She was in the Gryffindor common room talking to Ginny. She kept asking more and more questions about what the privileges are that she gets as Head Girl. Suddenly Ron and Harry came in from the Boys' Dormitory.
"Oh hey Hermione," Harry said. "So, we heard." He said in a mocking tone.
"You did? What? What did you hear?" Hermione was in a panic, hoping Malfoy hadn't told anyone about their encounter in the bathroom that morning.
"Malfoy. Making Head Boy?" He replied, questioningly.
Whew! So he didn't tell anyone.
"Oh, well - yeah, he did." She said. "No big deal. I've got a handle on things."
"I swear Hermione, I'm gonna kill him if he does anything to you!" Ron exclaimed, angered, his fists clenched.
"Ron, it's alright, honestly! He hasn't done anything, and I seriously doubt he will," she said, trying to calm him down. "Like I said, I'm handling things just fine."
"Well, I'm still gonna give him a piece of my mind."
"Ugh, Ron, no you're not. Okay?"
"But -"
"Won Won!" Shouted Lavender from much too close proximity. "I've missed you so much. We didn't get to catch up last night. Why don't we...go somewhere? I've been dying all summer without my precious Won Won." She clung to his arm, resting her head upon his shoulder and batting her eyelashes at him. Hermione cringed in disgust. She knew what Lavender's idea of "catching up" was and didn't want to think about it.
"Ha, alright. I'll see you guys later!" Ron shouted at them as Lavender pulled him out the portrait hole, giggling.
Harry squeezed Hermione's shoulder for a moment, knowing how hurt she must be feeling at that moment. He remembered all that they had dealt with the previous year between his two best friends.
Hermione never admitted it, but she had always liked Ron. And Harry had even told her that he had liked her too. But right when things were about to heat up between them, Lavender came into the picture. Ron and Lavender had been inseparable ever since, and Hermione eventually gave up trying to make things work between her and Ron.
They had spent a great deal of time together over the summer, but the closeness they had had over the summer faded as soon as they arrived back at Hogwarts, and there was Lavender again, clingy as ever.
"I guess I'll go. You and Ginny can spend some time together." she said, slightly smiling, but still hurt.
"You sure? Hermione, you know, I'm here for you if you need to talk."
"Yeah I'm fine Harry. Besides, I've got some, uh, stuff to do back in my dorm. I'll see you later." She sighed, and headed back up to her room.
Hermione was slightly crying when she entered the common room. Malfoy was sitting in the common room on the sofa, with some girl kissing his neck. Hermione stopped for a second just to take in the scene then proceeded to her room while wiping her eyes, and shut the door.
Why was this happening? Why did everyone have someone, except her? Did she not deserve to be happy too?
Harry had Ginny. Ron had Lavender. Even Malfoy had someone. Albeit, some girl he could probably care less about, but at least he was wanted. But nobody wanted her.
She fell asleep for a few hours, and was suddenly awakened by a tug on her arm.
"Granger," someone was saying. "Granger? Wake up."
Hermione sat up. Oh. It was him.
"What is it, what do you want?"
"I was just going to let you know it's dinnertime. You've been asleep in here all day. What's wrong with you, Granger?"
"Nothing. Just tired."
"Oh please. I saw you when you came in. You were crying like a baby."
"I was not! I don't know how you could have seen anything anyway with that tramp glued to your neck. And why do you care anyway?"
"Jealous, Granger?" He laughed.
"No, I'm not. I don't really do the whole casual hookup thing, and surely am not envious of it."
"Ha, whatever you say." He said. "I know you can't resist this." He winked at her. "As for me, I'm heading down to get some food."
"Fine. I'm probably just staying here." She brought her legs up to her chest and hugged them. She sure wasn't going to go down there to see Ron glued to Lavender, and Harry to Ginny.
"Oh come on, you have to eat."
"No, I don't want to."
"Fine, Granger. I'll be back later."
He left and closed the door behind him.
Hermione wondered why Malfoy was acting so peculiar. Was he actually being nice to her? It seemed like it. But then again, he still was acting rather cocky. But really, why did he care that she was crying?
On second thought, she was really hungry. And the darkness of her bedroom and being alone was starting to get a bit depressing. She tidied herself up, threw on some clothes and headed down to dinner.
She sat herself down between Ron and Harry. Lavender was holding on to Ron's arm as he ferociously ate. Ginny and Harry were flirting, as usual. Neither of her friends seemed to notice her. She tried her hardest not to focus on them.
Maybe coming down here was a bad idea.
She glanced up trying to find at least one other person who didn't have someone attached to their hip, someone else who looked at least half as miserable as she did, but she couldn't.
She looked across the room and caught sight of Malfoy at the Slytherin Table.
She watched him for quite some time, although she wasn't quite sure why.
As dinner was finishing up, and people were getting up around her, she and Malfoy continued to sit, and she watched him. Suddenly he glanced upwards and their eyes met. He looked confused, like he didn't know what she wanted, or why she was looking at him. Hermione blushed, and tried to look at something else. She glanced back over to him once more to find him looking at her still, but smiling sheepishly. He got up and walked towards the door with a grin.
Hermione got up as well, pushed past her friends, and went back up to her dormitory.
When she walked inside, Draco was sitting on the couch, this time alone. "Well, well, well, Granger. I knew you were jealous when you walked in this morning."
"What on earth are you talking about? I was not."
"Oh c'mon. I caught you staring at me at dinner. You know I saw. Don't deny it." He said with a grin. He stood up and walked closer to her.
"I only glanced over at you. I wouldn't call it staring." Hermione started backing up as Malfoy got closer to her.
"Call it what you will. We both know what it was all about." At this point Malfoy was standing directly in front of Hermione, and her back was against the wall. He raised his arm up beside her head and placed his hand on the wall. They stood there looking at each other for a moment until Hermione spoke.
"Um, I should...probably go to bed, Draco." She said, startled when she realized how close in proximity they were to one another. Their bodies were practically touching.
"As you wish." He said wish a grin. He removed his arm and let her go. She walked towards her bedroom, glanced back at him and blushed. She shut the door behind her.