"Now, I will be partnering each of you up in a boy/girl pair for this project," Professor Binns said lazily from the head of the classroom. "You're assignment is to recite part of the play Romeo and Juliet in front of the entire class in remembrance of the great wizard William Shakespeare who's birthday is coming up. Now, I have the list of pairs here. Let's see…"
"Well, at least neither one of us can get Malfoy," Ron muttered to Harry and Hermione.
Harry nodded while Hermione shot him a look. "Yeah, good for you," she grumbled. Harry rubbed her back warmly.
"Don't worry, Mione," he assured her. "I'm sure Binns won't partner his star pupil with—"
"Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy," Binns said from the front of the room.
Hermione pinched Harry. "You were saying," she said through clenched teeth.
From across the room, Malfoy moaned and raised his hand. "Professor, why must you stick me with that?" He jabbed his finger in her direction.
Binns rolled his eyes, probably the most you'll ever see him do. "Mr. Malfoy, class is almost over. Please, keep your remarks to yourself until I am finished."
"But why?" he practically whined.
The professor sighed. "Because, young man, you and Miss Granger are my brightest students. Pairing you together seemed fit."
"Malfoy? Smart?" Hermione said. "Are you sure your grade book is right, sir?" She heard Harry and Ron stifle gasps beside her.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, I think you two shall learn to get along this evening…in detention. Be here at eight o'clock and bring your books. You will start your project tonight. Now, moving on…"
Hermione shot Malfoy a look of hatred which he sneered at before turning back to her friends. She paused when they gaped at her. "What?" she asked testily.
"I…I think that's the first time you've ever gotten detention without our help," Harry said.
She shrugged. "I might not like it but I also don't like failing. At least—for one night—we'll have to work on the project."
Ron shook his head. "You're the only person in this school that can find the good in detention, you know that?"
She smiled. "Thanks, Ron."
"Harry Potter and Padma Patil," Binns was saying. Padma shot Harry a flirty look and waved. He gave her a weak wave back. "Ronald Weasley and Susan Bones, Vincent Crabbe and Lavender Brown…" The list continued until class ended. To Hermione's shock, Malfoy actually did go up to Binns afterward and ask him again why he was partnered with her. All he got, however, was a firm lecture and another night of detention. She heard him muttering about dead teachers as he brushed past her.
"Well, tonight is going to be very interesting, don't you think guys?" she said to Harry and Ron as they headed to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Yep," Harry said as Ron nodded.
They walked into the Hall together and sat with Ron's sister Ginny who'd been waiting for Hermione. "Mione!" she exclaimed the second she sat down. "Guess what?"
Hermione laughed. "Gin, you know all my guesses are lame. What is it?"
"I have a date!" she cried happily, clapping her hands.
Ron blanched, his first forkful of food halfway to his mouth. "With who?!" he yelled, causing wuite a few heads to turn.
"Keep it down over there, Weasel!" Malfoy called back. "Some of us want to be able to swallow without having to look at you!"
"Shove off!" Harry yelled back as Ron's ears turned pink.
Malfoy smirked and went back to his meal. Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. "Lower your voice," she hissed before turning back to Hermione. "It's Blaise," she told her.
Harry and Ron's mouths dropped open and Hermione and Ginny squealed. "Ginny, that's great!" Hermione said. "At least you picked the not-as-bad-as-the-rest Slytherin," she said.
"But still a Slytherin!" Ron said angrily.
"Oh, be quiet," Ginny shushed him.
"I will not!" Ron told her.
Hermione tossed a roll at him. "Eat," she ordered before turning back to his sister. "How did it happen?" she asked eagerly.
"Well, we were in Astronomy together and he came up and asked to be my partner and then he just kinda asked me out on the next Hogsmeade trip."
"Ginny, that's great!"
"And this weekend! Oh, I wonder what Malfoy's going to say," she wondered evilly.
"Well I'd trade you my detention for your date any day," Hermione told her, heaping som of the food onto her plate.
"You got detention?" Ginny said incredulous.
She nodded. "Because Malfoy was insulting me to the teacher and I retaliated. He got in trouble too and since Binns partnered us for a project, he's forcing us to do our project in detention."
"Oh, poor Mione," Ginny said patting her hand.
"Poor Mione? Poor me. I'm the one stuck with the Mudblood for two hours."
Hermione and Ginny turned to find Malfoy standing behind them with Blaise and Pansy on either side.
"Just think of the contamination," he went on.
"Oh, I am," Hermione assured him. "I know how much dirt comes along with being in the prescence of a Slytherin."
"How dare you say that to me!" he yelled.
Hermione just rolled her eyes.
"What, couldn't think of anything better to say?" Pansy said.
"What, couldn't think of anyone better for company?" Harry retorted in Hermione's defense.
Pansy just "hmped" and walked away, Malfoy and Blaise following but not before the former shot them all his famous sneer.
Hermione dropped her chin on her hand and tried to hold back her tears.
"Hey, what's wrong, Mione?" Ginny asked. "You handled that well. We're rubbing off on you," she added teasingly.
Hermione smiled a bit. "I'm just so tired of them calling me a Mudblood," she said, her eyes shining now.
Harry reached over and patted her hand. "Don't worry. They'll get what's coming to them one of these days."
"Is that a promise?"
Harry and Ron exchanging grins. "Definitely," they chorused.
Hermione wiped away her unshed tears. "Good. Thanks, guys."
"We live to serve," Ginny quipped. "Now, eat up. We have two more classes and then—"
"Detention," Hermione finished.