Running non-stop, only from fear of being seen by her previous witnesses, she saw a perfect sanctity. Physically stopping her legs, she slowed down to a halt in what she called a heavenly solitude. It was a beautiful spot, magnificent high-gray stone pillars connecting with one another by a thin stone slab all the way around. It looked as if it were from Caesar's time. Ferns decorated the area, hanging from the stone slabs above. It was mystical and hypnotizing. Looking up, all you could see was the beautiful sky, and it seemed as though no matter when you visited, you could always see the stars. The ground, having miss-shaped stone slabs conveniently placed next to each other, you really felt like you were back in old Rome.

As she walked, she saw the most amazing thing about this heaven, an old water fountain. It was big enough to wade in, yet only knee-deep, however, the most beautiful thing about this fountain was the middle. In the center there was a beautiful stone statue of two peacocks, their tails facing each other whilst their wings were open as they bowed down to onlookers. She looked at their faces, each sputtered water from their beaks in a soft trail into the already knee-deep water.

'Wow' she whispered, 'this is amazing'…

She ran her fingers through the water and gasped, the water was…perfect. It was neither to hot, nor to cold…just…uncommonly right. Suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist and she spun around in shock.

"Hello Granger"

Malfoy. That arrogant son-of-a-bitch, he had followed her. He was the sole reason she was here in the first place, running, running from him. He had humiliated her in front of the entire school. Sneering at her, laughing at her, it was too much for her to handle that day, she just left, without a single word crying all the way here.

"Malfoy let go of me. What are you even doing here, come to get some more pleasure in my tears? I'd thought you would have had enough by now" she spat.

"Why Granger," he said, his face in mock shock, "why would I ever do that?" He laughed, proud of his comeback, knowing that it would get to her, as almost everything that he said did. The laugh didn't last for long, he had stopped when he looked at her again, she really was crying.

"Hey…hey Granger, I was just being stupid, I really didn't mean it…please listen to me"

"Malfoy, you are such a bastard. You care not for my feelings, just your pride. Why don't you take all you think you have and shove it up..."

That was as far as she got. She just couldn't say anymore, she was to upset. Oh, how it would have been nice if she could just once in awhile say…anything to him for a comeback. He irritated her too much, she couldn't think straight. Disgusted, not only with herself but with him as well, she started to walk off when a hand once again grabbed her wrist.

"Listen Granger, I really am…if you weren't such a ….prude sometimes, you know, this wouldn't happen!

"ME! This is MY entire fault, if I weren't such a prude" she chortled "I knew you weren't bright Malfoy, but I surely thought you were smarter than that."

"What are you talking about?"

She just stood there. 'Was he for real?'

"Malfoy, you know very well that I do nothing to you. All day long I sit there, doing homework, reading books, practicing spells. It's all I EVER do, and even I'm admitting that. Whenever you see me, whenever you get a chance, you take it up. Retort back to me in a sneering voice when nothing was even said. You said I was a prude? By that do you mean I was bothered by your "cunning" remarks? Then yes, I was BOTHERED by MEAN things you said to me. Sorry for having feelings Malfoy!"

He was taken aback. What had she just said to him? As if it was really all HIS fault either, it was both, it takes two to argue…unless you were Potter, then it's ok, mental patients do that sort of things all the time. Laughing silently as his joke he realized that Granger was just looking at him, and he had just stood there for about a minute…not going to help his case any.

"Look GRANGER" he sneered "You say you do nothing? What a load of crap that is. All day long you look down on people, even your friends-though I can't for the life of me see what you see in them, for not knowing the right answer. Do you have any idea how bad that makes them feel? Being smart is one thing, being stuck-up is another. You think that just because Potter and Weasley don't like me makes it any right? Stop following and figure out what you want for once, followers are just weaklings in the chain Granger. Maybe that's your problem? As you see, I don't follow, I'm not weak. Jealousy is a nasty little habit mudblood, better learn to change. Everything I've said to you I've just given back from what you say to me. I defend my house and the same time I defend my pride, my status. And THAT Granger is what makes me smarter than you."

There, he had said it. Now she knew the truth, why more people than just in Slytherin hated her.

She just looked at him, unable to say anything. She was madder than she'd ever been in her entire life. Nothing gave him the right to say that, nothing. With nothing more left to say she left him, standing by the fountain.

'Wait until Harry and Ron hear about this…'

"Hermione what's wrong!"

Harry had been playing Wizard's chess with Seamus when all of a sudden their board fell off the table and the pieces flew everywhere. It was caused by a large bang. When they looked up, they noticed Hermione slamming the Gryffindor common room door. She looked furious.

"Hermione?"

She just looked at Harry and Seamus, the latter looking scared out of his mind. That settled her a little bit; just because Malfoy had ruined her night didn't mean she had to ruin everyone else's.

"Harry, could you please go get Ron and meet met in my room? I have to tell you something important."

"Yeah…sure Hermione, just wait and I'll go get him."

Five minutes later, Harry and Ron walked into her room, both looking concerned for her, obviously, for her previous behavior in the common room.

"Hermione, are you sure your okay?"

"Yes Harry…well no, actually I'm not." She proceeded to tell them what had happened between her and Malfoy just minutes before.

"So…what do you think?" she asked them, both looking confused.

Ron looked from side to side, a guilty look conquering his face.

"Yes Ron?"

"Well, Hermione, here's the thing. What Malfoy said was wrong, and I'm sure Harry and I will beat him up for it-"

"Ron!"

"…but you do sort of look down at us for our school work…"

"I do what? Harry, is that true?"

"Well…erm….yes Hermione. But you don't do it a whole lot, well, actually you do, you do look down on us, and quite frankly it hurts us…"

Hermione had heard enough, she can't believe that Malfoy was right, and it hurt her that she knew nothing until now that she had been putting down her friends. Worse yet, she had been putting down Ron, the man (she had been telling herself) that was her true love. But still, she was quite upset, and wasn't about to let any of them win.

'They're all just jealous' she thought, 'jealous of my wits, jealous that a…a muggle born does better than they do…'

"Well, thank you Harry, Ron…I'll see you tomorrow. Now if you wouldn't mind, I would like to be left alone to sleep and do homework."

"Hermione..." Harry started.

"No. Goodnight."

Both boys left her room looking at each other, both knowing that they probably should not have told her what they did, they knew, they knew this was going to lead to trouble.

"Harry…" Ron asked when they got back to their room, "do you think we should go tell Hermione that we were wrong? That Malfoy isn't right?"

"No Ron. She…she needs to know, I don't think that she ever knew what she was doing. I just hope that she doesn't stay mad at us for much longer…"

"Yeah, I hate when she's mad at us Harry, it's no fun."

"Well Ron, I was thinking more along the lines that we have a test coming up and we need her help…"Harry grinned at his remark.

"Goodnight Harry."