A/N: So here I am ready to start another chapter for you all… thanks for the reviews and here I go!

DISCLAIMER: I own the plot but nothing else.

Chapter Seven: Cold Shoulder

Draco wiped sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief. The last table was done and like the rest it was spotless and shining bright. With a sigh, Draco turned to see Hermione placing the mop back in the mop bucket. Both were now starring at the shelf to the right side of the classroom. It looked like people just threw the bottles on there. Many were cracked and leaking and there were cobwebs all over the place.

"What time is it?" asked Hermione.

Draco pulled his sleeve up a bit and checked his watch, "9:30pm. We should be done in time."

Hermione nodded, "Bed is sounding like heaven don't you think? I never knew first years could be such grommets."

Draco chuckled. He really couldn't believe how at ease he was around the Gryffindor. To think just mere days ago they were at each other's throats… it was a wonderous thing what talking and having to work together could do.

"How long till October?" asked Draco as they carefully pulled things off the shelves.

"Two weeks I think. Why?"

"Quidditch starts in November. Anyway… what are your plans this weekend?"

"I really don't have any. Most likely homework, writing to my parents and Vicktor. What about you?"

"None… so you really do write to Vicktor Krum?"

Hermione nodded, "Why?"

"Well us Slytherin's heard rumors you did, but none of us really knew whether to believe it or not, because well you know how Hogwarts is with rumors. There is one circling at the moment that Weaselette and Potter have something going on."

"That actually isn't a rumor. Potter as you call him and Weaselette as you call Ginny, are actually going steady."

"Oh… okay."

Draco felt like he'd just put his foot in the biggest hole in the world. Sometimes he wished he didn't say things he did.

Hermione looked at him and smiled, "It's okay, Draco. I honestly don't expect you to call them by there names. They still refer to you as ferret, Malfoy and other things."

"Other things?"

Hermione stayed silent and Draco noticed she pretended to become interested in the potion vial in her hand.

"Hermione?"

Hermione looked at him, "They aren't nice things. I really don't want to tell you."

"Hermione I'm sure I have called them worse things."

Both him and Hermione sat at a table, though keep a safe space between them.

"Well… the worst one I can remember is that they called you a 'muggleborn raper'," mumbled Hermione looking at the ground.

Draco inhaled a deep breath nodding, so Hermione wasn't kidding when they weren't nice things. Draco drummed his fingers across the table and looked up in shock as Hermione stood up and began stacking the shelves neatly. She obviously thought he was mad at her for things she didn't even say.

"Hermione, I'm not mad at you," said Draco standing up and walking over to her, "We are friends aren't we?"

Hermione just nodded in silence, "Just friends."

"Well I know that. Look, lets finish this and we can possibly talk tomorrow."

"Yeah okay."

'Girls and their mood swings,' thought Draco with a sigh.

!D!

Friday dawned to be a tiresome day for the Slytherin blonde haired seventh year. Who knew detention could make you this way? That and trying to tell Hermione that he didn't hate her… but still she kept blocking him away from her and he didn't understand why. They were friends weren't they? He didn't feel anything else for her, Draco was pretty much positive about that.

After dressing in his uniform and getting everything else ready for that day, Draco raced out of the common room. He didn't care what anyone else thought, but today he was going to speak to Hermione in front of the school.

Just as he reached the top of the Entrance Hall staircase someone grabbed him from behind and spun him around.

"Potter!" spat Draco in disgust glaring at the green eyed Gryffindor, "Let me go."

"Listen, Malfoy," came Potter's cold reply releasing Draco, "I know you and Hermione have formed some friendship… keep it that way."

"What do you mean 'keep it that way'? There is nothing more there Potter."

Potter sighed, "Good. But I am warning you Malfoy. Hurt Hermione and your dead."

"Fine Potter. Listen I need to speak to Hermione. Where is she?"

"Gone for a walk… to do some stuff."

"Around the lake?"

"No Malfoy in the lake," replied Potter sarcastically, "Where else does the walking path go?"

Draco didn't reply, stuff Potter and his sarcasm. Just because he was the 'boy-who-lived' didn't mean he could be king of sarcasm now did it? That title belonged to Draco.

Draco pushed the castle doors open and walked outside. The air held a morning chill meaning very little people were outside. As Draco walked he could feel eyes burning into his back. The feeling was beginning to annoy him a lot, and it was too early to annoy a Malfoy. Turning around quickly Draco caught site of the one and only Blaise Zabini standing near some trees.

"Stupid loathsome scum," snarled Draco walking over to him angrily.

It was one thing to admit to being his father's spy, but it was another to continue it after admitting it.

Draco whipped out his wand as he walked closer to the low Slytherin. Who did this guy think he was? A Death Eater? Well apart from being a future one that was.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" growled Draco standing in front of Blaise his wand held out, pointing towards the Slytherin's neck.

"Now that wouldn't be a smart thing to do, would it?" smirked Blaise only causing Draco to step closer, his wand tip touching the skin of Blaise's neck.

Draco smirked when he saw fear flash across Blaise's dark eyes, "You never were good at hiding your emotion's Zabini."

"Yet I can read yours like a book Draco," replied Blaise, "Your fond of the Gryffindor Mudblood aren't you?"

"She isn't a Mudblood!"

"Well you certainly have had a change of tune haven't you? Why last year she was the biggest Mudblood on earth."

"Do you want me to hex your arse from here to Mars?"

Blaise chuckled, "You like her, more than a friend."

Draco dropped his wand; only to slam his fist into Blaise's jaw, "Shut your Merlin damn mouth! I do not have a bloody crush on her!"

"MR MALFOY!"

Instantly Draco stepped away from a bloody Blaise to see McGonagall glaring at him angrily, behind her stood Hermione who looked… upset?

"This is unacceptable behavior!" yelled the Deputy Head Mistress, "You shall perform two nights of detention! Tonight and Sunday night! Also fifty house points from Slytherin. You will report to my office tonight at six pm – on time!"

With that McGonagall turned and stormed away. Draco glared at Blaise who limped off towards the castle holding a hand over his bloody lip.

"Hermione," said Draco walking over to her, "How are you?"

"Fine," replied Hermione quickly looking around, "Umm, I have to go. So I'll see you at our meeting after lunch."

Draco watched confused as Hermione hurried up the path and into the castle.

"What did I do?" asked Draco out loud to no one in particular.

!D!

For Draco the morning seemed to go by as if someone had pressed the fast-forward on his life, because the next thing he knew he was entering the meeting room. As he closed the door the warmth from the fire hit him, making him take his robe off. Hermione hadn't arrived yet so Draco set out the notes from the previous meeting about the Halloween Dance. Just as he was sitting Draco, Hermione walked in and smiled lightly at him.

"Hello," greeted Draco as she sat across from him.

"Let's get started," came her reply.

"No. Not until you tell me what I have done wrong. You went like this last night at detention towards me... yet in potions you spoke to everyone else normally."

"You did nothing."

"Then why are you acting so cold towards me, Hermione? I must've done something to make you like this."

"It's me okay? Not you."

"You are using a break up line."

Hermione frowned at Draco and shook her head before looking at the parchment.

"Look can we please forget about it and get started on this?" insisted Hermione in a almost pleading voice.

"You know what? Fine, lets take two steps back in our friendship," snapped Draco standing up and pulling his robe on.

Hermione looked at him shocked, "Draco… I don't want that."

"Then why are you so cold towards me? I thought you wanted to be friends with me."

Hermione stood up, "I-I do."

"Then what is going on?"

"I don't know."

"I never would expect to hear those words from you, which must be why I don't believe you."

"Will you stop pestering me?" pleaded Hermione sitting down and clutching her forehead, "I shouldn't be letting this happen! I can't."

Draco was thoroughly confused. He had no idea what she was going on about and that scared him more so… especially the fact he was more worried about her than what a friend would be. He barely knew the girl.

"How about we just talk today?" suggested Draco, "Like friends… I don't know much about you."

Hermione looked up at him and nodded. Draco smiled and sat down across from her.

"Okay," said Draco smiling, "Tell me about your family?"

"Well… I am an only child," said Hermione soft, almost sad smile on her face, "My parents are dentists. My dad, Bruce is 42 and my mum, Elizabeth is 40. They have both been married 19 years this year. My mum's parents are dead. They died in a car accident five years ago and my father's parents are living in France. So visit them every summer. I have three cousins from my dad's side of the family. His sister Rachel has three kids: Scott, he's 18, Michelle is 15 and Thomas is 12."

Draco nodded.

"What about your family?"

Draco sighed, "Well… there is me the only child. My pathetic mother, Narcissa who is 43, my father how is locked up in Azkaban. He is 46 the old fart. My aunt Bellatrix is a loser herself. My family is pretty much crap."

"Sorry I asked," apologized Hermione.

Draco smiled at her, "No need too. So do you have any pets?"

"I do. I have a cat called Crookshanks and my parents look after our dog. He is Border collie cross Labrador. His name is Logan. Do you?"

"I did have an owl once. But it died of fright."

Draco smiled when Hermione raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"How?"

"Well, he was old, about twelve I believe and Pansy bent over in front of him one day and he just fell off his perch, dead."

Hermione started laughing, as did Draco.

"Poor bird," cried Hermione between laughing.

Both calmed down after a few minutes and sat in silence.

"You know in our seconds year," said Draco after a while, "How we had that weird Lockhart guy teaching us DADA… did you have a crush on him?"

Draco watched with interest as Hermione nodded, blushing a little.

"I don't believe it," said Draco in mock shock, "Hermione Granger had a crush on Lockhart."

"Oh pipe down and you aren't any better."

"How so?"

"You along with every other guy in this school, had a thing for those Beauxbaton's girls in our forth year."

"What can I say? Hormones go crazy at all times in our life's… only yours went crazy before mine."

Hermione rolled her eyes, "If you say so."

Draco smiled then went serious again, "What is the worst news someone has ever told you?"

Draco watched as the smile dropped from the Gryffindor's face. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked at the desk.

"Hermione?" said Draco touching her arm gently with his warm hand.

Hermione looked up at him, biting her upper lip before saying calmly, "That my grandparents were dead."

Draco just nodded, "Mine would be Pansy killing my owl."

The comment returned the smile back to Hermione's face, which Draco was glad to see.

A/N: Sorry its short. I'm just busy and wanted to get this done so I can keep you all happy. Hope you liked the chapter!

Bye for now!

Love yas!

Love Coz!