Hermione Granger

I sit down on my bed and bury my face in my hands. What will I do? How will I survive? It's not like anything I've read could prepare me for this. Or for him.

I hear a soft knock at the door. "Who is it?" I snap. Obviously, I'm not in the best mood.

"Hermione?" Says a voice, "It's me. Can I come in?"

I stomp over to the door and open it. "Why would I let the likes of you into my bedroom?"

Draco Malfoy looks into my eyes and smirks, probably noticing the tears. "Because if you do, I can greatly increase your chances of staying alive."

I roll my eyes, but let him in. "What exactly makes you think I want or need your help?"

He groans. "Just as stuck up as you used to be, aren't you?"
We haven't spoken to each other in almost three years. I suppose I haven't changed much. Neither has he, obviously.

"So how's Ron?" He asks casually. I stiffen at the name, but he doesn't seem to notice.

I suppose I have to answer him. "Ronald and I are not on speaking terms at the moment."

I can see him stifling laughter before responding. "What did he do?"

Draco Malfoy is the last person I would expect to be talking to about boy problems, but here we are. "Harry saw him cheating on me with Lavender a few weeks ago. I called it off the next day."

Draco doesn't look very surprised. I suppose he thinks no one would stay with a mudblood like me for very long.

"Wait a minute," I just thought of something, "You called me Hermione! At the door, after you knocked."

He laughs harshly. "That's ridiculous, Granger. I did no such thing." But something is off. He doesn't seem nearly as cocky as he did when he first came in.

"You're acting strange, Malfoy. What's up?"

He chews his lip nervously, obviously wanting to say something but not wanting me to react the wrong way.

"Just spit it out, I won't laugh."

He hesitates a bit longer before answering. "I just wanted to say that, well..... I guess I want you to know....." He trails off.

I glare impatiently at him. "Just forget it," he mumbles. Then he walks out the door.

I run after him, anxious to find out what he was going to say. But he's disappeared. Not a trace of that racist jerk. All the better for me, I suppose. He was probably acting all serious so he could pop a mudblood joke on me.

I haven't got anything to do, so I wander aimlessly through the train cars. I hear a voice coming from a room about ten feet in front of me, and I stop to listen. The voice is Draco's.

"-you didn't, Weasley. Not the way I do. She doesn't seem that upset, really. Just mad that you cheated."

I hear another voice, more muffled. It's Ron. "You know what? Fine. You can have her, for all I care. Just promise that you'll protect her." Are they talking about me? Why are they even talking to each other? I don't know what this whole thing's about, but I'm going to find out.

"Of course I'll protect her! If either one of us gets out alive, I can promise you it will be her." He pauses for a moment. "I'd better go, Weasley, I think someone's coming." I hear him walk towards the door, and I step in front of it.

Draco opens the door, and pales when he sees me. "What the bloody hell was that about?" I demand. He stands there looking shocked for almost a minute without responding. Finally, he speaks.

"Look, Hermione, I can explain! Just promise me you'll listen. Don't blow up half way through and walk out on me. Can you do that? Err..... How much did you hear exactly?"

Boys are so bloody infuriating. Why ever would he expect me to blow up at him? Besides, I would never walk out. I want to know what's going on. "I heard enough to know that you're in some sort of conspiracy involving Ron and I. You've got five minutes to defend yourself, Malfoy, so you'd better make the best of them."

He takes a deep breath, than begins. "This goes all the way back to when you and Weasley started dating. When I saw you two together, something didn't feel right. I couldn't figure out what it was, so I ignored it. After we graduated from Hogwarts, I lost track of you.

"About six months ago, I started searching for you. I found out where you lived, and that you were still going out with Weasley. I followed you around for a while, but I couldn't bear seeing you with him. So I went home and continued my dreadfully routine life. 

"A few weeks ago, my father informed me that I had been promised in marriage to Astoria Greengrass. "A well bred young woman," he said, "just the type for you." But I wouldn't have it. I told him I would not marry only for the sake of keeping my blood pure. He locked me in my room for three days. He told me if I hadn't changed my mind by the time he let me out, I was a dead man. I didn't doubt his words. He would do anything to achieve his goals.

"On the third night, I ran. I summoned my broomstick and used the Alohamora spell to unlock the door. My father tried to follow me once he realized I was gone, but I was too far ahead. I stayed in the air so it would be harder for him to apparate. He eventually gave up. I had disgraced him. I have no doubt that my name will never be spoken again in the Malfoy household.

"I went straight to Weasley, and made a deal with him. He was to get Potter to tell you he'd been cheating. That way you were broken up, but he didn't have to break up with you. He had downright refused to do that."

I look up at him, confused. "But why? You just didn't like seeing us happy and you miserable?"

He shakes his head. "You would think someone as smart as you would have figured this out by now. I couldn't bear you and Weasley being together because I was jealous, Hermione. Jealous that you were with someone else, and you weren't with me."

He pauses for a moment, letting what he said sink in.

"I am in love with you, Hermione Granger."