Disclaimer: See the Prologue.

A/N: Firstly, a huge thank you to every person who reviewed and/or put this story or me on alert! It's an amazing feeling when only one chapter evokes so much visible interest, especially since I was super nervous about putting up this story. I was absolutely worried that you all would hate it and emote throwing flaming tomatoes at me (though I like tomatoes). So thank you again for alleviating my biggest fear about this! I've been hemming and hawing about posting it for a while and finally decided to just do it, which I am now really glad I did.

Secondly, this is a super short chapter compared to the Prologue, but only because this is like the Prologue: Part Two. It's introducing you to present-day Hermione, and setting up the drama to come. Make sure you read the second author's note at the bottom!

Thirdly...Review Responses:

Kermit 304 - That's the big question, isn't it? Hermione is unique in Draco's world, and always has been, so he's never really known quite where to put her. His family tells him that her heritage means she's not worth his notice, but nobody can rightly deny her obvious magical talent, and he most certainly can't ignore the fact that she's Harry's best friend and top of the class. On the other hand, Hermione has known from day 1 exactly where Draco belongs in her world. He's a walking stereotype that she only acknowledges when he starts something. This is partly why I love writing Dramiones; both characters are so obviously proud to a fault that they'd rather hex each other than reshape their opinion of the other until they are forced to, which is fun to write. As for why Hermione puts up with Ron, well...the short answer is that what you read in the prologue is Hermione only focusing on the bad parts of her relationship with Ron, because she's upset. You're getting a very skewed look at their relationship through her anger, so rest assured that isn't even close to the whole story. Since you've brought it up, I might address her relationship with Ron in-depth a bit earlier than I had originally intended, depending on if I think it flows well in that chapter. Thank you for mentioning it!

Farella - Perfect? Uh oh. Am I already encouraging high expectations from you? Eek! What if I don't live up to them? I'll try my best not to disappoint! I'm not sure how I can be 'late' when I haven't even created an update schedule yet, but your excitement is making me excited, which makes me want to update sooner rather than later. I love you, too, for reviewing! =D

Sundance1989 - Thank you! I'm so glad you appreciated the flowers part. Writing Draco can be so easy sometimes because all I need to ask is, what would piss off Ron the most? That's what Draco would probably do. I see Ron as a semi-closet romantic, which Draco, the cunning Slytherin he is, would absolutely use against him in an extremely publicly humiliating way. In fact, in one of the rough drafts I wrote, I had Draco detailing how he'd put the message in a howler and owl a thank-you bouquet to Ron at dinner so that the entirety of Hogwarts would hear it, professors and all. I decided to change it later, thinking it would be a little too much. Would that have been too much?

xXxtellmewhyxXx - You're welcome! It's always nice to hear that from someone else, especially when I sometimes think I'm driving myself crazy over revision number seventeen for nothing because nobody's going to notice. Nothing turns me off to a story quite like clicking on it and seeing all the text in giant blocks, or the first paragraph riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. I'm sorry, but if you're old enough to be writing about mature themes, you should know the difference between the words their, they're, and there. And don't get me started on the stories that make me feel like I'm trying to decipher a text message. I'm always so sad when a summary intrigues me and then I can't bring myself to read the actual story because I just want to copy and paste it into MSWord so I can edit it until it's intelligible. So thank you for appreciating the English language. You had me at your correct usage of 'it's' and 'your' (=P). I'm so glad you like the story so far, and I hope you'll like what's coming even more!

EgyptianQueen - Wow. I admit I was a bit speechless while reading your review. I can't imagine how many stories you must have read by now, so I'm absolutely flattered that you like mine so much! I'm so glad you appreciated the angel/devil reference. As soon as I wrote it, I knew I had to keep it in because it so perfectly describes how Hermione views him. I think the really interesting part is that, while Draco appears to be Lucifer reincarnate to many people, he actually isn't. He really is a lot more like an angel than Hermione knows at that point; he's just not a stereotypical one. Or perhaps a better way to say it is that she views him as an absolute, or two-dimensional person (like how angels are always supposed to be good and devils always evil) but he's very much human with all sorts of grey shades she's never noticed. I love that image so much because it tells you just as much about Hermione's own prejudices as about Draco's general attitude. Sorry if the whole Ron and Lavender thing was confusing. I meant to show that Ron hasn't actually cheated on her as far as she knows, but after Draco's offer, she looks for an excuse to kiss him, so she convinces herself that Ron's cheating on her at that moment, which means it's alright if she does it, too. It's not very good logic, but her emotions are getting the best of her at that point. Also, this chapter is the most like the original story, but after that I diverge quite a bit. Just a heads up, I don't mention Hermione's parents because I didn't like that whole plotline. I can't ever imagine her parents to be so cruel, even though we hardly see them in the books, so maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part. In any case, in this story, her parents love her very much and she was not an accident or anything like that. Maybe I'll add in some scenes with her parents later on to flesh out the story more. Do you think that would be a good thing? Anywho, never ever apologize for writing long reviews! As you can see, I can hardly shut myself up, but I also love reading other people's thoughts on my writing. I'm always looking to improve and answer the questions that readers have, so the more feedback, the better!

~~~\~~~

Step 1: Long-Term Presence

Once you have decided to capture a Malfoy's black and desiccated heart, and have gotten him to notice you short-term, you must find a way to into his long-term memory, which is a lot harder than you'd think. If you went with the Example A route in the Introduction, you will have to work hard to make him remember your name, and for more than just an easy lay, you tart. While being labeled as a good lay isn't a bad thing, the Malfoy will only think of you when it is convenient, which will make it that much harder to get close to his heart. If you are a meaningless shag, you'd have to do something bloody impressive to give yourself meaning as a future wife that he will actually like. (Unless, of course, you followed Example C, you gold-digging bint.) Therefore, I would suggest inserting yourself wherever he is. If he sees you everywhere, then he will think of you more, and remember you more easily, which is one way to earn a spot in his long-term memory. The good thing about this course is that he will already have positive thoughts about you, if at all. The bad thing is that those thoughts won't be useful if you can't get him, the self-centered bigot, to remember you.

If you followed Example B, you don't have much to worry about as far as him remembering you, although your personal safety might be in danger. Your next step will be trying to convert the negative feelings into positive ones, but in the meantime, Example A's course isn't a bad idea. The more he sees you and associates you with a strong emotion, the better. Amplifying that emotional connection will guarantee that he won't forget about you anytime soon. Again, the reason why he feels strongly about you can change, so long as he feels some strong emotion for you.

~~~\~~~

"...And these were the descendants of Adam: Adam begat Seth, and Seth begat Enosh, and Enosh begat Kenan..."

Hermione glanced up at her elderly mentor, who was sitting peacefully in her chair, eyes closed. She dared clear her throat just to see if her mentor would move. She didn't. Hermione lowered her voice, hoping it wouldn't echo as much in the large, open drawing room.

"And Kenan begat Mahalalel, and Mahalalel begat Jared, and Jared begat Enoch..."

She glanced up again. Her mentor was certainly breathing evenly. Was that a snore? Maybe she should finish the chapter just to make sure...

"And Enoch begat Methuselah, and Methuselah begat Lamech, and Lamech begat Noah, and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth."

She kept her eyes on her mentor while she silently shut the book. She set the book aside on the table and, just as silently, snuck her way to the door. She normally quite enjoyed reading to Professor Morgana. She used every moment she could to learn more about her new mentor, seeing as how they would be working together, hopefully, for a long time to come.

But today Hermione was eager to get back to her work. She just knew that she was close to a breakthrough. She was working on a potion recipe to help recover the memories of Obliviated victims, especially when the spell had been botched. Currently she was stuck on getting the right balance of potency and buffering of the ingredients. Maybe she could use more nettles for potency and then add in some ginger root as a buffer between that and the armadillo bile...

THUMP!

Hermione jumped at the sudden sound with her hand on the door knob. No one knew how to make more noise with a cane and a floor than Professor Morwena Morgana. She turned around and guiltily looked at her mentor.

"I am not asleep!" Professor Morgana boomed, staring directly at her.

Hermione winced and smiled weakly. "Oh, sorry..."

Professor Morgana chuckled. "You're not the least bit sorry, girl. Get back over here."

Hermione bit her lip to suppress a groan and resumed her seat in front of the old woman. She truly liked Professor Morgana, though. She looked forward to the day when she could use age as an excuse to adopt Professor Morgana's signature brand of outspokenness. She just really, really wanted to get back to her potion...

"You're a tricky one, you are," Professor Morgana acknowledged.

Hermione's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon?"

"All those 'begats'. Hand chosen to put me to sleep," her mentor clarified.

Hermione blushed guiltily. "Well, I just figured you would want to get the boring parts out of the way first..." she tried to reason feebly.

"Nonsense. You skipped ahead so you could sneak out and get back to that potion of yours."

Hermione ducked her head in embarrassment.

Professor Morgana's mouth quirked up into an amused smile. "Don't be ashamed, girl. I'm actually impressed. I would have done the exact same thing at your age."

Hermione raised her head and gave her mentor a tentative smile. She picked up the Bible again and cleared her throat. "So, which part would you like me to read then?"

"None of it. Bloody boring, it is. Haven't we anything more exciting in the library?"

"I'm sure we do. I could check, if you like." And stop in on my potion just to try an idea or two on the way...

"Yes, do that. And don't you dare step into that laboratory tonight!" Hermione tried not to let her disappointment show. The woman seemed to read her mind. "I said the answer will come if you take your mind off of the whole thing, and I'm never wrong. So go. Oh, and do let Crooksy into the room. He's scratching at the door."

Hermione wrinkled her nose as she let the bright orange cat into the room. He strutted past her, bow-legged, a haughty look on his squashed face as he swayed his bottlebrush tail confidently. He collapsed onto his favorite spot on the plush rug in the front of the room. Since her arrival at Morgana Manor, Crookshanks had taken a complete turn and abandoned her for greener pastures - namely, Professor Morgana. With the amount of sweets that her mentor had stuffed down the cat's throat, Hermione was amazed that he could still walk, let alone lift himself up to scratch at the door.

"Crooksy," her mentor cooed. "Come to Mama."

Crookshanks lifted his head, tried to focus his slightly crossed eyes, decided it wasn't worth the effort, and dropped his head back down.

"I have a treat for you," Professor Morgana coaxed.

Perking up at the word 'treat', the cat yawned and hopped up.

"Stupid cat," Hermione muttered bitterly as Crookshanks strode past his former owner without so much as a glance.

"Such a sweet thing," her mentor cooed, rubbing Crookshanks' belly.

"That isn't a sweet cat; it's a poor excuse for a rug," Hermione huffed.

Professor Morgana raised an eyebrow. "I know you don't mean that, Miss Granger."

"Yes, I do," she replied defiantly.

"Nonsense," her mentor dismissed the comment with an imperial wave of her hand. "You love Crooksy."

"I loved Crooshanks," she corrected.

"Well, Crooksy loves you."

The cat lifted his head from his spot at his new owner's feet and Hermione swore he stuck his tongue out at her.

Hermione glared at him. "That cat is a menace. I'm going to the library."

"Good idea. Go find me a new book," her mentor agreed. Hermione headed for the door. "And nothing with 'begat'!" Professor Morgana called after her.

~~~\~~~

Hermione pouted the whole way to the library, which wasn't actually that far down the hall. She sighed happily when she opened the library doors and breathed in the familiar smell of old books. With a new smile on her face, she browsed the shelves, scanning her brain for some entertaining stories to pull from the shelves. She selected a few of Shakespeare's comedies and placed them on a nearby table. A slim volume of Romantic poetry and a collection of Edgar Allan Poe's tales were added to the pile, just for some variety. She gathered the books and walked past another shelf toward the doors when a flash of bright red caught her eye. She paused and inspected the offending book.

It was very small, and bound in the brightest red leather Hermione had ever seen. The strangest thing, though, was that it had been lying sideways on the shelf, while every other book in the room was standing upright. She grabbed the tiny book and returned to the table. She set the books back down and seated herself, eyes wide with curiosity.

She flipped over the book so she could see the front cover. Printed across the cover in an elegant gold font was the title and author:

How to Marry a Malfoy

(Tips by someone who succeeded in ensnaring one of the slimy gits)

By Morwena Morgana-Malfoy

Hermione gasped. Morgana-Malfoy? But...she was so sure that Professor Morgana was married to Titus Morgana, not Titus Malfoy. Unless...on second thought, she had seen pictures of the husband on her first day here. Titus possessed the trademark pale skin, platinum blond hair, and grey eyes of the Malfoy line. Professor Morgana had told her all about his esteemed position in the Wizengamot and his gift for foreign relations (which was why he wasn't around often), and they were filthy rich. Oh Merlin, was she actually the protégé of Professor Malfoy? Hermione shuddered at the thought.

After what had happened (and almost happened) about eight months ago, on the night before Graduation, Hermione had never wanted to even hear the name Malfoy ever again. It filled her entire body with disgust and shame at her own weakness and stupidity. She had sworn to herself that she would never make the same mistake twice. But as hard as she tried to suppress them into oblivion, thoughts of that night still popped into her head from time to time, and every single time they did she cursed the day she had met Draco Malfoy.

It infuriated her to think that the Fates still didn't think Malfoy had tortured her enough. Just when she thought that she had gotten rid of him forever, they threw her for another loop. Hermione glared at the name on the cover and clutched the book until her knuckles turned white. Maybe Professor Morgana wouldn't notice if she just incinerated the book now. Why anyone would want to marry one of those "slimy gits", indeed, she had no idea. In fact, burning this book would probably do the world some good.

THUMP!

"What is taking you so long, girl?" Professor Morgana entered the library and spotted Hermione sitting down with the book. "Oh, is that...?" Her mentor chuckled and walked over so she could sit down next to her. "My, my. It has been quite a while since I wrote that."

Hermione opened her mouth but had no idea what to say, so she closed it again. Finally she got the courage to ask, "You married a Malfoy? I thought your husband..."

Professor Morgana had a far-away look, the one Hermione recognized whenever her mentor talked about her husband.

"Yes, I did, girl. But you see, Titus' older brother Abraxus nearly disowned him when he married me. Fortunately for us, Abraxus died of Dragon Pox before he got around to making it official, though I suspect he didn't want to entirely sever their connection because Titus has always been his own social influence. Even so, Titus knows how to make his own fortune. He has the Malfoy genes, after all, and the Morgana family money. As a sign of defiance against his controlling brother, Titus took my maiden name, Morgana, when we married. Truth be told, Titus was happy to be rid of the name of Malfoy. Too many annoying, blood-obsessed relatives. When he shed the name, the others shed him, and he was all the happier for it. We've lived in relative peace because of it. Of course, that's mostly because the name Morgana demands just as much respect, so they can't do much without damaging their own reputation. But I'm sure you know how it is. You went to school with my great nephew, after all. What was his name, again? Devon? Daniel?"

"Draco..." Hermione whispered, inwardly shuddering at all the memories his name evoked. She shook her head to clear it. "But why? Why did you even want to marry one?" she asked desperately.

"Yes, Draco. That's the one." Professor Morgana laughed, casting Hermione a sideways glance. "You do have eyes, don't you, girl? You can't deny the Malfoy men are the most attractive specimens on the planet. The lean, muscled arms, the broad shoulders, the silver eyes...Well, they would be if you could cut out their tongues, but you can't have everything in a man, can you? Then again, they use that tongue for more than just talking, don't they? Magnificent lovers, they are. You wouldn't do badly at all to snag one, girl."

Hermione didn't have to find a mirror to know her whole body was flushed red. The absurdity of having this conversation with Draco Malfoy's great aunt made her question whether this was all just one terrible nightmare. She cleared her throat. Yes, she knew exactly how attractive and skilled Draco was...to an extent. "Yes, well-"

"See? You agree with me. I snagged the better of the two, if you ask me. Abraxus always struck me as far more selfish, which I'm sure translated into the bedroom. Of course, the trade-off is that Titus is hardly around these days because of work. A pity, that. But again, you can't have everything." Professor Morgana sighed. "You should read the book, girl. I was young and a little bitter at the time I wrote it, and it's mostly the story of me and Titus, with a lot of rambling thrown in, but there's good advice in there."

Hermione made a noise somewhere between a choked laugh and an indignant scoff at the mere thought of pursuing Malfoy. "Um, no thank you, Professor. I'd really rather not."

Her mentor gave her a inquisitive look. "Why not, girl? It's short, and I know you read quickly. It won't even take you an hour."

Hermione gulped and her hands fidgeted in her lap. "Yes, well, the thing is, I don't ever intend on marrying a Malfoy, so the content is absolutely of no use to me."

Professor Morgana scoffed. "I don't actually expect you will use it to marry one, girl. It will give you a better idea of what you'll have to deal with for the next couple months. And you can see what I was like when I was young, which you might want to copy, seeing as how you want to follow in my footsteps."

Hermione coughed. "I want to be a researcher like you, Professor."

Her mentor nodded. "Precisely."

Hermione mentally rolled her eyes. Talking to the old woman about anything other than the intricacies of potion-making and theories was like riding a rollercoaster in complete darkness. You never knew which direction she'd go next. She frowned as she remembered something her mentor had just said.

"What did you mean by 'what you'll have to deal with for the next couple months'?"

"Oh, haven't I told you already? My great-nephew Draco will be staying with us for a couple months to help me with a private matter. That doesn't bother you, does it?"

Hermione nearly had a heart attack. A couple MONTHS? YES, I DO have a problem with that! she screeched mentally. Before she could say anything, her mentor continued.

"See? I knew you wouldn't mind. Now come along. Read me something by that Shakingspoke person. Name starts with a W." Professor Morgana made her way out of the library.

Hermione followed. "William Shakespeare?" she supplied weakly.

"That's the one. And don't forget that book, girl. Nice bedtime reading. Could teach you a few tricks, that."

Hermione cried on the inside, and vehemently cursed the day she had met Draco Malfoy.

A/N 2: A super-duper special thanks goes out to Scarletttabby, the first reviewer of this story! I have a special surprise for you! Either review or PM me with any first name, last name, and occupation (preferably ones that don't automatically go together; it'll be more fun that way). Your surprise will be in the next chapter! You know, what? Let's make it a recurring thing. The first reviewer of this chapter (that isn't already getting a surprise) should give me an animal, a color, and a habitat for inspiration and I'll come up with something for you, too.

Stay well!

-BDShadothe-