Hermione kept her head down, eyes fixed on her dark brown school shoes. She gulped. Her heart beating furiously was all that she could hear, as it was racing to the beat of her labored breath. "I- Ron..."

She heard a scoff and raised her head to look at the two boys who were looking at her. Draco had a smile on his pale white face. He crossed his arms. He took at look at Hermione and gave out a laugh.

"Really Granger? You're not going to tell him what that girl did to you?" Hermione just kept her eyes on Ron and the tears began to overflow her two hazel brown eyes. She had cried quite a few times in the last day or so, but this was different. She didn't know why she was crying now. She reached one hand towards her face wiped a few tears off of her cheek. "Why…" she whispered. She glanced at Ron again. He was looking at her with sympathy and a tad of worry.

" 'Mione…" He began to walk towards her with the intention of trying to console her.

"Ron…" she thought. "Lavender, she told me to get away from you… to not have your friendship, to not love you like I do." She began to open her arms so that Ron would hug her. All Hermione wanted to do was hold him, run her hands through his crazy orange hair and tell him everything that was on her mind. But she stopped as she noticed that Draco was walking back towards the stairs that would lead him to the Slytherin dorm. As she watched him, he looked back to Ron and her. Hermione expected Draco to smirk at her in his condescending way, but all she saw on his was a blank expression, and in his silvery grey eyes…nothing but loneliness.

Hermione quickly closed her arms and walked towards Malfoy. She grabbed his arm and began to pull him in the other direction. "What the hell Granger! Let go of me!" Hermione didn't say a word as she walked past Ron and while dragging Draco along she turned her head to look at him once more.

"Ron, nothing happened between Lavender and I. Malfoy is just being a lying git." She turned her head once more to look forward and she walked towards the end of the hallway.

Ron stood there, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "Hermione! Where are you going with Malfoy?" he yelled after her, but he received no response and all he could hear now was his voice echoing around the hallway.

Draco grunted and tried to shake Granger's hold on his arm, but she hung on with a strong grip. "Granger what the bloody hell do you think you're doing? Let go of me you filthy Mud-" And before he could finish she pushed him towards the nearest wall.

"Listen here Malfoy," Hermione began. She put both of her hands on her hips and stood with a patronizing look on her face. Draco was rubbed his head in confusion and glared at her. "You're not going to tell Ronald anything." Draco scoffed. "ANYTHING." she said forcefully. "If you do, I swear I'll-"

"You'll what? You've got to be kidding me Granger. YOU do something to ME? DO you realize who you're messing with here?" He pushed Hermione aside and began to walk away. Hermione grabbed his arm again and drew her wand to his neck, effectively pinning him to the stone wall.

"If you don't keep your mouth shut, Draco Malfoy, I swear you won't see daylight again." Draco's chest rose and fell as he breathed. He kept quiet after Hermione finished talking. She pressed her wand into his neck with a bit more force and said, "Got it?"

Draco raged with anger. "How dare her point her wand at me!" he thought. He grabbed Hermione by the shoulders and pushed her to the floor.

"Listen to me you filthy little Mudblood. You cannot and will not threaten me."

Hermione rose quickly, holding her wand steady once more…straight towards Draco's face. She looked into his grey eyes and did not waver.

Draco tightened his jaw. He knew that Hermione was a very powerful witch and that she knew an array of spells that could have him howling in pain in no time.

"Fine," Draco said lightly. Hermione kept her eyes on locked his, and then slowly lowered her wand and pocketed it. Draco was red from the rage still building inside of him.

"Good," Hermione said. She turned and began to walk towards the end of the hallway that they had come from. Draco stood there, watching her leave. His fists remained balled up at his sides, and his heart was beating uncontrollably

Hermione walked towards where she had left Ron. "I should explain..." she thought, watching her two feet move closer towards Ron. "I should tell him that I went to teach Malfoy a lesson…to not lie about thing like that!" She smiled, and then she froze as she reached the corner. Her smile fell as she saw Lavender, who was caught in an embrace by Ron.

"Oh Ron, tell me what happened!" She caught sight of Hermione at the corner and stuck out her tongue at her. "How mature…" Hermione thought.

"Well..." Ron began as he let go of Lavender. He saw that she was sneaking looks behind him and he turned his head. Hermione quickly hid behind the corner. She put her hand to her chest and felt her pounding heart.

"What were you looking at?" he asked Lavender suspiciously as he turned his head back towards her.

Lavender paused and then smiled. "Ronald really? Tell me what happened!" She held his two hands and looked into Ron's eyes. "Why were you standing in front of the stairs that lead to the Slytherin common room?" Hermione could hear the strain in the girl's voice: Lavender was getting impatient.

But Ron didn't want to tell her what had happened. He hesitated and finally spoke.

"I sleepwalk," he simply said, not wanting to tell her the truth. He let go of Lavender's hands and smiled weakly. Lavender kept her mouth shut as she stared at Ron. She knew he was lying. She reached for his hands once more and squeezed them firmly.

"Ronnie, please tell me the truth. I know you're lying to me." Lavender spoke with a light tone, but he could see it in her face that she was growing even more impatient, angry even. Ron looked at her, confused to why she was acting this way. He took his hands out of Lavender's grasp and backed away slightly. Ron shook his head and began to walk the other way when Lavender grabbed his arm. "Oh Ron! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I'm just...so worried about you." She hugged him then.

Hermione watched the scene unfold. "Ugh," she thought to herself. "...why am I even watching this? It only makes my chest hurt…"

Hermione turned her head to check and see if the coast was clear for her to leave and nearly had a heart attack when she saw the Slytherin boy, who she thought had left, standing right next to her. She let out a gasp, quickly covering her mouth.

"What was that?" Ron said in astonishment. He started to walk towards where Hermione stood but Lavender stopped him.

"Ronnie! It's probably a teacher! Let's go!" She pulled Ron further down hallway, out of Hermione's view.