Chapter 6: Bad Blood

It went on like that between them for some weeks. When in class or even within their shared dorm, they didn't speak much. Hermione was usually busy studying in her room and Malfoy kept to himself, often disappearing off with his own coursework. She had assumed he went to the library, like her, but she never saw him there. Each evening after dinner, they would meet, trading off on who was instructing and who was learning. The first night they had gone out to the Practice Pitch, Hermione had been exceedingly nervous. The lack of light had concerned her. She was more confident than the first time, but flying was still new and the idea of being unable to see where she was going worried her.

Malfoy had been surprisingly patient with her. Despite the voice in the back of her mind that kept telling her to keep her guard up, she found him to be more human when away from the others within the castle. When it was just the two of them he came off as cordial, dare she say, even friendly at times. True to his word, he never let her fall. She came close a couple of times, but he was always right by her side to straighten her out and keep her from taking a nose-dive into the ground. Hermione found herself becoming used to his voice. It had a comforting quality to it when he wasn't harassing her about her bloodline.

The more time they spent together, the more she felt herself becoming used to his company. On numerous occasions, she admitted to herself how handsome he was. He had matured from the slick-haired daddy's boy he been at the start of their time at Hogwarts. He shaved now, to keep his face clean of his facial hair and he had gotten taller, leaner. Even with heels, she wouldn't reach his eye level as she had when they were eleven. At first, she had denied her physical attraction to him. Once he had begun to impress her with his wits, she had given up the charade.

They continued their spit-spat rivalry. It had turned into a sort of game. Each tried to outdo the other. First the competition was who could do the best in their private lessons, but after a couple of weeks, Malfoy began to challenge her in their classes as well. She knew Malfoy was intelligent. He had always been a close second after her in terms of grades, with the exception of sixth. She had never worried about securing her position as the smartest witch at school. Harry and Ron were less keen on education. She had grown used to the idea of being the best in terms of grades. The Head Boy was making her work for it this year. Though she had always been an avid learner and often hung around after classes to ask for extra credit tasks, this term, she found she was neck in neck with him. It should have annoyed her. She had been committed to achieving greatness since her first day at Hogwarts. Instead she found the competition exciting.

Ginny remained skeptical. Hermione understood why her best friend wasn't onboard on her roommate. There was no reason for Ginny to be kind to Malfoy, even if he was helping the Head Girl out. Malfoy's father was the reason Ginny had been subjected to Tom Riddle's cruel plan in her first year at Hogwarts. Malfoy had never been nice to her or any members of her family. While Ginny had her reservations about the deal Hermione had made with Malfoy, she was supportive. She didn't constantly tear down the Slytherin or berate Hermione for trusting him to teach her to fly properly. She inserted a dig once in a while, usually something along the lines of "arrogant git" or "pale ferret". The insults died down over the course of the weeks, especially once Ginny realized that her target wasn't up to his usual narcissistic tendencies.

Her mood had not improved when Slytherin beat Ravenclaw in the first Quidditch match of the season. Malfoy was not on the team any more, but the contention between Slytherin and Gryffindor was rooted as deep as blood prejudices. The youngest Weasley had been in a better mood since the Gryffindor team won their first game against Hufflepuff. Ginny had scored the most points by any female Chaser in Hogwarts history. Romilda had also been praised for her exceptional strategic tactics that enabled the team to win. They had beaten Ravenclaw last week and they were scheduled to play the undefeated Slytherin team the day before the Winter Ball. The entire team had been under a strict training schedule along with threats of coming up on the receiving end of one of Ginny's famous Bat-Bogey hexes. Needless to say, the Gryffindor team was looking a bit worse for wear these days.

With Ginny and Romilda both occupied during the non-class hours of the day, Hermione had ample time to focus on her studies. After seven years of having two constant shadows hoovering about her, she was glad for some alone time. As an only child, she had grown up learning to content herself. Silence wasn't awkward for her. It was comforting. Unlike their earlier years at Hogwarts, Malfoy kept to himself. He could usually be found eating at the end of the Slytherin table alone. Situated close to the doors, he'd appear and disappear with almost no one noticing. Hermione did. She had suggested to him that he should try reaching out to his fellow housemates, but he had rolled his eyes at her and returned to his homework without responding. She found herself smiling as she recalled his look of disgust at her suggestion. There was a time when he wouldn't have been caught dead outside the Slytherin Common Room without at least two of his cronies. Now, she was the only companion he had.

As the term progressed, the preparations for the Christmas ball started coming together. At the next Prefects meeting, Gwendolyn proposed a theme idea which everyone agreed upon: Soulmates. It was romantic enough for the witches and offered up some manly options for the wizards, such as Marc Anthony, Robin Hood, and Lancelot. Yes, most of the couples the guys were interested in had weapons as the main accessory, but at least all the deciding parties were in agreement. From there, all the other areas fell into place. Ginny and Hengist decided to go with meal selections that complimented each other, the way soulmates did. Horatio had a connection to the newest chart-topping band in London, the Swooping Evils. They had agreed to come perform at their Alma Mater for the ball.

Finally, Astoria and Quinton wished to pursue a costume dress code to align with the theme, keeping the decorations non-House specific. Though red was a color associated with love and Christmas, it was also the primary House color for Gryffindor, so Astoria suggested winter white. It would keep up with the theme, while also allowing everyone's outfits to standout, no matter what House they belonged to. Hermione had noticed some chemistry between Quinton and Astoria. There had been a change between the two since she had assigned them to work together. The Gryffindor hadn't made mention of Death Eaters or insults regarding Purebloods. Astoria had begun to wear her hair down and applying a bit of makeup. Hermione assumed they would be the the first Slytherin and Gryffindor couple in over a century.

With all of her extra studying, paired up with the preparations for the ball, Hermione had forgotten about the Halloween feast. Afternoon classes had been cancelled so everyone could dress up to celebrate and have time to observe the holiday. The Head Girl was on her way back to her dorm when she heard a familiar voice call her name. Thinking she had to be imagining it, she continued walking toward the stairwell.

"Hermione."

She stopped walking. It was not her imagination. She turned around to see Ron and Harry waving at her, as they exited the Great Hall with Ginny in tow.

"Ron?"

Hermione recalled Ginny mentioning that her brother would see her last letter as an invitation, but he had never written her back. She hadn't received a single letter or owl since her previous message. She had assumed he was peeved. She had not expected him to show up unannounced.

"Mione." He rushed over and hugged her tightly. "I've missed you so much."

As he embraced her, she waited, expecting to feel relief or happiness wash over her. Nothing. There was no spark, no fluttering of her heart. There had been a time when all she craved was a touch from Ron Weasley. She had spent years trying to earn his approval, hoping he would see her as more than a friend. Now, she had him holding onto her and she wanted to be anywhere but in his arms. She felt awkward and cleared her throat, moving out of the embrace. He pulled her against him tighter. She furrowed her brown, unsure why. That was when she heard the tell-tale snap of a photographer's camera off to the side. Pulling away, she noticed Rita Skeeter and company coming towards them. The noise must have alerted some of the passing students, who stopped to see what was going on.

"Wh-what's going on?" she asked, startled by the gathering crowd.

Ron started to get down on one knee, as Rita and her team circled closer. Hermione glanced up frantically at Ginny and Harry, who both wore similarly shocked expressions on their faces. In fact, Harry looked downright embarrassed.

"Hermione Jean Granger," Ron said her full name, pausing slightly at her middle name, as if he was unsure. Hermione felt as if she was stuck in a terrible nightmare. Over the last few years, her infatuation with Ronald Weasley had grown into love. She had often fantasied about this very moment. She had thought of how she'd act surprised and how she would react upon hearing his proposal. In none of her daydreams had she imagined it taking place in front of the Great Hall and certainly not with a crowd. This was all wrong. This was not how she wanted to be loved.

He pulled out a small box from his robe pocket, opening it to reveal a modest, but clear diamond engagement band. He startled her when he reached for her hand, taking it in his own. "Will you marry me?"

She could feel all the eyes on her face. She heard the numerous clicks of the camera going off. What she noticed most of all was her feelings - there were none. Hermione knew she should have felt elated. She should have been jumping up and down, smiling from ear to ear, dancing around with Ginny excited about how they would be real sisters now, and hugging Harry, and... And she felt none of that. She turned her gaze away from the ring, to look over at Harry. He mouthed "Yes" to her, but she felt her head shake back and forth. She took a step back, her hand slipping out of his.

"Mione?" Ron was looking at her expectantly. He made a face at her, gesturing to the cameras and Rita waiting for her answer.

"Ron," she whispered to him. "Can we go back to my room and talk about this?"

For what seemed like an eternity, though it could have only been a few moments, he just stared at her. She was aware of the buzz of whispers around them. Rita made an outraged "hmpf" sound, tapping her foot on the cool stone floors, impatiently. Ginny and Harry remained frozen, possibly holding their breaths. She wished Harry would say something or that Ginny could have warned her what her brother was planning on doing. She was completely unprepared for this. And she hated being unprepared.

Then Ron's face darkened until it was nearly as red a his face. "Merlin's beard, Mione!" he shouted, his face getting even darker as his anger took hold. "I just proposed and you can't even answer me!"

Hermione took a deep breath, keeping her voice level. "Ron, can we please just talk about this somewhere else without...without them," she motioned to the crowd, who were all waiting eagerly to see the events developing in front of them.

"They are all here because I invited them. I wanted this to be special. The Daily Prophet was going to do a whole write up and I was going to ask Mr. Lovegood to feature us in the Quibbler too," he ranted.

She rolled her eyes, beginning to lose her patience. "Why does it have to be a big thing?"

"Because two members of the team that defeated the Dark Lord are getting married. One is one of the youngest Aurors in the Ministry and the other will be joining him as soon as she accepts his proposal."

"What?" Hermione took another step back, unable to believe what she was hearing. Did he just tell her what she was going to be doing with her life? "Ronald Weasley, what are you on about?"

"Us," he nearly screamed at her, as if that one word filled in all the blanks.

"Mate, maybe we should discuss this in the Gryffindor Common Room," Harry suggested, reaching for Ron's arm to guide him away from the crowd. Ginny started for Hermione.

"I can't believe you!"

All three friends froze at Ron's tone.

"You're supposed to say yes. You're supposed to come back with Harry and I. That was the whole point!"

Hermione stared incredulously at him. He began pacing back and forth in the corridor. Ginny began shooing the crowd away, while Harry worked to calm down her brother.

"Ron," Harry tugged on his friend's robes. "Let's go to the-."

"Leave him be, Harry Potter," Hermione said brusquely. "You have been as absent as him, so let him say his peace. Then you can have your turn."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry retaliated angrily.

"I haven't gotten a single letter from you since the start of term," Hermione explained. "He's barely written to me at all," she waved at Ron's general direction, "and you," she pointed to the raven-haired Auror, "haven't written me at all." She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring them both down, daring them with her eyes to respond. "Neither of you have been good friends."

"I write you every week, same as Ron," Harry insisted. "I've been sending my letters for you with Pig, since Ron's were going to the same place."

Hermione was about to call him out on what she believed was a blatant lie, until she noticed Ron had stopped pacing. His red cheeks had disappeared. Instead, he was looking rather pale. She rounded on him, glowering.

"Ronald Weasley."

"Sorry, Harry," he muttered. "I thought if she didn't hear from you or us, she'd miss us enough to come to the Ministry."

"What?" The Boy-Who-Lived was floored.

"What did you do with the letters?" Hermione asked, feeling the last of her calm beginning to disappear.

"Got rid of 'em."

"Why?"

"You wouldn't come with us! I must have asked you a thousand times this summer, Mione, but no, you just had to come back here. Here," he threw his hands up, "here where no one cares about my accomplishments, where all they care about is you and your big brain. You couldn't just let it go and join us. I thought if you were alone, if you didn't hear from Harry and I because we were so busy and having too much fun, you'd get jealous and leave. It's always been the three of us. I don't know why you couldn't let it stay that way. I don't know why you care so much about this place...and not me."

"Ron?" Harry looked as if he had taken a bludger to the stomach.

Hermione stood silently trying to process what Ron had just confessed. He had purposely not written her. He had written about another witch to get her jealous. He had even gone as far as to destroy letters from Harry to her. Hermione had never considered Ron crafty or clever, but this ruse, no matter how despicable she found it, had required planning and care. He had put in effort to ensure she would be secluded. Furthermore, he knew how she hated the way Rita Skeeter wrote up rubbish articles. He knew she didn't care for the limelight. On one hand, she saw his act as a desperate plea to keep her in his life and by his side the way things had been since they were eleven. On the other hand, he had intentionally deceived both her and Harry in an attempt to hurt her. He wanted her broken so he could serve as the hero and bring her "home" to the Ministry. She wasn't sure what hurt more - the fact that he had done this or the fact that he wanted to do it to her to ensure she'd stay with him.

She didn't know this wizard in front of her. Whoever he was, he wasn't the Ron Weasley she had grown up with, the Ron Weasley she had fallen in love with. He had changed. Or maybe she had changed. It was true that the war had altered them all differently. They each had their own scars, their own ways of dealing with the survivor's guilt. Harry no longer had pain from his trademark injury, but he had night terrors. Hermione had them too. Ron had never had the dreams. He had thrown himself into his new job and embraced his new fame. It was what he had always wanted, she knew. It was what he had seen in the Mirror of Erised all those years ago.

He finally got his wish.

She looked over to him, trying to hold back tears. "You complete ass, Ronald Weasley."

Harry and Ginny were at her side in an instant. Harry looked as if he was struggling to find the words, but Ginny remained calm. The red-haired witch put her arms around her best friend in a silent hug. Hermione felt the tears begin falling at Ginny's embrace. She was fighting so many emotions it was hard to decipher which ones there were. When she had decided to return to Hogwarts, she hadn't expected Ron to be upset. Even after a summer of his constant complaining, she had gone through with her plan. Now, he was proposing, believing deep down that his desperate attempt would force her hand. That was her fault. She had maintained this relationship despite knowing her love for Ronald Weasley was fading. Maybe she deserved his anger.

Hermione brushed the tears out of her eyes, moving away from her friends. Harry and her had barely spoken in months. How could she explain to him her feelings of indifference to their mutual best friend? She wasn't even sure if there friendship could survive this. A rejected proposal was a surefire way to kill a relationship. She wiped her face, taking a deep breath as she forced herself to quit crying. She stepped out of Ginny's embrace.

"I need to get back to my dorm before the feast tonight. As Head Girl, I have some things I need to prepare."

"Mione," Harry began. He knew she wasn't alright. She could see his concern in the way he was watching her.

She hugged him. "I'll be fine," she told him. "You better get back to the Ministry before McGonagall sees you both. Just promise you'll send your own owl from now on."

He hugged her back. " I will. But Hermione-."

"Harry." Ginny interrupted, shaking her head. He took his girlfriend's advice and let it go for the time being.

She pulled away from him, to give Ginny a hug,. Finally, Hermione narrowed her eyes, glaring at Ron, who was sulking off to the side. "Feel free to date Corrine or whoever, Ronald Weasley. She might be willing to serve as your trophy wife, but I'm not. We are done."

With that, she walked off, not looking back once.

Draco had been sneaking off to the Room of Requirement every chance he could to practice. He had mastered the bicycle early. Granger told him his Quidditch experience had helped with it. The Muggle transportation was a skill he had demonstrated for his class, surprising everyone in attendance, the Professor included. For his mid-term exams, he wanted to display an even more remarkable task. He had chosen the car. He wanted to show Granger he was the best out of the two of them, or at least that was what he told himself. Deep down he knew he was trying to impress her.

Maybe it was because he was isolated or maybe it was because she was no longer constantly protected by Potter and Weasel, but he felt as if he was finally seeing her...all of her. He had always felt something for her, regardless of if it was acceptable per his father's standards or not. He had never acted on it, of course. Instead, he had tried to squash those feelings by making snide comments or purposely being malicious. He had thought if he could upset her to the point she went away, he woudln't have to be bothered with his conflicted nature. However, she had proven to be a worthy adversary. She never gave up. That was still true even now.

When he struggled understanding a Muggle technology, such as the Internet, she remained calm. She rarely raised her voice. She never chided him or punished him for not picking up on a concept quickly, the way his father always had. Instead, she would rephrase or demonstrate in a different manner until he grasped what she was teaching him. Draco enjoyed it the most when she guided him with her touch. Her skin, so soft and warm, was always a welcomed motivator. It made it difficult to focus at times, but he preferred to stumble to the point where she had to intervene physically so he would have an excuse to feel her against him.

Her efforts had already paid off. Professor Durian had expressed his delight at Draco's level of participation in class. He had gone as far as to acknowledge Draco's intimate knowledge of Muggle games that he had the Head Boy assisting his fellow students for extra credit during class hours this week. He had taken advantage of it, solely to test the Head Girl. Draco knew she had her heart set on being the top of the class yet again. He had started out the year with every intention of taking that from her. Now, he maintained his plan of competing with her to see how far he could push her. He enjoyed their light teasing back and forth as the challenge became more trying.

Yet nothing was as trying as this car. The trouble was, he was still struggling to understand the gear shift. Granger's sanctuary, otherwise known as the library, didn't have a single book that assisted with that knowledge. He didn't have any friends to turn to either. Yesterday, he had been so frustrated, he had punched a way in the makeshift house she had created. Thankfully, when he returned today, the house had assumed its original layout without the dent he had created.

He refused to ask her. He wanted it to be a surprise when they met up before exams. She had glossed over the car, stating it was too complex to start there. They had been focusing on other areas he would be tested on such as finance and games. While it didn't make sense to him to have both bits of paper and coins for money, Draco had caught on quick to the monetary system. No matter what culture, money was money. It was the path of power and he had been trained on it since birth.

The Internet had become his secret weapon. Once Granger had showed him how to use the feature she called a Search Engine, he had begun searching for articles on how to properly learn the gear shift. This week alone, Draco had spent countless hours searching, reading, attempting, and re-reading until he was sure he understood. He could hardly contain his excitement. He had been picturing how her face would light up, how her eyes would shine with elation. He wanted her to see he was capable of living in the Muggle world. He wanted her to see how he could adapt beyond the constraints of Pureblood society. Maybe then she would see him for who he could be and not who he had been.

As he rounded the corner to the Great Hall, he was unprepared for the sight before him. There was a crowd lingering just outside the main doors. Granger had barely mentioned Weasel or Potter the last few weeks. Draco had thought perhaps things between the Golden Trio weren't as perfect as everyone else believed, especially between Granger and her idiot boyfriend. What he saw now knocked that theory out the window. Flashes of light from cameras were going off and in the middle of all the commotion was Granger and the Weasel, who was kneeling. Draco felt as if someone had hit him with a Stinging jinx right in his chest. Weasel produced a tiny box, taking Granger's hand. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but from their body language it was clear.

Draco backed down the corridor, making sure no one had saw him before he broke into a run to the Head's dormitory. As he raced to his room, he scolded himself inwardly. Why would Granger be impressed with him? He was the last person on Earth that she would consider being with. She was intelligent, beautiful, and well liked. Her respect didn't come from her family name or fear of her parents. The reputation she had was built upon all the good deeds she had completed and how caring she was to the individuals around her, including him. She had proven her ability time and time again. Without being asked, she had sacrificed so much for a world whose prejudices wanted to cast her out and belittle her. People called Potter the Savior, but in Draco's opinion, he hadn't done as much for the Wizarding World as Hermione Granger.

He had to remember why he was here. Regardless of how he felt towards her or what he may have considered pursuing with her, the end game was to pass this year. He needed to remain in good standing for the sake of his parents. That was his motivator. It was his reason for returning to Hogwarts. Their time together was only for the purpose of helping him ace his Muggle Studies exam. Nothing more.

When he reached Glanmore, he muttered the phrase on his family's crest and darted into the Head's chambers. He had been fooling himself by entertaining the idea of them having some sort of connection. They weren't even friends. They were - he wasn't sure what they were. Roommates was probably the closest thing to a definable label he could use. He flopped down on the couch, battling numerous thoughts that were going through his head.

He wasn't sure why he was so upset. Granger wasn't his girl. She had always had a crush on that red-headed buffoon. Everyone knew it. Everyone except the red-headed buffoon. As he sat there, he noticed his hands were clenched into fists. Immediately, he flexed his fingers, releasing them from their instinctive position. Ronald Weasley didn't deserve her.

And you do?

His thoughts betrayed him. He knew he wasn't worthy of her. As much as he hated the thought of seeing her married to another wizard, Weasel was harmless. He was incapable of hurting her. Hell, he was probably more afraid of her than most of the wizarding world because he had seen first hand what she was capable of. He was an idiot, but he wasn't an ex-Death Eater whose parents were standing trial for crimes committed against the wizard community. He had a position at the Ministry. He was best friends with Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, and he had a huge family to keep her company. Weasel had more to offer her than Draco did.

Draco's hands were balled up again and he was clenching his jaw. He grabbed the nearest book off the side table. The words blurred under his haze of wrath. He didn't mind. He wasn't really going to read at a time like this. After a while, he heard the portrait swing open and the sound of shuffling feet. She had returned sooner than expected. He didn't want to hear about her news.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," he sneered, closing the book he had been pretending to read, as he got up from the couch.

"W-what?"

"You and Weasel."

"Why are you being so cruel?" She asked, distractedly brushing her sleeve across her face.

"I thought you'd be in a better mood." He grumbled, as he passed her on his way to his bedroom.

"I don't need this right now, Malfoy," she snapped.

"I was being civil about your engagement, Granger," he told her, resting against the doorway. "You're the one who picked a fight."

"I'm not engaged! Ron and I broke up!"

He could tell from the strained quality of her voice that she had been 's when he noticed her hand. It was bare. There was no engagement ring sitting on her finger. Draco examined her face closer. Her eyes were puffy. Her nose was red. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears and runny makeup. From the way she carried herself, he assumed it was quite a blowout. He pushed himself off the wall, walking towards her. "Granger, what hap-."

"Malfoy," she interrupted, her voice softer. "Can you do me a favor?"

He nodded. "Ok."

Wordlessly, she threw herself into him, burying her face in his shoulder as she began to sob. For a moment, he stood frozen. He wasn't sure what had happened between her and Weasel. He had no idea why she had come to him instead of her Gryffindor friends. Feeling her tears leak through his robes to his skin, he realized he didn't care. She was here now, with him, of her own free will. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. He didn't say anything. She didn't need him to. All she needed was a friend.

And for now, that was enough for him.

A/N: Extra long chapter since it was an extra long wait. Hope you enjoyed! Thank you for all the follows. I truly appreciate it AND the reviews.

PokeEDoll - Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I hope you liked this one as well.
Emeraldandsilver0974 - Hoping to update more frequently now that I have access to my laptop again.
insecure-author - Thanks! There is much more to come. I have several future chapters in the works already.
riaroo400 - You beat me to the reveal in this chapter. Hope this helps explain the letter situation.
Guest - Thank you! And thank you for your continued reviews.
thegrangermalfoy - I'm glad. More dramione goodness and some special flirting to come next chapter!
Sage McMae - It's going to lead to something fun very very soon!
claxiere - Sorry for the long wait. Hope you liked this update.
lasvegasskye - You'll just have to wait and see.