Christmas was fast approaching Hogwarts, all the leaves had fallen from the trees and the fall rain was in full swing. Hermione sighed and looked down at the parchment in front of her, planning the Christmas ball was a lot harder then she could have imagined. This year she planed on having it in the forbidden forest. Dumbledore already agreed to talk to the animals in the forest so they could have there ball in peace. There was only two weeks left and she was starting to panic. There was one plus, any homework that the teachers were assigning wasn't due till after the Christmas break, giving Hermione the time to plan properly. Yesterday she had been down to the clearing in the woods that would act as there dance floor, and was amazed at how much larger Dumbledore had made it. She didn't have to worry about the cold ruining the festivities because the heat bubble that would be placed over the dance floor and ten feet into the woods, giving couples a bit of privacy.

She had worked really hard on the ball and she hoped the students would enjoy it. This year it was going to be a masquerade ball. No one was allowed in the horse drawn sleigh without a mask. Of course she would have to think of a back up plan if the rain did not turn into snow soon. For months she had planed on the students arriving at the clearing in a horse drawn sleigh, the forest lined with candles. Hermione was lost in her thoughts when she heard a small knock at her portrait, standing up she walked and opened her door.

"Hi Hermione," said one Harry Potter.

"Oh, hey Harry," Hermione replied."Come in," she said standing aside allowing Harry entry.

They walked over to her couch and sat down, feeling slightly awkward, they really hadn't talked since Harry had pulled Ron off of her a few months ago.

"Busy with the ball?"

"Very."

"Hermione, I want to talk to you about Ron," Harry said looking at Hermione praying that she wouldn't kick him out.

"What about him?"

"Hermione he is sorry."

"I don't care."

"Are you ever going to forgive him?" Harry asked

"Harry, that wasn't the first time he tried to attack me…" She trailed off thinking about what Draco had done for her.

"Oh," was the only thing Harry could say.

"Harry, you are one of my best friends, you will always be one, I will always be there for you, but Ron hurt me, and I will never forget, and I will never forgive him."

"I understand."

"Now, having said that I know that changes our relationship, because Ron his your best mate, but Harry I want nothing to do with him, and that means I really can't hang out with you guys anymore."

"Hermione…"

"I'm sorry Harry, but if you hadn't help me and if Mal… that other person hadn't saved me, Ron would have raped me," that was the first time Hermione had said that out loud and she could feel the tears falling down her cheeks. Harry reached over and pulled Hermione into a hug, and wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry Hermione," Harry said softly.

"It's ok, I'm ok."

"Are we still going to be friends?"

"Oh Harry of course, just not when Ron is around."

"I'm on your side, Hermione, I hope you know that."

Hermione smiled, she knew she could trust Harry, and it felt so good that he picked her over Ron for once.

"Thank you Harry."

They sat there holding each other, and Hermione cried her eyes out. She knew this was an ending of one chapter and the start of another. Ron would never hurt her again, and it felt wonderful.

After Harry left, Hermione tried to get back to her planning but she couldn't she was too antsy. She picked up her book bag, and headed to the library.

"Stop it, please," cried a voice.

"Stop it, please," mocked another voice.

Hermione quicken her pace, and pulled out her wand.

As she turned the corner, she gasped. The Slytherin gang, which included Draco, had a first year hanging upside down, and was spinning him around. Hermione looked to see who was there, Pansy, Blaise, Goyle, and Grabe. She knew she was faster and smarter then all of them expect Draco. Looking over at him she noticed that he didn't really seem to be having as much fun as the rest of them, in fact he looked sort of bored and remorseful.

Hermione stepped out into the clearing, her voice clear and calm, "put him down."

"Now why would we want to do that, mudblood?" Pansy said, laughing.

"Put that wand away, Granger, you might hurt yourself," Blaise said behind Pansy, at that Draco started laughing. Hermione turned and faced him.

"What's so funny?"

"Just Blaise thinking that he would be able to hex you."

Blaise's jaw dropped, "Malfoy are you defending her?"

"No you idiot, you just honestly think you would be able to hex her? You are not me, there is no way you could get her," Draco said smirking.

"Put him down," Hermione said again, this time her voice was a bit more forceful.

"Relax Granger, you ruined our fun anyways," Draco said as he released the boy and let him fall to the ground. Hermione rushed over to the boy to make sure he was ok. When Hermione looked up again the Slytherin's were walking away, Draco turned around and looked back, and mouthed something that looked like "sorry."

When Hermione finally made it to the library she headed straight to the diary, she turned it to the last entry she had read and was happy to see that there was a new one.

Dec 10

Father has made it clear that I will not be welcomed home this year, but I am not allowed to have people know the real reason I will not be going home. I am to lie. Another lie. I wonder if I should go the Christmas ball this year… the head girl this year has put a lot of work into it, and it should be fun. Can I even have fun anymore? The idea of having fun seems so foreign to me.

Sighing she put the diary down and headed back to her room.

Draco had no idea what he was doing, he had no idea why he cared so much, and he had no idea why he was sitting outside of Hermione's room waiting for her to return. Over the past few months Hermione and Draco's relationship had shifted quite a bit, he no longer tortured her with name calling, or made fun of her in anyway. She no longer participated when Harry would make fun of Draco's family, she would smile at him politely when no one else was looking, and he would return them.

"Draco," said a very shocked Hermione.

"Granger," Draco said nodding at her, Hermione walked past him and opened up her portrait.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked.

Draco didn't say anything but walked into her room anyways, he looked around, and realized that the Slytherin's got the short end of the string, her home was amazing. Nothing like the Malfoy manor, but a far cry from the Slytherin dungeons.

"So Malfoy what do you want?"

"I um... I wanted to know how you where?"

"Why would you want to know how I was?"

"I was just being polite."

"Well I don't need you too be, do Malfoy's even know how to be polite?" Hermione snapped at him.

"Relax Granger."

"Don't you dare tell me to relax, for years you have made fun of me, hurt my feelings, kicked me when I was down, and now you have the nerve to come here and ask if I'm alright?" Hermione screamed at him, years of anger towards him was flooding out of her. "I've never been in more pain in my life then the day you first called me a mudblood, you shattered my world, do you have any idea how much I hate you? Do you?"

"No."

"I hate you more then I've hated anyone else in my entire life, I hate you more then I hate Ron."

"No you don't."

"What do you mean I don't?"

"If you hated me more then you hated Ron, you wouldn't be talking to me right now," Draco said not seeing what was about to happen. Hermione lifted her hand and slapped Draco across the face. Hard.

"What was that for Granger?" Draco asked placing a hand on his stinging face.

"I… I…I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me, are you ok?" Hermione asked stepping closer to check Draco's face.

"I'm fine," he said as he lowered his hand, and Hermione could see the mark that would bruise his face, before he knew what happened, Hermione was on the floor crying her eyes out.

"Maybe I should leave," Draco said as he turned to leave.

"Draco," Hermione said and Draco turned around to face her.

"Why are you being nice to me?

"I don't know," he answered as he walked over to Hermione and sat down in front of her.

Hermione looked into Draco's cold eyes, and for the first time in her life she saw something different, it was barely there but it was, a sign of warmth.

"You've changed."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For ever hurting you."

"Oh Draco," Hermione placed her hand on Draco's red face from where she had slapped him. Suddenly reality hit Draco and he jumped up, running out of Hermione's room as fast as he could, and ran outside to the pond. The snow had just started falling and Draco sat at the edge letting the tears fall. Could it possibly be the one thing he was looking for, he was going to get from the one person he could not touch? How could it be that the love he so desperately wanted, was going to come from Hermione?

I know I know, a boring chapter, but it was needed, a filler chapter if you think about it. It opened the door to there future relationship. I updated quicker then last time. I'm trying to update at least once a week if I can. Ohhh and I would like to thank you all for pointing out a spelling error cough cause no one did :P In chapter four, Ron has a erection, and I typed in rejection, and no one pointed it out :P haha. It's all fixed now.

Review :D

Till next time,

--Nickie Thorn