A:N Thank you SO much everyone who reviewed. IT makes me so happy hearing that you guys are obsessed with my story. You have no idea how high pitched I got when I saw the reviews. Oh... and by the way, any of you who want Harry to get beat up...don't you worry... he's gonna get it eventually. And Draco's not gonna be the only one to do it. Other people are going to help...not gonna say who... but u'll see... If you're reading this....review... or if you have already... KEEP REVIEWING! Because then I know people are reading it and I'll keep writing... cuz if no one reviews, I'll think no ones reading it and there'll be no reason to keep writing so I won't.. But I love hearing from you... and if you don't like something about it, please PLEASE let me know so I can fix it and keep from doing it again... I love you alllllllllll )

3

"HARRY POTTER!! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Draco was just about to reach her when he felt a fist plant itself firmly on his jaw. He felt it break and fell backwards. He heard Hermione yelling at Potter and knew it had to be him who had hit him. He opened his eyes in time to see Harry shove Hermione to the floor and round on him again. He looked up at potter's angry face. He saw Potter's foot go back and then felt it meet his ribs and felt the air rush out of him. He felt himself being pulled to his feet and then felt Potter's fist meet his face again and then his stomach, and then everything went black.

Hermione ran to Harry yelling for him to stop. He turned to her and pushed her back with such force that she fell to the ground. She saw Harry go back to Draco and kick him and punch him mercilessly. She watched in horror as Draco fell bleeding to the ground and then felt her blood boil. She was more upset than she could ever remember being. It was a mix of fear, anger, and worry. She ran to Harry and slapped him hard in the face. He turned to her with such anger in her eyes that it terrified her. She moved back a few strides and she kept moving towards her. He was about to reach her when she whipped out her wand, "Petrificus Totalus!" Harry fell frozen to the floor; she put her wand back in her pocket and ran to Draco. She fell to her knees beside him and just looked at his motionless body. The whole dance was at a standstill and had been watching the scene. She grabbed Draco's shoulders and shook them. "Draco! DRACO!!" She kept shaking him, willing him to wake up...he didn't. She felt her eyes stinging with tears. She prayed silently that she hadn't lost him. She doubted he would die from just that, but replaying the beating in her head, she wouldn't be surprised. She saw him get punched twice in the face, and then kicked countless times the length of his body. The sight before the student body was pitiful. Hermione Granger, always so strong, calm and collected was sitting in the middle of the floor, tears streaming down her face, rocking back and forth. She had Draco's head in her lap and was stroking his hair, mumbling under her breath what most people assumed what a prayer that he would be alright. Suddenly, the great hall doors burst open and madam pomfrey rushed in. She ran to Hermione. "What has happened here?!"

"We were just...you see...Harry, he..." She trailed off, knowing that she wouldn't be able to repeat the ordeal again and pointed meekly towards Harry who was still frozen on the ground, shaking in fury. Madam Pomfrey looked around in confusion but then Lavender walked up and told her everything, but not before harshly kicking Harry on her way towards them. Pomfrey looked disapprovingly at Harry, shook her head, then took the spell off of him and sent him to McGonagall for his punishment. She then levitated the unconscious Draco and headed to the hospital wing with a very worried Hermione at her heels.

Hermione paced back and forth outside the curtain that separated her from Draco. She had seen Madam Pomfrey before she had been shut out and all she did was give Hermione a sad look and shake her head. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the curtains were pulled back. Madam Pomfrey walked up and pulled Hermione aside. "Look Miss Granger, I can fix him easy enough, but it's going to take quite a long time. He's going to be in here for awhile."

"Well, what's wrong with him?"

"Mr. Potter's kicks split his ribs and one of the bones punctured his lung. His breathing is very shallow and it pains him to do it. He is awake now but in a lot of pain. I highly suggest you have a talk with Potter about this. Whatever you did, or were about to do, angered him greatly, and had you not been there to stop him, I'm sure Mr. Malfoy here would be dead." She let Hermione in and what she saw stopped her. Draco was much paler than usual and had a thin coat of sweat on his brow. His chest was moving rapidly with his quick shallow breaths and he winced with nearly every breath he took. "Oh God! Draco!" She ran over to him and sat down with him. She ran her hands through his hair and looked at him. "Draco, are you ok?"

"Never better," he replied. It must have hurt him to speak because after responding he drew in a sharp ragged breath and then winced in pain. It killed Hermione to see him like this. He had always been such a strong person. She looked at him and smiled sadly. She leaned down and kissed his forehead. As she was straightening up, Draco lifted his arm and put his hand on her cheek, stopping her. He led her back down and their lips met. Hermione put her hands on either side of him and he wrapped his arms around her waist, deepening the kiss. They kissed for a bit before she pulled back and smiled shyly at him, biting her lip. He smirked back at her, "First kiss, Hermione?"

She blushed a little, "No, the little teaser you gave me back in the common room was..."

"Oh, sorry bout that. Had I known that'd be your first I'd have made it more memorable." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, well this time it was plenty memorable..." She was now blushing furiously and stood up. "I bet you've done that tons of times haven't you...I was bad wasn't I!" She seemed awfully nervous; she was wringing her hands and pacing up and down the length of the bed. He grabbed her hand and forced her to sit back down.

"Look Hermione, I've only kissed one other girl than you. And it was pansy. Yes, we kissed, but it was terrible. The whole time we kissed, I had been thinking 'ew ew ew ew ew ew'." Hermione laughed lightly at this. "Not to mention, there was no feeling behind our kisses, it was just her seeing how far she could get with me, and believe me, she never got very far. I always pulled away after like 20 seconds because I felt that if I happened to stay too much longer I might just throw up in her mouth." He stopped and laughed with Hermione then continued. "But with you, it's different, with you...it's bloody brilliant," he finished at last.

Hermione was very nervous about what had just happened. What if she had been bad? That would definitely suck. She just didn't want him to find out that it was her first kiss. Well, practically her first. Her real first had been when he gave her a small one in the common room. She really didn't care actually, as long as he didn't find out. She groaned inwardly when he asked her if it was her first kiss. He had probably kissed millions of girls. Ok, nevermind, she was wrong, only pansy. She laughed out loud, she could just picture Draco kissing pansy and all the while Draco, "Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew." Maybe it wasn't all that bad. She had only been the second girl he kissed and if pansy was bad than it wasn't such a terrible situation. She smiled down after he called her kiss bloody brilliant and leaned in again. If this was bloody brilliant, they should do it more often. Their lips had just touched and he had begun to snake his arms around her waist, when the hospital wing door crashed open and a very angry Harry Potter stormed in and saw them kissing. They pulled away and looked at him, he was looking more furious than ever. "You're dead Draco Malfoy..." And he started towards them, wand at the ready.

Draco had already been in bad shape and was in no state to duel so Hermione stepped in between them. "Hermione MOVE!" Harry shouted at her although he was still moving towards them. Hermione drew her wand and pointed it at Harry, "Harry potter I have half a mind to attack you after what you just did to Draco so if I were you I'd leave...now." This didn't seem to affect Harry at all, he just kept moving towards them. Hermione had no choice but to throw a spell at him now. The thought of harming Harry never crossed her mind; she just wanted to keep him away from Draco. So she cast the first charm that came into her head; a tickling charm. Harry doubled over in hysterical laughter. He dropped his wand and clutched his now aching stomach. "Accio!" Hermione yelled and Harry's wand flew from its position on the floor of the hospital wing and into Hermione's outstretched hand. "Now, Harry, you know full well I know many more spells than you. Now...please...just hear me out..." She lifted the tickling charm and waited for his response. Harry just glared at her. After a minute, his expression softened and he took a deep breath. "Ok, let's hear it..." Then he sat right where he was on the ground and waited patiently for her to talk.

"Okay, well, a little while ago, Draco started to be a little nicer to me. I don't know why he did it, and I still don't, but I got used to it. I really started to enjoy his company. Then, you started to be aggressive towards me and he protected me. I am willing to forgive you for lashing out at me as long as you can accept that Draco and I are no longer enemies. If you decide not to accept this, then I guess that makes us no longer friends. Because I've had a really hard time lately and he was there for me. You were my best friend and right when I needed you most, you decided it was necessary to tell me you love me, than explode when I said I didn't feel the same way! Well, all I'm saying is that Draco and I are friends now and if you can't accept it...then we won't be..." She stopped and waited for a minute before Harry started to walk towards her. She held up her wand, ready in case he reacted badly. But when Harry reached her, he just stood their glaring for a minute. She lowered her wand a little and Harry took advantage of it. He snatched his wand out of her hand with amazing speed and put it at her throat. Draco stood up quickly and, ignoring the pain searing through his chest, placed himself in between the two.

Harry listened as Hermione told him about her and Malfoy. It made him angrier than ever. He had walked in on them kissing which had made him angry enough and now... now Hermione was telling him she and Malfoy were friends and that if he didn't accept it, he and Hermione wouldn't be?! This was bloody crazy. He didn't care anymore. Screw Hermione, if he couldn't have her, no one could. He moved in on her and grabbed his wand. On impulse, he put it right to her throat. She gasped when he did it, and then regained her composure. She had never seen him like this. She had seen him angry before yes, but not to the point where he would put his wand to his best friend's throat. "Harry," her voice quivered, "what has gotten into you?"

He smirked cruelly at her. "Well, Hermione, I was upset when you told me you didn't love me. Obviously. Well, Ron approached me and told me about his and Malfoy's little truce. I was going to consider. I mean, if Ron could do it, I could. Ron has the shortest temper ever. So, I thought I'd find you two and apologize to the both of you. But when I found you, you were about to kiss. Now that just pushed me over the edge. So I gave Draco what he deserved. But you, Hermione, Oh, I haven't even BEGUN to start with you." He pushed Draco, who had stood in between them, aside, and pointed his wand at Hermione's chest. She was breathing very fast now and her face was etched with unmasked fear. Her eyes were welling with tears as she imagined the terrible things he could do to her. Harry started to mumble something under his breath. Hermione looked at Draco who had fallen on the ground when Harry had pushed him and was now breathing very rapidly. How she wished Harry could go away so she could help him. She turned her attention back to Harry and panicked when she heard him very clearly start to say the Cruciatus Curse, "Cruci--Whaa?" Harry spun towards the hospital wing door which had just slammed open. Blaise and Ron were running towards them. Blaise ran to Draco and helped him up and Ron placed himself firmly between Harry and the now trembling Hermione. Ron stared hard at Harry, "Harry!! What are you doing?!"

"Teaching her a lesson. She should know better than to go screwing around with a Malfoy." Harry said calmly. After he said this, Hermione gasped and Draco made for Harry but was held back by Blaise. Ron looked at him in disbelief. "Dude, she's not just "screwing around" with him. They both really like each other! And I've come to accept it...and I'm the one with the temper here. If I can accept this, than you should have no problem accepting it."

"ACCEPT IT!? You actually want me to accept it?! I can't believe you've even accepted it!"

"Of course I've accepted it! This is Hermione; she knows what's good for her. And as much as I hate to say this...I know Mal--...Draco wouldn't let any harm come to her. He really cares about her."

"Yeah right. He doesn't care for her. He's only in it for the sex! Like with all his other whores! Hermione's just next on his list! I don't care what you say, Ron, there's no way I'm going to accept that Hermione's Malfoy's new WHORE!!!!" Harry immediately regretted speaking these words because after he did, he got a hard punch in the face from Ron, another punch from Draco, and a kick in the crotch from Hermione. After she did that she sank into the bed and started crying. Draco and Ron were both trying to comfort her while Blaise did something he never thought he'd do. He had always been one of Draco's friends, and for that, people always assumed he was a pureblooded jerk who looked down on everyone. His parents were deatheaters, yes, but he had every intention of leaving the family first chance he got. It always sort of bothered him when people tormented the golden trio, because, truthfully, they had saved the lives of many people several times and they deserved more gratitude than that. He especially was grateful to Harry. When Blaise was a kid, his parents were very powerful wizards that, like the Potters, refused to join up. Blaise recently found out that his parents were next on Voldemort's list. So he was grateful in so many ways to Harry, because it was because of him, that he and his parents were alive today, even if his parents had somewhere along the line become deatheaters. But seeing this side of Harry, he lost all respect he had for him. He had just seen him nearly attack his best friend, and then call her a whore. Now, he stood, looking down at him in disgust. Harry spat blood on the floor and Blaise found himself smirking at him. Harry looked up at him and glared. "What the hell are you smirking at Zambini?!"

Blaise just kept smirking and finally responded, "Because the famous Harry Potter just showed his true self. This girl," he motioned towards Hermione, who was just started to calm down, "has done nothing but stick by you all these years. I've seen it myself. She was the only one who believed that you didn't put your name in the goblet fourth year, and she was the one who helped you through all of your tasks. She stuck by you the whole time. She has done countless things for you and this is how you repay her?! By nearly attacking her and then calling her a whore?! You're the one who's supposed to save our world from the Dark Lord, Potter. You're the one who's supposed to kill him in the end. Now I've seen the real you. And if it's this kind of person everyone's expecting to save us...God help us all. You're hopeless..." He shook his head at Harry and turned to Hermione. "Don't you worry about him, Hermione. Draco's told me what a great girl you are, and if what he's saying is true...he doesn't deserve you anyways." Then he smiled at the three of them, gave Harry another look that clearly said "You disgust me" and left the hospital wing.

Hermione was glaring Harry while sitting on the bed. She had Ron and Draco on each side of her comforting her in their own ways. She gently brushed them both of and stood up. She walked up to Harry and stood in front of him. It was amazing how when she was inches shorter than Harry, that she could still look so intimidating. A flicker of fear flashed through Harry's eyes when Hermione reached inside her robe. She pulled out her wand and held it at his chin. Draco smirked, enjoying seeing Harry in the same position he himself had been in a few years prior. Ron picked up on this too... he smiled at Draco and than turned to Hermione, "Hermione, no! He's not worth it..." He trailed off hoping Hermione would catch on. She lowered her wand and glanced at Draco. She smirked at him and spun around, punching Harry hard in the jaw. Harry stumbled backwards and gave Hermione an incredulous look before turning and leaving the hospital wing with 3 more punches and a kick more than he arrived with. Hermione turned towards them and smiled triumphantly. "That felt good..." Ron smiled at her and replied...

"Not good...brilliant!"

Ron told Draco and Hermione that he'd talk to Harry and left the hospital wing after him, leaving them alone once again. Draco was on the bed with his eyes closed, but was awake and just relaxing. Hermione settled herself on the bed next to him and watched him. A strand lock of blonde hair fell into his eyes and she reached to brush it aside. When her finger brushed against his cheek, he opened one eye, looked at her, and then closed it again. She smiled at him and saw a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her, making her laugh. She leaned in and briefly brushed her lips against his own. She was going to leave it at that but she had no choice but to prolong it because the second their lips touched, he put his hand to her neck and pulled her closer. They went on like this for a few minutes in a hardcore snog.

After awhile of this, Hermione pulled away, "I have to go, Draco." She said sadly. She gave him one last peck on the cheek and started to walk out. She was stopped rather abruptly and stumbled a bit when Draco wouldn't let go of her hand. She looked over her shoulder at him and smiled. "I don't want to leave you either." She pulled her hand from his, put both hands on his cheeks, gave him a kiss, and left the hospital wing.

Potions the following day

"For the next few weeks, we will be working on making the polyjuice potion. I am going to be putting you all with a partner and you will work with this person not only for this project, but for the remaining projects of this year. Now, when I give you your partner, sit with them, and begin gathering ingredients. Alright...Zambini, Weasley...Parkinson, Potter...Bulstrode, Finnigan...Malfoy, Granger...Oh, Miss Granger, considering your partner won't be available to you, you can come down to my office tonight at... "He turned towards Harry, "what time would you say your detention with me will be through?" Harry glared, "8," he replied through gritted teeth. Snape smirked at him, and then turned back to Hermione. "Eight o'clock Miss Granger. I will see you then." He then continued on to with the list. Hermione read over the ingredients for the polyjuice potion. It really was more of a review for her. She, Ron, and Harry had made the potion in only their second year and it had been very successful...well...except for afterwards, one of them had a tail, but other than that it went perfectly!

7:50 that night

Hermione was sitting in the common room doing homework, thinking about tonight. She was going to have to spend awhile alone with Snape to learn something she'd known since second year. How very pointless. She glanced over at the clock and realized that she had just enough time to get down to the dungeons. So, she picked up her potions book and cauldron and made her way to the dungeons.

She was a corridor a few turns from Snape's office when she heard footsteps coming from around the corner. She drew her wand and pointed it in front of her. She lit the hallway with a resounding, 'LUMOS!" She saw the figure of a person approaching her and continued to walk forward. The person was slowly coming into view...tall, messy hair, glasses.....Harry...

She continued to walk towards him until they were standing not a foot apart. She was shooting him a hate-filled glare while Harry stared at his feet, shifting nervously. "Harry." She said coldly.

"Look, Hermione, come on...I don't want to be like this. Can I talk to you?"

"Go ahead."

"No I mean like," he glanced around the corridor and spotted an empty classroom, "in private."

"Oh, you mean away from all the prying eyes?" She said sarcastically gesturing around her at the empty hallway. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood, waiting for him to respond.

"Hermione, come on, let's not be irrational. Just...come on..." He started to walk into the empty classroom. Hermione just watched him, with no intention of following. Harry stopped walking once he reached the doorway and turned towards her. He had a look on his face that made Hermione want to give him a big hug. He was giving her the puppy dog eyes and the pouty lip that he used to use to get her to let him copy her homework. She had yet to resist it. She stared hard, trying so hard not to crack. She through her hands in the air and huffed, "FINE!" She then pushed past him into the empty classroom.

She got walked past him, putting a very generous amount of space in between them, and turned around. She put her hands on her hips and looked at him, "Well?!" He walked up to her, and being that she was determined to not let him anywhere too near her, she walked backwards. She continued to move away until she backed into a wall. "Harry, stop cornering me!! JUST TALK!!!" He stopped where he was and leaned casually against the wall, smirking. He reminded her immensely of a certain blonde haired slytherin. Just the thought of him made her smile. Thinking about being with him and having him to back her up gave her strength. When he didn't respond, she broke the silence, "Well, Potter? You got anything to say or are you we just going to stand her and stare. Because I have somewhere to be. Although it is just to meet with Snape, I find even that more productive and enjoyable than this." Harry eyes flashed angrily...but then, he went unusually calm.

"Hermione, Ron talked to me. He told me that you and Malfoy were together... and happy together. He told me I needed to accept it. That if I didn't, we wouldn't be friends anymore. When I told him that I just found it so hard to believe I'd never have you, that you'd never love me, he told me that I had to deal with it, that that was yet another thing I had to accept. Well, I was thinking. I have been so kind to you all these years. I've been your best friend. I've given you every reason to love me. There's nothing about our relationship that goes against our moving further. So, I was thinking, if you won't love me on your own...well, let's just say, I'm not going to give you much of a choice." As he was speaking he had been moving closer, now he was only inches from her and speaking in a deathly quiet whisper. Hermione just glared. He wouldn't ever try anything here. They slytherin common room was a few doors down, and someone would surely hear. If not to save her, they'd come to watch, and then Harry would surely stop.

Harry slowly lifted his arms and paused. Then, very quickly, he slammed his arms into her shoulders, pushing her into a wall. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pinning her arms to her sides, and attacked her lips savagely with his own. He moved his lips aggressively and bit down hard on her bottom lip, causing it to bleed. She screamed in pain and shoved him backwards. He stumbled back a few feet, giving her an opening. She sprinted for the door and was about to sprint down the hallway when she felt immense pressure on her back, sending her flying into the opposite wall. She slammed into the corridor and felt a tight grip on her shoulders; she felt fingers digging into her skin, spinning her around so she was facing her attacker. Harry stood in front of her, once again, her pinned to the wall. He smiled at her for a moment, before it vanished completely and was replaced by a stare. A stare completely blank save for the hint of lust that flashed quickly through his eyes. He set his hands on her shoulders and gripped her robes tightly. "Harry, please, don't do this..." She whispered, her voice quivering, threatening to crack. He smiled evilly at her, "You've given me no choice..."

He then pulled his arms away from her body, taking her robes with him...