A/n: Please review if you read! Thank you for all the great comments.

Hermione decided not to go to dinner that night because her eyes were red and swollen and she was certainly not in the mood to talk to Ron and Harry about what had happened to her earlier that day. She did, however, venture down to the common room a little while after dinner. She had cleaned her face up and hoped that the questioning was behind her. When Hermione got down to the common room it was unusually quiet, there were a few groups of people, but they were all keeping to themselves and not being rambunctious. Harry and Ron were sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace and when they saw Hermione come down both their faces darkened. Hermione's stomach slipped she was not sure how they had found out, but she knew that they had.

Hermione gulped and found that her small legs were shaking. She finished walking the steps to the common room and took a seat in the armchair next to Ron.

"Hi," this was all she could manage to say, even her voice was shaky.

"Hello, Hermione." Harry said frostily. Ron did not even look her way.

They sat there in awkward silence and Hermione was getting more nervous by the moment. So she decided to bring up homework. This did not turn out to be such a good topic.

"So, have you finished Professor Binns' essay for his class tomorrow? It was more difficult than his normal ones. I finished it yesterday though." She tried smiling at them.

"Yes, actually I have. I find very interesting that you had time to finish it with all the extra work you're doing though."

"Er…extra work? I haven't had any extra-" Hermione was cut off and not allowed to finish.

"YOU HAVE BEEN TUTORING DRACO MALFOY BEHIND OUR BACKS HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed at her.

Hermione was taken aback and her ear was hurting very much because Ron had been sitting next to her when he had yelled this directly in her ear.

"Do not yell at me Ronald Weasley! If you just let me explain myself I can make everything clear!" Hermione was not yelling but her voice was low and filled of fury. She had never been more angry with him.

"Hermione, how could you do this? You know we hate him…I thought you hated him too." He shrugged. "Apparently I was wrong."

"Ron, I did not do this to you. I was asked by Professor McGonagall to tutor him."

"Why didn't she ask someone from his own house or someone from another house? Why did ask you?"

"Why do you think she asked me? She knew that I was going to get the job done. You know McGonagall hates the Slytherins as much as we do, but I think she actually wanted someone who would do a good job."

"Why didn't you say no, Hermione? You knew this would hurt us."

"Because I wanted to do a favor for McGonagall; she's my favorite teacher and I didn't want to disappoint her." Hermione sat there for a moment and then something dawned on her. "How do you know I was tutoring him Ron?" Her eyebrows knit together.

"I um-I don't have to tell you. I found out that's all that matters."

"Harry, how did he find out?" Hermione leaned around Ron and looked at Harry who had been sitting there quietly and very glad that he had not been involved yet.

"I don't think I can say anything."

"Oh please Harry." Hermione rolled her eyes. "You always are on Ron's side."

Harry huffed and sat back in the couch. "Ron had my invisibility cloak. I let him take it so he could see what you were up to." Harry's words all ran together and he said them very fast.

"YOU WHAT?" Hermione turned on Ron and slapped him across the face. "You are the world's biggest arse Ronald Weasley!" She clenched her jaw, trying to calm down.

Ron sat there still surprised that Hermione had slapped him. He had a bright red hand print across his face. "Bloody hell Hermione what was that for?" His voice was not too strong anymore.

"You invaded my privacy. I cannot believe that you did that." Her voice was hurt. "Friends don't spy on their friends."

"Friends don't lie to their friends either Hermione." Ron was holding his face.

"So, we were both wrong, can we just admit that and move on?"

"No, it's not bad enough that you tutored Malfoy, but you hugged him too. You actually touched him."

"He got did a spell correctly Ron, I was caught up in the moment."

"Can you explain going to Hogsmeade with him?"

"Again, I was caught up in the moment Ron. And I don't have to explain myself to you anymore. You're not my mum. You're only my friend." She stood up.

"So you don't like him?" Ron's voice came from behind her back.

She turned around and managed to laugh. "No, I do not like Draco Malfoy and I never will." She looked at him sternly. "Does that make you feel better?"

Ron shrugged and sat back in his chair. "I guess. Just please don't spend any more time with him."

"Well, from what happened earlier today I think I am done tutoring him. He showed his true colors too easily." She frowned for an instant and then smiled.

"Good, so now we can start hanging out again? Because Harry really missed you," Ron nodded and clapped Harry on his shoulder. "Didn't you Harry?"

"Yes, Hermione I missed you terribly." He said this very sarcastically, but grinned and slapped the part of the couch next to him. "Come and sit down, I haven't really finished Binns' essay and I need some help. Why do all the Goblins names have to sound so much alike? I mean it just makes the class even more difficult."

"Hand it over and I'll look at it." She took Harry essay and began scratching things out with his quill. "You should be glad I'm back because Professor Binns would have given you a T on this."

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat on that couch for the rest of the night and were up very late. Hermione ended up nearly re-writing Harry's entire essay. Then when she looked at Ron's she had to do the same. They were having fun again and thoroughly enjoying it. By the time they went to bed the fire in the fireplace had been smoldering for over an hour.