Hermione looked at the chalk board in horror. No way. No way in hell was she paired with the blonde menace. Sure she already had to share a dorm room with him and he had pretty much stayed out of her way, but this, this was pushing it.

"You should be aware that these are now your partners for the year and any tasks I set will be carried out in your pairs and you will be marked as a team," Slughorn spoke. Hermione sighed heavily as she resigned herself to working with Malfoy, but next to her Ron was seething.

"Zabini! You're fucking kidding me, and there's no way you're being paired with Malfoy. Hell no!" Ron was being dramatic and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"He already shares a dorm with me Ron. The only difference is that I now have to talk to him," Hermione sighed. Ron frowned and turned away. Hermione looked across at Harry who was frowning at Pansy who was his new partner. Hermione sighed again and turned her attention to Professor Slughorn.

"Well what are you waiting for? Move around," Slughorn said merrily. Hermione sighed and began to pack up her bags, but before she could even stand up she saw Malfoy standing at her desk.

"Granger we're sitting at the back," Draco ordered. Hermione's temper sparked as she stood up.

"You know there's such thing as asking and that generally tends to get people to do what you want more willingly than ordering," Hermione hissed as she grabbed her satchel and moved to the back desk that Malfoy shared with Zabini. She swung herself into her seat and withdrew her book, parchment and a quill.

When the class was settled Slughorn clapped his hands.

"Excellent. Now next to your names you'll find a potion on the board," Slughorn said as he waved his wand. "This is the potion that for the next week you will be researching the properties of and procuring the ingredients for. The following week you will be making the potion. At the end of the two weeks we will be swapping potions and you will follow the same pattern of work. You will not find the information to any of these potions in your school text books, you will require research in the library and you are allowed one question from me that I am required to answer truthfully. Do not forget that these potions are specifically designed to be used in your chosen careers," Slughorn beamed. Hermione smiled to herself, in a strange way she was glad she was working with Malfoy; he actually seemed to know how to study unlike Ron. Ron would undoubtedly have her doing every inch of the work.

The potion next to their names was the cure for Dragon Pox and Hermione knew it would be difficult, but that was part of the reason why she was secretly enjoying this. Never before had she been instructed to put her research skills to the test by a professor, so she was determined to receive top marks.

Slughorn ended their class early as their task did not require them to be in the classroom to do it, so predictably, the class took an early dinner. As they walked down the corridor Hermione realised she had kept pace with Malfoy and she started to hurry up after Harry and Ron.

"Granger!" Malfoy called. Hermione stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"I want to meet you at the library after you eat. If you're not there soon, I'm coming after you," Malfoy drawled. Hermione clenched her fists but nodded tightly before walking after Harry and Ron.

"…biggest idiot I've ever seen. You'd think Merlin had just risen from the grave and named him supreme wizard the way he acts. Stuck up pureblood tosser," Ron was cursing as Hermione caught his hand. Ron looked down with a smile and put a possessive arm around her shoulders. Hermione grimaced but didn't shake his arm off.

"Are you talking about Zabini?" Hermione asked.

"Of course!" Ron seethed.

"Well, I think Malfoy beats his ego by a landslide." Harry nodded in agreement then ran his hand through his hair with a sigh.

"Pansy's not that bad to be honest. At least so far anyway," Harry shrugged as they walked down the last flight of stairs. Ron's arm dropped from Hermione in shock.

"You serious?"

"Well yeah, she hasn't given me a reason to dislike her yet."

Hermione let the guys walk on ahead and enter the great hall following them to a seat about halfway down the Gryffindor table where Ginny, Luna, Hannah Abbott and Neville were sat talking having obviously having finished Herbology early.

"Hey," Hermione smiled.

"Hey Mione," Ginny grinned as she carefully avoided Harry's eyes. "You okay?"

"Bleurgh, potions with the Slytherins and Slughorn's gone and paired us up and guess who I end up with?" Hermione sighed as she spooned mash potatoes onto her plate. Ginny rolled her eyes over her pumpkin juice.

"Malfoy?"

"Obviously. These teachers must have it out for me," Hermione groaned.

Hermione had only just finished her last sausage when she saw Malfoy enter the great hall and stride up to her.

"Forgetting something?" Malfoy hissed, his grey eyes sparking.

"I don't think so. Are you sure you didn't forget dinner?" Hermione smiled sweetly.

"I don't eat in here. Are you coming?" Malfoy growled. Hermione rolled her eyes and then stood up, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Luckily for you, I'd just finished," Hermione answered before stalking out the great hall in anger.

Draco caught up to Granger on the staircase and they walked side by side in silence, both too miffed to speak. Draco didn't like to be kept waiting and he would be damned if the mudb-; he stopped himself and cut his train of thought, he knew he needed to stop that word, everyone's blood was red, and he knew for a fact that Granger was a brilliant witch.

Once in the library Granger went to move over to a table Draco had seen her sat at with Weaslebee and Potter and he caught her arm and moved to a secluded corner of the library that he had the feeling she didn't even know about.

"Malfoy let go," Granger hissed as she struggled in his grip.

"I just thought you'd like to work somewhere without little first years ogling you," Draco drawled as he indicated the door in front of him. Granger looked at door and frowned. It was true that to an untrained eye the door was simply another shelf containing books but Draco knew better and he reached out to take the small green book from the shelf and the door swung open. He walked inside and with a sigh pulled an open mouthed Granger into a small sitting room that contained a few tables.

"How did you? What?" Hermione gasped.

"I'm a Slytherin. We know things," Draco smirked. Then he sat down and placed his own satchel on the table as he took our parchment and a pen. Granger seemed to have recovered herself and she sat opposite him, mimicking his actions.

"So where do you want to start?" They both said at the same time. Granger laughed nervously and then shrugged.

"Would it be best to start with research on dragon pox, I mean the cure for Dragon Pox will be listed in at least one book talking about it," Granger said as she doodled on the edge of her parchment. Draco nodded absentmindedly and then stood up. Granger looked startled at his sudden movement and he rolled his eyes.

"Unfortunately Granger, the books won't just appear on the table, even wizards have to use their hands from time to time," Draco drawled. Granger looked up at him shocked and then swept out of the room obviously angry with him. Draco sighed and followed after the bushy haired know it all…This was going to be a long night.