Author's note: Chapter five everyone. Enjoy it like always.

Hermione let a small yelp as long, pale fingers snaked around her small wrist. She knew who the fingers belonged to. Draco Malfoy pressed his body lightly against her. She felt his breath near her ear, her back touching his chest. He turned her abruptly and lightly slammed her against the bookshelf. His 5'9'' body hovered above her 5'3''. He looked down at her, the fury still in his eyes. He dropped her wrist and kept his hands on the either side of her head against the bookshelf. She was trapped in his arms and her wand was in her bag while his was poking out from his left pocket.

Hermione broke the eye contact and looked around her. She wanted to run away from him, but she knew how well she was trapped. She looked at her left, her mind calculating the time she would need if she pushed him and made a mad dash towards the main part of the library.

"Don't even think of it" his voice was cold and angry, "I'll just drag you back."

Hermione reluctantly looked back at him, her eyes trying to search the reason for his behaviour. He did not give her any. He was expert in hiding his emotions and thoughts. His face was stripped of all expressions and emotions, but he couldn't help the fury and anger in his eyes which he saw reflected in her brown ones. She deserves it, he thought and leaned into her; pressing her tightly against the wall, his body touching her small frame lightly. He wanted to make sure she didn't escape, being the smart witch that she was and a bloody Gryffindor he didn't want to risk her escape. He had looked for this chance of cornering her the entire day.

"What do you want?" Hermione choked out. She wanted answers and knowing Draco Malfoy he wasn't going to give her any, but she had to try.

"Why don't you tell me?" she hadn't expected that. She couldn't think of any way in which she could have offended him. She had even stopped attacking him with her swear words when she talked to Ginny about him and quite corruptive ones they were. She was pretty sure there was no way in which he would have known, or did he?

"I have no clue what you are talking about." That was true. She had no idea what he was playing at.

He gave her his trademark smirk and whispered, "Yes you do. Stop playing with me."

She racked her brain for anything, anything she had done or said, but she couldn't find anything. He had stopped offending her since the beginning of the year and she had given up on him too, not that it bothered her in anyway. He still kept harassing Harry and provoking Ron into doing something but he never made a verbal attack on her, not anymore.

She slowly shook her head, giving him a non-verbal no. But that seemed to anger him even more. He leaned in again and whispered in her ear, "Stop tormenting me Hermione, it's not funny anymore."

He leaned back and observed her, she was in shock would be an understatement. Her face was pale and looked at him as if he came from a different planet and had just confessed he had supernatural powers. Torment? What did he mean by that? Hermione thought as she regained control of her thoughts again who had momentarily decided to leave her.

"I still have no clue." She said in a small voice. She didn't know why but she suddenly felt intimidated by him, maybe because she was wandless or because he suddenly appeared so strong to her, she had no idea.

He lowered his right hand from the wall to her arm and traced his way down to her fingers. His fingers snaked their way around her fingers and intertwined them, clutching her hand tightly in his. Hermione's hear skipped a beat. His fingers were long and covered her small hand entirely. His eyes never seemed to leave hers, like he was weighing her reaction. Her eyes grew wide; he noticed that when she felt his fingers brushing against her arm. He smirked even more.

"You seem to touch Potter a lot these days." Her eyes grew even wider, if that was even possible. Again he did not leave her eyes, he wanted to read the truth rather than hear it from her.

"No…" she half shouted, horrified from his accusation. He got his answer and his body somewhat relaxed but he still held her in place.

"It's not like…" she stopped as she realised something. "Why am I explaining it to you? Why do you suddenly care who I am touching." She looked genuinely shocked when she had shouted a no at him, like she desperately wanted to give him an explanation of her actions.

"Believe me Granger, I always cared." He backed off from her, his fingers leaving hers as he stormed off leaving her without a backward glance.

Hermione slumped into the cold floor below, shocked at Malfoy's intimate behaviour. Intimate? She cringed from the word. She hurriedly got up and half ran to her table and yanked her wand from her bag and clutched it tightly in her hands as if it was her most prized possession. She vowed she would never keep her wand in her bag again, she was sure she would have hexed him if she had her wand with her. But again she doubted herself, would she do that?

-…..-

Hermione packed her bag in a hurry and left the library in a daze. She walked and then ran half way to the Gryffindor tower suddenly afraid that Malfoy would pounce on her or drag her into an empty classroom.

She muttered the password, 'Oddsbodikins.' She wasn't even sure the Fat Lady really understood her password or let her in simply because she knew her. She stopped in front of the fireplace and Harry, Ron and Ginny turned to look at her.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Ron asked as he looked away from his chess game.

Hermione stared dumbly at him, no excuse coming to her rescue. "I…uhh…I just lost my potions parchment, the one in which I wrote my homework. I was just panicked." Homework and study were the only excuses that Hermione would get over with without being interrogated. Just when she thought she had fooled them, her eyes fell on bright brown orbs looking suspiciously at her. Ah! Ginny Weasley suspected something, why was she so bloody good at such things? She was about to wave off Ron and Ginny when a hoarse voice distracted her.

Cheater! Why you wanna cheat? Bloody cheater! The pawn on Harry and Ron's chess board shouted at Harry.

Harry looked sheepishly at them and smiled a little. Ginny burst out laughing and Hermione was glad for the distraction.

"Merlin's pants Harry! You were trying to cheat? Trust the Boy-Who-Lived and murder the one who said that." Ron raised his eyebrows so high they got almost lost in his mass of red hair.

Harry leaned back in his chair and admitted in a small voice, "Well, you always win and I'm tired to loosing."

"But still cheating?" Ron's voice was loud and shocked.

Hermione tuned the boys out knowing they would be arguing for the entire night and majority of the day tomorrow. She turned towards her dormitory when Ginny got up, bid the boys good night and followed Hermione up to her dorm.

Ginny locked the dorm behind her, thankful that it was empty. Lavender and Parvati were the only ones staying with Hermione; and right now they would be in the far corner of the castle with Parvati's sister looking for gossip.

Ginny sat on Lavender's bed and held her stuffed lion in her hand and looked at Hermione. Hermione was busy arranging her books on the table to pay any attention to Ginny.

"So…" Ginny finally asked when she was sure Hermione wouldn't say anything and she would have to finally dig out information from her.

"So what?" Hermione turned and started making her already made bed.

"I noticed a rather peculiar thing today." Ginny was now eyeing Hermione with full concentration and Hermione fidgeted under her gaze.

"Uh huh!" Hermione now turned back to her desk, collected a few books and went on the opposite side of the room to dump them in her trunk. She was nervous and she kept biting her nails.

"Malfoy…" Ginny started and Hermione turned sharply at her. Ginny raised her eyebrows at her.

"What about Malfoy?" Hermione tried to sound casual but she knew her voice had betrayed her long ago.

"I was pretty sure he did something to you. The way he looked at you, I knew it. So should I wake up the cavalry and make them march towards the dungeons?" Ginny looked quite serious about the whole cavalry thing so Hermione spoke before she could run off to tell them.

"No. He didn't do anything." Hermione said quietly.

"I knew it. I just wanted to be sure of something, and now I am." Ginny relaxed and leaned against the wall, her comforting gaze still locked on Hermione.

"Then why…."

"Well I was going to say Malfoy tried provoking Ron into turning Professor Filtwick into a canary today in charms and that idiot brother of mine almost did, before you gave me a sign that something has definitely happened between you and Malfoy." Ginny said as she put the stuffed lion back at its place and walked over to Hermione.

"What?" Hermione shouted. "I'm going to kill Ron."

"But…" Ginny raised her voice on top of Hermione's to make herself hear.

"I think there is something else you wanted to say about Malfoy." She wiggled her eyebrows at her and Hermione knew she wouldn't win this one. So she sat on her bed, Ginny followed her, sitting cross legged opposite her. Hermione retold what had happened, blushing with every word she spoke.

After five minutes, Hermione was red as a beetroot and Ginny was openly gaping at Hermione in an ungirlish way.

"I don't know what he meant by that. Stupid git." Hermione looked expectantly at Ginny, thinking she might have an answer for her, knowing Ginny she should have one. She hated Malfoy more than ever now, he had forced her to think about him and this made her hate him even more.

"He likes you." Ginny said quietly after a full minute's silence. She locked her gaze with Hermione, her brown orbs wide as saucers.

Hermione felt dizzy. Malfoy? Fell for her? The idea itself was laughable. Everyone knew just how much he hated the oh-so-brilliant-mudblood. His thoughts on pureblood and muggle borns were famous in the entire school. She was never interested in such bullshit but she couldn't help the hurt she felt when she overheard some lengthy lies which he had managed to pass around at school.

But the way he had behaved today did not justify his behaviour as an enemy. An enemy is supposed to loathe your very presence let alone touch your body. Malfoy had stood painfully close to her; she had felt his heartbeat clearly as if it were coming from her. And he did behave quite odd these days, even his cronies had topped harassing her.

Malfoy? Seriously? It was hard to believe. But the way he looked at her today, in the classes and then in the library. Arg! She felt frustrated. Why does he have to be so damn confusing? Couldn't he be just like any other normal teenager? But when was Malfoy ever normal?

"I think it's something else." Hermione finally concluded.

"Uh huh." Ginny was deep in thought when she replied. She had noticed the way Malfoy had at looked at Hermione in the Great Hall like he was jealous or something. She let the subject drop; she knew it would be futile to convince Hermione that she had managed to make her enemy fall for her. Ginny decided to keep an eye on him, look out for signs or slips he would make that would make her reach a conclusion. Suddenly, Malfoy did not appear as scary as he had previously looked, looked like he could have feelings too. She had always thought of him as an emotionless bat.

-….-

"Now if you turn your page, you'll see the theory in detail which will help you to understand the Confundus Charm correctly. The theory is quite self-explanatory and I know you all are capable of understanding it without help." Umbridge's over sweet and girlish voice rang in the room.

Everyone turned their pages to look at the next page. They made huge rustling noise just to hear something else apart from Umbridge who was speaking since the last half an hour, making Harry's ear recoil in pain. Sure enough, the page had a detailed theory on the charm which continued to the next three pages, supported by some useless diagrams.

Harry groaned as his eyes swept past the next three pages. He was positive that the charm did not require so much effort, trust Ministry to make their life even harder.

"Bloody hell mate." Ron whispered to Harry who was propped up on his palm.

"I'm sure you know, they are just wasting our time. This is ridiculous. I mean which hex requires three pages of theory to cast? And that too a simple one like this. I bet even the first years are flawless at this."

Hem Hem sounded from behind themand the colour drained from Harry and Ron's faces. Looked like the toad heard everything! Reluctantly they turned back and Umbridge stood a few paces away from Harry. She gave them a very sweet smile and walked over to them. The entire class focused on the three of them, finding it more interesting than the dumb theory.

"Everyone turn back to your theory." Umbridge addressed the rest of the class and they looked back at their books, disappointment at missing the verbal war that would now start.

"I'm sure you have some problem with the theory Mr Potter." She said his name with such venom that would have even put Snape to shame.

"Actually I do." He said, much to Hermione and Ron's horror. She tried to tug at his sleeve but he ignored her.

"And what exactly is your problem Mr Potter?" she moved towards him and now stood directly in front of him.

"I have problems with a lot of things Professor and yes your book is definitely one of them." Harry smiled at her in a similar manner.

"I have read the book and have found no such problem, I think it is very elaborative and self- explanatory."

"I think elaborative enough to turn it useless." Harry concluded in a small voice so no one could hear him except Hermione, Ron and Umbridge.

Anger flashed in her eyes but Harry made no effort to apologize. "I think a detention will be enough to remove you problem then?" She raised his eyebrows at him.

"I don't think so. I don't think I've broken any rules, just questioned you on this book. It's not against the rules is it Hermione?" He turned to face her. Hermione was as red as Ron and looked shocked and scared but she gave him a small no.

"See, I thought so." He turned back to Umbridge who was fuming now. Any minute, Ron guessed she would explode.

"And I don't think Professor Dumbledore vey likely would accept your method of punishment." Harry was playing with fire, he knew he had trigged a nerve of hers as the vein near her temple throbbed and her eyes narrowed. She smiled venomously at him and responded in a whisper,

"Not long Mr Potter until I have this school under control." She stalked away towards the front of the class. Anything, he was ready for anything but not this response. He looked at Ron and Hermione who wore similar shocked expression. Harry turned to look at Umbridge and she smiled again in content, satisfied with her warning.

-…..-

"Bonkers, that woman is mad, mental." Ron shouted into the empty common room. Harry was pacing in front of the fireplace. Hermione sat at the far end of the room on their usual table. Ron sat on the couch in front of the fireplace.

"What is she playing at? She threatened us in front of the entire class." Harry stopped pacing and looked at Hermione. Hermione got up from her chair and sat beside Ron.

"This is not good, the way it's going. The threat was real."

Ron turned to face Hermione. "Of course it was real Hermione. Did Umbridge look that kind of a woman who would make empty threats? After blood quill, hard luck I'd say"

"She is openly challenging Dumbledore's capability in running the school." Hermione looked at Harry as she said. "She certainly wants to control the school now, but I think with Dumbledore here; that would be…"

"No she would do it." Ron stopped her mid-way. "Ron's right Hermione." Harry said as he walked over to his favourite armchair. "She already managed to take the Defence position and then introduced that book with nothing but bullshit in it. If Dumbledore had his wish he would have never allowed the book to enter the premises."

Harry was right. He knew Dumbledore, he knew him well enough to tell what he despised and what he approved of. As far as Harry could tell he would have definitely banned the book from Hogwarts and possibly the toad too. But why wasn't he doing it? He was the headmaster of this school, if anyone had any right over this school first, it would be Dumbledore.

He suddenly realised he hadn't seen Dumbledore since he got back from school. Where was he these days? He hadn't seen much of him in the Great Hall either. The sudden and often disappearance of Dumbledore from school looked like a heavy mystery which had placed its burden on Harry's shoulders.

"Something's not right isn't it?" Hermione asked quietly.

"I haven't seen much of him since we got back. I have hardly seen him at the lunch and dinner hours. And he still hasn't sent for me, not even once." he looked equally puzzled like Hermione and Ron.

"Something is happening. Dumbledore wouldn't leave the school for any matter unless it's urgent."

"Do you think it's got something to do with You-know-Who?" Ron asked as he played with a small thread which was poking out of the sofa.

"Dunno Ron. Maybe." Harry turned away from them.

If it concerned Voldemort, Harry was certain Dumbledore would tell him or at least Sirius would. But none of them had notified him lately and there weren't any Death Eater raids or disappearances lately, so what was keeping Dumbledore and the Order busy?

A loud thunder boomed across the sky and heavy drops of rain made their way to the ground. The wind turned heavy and in no time transformed into a storm roaring and threatening them.

-xxxx-

Done! I hope you enjoyed this one. The next chapter won't be up by next week.

Have an amazing weekend.

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