A/N: Thanks for all of you guys who reviewed! I know it feels a little useless to review on a first chapter, especially if it's basically just the exposition, so thanks a bundle. So now I would like to recognize my reviewers: sunshine21409, Summer Bookworm, David Fishwick, and MrsBlaCkwIfeY. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and hope I get a few new reviewers too!

Disclaimer: This is obviously mine, not J.K. Rowling's, because she wouldn't start writing this update in the middle of her English class a week before graduation while her teacher makes fun of the poor boys in the class that don't have any facial hair. That's all me.

Chapter Two: Mentally Naked

Hermione inhaled deeply as she stepped into the Entrance Hall. It smelled exactly like it did last year. She could just smell the food wafting from the kitchens and a little bit of the rain falling on the sky-high ceiling above her head. She let her almond eyes search every detail about Hogwarts hungrily before she stopped to wait for Harry and Ron. The marble pillars still gleamed like Filch had just polished them, the sky was the same dark, stormy color it was every year, and the students were still chattering about what they did over the summer.

Even though so much had happened at the end of last year, the school still managed to stay the same. It was still standing, it was still going on. She had to admire Hogwarts. In a way, she hoped that even after the war, she could be like the historic building. Stoic, everlasting. As she thought about what had gone on in this very hall, she visibly shivered. She could just picture the Death Eaters running about this very hallway as she stared at her white flat sandals. She could practically see bodies flying around her and jets of light barely missing her as she dodged them all.

In her reverie, she didn't notice Ron and Harry behind her. She flinched when Ron's heavy arm went about her shoulder.

"So the Harpies are looking pretty good this year, don't cha think?" Ron was asking Harry, who positioned himself on the other side of Hermione.

"Better than the Chudley Cannons, at least," Harry said, a slight grin gracing his face. Ron stuck out his tongue, and Harry laughed, and finally lowered his gaze to Hermione. "Feels good to be back, doesn't it?" He asked her. Since Harry didn't have much of a family, and now, neither did Hermione, they both thought of Hogwarts as their mutual home. Ron, however, had a perfectly loving family, and didn't quite get to be a part of their love of the school. But he whooped obnoxiously anyway.

Hermione allowed herself a moment of thought about her parents. They were still in Australia. Over the summer she had visited the country briefly just to make sure they were alright, and they seemed happy. So she came back to England without a family. And she finally knew how Harry felt all the time. She didn't like it. It felt wretched.

Ron whooped again, and Hermione rolled her eyes and quickly scanned the crowd for anyone who thought that was as annoying as she did. A pair of steely gray eyes found her own. Malfoy smirked at her from between his new and improved cronies, Blaise Zambini and Theodore Nott. While they didn't match up to Crabbe and Goyle when it came to muscle mass, they had something a little more intimidating: intelligence.

But as Hermione walked by Malfoy, who gave her a stiff nod, she noticed Pansy Parkinson leaning on his arm. It was good to know that some things hadn't changed.

The Great Hall was already half full when they arrived and took their seats, with Ginny and Neville and Seamus facing them on the other side of the table. The boys immediately started talking about Quidditch, and Hermione had to suppress a yawn. Ginny winked at her and smiled.

Hermione raised her eyes from her friend to the teacher's table, and locked eyes with Dumbledore, who smiled placidly at her. Her eyes moved down the table, and she noted familiar faces: Flitwick, McGonagall, Snape, Hagrid, Trelawney, Sprout, Slughorn, and a few others.

Ron groaned next to her, mumbling something about food, no doubt, while the miniscule first years trooped into the Hall, dripping wet as usual. There were remarkably few of them this year, no doubt because of the rise of evil and whatnot. Hermione tried to pay attention to the Sorting, she really did, but she had the nagging feeling someone was watching her. She tore her eyes away from Hannah Abbot's little brother (Hufflepuff!) and quickly scanned the eyes of the students. It didn't take her long to find out who was staring. She stood up suddenly, and moved to exit the Hall.

"Where are you going?" Ron asked her. "The food isn't even here yet." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I just remembered that McGonagall told me and Malfoy to go to Madame Pomfrey and get Pepperup Potions for all the first years. She said they almost always get colds after their boat ride." She pointed to the shivering first years for emphasis. Harry nodded, remembering that he himself had gotten sick after the Sorting his first year.

She rushed out of the Great Hall, ignoring all the whispers and the stares as she passed, already the rumors had begun. She kept walking as she exited, and Draco fell into step beside her. They didn't say anything while they walked, and Draco's longer, leaner legs lead the way up a few staircases, through a tapestry, down a staircase, and through winding hallways that Hermione had never seen before. She was just about to blurt out that she thought Draco "I know everything about this castle" Malfoy was lost when he came to a sudden stop and she ran right into his strong, solid back.

He didn't bother turning around. "Really Granger, do watch where you're going," he said, a slightly amused edge to his normally low and menacing tone. She rolled her eyes and stepped up beside him. They were staring at a blank wall. Hermione stared at it for almost an entire minute before she actually spoke.

"Malfoy? Why are we looking at a wall?" She asked.

Malfoy stared at her as if he never could have imagined she could be as dense as she was acting this very second. "This, Granger, is not 'looking'," his elegant finger carved air quotes full of attitude around the word. "We're merely waiting." He, once again, took up his post of staring at the wall. Hermione just stared at his profile for a while before she started to get frustrated again.

"Hello, Moody," Draco said, without turning around. Hermione looked around and squeaked, when Moody revealed himself about two feet away from Hermione's left side.

"I like your vigilance, boy," Moody hissed, miffed that he had been discovered.

"I learned from the best," Malfoy returned, bowing shortly before taking a step back.

Hermione, who had never seen Malfoy treat anyone with respect, with the exception of Professor Snape, raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Malfoys didn't bow. They were bowed to.

"Miss Granger, if our gamble is to work, I need you to curtsy. Treat me like you would treat a king," Moody bowed extravagantly, much lower than Draco had, and waved his arm, an obvious cue for her to do the same.

She just stared.

"I'm sorry Moody, but why do I need to learn the utmost respect when Malfoy is just going to be keeping an eye out for me?" she asked. Malfoy just shook his head without looking at her. His eyes were fixed on Moody.

It had been decided by Dumbledore at the end of the summer that Hermione should have someone to keep an eye on her during school. When she asked why, he merely said that since she was Harry Potter's friend, and a Muggle-born, with war tensions so high, it would be beneficial to have a Slytherin member of the Order keep an eye on her, so he might be able to dilute any ill feelings toward her in his own House.

As if Draco Malfoy was going to be praising Hermione Granger in the Slytherin common room anytime soon.

"Because, Miss Granger," Moody began, "Mr. Malfoy is not just going to be protecting you about school and on the grounds. He's going to be protecting you around his father, various Death Eaters, and Voldemort himself."

Hermione felt her jaw go slack. "Why…why am I going to come in contact with…them?" she stammered slightly.

"Because Miss Granger, we need more than one set of eyes in that place. So, you will become a spy for the Order, much like Draco here has done. But before we send you into the lion's den, we need to teach you how to act around higher powers, and, most importantly, Occlumency."

Hermione raised her eyes from Moody to look at Draco, who finally, mercifully, looked at her too. He nodded. "It will be difficult, and you'll probably hate us all for pushing you so hard but it might have the potential to help save the earth," he paused. "With the help of Potty, of course," he said, and a small smirk covered his face.

"Does this mean I have to become a Death Eater?" Hermione glanced toward Malfoy's left forearm.

"For all intents and purposes, yes," Moody answered.

"How will I become a Death Eater?" Hermione asked, surveying Moody once more. "I'm a Muggle-born, the Death Eaters hate us."

"We're going to do something radically different than all of our other spies had to do, and we're sure that once you get used to the idea, you'll find the acting to be easier than anything you've ever had to do," there was a twinkling in Moody's eye as he stared at Draco and Hermione. Draco's smirk got, if possible, even wider and Hermione just stared.

"Where is this going?"

"You, my dear, are going to go to the Dark side as…Draco Malfoy's betrothed."

"I'm SORRY?!"

"I believe you heard me, Miss Granger."

"I don't…I refu—" Hermione spluttered.

"You refuse nothing, Miss Granger. Listen to me. We need you to fight with Harry and Ron. We need you to fight with HOGWARTS. We need you to have almost the whole world against you, and you need to love the boy standing next to you. You need to love him, or pretend to love him, more than life itself. You need to 'love' him enough to give up your entire life, your entire future, and everything you've worked for. And you need to make it look believable." Moody was only a few inches away from Hermione now, but she refused to take a step back from him.

"I don't see how making the world hate me and loving the ferret will save the world. This all sounds like a huge joke," she looked around suspiciously and waved her hands in the air. "Haha you guys, no more kidding. That was a good one!"

Draco snorted uncharacteristically. "I told you she'd take it like that." He turned and put a hand on his hip to stare at her. "Granger, while I might not like this anymore than you do, I implore you to see reason."

Hermione raised one eyebrow at him skeptically. "Really? And what reason might that be?" she asked.

"When you ask to join the Death Eaters, Voldemort is going to search your mind. That means you need legitimate reasons for being there. You need MEMORIES. You need real, honest memories that he can pull out of your head to make sure you aren't a lying little spy, which of course, you will be. Which means you need to suck it up and fake it as best as you know how. Because if your memories don't look real enough, then you'll be killed. Like that." He snapped his fingers close to her little button nose and she crinkled it, still resistant.

"Do I at least get time to think about it?" she asked.

"It's now or never, Granger," Draco said pointedly.

She stared at Draco for a minute, then back at Moody. She sighed. "Fine."

Draco smirked. "I'm so looking forward to taking your clothes off, Granger. See what you hide under those baggy clothes."

"MALFOY!"

A/N: I couldn't resist Draco's reaction at the end. Haha. Read and review. 

A/N 2: Ok, notes. In this fic, Draco is a spy for the Order, and the war is still going on. Everything that happened in the 6th book applies, EXCEPT Dumbledore didn't die. And Harry and Ginny aren't together. If there are any more technicalities, feel free to ask.

Q's: So…

Did you like it?

Is anyone terribly out of character?

Do we want this story to be more dramatic, or more funny?

And more importantly, when do you want the romantic stuff to start?