Author's Note: Here we are. I am still sorry for Draco's absence last chapter, but don't worry. This is a DRAMIONE story. Forever. As long as it lasts. Trust me.

Again: HAPPY THANKSGIVING PEOPLE! Woohoo, three day weekend!

Disclaimer-I don't own it.

"Granger, wake up!" Someone was shaking her. Someone with a very annoyed voice.

"What?" She rolled over and looked up into the face of Draco Malfoy.

"Your stupid thing was making strange noises." He pointed to her bag and raised an eyebrow at her.

Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes, "thanks for clearing that up, it could've been really hard to understand what you were talking about."

He rolled his eyes and picked up her bag, throwing it at her. "I don't attempt to understand the stupid things muggles come up with. It made funny noises."

"Okay," She unzipped the zipper and dug through, at last coming across her cell phone. She flipped the screen. One new message from: Jacob. Her heart skipped a beat as she put the phone up to her ear.

'"Hey Hermione, uh, it's Jacob. I just wondered if you were doing anything, later. If you're not maybe you'd like to do something with me? Well call me after you get this message, bye."

She allowed herself a minute of sitting there, smiling with the silent phone at her ear. Jacob asked her out. Her first real date.

"I'm sickened." Draco said and left the room, leaving her alone.

What time was it, anyway? 11:06. Well that wasn't good, why did she sleep in so late? Memories of the previous day flooded to mind.

-Flashback

"Riley!" Pansy smiled delightedly and hugged the male that had opened the door. "It's so good to see you."

He had hazel eyes and was several inches taller then Pansy, with short brown hair. "It's nice to see you, too. It's been forever." He smiled, lighting his pleasant face. Then he turned to Hermione, "who's this?"

Pansy turned, one arm wrapped around Riley's waist. "That's Hermione, she's a-a friend from school."

"Nice to meet you." He held out his hand and she took it. "I suppose you're in Slytherin, too?"

Hermione's smile faltered, "no actually. I'm Gryffindor."

Riley swiveled to Pansy with a grin forming. Without saying anything, it seemed he had communicated through eye-contact, he looked back to Hermione, "Hermione Granger?"

"Yes," she said, taken aback. How did he know her name?

"Ah," he nodded but didn't elaborate. "It's good to know some people take my advice."

Pansy nudged him with her elbow, but she was smiling. "So do you watch it?"

"The show? Sometimes. But I think it's stupid, they could have founds tons of people that wanted to do it but they chose the ones that didn't instead. I suppose it's part of the appeal. And there's a whole bunch articles in the paper saying things like, 'the Malfoy/Granger romance is really coming along' and people actually believe it." He laughed, "from what I've heard, it's completely ludicrous that you two would ever end up together. I watch it because you're on it."

"I overheard Sheila and James talking about our next challenge, apparently we're going to be doing one that lasts about two weeks. They said they were going to add in a 'confession box' where you go and can say your thoughts and everything. I think it would be kind of cool." Pansy said, and Riley steered them through the doorway.

"Yeah, do you know what you're doing?"

"Nope."

"Probably something horrendous." Hermione muttered and both people turned their heads to glance at her.

"It might be fun." Riley said, "didn't you enjoy the other one you did?"

Hermione pursed her lips, "yes, but that doesn't change the fact that we're still stuck against our will in a house full of cameras."

"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be happy," Riley let out a bark of laughter.

"But think about it!" She persisted, "we can't do anything without the public knowing!"

Pansy spoke up, "I've been thinking. Seriously Granger, it could've been a lot worse. We're in a huge house with everything we could desire throughout the whole summer, our friends are there, all of us but Potter can do magic at will now, and they gave us a bunch of free stuff." Riley pulled Pansy closer in a one armed hug, smiling. "The only downside is that you're not there."

They were at a set of stairs and Riley took Pansy's hand, leading both girls up the stairs. It was the first time in that hour Hermione wondered if the two were romantically linked.

-Finis

She dialed quickly, ending the call three times when she pressed the wrong button in her haste. It rang twice before Andrea picked up. "Hey."

She froze, did Andrea know? Should she ask for Jacob? "Hi, Andrea…"

"Oh, hi Hermione!" She brightened considerably, "what's up?"

She stumbled around her mind for an answer but Andrea continued without waiting, "I guess you want to talk to Jacob? This is so weird. Jacob, Hermione's on the phone!"

"Hello?"

"Jacob, hi." Hermione said, her heart sped up. Why hadn't she thought about what to say? Should she just say yes or make small talk or should she try to get him to bring it up? "I got your message."

"Oh, yeah. So do you want to do something?" His voice was calm and soft, the exact tone she loved.

"Sure," her voice was more breathless then she'd hoped, "do you have anything in mind?"

"I thought we could go for a walk, I know a great trail."

"Sounds great." She could already picture them, walking hand in hand in the middle of a quiet forest.

"Do you want to me to pick you up?"

"Do you know where I live right now?" She laughed softly, wary of making a loud noise in the receiver.

"Actually yes, Andrea gave me the address, saying you e-mailed it to her." He chuckled, creating static on his end.

"Okay." She was grinning like a fool but couldn't stop.

"I'll pick you up at 3:45, alright?"

"Yes, definitely." She said, "I'll see you then."

"Bye," the line went dead.

Hermione let out a long sigh and collapsed on her bed. Jacob.

-

-

As she raised a can of soda to her lips, Sheila began to file her nails and James spoke. "As you know, we have to re-locate the show and the house. This is going to take awhile, with the addition of modifications to the people living in the village."

A note had been sent up to their room requesting their attendance in the garden at 2:00 though as Draco pointed out, it wasn't so much a request as a command. They were gathered around the couple outside, ready to hear the next move of the show. None of them suspected the two would forget the whole thing.

"What? Are you erasing their memory of us?" Harry asked sharply as Ron said, "that's illegal!"

Sheila looked up and flashed her teeth, "we can't just pack up a mansion and expect them not to notice. You've only been here a few days, they'll hardly know the difference. Ministry workers are doing it, so the there won't be any harm done to them." With a pang Hermione realized that Pam and Mike wouldn't remember her anymore.

"Anyway, we've opted to make you guys leave the village in the form of a challenge. So, we're sending you on a road trip." He beamed around at them all and Hermione felt her insides lifting, a road trip? That was good, maybe she could be in a different car then the Slytherins.

"A…road trip?" Draco asked, his tone brightening slightly at the end. "To where?"

"That's sort of a secret. We're giving you navigators in your car and a spare set of directions in case anything happens to it. You just follow it. There are two cars and each car is given a different route that takes exactly the same amount of time to travel. You have eight days to get to your destination, where we will be waiting-"

"-to tell you who's in first place. Then you have a day to restore your energy, and you're off back the same way you came. The winner is likely to be the people who get there first. The amount of magic used is going to be taken into account."

"What are the groups?" Ron asked eagerly, "when are we leaving?"

"You will have a blind fold put over you and you won't know who's in your group until you're in the car. So pack for fun. We've had the guys bring your possessions into your room, they're on your bed. You leave tomorrow at 3:00, after that you get there on your own time." James said, beaming. "Anything else?"

"What are the chances we're going to be with someone we don't like?" Draco asked loudly, shooting Hermione a glare.

"Think about it, Malfoy. Wouldn't they want us to be with people who are annoyed by other peoples' things making funny noises?" She rolled her eyes as Harry and Ron snickered.

Draco swung back around to face Sheila, "I mean are you landing me with Granger?"

She winked, "we just can't keep the favourite couple of the house away from each other, can we?"

There was a strangled sigh mingled with a groan from both Hermione and Draco. "Seriously? Why?"

"Think of it this way, hun. We're selling minutes, and people are going to want to watch minutes of you two arguing or whatever else you might want to engage in." James said, raising his eyebrows suggestively at the two.

"Ugh, you're disgusting. I would never do that with a mudblood." Draco said with an expression one would associate with smelling something foul.

Ron and Harry both pulled out their wands but Hermione simply said, "what are you thinking about, Malfoy? I thought he was suggesting we actually talk to each other as opposed to arguing, what are you thinking?"

Draco's cheeks tinged pink and he spat, "no one asked for your opinion you filthy mudblood."

"Take it back!" Ron snarled, his wand pointed at Draco's heart.

"You really don't want to do that, Weasel." Draco smirked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Honestly Ron, it's not worth it." Hermione pushed on the red-head's arm, forcing it down. She repeated this movement with Harry, eyeing Blaise and Pansy. Both had their hands clenched tightly in their robes where she suspected their wands were.

"Is that all," James asked, grinning madly at them. "There's just so much tension in here, it's so exciting. You look like you could blow someone's head off, you do."

"Oh! I almost forgot, I'm going out today, is this going to be a problem?" Hermione asked more out of trying to distract Harry and Ron then an actual question.

"Ah yes, your date with Jacob." Sheila said and Hermione's face changed color.

"Date?" Pansy raised her eyebrows at Hermione in a way that meant 'what about the pact?'

"Later." She said stiffly, partly because Ron was glowering at a rock beside her foot and partly because she didn't want the show's producers enlightened about that little detail.

"Well that's that!" James clapped his hands together, "so we'll see you tomorrow, packed and ready at separate times. Pansy, 2:30, Harry, 2:35, Ron 2:40, Draco 2:45, Hermione 2:50 and Blaise 2:55 please. You will not be seeing the other group for the next two weeks, so say your goodbye's before you go."

"Can we go?" Blaise asked after a moment of silence from his casual lean against a tree.

"You may."

They slowly filtered from the garden. Hermione threw her finished soda into a recycle bin, watching Harry and Ron from the corner of her eye.

"So, I suppose you're going to get ready for your date?" Ron asked, glancing at her.

"It's only quarter after two, I'm not being picked up for another hour and a half." She said, "I don't need that long."

Ron shrugged, "I thought girls always took long before dates. It's what they do."

"Not me," she shrugged, "anyway, what do you think the chances are I'll be with either of you?"

"Probably close to nothing. If they're putting you with Malfoy, they obviously want some action with you two." Harry reasoned and Ron nodded.

"It's weird, though, I would have thought they'd put Malfoy with Harry, just because they're supposed to be such huge enemies. They're really intent upon you two."

"Yeah." Hermione sighed, "whatever the case, I don't like it."

The other two agreed and they walked the rest of the way in companionable silence. Back at their room, a large amount of their possessions were strewn across their beds. She packed quickly with the objective of having nothing to do. With that done, she glanced around to see if anyone would notice and then tried to pick out an outfit for her walk with Jacob. Too soon, but seeming not soon enough, she was actually leaving the bathroom in her chosen clothes and saying good-bye to her friends.

Jacob was waiting by his car, drumming his fingers on the side. As he spotted her coming closer he began to smile. She couldn't help it, her face broke out into a grin so big she feared it would stretch her lips. She probably looked like an idiot.

He opened the passenger's side and she sat inside, her stomach jumping. He closed it behind her and strode around to the side with the steering wheel and he climbed in.

"Hey," he started up the ignition and skillfully pulled them out of parking lot.

"Hi."

"You look pretty," he said with a smile, glancing at her at then focusing on the road.

"Thanks," she said softly, even this small compliment made her blush. "So…is Andrea, you know… okay with this?"

"You and I? Yeah, actually she was the one that told me to get a move on and ask you out because you weren't going to be free for much longer." The idea obviously didn't hold very much appeal to him.

"Good," she sighed, relieved. An angry Andrea was not one anyone liked dealing with. She got it from her mother.

"If I said she wasn't, would you not go out with me?" Jacob turned back to her, his eyes probing.

"No…I would but it makes things easier this way." She said and Jacob laughed.

"So when do you go back to school?"

"September first." She said instantly, "you?"

"Mid September is when my classes start up. I suppose I'll leave a few days after you, once Andrea's back in school life won't be very entertaining."

This made Hermione's spirits soar, if possible, higher. That meant he thought they'd be dating throughout the summer. "Oh, so what's college life like?"

He turned left sharply and she slid a few centimeters in her seat. "It's great. The classes are spaced well, I'm working in a grocery store on the side-"

"You?" She snorted, "I never thought you'd work in a grocery store."

Jacob shrugged, "all money helps. Plus I get discounts on the food, which leads me to my next point. The worst part is when I have to cook. Once I accidentally set Brett on fire."

"Brett?" The image of a curvy brunette had just popped up and was dancing around her head.

"My roommate. He's majoring in the culinary art so after that incident we decided I'd get the food and he would cook. Except when he's out with girls, which happens often. Girls love a man that cook." The woman dancing in her head vanished in a puff of smoke.

"You made eggs at your house. They turned out well." She pointed out.

"Yeah, that's what I eat when he's gone." He grinned at her and turned onto a small, one way street in a stretch of forest. "We'll park down here."

There was a small circle of gravel off the side of the road where a beaten down trail could be seen. They climbed out of the car and Jacob led her around to the other side, where the trail was not. "It's a bit rocky, but when we get there its worth it."

A bit rocky was probably the understatement of the year. A bit mountainous would have been more accurate. As she climbed onto yet another massive fallen tree, she wondered if Jacob (who was waiting patiently on the other side to catch her) thought this date was going to the dogs, too.

By the time we get there I'm going to be so sweaty he won't come near me. She thought bitterly, wiping her face. However, at the next bend the ground seemed to even out into waves of soft moss, much easier to walk on. It was not so, unfortunately.

"You have be careful with this stuff, it's pretty slippery and starts sinking if you stand on it too long." Jacob said and looked back at her. "Do you want to go back?"

"Go back? No way, we're almost there." She said, then added as an afterthought, "right?"

"Nearly." He smiled apologetically, "the last I came up here, it was not this hard."

"Well," she smiled, "it's fun."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she replied, "you're here."

He turned away, grinning. "We'd better get going now." He stepped onto the slippery moss overgrowth and she trailed after him. He was right. It was slippery. She crossed it quickly, thinking that she probably could've done it in those stilettos, it wasn't that hard.

"Omphf!" She her foot slide and she landed with a un-attractive sound on her butt in the moss, which promptly began to sink. Jacob laughed and grabbed her hand, helping her up. "Thanks," she said, wiping her now damp and slightly dirt covered pants.

He didn't let go of her hand as they walked down the path, turning right into a clearing. There was a big rock on one side and it was quiet, as though the rest of the world was shut out by the ring of trees surrounding it. "Wow," she murmured.

"You like it?" Jacob grinned, and he led her to the big rock. It made a nice spot to sit on, and she leaned against Jacob, sighing. This was heaven.

-

-

When Jacob pulled up in front of the motel that evening at 7:00 Hermione was blissfully happy. They had talked about nothing and everything, with minutes of comfortable silence in between. When she'd finally realized they couldn't stay holed up in there forever she scrambled to check her watch, was the four hour limit on still? Slightly reluctant, Jacob led her back to the car where he drove her home.

"Thanks," she smiled as he opened the door for her. It was just one of those things Jacob did that made her like him so much. "I had a really great time."

"So did I," he grinned at her as she stopped outside the door. He leaned in and her heart starting beating very quickly. He kissed her on the cheek and she couldn't help notice he lingered. It was a concept Andrea had explained to her last summer, they kiss or hug you, but instead of drawing away slowly or anything, they hover for a few extra seconds. They linger.

"So how long until I get to see you?" Jacob asked, Hermione had explained that she was going away for a road trip with some friends.

"You could always come over tomorrow and meet some of my friends, before we leave." She said, then Pansy could get her say in about Jacob judging by more then the one encounter.

"Yeah?" He said, "cool. I'll be over tomorrow, then."

"Okay."

"I'll see you then." With one last smile he walked back to his car and climbed in. She couldn't see anything through the tinted windows but she had the feeling he was looking at her so she waved and let herself inside. She passed Draco, Blaise and Pansy on the way inside and looked away from them without comment. Draco and Blaise glared at her.

The evening dragged on to night, where she lay awake in bed. Pansy had sought her out and asked for another lesson on the muggle electronics. They'd moved from the camera to the laptop, which Pansy got very quickly, to the iPod. Hours had gone by and they were still up at two in the morning. The lesson ended when Hermione said she was too tired to continue, but now she couldn't sleep. Harry and Ron were both sleeping soundly, Pansy would roll over occasionally with a sigh and Blaise was sleeping, though silent. Tonight it was Draco who was gone, and she couldn't help but wonder where he was. Maybe she really wouldn't be with him and Sheila and James were lying. Probably not.

-

-

The next morning passed in a blur of movement. Jacob came over and met Harry, Ron and Pansy, all of which admitted approval of him even if it was rather grudgingly. Andrea had come with him and as Jacob talked with Pansy and Hermione she was with Ron and Harry. On the way out the door Andrea gave her a thumbs up and Pansy later told her she totally approved of him. Hermione said, quite slyly, she approved of Riley too and left Pansy mystified to check through all her things.

Then Pansy, who had decided to ignore what she'd said, found her later and requested another lesson in her muggle stuff, claiming she wanted to know everything before they left. So for the remainder of the time they had she showed Pansy how to use her cell phone and programmed her own phone number into it. Then she helped download a variety of muggle bands onto her iPod and decided she may as well do her own as well. Pansy became very taken to Kanye West and was singing his song 'Stronger' very loudly as she left with all her stuff at 2:30.

Harry and Ron came in to say their goodbyes and then Harry left. Ron said he was sorry for overreacting about Jacob before and he actually liked the guy. He was glad Hermione had found someone. On that note he left her to wait ten minutes until she could go down to the lobby. Sheila and James smiled brightly at her and had someone take her luggage and store it in one of two cars.

"So we take this time to inform you of a new addition to the show called the confession box. In your car," (the cars turned out to look like a regular vehicle but was more spacious inside) "there is a small room with an armchair in it. You are to sit in the chair and can say anything you want in it. As I'm sure you're well aware it will go out on the show, but you might need to let off some steam. Your mother has informed up that you can drive quite well and were going to test to get your license this summer. We've made you a temporary one for now, you can test when you get back. All your travel companions can drive because we tested them while you were on your date. You'll find a package inside your car with your name on it containing some cash, your license, and a few little extra things. By the way, your file was found in your bedroom and one of the guys accidentally dropped it in the pool, so it's gone."

"What?" She exclaimed, she hadn't even read it yet!

"And since we know you lied to us we feel no regret in telling you we aren't giving you another copy. Is there anything else? Nope. Any question?"

"What? Oh, uh, no." She said, trying to absorb this.

"Oh good, then let's go. Please put this mask on." A mask was placed over her eyes and she couldn't see anything. Strangely this didn't bother her, she felt content and thought of Jacob. Was that why she wasn't afraid now? Was it because Jacob was now inside her mind, filling the gap darkness created?

"We'll see you at your destination!" James said in a sing song voice, singing 'Ordinary Day' under his breath again.

"James!" Sheila half-shrieked in exasperation.

"Sorry, darling."

Someone was leading her into the parking lot, she could tell because she recalled stepping down these steps to get into the car with Jacob. They were going left; the same direction Jacob had driven them out of the parking lot. She heard the sound of a door opening, someone was climbing into the car and helping her up after them.

"Right here," they muttered, setting her down on a chair and they went into silence. Minutes later she heard the door open and two more people climbed in, one of her housemates and one their leader. "I'm going to silence them," hers said, "so they don't make any noise."

She probably couldn't have said anything if she wanted to, anyway, but she didn't blame them for the extra precaution. Now she couldn't hear anything, like she was in a bubble. Minutes passed, which she occupied with thinking about Jacob. God, she liked him a lot.

"Okay, we just got the signal, we're going to leave you now. As soon as we're out of the car, your blind-folds will come off. Have a fun time!" They were in a hurry. The door slammed, the mask peeled from her skin and she blinked, adjusting to the light.

"Holy fuck." It tumbled from her mouth in the worst possible tone, astonishing even herself. All she could do was sit there in shock, how could this happen? The two people looked at her, groaned, and then turned their backs on her.

There was slight deliberation as they decided who would drive, which Hermione didn't contribute to because she couldn't. Her brain just wasn't functioning at the moment. This wasn't possible! The GPS was turned on and the car started, they had decided to let her get it together and then they were going to make her drive. They weren't as experienced, but they would never say it like that.

The House of Hell? No, this was the Car of Hell. How could they do this to her?

-

-

"How could they do this to me?" She ranted in the confession box, "how? Do they even have the slightest idea of what this is going to be like? I-I could die of the loathing building up in here! I could be destroyed! They can both do magic, they both hate me! They're doing this because they want me to use the goddamn honesty box and the only way I will is if I'm thoroughly upset. Are you happy!" She yelled into the screen, "how in fucking hell could you do this to me? I hate this stupid show, and the stupid producers, and the stupid idea, and the stupid viewers who are probably delighting in my pain right now, I hate the stupid people on the show, I hate stupid Sheila and stupid James, and I hate my stupid parents for making me do this! Ugh!"

She was beside herself. This was unbelievable. She was releasing the blowup she'd been holding in this whole time. Words didn't even describe her distress. She could even see Sheila and James, grinning like Cheshire cats as they imagined her predicament. She hated this. Why her? What did they have against her? This was horrible. Did they realize that by putting her in a bad mood she was going to be in a right state for the entire day and night?

"I bet you did! I bet you planned that putting me in a bad mood was going to make me be in a right state for the entire day and night! I hate this show! You put me in a small car, for fourteen days with Malfoy and Zabini? So you know what? I'm not going to try and not fight, because I don't feel like trying to get along anymore. But you'd better be pretty nice to me at the hotel." She let out a mad laugh and stood up, leaving the small room. Back at the studio Sheila and James sat by the screen, not a hint of a smile on their faces.

"Uh oh."

The Gryffindor bookworm had cracked.

Long Author's Note: Dun dun dun. I don't think that who she is with came as a big surprise to any of you, it wouldn't do to have anyone she liked with her. XD. Her saying Zabini instead of Blaise is a mark of how upset she is. She realized when she passed them and he glared that it was stupid of her to think he'd never done anything to her.

I am actually aware that the style of writing did change slightly to the end of the chapter, that's just a weird thing. It will be the same next chapter and if you didn't notice anything, it's all good anyway!

Aww, shoot there was something I wanted to say here and I can't remember anymore… shoot. Well have a good weekend, eat lots of food if you haven't already.

WAIT! I have a question, now. Okay, the last two chapters have been totally unplanned and I wrote them directly on my computer, so they were fresh and never before written. I don't know if you actually noticed a difference, but I think I may have updated sooner. Is that good with everyone? If you've noticed a difference in the content, tell me whether it's good or bad. This means the lengths aren't going to be constant, so tell me any thoughts regarding this. If you don't really know what I'm talking about, that's good too, I don't understand myself sometimes.

Oh yeah, and in regards to Riley and Pansythey're not together and I'm sorry for skipping their time but I thought this start to the chapter was better then some weird hour they have with Riley.

So anyway, the end of a very long author's note, thanks for reading and…

Review review review!