The day was crystal clear and warm, one of those days where staying inside to study was not an option for most students. This was true for Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who had plunked down against the trunk of a large tree near the vast lake on the Hogwarts grounds with their heavy book bags and were so heavily engrossed in their homework for their NEWT classes that they stopped appreciating the fresh air soon as they cracked open their first book.

A distant familiar and repulsive giggle broke Hermione's nearly impenetrable focus and she glanced towards the castle to see Ron and Lavender traipsing along the grounds, sickening as ever. She really should be used to their disgusting displays of affection, and she tried hard to be, but no matter how indifferent she willed herself to be, her stomach still lurched every time her eyes and ears were assaulted with Lav-Lav and Won-Wons PDA.

Trying to shake off the puppy love induced wave of nausea, Hermione glanced at Harry, who was staring off across the lake at a couple who were snogging each other senseless and were initially unrecognizable to Hermione, as they were so entangled and such a mess of contorted limbs she couldn't be sure if it was an actual couple or the giant squid. But by the look in Harry's eye, she was quite sure that it was indeed two humans, one of which was undoubtedly Ginny Weasley.

Hermione scowled and returned to her book, not really seeing the page's words as she inwardly judged those of whom had no respect for the people around them and chose to carry on like animals in heat in full view of the entire school. Besides the general rudeness of such boldness, where was the romance? Where was the intimacy of a stolen moment, a private memory for only two lovers to share?

And then she really couldn't pay attention to her homework. She felt blush creeping up on her face and a few certain memories rising to the forefront of her mind, one of which was just from the night before. If she were being honest, this memory had been burning in her mind nonstop since it had formed, and for the first time in her life, she was quite afraid that she would never be able to focus on anything ever again.

She had just drawn a deep breath of what felt like suddenly too-hot air when she heard the voice and thought her daydreaming was unnaturally vivid before she realized it was real, and coming from behind the tree she was resting against.

"... won't leave me alone, it's like my second bloody shadow or a sick puppy," came the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. "It was fun at first just to have someone at my beck and call but now I'm about to start threatening her with the Cruciatus curse if she doesn't leave me alone."

"I'd like to have that problem," pouted Gregory Goyle. Hermione heard rustling and glanced at Harry, who hadn't seemed to have heard anything and was unaware his school archenemy was now sitting on the other side of their tree.

"Well, she does kind of have the face of a pug, can't deny that," said Blaise Zabini. "You know who doesn't?"

"Luna Lovegood?" volunteered Goyle.

"Luna Love- no, Goyle, why would suggest her?" Blaise answered, unexpectedly flustered sounding.

"Blaise, we all see you gawking at the Ravenclaw table every night and it's not hard to see who it is that's got you so enthralled," Draco muttered, his quill scratching against parchment. Hermione hid a grin, for she too had taken notice of Luna's admirer.

"Well..." Blaise stuttered weakly, "I - it's not - ok, but I was going to say the Granger girl."

By now Harry had snapped out of his jealous daze and was listening, but now Hermione was the oblivious one, having frozen upon hearing her name.

"Granger? Are you serious? The mudblood?" Goyle replied, sounding flabbergasted, as if his mate had just suggested they spend the evening feeding and tending to some Blast-ended Skrewts with Hagrid.

"Yes, the mudblood," said Blaise, "Her kind have no place in our world but I reckon she'd be a fun romp, she's got that bookworm thing going on. Those quiet types are the freaky ones."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It's that kind of thinking that will get more mudblood scum bred," Goyle scoffed. "My great uncle wasted his time on a piece of filth and knocked her up and got himself disowned out of the family years ago. Served him right. What should our kind have to do with any of them, even a passing glance?"

"What say you, Draco?" Blaise asked. "Parkinson or Granger, looks only?"

Hermione held her breath and felt her heart thump uncomfortably against her ribs. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Goyle's right," Draco answered without the slightest pause. "At least Pansy's not scum."

Hermione's heart fell. Really though, how could she expect anything else out of Malfoy's mouth? No matter what she knew he had to keep up his blood purist persona, even if she had firsthand knowledge that he was rather... conflicted these days.

Or was he?

"Have you seen her moping around now that the Weasel's got himself a floozy," Goyle said. "It's pathetic. Do you reckon now she'll set her sights on Potter?"

"Who cares what the mudblood does?" Draco retorted, sounding irritated. "She's less than the dirt under my shoe and I'd rather not waste my breath on her."

It was hard for Hermione to not take his words seriously. The sneer in his voice was convincing, and she was biting down on her lip now to keep her mask from slipping. She'd barely noticed Harry had taken her hand.

"Come on, Hermione, let's go," said Harry quietly, but she didn't move.

"Doesn't matter. Soon enough none of us will have to lay eyes on her or her filthy kind. The sooner they're all dead the better."

Goyle and Blaise sniggered in agreement at the same moment Hermione shot to her feet. She marched around the tree and faced the three Slytherins with a look so furious that all three got up to their feet as soon as they saw it. Harry followed close behind her and watched in slight bewilderment at what happened next.

Goyle and Blaise looked at the object of their verbal abuse with the usual contempt but Draco looked fearful, shocked even. He only had half a second to hold his expression, however, because Hermione had wasted no time closing the gap between herself and the blonde boy and slapping him hard across the face.

Harry couldn't believe it, but after Draco swayed on his feet and then steadied himself while holding his left cheek following the blow, he looked at Hermione with what looked a lot like sheer hurt and guilt on his face. These emotions looked strange on his pointed, normally sneering face, and Harry was only jolted out of staring when Goyle shot a curse at Hermione that sent her flying on her back with a yelp.

Enraged, Harry ripped his wand from his robes to retaliate but was stunned to watch Draco beat him to it, cursing Goyle himself and knocking him unconscious against the tree trunk behind them. Blaise looked as dumbfounded as Harry, but Draco ignored them and turned his eyes to the girl that was rising to her feet before him, anger still etched on her face but shock as well at what he had done to one of his most faithful cronies.

They all stood staring for a moment, except for Goyle, who was lying at an awkward angle against the wood and now drooling in his stupor. Finally Hermione spoke. "You have to choose, Draco. You've got to make up your mind."

These words made no sense to Harry, but at this Dracos expression turned defiant and yet somehow also terrified. Finally his face contorted on anger and he spat, "Stay away from me, mudblood," and ran away towards the castle.

Blaise threw Goyle over his shoulder with more than a little difficulty and headed in the same direction, shooting Hermione a final look of confusion as he went. Hermione's face sunk after he had gone and tears filled her brown eyes, leaving Harry wondering what in the world he was missing.

"Hermione," he said, "what-"

She flung herself at him, burying her head into Harry's shoulder, crying freely. He hugged his friend and glanced around, disappointed to see that Ron wasn't far from where the scene had unfolded but was too wrapped up in Lavender Brown, literally, to have noticed.

When she drew back she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and took one look at his bewildered face, and muttered, "I suppose I have a lot to tell you."