Disclaimer: Again I don't own anything.


Smells Good

Of course Hermione managed to be the first one in the class done with her paper, despite the fact that she had more than likely chosen the hardest potion to write about. She sighed to herself and walked to the front of the room to give Snape her essay. As she approached he looked up at her obviously angry, "I won't be giving you any help, Miss. Granger."

Hermione simply handed him the parchment and walked back to her seat. Once she sat down she looked back up at Snape who was currently scrutinizing her essay. She hoped she had not made any grammatical errors that he could embarrass her with. She was nearly positive that there wasn't, but one could never be completely sure.

Hermione grabbed the book out of her bag and began to read. She had nothing better to do. Seeing as Double Potions was her first class she still didn't have any homework.

She heard someone else walking up to the front of the classroom and she glanced up. It was Zabini. Of course. Hermione nearly grunted, but she suppressed it as Snape asked Blaise how he could help him. She could not hold back the grimace that showed upon her face.

She looked back down to her book and decided to ignore everything for the rest of the hour she would be in the class. She heard a chair scrape back and then a body moving around the room, but she paid it no mind.

She continued to read The Odyssey. She truly did like the book, but she was finding it increasingly hard to concentrate. A few more students had finished their essays by this point in time and were whispering to each other. Snape would cast a hateful look in their direction and the whispering would cease, only to be replaced by parchment being passed back and forth.

Hermione sighed. She didn't understand why such small, insignificant things were breaking her concentration. She was the most studious and serious student about all things educational and she could not concentrate on the bloody book.

She knew that she had changed since her attack, but there was no way she would possibly let that affect her school work. Her whole future was riding on her getting the very best grades possible.

As the hour finally came to an end, Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and stood up with her bag already slung across her shoulder. Harry and Ron were both looking at each other, rather exasperated, obviously neither of them had finished their essay.

Snape was leering at the two boys. Hermione rolled her eyes but other than that waited patiently for her friends. Harry and Ron handed their essays to Snape and then turned to Hermione with sheepish grins upon their faces.

"I don't know how you do it, 'Mione," Ron was grumbling now. "Reading and writing and then reading some more. I can't stand it."

Hermione smiled patiently at Ron and patted his arm, "It will be alright. I just like different things than you and Harry do. For instance, I don't particularly see the draw of flying."

Harry and Ron both rolled their eyes as they walked, "Yes Hermione."

Hermione smiled and walked in between her two best friends. They had somehow lucked out and gotten Care of Magical Creatures directly after Double Potions. Although Hermione knew that Hagrid was not always cautious enough and he often did not know what he was talking about, she had a soft spot for the man and she adored his compassion for the creatures. Even if his love was slightly misplaced.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron were greeted with bear hugs from the giant man and then class started. Hagrid was very excited. He had decided that the class was mature enough to venture into the Forbidden Forrest. They were not going today however. He had decided, with some help from Dumbledore, to make the students write two papers for the entire year. One at the beginning and one at he end.

He told the class that he was releasing them to the library to do some research. The students were to pick their five favorite creatures, and write at least two foot of parchment for each creature. He calmed the commotion by stating that the students would have two months to turn the paper in.

Hermione nearly beamed with gratitude at Hagrid. He had finally given her the homework she had needed to have a reprieve from life going on all around her. She knew that it would not take her anywhere close to two months to complete it, but it would at least keep her busy enough until she received more work to do.

Hermione sat down at a table near the Restricted Section of the library. She was the only student, that she knew of at least, who had a pass for it. Harry and Ron had been held back by Hagrid to help him set up for his first year class, so Hermione had found that she must walk back to the Castle by herself.

Being alone didn't really bother her. In fact, she almost preferred it. It was not being alone that worried her. It was the fact that she might not actually be alone.

So Hermione tucked herself away in the secluded corner of the library and began making a list of possible creatures to use for her assignment. Then beside that she wrote when she had first learned about the creature. She studied her list and finally narrowed it down to five. She sighed and stretched her back. When she looked up she nearly screamed in fright. Blaise Zabini was sitting across from her laughing.

"You know you would think that you had seen a ghost, Granger," Blaise laughed at his own pun. "Don't you get it? We see ghosts all the time."

Hermione didn't even attempt to smile she just stared at him openly, "What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting in the library, wondering how in the world Hagrid is going to actually grade these papers," Blaise replied snidely.

"Hagrid is not stupid, Zabini," Hermione all but snapped at him. "He is not amazingly intelligent, but with creatures he knows what he is talking about."

"Easy, easy," Blaise spoke softly trying to calm Hermione down. "I didn't mean anything by that."

Hermione glared at him, "I don't care what you meant. Do not make fun of Hagrid. He is a very dear and caring man, who does not deserve any ridicule."

Blaise was nodding his head. That was very wise of him, "I apologize for my carelessness."

Hermione grunted and turned her attention back to her paper. She was very flustered and she didn't like it one bit. Soon the class was dismissed and it was time for lunch. Harry and Ron never did make it back to the library, and Zabini had sat across from her the entire class period.

Hermione was in a rather foul temper when she finally sat down beside Harry and Ron in the Great Hall.

"Oi. Hermione we were just beginning to wonder where you got to," Ron was piling food on his plate.

Hermione looked at him and then snapped, "I was in the library doing my assignment, which I know you won't even start until the day before it's due. I was being responsible and thinking of something besides stuffing my face!"

Ron blinked at Hermione and slowly raised a fork full of food to his mouth, as if he were afraid she might knock the utensil from his hand. After he had swallowed that bite he spoke, "I'm sorry Hermione. We just got done helping Hagrid and I was hungry."

Harry was watching their confrontation with very little interest. They always quarreled. It was simply how they were.

"I'm going to go to my rooms," Hermione spoke aloud to both of them. "I have a different class than you both do next, so I will just catch up to you both later."

Hermione walked slowly to the rooms. When she entered she was surprised to find Zabini was already there. He was putting a dish in the small oven. Hermione did not say anything, but instead simply walked to the refrigerator and began rummaging around.

"You know," Blaise spoke up softly. "I'm making my mother's lasagna. It's rather delicious, and you are more than welcome to share it with me if you would like."

Hermione turned her wide eyes on him, "I really don't need your help finding food."

Blaise smiled easily, "I wasn't help you find any, I was offering to share, but if you don't want any, I'm completely fine with that."

"No, no," Hermione spoke up finally. "It does smell good."