A/N: I can't tell you how much I hate this story so far. Some of my worst work, I feel. But I need to get this all out before I can start on better things. So going forward...

Disclaimer: I am really running out of witty things to say! I own nothing! Well, I own the plot.

Warnings: Does this story really need a warning?

ACT 1: Chapter 7

While Hermione was at the hospital wing, Harry hadn't got far before he started punching the wall. It only took Ron a couple of minutes to find him.

"Harry, what the bloody hell was that! Have you gone wrong?"

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

"What is with you mate? You almost never say a word to anyone, and when I tell you that I love Hermione, you…"

Harry's fist, for a second time, connected with someone's face.

Ron was knocked to the ground.

"You have no idea! No idea what it's like to be alone your whole life. I finally find people I can call family, and when I need them most, they're going off and…getting married and…"

Ron was so furious that he blocked out Harry's ranting. How could he say that they wouldn't be here for him? He kicked Harry's feet out from underneath him.

When Harry fell, Ron jumped on top of him and started punching anywhere he could.

Their commotion had brought a couple of teachers and they were forced apart, shouting profanities and curses at each other.

"Boys! Boys! Silencio!"

Their shouting had ceased, but their mouths kept moving until they realized that they could no longer speak.

Professor Lupin looked very angry with them.

"What the devil is going on!"

They glared at each other and Lupin took the spell off of Ron.

"Nothing professor."

Lupin wasn't satisfied.

"I can either take away fifty house points each or give you a week's worth of detention. Which will it be?"

Ron said detention and Harry mouthed the same.

"Detention with Mr. Filch tomorrow night then. I think that you two need to be in separate dorms for tonight to cool down. Harry, you can stay with the Heads and Ron will stay in Gryffindor."

They nodded and Lupin took the spell off Harry who stormed away. Ron walked away as well.

There was an uncomfortable silence between Hermione and Malfoy as they walked together. They decided to take the long way to stretch their legs. Now it didn't seem like it was the best idea.

When they finally got up to their floor, they heard screaming. Hurrying their pace, the saw Ron was stuck outside the room again, dealing with the stupid portrait. He was red in the face and his eye had gone an ugly purplish color.

"Look you stupid animal, Professor Lupin told me to be here! I don't know the damn password! Just let me the hell in!"

"Ron, what are doing?"

"This fucking…"

"Ron!" she said in surprise.

He glared at her.

"This stupid painting wont let me in!"

Hermione went up to the portrait and said the password. The door opened and they all walked in.

AS he sat down, Draco couldn't resist commenting on Ron's appearance.

"Well, Weasley's got a mouth on him. Oh and he's gone the shade of his hair."

"Malfoy, that's enough," Hermione said sharply.

As Ron glared at him, he said, "Malfoy, I need to talk to Hermione."

"Last I recalled you were talking to her."

"Leave, you bastard!"

Malfoy rose quickly and rushed to him, but Hermione got in the way.

"Boys! Stop it! You are being childish. Malfoy, please let Ron and I have a word alone."

Draco looked unsure if he should leave, but he rolled his eyes and went to his room.

After he left Ron calmed down. They sat down together.

"What happened to your eye?" Hermione asked.

"Well, umm…Harry and I sort of got into a fight."

She closed her eyes and groaned.

"Professor Lupin found us we have a weeks detention and I have spend the night here," he continued sheepishly.

Hermione sighed despairingly.

"What did you fight about?"

"I don't know what's been going on with him lately. He's not talking to any one, and he just isn't himself."

"Well, Ron, he has a lot to be worried about. He's probably feeling scared about what's going to happen with the war."

"I understand that, but I told him…never mind."

She looked at him funnily.

He cleared his throat.

"Not that I care but is Malfoy alright?"

"He'll live. Though Harry gave him a concussion and broke his nose."

"Is he really that soft?" he chuckled.

"It isn't funny Ron. He blacked out on the way to the hospital. Harry could have put him into a coma. It most certainly is not funny."

Ron agreed with her. Though it was just Malfoy, he couldn't believe that Harry had actually almost killed him.

"Harry thinks were leaving him," Ron said.

That caught her off guard.

"What? That's ridiculous!"

Ron had put himself in a hard place. He couldn't say why Harry thought what he did without telling her he wanted to marry her.

"I know but he said that we wont be there for him when he fights or something. I can't remember too much. I sort of blocked it out, I was so angry."

Hermione gave this a lot of thought.

"He thinks that you and I being together means that we won't be there for him."

"But that's stupid! We are here for him."

She looked disturbed at this new information.

"I need to think, Ron. I need sometime alone," she said as got up off of the couch and headed out side to her garden.

Again, Ron was left looking sad and confused.

Harry was feeling low. Almost as low when Sirius had died. He couldn't believe he attacked Ron. He couldn't believe they fought.

"What is happening to me!" he screamed in his head as he kicked the wall.

He slumped down and leaned against the wall, vaguely wondering if Malfoy was seriously hurt.

Somehow, Harry had found himself in front of Dumbledore's office. Feeling the need to talk to someone, he got up and went to the giant turning statue.

"Acid pops," he said and the statue turned to let him in.

Harry walked up the stairs and entered the Headmaster's office and saw that he was at his desk.

"I'm sorry to disturb you professor," he said meekly.

The old man looked up.

"Not at all Harry, please come in. Help yourself to some sweets."

Harry walked in and sat down in the chair opposite the Headmaster and took a small handful of lemon drops.

"So Harry, what is on your mind?" he asked kindly.

"A lot of things, professor," Harry said absentmindedly putting a piece of candy in his mouth.

"I heard that you and Mr. Weasley had a row earlier. Why don't you start there?"

Harry looked down, embarrassed.

"I don't know what happened. I just sort of lost control. He started asking me what was wrong and he said that I was distant. I…I hit him sir, and we got into a fight."

"Harry, a fight among friends is common and is even healthy sometimes. But violence among friends is another matter."

Harry looked up into the pools of water that were Dumbledore's eyes and he knew that the old man sensed something wasn't being spoken.

"Earlier he said that he was going to…" he sighed exasperatedly, "it's stupid. He said that was going to ask Hermione to marry him before graduation."

Dumbledore looked at Harry with a bit of curiosity.

"No, sir," he said quickly and honestly, "it's nothing like that at all. It just seems like, well, they…"

"They would grow apart from you?" he finished for him.

"In so many words, yes."

Dumbledore sighed heavily.

"Harry, everyone grows up. Some grow apart. I know that right now things look horrible, but you must have faith in your friends. You must believe that they wouldn't leave you, just as they have faith that you wouldn't leave them."

He'd been a pretty poor friend by doing what he did to Ron. He hung his head in shame.

"Harry, don't worry. I don't think your friendship will be torn apart because of a brawl. Do give your friends more credit. Though I do suspect an apology is in order."

Nodding his head, Harry felt a bit better.

"Anything else Harry?"

"No professor, thank you," he said getting up to leave.

"You are quite welcome."

Draco spent the next half hour staring up at the ceiling, very bored indeed. He only just noticed that it had gone quiet. He got up off the bed and opened the door.

Looking into the living room, he noticed that neither Hermione nor Ron were there so he grabbed his cigarettes and headed down the stairs to go outside for some air.

He lit one up as he walked through the door and he felt a blast of cold wind that felt refreshing, yet bitter.

Looking around, he saw that the gate on the hill was open.

Hermione was sitting in her garden silently crying to herself.

The once blue sky had turned into chalky gray and the clouds looked as heavy with water as her eyes were with tears. There was a strong wind blowing and the feel of a storm approaching was thick in the air.

She didn't know how to react to the news that Harry thought they were no longer there for him. She loved Ron, but her friendship with Harry was just as important. Were they really growing apart? Had her relationship with Ron really changed what the three of them had? If this was all true, she felt she would have to leave Ron.

She felt wretched inside and again that feeling of uselessness swept over and bogged her down so that she couldn't think straight anymore. She didn't notice that footsteps were coming towards her.

"Granger? You out he…what's that matter with you?"

She looked up and saw Malfoy looking her. Wiping a tear from her face, she cleared her throat.

"Malfoy, what are doing?

"Are you crying?" he said with a sneer, though it wasn't even a fraction of what he usually would have done.

"No," a look of hurt crossed her face, "but if I was, what concern is it of yours?"

He came closer to her and sat down beside her.

"What's wrong?" he said as though he was a bit obligated to ask.

She had finally gained control of herself again to look at him, but she didn't answer his question.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

A bit taken aback he answered,

"Yeah I guess. It takes more than a scrawny, four-eyed wonder boy to stop me," he said with a smirk.

She scowled at him.

"I knew you wouldn't be thankful," she said.

The truth was, he was very thankful. He just didn't show it.

"Malfoy, can…"

When she didn't continue, he looked at her strangely.

"Yes?"

She turned a bit pale and slowly reached for his left arm. Timidly she lifted it off his lap.

Comprehension dawned on him. She wanted to see if Harry's accusations had any merit.

She shyly looked into his stormy eyes and his expression was stony and serious. He wanted her to find out for herself.

Taking his silence as a sort of ok, she brought his arm closer to her and slowly pushed up the sleeve to reveal perfect, pale, unmarked skin. That was all she needed and he didn't push her for questions.

After a long silence he finally asked her,

"What are you doing out here anyway?"

"I was just thinking," she replied without looking at him. Her knees were pulled to herself, her chin resting on folded arms.

"What is going on with Potter? He threatened to send his best friend to the hospital. Even we Slytherins know not to be that overt about our threats."

"No, you just go through with them without any warning."

His face tightened.

"I don't know what is going on with Harry. I think he…I think he's kind of jealous."

"Jealous? Of you and Weasley? You think he has something for you? Or Weasley perhaps?" he smirked disgustingly.

She again scowled at him.

"Shut it Malfoy! No, I don't…oh I don't know. I am really confused. I don't think Harry has feelings for me, I just…" the words were hard forming, "I think he believes we're growing apart. He's jealous that Ron and I are close in a different way, you know? He's been supportive of Ron and I, but all of sudden he seems to think that we are more preoccupied with our relationship than our friendship with him."

Draco sat back looking at her. He was a bit in awe of himself that he had pinned down the reason for Harry's anger. He didn't know that his little taunt at him earlier had some merit of truth.

"Are you?" he asked.

"I haven't been able to be with either of them in weeks because of school and everything. And with the war so close…Ron told me Harry seems to be distant. I don't know where he got the idea that I am more involved with Ron than him."

"Well, think about it. Your relationship with Weasley has changed, right?"

She nodded.

"That means Potter's relationship with the two of you has changed. If one complains about the other to him, he has to keep it to himself or else he would've ruined your relationship together and your friendship with him. And seeing you two act like lovebirds has to be strange," he stated nonchalantly; as if it was the most obvious thing and anyone would noticed it.

"But why would he act as if he was happy for us and now…"

"And now he's come out with how he really feels. Well, I think that was boiling beneath the surface. And thanks to my, choice words," he rubbed the back of his head, "it's come out."

Hermione stared wide-eyed at him. Since when did Malfoy give advice on relationships? Since when did he understand people? Since when did anything that came out of his mouth make sense? How did he see it, and she didn't?

She looked away. She fooled herself into thinking that she could be with Ron and everything would be the same.

"That's why Harry hit you then?" she asked a little more angrily than she meant.

"Well, I admit I may have unknowingly stumbled onto a touchy subject with Potter."

She scowled at him. Malfoys didn't do anything 'unknowingly.' Nonetheless, he seemed to be willing to give a bit of advice.

"Well, you seem to be an expert on this. What should I do?" she asked with bitterness scratched in her voice.

"Don't know, don't care," he said harshly.

She was about ready hit him when a thought came to her mind. Self-centered Malfoy.

"What would you do, Malfoy?"

He smirked.

"I would do what would make me happy."

"What about what is right?"

He huffed a chuckle that really held no amusement.

"Since when do brave, noble Gryffindors ask their rival house Slytherin, what is right?"

"Malfoy, I…"

"I would do what would make me happy."

She knitted her eyebrows. He wasn't a lost cause; at least not yet anyway. She always believed that doing the right thing was more important than what made her happy; than what was selfish. But what if doing what was right, didn't seem right at all.

Close to tears again, she finally replied,

"I don't know what would make me happy. I love Ron, but Harry is just as important to me."

"If I were you, and thankfully I am not, I would tell Potter that you aren't ditching him for his best friend. About Weasley? Well, I wouldn't have taken up with him to begin with. But since this is you we're talking about," he was about to make nasty comment but kept it to himself, "does he make you happy?"

Hermione's mind flashed with memories of their first kiss, time spent being with each other, their first argument as a couple.

She nodded.

"Well, there's your answer."

He saw her chuckle a bit and felt happy that he had helped in a small way.

Awkwardly, he raised his hand placed it on her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

She looked at him, a bit apprehensive, but she saw no malice or spite in his eyes. Smiling, she said,

"Thank you Malfoy, for listening to me."

"Oh here it comes," he thought.

"Granger, I wanted to say…"

"Malfoy, you listening to me complain is thanks enough. Though you can, and should, thank Michael Dawson. He helped me get you to the hospital."

They looked into each other's eyes and a strange understanding grew. Silently, an accord was struck between them.

Patting his knee, she left the comfortable bench. The sun was beginning to peek through the stormy clouds.

"I have to find Harry," she said still smiling.

"You going to be alright?"

He didn't know where that came from. He asked that on impulse. It seemed like an appropriate question to ask at the time.

"Worrying about me now are you? You try to comfort me, give advice? Maybe you are human after all," she said looking at him differently than she had before. Her warm eyes were soft and thankful, "don't worry. I can take care of myself. But thank you."

She walked away. The strange encounter with Malfoy had been forcibly shoved out of her mind. She needed to find Harry.

A/N: Ok, hope that wasn't too sappy for you. I am still trying to get this right, you know. I think Act 1 is nearly done and can go on to the next struggle of Act 2. Oh well. So far it's going better considering the trouble I had, and still have, trying to get this off the ground. I can't do long stories. I know this whole story is crap, but you need to go to extremes before you get better. Even the best author's have crap stories sometimes. We'll see.