Hello! I'm happy and I don't know why! I think this chapter is going to be rather long. Woohoo! Ok, ok, I'm going, I going! Here's Chapter 7! I'm exclaiming a lot of things! The story!

Chapter 7: Unbelievable! In threes!

Hermione was about to go on when he twisted her ankle, making her fall. She caught herself and Draco let go. Glaring at him, she stood and walked to the compartment door. Before she could open it though, Draco was right behind her, and spoke in her ear.

"So much fun Granger, we've got to do that again." Hermione didn't reply and left without looking back. If she had, he would've seen her flushed face. And that wouldn't be good.

Even as the feast commenced, Draco was still rejoicing on the inside. He had gotten so close, and she hadn't slapped him or anything! He shot her a glare for good measure when he and Hermione were announced as Head Boy and Head Girl. He wished he could voice his sheer happiness to someone, to anyone, but as he couldn't, he tried not to think about it.

Hermione stood in the doorway of her room, shocked. She had been expecting the normal Gryffindor colors, but everything was…White! Just plain white! She turned back to Professor McGonnegall, who was in the common room.

"Professor, everything is white!"

"Yes, Ms. Granger, it is. I'm sure you know a few color-changing spells. This is one of the many privileges that come along with being a Head. (She paused a moment here) Speaking of which, your mother wrote and asked a favor for you. There is a cupboard with your name on it in the broom shed. You might want to visit soon."

"Oh. Yes, of course. I'll visit first thing after my room is done."

"Very well, it's your choice. Have a pleasant night, Ms. Granger, Mr. Malfoy."

She left after flashing Hermione a small proud smile. Glancing around the common room again, she saw the main colors were Gryffindor gold and Slytherin green. She really didn't like it. Glancing at him, she decided she would ask.

"Malfoy, I don't really like this, do you?"

"No." Came his bored reply. Then he looked at her a moment.

"You're not changing it to Gryffindor's colors."

"Wasn't planning on it, Malfoy. A bit paranoid are you?"

"Shut up and get on with it if you must."

She smiled at him, then let her gaze travel about the room until suddenly, she gasped, as she tends to do when ideas hit her. Now, Malfoy, who didn't know this about her, visibly jumped. Thankfully, he noted, Hermione didn't notice. A wave of her wand, and the room was suddenly a lot darker. She had transformed the room to an array of black and a surprisingly bright blue. Hermione turned back to him.

"Well?"

"It's okay." He shrugged, determined not to let her know he liked it very much.

"Good. Now, on to the bathroom. Maybe it won't be as hideous." She opened the door and looked inside.

"Well…maybe you should look for yourself." Draco made his way over.

"Ugh. See, and no one believed me when I said he was a crazy old man. Well, just look at this mess!"

Hermione checked the urge to laugh and managed with a cough. She didn't notice Draco's slight smile. She waved her wand once again, and this time, he could hear her murmur some spell. The bathroom was now a deep purple and had black accents. She left, going into her room. Not much later, Draco noted her exit and realized she must be going to the broom shed. He went to his window, but it was getting darker by the minute and he could hardly see anything on the ground below. It was nearly ten o'clock when Hermione came in the common room. She had stripped off her hoodie and sat on the chair furthest away from the fireplace. Her chest was heaving and her face was flushed. It was obvious she had been doing some sort of exercise.

"What have you been doing for the past three hours?"

"I was bike riding." She didn't look at him as she answered.

"What – "

"It's a muggle thing. I guess I could compare it to a broomstick, but it's different. Due to the physical exertion, you don't really think that much, as opposed to a broomstick, which you can continue to think on."

"Oh."

Draco went to bed without another word.

He woke up extremely early the next morning due to noise. For a moment he was disoriented, but that soon passed. In a flash he was up and striding toward Hermione's bedroom. The noise was louder. Draco pounded on the door. The Hermione he knew didn't open the door, but someone else entirely. This person had short shorts on and a cami top with her hair in a messy bun, looking livid.

"What the hell do you want at four in the morning!"

"Turn that crap off, it woke me up."

"It's Evanescence, not crap! I don't give a damn if it woke you up, now you've woken me up!"

She slammed the door in his face, leaving Draco stunned in just his pajama pants. He made a mental note not to disturb Hermione while she was sleeping. Sighing, he went to his own room.

Draco got a shock in the morning. Hermione was sitting in her pajamas on the couch, reading a book. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"How long have you been up?"

"Since you woke me up."

"That was hours ago."

"I have sleep problems. (She got off the couch and faced him) Look, I shouldn't have been nasty last night, I'm sorry. I'm not a morning person."

"Okay…"

"I suggest we call a truce, at least for in here. I'll keep Harry and Ron off your back, and you just let up a little, alright?"

"Er, I guess." He said slowly.

"Alright, then. I think we should exchange after class schedules. That way, we won't bring anyone over while the other is around and that type of thing. Sound good?"

"Uh…yeah. Yeah I guess so."

"Great. Meet me here at eight to discuss it."

It was nearly a month later when the first incident happened. Draco was angry. This year, he was captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. The first match was coming in two weeks. Holloween had just passed, and everybody had gotten sloppy. The team wasn't anywhere near being ready. And that was why he was storming down the hall, still in uniform, holding his broom over his shoulder. However, upon getting closer to his room, there was a faint noise to be heard. By the time he reached the isolated room, the music was pounding. Bracing himself, he stepped through the portrait and into the common room. Realizing just how loud it was, Draco could feel the music crawling through his body, the vibration almost unnoticeable. He was about to start yelling at her, when he caught sight of her. She was dancing. Hermione Granger was dancing wildly, eyes closed, hips swaying. It was the most sensual, sexual thing he had ever seen, and she wasn't even trying! She didn't know he was there. Fighting down the urge to stand there and continue to stare at her, he made his way over to the thing that the music was coming out of. Unable to turn it off, he whispered a spell to turn it off.

The music came to an abrupt halt, as did Hermione. Draco turned to see Hermione slowly turning toward the machine. Oh-so-slowly, she let her eyes open. At the sight of Draco (in uniform, mind you) she gasped, and her hands automatically went to cover her bare stomach.

"I…uh…you're supposed to be at Quidditch practice." She said weakly.

"I got frustrated and left…Is this what you do when I'm gone?"

"No, not all the time. Uh…how long were you here?"

"Not so long. I must say, I never saw you as a dancer, Granger. But you're quite good at it. I mean, I really never saw that coming. And I know a lot about you…" He said the last part more to himself, but she heard it.

"Uh…yes, well…thanks, I guess. I'm just gonna go now… um…next time, tell me if you're coming in early."

She ran toward her room, opened the door, and at the last minute, made a decision. She turned around, her back against the door, and said quietly, "There's a lot of things that nobody knows about me, Malfoy. I'm just full of surprises." Hermione didn't wait around to see if he heard her or his reaction. Darting in her room, she lay down, and noted to never get the music so loud she couldn't hear anything else.

The second incident happened only a week later. In front of everyone. It was breakfast, and there was some new rumor going about, so everyone was really rather chatty. Then the doors opened with a bang. Harry saw Hermione and was about to wave when he saw the murderous look on her face. She was mad. Very much so. When people began to realize where she was headed, they all shushed and watched.

Draco noticed the hall go rather quiet, and he could hear someone tapping their foot behind him. He ignored it until that someone flicked him on the back of the head. He stood up and turned, see tight black capris and a red hoodie. (Shocking, as it was a school day) He met Hermione's eyes and noted they were filled with tears and she was blinking furiously. He saw her mouth go into a straight, grim line and waited. When she spoke, it was very softly, but full of fury.

"Who did you tell about my bike?"

"I…no one. Why would I?"

What happened next surprised Draco. Hermione put both hands on his shoulders and pushed him down to the point that he was sitting, her face mere inches away from his. Her eyes were burning and he could see she was using all the self-restraint she had to stop herself from attacking him right now. She asked again, even softer.

"Who did you tell about my bike?"

"I don't know, I might have mentioned it in passing in the Slytherin common room." She took a deep breath.

"Who was there?"

"I don't know everyone who-" She cut him off.

"Who was there?" Her voice dropped even lower.

"I guess I could try to make a list." His eyes narrowed.

"I'll be waiting."

Hermione left the great hall, everyone shocked. Not a second later than she was in her room, she screamed. And screamed. Her tears fell and she furiously wiped them away. She wouldn't cry. She had to be strong. She wouldn't ever cry here, not at Hogwarts. It was supposed to be her sanctuary, where she didn't have to deal with her family, and she certainly didn't cry. No, she wouldn't cry, but she would get even. She would get her revenge.

Draco went to the broom shed. Obviously, something had happened to her bike. He went to the cupboard with her name on it and saw the bike. He wasn't really sure what it looked like in the first place, but he could tell it wasn't supposed to be like this. Its frame was mangled, there was the word 'MUDBLOOD' scratched into the paint, and the tires were slashed. Getting his anger in check before he left, he stormed his way to the common room. The news had spread, and even though Voldemort was gone, their beliefs still held, and everyone was talking animatedly about it. He went up to a bunch of fourth years.

"Who did it?"

"A sixth year, Courtney Deltner. She likes you."

Draco walked out of the room, the boy still talking, trying to tell him the rest. But he had all he needed. He wanted to scream so badly. It was his fault. He had never seen her this upset before, and now that she was, of course it had to be his fault. He cursed himself a million times over before reaching Professor McGonnegall's office. He knocked, and was admitted.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I know who did it."

Hermione was next to him in a flash, the fury still there.

"Who?" Her voice had a hard edge that he hadn't heard before.

"Courtney Deltner. A sixth year. She, ah… she did it to impress me."

"I see. Ms. Granger, please stay here."

She left the same way Draco had just come. Hermione stood stalk still. Draco took a deep breath.

"Granger, I'm sorry."

She looked at him in disbelief. "You're sorry? (She scoffed.) I cannot believe you!" She made to walk away, but he grabbed her arm, spinning her around again.

"I'm sorry, Granger. For everything."

"And why should you be sorry now? Even as you spied for Dumbledore, I never got an apology. Why now?" She said it in a callous voice, dripping with rage. She ripped her arm out of his grasp, and was about to walk away again, when he spoke.

"Because I know what it means to just not think."

He was staring at her, something forming in his mind. Hermione couldn't handle it anymore, and ran. Literally. She took off running as if she was being chased down by a pack of wild, crazed elephants. She had almost reached the relative safety of her room, when she saw Dumbledore. She immediately began to walk instead, because Head Girls simply did not run in the halls.

"Ah, Ms. Granger. I was just looking for you, I'm afraid I have to discuss things of a sensitive issue with you."

"Well, actually-" She cut off, wondering at herself. Had she really been about to tell the Headmaster that it wasn't a good time for her. Just because her life was falling apart didn't mean he had to know. Squaring her shoulders, she put her best smile on, made her eyes curious, and looked up at him. "Why don't we use the common room? It's much closer than your office, and Malfoy shouldn't be in for a while."

"That would be splendid." His eyes held just a spark of his twinkle, and his smile was knowing, with a hint of sadness. It was going to be bad news. They proceeded into the room, and Hermione sat on the couch, offering him the chair. He sat and sighed.

"I do not had good news. It is my personal belief, and that of the Ministry's, that your family is being targeted by rogue deatheaters. They have been attacked twice."

"Twice?" She made her voice sound hollow and worried.

"They are all well, but I would like to take precautions until these attacks stop. In a weeks time, your family will be coming to Hogwarts."

Hermione was shocked. Flabbergasted. Amazed. Horrified. How could her family come to her place? I'd rather die, please just let me die, she thought. "But, sir! They're muggles!"

"Arrangements will be made. Do not worry. They will stay in an unused part of the castle until Christmas break, where they will spend here with you, if you want and think Mr. Malfoy can be trusted.

"Yes, yes, of course. I'll talk to Malfoy about it. Where will they be?"

"The room of Requirement should work out nicely. I must ask that you do not go to see them until break."

"Yes, that's understandable. Yes… it'll be fine."

She tried desperately to ignore the fact that her parents and Beth would be at Hogwarts. But she couldn't. And of course they would have to come spend break with her, she must keep up appearances. Damn it! Dumbledore said goodbye, told her not to worry again, and then she was left alone. As she trudged up the stairs to her room to get clothes for her bath, she couldn't help but let a small tear slip down her cheek. This had to be the worst day of her life, and it wasn't even lunchtime. Making the decision to skip her afternoon classes, she slipped into the bath, with her notebook and quill, ready to write goodbye. It was all over now. The only thing left to do was to tell the truth. Well, for the most part. Sort of. So she wasn't sure what she wanted to write, so what? She would figure it out before she got out of the bath. And that wouldn't be for some time, so it was all good. Well, at least she pretended it was all good, because that's what Pretenders do, after all. When their world is falling apart, they crack under the pressure, or they ignore it all. And Hermione was very good at ignoring things. Even her therapist said so.

Well, there's Chapter 7 for you. Did you like it? It really was action-packed, wasn't it? Compared to my other chapters anyway. What will happen? What will she tell Draco? And what does Draco already know? You'll have to wait for chapter eight for the answers. Good day to you!

Dizzy