Don't Act Like You Know Me

Year 1 - Christmas

"You said you weren't into him," Draco sneered at Hermione in the hallway.

"What?" Hermione whispered at him.

"Potter. Running up to him after the Quidditch game and hugging him and then walking off with him." Draco had a nasty look on his face.

"He's my friend, Draco!"

"Are you sure, Granger? This is the second time! Potter's going to kiss you!"

"Draco, you're not seriously jealous of him!" 

"Yes, I am, Hermione! He gets to walk to class with you and he gets to sit with you in the Great Hall! You get to cheer for him during Quidditch games!" 

"Draco, I don't know what to tell you!"

"I have feelings for you, Hermione! I just like you and I can't explain it! You're the only thing I think about and it's killing me!" Draco yelled. Hermione whipped her head around. There was only one person in the hallway. Ronald Weasley. Ron staggered in his steps and turned around and ran in the direction of the Gryffindor common room.

"Rat tails," Hermione whispered.

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A couple of months passed to Christmas time. Hermione had been generally avoiding Ron since the incident in the hallway. She guessed that he didn't tell Harry because Harry hadn't said anything to her. She knew that he would be angry with her. After all, she had feelings for the enemy. She still had been doing whatever research she could on Nicholas Flamel and so had Harry. She hadn't found anything yet, but she was sure there was something in the restricted section that would have information. After all, if Nicholas Flamel was conspiring with Albus Dumbledore, he had to be a man of importance. 

Hermione walked into the Great Hall. Students were saying their Christmas goodbyes and the ghosts are singing Christmas carols. Hermione approached the table that Harry (and Ron) were sitting at, wheeling her trunk beside her. Ron gave her a grimace before Harry spoke. "Knight to E5." They were playing Wizard Chess. Ron took a moment to think. 

"Queen to E5," Ron said. Ron's queen magically glided across the board over to Harry's knight and knocked it off its horse.

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione gasped.

"That's Wizard Chess. I see you've packed," Ron nodded towards her trunk.

"See you haven't," Hermione said. Ron was supposed to go home to his family for Christmas time.

"Change of plans. My parents decided to go to Romania to visit my brother, Charlie. He's studying dragons there," Ron said.

"Good. You can help Harry, then. He's going to go the library for information on Nicholas Flamel," Hermione said. Hermione and Harry had discussed that Harry would go into the restricted section during Christmas break.

"We've looked a hundred times!" Ron said.

"Not in the restricted section. Happy Christmas!" Hermione gave Harry a hug and nodded to Ron with a slight grimace. Hermione walked out of the Great Hall and took the train back to King's Cross station. She sat by herself on this train ride. When they were about halfway to the station, in walked Draco to her train compartment. Hermione hadn't spoken to him since that day in the hallway.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked.

"I told you not to call me that," he sneered.

"You call me Granger, so why not?"