Welcome back to another exciting year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Let us see if the teasing romance between Hermione and Cedric will come to the front of things or will Slytherins push that to the back of their minds again.

Hermione and Victor are looking for Cedric on the train. They were trying to find him before Flint did. Luckily, he were looking for them (well, actually he was mainly looking for Hermione) and they met in the compartment.

"How was your summer, Hermione?" Cedric asked after they got settled down.

"My summer is always the same. Basically making plans to defeat Malfoy," Hermione said pulling out a book.

She started reading and Cedric pulled the book away from her and said, "Do you ever stop reading?"

"Well, I have to go to sleep, don't I?" Hermione said trying to grab the book back, but Cedric moved it out of her reach.

"What are you reading?" Cedric said looking at the cover of the book. It was one about defense against the dark arts. "Why do you read about this stuff? We experience this stuff every day."

"It's fun to compare and that's how I get most of my ideas for the plans now give me my book." Hermione said standing up and trying to get her book back.

Cedric held the book out of her reach and kept Hermione away from him.

"Why do you even try? You know I'm stronger than you."

Cedric dropped the book on the seat and pushed Hermione down with two hands. Before he could say anything else Victor came back in. Cedric dropped Hermione and gave her back her book.

"Hermione, what are you reading?" Victor asked pulling the book away.

"Why do I even bother? I'm going to look for the trolley." Hermione said getting up and going out before either of the boys could stop her.

She went down the passage looking for the trolley, but all she found was trouble. Malfoy, Flint, Crabb, and Goyle were looking for her, Parvati, and Lavender.

"Look who it is, boys. The mud-blood's out on her own," Malfoy said blocking her way.

"Why are you so surprised? I'm capable of taking care of myself." Hermione said trying to push pass, but Flint blocked her way.

"Don't even try to get past because you won't."

Hermione turned to Malfoy and punched him in the face, and then she tried to run. Flint managed to grab her before she got too far and then he started to punch her.

Luckily, Cedric and Victor realized how stupid they had been to let Hermione go off by herself. By the time they found her Crabb and Goyle had joined and it was 3 against 1. Flint had pinned to the ground and Crabb and Goyle were punching every inch of her that they could.

"Come on, guys. Her friends are here." Malfoy said trying to stop his nose from bleeding.

Crabb, Goyle, and Flint got off Hermione and gave her one last good kick. Cedric and Victor chased the Slytherins for a bit. When they went back to Hermione they found her on her stomach with her hair hiding her face.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Cedric asked turning her over on her back.

Her nose was bleeding and so was her lip. Victor said a weird little spell and it healed her nose. He didn't want to her lip because he was afraid of it missing and going into her mouth.

"I never thought that he would resort to violence with Hermione. I know she's gives them trouble, but never enough trouble to give then the right to punch her." Victor said.

After that Flint and the others left Hermione and the others alone. They didn't try to get the others until Christmas time that year. Snape tricked Lupin into trusting him and he took Hermione up to Professor McGonagall's office. Hermione was ready to run immediately and as soon as Snape turned to grab her she was half way down the hall. Flint, Warrington, and Montague were waiting at the end of the hall and grabbed her when she ran by. She fought to get free, but the three boys were much stronger than she.

"Very nice, boys; you're getting that extra credit I promised." Snape had spoken too soon. Hermione had managed to find a weakness and she got free. Hermione ran down the stairs, turned the corner and ducked thru a tapestry. She heard the Slytherins run pass her and she knew they were going to cut off the passage to the common room. Hermione waited for their footsteps to fade and then went down to the Great Hall.

Hermione was running down the stairs when she saw Cedric running up from a passage down to the dungeons. When Cedric saw her he went to meet her at the bottom of the stairs. When Hermione got to Cedric she hugged him. Cedric loosened his grip on Hermione, but didn't let go of her, and Hermione didn't take her hands off of Cedric's shoulders.

"Where did Snape take you? Lupin has been worried sick."

"Transfiguration Department and the chasers were up there trying to grab me and help Malfoy."

Hermione looked up into Cedric's eyes and saw that he was trying to let her know that she was safe. She felt his hands move around on her waist, and pulling her in towards him. When Hermione's body had hit Cedric's body he leaned in and almost kissed her.

All right, so I forgot this at the beginning. I don't own anything in this except for the plot. ABSOLUTELY NONE ARE MINE!

Hoped you enjoyed R&R