I don't own HP. All rights to J.K Rowling.

Prologue

It was only one week into the school year and Hermione was already irritated.

She had woken up late this morning and forgot to bring her defense homework to class. Snape had taken twenty points from Gryffindor as a result. All because Lavender Brown had moved it out of sight when she had been searching for her nail polish.

Speaking of which, Lavender Brown was a nightmare. She threw herself at Ron whenever she could and latched herself into him whenever he was within reach. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and classes, Hermione could not get through the day without feeling the urge to retch at least five times every two hours.

She was currently in potions class, sitting with Harry and two seats away from her, was Ron and Lavender. Hermione could only imagine that Lavender was calling him Won Won every now and then.

Not that she cared that the two were together, but Lavender Brown was extremely irritating. It seemed that she had gotten even more girly over the summer. She had turned the whole Gryffindor girls dormitory into a pink palace. Pink posters everywhere, pink nail polish, lace, snail varnish, Hermione could not enter the dorm without seeing one from the corner of her eye, no matter which direction she was facing.

Hermione was jolted back into reality when Slughorn mentioned something about group work.

"For the rest of the year, we will be doing potions in pairs. I will put you in pairs and you will have to do research and potion making together. Now, I will be reading the names of the pairs."

Hermione sat up straight in her seat, and so did everyone else. She chanced a glance at the slytherins and grimaced. Crabbe and Goyle didn't get in, which meant that there were fewer slytherins than before. They seemed even more unpleasant than before. She glanced at Parkinson, who sneered at her before looking away. Hermione looked at Malfoy, who glanced back at her with disdain and turned his nose up.

Well, as long as I'm not with any of them.

"First off, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini. Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan. Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter. Ron Weasley and Lavender Brown." Hermione heard a squeal. "Pavarti Patil and Theodore Nott. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy."

The class was silent as the last pair of names were revealed. Someone dropped a quill.

Hermione's jaw dropped. She could hear Pansy Parkinson's shrill voice of horror. "What?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Professor. Could we swap partners perhaps? Hermione could partner with Pavarti and Nott with Malfoy."

Hermione gave Harry a grateful look.

Please agree, Pavarti is better than Malfoy. Please agree.

Slughorn only beamed at Harry.

"Nonsense my boy, this is perfect. You could learn to walk ro with each other, interact with members from different houses."

Yeah, we'll interact alright.

"But Professor," Pansy said. "Must Draco really work with...her?"

I don't want to work with him either.

"Of course, Miss Parkinson! Well, I've really got to go settle some things in my office. Homework , meet up with your partners to discuss the properties of Amormentia. I want your essays on that by the next lesson. Class dismissed." Hermione slammed her head repeatedly against the table.

"Why me, why me, why me?" She muttered under her breath.

As she slowly got up to pack her things. Harry gave her a sympathetic look as Ron patted her awkwardly on the back. Even Lavender, who usually did not care for Hermione, glanced at her with an expression of pity.

Hermione felt horrible. How could she work with Draco bloody Malfoy? They hated each other, for Merlin's sake. Pureblood and Muggleborn could not mix. Besides, Draco Malfoy was what Hermione hated. Rich, spoilt and snobbish.

She chanced a look at Malfoy. The blonde was strutting out of the door, with Pansy by his side as she tried to comfort him. Malfoy was silent as he kicked the door open, and walked out of the dungeons.

Well, nice to know that the feeling's mutual.

Scene break.

That evening, Hermione did not need to witness Lavender and Ron's public display of affection to lose her appetite. She didn't even have one to begin with.

"Hey, Hermione. It's going to be alright, you re only partners for potions." Harry said.

"Yeah, besides, this means you have more chances to punch Malfoy again." Ron told her as he ate a spoonful of potatoes.

Hermione sighed. "I suppose so."

"Look, don't be too glum about it. If Malfoy tries anything, Harry and I'll beat him up for you." Ron made a gesture of punching someone while trying to dodge Lavender, who was attempting to spoon feed him. "

"Also,cheer up. there's Hogsmeade this weekend. How bout the three of us go to the three broomsticks? I'll treat." Harry suggested.

"Sure." Ron said.

"I'm so sorry I can't come with you Won Won. Pavarti has asked me to go shopping with her."

"It's alright, have fun." Ron looked slightly relived.

Hermione smiled, she was really lucky to have her friends around her. She looked toward the Slytherin table.

Draco Malfoy looked as if her was trying to break his fork, with his eyes and hands. His fist was clenched so tightly around it. When they locked eyes, he gave her his trademark sneer before returning

to glare at his fork.

Hermione shook her head. "I'll deal with him when I have to."

Scene break.

It was sooner than she had anticipated.

As she walked to Gryffindor tower alone because Ron was probably off snogging Lavender somewhere and Harry was coming up with a schedule for Quidditch tryouts, Hermione bumped into someone.

"Ow, sorry-" She rubbed her head before her eyes widened. "Malfoy!"

"Ouch. Do watch where you are going, you filthy little mudblood!"

"Watch your language Malfoy! I can take points away! I'm a prefect."

Malfoy sneered at her, his grey eyes almost silver in the hallway which was not very bright because it was only illuminated by a few candles.

"Like I care about that. I'm so scared that my potions partner is a prefect." He drawled, putting extra emphasis on potions partner.

Hermione narrowed her chocolate brown eyes. "Well, you aren't glad about that." She said.

"That's an understatement."

"And I am not as well." Hermione continued, pretending that she did not hear him. "However, that doesn't change the fact that we have to work together, unless you don't care about your grades, you-."

"Well, I care more about not having to work with you." Malfoy cut her off.

"Oh, stop being so childish! Well, as much as I don't want to, we do have to do Slughorn's homework together. So it means we have to meet up. Tomorrow, three o'clock in the library. That's our free period."

"No."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, if you don't turn up, I'll hex you where the sun doesn't shine." She said before storming off.

Well, on the bright side, if Hermione was honest with herself, there wasn't one. Hermione stormed all the way to Gryffindor tower in fustration. She gave the password to the fat lady, who Tsked at the state of her hair, before storming up the stairs to the girls dormitory, ignoring the looks from the other Gryffindors.

Thankfully, Lavender and Pavarti were not inside yet. Hermione lay down on her four poster bed as she threw a pillow over her face and screaming into it.

Stupid luck. Stupid fortune. Stupid potions. Stupid Draco Malfoy.

There, thanks for reading. :)