Hermione yanked at the door of her apartment. It was an old building, and the door was often stuck shut. She sighed and gave it a good hard yank before it finally opened, and she stepped inside.

The room was dark, but there was a faint glow coming from the hallway to the den where she knew Ron would be. How did she know?

Because that's where he always was, smashed and covered in puke. TV always on, even when he was passed out. She didn't want to know how he got home every night and she didn't really care. What she did care about was that he got cleaned up and put to sleep...

Like a toddler... and not like a boyfriend of six years.

No one had to know. That's why it was imperative that she spent two hours before bed covering it all up. Making sure he had Advil and water and some toast in the morning, making sure he was okay when she left... but she couldn't make sure that he wouldn't do it again while she was gone.

That was the hardest part, knowing that she worked so hard and this was all she had to come back to.

She ran a hand over the bruise on her upper back and winced.

Hermione scrubbed a hand down her face and sighed, preparing herself once again for her nightly routine. Placing her book bag on the hook by the door, she walked into the den. And sure enough, there he was... just like every night.

She made a mental note to pick up more Febreeze and detergent the next day.

Why on earth would I expect anything less?

The next day, Hermione was browsing the library shelves for books for her exam next month. She ran her fingertips over the spines, feeling the soft leather or rough hide of the covers. Maths, sciences, English... chemistry! She stopped in front of the chem section, searching for Advanced Chemistry For Chumps. She grinned and pulled it off the shelf, along with a few of those surrounding it. You never know what book might have what you need...

Precariously balancing her books in her arms, she walked over to the old sofa by the window and placed the books on the carpet in front of it. She grabbed the book on top of the pile (Chemistry History) and sat down, swiveling her body so that her feet were dangling over the back of the couch and her head was hanging upside-down off the front, straightened hair brushing the ground as she read.

This is quite scintillating. Who would have guessed that mixing water and sodium (not to be confused with sodium chloride, or salt) makes things explode? She smiled to herself and continued to read. She lost herself in the pages of elements and mixtures and explosive combinations.

She completely missed the cough that came from across from her, meant to alert her to a presence. When she failed to respond, it came again, louder. Hermione frowned and continued reading. What bloke wants to keep me from reading? She resumed her focus.

"GRANGER." the voice said exasperatedly. "Move your lazy arse and sit up like a normal human being."

Hermione's gaze snapped up and locked on a pair of steely grey eyes before she fell off the couch, startled. She groaned.

"Ah, Malfoy. Once a prat, always a prat." She shut her eyes and dug the heels of her hands into them. "Do you have a good reason to bother me? Or to try and get me to break my ankle?"

The boy in question snickered. "I had no such thing in mind, but I must admit your little fall was quite entertaining." Hermione glared at him, climbing to her feet. "Schadenfreude accurately describes you, you pillock."

"Takes one to know one." Draco replied, a smirk taking over his delicate features.

Hermione gave him a big, luminous, and obviously fake grin. "Why thank you, Malfoy." He looked at her, and then frowned condescendingly.

"Don't smile like that. It's terrifying. Actually, just don't smile. Ever. It makes your oversized teeth look even larger, if that's possible." He studied his nails, which were infuriatingly perfect, just like always.

Perfect?! What next?!

Hermione looked at her own nails, which had hangnails and jagged edges and chipped pieces hanging off. She'd never cared about her nails, but comparing them to Malfoy's made her a bit self-conscious- What is wrong with you, Mione? They're just nails! For Christ's sake, don't compare them to that tosser's! She tucked her hands into her pockets and glared at him murderously.

"My teeth are perfectly normal, thanks." she growled.

Malfoy scrutinized her, raising an eyebrow in a way that made her skin crawl. "Then I don't think you've ever had to look in the mirror. Look, Granger, I know we've had our differences in the past-" Hermione looked at him incredulously.

"In the past?! We've still got differences! What's the deal, Malf-" Just as she'd done to him, Malfoy cut her off.

"Granger, shut up for once, will you?" She tried to object but he raised a finger. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Whatever he was going to say next, Hermione noted, must be important... at least, as important as it got for a Malfoy.

"Look, I need your help."

Her jaw dropped. "My help?! I've never heard such bullshit in my life! What on earth could someone like you possibly need me for?" Draco's ears turned bright red, as if he were embarrassed.

"Ah... you understand that the college we attend requires at least a B average to maintain attendance?" Hermione nodded, with a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Right. Well... I'm failing nearly all my classes, and... I... I thought maybe..." He glanced at her, and the look on his face was so contorted in pain that she winced. "You could... tutor me?"

Hermione stared at him. "Me?! Aren't you the richest prat this side of the Atlantic?!"

Malfoy sighed. "Yes, well... my parents cut me off. I still go home for the holidays... but my income has been cut off until I can get a steady job outside of my parents' law firm and not be getting D-minuses. I can't pay for an actual tutor, and since you're slightly smarter than the average student-"

"Slightly?!"

"Shut up, you self absorbed-!" The librarian walking by shushed him and he nodded apologetically, then turned back to her.

"Since you're slightly smarter than the average student, I thought maybe I'd ask you." He rubbed his neck with one hand. "Look, it's not ideal for me either, and I have nothing to offer you except free tacos whenever you visit the Taco Bell on Camberry Street..." He glared at her. "It's not ideal. But I can't really do much else." Malfoy's ears looked like they were on the verge of exploding, they were so red. Hermione studied him warily.

He's always been a jerk to me. But everyone has the right to an education. Even if he is a selfish prat, I doubt his parents would do anything less than disown him if he got expelled and couldn't graduate. I suppose I'll help him. And- Her stomach growled, loudly, a harsh reminder that she had nothing but an empty fridge and a passed-out ginger on the couch to return to. Malfoy raised an eyebrow, and Hermione flushed with embarrassment.

"Look, Malfoy." She gritted her teeth. "I don't like you. I never have. But even someone like you-" His eyes widened in outrage. "-should be able to graduate from college and have the oppurtunity to have a good life. You'd end up running your parents' firm no matter what degree you get, but they'd kick you out of the family if you didn't get one at all, correct?" Malfoy glared at the ground and nodded sullenly. Then he looked up and the haughty look was back.

He opened his mouth. "Though I don't suppose your kind could ever understand that-"

Hermione grabbed his arm and pinned it behind his back, pulling it until he whimpered.

"What do you mean, my kind?" she growled in his ear. "If you say another word about my kind, I swear on my life that I will rip your arm out of its socket and I will not now or ever help you graduate, and you can find someone else to help you, but good luck with that. I have done everything for myself, and you have it handed to you on a platter. If I decide to help you- and now I very well may not- I will remind you every second of everything I have gone through to get here and what you will have to endure to remain where you are. Do you understand?" she hissed.

Malfoy pulled his arm out, flipped around... and if looks could have killed, the glare on his face could have murdered the whole planet. His ears were still red, and it was spreading down his neck. How hard must it be for him to stoop to my level? Hermione thought with an angry grimace. She exhaled, and managed to look him in the face. She unclenched her fists. "Fine."

Malfoy ran a hand through his hair. "Look, I-"

"Meet me here tomorrow, same place, four-fifteen on the dot. If you're not here, I leave. Got it?" Malfoy nodded, having been silenced, and left, fuming. Hermione collapsed back onto the sofa with a sigh. Just as she opened her book...

"The library is closing in ten minutes. The check-out stations will close in five minutes. Thank you for visiting us today and remember to come again soon."

Hermione groaned, picking up the stack and heading to the monitor.

And what a world I'm going to go home to.

Hello everyone! I'm and this is the first chapter of what I hope will be a long story. Updates will be when I have ideas, but I need a beta writer to make sure my writing is as good as it can be. I know my writing style is kind of formal and I want to make sure you guys can really enjoy it. Anyway, Chapter 2 is in the works (I NEED CONSULTING ESPECIALLY FOR C2 AS IT HAS A TRIGGER WARNING) and so is Chapter 3! Please DM me if you need clarification on words or have questions, comments, or criticisms- I can take it, and remember, I need a BETA, or maybe two or three :). Thanks for reading and see you next time-

Lyrical

QOTD: SPREAD KINDNESS NOT GERMS!
Trivia: Name 3 spells (don't use Google for a challenge) created by Severus Snape!