Same as before :D

Hey guys! sorry i would have preferred to post this up yesterday but woops! anyway here it is... a little toastier than the previous but still warming up! hehehhehehehhehehehehehehe. sorry if it's a little fast when you read it. i'm not that good at the summary of the day sorta thing but PLEASE REVIEW TO HELP ME GET BETTER!

Anyway... Good news! i got a head start on the next chapter so that should come sooner than usual! yay! ok i'll let you read now!

as for the questions that you guys asked well you'll just have to find out won't you! good guessed though!

anyway i'm gunna let you read now.

enjoy :D

p.s i'm thinking of changing my pen name... just a heads up to warn you. Oh and would anybody mind telling me what a Beta Reader does? i get the vague idea but... help!


"Granger?" the figure hissed and Hermione was startled to hear the voice as male, for reasons that escaped her.

"Who the he–"

"Lumos!" he growled, sudden light bursting from his wand, illuminating the small space between them and exposing the face she hadn't been able to see before. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Zabini?" she gasped incredulously.

His eyes hardened. "Who else!" he hissed.

"Oh I don't know, Helga Hufflepuff?" she snarled, sarcastically. "There are, like, four hundred people here how was I supposed to know it was you!"

He shot her a glare and continued as if she hadn't said anything. "What the hell are you doing here anyway, Mudblood?" he snarled.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped. "And I unlike some people have permission to be up here!"

"Oh yeah? By who?" Zabini challenged.

"Professor Sinistra!" she spat. "You know the Astronomy teacher? The one in charge of the Astronomy Tower?"

"Stop being sharp," he snapped.

"Stop being a prat," she countered.

There were a few minutes of solid murder passing between them before Zabini gave up and lowered his eyes, growling in frustration. "I'm sorry," he grumbled and Hermione thought the words were quite strangled. "You just gave me a fright that's all,"

"Oh yeah because I wasn't frightened at all," she snapped, turning around and undoing the spells she had put up. "Come up onto the Astronomy tower with the only set of keys in Hogwarts–"

"Keys!" he muttered. "So mundane,"

"–to find a mysterious figure standing out in the moonlight!" she muttered hysterically as her heart slowed down. "A clap of thunder, flash of light and next thing I know there's a wand to my face! Now why would that be frightening?"

"Oh stop acting like the victim," Zabini waved a hand dismissingly, his voice less pointy now that he had calmed down. "You're the one who sneaked up on me,"

"You not supposed to be up here!" she shot. Hermione had started setting up her telescope now, desperate to be rid of the weight it had been putting on her shoulder, but the task was proving difficult because one of the hinges was jammed. "And you were facing everywhere apart from the door! Anybody would be sneaking up on you if they came through it! Which, may I point out, is the only way to act-tually get up here," Hermione grunted as she shoved her palm against the offending hinge. It still wouldn't budge.

"Maybe you could have stopped and said something," Zabini murmured, his hands suddenly appearing beside hers, jerking the metal hard into place. "Instead of trying to play brave, tip toeing up behind me and nearly getting your head blown off." He straightened up at the same time she did and only then did they realise how close they were to each other. There was a second of surprised silence from both of them before Zabini smirked, the first sign of amusement since she got up, and leant forward, his dark lips brushing her earlobe as he whispered. "Oh and you're welcome, for the stand I mean."

Hermione blinked as he pulled back and turned his back on her. What was he playing at? But then she caught site of his face and rearranged her features, putting her walls back up. She knew that face; Malfoy used it all the time, just in a more mean, spiteful way. He was winding her up. She scowled at him before turning around and setting up the portable chair she always used for stargazing. "What are you doing up here anyway?"

Zabini chuckled behind her. "You know somebody less intrusive would have said 'thank you' at that,"

"Oh, well that's good to know," Hermione hissed. "Why don't you run along and find them, then?"

The boy chuckled again. "Feisty!"

"Yeah I seem to be getting that a lot lately." She muttered, hiding the anger that flashed through her at the thought of Malfoy.

There was an awkward pause. "So it seems like Hermione Granger has grown a backbo–"

"Listen," she cut him off, spinning around to face him as her patience snapped. "I haven't been well lately and because of that I am extraordinarily late on my homework so I would appreciate it if you either left me to it or at least try not to be an ignorant, selfish, incorrigible prat of a Slytherin and for one night, just one night not hiss at my blood status or my unwillingness to get in trouble by starting a fight!" Hermione concluded breathlessly, having said the whole sentence on one breath. She turned away from him, sat down and started adjusting the focus on her lens. "I just want to do my homework without being tormented." She said quietly.

There was silence for a while before Zabini spoke again. "Well if that's the way you want it I will contain the urge to annoy you, that you so clearly know I have, and settle with saying that you have a mighty set of lungs on you and that I hope, for your future husband's sake, that you enjoy playing the bagpipes because I sure as hell wouldn't want that unloaded on me, if I were him," Zabini said sharply, deliberately drawing out the sentence to imitate her. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't jump at my neck during my attempt to be nice with you,"

Hermione whipped her head round and glared at him, long and hard. "Nice?" she hissed, incredulously. "You call that nice? You were at my throat the minute you saw my face!"

"Well excuse me for being a little sharp at midnight on a stressful day after somebody tried to attack me from behind!" he spat, folding his arms in front of his chest. "You're not the only one with problems Granger! I have just as much stress on me as you do,"

"Oh what?" she turned to him with a mocking expression of concern. "Is the itty bitty Slytherin finding it stressful to ditch class and copy off his class mates? Is he finding the naps he takes in class uncomfortable? Is everything he wants not getting to him at exactly the time he wants it? You poor little rich kid I feel so-sorry-for-you" she snapped at him viciously.

"Don't mock me Granger,"

"Don't talk shit Zabini,"

"Don't talk to me like that you insignificant little Mud–"

"Shut up Zabini otherwise I'm going to miss the movement of Jupiter," she cut him off, not wanting to hear the word.

Zabini chuckled softly, just a hint of bitterness in the sound, and Hermione fumed at his nerve. "Jupiter? Yeah ok, except we're not doing Jupiter this term, you might want to think before you retort,"

She whipped her head round to glare at him. It was true they weren't doing Jupiter this term, they had been studying Saturn for a good few weeks now but not being able to muster a good response Hermione just stuck out her tongue and turned back to her papers, that, with a flick of her wand, now rested magically on a small, comfortably tall, study stool by her feet.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him stare at her for a bit before turning to look back at the now exposed moon.

For the next hour and a half there was only silence between them before Hermione got up and started packing away.

Blaise looked at her putting away her stuff, eyebrow raised, impressed at how fast she had been. "Done already? I guess I underestimated your urge to suck up to teachers,"

"Shut your mouth Zabini," Hermione spat. "I missed the movement I was meant to be recording for the first part of my homework thanks to you!" she muttered, running a hand through her messy hair. "Bloody bickering with me when I had to do my work! And Astronomy's on Monday!" Hermione whined, pausing with her hand in her hair as the graveness of the situation sank in.

She closed her eyes and exhaled. Not to worry, she chided, mentally scowling at her panic. You'll just have to come back tomorrow night. Hermione groaned. She'd have to talk to Sinistra again.

"Come to think of it," Zabini continued as if he hadn't heard her. "Snape's the only one you haven't succeeded to suck up to," he pouted in mock thought. "That must be a blow to your Gryffindorian ego,"

"I don't have an ego!," she said, half incredulous at his persistence. "And I do not suck up to teachers!"

"Oh you so do," Zabini laughed. "Don't even bother to deny that!"

She glared for a full minute before giving up and growling at him. "Urgh you are incorrigible!" she huffed, hoisting up her telescope and heading for the door.

Hopefully the next night he wouldn't be there.


The next morning Hermione jumped up extra early and sprinted to the office by the Astronomy tower. Luckily her teacher was there and after a few minutes of intense persuading, Professor Sinistra being the master in stubbornness, she was rewarded with another note for the usage of the Tower that night.

The rest of the day passed at a snails pace, most of it spent on heavy research for T.S.P, and though Hermione knew she should be trying to figure out who he was, she persisted in being stubbornly oblivious to what the letters, or probably the initials, meant.

Finally it was time to go back to the Tower, almost relieved not to have to search fruitlessly anymore, and was not pleased to see Zabini standing there like the night before.

"Granger," he'd murmured, acknowledging her presence without turning around.

"Zabini," she'd cleared her throat before proceeding with her homework.

The rest of that night had been spent in silence and thanks to that Hermione managed to finish earlier than she would have expected, leaving swiftly before he could speak to her again.

Though she had managed to get to bed reasonably early, the next morning felt like there were boulders weighing down her eyelids and it took great effort to put on her uniform.

Breakfast passed slowly, seeming to mimic Hermione's slow progress due to exhaustion, and they made their way with ease to Ancient Runes.

"I still can't believe that Professor Snape gets to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts!" Hermione shook her head, her mind filled with sharp images of her pale teacher.

"What was Dumbledore was thinking?" Harry muttered.

"I'd bet my whole months allowance that he's wriggling out a plan to pull the Cruciatus Curses on us as part of his lesson plan," Ron grumbled next to him.

Hermione was about to tell Ron to stop being daft when a familiar drawl of a voice came from behind them.

"What Weasel? You'd be willing to bet a whole two Knuts'?" Hermione spun round to see Malfoy with his arms folded over his chest. The apes that were Crabbe and Goyle, laughed heartily beside him; quickly joined by Pansy Parkinson and another unknown Slytherin girl.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron muttered, his cheeks flaming to life.

"That is how much you get, right?" he continued as if Ron hadn't spoken. "I had to take a swing at a guess but knowing your filthy scum of a family you probably don't even get that,"

Ron's colour brightened, in anger though.

"Shut your mouth you overpriced ferret!" Harry hissed stepping forward.

Hermione immediately felt the tremor in her hand, but luckily for her Professor Babbling had rounded the corner at the end of the corridor and was heading their way. "Harry shut up!" she hissed, jerking her head in the direction of the oncoming teacher.

Harry's eyes flashed to her with a mixture of hurt and betrayal but then he caught her gesture and fell silent.

"Hermione what the hell! Whose side are you–umph" Ron started but cut off when Harry elbowed him, hard, in the ribs.

Malfoy however, not having noticed the movement of Hermione's head, was smirking at her, eyes shining as his hand stopped shaking.

"What's the matter Potter?" Pansy sneered. "Need scum to protect you?"

"You should watch your mouth when you talk to me Potter, never know when–" Malfoy started.

"You can ago in, class," Professor Babbling called from the corridor. "Well," she stopped behind Malfoy, eyeing his green robes. "What are you doing here? I don't take the Slytherins' until Wednesday. Now scurry along to your next class and three points from Slytherin for faffing around." Professor Babbling eyed them again. When they didn't move she fixed them with a pleasant smile that did not touch her eyes. "Be seeing you,"

Malfoy sent a burning glance at Harry and mouthed, "this isn't over" before turning around and striding away.

Professor Babbling stopped smiling and followed to students into the classroom.

Ancient Runes, like the rest of the morning, passed at a snails pace, each word of Hermione's notes dragging out more time than ever before. By the time the bell rang Hermione was so fed up that she was almost glad to be in the corridors heading for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Almost.

The mass of Gryffindors' reached the classroom at a surprisingly late time, the Slytherins' already standing there, and because of that Malfoy had no chance to torment them before Professor Snape ushered them inside.

Hermione was about to go through the door when a pair of long, hard fingers grabbed her arm just above the elbow. Before she could turn to see who it was her arm was jerked backwards and her back hit against a chest, warm lips suddenly grazing the skin just under her right earlobe. She shuddered violently at the touch.

"You got lucky earlier," hot breath ran down her throat, hungrily making her shudder again, and raising goose bumps on her skin. "Wonder if you'll have the same luck next time?" the low, taunting voice of Draco Malfoy had just reached her ear when his fingers abruptly vanished from her arm leaving it oddly cold.

Hermione's head whipped round to throw insults at him like a rain that never ended but Malfoy had already gone, vanishing just as fast as he'd appeared.


there it is! again sorry if it's a bit fast but it'll warm up soon don't worry!

ok so i'll be off now.

seeeeeeee youuuuuuuu

R.