A/N: Hi! Well, first of all, I'd like to thank all the reviewers. Reading them makes me want to write the next chapter so... thanks!

Here's the new chapter. I really hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in the story.

Chapter 3:Awkward Silence

The next morning, Hermione went down for breakfast with her two best friends. She didn't tell them anything about what happened last night with Draco. They were begging her for her potions essay.

"No Harry, I told you last time I wouldn't give you two my homework anymore."

"But Hermione, Snape is going to kill us!" said Ron, his eyes opened wide.

"You should have thought about that when you decided to play chess all afternoon. Besides, how do you expect to learn anything?"

"Pleaseeeeee!!" said both boys with their best puppy faces, which they knew Hermione couldn't resist.

How she hated when they did that!

"Alright..." she said, finally giving up. "The last time, I mean it!" I can't believe those faces really work on me. How lame is that...

As they sat down at their table, Hermione could see the platinum hired boy at the other side of the room. The events of last night came back to her mind. She still felt a little guilty. The brunette chewed her lip while staring, studying him, his movements.

He looked so different when he was with his friends. He seemed relaxed. This made her feel even more guilty. She didn't even know him that well. Not the real him. She didn't even know who the real Malfoy was. The rude mean Malfoy or casual Malfoy he seemed to be with his friends.

I need to talk to Ginny. She'll know what to do.

As this thoughts crossed her mind while she was staring at Malfoy, he felt her gaze and looked up. Their gazes met, but she quickly looked away.

He saw something in her eyes, but couldn't tell what it was. Had she been thinking about what happened all night, too? He felt ashamed by this. I'm a Slytherin. I'm a Malfoy. I shouldn't care about what a Muggleborn says to me. Much less Granger. She has always hated me. It's not a big deal.

But deep down he knew. He didn't like that she thought that about him. He wanted her to think that he was great, to admire him, just like all the other girls did. But why? Why did he care so much?

Ginny hadn't even set both feet in the Great Hall when Hermione jumped to her feet and ran to the door. Ginny looked at her while she ran with a frown, confused with her friend's behavior. Hermione grabbed Ginny by the arm and turned her around leading her to an empty classroom in the first floor.

"Hermi, what are you doing? No, but I... I'm starving!!" whined Ginny while he was being dragged away from the delicious breakfast.

"I need to talk to you about something" said Hermione looking more serious.

"What is it?" asked the redhead, a little worried now.

"Last night, I detention..."

"Oh yeah, how did that go?"

"That's what I was about to tell you" said Hermione a little exasperated. "At first it was going ok, but then he made he said something about Ron and well..."

"Yeah?" asked Ginny, interested.

"Well I... I yelled at him. Called him self-centered and a coward. I told him he was a mamma's boy!!" Hermione talked with a worried look on her face.

Ginny couldn't help it an started laughing hysterically. Hermione stared at her annoyed.

"It's not funny!"

"Yes, it is! I would have paid to see the look on his face!" said Ginny between gasps, grabbing her abdomen. "And what did he do? What did he say?"

"Nothing, he just stood there..."

This made Ginny laugh harder. "Oh, it must have felt great! To yell at him all those things right at his face. Humiliate him"

Hermione felt worst by the second. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea...

"No, That's the thing, I feel awful for what I said."

"Why? He's always been mean to you. For Merlin's sake, It's Malfoy we're talking about!" said Ginny annoyed. Why did Hermione always have to be so good and forgiving. It gets annoying sometimes...

"I know! I know I should feel good about it. I mean, even when I punched him, it felt better than this. I just feel like know there's something different about him. I should apologize..."

"Look Hermione, I don't think you should apologize. That ferret doesn't deserve it." said Ginny more calmed now. "But I know you better than anyone, and I know that this is going to keep bugging you until you apologize."

"You're right. I'll do it tonight in detention"

"Just, don't be too nice to him when you do, ok?

Hermione smiled at her friend "Ok. Thank you, Ginny!"

The girls heard a loud growl coming from Ginny's stomach and giggled.

"Could we please go now! I swear if I stay here another minute, I'm going to eat the chalk!"

They both went back to the Great Hall laughing.

As they entered the potions class, Hermione let out a sigh. Their last class of the day. She was exhausted. She sat down at the last row with Harry, Ron and Neville. She saw Malfoy siting at the first row as usual. This was his favorite class.

She started thinking about how he had ignored her the entire day. He hadn't insulted her or her friends the whole day. It's not that she missed it, it was just not him. He hadn't even pushed her in a corridor or entering a class. Is this about yesterday? No, I'm probably just imagining it. He doesn't care what I think about him. Why would he? And if he does, it's just his ego.

She was drawn away from her thoughts as Neville's potion started bubbling and his cauldron started to shake. Everyone got away from it as Neville stood there looking terrified. Snape made his way towards the boy's table. The potion exploded landing all over Neville's face and as he wiped it away with his robe, they could see the boy's face had green and thorns started coming out of his skin.

The Slytherins started laughing while Snape grabbed Neville by his arm, pulling him harshly towards his office.

"Class dismissed!" he simply said as he reached his office's door.

As Hermione walked towards the storage room where they were suppose to continue their detention, she kept thinking of way to apologize to Malfoy. But the more she thought about it, the worst every apology sounded. When she saw Malfoy already stacking brooms in the room, she froze. She didn't expect him to be there already. As she took a box of parchment to organize it, he realized she was there. He simply looked at her and then went back yo stacking brooms.

Maybe I won't tell him right away, thought Hermione nervously.

He heard her grab a box. When he turned to look at her, he saw she was looking at him. He saw the same look in her eyes he had seen earlier today. He couldn't still recognize what that look meant. For some reason he felt nervous now. He was more careful not to drop anything. Since she walked in, his heart went faster.

What is wrong with me? Why do I feel like this around her? What had changed yesterday? I've never felt nervous around a girl. Much less a muggleborn. Much less around Granger. It's not that she's not attractive. She is. It's true she was awkward looking in her first two years but since third year her hair was tamed and she got her teeth fixed. And now, he couldn't help but notice the curves in her body. She was indeed attractive but... It's Granger! He's never seen her as an actual girl because of their rivalry.

He was drawn from his thoughts by her voice.

"Malfoy" said Hermione shyly.

"Yeah?" said Draco quickly.

" Well, um...I... I just wanted to say sorry about yesterday, I shouldn't have yelled at you like that and the things I said...well... I shouldn't have said that, I don't know you and... I shouldn't have made any comments about you or your life. I- I just wanted to apologize..." She kept looking from his face to the floor. His gaze made her feel nervous.

Draco was shocked. The last thing that he expected was an apology. He thought she would just ignore him the way she had all day. He didn't know why, nut Hermione's apology made him feel better, happier, less nervous around her. He felt how his muscles relaxed as she talked. He wanted to smile at her and tell her how much he appreciated her apology but he just couldn't.

Instead he said sarcastically "Look, it's not like I spend my day thinking about what you say or don't say o me. But thanks Granger, I feel better now!" he said this with a fake smile on his face.

He turned around and continued with the brooms.

What? That was not what I wanted to say! Mental slap! Double mental slap! He was so stupid!!

Hermione nodded slowly as he turned around. "Right" she said in a whisper and took the last box of parchments. How could I be so stupid?! Of course he didn't care. He has never cared about me or what I think. I should have listened to Ginny.

This thoughts hurt her. The fact that he didn't care about her at all.

They finished organizing the room in silence, but both very much aware of the other's presence. When Filch came to tell them they were done for the night, they each went to their rooms without even glancing at the other.

A/N:Well, what do you think? Please review!! It's really helpful!

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