So, this is going to be my first fanfiction, so please bear with me. I will try to keep this in tune with the books, while adding my own shipping magic into it! I own nothing except this little idea! JK Rowling owns the characters and setting and all the beautiful things she has written/typed!

This takes place after the fifth book, so the twins have unfortunately left, and Professor Slughorn now teaches potions.

"All students to the Great Hall!" McGonagall called, her strong voice rebounding through the beloved halls of Hogwarts. Her foot tapped impatiently on the floor, her lips pursed into a thin line, slight wrinkles from age sprinkling out from her narrowed eyes.

The sound of clicking feet traveling down the moving staircases began to cease as the students filed into the Great Hall, murmurs ensuing as they took their seats.

"Greetings," Dumbledore said loudly, gesturing widely with his long arms, a small smile sparkling on his face. "My apologies for taking you from your studies, but it has been brought to my attention that there has been an excessive amount of bullying amongst the houses."

This caused a ripple of comments within the tables, heads turning every which way to find the potential bullies. The accused hid their heads in shame, or sat up with pride, unafraid to face the punishment of their crimes.

"Of course there's bullying," Hermione whispered, her eyes darting straight to where Draco Malfoy and his minions sat at the Slytherin table. "With Malfoy around, no one is going to be perfectly happy here. He thinks it's his job to make everyone else miserable. The teachers aren't vigilant enough, and the whole Slytherin house is getting away with cursing first-years, and jinxing prefects' robes! It's worse than when the twins were still here."

"Quiet!" the headmaster yelled, immediately silencing the hall. He held his firm gaze as if daring someone to say something. "Due to this rising issue," he said, stretching his words out painfully long, "the heads of the houses have agreed to pair students of different houses within individual classes, for each year."

Attempting to speak above the loud clamor of protest, Dumbledore raised his voice and hardened his expression. "I know that this is a sudden, and drastic change, but your teachers and I are confident that this will help students get to know one another as more than competitors for the house cup."

"This is preposterous!" Hermione exclaimed, her brown eyes widening in surprise and outrage at the new idea. As she stood up, her eyes darted to Harry and Ron, as if searching for a mutual response from either of them. "They can't assign us house buddies like children! We're mature students, and we don't need governing!"

Ron just glowered at the Slytherin table while grinding his teeth in anger. His hatred towards the bullies was apart, due to both his hatful glare and the burn marks on his sleeves. Harry, on the other hand, looked up at Hermione and gave a desperate shrug. "I don't know, Hermione. Maybe Dumbledore is right. This might have a positive affect on Hogwarts, and I'd like to be able to go through a day without worrying about being drugged with sleeping potion from the other houses."

"Students, return to your classes!" McGonagall called across the Great Hall, waving the teenagers towards the hallways. Students responded grumpily, trudging to the staircases with scowls on their faces. Hermione continued her glower at Malfoy as she made her way back to her NEWT level potions class, as if expecting him to shoot a spell at her from across the stairwell.

With Ron and Harry walking unhappily behind her, the bushy-haired brunette walked into her classroom and sat definitively in her chair, her eyes still locked on the platinum-haired Slytherin. After he had called her a Mudblood in the second year, Hermione had despised his existence, and loathed having him in her classes. She had never found him attractive, unlike many other girls, and found him only to be a rude and ignorant prat. His lack of effort in classes made the girl cringe, and his suck up attitude towards Professor Snape nearly made her gag.

Once all of the students were seated, Professor Slughorn raised a piece of parchment and squinted at it to read the handwriting. "Now, I'm going to be pairing you up. Dumbledore's orders. Blaise Zabini, you'll be with Ronald Weasley. Harry my boy, you're with Draco Malfoy. Ernie Macmillan and Ms. Pavarti Patil. And Ms. Hermione Granger with Ms. Padma Patil."

The sound of Harry groaning echoed through the chamber, but Draco just glanced at the-boy-who-lived slyly, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Hermione knew that the two boys wouldn't be able to work together for even half of an hour, and dreaded the rest of class. She could only assume it would be spent prying the boys off of one another.

"Thank you, Professor Slughorn," Draco said with a grin, looking back to the potions master with a phony pleasant attitude. "I couldn't have asked for a better potions partner. I'm sure we'll make you quite proud, sir."

To this, Slughorn beamed with glee, oblivious to the mistake he had made. "I'm so glad you approve, Draco! I knew I could trust you to take care of Harry."

Hermione groaned inwardly, anger and misery flooding her every thought. She wasn't unhappy about her partner; she even enjoyed spending time with the Ravenclaw. However, she had an aching suspicion that she wouldn't be able to focus on her potions homework until Draco had given up his plans.

For the next hour, the class attempted to make a drought of living death while Blaise and Ron were arguing over potions instructions.

"We have to cut the beans," Blaise protested, dangerously waving the chopping knife above his head for exaggeration.

"But these beans are impossible to cut!" Ron argued, his tone verging on becoming a whiny child. "We need to crush them!"

"Even if we do crush them, I get to crush them. Not a filthy traitor like you, Weasley."

"A filthy traitor? That's what you think of me? And I bet that you are just mummy and daddy's perfect little son, doing whatever you're told!"

"Take it back!"

"You take yours back!"

"Never!"

Hermione rolled her rich brown eyes, counting the minutes that brought her closer to being free from the auditory torture and to confronting Draco about his devious scheme. Anxiety threatened to overflow her body, the Gryffindor's hands beginning to shake from her nervousness. Even though she had punched the privileged boy in their third year, Hermione had a fear of him that settled itself next to her fear of failing. The Malfoy's had quite a hold on the wizarding community, and she was sure that they could send her back to her parents, banned from returning. She was in love with the wizarding world, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing it.

"Time is up!" Slughorn called, beaming down at the class from the front of the chamber. "Clean up, and I will check your potions as you leave! Don't want you to be late for your next class."

Taking this as an open opportunity, Hermione stashed her books in her bag, which was quite unlike her, to dash to the door where Draco was exiting. Her bushy brown hair flew out behind her, determination in every step she took.

"Malfoy, what game are you playing at?" she hissed, falling in step with him, eyes locked onto his own. "You had better tell me right now, or else I'm requesting Harry get a new potions partner."

"Piss-off, Granger," Malfoy huffed, rolling his grey eyes skyward. "I'm not going to kill him. And who knows?" A spark of mischief and playfulness began to dance in his eyes as he flicked his eyes to look at the Gryffindor. "Maybe I am trying to get along. Don't be so paranoid."

Hermione growled and glared at him, fury lighting up her eyes as she stalked away. "I'm going to Professor McGonagall."