Whisperings and Sneakers (REVISED for 9-5-04)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or BtVS, but the plot was my original idea. Well, technically it was my mother's, but she sold me the rights to it.

.Marx.

A/N: I am not planning any romance of any sort, Dark Angel, but you'll never guess what's coming next...I too have read too many romance plots with Draco/Hermione, so I won't put them together. I just think the only one who is able to match wits with Hermione besides Harry is Hermione, but seriously, would Draco give Harry the light of day?

"So Malfoy spoke to you? What did he say?" said Ron, who took a large bite out of a mince pie his mother sent to him. They were sitting in the empty Gryffindor Common Room after dinner was over. He really did have a bottomless pit for a stomach. They had left early to work on homework and Hermione blurted out the news after Ron and Harry had heard about her confrontation to Draco Malfoy.

"He didn't tell me anything. At first it was like he was challenging me to come up with a very good reason to get his attention, but when I thought I did he didn't buy it. Maybe it was how I worded it?"

"What did you ask him?"

"At first I asked him what was wrong with him..." Harry snorted as if he thought of a good answer to that, but then turned his attention back to her. "Then I asked what brought this whole ordeal on. I was sure that was the correct choice after I thought about it. He wouldn't answer me, and then I told him I would begin making assumptions if he didn't say something, and he let me. So I asked him if he was turning over a new leaf and backed up my conclusion with premises and he laughed in my face, well, not really laughed, but closer to a snide remark. Something is seriously wrong with him."

Harry looked thoughtfully at Hermione, but then he was confused slightly. "Why would you care if something is wrong with Malfoy?" Hermione looked at Harry in the same manner as she did Draco when she went to ask him what was going on.

"He's acting weird and I think if he ignores you, Harry, then there's reason to worry. Even you have to admit that. He wouldn't talk to me without a good opening statement, which brings me to believe that he's beginning to see muggle-born witches and wizards in the same category as a pure-blood. He was giving me the same chance as someone else of 'higher standard' as some would put it, and this led me to believe that since he was researching muggles that he would give me some time of the day, in which he did--"

"You're really getting into this whole Malfoy mystery, aren't you, Hermione?" said Ron, who had stuffed his mouth with another bite of mince pie. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were actually being nice to him and liking it!" Hermione stared at Ron as he spoke with his mouth full of food, but passed it off as something she thought he would never grow out of. He was a decent guy and all, but seriously, sometimes he was still the same Gryffindor who couldn't control his temper in front of anyone who irked him--Draco Malfoy being at the top of that list.

"It's making everyone nervous, Ron. A quiet, subdued Draco Malfoy cannot be a good thing on any level. If I can get him to talk to me on a decent level at all I would be able to figure out what is bothering him, and maybe get him back to normal, if that's what you want." Harry nodded slightly, not really agreeing or disagreeing. Ron didn't seem to take to her plan as well, though. He didn't like the thought of being nice to a Malfoy on any level. He just sat there with one of his cheeks stuffed with pie and his eyes wide as if he discovered that his friend had gone insane. He quickly chewed his food and swallowed it, ready with a speech that could last a while.

"Are you insane? Malfoy's miserable! I've never been so happy!" Apparently not so much of a long speech awaited them. Ron seemed to take all of his energy in expressing many emotions all in the two sentences he blurted out. Harry looked at Ron as Hermione had looked at him earlier. He was beginning to grasp the concept Hermione was offering, and was starting to wonder how--if possible--she could help Draco Malfoy.

"You may be happy with the overnight change Malfoy has gone through, but it isn't as simple as liking it and accepting it." said Harry, who had taken to the thought of a subdued Malfoy with a look of confusion and slight shock on his face. "I agree that there is something wrong with him. If it's nothing, then it might as well be treated as such. Right now he's not talking to anyone, but Hermione was the only Hogwart's student able to communicate with him in three days. If she can get anything out of him, then maybe we can put this whole thing to rest. I'm getting tired of hearing about it."

"I think he should stay like this. It would show him what it feels like to be the center of all rumors." Ron said nastily.

"Like it or not, Ron, I don't think you'd like Draco Malfoy being nice. I don't think it would be very healthy for anyone whose father was a Deatheater." Harry watched as Ron got really quiet, as if he were comprehending finally what his colleagues were discussing. It seemed to soak in a bit more as the three contemplated what Lucius Malfoy would do to his only son if he were to find out he was rebelling against the traditional ways of his family.

"When you say it that way, Harry, it suddenly doesn't sound so good. I don't know what the Malfoy family is like, but I'm sure it isn't healthy to do anything wrong. I don't think you should help him, though. He's just figuring out now that everyone is pretty much equal? I think he needs to be told that what he was doing was wrong. But I don't want to be responsible for Lucius killing him just because we knew first. I don't want that problem. Might as well help him while he can still be helped, Hermione." Harry looked over to Hermione, who seemed bewildered about something. Ron saw this as well and they looked to her for an explanation. "What's bothering you now?" His question was rewarded with a glare. Hermione didn't seem to comprehend something at first, but then after a moment, she seemed to come to her wits about it.

"Who could have that much influence on Malfoy?" Harry hesitated as did Ron. It shocked them, actually. Hermione really did think of everything. No one knew how to start the discussion, if there even was one to start off with. Ron was the first to speak up.

"What if it was Lucius?"

"Doubtful." said Harry. "Voldemort comes first for him. I would assume that Lucius knows nothing about it."

"Who else has that kind of influential power?" Hermione stopped to think about it. "What about Narcissa? Mother's are very influential to what everyone does."

"She's got to be a Deatheater, too. Why else would Lucius marry? She's in league with Lucius. She's got to be. I bet they agree on all kinds of evil things." said Ron.

"If they agree, she couldn't be on the suspect list, Hermione. There's just too little to go on when we know what kind of wizards they are." Hermione stopped to think a bit harder of Harry's words. "Malfoy doesn't have a lot of influence when it comes to friends. Even I would be more influential than Crabbe or Goyle."

"Hey, that's right!" said Ron, enthused. "Harry, I'm so proud of you for turning Malfoy into a wimp!" Harry chuckled and pictured him talking to Draco Malfoy as a best friend and getting him to change his mind about muggle-born witches and wizards. Ron suddenly got a visual of Harry being friends with Malfoy, and grimaced. "Ech. I suddenly don't think that anymore..." Ron's face continued to be contorted and Hermione continued.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get down to the bottom of it."

"Do you have a plan to help him?"

"At this point, it all depends on him, don't you think?"

A/N: Okay, that was the revised version. I finished the revised version awhile ago, but now I've got some more ideas flowing easier these days. It'll be up soon. I'm trying for a few days, but it could be a little longer, you know how it can be.