Thanks to my very first three reviewers! I greatly appreciate it and I'm glad you like this story thus far.

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Hermione woke up later that morning, feeling a lot better than she had earlier before.

She got dressed in the usual, threw on her black cloak, and finished off by tying her hair up in a neat ponytail.

She hated to break her promise to Ron that she had made earlier, but she felt no need to go to the ward, mainly because she was feeling a lot better and felt no urge to go. However, as bad as she felt about lying to Ron about going, she grabbed her books and met him, Ginny, and Harry in the Great Hall.

Although she had to admit to herself that her stomach still felt too queasy to eat, she settled herself by Ron and shot him a smile.

"Up now, are ya?" he asked through a mouthful of food, but it came out as, "Uf 'ow, are cha?"

Hermione made a face. "Huh? Honestly, Ron, swallow before you talk to me. I can't understand you."

Ron took a giant swallow and asked again, "Up now, are ya?" before digging in again.

"The way you're eating, it's like you haven't eaten in weeks!" Hermione scoffed, making the same face as Ginny, who was staring at both her brother and Harry, who was following Ron's lead.

"Af yoo seen Mafame 'Omfrey?" Ron asked.

Hermione just glared, sending him the signal to finish before he said something to her.

"Have you seen Madame Pomfrey?" he asked, wiping his mouth on his cloak's sleeve.

"Doooon't," Hermione sighed, licking her napkin, then wiping Ron's dirty sleeve. "Professor McGongall would have your head...your mum, too," she mumbled, occupied in cleaning.

"Are you bloody going to answer me, or just fuss over my robe?" Ron huffed.

Hermione thought of changing the subject. Anything was better than lying to him...and she wasn't very good at it. But maybe if she added a story to it...

"Yes, I did, now hold still!"

"What'd she say?" Ron asked, grabbing his fork with his free hand. "Is it anything major?"

"Just a little flu, like I told you," Hermione lied, still wiping off his sleeve. "Nothing to worry about."

"S'goood," Ron mumbled through another mouthful of food, some of it landing on Hermione.

Patiently, she closed her eyes and swallowed her frustration, then gingerly wiped off her face. "You're disgusting," she muttered under her breath.

Ginny couldn't help but laugh at the face Ron was making. The embarrassment was purely showing, as his whole face turned bright red.

"Embarrassing your girlfriend again, huh, Weasley?" an icy voice mocked.

Hermione felt a shiver crawl up her spine. This was just the very thing she needed to make her day better. That no good, rotten little snake, she thought. I oughtta give him a slice of my mind.

Ron seemed to know what she was thinking. "Ignore him, Mione. Please don't get yourself in trouble."

But Hermione was barely listening to a word he was saying. All she could do was glare intensely at him...him being Draco Malfoy.

"Don't, Mione," Ron's voice crawled through her ears, but it was barely there.

Before she knew it, she stood up in blind fury, and smacked Malfoy straight across the face. A chorus of "ooh's" rang throughout the Hall.

"Don't you dare talk to him like that!" Hermione's voice grew icy and cold.

Malfoy, acting like he hadn't been smacked by a girl, stood up cooly. "Really? Tell me, how should I talk to him? And more importantly, how could he even love a rotten little Mugblood like you?"

Gritting her teeth, Hermione shot him a furious punch, causing his nose to bleed.

Ron was mortified, Ginny was speechless, and Harry was at awe.

"How DARE you! I should have a mind to beat you 'till your dead!" Hermione shrieked.

Ron broke free of his stupor and grabbed Hermione from behind by her arms. "Stop it," he hissed in her ear. "You're going to get in serious trouble!"

"Let her be, Weasley," Draco stood up once again. "Let her do what she's always wanted to."

"How do you know what she wants?" Harry spoke up.

"Ah, gonna speak up, eh, Potter?" Malfoy smiled a venomous smile, then turned back to Ron, who was still holding Hermione by the arms. "Let her loose. She's got all that anger...you wouldn't want it to turn on you now...would you, Weasley?"

Surprisingly to both Harry and Ginny, Ron let go of Hermione, who looked like she was about to take a swinging pounce on Malfoy. But, she stayed where she was and hissed angrily, "You know what you are?"

Draco let that smile return. "Tell me."

"You're a vicious, no good, rotten snake that thinks he's better than everyone else!" she screamed, now up to his face in anger.

"Now, now, Granger," he continued with the smile plastered on his face. "What if your dear boyfriend found out, hmmm?" he whispered so only she could hear. "What then?"

"You're a lier," Hermione said throught gritted teeth. "That never happened! It was a dream!"

"Was it?" he replied cooly, before leaving, Goyle and Crabbe right behind him.

Hermione took sharp breathes, her chest feeling heavy as Ron, Ginny and Harry ran to her side. "Blimey, are you all right?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. Let's go before Snape give us all detention," she rushed in one breath before grabbing her things and leaving.

Ron shot both Ginny and Harry a look. "Something's not right here," he said. "She's jumpy...and more secretive than normal...and Ginny doesn't have classes with us!"

Harry nodded. "I know...we better keep a close watch on her."

"Just to be safe," Ginny added. "Just to be safe."

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All throught Potions class, Ron couldn't help but to glance every now and then secretly at Hermione.

Since the incident in the Great Hall, he'd noticed a behaviour change. She'd been quiet, not answering questions like she used too. He also noticed that she'd been placing her hand on her head and stomach now and then. This put a surge of worry throughout his whole body.

About three minutes later, Ron heard, "Miss Granger!" and dared to look up. Professor Snape was stopping at Hermione's table, where she looked at dazed and pale as ever, but evidently trying to make it seem like she was okay. He listened in closely and carefully. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't doze off in the middle of my class!" he spat.

Ron heard Hermione mutter, "Sorry. I won't." He made a mental note to ask Hermione what was wrong later after class.

But about five seconds later, there was a loud crash, the sound of something shattering and Ron heard both Parvati and Katie shriek and jump, and Harry said, "Hermione!"

Daring to turn around and look, Ron saw Hermione laying motionless on the floor, her potion mixture spilled far from her and glass shattered from one of the bottles.

In an instant, and not caring that Snape was yelling after him, nor that points would be taken from Gryffindor, Ron was picking her up and carrying her down to the ward, trying to wake her up the whole way there. "C'mon, Mione! Blimey! Wake up!"

"Ron! RON!"

Ron stopped for a moment only when he heard Harry bounding down after him. "Wait for me."

'You go get Gin," Ron said. "I'll take her to the ward...again."

Harry nodded and ran off in the opposite direction, running like he'd never ran before...and Ron doing the very same thing.

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Well, tell me again what you thought! And I hope this was a bit longer...if not, my apologies!

Oh, also let me know if anyone is out of character...EVER! Thanks!

JayJay!