A/N: I'm sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. I was going to have it up last week but I got busy with other things.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 19

Ron was convinced something was going on with his friends. He suspected Hermione was indeed with someone and both Harry and Ginny knew it. Why else would they always try to convince him other wise whenever he mentioned it? Ron sat in Potions class thinking about all of this. He starred across the room at Hermione every chance he got and didn't pay much attention to the potion.

"Ron! You're supposed to stir it counter-clockwise not clockwise", Harry said.

Ron's vision snapped back to Harry, "Sorry", he mumbled and started stirring the correct way, though the potion was already ruined.

Harry glanced in the direction that Ron had been starring in and saw he was looking at Hermione. 'Oh great', he thought. He hoped Ron wouldn't try anything. His thoughts were disrupted as the potion started to overflow from the cauldron.

They were soon joined by Professor Slughorn. He shook his head in disappointment, "You stirred counter-clockwise instead of clockwise, didn't you?" he asked. Both students shook their heads, "Oh Potter, you were doing so well last year. What happened?"

"Just an off day, Professor", replied Harry.

Slughorn cleaned up the mess with a flick of his wrist. "I want both of you to write me an essay tonight on explaining why you have to stir it clockwise and not the other way", he instructed before walking away.

Harry let out a sigh and he glanced at Ron. He knew the potion wasn't going completely well but it wouldn't have involved extra work.

"Sorry, Harry. It was an accident", Ron said.

Harry didn't respond as he sat down on his stool. There was still about twenty minutes left of class so he decided to get a start on the essay. He pulled out a sheet of parchment along with a quill and ink. Ron returned to his stool as wee. He though about starting his work as well but something caught his eye. Hermione was smiling at Malfoy or that's what he thought he saw. He glanced to Harry to see if he saw but he was busy writing. Ron observed Hermione for the remainder of class. She didn't do anything completely out of the ordinary after that but there was something Ron couldn't explain. She seemed to be comfortable around the Slytherin by her body language. 'Something's not right here', he thought.

With five minutes remaining of class, Slughorn approached Harry again. "Mr. Potter, Dumbledore needs you right away."

Harry nodded his head and packed his tings immediately. He was gone a couple of minutes before class was over. Everyone soon filed out. Draco left before Hermione but waited for her in the corridor like normal. Ron lingered behind and once the room was empty expect for them he approached her. "Hey, Hermione", he said.

Hermione jumped at hearing his voice and she turned to him, "Ron", she timidly said.

"So, Hermione how have things been?" he asked.

"Good", she answered putting her bag on her shoulder.

"Students, can you please take this conversation into the corridor?" Slughorn asked.

Both Gryffindors exited the Potions classroom and stood in the corridor avoiding eye contact. Draco as still waiting for Hermione and was wondering what was taking her so long. When he saw her exit the classroom and started walking toward her but stopped when he saw Ron with her. He quickly jumped down a side corridor but kept a watch on them, though he couldn't hear what they were saying.

"So Hermione, have you been seeing anyone lately?"

Hermione was caught off guard by that question but quickly recovered, "No, why do you think I'm with someone?" She didn't like where this conversation was going. Ron couldn't know she was dating or he would want to know who and she didn't want to come up with too many lies.

"Really, you're not? I thought you were by the way you've been acting lately."

"Oh that's ridiculous. I'm not seeing anyone", she said adding a fake laugh at the end.

Ron nodded his head but he wasn't completely convinced by her. "Ok, well I'll see you around, Hermione", Ron said before walking away. He passed by Draco's hiding spot and walked out of sight. Hermione sighed and started walking. Draco stepped out of his hiding spot and Hermione stopped when she reached him.

"What were you and Ron talking about?" he asked.

"Oh nothing but it was weird. He was asking me if I was seeing anyone."

"What did you say?"

"I said no."

Draco frowned.

Hermione rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe Draco was acting like this, "Draco, this isn't the place to discuss this."

"Fine, shall we go to our common room and finish this there?" asked Draco.

"Sure", she replied.

The couple started walking and left the Dungeons. A ginger head popped out from an empty room. Ron couldn't believe what he hears and saw. "So, Hermione is dating a guy and possibly Malfoy? What is going on here?"

So you told Ron you weren't dating?" Draco asked again once they had entered the common room.

"Why are you so mad about what I did? I don't want him to know. Ron would go crazy just knowing I was with someone else and I didn't want to invent some big lie about me dating someone else."

"I'm not mad you didn't tell Ron because it's not his business to know you are dating. But you could have least said you were. He wouldn't have to know who the guy is", Draco said.

"What do you care so much that I said no?"

"Draco shrugged his shoulders and looked away, "I just… don't want him to think you're still available or something."

"Draco, it doesn't matter what he thinks. I'm with you. I would never go back to Ron."

Draco cooled down and looked back at Hermione, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you. I saw you talking to him after class. I was watching you guys but I couldn't hear what you were saying."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Draco was jealous. She wrapped her arms around him, "Aw, you're jealous."

"I am not", he replied wrapping his arms around her. "I'm concerned about what Ron will try and do."

"Don't worry about him; he's not going to do anything."

Ron paced back and forth in his bed room. There was definitely something going on. He just knew it. Today confirmed it. Hermione was smiling at Malfoy during class then she was talking to him afterwards and they left together to go to the common room together. "I should write this down", he said out loud to himself.

He sat down on his bed and pulled out a notebook and quill. He scribbled everything he could remember that had happened and dated each one. He was worried Draco was doing something to Hermione. He had to find out and stop it before it was too late.

XxX

April was upon them. Ron didn't say anything else to Hermione but he kept a watchful eye on her. He continued keeping record of what she did. He was going to get to the bottom of this on his own.

Hermione's anxiety grew each day. She still had the feeling something bad was going to happen. She kept it to herself and didn't tell Draco. She didn't want him to worry about something when she wasn't sure what was going to happen. She didn't like Ron liked the question Ron asked her about if she was in a relationship. Could he have figured it out? No, he couldn't have. Ron never thought that much about things like this.

Hermione sat on the common room couch trying to finish her Ancient Runes essay. She was half way through it but he thoughts drifted away to personal issues. Draco sat next to her like usual. He noticed Hermione had stopped writing so he glanced over to her and saw her faraway expression.

"Mione, are you ok?" he asked laying down his quill.

Draco's words brought Hermione back to the present. She blinked a couple of times and looked at Draco. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You stopped writing and you had this expression on your face."

"Oh, just hit a spot in my essay", she replied stretching.

"I say we take a break and go patrol. What do you think?"

"Yeah, my legs need a stretch", she said rising from the couch.

Draco stood as well and they both exited the room. The corridors were empty and silent. The couple walked together through them. Every now and then they would pass a Prefect but saw no other students. While down one of the rarely used corridors, Draco pulled Hermione over to a wall and pushed her against it, pinning her there.

"Draco, not here", Hermione half protested, half enjoying it.

Draco smiled as he leaned in to capture her lips. Hermione didn't hesitate to return it. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he placed one hand on her hip. Hermione knew this was against the rules and someone could come by and see them at any moment but she didn't care. She liked the rush and excitement.

Ron was walking through the halls going no where in particular. He passed by a side corridor and saw something out of the corner of his eye. He doubled back to get a better look. It was a couple snogging. He pressed himself up against the wall and peered through the entrance as he tried to figure out who the couple was. He soon recognized the blond hair of Malfoy. He wasn't surprised by that at all. As he looked harder he realized the girl was Hermione.

He turned away shocked. This confirmed all of his suspicions about Hermione. She was with Draco Malfoy! Ron glanced back down the corridor and couldn't believe what he was seeing. Hermione couldn't have been doing that willingly.

Draco pulled away from Hermione as he felt the presence of someone watching them. He looked down to the entrance of the corridor but saw no one. Hermione followed his gaze.

"What are you staring at?" she asked.

"Nothing, just thought there was someone watching us", he looked back at her, "we probably should finish patrolling then head back to the common room."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement. The couple moved away from the wall and Draco took Hermione's hand in his as they started to walk away. Ron Heard their foot steps and quickly moved away from the entrance. He had no place to hide so he pushed himself flat against the wall, hoping they wouldn't see him.

Draco and Hermione entered back into the main corridor. They turned the opposite way from where Ron was and didn't notice him. Ron was thankful they hadn't seen him but didn't move again until they were completely out of sight. He was still shocked about what he had witnessed.

Ron quickly left for his bed room to write down what he saw. He passed Harry and Ginny in the common room but didn't bother to stop and say hi. The two stared at him as he passed in confusion. Ton dashed to his room and grabbed his book. He scribbled down about the snog session and how they walked away hand in hand. Right after he finished writing, he was joined by Harry and Ginny.

"Ron, what's going on?" asked Harry.

"Nothing", he replied putting his book out of sight.

"Well, you rushed in ignoring us and ran up here. Something is going on", Ginny said.

Ron looked at them, debating whether to tell them what he had just seen. "Are you sure there's nothing going on with Hermione?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Not this again, Ron. I told you before she's not seeing anyone!"

Ron starred at her, then it clocked. She knew. He looked at Harry. He knew too. "Oh ok. Well, I'm off to bed now. See you two in the morning."

Harry and Ginny exchanged looks before leaving the room confused. As soon as they were gone, Ron poured over his notes and began devising a plan to stop Draco.

Draco and Hermione returned to their common room and finished their work. As they went to bed, both of them were unaware of a plot being formed to tear them apart.

A/N: Again sorry for the delay. I'll have the next chapter up in the next 2-3 days. I promise.