Hey lovelies! Of course the credits for the characters goes to JKR but I would like to make it clear that I don't support her views. Although we can still find solace in her work because the series meant something special to all of us, I don't think it's okay for her to be unkind to others. Being hurt doesn't justify hurting others.

Pansy didn't hate Harry Potter. She knew that she was supposed to and her upbringing demanded it but she didn't. She found the boy who just wouldn't die tolerable actually. Dare she say, but they were quite unlikely friends. They were often partnered together for potions and although he was a downright disaster and couldn't even cut ingredients properly, he used to give her the full control and quiet that she needed. She even found herself laughing against her own better judgement at Harry's sarcastic comments. That didn't mean she was falling on his feet and begging him to kiss her, like that uncultured weaslette.

God, Weasley. Now that was someone she did hate. Ron Weasley would have faced a thousand, infinitely painful deaths everyday if looks could actually kill. She could not for the sake of merlin imagine why the golden trio would include Ron. Because he was loyal? Fuck just get a dog instead. That's not a reason to befriend someone and that's certainly not a reason to make him your boyfriend.

Pansy was staring at the two from across the dining hall right now. Of course, the two in question were outright oblivious to her murderous glares but she was used to that. Granger hadn't noticed when the slytherin had slipped in a lollipop (a weird muggle sweet) in her satchel during 1st year. (Pansy had to go through great lengths to procure it without her parents finding out.) Granger hadn't noticed that Pansy turned vegan the day after she did. Hermione hadn't noticed when Draco had sported a black eye the day after he had called her a mudblood. Pansy had never believed all that load of bullshit about purebloods to begin with (one just has to look at Crabbe and Goyle to understand) but one look at her and she knew it couldn't be true at all. No one who was that good could have dirty blood.

Draco was sitting beside her and noticed the way Pansy's stare wasn't wavering as she stabbed the pea's on her plate with a fork. He knew. He hadn't questioned it since the day he got punched out of his wits by his best friend for making Granger upset. He also took the blame for the umpteen cruel pranks Pansy had subjected Ron to. But right now the usually helpful prick was sporting the most obnoxious smirk.

"You know girls actually like it if you go and talk to them instead of trying to murder their boyfriends," Draco drawled. "It's something you should look into"

Pansy just held her head in her hands in an attempt to block out the sight of Hermione teaching Ron yet another spell a four year old could manage. She couldn't help thinking that Hermione would never have to put in so much effort with her. Pansy would do everything for her.

"Stop it, Draco," She snapped. "You know she won't talk to me. She doesn't even notice me"

"Oh please, Granger literally spends hours talking to House elves. Trust me when I say you fair better even with that snubbed nose" Draco quipped.

Pansy couldn't stop a small smile gracing her face as she remembered a memory because of that comment. It was the day of Halloween during third year and she had fallen and broken her nose. To hide it, she had dressed up as a swan with the beak covering her nose. Daphne Greengrass had thought of it as important to point out that it was the only way that Pansy wouldn't look like a pug. She was fully prepared to out Daphne's affair with Neville at that very moment when Hermione had intervened. She had defended her. Even cut points! Pansy had never smiled that much in her entire life, let alone in a tacky costume.

She was rudely interrupted out of her calming thoughts about the one time Granger had spoken to her when she saw that bastard dragging Granger out by her hand. The girl can walk, fucktard. Pansy had effectively bent the fork slightly by the time that revolting situation had exited out of the hall. She was only left with a forlorn expression on her face and a git of a best friend laughing at her.

As gloomy as it was seeming currently, things were taking an even wilder turn during Arithmancy. Arithmancy, yes. She had actually taken up that subject where she couldn't decipher anything despite pouring over her books every day because that was the only class where that stupid clown didn't follow Hermione. She could contently watch Granger raise her hand at questions no one understood and indignantly huff at tough problems without Weasley pawing at her. But lo and behold she was robbed off this pleasure too. This was the first time Granger had missed a class and Pansy was worried. Beyond worried. She was about to make an excuse about going to Pomphrey, when the class ended.

Pansy hurried out of the classroom not caring for the way people made way for her out of fear. Her reputation as a cruel slytherin bitch was completely unnecessary but who was she to deny the special treatment it got her. But the sight that she saw right outside completely vanished all qualms Pansy had ever had about being a bitch. Ron was kissing that Brown like his life depended on it. In front of the entire school to see. That bastard. Pansy was seeing red. How fucking dare he cheat when he had a freaking goddess of a girlfriend?! She was about to make her fist knock some sense into his bloody moronic head when she heard the scuffle of feet and turned around to see her at the end of the corridor.

The sight broke her heart. Hermione looked so fragile at that moment. She didn't look like the brightest witch of her age but someone who had just lost everything they had. Her hair was messed up and her cheeks were stained with tears. Pansy couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Granger still looked beautiful with her splotchy skin and watery eyes. Hermione's eyes were focused on the couple a few meters from her but they widened the moment she saw Pansy. Before Pansy could assure her or saying anything at all, Hermione bolted from her spot. Pansy was left alone in the corridor with the terrible two and about a dozen other students who were now staring and gossiping about the new development.

It had started in the afternoon but now even hours later when it was approaching curfew, Pansy still hadn't been able to find Granger. She had missed all her classes and dinner but it was all in vain. She had even swallowed her pride and ask Weaslette and that blonde Ravenclaw for help but they didn't know where she was either. Hermione hadn't attended any of her classes and nor was she in her dorm. Pansy had checked every washroom and all over the school grounds. She even gave Hagrid a visit but that turned out to be useless too. Her legs were aching and she was close to crying herself. Where was that girl? Images of a hurt Granger sitting alone somewhere crying her heart out plagued her mind.

She was about to go to Dumbledore himself to get a search party when she heard sobs from an abandoned classroom at the end of the 5th floor. Pansy tiptoed to the class and gingerly opened the door so she didn't scare her away. Granger was there but she looked a lot different than what Pansy had imagined. She was sitting at one of the first desks but at the other end of the classroom. Her eyes were still puffy from crying and the tip of her nose was adorably red but she wasn't crying now. Just pensively looking at a picture in her hand.

Pansy didn't know how to make her presence known but apparently fate did. The moment she walked into the room, her legs decided to trip on pure air and make her look like a fool in front of the girl she had harboured a crush on for since 6 years. The noise of the fall startled Hermione out of her thoughts and she rushed to help out Pansy, who was now laying in an awkward position while holding her sprained ankle in agony. She helped Pansy up and seated her on a chair and sat cross legged on the floor to heal her foot. Pansy was beyond embarrassed. She had never been this clumsy even when she had been a toddler but apparently one look at the Gryffindor princess changes that. She was furiously blushing as Hermione murmured the spell while tracing her wand on her ankle.

"It's much better now, just don't put too much pressure on it for a few days," Hermione said without looking up from her ongoing inspection.

"Uh..Thanks. I mean, I appreciate you- no, not you. I didn't mean tha- I just meant I appreciate your help. So..uh thank you. For your help that is," Pansy stuttered her way through a sentence a five year old could have mastered. She couldn't even look her in the eyes without losing every sense of reality and although she tried keeping her gaze steady on the floor, they kept going back to those intelligent eyes of her.

Suddenly she remembered what she was doing here.

"Are you out of your mind?" Pansy shrieked "No one has seen you since the first period! Not the Weaslette, not Potty and not even that blondie who honestly scares the crap out of me. You're supposed to be the smart one, Granger. The least you could do was at least inform SOMEONE before deciding to camp in a forgotten classroom no one cares about. I was about to march into stupid Dumb & doors office to ask for a search party for merlin's sake. I was worried sick."

Pansy was still seething and hadn't realised her outburst had given so much away. She was still glaring at the dumbstruck Granger, who now could draw very clear parallels between Molly Weasley and Pansy Parkinson.

"You were looking for me?" She softly asked.

And Pansy jolted to the realisation of what she had done. But in true Slytherin fashion, played it cool.

"Of course, I was. You ran away like a fawn after seeing a predator and after watching that stupid redhead tramp with Brown, it didn't take a genius to figure out what had hap- "Pansy paused mid sentence looking at Grangers withering expression. Shit. She hadn't meant to make her cry.

"Hey," Pansy softly said as she sat down next to Granger on the floor. "I promise you, he'll regret it so much. He's the stupidest person alive if he can even fathom leaving you.

Granger snorted with misty eyes.

"You don't know," She mumbled almost on the verge of being incoherent. "He didn't cheat. We broke up. He should have left me long ago. I'm not worth him."

Pansy was shocked frozen when Granger scooted closer and leaned in. She clutched Parkinson's jumper tightly as she sobbed into her shoulder. Slowly she wrapped one arm around Hermione and started softly brushing her hair in an attempt to soothe her.

"You're the one who's worth so much more. Nothing in the world can a hold a candle to you, Hermione," she paused a little before deeming it fit to continue, "And even if you have done something wrong, which for the record I can't believe, he'll forgive you. You mean too much. You'll get back together if that's what you want."

Pansy had hated saying the last part. If it was up to her, she would hex him within an inch of his life. It didn't matter if Hermione was wrong. He had made her cry and that was unforgivable.

"I-I don't want to get back together with him. And I know he'll forgive me eventually. I know it's awfully conceited of me to think like that but I know he can't stay mad at me for too long. We were getting bored with each other too y'know? He can't listen about wizarding laws any more than I can about quidditch" Hermione sighed.

"You're sounding like one of those lovelorn girls who go after Potter for his scar, Granger," Pansy groaned, "What you need isn't crying your heart out but closure. Slytherin style. Where's that godawful picture you were pining with? We'll burn it!"

Pansy spotted it peeking out of Hermione's pocket and had grabbed it before the latter had shrieked a resounding no and tackled her to the ground.

"Sheesh Granger, I'm not interested in naked pictures of you and the weasel. Though I'll have to say I didn't take you as the type" Pansy said trying her best to sound nonchalant while Hermione freaking Granger was straddling her and had her pinned to the ground.

Hermione sheepishly removed her hold on Pansy's hands not understanding that Pansy was put in slytherin for a reason. Before she could say anything, Pansy was holding the photo in front of her face for scrutinization.

It was a moving picture of last year's Christmas ball. Hermione was at one end of the picture with Ron's arm around her shoulder but that wasn't what caught her eye. Granger had that same expression Pansy sported day in and day out. An expression of pure longing. But she wasn't looking at Ron. She was looking at Pansy. It was unmistakable. Hermione was looking behind her back at Pansy, who was standing a few feet away laughing on some stupid joke Draco made. Pansy blinked a couple of times in surprise to make sure her eyes weren't tricking her but it was plain as day. She slowly looked up to find Hermione fidgeting with the cuffs of her jumper and looking at her like a deer caught in headlights.

Pansy couldn't form any words. There was no way this was happening. There was no way that it was revealed that Granger had a crush on her too while she lying on the floor underneath her. She must be dreaming the most realistic dream anyone could ever have.

"I- I had liked you. I still do you know." Hermione whispered still looking intently at her cuffs as if she was gathering courage to defeat a troll, "This picture just perfectly captures it. You looked so bewitching that day in your red dress, I felt breathless just looking at you. I don't think you remember but you had gotten really drunk and stumbled into the girl's washroom and right into my arms. I had helped you upright in a hug before one of your friends came and took you to your dorm. I could smell your perfume on me even after you left. I remember thinking that it was the best Christmas gift I had ever gotten"

Hermione's eyes had become a little fogged and she had the smallest of smiles on her face before she snapped out of it by giving a slight shake of her head and continuing.

"Ron is a friend and I know I hurt him so much by breaking the news to him today but I had honestly not realised until a few months back. I didn't know how to tell him. I had just been so confused about it before and I never understood why it didn't feel right between me and Ron y'know. I thought I just couldn't have that butterflies in my stomach feeling for anybody. Well, at least until you came along," Hermione said in a small voice, "Of course that doesn't mean you have to reciprocate my feelings or anything of tha-

Hermione was cut off by Pansy pulling Hermione down by her collar and sealing her lips with a kiss. Pansy had survived 6 years in this agony and she wasn't about to bear another minute of it.

And that's how Draco Malfoy, prat extraordinaire and prefect, had found his best friend and Hermione Granger in an empty classroom, way past curfew with barely any clothing between them. He hadn't stopped screaming while clutching his eyes until Granger had effectively obliviated him into going back to his room so she could go back to snuggling with Pansy. Her girlfriend.

Thank you so much for giving this a read. Please leave reviews so I can learn about your views too. I would absolutely love to read them!