Hermione needed someplace to hide. She had only been back to school for three days and already she wanted to leave and never come back. Her choice to pretend like nothing had happened was backfiring. Unlike Hermione, Ron didn't do subtle. So everytime she came upon Ron and Harry, Ron would turn a deep red and refuse to look at her. She didn't know if he was angry, or embarrassed, but what she did know was that so far there had been no apology. No apology for the midnight molestation. And while she knew that she was responsible for part of it, it wasn't her hand down his pants, so she did expect an apology. Every day that had passed after the event where there had been no apology had only made Hermione feel angrier and dirtier. So much so that right now she couldn't bear to look at Ron, or to have Harry enquire if there was anything wrong. Nor could she bear to see Ginny's confused face questioning her speedy departure from the Burrow.

To be completely honest she'd rather see the likes of Draco Malfoy (who was suspiciously missing from school) then have to deal with her friends and Ron!

It was at this very thought that a door appeared on the wall beside her. Looking around she noticed the familiar tapestry and chuckled. She'd been pacing in front of the Room of Requirement. What a strange coincidence, she noted. And if she had been looking in a mirror and paying very close attention she might've noticed her eyes flicker to a vibrant shade of green before quickly disappearing. Looking around quickly and seeing no one she dashed to the door and quickly let herself inside.

It seemed to be an infirmary of some sort. Hermione hadn't required an infirmary so she didn't really know why one had turned up. In fact she had (alarmingly) been thinking about Malfoy at the time. Luckily the room couldn't just pull others from the universe and stick them in the room if she required them. If that did work, she'd need to start requiring Jude Law more often.

Hermione sighed and looked around. There were four beds, one had a curtain around it, and the others were neatly made and had small bedside tables beside them. There were cupboards with what Hermione assumed were potions and bandages and such, and it had one of those muggle water dispensers with the big jugs. It seemed strangely out of place. But then so did the bed that was hidden by the curtain. It would only be that way if there were a patient in there.

Ah. There had to be someone who was here. That's why the room didn't change for her. As far as she knew the Room of Requirement became what the first person who entered it required. It didn't change upon the whim of the next person to arrive. So someone needed an infirmary? That was not good, perhaps she could convince them to go to Madame Pomfrey. On the other hand she didn't know many others who knew about the Room of Requirement, perhaps it was someone who had already graduated who was hiding from others. And maybe someone who was on the opposite side of the war. This could be bad, Hermione thought to herself. To be safe she should just leave, but she didn't think she could just leave, never knowing who was behind mystery curtain number one. Damn her curious nature!

Alright, just a peek. If they were awake they would've made some kind of noise by then. She strode quickly but quietly towards the curtain, halting at the entrance. Okay, ready in one, two, three! She briskly whisked the curtain silently to the side and poked her head around. In the bed was a boy with a crown of blonde hair so blonde it was almost white. He was tall, but lean, and even in his sleep he had an aristocratic air about him. That annoyed her. Even in his sleep Draco Malfoy looked like a snob. A gorgeous peaceful looking snob, but a snob nonetheless. Well at least his disappearance could now be explained. He'd been hanging out in a fake infirmary. However that meant that he had required one, which meant that he was unwell, which unfortunately meant that she had to do something to help him. Hermione sighed and pulled the curtain all the way back. Great. Just great.

Gathering her good will for all of God's creatures (even the icky ones), she wrapped it around her like a blanket. She wouldn't lose her cool when Malfoy became a complete asshole. She couldn't, her pride wouldn't let her. Which was why when she shook him softly and he woke up snarling and cursing she only slapped him a little bit. You know, to calm him down or something. When he turned to snarl and curse at her she calmly filled a glass of water and threw it in his face. Amusingly he just stared at her in shock. There, see? It was all solved with a dash of creativity, an ounce of dignity, and just a pinch of physical force. Oh and a glass of water.

Now.

"Why are you here? How do you know about this place?"

"What, the infirmary? I don't know Granger, maybe I looked at the school map or something. What are you doing here? Potter get a boo boo?" Malfoy smirked.

So he didn't know where he was, interesting.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Hermione asked, putting her hands on her hips and trying to look more intimidating. Intimidation often gets you answers. Malfoy did not look intimidated, actually he looked a bit worried.

"Listen Granger, this might sound crazy but… are we in a secret room that changes to suit the requirements of whoever enters?" He asked tentatively, as if he himself was not sure.

Hermione didn't really want to give that information away, but she couldn't see any other way to do it. He'd have to leave the room sometime, and that would mean he would see that he's not actually in the infirmary.

"Yes, this is the Room of Requirement. How do you know about this place?" Hermione asked, adding a glare. Maybe the glare would work.

"I followed Potter, who has cracked by the way, as he was talking to himself the last time I saw him." Malfoy said as he got out of the bed. He was wearing a rumpled sweater and a black pair of trousers. Not a school uniform like herself. And the last time anyone saw him was three days ago during the holidays. Had he been here all this time?

"Why were you following Harry?" Hermione asked, getting out her wand and waving it around threateningly. Malfoy just rolled his eyes.

"Obviously because he was walking around being all suspicious and talking to himself. Maybe he's got voices in his head that are trying to convince him to turn to the dark side," Malfoy chuckled to himself.

"I haven't really seen Harry all that –" Hermione was saying before Malfoy cut her off with a quick shout and then scrambled away from where he was standing, knocking Hermione to the ground. "What is wrong with you!?" She cried indignantly as she pushed him away from her.

"Did you hear that voice?" Draco asked her wide eyed and glancing around frantically. "Stop laughing!"

But Hermione wasn't laughing, she was staring quizzically at Draco's face, trying to figure out what was different about him lately. Other than he was cracked up insane. Blonde hair, pale skin, brown eyes, white teeth… wait, brown eyes? "Malfoy! Your eyes!" Hermione shouted, trying to get the boy's attention, but he was in his own mad little world, glaring off into the distance. "Weren't your eyes grey?" That got his attention.

"Yes. Let me guess they're…" Draco paused and looked upwards as if conferring with himself in his brain, "brown."

"Yes. Did you have something done with them?" Hermione asked. She didn't know why he would, she'd rather have grey eyes than boring brown ones.

Draco sighed and got to his feet. "The voices in my head made me do it."

"I thought Harry was the one who had voices in his head," Hemione smirked, also getting up off the ground.

Draco shrugged, "Perhaps he does. I for one do not want to waste the next…how long ago was the last day of holidays?"

"Three days ago."

"Ah, ok. I for one do not want to spend the next seventy-one days talking about Potter and the voices that he may or may not have in his head. I want to do something fun."

Seventy-one days? Whatever. "Go right ahead, Malfoy. The door is right there, I'm not stopping you."

"Oh no my petite peach, you are coming with me." Draco said, latching onto her arm.

"I most certainly am not!"

"You woke me up, which means that you now have to entertain me. I was having the most pleasant dream after all. It's a shame I woke up at all. You owe me."

"I do not owe you anything! And I'm not going to entertain you! You don't even like me!" Hermione shouted, freeing herself from Draco's grasp and storming for the door.

"I don't even know you. How can I know if I like you or not?" Draco asked, quickly jumping in front of her and stopping her departure.

"We've been in the same school for five years! Of course you know me!"

"Do I know your favourite colour?"

"What?"

"Let me guess… red?"

"Blue," Hermione sneered.

"See, so I don't know you at all."

"Fine you don't know me, but you do hate me!" Hermione glared at him as if daring him to contradict her.

"Well I never hated you, just mudbloods and muggles." Draco said in a tone that suggested that this meant that he hadn't ever hated her at all, and how could she think that?

"Well newsflash Malfoy, I AM a 'mudblood'."

"Newsflash Granger, I am well aware of your origins. But I've decided, and this is only recently by the way, that I do not hate muggles or mudbloods. And that my hatred was only a product of my environment and it was all very silly anyways." Draco said, examining his nails.

"You can't just change your mind!" Hermione threw her hands in the air. He was infuriating her!

"I can and did. Okay, how about this, we'll say that the little annoying voices in my head told me that it would be better for me to stop hating mudbloods and muggles, I would lead a more enriching life."

Hermione just glowered at him.

"So are you coming?" He asked, turning away and starting towards the door. Hermione couldn't believe this, he can't just do this! Obviously she had to follow him to knock some sense into him and turn him back to the Malfoy everybody knew and hated. This was intolerable.

She started storming after him.

"Oh, so you are coming. Good, lets go to your room," Draco smiled at her and threw his arm around her shoulders.

Hermione smiled back and then punched him in the face.

"I wonder if Jesus ever got punched in the face," was his only reply after he recovered, wincing as he touched the bruise that was going to start showing soon. He conferred with himself silently for a few seconds, and then laughed aloud. Shrugging at her he put his arm back around her shoulders and started leading them towards the Gryffindor tower.

Hermione sighed and gave in. It was better than hanging around with her friends right now. And maybe she'd get to punch him in the face again.

She sure hoped so.

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A/N Well there's that. So, tell me if you want longer chapters, or faster updates, because I could go either way. Also, if you're going to protest Draco's abrupt change of opinion concerning those of mixed parentage, then don't worry. It takes more time than one split second to change someone's mind like that, but at least he's trying, eh? We'll see more on his point of view later.