Currently, Hermione and Draco were in the library working together on their project. This was the third night in a row they were spending together. Both of them were really focused, but it was broken by Hermione's stomach grumbling. Her face got red from embarrassment.

"Damn it, Granger. That was louder than a werewolf's growl." Draco commented with a frown.

"I guess I forgot dinner again." Hermione explained absentmindedly.

"Forgotten? Again? For allegedly being the brightest witch of our age, you really aren't that attentive." Draco sneered.

"It doesn't matter. Can you leave it now? I'm trying to focus." Hermione scowled back.

"Well I can't focus if you keep howling like that." Draco exclaimed. Hermione rolled her eyes, not planning to do anything about it, so Draco huffed and pulled out his wand. With chanting anything, he whipped up a sandwich and held it towards Hermione, who shot him a confused look. She realized it was for her and her face softened with a small smile.

"Thank you."

"Don't get used to it. I just need to focus." Draco muttered, getting back to his work.

They stayed there for another while, concentrating on their work. They worked pretty well together. Draco actually let her work, instead of interrupting her all the time like her other friends did. She worked better with him than even Blaise, who's grades were almost as good as hers. She loved Blaise, but every time she furrowed her brow or let out an angry huff, he'd butt in and ask her what was wrong. It annoyed her relentlessly. But studying with someone who hated you was easy, 'cause nobody would initiate unnecessary conversations.

Right in the prime of her focus she was interrupted by a loud bang on the table. It was her two best friends slamming their book in the seats next to her. The librarian shushed them as they sheepishly smiled.

"'Mione we haven't seen you in so long." Harry exclaimed.

"You're spending all your time with Malfoy." Ron complained.

"Guess she realised you weren't much for company." Draco muttered.

"What's that, Malfoy?" Ron clenched his jaw. Hermione knew the two easily got on each other's nerves and she'd have to mitigate the situation.

"Guys, can you sit somewhere else? We really need to work on this." Hermione said sweetly.

"Are you mad at us?" Harry asked.

"What? No! Why would you ask that?"

"You haven't been spending any time with us, as if you're avoiding us. You've even been eating meals alone! What did we do?" Ron explained.

"Nothing! Have you known me to ever hold my tongue? I would tell you if you fucked up. I've just been really busy with school." Hermione said. She started feeling guilty for neglecting her friends like that. The pit in her stomach started weighing her down again. "I'm sorry."

Before either of the boys could reply Draco stopped them. "Are you done? Can we get back to work?"

Ron ignored him. "Come on, 'Mione. Ditch this bloke for one night and come to the common room to hang."

"I can't. I'll try on the weekend, okay?"

"We've got quidditch then. Please, 'Mione. Just one night." Ron pleaded.

"No." Hermione was starting to get agitated. No means no. Why couldn't Ron just understand that she was busy?"

Draco, who had been holding back his usual snarkiness, finally spoke up. "Granger, if your two idiot friends aren't going to leave, I suggest we find a different place to finish."

"Why are you so keen on working with her, Malfoy? Didn't you hate her?" Ron grunted angrily.

"The sooner we finish, the sooner we can stop spending every night of the week together." Draco explained, annoyed. "Why? Are you jealous you're not spending your nights with Granger?" He said with a familiar smirk.

"Motherfucker don't you even think about her that way! Fucking creep. I will bludger-" Ron started threatening Draco, anger and heat rising. He didn't see Hermione as anything more than a friend, she was like his sister. And just like with Ginny, he got very protective over her.

"Did I strike a nerve, Weasel?"

"Enough! Stop acting like goddamn children. Ronald, I told you I had to work on school. Respect that! Harry, I'm sorry you feel like I'm avoiding you. I'll make it up to you. I promise, but not now." Then she turned to Draco. "Now if you'll excuse me, Draco and I will go work elsewhere!" She grabbed her books and stormed out of the library. Draco followed after her, but not before whispering in Ron's ear. "I guess we know who she prefers."

Draco wasn't actually interested in Hermione. He just liked getting on Ron's nerves.

"Where do you suppose we go?" Draco asked Hermione.

"I don't know. We can't go to my room. We'll probably pass my friends who won't shut up about it for weeks." Even though there was a rule against houses coming into each others' common rooms, let alone up to individual rooms, not a lot of Hogwarts students followed it. It wasn't just couples; sometimes there just wasn't another place to go study.

"We can go to my room. Prepare for a few hexes, though." They would have to pass the Slytherin common rooms, but no one would dare make fun of Draco for it. In his own way, he owned the house.

They got to the Slytherin entrance. Draco made Hermione put her fingers in her ears when he said the password. Hermione retorted with some comment about not needing it anyways because she would never be here otherwise.

There were a few people in the common room. Almost all looked over at Hermione. None dared to speak up against Draco, except one. Miles Bletchley. He was one of the older kids.

"My my. Are you so desperate you made a mudblood your new whore?" Hermione was about to utter a smart remark but Draco beat her to it.

"At least I'm getting some. Can't say the same for you. Not after Abigail finally revealed the truth about you small member." Abigail was Miles's ex-girlfriend. It was a nasty break-up that was followed with a bunch of rumors about Miles's poor performance in bed. Hermione was offended that Draco would even insinuate they were sleeping together. It would spark rumors that wouldn't die down for weeks.

"Oh please. The mudblood would spread her legs for anyone." Miles retorted.

"Motherfucker, my standards are too high for any of you lot. Ferret here included." Hermione shot both of them down as she continued up the stairs to Draco's room.

Draco had his own private room, just as big as the rooms 3 people shared together. Hermione figured it was because his dad bought it for him.

After a brief, lazy exchanging of words about the events downstairs, they both settled down and started working. Hermione on the floor, Draco on his bed. Surprisingly enough he offered her his bed (his mother raised him right it seemed), but she refused, stating she was more comfortable on the ground.

After a while it was almost curfew. Hermione wouldn't even have noticed, if it weren't for the slight commotion outside Draco's door: more and more students were heading for their dorm rooms.

"I guess I better go. It's almost curfew." Hermione said as she closed a book.

"Typical Granger, always following the rules." Draco muttered.

"Honestly that's so played out. Everybody follows curfew. Don't act like you're out all night every night." Hermione had grown tired of everyone always calling her a 'good girl'.

"Damn, guess the Gryffindor princess had claws. And you don't know what I do at night."

"Kissing daddy's ass?" Hermione retorted. She didn't think anything of it. She and Malfoy always fought like that, but they were always meaningless insults and petty fights. Her comment set off Malfoy completely. His light and playful demeanor changed completely. He clenched his jaw and got off the bed.

"Don't be so smug mudblood," Hermione was stunned when Draco uttered the familiar word out of his mouth. Sure, she heard the insult at least once a day, but Draco had stopped using that as an insult. Hermione didn't even notice he stopped until he said it just now, because it sounded so foreign in his voice.

Draco looked at the look on Hermione's face. "What? Had you forgotten your place in the world?" He sneered at her, etching slightly closer to her.

"I know exactly what my place is and it will always be above yours. I don't need a rich father to feed off, I will and already am making my own legacy." Hermione retorted, believing every word she was saying.

"Your own legacy? Please, nothing you do is yours. You will always be known as Potter's bitch." Draco spat at her. His words were so cruel and vile. Hermione wasn't expecting such a reaction at all.

"At least I will always be someone. Who the fuck are you, Malfoy? What have you ever achieved? Exept being the richest fuck up known to man. Your adventures aren't a secret at all. Always drinking away your youth, whoring-" Before Hermione continued the squealed out, surprised at her own voice. She hadn't realized how close Malfoy had gotten to her, or that he had her up against a wall, a wall that now had a fist-sized hole in it, inches from her face.

The punch scared her; stopped her from finishing her sentence. Her breath was ragged and tears that were filled with fear were prickling her eyes, daring to fall. She started shaking slightly as she looked Draco dead in the eye.

Draco was seeing red, before he saw the fear in Hermione's eyes. She thought he was actually going to hurt her. He was brought back down to reality and started feeling regret. Hermione was going to get him in a lot of trouble, the news would make its way towards his father. He cursed himself. He also felt a pang of guilt. Draco knew his reputation, but he mostly talk and no game, and Draco knew it. His threats were never violent. He didn't want it that way either. His parents taught him it wasn't something people of their stature did. Violence was for the poor.

The pair stood there, faces almost touching, both not daring to move. Draco's jaw was clenched tight as he looked into Hermione's wet eyes. He saw the tears forming. He never meant to scare her like that. He slowly pulled his fist out of the wall, face still close to Hermione's. He stood there looking at her, fist still raised.

Not a good look for when Blaise stormed in. "Draco, you'll never guess- what the fuck?" Blaise quickly made it toward the two and shoved Draco back, who still didn't break eye contact with Hermione. "'Mia? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Blaise asked with concern in his eyes. Hermione was still in shock and didn't answer him. Blaise took her lack of an answer, as an answer. He turned around to Draco, anger rising in his chest and started cursing him and hexing him.

Hermione snapped out of it and quickly gathered her books and ran out of the room, barely able to keep her sob in; the sob didn't miss Draco's ears.

She made it out of the Slytherin common room, tears running down her face while she left. It sparked a new topic to talk about for the Slytherin students. Hermione wasn't even crying because she was hurt or upset, it was the sheer surprise of Draco's violence. She knew she shouldn't be crying about it, but she just couldn't help it.

She finally got to the Gryffindor common room. The moment she entered all eyes went to her, apparently her sobs weren't as well masked as she thought. Her two best friends sat on the couch, looking at her with concern. All the anger the redhead felt towards her from the previous fight washed away and was replaced with protectiveness and rage directed at whoever dared make his best friend cry.

"What happened?" Ron and Harry asked in unison. Hermione's hand, that was at her mouth trying to stop the sobs earlier, dropped down. She tried to explain, but nobody could make out any words that came out of her mouth.

Harry rushed towards her and wrapped her in a tight hug, chin resting on her head. Ron made it over to her as well, grabbing her book bag out of her hands and slinging it over his shoulder.

Hermione felt Harry's jaw clench as he realised who had made her cry. "What did that ferret do?" He asked sternly. Ron's face changed as he realized Harry was talking about Draco.

Hermione didn't answer but instead continued sobbing into Harry's shoulder. Once she was all cried out she looked up. She didn't even notice that her friends got her to the couch and Ron was now rubbing comforting circles on her back. "What happened?" Harry asked softly.

"I don't want to talk about it." Hermione said emotionless.

"Did he- did he touch you?" Ron asked, voice strained.

"No!" Hermione refuted. "It's nothing. Let's talk tomorrow."

"Do you want to stay in our room? I have an old cot I can take; you can take my bed." Harry offered, knowing not to pressure her into talking. Hermione silently nodded into his shoulder.

They went to the boys' room and Hermione borrowed an old T-shirt of Harry's that she practically drowned in. The short sleeves reached past her elbows, and the hem past her knees. She never really noticed how much Harry had grown over the years. It all became apparent now. It was all so surreal.

Soon enough they all fell asleep. Ron dreamed of quidditch, Harry dreamed of flying and Hermione didn't dream at all.