Summary: Looking at her, he thought that the war heroine needed a savior. "I'm not a hero." Hermione said in a choked voice. "In fact, I don't even know who I am anymore." "I'm here for you. If that helps." "You know what… I decided not to be Hermione Granger anymore. So you better move fast and confirm the rumor that the missing heiress, Amelia Jane Zabini is back." A grin crossed his face as she stood up in a regal fashion showing every bit of a pureblood that she really is.

From a different Angle

iloveapplejuice

The girls giggled and whispered as the two heads of the school walked along the corridor chatting up and teasing each other, making light punches and slaps here and there. It was the day before they all go for their Holiday vacations and everyone is just anxious to know where the Zabini princess would be going. Gossip, as much as Hermione would like to obliterate it out of the world, is just much too alive as Rita Skeeter is an annoying bug.

Speaking of that witch, she just recently wrote an article talking about the coming-out party of the heiress into the high society. She made speculations as to who would be the chosen escort for that grand event where, quoting from her article, "everybody who is anybody is invited". Esteemed names from elite families that would likely have a son that shall be chosen to escort the heiress came out but one name stood out.

Draco Malfoy.

Skeeter even brought up the Romeo and Juliet scenario for the two Hogwarts students as they came from opposing houses that had such a deep history of incompatibility and also adding up the fact that the two were like the figureheads of such rivalry as they battled not only in academics but through influence in the student population. Their situation was greatly romanticized by Skeeter as she wrote how polar opposites would be brought together like magnets through the magic of love. Skeeter even wrote about how the two's history of being enemies was brought about by years of concealed sexual attraction.

Reading the article, Hermione was expected to blow out of proportions like she usually does when it comes to the matters of Draco Malfoy, making Justin Finch-Fletchey avoid the head's commons most of the day but received nothing but a shrug and a raised eyebrow when he was caught reading the said article in the prefect's bathroom by Hermione.

"It's kind of a shock to me when I saw the title of the article Mia." He smiled as her lips turned up a little at the incoming joke that was about to come from her co-head. "I mean, the contents are quite convincing, considering that I practically saw the both of you grow up from really scary eleven year old enemies into seventeen-ish something of an acquaintance." He scratched his head as they continued walking down the hall ignoring the blatant pointing of foolish first years that have yet to witness the wand-works of Hermione. "You've got to admit Mia… three to four years back, you would have never imagined that Malfoy would be carrying your books to escort you into your DADA class."

Hermione stopped at the sudden revelation of Justin's knowledge of her and Malfoy that she even wondered if the whole populace of Hogwarts knew that Malfoy has been leaving pressed flowers into her books every time they have a project meeting.

"How did you know that? And Malferret wasn't escorting me to DADA… we have the freaking same class if you must know, considering that you are our classmate as well. We just happened to bumped into each other. What does it matter if he or I were too lazy to go around another way to go to the classroom? I mean that would be just inconvenient." She muttered the last part while looking sideways and continued walking with Fletchey.

"Hmm… what a nice coincidence of bumping into each other." With that comment, Justin's leg met Hermione's shoes.

When they reached the Great Hall, everyone had the copy of the article. Some even tried to hide it when they saw Hermione walk in but others even had the indecency to make a comment. She just ignored them.

"Stupid gits, they don't know when to stop do they?" Harry said as he appeared beside Hermione and naturally took her bookbag and made her sit beside him in the Gryffindor table.

"Oi Potter! I was with her you know!" Justin shouted from the entrance as he raised his hands as if to ask what the heck just happened.

"Just bloody come over here, you look like an idiot standing over there." Harry responded as he filled his plate with food along with Hermione's.

Justin just shook his head with a laugh and came right over, seating opposite them which was actually occupied by three second year boys. "Head Boy coming through!" The three poor boys were completely disposed of with a simple Evacuata, making them fly at least fifteen feet away from where they were seated earlier.

Hermione scowled at him but made no move to make a comment.

"Move." Lavender Brown said with a flip of her hair to the mousy fourth year that was sitting right next to Hermione. The girl just heaved a sigh and muttered an irritated 'Seventh years and their high horses'.

Hermione's eye twitch as Lavender made a show of sitting down with her short skirt and long legs. But that wasn't what made her eye twitch. It was because of the tabloid that she slammed on the table containing of a picture of her and a certain albino ferret.

"So… quite a catch for you Hermione. Wait, your Amelia now aren't you?" Lavender giggled as she twirled her hair with her index finger and batted her eyelashes. Justin copied her actions which earned a couple of laughs and snorts as the students nearby where paying attention as well.

Harry cleared his throat and made a pointed look on Lavender but it was of no use.

"Anyway, I read the article and it all made sense now. I mean, it was quite understandable that a silly, little eleven years old would keep on picking on his crush just to get her attention."

Everyone's ears perked up with the analysis.

"Ha! What did I say Mia?" Justin said proudly while waving his knife around like an excited kid.

"It just makes me wonder how he would find a boring bookworm beautiful." Lavender added while looking Hermione up and down.

"Anyway…" Ginny piped in as she shoved Justin's face with her palms and his knife-wielding hand away, sitting next to him and releasing her bag extravagantly with a sigh. "Everybody is gushing about how they were able to see this coming, what with you and Malfoy getting the ire out of each other for like almost a decade now." She took Justin's plate and fork and started eating with one hand and the other waving her wand dangerously near Justin's face. "It's like a holy revelation or something since Malfoy's like…" she paused for a while and almost poked her seatmate in the eye when she made a sudden gesture with her arm. "… I dunno, a resident royalty in Hogwarts with his hair shining like a crown as if to prove his royal-ness or something like that. Hmm… whatever. I don't really care if the sexual tension between you two is true as long as you're happy Mia. Besides, gossiping is so yesterday." Ginny waved her wand carelessly that hit Justin's ear as she smirked at Lavender who was making a sour face.

"Hmmpp." Lavender made an exit at this.

"Woman! Would you please stop endangering my face with your wand?" Fletchey shouted as Ginny just rolled her eyes and stood up got her bag and swung it on her shoulders, turning her back lavishly causing her bag to swing and hit Justin's back.

"Oompff.." Justin's upper body slammed into the table, face flat. The food and drinks sticking into him like a child's messy art project. "Oi! I'm headboy you know!" He turned around to see Ginny giving high-fives to the three first year boys that he sent flying earlier. And then she turned around mouthing to him the word payback. Before she completely went out the hall, she looked at Harry and Hermione with a sad expression.

"You know mate, I think she's targeting you because you're starting to sound like Percy Weasley with 'Bigheadboy' business and all." Seamus Finnegan clapped on Justin's back with pity in his eyes while the others snorted.

The dinner continued on with happy discussions of the upcoming vacation. Everyone is just excited to see their families and to the places that they would be going. Hermione on the other hand was thinking of a different thing. Her heart felt like jumping out of its place as the incident earlier on made her think how she missed Ginny terribly. They haven't talked for a while now and she thought that Ginny and Lavender were the new bestfriends.

"What are you smiling for?" Harry whispered to Hermione.

She didn't answer nor looked at Harry either. She just stared at her hands thinking how complicated things were but despite all of this, she still loved her friends dearly like she did when she was still twelve years old.

As soon as they finished their dinner, Harry and Hermione took a leisurely walk around the lake even though it was cold. They were both silent but Harry was grateful for Hermione was tolerating him now a days instead of glaring at him or worse ignoring him. It wasn't an easy decision for him when he was given the order to stay away from the heiress for a while. It was Max's order that the Gryffindor Knight should appear to be less obvious with his position since he was the closest to the heiress. His conscience ripped at him when he asked Ron not to invite Hermione in Romania for Christmas holidays since she'll be staying in Paris with her parents. Not totally true but it had a semblance of it at least. And then, he had to hint at Ginny that they had a spare ticket so she should immediately ask anyone she would like.

He clenched his teeth when he remembered her face, the day that she said they should have fun in Romania.

Betrayal. Hurt.

It felt like a knife piercing in his heart.

"Harry…" Hermione whispered and Harry noticed how his heart seemed to have stopped beating. "I'm not sure if I could forgive you or Ron, or Ginny." She stopped walking and turned to face him. They were six feet apart, with Harry standing on a higher ground. "I felt so left out, like I didn't even exist. I know that you had to the job as one of The Knights but it just really… really hurt."

Harry raised his head to look at her, and saw how she was fighting with all her might not to cry.

"I'm sorry." Those words were not enough but that was all he could say.

"I know."

Harry saw Hermione's eyes flash and knew that she was also remembering the same thing as he is. The words that they just uttered were so similar to the words that they had said to each other on the start of term when she stumbled upon him telling Ron that Hermione would just be a hindrance.