Disclaimer- Eion Colfer's and JK Rowling's, if you couldn't figure that out

Hermione POV

The next day, I woke up to a pillow in my face. Not the ideal way, but I suppose it could've been worse.

"Stop it, Lavender." I groan. It can't be later than 5, can it?

The blonde girl sits down on the edge of my bed, creaking the bed post. I was given the squeaky be this year, ugh. "Oh, make up already. Everyone else is up."

I groan again, but this time I roll over and sit up, rubbing my eyes. I check the clock. "What? How is it 7:30 yet?"

Lavender sighs a sigh of exaggerated patience. "Hmmm…. Maybe because you stayed up past midnight at the library?"

I stand up and begin slipping into my robes. "Considering you were up to know that, you can hardly talk."

When Pavarti, Lavender, and I are all ready, we head on down to the common room. Harry and Rona are already there, laughing and messing around like boys do. Ron turns around when he sees me, and says cheerfully, "Hey, are you ready yet?"

I grin at him as the three of us begin walking to the Great Hall. Sometimes Ron makes me furious, but this isn't one of those times. He's still one of my best friends. "I'm dressed, aren't I?"

Harry gives a small laugh. "You may be the only girl who would say just 'getting dressed' is ready."

"Well, actually," Says a mocking voice behind us. "My friend Holly isn't exactly a glamorous type of girl."

I turn my head around, just to see Artemis's arrogant face behind me. I spin back around.

Ron raises his eyebrows, and keeps walking. Picking up the pase, he comments "Wouldn't expect you to have a girlfriend, Fowl."

Oh, Lord. I sigh inwardly- the last thing we need right now is a macho fight- and grab Ron's elbow. He gives me a very confused- and annoyed- look. "What are you-"he starts to hiss, but I pull him off, praying Harry will follow.

He does. We hurry off to the Gryffindor table. I don't know about the boys, but I can't get Artemis's knowing laugh as we left out of my head. Damn it, I curse inwardly. Why can't I forget him?

After what's pretty much a silent breakfast, Ron, Harry, and I head off to Potions. "This is ridiculous," Here we go again. I sigh. Ron can never stop complaining about Snape. "Do we have to have this right away? I mean, I'm going to lose my breakfast."

By the time we've reached the Potion's dungeon, Ron has exhausted the all the words meaning "evil." I resist the urge to ask if he wants a thesaurus, instead hurrying into the classroom.

"Late again, you three." Snape draws out coldly. "10 points from Gryffindor."

I'm fuming as I search for a seat. We weren't precisely early, but we were hardly late. It doesn't help when Harry and Ron take the only two empty seats next to each other, leaving me next to... I scan the room… oh Lord. I'm next to Artemis Fowl. I swallow my nervousness and slide into the seat. Harry flashes me a sympathetic look, which I ignore.

I feel Artemis's gaze boring into me. I ignore that as well, and pull my books out from my bag.

'Today," Snape begins. "We will be mixing the Accordious Ption, page 435 of your texts. Made correctly, this potion shall proceed to transform whatever is dipped into the potion into a different looking object of the same atom number. It is, in fact, a disguise potion."

I feel a smile spread across my face. This is what I enjoy. Assignments such as this make so much sense. I pull out my supplies, and begin.

An Hour and a Half Later

When I finish, I sit back grinning. My potion is almost exactly the color of dark purple pictured in the text. I turn then to Artemis, who is doing his final stirring. My smile fades. His potion is the exact color as the text. Exactly, so much so that it could have been his cauldron on the page. I swallow, unfamiliar jealousy boiling up inside me. I'm not used to getting angry over such things, but something about Artemis makes me want to squash that extreme confidence of his.

Snape begins to walk around about then. He simply turns away from Ron's, which is as bright an orange as his hair, and raises an eyebrow at Harry's. His isn't as terrible as Ron's, but it's still a medium blue. Snape slowly shakes his head, and turns away. He begins to walk toward Artemis and me then, and I pray the textbook's picture was wrong.

Snape checks my potion first an impassive expression that's so Snape like. I bite my lip in apprehension. For Snape to admit that I -a Gryffindor- beat Artemis- a Slytherin- my potion will have to be perfect.

He finally nods, and moves on to Artemis. What does that mean? I think. Was that a good or bad thing?

Snape takes a scope of Artemis's potion and drips a bit of it on his quill. It seems to shiver for an instant, before morphing into a scroll. Snape looks at it for a full five seconds before allowing a small smile.

"Well done, Mr. Fowl." He congratulates. "Perfectly made."

Artemis looks quite bored as he leans back in his chair. "It's hardly exceptional. Following directions in a book does not make one brilliant. All I did was add a few… ideas."

Snape's smile grows tight. I imagine he doesn't enjoy Artemis completely dissing the challenges of his subject. "Very well," he allows, and returns to the front of his classroom.

"For those of you who are not Mr. Fowl, homework is a 24-inch essay explaining how to correctly construct the Accordious Potion, and the use of it. Class dismissed."

Hours later, I plop down in a comfy, velvet library chair. I open the novel I got from the History of Defense against the Dark Arts section. I'm just beginning to read about the making of spells when someone slides into the seat next to me. I glance up surprised. Most teens don't spend the first day of the semester in the library.

When I see him, I decide not to underestimate Artemis Fowl again.

"Artemis," I say, trying not to let my voice show my shock.

He gives me a small smile, and I curse myself for melting at. God knows the boy's bad for me, for anyone. He's… poison. "What are you reading there?" He asks, pulling the book towards him.

I clear my throat. "Er, can I have that?"

He raises an eyebrow, cocky as always. "I was merely looking," he says, keeping the novel.

I match his expression. "Well, I was 'merely looking' first."

He grins. "The library states that all pupils may-"

"Oh, shut up." I say, but there's no anger in my voice. "What are you here for, anyway?"

Artemis unfastens his bag and pulls out The Dark Arts by Anonymous. "Just a bit of light reading. I do wish the school textbooks informed us on more of this."

I bite my lip. I don't want to say it, but it slips out: "Why would you read such evil books?"

He looks up, and into my eyes. I freeze. The way he looks at me… it's as if he can see straight through me. "Better to know one's enemy than to be caught by surprise, Hermione."

"I didn't think you'd know my name."

"How could I not?" He says a bit bitterly. "It's all I hear. That I'm as good a student as Hermione Granger."

I give an unhappy laugh. "As good, Artemis? Better. How did you do that in Potions, anyway?"

He looks shocked. "Potions? That was easy!"

"Exactly. You did that easily. I didn't."

"It's not hard, just chemistry."

I'm about to reply when Madame Pince swoops in. "Out, out! It's past time!"

I put the history book away on the shelf. Artemis glances at me as he puts his novel away as well- except he keeps his. "Hermione," he begins, "could we meet here tomorrow? I could help you with Potions."

I turn away to hide my smile. "Yes, Artemis."

How was it? Longer than the last one, at least. The next chapter will have Holly in it, I promise.