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A/N- This is our second fic of many... er, hopefully. We are "Who Died of Ennui" and "Socra"... if you want to read our individual fics. There should be links to us under this account's Favorite Authors. Hooray. We're our own favorite authors. Er...

Chapter One- The Punishment

Draco and Ron sat in Dumbledore's office, glaring at each other with extreme anger. Ron's face was deep red and his knuckles were white as they clutched the armrest of the chair he was seated in, obviously attempting to restrain himself. Draco's face was completely emotionless except for his eyes which burned with intense hatred.

Dumbledore looked from one boy to the other and sighed. "Listen now you two," he began in a somber tone. "I have been discussing your punishments with your parents, the other professors, and various Ministry officials, and we have finally come to an accord."

Both boys looked up now, immediately forgetting each other at the mention of punishment. They knew they were in for something cruel and unusual for what they had done.

"Instead of starting the year off here at Hogwarts, you will be sent to a different school," Dumbledore explained.

Draco almost laughed in the old man's face. He knew ever since he was little that all the other wizarding schools would be more fun than Hogwarts! No wonder his father agreed to this punishment... it wasn't a punishment at all!

Ron, however, looked quite distraught. "But-but-" was all he could say, repeating that same word over and over again.

Dumbledore looked a touch sympathetic.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley. This will indeed be a great change for you. But you two did break the rules, not only of this school, but of the whole wizarding community! Fighting a duel on Muggle territory... Anything could have happened! We were surprisingly lucky. But nonetheless, you must be punished. Don't you agree?"

They nodded unhappily, shooting each other angry glances.

"Good," said Dumbledore. "Then let me tell you what your punishment is to be. He paused for dramatic effect, giving them both stern glances. "You two are both going to attend a Muggle school in America for one year, during which time you will," he took a piece of paper off a table and read from it to them, "reconcile yourselves with the differences between Muggle society and wizarding society, and realize the importance of keeping separate the two."

"What?" said Ron, startled.

"WHAT?" cried Draco furiously.

Dumbledore held up a hand. "Now, I know I usually get you students out of trouble with the law and so forth." He chuckled to himself. "But this time I cannot and will not do anything to help you."

"This is all your fault," said Ron tersely.

"It bloody well is not! Wait until my father hears about this. Then he'll wipe your entire stinking Weasley family off the planet. And while he's at it I'll have him obliterate that Muggle school. And have Albus Dumbledore thrown out of the school."

"Just try it, Malfoy," said Ron coolly.

"Children, children," said Dumbledore, smiling in a saintlike manner. "We must be calm. This will be a learning experience for all of us!"

"For us two, at least," muttered Ron. "While you just sit here in your eccentrically decorated study and have a perfectly normal year."

"I will not stand for this!" screamed Malfoy. "Did you just hear that? This member of the lowest of low in wizard families just said referred to himself and me as 'us two'. I will not associate with his level of people. Let alone a whole school full of Mudbloods!"

"Mr. Malfoy. You will. Your father has agreed to it, reluctantly, but considering that the entire Wizengamot and all the relevant Ministry officials unanimously agreed that this was the proper course to take."

There was a shocked, bitter silence from the two boys.

"Now that we've settled that, I will tell you about the school you will be attending." said Dumbledore cheerily, in a manner which suggested he had just finished discussing how many lumps of sugar he liked in his tea, rather than having just dealt out a severe, long-term punishment. "You will be attending Analby High School in sunny California and-"

Both boys tried to stifle their laughter, yet both were unsuccessful.

Dumbledore eyed them with reproach before continuing, "And you will be staying with a nice Squib couple who moved there a few years back and have successfully integrated themselves into the Muggle community. They will assist you in learning to get on without magic and will also be sending weekly reports concerning your behavior."

The boys were not laughing now. Life without magic was... archaic.

"You will leave tomorrow since the Muggle school has already started. That shouldn't be too difficult considering none of your things are unpacked. You may go down to the feast now. I believe the Sorting Hat is almost through..."

Draco and Ron quickly stood up and dashed out of the office.

Hermione blinked back tears and said to Ron, "I can't believe Dumbledore is moving you to a new school for the year. How will I ever survive without you?"

"I don't know," said Ron, absentmindedly hitting her in the face.

"You must write everyday, or I'll make Hedwig peck your ears off!" yelled Harry, full of angst.

"I can't. No owl post allowed. I have to be a normal bloody Muggle," said Ron bitterly.

"No owl post?" squealed Hermione. "Oh, that's terrible, Ron!" She began sobbing.

This conversation between the three of them went on for some time as Ron packed up his trunk, casting long loving glances at the school which he was soon to leave.

Draco Malfoy sat in the Slytherin common room, surrounded by his small fan club of Slytherin girls. Pansy Parkinson was sitting on his lap, looking sorrowful.

"Draco," she whispered. "I'm going to miss you..."

He leaned over her, his breath hot upon her neck. "And I'll miss you too, Pansy." He kissed her passionately, though he felt like gagging on her putrid tongue.

Pansy got up and dragged him into her room, winking suggestively at the other girls who only glared back at her. Draco looked around frantically for an escape route once securely in the girl's room. She left him by the door and went over to lay down on the bed. "Draco..." she beckoned huskily.

"Burma!" Draco shouted.

"What'd you say that for?" Pansy inquired, raising her head to look at him oddly.

"I panicked," Draco responded cooly.

"Oh Draco, we've done this many times before! What are you nervous about? Are you afraid this will be the last time?" Her eyes filled with tears.

"That would be nice," Draco muttered under his breath.

Pansy flung her arms into the air dramatically and cried out, "Just hold me in your arms one more time Draco! Let's just forget our troubles and live in the moment, just you and I! Two hearts as one..." she continued spewing lame romantic lines.

He edged away from her.

"...two souls intertwined..." Pansy kept going.

One more step.

"...our hot bodies clinging to each other, wanting to hold on forever..."

Out. He was out! The gaggle of Slytherin girls had departed and he ran from the Common Room in great haste, else they return to find him there.

The next morning, Draco and Ron met Dumbledore in a small room near the entrance to the school-- or in their case, the exit. He handed them each a piece of paper upon which was written what would be their schedule at their new school.

Draco looked over his. It read:

1: P.E.
2: Chemistry
3: ----
4: Spanish
5: English
6: French
7: Math

"What in seven hells does all this mean?" Draco demanded of Dumbledore. "Pee-Ee? What's that mean... 'pissed eggmen'? What are all these useless classes?"

Dumbledore looked at him calmly. "These are the classes Muggles normally attend, which you will be attending alongside those aforementioned Muggles."

Draco fumed. Ron unfolded his schedule, and examined it.

1: P.E.
2: English
3: Biology
4: Spanish
5: ----
6: French
7: Math

"I... don't understand. This is terrible! What about the stuff we're learning at Hogwarts?" Ron cried.

"We will be sending you some supplementary work, to make up for part of the curriculum you're missing."

"Why can't we just stay here, and not have to do any extra work? And not learn all this useless stuff?" Draco burst out.

"Mr. Malfoy..." sighed Dumbledore, exasperated. "It doesn't matter how much you complain, because both of you are going to attend Analbee School. So it would be easier for all of us if you would simply shut up-- er, cease your complaining!"

There fell a stony silence. Dumbledore waved a hand, and the three of them walked towards a large carriage that looked suspiciously like one of Hagrid's giant pumpkins, except that it was drawn by thestrals. It was waiting for them just outside the school grounds. Their trunks and baggage were already loaded into the back.

Dumbledore turned to them. "This carriage will take you to a certain hill a little ways off. I am going to Apparate there. And once we are all there, I will direct you to a Portkey which will land you directly in the house of your host family." He turned to walk away, and then added, "And by the way, once you are in the carriage, its doors will automatically seal closed until you've reached your destination. Not that the thought of running away ever crossed your mind, of course." His eyes twinkled in an irritating fashion.

Ron and Draco clambered up into the carriage, each taking one last glance at Hogwarts.