(( Okay, first thing's first. My story is set after the battle at Hogwarts but all the good guys survived (even Snape. 'Cause he's a good guy. Like it or not.). Second, hello and welcome to my FanFic! :D I hope you enjoy and please review so I know your suggestions and opinions! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them and I'll try to answer them as best I can! With that over, please enjoy~! ))

Hermione Granger was a cheat. That's right. Hermione Jean Granger, the brightest witch of her generation had cheated on a test. Not just any test. Her Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test, more commonly known as N.E. . That wasn't even the worst part…

Hermione could deal with guilt, you see. During her seven years at Hogwarts Hermione had to lie many a time, to various people actually. She hadn't planned to do it anymore though; not with you-know-who finally gone.

The worst part, was that she'd got the idea from one Draco Malfoy. Draconis Malfoy. The ferret, The weasel. The slimy, Slytherin God. Her best friends arch-nemesis and her tormentor.

He called her a twot and a goody-two-shoes and a teacher's pet. She hated him. She doubted the arrogant prick even knew basic manners, like 'thank you' and 'please'. In fact, she didn't doubt, she knew. If he did have any form of manners or courtesy, she wouldn't be in her current position.

You see, the trouble had all started two weeks ago when the library was shut for reconstruction; it was one of many areas of the castle that had been completely destroyed during the battle that had taken place at Hogwarts. Even with magic it would take a week at least to re-build and repair the books!

So, with no other choice, Hermione was forced to study her most dreaded subject, potions, in the nosy, unstudy-able environment that was the Gryffidor common room. The common room was usually completely filled with people and if she stayed late until they'd all gone to bed, she would be exhausted the next day and miss valuable lesson time.

When she did stay in the common room at normal hours, it was chaos. Harry and Ron, especially Ron, were completely distracting. They acted like fools and always tried to steal her books and make her talk to them, which was downright rude.

When she tried to study in her dorm, it was even worse. The constant stick of Lavender's god-awful perfume and the giggling of Parvati Patil as she gossiped with her sister through her wand. Any normal witch would be driven mad with such intolerable circumstances, but, Hermione wasn't a normal witch, she was the brightest witch of her generation, so her grief was intensified by 10.

With no other options, Hermione could do little but struggle with what little studying she could do, until she overheard Draconis Lucius Malfoy talking to his cronies; Blaize Zambini and Theodore Nott. Hermione had been sorely disappointed to find Malfoy when she first arrived at Hogwarts. She thought a prestigious, wizarding school would lack such popular clichés like a 'bad boy group', but there they were; in all their arrogant, obnoxious, egotistical glory. The event that had triggered the snowball effect to Hemione's eventual demise had started with them. With one simple conversation, in fact.

~ "Maaaaaaan, potions blows." Zabini whined, much to close to Hermione's desk for comfort.

"Too bad it's mandatory, huh?" Theo chipped in, scratching the back of his neck as they both turned to look at Malfoy, who was lazily lounging against the wall, admiring his wand.

"Don't be such girls. Potions is easy. Or maybe I'm just too brilliant." The blonde smirked, as easily confident as ever as his friends shared a tired look.

"Of course you are, Drakie~!" Theo purred, batting his eyelashes. "And dreamy and athletic and smart and rich and powerful~!"

Draco growled. "Oh, shut up. Jealously is pitiful on you, Notts."

Blaize laughed. "Leave him alone, Theo. Unless you want those tiny balls hexed off."

So vulgar… Hermione thought with an irked expression, despairing for the future of witches and wizards if these where the three most girls wanted to father their children.

"You would know, Zambini." Theo smirked back.

"Anyway, potions is easy for you, Draco. You can do no wrong in Snape's eyes." Blaize clicked his tongue, impatiently.

"Actually, the old bastards been surprisingly tight lipped about the whole exam." Malfoy mumbled, grudgingly.

"Oh? Then what are you going to do, hm~?" Notts hummed, sounding far too amused for Draco's liking.

"Isn't it obvious? My highly evolved brain has given me the most magnificent idea thanks to all the pureblood being supplied to it." Hermione could literally hear the smirk dripping off the tone. He might as well have shouted that comment to her face as it was obviously directed at the muggle-born witch.

"Yeah, yeah. You're a God-"

"And don't you forget it." Malfoy cut in.

"Now, what's the great idea?" Zambini finished for his friend who had been cut off.

"Cheat sheet."

"Cheat sheet?" Came the reply in unison.

"Are you guys deaf as well as idiots?" Draco snapped, impatient as ever.

"You're serious? What if you get caught?"

"I'm offended you think so little of me." The Slytherin murmured.

"Okay, so, he's serious…" Theo sighed, standing up straighter as Snape walked in, silencing the class. Hermione paid no more attention to the trio as they took their usual seats at the back of the class. She was too deep in thought to really twig the fact they'd been standing by her desk, which was 1. About a mile away from their desks and 2. Right next to her, a known tattle-tale.

A cheat sheet, huh? That would solve all her problems and, besides, it'd still be all her own work… She just didn't have time to memorise it… But, it wasn't really cheating, right?! It was all her work… ~

Looking back, Hermione had been stupid. No, more than stupid. Dense, utterly foolish, thick, dim, obtuse! She let out a heavy sigh and looked up at the boy cornering her. Her mind was clouded and her mouth felt like it was full of sawdust as she stared at the evidence that had the power to ruin her and it was in the hands of a boy who had proven to be nothing but a nuisance to her over the years.

"So, what'll you do, Granger?" The voice that slipped out of the pale lips in front of her was as cold and slimy as the snake emblem on his long, dark robes; contrasting startlingly with his ghostly pale skin and illuminate, platinum hair. He looked sinister and eerie and even though she could hear the buzz of people in the hallway up from the one they were in, his cold, grey eyes made her feel totally isolated and deserted.

Hermione gulped as shifted her gaze back to the image of her, suspended in the air before her like a retched memento. The image was simple, one look and you could tell straight away what was happening in the captured moment. It was her most shameful secret yet. All the other bad things she'd done before now - breaking curfew, sneaking into the ministry, unchaining a dragon, etc…- had been done with the noblest of intentions… This, would not been seen as something proud and grand in the long run, she knew. Hemione stared at her untameable mane of caramel hair, veiling her face; although that didn't matter as the hair itself was proof enough that that was, in fact, Hermione Granger. Her body was hunched and her quill poised above parchment as her head seemed to be focused on her lap, where her up-turned hand lay, scribblings scrawled all over the unblemished skin. Hermione gulped. Cheater. Cheater. Cheater. Cheater. Her own mind seemed to have turned against her as it taunted her, mercilessly. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to block out everything. Her conscience, Malfoy's steady breathing, that god-awful picture… Everything. For a second, it worked. Hermione gathered her thoughts and forced herself to think rationally as she remembered to breathe; just before she passed out from subconsciously holding her breath for at least 4 minutes. When Hermione finally re-opened her eyes, her resolve fizzled before dissolving into nothing. Her brown eyes widened as she was greeted with Malfoy's cold smirk. Suddenly, all the pieces slotted together. It was like a switch had been flipped.

"You…-" Hermione growled, dangerously low before being silenced by Draco's finger pressed against her soft, sea-shell pink lips.

"Now, now, Granger. Let's not forget who we're talking to, hm?" He waved his wand, arrogantly, making the image blur and contort in front of her.

"You planned this, you-you-" Hermione struggled to find a suitable adjective in her blind rage. No word could have matched her fury anyway.

"Heh. Salazar, have I finally rendered the perfect little priss speechless? I truly have a gift. Maybe I should go on the road? I could call myself 'Draco: The swot slayer.'" He smirked, enjoying every minute of Hermione's utter turmoil immensely.

"Malfoy…" She growled once more, pushing his arm away angrily, making him blink. "You planned this, didn't you? You insufferable little berk!" She hissed, trying to keep her voice low so someone didn't look down the blocked off corridor.

"What makes you say that, Granger?" Malfoy asked, smirk slipping as he stepped close to her again, a certain element of intimidation in his judgemental grey eyes.

"Standing next to my desk… You knew, didn't you?! How much trouble I was having! You knew I was desperate and would have tried anything! You're unbelievable! Inconceivably wicked!" The witch cried, fighting back a scream of frustration as she clenched her fists.

"Why, thank you. It was a good plan, wasn't it? And you played right into it, Granger…" His smirk returned.

"…" Hermione looked down, something heavy and pressing weighing on her mind. It stood out from all the other hectic thoughts running through her brain a-mile-a-minute. "Why?"

"Excuse me?" Draco asked, making the image disappear before lifting her chin with the tip of his wand, forcing eye contact as he trapped her wild chocolate, brown eyes with his own steely orbs.

"Why have you done this?! What can you possibly gain?! Why show this to me before the teacher?!"

Draco's lips turned up into a vindictive grin that sent a shiver run down Hermione's spine before Draco chuckled, darkly, almost to himself.

"Granger, I'm not going to show this to Snape."

"What?" It was Hermione's turn to look confused as Draco slowly removed his wand, replacing it with his finger, slowly tilting her chin further up and moving forward until he hovered mere centimetres above her, minty breath filling her nostrils and making her mind cloud all over again. For such a cold person, his breath sure was hot. It burned her cheeks. Scorched her lips. It felt like he was breathing fire onto her, not soft exhales of air.

"That is, if you do what I say." Malfoy finished, moving his arms to rest beside her, the forearms pressed against the stone wall flat as he leaned forward more, mouth beside her ear as their chest's almost brushed. "What do you say? Want to be my slave, Granger?"