Synopsis: Welp, Draco's being an ass.

Disclaimer: not mine

A/N: I'd like to announce that this chapter is dedicated to Jenie who noticed where I got the New Year's scene from!!! It's from the movie "The Cutting Edge" which I love so much!! More at the end, as usual

The seventh-year Gryffindors were filing into Transfiguration, where they were finishing up transfiguring scissors into roses, when Lavender burst in. She looked around quickly.

"Maya!" she hissed.

Maya turned to look at Lavender, whom she never really talked to, "What is it?"

"It's Hermione, she ran to the Prefect's bathroom bawling her eyes out!" she whispered.

Maya's face fell, "Professor McGonagall, may I run up to the Hospital Wing. I've got a headache."

"Of course, Miss Jackman, you've already finished, haven't you?"

Maya nodded, and high tailed it out of the room. She ran to the Prefect's bathroom, and put her ear to the door, sure enough, she heard sobbing sounds.

She knocked lightly, "Mione, can I come in?"

Inside, Hermione stood up quickly, "Hold on, Maya, I'll be right out."

She walked over to the sink, and splashed some water on her face, and straightened out her hair. She picked up her things and walked outside.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, Maya, I just had a bit of a headache."

"Lavender saw you running to the bathroom, Hermione."

"You know how Lavender exaggerates things, it's fine. Let's go to Transfiguration."

They walked uneasily back to class, and Hermione walked up to McGonagall.

"Sorry, Professor, I forgot my notes for the presentation in my room, and I wanted to head up to the library after lunch."

"That's fine, Miss Granger. You may either have a study period, or start on your next project."

Hermione nodded, and took a piece of white parchment, and began to transfigure it into a dove.

Her next class, Herbology with the Hufflepuffs passed by in a blur, as she dazed in and out of paying attention. 'I can't believe I was so stupid as to think he'd changed. Don't I remember the past six years? I mean, when he hexed my teeth fourth year, and last year when he put that 'Mudblood's House' banner over the Gryffindor table. He's just a cruel person, Death Eater or not. There's only a few more months left, then I'll never have to deal with Draco Malfoy again.'

At the end of the period, the Slytherin seventh-years all walked up from Charms into the Great Hall. Draco looked around for Hermione. She was sitting at the Gryffindor table, reading The Daily Prophet. He shot a look over to Pansy, when she saw him looking at her, she batted her eyelashes, and gave him a sickening smile.

Draco sighed, and put his head in his hand, and began to poke his food around the plate. 'Why did I do that? Why do I care what the Slytherins think? I don't plan on being friends with Pansy, Crabbe, or Goyle after graduation. I had planned on being friends with Hermione…doesn't look like that will happen, though, does it? She'll have to talk to me again sometime, won't she?'

"Mione, why is Draco staring at you?" Ron asked his quiet friend.

Hermione shrugged, "Dunno, ask him."

"Are you ok?" Harry asked her.

"Yes! For God's sake! I am O-bloody-K!" She stood up huffily, "I have to go to the library, see you all later."

Draco watched her march out of the Great Hall, and impulsively got up to go after her. He jogged out into the hall, and finally saw her halfway down the hall to the library.

"Hermione!" he called after her. She didn't respond, so he ran up to her.

"Hermione, let me explain," he said, as they both continued walking. He looked up, the doors to the library were only a few steps away.

"Hermione, please," she still was not responding, she looked straight forward and did not acknowledge his presence.

Draco, frustrated, grabbed her shoulders and pinned her against the wall, "PLEASE listen to me!"

Hermione looked right at Draco, but before he could speak, her hand connected with his cheek. Draco lost his grip on her as his hand went to his face where she'd just slapped him. Taking advantage of his momentary disorientation, Hermione ran quickly to the library, leaving a stunned Draco in the hall.

He sighed, and plodded back to their room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A week had passed already, and Hermione hadn't said one single word to Draco. He was beginning to wonder how they'd ever put their final presentation together. He finally decided that he had no other choice.

Natalya Zimmerman, a first year Gryffindor was walking to her portrait hole after Charms, when she saw the Slytherin Head Boy standing outside.

"Hey! You're in Gryffindor, right?" he asked her.

Natalya nodded her head, afraid that she was going to get in trouble.

"Great, I'm Draco Malfoy. I was wondering if you could go in there and get Ginny Weasley for me?"

Natalya nodded slowly, and walked in. She ran up the stairs to the Sixth- year dormitory, and knocked.

"Come in," came a voice.

Natalya stepped in, and saw Ginny on her bed, "Um, Ginny, Draco Malfoy is outside the portrait hole, and he wants to talk to you."

Ginny looked up at her, confused, "Oh, thanks Natalya."

Ginny bounced down the stairs, and went outside, where she found Draco scuffing the floor.

"What's up?"

"Weasley, I've done something…bad. Can we go somewhere and talk?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, let's go to an empty classroom so we can have some privacy."

They walked in silence to an empty room, and sat down. Draco took a deep breath, and the whole Pansy and Hermione story spilled out.

When he was done, Ginny shook her head, and let out a slow breath, "Well, you've certainly outdone yourself this time, Draco Malfoy."

"I know," he groaned.

"She hasn't said one word to you? Not one thing?"

"Not a single syllable, or one noise, she doesn't even cough in my presence."

Ginny sighed, "I can try to talk to her, but, I don't think I've ever known her to be so stubborn. She trusted you, Draco, and, well, you've pretty much fucked that up big time."

Draco merely nodded solemnly, "Well, thanks for listening, Ginny. I've got to go do some work."

Draco and Ginny each left their separate ways. Ginny headed off to the library, where she found Hermione in her corner.

"Hey Mione," she said as she flopped down in a chair.

"Hi, Gin. What's up?"

"Well, I just had an interesting conversation… with Draco."

Hermione looked up sharply at her friend, "Did you, now? Did Mister Malfoy have anything interesting to say?"

"Why didn't you tell us, Hermione?"

She shrugged passively, "I didn't see the need to."

"Well, he's really really sorry, Mione."

"Yeah, me too. Sorry I wasted my time."

"But maybe you could just give him a chance?"

"No, Ginny, I will not. In effect, he called me a Mudblood again, and said I was sickening! That's not something I'm willing to forgive too readily. He and his Slytherin buddies have tried to be the ruin of me and my friends a million times over, but I let it go, didn't I? If he wants me to forget what he said, he's got another thing coming. I might talk to him a bit before the conference, but if he thinks I'm going to be his friend again, he's sorely mistaken."

Ginny sighed. "I don't think I'm going to be able to convince you on this one."

Hermione laughed bitterly, "Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin. He's got his precious Pansy, he can have a nice life. I've got to go now, I'll talk to you later, Gin."

Hermione stood up and flounced out of the library. Ginny stared after her as she left, and shook her head. Ginny began walking towards the door, when a hand pulled her back behind a shelf suddenly.

"God, Malfoy, you scared me!" She saw the somber expression on his face. "I guess you heard that."

"Yeah, I deserve it, I guess."

"You GUESS? Draco, you insulted her in front of Pansy Parkinson of all people! Do you realize that she must have gone back to the Slytherin Common Room and told every person willing to listen what you said? Do you realize that they're calling her 'sickening Mudblood' now? Do you know that they're saying it to her face, Draco?"

She paused for a moment, glaring at his abashed face, and continued.

"She's Head Girl for fuck's sake, and one out of every four students at this school has absolutely no respect for her, none! It's worse than it's ever been. Those Slytherins worship the ground you walk on, Malfoy. Do you even know what you did? Not only did you crush her feelings because she truly respected you as a friend Draco, not even some one to work with, but as a friend, but you made her look bad. She didn't kiss you on purpose, and you didn't look too disgusted when it happened, if I may add! So, in my opinion you ruined her reputation AND you're a liar! I hope you're proud of yourself."

"Well, Christ, Weasley, you can't teach an old dog new damn tricks! Isn't that what they say? I am a Slytherin, I was put there for a reason! Don't you think it was hard enough to reckon my Slytherin traits with my feelings for Hermione Granger, a Mudblood, a Gryffindor Mudblood. Don't you think it was hard for me to feel friendship for her? And not even just friendship, but… Well, it was hard! And I felt like I was betraying my house. They always showed me respect, Weasley, not just because I was a Malfoy, but because I deserved it!"

"Like your father?" Ginny spat bitterly.

"Don't you dare, Weasley, don't EVEN dare. This is not about him!"

"You can lie to yourself, and you can even lie to Hermione, but you can't lie to the rest of us. You're just afraid that you might actually CARE about somebody for once, you might actually give a damn if they're there the next morning. And what's worse, they might actually care about, you, too! You can't handle it!"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Weasley," Draco said weakly.

"Right, of course not. You know, maybe I am wrong, maybe you are just the Pureblood arse everyone always thought you were. If that's the case, you disgust me. At the beginning of the year, she would defend you, she stayed by your bed twenty-four hours a DAY, Draco Malfoy. Do you know what it takes to have Hermione Granger MISS classes? She thought you were worth it, but you seem bent on proving her wrong. I don't know why I agreed to help you. I think I should go now, though."

"No, Ginny, please, I'm sorry. I need your help, what can I do?"

Ginny looked at him stoically, "I have no clue, I haven't seen her this determined since she enforced the quiet hours in the Common Room the week before OWLs. And you KNOW she got perfect scores, don't you?"

"So you've got nothing?"

Ginny took a pensive breath, "I think you should talk to Maya."

"Maya Jackman?"

"Do you know any other ones?" (A/N: I REEEEAAALLLYY wanted to have her say "No, Maya the Bee." But Ginny wouldn't know who that is…)

"Why Maya, she doesn't really know any of us?"

"Trust me. Come on."

Ginney led Draco silently to Gryffindor Tower, and they entered the Common Room. Thankfully there weren't too many people there to give them confused looks.

"Wait here," Ginny ordered him, and she ran up the stairs to the seventh- year dormitories.

"Maya, I need your help."

"Gin, look, I only told you because…"

"Just come with me for a second, ok?"

Maya sighed and out her book down, and Ginny took her hand, and led her down to the Common Room. Maya saw Draco standing there, and turned to Ginny.

"Oh, I see."



A/N: Right, so here we are:

-I went back and changed ch. 29. I had Sirius having Draco as his best man, when that OBVIOUSLY wouldn't happen, so it's Harry now.

-Ummmmm, for those who are interested, the whole Ginny/Harry thing is on hold for now. Sorry, but I'll get back to you

- One to reviews… I GOT MY FIRST FLAME!!!!! I was so excited, but it was a bit of a let-down, all it said was "um.. this sux" but, I do have a response to 'me' who wrote the review…

Now, 'me' I saw that the review was for Chapter 29. Now, that's sixty-one THOUSAND words into the story. If it sucked so badly, you could have stopped reading at, you know, 2 or 3, or even at 5, or 10, or even TWENTY, but you read 29 chapters of this, and I think that kind of reneges your right to say it sucked, b/c if you're reading it that far and you hate it, you're obviously some kind of literary masochist. ON the other hand, if you read, say, one chapter, or even less that one, or in any event, not all 29 chapters in their entirety, you have no right to flame me b/c you don't know the whole story. So, I just feel sorry for you, because you either wasted an awful lot of your time reading my story which 'sux' as you so eloquently put it, or you're too judgmental to give it a chance!! But, in any event, have a nice day, if you're going to criticize me again, at least put in some suggestions I would like some, actually, and use correct grammar so you don't look like a total ass, ok?

On to my wonderful fabulous reviewers….

Fluffybun, ^-~, DMRox, KStar74, animemelonhead, Kristina, witch, bloodredroses, Gregory, Ally-sama, kitty, firefaerie96, Angelicgirl, JamieGirl, trippinwithcats, Alorya Malfoy, Blackkitty, ~*~Sugar Plums~*~, Bohemian Goddess, Mionee, whatever22, daredevil, grizziestar, Hermione13, herm, Kat097, Liz Malfoy, Bluebubblegrl, Tara, Ruth Owl, Weasley-Gurl, Draco's Queen, Amber, little me, michelle chau, porkypop, JoeBob1379, Mariella, hermioneG89, Xaviera, Silver Starlight, Epequa, blueearthgoddess, Avalon, michee, No need to know, Natasha, Rachel Hunt, Rhiannon Greenleaf, Kearie, Lizzi, Shaz Kay Gee Bee, citywitch110, Priya-chan, VanillaLily, Dark-angel, Ana, Jessie, Beauty Full, Icy Stormz, katelyn, Dragon from the Black Lagoon, Queen Dork, Toadie, Erika Moonbeam, kittykat, sucker for romance, mimi, kikimachi, Hannah Reitman, Alanna Roseguard



Luckyme07- You know, you should watch out, b/c there was a point in time in which I found fanfiction completely ludicrous, and now I'm sucked in, so be careful!! Heehee

Jenie- Yay!! You got the Cutting Edge thing, I was hoping some one would!! Ooh, and I'm glad there's another Loch Lomond fan out there!

krissy- I'm confused as to why you're confused… I did fix the best man thing, though

goaliegloves- There will be some more Voldie, but I've saved most of that plot for the Snape fic

Holly- lol, did you finish reading it?

Christine- Awww, that was super nice of you to say! I don't think I have the most reviews, but I am SOOOOOO amazingly happy about how many I have

grammarplease- thanks for saying that, I really do read every review, and try to comment as much as possible, I'm glad you noticed

Sugar- Thanks! But, I'm not going into writing, and despite what all of you guys say, lol, I really can't write for shit!

DarkAngel009988- Well, she asked Hermione b/c she doesn't really have any other female friends… well, she does, but she doesn't know it… but I dunno if the story behind that will be in this or my Snape fic… I'm cruel

Han- You QUOTE me??? Wow, what quotes? I'm so flattered!! Wow!

Elizabeth L. Digby- Ooh, more Maya for you coming soon!

Fleur- Well, I wouldn't want to deprive you of your bragging rights over Trav, lol!

Ryoko- I READ EVERY SINGLE REVIEW FOR THIS STORY!! Lol, done yelling. I do!!! Well, not EVERY one, b/c a few got posted multiple times this chapter, but I read them ALL at LEAST twice… once originally, and then once when I go back to write all the thank-yous out! How would I know which ones to respond to if I didn't read them all, silly!!!

Veronica- I'll be posting the Snape fic after I have 5 chapters written for it, I'm on 3 now, but I know where I'm going. The Fred fic is absolute crap, so that's got to have a huge overhaul… I don't think it'll be out for a few months.

KozmickGrrl- Eep!! Better than JKR? Heehee, I think not, but that was V. kind of you to say!!!

Nuada- LOL, I read your review and I thought to myself "Ooh, 'Can't Hurry Love' I should use that song!" Then it dawned on me that I already have… I've been writing this fic for too long!! Heehee

Gryphon- LOL, I don't think I can properly convey the tune of Loch Lomond in writing, BUT, if you wanna download it, for the more traditional version, look for the Swingle Singers a capella version, and for a more entertaining one, get the live version by Runrig.

~*Draco'z Chick*~- OK, your review was SO funny… I dunno why, but it was just really really funny.

And Squinnles- Almost forgot you again!! Best friends, woo hoo! And the pact! Our kids will have the greatest middle names ever!! Love you lots* (still haven't forgiven you for septic tank, though! ~winks~)

You guys are SO GREAT!!!! Thank you all so much for reviewing it really means a lot to me to read what you think of each chapter. So, as always, please r/r this one!! THANKS!!!