"Good morning, Miss Granger."

Minerva McGonogall, the Headmistress was seated behind her desk, with piles of parchment stacked neatly beside her. She appeared very busy and tired, for her age anyway.

"Sorry if I'm late, Professor. I've had a very confusing Christmas." Hermione said, shaking ash off of her shoes.

"I hope you won't be confused with these timetables then. I'll be interviewing for the Herbology teacher post. Pomona has dragon pox and won't be in for the next few weeks. There will be some sixth-years today, so good luck."

She smiled curtly over her desk and started writing again.

Hermione took several sheets of parchment, and sighed. It's going to be a busy day. She headed off to the Transfiguration classroom. When she got there, she realised there really was a class of sixth-years to teach. I'll have to talk to McGonogall about that. She felt her bag shake, but passed it off as some books falling over.

xxx

"Good morning, class. Professor McGonogall is busy today so I'll be taking your lesson."

There were a few boys at the back of the class messing about and trying to make paper birds fly around the room. Some of the sixth-year girls started whispering and one of them raised her hand.

"Yes?"

"Are you Hermione Granger, Harry Potter's best friend?"

"Yes, I am. But for today I'm just your teacher. So, Vanishing spells…"

More of the class paid attention, save for a few boys messing around at the back of the room. Hermione then began to realise this was going to be a long day.

xxx

The lesson went on fairly well. Most of the mice had started vanishing, leaving behind a few whiskers or a tail. The only problem was one particular student: the obvious class clown. A girl squealed as he had placed the mouse he should have been working on onto her head. Hermione had to reassure her it was fine, and continued the lesson. Seconds later, a paper bird had flown inches above her head.

"I must say, Andrew. First day of school this millenium and five points off Slytherin."

The boy had a typical smug look on his face, but it was wiped off when he realised she knew his name. She then transfigured the bird into a unsigned detention note.

"If you were paying attention, you would have realised that everyone else is doing what they're told, so it's making you look pretty stupid, isn't it?"

Hermione was glad she had the final word. If she wasn't mad at Draco, she probably would have been less patronising, but she hated it when people would backchat or mess around. Several people laughed a bit, but continued working. The rest of the lesson went on in the same manner. As the students were getting ready to leave, Hermione saw her bag jolt by her desk. She bit her lip, praying that she wouldn't find Draco there.

The class filed out, leaving only the troublesome boy, Andrew, to clear up. He was about to exit the room when he turned and said something unexpected.

"I'm sorry for my behaviour, Miss. It won't happen again, it's just difficult to practise when I have such an attractive teacher."

He smiled, and hurried out. Hermione blushed and was flattered that he would think that, even if it may have been just a way of kissing up to the teacher. But the thought was quickly banished when she opened her bag. The white ferret crawled out slowly, as if scared or worried.

"Well? Anything to say?" Hermione crossed her arms, and did not look at him. She noticed Draco out of the corner of her eye, but still turned away as he walked towards her.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I was just worried that something could go wrong."

"I'm not talking about that. I mean, last night. Or this morning."

Draco sighed and sat on her desk. He knew this would happen, but if it had to come to this, he didn't care if it was sooner or later.

"I didn't mean to upset you or anything. Just hear me out. When I realised how upset you were, I thought you still had feelings for Weasley. So, I just wanted to know if you love me because you really do, or just because I was the first person to come along that had an interest in you."

Hermione wasn't sure whether to be sympathetic or annoyed. She chose the latter.

"You are so full of yourself! How could you think that? Just because every clueless Slytherin bimbo happened to like you, I'm not like them!"

Her hair was buzzing with electricity again, and she felt the warm sensation of blushing take over her. She still had her arms firmly crossed.

"I'm sorry. I-I just had to know, okay?" Draco kept his voice calm, worried that Hermione would go into a rant.

"And you want me to forgive you, just like that? You didn't believe me? I love you... a lot. Or so I thought..."

"Well, what do you want me to do for you?"

This stopped Hermione. She frowned and bit her lip, a habit that was becoming more and more frequent. It had become her tell-tale sign that she was unusre of something, and Draco knew this.

"Just go back home. I'll sort everything out later. By the time I get back, there'll be nothing to worry about anymore."

Draco ran his hand over her arm to show he understood, but Hermione was still acting cold towards him. He transformed again, and made his way out of the room.

xxx

Hermione, after allowing the last class to leave, packed up her things and made her way to the headmistress's office. Thinking it must have been sheer luck that had caused McGonogall to be so busy that day, she walked down the corridors to the third floor. She then abruptly stumbled into Sybil Trelawney.

"Sybil, what's wrong?"

Professor Trelawney, with her overly large spectacles and layers of shawls, had a strange glazed look across her eyes.

"Twice the dark lord shall return,

Seeking the one who has betrayed

And the one of his father's blood

Then shall he rise, to thwart his enemies once more."

Hermione's heart started racing, taking in the riddle Trelawney had just told her. What did she mean, the one who has betrayed?

"I'm so sorry dear, what was I saying?"

Trelawney seemed to have no recollection of what she had announced. Hermione, who used to think Divination was a totally pointless subject, ran towards the gargoyle guarding the office and went up the stairs, trying to ignore what she had said.

Setting her mind straight to the task in hand, she thought to herself, Trelawney, batty old woman.

Hermione took the sword of Godric Gryffindor out of its case, her hands trembling as she did so. She did not want to do this. She wished she hadn't told Draco to leave. She pointed the tip of the sword at the dagger that shook just as feverishly as her hands. She knew it would happen, any minute now.

Smoke rose from the diamond-set M at the dagger's hilt. Hermione took a step back, trying not to remember what happened when she last destroyed a Horcrux...

"Hermione, you can do this."

"Ron, I- I don't think I can. No... you do it."

She remembered standing in the Chamber of Secrets with Ron, the cup of Hufflepuff lying upon the cold stone floor and the basilisk fang clasped in her hand. Smoke had issued from inside, smothering and wrapping around her body before she pulled away, waiting for something to happen... anything.

"Ron?"

"Hermione, just stab it. Please."

The smoke formed into a serpentine, scary figure of Ron Weasley. She knew what the Horcrux-Ron would say before it even spoke.

"You really think I would fall for someone like you? I never loved you, I was never jealous of you and Krum. Lavender was perfect, still perfect, compared to a selfish stubborn Mudblood-"

Sobbing on the floor, the shattered remnants of the Hufflepuff cup strewn all around her, Hermione felt Ron's reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Hermione... I would never call you 'that'. I-"

"I know, Ron, I know."

She glanced up, scared to look at the silhouette's face that she recognised so well; it was Draco.

"You can be so gullible, Granger." A harsh laugh fled the man's lips. "You think I would ever have feelings for you? I wouldn't change my ways for a filthy Mudblood like you. Did you really expect me to let you string along with my plans... Potter was right... you must be mad to believe me-" The figure moved towards her as it spoke, snaking its arms around her neck before transforming into a long winding snake, ready to bite her...

"No! Stop it!" She screamed, stabbing the hilt of the knife in one blow. "Shut up!" It was over.

xxx

However, far away, in a village called Godric's Hollow, the Potters' house was empty. Yet, several moments before, Draco, Ginny and Harry were all there. Along with some people from the past.

I know I haven't updated in a while, so I hope you forgive me with this chapter. Do you think I use cliff-hangers too much? I think I'll finish this story in about 5 more chapters maybe. And I'll be putting a poll up for those of you who think I should make a sequel! Keep reviewing, fanfic-ers!