Before we get into it, I have a little bit of an announcement. I do not know if I will be able to post next week, because there has been an accident within my immediate family... Hopefully I will be able to, but as it sits right now, it's undetermined. I hope you like this weeks one though.

-Rachel

Chapter Eight

The end of the day found Pansy and Daphne walking down a rarely used corridor, on their way back to the dungeons when they heard crying coming from a hidden alcove.

"Do you hear that Pans?" Daphne stopped her friend and asked.

"Yeah, it's probably a lost first year. Let's go, I would like to get some of this homework finished before dinner."

"You're a Prefect, Pansy. You are obligated to help."

Pansy groaned. "Fine, but you owe me for my trouble!" Daphne rolled her eyes and followed Pansy to the alcove.

"Hello?" Pansy asked. The crying stopped. "Do you need help?"

"No! Now go away!" A teary voice answered back.

"Hermione?" Daphne questioned.

Hermione sniffled. "Daphne?"

"Yeah, Pansy is here too. Are you alright?" Daphne and Pansy moved deeper into the alcove and sat down beside a very upset looking Hermione. "What's wrong?"

"Zabini."

"I'm surprised it doesn't have anything to do with Draco this time." Pansy snorted.

"He is indirectly involved." Hermione sniffled again.

"What happened?" Daphne asked.

"It's so embarrassing, what I did in Transfiguration today. Now Malfoy will know, and the rest of the Slytherin boys will tease me more than they already do." Hermione started crying again.

Pansy looked at Daphne, confused. "Know what?" she asked.

"I can imagine the things they will say," She ignored Pansy. "Oh Draco should feel disgusted that a thing like you could like a pure-blood like him." Hermione mocked. "Or, 'He now needs to sanitize himself because his pure-blood has been tainted by a mud-blood.' Why did I have to be so stupid?"

"The person you were talking about in the pub the other day was Draco?" Daphne asked. Hermione nodded, and whipped her nose on a handkerchief that Pansy handed her.

"How would Draco know anyway?" Pansy asked.

"Zabini commented on it in class today. And seeing as how he is Malfoy's best friend, don't you think he will tell him and anyone else he can so that they can all mock the 'mud-blood' together. I already know that Malfoy doesn't really use the slur anymore, but others do."

"Have you been to any other class today besides Potions and Transfiguration?" Daphne asked, Hermione shook her head 'no'.

"I was in Gryffindor Tower for a while. Then Harry, Ginny, and Ron came in, I slipped out before they noticed me. I hid out in the library for a while, doing homework, but Malfoy and Zabini came in so I ran for it. I have been hiding here ever since." Hermione sniffled again.

"Maybe Blaise didn't say anything to anyone. You don't know Hermione, we haven't heard anything about it, so maybe Blaise was just teasing you." Pansy pointed out.

"Why wouldn't he tell anyone? The three of us have only just started hanging out this past Saturday, and that is only really because our new friends are siblings from different houses. Zabini and I haven't even had a decent conversation, why wouldn't he say anything?"

"Blaise is a decent guy, he doesn't judge anyone. His father died when he was young, so he didn't grow up with the notion of blood-purity the rest of us did. You and he would actually get on real well if Slytherin and every other house weren't so divided."

"Come with us to the dungeons." Daphne suggested.

Hermione looked startled. "What?" she asked.

"You can sit with us until you are ready to leave. We can do whatever you like."

"And what if Malfoy is there? It his common room after all."

"He is in the library, you said so yourself. And if he shows up, we will either leave or go up to our dorms."

Hermione whipped the tears out of her eyes again and nodded. "Alright."

Daphne and Pansy stood up, grabbing their bags off of the floor and left the alcove. Hermione took a calming breath and followed close behind a retreating Daphne and Pansy.

00000

"Would you please stop smiling like that, Blaise? It's starting to creep me out." Draco said without looking up from his homework he was currently working on.

"Like what?" Blaise asked, still smiling.

"Like you are a cat that got the cream."

Blaise chuckled. "A muggle saying, I like it."

Draco looked up towards his best friend and scowled. "Shut up. So why are you smiling like you have a secret anyway?"

"Maybe I do."

Draco snorted. "And you were able to keep it to yourself all day? Unlikely, you are almost as bad as Pansy and Daphne when you hear something 'juicy'."

The smile that seemed to be permanently plastered onto Blaise's face fell into a frown. "Are you calling me a gossiping girl?"

Draco shrugged. "Close enough to one I suppose."

"You are a terrible friend. Do you want me to tell you or not?"

Draco shrugged. "Are you going to continue to smile at me like that if I say no?" Blaise smiled again, and nodded his head 'yes'. Draco sighed. "Fine, tell me."

"How did you like Transfiguration?" Blaise asked.

Draco looked at his friend in confusion. "Pardon me?"

"I said, how did you like Transfiguration?"

"I heard you. Why are you asking me about class?"

"We learnt about doppelgangers, that's important."

Draco didn't look impressed. "Out with it Blaise."

Blaise sighed. "You had a moment with Granger. Do you not remember that? It was only a few hours ago."

"I wouldn't call it a moment.

Blaise raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Then what would you call it?"

"I call it a lack of personal boundaries on Grangers part."

Blaise snickered. "And on yours?"

"Blindsided."

Blaise nodded. "Mhmm… Blindsided, sure. So you didn't feel exhilarated that she was so close?"

Draco raised his head a little higher in defiance. "Not even a little bit!"

"Okay, so you are just going to keep denying it?"

"There isn't anything to deny, Blaise. We have already talked about this. Granger wouldn't want me!" Draco was starting to get angry.

"That is what I have been trying to get at Draco! She is interested, I saw it today in Transfiguration."

"You don't know what you saw, Blaise." Draco said as he stood up to collect his notes and books off of the library table. "Let's go back to the common room, dinner will be soon."

Blaise rolled his eyes and grabbed his bag mumbling profanities under his breath while following the path Draco had just taken. "Draco, wait up!" Blaise yelled down the empty corridor outside of the library doors.

"No." Draco yelled from the other end.

Blaise rolled his eyes in annoyance and ran to catch up to Draco. "You are being a prat, mate."

"I'm sure you will get over it."

"Why is it so difficult for you to talk about this? You make up an excuse, or change the subject." Draco scowled at Blaise and continued to make his way to the Slytherin common room. "Talk to me Draco."

Draco looked over at his best friend and said. "There isn't anything to talk about Blaise, so just leave it. I am finished with this conversation."

Blaise sighed and shook his head in defeat. "Fine, I will leave it, but please realize your feelings soon."

Draco ignored his friends and continued to make his way down to the dungeons.

00000

The rest of the walk to the Slytherin common room was filled with awkward silence between the two friends. Every few feet Blaise would glance at Draco, who would in turn would stare straight ahead ignoring his mocha coloured friend.

"Blood purity." Draco muttered when he reached the stretch of wall that opened up into the common room.

The sight that met him in his domain was one he thought he would never see. Hermione Granger was sitting in his favourite chair by the fire, laughing with Daphne and Pansy. "What in the bloody hell is going on?!" he bellowed.

Hermione stood up in fright, tipping her notes off of her lap when she realized who spoke. "Malfoy!" she exclaimed in surprise. Hermione looked down in embarrassment, hoping Malfoy wouldn't see the slight blush on her cheeks.

"Granger." Malfoy sneered.

"I… I'm sorry… I… I'll… um, I'll just go." She stammered as she bent down to pick up her fallen school work.

"Hermione, just go up to our dorm. We will finish our work there." Daphne suggested.

"Alright." Hermione muttered as she quickly walked to the stairs left of the fire place, and disappeared up them.

"What in Merlin's name was that, Draco?" Pansy exclaimed. "You were very mean to her."

"She shouldn't be here, Pansy. Why was she here?"

"Daphne and I were making our way back when we ran into a very upset Hermione. And as her friends we felt like we needed to help her."

Draco looked surprised. "Friends, Pansy! You have only been talking to her for three days, you aren't friends."

Pansy narrowed her eyes at Draco. Who was now standing in front of a very angry looking Pansy. "You, Draco Malfoy, do not get to tell me who I am, and am not friends with."

"Pansy, she is a Gryffindor and a muggle born to boot! You're okay with that?" Draco asked in defence.

"Don't you even dare, Malfoy." Daphne cut in. "You left all the blood supremacy behind in fourth year. And being a Gryffindor isn't even a good excuse, so try again. Hermione and Ginny are actually really nice and funny."

"But Granger is such a stickler for the rules, how do you even have fun with her?"

"That is enough Draco, come on Daphne." Pansy said making her way to the stairs leading to the girl's dorms, Daphne not far behind her.

Draco growled in frustration and plopped himself down in the arm chair that Granger had previously vacated. Realizing that it still smelt like her strawberry shampoo, Draco gave himself a second to breathe in her sent, before moving across the room to the table in the corner.

"You alright, mate?" Blaise asked as he took the seat beside his sorrow filled friend.

"I have no idea."

"Well, in my personal opinion, I think you are not doing so well right about now."

Draco rested his head on his fist and turned toward Blaise. "And why would you say that?"

"Do you feel terrible for freaking out at Pansy?" Draco nodded, "And do you feel terrible for how you reacted when you saw Granger sitting in your chair?" Draco nodded again, "Because of your answers to those two questions, that is why I think you are not doing so well right now."

Draco groaned. "I am a terrible friend."

Blaise shrugged. "You have been a terrible friend for the last fourteen years."

"I hate you." Draco said when he stood up from the table.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Blaise asked, getting up as well.

"To bed."

"What about supper?"

Draco turned around from his spot on the right hand staircase. "I do not deserve to eat right now. Go meet Theo, Greg, and Vince." Draco didn't even wait for an answer when he continued on his way up to the dorms.

Blaise shook his head. "That guy has got it bad." He said as he walked over to the sofa and laid down on it, promptly falling asleep.

I was hoping for a different out come with this one, but over all I am satisfied... I had a bit of writers block while trying to write it. I hope you enjoyed it... Please Review..

-Rachel