An Innocence Restored

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy this one!

THANK YOU:

Guest: Thanks so much for the constructive criticism. I'll take it all into account. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

XxXRose-DimitriForeverXxX: Thanks very much for the review. It means a lot! Enjoy this chapter!

Lyrics: Everybody wants eternal life. Nobody can seem to get it right. Our days are numbered and you're no fool

Chapter Four

Hermione just couldn't understand it. Every day he was there. It was like there was no possible way to escape him. If she dropped a book, it was like he magically appeared to pick it up for her, flashing that smile that made most girls drool. If she was struggling to find a book in the library, he was there with it clutched tightly in his hands. If there wasn't a seat in the library, he'd give up his for her. Although she should be pleased that she had someone looking out for her, it was impossible to feel more annoyed about the entire situation. Why couldn't he just take the hint and leave her alone? After all, it would be saving everybody a hell of a lot of time.

She continued on with her usual system of a morning which was to get in some extra reading time in the library. Draco sat at their usual table. Not that she was surprised by that at all. After all, he had been doing the same thing for almost a week now. Shouldn't he be bored by it now? She would be if she was in his position. She was sure that constant rejection would get tiring after a while.

At least there was something different about it today. He wasn't alone today. Blaise sat on the table in Hermione's usual seat. If he was surrounded by other Slytherin's, he probably wouldn't be quite as nice to her as he has been the past week. After all, he does have a reputation to protect. He wouldn't waste it on a Mudblood like her. If people were to really think that Draco was being nice to a Mudblood, he would be ruined. Well, he wouldn't be able to avoid it for much longer. Everything gets around Hogwarts like wildfire. He wouldn't be able to keep his charade going for much longer if he really did want to keep his reputation intact.

As she approached the table, Draco pulled out the seat next to him and gestured for her to take a seat. She had plenty of other options, but she sat with him anyway. Even though she found this game he was playing cruel and demeaning, she was still interested to see how it would play out.

"Good morning, Hermione" Draco greeted, still using her first name like he promised her would. It only served to irk Hermione more. She believed that 'Granger' suited her just fine when it was Draco talking.

"Good morning, Blaise" Hermione said, choosing to ignore Draco for the first time since he started treating her nicely. That would frustrate him. Hell, maybe he'd finally get the message…even though she highly doubted that.

"Morning, Granger" Blaise said awkwardly, not used to the attention from her, nor did he enjoy it either. He also had a reputation to protect.

"Have you finished your potions homework?" Hermione asked, fully intending to be as civilised to Blaise as she could, but he was making it rather difficult. Who chews gum in a library? Apparently Blaise. Who hums under their breath in a library? Apparently Blaise. Was he just doing this to annoy her?

"Granger, what are you doing?" Blaise asked with a hopeless look. "I don't want to be friends with you. My good friend Draco over here does. Why don't you give him some attention and leave me alone?"

She couldn't believe it. She had found someone worse than Draco.

"I'm not looking so bad now am I, Hermione?" Draco teased.

"No, you're not" Hermione admitted with a slight smile. Perhaps he was just trying to turn over a new leaf.

"I've finished my potions homework" He said. "You know, not that you were asking." Was that a hint of jealousy in Draco that she could sense? Surely it couldn't be. Draco Malfoy doesn't get jealous. Well, at least not when it comes to Hermione.

"That's good to know" Hermione commented, opening her book and settling with her usual ignoring Draco vibe.

After what felt like ages of silence, Blaise snapped his book shut with a loud bang and glared at the two.

"Would you two just kiss already?" He laughed, allowing his glare to morph into a smile.

"Wh-what are you ta-talking about?" Hermione asked. Shocked wasn't even the word for how she felt right now. How dare he say something like that to her! He didn't even know her. Frustration and shock was all she could feel right now.

"Oh, please" Blaise scoffed, leaning back in his chair and inspecting the two as though they were exhibits at a museum. "Sweetie, you can't be that oblivious" He said, using the pet name to try and make her feel even more awkward. "You're the best student here. How can you not see what's going on? Honey, you could cut through this atmosphere with a knife."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about" Hermione snapped, growing increasingly frustrated with the pet names he had for her. He stood up abruptly, slinging his bag over his shoulder and sauntering out.

"Sexual tension, my friends" He called over his shoulder. "Look it up."

With that ending comment, Hermione stood up and stormed off without looking back at Draco who was almost just as shocked as she was by Blaise's comments.

…

As they stood in potions with their cauldrons bubbling, Draco seized the opportunity to harass Blaise about what he did in the library.

"Okay, was that some sort of attempt at helping me out with this bet?" He asked under his breath, only too aware of Hermione being at the other side of the room. She could easily hear and then this would all have been a complete waste of time.

"No, not really" Blaise answered, taking satisfaction at making yet another person feel uncomfortable. Even if it was his friend. "I'm really struggling to understand you, Draco"

"How do you mean?" He asked, growing increasingly annoyed by how confusing the entire situation was becoming. If he could go back in time, he would say no to this stupid bet that was making his life even harder.

"Well, you came here at the start of the year with the idea of turning over a new leaf and being nice to people" Blaise started. "Then you took my bet. How is that being nice to people?"

"It's not like she's ever going to find out about the bet" Draco waved off as he continued to stir the mixture in his cauldron. "Look, I'll make her like me. We'll go on a date and I'll let her down gently. No one has to know about the bet. It's a win-win situation. Besides everyone knows she likes Weasley. I'm not actually going to hurt her feelings."

"Whatever you say, Draco" Blaise sighed, not believing a word that was coming out of Draco's mouth.

"What do you mean now?" Draco asked, tapping his foot impatiently on the hard, stone floors of the dungeon.

"I wasn't kidding about the tension in that library" Blaise answered, suddenly turning completely serious. It put Draco on edge. Blaise was never serious. Not even when Draco's dad died. Blaise always managed to put a humorous spin on things. You either loved it or you hated it about him. "Either she likes you or you like her. I'm just not sure which way it is yet."

"You're crazy" Draco scoffed, feeling his cheeks go pink. Woah, that never happened. What was Blaise doing to him? Draco couldn't tell exactly what it was, but he knew he didn't like it one bit.

"I don't think I'm the one that's turning crazy, Draco" Blaise laughed. It was the kind of laugh that meant that the situation really wasn't all that amusing to anyone. "I'm not the one who could possibly be falling for a Mudblood."

"Blaise, it's not going to happen" Draco sighed, attempting to make light of the situation. Perhaps that would show Blaise how preposterous he was being. "I've told you one million times. I'm not going to fall for her. Would you just let it go?"

"Alright, whatever you say" Blaise sighed in the kind of tone that told Draco that this wasn't over. Not by a long while.

…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the classroom, things weren't looking any brighter than they were for Draco. As Hermione attempted to stir the mixture in her cauldron, Ron was hounding her with questions about Draco.

"Come on, Hermione" He groaned, leaning over the desk in that dramatic way of his as though he was going to keel over and die at any given moment. Hermione simply gave a roll of her eyes and continued to add ingredients. "Please just tell us what's going on. It's not like it's really a big secret when you think about it. The entirety of Hogwarts is talking about it. We're going to find out what's happening eventually. You might as well save us the trouble."

"Ronald, please be quiet" Hermione scolded, reverting to calling him by his full name as she usually did in situations like these. It usually informed him of when he overstepped the mark. "And I think you're exaggerating just a tad there. Besides, they're going to have a lot of trouble with that because there's nothing to talk about. So, I sat with Draco a couple of times in the library. Big deal."

"How can you say that?" Ron asked in frustration. "It's a huge deal. You're even calling him by his first name! You shouldn't be going anywhere near him."

"Since when were you allowed to tell me what to do?" Hermione asked hotly, feeling her anger almost ready to boil over as it did so many times when she was around Ron. To make it worse, Harry just stared at the pair and let them get on with it. All she wanted was support from someone.

"Since I spoke more sense than you did" Ron bit back, disappointment etched all over his face. Was talking to Draco really that bad? "He's not turning over a new leaf. For an intelligent witch, you're really dumb."

"Well, I can say one thing for sure about Draco" Hermione hissed. "He's treating me a lot nicer than you are." With that, she marched straight out of the dungeon, believing that a detention with Snape would be more reasonable than spending another half hour in the same classroom as Ron.

…

Draco saw his window of opening. The argument with Weasley that he had predicted a week ago. He knew it was inevitable that it would be coming, but he hadn't expected it to be so early on. Well, the sooner the better, right? All he had to do was speak to Hermione in the library tomorrow morning and she would be smitten.

"Blaise, your money will soon be mine" Draco chuckled, watching the door that Hermione had recently slammed shut in her rage.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that" Blaise retorted with a smug smirk. "I think Granger's going to be harder than you give her credit for. Hey, maybe you'll never get her."

"Be realistic, Blaise" Draco laughed in that cocky way of his. "Well, we'll soon see."

Again, thanks to everyone for reading. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and please keep the reviews coming. It really means a lot!