``Oh it's you [Draco]

[hermione]

It was Saturday afternoon and Hermione Granger was huddled in the corner of the stairs leading up to the Clock Tower with a thick cloak draped around her shoulders and an arthimancy book spread on her lap. She was usually seen with Harry and Ron, or else in the library studying quietly by herself. But not today. She wanted space. She wanted to be away from everyone and everything. The Clock Tower was the perfect spot for her purpose since very few students or professors went up there.

She flicked over the page and let out a long sigh. Hermione leaned forwards and rested her upper body on her knees, staring ahead of her with a blank expression. The sound of approaching footsteps brought her back to reality. Hermione shook her head and straightened her back. Her eyes moved downwards and she leaned against the railing waiting for the newcomer to come into view. To her displeasure, Draco Malfoy appeared in front of her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at Malfoy and hugged her book to her chest. The loathing was evident in her eyes. However, she was secretly almost glad to see him. Solitude didn't agree with her. It made her feel uneasy and restless. Her eyes followed his movements but she remained silent.

[draco]

Draco was hanging around with Crabbe and Goyle in their common room. They had a 'tiring' day in the morning with their daily 'routines'. Who knows which first years or even seventh years got pranked by them. Today has been an eventful day so far for the three of time. They decided to rest for the afternoon before heading to their classes later. Draco could easily absence himself from the class but he chose not to. Seeing he opted not, he will drag Crabbe and Goyle along with him to accompany him. Their lack of knowledge never fail to amuse him or annoy him.

Draco was sitting on the window ledge, tossing a softball and catching it back with the same hand he tossed while looking outside of the window, at the view. Crabbe and Goyle were busy stuffing chocolates and candies into their mouths. Draco quickly turned to look at them and commanded them, "Leave some chocolate frogs and jelly beans for me. If I don't see them in my trunk later, you guys are dead, understand? And don't you dirty my stuff." With their mouths fully stuffed, Crabbe and Goyle simply nodded their heads in respond to Draco. He turned his head back to the view and sighed.

He got bored and decided to head out. Thankfully, he did not need to answer any insolence questions from either of them why he was heading out. They were too busy stuffing their mouths rather than noticing Draco's departure. He did not know why but his feet somehow brought him to the Clock Tower. He wanted to turn around and just walk away until he spotted a shadow. He walked towards it and to his delight dismay, it was Hermione. "What are you doing here, Granger? Where's that Potter and weasel?"

[hermione]

Hermione narrowed her eyes and looked up at Draco with a frown. She hmphed loudly at his questions and replied frostily, "That is none of your business." She stood up and pulled her cloak tighter around herself before stepping away from the stairs and towards one of the high windows over looking the grounds. She cast a look over her shoulders and added, "No bodyguards today? And to think I was starting to get accustomed seeing you with your uhm... friends?" Hermione did not think that Draco, Crabbe and Goyle where friends... well at least not like she was with Harry and Ron.

In her opinion Draco used Crabbe and Goyle as a shield and sometimes even as servants. On the other hand the latter hid behind Draco's wit and knew they would benefit from their friendship with him. Perhaps they were not as stupid as everyone thought... or maybe their respective fathers had encouraged them to befriend the Malfoy prince. In any case, Hermione would have Ron or Harry any day. They often quarreled, especially her and Ron, but theirs was a true friendship. She knew she could always count on them, no matter what. Hermione leaned against the safety rail and gazed downwards.

The Hufflepuff team was training in the quidditch pitch; some first years were waddling in the Black Lake despite the cold; other students were lazily sprawled on the grassy ground soaking in the sun rays... laughing... studying... She wondered what Ron and Harry were up to. Probably stranded in the common room trying to finish some assignment or other. Hermione sighed to herself and turned around with the small of her back resting against the railing. "Oh you're still here," she commented softly.

[draco]

Draco was in disgust by her attitude towards him, "Watch your manners, Granger. You filthy mudblood. Of course, I need to know and it is my business to care so I can bring you guys to justice and seeing you guys be award with punishments you deserved." He sneered a little, he was still adjusting with sneering, something his father did best. Draco was sighing in his heart when he said that forbidden word. He should really stop calling her that if he even want to have a chance of speaking with her again, or even arguing with her.

It was not his fault for being in Slytherin and born as Pureblood. He could not help it. As much as he did not want to hurt her, he made it worst but then again, it would be the benefit for both in some ways or so he thought, "They are none of your business. They could be gobbling or chocking somewhere for all I care." He cares for his friend but he hardly shows. He did not know why he mentioned much about her in front of his father, even though, he might be praising her for being smart, most of it, was excuses so that he could not get punished by his father.

Draco was in his thoughts hence he did not realised Hermione's attention was somewhere else. Maybe it was a good thing, at least, that gave him a couple of seconds to admire her secretly before starting an argument with her again. He could not help but tried to sneer again, "What you mean, 'Oh you're still here'? If you want me gone so bad, I won't. I want to be the first to expose your dirty deeds." Oh great, what had he done now.

[hermione]

Hermione looked at Draco innocently and mocked, "Will you make me watch them Malfoy?" Her face became hard as stone when he called her a mudblood and she turned away from him. She knew that Draco was simply a snobbish pure blood, but somehow it always hurt the most when he called her that. She sighed softly to herself and held tightly on the railing with her knuckles turning an alarming shade of white. She gave a shrug at his words about Crabbe and Goyle and muttered, "Some friend you are." She was then lost in her own world; thinking about Ron and Harry and staring at the students in the grounds.

She thought he looked silly when he tried to sneer. It made his handsome features contort into an ugly mask. A pale red tinge appeared on her cheeks at the thought. She was quick to fold her arms over her chest and looked away. Hermione's head jerked back in Draco's direction when he started speaking. "That's not what I meant," she blurted out before she could stop herself. However, before either of them could react to her words Hermione stiffened and questioned, "Dirty deeds?" She shot Draco a dirty look and held her book tighter to herself.

[draco]

Squinted his nose a little, Draco looked away from her. How amusing, always trying to make things 'lighten' up. It would be nice but definitely not when you have to treat that person like your enemy and with total hatred. He noticed she turned away from him too but he only noticed through the corner of his eyes as he was still looking away from her. Being all high and mighty, Draco did not hear what she was muttering and asked, "What did you say?" He turned to look at her, narrowing his eyes a little wondering what she might be saying behind his back.

She was quiet but he noticed a slight change in her skin tone on her cheek until she looked away from him and folded her arms, appearing to be mad and most likely she is. Draco could not help but to wonder if she had mood swing or something. It was strange to be talking with her for a while now and nothing major happen, by major, he meant a fight with wand or interruption from either of their friends. Draco caught her looking at him while she was answering him that she did not meant something. He was confused, "What is that suppose to mean then, Granger?"

Unknowingly, he made a step forward. He wanted to get closer to her. It was only after she turned and shot him a look that he realised it was wrong and he halted in his step. "That's right." Draco had no idea why he answered that or why he used that as his answer. He was being distracted earlier and he could not have come up with a better answer in the nick of time.

[hermione]

Hermione groaned loudly and rolled her eyes. "Deaf much Malfoy?" she asked nastily. Hermione narrowed her eyes and watched him closely before adding frostily, "Oh wait... I forgot you only hear mudbloods, and not listen to them." The word mudblood was uttered with bitterness and a hint of hurt. She noticed that Draco looked confused by her words. Hermione shrugged in response and fell silent. What was she supposed to tell him? That she didn't want him gone? Definitely not. They were enemies. He was a Slytherin who despised wizards and witches like her... wizards and witches that were born to muggles.

While she had her back at him, Draco started walking towards her. Although she could not see him, she could hear his footsteps. However, when she turned her head in his direction Draco stepped in his tracks. Hermione raised an eye brow and then stepped uncertainly towards Draco. "That's right? Is that all you can say?" she questioned. Hermione tilted her head to one side and pushed a lock of hair from in front of her face.

The now short distance between them was making her feel somewhat uncomfortable. Her heart was hammering wildly against her chest and Hermione tried to convince herself it was out of anger.

[draco]

Draco gritted his teeth while being told off by Hermione. How dare she talk to him like that? He thought in his mind. As much as he wanted to use that word again on her, somehow, his mouth prevented it from saying it out like as though he was being jinx to have his mouth zipped shut. All he did was letting out a heave of air and making a 'hmph' sound before turning away from her with his hands placed on his hips. Draco honestly did not notice that Hermione was walking closer towards him otherwise he would have backed his steps a little to keep a longer distance from her.

The last time she was close to him, she nearly broke his nose. She should count herself lucky that he did not report to his father and get her in court or worst for hurting a royal pureblood like him. He shot her a look and asked, "What else do you want me to say? You should know jolly well what you did, Granger. All of you." Draco sneered once more, this time, he managed to sneer like his father and that made him happy but he quickly wipe that smile of his away and frowned. He was being serious, at least he tried to be serious.

He could not help but wondering what might actually happen if she got even closer. Draco felt like running away now but somehow, he also felt his legs getting weak from moving. If he said anything wrong, he might just get another punch from her. This is bad. Clearly, that was not the only bad thing. His heart was skipping a beat every a couple. He thought he was going nuts. He quickly look away from her before things get worse.

[hermione]

"Don't be so dramatic," she replied hotly. Throughout these four years, the trio had not exactly aboded by rules... like any other normal student. She would hardly consider minor rule breaking dirty deeds. Hermione sighed softly when he sneered at her and thought why he kept doing that... why he kept trying to hard trying to look like his father. She couldn't help but wonder what the really Draco was like. The one beneath the proud pure blooded mask. When Draco looked away from her, she scrunched her nose and stared down at her feet. Hermione stole a glance in Draco's direction. She was feeling nervous and confused and had started nibbling her lower lip uncontrollably. After a couple of minutes in silence she cleared her throat and said, "I uhm... should continue study." Despite her statement, she didn't make an attempt to move.

[draco]

Draco ignored her comment while still looking away from her. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, secretly and caught her gazing at him. He could not help but to wonder why she was doing that. He also wondered if she had something up on her sleeves. Perhaps, she was trying to distract him while Harry and Ron were up to something no good. He wanted to sneer but he managed to control himself this time. He noticed her biting her lower lips and his mind began to wonder how her lips might taste like. He quickly snapped out of it with a question, was he thinking of kissing her? He thought kissing was gross. He was always in a mere puke state thinking of his father and mother being all mushy at home. He had to hide in his room to avoid viewing all of those.

Then, his mother would tease him. He hated when his mother did that. He caught her telling him that she should head back to study and he turned to face her, "And where will you be doing that? The library? The secret hideout of you, Potter and Weasel? If that is the case, I've to follow you." Draco said proudly while lifting his head high and mighty. The real reason was he wanted to hang around with Hermione a little longer, alone, just the two of them. That was when he realised, he was going nuts with his thoughts. Why would he even want to be with her alone? She's a filthy mudblood, he's a prince, a pureblood.

[hermione]

Hermione raised her brows in disbelief and groaned at his words while muttering, "Oh great." She started fidgeting with her cloak and looking around the room. "No... not the library. Not today. There are too many people," she replied. Hermione stepped around Draco while adding, "I think I will just stay here... and you can leave." She did her best to smile at him nastily. Hermione stopped when their backs were facing each other. She peered over her shoulders and said, "Not that it matters but for your information we don't have any secret hideout... simply because we have got nothing to hide unlike yourself." Hermione flipped her hair casually and remained stationery,waiting for Draco to say something or leave.

[draco]

Draco smirked, "You bet. Having someone like me following someone like you around school is hideous." Draco raised an eyebrow while looking at her. She doesn't like being in crowded area? That is new. He thought in his mind while looking at her before looking away. When she made her point, there was no other reason Draco could come up with or wanted to come up with when she clearly wanted him away from her. What was he thinking that perhaps she might want to be alone with him, he must be really nuts, "Fine, suits yourself, Granger. I'll be keeping an eye on you. All of you." Draco sneered before flipping his cloak and making his way out of the towel, away from her. He was making his way towards the door, existing.

[hermione]

"Actually. It's pathetic," she mocked in response. She sighed to herself and shook her head tiredly, thinking that Draco was in desperate need of a healthy hobby. She waved in his direction and said frostily, "We are flattered to know your universe rotates around us." Hermione laughed softly to herself and waited until he was gone before heading back towards the stairs and resuming her previous perch. She found the page she had been reading and continued with her studying. After a couple of minutes, she sighed to herself and peered over her shoulders. It had been almost comforting having Draco around... if only he wasn't an obnoxious slytherin.