Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters and places mentioned in this fanfic. All belongs to J.K. Rowling and other respective owners.


The trio was sitting by the lake; Harry and Ron talking, and Hermione having her nose buried in a book (the usual). They were done with the O.W.L.s and the other students were done with the exams. The lake was still quiet, with the occasional ripple caused by a student throwing a pebble in it.

"Ahh, finally! We're done with the O.W.L.s!" Ron said, stretching his hands. "Now I can relax!"

"I know, right?" Harry said. "No more studying!"

"No more sleepless nights with Hermione prodding and poking us to study!" Ron said conveniently.

"Hey, I heard that!" Hermione said, hitting Ron with a hardbound copy of The Biography of Uric the Oddball: Complete and Unabridged. Thump.

"Bloody hell, Mione, I was just kidding!" Ron said. With a mischievous grin, he added, "Or was I?"

Thump.

"What he said was true, though, Mione," Harry said. "In fact—"

Thump.

"Ow!"

Thump.

"But—"

Thump.

"Okay, I'll be quiet now," Harry said.

Ron laughed.

Thump.

"Okay! Okay!" Ron yelled. "Stop it already or we're gonna be mush by the end of term!"

Hermione laughed.

"Well, well, well! If it isn't Potty, Weasel, and the Mudblood!"

The three of them shared a look and turned around. They knew that statement far too well.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry said, standing up.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron said.

"Ooh, got up on the wrong side o the bed this morning? Or just plain upset that your robes are a foot shorter than everyone else's?" Draco said with a smirk. "Oh, right. You and your fat-ass mum don't have enough money to buy new robes."

"I'll have you know, Malfoy, that Ron's robes are not a foot shorter than everyone else's." Hermione said. "As a matter of fact, they are exactly three and a half inches shorter."

Ron glared at her and turned beet red on the spot.

"I guess it's so hard being you, isn't it Weaselbee?" Draco drawled. "Secondhand robes, secondhand books, almost everything you have is already rotten."

"Well at least Ron has a good personality." Hermione said, defending her best friend. "You are nothing but a spoiled brat that has no manners and respect for other people."

"Nobody asked for you to talk, you filthy little mudblood."

"I can talk whenever I please!" Hermione said, drawing out her wand. "Do you want me to hex you to make that clear?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Granger." Draco said. "You can't scare me, no matter hard you try."

"Well, I suppose you remember my little friends right here," Hermione said, raising her fists. "Do you want a replay of what I did to you in our third year?"

"Fighting, are we?"

The four of them turned around. It was Professor Snape.

"P-Professor!" Draco whimpered. "They were picking on me! Granger even attempted to hex me! Good thing you cam around, or I'll be dead by now!"

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor," Snape said, a tiny hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"But Professor—" Hermione began.

"Another five points for speaking without permission and contradicting me," he said, clearly enjoying himself. "All of you, get in the castle. The headmaster will make an announcement. Draco, I suggest you come with me. We don't want you to get hexed."

Snape turned on his heel, and before following him, Draco smirked at the trio. When they were gone, Hermione spoke. She was furious, all right, and she did not bother hiding it.

"ARGH! Malfoy is such a, such a-" Hermione fumed, but was cut off mid-sentence by Harry and Ron.

"—foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach," they said together, looking quite amused.

"We know, Hermione," Ron said.

"Blimey, you've been saying that since third year," Harry said.

"What are you two laughing at? We just lost twenty points! TWENTY!" Hermione said shrilly. "One day…oh yes, I'm gonna get you Draco Malfoy you ferret…I'm gonna get you…"

"H-Harry!" Ron called. "Hermione's scaring me!"

Before Harry could answer, someone tapped them on the back and spoke in a cold, familiar voice.

"WHAT ARE YOU THREE STILL DOING HERE? GET IN THE CASTLE! NOW!"

It was Snape. And he didn't just speak. He yelled.


A/N: So, there's not really a lot of romance going on in this chapter, but in the coming chapters, there will be! This is my first story with chapters, so please review! Constructive criticism is very welcome! :)