"I cannot believe that you went back to help Malfoy! Hagrid's right, you have gone daft!"
Hermione sent Ron a doleful glare across their Potions homework, which was spread out over a table in the Gryffindor common room.
"I don't know why I even told you Ron. You always over react. Malfoy's really not that bad." She looked away from him as he gave her a look that clearly said that she had just grown another head.
"Not that bad? Malfoy's...not that bad?" He suddenly leaned across the rolls of parchment and pressed his hand to her forehead. "Well you don't feel like your running a temperature, but I still think you should go see Madame Pomfrey."
"Ron!" Hermione shoved his hand away and glowered at him. "There isn't anything wrong with me, all I said was that he's not that bad. You are being absolutely ridiculous. Harry, please tell him that he's being ridiculous."
Harry looked up from his potions text with an expression that showed he had hoped to be left out of this fight. "Hermione, I have to agree with Ron on this one. It is Malfoy after all. Saying that Malfoy isn't that bad is about equal to saying that blast-ended skrewts are cute and cuddly."
"I don't believe you two. All I say is that Malfoy isn't that bad and you think I should be locked up in St. Mungo's." Hermione could feel herself becoming angry, a dull throb had started in her head and she knew that she'd have a horrible headache if this blew into a full-fledged argument.
"That might not be a bad idea Hermione. He's obviously doing something to you. I would have thought that you'd be too smart for him, but I suppose that brains don't count for much when you lack common sense." Ron told her, he looked to Harry for support but Harry just shook his head knowing that Ron had stepped over the line.
Hermione gave Ron a dark look and quickly began shoving her books away.
"Hermione," Ron tried to get her attention, "Hermione, I didn't mean it like that. Really, C'mon Hermione, don't go, we still have Charms to work on." Ron tried to grab her arm but Hermione stepped out of range.
"Oh do it yourself Ron Weasley, or better yet, find someone with common sense to help you!" And then she spun around and stormed up to the girl's dorm.
"You know Ron, I could be wrong, but when you're worried about a friend, I've always found it best not to insult them." Harry told him mildly as he opened his Charms book.
"Well I can't help that she's gone bloody daft over Malfoy!" Ron muttered rather remorsefully.
Hermione threw her bag onto the floor, crawled onto her bed, and pulled the curtains around her.
"How dare he? He's being ridiculous; they're both being ridiculous. Malfoy's not that bad, I'm not saying that's he a great guy or anything, but he isn't the worst scum on the earth." Hermione grumbled to herself.
Ever since the trip to Hogsmeade, Hermione had stopped avoiding the library when she knew that he would be there. While they didn't exactly get along, their insults to each other seemed less cutting, and something closer to a friendly banter.
Hermione rolled over and stared up at the canopy that covered her bed, it wasn't that she liked him. She just found herself not hating Malfoy as much as she use to. There was something about his eyes; the way they would flash and darken that made her feel somewhat strange. That day down in Hogsmeade had been strange as well. She had been so frightened down in that alley with Goyle coming closer to then. But part of her mind had refused to think of the danger and concerned itself only with the feeling of having Malfoy's arms around her. She had felt oddly safe, as if Malfoy would try and protect her from everything if he had to. It really made no sense to her. She hadn't told Ron and Harry about Lucius Malfoy and Goyle's father, they would only become more incensed that she had gone back to help Malfoy. At the time she had told them only that she wanted to run back to Honeydukes to get some more chocolate frogs. When she had found him sitting there in the dark like a lost child she'd only wanted to comfort him. Never once had Hermione ever thought that she'd want to comfort Malfoy, or that he would ever deserve comfort. Sometimes in the library, she almost felt that they were friends, but then Malfoy would completely change, reverting back into the nasty person that he usually was. Hermione just didn't understand; he seemed so lonely sometimes. Hermione gave a great sigh and pulled her blanket up to her chin and decided that she really didn't like Malfoy much at all, that she couldn't possibly like Malfoy.
