Thanks for suggestions & reviews – will make chapters longer. Actually, had thought they were kinda short meself. I reckon as the story progresses they will start to get longer. Keep reading please!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter may live in Surrey nearby, but he doesn't belong to me.

Trouble in Paradise

October was drawing to a close, which meant two things. Firstly, the weather was becoming stormier by the day. Harsh winds ravished the Hogwarts grounds and whipped the Lake violently creating a romantic, yet very wet scene. Secondly, the school was in very good spirits. Halloween was approaching and on Halloween weekend the 3rd years and above were to enjoy a day of Hogsmeade.

"Coming to Hogsmeade with me, Drakie?" Pansy cooed irritatingly at breakfast, trying to looks as enticing as she possibly could.

Draco made an indistinct grunting noise, not even acknowledging her presence. He refused to look at her stupid squashed pug face and unattractive babyish pout (that she thought he found adorable).

Pansy took this as a yes and squealed in delight, attempting to slip her hand onto Draco's thigh, who then promptly shifted his leg. He had been very irritated and confused ever since his last meeting with Hermione, and was putting all his effort into not looking at her.

Hermione, however, was sitting happily with Harry and Ron (who had just come out of the Hospital wing) on the other side of the Hall. She had been a lot happier ever since she'd had it out with Malfoy. She had decided not to feel anything other than disdain for him and felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Although something was nagging at the back of her mind, Ron and Harry's boisterous voices talking about Hogsmeade blocked it out.

"Haven't been there for ages – I'm gonna spend a fortune at Zonko's and Honeydukes!" Ron exclaimed eagerly, gesticulating violently with his hands an accidentally spilling his pumpkin juice all over Parvati.

"Yeah, it'll be great. Are you coming with us Herm?" Harry asked, silently persuading her with his charming green eyes.

"I don't know if I'm going to go…I have so much to catch up on and the library will be empty…" Hermione replied truthfully.

"Aww, come on, Herm, you're always working! Me and Harry deserve to have you around more than your Homework! I'll consider us even after the Malfoy incident if you come." Ron said, grinning thinking that he'd been very self-sacrificial in offering her this.

"'Malfoy Situation'? He and I were just talking when you went and barged in, wands blazing! Why should I have to repay you just because you lost your temper?" Hermione snapped back automatically.

"So you're sticking up for that slimy ferret? After everything? What are you, friends with Slytherin boy? Jeez Hermione, me and Harry thought you were sipping away from us, but we didn't think you'd choose him over us!" Ron barked, his ears beginning to go a violent shade of scarlet.

"No, I'm not choosing him over you and Harry! Malfoy is not my friend – just because we were chatting doesn't mean we're friends! I can talk to whoever I want, you don't own me, Ronald, and I can look after myself without you hexing yourself for me!" Hermione yelled back, perhaps slightly louder than she had wanted, and with that she picked up her things and stormed out.

On seeing this display, the Slytherin table erupted with cheers and jeering whoops as Hermione left the table. Malfoy did not join them, however he felt quite pleased for reasons he wasn't quite sure of.

Hermione found her way up to the library and pulled a couple of books off the shelves, trying desperately to fight back the tears. Fighting with Ron was bad enough, but she hated that it was because of Malfoy. Suddenly, a little jet black head came speeding into the library.

"Herm!" Harry shouted as he galloped in and was immediately hushed by Madame Prince who looked even more like a vulture than ever. "Herm, come to Hogsmeade with us, please. Ron didn't think when he was talking to you earlier, he was out of line, but you shouldn't have snapped at him like that." Harry appealed in a hushed tone.

"I know I shouldn't have, it just came out. Yes, of course I'll come with you, so long as Ron promises to be civil." Hermione said haughtily, but was secretly very gratified to have a friend like Harry.

Harry grinned, his charming smile illuminating his features, "Of course he'll be civil. Herm, you know he's just looking out for you. We both are. We all know what Malfoy is like, and we want to make sure you're fine." Harry said, trying not to sound patronising.

"Yeah, I know. Thank you, Harry, for your concern, but I'm sure I can handle Malfoy perfectly well. Let's not talk about him anymore. Come on, we should be getting ready for Hogsmeade." Said Hermione, a thankful smile taking the place of the frown, her tearful eyes converting into sparkling happy ones.

So, that afternoon, Harry, Ron and Hermione all left for Hogsmeade with the rest of the joyful upper school. As they sat it their Thestral drawn carriage, Harry sat between Hermione and Ron as they were not speaking to each other. Once in Hogsmeade, Harry made forced conversation.

The entire carraige ridewent this way. Harry would make a comment and Ron or Hermione would answer monotonously. Every now and again, Hermione would throw a snide comment his way and Ron's ears would glow bright red, but surprisingly chose not to retort.

Once out of the carriage, the three stepped through Hogsmeade gates into the beautiful provincial town which had been magnificently decorated for Halloween. Pumpkins with cheeky enchanting expressions were lit enticingly in each shop. Merchants dressed up as vampires, goblins, giants and a whole manner of other creatures lined the streets, selling odd sweets and sinister looking merchandise. Everything was covered in, what they hoped was fake, blood and cobwebs. Hogsmeade certainly got into the Halloween spirit!

"Where shall we go first…Honeydukes? They are doing an offer on Blood Pops for Halloween..." Harry asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to, but I don't know if Ronald would let me. God forbid, someone might want to talk to me there!" Hermione replied, her voice dripping with icy sarcasm.

"How could I have known that Malfoy wasn't harming you, and that you were just, as usual, fraternising with the enemy?" Ron suddenly exploded after holding back a lot of biting comments, his face slowly filling with an intense shade of violet.

"I wasn't fraternising! Malfoy just wanted to discuss something with me – we're not getting married! Who are you to say who I can and can't talk to?" Hermione retorted turning to face Ron, her eyes gleaming heatedly.

"That's a no, then." Harry sighed inwardly.

The three ended up in the Three Broomsticks for Butterbeers, and they sat in silence as Harry was sick of making conversation when Ron and Hermione were so determined to use it as an excuse to snap at each other.

"Hows about you just go off with Snape and seal the deal, eh, Hermione? You've been with Krum and Malfoy; why not take one step further?" Ron snapped suddenly once he had finished his beer.

"Krum and I were just friends, you KNOW I despise Snape and I don't even LIKE Malfoy!" Hermione spat back, furious that he could even suggest it, although a part fo her knew that this was not entirely true.

"Only a matter of time, Hermione. You seem to like exasperating Harry and I with your taste in men. Perhaps if you did get jiggy with Snape our marks would go up." Ron retorted, but realised he'd gone too far a little too late as a slender, shaking hand came crashing down on his cheek.

"How DARE you even suggest-" Hermione shouted as she got up from her bar stool, hand still shaking, but then a certain young man came by.

"Trouble in paradise, Weasley? Fallen out with your girlfriend? I could have sworn I heard my name come up in this little tiff." Malfoy sneered smoothly, looking extremely pleased with himself as he surveyed Ron's cheek with Hermione's hand mark on it.

"You! You go now, leave my friend alone!" Ron roared, getting to his feet, shaking with fury.

"Hah, friends? Do friends slap each other? Because, in that case, Granger and I are very close indeed." Malfoy replied,grinning at Hermione slightly, his grey eyes twinkling with mischief, making Hermione even more furious with him, but at the same time, making her want togrin backat him too.

All of a sudden, Ron grabbed Harry's Butterbeer and threw it right into Malfoy's smug face, soaking him from head to toe.

"Leave us alone, or I will KILL you myself, you Pureblood trash!" Ron threatened ardently, slamming the glass back down onto the table.

Wiping Butterbeer from his face, it didn't take long for Draco to process what Weasley had just done to him, so responded in the only way he knew how.

Up went Malfoy's wrathful fist.

Down it went onto Ron's nose

Down went Ron, clutching his nose in agony.

Up rose Harry from his stool, all set to avenge his wounded friend.

"Oi! Oi, what's going on here, boys?" Madame Rosemerta yelled from the bar before Harry could swing a punch."If you wanna fight, take it outside, lads, leave my pub!"

"I'm not leaving Hermione with him." Ron yelled as he got to his feet, clutching his nose.

"She wouldn't want to stay with you anyway, Weasley."

"You know what, I'll make it really easy for you both, and I'll leave." Hermione said, coldly, and with that, stalked out of the Three Broomsticks seething with anger.

Once back at the school, Hermione ran up to her Quarters, into her bedroom and sobbed into her pillow. Why was Ron being so DIFFICULT? Why was she allowing Malfoy come in between her and her friends? Why were her worst enemy and her best friend fighting over her? And when they were having a fight in the pub, why oh why did she desperately want to abandon Ron and run to her worst enemy's aid? Tears poured down her flushed cheeks, all these tangled questions buzzed in her brain, and although she vaguely knew the answers, she was nowhere near ready to accept them.

Just then, there was a sharp knock at her door. Hermione ignored it, but because the knocking didn't cease, she dragged herself up from her bed and stalked grumpily up to the door.

"Yeah, yeah, I can hear you." She grumbled, wiping the tears from her sorrowful hazel eyes, reaching for the silver doorknob. "Who is it?"

"Draco Malfoy."

Hermione's breath caught in her throat.