Wow. That's all I can say. I'm so sorry for taking a long while to update, but well, those of my readers who are in school can vouch for how much of your life it seems to take up. Wow. And between having a creative writing class, a journalism class, PLUS English class itself, I feel like all I ever have to do is turn in a paper of some sort, and then on top of that, band. sigh I'm also writing a REAL book le gasp! and it takes most of my 'creative juices.' But I wanted everyone to know that my other fanfic Noro go hul, Bado go Eru went very well in the presentation on it, and my partner and I shall be graduating after all. Anyway, sorry for the wait, I really hope its worth it, holidays and summer will prove better for writing, but I don't intend to give up. Thank you again for all the reviews!


Chapter Three: Friends with Benefits?

Why is it that I always seem to be the one standing there stupidly, yelling after Granger, instead of the other way around? I wonder if she realizes just how frustrating that is to me. She probably does. And she probably savors it, too. I guess I can't expect much less. I made a vow then that I was NOT going to be left screaming after her in the next of our…'confrontations.' No, this time, she would be the one feeling stupid. If possible for her, she's a bloody genius, even I can't deny that.

Needless to say, I skipped the remainder of my light breakfast, retreating back to the common room to gather my supplies for my morning class: History of Magic. Not that I really needed much more than parchment and a quill, and I suppose the text to make it appear that I'm taking notes instead of planning out a new Quidditch strategy or drawing various members of the Golden Trio in compromising—and usually deadly—situations. Then there's always the slight innuendo I feel like conjuring sometimes. But not always. Remember, no sex fiends here.

Moving on, I gathered my things from my trunk, fixing what had been shuffled about slightly the previous evening, and turned to run into Zabini. "I hope you at least won last night, Blaise," I said sarcastically.

"Not without your involuntary contribution," he replied in much the same tone. I admired him for actually standing up to me, since he and Granger were about the only two that really did all the time. The difference between them being was, I actually considered Blaise to be a friend. As for the Mudblood…well, she's an enemy. Archenemy even. Nemesis…I feel like I'm lying to myself. How frustrating.

"You'd best pay me back though," I reminded him, being sure to put a bit of malice behind my words, you know, for emphasis. And because it gives me such pleasure.

"Not like you couldn't spare a few galleons," Blaise snapped.

"Of course I can spare them, but that's not the issue here," I replied, taking on a cooler state. "The issue here is that you need to stop stealing from me, Zabini. Earn your own galleons, and do it without the gambling."

"Yes, sir," he said, his voice just dripping with almost visible sarcasm, but I let it go, giving him a smirk. I waited for him to gather his own supplies, and we walked from the dormitory together, having the same boring destination, after all. "To think that came from you, though, Draco," he was saying as we crossed back into the common room. "You gamble all the time."

"I'm actually good at it," I said, sneering at the other boy. "That's the difference there."

"You sounded like my father," he said through his teeth after a moment of silence, and we both laughed a bit as we entered the corridor. It could be a bit of a tense subject at times, but I let it pass as nothing for now. I really wasn't in the mood to, well, be in that bad of a mood. But I don't want to talk about fathers at the moment.

As we emerged from the dungeon stairwell, I could see a bright red head ahead of us, standing out against the cold stone walls of the castle. "The Weaselette," I heard Blaise say instantly, his eyes locking onto her.

"Don't use my names," I snapped at him quickly, then noticed the way he was watching her. It was…unnerving, and a look that I had never before noticed in Zabini's eyes. I didn't like it at all, so I expressed my thoughts to him, not one to stay unhappy with something and not have others know.

He looked back at me quickly after realizing I caught him staring, and his blue eyes filled with a bit of an almost childish guilt. (Note from Author: Yes, I know, Blaise wouldn't have blue eyes, but I was always a fan of the blue eyed, black haired, Italian Blaise…I mean, look at his last name! So that's what he shall be in my story.) But he quickly covered it by averting his eyes, something I hadn't wanted him to do for once, and it left me feeling even more unnerved. "I was just watching her for a moment," he muttered, almost unintelligibly, before quickening his pace down the corridor.

I followed him at his new brisk speed, not saying anything more until we arrived in History of Magic, taking my usual seat beside him in the back of the room. I noted the absence of Crabbe and Goyle, but then, getting to any classes in the morning was always a hassle for the two of them, who preferred long hours in the Great Hall enjoying the variety of pastries offered. They had begun the habit of skipping any morning class all together, which didn't bother me as much as it would have a few years ago. But to tell the truth, the buffoons were getting to me a bit, and a break from their constant shadowing and from my role as an almost 'parental' unit to them was a welcome one. Besides, it gave me a chance for intelligent conversation with Blaise…and of course, time with the occasional member of the opposite sex. I don't even want to imagine Crabbe and Goyle stupidly hanging around for anything like that. Bleh…

Anyway, I was brought from my thoughts by a very loud, very exasperated sigh to my other side, and I turned to see none other than Granger dropping into the seat beside me. "Next time it's you're turn to sit by him," I heard her snap to a snickering Potter to her other side.

I was disgusted, number one with the fact that she thought that she was worthy to just sit in a seat that could possibly be reserved without even asking me, and number two with the fact that she was arguing about the fact that she didn't want to sit beside me. And after she fell on me this morning, I think I deserve a bit more respect. It hadn't even been an hour later yet.

I decided to express myself…not much surprise there. At least I admit it. "What makes you think that seat wasn't already taken?" I asked her casually.

She was already digging through her supplies, spreading them across the desk and making herself comfortable. "I don't have time for you twice in one day, Malfoy," she said huffily, not even looking at me. "Besides, no one else had anything here, and you were turned the other direction. I analyzed the seat was open. And there are no other open seats in the classroom."

I quickly scanned the class and this time noticed that Crabbe and Goyle actually had arrived, but were seated on the opposite side of the room. I also noted that their robes were bulging a bit more than usual, which gave me the suspicion that they were harboring a few treats. Not that Binns would notice. And Granger was right—of course—there were no other seats in the classroom.

"I suppose you'll have to sit there today," I said, frustrated with not having anything better to say in my defense, but she didn't even respond, completely ignoring me as she pulled out parchment and a quill, set to begin taking notes. It was infuriating how she could just…ignore me. And I knew that her note taking was just going to be irritating as well. I…don't know why, but I just knew. Don't ask. It's frustrating. I don't have to explain it to you anyway, so why am I lingering? I don't care. Whatever. Moving on.

Binns soon floated through his office and into the classroom, opening with his usual line of "Turn to page…" blah, blah, blah. Granger was about the only one in the class that did, and she began vigorously writing down tons of things, even faster than he could be speaking. I looked down the long table to see Weasley already asleep and drooling on the desk, and Potter absently playing with his glasses. I figured they just got all the notes from Granger…smart of them. Too bad Blaise didn't take notes like that. Speaking of, Blaise was too busy drawing an obscene picture on the desk, snickering to himself like a fool. I didn't always understand him. But I really didn't want to, either.

I decided to avoid drawing any pictures of the Golden Trio being maimed today, considering they were sitting right beside me. Don't get me wrong, I am NOT afraid of ANY of them…I just wasn't in the mood for Granger looking over and going mental…or…something. Quidditch plans definitely seemed to way to go for the day.

About halfway through the class period, Granger looked over at my parchment, which was covered at that point with strategies and drawings, and the occasional remark to Blaise about various others in the classroom. She threw me a disgusted look. "I suppose you just copy all of Parkinson's work then?" she whispered.

I smirked. "Hardly," I replied. "I used to copy yours, but you changed the password into Gryffindor Tower, so I can't get in anymore. I got out of the habit of taking notes."

She actually looked like she believed me for a moment, and I felt an extreme level of satisfaction at the confused and shocked expression on her face, which soon turned livid. "You are not amusing," she spat at me.

"I thought it was funny," Blaise interjected, looking up from his now very elaborate and detailed drawing for a moment.

"I'm sure you did," she said, giving him a glare that sent his eyes right back to the desk. "The two of you are never going to become anything."

"Neither are your friends if you don't stop feeding them information instead of making them get it themselves," I said with a nod towards Potty and the Weasel.

Update on Binns during all this: "…and so we learn that the werewolf bite does indeed turn one into a werewolf themselves, unless they are bitten on the left arm on the fourteenth of the month during the Harvest Moon, which seems to counteract the effect…"

"I happen to not give them all the answers," she said back to be, creasing her brow in frustration as she continued to take notes and argue at the same time.

"I hope they return the favor well," I continued, noting that Potter had joined Weasley in the world of dreams, but with a bit less drool. I suppose the boy-who-lived can't very well be seen wallowing in his own saliva.

"They're my friends, Malfoy," Granger said irritably, sounding a lot like she was chastising a small child. "You know, friends, someone that you can depend on and who cares for you. Even if you don't have any I'm sure you know what they are."

"What does that make me then?" Blaise again interjected, a bit defiantly. He was loud enough to get a quick hush from Binns before he continued droning again.

"People like you don't have real friends," Hermione said after a moment, her voice lowered as well. "You may have followers or slaves or whatever you want to call them, but you don't have friends."

That was a bit of an infuriating statement. Sure, I didn't have a lot of people I really considered a friend, but I did have a few, and I most certainly knew what they were. I could do without her sarcasm. "And I'm sure you and Potter AND Weasley have become VERY good friends," I said to her icily, tired of this childish conversation and trying to turn it back the way I wanted it to go. "No one gives out work for nothing. You put out…and they put out…" I smirked, giving her a wink. "Not bad for you, having TWO of them."

Granger's face and neck turned as red as Weasley's hair in a matter of seconds. Her bottom lip trembled for a moment, and she slowly set her quill down with shaking hands, and then turned to face me fully. I gave her my best smirk, and then she exploded. "I've had about enough of you and your stupid comments and your non-fact-based assumptions!" she was suddenly snapping at me. I was taken aback by the sudden lack of whispering. "No one is 'putting out' with me for answers or ANYTHING! I'm not YOU!"

If her face could get any redder, it most certainly did. Her outburst had awoken Potter and Weasley, who were staring wide-eyed at her, as was Binns…and well, the rest of the class to be serious. But I was put off by her last statement and her own 'non-fact-based assumption' of me. I opened my mouth to fire back something…anything, but Binns spoke first.

"I have spoken to the back of the room once for disrupting my class," he said, sounding angrier than he usually ever did. I actually wasn't sure up to this point whether or not he was capable of emotions at all. "Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, you can work this out AFTER class…in detention. I don't want to hear another sound until the end of this class."

If looks could kill, I'd be dead ten times over, excuse the cliché. But it's true. Granger gave me a look with a mixture of disgust, disbelief, and pure unadulterated rage. But I somehow derived extreme amusement by putting a black mark on her record. Mine was already full of them, and another detention didn't matter much. But she was infuriated. "Congratulations, Mudblood," I said with a satisfied sneer. At least I wasn't left yelling after her.


I'm not as confident about his chapter, but I REALLY wanted to post another one for all of you. I hope the next one can be better now that I have somewhere to work on. If you review, I'm open to constructive criticism, and I'm ALWAYS open to ideas anyone has as where this should go. I'll try to work in all ideas somewhere. Thanks again for reading, sorry if this chapter isn't as good, and REALLY sorry that it took so long.