X/N: Chapter 4!! I had trouble writing this chapter and I lost my draft… so I looked for it, and when I reread my draft, it was kind of dragging, but I hope it isn't… heheh… And it's kind of long. And after you read it, please, please, please, please review it…. I need feedbacks, and suggestions, please!!!

Enjoy!

Chapter 4: A Week's Assignments

"Hermione, I'm very sorry I ask a lot of help from you, but I just can't get passed Potions Class without you," Neville said to Hermione as they walked together to the Potions Class.

"It's fine Neville, don't worry, it doesn't bother me," Hermione said with a smile.

As usual, Draco was the first person to arrive in class; when Hermione saw him, she remembered how sensible he had been at the weekend that had passed.

As the students settled in their seats, Professor Snape arrived.

"First time you've ever been this behaved before, for that I shall prize you."

After this was said, the room was then filled with silence. No one could believe Professor Snape was going to be nice, but they should have known better when he said,

"I'll be giving you a pop hands-on quiz to see whether you listened to the discussions last week, or not. You should know by now of what to concoct, and what ingredients to use to make this such potion."

Many students whispered their 'what's and 'huh's, and many of them weren't sure of what potion to make. Luckily, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Draco and Seamus knew that they were going to make a potion that makes the drinker glow in the dark.

"You will work by partners," Snape continued, as he turned to Neville, who was already walking towards Hermione, "Mr. Longbottom, you will not work with Ms. Granger, instead you will work with Mr. Malfoy,"

"But—" Neville said, wanting to reason out,

"No buts Mr. Longbottom, I'm surprised you want to reason out. You will do I say, and pair off with Malfoy, whether you like it or not. Now go to your partners, all of you!"

Draco showed a cold reaction to the sudden change, as Neville approached his seat, and sat.

Draco already prepared everything that was to be used, then looked at Neville, who didn't seem to want to stand up and help.

"So, are you going to help, or are you just going to sit on your fat ass?" Draco said as he sneered at Neville,

"….D…Don't want to-to ruin your gr-grade,"

"Well, it isn't just my grade, is it? I won't let you off that easily Longbottom!"

Neville stood up slowly, and walked towards Draco,

"What can I do?" Neville said with his head bowed down,

"Just watch me carefully, and later it'll be your turn to mix the other ingredients," Neville was surprised to hear Draco so 'uninsultful' and said,

"Okay, whatever you say…"

After a few moments, Draco was done, and he just sat down and said,

"It's your turn to mix, and my turn to sit down,"

Neville went to the cauldron, but just stared at it, then turned to Draco with hesitation.

"Ummm… Malfoy? I don't want to ruin our grade… so…uhhh… can you help me with this? I don't know what to do,"

Draco was now as annoyed as ever, "You're a hopeless tub of lard, if only I had a choice, I would have told Professor Snape to pair you with Crabbe or Goyle. I wouldn't be forced to help an imbecile like you."

Neville was now badly insulted, then Draco continued, "Well, I don't have a choice do I? Fine, just put a quarter of ground toadstool – the olive green one. Add half a millilitre of that redwood oil, and then just wait for the mixture to turn tangerine. When that happens, stir it clockwise five times, and then let it settle… and then sit down, get that?"

As Neville nodded, he started to do what Draco had instructed.

Hermione and Seamus was now done with their mixture and just waited for the others to finish up.

Hermione turned to look at how Neville was doing, and she saw that he was actually doing fine, and with that she smiled.

Then, she turned to see what Draco was doing, her eyebrow rose when she saw that he was just sitting down doing nothing.

"Hmm…. He is nothing but words, I guess I was wrong to think he was actually nice," said Hermione as she settled back to her seat.

"Uhhh… Malfoy? Is it supposed to boil?" Neville said nervously,

"As long as you stir it clockwise five times when it turns tangerine…"

Neville nodded as to say that he had already finished stirring,

"Okay then, all we have to do is wait for us to be called. Now turn off the fire and sit down before you turn the mixture into poison instead; thus kill your toad in the process," Draco explained.

Before Neville could sit down, he got shocked at the mention of his toad,

"..T—T--Trevor? We're going to test it on Trevor?"

"Yes, what did you expect? I can't kill my owl just because you failed to mix in the ingredients properly. Besides, I did most of the work anyway, you have to have your share of work too, you know," Draco replied.

All Neville could do was sit down and hope that the mixture was right because if it wasn't, Malfoy would blame him for the failure for the rest of his life, and Trevor would be lost for good.

Most of the class was now almost done,

"Your time is done," once that was said, the materials used all disappeared, retaining only the boiling cauldrons.

"Mr. Longbottom, Mr. Malfoy, bring your potion here, and bring whoever's pet you'll be using for testing,'

Draco then walked to Prof. Snape's table carrying their cauldron, and Neville also came near carrying Trevor.

Everyone in the room was now watching at them very intently. They were now waiting for the results of the present experiment, and waiting for their own turns.

Neville was now very nervous, but Draco showed no worry whatsoever.

Professor Snape put three drops of their mixture into a plate and fed it to Trevor.

The room was now very silent, and very dark.

For a moment there, Neville thought Trevor was going to die, but then he felt someone's hand on his shoulder, it was Draco's,

"It's going to be fine, trust me," Draco whispered,

Neville was quite shocked by the assurance, that he didn't noticed a glow growing bigger on the table in front of him--it was Trevor.

Neville was relieved to see that he had made the right mix.

He thought he would never to do this, but he was very thankful to Draco not really trying to kill Trevor.

Draco just smiled, knowing that they got a good grade.

They took their seats and waited for the class to end.

"Malfoy, thanks!" Neville said,

"No problem, but don't get your hopes up, that'll be the last time I'll help you. You can't copy off me just like you do Granger. And if you tell anyone about me helping you, I won't think twice on using a forbidden curse on you, got that?" Draco said, trying to sound threatening; Neville just nodded his head.

Class had already ended, and everyone was very glad about it.

Hermione walked to Neville and asked, " Neville, are you okay?"

"Yes, very fine, I guess it really feels good to get a good grade in a subject you really don't like, especially when someone tries not to help you too much…" Neville replied.

"Someone tries not to help you too much?" Hermione repeated, "Malfoy?" Hermione continued to ask with a puzzled tone.

"Uhh… I've got to go now. You have Arithmancy, right? Bye, thanks for asking anyway," Neville then left hurriedly, Hermione was let there hanging on what Neville had said.

Harry and Ron caught up with Hermione.

"Are you making a habit of leaving us behind Hermione?" Ron asked,

"No, sorry, I just wanted to see how Neville was doing, I was worried about him during Potions," Hermione replied,

"Oh yeah! I wonder how he survived being Malfoy's partner," Ron said sarcastically,

"Well, we'd better get going.. See you later Hermione," Harry said as they hurried to their respective classes.

When Hermione arrived in the Arithmancy Class, all the students were going out of the room. Hermione then met a redheaded girl, who was actually her classmate, and asked,

"Elyse, where is everybody going?"

"Professor Viktor's not 'round, bu' before ye leave, ye bette' take down th' 'signments he gave us; directions for submission are included on th' board,"

"Okay, thanks, but isn't anyone substituting him?"

"I don' think so, guess he want'd th' subject for himself, " Elyse said with a shrug.

"Okay, I guess I better get going…" Hermione said as she smiled.

"---Bye!" Elyse said as she turned away.

Hermione waved back as she entered the room, then she saw a familiar face; it was Draco,

"Oh yeah, he also attends this class, it's useless trying to forget," she said to herself.

She then settled down on one of the seats, and took down what was written on the board,

Professor Viktor was going to be absent for the whole week, and so he gave his students a week full of assignments.

As usual, Hermione was very happy to know this, but also complained that it was just a little amount of assignment for one week.

After copying the assignments, she stood up and went straight to the library to start doing her assignments.

When she entered the library, she found Draco already settled in one of the chairs of the only empty table, so she decided to look for another place to do her assignments.

She thought of going to the common room, but changed her mind. She thought a little fresh air would be a good environment to do her work, so she decided to go outside.

As she went outside, she looked for a good place to do her work.

She found a huge tree, which sure could carry her up as she did her assignments.

She then climbed up the tree, and settled herself to start answering her assignments.

"This looks like a nice spot; peaceful and inspirational," Hermione said to herself.

Hermione then started with her assignments, and with only a few moments, she was already halfway of all the week's assignments.

A few moments had passed once again, and she was almost done.

With a dash and a dot, Hermione finished neatly.

"Haaaa…. I'm finally done, but what now? What am I supposed to do during my Arithmancy classes? I hope Professor Viktor had given us more. Well' I can't do anything about that now." Hermione said as she looked around,"

"I never quite noticed this tree before. I guess nobody really comes here ---" Hermione quickly paused when she saw someone coming,

"Then again, maybe not; who's that" Hermione didn't see who it was at first, the figure became clearer as he came close and sat beneath the tree.

Underneath the tree's shade was Malfoy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

thanks to:

Devin-Jamie

shy

hello – thanks for answering my questions…. J

Sam – thanks for reviewing again….J

X\N: I know it was kind of dragging, but I just really wrote this from my draft. I'm very sorry I updated  my story very… well… long time…. I had second thoughts on continuing because I trouble thinking of what happens next, and when I'd be able to type in my story. My sched's hectic right now, I have school work and hours for school service for my scholarship, so I hope you'd bare with me if I post my stories in a very long period of time.

Well, about this chapter, I don't know if you feel the same, but it kinda feels as if Neville's kind of gay, but he isn't okay?? And as for the last chapters, I read them recently, and they kind of sound very grammatically erroneous, and some phrases lack some words, hope you'd bare with that. I'll try to edit my work as soon as I got the time….

For now….. please review……. I don't get much reviews, kind of disappointing.. hehe… but I love writing, what can I do? Well, till next chap… bye!!

P.S. About book 5…. I've read it… mehn!!! It's kind of said, but for those who hasn't read it yet, I won't spoil it for you…. Now I have to wait for book 6…. ((sighs))