Chapter 7

"Morning class. I trust that you have all read chapters one through four as assigned over the summer and are now quite capable and ready to begin today's lesson as outlined in the course syllabus."

In Professor Snape's class there was no welcome back speech or how was your summer conversation like in some of the other classes. Draco found this to be a comforting thing. He hated all that share your feelings crap and was eager to get back into learning his favorite subject. Besides it wasn't like he could ever be honest during those "summer" chats. He never knew what to answer. He could never turn around and say "Well I listened to stories about how my father tortured, raped and murdered muggles on most days and then at night when he was bored he would either beat me or my mother into a pulp." No he could never say that. So Snape's class was a welcome relief. He looked around the room. Most of the students had a look of dread on their faces. More then likely they had not read the assigned readings and were not prepared for the lesson that morning.

His gaze stopped wandering around the room at the table where Hermione sat between her two bodyguards. He never fell back asleep after waking from his dream the night before. He sat up contemplating where the dream came from, besides every time he closed his eyes he imagined how the dream would have ended had it continued. As he looked at her he realized he had never really looked at her before. She looked so serious as she poured over the book in front of her. And then her expression changed. Weasley whispered something into her ear and she turned to look at him with concern. It was the same look of concern she had given to him in Diagon alley when she came upon him.

Draco closed his eyes and thought back to that day. The day she had looked upon him with no fear and loathing. It was as if they had been friends for years and the grudge between houses no longer existed. It was just the two of them and her look contained only genuine concern and affection. She had been the first person, other then his mother, to look at him in such a manner. What would it take for her to look on him again like that?

"Snap out of it. You are a Malfoy and Malfoy's hate Mudblood's." But it was no use. She was the kind of person that invaded your thoughts and haunted your dreams. She had haunted his dreams last night. Just picturing that body, her arms wrapped around him as she cried in pleasure, pleasure that he had created. For years now he had tried to look away and think of her as worth less then himself, but he obsession had become to difficult to bare. Granted, it had gotten easier when she had started dating Weasley but that had not made it go away. Despite blood and heritage he wanted her and after seeing the vixen she had developed into he knew he had to have her.

His gaze turned back to her face. She had a look of innocence, of purity. At first it had been an obsession to take that purity away from her, but slowly it had turned into a desire. She smiled at something Potter said and looked around the room. Draco looked away, not daring to be caught staring at her. He focused his attention back to Snape.


"What a morning. I seriously think that Snape is worse this year then last. What do you think Hermione?"

Hermione tried to turn her attention back to the conversation before her. "Sorry Ginny. I wasn't paying attention. What were you going on about?"

"Really Hermione, what is going on with you? You don't seem to be totally here."

Hermione looked down the Great hall towards the Slytherin table. Sitting at the end was the object of her search. He was talking to his goons. Slowly Pansy came over sat down and started rubbing herself up next to him. Hermione looked away not daring to be caught looking. "I don't know Ginny. I guess a lot is going on in my head. You do know that we have out N.E.W.T.S. this year."

"Just like you to be worried about your exams the first day of school. I was just mentioning that I think that Snape is worse this year then last."

Hermione nodded. "Possibly. Where is your brother?"

Ginny smiled. "The real reason you are so distracted finally shows itself. I am so glad the two of you got back together. I really think you are meant to be together. You're the perfect couple. Well next to Harry and I."

Rolling her eyes Hermione looked towards the entrance to the Hall where he boyfriend and best friend had just entered. "Speaking of the devil, they just got here."

Harry walked up behind Ginny and put his hands over her eyes, "Guess who?"

"Well let me see. I recognize the voice so it has to be a man I spend a lot of time with. Neville... No. That doesn't seem quite right. I know Dean. No wait that can't be it. Hermione can you give me a hint."

Harry took his hands off her eyes. "You know Gin you can really ruin a man's self esteem by doing something like that."

Ginny smiled. "I knew it was you. I just thought it would make the game more fun if I didn't let you know that right away." She stood up and kissed him quickly. Turning around she looked at her brother. "Hi Ron. Why don't you sit down?"

Ron looked at his sister, then his girlfriend and smiled. "Sure."

Ron sat down next to his girlfriend and put his hand on her thigh. "How was your morning Herm?"

Hermione cringed. She hated that nickname. She was going to have to remind him of that fact later. "Not bad I really enjoy arithmetry so it was good to be back in class especially after potions. Ginny was just commenting that she thinks Snape is worse this year then last."

Ron nuzzled her neck. "I agree. Herm... do you think I could have some time with you alone?"

"Ron, lunch is just about to be served. Aren't you hungry?"

"Yeah I guess."

Hermione looked at her boyfriend. She knew that he wanted to fool around. It was just like the first time around when they dated. He rushed into everything. After the first time he asked her out he tried to snog with her within an hour, but she held him back. This time she was sure he'd try the same thing because of what happened on the train, but she wasn't so sure it was what she wanted. The voice in her head this morning had her thinking that maybe she got back together with him for the wrong reasons. He said he loved her, but was she in love with him. Was it enough to keep them together this time? She was trying to put in an effort but her thoughts kept drifting back to the blond across the hall.


Draco pushed his lunch across his plate with his fork. So far his classes were going great. As always, Snape praised him in potions for his skills and knowledge of the subject. It was the only think he found useful about being a Malfoy; he knew all the tricks of the trade in two subjects. One being potions, the other Defense against the dark arts. He looked at his schedule, no DADA that afternoon but he did notice something that angered him. The stupid mandatory muggle studies class. What the hell did he need muggle studies for? And worse it was with Gryffindor, the muggle lover's house.

Looking up he moved his sight to the Gryffindor house table. It was a common thing for him to do since he had started to loathe his father and step back from Slytherin activities. He would never admit it but he often envied the house for their closeness and loyalty to each other. Sometimes he wondered if he would have the close friendships if he had been placed in a different house. Slytherin was not a close house. Sure they would defend one another because they were Slytherin, but there was no real loyalty to each other. He knew anyone of them would stab him in the back if they didn't fear his father. He was feared because he was a Malfoy. People followed him because of his blood not because they liked him. Even Pansy was the same. She wanted to be the next Mrs. Malfoy, but she did not love him. She wanted power, which was the Slytherin flaw.

He had once been the same. But that had all changed in his sixth year at Hogwarts when Dumbledore had called him into his office to talk. Dumbledore had showed him a nightmare that could be if he didn't change his ways. A great Seer had come to visit Hogwarts and had left behind a vision of the future in a pensive. The vision showed Draco dead, his body a mangled mess, sliced up and used for potions and spells by none other then Voldemort himself. He had needed the blood of a pure wizard, a Wizard so evil that the blood that flowed though his heart would be the end of all muggles. Draco had closed his eyes, asking Dumbledore to make it go away. When he opened them he saw a picture of how the world would be if this came to pass. He saw Potter and Weasley dead, their skin removed from their bodies for all to see what would happen to those who defied the dark lord. But worst of all he saw every witch stripped of their wands, given no rights, beat and tortured. He saw his mother beat to death by his father. And that he could not bear. He knew he had to protect her as she had tried to protect him his whole life. He had been about to declare is loyalty to Dumbledore the day his father declared he had switched sides. After that he didn't need to declare a side. The war quickly came to head and with information Lucius had past on, Potter had destroyed the Dark lord.

His gaze moved through the table until he rested on Granger. What was it about her that drew him to her? She was sexy, he admitted that, but she had a pull on him before her transformation. It was near the end of last year that he began to notice her. He thought back to his dream the night before. It was still vividly etched into his mind. But he knew it wasn't that he cared for her. It wasn't possible. He was a Malfoy and she was a Mudblood. The match would never be accepted, besides as a Malfoy he could never really care about anyone anyway. He watched as Weasley nuzzled her neck and a twinge of something he had never felt before moved through him. He needed to get her out of his system. He turned back to his food and began to eat.


The Muggle studies room was nothing like what the students had expected. All the other classes had rows of tables that students sat in and faced forward. This room was set up with its desks in a circle, a table in the middle. Along the walls were pictures of muggle things and places.

As the students filed in a small podgy woman stepped into the middle of the circle. "Welcome class. I am professor Pearl. Many of you I have never met, some of you I have. Before you sit down I have two rules in my room. Rule number one. All wands must be kept in a cubbyhole and may not be used during class time. Rule number two. There is no such thing as magic or any references to it in this room. Do I make myself clear?" Slowly the students nodded. "Good now if you look at the desks there are name plates etched into the tops, please sit at the desk with your name on it."

Hermione turned to the wall with the cubbyholes and found the one marked "H. Granger." She placed her wand inside and began to search the circle of desks for her name. When she found it she sat down and looked at the two desks next to her to see whom she was sitting next to. On her right she read the name "Dean Thomas" a fellow muggle and Gryffindor. She turned to look to her left and met the cold blue-eyed stare of her classmate.

"Hello Granger. Fancy meeting you here."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Malfoy."