Chapter One

Study Hall

"Ms. Granger," Mrs. McGonagall was shocked by the young girl's presence. "Wha—what are you doing here? This is detention, Hermione. If you're looking for the book club it's right down the hall to the left."

The teacher approached her favorite student and was bewildered to see that she hadn't moved an inch. Hermione looked around the room to find majority of the students she had expected. There were of course much more Slytherins in the room than any other house. However, the detention room was pretty evened up. Most of the students were class clowns or serving detention for simply skipping class. Biting her swollen lip for a moment, Hermione tried to find the words she needed to say, but she couldn't quite bring herself to it until McGonagall pulled the young girl aside.

"Since I took a few extra classes last year, I can't take as many this semester. They said the only extra credits I could take would be to take over one of the study halls or detention. I was just curious where study hall actually was." Hermione explained carefully.

"It's in the library this year," Mrs. McGonagall smiled and gave her favorite student a reassuring nod, "Angelina Johnson will be glad that she won't have to be in charge of that class now."

"Thanks," Hermione walked out of the classroom and headed down towards the library.

She hated the idea of teaching a classroom full of students. It wouldn't bother her so bad if study hall was actually filled with students who wanted to learn, but she had heard that it was just a class full of misbehaved teenagers who wanted an easy A. But she had no other choice since she refused to watch over the detention hall. Softly brushing her hand against the wall of the library, she saw only three students sitting at a table in the large, open room. They were all looking down at the table in some sort of awkward silence that Hermione didn't quite understand until she made her way over to them. Looking down an isle, she saw Angelina make her way over.

"Hey, if it's okay, I'd actually be interested in taking over this year's study hall." Hermione gave the girl a refreshing smile.

"Really? That's great, here—take it." Angelina laughed at Hermione's gullibility and then made a quick exit before Hermione had the chance to change her mind.

Turning on her heels back to the large desk, she finally got a good glimpse of the three students. There was a young girl named Susan who was sitting at the far end with her head resting in her palm that was held up by the table. Sitting next to her was a younger boy whom Hermione had never seen before—he must have been a few grades younger than her. As she walked to the other side of the table, she noticed that the third person was none other than the famous Draco Malfoy himself. Crossing her arms, she looked at the clock to see that class had just begun.

"If you have any homework, I suggest you use your time wisely." Hermione managed to say to them. The young boy sitting next to Susan had rose his hand quickly. "Yes?"

"Can we sit wherever?" He was sitting back in his chair a bit hunched over.

"Sure—just, stay on task, okay?" Hermione answered.

Quickly, Susan and the boy got up and left the table entirely. They both went to the last isle in the library and sat at a desk behind a bookshelf so they were hidden from Hermione's sight. Hermione shook her head and let out a sigh of disbelief. Maybe there weren't as many students as she had been told, but they certainly had no passion or drive to do their school work. Looking back down at the table, Hermione noted that Draco didn't move an inch. He was still sitting in his chair upright, looking down at the table in front of him.

"They are going to study back there, you know." Draco didn't lift his gaze from the wooden table.

"Really?" Hermione asked in a hopeful way.

"Yeah," Draco had a growing smirk across his face, "Human anatomy,"

"Mature, Draco, really." Hermione hissed in a disgusted tone. As she sat down at the other end of the table, she put her notebook in front of her. She figured that if she was going to be stuck babysitting teenagers with intellectual ranges of five year olds, she was going to at least use this time to her advantage and get started on her potions homework.

Hermione was always top student in all of her classes. She had a natural gift for holding a wand and using magic. Also, she had been gifted with a wonderful brain that helped her remember definitions, dates, history—practically everything. There was only one subject that she had troubles with which was Potions. For the most part, she had the basics down pat. Her troubles mainly focused in balancing out equations of mixing formula's together to make other potions. It bothered her more than anything because this was the one and only thing that she wasn't able to understand within the first five seconds of learning it. Most other things just naturally came to her, but Potions clearly was the exception. Getting frustrated with a complicated formula, Hermione closed her notebook and let out a small sigh. Looking over to a nearby clock, she noticed the hour was almost over.

"Why haven't you moved yet?" Hermione crossed her arms and peered across the table.

"Why should I? I was here first," Draco stretched in his seat.

"Well, doesn't it bother you that I'm sitting here?" She questioned the boy that had insulted her for the past five years.

"Yes, but I believe that it's your existence that most bothers me not where you sit," Draco pretended that he was pinpointing the exact issue at hand.

"I can move—if you want me to," Hermione propped herself up from her chair.

"I never said I wanted you to move," Draco muttered.

"So you want me to stay?" Hermione looked cautiously at him, staying frozen in her place.

"You have a way with putting words into my mouth, Granger. I don't like it." Draco stood up from his chair and began heading across the library to the door.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Hermione called after him.

"Class is over," Draco continued walking out of the room without looking back at her.

Hermione didn't take her eyes off of the library door until Susan and the boy that was with her brushed by her shoulder. She looked at the two who were whispering to each other and giggling. Susan's shirt was on backwards and inside out which is probably what disturbed Hermione the most. Letting a small sigh escape her mouth, she realized that this would probably be the longest semester of her life. She didn't understand why the school board wouldn't just let her take up another class. It wasn't as if she hadn't used the time turner before to get in a few extra studies. Putting her notebook into her bag, Hermione left the library and headed out to her next class.

"How did study hall go?" Ron leaned over Hermione's desk and gave her a kiss on her cheek. She couldn't help but blush as she turned to see Harry standing close behind him.

"It was fine—it's a small class which is nice." Hermione left it at that. She couldn't bring herself to explain that she would be spending the next semester next to Draco Malfoy which both boys passionately hated.

"We have practice today for Qudditch, if you'd like to tag along," Harry offered with his normal, shy smile.

"I'd love to, but I really need to finish my Potions homework," Hermione explained.

"You haven't finished that yet?" Ron wondered, looking over at Harry, "It's really easy, it will only take you like five minutes top, right mate?" He looked at his friend for reassurance.

"It only took me about ten minutes so it should take you no time, Hermione." Harry confidently glanced over at Hermione.

Though she was hiding her emotions well, Hermione was boiling up inside. How could two boys who never studied for practically anything, be so good at balancing potion equations? They were constantly stealing her notes and copying her homework when she wasn't looking and yet they were breezing through that homework? Surely she needed to start spending more time in the library because she was losing her knack for learning. Trying to keep her cool, she swiftly turned around in her chair and pulled out her books. Flipping through the largest book she explained that she had some reading to do if she wanted to try to test out of some higher classes.

Hermione stayed up in the library for several hours after the boys went off to practice. Giving a glance to the grandfather clock that was leaning up against one of the stone walls, Hermione believed that they were probably in their beds right now not stressing a thing. Yet here she was, in the library all by herself and she hadn't even finished the first problem of her Potions homework. Why was this so bloody hard for her? She never had any troubles with school until she took one class with Snape and it seemed to be the downfall of it all. Considering giving up on the homework and faking sick tomorrow, Hermione heard a noise from the front of the room. It startled her a bit, so she quickly looked over and began to rise from her chair.

"Who's there?" Hermione lifted up her wand to the darkness engulfing her. "S—show yourself!"

"Is that really how you would protect yourself?" Draco laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. She truly looked like a helpless child, standing with a shaking wand in the air.

"Dr—Draco," Hermione finally let herself breathe out as she sat back down at the table.

"What are doing here?" Draco made his way over to her and looked down at her notebook.

"Studying," Hermione shoved her belongings into her bag and then began to head out.

"Granger," Draco tried to follow her, but she wouldn't look at him. It wasn't a secret why her cheeks were so red, when he had looked down he saw the Potions homework—the homework that everyone else had already finished within minutes. As she brushed past him he heard her sniffling a little bit, but she wasn't crying. It was probably his presence that startled her more than anything. But either way he knew that he had gotten to her this time.

Author's Post-Note:

Sorry the chapter is short, I just wanted to set up the story! I hope that you liked it and I hope that you read on! Please feel free to leave reviews! Thanks!