Hey guys! I know, I said the update would be quick... but it actually took more polishing that I would have liked... It slightly overlaps chronologically with the last chapter, but I think it's pretty self explanatory. Thank you for all your reviews! I'm glad you enjoy my writings! Anyway, without further ado, enjoy!

'Dammit Malfoy, pull yourself together!' he snapped at himself as he tried yet again to take a short nap in his common room only to be interrupted by a passing thought of last night's nightmare. He was unable to get the terrifying thoughts out of his mind unless he replaced them with the equally unappealing recollections of that morning's confrontation with Granger. 'Still can't believe the bitch was actually trying to genuinely be nice to me' he added as an afterthought, not sure what to make of this sudden shift in behavior. He'd keep up with his end of the bargain though, or at least, would avoid her at all costs until she herself broke her pact. The moment she turned back to her old ways he was safe to resume his mudblood torture without forsaking his pride and name.

Speaking of which, at that very moment, the girl in question walked into the room, looking more than a little worst for wear. He closed his eyes, wanting both to avoid her by faking sleep and to block out the clear signs of crying on her face. Unfortunately, instead of going up to her room, he heard her sit down on the chair near him and, judging by the scratching noise of quill against parchment, he was sure that she was writing on her journal.

'Wonder what brilliant thoughts Miss. Know-It-All is writing now!' he thought, ignoring his growing curiosity. He knew fully well that he could not, would not read that journal ever again. One peek and it had cost him a greater revelation of the mudblood than he cared to ever see again. He didn't want to know that they were similar, didn't care to see her as anything more than Potter's crony and a class rival. To think of her as someone who might actually understand him was simply unacceptable. His thoughts, however, were interrupted by the sound of her closing the notebook and moving towards him. He focused on keeping his breathing even, knowing Granger to be smart enough to catch him in his act otherwise.

'What the...' he wondered, surprised, as something light landed over him. He fidgeted, trying to pull it closer while still looking as if he were sleeping. It took him less than a second to realize that he was now covered in a large, fuzzy blanket courtesy of the mudblood. His eyes shot open at this, as if to demand an explanation from the girl, only to see her walking away from him towards the staircase that led to her room, the smile on her face bothering him more than he care to admit. 'Something is very wrong here', he concluded, snapping upright and shoving the blanket aside onto the floor as if it held some terrible disease. He stared at it, unable to formulate a single coherent thought at what had just happened. It had been such a simple gesture, such a kind act, and yet more than anyone had ever done for him. Picking it up as if it were some fragile object, he proceeded to folding it carefully with utmost care. Placing it on the sofa, he picked up his nearby textbooks and headed out, hoping classes would bring back some sense of normalcy to his life.

And indeed, as he entered early to the Potions lab, he was greeted by the sight of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. Alas, some good Potter bashing always brightened his day. Heading over towards them, he was pleased to see them both frown at his approach.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" spat out the ever quick tempered Ron, looking as if he were about to pounce on him at the slightest provocation. The blond kid allowed himself the smallest of smirks before replying.

"Oh nothing important, Weasley" he remarked smoothly, his voice cool and collected in comparison to the red head. "Just wondering how badly you were planning on failing Potions this year. I am ever so saddened to see yet another year of you and Potter desecrating such a careful art with your brute ways. I guess they couldn't afford to teach you some class in your family, now could they, Weasley?". The boy's freckled face became as red as his trademark hair and he launched forward, only to be stopped by the strong but firm hand of his famous friend.

"At least his family isn't in Azkaban, Malfoy" snapped Harry, ever reliant on that one fact to base all his insults. Granted, it did hurt him more than he cared to admit, but he was growing used to it by now.

"Stay out of it Potter" replied Draco, menacingly. "You don't know who you are dealing with" Of course, that would only make the Golden Boy think Draco himself was a death eater as well or on his way to becoming one. However, the truth behind the argument was that Harry Potter was dealing with a Dumbledore supporter, if a slightly less vocal one than the Gryffindor cronies.

"And thus another year begins" interrupted Hermione who had chosen that very moment to enter the Potions room. She looked infinitely more composed than when he'd last seen her for her face no longer looked as tear stained as before. She smiled at him, at him!, and he allowed himself a small nod in her direction. "You left your notebook in the common room, Malfoy" she added, handing him over the item in question. Looking to the books in his hand he noticed that he had indeed taken his transfiguration notebook by mistake. "Oh! And thanks for folding my blanket there. My mom knitted it for me so it means a lot". He was caught unprepared for that statement, hearing all too clearly the undertones it entailed. 'She believes in my word', he noted in surprise. 'She believes I will be civil, and my word is enough for her to do the same'.

"You're welcome" he replied, his voice ever so slightly less cold than usual. He then nodded to her, excusing himself, as he returned to his desk, but not without sending one last piercing glare to Potter and Weasley. Too bad he wouldn't be around to overhear her explanation to her friends as to their rather unusually polite behavior.

Author's Note: I won't update until Thursday since I have an essay due tomorrow on a book I haven't read (1200 pages of history and I'm starting to crack up), a midterm on Nationalism on Tuesday, and a Japanese exam on Thursday (muzukasi da yo!). But it will be worth it so stay tuned! D