HEY EVERYONE!

Sorry about it being so long winded. But trust me it will be better this way. The point of this story was not to have them fall in love at first sight like in the others nor for them to mindlessly fuck each other…so if you stick with it you will love when they do fall in love because you have a better understanding and bond with the story line. But if you want action you will get it in the next chapter. I promise.

CHAPTER # 4

Draco was sitting in the Great Hall, which was buzzing with the events of that afternoon. He was trying his best to pretend he didn't care but he couldn't resist listening to the banter.

"Are you for real?"

"No way!"

"Granger was dumbstruck"

"She finally gets what she deserves"

"Malfoy did that?"

"About time she was put into place"

"What's this I hear about Granger and Malfoy?"

The entire hall was conversing about his triumph over Granger.

"Is it true? Did you really do it?" asked a third year girl he'd never spoken to before.

'Bloody right, I did.' Draco thought to himself.

Somehow everyone heard the question and was now silently watching him. He just tried to ignore the question as though it was unheard, with his eyes closed as he chewed his food.

"Come on Malfoy, tell us.' whined a sluttish 6th year Slytherin girl he vaguely remembered fucking in the first week of school.

"Yeah, I want you to tell us the truth.' demanded a Hufflepuff he bedded last winter.

He wanted so badly to brag, to jump up and yell that he had done it. He had made Granger look stupid.

'Just chew your food.' he told himself.

"There is no way that it's true" yelled and outraged Ravenclaw guy that hated Draco for sleeping with his girlfriend last year. "Hermione's smarter that most of us Ravenclaws, and she can't so easily be shown up by Malfoy." He finished sounding disgusted and pointing an accusing finger in Draco's direction.

'Still bitter we see.' Draco laughed to himself.

There was a murmur of agreement among the Ravenclaws and Gryffindor's.

Draco continued to silently eat.

"Oh shut up Dickinson!" a Slythrin shouted across the hall. "We all know you are still peeved about Draco sleeping with your ex-girlfriend, it was last year, let it go. Besides that, Draco's always been second in the standings above any other student's grades including you Ravenclaws.

Agreement from the rest of the Hufflpuff's and his fellow Slythrin's erupted.

'Yes it was time someone did it,' he wanted to yell, but he had to remember to watch the arrogance.

Then from the Gryffindor table a 5th year stood up. "But he'll always be second best."

The whole hall seemed to agree on this point.

Draco swallowed hard on his food and stood up. Everyone was once again quietly awaiting his opinion.

Malfoy couldn't take it.

'To hell with it all, why not let everyone know that I'm better than Granger? My pride is in question…not to mention my integrity.'

Malfoy opened his mouth and shouted over the scattered whispers that had started.

"Listen here-" but before he could continue his speech of how great he was Baise jumped up from his seat and started a speech of his own.

"Don't you all think you're being a bit fucked up?" he then paused as though thinking of what to say next. He looked up to the staff table were McGonagall looked shocked at his distasteful language.

(Blaise P. O. V.)

Looks like McGonagall's about to cut me off. I better think of something good to say fast. I knew that with all this commotion Draco was going to cause, there was no was he could control his prideful ways. But if he brags, he blows his own cover (and possibly my new plan) and it's only the first day.

Time to be the best friend.

"For you're information…Draco is doing this…for himself, not to out do Granger or anyone else. As his best friend I can't sit around and listen to you trash talk him for taking pride in his grades, unlike many of us.

Then you go and turn this into his way of getting back at does that all the time without trying…and we all know that."

Yes, I got their attention. Now I've just go to end this with something that keeps all that attention on Granger.

"Besides, Draco's smart and if he wanted to get back at Granger I think he could come up with better ways than getting a better grade than her."

Murmurs of agreement.

"If you ask me, it's not Draco's fault if she can't handle not being the best all the time. She's probably still mad that he got the head position with her. We know Draco can be arrogant but in my opinion she's the one that needs to check her ego."

I'm finished here… and just as I had expected there were whispers of agreement from half the students and soon enough the rest followed. All but potter, though it seemed even red boy could believe Granger had some issues, but potter…

Doesn't matter. I just got to get Draco out of here before he ruins the whole thing.

I looked at Draco and on his face was the most visible look of shock I had ever seen him use, most of the time he put on his 'I don't care' expression whenever something surprised him. Yes, he is pissed. Well I had just told the hall his personal business and all.

I began to walk out the hall and Draco followed me close behind. Well that was fun but now my good friend is going to kill me. sigh damn my helpful ways.

The two made it down a hall and around a corner before Draco pushed Blaise against the wall.

"Don't bloody my face up now, okay Draco?" Blaise teased.

"What the hell was that?" Draco demanded.

Blaise laughed. "Something far better than what you were about to pull. We both know what would have happened if I hadn't have caught you back there, now don't we. So don't go getting all pissed at me for your own stupidity, its not at all healthy." Blaise finished, still smiling.

Draco released him.

"You made me sound like a bitch…" Draco smiled. "I didn't even know that was possible now a days."

"Nor did I" Blaise admitted. "But it won you some sympathy. All eyes are on Granger now and on how snobbish she can be."

Draco sighed "well?"

"Well what?" Blaise asked with a smile from ear to ear, knowing exactly what Draco was talking about.

"Just do it Blaise." Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm afraid I'm still in the blue." Blaise teased.

"You never do anything for someone without a price, best friend or not and you've bailed me out twice today so it seems I am in you're debt." Draco turned and began to walk away.

"Glad you know me so well." Blaise started "But come on, for once I was doing something as a friend, and you have to go and make me sound so bad. I didn't have an alternate motive at all this time." Blaise whined sounding overly hurt and well practiced as he began to walk alongside Draco.

"Well, my mistake." Draco began, sarcasm dripping from his words "I suppose I owe you nothing then." He finished with a wave of dismissal.

"On second thought-" Blaise jumped in.

"I knew it." Draco added bluntly.

"Hey, it just came up, really."

"Sure"

"No really"

"Blaise," Draco stopped walking "I really don't care. Just tell me what I owe you so I can get this over with already."

Blaise bowed his head. He really was only trying to help this time. Oh well, at least he could get a head start on a plan of his own that he worked up last night with Pansy.

"Well Draco, there's a girl…" Blaise began.

"A girl…?" Draco repeated skeptically.

"Yes, than I am interested in"

"And you need me because? I know if this was just about a girl, you wouldn't be needing my help." Draco laughed.

"You see, this girl and I aren't really on speaking terms." Blaise said leaning against the wall.

Draco sighed "Never stopped you before…beside if you're not on speaking terms, what makes you think I am?"

"Oh you're not, but you will be soon and you could just drop a good word about me." Blaise said beginning to walk again.

Draco began to walk with him "and who is she?" he asked curiously.

Blaise stopped again and looked Draco in the eyes with a deadly serious look.

"Remember, you have to. You owe me…and it might help with you're plan too." Blaise added quickly.

Draco was a bit more interested now, hearing that this could work to his advantage as well.

Blaise could see his opportunity.

"Well Draco, all you have to do is make a study date with her or be her partner for a project in Snape's class-"

It finally hit Draco.

"No…" he calmly said shaking his head as he began to walk off.

Blaise started to object "Draco."

"No." Draco repeated "of all the girls, why Granger, why like her? Come on Blaise you usually have better taste. If you want the mood blood bad enough to ask me for help then you must be desperate."

Blaise was having to practically run to keep up with his stride now. He caught up and stood in Draco's way, stopping him.

"Listen mate, you owe me. You don't even believe in that mudblood bull any more and you've bedded you're share too. Just put in a good word, I'm not asking much. Hook me up with Granger and I'll owe you mylife and she'll think you're a good guy for the casual conversation." Blaise shrugged.

"Why her?" Draco almost yelled.

"Don't know…she's just…"he couldn't think of anything to say about her. "It doesn't matter, the point is, you're in my debt, but more importantly you are my friend." Blaise finished.

Draco stood there for a moment and stared at Blaise, then finally his eyebrows untangled and he looked away. Huffing a sigh, he couldn't fight Blaise's logic.

He hesitated before giving his final answer.

"Fine…"

They began walking together again.

"You know, I'll never forgive you for making me have to associate with Granger more than I have should." Draco joked blandly.

Blaise laughed. "You won't have to forgive me because I won't be sorry. You'll see mate, this will turn out better for you than you think."

Draco looked at him and rolled his eyes before turning the corner toward the head dorms.

"Oh Draco!" Blaise called after him. "You do need a transfiguration tutor don't you…well, night!" Baise laughed as he disappeared around a corner.

Draco cursed him under his breath. Was he really supposed to ask Granger to tutor him and suffer with being taught by the know it all just to pay back a favor to Blaise.

He could learn what he needed from her, it would make him look good to ask her for help and he could get this whole Blaise thing out of the way all at once. Yes, he could do a lot of things by asking Granger for help.

But was holding his tongue, one of them?

Draco focused his thoughts on the question of, why on earth would Blaise like Granger. He pictured Granger in his mind. She was hideous. She had a flat chest, bucked teeth and bushy hair. She was arrogant and bossy. Her bookishness added a hint of innocence but her rude comebacks could lead to a suggestion of rebelliousness. No amount of rebelliousness could make up for her utter kiss ass attitude with teachers and brown nosing of the higher ups.

He guessed she knew what she wanted and how to get it, a trait that he himself was familiar with. Either way, none of that sounded like a person Blaise would be interested in as neither a girlfriend nor a female associate at all.

There was more to this story but he was sure that with Blaise as narrator he wasn't about to find out, so no need in trying.

Draco reached a bookcase and pulled on a few books then stepped back as the bookcase slid open revealing the head common room.

Draco stepped inside feeling dazed and somewhat ill with thought of hooking up his best friend with his worst foe. He couldn't even put into perspective a suitable plan of attack for this type of battle.

Exhausted with the thought, he pulled of his sweater and threw it over a chair before flopping over the back of the couch.

"Oww!" Came Hermione's muffled voice from under Malfoy's back.

Draco fell to the floor with a mixture of his own surprise and Hermione's shove but managed, with the instinct to grab when falling, to bring Granger down with him.

There was a short scream a crack and then the thunk of them hitting the floor. Draco momentarily made dizzy lied still. He blinked hard and brought his hand up to his head. There was blood all over and he realized it wasn't his own.

'Thank Merlin for that bit.'

He lifted Hermione's dead weight on to the couch. There was a huge open gash across her forehead were she had hit the corner of the coffee table and her face was being slowly consumed with blood.

'Well, trying to look like Potter I see.' Draco sighed to himself realizing this wasn't much a good time for his dark humor.

He pulled his wand from his pocket and healed the gash on her head. Then walked to the bathroom and began to wet a washcloth with worm water.

'And when she wakes up, what am I supposed to say?'

"Oh, sorry I knocked you out but if you don't have a concussion would you mind tutoring me in transfiguration?" he laughed duly to himself.

'Ah yes, what a perfect way to make friends.' He thought on the way back to Granger.

He started to wipe the blood from her face disgusted with himself but figuring that this would be the suitable thing to do if you were trying to pretend to be civil, though his first thought of leaving her there still sounded tempting. He needed to change and find a spell to get the blood out of his uniform, but he continued to clean her face.

'I have homework to do and instead I'm nursing her wound just so I can drop a word for Zambini. Well, I do suppose leaving her here would put that whole acting innocent thing to waist too.'

He dipped the cloth in a bowl of hot water he had brought and watched the water turn orange then red. He then rang the cloth out and started to wipe the small bruise that had formed above her left brow.

He saw her flinch and paused as her eyes fluttered open.

She sat up slowly seeming dazed and her hands immediately slapped to her head cradling her wound.

'Looks like it hurts, well better you than me Granger'

"Are you okay?" Draco asked feeling happy that his words came out sounding deep and concerned.

She looked at him with pure malice.

"What do you think you git?" she growled.

Draco restrained himself from spewing an offensive retort.

"Do you want to go to the hospital wing?" Draco asked, glad that his voice had not wavered.

She eyed him as though he was crazy, then she looked down at the bloody water and the rag in his hand.

"Are you okay Malfoy?" she questioned.

'How long is this going to go on for? Just tell me to go away already.'

"Yes, why?" He asked

Her eyes narrowed. "Did you heal my wound?" she asked sounding accusing.

'Do you see anyone else around?'

"Yes, why?" He asked again.

She sat still for a moment before answering.

"Nothing, never mind…" she said and began to stand up.

Draco moved out of her way and watched as she stumbled toward her room.

'She's not going to make it.'

"Are sure you don't need any help?" he asked trying to hold back a small laugh that was lodged in his throat.

"Not from you." She spat.

"Oh, well that's evident." He laughed out by accident.

'Well, hope that doesn't mess anything up too bad.'

She spun around and was about to say something before her body gave way and she was about to collapse to the floor. Draco for no particular reason felt the urge to catch her. He ran forward and her passed out body fell into his open arms.

"Not from me?" he questioned out loud sarcastically, knowing she couldn't hear him.

He picked her up bridal style, carried her to her room and put her down on her bed.

As he looked her over he realized something about Granger for the first time. Although ha hated her and nothing could make up for her foul personality, she was quite good looking.

'When your mouth is shut.'

Brownish gold curls, pink full lips, and not big but not small boobs.

He sat at the edge of her bed and figured that perhaps Blaise just wanted to bed her. This thought made things a bit better for some reason.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. He was very tempted to leave but he was unpracticed in the art of being civil to anyone, especially an enemy and wasn't sure if leaving now was the right thing to do.

'Screw this' he thought standing up and stretching. He had sat there long enough to realize that Granger was attractive, which in his opinion was a sign of being far too long.

He walked over to her desk, inked her quill and wrote a short letter out on a spare piece of parchment that was sitting there.

'Hope that will be caring and gentlemanly enough.'

He left her room feeling annoyed and drained.

Draco showered and was feeling much better by the time he had put on his pajama pants. He wondered if Granger had woken up yet or if she had seen his note.

In the note he had done the things he was supposed to do but wasn't sure if writing it in a note was the right way of going about it. It was the easy way out and he knew it, but he was sure that he could never apologize to Granger's face without sounding rude and sarcastic.

So the note writing fit him better and made him feel just a little better about having to ask for her help with transfiguration because he knew for sure that his asking her about it would have turned out horrible.

He would just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what she was going to say.

"If she's not dead from that head wound' he mused.

He got into bed and pulled up the covers when his door suddenly slammed open.

He sat up slowly huffing an exasperated sigh and saw to no surprise Granger standing in his door way looking frustrated.

She threw a crumpled up peace of paper at him and slammed the door on her way out.

Draco opened the paper and read.

'Fine.'

'Seems I'm not the only one who finds it easier this way.' He laughed throwing the paper aside and pulling up his covers.

'And this was only day one?' he sighed deeply and fell asleep.

If you have not already done so:

Read the A/N at the top. It's FYI. I don't write them for fun I write them because you people want to know.

R&R…