(A/N: Here's the next chapter, it kinda took a different path than I was intending but oh well. Hope you enjoy it. The characters don't belong to me.)

The next morning the great hall was filled with excited chatter, games between Gryffindor and Slytherin were always highly anticipated. The house rivalry always made the games interesting. Hermione sat with her friends, watching in slight disgust as Ron completed his pre-game ritual of stuffing his face, Ginny gave her brother a glare and Harry shook his head. Hermione was careful to keep her gaze from shifting to the Slytherin table, the large group was snickering loudly. The crass topic of their conversation made her nose wrinkle when she overheard only a small part of the conversation.

She tried to focus on the conversation her three companions were holding, but she was hard pressed to be even the slightest bit interested in Quidditch strategies. Before long the quidditch players of both time left the great hall, pre-game warm ups were starting, and Hermione found herself seated on the chilled bleachers between Nevil and Luna.

The air still nipped at the students' noses, the tips becoming red and their breaths just barely visible. Luna performed a small heating charm that kept the three students warm, all feeling slightly guilty for taking the easy way out while their friends had to fly around a break-neck speed in this weather. The game was about to start, both teams took their positions on the grassy floor of the quidditch pitch, both teams starting roster was called out. Hermione couldn't help the slight shiver the went down her spine when Draco's name was called, Luna asked if she needed to make the heating charm stronger. The whistle blew and the game began.

Hermione had never found quidditch interesting as a game, but watching her friends play, she could almost see why her friends obsessed over it. She often wondered what went thorough Harry's head as his green eyes scanned the pitch for just the slightest hint of gold buzzing wings. She was certain that no thoughts crossed Ron's mind, he played very instinctually, if only his instincts were this on target off the pitch. Hermione only really started watching the games when Ginny began playing; first as concern for the twiggy red head, but she quickly saw that no one could touch her friend, flashes of red was usually all she saw of Ginny as she zipped through the air. She would never be at ease on a broom like those three, it was like breathing for every one of them.

She tried to keep her eyes from searching out the blond and green streak. That would only distract her. He, like Ginny, was rarely still. He hadn't lasted as a seeker, quickly he'd been placed as a chaser. And he thrived there. There were a string of boos around her, she kept herself from jumping but still held the confused look that seemed foreign to her face.

"What happened?" she whispered to Nevil, who was intently watching the game and had often explained the rules to her. She was far too proud to ask Harry, Ron, or Ginny.

"One of the Slytherin beaters nearly hit Ron with his bat, he's claiming he just made a bad swing." Nevil didn't explain further, too intent on the game unfolding before them.

Draco was in near perfect position to receive the quaffel off of Ron's deflection. He was only a few feet too low. The quaffel soared at an impossible speed and slammed directly into Draco's cheek. He was stunned, that much was clear. He didn't fall off his broom but he was in serious danger of getting hit if he didn't move soon.

Hermione was surprised to find that she wasn't the only one cringing at the sight of that collision. Both Nevil and Luna were making faces, all of them unable to imaging what a rock head, frozen quaffel felt like when it hit you going at least fifty miles per hour.

"Ouch," Nevil commented under his breath "Even a git like Malfoy doesn't deserve a quaffel to the face." Hermione was surprised to hear that, and it must have shown on her face. "Just because Malfoy believes the dumb elitist shit he was spoon fed as a child doesn't mean he deserved to be hated indiscriminately."

"Wow, that's… very insightful, Nevil." Hermione was shocked, she had no idea that Nevil felt that way.

"Draco was doomed before he began, his father made certain of that." Luna commented from her other side. "Growing up with those ideals, he never had a chance." Hermione nodded, looking between both her friends, who had turned back to the game.

"I guess you have a point." She uttered, quietly so no one would hear, before returning her focus to the game as well. By this time Draco had been taken off the pitch, concussion checks and all could be seen going on just beyond the pitch boundaries.

The game ended like all of them inevitable do. Harry caught the snitch in the last moment, just barely snatching it from between the Slytherin seeker's fingertips. The bleachers erupted on one side as boos were being thrown on the other.

Hermione followed the group of Gryffindor students heading back to the common room, a party was always held after a game and she would usually help set everything up. Soon every Gryffindor student was crammed into the common room, loud music blaring and food being shoveled into the players mouths. Hermione was able to congratulate her friends their attention was diverted. Hermione watched, slightly sickened, as Lavender Brown threw herself at Ron, and how easily he took the bait. She wanted to ask Harry and Ginny about it but they were busy, locked in a kiss.

Hermione had spent several hours at the party and was exhausted by it. Quietly, not that anyone would have noticed, she slipped out the portrait hole. Without tell her feet they instinctually took her to the prefects bathroom. No one would be there now, she could unwind and figure some things out. For a split second she thought she heard the sound of water splashing but when she didn't hear anything else she concluded that she was long overdue for a relaxing soak in the tub.

(A/N: Hope you enjoyed this and please leave me reviews.)