Managed to get another chapter out before the weekend! *fist pumps*

Chapter 9

The next morning was Sunday. Hermione woke up and dressed just like she always did, ignoring both her own slightly puffy eyes and Lavender's repeated attempts to make awkward conversation. Making her way down into the Common Room, she spotted Harry sitting by the fireplace and quickly walked over to him.

"Hiya, Harry."

He looked up at her in surprise, not having noticed her approaching.

"Hey, 'Mione. How are you…I mean…are you doing okay?"

I'm okay, Harry. Really," she insisted, seeing the doubtful look that had crossed his face, "I am. But I think it's best if I keep some distance between Ronald and myself for a little while."

She could see that Harry understood exactly why she felt that way, but she could see the uncertainty lurking in his green eyes, as well. How was he going to juggle being able to spend time with his two best friends if she was planning on not being around Ron? Luckily, she knew the prefect way of letting him off the hook, so to speak, as she knew he wouldn't want to spend the day where she was headed, anyway.

"It's okay, Harry. I don't mind if you spend the day with Ron. I have some work I need to get finished and was planning on spending most of the day in the library today, anyway." She paused for a moment before continuing. "By the way…thank you for coming to find me last night. I'm grateful that I have such a great best friend like you."

She gave him a quick hug before leaving the Common Room and hurrying down to breakfast. She wanted to try to eat and be gone before Ronald made his appearance. While she had never been the type to take the easy way out, and she had told Harry the truth when she had said that she was okay, she just wasn't feeling up to facing Ronald's bewildered, clueless questions or, even worse, a repeat of last night's spontaneous snogging session between him and Lavender.

After finishing breakfast (and managing to get in and out of the Great Hall before Ronald showed up), Hermione headed upstairs. She had decided over breakfast that she didn't really want to go to the library after all. She just wanted to be alone. Well, maybe not completely alone…

Making her way instead to the seventh-floor corridor, she came to a stop in front of the now all-too-familiar tapestry of dancing trolls and took a moment to make sure no one was nearby. She closed her eyes, emptying her mind of all thoughts save those of the room that she wanted to gain entrance to, then began to pace in front of the stretch of empty stone. As a set of large double doors appeared, she found herself wondering if she would find Draco inside. She also vaguely wondered when he had become 'Draco' in her mind, instead of 'Malfoy.'

Pushing the heavy doors open, she walked in to find that Draco was, indeed, already there. He was sitting on the floor in front of the tall black cabinet, a book opened in his lap and his face intent with concentration. She fought to suppress the chill that ran up her spine at the sight of that cabinet, knowing exactly where it's presence would eventually lead. Hearing the soft snick of the door's latch catching behind her, Draco looked up from the book he was reading and frowned at the look on her face.

"Um…hi," she said, feeling uncertain for a reason that she couldn't quite place. Perhaps it was because that had decided that they would not be fixing the cabinet yet and so her presence here felt…unnecessary somehow? Or perhaps it was just because she was still feeling so raw over everything that had happened the night before.

Whatever it was, she decided to push past it and move on, especially once he smirked at her. It was a much more friendly smirk than the ones he had aimed her way in the past, almost conspiratorial, like a joke that only the two of them shared. It made a funny sort of tingling feeling start up in her belly.

"Granger," he drawled.

"Did you need the Room of Hidden Things today?" At the shake of his head, she continued, asking, "Would you mind if I change it up a bit, then?"

The look on his face communicated his surprise at her request but, after a quick look back at the cabinet looming over him, he shook his head. Tucking the book he was holding back into his bag, he stood gracefully to his feet and swung the bag over his shoulder. Making his way to the door behind her, he opened it a crack to peer out into the hallway and check that it was clear before stepping outside and motioning for her to do the same.

Once they were back in the hall and the door had shut firmly behind them, Hermione began to pace while Draco stepped back into the shadows and waited, watching her. She thought of what she wanted, what she needed, today, and when the door appeared she grasped the handle and pushed, walking into the room with Draco on her heels.

Hermione sighed as she entered the Room of Requirement. It had read her mood just as perfectly as it always did and had modeled itself to look like a much smaller, cozier version of the Hogwarts library. Instead of the desks and chairs found in the library, however, this room had comfy looking armchairs and a plush sofa grouped in front of a warm, inviting fireplace. There were small bookcases located around the room, loaded with different books on all kinds of subjects on their shelves. The room was a study in neutrals, with all the furnishings sporting shades of black, white, and grey. She dropped her bag onto the floor and flopped down onto the sofa.

Draco frowned when he saw Granger drop down rather inelegantly onto the grey sofa in the newly redecorated Room. He had never seen her look the way she did today: almost…dejected, if he had to pick one word to describe her. He was more than just a little bit concerned. He had been playing over her unexpected hug in his mind for the rest of the night on Friday, and nearly the entire day yesterday.

Laying in his bed suffering a fresh bout of pain that rushed like poison through his veins, courtesy of the Mark on his forearm, he had been unable to even contemplate leaving his bed and playing in the Quidditch match for which they had been training so hard. It was a hellishly unwelcome gift from the Dark Lord to ensure that Draco knew of his Master's displeasure over his continued failure. But between the bouts of teeth-grinding pain and waves of nausea that rolled over him like surf on the beach, he had lain in his empty room thinking about that hug…and her words.

"I always knew you had good inside of you, Malfoy…"

Draco had mulled over her words for hours on end. Did he have good inside of him? He wasn't so sure about that… No one, not his friends nor even his own parents, had ever considered him to be anything remotely close to a "good person," but Granger did. Her words had warmed him in spite of the pain in his body, and he had decided that he would do what he could to become worthy of the words.

But now, seeing her looking so forlorn, some uncomfortable and foreign feeling began stirring in his chest. He walked over to her and kneeled down beside the couch. Hesitating for just a moment, he reached out a hand to gently touch the back of hers before pulling it away when her eyes opened and brown met grey.

"What's wrong, Granger?"

He watched her as she seemed to mull over his question for a moment, seeming to debate whether or not she wanted to tell him. Then she sat up and moved over into one corner of the couch, kicking off her shoes and pulling her legs up to sit cross-legged on the couch. She motioned for him to join her, so he sat down at the other end of sofa with his body angled toward her. He waited silently for a moment as she seemed to gather her thoughts, watching as she absently played with one long, chestnut curl.

"So, I'm guessing you heard that Gryffindor won the match yesterday?" she began. Draco snorted derisively, and a ghost of a smirk flitted across her plump lips.

"Yeah. Well, when everyone got back to the Common Room last night, they had a bit of a celebration. Apparently, Lavender Brown decided that was the perfect time to let Ronald, and everyone else in Gryffindor House, know just how much she…admires him."

The last was said in a voice filled with derision and disgust, but Draco could hear the hurt hiding just beneath the surface.

"She jumped up on the table with him and snogged him in front of the entire House! I just…I couldn't watch it, you know? So, I left. Harry came to find me, and then Lavender and Ron just so happened to stumble into the same room that we were in. I kind of lost it then," she said, looking a bit embarrassed, and Draco couldn't imagine what would have happened to make her feel that way. He found that he had to know so, naturally, he asked her.

"What did you do to him, Granger?"

He was more than familiar with her infamous temper, having been on the receiving end of it more than once, the most recent time being just a week ago. He couldn't imagine what she had done to the Weasel, but he did know that the tosser probably deserved it.

"I set a flock of conjured birds on him. They might have actually hurt him just a little bit. But he deserved it!" she said, looking defiant now with her arms crossed in front of her body angrily, but he could see the glint of tears in her eyes. He knew, as did pretty much everyone else at Hogwarts, that Granger had always had a soft spot for Weasley: it was easy to see. What wasn't easy to see was why. The ginger git was constantly saying things that hurt her feelings, or insulting her, or just ignoring her completely. But this seemed excessively cruel even for that brainless weasel.

"Weasley is a fucking idiot, Granger."

He couldn't have kept the words in even if he had wanted to. Which he didn't, really. It was true, and it needed to be said. Only an idiot ignored the good thing he already had in favor of some crazy nitwit like Lavender Brown. He saw her startle a bit at his words, looking up in surprise to meet his eyes before dropping her eyes back to her hands, which she was currently wringing in her lap. She didn't fight him or argue in Weasley's defense, though, which shocked him a bit but told him exactly just how upset she really had been. Then she shocked him even more.

"Thank you, Draco."

It was the first time she had called him by his given name, and the sound of it said in her melodic voice made him feel…strange. She reached out to take hold of his hand and he squeezed it gently before she let go to wipe away a stray tear that had slipped past her lashes and down her cheek. He decided to try to take her mind off the situation if he could.

"So, what do you want to do today?" he asked her.

She immediately jumped up and raced around the back of the couch to retrieve her bag, rambling about Ancient Runes; her mind was clearly distracted from the disappointment of the day before. When she started talking about how, maybe, they could get a head start on some assignments together, he couldn't hold back a smirk.

They settled in, Hermione perched back in her original spot on the sofa and Draco seated in the comfortable black armchair that was placed diagonally to the couch and got to work. Their books and sheets of spare parchment were spread around them, but Draco's attention remained on Granger, not on Ancient Runes.

He thought to himself that he wouldn't mind becoming real friends with the brilliant witch across from him, and regretted that their differing circumstances had meant that they hadn't been able to become friends before now. She just seemed to radiate some kind of…aura, or…magic? He didn't know what exactly, but whatever it was, he wouldn't mind a little bit more of that in his life; he'd take it however he could get it.

Song Inspiration: Little Bit More – Whitney Woerz

Okay, so here is where things start to change a lot, so get ready for it!

sbz