Okay so here it is! I want to send a big thankyou out to all my reviewers especially a couple like dairymilkxOx and Misti D. Your comments made me smile all day and inspired me to get a move on with this chapter. Big things will happen in the next 2 chapters. We'll have a Blaise/Draco fight, a quidditch accident and maybe a kiss... ;) So stick around! Oh and I also changed the last chapter slightly. Just the seating order at dinner. Now it's Ron, Harry and Draco sitting next to each other with Blaise opposite Ron and Ginny opposite Harry and Hermione sits opposite Draco. Got it? Coolie ohs!

Onwards!

Chapter 13

Draco POV

Flashback

"And why aren't you speaking?" Hermione asked furiously. I smirked. Here we go.

"Because," I began "you made me promise 'not to say anything that's not to do with the essay'." She scowled at me.

"Whatever." She grumbled sitting back down. "You may speak freely." Finally! I grinned at her. She immediately picked up the quill ready to write more.

"So interesting place you've picked to sit Hermione." She grimaced, hand pausing over the paper. She had to know this was coming.

"Well, this is where I always sit." She reasoned.

"Really?" I asked with mock astonishment. She nodded.

"And do you bring Potty and Weasel here to study?" I continued. She looked at me with narrowed eyes, looking for the trap.

"No actually. They don't really come here. They usually study in the common room." I smirked.

"And yet you brought me here." She shrugged.

"Well I was going here and you tagged along. It's different. They usually ask me for help while they are doing their work in the common room."

"I didn't tag along. I was rescuing you." I told her with fake hurt. She merely rolled her eyes at me.

"I am the one helping you." She pointed out.

"What's that got to do with anything?" I asked exasperatedly. "Clearly I'm the hero in this scenario." She laughed at that. I smiled. She had a beautiful laugh.

Deciding to push my luck I got up from my chair and walked around to stand behind her, leaning down so that my face was next to hers.

"What are you doing?" She asked ceasing laughing immediately as she tensed. I smiled tilting my head so that it rested on her cheek. It was soft and warm.

"Trying to read the scribble you call writing." I replied. I moved my face down slightly to her neck and took a deep breath in. She smelt nice, light and sweet, like vanilla and almonds.

"I thought I told you to stay on the other side of the desk." She said stammering slightly. I smirked.

"So you did." I pulled back slowly from her and walked back around the desk. When I was seated I looked back up at her. Her cheeks were flushed and she was avoiding my eye contact.

"Well if you can read my 'scribble I call writing' than you'll find I've given you pointers for all of the paragraphs for your essay." She said nervously.

"Thankyou" I replied in earnest. Even if this had been only an excuse to be alone with her it would still help greatly. Knowing her, her 'pointers' would basically mean she'd already written the entire essay in dot point form.

She stood up and began to gather her things.

"You're leaving?" I asked not bothering to hide my disappointment. She looked a little surprised at my tone but continued to gather her things and back away from me.

"I need to meet Ginny for dinner." She replied quickly. I nodded. She'd almost left when I called out to her. She paused before turning towards me.

"We should do this again sometime." I ginned. She looked horrified at the thought and quickly left.

End of Flashback.

I caught her eye contact as she glanced up. She'd put on more makeup I noticed. I smiled lowering my gaze. She'd changed her clothes as well. I wonder why. Glancing down at Blaise I noticed he was appreciating the adjustments as well. Feeling unreasonably annoyed by this I angrily speared a potato.

"Hey Mione," Potty spoke up. "Ginny said you'd gone to the library to study." Hermione glanced up at him warily.

"Yes I did." she confirmed. Potter smiled affectionately at her shaking his head.

"What could you possibly have to study already?" he inquired. Hermione swallowed hard and reached for her goblet. I oh-so-kindly answered for her.

"Actually she was helping me study Potter." Hermione coughed causing herself to almost choke on her drink. I smiled sweetly at her.

"What?" Potty asked stunned. At this point Weasel also looked up.

"They were lying on each other in the common room as well." He growled. At this statement more than a few of the surrounding students leaned closer trying to catch the gossip. Potty's mouth hit the table (not literally of course) and Hermione flushed a light pink.

"Honestly Ron we were not 'lying on each other' for the fun of it. You knocked me onto him when you crashed through the door remember?" she hissed sending a disapproving look to the eavesdroppers. The Weasel went red to his ears. Giving a loud 'humph' he crossed his arms over his chest and scowled at Hermione.

"And what about on the train?" He persisted.

"Whoa hang on!" Potter asked now looking extremely confused. "What happened on the train?"

"We just crashed into each other that's all." Hermione replied angrily.

"So why'd you go off to the library than? Hmm? Why couldn't you study in the common room like the rest of us usually do? Wanted your privacy I guess." The idiot just didn't know when to quit. I started to drown out his dim-witted sentences and listened carefully to his tone instead. I could hear that he wasn't angry with Hermione, no, not jealous either. It was protectiveness and betrayal that were coming through. I shook my head. If there was one girl who didn't need protecting it was the brilliant beauty opposite me. That said she did have two cunning Slytherins after her. I smiled secretively to myself. Oh she needed protection alright but Merlin knows it's too late for the Weasel to do anything about it now.

Hermione's cheeks were now a lovely shade of red, however whether this was from anger or embarrassment I couldn't tell. I noticed Blaise tensing a few seats down. It was very unlike him to stay this quiet. Whether he wanted to spur on an argument or lighten the mood he always had something to say. I looked away from him. His silence was almost unnerving.

"Maybe because I couldn't bear to be in a room with you anymore!" She snapped. I thought she was going to hex him for a moment but to my disappointment she instead took a deep breath and pointedly turned her attention to her food. I tried to catch her eye but she was extremely focused on her food. She'd only taken a few bites when the Weasel opened his big mouth again.

"You sure looked cosy enough." He grumbled.

I practically felt the snap. Jumping to her feet she glared at the now slightly cowering redhead.

"Honestly Ronald, would you grow up already?" Slipping out of her seat Hermione stormed out of the Great Hall. I saw Blaise, Weaslette and Potty all go to stand. I hurriedly got to my feet and followed her out of the hall before any of them could. I may not be the person she wanted to see right now but I was absolutely the person that wanted to talk to her right now.

And for your faith in me here's an extract from the next chappie!

* I leaned forward suddenly and she nearly jumped out of her chair.

"Why are you always so guarded with me?" I murmured. She looked up into my eyes and for a moment I couldn't breathe.

"Why should I trust you Draco?" She replied softly. I moved even closer so that our noses were almost touching. I heard her swallow nervously. I decided to tell her the truth.

"You shouldn't."

Ohhh the suspense!

Review Review Review!

:)