Chapter Three: Two Can Play At This Game

Hermione found herself sitting in a foreign and dark room, she felt around for her wand but could not find it anywhere. She got up slowly feeling slightly vulnerable and turned around, she jumped as she saw another figure. Her heart was beating frantically as she took another look and realized she was merely looking at her reflection. Laughing quietly at herself, she stared in wonder, dare she say it she looked beautiful. For once in her life time. With feminine delight she twirled in the elegant dress. Stopping yet again to look at her reflection. She now examined the dress more closely. On it she saw a maiden and a unicorn subtly embroidered in a faint gold. What an odd pattern, she thought as she traced the blood red fabric with her finger.

Draco woke with the sun beaming down on him. He leaned over and grabbed his gold watch which read 7:13 a.m. Better get up, thought Draco as he stretched and got out of bed. As he got into the shower he began thinking about the dream he'd had the night before, It hadn't made any sense, but really it had been a nice brake from all the nightmares he'd been having lately, yet he couldn't help but dwell on it, It's just a stupid dream, who cares? he thought, trying to convince himself.

Draco spent the rest of his shower thinking about the up and coming year, but then as he got dressed his mind began to wander again. Trying to distract himself he began to think of all the ways he could make Hermione's year a living hell but he just couldn't bring himself to it, his mind was still in dreamland. Which would explain why his pants were on backwards and he had missed two buttons on his shirt. Cursing he quickly righted his clothing and headed to downstairs to the kitchenette.

"Beep""Beep" Hermione gasped, her hand automatically reached for her alarm, while her mind caught up, That was only a dream, thought Hermione in disbelief, It felt so real. Slightly disappointed, Hermione to the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water enveloped her body and she let her mind wander back to the dream. When she got out of the shower Hermione went to the mirror, she was no longer a bushy beaver toothed little girl over the past few years her features had become elegantly refined, something she had never really noticed she had been to busy with her school work, but what she had noticed was her hair was no longer an un tamable mess atop her head, but a mass of curls cascading down her back. She left the bathroom smiling and quickly put on her clothes, then she did something she never did, she pulled out her make up case, a present from her aunt and began applying make up. "Say good bye to the bushy beaver," she said to her self.

Now Hermione did not over do her make up, not in the slightest, a little mascara and eyeliner with a neutral eye shadow, but it sure did get her some attention when she entered the Great Hall. "Hey Hermione," said Ginny giggling at her friends slight blush, "I see you have discovered make up, it looks good!" Hermione smiled, "really I wasn't sure, is it too much?" she asked nervously.

"No not at all hun, why are you so darn good at everything, your even a natural with make up, it's not fair," said Ginny

"I can assure you I am not good at everything," said Hermione who was still feeling a bit uncomfortable, maybe this make up thing was a bad idea.

"Oh really," said Ginny

"I'm not good with boys or relationships," Hermione blurted out as she blushed once again.

"Not good with relationships," said Ginny in disbelief, "Your first boyfriend was Victor Krum, a famous quiditch player! And how can you not be good with boys look at who your two best friends are. Oh yah and Hermione in case you didn't notice you're already turning heads,"

Hermione didn't know whether she wanted to smile or go run and hide in her dorm. She had always wanted attention, but at the same time was extremely self conscious afraid of getting to much attention, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was always afraid of what people thought.

Ginny on the other hand was extremely happy for Hermione, she was glad she wasn't hiding behind her books anymore. But she was also wondering if she had been the only person to notice how much Hermione had changed over the summer. Her features more refined, her skin more porcelain, and her hair no longer a big frizzy mess. Probably nobody noticed because they thought she was still just a bookworm to them, well not anymore, Ginny thought. She looked up to see Hermione examining her timetable.

"So how do you like your new dorm with it's secret passage ways?" asked Ginny

"It's absolutely wonderful, you should see my room! I just wish I didn't have to share it with Malfoy, I mean we even have to share a bathroom," said Hermione.

"That's so horrible! I bet he's a bathroom hog, he's so vain," said Ginny

"I wouldn't know I got up before him luckily," said Hermione, "wheres Harry and Ron I'm surprised they've managed this long without food in their bellies," this made Ginny laugh, it was so true though. "I'm sure they'll be here any minute, they're just not used to getting up so early, they slept in till nearly eleven everyday," said Ginny.

"We did not," Harry protested startling the girls as he and Ron sat down across from them both looking extremely tired.

"Well aren't you all sunshine and rainbows this morning," said Hermione.

Ron just glared at her and began stuffing his face.

Draco was a surprisingly good cook, a natural in fact. Paying more attention to his cooking than he did to his clothes he was able to make breakfast with out anymore mishaps. He ate his breakfast which consisted of eggs, bacon and toast very slowly, by the time he had finished it was almost time for classes to start so he grabbed his bag and began heading to Herbology which had been his first class the year before. It was a wonderful day out, the sun was shining with a refreshing cool breeze he could stay outside all day if he had the choice. He was almost at the door of the first green house when he realized he still needed his timetable. Bloody hell whats wrong with me this morning, as he turned on his heel and began walking briskly to the Great Hall. "There you are Mr. Malfoy, Ive been looking all over for you," said Professor Snape impatiently.

"Sorry Professor, I got up late this morning," was the first excuse that came to his head.

"Do be more careful next time, I do not want to cover up for your tardiness again, now hurry off to Transfiguration before Mcgonagal docks you points, I can't let Gryffindor win again," said Snape angrily as he turned and headed to the Dungeons.

Somebodies in a fowl mood this morning, thought Draco as he began walking to Transfiguration, which he noticed was unfortunately with all the Gryffindors. Joy, he thought waltzing into class as the bell rang. He took the only available seat which was in the back right behind the golden trio. Professor McGonagal glared at him, though did not take any points before she began her speech, which lasted the duration of the class. How ever before she let them go she assigned them a three foot loong essay to summarize the key elements of the past years curriculum due first thing Wednesday rest of the day continued in a similar fashion, and the seventh years found themselves with a mountain of homework, yet their brains full of fluff, knowledge from their past years eluding them.

Hermione headed to the Great Hall tuning out Harry and Ron's moaning and groaning about Professors Binns. She quickly sat herself down across from Ginny, piling her plate up quickly and eating even faster.

"Woah slow down there, you're making Ron look bad the way your packing that food away! It's not gonna magically disappear!" said Ginny.

"I want to get to the library so I can start my Transfiguration and Herbology essays," said Hermione in between mouth fulls and in less than five minutes she was gone.

"Same old Hermione, hey?" said Ron.

"Yep, the library is her second home," said Harry.

Yet Hermione was in and out of the library in a flash, she was a girl on a mission, she had checked out all the books she needed and headed back to her common room deciding to go through the Gryffindor common room since she still wasn't quite sure how to get to their dormitory. She went up to her room cleared her desk, turned on her ipod speakers and began working. Half an hour into her homework Manic Monday came on and she just couldn't help but sing along, it totally described her day, it was so nice to be able to listen to her ipod again.

Draco grumpily stomped up to his common room, he had the worst day ever, or so it would seem at the time. He had a horrible morning in general listening to his teachers ramble on, and then he had double history in the afternoon, where he had received a detention for his snide remark. Not really feeling like eating he decided to start on his homework now, and get something from their kitchenette later. He went up to his room and began on his Transfiguration essay. His stomach complaining constantly, but he ignored it, 2 and a half hours later he was on his last essay, by the time he finished he realized it already 8:00. He was half way to his door when his stomach let out its worst rumble yet, okay, okay I'm going already, he thought, but when he reached the kitchen he found he wasn't the only one getting a late dinner.

Hermione looked up when she heard Draco's footsteps. She had been enjoying a London fog and a late night read. Malfoy, she thought. "What are you doing here? asked Hermione, in a a slightly annoyed tone she had been enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Getting something to eat what else would I be doing here, it's not as if you own the place," said Draco and he opened the fridge.

"That's rich coming from you, you walk around as if you own the entire school," said Hermione gathering up her book and her drink and leaving the kitchen. Draco just smirked and began preparing his dinner, It's so easy to get under her skin.

At 8:30 Hermione came back down stairs rinsing her mug out in the sink. "Come on Malfoy, it's time to patrol," said Hermione walking out the door.

"Not until I'm finished Granger," said Draco annoyed to have his meal disturbed once again.

"It may have escaped your notice with that big ego of yours, but you do not rule the world Malfoy, now come lets go, patrols supposed to start at 8:30," said Hermione getting impatient.

"It may have escaped your notice but you do not rule the world either, mudblood," said Draco but the insult was lost with a momentary flicker of pain in his eyes. But it had been so sudden, and left just as quickly that Hermione doubted she even saw it. She stood in the doorway her arms crossed, fire in her eyes. "Fine," said Draco angrily throwing the rest of his food in the garbage. Taking one look in her eyes he decided to keep a safe distance during their patrol. Hermione was furious, she was annoyed and not someone to be messed with right now, neither was Draco. They patrolled in silence, each deep in thought not willing nor daring to break the silence. By the time they had finished their patrol Hermione had finally calmed her temper and fell into a peaceful sleep, where as Draco lay awake tossing and turning for hours.

Hermione woke feeling bright and fresh, I hope today won't be as stressful, I don't want to spend my whole night doing essays again. She gathered up her uniform and headed into the bathroom locking the door that lead to Draco's room, humming to herself softly. Draco woke up feeling groggy, grumpy and overall in a bad mood. He got up and went straight to the bathroom. A shower ought to make me feel better, he thought, but to his dismay he found the door locked."Stupid Granger," he said angrily. He stormed over to her room and took her book bag. Lets put this somewhere for Granger to find, he thought. He summoned a house elf. "Could you put this in the potions room," he said to the house elf.

"Yes master Malfoy," it said bowing itself out of the room dragging Hermione's book bag behind him.

He then wrote Hermione a little note.

Hermione nearly skipped out of the bathroom, she was in such a good mood and she had no idea why, but it all changed when she looked at her desk. "What," she said exasperated as she looked desperately around her room for her bag. Then she noticed a little note in the center of her desk.

Morning Granger,

Picked a bad morning to take a late shower, so you get to go on a little scavenger hunt. Heres your clue:

You can find your bag easily at the end of the day accompanied by a scowl.

"That scumbag, he doesn't own the bathroom, who the bloody hell does he think he is? The king of England? Two can play this game," said Hermione quickly casting charms on both of her doors, so they recognized only her touch. She then snuck into Draco's room and took all of his clothes, shrinking them so they would fit into her pocket, also writing Draco a little note. She was about to leave when she noticed the bathroom door was ajar. She slowly peeked her head in making sure he was still in the shower before she snatched his clothes from the bathroom. She bit her lip to keep from laughing, Malfoy sings in the shower...who woulda guessed, she thought. She then quickly added a little more to her note and then left his room, bursting into laughter as she closed his door, then quickly headed to the Gryffindor common room hoping to find Ginny.

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