Here's the fourth chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

~o~

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Hermione Granger was late.

She blamed it on the particularly bloody steak that had been waiting for her in her common room. In the heat of her blood lust, she hadn't noticed the red liquid as it stained her crisp white shirt. She had then been forced to change clothes and scrub her face and hands - she was a messy eater.

If it was any other day, she could have just skipped breakfast, she didn't like the taste of real food anyways. But today was the first day of classes, and she had no idea what her classes were.

She flew into the Great hall, her chest heaving and her skirt all screwed up, drawing quite a bit of attention.

Avoiding stares, she plopped herself down next to Ginny just as McGonagall passed by with the schedules.

Hermione ripped hers open and scanned the blocks.

Monday:

8:30 - 10:00 Advanced Ancient Runes – P. Babbling
10:10 - 11:40 Advanced Arithmacy - P. Vector
12:10 – 1:40 Herbology – P. Sprout - Hufflepuff
1:50 - 3:20 Herbology – P. Sprout - Hufflepuff
3:30 - 5:00 History of Magic - Binns - Slytherin

Tuesday:

8:30 - 10:00 Care of Magical Creatures – P. Hagrid - Ravenclaw
10:10 - 11:40 Advanced Potions – P. Slughorn
12:10 – 1:40 History of Magic - Binns - Slytherin
1:50 - 3:20 Advanced Charms – Flitwick
3:30 - 5:00 Advanced Arithmacy - P. Vector

Wednesday:

8:30 - 10:00 Advanced Potions – P. Slughorn
10:10 - 11:40 Advanced Potions – P. Slughorn
12:10 – 1:40 Advanced Transfiguration – P. McGonagall
1:50 - 3:20 Advanced Ancient Runes – P. Babbling

Thursday:

8:30 - 10:00 Advanced Transfiguration - McGonagall
10:10 - 11:40 Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts – P. Lupin
12:10 - 1:40 Advanced Charms – P. Flitwick
1:50 - 3:20 Advanced Arithmacy - P. Vector
3:30 – 5:00 Advanced Ancient Runes – P. Babbling
9:30 - 11:00 Astronomy – Sinistra – 7th and 8th years

Friday:

8:30 - 10:00 Advanced Charms – P. Flitwick
10:10 - 11:40 Advanced Transfiguration - McGonagall
12:10 – 1:40 Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts – P. Lupin
1:50 - 3:20 Advanced Defence Against the Dark Arts – P. Lupin
3:30 - 5:00 Divination – P. Trelawney – Slytherin

'Professor, there must be some mistake,' Hermione called after McGonagall. 'I didn't put divination on my list.'

'No, Miss Granger, there is no mistake. In light of recent events, we find that it would be useful for you students to get the most out of your school lives. The class is mandatory. Good day Miss Granger, Miss Weasley.' The old woman nodded her head at the pair and continued down the aisle.

'I can't believe this! I can't believe her! She hates that old bat as much as I do and she's making the course mandatory? Can this get any worse?' Hermione cried, shoving her schedule under Ginnys nose.

'Oh look, Hermione, you've got it with the Slytherins.' Ginny said with a laugh. 'On the brightside though, I've got it with you!'

'Woohoo.' Hermione grumbled, twirling her finger in a circular motion.

'We've also got History of Magic, with the Slytherins, Care of Magical Creatures, with the Ravenclaws, and Astronomy, which is everyone in 7th and 8th year.' Ginny said, reading off their schedules. 'Why are you taking so many advanced classes? If you weren't then we'd have so much more time together!'

'You want my notes?' Hermione asked with a chuckle

The redhead gave her friends an innocent look, causing the brunette to snort loudly into the bowl of oatmeal that she was eating for show.

'You become more like your brother every day, Gin.' Hermione looked down at her watch. 'Oh, ten minutes until Ancient Runes,'

Ginny pushed away from the bench, wiping crumbs off of her mouth.

'Muggle Studies for me.' She grumbled.

Hermione gave her a questioning look.

'For my dad – but some of the stuff that muggles have are pretty cool, actually. Like those, erm, competers? They're amazing.'

Hermione smiled sadly, Muggle Studies was the only course that she wasn't taking this year. She had really enjoyed the class, but it was been so easy for her, being muggle-born and everything. She liked it when learning was a challenge.

Ancient Runes passed quickly, as did Arithmacy (Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the fact that Professor Vector was purposely avoiding her eyes) and Hermione was soon sitting in the Great Hall, trying to get her fill by sucking the juices out of the rawest beef sandwich she could find.

'Hermione! It's crazy!' Ginny cried as she rushed through the hall, throwing her books down on the seat next to her.

'What Gin?' Hermione asked with a laugh. 'Did you learn about the magic of microwaves in Muggle Studies?'

'What's a micro – nevermind!' Ginny leaned in real close and whispered : 'Draco Malfoy is in my Muggle Studies class! And he was actually taking notes! '

Hermione simple stared at her friend.

'Gin? I think that maybe we should go see the nurse, you must be seeing things – Malfoy isn't even here this year.' The brunette took her friends hand and stood to leave, but Ginny pulled her back.

'Yes, he is! Look!' She pointed across the Hall at the Slytherin table.

Hermione had barely glanced up and she had seen his signature blonde hair, sitting all alone at the far end of his table. As if he knew she was watching him, her looked up to meet her gaze.

Flames licked her throat and she gasped out loud.

She couldn't him remember looking like in sixth year, or that time at his manor during the horcrux hunt. He looked... relaxed.

She looked away and the fiery feeling left.

'I have to go write a letter Gin, I'll see you later for History of Magic.' Hermione was gone before Ginny had the chance to reply.

Hermione rushed to her room, writing a quick letter to Harry, asking him how he'd been, how this were going with the Order, then adding her question about Malfoy at the end.

Satisfied, she made her way to the owlery, and then to the kitchen to find the rarest meat she could – just in case.

Double Herbology flew by in a flash – Hermione was disappointed to find that Neville Longbottom was taking the advanced class, but was satisfied by the company of Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan.

At three twenty two, Hermione found herself trudging down the hall to History of Magic with Ginny chattering in her ear about some girl from potions.

It wasn't that she didn't like History of Magic – sometimes it dragged on, but that was beside the fact – the reason why she was dragging her feet today was because the Griffindors had the class with the Slytherins, which also meant : with him.

Ginny - who had never had a class with the studious brunette didn't know that her friend liked to sit in the very front of the class, where there was no chance of sleeping or slacking off – moaned and grumbled and groaned for the first five minutes of class as Hermione forced the poor girl to sit with her.

The Griffindors that were taking the course with them were: Parvati Patil, Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Collin Creevey, Jared Intera, Nick Mestow, Victoria Frobisher, Michelle Dobson and Natalie McDonald. The ten of them arrived on time, along with four Slytherins: Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Anette Trevolie and the great, bouncing ferret himself.

Hermione avoided his gaze as she watched him out of the corner of her eye take a seat a row to right, behind her and her friend.

Neville, who had taken the row before the blonde, leaned over to ask why she hadn't taken the advanced Herbology course. Her excuse was that it conflicted with her Potions class.

Professor Binns started his lecture about Grumug the Gruesome and the rest of the class slithered in afterwards.

Halfway through the lesson, a loud crash was heard in the hall, followed by someone shrieking loudly about the schools dead poltergeist. This interrupted Binns speech, causing him to grumble about Peeves.

'Settle down class, settle down!' He said in his monotonous voice. 'I shall go deal with Peeves, I'll return in a moment.'

He floated out the door and the class erupted in chatter.

Hermiones eyes remained glued to her parchment, where she was dutifully writing down every word that the teacher had said. Her work was disrupted though, when she looked away to find her ink pot, and looked back to find someones butt smearing her tiny notes.

She glared up at the boy, a seventh year Slytherin with a leer on his face but no name that Hermione could recall.

'So, Granger, where are your bodyguards?'

~o~

'So, Granger, where are your bodyguards?'

The beast inside of him raged - that boy was too close. He wanted to reach over and pull the boy clean off the desk, and most likely rip his face off – but how would that reflect on Draco?

The blonde closed his eyes, hoping that she would at least defend herself.

'You're messing up my notes.' Was her calm reply.

Damn it Granger! Fight back!

He looked over, as casually as possible, to see the boy leaning towards her, hissing something about a broom closet on the second floor. The brunette before him was shrinking back in her seat. Weasley turned and told him to 'Fuck off.'

Granger looked away from the slimy boy, meeting Dracos silver gaze. It was at that moment that the blonde realized that he was pointing his wand at the other Slytherin. He turned away, dropping his wand on the desk before him.

'You want some of this too, Weasel? You, me and Granger here could make it a threesome-'

Dracos head snapped back, just in time to see the brunette reach up and shove the foul boy off of her desk. The pair both seemed surprised by her actions. Granger reacted first, stepping around the desk and grabbing the boy by the collar of his shirt.

'Do not talk about my friend that way.' She hissed dangerously before lifting her fist and punching his face in.

The room was dead silent as she dropped him to the floor.

She made it back to her seat just in time, a moment later Binns floated back into the room.

'Alright, who can tell me where I left off?' The ghost asked, floating over the bleeding boy.

Granger raised her hand and he nodded at her.

'You were telling us that Grumug was hiding out in France because the Lemburg Clan was hunting him.' She replied with a sweet smile.

'Lovely, Miss Granger. Now why can't the rest of you be like this sweet girl. Follow along in your book please, page 256.'

As the professor returned to his lecture, Granger looked down at the Slytherin and quirked an eyebrow at him.

'Oh, Mr. Pritchard, whatever are you doing on the ground? Your seat is in the back.' Binns said, finally noticing the boy.

Ah, she could handle things just fine.