As always, much to love to my wonderful reviewers :-) By the by, if any of you have a free moment, check out the most recent one shot I posted and give it a read. This chapter is going to be slightly different to begin with, as I'm changing the perspective for a little while. Let me know what you think ^^

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You love them, and they have no idea. Sometimes their eyes pass over you, and for the briefest of seconds you can pretend there was something behind that glance, something deliciously tangible- and this will fuel your dreams for the next month. Such were the thoughts of Hermione Granger one afternoon, as she sat alone in her dormitory one evening. The penetrating chill of the autumn evening did not seem to affect her as she rested on the edge of her bed, and wondered whether or not to cry.

Her alcohol fuelled evening with Ginny and the Slytherins was somewhat hazy in the memory of the Gryffindor, and yet she distinctly remembered Malfoy... actually all she could remember was Malfoy. She had awoken the next morning with a sore head and dry throat, only faintly consoled by the goblet of hangover cure next to her.

Burying her head in her hands, Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. The pile of work by her bed wasn't going away any time soon, and she supposed she had better attend to it, once the tears had stopped falling.

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"What the hell, Blaise. What. The. Hell." An extremely irate Malfoy glared up at his erstwhile friend from his pillows, one side of his face heavily bruised and his leg in a winch. Biting his lip in order to maintain a straight face, Blaise shook his head.

"I didn't know you were with her! God, you never tell me anything!" Malfoy's under lip jutted out, giving him the appearance of a three year old.

"Are you sulking?" Blaise asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I am actually, because it seems that my best friend supposedly tells me nothing anymore."

"But you like her! I was hardly going to tell you if you liked her as well."

"Oh that," Malfoy waved an aristocratic hand lazily, "I can have almost any girl in this building, I don't go in for liking a single woman. Not my style. What does piss me off though, is the fact that instead of telling me, you felt the need to assault me midair."

He crossed his arms with difficulty, shuddering as he caught a sideways glance of his face in the mirror. Ruined, he hated to think how much time it would take the bruises to fade.

"I mean really, look what you've done to me! You are one vicious guy, you know that?"

"I've said I'm sorry for that, you shouldn't have laughed." Now it was Blaise's turn to look petulant.

"Yeah well, come on, you and Weasly? I don't think that's going to last the month to be honest, especially once she realises she can have me instead." Malfoy glanced up, and caught the glare of murderous intent. "Joking, joking!"

Blaise grunted as he levered himself off the chair besides the hospital bed.

"Don't joke about that," He said quietly, eyes dark and speculative.

"Whatever. Now go on, stop cluttering up this ward or I'll set Pomfrey on you."

As Malfoy watched his friends retreating back, his expression shifted from jocularity to a dark, brooding look. Weasly thought she could refuse him? Well she was certainly the only female in Hogwarts in that frame of mind. Besides, he couldn't have girls preferring Blaise to him; it wasn't any good for his reputation.

No, this matter needed a little attention, and a big dose of the Malfoy cunning.

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"Hermione!" Ginny dropped her bag near the door and raced over to where the Gryffindor was sat in between two of the beds, head bent and the tears falling onto the open page of a textbook. She threw her arm around Hermione's shaking shoulders and pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong?"

Ginny pushed the tottering pile of textbooks off her friends lap, and took one of her pale hands, staring worriedly into her wan face.

"Nothing," Hermione mumbled, though she squeezed her friends hand as the tears continued to flow.

"That's obviously a lie," Ginny said gently, hugging her again.

"You're going to think I'm so stupid," Hermione sniffed, trying to smile.

"Pretty sure that's impossible; you're the cleverest witch in the world,"

"Not in all things," She hung her head before continuing, "I think I'm in love with Draco Malfoy,"

"Ah," Ginny froze, unable to produce a more sympathetic or indeed tactful response.

"Exactly. That night we went out, it was obviously not important to him, but he paid attention to me for the first time in my life,"

She remembered how she had left Hermione alone with him while she was outside with Blaise, and a blush sprang to her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Hermione; I should never have left you alone with that snake."

"He was so charming, so courteous to me despite my heritage. When he kissed me, it wasn't anything to him, but it felt like I was floating."

Ginny had to physically restrain herself from saying she felt the same when she was with Blaise. Casting around for a topic to cheer her distraught friend she blurted out, "I'll help you get Malfoy."

"How? Miracles don't happen,"

Ginny helped Hermione up, and steered her over to a mirror, taking her hands away from her face.

"What makes you think you can't ensnare Draco?"

"I look so awful,"

" Even when you've just been crying you manage to look nice,"

"It's never going to happen, Ginny,"

And at those words Ginny Weasly resolved she would make it happen. To see her usually steadfast friend so upset was heartbreaking, and if ensuring that Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger became a couple was what it took to make her smile that was what would have to occur.

All she needed was a plan.