DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fiction is purely for my own enjoyment and yours. No money is being made by me or anyone else from this fiction.

Author Note: Hello again! Sorry for the dreadfully long wait everyone, but with Christmas and everything, I had a lot going on family-wise. But now I'm back! Thanks for all the responses on the last chapter. It was quite angsty, wasn't it? Well, I'm afraid it doesn't end there. Hermione and Draco still have to talk this out...

Chapter 8

Hermione skipped dinner, feeling too upset to eat. Instead she hid in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom most of the afternoon. She had cried for a good hour after the boys had left her in the hallway, which seemed to put Myrtle in an almost pleasant mood. The rest of the time was spent pacing in front of the sinks, muttering furiously to herself. "I knew they would over-react, this is exactly why I didn't tell them the truth sooner, but I never would have thought Harry would..." Hermione broke off suddenly with strangled sob and teared welled up behind her eyes.

"Boys really are the most dreadful beings," said Moaning Myrtle gleefully, floating behind Hermione's shoulder.

"That doesn't help Myrtle!" Hermione hissed. Myrtle only looked more pleased.

"But you know it's true," she prodded, hovering anxiously at Hermione's side.

"Well it doesn't make me feel any better, being right!" she snapped, glaring at Myrtle. The ghost dissolved into giggles and flew languidly up to the bathroom window.

"It does me," she said amusedly. Hermione's glare intensified. I am going to kill her, she thought, then snorted in disgust when her over-active brain reminded her she couldn't actually kill a ghost since they were already dead.

"Doesn't mean I couldn't try," she mumbled to herself.

"What was that?" asked Myrtle, stopping in mid-giggle. Hermione smiled sweetly at her. The look was somewhat spoiled by her red eyes and puffy, tear-stained cheeks, but her tone of voice betrayed nothing.

"Nothing of consequence," Hermione answered. Her grin widened when Myrtle's face pulled into one of confusion. She let out a long satisfied breath. Her tears, at last seemed to be dried up. In their place Hermione felt refreshed and...angry. It felt good. "Harry and Ron were wrong to ignore me in third year because of Crookshanks and that blasted Firebolt, they were wrong to ignore me because of Victor Krum and they're wrong to ignore me now because of Draco. I won't stand for it!" she said determinedly. A small, nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her that most of those things had been Ron ignoring her, but Harry more often than not went along with him. Not this time.

From outside the sound of hundreds of feet and the chatter of students filtered inside the bathroom door, but Hermione made no notice of it. "I'm going to talk with Draco and figure out a plan. Then I am going to go after those boys and make them see reason one way or another, or so help me I won't be helping them with homework for the rest of our Hogwarts careers!" She looked absurdly pleased with her statement. We'll see how they take that. Myrtle however, was less impressed.

"Oh? And just when are you going to have this discussion with the blond boy?"

"After dinner, of course," said Hermione. "I told him I'd meet him in the library at our usual spot."

Myrtle looked smug. "Oh, you have a "spot" in the library hmm? And do you usually keep him waiting?"

Hermione looked affronted. "Of course not. I'm never late for anything."

Myrtle was grinning now. "You mean you used to never be late."

Hermione looked at the ghost in confusion. What on earth is she on about? I'm never late. I keep a careful watch on the... Hermione's eyes widened and she yelped. Suddenly the meaning of the sounds she'd been ignoring from outside hit her like an angry hippogriff. "I'm late!" she cried, scrambling to get her things together. "I told Draco I'd be there after dinner and now he'll probably think I bailed on him because of something the boys said, I know it, oh I'll never forgive myself if he's not there!"

Myrtle was still grinning like a cat who had been just fed some cream. "Promise to come back and visit me again. You're welcome to come back and cry any time."

"Goodbye Myrtle!" Hermione called over her shoulder. She didn't give the ghost another thought. The library was two floors away, and she was late!

When Hermione didn't show up to dinner, Draco felt his stomach sink. He scanned the Gryffindor table up and down, but only the scowling faces of Potter and Weasley looked back at him. Damn those two, he thought angrily to himself. What did they say to her? His stomach dropped even further when another thought hit him. What if it was me who made her so upset? Draco didn't like that thought at all. It was you who came between her and her friends, a nasty little voice in the back of his head whispered. No, Draco thought back fiercely. I'm not trying to hurt her. I'll fix this. Putting on a determined face, Draco left his untouched dinner sitting on his plate and strode out of the Great Hall.

He practically ran to the library. Please be there Hermione, please be there... Draco's stomach fell to his feet when he reached the library with no sign of the bushy-haired girl. "Dinner's not over yet," he said aloud to himself. "She's not late yet."

As an increasing amount of time passed with no Hermione however, Draco's anxiety increased. Where is she? She wouldn't have stood me up...would she? He frowned and paced around their table at an increasing rate. Meticulously watching the clock, each second seemed to drag out into minutes and the minutes into hours. This is Hermione Granger we're talking about. Standing people up isn't her style...but neither is consorting with Slytherins, his subconscious added snidely. Nothing Draco thought of put him at ease.

After the first two minutes of Hermione being late, Draco took to walking up and down the aisles of bookshelves, staring unseeingly at the rows of titles before him. Every few seconds his gaze would dart hopefully towards the doorway, but there was no sign of Hermione.

Just as Draco was about to give up and head back to his common room to sulk—you should have known she'd never choose you over the precious Potter and Weasley, the snide voice in his mind commented, Hermione burst through the library doors like the hounds of Hell were chasing her after her. "Draco!" she called her red, slightly puffy eyes frantically searching for him. Draco felt his heart leap. She didn't forget about me after all. He frowned at the sight of her red eyes. Was she crying He felt a pang of guilt. It was probably my fault.

"Miss Granger! This is a library, not your common room! I would have thought you would have more respect than this. Kindly take your hysterics elsewhere if you're going to behave that way, young lady!" Madam Pince, the librarian cast a fierce glare in Hermione's direction. Draco felt a swell of indignation rise up in him at Madam Pince's harsh dismissal and before he knew what he was doing, he was rushing forward and words were tumbling smoothly out of his mouth.

"Don't send her away, Madam Pince. It's my fault she is so worked up. I assure you we will be nothing but the epitome of proper behavior, just allow her to stay."

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Hermione's mouth drop open. What? Do you still believe me incapable of being nice to you? He supposed he couldn't really blame her. Had their positions been reversed, he was certain he would be suspicious of any out of character behavior. Madam Pince narrowed her eyes at him. Oh come on you old biddy, she didn't even do anything except shout my name. Hardly grounds for dismissal. She sniffed. "Very well, but any more displays like that and you both will be out on your ears!"

Draco inclined his head. "Of course," he said respectfully, though inside he was rolling his eyes. How could I have ever thought Granger was a stick in the mud with people like Pince around? He turned towards Hermione, who was still standing with her mouth dropped open in shock and smiled lightly. "Shall we go back to our spot?" He made a sweeping gesture with his arms for her to go first, indicating that he would follow, not caring who saw him. Which is probably foolish, but what the hell.

Hermione stood dumbly for a moment before hastily snapping her mouth shut and moving forward in front of Draco's outstretched arm. Oh come on Hermione, you just berated the boys for this kind of thinking, and here you go gaping like a fish at the first gallant gesture Draco makes. But he'd never done something like in front of an audience...she glanced curiously at the students around them, a few of them watching them with interest. Oh lord, the tongues will be wagging now, she thought glumly. Lavender and Parvati would probably pounce on her the moment she stepped into the room. But you knew it would be like this, she told herself silently. Being friends with Draco Malfoy was never going to be an easy task. She set her mouth into a resolute line and made her way to her and Draco's study spot. That's no reason to falter now.

She spun around when she felt Draco come up behind her and for a moment the words got caught in her throat as she looked up into his eyes. She felt a swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach and her heart skipped a beat. When did this happen? She wondered silently. Quickly she shook off any wayward thoughts about Draco's lips and any sensations in the pit of her stomach. They had serious issues to discuss. "I meant what I said, you know," she suddenly blurted.

Draco looked confused for a moment. Damn. This isn't how I wanted to start this. She took a breath. "I mean, I meant what I said back there, to Harry and Ron. I want you in my life Draco, even if I'm not sure in what way yet. But you've got to make some sacrifices if you want this too." She looked up at him anxiously, trying to gage his reaction, but his face gave nothing away. He silently stood there, listening intently and now that she had started, Hermione couldn't quite control the stream of words pouring out of her mouth.

"I can't be friends with you if you are going to continue on the way you were before. I can't deal with you constantly baiting my friends and talking down about my blood status. I realize this might be hard for you and that you've got a status to uphold..." she trailed off. "But this will be hard for me too. It's no more in character for me to be with you than it is for you to be with me. We've been enemies for so long Draco..."

The sound of his name seemed to jolt him into reality. "You're absolutely right, Hermione," he said. She felt a wild hope rise in her chest. "But I can't just ignore how I've been raised or my House principles." Her face fell and the hope that had been rising in her chest flickered out like a flame doused with water. So he hasn't changed. Foolish Hermione...

Draco's eyes widened. "That doesn't mean I don't want to be friends, Hermione. I want to be with you very much," he said earnestly.

"Then how can you say you can't give up your House principles?" she retorted, feeling ridiculously betrayed.

Draco sighed and took a breath as if steeling himself for a painful admission. Hermione looked up in interest and curiosity. "It wouldn't be safe for me to suddenly become friends with the Gryffindor Golden Girl," he said patiently, as if Hermione was missing something important. My father..." he trailed off, an uncertain look crossing his face. Hermione's eyes widened. Of course. His father is the biggest muggleborn hater of them all, next to You-Know-Who. If Draco suddenly changed his ways, who knows what could happen to him?

"Oh Draco, I wasn't thinking," said Hermione putting a hand on his arm. "Of course this would be as hard for you as it would be for me." Still, there has to be a way… She frowned and bit her lip in concentration. "I guess," she said slowly and eyeing Draco as if he might run away at any moment; she paused. His next answer determines everything. If he's not willing to change, we can't continue this relationship. She took a deep breath. "What side are you on in this War?"

Draco jerked away in surprise. Out of all the questions she could have asked, that's the one she decided to lead with? He shook his head, trying to organize his thoughts. I'm not ready for this… He looked down at Hermione, who was leaning forward and watching him anxiously. She was biting her lip so hard he thought it was amazing she hadn't drawn blood. "I…" he started, but faltered. "I don't support You-Know-Who," he blurted, surprising himself and quickly looked about to see if anyone had been listening in. He hadn't heard much about the madman's operations since his dad kept a tight lid on anything illegal he might be doing, but what he did know didn't appeal to him. Not that it really matters what I think. "But I don't have a choice," he added bitterly.

Hermione frowned. "There's always a choice, Draco," she said firmly.

"Not when your dad forces you or You-Know-Who threatens your family," said Draco darkly. "What would you do, Hermione?"

She looked shocked. You have no idea the pressures I'm under, Draco thought. Hermione let out a ragged breath. "I'm so sorry. I really had no idea. I suppose the boys and I always thought you enjoyed acting like a…" she trailed off, a blush staining her cheeks.

"A prat?" Draco finished for her, smirking. Hermione nodded. "I can't say I don't enjoy getting a rise out of Potter and Weasley," he said with a smile, then frowned. "But as for the rest, I am expected to act a certain way to uphold the Malfoy name."

"Will being friends with me jeopardize that?" Hermione asked.

Draco shrugged. "My father won't like it. The other pureblood girls will hate you for it, and it could be dangerous if You-Know-Who finds out." He threw a glance over his shoulder to make sure no one was looked and slipped an arm around Hermione's waist. He smirked when she gasped softly. "Does that bother you?" he asked softly.

Hermione snorted softly and shook her head against his chest. "No. I couldn't give a damn what your father or the pureblood girls think. And as for You-Know-Who, well, I'm likely going to be a target anyway, being one of Harry's best friends. The real question is, can you handle that? Because I'm going to be a main target. What if you father asks you to lure me in?"

Draco tightened his grip on her. "I wouldn't do that," he said fiercely. I'm not that kind of person. I won't become my father.

To his surprise, Hermione laughed softly. "I know you wouldn't," she said. "But realistically, what would you do?"

Draco stared down at her, amazed. How can she place her trust in me so easily? I've never been anything but horrible to her. "I don't know," he answered honestly, feeling a bit bereft without a proper answer. I truly have no idea. "But I wouldn't let anything happen to you." Hermione didn't answer. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was biting her lip again.

"Dumbledore could help," she said finally. "We could go to him and get your protection. You'd probably have to play a double role for a while; keep up the facade that we hate each other while still being friends in secret. Could you do that?"

Draco was speechless for a moment. It would never work. "Dumbledore wouldn't trust a Slytherin," he said bitterly.

"He trusts Professor Snape," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "And it's no secret how much Professor Snape loathes Gryffindors. He would give you a chance."

Draco shook his head. "I don't know." It's too risky.

"Harry and Ron would probably have to know too. They might even need Professor Dumbledore to tell them, otherwise they'd never believe you. I don't imagine it would be hard to keep up the act with them though, right?"

Draco snorted. "Not at all." Mocking Potter and Weasley is almost too easy. "It would be hard not to mean it to them though. I'm not the only one who has been an enemy. Potter never exactly welcomed me with open arms you know."

He felt Hermione's shoulders droop a bit. "I know," she sighed. "But you have to understand that Harry has been picked on all his life. Life with his aunt and uncle is almost equivalent to living with Umbridge."

Draco pulled a face. She can't be serious. Hermione saw his face and laughed again. That's such a beautiful sound...Merlin, what is wrong with me? The next thing I know I'll be thinking her bush of a hair is charming. "Okay, so maybe it's not that bad. But it's pretty bad. They've practically starved him before, and for eleven years they kept him in the cupboard under the stairs!"

His mouth dropped open in disbelief. Potter, the Savior of the Wizarding World was kept in a cupboard? No way. "That can't be true," Draco said a bit doubtfully.

"It is," Hermione said sagely. "Harry didn't even know about magic until Hagrid showed up with his letter. He didn't even know how his parents died." She suddenly flushed red. "I probably shouldn't have told you all of that. Harry would be furious if he knew you knew."

Draco was in shock. All this time, and we've thought he was a bleeding prince of the wizarding world, and turns out he didn't even know it existed until five years ago! And to suddenly find out you're You-Know-Who's main target... He exhaled loudly. "I suppose there is a lot I don't know."

Hermione slipped her small hand into his. "I can help you, if you want." He tried not to be distracted about how pleasant it feel to have Hermione's hand in his. Come on. What is there to consider? You've seen what your future could be like. Do you really want to throw that chance away?

"Alright," he said finally. "I'll do it. Take me to Dumbledore."

If Draco had told Hermione she had just won a lifetime supply of free books from Flourish and Blotts, he doubted her smile would be half as bright as the one she was wearing now. She was grinning ear to ear and ecstatically threw her arms around his neck. "I knew you would do the right thing," she said giddily. Draco was about to protest when her lips suddenly found his, and she was kissing him fiercely. Perhaps switching sides won't be so bad after all.