A/N: Thank you all for the sweet reviews! I really appreciate them. Many thanks to Krissy, SweetTale4U, and Muggle Jane for helping me out with this story. Don't know where it or I would be without you all.

Disclaimer: The characters and canon situations in the following story belong solely to JK Rowling, Scholastic and WB. I am not making any money from the publishing or writing of this story.

Chapter Three

Hermione spent the remainder of the day in solitude. She put the finishing touches on her classroom and lesson plans. Before she knew it, it was time for the first staff meeting of the year. The students would be arriving soon, so it was important for the staff to get together and talk.

She made her way to the third floor where the meeting was going to take place. She was carrying a small notebook so she would be able to take notes. She was sure that there were going to be important matters discussed at the meeting.

Pushing open the door, Hermione walked in. She saw that almost everyone was there already. She quickly moved to take a seat next to Luna.

"Hello," she whispered, giving her friend a smile.

Luna turned from Severus to face Hermione. "Hello, Hermione. Are you ready for the school year to begin?"

Hermione nodded with an excited grin on her face. "I can't wait. I mean, it'll be a bit weird since I'll know a lot of the students since we just finished Hogwarts ourselves, but I am excited."

Snape leaned forward. "You must remember, Miss Granger, that these are your students. You mustn't allow them to use their familiarity against you."

She huffed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I know, Professor Snape. Thank you."

Snape scoffed before turning away.

"He's only trying to help," Luna assured Hermione. "He means well, really. Severus just isn't a people person."

Luna and Snape had started dating earlier in the summer. After Luna had graduated from Hogwarts, she had summoned up the courage to tell Snape that she cared for him. Snape had pushed her away repeatedly, but it seemed that Luna had worn him down. The two were rather well-suited, as they often spent their time in solitude.

Hermione had taken her seventh year with Luna and Ginny, as she didn't feel comfortable accepting the honorary N.E.W.T.s that the Ministry had offered her. Both Harry and Ron had accepted them. The boys were both almost done with Auror Training. She didn't hear from them very much as neither of them ever wrote to her.

"Hello, Hermione, Luna," a voice said from her right.

Sighing, Hermione turned and saw that Lucius had taken the seat next to her. Why didn't he sit anywhere else? He just had to pick the seat next to her, didn't he?

"Yes, I did," he answered, causing her to widen her eyes.

"Stay out of my mind!" Hermione said crossly. "You have no business performing Occlumency on me."

Lucius smirked at her. "Always trying to make me out as the bad guy." He shook his head. "I wasn't in your mind, Hermione. I was simply reading the facial expression you so openly displayed. It's not my fault you leave your thoughts open to the world."

"I do not!" she protested.

"You're truly a Gryffindor, my dear, nothing to be ashamed about," Lucius assured her. "It's quite endearing actually."

"Don't get too used to it," Hermione whispered under her breath.

Lucius didn't respond to her. He just sat there with a smug expression on his face, which was driving Hermione absolutely mad. She just didn't understand him at all.

Minerva entered the room at that moment. "Sorry I'm a running late," she murmured. "We have a few things to discuss before the students arrive shortly. First matter of business: patrols."

Hermione scribbled furiously in her notepad as the meeting went on. She tried not to linger over the fact that both she and Lucius were scheduled to do patrols on the same night. Instead, she focused on the list of items that were banned and the names of this year's prefects.

"What are you writing with?" Lucius asked. He had leant over so far he was practically leaning against her.

Hermione huffed. "It's a pen," she whispered.

"Is that the Muggle version of a quill?" he asked quietly, careful not to disrupt Minerva's speech.

"Yes."

"But what about the ink?" he inquired.

Hermione tilted her head to the side so she could glare at him. He just smirked in response. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she answered him, "The ink is inside the pen."

"Fascinating," he whispered.

"Not really," she retorted.

Lucius pulled away. He didn't speak to her for the rest of the meeting, but she was aware of his gaze constantly lingering on her.

Hermione's whole body was tense. She didn't know what it was, but Lucius was driving her mad. Her fingers twitched, and she resisted the urge to pull her wand out and hex him. He was just so infuriating!

"Hermione, are you all right?" Luna asked, startling Hermione out of her thoughts.

"What? Oh yes, I'm fine," she murmured, shaking her head. "Why?"

"Because the meeting has been over for five minutes and you've just been sitting here. Have you been daydreaming about Lucius?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Of course not!" Hermione protested, her face growing hot. "I have no idea what you're talking about Luna."

"It's all right," Luna replied. "You don't have to tell me."

"Trust me," Hermione said with a nervous laugh. "I wasn't dreaming about Lucius and, if I was, it would certainly be a nightmare, not a dream."

Luna just smiled as if she knew something that Hermione didn't. Hermione hated when she did that, as it gave her the chills.

"Why don't we have some tea in my room before the students arrive?" Hermione suggested, standing up.

"Oh, that sounds lovely. I could use a nice cuppa."

The two of them made their way to Hermione's rooms. Once there, Hermione asked the house elf assigned to her, Pipsy, to bring them some tea. They made themselves comfortable and began to chat.

"Have you heard from anyone recently?" Luna asked her.

Hermione shook her head. "No, I haven't. Harry and Ron have been busy with training. Neville is in South America researching certain plants. Ginny, I believe, has been trying out for various Quidditch teams. No one writes anymore."

"I know," Luna said, nodding. "The only person who writes me letters is Draco."

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked, startled. "Why does he write you?"

"Well, as you know, I was held captive at Malfoy Manor during the war. Both Draco and Lucius were as kind as the situation allowed them to be. But Draco, he would secretly visit me and heal my injuries. We've become friends, which is good, because he doesn't have very many."

Hermione was quiet for a moment. "You're not angry with him, though? And not with Lucius either?"

Luna shook her head. "Oh, no, of course not. I know neither of them meant it. You could tell it wasn't in their heart."

"You always see the best in people, Luna."

The blonde looked her right in the eyes. "And you're always determined to see the worst in Lucius, Hermione. Why is that?"

Hermione blushed. "I don't know. I just can't stand him, Luna! He thinks he's better than everyone else."

"Have you ever heard him say that?" Luna pressed. "Recently, at least."

She was quiet for a moment, a bit flustered from Luna's questioning. "Well, no, I suppose not, but I know he thinks it, Luna! He's an aristocratic pig."

Luna let out a small giggle at her words. "That's not true, and you know it. I suppose it'll just take some time for you to see."

"To see what?" Hermione asked. "Don't read into this more than you should, Luna."

She just gave Hermione one of her smiles, the type that gave Hermione chills. "You'll see in time."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think so, but all right." She glanced at the clock. "Why don't we head down to the Great Hall? The students should be arriving soon."

"All right," Luna conceded, a small smirk on her face.

"What are you grinning about?" Hermione asked her.

"Oh, nothing really, just about dinnertime," Luna replied dreamily. They both headed to the Great Hall, where the Welcoming Feast was to take place.