His empathic looks and constant questions, if she was fine whenever they passed the saccharine couple in the hallways, led Hermione to do something very, very stupid and very, very short-sighted. She decided to get a date for Slughorn’s party. And because she couldn’t very well go with Malfoy, who had once again begun acting like he wasn’t aware of her existence while the dark circles underneath his eyes grew, she agreed to go with someone else.