Do you think I put Draco too out of character in this chapter? It's kind of hard for me to write the mushy scenes because, well I don't know, I guess because they're not supposed to get mushy like that. Well, review and let me know! J

Ocardevoli: you asked if he was offended by Hermione going to the library…yes…he was mad that she walked out in the middle of snogging because he wasn't done…he was really just pouting is all….

Ink: the whole Lucius and Lucious

…I'm not sure really…I'm glad you pointed it out…I'll check up on that…okay…it's Lucius…thanks once again…I'll change that…J

One more thing…I just read HBP and I'm absolutely devastated…I don't know how I'm to finish my story after reading what really happened! I won't spoil it for those who haven't read HBP but I just had to tell someone… I was in tears of shock I couldn't believe it…well anyways...on with the story…

Chapter 21: An Unexpected Task

"Hermione?" Draco knocked on my door forty-five minutes later.

"What?" I asked distractedly absorbed in my book.

"Can I, er, come in?"

"Are you going to pout?"

"Malfoy's don't pout. They brood."

"Oh, is that what you call it? Come in," I rolled my eyes stuffing my books back into my bag. Draco pushed the door open and walked in with a smirk on his face.

"I knew you couldn't resist me."

"What? I couldn't resist you. You're the one who came to my room."

"That's because I knew you missed me."

"You're bigheaded, you know that?"

"My heads not the only big thing," he smirked even wider.

"Ugh, I didn't want to hear that. You know, on second thought. I don't want you in my room."

"You know you want me." Draco stepped closer and wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.

"Oh yes, I can't resist you," I smiled sarcastically.

"That's what I thought." He smirked and kissed my neck. I felt goosebumps start to rise over my body as he licked the tender part on my neck and blew on it softly. "You like that?" He didn't wait for an answer as he began to feverishly kiss my neck sucking on one place for a period of time. Moving my neck slightly allowing him more access, I closed my eyes enjoying the sensuous feeling of his lips and tongue on my body, not fully comprehending that there would be a large purple bruise on my neck for the next week. I turned around to face him and brought my hands up to his face and peered into his silvery blue orbs, which were full of lust and compassion, and brought my lips up to his for one of the most passionate kisses I'd ever shared.

The next morning I woke up late and I had to rush through the shower and all my other morning routines. I took a quick glance at the mirror sighing before I grabbed a hair band and my bag as I dashed out the door to Charms.

"Where have you been?" Harry whispered when I sat down.

"I woke up late." I replied as I pulled my hair back into a ponytail. Harry's eyes went wide, but I brushed it off and pulled out my quill and notebook.

Charms was pretty uneventful. Ron wasn't talking to me. Harry kept looking at me weird, and to top it all off, everywhere I went people were constantly whispering and pointing fingers at me. 'What is their problem? They act like there's a big sign on my forehead saying "mudblood" or something.'

"Mione," Ginny said suddenly. We were at the lunch table eating. "What's on your neck?" I gave her a weird look.

"What do you mean what's on my neck?" I thought about it for a moment before I fully understood. My hands went up to my pony tail and I pull of the band trying to smooth my hair down against my neck.

"It's a hicky isn't it." She snickered.

"No." I lied.

"Mmmhuh."

"It's not either, I--I just, burned myself with a curling iron."

"A what?"

"A curling iron. You use it to curl your hair. It's really hot."

"I think your making things up."

"No I'm not." I snapped a little too quickly. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"It's a hicky." Ginny crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out.

"It's true? HERMIONE HAS A HICKY!" Parvati squealed from behind me. The whole Great Hall went quiet and turned around to look at me. I felt my face go crimson as I shot Ginny and Parvati daggers with my eyes.

"IT'S NOT A HICKY!" I shouted grabbing my book bag and stalked out of the door. "Quidditch." Muttering to myself I slammed the door shut and stomped into my room throwing my bag somewhere and paced my room every once in a while glancing in my mirror at the large purple spot on my neck.

"That was quite a show." A voice drawled from my doorway.

"Shut up" I snapped.

"Touchy much?"

"You could have told me to cover this thing up this morning you know."

"I never saw you this morning, besides, that's my mark so the other guys will keep their prying eyes off you."

"Your mark huh, well if it's your mark then aren't people going to know that we're together?" I shot back.

"Not my mark literally, just a mark." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Harry and Ron didn't even say anything. I can't believe them."

"What can I say. They're dolts."

"No they're not."

"Yeah they are. They're too thick to know a hicky when they see one."

"They're not thick. Just polite, in a way, I guess."

"No, they were just too big of cowards to tell you that you could plainly see the large purple hicky on your neck."

"Shut up."

"I love it when I'm right."

"How am I supposed to cover this thing up?"

"Well, you are a witch. Just make a concealer potion or get one from that dumb mediwitch."

"Madam Pomfery is not dumb. Why do you have to be so rude all the time?"

"It's in my nature. I can't help it." He smirked.

"Whatever, go get that concealer potion."

"What? Why should I get it?"

"Because it's your fault I have to take it."

"No one is making you take it. I think you should show it off. Anyways, it's not my fault completely. You liked it."

"That's not the point." He smirked again. I rolled my eyes. "Well are you going to get it or what?"

"No."

"Your impossible you know that."

"Yep." he smirked again and sprawled out on my bed. "So, how is Potty and Weasel?"

"Ron's not talking to me. Harry, he's well, I'm not sure but he's been kind of cross to me."

"How can you tolerate them two?"

"They're more tolerable than your two rocks you call friends."

"They're not really friends, more like confreres."

"Using big words are we?"

"Yes, I am." I rolled my eyes at him once again.

"Draco," I gushed in my most seductive voice as I climbed onto my bed by him.

"Yeah?" He smirked as I hovered over him and leaned in closer to his face.

"I want you--" I whispered as I got a little closer. "to go get that concealer potion!" I finished shouting at him.

"Fine, merlin, you don't have to shout." He got off the bed red faced as I sat on my bed with an evil grin plastered on my own.

Ten minutes later he came back looking like he would kill anyone that dared to look at him wrong. I chuckled as he stepped through my door.

"Here." He snapped as he roughly shoved the bottle in my hands.

"What's your problem?"

"You're so called friends. That's my problem. They can't mind their own bloody business."

"I see." I raised an eyebrow at him and took the potion. "What did they do?"

"Well, they tried to catch me off guard and challenge me to a duel, but that old bat Professor McGonagall stopped us and now we all have detention for a week with her. Can you believe it? A week with Scarhead and Weasleby."

"Professor McGonagall is not a bat, and you shouldn't have started a duel in the first place."

"I didn't start the bloody duel it was your ignoramus friends! Thank you very much."

"Yes, and I'm sure you did nothing to provoke them."

"Your damn right I didn't. I was minding my own bloody business. They attacked me." He said stubbornly crossing his arms over his chest.

"Okay, well, thanks for the potion, but I have to get to arithmancy. See you around."

"You mean to tell me, I went all the way down to the hospital wing, got bombarded by your friends, and a weeks detention with those prats and all I get is a simple 'thanks'."

"I'm sorry did you want a prize," I rolled my eyes yet again.

"Something like that." He smirked walking closer to me and put his arms around my waist. I pecked his lips quickly. "What was that?"

"Your prize?" I smiled innocently. He pulled me in closer.

"That's not a big enough prize after putting up with your stupid Gryffindor primates."

"Well, the more you talk rudely about them, the less prize you get."

"You think so." He smirked and pressed his lips on mine. I closed my eyes and slightly opened my mouth for him as he slid his tongue in.

"So, about this dueling thing. What do you want to do?" I asked casually. Draco and I were in the common room doing our homework quietly the next day.

"I don't know if I can stand being around your ignoramus friends more than I have to plus the illiterate sixth years. Do you have even the slightest idea how much more work this will put on us?"

"Well, I've thought about that actually. You see, I think if we can just take out an extra thirty minutes of our time every Sunday we can get the week lesson plans done so we wouldn't have to worry about it the rest of the week. I would prefer to plan everything on Sundays since we wouldn't have school. It would be a lot easier. And I also have a bunch of other really fun ideas that I think people would--"

"You've thought a lot about this haven't you?"

"Well, yes, I think teaching will be fun."

"I think you're off your rocker."

"Well I didn't ask you now did I?" I snapped.

"I'm just saying, because it's going to take a lot of work and effort."

"Well if you don't want to do it then just say so."

"No, I do. I was just trying to warn you before hand."

"Because you've taught a class before." I rolled my eyes.

''Well, we better go find that old coot and tell him we'll do it."

"I'm not making you do this."

"I know, but since I'm such a generous and caring person--"I snorted. "I will take my precious time and spend it teaching a class with you."

"Good, because I wasn't going to take no for an answer."

"Were you now, what happened to 'I'm not making you do this'?"

"I was just being nice." I grinned evilly taking his hand and pulling him up, "Well, come on."

"I'm coming," Draco tossed his stuff to the side and let me lead him to the door. He gave me a quick kiss on the lips before letting go of my hand and opening the door for me.

We walked in silence on the way to Dumbledore's since we couldn't really talk to each other in public anyway. Finally we came upon the large stone gargoyle.

"What's the password?" Draco asked.

"Honestly, don't you listen, you're just like Ron and Harry."

"I am nothing like you're presumptuous friends," he started.

"Whatever, lemon drops." I muttered, the gargoyle jumped aside revealing the ever-familiar winding staircase as I stepped through the entryway and climbed up. Draco sighed grudgingly and followed after me, then knocked on the door.

"Come in." A familiar muffled voice exclaimed through the door. Draco gave me a look that said 'I-can't-believe-we're-doing-this' and pushed the door open. "Ahh, Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, it's good to see you. Tell me have you came to a decision."

"Yes, we have Professor. We want to teach the class."

"Excellent, excellent." Dumbledore smiled, "well take a seat and I shall tell you everything you need to hear." Draco and I both nodded and took the seats in front of Dumbledore's desk as though he had been expecting us. "Now, the classroom that you will be teaching in is room 345, on the third floor obviously, I think you will find the room quite useful in size and tool wise. Here are the directions to get there," Dumbledore paused for a second only to hand a piece of rolled up parchment to me. I took it and scanned the paper briefly. "Here is a list of things that I would like you teach each of the years and your time schedule. I believe this is everything you need to know, if you happen to not know it already, should be in this packet. Any questions?" He smiled handing me the package. I opened it and looked at it contents.

"Yes I do actually." Draco stepped into he conversation. "Do we get to dock points for misbehavior?" I rolled my eyes at his remark, 'so this is why he agreed to do it,' I thought. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and a small smiled formed on his face.

"I thought one of you might ask that. Yes well, I have thought long and hard about it and I believe that since you are both Heads of this school that you should have good sense on when and how many points to take and I should hope that if indeed I do bestow this on you, you would not abuse the privilege. So yes Mister Malfoy, I think it will be allowed for you to take house points if you should feel the need to, but only in your class time."

"Professor Dumbledore, this can't be right, why would you take us out of these classes. I thought they were crucial for NEWTs." I asked looking up from the paper

"Ahh yes, one would think so, but since I have looked at you're future jobs I have realized that either of you two need to be taking Care of Magical Creatures or Herbology."

"But then, how are the other students going to take our class if they have to take that class."

"If you would just turn another page your schedule should be on there and you will find that I have made your class an evening one so it would not interfere with the others courses."

"So why would we get the other two classes off?" Draco asked suddenly interested.

"For you two to organize your schedules and lessons and to ready your class room."

"Are we teaching 6th and 7th years together or separate?"

"Together I believe would be best so you wouldn't have to spend more hours in your evenings teaching."

"When do we start?"

"As soon as you are ready, which will hopefully be by next week. I will let you take off this week to clean up and sort your room out, but please take no longer than two as I would like to get this class started as soon as possible." Dumbledore paused once again, looked over at me then to Draco, then back to me, and smiled as if he knew something was different about the air between us. "I believe that is all, unless you have more questions for me?" I shook my head curtly, Draco shrugged. "Very well, I will inform your teachers and you can start today, if you would like, on your classroom." Draco stood up and nodded. I followed the suit and walked out the door with him on my heals.

"So what do you think?"

"I don't know. I guess it's an alright deal. I mean we get two extra hours in a way."

"This is going to be so much fun! I wonder if they'll have to call me Miss Granger or you Mister Malfoy? Ha imagine the look on-- well--anyways. I have to get to Ancient Runes, see you around." Draco shook his head and walked the other way as I hummed to myself all the way to my classroom.

"We have Malfoy as a teacher now? How is this possible? Why would Dumbledore do this to me?" Neville complained shoving more food in his mouth. It was our lunch break and I had just finished telling him, Lavender, Parvati and Dean about my new teaching job.

"Not just Malfoy Neville. It's co-ed. I'll be teaching too, and I'll make sure it doesn't get out of control."

"So do you get to take house points?" Lavender asked.

"Yes, but only when necessary. Dumbledore is putting a lot of trust in us to do this."

"Yeah, so he goes and puts Malfoy on the job." Dean said grudgingly. I suppressed from groaning and rolling my eyes.

"Ooooh, Hermione! Where did you get that bracelet? It's gorgeous!" Parvati squealed from across the table, my face went red as I stuff my hand under the table. I had grown accustom to wearing it everyday and Draco still hadn't said a word about it.

"Um, I got it for Christmas."

"From who? Is it that guy you met at France?"

"Umm--" Ron and Harry looked bewildered. My face went more red.

"You met a guy in France?" Harry asked suddenly interested that I was actually at the table. He had given me the cold shoulder since our argument on the train.

"Yes, sort of."

"She didn't tell you! Ooh it was so romantic! They went on the Eiffel Tower together and down by the Trocaerdo Fountains-"

"Wait a minute, Hermione, why didn't you tell me you met a guy in France?" Harry asked.

"Because you were too stubborn to talk to me because of the whole dance thing." I snapped.

"And all this time we thought--well it was Ron idea--"

"Hey!" Ron said. "You agreed with me."

"What are you going on about?" I asked.

"We thought that you-erm-well-wethoughtyoulikedMalfoy." My jaw dropped. 'So they were suspicious'.

"WHAT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!"

"Well, it only made sense because of the whole dance thing."

"Well who wouldn't like Malfoy? He's hot!" Parvati squealed.

"UGH, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HARRY JAMES POTTER! AND YOU RONALD WEASLEY! WHY WOULD YOU, NO HOW COULD YOU COME UP WITH SUCH A THING!"

"Well if you wouldn't have stood up for that ferret I wouldn't of had to!" Ron shouted.

"I DIDN'T STAND UP FOR HIM! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?"

"YES YOU DID! YOU TOLD PROFFESSOR DUMBLEDORE--"

"THE TRUTH! I WASN'T GOING TO LIE TO THE HEADMASTER! UGHH! I've had enough I'm leaving." I gave one last glare at my two ex-best friends and stalked off hoping they believed every word I said. Actually I was quite proud of myself for being able to go off that easily considering they were totally and completely right about me and Draco.

"Ugh, this is a house elf's job." Draco complained. We had been working on our room for less then thirty minutes now and this was about the twentieth time he'd said that same line. I rolled my eyes once again. "How did I let you talk me into this?"

"Draco, for about the millionth time now. I didn't talk you into this. You didn't have to agree. Now quit complaining before I hex you." I sighed.

"Why can't we just use magic to do this?"

"Because, it won't kill you to sort out a few things by hand."

"Yes it will. See!" He stuck his thumb in the air. "I have a blister."

"Would you like me to kiss it and make it all better?" I laughed sarcastically. His face lit up.

"Yes, I would actually." He smirked walking over to me. I rolled my eyes and pecked his outstretched thumb.

"There is that better?"

"No."

"What?"

"I said, no, because now I think my lips have blistered." He smiled slyly.

"Oh really," I grinned leaning in closer to him to where our lips were barely apart.

"Yes really," he whispered leaning a bit closer gently pressing his lips on mine.

"Is that better?" I smiled.

"A little," he smirked.

"Well," I pulled away from him and turned back to my stack of papers. "We better get back to work."

He shook his head and we both returned to fixing up our new classroom in mostly silence.

Once we had the whole room cleaned and organized, mostly without magic much to Draco's dismay, we finally had our first class with the 6th and 7th years at 8 o'clock on Monday night.

"Erm, hi everyone, I'm Hermione Granger and this is--"

"Draco Malfoy." He cut in.

"Right, well erm, we're here because Professor Dumbledore wanted us to teach a dueling class. So if everyone will pair up Mr. Malfoy and I will demonstrate." Most of the Gryffindor looked at me like I was crazy. The Slytherins merely smirk at Draco with a smug expression on their faces. "Right, well, Malfoy ready?" He nodded as we both climbed up on the stage back to back and took 5 paces away from each other, then turned to face the other. "On three, one--two--three!"

"Expelliarmus!" "Protego!"

"Okay, as you--"

"Petrificus Totalus!" I looked over to Draco in shock as a red jet of light hit me squarely in the chest. My whole body went rigid and then stiff as a board as I blundered to the ground

"Hermione!" Ron and Harry gasped as they ran up to me and muttered the counter curse. "Are you okay?" Harry asked hovering over me.

"I'm fine." I muttered sitting up while rubbing my head. Looking over to Draco, who was looking rather apologetic, I gave him a look that said 'what the hell was that about' and stood with Ron and Harry who were throwing daggers in his direction.

"What the hell was that about Malfoy!" Ron bellowed.

"I--" he started.

"I should rip your spleen out for doing that to her. She wasn't even ready! You attacked her when she wasn't looking you son of a bitch!"

"Watch your mouth weasleby! And that's Mr. Malfoy to you, and I didn't mean to attack her you filthy ingrate!"

"Yes you did!" Ron's face redden as he step closer to Draco and took a swing.

"Ron stop!" I yelled getting in between the two boys. "I'm fine, just leave each other alone!"

"He could've seriously hurt you Hermione!"

"What do you care? You haven't talked to me since the ball!" I exploded on him.

"I--I--" ron stuttered.

"Just go and partner up before I take house points."

"But--"

"Go." I whispered in the deadliest voice I could muster.

"Why are you always defending him Mione?" He whispered before turning back to Harry.

"We were demonstration how to duel Ron. I should have been prepared for him to keep going."