Author's notes: Alright, Christmas Present! A new chapter! Not very long, but I've lost my muse again. Standard rule, three reviews from three different people will get another chapter updated. Hope y'all like it.

Hermione was confused. What the hell happened up here? She grabbed her towel and slowly walked down from the tower, her mind swimming with thoughts and no pattern. She could not think clearly, about potions or the weather, or anything. Her mind jumped from topic to topic, never resting long enough to do anything other then sigh when she thought of Draco Malfoy again. Her first kiss, from a Slytherin. She was going insane!

The dark sky had cleared a little, a few rays of sun catching and holding her attention for a few moments. A small butterfly flittered past the window, then moved on to a small flower that grew out of the mortar of the castle walls. The small insect then flew to a drop of water before going off, being pushed about by the wind. That small butterfly reminded Hermione of herself right then, going from subject to subject in her mind, letting fancy push her around.

She found that she had stopped in the middle of the hall, a very un-Hermione-ish thing to do.

With new determination, she pushed her hair back from her face where it had fallen on the tower, and walked with purpose down the hall towards the Gryffindor girl's dormitories. Once there, she changed into her school clothing, complete with a pleated skirt and matching tie. A small battle with her hair forced it into a low ponytail and less of a bother.

Hermione grabbed her transfiguration book and left for class, her thoughts more orderly and appearing like her old self. She took her seat in the middle, as usual, with Ron and Harry. Ron and Harry liked the back, though Hermione liked the front. After many years of scuffles and rows about it, they had finally decided to sit in the middle.

Her brown eyes closed briefly as the boys busied themselves, trying to finish their homework before McGonagall appeared for class. Hermione merely smiled and said no when they asked to see her homework. She had long given up the lectures of the virtues of them doing their own work.

Her eyes flew to the door as a flash of blond came in. Finding herself disappointed when it was a Ravenclaw student and not Draco, she turned herself back to her homework and re-read the last paragraph of her essay, checking spelling and grammar for the thirtieth time.

Harry was the first one to point out that Draco was missing from class when the teacher walked in.

"He's prolly off with Pansy, snogging her to death," Ron snorted.

Hermione turned a delicate shade of pink.

"Yeah, or something else," Harry intoned. "Something a bit more… nasty."

"Anything with Pansy would be nasty."

Ron and Harry both turned red with silent laughter as Hermione also turned red. It was caused by something completely different, however, and she quickly turned on the boys.

"What Draco Malfoy does or doesn't do is none of our business. Maybe if you two stopped worrying about him and concentrated on your own work, you would have it done for once." She snapped, then briskly walked to the front to hand in her essay after McGonagall asked for them.

She returned to her seat in silence and fumed the rest of the class. She missed the looks that Harry and Ron shared, shrugged off their attempts to reconcile and left as soon as she was dismissed.

Harry and Ron trailed after her, trying to speak with her.

"Come on Hermione, he's just a Slytherin." Ron pleaded.

She refused to answer.

"Yeah, and he's Malfoy." Harry pointed this out as if it was the only reason they needed.

Hermione, tired of hearing their bashing of another Hogwarts student, and one that she had found relatively pleasant, turned on them again, furious at them.

"What happened to your school spirit, Ron? All houses are still a part of Hogwarts! And Harry! Have you ever even had a civil conversation with him? 'Visit not the sins of the father upon the son.' It's not his fault his father raised him like that. Both of you are selfish, stereotyping arses who can't see past the cover of a book!" She almost screamed the last part before storming off towards the great hall.

"What was she talking about? Books?" Ron asked, confused.

"Not quite." Harry replied. "She was saying that we shouldn't assume that he's just an ass, we should… get to know him. I think."

"What! But he's a slimy git! And a Slytherin! And an-"

"I know, but Hermione did say so, and she usually is right."

"…yeah. Ugh. I guess we should then."

NEXT CHAPTER: The boys try to look past the 'crusty shell' of a certain Slytherin and find the pearl underneath that Hermione is convinced is there.