A/N: Hello anyone and everyone! This is Chapter 4, in which Hermione finally gets involved in the story a bit more. I know, about time too. Harry Potter's not mine.

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He clicked on a small lamp on the cabinet beside him and breathed out a breath he didn't even realise he was holding. Because he saw platinum blond hair, not brunette waves. Because he was looking into silvery blue orbs, not brown ones.

Because he wasn't, and never would be, like Granger.

Knock, knock, knock. Draco lowered his hand and cracked his knuckles nervously. On an ordinary day, he would do his best to avoid this particular room. But today was not going to be a normal day, and nor was the rest of week if he went through with what he was about to do. And he had to go through with it. He had promised, after all.

"Enter," the calm voice called through the door. "Draco, this is a surprise!" the head teacher said, swivelling around in his chair and seeing the boy standing in the entrance. "I did not expect to see you again." His eyes twinkled, making Draco feel extremely patronised.

"My mother has convinced me that your plans are 'for my own good', sir." As I'm sure you intended, he added in his head.

"So you will go along with the project?" he persisted.

"Yes, sir." Draco returned through gritted teeth.

"Splendid," the man said, stroking his beard as if he this was what he expected all along. "Send Miss Granger down to me please, Draco." Draco rolled his eyes exasperatedly and left the room.

Seeking out Granger was easier than he suspected. He bumped into her – quite literally – outside the library as she struggled under the weight of multiple books, each the thickness of an encyclopaedia. Draco had seen her coming, but before he could say anything she had walked straight into him and the books fell, individually landing with dull thuds. She bent down, flustered, with her hair in her face.

"I am so sorry… should have been looking where I was going… sorry... wasn't concentrating…" Draco caught snatches of her babbling apology as she collected up her books. She pushed her thick mass of hair away from her face and looked up.

"Oh, it's you." She spat unpleasantly.

"Still sorry?" Draco already knew the answer.

"Not in the slightest. Why are you still here?" She stood and crossed her arms over her books.

"I only came to say," Draco paused dramatically, "the head wants to see you." The girl tensed at his words at her brow furrowed.

"You're not serious." She concluded after a moment's thought. "You're trying to trick me."

"Are you kidding!? I seek you out – you of all people – to pass on a message and you ask if I'm serious? Are you telling me you think I would do that just for a joke?" Granger looked mildly taken aback at his anger. He could see in her eyes the struggle to trust him.

"I'll go. I guess I should thank you, but I'd hate to be on the moral high ground." She smiled sweetly and walked straight passed him, leaving a disbelieving Draco to the returning dread of the remainder of the week. He was still none the wiser as to how he would put up with her.

While walking to Drama, Draco hung back, feeling as if he was way too early. All too soon, he felt a figure by his side and it sniffed as if unsatisfied.

"Malfoy." It said stiffly. Draco inclined his head slightly and saw a white-faced Hermione Granger out the corner of his eye.

"Granger." He replied, needing no more confirmation that she had been informed about 'everything'. They kept the silence up diligently through the corridors and into the lesson, walking together while both wishing they were doing anything but walking together.

Gradually, throughout the lesson, Hermione realised that, although Malfoy had voluntarily got himself into this situation, he had no intention of being at all cooperative. Not a word was spoken by him for the whole lesson and so not a word was spoken by her. As the lesson ended, her pent up anger and frustration was ready to burst forth and, of course, it was directed at Malfoy.

Draco could see that Granger was angry – it didn't take much attention to tell. He braced himself for an attack as he left the class, and sure enough she came striding after him.

"Stop! Stop." She said until he turned to face her, staring down at her impassively. "You got yourself into this mess you know. You had a choice. I was just expected to comply because you had already! I don't care if you get nothing out of this week, but that doesn't mean you ignore me completely. Think of someone else for once Malfoy – I'll be in a foul enough mood this week without you acting like a 10 year-old and giving me the silent treatment. Besides, I never did anything to you to deserve the attitude you give, it's always been you and your stupid prejudices."

"Don't flatter yourself into thinking I would choose to spend four miserable days in your presence," Draco sneered in return after a short pause. "For your information, I denied the offer at first, irrefutably. It was only when the head got my dear mother involved that I 'changed my mind'. I'm so sorry this week isn't going as you intended, Granger, but there's already a queue to join the club." The girl shook her head, her hazel eyes narrowed.

"We're going to be late." This was all she said, though it was obvious to both that there was more on her mind.

The day continued in much the same way. Bored of not talking, Draco eased up slightly with Granger (which certainly had nothing to do with her little speech), though any conversation ended in a disagreement of some kind. The details of the project were, quite embarrassingly, revealed to the whole year in an assembly after lunch. Many sympathetic looks were given in both Draco's direction and his rival's.

As the end of the day drew nearer, Draco felt suffocated. There was no better way to describe the feeling, like being pressed up against on all sides, pressured, trapped, exhausted. When he saw the doors of the school open he could breathe again freely, without the world watching his every move. Overnight, it was like he had become a feature in a museum, for anyone and everyone to stare and whisper shamelessly. His lighter mood dropped significantly when he got home.

He had left his phone at home after forgetting to unplug it from his charger. When he returned to his dimly lit hallway there was a message waiting for him that made him sigh deeply. It had been sent the evening before by Blaise.

Good, I'm glad you can make it. Just to let you know, I've told Crabbe and Goyle not to let you in unless you have a date. Sorry, but you're way too lonely nowadays.

Draco replied angrily.

What the hell Blaise! Why would you tell me NOW?

When the next message arrived, Draco slammed his phone back down.

It's for your own good. Trust me on this one.

What was it with everyone and their plans? Why did it seem like the last person to find out about anything was him? Draco had no idea, but he wanted an end to it all, sooner rather than later.

Poor Draco. He's not having the best of weeks, is he? I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who has reviewed/followed so far - it's totally surreal to see the positive comments I'm getting, thank you. Keep the feedback coming, I don't mind if it's praise or constructive criticism, anything is helpful to me. See ya!