AN: This is maybe going to be a crappy chapter, I think. I kind of have no ideas, so sorry. Also, some of this was in the book, because it goes into one of the chapters, but it will sort of become mine eventually. And I know that some of what I write in this chapter won't be in the book, because Dramione is everything and it changes nature.

The Great Hall was filled with students a few mornings later, and at the Gryffindor Hermione, Ron, and Harry all were waiting for Hermione's Prophet delivery. Percy's letter the night before had mentioned an article about Umbridge, and that had been almost all they could think about last night. Besides, of course, the visit from Sirius.

Trained in combat? Hermione thought, getting a glass of pumpkin juice for herself. She had been thinking about this idea the most lately. That might not be such a bad idea…

But all of a sudden flock of owls interrupted her train of thought.

"They're here!" She yelped, looking all around for her owl. A large tawny owl soared down and dropped the newspaper in front of her plate as it perched on top of the milk jug. It then looked at her expectantly, until she dropped a few sickles in its little pouch and it soared away.

It had just barely lifted off when Hermione gasped loudly, and spread the newspaper out for Harry and Ron to see. Dolores Umbridge's toady face was staring up at them, smiling and blinking slowly underneath the headline: Ministry Seeks Educational Reform, Dolores Umbridge Appointed First Ever "High Inquisitor"

"High Inquisitor?" Harry's half eaten piece of toast slipped out of his fingers and onto the floor. "What does that mean?"

After Hermione finished reading the tedious article, she looked at the others and sighed.

"So now we know how we ended up with Umbridge! Fudge passed this 'Educational Degree' and forced her apon us! And now he's given her the power to inspect other teachers!" Hermione's face had gone slightly pink, and her eyes were glowing. "I can't believe this. It's outrageous…"

"I know it is." Harry said. He looked down at his right hand, and the outline of the words Umbridge had made him carve into his hand stood out. But Ron, on the other hand, was starting to smile.

"What?" Said Harry and Hermione together, staring at him as though he was crazy.

"Oh, I can't wait to see McGonagall inspected."Said Ron happily. "She won't know what's hit her."

Hermione jumped up all of a sudden. "Come on! We'd better get going, if she's inspecting Binn's class we won't want to be late…"

But Umbridge wasn't there, or in Snape's dungeon when they got there for double potions with the Slytherins.

Hermione jolted to a stop. We have double potions with the Slytherins! She thought, her mind racing. She had been so caught up with the Umbridge problem she had completely forgotten about seeing Malfoy today in class.

"Hermione?" Ron said, stopping in front of her. "You okay?"

Hermione's attention was brought back to reality, and she ran her hand through her hair. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?" Harry adjusted his glasses. "You looked worried about something."

"Oh, it was nothing! I just thought I forgot to do our transfiguration homework…" Hermione said the first thing that popped into her head.

"Of course that stopped you." Ron rolled his eyes and walked away, with Hermione next to him. Her heart beat loudly in her chest as they approached the dungeon door, and then…nothing. Malfoy wasn't even in there!

Hermione sat down next to Harry and waited for Snape to pass back their tests, when Malfoy walked into the room. Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy walked around him, hanging onto his every word. Hermione tried to make it look like she wasn't staring, while really…she was. She watched the way he walked, the way his hand went to his tie every now and then, and how when he talked, he never seemed to have to pause and think about what he was saying.

He sat down across the room from her, and their eyes met for a second. Hermione blushed and looked down, but Draco kept staring.

"Draco, what are you looking at?" Pansy Parkinson said, her bright green eyes boring into him.

"Nothing." He murmured, looking away from Hermione. Snape swept around the classroom, handing back their essays. Hermione gave a little grin when she saw the A in the corner of her paper, and sat up a little bit more in her chair as Snape began to speak.

"I have awarded you the grades you would have been given if you presented this work in your O.W.L.' Snape said with a smirk, passing out more papers. "This should give you a realistic idea of what to expect in your examination."

As Snape reached the front of the classroom, he turned to face them.

"The general standard of this homework was abysmal. Most of you would have failed had this been your examination. I expect to see more effort on this week's essay for the various varieties of venom antidotes, or I shall start handing out detentions to those dunces who get D's."

Malfoy sniggered on the other side of the classroom and said in a loud whisper, "Some people got D's! Ha!"

Hermione shot him a death glare, which immediately shut him up. She had seen Harry's paper when he got it back, a nod knew this would make him feel bad. She realized that Harry was looking slightly at her, thinking she was trying to see his paper. He slid it off the desk and into his bag, and Hermione felt a sense of relief that he thought that was her reason for looking his way.

"I am going to be pairing you into groups now to work on your strengthening solutions." Snape said, plucking a sheet of names out of thin air.

"Longbottom, Finnagin."

Neville and Seamus looked at each other and gulped. This was sure to be an explosion.

"Crabbe, Thomas."

Dean looked over at Crabbe with fear in his eyes, not liking this.

"Parkinson, Weasley."

Snape smirked as he saw Ron's face go white, then as red as his hair. Pansy looked as though she could kill someone, her eyes cold.

"Granger, Malfoy."

Hermione's eyes widened and her heart started beating loudly.

How am I going to get through this, pretending I don't like him? She thought.

Across the room, Draco motioned her over, clearing the space where Pansy had just been. Hermione gathered up her things and moved over to him, looking down at the ground the whole time.

"Hello, Granger." Malfoy drawled in her ear. Hermione's heart skipped a beat and she bent down, letting her hair cover her burning face as she adjusted her books.

"Shall we begin?" She said, straightening up and facing him. He was definitely a good three inches taller than her, she noted.

"Sure." He said, smiling at her. They cut their ingredients in silence, pausing only to confirm a direction. Finally, Draco broke the silence once more and said, "You know, Granger, nobody's paying attention to us."

He was right. Around the class, everyone was sweating over their potions, whether they were exploding, melting, or just not cooperating with the maker. Hermione knew he was right.

"Alright then, why don't you come up with something to discuss?" She said, pouring in salamander blood.

"How about Umbridge?"

Hermione's face darkened. "I could talk about that."

"Alright, what do you think of her?"

"She's foul."

Draco looked taken aback at this statement. "What do you mean, foul?"

"I mean she has no right being here at Hogwarts! She's only going to bring bad things to it, starting with this whole 'High Inquisitor' thing." Hermione's cheeks were flaming with the combined heat from the potion and her anger.

"Well, maybe it's for the better." Draco said quietly, stirring the potion.

"What?"

"I said maybe it's for the better."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief.

"How-I mean, why would you-I can't even…" She spluttered, trying to get the words out. "What would bring you to say-?"

"Stop!" Draco said, grabbing her arm. "You can't put in that much powdered griffin claw."

Hermione got even more annoyed by the fact that he was right. She re-measured it, and they continued the potion in silence. Hermione fumed on one side of the table, while Draco rolled his eyes at the other side.

"Do you seriously think Umbridge could make Hogwarts better?" Hermione said quietly, almost whispering.

"Maybe." Draco said, chopping up a large root. "I mean, think of everything that could have been done to Hogwarts, now it could happen. Better quality, you know?"

"No, I don't know. Hogwarts is the best thing to ever happen to me, and I wouldn't change a thing." Hermione said this while remembering the day she had gotten her Hogwarts acceptance letter, and how happy she had been. She remembered how special she had felt, to be part of this new world.

Hermione read the directions on the board: Stir the cauldron 6 times clockwise.
She went to stir the potion. 1…2…3…4…5…She counted the numbers in here head, when Draco stopped her.

"Do a counterclockwise turn on the sixth." He said, not looking directly at her.

"Why?" Hermione asked, wanting to finish.

"Just do it." He said, cleaning off his knife.

Hermione shrugged, and decided to trust him on this. She slowly turned it counter-clockwise, and it turned the perfect shade of clear turquoise. She gasped, her eyes widening.

"How did you know…?"

"Old family secret." He said, flashing his brilliant smile her way.

Hermione slumped, her eyes narrowing. I've fallen for a guy who can actually compete with me mentally…She thought, until she remembered the Transfiguration lessons.

Well, in most ways.

Hermione smiled at Draco, and he smiled back shyly. It was the best potions class for both of them.

AN: A message I got earlier made me want to ask: Would you rather have longer chapters, but possibly less frequent updating, or shorter chapters with every day to every other day updating? I can try to do longer ones with frequent updating, but…Sigh. I have school and such.
As I said, I am under the weather, so I have more time to write but then I end up sleeping. Sorry. But I have some really good ideas for more chapters now!
ANDDD Last but not least, I think I have a poll up on my profile. I have no clue how they work, but if you can't find it, just answer this in the reviews: Should Draco and Hermione end up marrying? And if so, who should Ron end up with? I have some ideas…
Please, read and review! I love you all my little shippers. Keep with me! Xoxo