I'm so sorry for the wait everyone! School has recently started again, and between work, college preparations, and homework, I'm drowning. But I just finished a huge essay and took the SATs, so I have more time to write again. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know what you think. It's starting to show just why Malfoy is changing his behavior.

Anything you recognize is not mine.

Chapter Eight

The hours were passing much too slowly for Hermione's taste. She was sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts, in the back of the room at Harry and Ron's request, trying to take notes on what Professor Slughorn said, but her eyes kept drifting to the front corner of the room where Malfoy sat laughing with Blaise. She didn't understand how he could be so nonchalant, as if the previous night hadn't even occurred.

"Are you all right, 'Mione? You seem distracted," said Ron. The parchment in front of him remained blank as always.

She sighed. "If you're so worried about getting the notes Ron, why don't you just take them for yourself?"

Ron looked taken-aback. "That's not why I was asking…" he began, confused.

"It's the only reason you and Harry have ever been concerned for my well-being," Hermione snapped back at him, her voice still low as to not draw any attention. She knew it wasn't true, but she was tired, and Ron had been bothering her all day.

"Hey, that's not true! We care about you," he protested, a little too loudly. Professor Slughorn paused in his lecture, looking back at the trio.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"Yes, Professor," replied Hermione quickly, bending her head to take notes. She began recorded the lecture word for word, not aware enough to fully digest the words and take notes, until the boys' gazes turned away from her. She waited a moment longer, then risked a glance toward the front corner of the room. Malfoy had turned his head raised an eyebrow at her inquisitively, but she quickly looked away, caught.

"Hermione, are you sure you're okay?" asked Harry quietly from the other side of Ron. "You do seem a little off today. Did Malfoy do something?"

"I'm fine, I'm just tired. I had late rounds last night," she replied, frustrated. For her two best friends, they could be really thick when it came to anything relating to emotions. The only problems they seemed capable of understanding were about Quidditch or Voldemort.

The rest of class passed in a daze, and when Professor Slughorn dismissed the class Hermione looked down to realize that all she had written was one sentence from the lecture.

"What was the homework assignment in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Hermione asked later that night. They both had the long rounds off and she was sitting at the kitchen table with her books scattered around her while Malfoy lay sprawled out on the couch, reading his Transfiguration book.

"Hermione Granger didn't write down the homework assignment? Help, the world's coming to an end!" mocked Malfoy, looking up from his book and smirking at her across the room. Hermione glared at him.

"Just tell me the assignment."

"A three foot essay on the use of unicorns in dark magic. But that won't help much if you didn't take any notes in class – what, were you having a fight with Weasel? He has seemed rather friendly with that Brown girl lately."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"You're not upset that your boyfriend is seeing another girl behind your back?" asked Malfoy.

"He's not now nor ever has been my boyfriend," replied Hermione sharply.

Malfoy laughed. "Harsh, Granger. I'm not sure if he knows that though."

"Of course he does."

"Are you sure about that?" Didn't you ever wonder why no other guy even looks at you?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What, because of my hair, or the fact that my nose is always stuck in a book, or that I'm a Mudblood? What's your insult of choice today, Malfoy?"

He smirked at her. "While I'm sure those are all contributing factors, the main reason is that Weasel stuck his claim on you years ago. He threatens to hex anybody who even thinks about thinking of you."

"You're lying."

"Oh, am I? And what about the Yule Ball – Victor Krum? I seem to remember that Weasel wasn't too happy about that choice of a date, now was he?"

Hermione shut her book. "How do you know that?"

Malfoy held his hands up in mock surrender. "Calm down Granger. You're forgetting that I'm friends with one of the biggest gossips in school. Pansy couldn't stop talking about the ball for months after. She eventually ran out of topics about Slytherins and had to talk about Gryffindors."

Hermione glared at him, but relented. Pansy was a pretty big gossip; it wasn't surprising that she had said something. But Ron had just been angry about Victor because he was trying to look out for her. She decided to let the subject drop, not wanting to discuss her friends for too long with Malfoy.

"Speaking of the Ball, we're supposed to be planning some school-wide events. I don't think any of the students even know about the school common room yet."

"Yea, I guess," replied Malfoy, standing up and stretching. "Want to go check out the room?"

Hermione glanced at her books. "Now?"

"We could both use a break from the books. And we can't very well plan events if we don't even know what the space looks like."

"Fine. Let's go." She closed her book and stood up, knowing she would regret putting off her essay later.

The school common room was on the sixth floor on the other side of the building, so the two had quite a while to walk. They were silent for the beginning of the walk, and Hermione used the time to mull over what she would say to Malfoy. She wanted to ask about Clarise; she had all day. The night before she had brought up the subject to Blaise, but he had shot her down cruelly, making a pure-blood remark about her family and avoiding the question.

"Malfoy?" she finally asked as they reached the sixth floor. When he didn't respond, she continued anyways. "I… I never knew you had a sister."

"Not many people do," Malfoy replied, not looking at her.

"I thought the Malfoy's were big on family and blood?"

"Most of the time."

Hermione turned to face him, reaching out and grabbing his arm to make him stop. She faltered when she felt his muscles tighten beneath her grip, but went on. "What, does your family not appreciate women as much as men or something?" she asked viciously.

Malfoy rolled his eyes, pulling his arm away from her. "Have you seen my aunt? Sex has nothing to do with it. Now let's go."

Hermione refused to move. "But why did she sleep in your room last night?"

"Because she did."

"She's a Slytherin, right? She has her own room."

Malfoy was about to reply again, in the same agitated tone, when they heard laughter coming from down the hall. Both turned to see Harry and Ron walking toward them. "Hermione!" Harry called out, catching sight of her.

Hermione paused, her eyes still trained on Malfoy. She wanted to hear more about Clarise, but she knew he wouldn't say anything in front of her friends.

The two boys came up to them. "Hey 'Mione," said Ron, smiling at her. She turned away from Malfoy and returned the smile.

"Hello Harry, Ron," she said. "What are you doing?"

"We stayed in the Great Hall for a while, we're just heading back to the dorms now," explained Harry. "Why are you on the sixth floor? I thought you lived in the dungeons." He was purposefully ignoring Malfoy, avoiding a fight, but Malfoy cut in.

"I don't think our activities are any of your business, Potter," he snapped.

"And ours is yours?" asked Ron. Hermione ran her hand through her hair, annoyed. She did not want to deal with another fight between them.

"Well considering the fact that I'm Head Boy, then yes, Weasel."

"No wonder why you got Head Boy – your dad must've paid off McGonagall."

Malfoy froze at this comment, and he narrowed his eyes. "At least my family has money. Still wearing hand-me-down robes, I see? No wonder Weaslette's with Potter. Even being with scarhead is better than being a Weasley."

Ron pulled out his wand at this comment, but Malfoy had beaten him, and they stood, wands drawn, glaring at each other when Hermione stepped between them, putting a hand on each of their chests'.

"Stop it!" she exclaimed, pushing them apart. "Stop it! You two are seventh years, and you're Head Boy!"

Harry drew his wand as well and pointed it at Malfoy. "You're right, Hermione; we are seventh years, and we've let this go on for too long," he said.

Hermione looked from one boy to another, lost as to what to do. If they began to duel, she would have no hope of stopping them, and they would probably all be expelled.

"All of you, cut it out now," she said, her voice suddenly serious. "50 points from each of your Houses. And if you don't leave now, I'll add a week of detention." Harry and Ron looked at her in shock, but Malfoy didn't drop his glare from Ron.

"Fine, give me detention," he said, and raised his wand to perform a spell. Hermione quickly disarmed him before any of the boys could shout out a spell, and mentally thanked the war for at least giving her quick reflexes.

"I said stop it! Harry, Ron, go to your dorms. Malfoy, let's go. Now." Still holding his wand, she pushed past him and walked away from the staircases, knowing that he wouldn't stay without a wand. She sighed when she heard footsteps, the boys having finally given up their staring contest.

Malfoy came up behind her, and she turned around sharply, her robes swinging around her legs.

"What were you doing?"

"The Weasel has got to learn to watch his tongue," Malfoy replied, narrowing his eyes at the memory.

"It's nothing he hasn't said before. You shouldn't have let it rile you so much! You're supposed to be setting an example."

"He shouldn't have insulted my father!" replied Malfoy, yelling now. His hands clenched into fists by his side.

"You do the same to him!" yelled Hermione.

"His father's not dead!"

Hermione froze at these words. Her muscles relaxed and she loosened her fists, looking at Malfoy's slightly red face. "Dead?" she asked.

Malfoy's eyes widened, having realized what he just said.

"We can see the common room another time," he said quietly, and turned around. He walked back to their dorms in silence, and once they entered, Malfoy walked straight into his room and slammed the door behind him without so much as a glance at Hermione.