AN: Hey okay few notes—This takes place during 6th year. I changed a few things to suit my fancy. For example I made Draco a prefect this year even though he isn't in HBP.

Chapter 1:

After Sirius Black died, Hermione promised herself that she would savor every moment of her life. Life was too short to spend one second being unappreciative. But she found she was having a hard time appreciating anything with Draco Malfoy smirking at her. It was already bad enough that they were always assigned patrol duty together, but she really hated when he smirked at her.

"Well, what shall we do about these two delinquents?" Draco asked smugly.

During their usual rounds, Hermione and Draco caught Ron and Harry in a dark corridor after curfew. Hermione's eyes flew from Ron to Harry. Their eyes were looking at her expectantly. They expected her to bail them out, but she honestly didn't know how. She knew this day would come when she was chosen to a Gryffindor prefect. She just didn't think their worst enemy would be around to witness it. Hermione didn't think Draco would just turn the other cheek.

Hermione cleared her throat. "I'm sure they have a reasonable explanation for being out so late."

Silence.

"I-uh-I was uh-looking for my wand," Ron said feebly.

'Oh come on Ron!' Hermione thought to herself. 'Surely you can do better than that!'

Draco's smirk grew, if that were possible. "If you were looking for your wand, why did you need Potter to come with you? Are you afraid of the dark? I thought you'd be used to the dark by now with you practically living in Potter's shadow and all."

Ron's face became red with anger, but Harry nudged him. Harry shook his head at Ron ever so slightly. This was a delicate situation. Hermione understood that they were not in the best of situations, but she never thought she'd see the day when Ron could be talked down so easily. She had been trying to do that for years and it never worked. Why were they acting so…shifty? Her eyes dropped to ground. She instantly knew what was wrong.

"Malfoy, I'm surprised you don't understand why Ron would need Harry," Hermione said in her best Know-It-All voice. "It's actually quite simple really."

That wiped the nasty smirk off his face.

Hermione could almost see the cogs turning behind his eyes. He was asking himself if there was something he could be missing.

"What? Ron wanted to hold his boyfriend's hand while he looked?" The smirk was back with a vengeance.

"So Harry could perform a simple Accio wand. Simple really." She gave him a small smile. It was her own version of a smirk.

Draco hated when she did that.

"It doesn't matter," Draco insisted. "They still deserve detention."

"They'll only get a warning," she argued.

Draco's eyes narrowed. "Stop showing favoritism."

She gaped at him. How dare he! "I am not showing favoritism!"

"Then what the hell would you call it, Miss I-Know-Everything!" Draco demanded. "Because that's what you called it when I wanted to excuse Crabbe and Goyle last week for being out past curfew. Then you went around my back to get McGonagall to give them detention!"

"Of course I did!" Hermione's voice rose shrilly. What she at first intended to be a distraction turned into a real argument. "They didn't even have an excuse. Not even a really bad excuse. They just stood there like-like-like two big mindless lumps!"

Ron and Harry were pretty much forgotten at that point. The two prefects were at each other's throats. Ron decided to go for it. He leaned down slowly to pick it up. Bad move. Harry should have went for it because Ron's bright hair always drew attention. The two prefects were now staring at him. Ron froze in mid lean, but it was already too late.

Draco's eyes landed on the Marauder's Map lying at their feet.

Harry and Ron dove for the map at the same time managing only to collide into each other. The Gryffindors struggled to reach it, but Draco promptly snatched it up.

"What is this?" Draco eyed the map. It took him a few moments to realize what it was. The biggest, nastiest smirk spread across his face. "This looks like contraband. I'll have to confiscate it." He tucked the Marauder's Map into his robes.

Hermione was horrified. She could only image the evil things Draco could do with the Marauder's Map in his possession.

"Oi give that back!" Ron shouted. "You have no right-"

"Yes I do." Draco flashed his prefect badge at him. "I know you're not used to seeing shiny things with you being dirt poor and all. See this? This is called a badge. It means I have authority over you, and that I can whatever the hell I want."

"You are not the only prefect here, Malfoy," Hermione said angrily. "I have say in this, too."

"Are you telling me that we should just give it back to them?"

Hermione couldn't think of an argument for their case. "I think th-"

A loud crash was heard in the distance followed by laughter.

The four teens froze in dread.

Peeves

True to his nature, Draco was the first to run. He shoved Hermione out of the way in his haste. She fell and landed painfully on her knees. Harry and Ron stayed to help her to her feet. They bolted just as Peeves rounded the corner. The poltergeist was wielding some pillows like weapons . Harry and Ron had to practically carry Hermione who was starting to get a stitch in her side from sprinting. They practically flew through the corridors. Ron was the first to go down. He was hit in the back of the head with a pillow that exploded on impact. Feathers and glitter burst out and all over Ron.

Ron fell to the ground as if he had been shot. "Just go! Run!"

Harry and Hermione ran so fast she thought the soles of their shoes would disintegrate. Hermione felt horrible for holding Harry back, but she was too out of breath to tell him to go on without her. Harry went down next. He was hit square in the face. He got a mouth full of feathers and glitter. His hands flew to his face, but he urged Hermione to keep going.

"Go 'Mione!"

Hermione kept going, but she knew it was a lost cause. There was no way she would make it without their help. Her stomach was cramping up horribly. She couldn't breathe. Adrenaline had worked wonders for her so far, but adrenaline could only do so much. Hermione could tell she was starting to wind down. She was about to give up running and just find a place to hide when Peeves pelted her in her calf. Hermione went down. She clutched her leg which was stinging painfully. She consoled herself with the thought that at least she didn't get glitter and feathers in her hair. That would've been murder trying to get out.

Then Peeves hit her with another pillow right in the side of her face.

Hermione limped painfully into the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning. She felt like shit. Yes shit. Normally, Hermione didn't curse, not even in her thoughts. But there really was no other word to describe how she felt. She hardly had any sleep that night. She spent the time plucking feathers from her hair and digging glitter out of her ear. She took a thirty minute shower, but she was positive that she didn't get it all. She was positive she looked like a glittery, sleep deprived, limping fool.

So yes, Hermione Granger felt like pure shit.

She sat down next to Ginny Weasley who looked disgustingly radiant. "G'morning Hermione. Have you looked outside yet? It's a beautiful day."

Hermione contemplated sitting somewhere else. "No I didn't."

Ginny frowned with concern. "Is something wrong?"

"I had a really really long night." She sighed and reached for a blueberry muffin. "I think I'm going to have a really long day, too." Hermione rubbed her sore calf under the table.

Harry and Ron shuffled into the hall. Both of them looked like death warmed over. Sadly, they probably looked better than she did. They sat down across from Hermione.

"G'morning," Ginny greeted them happily. "I was thinking that we should eat lunch outside later on. It's such a beautiful day."

The two boys glared at her through puffy eyes.

"I don't see what so bloody great about it," Ron muttered.

"What is this? Rain on Ginny's parade day?" she grumbled.

No one responded. They just gloomily tucked into their breakfasts.

"I'm going to sit next to Seamus," Ginny warned.

No one responded.

They didn't really care.

Irritated, Ginny got up and moved.

As soon as she was gone, they put their heads together to discuss their disastrous situation.

"How are we gonna get the map back from Malfoy?" Ron asked hopelessly.

Harry looked at Hermione. "Can't you take it back? With you being a prefect and everything?"

She shook her head. "Malfoy's right. The map is contraband. He was well within his rights to confiscate it. There's nothing I can do about that."

They fell silent.

"What were you doing in the hall without your cloak?" That question had bugged her all night.

Harry sighed. "Me and Ron were keeping tabs on you and Malfoy and we couldn't both fit under it because Ron's gotten too tall and we didn't know the disillusionment charm to make the feet invisible so we decided since we had the map it didn't matter because we would see if anyone was coming our way. We only had to worry about running into Malfoy since Filch patrols the grounds while the prefects patrols inside."

She took in this lengthy explanation. "So why were you and Ron following us?"

"Because Malfoy is up to something," Harry said. "I know it. I don't trust him, Hermione. I've been watching him on the map. He's spends every night out of his room."

Hermione sighed. "Harry, I know you don't like Malfoy. None of us like Malfoy. That doesn't mean that he's….that he has some sort of evil plot to destroy everyone or anything."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks.

She knew she would get nowhere in this conversation so she decided to change to subject. "We need to figure out how to get the map back."

Harry and Ron exchanged looks.

That was starting to annoy her.

"What?" Hermione asked. "What is it?"

Ron ran his hands through his hair nervously. "Me and Harry talked it over in our room last night and uh we uh thought you were the only one who could get it back. And if you just take it back then you could get it back another way…"

"Really? How?" Hermione really wanted to know. If there was a way for to get the map back, then she would gladly do it. "Did you want me to talk to Professor McGonagall?"

They shook their heads.

"Snape?"

They shook their heads.

"Dumbledore?"

They shook their heads.

She was confused. "Then what? I don't really think a summoning spell would work. I think the map is charmed against them."

"We want you to get close enough to Draco to get it back," Harry said carefully.

"Close like…proximity close or like…relationship close?" Hermione asked.

Ron grimaced. "Relationship."

"No," she said firmly. "There has to be another way."

"There is no other way," Harry assured her. "We thought about everything. This is the only way."

"What about Polyjuice Potion?" Hermione suggested.

"No, ever since 4th year Snape has been guarding the ingredients like a greasy hawk," Harry said.

"But-"

"Listen Hermione," Harry interrupted, "I know the map like the back of my hand. It has all kinds of charms and curses on it to ward against it being taken by an enemy. Remember when Snape took it-"

"Yes but Barty Junior was able to take it when he was pretending to be Moody," she pointed out desperately. "He was definitely an enemy."

"Yes but I gave the map to Moody er Barty. He didn't take it."

"I just can't." Hermione said. "I can't get close to him not after everything he's done. I'm sorry. That's a lot to ask."

"Please Hermione," Ron pleaded. "Who knows what kind of evil things he could do with the map."

Hermione couldn't believe Ron agreed with this horrible plan. She thought he would object. She thought he…never mind. She shouldn't think such things. "At least try to get it from his room. If it doesn't work, then…then I'll do whatever it takes."

Harry and Ron nodded.

Merlin please please let them be able to take it.

Hermione had too much self-respect to get anywhere near Draco Malfoy if she didn't have to.

Harry insisted that he would retrieve it alone. He didn't want to risk his friends getting caught in the Slytherin dungeons. Especially Hermione. Those monsters would just love the chance to get their hands on her. Besides, it is always easier to sneak around unnoticed when it was just him. Ron wasn't the most coordinated person in the world and Hermione certainly wasn't the fastest.

So Harry stood alone outside the Slytherin dormitory. He waited nervously for five minutes until Daphne and Astoria Greengrass approached.

"Determination," Daphne muttered the password before resume her conversation with her sister. "I'm serious, Astoria. She has it out for you. You need to pick some else to moon over. I can't keep protecting you from her."

A Slytherin protecting someone?

Never.

No there must be something in it for her.

Astoria opened her mouth to say something, but stopped once she realized the common room was full of people. Harry slipped in quietly behind them. He pressed himself against the cold dungeon wall. It was time to wait again. He didn't know which staircase lead to the boys' dormitory.

Draco Malfoy was sitting on a couch with Pansy Parkinson who was running her fingers through his blond hair.

Harry wanted to gag.

He turned his attention to Theodore Nott who was playing an intense game of Wizard's Chess with Blaise Zabini. The two Slytherins were staring at the board. Both sat still as stone. Zabini looked up at Nott and smirked.

"Knight to e3."

The knight's horse galloped to the square. The pawn standing there tried to scurry off the board, but the knight grabbed its head before it could run away. The knight decapitated the screaming pawn. Its head rolled off the board and fell to the floor.

"Check," Zabini said smugly.

Nott surveyed the board for a moment while Zabini confidently leaned back in his chair. Their game caught the attention of everyone in the room. They all had sizable bets riding on the outcome of the game. Nott smiled to himself secretly. Zabini stopped smirking.

"Pawn to b8." Nott's pawn moved a space up to the edge of the board.

Zabini gaped. He didn't really expect the pawn to make it that far so he hadn't paid any attention to it. He was too busy moving across the board to notice a measly pawn. The pawn scrambled off the board. It was happy that it was no longer in danger. The queen stepped in its place.

"Checkmate."

Zabini was still gaping. "No." He couldn't believe that a stupid little pawn could take him down. He refused to believe it. "No."

Nott had already stood to leave. "You're welcome to stay and try to figure a way out, but you'll most like die in that chair before you do."

The Slytherin's snickered. The snickering died down when they realized that they would need to pay up. With a huff, Draco handed Pansy three galleons. She pocketed them smugly. Nott moved to go to his dorm.

"I want a rematch!" Zabini demanded.

"Maybe later," Nott said tauntingly. "If I feel gracious enough."

The Slytherin's snickered again. It seemed that Nott just moved up the power latter. Harry shook his head. He would never understand Slytherin politics. Harry pushed off the wall and followed Nott down the cold and dank spiral staircase. Harry shivered. Nott opened the door to the 6th year dorm. Harry slipped in behind him. Nott sat on his bed and let out a rattled sigh. He covered his face with his hands. He seemed nervous or scared.

Harry turned away from him. He could really careless about a Slytherin's emotional state. Harry searched the room for Draco's bed. He spotted a bed with expensive looking plush bedding that mummy and daddy must have sent in special for their spoiled little boy. Harry rolled his eyes and moved carefully over to what he presumed to be Draco's bed.

Suddenly, a high pitched wail went off.

Oh shit.

A Sneakoscope.

Nott jumped off his bed. He looked around suspiciously. His eyes were slightly fearful. Harry didn't have time to care about what he was scared about. Harry edged over to the door. The door flew open. Zabini ran into the room, shouting. Harry slipped out the door. He sucked in his breathe and pressed against the cold wall as more Slytherin's barreled down the staircase. Harry hurried back to the common room. Only the girls were still in there.

Pansy was frowning. Her pug face scrunched up even more than usual.

Daphne was shook her head. "Boys."

Pansy was taking this more seriously. "No, I don't think it's just about their stupidity. Something is…" Pansy trailed off.

"What?" Daphne asked. "Something is what?"

Pansy kept her mouth shut. She looked pointedly at Astoria.

"Astoria, go to your room," Daphne ordered her sister.

Her sister glared at her, but obeyed.

Once the sound of Astoria's footsteps dissipated, Pansy continued. "Something is wrong with Draco. He's been kinda jumpy and distracted. When he told us that the Dark Lord gave him a task to complete, he was so happy about it. Now he won't even talk about it."

"Yeah I know. He spent the first month of school bragging about it," Daphne complained.

"But I think…" Pansy hesitated again. "I think it isn't going well."

"Malfoy will think of something." Only Pansy was close enough to Draco to call him by his first name.

"He better," she said solemnly.

Daphne nodded.

Pansy stretched out on the couch. She lounged like a Slytherin queen. "I hope you know that Zabini is no longer acceptable after today."

Daphne nodded.

"You should forget about Zabini and go after Nott."

Daphne nodded.

Pansy yawned. "Besides I've seen how he eyes that Weasley bitch. He has a thing for filthy blood traitors."

Daphne nodded.

"I mean, you wouldn't want to have children with a black boy anyway." Pansy laughed. "What on earth would you do with your children's hair?"

Harry itched to punch Pansy in her stupid prejudiced pug face.

"Don't you agree, Daphne?" Pansy glared at her when she didn't immediately nod.

"Yes, Pansy," Daphne said but she didn't sound convinced.

Pansy eyed her suspiciously. "Look Daphne if you want to survive in this world, then you need to start making smart choices. Disagreeing with me wouldn't be smart."

Daphne clinched her jaw. "Making enemies out of everyone isn't smart either."

"What did you say to me?"

Daphne stood straight. "I was just giving you advice."

"Well don't. I don't need advice from you." Pansy glared at her.

The two girls stared silently at each other.

Harry took the opportunity to slip out of the common room.

"What was that?" Daphne asked.

Pansy looked around the room. "It must have been a ghost."