Chapter 4 – The argument

Hermione awoke the next morning in a very comfortable bed. She opened her eyes slowly and felt the sun hit her straight away. She looked around the room and for some reason she couldn't really remember much about last night. She just assumed that she must have been that tired last night, she sleep walked the whole way back. She got dressed into her school robes and headed down to breakfast. The Great Hall was filling slowly with very sleepy pupils wandering half asleep. It was the first day back for classes, and Hermione couldn't wait to get started. She scanned the Gryfindor table and found Ginny eating a bowl of cereal, so Hermione took her normal seat next to her.

"So how's the Head Girl life huh?" Envy was slightly noticeable in her voice. Ginny preferred the much pampered life. Although her life at the moment wasn't oh so glorious, Hermione could tell that Ginny would be one to pull her family through. Hermione let out a small gruff grunt of some sort. Ginny couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "And how's Malfoy going?"

"The exactly same git as ever." Hermione wasn't in the mood for talking about Malfoy at that moment. She didn't realise how hungry she was and dug into the food like she hadn't eaten in a million years. The Great Hall was filling quite fast now. Ron and Harry were spotted at the entrance and slumped their tired selves over to Ginny and Hermione.

"Rough night?" Hermione looked at all their very tired faces.

"Err … Y-yeah …" Ron's voice sounded a bit uneasy, so Hermione just shrugged it off

In the middle of eating her third piece of toast, Ginny leant in towards Hermione. "Is it just me or …" Ginny's voice trailed off and looked towards the Slytherin table. Nearly all of the fifth and sixth years had their eyes looking towards the Gryfindor table. Hermione looked towards Malfoy, and she could feel his steel grey eyes sinking deep into hers. She shifted herself side to side and felt very uncomfortable at that moment. "There's something different about Draco…" She thought to herself. Just at that moment the bell rang for their first class. Hermione stood up almost straight away and headed for her first class, Muggle Studies. She always enjoyed Muggle Studies, it was so interesting to study something so natural to one, and see it from a different world's point of view. She picked up her bag and said good-bye to her friends. As she rounded the corner of the Great Hall, a now familiar voice stopped her to a halt.

"Professor McGonagall would like to see us." Hermione turned to find a very sleek Malfoy leaning against the stonewall. After a few minutes of staring at her up and down, Hermione came to a decision that she was safe at Hogwarts and he wouldn't be able to curse or hex her.

'Let him try' she thought to herself. She was now picturing over a hundred hexes she would like to try on him

He gave a nod of agreement and watched as Malfoy turned on his heel and walked back into the Great Hall. Hermione followed him and realised the Hall was now completely empty except for Professor McGonagall who awaited them at the end of the hall. As they walked up to her, she gave a stern smile.

"Once again, I'd like to congratulate you two again on becoming Heads of House. Due to your new responsibilities, we will need to discuss future events of this school. Your first class will have to wait." As Professor McGonagall looked towards Hermione, she saw that her face fell. "Don't worry Miss Granger, I have organised notes to be taken on your behalf, along with some extra work to be laid out for you when you return to your dormitory." Professor McGonagall gave a slight motherly smile, for most students would be ranting and ragging because of the extra work, but Hermione let out one of the biggest smile since she arrived at Hogwarts.

They then followed Professor McGonagall out of the hall into a smaller, yet very well decorated room. Banners of all sorts and party things hung from around the room, giving it a festival look. McGonagall gestured for them to take a seat, and Malfoy sat closer to Hermione than usual.

"As you both now, the past years have been very mind blowing for everyone, including our families." Hermione looked down towards the ground, wandering what she meant when she said 'families'. Did it mean all the nights Hermione would awake to a nightmare where Voldemort would come and kill her family for once and all, for she knew one day, this was bound to happen.., Water started to swell up behind her eyes, but she pushed them back and paid all her attention to the Professor talking before her.

"This Christmas, we would like to shift everyone's mind off the tragic events of the present, and let us all relax. We will be holding a Christmas Ball." As Hermione repeated what the Professor had just said, her heart sank. She never found ball's interesting. Her last one had involved Viktor Krum. They had stopped their communication, for Krum was afraid his parents will find out about his relationship with a muggle-born. Hermione scowled to herself. She pushed her thoughts away once again and looked towards the Professor.

"This wont take too long. The house-elf here -" At that point a very familiar house-elf popped it's head out from behind the Professor. "Will organise everything, although, we have decided that the Head's should choose the arrangement of colours, for colour has become a big issue between house. Professor McGonagall looked at Malfoy's green and black robes, to Hermione's Red and Gold robes. With that, the Professor swooped out and left a nervous Hermione and a very close Malfoy.

"Hello Winky." Hermione's voice was calm and Winky looked up from all the coloured patches she was holding with in her arms.

"Hello Miss's and Sir's!" Her voice was still the very small and squeaky voice. Hermione smiled. She looked a lot better than last time she had met with the elf. Through out the first half an hour, was so stressing and Hermione didn't realise how much colours went into making a ball. After everything was chosen, the house elf left with a faint pop, leaving just Hermione and Malfoy. Hermione began to stand up to leave, but she felt a very strong hand land on her wrist.

"Leaving so soon? We've got about another half an hour before classes end." Malfoy smirked to himself. His steel grey eyes searched Hermione's face for an expression of disapproval, but to his surprise, she shook his arm off and sat back down.

"People change Herm -" Malfoy stopped in mid word. "People change Granger."

"So you're saying you've changed? Changed for what?" Hermione gave a little laugh. She looked towards Malfoy, but he kept the same face expression. It was a serious look, and he just kept looking directly at her, with no movement, he wasn't even blinking. Hermione decided to change her gaze. She couldn't believe that she was actually having this conversation with him. She looked around the room again, and tried counting all the different colours in the room she had never seen before. She got up to fifteen when Malfoy decided to speak.

"I'm saying, I'm not the same. Have you noticed I haven't called you mudbl -" Malfoy stopped again. "I haven't called you that for awhile .." He trailed off, and fixed his gaze to something other than Hermione. He decided to let her swim among her thoughts and memories for a moment.

"So your saying, your no longer the arrogant, conceited, vain and superior Malfoy that I've know for nearly seven years now?" Hermione looked directly at Malfoy with a very confused look. Malfoy looked at her too, and felt that he was finally getting somewhere until –

"Yeah, right, and I'm not a muggle born!" Hermione began to laugh so loud, holding her stomach in because she was laughing so much. Tears began to run down her cheeks. Malfoy just looked at her. She had definitely changed since he first saw her in their first year. She had grown her hair much longer, and no longer stayed it's frizzled self, for it's length kept it heavy and straight. Her teeth were perfect for her smile, which lifted her eyes to an innocent pose.

"And so what if you've changed? What do you really want? How much are you betting your friends to try and get to me?" Hermione's expression then changed to a steely look that looked nearly like Draco's. "Let me tell you now Malfoy, take this as a threat or even a compliment, but if you dare try and mess up my last year at Hogwarts, I will definitely show you what a 'mudblood' can do." Hermione's eyes were cold as they glared directly at her prey.

"Hermione." Her name rang through the silence. She looked at Malfoy with a very perplexed expression on her face. All her time at Hogwarts she was always been know to Malfoy by 'Granger'. Malfoy kept looking at her. "What I'm trying to say, is that, you're a very intelligent person. I mean, that is very rare for a 7th year girl at Hogwarts." Hermione gave off a jokingly laugh. She couldn't believe she was having the conversation with Malfoy, and for some reason, wasn't sure why.

"If you don't mind, I must be going." Hermione stood up and left a lonely Malfoy sitting comfortably on the couch. She left the room. She, then and there, made another promise to herself. "Stay as far away from Malfoy as possible." She kept walking up the empty corridor up to the Great Hall for some lunch. She was starting to feel very hungry. She began to hear running footsteps behind her, and swung herself around. She was faced with a very pale Malfoy.

"Look Hermione."

"Don't call me that." Snapped Hermione with a strong tone to her voice to show her ground. She also made sure she looked directly into his grey eyes so show she wasn't afraid and held all the confidence in the world.

"Ok… Hermione" Malfoy was just getting on her nerves now. Hermione, remembering her promise she had just made minutes ago, decided not to break it. She kept on walking. She suddenly felt a very strong hand land on her shoulder which made her stop. Malfoy turned her around and was now holding both of her shoulders so she had no way of escape. She wished just now, that the bell for classes to end would go off, but she knew they all had another ten minutes of sitting in class. Anger was boiling every particle in her body. Forcing herself to look up to his eyes, tried searching for an answer for his actions. She had trouble though for he was very tall, and wished now, that she, for the first time in her life, was not head girl.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Her voice had a little more panic than she hoped for.

"Draco." Malfoy looked deep into her big brown eyes. He seemed to lose himself in them, her eyes held everything he yearned for.

"Excuse me?" Malfoy was shot out of his reverie.

"Call me Draco. I'm sure two young adults like ourselves hold the manner of calling each other by our first names. We should no longer play such childish games." His voice was sleek and calm.

"Ok Mal-Draco … Do you mind unhanding me right this moment?"

"Do I have too?" Malfoy smiled to himself.

Hermione, not able to take this any longer pushed him as hard as she could, managing only for him to step back once.

"Hermione, I'm only trying to be nice here. What, are you to good for everyone now huh?" Anger was also starting to boil in Draco, which made Hermione cower back just a little. She didn't like being in a lonely corridor with just herself and Malfoy.

"Excuse me MALFOY, what gives YOU the nerve to insult me, the injured party on your behalf. YOU'RE the one who always felt he was better than everyone else, so don't start turning me into the monster here!" Hermione couldn't keep her voice down. She was so unsure, how one person like Malfoy, could get on her nerves so much.

"Well you're the Miss-Know-It-All who seems to think you know the answers to everything." Malfoy also couldn't keep his voice down. He had been trying so hard to try and be nice to Hermione, but all she did was push him back to square one.

"Well unlike you MALFOY, I am able to admit my mistakes, take it on board and LEARN." Hermione then stormed off, outraged. She left a heavy breathing Malfoy standing in the corridor.

"Great!" he muttered to himself. "Just what I need." He walked towards the Great Hall, cursing to himself, and wondering what to do next.

Hermione's day went extremely fast, and was so happy to hear the dinner bell ring. Every time her mind started to drift towards her argument with Malfoy, she made sure she would push it aside, remembering her promise, that she was not going to let him ruin her last year at Hogwarts. As she sat in her usual seat next to Ginny, she looked up at Ron and Harry. They looked very pale, and very dark black rings hung under their eyes.

"Are you guys ok?" Hermione showed concern in her voice, but for some reason, they avoided eye contact.

"Yeah fine!" Harry had held a very fake note in his voice, but also showed that nothing was wrong. Hermione went back to eating, and just thought that maybe they lacked some sleep. After dinner, she said goodnight to her friends and led herself up to her dorm. She was hoping she wont be able to see any bit of Malfoy. She quickly said the password to the portrait and rushed up the stairs to her dorm, before Malfoy was able to make it down the stairs to see her. When she reached her dorm, she shut the door and put several locking spells to stop anyone else from entering. As she placed everything down on the floor and was just about to plonk herself on the bed when something caught her eye. On the middle of her bed there layed a single rose. It was quite different from any normal red roses, for it's petals were mixed with a pure white and light gray. It was the most beautiful rose she had ever seen. There was also a letter attached to it. She picked up the letter, and it had neatly sprawled running writing across it, simply saying "I'm sorry." Hermione looked at it for awhile. She knew straight away that it was from Malfoy and pondered how much courage it must have took him to actually right the word 'Sorry'.