a/n Hi guys, it's Easter holidays and I should be revising but... not gonna happen. Feeling quite proud of myself- second chapter in a week and the next one's mostly written! I don't want to beg for reviews, but 132 people have read the last chapter. No one reviewed. You can see yourselves how many people follow this etc, but basically there are about a hundred people who read the last chapter but aren't following/reviewing etc. I get that you maybe don't like it- but bad reviews are good too- I want to improve! This has turned into quite a long rant but it takes a lot of effort, and it means a lot to me when I get a review, so take 20 seconds to comment?

Hermione

She had just left the library. She had been trying to find a copy of Hogwarts Through The Ages but it seemed that everyone else had had the same idea. She was by herself, in a mostly deserted corridor when a few Slytherin boys started taunting her. She noticed gladly that Draco -Malfoy- wasn't there.

"Oi! Mudblood! He'll be coming for you next! Maybe we should save Slytherin's heir the trouble of dealing with you!"

She walked faster but they followed, laughing and shouting insults at her. She'd hoped to avoid conflict but it was so unfair- she'd found this magical world but she could only be a second class citizen. She was about to turn around and shout at the idiots when Harry appeared.

"Hey Harry! What d'ya think of taking care of this mudblood for the heir of Slytherin?"

"I think you should get lost" Harry said in a measured tone.

"Ooh got yourself a girlfriend? Parkinson will be jealous."

Hermione was fed up. She shot Harry a half grateful half apologetic smile and faced the Slytherin bullies.

"Do you imbeciles really have nothing better to do than hang around empty corridors and harass people? You -Crabbe- shouldn't you be focusing on not failing all of your subjects? And Goyle, I know no one expects much from an idiot like you, but loitering in hallways to irritate people- can't you at least go and waste your life by yourself, somewhere away from civilisation?"

Hermione got fairly worked up and was almost shouting by the end. Harry looked astonished by the usually quiet girl's outburst. She really was a Gryffindor.

"Nice speech Granger." His smooth voice accompanied by his trademark smirk cut through her anger.

"Of course, Crabbe and Goyle probably only understood about half of it but we all have to vent our anger sometimes. Interesting shade of red you've gone though."

Hermione blushed even more.

"I find putting up with your ridiculous minions particularly trying on my patience she said with a sniff and marched away. Stupid Slytherins. Ron's little sister seemed to like Malfoy though, apparently he was really kind to her. Draco was nice to everyone except her it seemed.

Harry

He wasn't particularly good at judging emotions, especially girls' but Hermione looked really upset- and so she should be. Harry had been, and still was during the holidays, tormented by Dudey's gang and so hated bullies. He kew a lot of Slytherin's were cruel but they had a lot of good qualities many members of the other houses didn't see. He started jogging after Hermione.

"Harry wait!" Draco called after him. "The guys were mean but why do you care? You don't even know He- Granger."

Had Draco forgotten about last year? Harry knew it probably wasn't one of Draco'ss greatest memories but Hermione had been there with them. She'd been brave enough to go back and get help alone, and smart enough to help them get past the challenges. He knew Draco's family had an issue with muggles but it couldn't be that bad- Harry was Draco's friend and he was brought up in the muggle world.

Anyway, after he'd been hurt Hermione had been in the hospital whenever Draco wasn't. They had a casual friendship, talking and smiling whenever the other Slytherin's weren't around.

"I know her enough to know that she's a good person and she saved my life. You're not my only friend Draco."

Draco looked shocked. "You're friends with Hermione? Secretly?"

"Yes actually. Is that okay or do I need your permission?" Harry turned and ran after Hermione.

Draco

Harry was friends with Hermione? More than friends? No. Harry was head over heels for Pansy right?

Still it couldn't hurt to check on him and Hermione...

He ran after Harry and stopped outside a classroom. He could hear sobbing coming from the room and Harry's voice.

"I'll be okay Harry, thanks for listening but you should get back to Draco."

"I'm not like them Hermione"

"I know Harry"

Draco heard quiet words and then Harry came out of the classroom. It was all Draco could do to prevent himself from pinning Harry to the wall out of jealousy.

"Draco go away, leave her alone."

"I need to go talk to her Harry."

"Whatever. Just don't upset her. Try apologising."

Apologise? Malfoy's don't apologise. But he needed Hermione... No. He was a Malfoy, he didn't need a mudblood like her. He couldn't want her, he just needed to get over her.

"Hermione..." He said softly.

"Malfoy. What are you doing here?"

"I... wanted to see... to check... that you were okay." He stammered awkwardly.

What was happening to him? He had spent years flirting with girls at pureblood balls, now he couldn't manage to speak to Granger?

"Right. You wanted to make sure that I was okay after your friends threatened to kill me."

They threatened to kill her? Bile rose in his throat. Why did he care so much?

"How dare they?" He was angry, he would... what? Hurt his friends for this... mudblood? He shook his head. The world felt tainted, dirty in his mind.

"DRACO MALFOY! How dare you? As if you aren't as bad. As if you don't humiliate, torment me every time you see me. And with you it's worse. Last year... we saved each other's lives. You're best friends with Harry but his mother was the same as me! You're kind to Ginny, to everyone, but you hate me." A broken sob escaped. Draco was amazed that she had stood up to him, never before had a girl so utterly resisted him, but then, never had a girl been so dangerous for him. She was a Gryffindor, and her bravery showed. But now she was broken, and he had done that. She was wiping tears away though, not letting him see her weakness, shutting him out. He realised suddenly that he didn't want to be shut out, didn't want this fiery, complicated, smart girl to hate him.

"Hermione... I'm sorry." He said sincerely, his first real apology and it hadn't been difficult like he'd imagined, it was natural and kind and he knew he didn't care about her blood, he wanted to be her friend, and more.

"Just go"

a/n So, Draco's a bit of a douche but I think Hermione can manage! Don't know if you read the first a/n but there's a box down there and it would make my day if you left me a review! :)