Chapter 3

Hermione and pretty much everyone else on campus was shocked to find that Draco Malfoy was still with the same girl. Though in reality it had only been two weeks. A new personal best for Draco. Hermione however had made absolutely no head way with Jake.

Lucy and Blaise had gone to coffee as promised by Blaise. Hermione had tactfully not joined them however. They seemed to be spending even more time than before much to the delight of Lucy. It didn't escape Hermione's attention that Blaise liked the new arrangement just as much.

Draco's, for lack of a better word girlfriend, was called Cindy. She was clingy, fake, and too damn cheery for Hermione's tastes. But in Cindy's defense Hermione had never had a chat with her. These were observations that Hermione had made of her from the times that she didn't have her tongue shoved down Draco's throat.

Draco seemed happy though. Possibly because he was regularly getting some. Which suited Hermione just fine because this meant that he would stay at Cindy's room for most nights, only coming back to their room every once in a while.

This way Hermione was able to spread out all over the room even throwing some of her books on Draco's bed.

It was one of those rare nights when Draco decided to stay in his room instead of sleeping with Cindy. He came in grumbling to himself and didn't even acknowledge Hermione sitting at her desk head bent, working hard. Just another regular night for her.

Hermione worked for the majority of the night and went to bed at 3:30am setting her alarm for 9:30am, making sure that she got the right amount of sleep before going to bed. Little did she know that she would be woken up earlier than she anticipated.

The time: 6:30..

Loud and incessant knocking on the door made Hermione fall out of bed. Even Draco, who usually didn't move at all unless someone screamed directly into his ear sat bolt upright in bed.

Hermione loved the way he looked in the morning. Hair going in every direction, eyes puffy, big red crease on the side of his face from the pillow he spent most of the night hugging. It made Hermione think of him as a normal person at times like this. But this was no time to think. Someone was banging the bloody door down.

She pleadingly looked at Draco, hoping that he would move and open the door. He sighed and lifted the cover off his torso. Hermione lifted herself up from the floor, where she had fallen.

"Who is it?" Draco called out cautiously, slowly making his way over to the door with Hermione following, holding his arm in a death grip.

"Do you mind?" he said quietly pointing down to her hand squeezing his arm. "You've kind of cut of my circulation."

"Sorry," she said releasing him but still staying close behind.

"It's me Dracoooo!" cooed Cindy from the other side of the door.

Hermione groaned and flopped back on the bed.

"Tell her to leave. It's still bloody 6:30 in the morning," she mumbled into her pillow.

"Shut it Granger."

Draco opened the door to find Cindy bright eyed and dressed ready to conquer the world. As soon as the gap was wide enough, she flung herself at him hugging him tightly and nearly knocking him to the floor.

"I thought we said we were going to have breakfast together," she said into his neck.

"Ermm..yeah we were sweety but I meant at 10 or 11. Not this early," he said sheepishly.

"Oh. I understand," she said standing back looking defeated. Draco instantly felt bad for putting that pout on her face.

"Tell you what," he said, "Let me go and get changed, and I'll meet you down at the cafe in 20 minutes ok?"

"Ok," she said still not looking completely satisfied.

Hermione did a terrible mistake then and raised her head to see what was going on. And that was when she wished she had just remained buried under her covers.

Draco grabbed Cindy pushed her against the wall and kissed her so passionately that she grabbed his shoulders just to be able to stay standing. Hermione made a quiet gagging noise and buried her head back under her covers.

The next thing she heard was Draco promising to be ready in 20 minutes and shutting the door.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Hermione said laughing to herself.

"What are you on about Granger?"

"Draco Malfoy, loved up," she said looking over at him, laughing. Her laugh turned into a guffaw when she saw his face go red.

"I repeat. Shut it Granger!" he said and started laughing himself.

Later on that day, Hermione got bored studying up in her room all by herself. Lucy was with Blaise yet again and Draco was still AWOL from this morning.

She decided to collect all her things and go and sit in the café. She would be able to study there and if she got bored, she could always just sit and people watch.

Ten minutes later, she was settled in her seat by the window. She was not amused to see Draco and Cindy sitting there as well, Cindy feeding him potato chips out of her plate. Draco noticed her and smirked before capturing Cindy's mouth in a kiss again.

Gag! Hermione knew he was doing it to piss her off and it was working so well. She promptly put her head down and continued doing her work when she heard a laugh that made her head snap back up.

It was Jake! He was back in the café with some of his friends and looking as adorable and handsome as ever. Hermione felt herself blushing from her toes to the roots of her hair. And this was without her even being in close proximity to him. She put her head down quickly to continue her work but couldn't help herself from stealing glances at him every once in a while.

It was one of those moments with her head down when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Thinking it was Draco coming to tease her again, shegot ready to give him a sarcastic comment with a sneer on her face.

"What do you-" she stopped mid-sentence when she realized that it wasn't Draco standing infront of her but Jake. The handsome Jake, sweet adorable Jake.

She tried to make her lips form a hello but no sound came out.

"Hey. You look busy," he said smiling down at her.

"Hey," she said blushing even more furiously.

He leaned on the table and started talking to her about his previous homework and how hard he had found it researching the topic.

Draco who had managed to unglue his mouth from Cindy's started looking around the café waiting for Cindy to return to normal after their snog-fest. She always ended up a bit giddy afterwards and it took her a couple of minutes to finally be able to form proper sentences. Looking round, his eyes landed on Hermione and that Jake guy leaning on her table talking to her about something and her blushing furiously.

Hmmm this could be interesting, he thought to himself. He watched as Jake walked away and Hermione watched him leave and did a silent jig in her seat still blushing.

Very interesting. I could use this to my advantage, he thought smugly.

Draco watched Hermione for a few more minutes. She kept smiling to herself and was oblivious to everyone else around her.

Hermione was floating on air. Jake had just stopped and chatted with her. Who'd have thought that he would remember her? She was so happy that she wasn't concentrating on her homework and kept making mistakes in her writing. All of a sudden she felt someone watching her. She looked round quickly but didn't see anyone.

Draco had an instant brain wave, but he couldn't really do anything about it now. He'd have to wait for tonight.

Hermione got bored after another half an hour of working and started packing away. Before she could completely put everything away in her bag, Lucy came.

"Mi! Oh my god! You will not believe what just happened to me!" she said too loudly for her surroundings.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"I always laughed at you for saying you're a sad excuse for a girl but today, I have to say that I'm the real sad excuse for a girl."

"Ok, you're creeping me out now. What's wrong?"

"I was just with Blaise and I was so nervous that I just kept stammering and blushing and..Oh my God! It was bloody awful Mi. I actually spilt my tea down his lap. A hot cup of fucking tea went straight down onto, well you know what." She said dropping her head on her arms.

Hermione watched her friend nearing tears and stopped herself from laughing. This really was a funny situation because anyone with eyes could see that Blaise liked her just as much as she liked him. Hermione knew for a fact that Blaise would have found her nervousness as adorable rather than horrible. And this was exactly what she told Lucy.

Ten minutes later they both sat with a coffee apiece and Lucy told Hermione all about the embarrassing things she did. But this time, she was laughing to herself whilst talking about the 'sorry tale'. Hermione told her about her small chat with Jake too.

Later that night Hermione was sitting on her bed listening to some music. Draco was still missing in action. She was contemplating writing Harry and Ginny a letter when the door opened.

Draco walked in and upon catching sight of Hermione he stopped and started smirking.

"What's so funny Malfoy?" she asked furrowing her brows.

"Nothing Granger. Everything is excellent."

"You're too happy. I don't like it," she said.

Laughing Draco said, "Come now. Everything's great. Except for this stupid homework that I have to do."

"So just get on with it and do it then," Hermione said annoyed.

"But you see, I think it would be best if you do it Granger," he said smugly.

"And why the bloody hell would I want to do your homework Malfoy?"

"Because.."

"Spit it out," she said getting really annoyed now.

"Well Granger, I know things."

"Good for you," she said failing to rise to the bait.

Draco walked over and sat on her bed facing her. She looked up at him curiously. What the hell is he playing at? She thought to herself.

"So I saw you today at the café," he said smirking.

"So did anyone else who has eyes," she said starting to lose interest in this pointless conversation.

"Ah but you see I saw so much more than everyone else Granger," he said smugly.

"I seriously doubt that Malfoy."

"So are you gonna do my homework or not?"

"Why the hell would I even contemplate doing your homework?"

"Because..I know things," he repeated.

"Yeah.. So you said. But I'm still waiting to hear what these things are ferret."

"Oh let's just forget it then," he said getting of her bed and slowly walking back towards the door. "I'm just gonna go and see my good friend Jake," he said drawing out the last word.

"And I should care about this because…." Hermione said. But inside her heart had skipped a beat at the mention of Jake. How would he know? She thought back to what he had said:

but you see I saw so much more than everyone else Granger

"I think you care Granger," he said even more smugly than before.

She tried not to make anything obvious but she was sure that he could hear her heart hammering against her chest.

"Whatever Malfoy," she said nonchalantly. She would have gotten away with it too but her lips twitching slightly gave away how nervous she was getting.

"So tell me Granger, before I go to see Jake, anything you want me to tell him? Cause I have so much to tell him that he needs to know, if you catch my drift," he said winking.

"What are you getting at?"

"As I've said, I saw so much more than everyone else."

"You're lying," she challenged, standing up from the bed.

"Am I?" he said getting right up in her face.

"You are," she said facing up to him.

"So you're telling me, that if Jake came in here, you wouldn't become a stuttering muttering blushing catastrophe?" he asked smirking yet again.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said turning away so that he wouldn't see the truth on her face.

"Ok then I'll just go and call him," Draco said sauntering towards the door.

Before she could stop herself or comprehend anything, Hermione grabbed his arm and stopped him from walking.

"You wouldn't," she said.

"Wouldn't I?" he challenged.

Hermione stared at him, really looked at his face and saw that he was completely serious and that he knew everything. She was so stupid. Stupid Blush! The fight leaving her veins completely, she said;

"What do you want?"

"Well Granger, I'll make a deal with you. You do my homework for the whole year, and I won't tell Jake that you lurve him," he said drawing out 'lurve'.

"No bloody way Malfoy," she said angry now.

"Find then I'll just go and find Jake," he said turning towards the door again.

"I'll only do it until Christmas Malfoy and that's my last offer. Take it or leave it," she said silently praying for him to take it.

He turned round the smirk gracing his lips again.

"Good choice Granger. Till Christmas it is. I suggest you get started on my 3000word long essay on wand movements for spell deflection. It's for this Friday," he said.

"I can't believe I've agreed to this. But you have to keep your end of the deal too Malfoy. If you don't, I'll make sure that you fail out of every single lesson that you are taking this term. Clear?" she said fuming.

"Crystal," he said with a nod of his head and a small smile. "And don't worry. My lips are sealed. Just make sure you don't step out of line. Otherwise who knows what some people will find out," he said and smirking that bloody smirk again, walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Hermione grabbed her pillow and screamed into hit, hoping that the pillow would muffle the sound.

"Heard that!" Draco called through the door. Hermione threw her pillow at the said door than realising that she needs it she walked back to retrieve it and threw herself back on her bed, face down, completely defeated.

Hey Everyone! Because of so many of you adding me to your alert lists I have decided to upload another chapter early! Once again thank you to all of you who have added me to your lists and a special thank you to im-mrs-draco-malfoy for reviewing and making me laugh so much with her review! Now I have a special request from you all! Please Pleaase Pleassseeee give me reviews! I really want to know what you all think. Especially those of you who have added me to your alert lists! Let me know all of you what you think!

Also I just realised that I have forgotten to add my disclaimer so here it is:

I do not own this story or make any profit from it. This all belongs to the lovely JK Rowling." e you whatnding back looking defeated. Draco instantly felt bad for putting that pout on her face.