Chapter 1: Winter Wonderland

It was Saturday and, with classes just finished, no one wanted to start their homework yet… Except for one. It is always good to get your homework done bright and early. Then you can enjoy yourself the rest of the weekend! Simple logic, Hermione thought to herself.

She sat curled up in one of the big, comfy armchairs in the Gryffindor common room. With two weeks to go until Christmas, the room was covered with fresh evergreen garland and glittering tinsel. A huge Christmas tree decorated one corner, covered with intricately designed ornaments, shiny ribbons, and hundreds of tinkling Christmas lights. The fireplace, dancing with crackling flames, cast a warm golden glow on the entire room.

Across from her sat Harry Potter and Ron Weasely, battling out a game of Wizard's Chess. She'd only met them a few months ago, but they'd grown to be very good friends – though they could never understand why she wanted to do homework all the time. Sometimes she suspected they only put up with her because she grudgingly agreed to do some of their homework for them.

Speaking of homework… Hermione got up. The battle cries associated with the scenes of destruction from the chess game were too distracting. She decided to make a visit to the library, where, at this hour, ought to be deserted. With a "see you later," and uncommitted grunts from her busy friends, Hermione rushed off to the library.

-OoO-

Draco Malfoy sat crouched behind a bookshelf, reading A History of Magic. This was not how he had intended on spending his Saturday, but the constant letters from his parents, reminding – no, urging – him to stay at the top of classes, forced him to hide away from his newfound friends Crabbe and Goyle and study. For the last hour, he'd stared out the window across from him countless times; taking in the clear blue sky, snow gradually blanketing the grass as the hours grew. He wished he was out there with the others, working on flying skills, or even just enjoying the soft white flakes that were falling from the heavens…

Draco's head popped up to glance out the window once again, lost in another winter daydream. This time however, he found his view blocked by a messy bunch of curly brown hair, put up in what looked like a desperate attempt at a ponytail. Granger.

His parents had warned him about people like her; the Mudbloods. But what Draco found even more loathing about Hermione Granger was the fact that so far, she'd managed to beat him in every single subject, forcing him to study even harder just to keep up! Well, except in Potions. But every time he got beat, a gleeful smirk would direct itself straight at him, and the anger would deepen. Plus, she hangs out with Potter, he thought to himself with disgust. As soon as he and Potter had met, they'd become instant enemies.

Draco decided that he needed to wipe that smile off Granger's lips as soon as possible. Why the hell was he thinking about her lips? Rebuking himself silently, he returned again to studying for his upcoming History test.