A/N: It occurred to me today that I was almost out of time for my month-long limit in between updates, so I figured I should update. I was kind of disappointed with the response I got from last chapter, so hopefully the next few will be a bit more successful. This chapter's more to just pass time, but I'm excited for the next one because that's going to be the first – and perhaps only – chapter told from Draco's perspective. Anyways, I'm hoping that I replied to all the reviews for last chapter, but the review system was all messed up so I don't know for sure. If I didn't respond to yours, I'm very sorry. If you leave another, however, I'll be sure to answer it. :D

Chapter 14!

Chapter 14: Minor Infatuation

"Miss Granger! Would you pay attention!"

Professor Snape's sharp voice cut into my thoughts and made me jump, my head popping up from its place propped up on my hand. I felt myself redden with embarrassment as every student in the class turned to look at me, the Slytherins smirking with satisfaction.

"Sorry, sir," I murmured, lowering my eyes. Only when my blush vanished did I dare sneak a peek at Draco, who was seated across from me. He was writing and wouldn't meet my eye.

I sighed and tapped my quill, out of both boredom and frustration. Draco hadn't spoken to me, hadn't even looked at me since our talk a few weeks ago outside the very classroom I was sitting in. I couldn't concentrate because I simply couldn't rip my thoughts away from him. I felt miserable. I felt like I was going insane.

"MISS GRANGER!" Snape hollered, pausing his lesson once again to scold me. "Stop that insufferable noise!"

All eyes were on me yet again and I put my head down on my arms, humiliated. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole in the ground and die.

When the class finally ended, I rushed out of the room, clutching my books, keeping my head down and mentally kicking myself. I wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.

"You should pay more attention."

I stiffened as I felt the voice in my ear. I looked over and, sure enough, Draco was walking beside me, keeping perfect pace with my quick steps.

"Don't give him more ammo against you than he already has," he added and then, he was gone. I slowed, watching him move away from me.

"Was Malfoy just talking to you?" Ron asked as he and Harry came up and began walking with me.

"Uh," I stammered. "No, he was just telling me to get out of his way."

I heard Ron murmur something that sounded a lot like "git", but I didn't say anything. We walked in silence to the staircase where we parted ways. I mumbled a quiet goodbye to the boys and hurried up to the portrait leading into the common room I shared with Shawn. I muttered the password and headed straight into the Head Boy's bedroom, where he was reading. I didn't say anything and he didn't look up as I flopped down beside him on the bed. Shawn kept reading and began rubbing my back gently.

"Am I being totally unreasonable?" I groaned eventually.

"About what?" Shawn murmured, not taking his eyes off the page.

"About missing Draco," I stated. "I mean, we didn't date for very long."

"Yes," said Shawn. "But this little thing between you started before that, in the hospital wing, remember?"

"Well, yeah," I admitted. "Even so, that's still not enough time to fall for him… right?"

"Look, lovie," sighed Shawn, closing his book. "There's no minimum amount of time that you have to be with someone before you fall in love with them. It just happens. Who knows, you could have fallen in love with him the very moment your eyes met for the first time." He paused to sigh dramatically. "Wouldn't that be romantic? It'd be like Romeo and Juliet."

I rolled my eyes. "Romance is dead, my friend, and Romeo and Juliet is fiction. And I never said that I was in love with him. It's just a minor infatuation."

"Yeah, my arse," Shawn said, snickering. No amount of scolding or smacking would stop his childish giggles and eventually, I gave up and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind me.

I decided later that I did not want to go much longer without speaking to Draco. It didn't matter that we were broken up and weren't on good terms presently, I just needed something. If we were really done, I at least needed a little bit of closure, something that would take away whatever anger or awkwardness remained so that perhaps we could become friends again.

The next time I encountered Draco was when I found him in the library, entirely by accident. Everyone knew of the library being my second home, but I was surprised to see Draco there. One of the things that used to infuriate me about him, long before we had ever expressed interest in one another, was that he always got marks nearly as good as mine and didn't seem to lift a finger in the process. It just appeared to come naturally to him; he seemed to have all the answers. I was naturally smart, of course, but I also worked insanely hard to achieve what I'd achieved. I was constantly in the library, always doing my homework, never without a book in my hand. Sure, I loved it, but that didn't mean that it wasn't exhausting and stressful. And then there was Draco. I had never once seen him in the library, never seen him pick up a book, until just a few short weeks ago. And he always came out on top, or, at least, nearly on top. It had always puzzled – and frustrated – me to no end.

He was sitting alone at a small round table in the corner. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he read the text before him and chewed on the end of his quill. If he noticed me sit down across from him, he didn't show any sign of acknowledgement. It occurred to me that he probably did this on purpose, just to get me to feel uncomfortable and to be the one to speak first.

"Okay, Draco," I sighed eventually. "Have you punished me sufficiently?"

There was silence.

"Come on, Draco," I groaned. "You have to talk to me eventually."

His response was so faint I could barely hear it, but I did manage to make it out, and instantly, my feathers rose.

"Do you?" I repeated indignantly. "Yes, you do."

"And why would that be, Granger?" He asked, his voice a little louder. He sounded bored, which made me angrier.

"Because," I huffed. "You ignoring me isn't going to make this go away."

He slammed his book closed. It was so sudden and loud that it seemed to shatter the fragile air of the library.

"Draco-" I started uncertainly.

"Make what go away?" He asked, anger finding its way into his voice. "What? As far as I know, we're broken up. You do remember that conversation, don't you? When you told me to leave you alone?"

"I didn't mean it," I murmured, red creeping up my neck.

"You sure seemed to at the time," he snorted. "And even if you didn't, then why say it?"

"I don't know," I said, my blush rapidly spreading.

He sighed. "You're wasting my time, Granger."

The words stung. He said it as if I didn't matter at all to him, as if I was just some foolish girl, seeking something in him that wasn't to be found.

"Well, I apologize for that," I snapped, standing. "I'll just go then. I wouldn't want to waste any more of your precious time."

"Look Granger," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I just wanted to –"

"Just stop," I said, even angrier. It was that tone again, the tone he would use to impatiently apologize to a younger girl who would nervously asked him out and upon receiving his bored rejection, she would promptly burst into tears.

"You said it yourself," Draco said. "It would be better if I just left you to" – a pause – "heal."

I narrowed my eyes. "You do that," I spat, turning and waking away. When I whipped my head around to give him one last venomous glare before leaving, I was so shocked at what I saw that I nearly tripped over my own feet. Draco had sunk back down to his seat and looked as if he had just aged twenty years. My brow furrowed and my pace lessened as I felt that old, familiar tingle of curiosity once more.

A/N: Now, I know that this one wasn't anything brilliant, but bear with me and I'll be eternally grateful. Review!