THANKS to my beta XXRoseDawsonXX, this chapter's for you, and your wonderful help!

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Chapter 7: It's Coming

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"We've got to do everything on Monday." Said Draco to Cho. "Hermione and I are going into the Forbidden Forest, for our assignment, and it would be perfect if you did your bit right before." He said firmly, he wanted this done now!

"So Granger all of a sudden turned into Hermione, right?" She said coldly.

"Listen, Chang that is none of your business. Potter isn't Potter to you either, so shove off." She smirked at him an evil smirk that he knew. "If you do anything you are not supposed to, I will kill Potter with my bare hands." She stopped smirking and looked at him coldly before saying, "what would I do, that I'm not supposed to?"

"Hurt Hermione." His eyes flashed anger and danger. Cho smirked and even laughed.

"You like her that much." She said slightly laughing.

"Like I said that is none of your business...I suppose you've gotten further with Potter?" He stated simply and smoothly.

"Yes. I saw him a few minutes ago; things aren't bad, not bad at all." She said, then looked thoughtful before coming back to her senses and said, "ok. How about right when Harry's going to Quidditch practice. It's on Monday, after dinner, is that good?"

"What time do they have Quidditch?" Asked Draco.

"7:30 pm."

"Deal."

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The next few days where pretty boring for Hermione, Harry and Ron. Almost every teacher was working the students to their fullest. Ron kept complaining he was going to die trying to graduate from Hogwarts.

As Friday came the trio was making their way to Transfiguration after lunch. They were waiting outside McGonagall's classroom. Hermione's eyes kept traveling to meet Draco's. She didn't know why, but she always felt like he was watching her, but when she looked he was looking somewhere completely different.

Just then Neville came from the corridor up to them, "Neville were you outside?" Asked Hermione. Neville didn't look to good.

"Yeah. I was helping Professor Sprout during lunch. She needed someone to help her plant her daffodils, the big ones." Neville said. His forehead was slightly wet.

"Neville did you eat lunch?" Asked Ron. Neville looked very pale and his stomach made a funny noise, he said, "yeah but really fast and I forgot I wasn't supposed to eat those strawberries--" just then he puked all over Ron, and Ron went "Argh!" And everyone else tried to get away; some of the girls screamed and said "gross!" their voices were all muffled up from the uproar

"Neville are you ok?" Asked Hermione. "Harry we've got to take him to the Hospital Wing!" Said Hermione urgently.

"Yeah Ron and I will take him!" Said Harry instantly and then he tried to take Neville's arm. This was the first time Harry had spoken since lunch. He barely talked when they were eating, and it seemed he was eager to get away from Hermione sometimes, or maybe he was just a bit distant. Hermione had started to think that maybe there was something wrong, but if she made any slight comment about anything near the subject, he would quickly brush it off, making her even more suspicious.

"God, Neville, couldn't you hold it in for a few more minutes, while you got to the Hospital Wing!" Said Ron as his face contorted as he looked down at his nasty clothes.

"Ron!" Said Hermione, in a 'that's not sensitive" way. Then Harry made to support Neville to the infirmary, with little help from Ron.

"Did you all see that? Longbottom is the biggest twit; honestly they should just chuck out that squib along with other disgusting trash." The cruel voice came from a cold, sneering Malfoy. Hermione turned around and glared directly at his grey disturbing eyes. She knew that he was most likely talking about her or the muggle-born in general.

She determinedly walked up to him and said, "Neville is not a squib! Malfoy, for once in your life shut that ferret face you've got, and don't dare say another word about it!" She said looking straight up at him. She didn't care what happened, she could handle any curse he threw at her. He was a spoiled brat. She stood tall and she was unbreakable. Potter's whore!

He then stated as cold as ever, "don't ever think you can talk to me that way mudblood—!"

"Mr. Malfoy, that is a detention and twenty points from Slytherin!" Came yet another strict determined voice. Draco turned around and found himself looking straight at Minerva McGonagall, though he did not change his posture. He wasn't going to squirm underneath her stare and words like most did. He was a Slytherin and most of all a Malfoy!

The Professor moved to open the door with no further comment and motioned for the class to go in. Hermione picked up Ron's and Harry's book bags and sat them on benches by her in the front row.

When Professor McGonagall was taking roll, she asked Hermione if she knew where Ron and Harry were. She told her what had happened to Neville and smiled at her. Malfoy got the detention that served him right for that rude comment.

Harry and Ron came in excused five minutes later. They didn't do too much but practice a new incantation. Malfoy kept sneering at Hermione and when Harry noticed he asked, "what happened after we left? Why does Malfoy keep looking at us?"

"Because he got a detention for calling me a mudblood. McGonagall walked right when he said it. It was lucky, he deserved it." Harry grinned smugly and settled for another quiet hour.

The bell rang, "Mr. Malfoy please come up to my desk." Draco did what McGonagall said, but not before sighing in a 'this is stupid' sort of way.

"Yes?" He said dully.

"You will serve your detention with me Sunday evening after dinner. I expect you here at 7 pm. That is all, you may go."Stupid mudblood whore. I'll make you pay for this...I will not do servant work...that's what she'll make me do...Strict bitch...this is all your fault disgusting whore...But would he really do something to Hermione? He didn't have a problem calling her names, yet he was angry...He loved her, yet he knew she didn't love him in the least, nor even like him at all...

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