A/N: Heyy I'm back and it was not that long ago I updated! Ah the joys of being on holiday. So I hope you guys like this chapter, it's kind of a lead up to the next chapter! ENJOY! And don't forget to review!

Disclaimer: The only thing I own of this story is the title and the plot, everything else belongs to the marvellous J.K. Rowling.

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One Unforgettable Year

Chapter 6: About time

Info you need to know: "Talking" Thinking.
Warning: There are a few swear words again. Once again I don't mean to offend, they're just needed to show the people's anger! Anyway continue :)

~ A week later. 8th September 2012. ~

Hermione woke up like she did every morning, feeling exhausted. It had been a week since she broke up with Ron. A long week. But that wasn't the real reason why she had sleepless nights. No the real reason was because a week ago Ron practically said he hated her and Harry. That was the reason for her sleepless nights for the past week. It was killing her.

She would wake up exhausted, and usually was on the verge of falling asleep in class and the only thing that stopped her was Harry. Sometimes Draco or Blaise woke her up as well by chucking a ball of paper at her to get her to pay attention. She would smile gratefully at them and sober up. But she would be exhausted the whole day and it was difficult trying to get through school. Something Hermione never thought would happen. She never thought she would find school difficult! But the whole thing with Ron was proving her wrong.

Hermione – though upset about Ron – wasn't going to stop with her unity idea. Draco and Blaise were up for it and they were the only Slytherin's which were. Harry, Ginny, Neville, Lavender, the Patil Twins and Hermione were the only Gryffindor's up for it so it wasn't going too great. But it wasn't going badly either. Draco and Blaise were really nice guys when you got to know them and that's exactly what the others were doing. Hermione, Harry and Ginny usually hung out with Draco and Blaise in the prefects' common room and during the breaks between classes Lavender, the Patil Twins and Neville joined them. They were a small group but at least they were pretty much united.

Hermione only wished that the other Gryffindor's and Slytherin's could see that the other wasn't that bad. Hermione would even consider Draco and Blaise a friend and vice versa. It was still very much at the beginning though but still Hermione was just happy there was a beginning.

Hermione groaned as her alarm clock went off again and hit it too shut it up, then pulled her covers off and started to change into her school wizarding robes.

"Your stupid alarm clock is insufferable, filth." Pansy snapped as she was now awake thanks to Hermione. Hermione hadn't really gotten anywhere with Pansy, the only thing different was that she was calling her 'filth' instead of 'Mudblood'. That was only because Pansy had called her Mudblood on their first morning and the other girls had all threatened to hex her if she continued calling her that. So Pansy settled with filth. Though Hermione wasn't too thrilled with the nickname it was certainly an improvement.

"Sorry." Hermione muttered insincerely, not sorry at all instead somewhat glad she was making Pansy's morning 'insufferable'. She continued to get dressed ignoring the Slytherin Princess's complaints.

Hermione thought then, about how most of the houses seemed to have King's and Princess's. Draco was Slytherin King, Pansy the Slytherin Princess. Hermione had been referred to before by someone as the Gryffindor Princess and Harry the Gryffindor King. Cho was very much the Ravenclaw Princess but they did not have a King. Cedric was the Hufflepuff King but they didn't have a Princess. All the houses seemed to have one person who was seen as 'royalty.' Hermione was flattered she was one of them but didn't particularly want to be one. She wasn't a Princessy person. She was just a straight A student who so happened to be best friends with the Boy Who Lived/The Chosen One.

Hermione shook her head of those thoughts and left Pansy alone with her complaints. Downstairs in their common room, Draco and Harry were waiting for Hermione like they now did every morning. Harry smiled at her and she smiled back, Draco simply nodded and she smiled and nodded at him. When she was at the bottom of the steps the three headed out to their classes. Potions first. Great, note the sarcasm.

~ In Dungeons, Potion class ~

Draco entered the Potion class, said a brief 'see you' to Hermione and Harry and spotted his best friend in their usual place at the back of the class. Draco sat down next to Blaise and they exchanged greetings. Professor Snape was yet to arrive so the class broke out in conversation. Draco talked with Blaise about nothing in particular but in the corner of his eyes he noticed something. Ron was glaring at Hermione and Harry, who were sitting in the front next to each other. Their table was opposite Ron's. Draco rolled his eyes at Ron's idiotic behaviour.

Then Draco looked over to Hermione's table, though he couldn't see her face her shoulders where tensed. He knew then that Hermione had seen Ron's glaring. Draco felt bad for Hermione, he would hate it if Blaise was glaring at him like Ron was doing to her and Harry. Though it had only been a week since they decided to make a truce and unite their houses Draco had already considered Hermione a friend. Blaise seconded that. Slytherin's were very big on sticking with their friends, so naturally Draco felt annoyed that Ron was upsetting his friend and Harry. While Draco found that he didn't actually hate Harry it was going to take a little longer to actually call him a friend.

Meanwhile on Hermione's table both Hermione and Harry could feel Ron's glaring gaze on them. It was making them uncomfortable and they were surprised to find they were actually wishing Snape would show up soon. Weird. But it really was just that uncomfortable to know your once best friend was glaring at you with hatred. It was only fair to want it to stop.

"What are we going to do, Harry?" Hermione whispered so only he could hear. He turned to her, confused. Not understanding what she meant.

"Do about what, 'Mione?" Harry asked, frowning still bewildered.

"Ron. And the uniting with Slytherin. I know you can feel it too, his stare. He's glaring at us and I hate it. I hate that he hates us. But I don't want to give up on the uniting, Dumbledore wanted it himself, I think it's important to him which means it's important to us. Now I'm thinking we have to choose which is more important to us; Ron or Dumbledore? Ron's been our best friend since forever but if Dumbledore wants us to unite to protect us then shouldn't we listen to him? I just don't know what to do anymore!" Hermione said, exhausted with everything in the world. Her head sunk down and she rested her arms on the table and she buried her head in her arms.

Harry looked at his best friend (Hermione) worried. He had never seen her like this before. Ron had made her like this. Made her feel as if she was torn in two. Right now Ron's behaviour was pissing Harry off. Sure he understood that it must not be nice to have your friends want to befriend the guy you hated for the past seven years but it still didn't give him the right to act like this. Harry was sick with it. Sick with Ron at the moment. Harry wanted them to be friends again but it seemed as if Ron wanted him to choose between sticking with Hermione's idea and Ron himself. Well if that's what he wants then that's what he'll get. Harry thought and stared back at Ron.

"I'm sorry Ron you really are still my best mate and always will be. But if you want me to choose between backing up Hermione with her and Dumbledore's idea and you then I'm sorry. It's going to be Hermione. Malfoy and Ginny were right the over day, Hermione's stuck by my side all the time even if it meant having to choose between me and you. It's about time I return it and show my gratitude. You can either stop this stupid behaviour or you can help us. Help your friends." Harry spoke up, his gaze not wavering from Ron's. Hermione lifted her head up and stared at Harry then Ron then Harry again. Tears in her eyes but ones of gratitude. Harry had no idea what his words meant to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.

"You're not my friends. Not anymore. My friends wouldn't ditch me so you can go and make friends with the Slytherin's!" Ron said bitterly, interrupting Harry and Hermione's hug. By now everyone in the class was listening and Hermione once again found herself wishing Snape would hurry up.

Draco heard Harry's speech and Ron's outburst. At Ron's outburst though he and Blaise stood up from their desk and walked over to Hermione's. Draco stood beside Hermione and Blaise beside Harry though he had made it so he was closer to Hermione. Draco narrowed his eyes at Ron.

"Once again you're wrong, Weasel. Friends don't hate their friends and get jealous just because they want to make friends with other people." Draco jeered. Blaise nodded behind him, showing them that he was agreeing with his best mate.

"I'm not fucking jealous of you, ferret!" Ron shouted, shocking everyone in the room. They all knew Ron to be somewhat calm and the none-swearing type of person. But Hermione and the others over the past week had experienced this side of him. The violent hate filled side, the one that Draco brought out of him. "I just don't trust you!" he continued in a shout. He took a deep breath and then continued.

"You not one to just so easily agree to a truce with the people you've treated like nothing but shit for seven years. I don't understand why you would just agree with Hermione and try and be friends with her. Which leads me to this, you're a guy. What do most guys want and why does it involve Hermione? I figured it out, Malfoy. You just want to be 'friends' to get into her pants and no-one else can see that. But I can! So if you try anything with her then I swear to God I'll –" before he could continue his threat he fell to the floor. Draco's hand was out stretched his eyes were on Ron and his anger matched Ron's from the other day. Draco had punched Ron liked Ron had punched him (Draco did in fact get a black eye but he concealed it with magic) in the eye. But except Draco punched Ron harder.

"You don't know me, Weasel. So don't you fucking accuse me of wanting be friends with Granger just to get in her bed. Believe it or not I've changed during the summer. I'm not the jackass that I used to be and that you're turning into." Draco smirked at him. "That's right, Weasley. You're turning into your worst nightmare. Me. Now stop being such a dickhead and just be friends with Granger and Potter again, I won't acknowledge your existence if you want. In fact the only time I will let known that I know you exist is when you badmouth Granger or me like that. I mean it; if one foul word comes out your mouth about Granger then you'll have much more than just a black eye." Draco threatened.

Draco then turned his gaze to Hermione who was frozen and looking at him with shock. Never in her life did Hermione think that Draco would stick up for her. Or threaten to harm someone if they badmouthed her. She had to admit it was a nice feeling. And an angry and protective Draco was a sexy one. Though she wasn't going to admit that to him! He didn't need any more boosts in confidence. He was looking at her with concern in his eyes and she found herself mesmerized by his soul piercing eyes.

"You okay, Granger?" Draco asked, only barely managing to hide the concern in his voice. But Hermione heard it, so did Blaise and Harry and even Ron but no-one else. Thankfully. Hermione snapped out of her daze and smiled weakly at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you, Draco." Hermione said, he smiled at her and nodded.

"You're welcome, Hermione." Hermione found herself thinking that his smile was sexy and his voice saying her first name sent chills down her spine. She felt a sense of déjà vu. She remembered the night (it was only a week ago after all) that Draco had comforted her. She had thanked him like that, with his first name and he had said she was welcome like that, with her first name. A week ago his angelic voice saying her first name sent chills down her spine and it was weird to find that it still had the same effect.

Professor Snape choose that time to come in and snapped to the class to settle down. Of course you bloody show up when you're not wanted anymore! Hermione thought annoyed at her Professor's timing. Why didn't he show up earlier when she wanted him too? Nonetheless she settled and smiled one last smile at Draco and Blaise before they went back to their desk. Ron grumpily sat in his chair.

For the rest of the class Harry and Hermione ignored Ron's glares. Not feeling uncomfortable anymore. Draco was pleased to see that Hermione smiled a lot during the Potions Class. He could tell she was finally getting over Ron and his idiotic behaviour. She was moving on. About time. Draco thought.

A/N: So that's the end of Chapter 6. Has Hermione finally and properly gotten over Ron and his behaviour towards them? Well that question will be answered in the next chapter! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. Thank you! :)

Until next time - Tilda