"Wha…?" Zabini stared at Draco, flummoxed. He knew Draco was riled…who wouldn't be if their girlfriend pulled a stunt like that in a classroom! But he couldn't understand Draco's reasons for accepting that bet about Raisingh now, specially since he had already waxed eloquent on the subject just a couple of days back. And he couldn't understand why Draco had to pull him out of what promised to be a good start to the week to announce his decision.

Pulling himself together, Zabini decided to get down to business. "Alright then", he said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Terms."

"Tell me yours." Draco couldn't care less; he knew he had to win this bet. Anything to get even with that bitch.

"Hmm…lets see. You should be able to shag Raisingh before your birthday, failing which…" Zabini paused, thinking of what he most wanted. Yes, that was it; Draco's pride broken. "Failing which", he continued with a sudden gleam in his eyes, "You tell everyone in the birthday party exactly what this bet was, and how and why you failed in it. And admit that I, Blaise Zabini, am the true Slytherin prince, the most desirable guy in Hogwarts."

"Done." Draco didn't miss a beat.

Zabini's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "And oh, did I mention that Potter and his filthy friends will also be present to grace the occasion?" When Draco made no reply, Zabini went on, "Including Raisingh?"

As Draco's eyes narrowed at that, Zabini smiled. He knew that Draco would never want to lose face in front of the girl; they were beginning to make terrible history together. Eventually, however, Draco nodded, and an elated Zabini started to make his way back to his girl of the moment. Draco's voice, however, stopped him.

"Just a moment, Blaise. You seem to have forgotten something."

As Zabini looked back enquiringly, he noticed the smirk on Draco's face, which was never a good sign.

"Lets discuss what your side of the bargain will be, shall we?" Draco drawled, his smile a bit sinister, and Zabini fought down a feeling of trepidation. Once he had heard Draco out, he knew his instincts had been right.

Ron was walking down the corridor alone, having dumped Harry on the pretext of going to the loo. The truth was, he wanted to be alone right now. He wanted to think, without running his theories past Harry this time. And the object of his thoughts was the same as ever- Hermione.

He had been noticing the slight changes in Hermione since the past week- the skirt, the makeup, the gestures, the hair…everything. No matter how small they were, he had noticed them all, each with a growing sense of anxiety. And he had noticed something else that had started giving him sleepless nights off late- how her eyes flitted to Malfoy every now and then. It all added up to something so horrible he couldn't bear to put his incoherent thoughts in order.

As he turned a corner, he came upon the corridor that lead to the Heads' dorms. He wanted to go to Hermione and ask her outright…but ask her what! Ask her what she had been doing to herself lately? Ask her why she was suddenly so interested in Malfoy she spent more time looking at him rather than talking with her friends? And what had she done to her hair this morning…it was preposterous! So unlike her real self! And imagine, he was the one apologizing! Ron sighed.

She was now looking better than she ever had, no doubt, but Ron didn't really like the implications of it. She had always been good enough for him the way she was, without changing anything about her. And he was worried what those changes implied. He closed his eyes as though in pain, and in fact he really was. The thought that she was changing herself for Malfoy was like a powerful punch in his solar plexus.

At first, he had thought he was imagining things…but the potions class today had confirmed his worst fears. He had looked up from his cauldron at Malfoy, as he had started doing nowadays just to check whether he had begun showing any interest in Hermione, and had found him staring at her with a heated gaze that burned Ron. He had looked at Hermione and found her fumbling with her robes. He recognized the look on Malfoy's face…it was lust. And the proof that he wasn't mistaken was Parkinson's behavior after that, which was a reaction born out of jealousy.

So did that mean he was going to lose Hermione to Malfoy? The thought was so painful he moaned aloud. Losing Hermione to someone else was like a kick in the gut, and when that someone else was Malfoy, it was like repeated kicks in the gut with kicks in the face added. And then, there was the thought that he would hurt Hermione…Ron didn't for a moment believe that he would be serious about her. He would just have her, as he had had several girls last year, and then he would leave her to mend a broken heart, because Ron also knew that Hermione would never sleep with any guy unless she was in love with him.

Hermione, in love with Malfoy? Ron put his hands on his ears as if to block out the sound of his own thoughts, and groaned aloud, "No….!"

"Talking to your head, Weasley?" An amused drawl behind him made him spin around in horror, and to his consternation, he found that it was his nemesis that had caught him showing weakness.

"You know its widely believed to be the first sign of madness." Draco continued conversationally as he reached Ron. Ron turned crimson, and his initial shock started giving way to a mounting anger.

"You would know Malfoy, because you are surrounded by such people." He spat back.

Draco smiled deviously, and mocked his choice of words. "Nowadays, the only person I come in regular contact with is Granger. While she has her faults, I wouldn't go so far as to call her mad. Tsk tsk, such words for your friend!" Draco admonished him amusedly.

"Don't you dare talk about her!" Ron nearly yelled, and pulled out his wand. "Don't you dare speak with her…don't you dare get near her….don't you dare touch her." Ron's voice started getting quieter and more menacing by degrees, and by the time he reached the end of his statement, he was nearly whispering.

Draco considered Ron, and raised his eyebrows. Then he folded his hands and cocked his head to one side, and asked him mildly, "Else?"

"Else", Ron took one step nearer him, and waved his wand threateningly in Draco's face, who refused to blink. "Else, I get you." Ron spoke in a dangerous voice.

Draco brushed an imaginary speck of dust off his robes, and studied his cuticles. Then he raised his eyes to Ron's, and smirked. "I have spoken about her, to her, have been living near her, and on one or two occasions, even touched her. So now, get me."

As Ron's eyes widened at his nerve and he raised his wand furiously, Draco continued calmly. "Get me, and then face the consequences. I am the Head Boy; I will give you a detention for every evening for the entire year, and take so many points off Gryffindor they would have to put more rubies in the hourglass."

Ron smiled at him then. "Typical, abusing power and threatening people when you cant face them. Typical, Malfoy. But that doesn't scare me." He sneered.

Draco smiled back at him, and continued silkily, "And you can also explain to Granger why you ambushed me while I was returning to my dormitory, attacked me when I was unarmed, and scarpered."

At Ron's incredulous look, he continued with a smirk, "You know Granger, she is such a stickler for rules and doing the right thing…she won't forgive you for this. And then, what would happen to you, and the romantic notions that you harbor for her? Who knows, she might go off with someone else, someone who is more…worthy of her!"

He had hit a nerve, as that was exactly what had been holding Ron back from asking Hermione out. He feared he wasn't worthy of her. And hearing the truth from Malfoy's mouth only made him angrier. He pounced on him suddenly then, and grabbing hold of the front of his robes, pushed his wand into Malfoy's face, pressing the tip on his cheekbone. "Why you….?" He started grounding out, but then…

"Ronald Weasley! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Hermione had come up behind them, and was now eyeing Ron with a look of shock and disbelief.

Ron was by now so angry he didn't care. Color shot up his cheeks as he let go of Malfoy and turned on Hermione.

"What do you think am I doing, Hermione? I am trying to teach this git a lesson, and if you are half as smart as I think you are, you would let me." With that, he turned on his heels and stormed off.

Hermione stood rooted to the spot for a few seconds, wondering what had happened. Draco raised one finger to rub the spot where Ron's wand tip had pressed into his flesh and raised one eyebrow at her, and she suddenly came to her senses and ran after a retreating Ron.

"Ron…Ron…wait, Ron!" she cried after him, but his much longer strides had carried him out of sight even as Hermione continued to dash after him.

Draco shrugged nonchalantly and drawled out the password to the portrait, "Trollish Chatter" and entered the comfortable Heads' common room. He shrugged off his robes and threw them on a straight-backed chair that was the only bit of uncomfortable furniture in the dormitory. He continued on his way up a winding staircase to his own dormitory that was guarded by the portrait of a huge, acid green serpent, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked.

"Bloodline", he murmured, and the serpent hissed once and the door to his apartment opened. Draco threw down his shirt on the deep velvet armchair by the door, and continued to walk towards the mullioned windows at the far side of the room, unzipping his trousers. He opened the windows to stare at the stretch of castle grounds before him, with the huge black lake glistening in the distance. Then he turned towards his wardrobe, selecting black slacks and a green pullover. Getting rid of his trousers, he donned the selected garments and stood to adjust his hair in front of the beautiful gilded mirror, before throwing a careless look at his luxurious four-poster covered in midnight blue spread with a green serpent embroidered in the center and walking out.

He would have to speak with Granger about this nonsense she was getting up to, there was no longer any choice, Draco mused as he sprawled out on the comfortable couch in front of the fire in the common room. What had happened today in Potions should never, ever happen again; else all his future plans would go kaput. He didn't want to see Granger in that light, and yet if she persisted in her efforts to snare Weasley by such methods, he didn't know if he would be able to play the gentleman. Already the image of her generous cleavage was burned in his eyes, and he didn't dare close his eyes for longer than was absolutely necessary to avoid seeing it again. She was his ticket to Potter's inner circle if he decided to join forces with the Order, and messing around with her was not exactly going to help his cause.

He stretched out fully on the couch and closed his eyes at last, concentrating on what he was going to say to her.

Hermione ran all the way down from her fifth floor dorm to the Great Hall, where students were beginning to assemble for dinner, but found no sign of Ron. She concluded he had gone up to the Gryffindor Tower instead, and considered for a moment following him there. But she decided that she wasn't really mentally or emotionally prepared to face company tonight, specially the inquisitive kind of Ginny and Sia. As much as she wanted to see Ron at the moment, she bitterly conceded defeat and headed back to the Heads' Dorm. She didn't really relish the prospect of facing Malfoy tonight either, but with luck she might be able to avoid him. As it was, they were not on speaking terms since he had called her 'mudblood' on the quidditch pitch a couple of days ago.

Come to think of it, she was so embarrassed she didn't mind if she never had to face him again, ever. She still didn't know what had caused her wardrobe malfunction, but her cheeks turned crimson at the very thought of the look on Malfoy's face. She had seen that look before; it was the way many boys looked at Ginny and Sia. But she had never seen that look on any guy's face before for herself. Even Ron had never looked at her like that, not that he was looking at her a lot these days. But what if Ron had been looking at her, without her noticing, and that little scene up there was because he had noticed something in potions class…oh Merlin! Hermione shuddered to think that Ron should notice something that she didn't want anyone to know…something so humiliating. And it wasn't even her fault, but would he believe that? Not in his legendary anger, no.

Hermione was walking back with such miserable thoughts for company, when suddenly, a long shadow detached itself from the general shadow of the castle walls itself, and came to stand right in front of her.

"Hello Granger. Going somewhere?"

She blanched as she saw the mouth that spoke the words smile.

Ron thundered up to the Gryffindor Tower, and snarled the password 'Persephone' to the Fat Lady, who wrinkled her nose at his anger.

He threw himself inside the common room and made heavily towards the comfortable armchairs by the fire, towering menacingly over its occupants, first years that had lagged behind others leaving for dinner, throwing himself in a chair the moment they ran away frightened.

Harry, who was sitting by the window trying to do his Herbology homework, looked up at him mildly surprised. Ron and his mood swings went hand in hand, and he had learnt to ignore most of them. This however, seemed to be worse than most. But he knew better than to ask; he was really hungry and didn't want to spoil his appetite with a typical outburst from his best friend. He knew from experience the reason could only be Hermione.

Ginny lacked Harry's foresight, though. She had just come down from her dormitory and had noticed Harry sitting by the window. As she made her way over to him, she heard a big 'huff' from the chair by the fire. She smiled; it could only be her brother trying to show them he was upset over something.

"What happened, Ron?" She asked indulgently, even as Harry groaned inwardly.

Ron didn't reply immediately. Harry hadn't released his breath yet, as he knew Ron. As Ginny turned nonchalantly away from Ron, he suddenly burst out. "MALFOY!"

Ginny turned back to him, intrigued. Even Harry raised his eyebrows; this was certainly unexpected, as Malfoy, for some strange reason, had left them strictly alone since becoming Head Boy. Harry would have bet his Firebolt that he would be unbearable, but on reflection, was glad that he hadn't.

"What?" he asked, inspite of himself.

"That evil, twisted…" Ron seemed lost for words after that.

"Well, we know all that. But what did he do?" Ginny asked impatiently, dropping down into the chair opposite him, followed by Harry who propped himself on the armrest by her side.

"He…he…" Ron spluttered, trying to find the right words. Ginny fidgeted impatiently and Harry laid a restraining arm on her.

"He what Ron?" He asked quietly.

Ron seemed to gather courage from Harry's gravity, and decided in that instant to open his heart to his best friend.

"He is giving Hermione the eye, the evil git." He spoke hoarsely.

"What?" Harry asked incredulously, as Ginny smiled slyly.

"I saw him…he was looking at her in potions…he had that look in his eyes…wanted her…that's why Parkinson…she saw him…lost her head…" Ron whispered; he seemed to be collapsing right in front of their eyes, and as Harry hurried over to him, even Ginny looked at him in alarm and concern.

"Ron…I'm sure it's not like that. Maybe you were mistak…" Ginny began, but was instantly steamrollered by Ron, who shouted out wildly, "I am not mistaken!"

The few remaining people in the common room looked up in alarm and quickly left for dinner.

Harry waited for the common room to empty, then began quietly, "I am not saying you are mistaken, Ron, but you are forgetting one thing; Hermione. She will never stoop so low as to think of Malfoy as anything except an annoying ferret."

Inspite of his hypersensitive state, Ron smiled bitterly at his words.

"Yeah…I am forgetting Hermione." He managed to rasp out sarcastically, thinking about the way her eyes seemed to seek out Malfoy every five minutes.

Ginny was now seriously worried; their plan was backfiring so badly she didn't know how to handle it. She wanted to calm Ron down first; he seemed to be going over the edge. She had no idea he had such deep feelings for Hermione.

Suddenly, she remembered the bottle of Calming Draught she had seen in Sia's trunk a few days back when she had been sitting in her dormitory. That could certainly help Ron now. True, Sia wasn't there, but Ginny felt sure she would understand once she became aware of Ron's condition.

She dashed up and was back with the bottle even before either of the boys realized she had gone. Ron was too distracted to notice anything, anyways. At Harry's raised eyebrows, she merely murmured, "Calming Draught" , and with her eyes motioned him to hold Ron as she tried to tip the contents into his mouth. But Ron was shaking so much, all the while speaking incoherently, that the task was nearly impossible.

After asking him repeatedly to take the potion, and trying unsuccessfully to give it to him by force, Ginny turned to Harry and spoke a bit fiercely, "Just put the Body Bind on him, why don't you?" She was worried sick about his condition now.

"Because that would clamp his mouth shut, that's why." Harry retorted a bit shortly; he was worried, and also weary of Ron's resistance. He was rapidly coming to the conclusion that Malfoy had put a spell on him; he couldn't really believe his firebrand friend could be reduced to this state simply because he had seen some other guy giving Hermione the "eye".

Before Ginny could reply waspishly, the portrait door opened and Sia walked in.

"Hey, where have you people been? I was waiting in the Great Hall for…" Sia broke off as she saw Ron. "Whats wrong with Ron?"

"Never mind that, just help us give this potion to him." Ginny hurriedly told her before Harry could say anything.

Sia seemed puzzled as she came closer, and then she saw the bottle in Ginny's hand and her face turned into a canvas of rapidly changing emotions. The last one that stayed was terror.

"What the…how did you…why…is that my bottle you are holding in your hand, Ginevra?" She asked abruptly after several tries to get a single statement out.

"Yes, and I am sorry I took it without asking, but Ron here neede…" Ginny began, but her voice was drowned by Sia's screech and the look of wild fury that suddenly descended on her.

"Ron does NOT need that, whatever he's been up to, and if you EVER dare to touch my belongings again without asking, I will turn you into Arnold's sister." With that, she snatched the bottle away from a startled Ginny and stormed up the stairs to her dorm, banging the door behind her so loudly it rattled on its hinges.

Harry and Ginny stared at each other in shock, and even Ron quieted down after hearing that outburst, the sound of which could have carried to Hagrid's hut in his opinion.

"What on earth was that about?" He asked incredulously into the ringing silence, and both Harry and Ginny jumped at hearing him speak normally again.

Before they could say anything to him, however, they heard a small noise from the direction of the windows, and all three turned as one to gaze in amazement as Neville crawled out from behind a chair, clutching Trevor in his hand.

As he saw them staring at him, his ears turned red and he said the first thing that popped in his head, "Who's Arnold?"

Hermione stormed into the Heads' dorm, her head buzzing with anger. How dare he, the stuck-up son of a pureblooded bitch! How dare he try that with her, Hermione Granger! A mudblood in his book, of all things! The insufferable…

Her thoughts came to a sudden halt as a tall figure rose from the couch in front of the fire and she caught her breath yet again.

"Not killed Weasley, I hope. Can't say I'm not touched by the gesture, but he really didn't do anything, or rather, couldn't do anything, as I was saved by your most opportune arrival. I will eternally be in your debt for saving me from the most gruesome death that I couldn't have avoided." Malfoy spoke with seemingly sincere feelings with a hand on his heart, and took a bow at the end of it. However, his eyes were glittering with laughter.

Hermione frowned at him. She was in no mood for his frivolities.

"Save your concern for your best friend, Malfoy. Ron has his own." She spat at him.

"My best friend?" Draco raised his eyebrows at her. It was amazing how he could put scorn on even the simplest of phrases. "I didn't even realize I had a 'best friend', Granger! Please reveal his or her identity to me so I can be by their side immediately."

Hermione scowled at him darkly, finally yelling, "Zabini!"

Draco's expression instantly closed, though Hermione rather thought she detected a trace of a smile before his face became a smooth mask. "Oh", was all he offered.

Hermione was disgruntled at his lack of interest. Well, she would tell him whether he wanted to hear it or not.

"He's going to be sorry he ever tried that with me, the evil creature! If he hadn't…" Hermione had started letting off the steam, but Draco could win awards for his irritating interruptions.

"Isn't evil a strong word for him?" he asked mildly.

"Certainly not!" Hermione cried indignantly, thrown off the track. She glared at Malfoy for a few seconds, who looked back with a polite interest, and then recollecting what she was about to say, started again.

"I would never have believed he would come up with such weird behavior in front of me…"

"Weird behavior?" Draco probed with a carefully concealed mounting amusement.

Hermione was suddenly confused as to what to say. But then she remembered the look on Zabini's face, and her anger quotient went right up.

"He tried to, well, hit on me…if you must know…"

"Did he now? Never had much sense." Draco managed to put in.

"…And his attitude was like, hey mudblood, isn't this your lucky day! He actually refused to believe that I wasn't interested…"

"Conceit is something we Slytherins learn to live with."

"…Well, now he would believe it just fine, after what I have done to him." She finished with a degree of satisfaction.

There was a momentary silence in the room, broken only by the fire crackling in the hearth. Draco was looking at Hermione with a curious expression on his face. Finally, he broke the silence.

"What did you do to him?" he asked, a masked emotion running behind his words.

"Well, shall we just say he will have to spend a couple of days in the Hospital Wing, that is, when someone manages to find him." Hermione's smile was uncharacteristically ruthless.

"Didn't you slap him?" Draco asked, shock and disappointment evident in his words now.

"Slap him? I did much more than that, if you'd care to listen. Now he resembles an overblown slug, oozing all over the place. The disgusting wretch!" Hermione sniffed.

"You mean you didn't slap him?" Draco huffed.

Hermione looked at Draco curiously, and the look on his face instantly drove all her anger away. He looked so disappointed, so crestfallen, like a petulant little boy whose favorite TV show had just been cancelled, though of course he wouldn't know what a TV show is. Hermione felt like giggling, but controlled the impulse.

"I did", she admitted quietly, and he instantly perked up. "When I told him I wasn't interested, he tried to grab me. Then I hit him. Of course, after that he got downright nasty and tried to hex the 'little mudblood for having the temerity to refuse a pureblood' like him. But I draw wand faster." Hermione recounted with slight amusement now, although the situation had been anything but funny at that time. She had been miserable and worried sick over Ron, and then that stupid git had to come along to compound her problems. She had been really frightened before the time for some action had come.

Draco looked pleased with himself now, for some unaccountable reason. He sat down comfortably on the couch and spread out his long legs in front of him, turning slightly to look at Hermione.

"You know, I have always felt that to make a perfect Slytherin, all you need is Theo's brains and Blaise's looks. But no, one has to look like a monkey and the other has to act like one."

Hermione had to smile at that. She wondered vaguely how the superbly smug Zabini and the arrogant Nott would take to being likened to their Rhesus cousins. Not kindly, she was ready to bet.

"So that leaves you to stake your own claim to the crown, is it?" she asked him amusedly.

"I am the official holder of the crown, Granger…I just wonder sometimes about successors to my legacy." Draco replied easily.

"Conceited, aren't we?" Hermione laughed.

"No, just painfully honest." Draco smiled. Hermione smiled back, shaking her head at him. It was just like the camaraderie they had come to share before that incident a few days back. Draco patted the couch next to him, inviting her to join him. She started to walk towards him and was about to sit down when recent events suddenly refreshed themselves in her memory, and she froze.

"What?" he asked her, noticing her stiff posture.

"I have to go for dinner", Hermione answered him frostily, and started to walk away when his voice halted her.

"Liar."

Hermione turned to glare at him coldly. "Excuse me?"

"The first casualty when you are upset over something is always your meal, and right now you are upset because of Weasley and your unresolved differences. Furthermore, if you had felt like eating, you would have gone right down to the Great Hall after chasing Weasley all over the place instead of coming back up here." Draco smirked at a stunned Hermione. He folded his arms over his chest and asked her kindly, "So tell me, why are you trying to avoid me?"

"You seem to notice a great deal about people." Hermione hedged.

"I notice a lot more than you do, because my eyes are not perpetually glued to a book. But that's hardly the point. I want to know whats wrong, why you have been avoiding me like dragon pox for some days now, and I want you to tell me now." He again patted the couch, gesturing her to sit.

Hermione ignored his gesture, and folded her own arms over her chest, staring at him coldly.

"Oh, how can a mean little mudblood like me dare to avoid the great Malfoy!" she asked sarcastically.

Draco let out a long breath and relaxed.

"So that's whats bothering you. It was your fault Granger; you provoked me. That thing was between Raisingh and me, and you jumped in shouting nonsense at me without any reason. I behaved with a lot of restraint, if you ask me. Now come and sit here, we have to talk."

"I provoked you? Sia is a friend of mine and I couldn't just stand around and watch you walk over her over whatever it was that happened between you…" Hermione seethed.

"Exactly." Draco cut in. "You don't know what happened between us, and that's all the more reason why you should've stayed out of it. And I could hardly have stood around after you insulted me in front of my team without retaliating in some way. The way I see it, we are even. And if you don't come here and sit down right now then I swear I'm going to come right there, haul you up like a sack of dirty laundry and plant your stubborn butt on this place so hard you won't be able to get up for days." Draco finished darkly.

Hermione looked at him warily, considering his threat. "I don't take orders from anyone, Malfoy", she huffed, sounding braver than she felt.

"I tried to issue you with polite invitations, but that doesn't seem to work with you. And I can speak whatever language it takes to get the message across." Draco told her bluntly.

"We have nothing to talk about." Hermione continued to resist the idea of sitting down beside him; the incident of the Potions class that morning was beginning to haunt her now.

"Oh, but we do. Now come here, and this is the final warning." Draco's eyes were pure silver now, making him look dangerously ominous.

Hermione started backing off from the room towards the stairs…if only she could reach her own room in time and shut him out.

Draco saw what she was doing, swore under his breath and stood up with a quick feline grace that caught Hermione by surprise. As she turned and ran towards the stairs, Draco caught up with her easily and true to his words, catching hold of her, swung her across his shoulder and carried her to the couch with long strides, holding her in place with a hand just under her buttocks. Before she could even begin to squirm in humiliation and anger, he set her down exactly at the spot he had been indicating, though the promised force was thankfully absent.

When Hermione finally looked up, her face crimson with a mix of embarrassment and anger, it was to find Draco lounging comfortably beside her just as before, staring intently at the fire. She wanted to scream many things at him, and also wanted to get out of there as fast as she could, but remained rooted to the spot, speechless.

"And now", Draco spoke quietly as though nothing had happened, "we talk." Hermione shivered.

A/N: A very Happy New Year to all my readers, and a great big thank you to all those who take the time out to review!