A/N: This disclaimer is for the rest of the story - I'm tired of writing the same thing every chapter: I don't own anything in the Harry Potter universe and I'm making no profits from this story.

Thank you everyone for being so patient, but the set-up chapters are over, may the games begin!

Happy reading!

A Close Call

9 days until the Yule Ball - Part 2

"Granger," Draco called as he saw her bushy head bobbing away.

"What?" Hermione stopped and turned around.

He frowned as he caught up to her, "that's not very polite. I hope you're not this snappy when you're tutoring me," he smiled at her so she knew he was joking.

Hermione felt her cheeks grow slightly warm, and she kept her gaze forwards so he wouldn't notice her blush. This was the second time she had seen Draco Malfoy genuinely smile; the first time being just a minute ago when she agreed to help him. It made him look almost friendly and dare she think it – good looking?

"What are you up to, Malfoy?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he replied as he walked along side her.

"Why would you want my help? You hate me," Hermione said bluntly.

"That's not true," the witch raised her eyebrows in disbelief at this, "well it used to be true. But over the past year, at least, I haven't hated you."

"So what changed?"

"Must you know always know everything about everyone?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

His irritation was bubbling towards the surface, but surprisingly it wasn't directed towards Granger and her annoying traits. Instead, it was due to Daphne's bet that forced Draco to put up with them. He had to endure several more days of this, with no way to vent his annoyance. Greengrass knew what she was doing all right.

"I'm just a curious person," came the reply.

"I think you mean nosy."

At that, Hermione elbowed Draco in the arm. She had done it lightly, but his hand immediately flew to the spot she had touched and he started rubbing it dramatically.

"Jeez Granger you're so violent. First you punch me and now this?!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "you deserved it," was all she said.

Draco bit the inside of his cheek, still clutching his arm. "All right. I'll let you off the time in third year, but assaulting me with that bony elbow of yours was uncalled for. I've called you worse than 'nosy' in the past."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you like me to elbow you for the countless times you've called me a Mudblood?" She couldn't help the bitterness she felt creeping into her tone.

"Goodness, no. If you did that I'm sure you'd pummel me to a pulp knowing how violent you are. More to the point, you'd put a damper on my flawless complexion," Draco said, tilting his head downwards as if to prove to Hermione just how flawless his skin was.

Hermione sighed in annoyance at his response. Was it really too much to ask for a simple apology from him for the torrent of insults he had sent her way over the years? She scowled at him and sighed again when she saw that his complexion was indeed, flawless. His skin was smooth and pale like porcelain, with not a spot or blemish in sight. Hermione couldn't imagine how that was even possible for a boy his age; did he use an Anti-Acne potion or something?

She decided not to satisfy his ego by pressing him on this, so she changed the subject. "Tell me, why did you apologise to me last Thursday? I would have thought you'd be disappointed. You know, since you won't be able to poke fun at my teeth anymore."

Draco considered his response carefully so as to not offend the girl, which really, was easier said than done. "You underestimate me, Granger; I can think of plenty of other things I can tease you incessantly about. And –"

Hermione scoffed, "Name one, besides the fact that I'm a Mudblood."

Draco could tell that she wasn't going to let the Mudblood business drop all that easily, and he knew that Gryffindors were just about as bad as Slytherins when it came to wanting justice for dented pride. The fact of the matter was that Slytherins took matters into their own hands to exact revenge, whereas Gryffindors acted aloof and all high and mighty until they got an apology from whoever ticked them off. Draco didn't in the least bit feel ashamed about noticing these similarities between the two houses; he had to know the players to win the game.

He took a deep, calming breath. He knew what he had to do, and he loathed Daphne for it. He held an arm in front of Hermione's body to make her stop walking.

"Look Granger, I'm sorry about that. When I first started calling you that in second year, it wasn't meant as a show of my hatred for you, no matter how much it looked that way. I honestly didn't know how insulting it would be for you; it's a commonly used word in my house so I didn't think anything of it. Basically, I just wanted to show off. I knew that was a bad word and really it was all to do with the fact that you dented my ego. And when I called you a Mudblood on Thursday, that was just me taking my frustration out on you because my friends were being a nuisance."

Now that Draco thought about it, nothing that he said was a lie. Not an outright lie at least; he just exaggerated a couple of points. He surprised even himself as he realised this. He ran a hand through his hair.

Hermione was stunned. It amazed her how calm he seemed to be acting with all things considered. Whatever she had been expecting him to say to her, that certainly wasn't it. Not in a million years would that have been it. Who would have known that Draco Malfoy had a humble side under that arrogant bravado? Perhaps Ginny had been right after all, and Malfoy was turning over a new leaf.

"Oh, well thank you," Hermione smiled tentatively at the blond, at a loss for what else to do, "and sorry to ask another question, but-"

"Hang about Granger, I'm yet to finish answering the last question you asked, or rather, the last two things you asked of me," Draco said coolly. He swept his hand through the air in front of them, gesturing that they should continue walking.

Draco walked beside her. "I'll start with the fun bit. Other things that I can tease you about besides your teeth: your frizzy hair, your meddlesome habits, your know-it-all air of superiority, your frumpy dress sense, you're small-" He had been counting off the list on his fingers. Hermione elbowed him again at his last comment.

"I am not small!" she said indignantly.

Draco couldn't help but laugh at her. "I'm going to add 'strange' to the list."

"What? Why?" she demanded.

"It just baffles me how the thing that insulted you the most was the comment about your height."

"I am not small!" she repeated, coming to a halt once again.

"Really? Hmm let's see," Malfoy stepped in front of her so they were face to face. He put his hand on top of Hermione's head and moved his hand back towards himself. She rolled her eyes, fully aware of what he was doing.

"The top of your head comes up to the bottom of my chin. That's seems small to me." Hermione opened her mouth to protest on the grounds that he was a boy and so would naturally be taller than her anyway, or the fact that he had a big head (metaphorically, of course) but he cut her off, "then again, some of that could just be the frizz. You're probably a couple of inches shorter than I originally thought. See Granger, I've moved on from the teeth jokes already." He smirked at her and started walking before she could elbow him a third time.

"So are you going to tell me the reason why you apologised to me the other day, or are you going to carry on being an annoying git?" Hermione asked as she caught up to him.

"I know what I'd prefer to do," he smirked at her. "all right I'll answer, but you cannot ask me another personal question tonight. Agreed?"

"These questions concern me as well, you know."

"Yeah but you're giving me a headache, and frankly I don't need any more questions on top of the ones you'll be asking me about bloody Charms later. And don't forget that Potter will be there too, and I'm not exactly relishing the idea of being in his company as well as yours."

"Then why would you suggest that I tutor you?" Hermione huffed, narrowing her eyes.

"That sounds like another question to me Granger," Draco drawled, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh Merlin, just answer. Please. That's the last one for tonight I promise."

"Well since you said please, maybe I'll oblige that request. Although I expect to be allowed a chance to interrogate you in return," he said.

"Fine!" Hermione said, becoming irritated with his stalling, "What?!" she added in exasperation she saw Draco smirk in amusement.

"You are just way too easy to wind up. And you wonder why I've found such amusement doing it all these years," he scoffed but quickly continued speaking so Hermione had no chance to make another comment, "anyway; I think old Flitwick answered the first question for you. The apology was my way of offering an olive branch because like I said, I haven't really hated you since third year. I've actually come to respect you in a weird way since you punched me in the face, but don't get me wrong – you still annoy me. I asked for last minute tuition to reinforce the offer for a truce in case the message didn't sink in the first time. As for Potter, I had a little thing planned called 'divide and conquer'. I know how stubborn you lot can be."

Again, Draco didn't have to lie. Well, except for the thing about Potter. Draco had almost dropped himself in it there, but he prided himself with his ability to think on his feet. Aside from that, everything he said was true. Hermione just heard the words in a different context.

"Anyway Granger, you seem to be enjoying guilt-tripping me and taking the moral high ground. Don't forget that our apparent hatred was mutual."

Hermione felt a little guilty as he said this. "I'm sorry", she said. "Your apology was so out of the blue that I didn't quite know what to make of it. I more pitied you than hated you. To me you were just a snivelling, pathetic, jealous bully."

"And now?" Draco asked, feeling slightly hurt by how blunt she was.

"Now," Hermione paused, "I've come to respect you, in a weird way," she smirked as she repeated Draco's words back to him.

He smiled and nodded. They had reached the third floor doorway that lead on to the Grand Staircase by now, and Hermione turned to face Draco.

"Okay well, I'm off to get Harry. You can meet us in the library in about half an hour if you'd still like to join us."

Draco nodded again, "thanks for agreeing to help me, Granger. And since we both survived a five minute conversation with one another, can I assume that we're agreeing to be cordial now?"

"I suppose so," Hermione smiled, acting a little coy, "although, Harry and Ron may take more convincing than I did." She turned away to start ascending the stairs but stopped when Draco spoke again.

"Granger," he drawled, "don't smirk. It's not an attractive look on you." As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it. He bit his bottom lip to stop more of his thoughts from spewing out of his mouth that hadn't first been processed by his brain. He fumbled in his pocket for his wand, half-expecting Hermione to hex him. He hadn't meant it in an offensive way, but he wouldn't put it past her to find some excuse to hex him…or physically assault him…again…

But Hermione wasn't offended. In fact, she didn't quite know how to process his comment. She blinked several times and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, exposing the delicate blush that tinted her cheek. She felt foolish. Draco had most likely said that as his way of being cordial to her, as they had just agreed. It didn't mean anything. It couldn't mean anything. This was Draco Malfoy she was talking to!

"Don't tell me what to do, Malfoy," she paused for a moment, still in two minds about how she should handle his remark. Before she could stop herself, she blurted out loud a thought that had just floated through her mind, "and for the record, I could say the same thing about you."

With that she hurried up the stairs before the conversation could continue. She hung her head low and focused her attention on her feet, counting the amount of steps she ascended so as to divert her thoughts.

Hermione was concentrating so hard of thinking of anything other than what had happened that she walked straight into the portrait of the Fat Lady. She groaned and stumbled backwards, feeling a little dazed.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Neville asked from the floor below. He jogged up the staircase to her and put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"Yeah, it's just been a long day that's all," Hermione laughed humourlessly. That had been an understatement if there ever was one. Her day had been long, confusing and strange, amongst several other things. It was all a dream surely? Yes, that knock to the head would wake her up. She'd be opening her eyes and lying in her bed any second now…

okay, now…

now?

Hermione had been gnawing on her bottom lip, staring blankly at the wall. Neville was waving his hand in front of her face.

"Hellooo? Earth to Hermione."

"Sorry Neville."

"Are you sure you're okay?" her friend asked, looking slightly worried.

"Yeah," Hermione said, putting on her most convincing fake-smile. She looked up at the woman in the portrait, said the password and entered the common room before Neville could press her further.

Harry and Ron were sat by the fireplace and talking quietly whilst playing a game of Wizard's Chess.

"Oh so you're backing out of the extra help then are you, Harry?" Hermione said, her voice sounding shriller than she had been anticipating.

Harry's green eyes widened behind the lenses of his glasses, "not at all," he replied, feeling a little guilty because he knew he had been neglecting preparation for the second task of the tournament, "we just decided to have a quick game whilst waiting for you."

"Yeah, what took you so long?" asked Ron without looking up. He watched as the horse of his knight violently kicked and smashed one of Harry's bishops.

"I er, Flitwick wanted to speak to me," she said, bending the truth somewhat.

"What about?" Ron continued.

"I'll tell you later; it was nothing really important anyway. I'm heading down to the library pretty much straight away. I'll just go and dump the books I won't need."

"Wait," said Harry, "I thought we were going to practice spells and stuff in here."

Hermione winced. She hadn't thought this through. What was it Malfoy had said earlier? Divide and conquer. Yes, that sounded like a good way to break the news of her new civil er, 'friendship?' with Malfoy to her friends.

"There's been a change of plans, just meet me in the library instead. You can finish your little game or whatever first." Hermione said, walking across the room to the dormitories. Harry would just have to find out the hard way: being forced into close proximity with his sworn enemy and not being able to argue with him or hex him, since they'd be in the library. At least the required low volume would give her chance to explain; plus if she could wear Harry down then it will make convincing Ron much easier (the redhead was known to be the most stubborn of the three of them).

Hermione paused as she dropped her schoolbag on the floor next to her bed. Had she always been this manipulative, for lack of a better word, or was a mere five minutes in the company of Malfoy enough for some of his Slytherin tendencies to rub off on her? Granted, she had never had a reason to steer and guide a situation like this before, but she still felt paranoid.

She went to the shared bathroom that lead off from her dorm and splashed cold water on her face. Malfoy was already messing with her head and they had barely been friends for five minutes – if you could class them as friends, that is. Godric knows what she had let herself in for!

Hermione then went back down to the common room, said goodbye to Harry and Ron and walked down the Grand Staircase at a brisk pace. She reached the third floor corridor again in no time and turned off into the room that she considered to be her second home in the castle.

The library wasn't overly crowded, which was a good thing as it meant that there was a good chance the tables right at the back of the room would be unoccupied. Hermione figured that if they were to be practicing spells, it was best to do so as far away from Madam Pince's desk as possible. She just hoped they wouldn't make much of a racket, but the library was really their only option as there were no spare classrooms they could use, the weather was abysmal outside and neither Harry nor Draco would be seen dead in the other's common room.

Hermione started walking towards the back of the library. When she went past the Restricted Section, a tall figure emerged from the shadows and a deep voice called to her.

"Hullo… Herman-ee?" Viktor Krum said. He was smiling but his thick eyebrows were furrowed. He was questioning if he pronounced her name correctly.

"Oh, hi Viktor. Close enough," she replied, returning the smile. It had completely slipped her mind that she was supposed to be trying to convince Viktor to take her to the Ball. Viktor took a step closer to her and she felt her stomach do a little flip when she noticed how handsome he was, albeit it was in a mysterious and brooding way.

"Agh," Viktor exclaimed in frustration, "your name is quite challenging to say for me. Perhaps ve can verk on it another time."

Hermione giggled, finding the slight language barrier he had to be oddly charming.

"Yes we can," she smiled again, "I'd help you now but I've got to go and claim a table – I'm going to be tutoring a couple of my friends." Viktor wouldn't understand the whole Malfoy issue so she decided not to go into details.

"Veally?" Viktor asked in his thick accent, "that is very how they say, er noble of you. You are very kind person."

Hermione blushed and looked down at her feet. She hadn't believed Ginny when she first said that Viktor had a crush on her, but now a teeny part of her mind was beginning to agree with her.

"Thank you Viktor, that's very sweet of you to say," she said, feeling a little flustered.

He raised his arm and ran a hand through his short hair. He looked like he was working up the courage to say something, so there was a slight pause between them. Hermione had no problem with this, as her attention was caught by the toned muscles of Viktor's torso that were revealed as his thick jumper was hiked up when his arm moved.

Afraid to be caught staring, Hermione raked her gaze back up to his face when he cleared his throat. Viktor blinked at her several times, so she wasn't totally convinced she hadn't been caught. In any case, she was thankful that he decided not to comment on it.

"Vould you mind if I asked you zomething?"

Butterflies flitted around Hermione's stomach, and her heart was hammering in her chest at the suspense and anticipation. Could he be about to ask what she thought he was going to ask? Was it that simple?

"Ask away," she all but whispered.

"I vas vondering if you vould-"

"Hermione! There you are!" Draco Malfoy exclaimed, jogging up to her.

Hermione tensed. This was bloody typical of him to show up early and at such an inopportune moment. Plus, he had called her by her first name; was he up to something or was he just being cordial? Who was she kidding? This was Malfoy – it was bound to be the former, for even after they agreed to be civil they still addressed each other using last names.

"Not now, Malfoy," she hissed.

He ignored her.

"All right, Krum?" he addressed Viktor confidently, standing way too close to Hermione for her liking.

"A vriend of yours, Her-mee-own-ee?" Something within Viktor's inflection made him seem slightly put out.

"Yes," Draco answered before Hermione could, trying his best to conceal his laughter at Viktor's mispronunciation.

Hermione squeaked indignantly and tried to barge Draco away, but he manoeuvred around her and yanked her away by the wrist towards the back of the library, but most importantly for Draco, away from Viktor. He ran his free hand through his hair and tried to calm his breathing down. That was way too close for his liking. The last thing he needed was bloody competition. Up until just now he had found consolation in the fact that Granger was perhaps a good selection on the basis that no one else would actually want to take her to the Ball. Well bollocks to that theory, now!

Draco was gripping Hermione's wrist so tightly that she didn't dare fight against him, lest her whole arm be pulled out of its socket. All she could do was shoot an apologetic look towards Viktor as she was pulled away from him… and her chances of finally getting a date.

Damn Malfoy to hell, she thought as they reached the far wall of the room.

Meanwhile, in the third floor corridor, Daphne was also heading towards the library, planning to accidentally-on-purpose, bump into him. Draco had walked in and out of their common room in a flash about ten minutes after Charms had ended, and had winked at Pansy knowingly as he passed through the lounge area.

Unfortunately for her, Pansy had jumped at the chance to spill the beans to Daphne about what she and Draco had planned, all the while hoping to unnerve her and piss her off.

Unfortunately for Pansy, her goading did quite the opposite to Daphne. She figured that if Pansy was going to play dirty by helping Draco, then Daphne was going to play dirty by doing the best she could to sabotage Draco's efforts with Granger.

To be continued...

A/N: Thank you for reading, you're awesome! All of your support means a lot, each new follower, favourite and review this story receives make me happyyy! :D