Author's Note: Hey! Long time no see, eh? So sorry about that. I've just been really . . . not motivated to post more . . . I hope this makes up for it . . .

4

A Walk Through the Corridors

Hermione sat in the library, looking over a few of her homework essays, making changes where needed, completing unfinished paragraphs and sentences.

"Miss Granger," the Madame Pince called, "it's getting late. I suggest you head back to Gryffindor Tower."

Hermione got up and proceeded to the exit. She walked out into the corridor, and shivered at the frigid draft that wafted through it.

She saw a figure heading towards her in the dark, and realised that it was Draco. He was walking at a brisk pace, and Hermione deciphered an expression of sheer fury on his face as he neared her.

"HOW DARE YOU!" he bellowed when he reached her, his fists clenched at his sides. Hermione had no idea what he was talking about, and was worried that she may not have done anything at all, and Draco was just looking for a target to pin his anger on.

"Draco, I have no clue wha-" she began in her defence.

"I JUST MET UP WITH POTTER IN THE CORRIDOR BY THE PICTURE OF THE WITCH WITH THE OWL!" he yelled at her. Hermione was becoming more confused by the second, a feeling she was not accustomed to.

"I don't know what you are talk-" she tried again.

"HE TOLD ME I HAD BETTER-AND I QUOTE-STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM YOU BECAUSE YOU AND WEASLEY WERE DATING AND HAD FALLEN IN LOVE!" he roared, his usually slicked back hair falling in his face.

It was Hermione's turn to be angry. "WHY WOULD HE SAY THAT?" she hollered.

"I DON'T KNOW! MAYBE BECAUSE IT'S TRUE!"

"Draco, I swear it's not."

"But, why would he say that if it wasn't?"

"I don't know, but I will find out. If Harry and Ron set this up to keep me from going to the ball with you-UGH!" Hermione shook her head in distaste.

"So it's not true?" Draco asked, inhaling deeply.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, still fuming about the lie Harry had told. She looked at Draco and grinned. She had never before seen him with even a lock of hair out of place.

"What?" Draco asked.

"You shouldn't slick your hair back all the time. It makes you look more . . . friendly when it's messy," Hermione said, tilting her head to one side to examine his new look.

"Friendly?" Draco questioned, lifting an eyebrow in surprise.

Hermione laughed slightly. Was it that hard for Draco to accept himself as not that bad of a person? "Yes, friendly. Even you can do it, Draco. All we have to do is just mess up your hair on a regular basis, and you could look like a nice person. Here," Hermione reached out and ruffled Draco's hair more than it already was, "There you are."

Draco went to a mirror that was hanging on the wall nearby, and using his wand as a light, he looked at himself. He did not smile or cry out in agony, but he gaped at his nice-guy appearance.

"Well?" Hermione asked, still smiling slightly.

"I-what . . . how-how can messing up my hair make me look so different?" he asked, touching his mussed hair with one hand as though he feared it was not really there.

Hermione walked over to him and rested her arm on his shoulder, leaning on him as he pulled at his hair in disbelief.

"I don't know how I could have ever thought that mudbl-wizards that aren't pureblood were foul loathsome people."

Hermione jumped in shock and stepped away from Draco. "Y-you thought that about me-us?" she asked, hurt overpowering her.

"I don't anymore, but I did. I wasn't allowed to play with witches and wizards that weren't pureblood when I was a child. My father made them seem as though they were dangerous and . . ," Draco groped for words that were powerful enough to explain his father's point of view, "pointless to society. He made it seem like they weren't good enough to take up the air that the purebloods needed to breathe. I was too young to understand, and I didn't know otherwise, so I believed him. Then, I met you, and I at once saw that you weren't as my father described, but you joined Potter and I hated you for that."

"Do you hate me for joining Harry now?" Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head. "I can't," he said, "I'm in-" Draco stopped and looked away from Hermione.

"It's getting dark. I don't want to lose house points. We should go," Hermione said, realising that Draco was not going to finish his statement.

"Yeah," Draco replied distantly. They began walking to Gryffindor tower in silence.

They had been winding through the dark corridors for several minutes before someone came up behind them. They turned around to see none other than Severus Snape, his face contorted in a nasty grin.

He hardly seemed to notice Draco, but stared at Hermione intently.

"Well, Miss Granger," her said in a vile whisper, "it seems you do not believe that you must follow the rules as the other students do. Why are you wandering the corridors this late at night?"

"I was in the library. I left just a short time ago," Hermione answered, keeping her voice steady.

Snape considered this for a moment. "Just the same, you are in the corridors after dark. Ten points from Gryffindor," he decided, grinning devilishly.

Snape got ready to turn away without reprimanding Draco in any way, but Draco suddenly stepped forward, startling both Snape and Hermione. "Professor," he said, "what about me? I'm in the corridors after dark. Aren't you going to take any points from my house?"

The Professor looked from Hermione to Draco questioningly, and then, after scowling at Hermione once more, sighed and said, "Very well, five points from Slytherin," he coughed, "See fit that I do not catch either of you drifting about the corridors after dark again."

He shot another puzzled look toward Draco and then turned briskly, leaving the latter and Hermione alone again.

Draco began to walk forward, but Hermione stood rooted to the spot. Draco turned around. "Coming?" he asked.

Hermione walked up to his side, and they resumed their tread to the tower.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Hermione said, looking at Draco.

"I know," Draco replied.

"Why did you do it?"

Draco shrugged. "Here we are," he said suddenly. Hermione looked up and saw the Fat Lady. She was strangely disappointed that her walk with Draco had ended.

"Until tomorrow?" Draco asked, bowing somewhat.

"Until tomorrow," Hermione confirmed. She walked up to the portrait and turned to see if Draco was still there, but he was gone.

Author's Note: Once again,sorry for the long wait on that chapter.ashamed facePlease don'texpress your angerby not reviewing!