Author's note: Next chapter! I loved writing this one, hope you'll enjoy reading it!

PuppyProngs: I won't let anything out just yet. You have wait and find out in the upcoming chapters. Be ready it's just started.

Maesde: haha! I was eager to show Draco's hesitation in joining the Death Eaters. I'm glad you liked it.

Starzinmieyez: Hehe! Yes! A light one and in the upcoming chapters he is going to go under a major change! Keep reading!

Thank you for the review everyone and to all those who read regularly!

Don't forget to review!

…..

By the start of November, things had gotten pretty much out of hand. Dumbledore all together disappeared from the school making his appearance once or twice a week, Umbridge had practically taken over the school, the no. of students subjected to blood quill increased, the restrictions increased and so did the study pressure on the fifth and the seventh years. With the increased "theory" material into their syllabus almost every student was found reading some or the other textbook. The most disturbing thing was that no one questioned Umbridge's authority on the school; not even McGonagall who was opposed to the woman in the first place, it was kind of implied authority which everyone accepted and obeyed.

No one opposed when Umbridge was appointed the "High Inquisitor" of Hogwarts, no one questioned when all student organizations were banned, nor did McGonagall oppose when authority over punishments were handed over to Umbridge: this was just the green card for the use of blood quill. Umbridge was so far playing her cards thoughtfully and with the prevailing situations, she was playing them smartly.

Draco and Hermione's meeting in the corridor turned out to be an unexpected turn of events for both of them. She met him frequently in the library; accidently (or purposefully in case of Draco) and would end up studying for hours at Hermione's secluded table. Draco had somewhat opened up to Hermione, letting his thoughts reflect on his face or asking her a twisted question. He took her help in responding to his father's letter. The one thing which Draco learned in all of this was; she was selfless, had different perspective of life and thought highly of Harry and Ron.

"You know Draco…," she had said once. They were in the library studying Arithmancy then, "You asked me about this whole life-is-inferior-and-Harry-Potter-still-gets-every-awesome-thing-in-the-world thing?" she popped her eyebrows at him and he chuckled.

"Yes." He said, closing his parchment and letting it dry.

"Well, I thought about it." she said, turning the quill over in her hands.

"No doubt." He said, trying to keep his smile from showing and failing miserably.

She smacked his arm playfully and said, "Listen, I know you don't really think highly of Harry or anything, for the world he might be Harry Potter the-boy-who-lived, but for me it's…it's just Harry; only Harry; he didn't get anything as a child Draco, not even a toy." Her voice dropped when she said the last part, not quite realizing how much it upset her.

"He has suffered so much in his life, he just deserves it, you know; everything that he is getting right now; the attention, the love; everything. He was devoid of those things and he needs it. He needs love and caring, no one cared about him before and now there are a whole lot of people who would die for him any day!" She closed her quill and ink bottle and stretched in her seat. She let out a small sigh and continued,

"Over the years of being with him I've seen a different form of him, a different side; yes he is famous and all but there is a lot more to it Draco; he is loyal to a fault, a very brave wizard, a good friend. It will take him more than a Cruciatus Curse to betray the people he loves and he just has a handful of them left." She looked at him with hopeful eyes. He knew what that look meant. They had spent endless times arguing about his enmity with Harry and Ron.

"Look Hermione…" he began unsurely.

"No you look." She said sternly. "We have grown up; why not leave these childish fights behind us?"

"Childish?" he said sharply and straightened up in his chair. She let out a low chuckle.

"Yes, childish." She said nodding her head.

Draco leaned back in his chair; his thoughts went back to the first day of school where he had offered his friendship to Harry. He looked at Hermione and knew she was right. They were nothing but childish fights and shallow ego clashes, nothing much, and the enmity continued because Harry got into Gryffindor. So, it was the usual; Slytherin and Gryffindor enmity that just ran deeper after that.

"You might not know this, but yes I offered Harry a friendship which he declined." He said in a low voice. He didn't know why but he felt like she should know it.

"What?" she looked surprised.

"Yes, but he refused it when I insulted Weasley, he decided to stick with the weasel."

The words, the truth was out before Draco could control, he just wanted Hermione to know this. Why? He didn't completely understand, like he wanted to get out of her bad books and tell her he had tried in the first place. He hurriedly packed his bag and left a shell shocked Hermione behind.

Hermione's perspective of Draco Malfoy had changed too, he wasn't the evil, vile, loathsome cockroach that he used to be, but he was something else, something different which he hid from the world. He didn't look ugly anymore but instead a handsome man who was just a little confused. Hermione was sure that in the coming years Draco Malfoy would replace his father's position at Voldemort's side, but today he was suddenly a different man, a different being, searching his way out into the free, open world.

She couldn't despise him now, she had tried miserably to hate and loath him after that corridor encounter but she couldn't. She tried joining Harry and Ron in the who-throws-greater-insults-at-the-ferret competition but when her chance would come the image of a dishevelled Draco Malfoy would pop into her head and the insults would melt in her throat.

He was a changed man; yes a man, not a boy. A man, who just needed a little push in the right direction and Hermione, was already doing it. His believes on muggles and muggle borns were shaken and Hermione leaped on the chance to shake them completely, she told and tried again and again, explained and listened to him. He had agreed, a small part of him she knew agreed with her and she was happy for it. She knew it was going to take just more than a few months to convince him entirely but she was ready for that.

-…..-

Nearly everyone failed in the next Defence against the Dark Arts mock practical which Umbridge had taken to see the students' performance. The ones who passed were, Harry, Ron, Hermione and two Slytherin girls. Umbridge was furious with the results but still was adamant that the students didn't read the theory well and gave them a four foot long essay to write on the importance of reading theory due next Thursday.

Students appearing for Owl this year were scared now; they couldn't even get the Expelliarmus spell correct and failing the practical's meant failing OWL exams. Students started practising the spells in the corridors and in the library. They were desperate to get it correct and master it by the time OWL's came, but the 'light wave' and 'a sharp jab' of the wand mentioned in the theory did not work with the students who were then left even more confused and scared.

Harry had no problem grasping the spells and he learnt it rather quickly, and then took to teaching Hermione and Ron. Harry was quite strong with DADA everyone knew that and people would approach him for his help with a spell or two and Harry would willingly help. Hermione was glad Harry was helping all these people even the ones who had turned their backs on him and called him a liar last year, but Harry wasn't exactly the one to hold grudges for long.

Dean and Seamus spotted Hermione walking towards the portrait hole on Friday evening. They looked at each other, nodded and called out to her increasing their pace along with their voices.

"Hermione. Hermione wait." Seamus and Dean ran to catch up with her before she could enter the common room. She stopped at the entrance and turned to watch the boys hurrying up to her.

"Hey boys." Hermione greeted cheerfully.

"Hey." They said in unison and smiled at each other having sounded like Fred and George.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suspecting the boys were up to something after they looked nervously at each other.

"Ah…we need your help with something." Dean said tapping his foot impatiently.

"Help? With what?" she narrowed her eyes when Seamus tried to tell her something but Dean nudged him in the stomach with his elbow.

"Not here, somewhere else?" Seamus asked.

"Sure." Hermione said and lead the way to the small alcove near the staircase.

"What is it." she said as she folded her hands across her chest.

"Hmmm…we were just thinking you know…" Dean trailed off.

"Thinking what?" Hermione said with impatience. They were really behaving odd.

"That we need Harry's help in DADA." Seamus finished for Dean and Hermione visibly relaxed.

"Just that much? C'mon you know Harry will never say no."

"Yeah we know that, but we aren't the only ones who need his help." Dean said looking around nervously for eavesdroppers/

"You mean?" she asked.

"What we mean is…" Seamus said, "There are people from the other houses who want help from Harry in DADA and he is the only one in the school right now who can teach us since Umbridge has banned other teachers from teaching anything out of their syllabus and she hardly knows Defence." He finished with a sigh.

Realization dawned on Hermione and her eyes grew wide, "You mean, private tuitions type? With 10-15 students?"

"Yes exactly. People are eager you know. We've talked to them and they are just waiting for Harry to say yes." Dean whispered.

That didn't sound like a bad idea to her at all and knowing Harry it would definitely sound a bad idea to him.

"I'll try." She said knowing why the boys told her this. She was the only one who could completely convince Harry into this.

-…..-

Hermione talked to Harry the next day in Care of Magical Creatures class when Seamus and Dean kept shooting looks at her and as she expected Harry did not take it well. He argued and argued and still argued at the end of the day, telling her it wasn't a good idea. She argued back, and desperately tried to show him how much it would succeed and going against Umbridge was what most of the students wanted, even if it was in secret. Ron took it much better than Harry and quickly joined Hermione in convincing Harry.

When Dean and Seamus joined in their convincing, Harry lost his temper and shouted that he'll think about it before storming back into his dormitory. They all exchanged smiles before heading back to their own beds, the excitement visible in their smiles and steps.

Harry took a week to make a decision and that week changed a lot of things. The professors started handling out foot long essays when they got too angry, Snape openly showed his hatred for Harry when he disappeared his flawless potion because the flame on his caldron too much which led to Harry being a little aggressive and angry in the days that followed.

Hermione started spending a lot of her time with Seamus, Dean and Ron planning out arrangements for their tuition thing which they were positive Harry wouldn't refuse and that meant she had little or absolutely no time for Draco and they their little study sessions which led a frustrated Draco corner her every now and then.

She was sure the others wouldn't approve of a Slytherin being a part of this small tuition thing that they were planning so she did not tell Draco about it. She spent less time with him knowing that she would spill the bins if she stayed in his company for too long. Draco had managed to corner her two times in the week but had to let her go when he heard faint footsteps coming their way. He was forced to leave but he promised her that he would get to her one day and she wouldn't be able to escape him. Hermione would have laughed at him for saying that to her but his eyes shone a different anger which she dared not cross, so she simply ran away from him and tried not to see him in the Great Hall or in the corridors.

Draco's behaviour changed and he openly showed his irritation in the corridors and in the classes and openly as he did, he blamed it on Hermione's behaviour towards him. She was shocked when he blamed her but couldn't ask why as he left hurriedly as someone arrived. Hermione thought of Draco as a good friend by now, he didn't' tease her, didn't ridicule her and was quite decent when they were alone. As much as she wanted to tell him about DADA she couldn't, it would only anger the others.

It was late on Friday night when Draco finally managed to corner Hermione just a few minutes after curfew. She rounded the corridor on the third floor and stopped as she saw Draco leaning against the window fame staring out into the night.

The corridor was darkened with faint light emitting from the far away torches. Draco looked up as Hermione walked again ignoring his heated gaze. She passed him and just when she thought she got past him, a cold hand wrapped against her elbow and pushed her against the opposite wall.

She looked up at him; his grew eyes shone with emotions though his face was masked with fury. He held her gaze and gave no sign of letting her go. His left hand rested against the wall near her head while the right one was still wrapped on her elbow. He leaned into her and stopped when their bodies pressed against each other. Hermione's gaze shifted from his eyes and rested on his chest. She did not look up at him again but just stared at his loose tie.

She couldn't look into his eyes, they were accusatory, they accused her of causing him pain and irritation and she couldn't look into them again. Her face flushed with shame. She brought her arms up and pushed her palms against his chest and tried to get away from him but he tightened his hold on her elbow and pushed her further against the wall, slamming his body against her so that it covered her small frame completely. He rested his hands against the walls again, trapping her from all sides.

"Where are you coming from?" he asked her with clenched teeth.

"That's none of your business." She tried to sound rude but failed.

"I'm a prefect Hermione, of course I want to know unless you want to land yourself in a detention with me." he gazed into her chocolate orbs and smirked.

She closed her eyes tightly and let out a frustrated sigh before opening them again, "I was with McGonagall." It was a lie of course. She had gone to see a small room for the DADA practice on the second floor which Fred and George had found when they were hiding from Filch.

"Really?" he asked spotting a lie.

"You can ask McGonagall." She looked up at him and gave a small sigh, "Draco…"

"No don't." he said sharply and leaned further into her.

"Listen, I…." she tried again but he shook his head telling her to stop.

"What's up with you and Finnigan?" he hissed venomously.

"What? Nothing?" she was shocked at his words.

"Don't lie. Goyle saw you with him in the abandoned classroom on the sixth floor after curfew." If looks could kill Hermione would been dead by now. His face wore an angry mask of hatred and disgust.

"No, it' not like that." she tried to reason with him without giving away the truth. "I was just helping him with…with Transfiguration spells." When in fact they were making plans and arrangements for DADA.

"Do you seriously think I am going to buy this lie?"

"Because it's the truth." She argued.

"I'm not an idiot Hermione." He said slowly and let the words hit her. It did. Her eyes grew wide for a moment and then turned back to normal as she stared at him.

"Why does it matter to you?" she asked suddenly angry. "Why does it matter to you if I'm alone in a classroom with Finnigan or…or on a cosy date with Cormac McLaggen?"

His eyes narrowed at her and his body stiffed against hers. A possessive rage filled him again and he wished nothing more than to murder the blasted guy and McLaggen. He was a Malfoy and he didn't like sharing. He was already sharing her with her friends and two more made him lose it and he lost his control. And before he could comprehend he blurted out,

"Because I love you." And stormed off.

-xxxxxxxxxxxx-

Yes! I love you at last. I wanted to continue but the chapter reached its limit and I had to stop. Next chapter will be up real soon!

Review! Review!

Next Update: The formation of DA and Hermione's reaction.