Seating herself beside Blaise she let Draco sit on her other side. She glanced around the table to see them all glaring heavily at her, all except Draco, Blaise and Pansy. "Hey." She muttered softly. She almost fell of her seat when she noticed Pansy beaming at her brightly. "Hey Granger. Braving the Slytherins, are we?" Hermione smiled at Pansy.
Letting out a soft nervous laugh she answered. "Sure am. I really thought that you, Parkinson, would have slaughtered me by now. I mean…for being attached to Draco."
Pansy let out a short bark of laughter. "Oh gods no. That was just a mere infatuation which I got over quite a while ago. He's like a brother to me now. And besides…I'm…um…dating Blaise." She muttered the end with a blush.
"WHAT!" Draco exclaimed at the news while Hermione squealed with glee. "And how come I didn't know of this!" Pansy shrugged as Blaise quickly turned away. "I don't know, Draco. Blaise was supposed to tell you." The raven-haired boy shot an apologetic smile to his mate.
Rolling his eyes, he muttered softly, "Forget it, mate." before smiling widely. "Congratulations you two." Pansy nodded happily causing her blonde curls, which had black streaks running through them, to bounce gaily.
Dumbledore stood up quickly. "Ah, my dear students, I almost forgot to inform you. Unfortunately after a potions experiment, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger have been bound together and therefore, as many of you have noticed, Hermione is currently at the Slytherin table. I hope that our Slytherins will not give her a hard time. Enjoy your dinner."
"So what about you, Draco? We've just got to get you fixed with a lovely lady soon." Going over a list in her head, she missed the glance that was shared between the other three. "Oh! What about that Lavender girl? She's a pureblood. Your father wouldn't mind her."
Draco scowled heavily. "Keep that woman far away from me, Pansy. I don't know. I…err…rather enjoy the state I'm in. I'm happily-"
"OH I WOULD LOVE TO, RONALD!" A loud, ecstatic voice cut Draco from lying about his status as a man in the world. The entire hall spun to see a slender, blonde girl embrace a flaming red-haired boy in a tight hold before running off to no doubt plan her outfit for the ball.
Sighing sadly, Hermione looked down at her plate. "Poor Lavender." She muttered softly, more to herself than anyone else. Pansy stared at her, as did the rest who were seated at the table. "What do you mean, Granger?" She asked, her curiosity quirked.
Hermione looked up, her eyes shining in pity. "The thing is Ron asked me only…last week. He kept on saying that he really liked me as in far more than just a friend. He had planned the whole thing. He told Ginny he was going to make me jealous so I'd come running to him, or something. So he's just gone and asked Lavender." She ended with a sigh. She heard some of the Slytherins snicker, quickly beginning a few rumours. "Oh, just great." She muttered, sarcastically.
"Don't worry, Hermione." Blaise put in. "Brown and such would never believe any Slytherins anyway. There's nothing to worry about." Hermione shrugged, muttering "I supposed your right."
Blaise smirked the Slytherin smirk. "Ha! Of course I'm right! I'm never wrong, Hermione dearest." He mocked. Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned to the large pile of food that had been put on her plate curtesy of the blonde beside her.
"Draco!" She whined. "I'm never going to eat this much." Draco shrugged, piling food onto his own plate and began to eat. "Never fear, I'll eat it." He replied, a soft smirk playing on his lips.
Smiling at each other, they returned to their meals, neither noticing Pansy who had been keenly watching their exchange and raised her eyebrow in question.
She smiled nervously under the piercing stares that surrounded her from the table she was in. She glanced a few seats to her left and flinched under the harsh gaze of the red-faced Millicent Bulstrode. "Uh oh. Watch out Hermione." She heard Draco whisper.
"HOW DARE YOU, YOU FILTHY DIRTY BLOODED FREAK!" She winced at the deafening screech that came from near her ear. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO TAKE MY DRAKIE FROM ME!" She turned slightly in her seat to face the large Slytherin girl.
"With all due respect Bulstrode, I'd appreciate if you moved at least a metre away from me and perhaps use breath mints." She said, in a curt yet patronizing manner. It was Millicent's turn to gape in a fish-like manner.
"Well…whatever. You'll NEVER take Drakie away from me. I know he loves me." She said, in a sing-song voice. Draco made a gagging noise as Hermione turned and patted him softly on the back.
"Drakie darling, don't you think it is time to show the world just how much you care for me?" She said in a voice that made the hall's occupants shudder.
"Oh of course, Millicent." He said, with an overenthusiastic grin before standing up and clearing his throat. "Excuse me, occupants of this hall, I Draco Malfoy would like to declare that Millicent Geraldine Bulstrode makes me sick."
With that he sat down and smiled at the face of the offended girl. "Bu-wha…DRAKIE!" She wailed, racing out of the hall in tears.
A group of girls stood up and glared at Hermione, angrily. "Look here Granger. I don't know what you did you Draco but Millicent and him are meant to be. It was pathetic of you to use a love potion on him." They huffed once before spinning around and stalking out of the hallway.
Draco nudged her in the side and nodded towards the Gryffindor table. A rather red faced Ron was now whispering furiously to Harry who seemed to be off in a daze. "I didn't think we were that much of a bad couple!" Draco smirked.
"I cannot believe her! I think she's doing it on purpose! I swear she is! She's just trying to get at me! I know deep down she really loves me! She's got to right? Harry! RIGHT!"
"What? Oh yeah of course, mate." Harry groaned as Ron went on another ramble. He had been listening to this nonsense all day about how Hermione just couldn't be linked to Draco, it wasn't fair. He had been sporadically muttering and grunting but he seemed to have stopped, causing Ron to want a reply.
"I knew she liked me. Its just a jealousy thing she's trying to pull. AHA well I'm not giving her the pleasure of knowing how jealous I am! She'll the be jealous one when she see's me with Lavender!" Ron continued, his face not losing its red shade.
"SHUT UP, WOULD YOU! JUST SHUT UP RON!" Harry yelled before jumping up and storming out of the hall in a fit of frustration.
"What's wrong with him, d'you reckon?" Ron asked, oblivious to just how frustrating he could be.
"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHATS WRONG, RONALD WEASLEY!" Ginny shrieked, having had enough. She dropped her voice to a mad biting level. "I'll tell you what's wrong! You're an ignorant, blundering fool! You can't seem to think of anyone but yourself and you are so annoying! I swear, sometimes I could just whack you so hard; you wouldn't know what had happened to you! Get over it!" She yelled before taking in a few deep breaths.
The whole of the Slytherin table stared with amusement and shock as a certain red-head finished her rant before slamming her fists on the table and jumping from her seat, following her boyfriend. Hermione growled with frustration and dragged Draco away from the hall muttering something about annoying weasels.
"Ginny!" She called to the figure ahead of her. Ginny stopped and spun on her heel as Hermione and Draco came running up to her. The girl was fuming.
"I swear if he says one more thing about making you his I will bloody Avada him!" Hermione grimaced at her anger before embracing the younger girl.
"Thank you for doing this for me, Gin. It means a lot. I know how annoying it is for you." Ginny sighed softly before smiling weakly. "Is there anything we can do?"
Ginny raised an eyebrow before grinning. "You could let me stay the night? I don't want to be anywhere near that freak." Hermione readily agreed, Draco being only a little bit more reluctant.
Ginny shrieked with glee. Hermione bid farewell to Draco for the time being before rushing to get a few nightly belongings. Hermione groaned with frustration when she saw Ronald sitting on the couch in the Gryffindor common room, staring at her.
Ginny bit her lip, nervously. "Good luck, I'm going to get my stuff." She whispered before racing up the stairs to her room. Hermione breathed deeply before sitting cautiously on one of the seats.
"Is it Malfoy?"
The question startled her, her eyes racing to meet Ron's. "What? Is what Malfoy?" She asked, shifting in her seat nervously.
"The guy that you wanted to go with instead of me. Is it Malfoy?"
Hermione gulped nervously. "No. Why would it be?" She asked as Ron's eyes narrowed with disbelief.
"Whatever. So why are you going with him then?" His question seemed to be challenging her.
"I told Harry already. Dumbledore said we needed to go together to promote House Unity before the upcoming war. Don't be ridiculous."
Ron's eyes darkened before he jumped up to tower over her. "RIDICULOUS? I SEEM TO BE REALLY RIDICULOUS THIS YEAR, DON'T I?" He spat harshly before dropping his voice. "There was a time when I was never ridiculous in your eyes. You liked me. What happened?"
Hermione glared before jumping up to meet his gaze. "You want to know! I got sick and tired of waiting for you to make a move. You're a cowardly, pathetic freak Ronald Weasley. You never made an attempt to show me you liked me so you know what I did? I moved on just like you should do!" She turned to leave now that Ginny had come down. "And you know what else! Trying to make me jealous by asking Lavender to the ball is not going to work. I'm madly in love now and I don't care for you in that way anymore. Save yourself the consequences that you'll get when Lavender figures this out and tell her yourself."
She sent him one more glare before turning on her heel and leaving the common room with Ginny who began to apologise furiously for her brother's actions. "That brother of yours is a downright annoying FREAK."