaningless pleasantries with the girl.

She bit her lip before mumbling, "Hagrid found you unconscious by the lake yesterday morning, nearly frozen to death. Why the hell did you go out side in the rain? I was so worried!"

"I didn't think anyone would notice I was gone," he shrugged.

"I noticed!" She murmured, fingering the white bed sheets for lack of anything else to do.

Just when she thought he wasn't going to reply the blonde boy began to talk, "I was thinking," he felt he could confide in her, "just about my mum, about life… about death," he sighed sadly. "You know what I don't get," it was not so much a question, but a statement, "why did she marry him? He was always so cruel to her. Why?"

"Everyone needs someone," Hermione said sadly. Both students remained silent, thinking about these words. Neither noticed the nurse come into the room until she started speaking.

"No no no. This just won't do! They boy needs his rest, come on out!" she said ushering Hermione towards the door, the girl opened her mouth to protest but the nurse continued, "I said you could stay until he wakes, and as you can see he is wide awake now. He needs rest; not visitors!"

Hermione didn't bother to argue about it; instead she grudgingly traipsed down to the great hall to have breakfast, as she walked her thoughts were with the blonde boy.

She had been so worried for him, and she hated to see him so sad, every time she saw his eyes fill with pain she just wanted to comfort him. With all that that had happened since the start of the school year, Hermione couldn't help but find herself taking a liking to the boy; she just wished there was something she could do to take his pain away.

She bit her lip as she entered the great hall and took a seat between Ron and Ginny. The Gryffindor table was full of hungry students, all piling their plates up with more eggs and slices of bacon than they could possibly eat. Hermione took a neat bite out of a waffle, whilst Ron and Harry greedily ate more sausage sandwiches, than was advisable. The head girl did not notice Ginny studying her from the corner of her eye until she spoke to her, "Are you okay Hermione, you look like you could do with some sleep.

"Yeah, you look awful!" added Parvati, and getting a glare from the Weasley girl in the process.

"I'm fine," Hermione replied through gritted teeth, "I'm just a bit tired,"

"Well as long as that's all," shrugged Ginny, "maybe you should skip studying tonight and just go to bed early."

"Sure," nodded the head girl, unable to muster up the energy to protest, instead she buttered a toast she had no intention of eating and took a sip of orange juice out of her goblet.

Whilst the others prepared to go to their first lessons of the day, Hermione gathered her things and headed down to the library; McGonagall had given her the morning off in order to finalise the arrangements of the fast approaching Christmas dance. It had been decided by the teachers that it would be best to go ahead with all plans which Dumbledore had made, as so not to further disrupt the school. The head girl smiled at the thought of organising a dance she had no intention of attending; however, the job itself was a welcome distraction from everything around her.

The task of arranging a dance however turned out to be a lot harder than Hermione had originally assumed. Who would have thought that decorating could be so difficult to the girl, who excelled in everything?

As Draco lay on the bed in the infirmary, he let himself submerse into the world of thoughts, and it did not take long for his thoughts to revert back to the Gryffindor girl. Draco could tell she really cared for him, but he knew he could not allow himself to get too close, his father would find out and her life would be in grave danger. He could not allow that to happen; she was a friend, and didn't want to loose her.

However, what he should do and what he wanted to do were two entirely different things. He wanted to be close to her, to talk to her, to laugh with her. A year ago he would have been disgusted by these thoughts; but so much had happened since then.

It burned a hole in his heart to think of his mother as dead… murdered. She was the only person who ever truly loved him. But he knew he couldn't grieve forever; he wouldn't give Lucius the satisfaction.

Being stuck in the infirmary had given him time to think things through, and he knew the only logical step to take next would be forward. What he also knew however is that when the time came, and it would come, he would get revenge; his father would pay for what he had done.

Draco looked up as Madame Pomfrey walked out of her office to check up on him. "Can I go yet?" he asked her hopefully.

"Don't be ridiculous," she chided "you'll be in here for a few more days yet."

"But I feel fine," the blonde boy complained.

"All I try and do is help, and what do I get?" complained the nurse to no one in particular as she turned and headed back to her office, "some gratitude wouldn't go amiss. The things I have to put up with…." Draco stared after her, one brow carefully raised. She continued complaining, however the boy could not hearher anymoreas she had closed the office door behind her, sealingthe flow of angrywords from being heard.

Draco leaned back against his pillow and stared blankly at the wall opposite. He truly did feel better. He could have sworn Madame Pomfrey had given him enough medication to revive the dead, not to mention the piles of blankets she had thrust upon him.

The blonde boy gave a long sigh, he was not used to being confined in small rooms; especially with nothing to do but immerse into his own thoughts to occupy himself.

Upon professor McGonagall's orders, the teachers had collected together, to discuss the current situation of Hogwarts without a head master. "It is not safe," sighed professor Trelawney, "Hogwarts must close."

"Don't be ridiculous" interrupted Snape, then he added in a much quieter voice, "psychotic old bat."

"Sybill is right, the students are in danger without Dumbledore, if anything happens to any of them…" started the new defence against the dark arts teacher, however with a well-placed glare from Snape, he trailed off.

"But that's what they want," reminded McGonagall, "do you really think after all these years of fighting we should just give up?" She asked, looking at each of the teachers in turn.

"So your pride is more important than the students safety?" Muttered one of the teachers sitting in the far corner of the small room.

"The head master would have wanted the school to remain open," added Snape.

A murmur of agreement travelled round the room.

"Perhaps we should put it to a vote?" suggested one of the professors.

McGonagall nodded in agreement before saying; "Please raise your hands if you are in favour of Hogwarts School remaining open during Dumbledore's absence." She silently counted the hands which rose.