A/N: I got quite a bit of response to the last chapter! So I'm writing this one as fast as my fingers can go and my brain can think. I'm letting you all know that after the Yule Ball, I'm skipping a few years. So, how many chapters do you want before then? Hmmm? I need your opinions! I am not looking forward to the confrontation between Harry, Ron and Hermione so I'm kind of thinking I'll save that for next chapter. Maybe... maybe not... please REVIEW! :D

Chapter Three

Getting To Know You

Hermione woke up early the next morning, happy and refreshed. She couldn't believe all that had happened last night. She got dressed and went downstairs to see Ginny and Cassie already waiting for her. They smiled as she approached and got up to go eat some food. Hermione felt much more relaxed with girls than she did with Ron and Harry. She wondered why she no longer appreciated their friendship.

As they passed through the portrait hole, they saw Ron and Harry talked quietly in a corner just outside the Common Room. They glared at Cassie before smiling weakly at Hermione and Ginny who ignored them.

"Who are they?" Cassie asked, unsure of what she had done to make them glare at her.

"That is Ron, my brother, and Harry Potter. They dislike your brother and automatically dislike you. They used to be our good friends but unless they are going to treat you right we aren't going to have anything to do with them. You are our friend and they will either learn to like you or learn to live without us as their friends." Ginny said authoritatively. Cassie smiled and thanked the girls for being so nice to her, even if she was related to a total arse.

"He's not a total arse anymore. He apologized and we forgave him. So who cares what Ron and Harry think." Hermione said quietly to Cassie.

"You know we're going to have to talk to them some day right?" Ginny asked looking at Hermione, she nodded her eyes sad.

"I'm not looking forward to that conversation. I only wish I could explain to them without them freaking out at me." Hermione wondered aloud as they entered the Great Hall. She took a big whiff in, loving the smell of freshly cooked food.

"In the morning it doesn't really matter where you sit. It's only at the opening feast. Every other day you could sit at Hufflepuff if you wanted to." Hermione said as they sat down at a random table. It so happened to be the Slytherin table. Malfoy scooched down to sit with them.

"Good morning, ladies." He said stacking food onto his plate. They greeted him and started doing the same. Cassie seemed cautious at first, unsure of whether there would be enouh for everyone.

"Eat up, Cass. Classes are going to be long today. Don't worry about making sure there's enough for everyone, the House Elves make sure everyone will get their fill." Draco said piling a few biscuits onto her plate. She looked at him indignantly and put the rolls back and took some eggs.

Victoria joined them, and took only bread. When everyone looked at her with odd looks she shrugged, "I'm a bread girl. I could live happily on only bread." She said before taking another bite of her biscuit. Hermione and Draco looked at each other for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. Soon, Ginny and Cassie joined in and before too long Victoria was laughing, too.

Hermione felt a slight tap on her shoulder and looked to see Harry and Ron standing over her, their expressions only slightly hard to read. They were either furious and incredibly constipated. She said this and her entire group burst into another bought of laughter. She got up and followed them over, her eyes still water and her breath still catching up.

"What do you guys need?" She asked wiping tears away from her eyes. She was smiling so huge that Ron and Harry looked like they were about to relax.

"What in the name of Merlin's saggy balls are you doing?" Harry hissed. Hermione rolled her eyes at the obscenity he had just spouted.

"I'm enjoying breakfast with some friends. You're welcome to join us if you'll behave." She said politely. But they looked at her as if she had grown a second, third and fourth head.

"But you're hanging out with Malfoy. And his... sister. How can you do this to us? To Harry? You're fratranizing with enemy Hermione!" Ron said loudly. Hermione sighed exasperately.

"Will you two get over it? If you guys have so much trouble hanging out with someone else for a change then you can sod off. Cassie is a very nice girl, whose older brother happens to be a classmate of ours that I never actually got to know. I have found out he's actually quite nice and very funny. So, I am going to go back to my friends and enjoy my morning. You can join me if you want." She said before walking back to Draco and Ginny. She sat down and continued eating, ignoring the boys and not once looking over her shoulder.

"Can you believe Hermione? She's totally betraying us for that piece of shit and his snivelling younger sister." Ron said, clearly he wasn't happy. Harry was about to reply when Cassie walked over to them, her eyes innocent.

"Hi, my name's Cassie. I don't know why you guys hate me so much, but I think it's really rude that you're just assuming I'm like my brother. I think its unfair that your pitting me against your image of one pureblood. Kind of like how You-Know-Who compares all Muggleborns and Muggles to his image of what his father was. Just a little food for thought. If you fall to prejudice you're no better than he is." She said sweetly, her eyes betraying no hint of hatred or malice.

"Get the fuck away from us you fucking whore! We don't associate with Death Eaters and their bints! You're no better than you're Death Eater brother and your Death Eater father. Fucking Pureblood supremist." Ron said loudly enough for the whole hall to hear. Cassie took a step back, shocked at what he had said. And suddenly a wand was pointed at Ron's neck, a hand closed tightly around a bit of his shirt.

"I swear to Merlin, you fucking call me that again and I will remove your balls and penis by hand and shove them down your throat. And if you ever insult my little sister again, so help me God, you will beg for sweet Death to come your way. You got that, Weaselbee?" Malfoy's rang clear in his ear, though Ron knew that no one else could hear what he said save for him. He nodded vigourously hoping that Draco didn't hex him or anything.

Draco stepped back and pocketed his wand before a teacher saw, Hermione stepped foward and slapped Ron so hard on the face. As did Ginny, Victoria, and lastly Cassie. Ron stood there his face, not only from the slaps but from anger and embarrassment, his eyes furious. He looked at Harry who was looking at him with disgust.

"I thought you were better than that Ron." He said quietly before walking over to Cassie and offering his apologies. She accepted them and shook his hand. Ron watched as he lost his best friends to the charm of the Malfoys. Was he the only one who could see past their lies? Was he the only one that could see them for what they were? Apparently as Hermione walked close to Malfoy, talking and laughing with him as if they had been friends for a while.

In Potions, Ron got points taken off for everything. He even moved, he got another point taken away from his house. Snape was playing favorites and now that Draco and Hermione had made nice, they were both being treated well. Even Harry wasn't being absolutely tortured by Snape today. Ron was furious by the end of the day. All the teachers were being unbelievably rude to Ron, hoping to teach him a lesson for his out of control behaviour. Most teachers highly disapproved of the way Ron had reacted to the situation, and the rest highly disapproved of the things Ron had said.

Ron was now friendless, as Harry had joined Hermione and Ginny's group of friends, and was adamant on not joining them. He would not allow the Malfoy's to be triumphant in winning over the Golden Trio. He would not give into their lies and deceit. Everytime Hermione caught Ron glaring at them, she looked sad and then looked as if she pitied him. He sat alone, in the Common Room, at meals, during class. Not even Neville would sit next to him.

Ron had to get Harry and Hermione back to their right state of mind. He had to make them see that Malfoy was deceiving them. He had no idea how he was going to do that. Until he thought of something Fred and George had talked to him about. A Room of Everchanging Things, they had called it. If you walked past it three times with a clear place in your mind, it would provide you with a room that was tailored to what you were looking for. Ron knew that if he brought Harry or Hermione there and kept them there for ahwile they would no longer be subject to Draco's spell. He was positive of it.

All he had to do was make sure the room was actually there and figure out exactly what kind of room he wanted it to make him. He figured he'd better start with Hermione. She seemed to be hit hard by his spell. She would be the hardest to break. So he should definitely start with her. After dinner, Ron knew he had time and he needed to make sure the Room was there. He left to go check it out, no one noticing his disappearance, no one really caring.

Malfoy would pay for what he was doing to his friends. He would pay for taking them away from Ron. He wasn't sure how, but he would teach Malfoy a lesson. It was the only way. It was for the greater good. Ron thought to himself, justifying his actions to come.

A/N: OH LOOK! I updated twice in one day! I feel so proud of myself! Now if only I could update my other stories! :( sad face. I think I'll put Consequences of War on hiatus. Yes, that I believe I shall do.! Review please!