Disclaimer: I do not own anything of J.K Rowlings. So don't sue! I own nothing except the plot.

Jen: Muhuhaha...you read my story Yay! That's exciting, thanks for readin' it and I'm glad you liked it.

SugaAngel86: Thank you for commenting and here's the next chapter.

Sarah: I'm so glad you like my story! I was so afraid no one was going to like it! I'm sorry that youdon't know any boys who'd do that...wait a minute I don't know any either! Oh well, I can still fantasize.

JeanB: Thank you soo much for pointing out that mistake! I felt really stupid after it but I did correct it. I'm sorry Hermione's a little OOC but I figure it's 7th year and she's bound to have change a little bit. I'll try to keep her more in character though. Dispite all my errors I'm glad you liked it and you were so nice about it too. Thank you.

Kichou: I'm glad you liked my fic, thanks for commenting.

Please R&R I love hearing what people think!

Chapter 3

The day started with incessant questions from Harry and Ron about where I had been yesterday and last night. I simply told them that I had gotten detention from Snape and left it at that. They seemed to be all right with it considering they just called him a git and told me not to worry about it. They had been like that for a while. Not really caring but asking anyway out of habit. I still loved them like brothers but it almost seemed as if I had become the third wheel. Sure, they still asked for help on homework and we talked some, but it wasn't the same. I suppose most of it has to do with the growing threat of Voldemort but, it was like we were growing apart, and the more I tried to keep us together the further apart we grew. It made me really sad considering they were the best friends I'd ever had. I'd never really gotten to know anyone else. No one really wanted to know me; I was the perfect know-it-all who only talked about homework. It wasn't that I only ever talked about homework it was that no one else ever bothered to ask about anything besides homework. Talking to people about homework never really bothered me though because I'd always had Harry and Ron to talk to about things besides homework. However, lately it seemed as if I was left alone to my thoughts more often then in the company of friends. You would think living in a school filled with so many people that it would be impossible to get lonely. Apparently, I learned that just because people are there doesn't mean you're not alone. I abruptly left my thoughts and quickly proceed to class so I wouldn't be late.

The rest of the day just seemed to drag on forever. That is until the afternoon when we had Care of Magical Creatures with Slytherin. I'd been dreading that class because it meant I'd have to face Zabini. I still had no idea whether or not he dragged me to my room, so I decided I wouldn't fret about it anymore until I saw a sure sign that it was in fact him who took me to my room. I still didn't know how someone could have known my password. Harry and Ron didn't even know the password! I inwardly cringed as I walked out to Care of Magical Creatures.

Of course as luck would have it I was the last person to arrive and everyone had already paired up…everyone except Zabini. Slowly I walked over and stood beside him to await instruction.

"Pssst…Hey mudblood…" Malfoy hissed. I didn't respond, I ignored him and watched Hagrid intently. "Mudblood, I saw you passed out in the corridor last night…honestly the school really should have a charm to expel trash from the corridors. This school is much to filthy with mudbloods like you around." Malfoy whispered with a sneer, as Pansy snickered beside him. I turned around debating whether to hex him into oblivion or punch him in the face like I did in third year. Unfortunately I was beaten to it. Zabini had already turned around and Malfoy now had warts sprouting on his nose. He tried to cover it with his hand while attempting to be excused but it was no use. The class was now it tears they were laughing so hard. Malfoy had a comical expression of horror planted on his face. I just stared and then looked at Zabini, lost in thought.

Somewhere in that time period Hagrid had ordered Pansy to take Malfoy to the infirmary. I vaguely heard Harry and Ron congratulate me on my hex but my mind was somewhere else. I was thinking about why on earth Zabini would do that for me. We weren't friends, at least not really. We had more or less become acquaintances. I should have been the one to hex him, after all I was the one he called a mudblood. I wondered why it affected Zabini.

Hagrid finally got control of the class again and we proceeded with the lesson. Today we were to draw a picture of a Kneazle, which had been brought into class for observation. While everyone was silent I leaned over to Zabini, "Why did you do that?" I asked hoping to get a true response out of him.

He responded with a shrug but his eyes told me it was something deeper. Not to say it had anything to do with me, it probably didn't. I was going to get to the bottom of this mystery behind Blaise Zabini if it was the last thing I did. Class went by quickly and the incident with Malfoy went without punishment because Hagrid hadn't seen the incident or who had hexed him. I think Hagrid just thought I had hexed Malfoy because he said something inappropriate and chose to look the other way.

After class I caught up to Blaise again I had to know if he was the one who put me back in my room or not. "Zabini!" he turned around cautiously and stared at me. "Umm…last night…you didn't-" I never got to finish my sentence because Blaise immediately interrupted me.

"Granger, when we left after detention you looked like you were going to pass out. Of course I followed you back to your room. Naturally you did pass out and no one else was going to take you back to your rooms. People are cruel Hermione; you have to learn that, falling asleep in corridors isn't safe, especially in these dark days. You're much too trusting of people. I might've been there last night but I'm not always going to be there. I've seen too many people die in this war and I know there is danger everywhere, and there is particular danger for muggles like you…and don't start thinking I fancy you because of this incident. There's simply just too much danger." He said with a tone that said he had explained everything he wanted to and need not cooperate anymore. It sounded as if he'd rehearsed that in his head multiple times, probably during class.

"I know, I know, it's just that I couldn't go any further. I'm not used to being up really, really late unless I have a test to study for. I don't fancy you, I don't even know you! But, thank you. That was a really nice thing to do. I would never have expected it from a Slytherin. You seemed to have proved my statement about all Slytherins being cocky, arrogant an heartless wrong." I said with a meek smile on my face.

"You never said we were heartless, but I suppose it goes with the stereotype." He said as he turned and walked away. I briefly saw a pained expression on his face but ignored it.

He had given me much to think about with his little speech. How did he know there was so much danger? Even at Hogwarts? Why did he care so much about muggles? What did he know? All these questions raced through my head as I walked back to my dorms. I replayed the conversation over and over in my head. Then I stopped abruptly in the hall as one thought halted all other thoughts. He had called me Hermione.

No, no that couldn't be right. I knew it was though; he had truly called me Hermione. I quickly started walking again back to the dorms. What was wrong with me? I should not get this flustered over a simple name. But it wouldn't leave my mind; he had said it so naturally he probably didn't even realize he'd done it. It had rolled off his tongue so silkily. I quickly scolded myself for spending too much time debating over this topic. I had more important things to think about, like where Zabini was getting his information. I finally surrendered to the land of nod and drifted off to sleep, dreaming of a boy with green eyes and dark skin.

Sometime during the night I woke up with another thought plaguing my mind…He never explained how he knew my password. It was almost as if he'd purposely avoided it. I resolved that I would ask him tomorrow and again drifted back to sleep.

The next day I woke up and dressed quickly hoping to get down to breakfast so I could confront Zabini. Much to my dismay he wasn't at breakfast nor was he in any classes the next day. The question at the front of my brain was when would I get to talk to him about my password. At the back of my mind I wondered whether he was o.k. or not. I hope he was. I quickly disregarded the thought. Of course he was o.k., he could clearly take care of himself. He proved that when he hexed Malfoy. Which quickly sparked another thought…what if Malfoy did something to him?