Just Good Friends

As Harry walked out of the common room door with Hermione, he noticed something strange about the hallway they were standing in.

"Mione, wasn't ours the only door on this hallway yesterday?"
"Yes Harry, why?"

"Because there are two more doors behind us."

Hermione laughed. "Those are just the other Gryffindor prefects' rooms. Only teachers and other prefects can see the doors on this hallway. The spell takes awhile to recognize new people."

"Oh. How'd you find that out? No, lemme guess. Hogwarts: A History, right?"

"Of course." The pair continued on down to the great hall. They were only a few other students in there. Including one whom they particularly wished to avoid. The platinum blond Slytherin saw them as they came in and walked over to them with a surprisingly expressionless face.

"Potter, Granger." He looked at each of them as he spoke their names, still with that blank face.

"Malfoy." Harry's voice was cool. He didn't know what the scumbag was up to, but he didn't trust a Malfoy who wasn't at least a bit insulting.

"So, should I congratulate you two, or what?" Malfoy asked in an offhand way, his slight shift in position the only clue that he was a bit uncomfortable asking the question.

"Congratulate us on what?" Hermione asked him, in a tone very much like his own.

"I heard that the two of you were proud parents-to-be. Is that true?"

"No, that's just a rumor." Harry was a bit surprised that Malfoy asked in this manner instead of teasing them about it, but he didn't let it show.

"Oh. That's good to hear. Wouldn't want Dumbledore's pets having to drop out now, would we?" That was a typical Malfoy remark, but spoken in a totally un-Malfoy-like way. There was no bitterness or mocking in his voice, someone who didn't know him better would think that he was trying to joke with them. He turned to walk away, but Hermione called after him.

"Why do you care, anyway?" There was no sarcasm in her voice, just curiosity. Malfoy turned back around and came close enough to answer without the whole hall hearing.

"I was always taught to be a gentleman, and gentlemen aren't rude to pregnant ladies, regardless of heritage. I wanted to know if I would have to give up torturing you this year."

Hermione laughed. "You won't."

"Good to know. Any more questions?" Malfoy asked. Hermione and Harry both shook their heads, and Malfoy walked away.

"Alright, that was a little strange," Harry said as he and Hermione made their way to the Gryffindor table.

"Yes, just a little," Hermione agreed. Just as they started on their breakfast, a sleepy looking Ron walked in. Harry and Hermione looked at each other and made a silent agreement not to tell Ron about Malfoy's behavior. He would just have something sarcastic to say, and it wasn't a really big deal now, was it?

"Morning Prefects 1 & 2," Ron said as he slid into a chair across from Harry.

"Morning, Ron," the two said simultaneously which prompted them to glare at each other, then burst out laughing with their amused companion. The three started talking about classes. They had History of Magic first and planned on smuggling in coffee to stay awake (Ron had planned on using the class as extra sleeping time, but he conceded after Hermione said he couldn't copy any of her homework for that class if he did). The conversation then turned to teachers, then Quidditch, then strange, random things. Hermione was saved from a particularly weird conversation on whether or not it was possible to make pigs fly by Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Hermione, can I talk to you for a moment?" He asked.

"Sure Justin." She smiled at him and they walked off near the doorway of the hall.

"I wonder what that's about," Harry remarked, taking a swig of his orange juice.

"Probably asking her out. She has gotten rather hot."

Harry practically choked on his juice. "Ron, you're not supposed to think of her like that! She's your best friend!"

"So, it's not like I want to go out with her or anything, I just know a good-looking girl when I see one."

"But it's still..."

"Still what? Since when can't a guy notice a hot girl just 'cause she's his friend?"

Harry saw the truth in Ron's words, but one thing was bothering him. "Since when did you start sounding so smart? And 'it's not like I want to go out with her'? I could've sworn you fancied her last year."

"First of all," Ron said, "I sound smart because I am smart." Harry rolled his eyes. "And second," Ron continued, "I may have had the tiniest crush on her last year," Harry was tempted to roll his eyes again, but held back the urge, "but that was last year. I'm over it." The tips of his ears turned pink at this last remark, but he was saved from any possible comment Harry might make (not that he would've) because at that moment, Hermione returned. "What did Finch-Fletchley want?" Ron asked, in a tone that implied he knew exactly what the Hufflepuff wanted.

"He asked me out."

"And you said..." Harry asked.

"I told him no. I know it's silly of me, but I never quite forgave him for how he acted when he found out that you're a Parseltounge, Harry."

"Mione, that was three years ago."

"I know, but I just can't forget it. I don't like people who just jump to conclusions like that. Are we finished here?"

"Yep."

"Yeah." The three stood up and began the walk to Professor Binns's classroom, with Harry and Hermione stopping occasionally to show first years to their classes. They finally made it to their first class and walked in arm in arm, Hermione in the middle, her two best friends on either side.