Chapter Three:

(A/N. Well this is a much longer chapter than the last one so YEAH! Anyway I believe some people put Tale in their websites and I was wondering if those people could please resend me those sites since I seem to have lost them! Well thanks a lot! Enjoy this chappie! REVIEWS ARE NEEDED! LOL)

Hermione immediately spotted Ron and Harry talking quietly near the end of the table. She hadn't spoken to Ron since she had pronounced her love for Draco but had heard from Harry that he was still quite angry. Harry she had seen a couple of times at school as well as when he had visited the hospital. She sighed then nodded her head resolutely. She stood straighter, taller and she became the epitome of self-confidence. When she was sure she was ready, she walked over to the table and sat down across from the two Gryffindors with whom she had once shared everything.

"Alright there?" She asked brightly. Ron stared at her as if she'd grown a second head but Harry looked delighted.

"Hermione! It's good to see you." He smiled. She nodded her head and flashed him a smile.

"Ta, Harry." She said and then Ron seemed to catch himself and he smiled hesitantly.

"Yeah Hermione, it's good to see you." He said. She grabbed a piece of bread and bit into it trying to delay the reason she had come here.

"You look right cheerful today…" Harry began and then shook his head. "What I mean is that you looked sad before…I mean…"

"Don't worry, Harry. I know I was a bit preoccupied before. I was worried about Draco." She smiled and saw Ron wince before ducking his head. She suspected that Harry had tried to convince Ron that Draco was alright but not even the boy-who-lived could change a pighead like Ron's mind.

"So how's it going, 'Mione?" Harry asked and Hermione launched into a discussion of her classes before she stopped as she realized she was babbling.

"Sorry I was prattling on…I do that when I'm nervous." She muttered and Harry leaned forward anxiously.

"'Mione are you alright?" He asked and she sighed and nodded. Then she shook her head.

"Yes. No. I don't know. I have something to tell you and I'm not sure how you're going to take it." She said and she saw Ron scoot forward a strange expression on his face. Hermione almost thought it might be hope…

"What is it?" Ron asked. Hermione ducked her head and stared at her hand which had been on her lap all throughout their conversation.

"Draco took me out to dinner last night." She began and then paused as she wondered how to continue.

"Right? And?" Ron demanded leaning forward further. Hermione swallowed and then lifted her chin defiantly.

"And he asked me to marry him." She said. The two Gryffindor boys stared at her with identical looks of shock.

"What did you say?" Ron squeaked and Hermione winced inwardly wondering how much this was going to pain him. Outwardly she remained calm and confident.

"I said yes." She answered and stuck out her hand. Harry and Ron stared at the ring their faces never losing their shocked expression. Suddenly, Ron jumped to his feet and walked away. Hermione, thinking that he needed to be alone didn't say anything until Harry shook out of his shock and moaned.

"Oh God." Hermione whirled around and saw that Ron was staking toward the Slytherin table.

Draco picked at the eggs on his plate half-heartedly. His mind wasn't on the food or the large room. He was focused on Hermione. That's why he didn't hear the grunts of disapproval and surprise as Ron marched toward the Slytherin table. That's why he didn't move when Ron moved over to his side of the table. It wasn't until Ron hauled him up that he broke out of his reverie and by then it was too late. Draco was given no time to duck as Ron's fist connected with his chin and sent him staggering back.

"Sod!" Draco cried clutching his chin in his hand. When his quick mind summarized the situation for him, he straightened venom filling his eyes. "Weasley." He spat contemptuously.

"Malfoy." Ron growled with equal disdain. Draco took a step forward with the fluid motion of a snake preparing to strike.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to stay the bloody hell away from Hermione." Ron seethed. Draco gave a short laugh his eyes sparkling dangerously.

"That's going to be kind of hard, hasn't she told you?" He said and spotted said Gryffindor girl on the edge of the large group that were crowding around them.

"Yes, she told me. Its rubbish and you know it. You seduced her somehow. Maybe some spell. Now I want you to turn it back." Ron snarled.

"Oh really?" Draco asked silkily, an eyebrow raised. The silk however held a threat, a menace. If he'd been a rattlesnake his warning could not have been clearer.

"Yes, quite."

"Naff off. I cast no such spell as you well know." Draco said and his voice was so cold and smooth it wouldn't have made a ripple in the water if it had been a stone. Ron took the blond Slytherin completely by surprise. He leapt on Draco, knocking him into the stone wall. He circled Draco's pale neck with one hand as the other hand rose to punch him in the face.

"Let him go." Hermione hissed and Draco was struck by the terrifying quality of her voice. Momentarily distracted, Draco took the opportunity to kick Ron down low and free himself as Ron stumbled to the ground.

"Hermione." Draco nodded. Hermione however wasn't paying attention to him her blazing eyes were focused on Ron.

"Draco has done nothing to you. Really Ron, stop acting like a child."

"He stole what was mine." Ron managed staring at Hermione suggestively leaving no room for speculation as to what was 'his'.

Hermione smiled sadly her eyes showing her anger and disrespect. "I was never yours, Ron. Never." She said calmly her voice intense. She took Draco's hand in hers and pulled him away.