"What in Merlin's name was going on in the corridor between the two of you, Mr Malfoy and Mr Weasley?"

Silence filled the room. Draco and Hermione made eye contact but looked away from each other quickly. Ron stared towards the pensive to the right to him, ignoring everything that Professor McGonagall was saying.

Realising that neither of the boys was going to answer her, Professor McGonagall turned to Hermione. "Is there anything that you can tell me, Miss Granger, as to why this fight occurred?"

Hermione shook her head ashamed, not even able to make eye contact with Professor McGonagall.

"Well then," Professor McGonagall said. "If I see either of you in a fight again this year, you will have detention for the rest of the year."

Ron sighed loudly. "I know you want to be an Auror Mr Weasley, plus you need a reference from me when you apply for the position. Would be a shame if I just happened to mention that you did not have good behaviour this year, wouldn't it?" Professor McGonagall said, with a huge smile on her face.

Hermione chuckled but quickly hid her laugh.

"I guess that is it then. You are dismissed. Make sure to catch up with the work once you leave." Professor McGonagall said.

Hermione, Draco and Ron left the room. As soon as they had stepped off of the stairs, Hermione exploded. "I can't believe the two of you! Fighting in the corridor! What was it even over?"

The boys stood there in silence, looking at her shocked.

"No, you are not going to play the silent treatment with me as you did with McGonagall. Give me an answer one of you!"

"It was over you..." Draco whispered.

"What was that, Draco?"

"It was over you," Draco stated.

"Wait...what? Why?" Hermione questioned, confused.

"You literally met up with him in the dead of the night, Hermione. I was concerned."

"Oh, be quiet Ron. You were not concerned. You are just too busy wanting to control my every action."

"You really need to stop talking to me like that. I am really sick of it, Hermione."

"This is exactly what I was talking about Hermione. He is so obsessed with what you are doing and who with. You cannot even live your life without him questioning you!"

"Ron, I don't get why you even care. We are not even together anymore, so what I do should not even affect you."

"Fine. Don't come crying to me when Malfoy goes behind your back. Deep down you know he will. People in Slytherin never change, Hermione. Especially one like him." Ron stomped down the corridor, heading towards the Gryffindor Common Room.

"So, um..." Draco said awkwardly.

"Could I come and work in the Slytherin Common Room?" Hermione butted in. "I don't really want to be in the Gryffindor one since Ron is there."

"Yeah, that's totally fine. I wouldn't mind that one bit."

Accompanying Draco down to the dungeons of the castle, Hermione entered the common room only for the second time over seven years at her time at Hogwarts. Guiding her to one of the desks, Draco sat down next to Hermione and they began to work on human transfiguration, which they had missed out on due to their 6th year being so disrupted.

After an hour, Draco's owl flew into the common room, holding two letters in his beak - one for Draco, one for Hermione. Opening them at the same time, they read the letter at the same time.

-

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmistress: MINERVA McGONAGALL

Dear Students,

In exactly three months time on the 20th of January, Hogwarts will be hosting its first-ever Winter Ball.

This will be similar to the Yule Ball that is hosted during the Triwizard Tournament, just with less grandeur.

As with during the Yule Ball, students are invited to attend this ball with a date. This is not necessary, but there will be compulsory dancing lessons in order to prepare students for the dance that will occur at the start of the ball.

I hope this is a good surprise for all students, and I am looking forward to seeing you all getting ready for this spectacular event.

Professor McGonagall

-

"No freaking way!" Draco exclaimed after reading the letter. "I seriously cannot wait for this. The Yule Ball one was awesome, so hopefully, this is one hundred times better."

"I agree. The Yule Ball was pretty fun. You did look rather dapper."

"Oh, is that why it was fun?" Draco smirked. "You got to admire me for the evening."

"Get over yourself." Hermione laughed.

"You didn't look too bad yourself. Your dress suited you."

"Why, thank you." Hermione smiled, but then it disappeared. "Oh great! That means I have to go out and buy another one. One, I hate shopping. Two, I probably do not even have the money to match the dress like I had the last time. My parents made for that but now they are not-"

"It'll be fine Hermione. I'll help you sort something out."

"No, that's fine Draco. But thank you. Who did you go to the Yule Ball with anyway?"

"Pansy Parkinson. Not exactly my choice. She was a bit obsessed with me, so I just gave in to her advances. What about you?"

"Oh okay. I went with Krum."

"I think that was a complete shock for everyone."

"What do you mean?"

"As in no one expected Krum to ask you to the ball."

"Why not?"

Draco broke eye contact with Hermione. "Tell me Draco."

"Because you are not exactly a girl that all the boys at school are yearning to be with..."

Hermione signed. "I'm going to try and not take that to heart."

"There are obviously boys that want to be with you. But you don't have the appeal of the Beauxbatons girls. People just expected him to invite one of those girls."

"Well, I am glad that I shocked everyone," Hermione said coldly, looking down at her transfiguration work.

"I hope I haven't hurt your feelings," Draco said, placing his hand on Hermione's arm. "That wasn't my intention."

Hermione looked down at her arm, feeling her cheeks grow hot. Noticing the effect that he was having on Hermione, Draco kept his hand there. Hermione looked into Draco's eyes and maintained it for a few seconds while Draco did the same. Hermione felt Draco's hand moving slowly down to her arm. As his hand was about to reach her own hand, Hermione pushed her chair out with her legs from the desk.

"I better get going." Hermione's voice quivered. "I've finished the work and I better head back to the Gryffindor Common Room now."

"You don't have to go," Draco frowned sadly. "We can just hang out here for the next hour during our free lesson."

"I should really get going..."

"Oh, okay then. It was nice to spend some time with you."

"Yes, definitely."

"Maybe we should do it again sometime soon?"

"I would totally be down for that." Hermione smiled. "Just send me an owl when you want to, or find me!"

"I will definitely be taking you up on that offer for sure."

"I'll be awaiting your owl then!"

On reaching the common room's entrance, Hermione hugged Draco goodbye. "I'll see you later!"

"Do you want me to walk you to your common room?" Draco asked.

"Sure, that would be nice!"

Walking through the castle together, Hermione and Draco laughed the whole time. Hermione knew that this was going to be one of the years at Hogwarts that she was going to remember forever. You wouldn't remember the shock of making friends with Draco Malfoy. Arriving at the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione hugged Draco once more. Both of them had huge smiles on their faces while they did so.

Pulling away from him, Hermione said the password. "Adiuvat et manga."

"What does that mean?" Draco questioned, as Hermione entered through the door.

"It means 'the brave are great'."

"I like that password."

"I think it relates not only to Gryffindors if you get what I mean" Hermione smiled, turning her back on Draco and walking into the common room."

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief when she looked around the common room and saw that Ron was not sitting anywhere. He must be off somewhere with Lavender, doing merlin knows what. Hermione could not care less about what he was doing with other girls though. She was just happy that she did not have to deal with him being controlling anymore. Around twenty minutes after Hermione had started her potions homework, Harry walked into the common room. On seeing Hermione, he skipped over and sat down in the chair next to her.

"What was that little skip for?" Hermione giggled.

"I don't know," Harry laughed. "I'm just happy to see you, I guess."

"Well, I am not going to be talking much. I am just working on the potions homework Slughorn gave us."

"Can you just leave that for later, please? I just want to hang out with my best friend!" Harry pouted.

"Okay then," Hermione sighed. "How can I resist when you made that face?"

"No one can resist the face of 'The Chosen One'!"

"Don't make me hit you over the head with a book like I did in the sixth year when you referred to yourself like that in the library!"

"I am so scared of you!" Harry mocked.

"Don't doubt what I can do to you, Harry Potter!"

"What do you want to do to me then, Hermione Granger?" Harry smirked.

Hermione punched Harry lightly on the arm. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean that then?" Harry said, still smirking.

"Definitely not what you were thinking."

"I'm just joking Hermione. Don't take me seriously. Just like what I said about me saying that I would at you if Ginny wasn't so perfect. I didn't mean that either."

"Okay, if you say so," Hermione said, getting back to her homework.

"I was meant to ask you earlier, but did you get the owl from McGonagall this morning too?"

"Yes, I did! I'm really excited about it. Draco is-" Hermione trailed off.

"What was that about Malfoy?"

"Nothing, nothing. What do you think you are going to wear to the Winter Ball?"

"Stop trying to change the topic of the conversation, Hermione," Harry frowned. "What were you going to say about Malfoy?"

"I was going to say that Draco was excited about it too."

"Why do you even know that?"

"Because I am friends with him now."

"What in Merlin's name Hermione? It's Malfoy, for goodness sake!"

"So what? As he said before, he was changed!"

"I don't care. You can't trust a Slytherin like him!"

"Well, I do Harry. I don't care what he was like before. I have seen that he has changed. Maybe if you were more open-minded, you would see it too."

"But Hermione, what if he hasn't actually changed? What if he is planning something?"

"I already got this talk from Ron earlier today. I do not need this from you too. I can choose who I am friends with, and so you cannot influence my decisions on that!"

"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said quietly. "I'm just worried about you, that is all."

"It's okay. I totally get it. You don't need to worry so much. If I smell out any sort of danger, you'll be the first person I tell."

"Thanks," Harry said, reaching over and hugging Hermione while they were both still sitting in their chairs.

As they were still hugging, someone else entered the common room. They quickly stopped hugging and looked at the person who had just come in.

"Hey, you two!" Ginny said, waving.

"Hey!" Hermione and Harry replied simultaneously.

Harry got up from his chair and gave Ginny a kiss. "How's your day been?"

"Good thanks." Ginny smiled. "Did you both get the letter about the Winter Ball too?"

"Yes, we did!" Hermione said. "We were discussing it before you came here!"

"I went with Neville last time. I hope he asks me again." Ginny said.

"Pardon me?" Harry said crossly.

"I'm joking babe!" Ginny reassured, standing on her tiptoes to give Harry a kiss on the cheek.

As the hour was nearly up of Hermione's study lesson, she decided to grab her charms textbooks and head to class early. After her charms lesson, the rest of the day sped by. Hermione saw Draco fleetingly in the corridors when walking around the castle to get to her lessons, but did not have a conversation with him for the rest of the day.

Arriving back to the Gryffindor Common Room at 7 o'clock after dinner, Hermione flopped down on the sofa near the fireplace. A few minutes later, Ginny and Luna arrived and sat next to Hermione.

"Are you tired today, Hermione?" Luna asked.

"Why do you ask?" Hermione said.

"You just seem like it."

"I don't know really. I just think I am emotionally tired. The whole situation with Ron is still draining me."

"I will kill him for you, Hermione," Ginny said. "Don't you worry."

Hermione laughed. "It's okay! I'll sort things out eventually!"

"Okay instead of me killing Ron, should we have a girl's night? Luna can stay over, we can watch a movie, have some snacks. Maybe even pull an all-nighter seeing as though it's Saturday tomorrow?"

"I think that's a great idea!" Hermione said.

"Yes, I would really enjoy that!" Luna said too.

The girls headed up to the dormitory room that Hermione and Ginny shared. Once Hermione had come back from the kitchen after the elves had let her have some snacks to enjoy during the sleepover (perks of being very nice to the working elves at Hogwarts), the girls decided to watch 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'. Laughing throughout and then fawning during the romantic parts of the movie, the girls then decided to head to sleep at 2 o'clock in the morning.

Hermione was glad that she had friends that really cared about her, unlike Ron who did not seem to care for her in the best way possible.

A/N - 'How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days' is actually such a good film! You should all watch it!