hery guys. ok im starting to notice that the chapters in this story are pretty short. im sorry bout that. it just seems the way they turn out. the good news is that i can update faster with them like this. so heres chapter four. i hope you like it! i dont own harry potter but you already knew that ;]

I know I should stop believing

I know there's no retrieving

"I honestly don't know" the girl said.

How could she not know? I tried to kill her and she doesn't know why I failed? I turned to face the front and away from her. Granger's incompetence enraged me beyond belief. I didn't understand how this little girl could infuriate me so much but she had managed to get inside my head. She knew things about me, things that no one could possibly know and she used them against me. Mystery and intrigue surrounded this girl. One way or another I would find her insecurities and use them against her. I would make her suffer, I had too.

I dared to look her way one more time and I saw her features set hard and detached. She was so angry all the time, kind of like myself. Your lumping yourself with mudbloods now? An eerie voice echoed through my mind. I shook my head to release the thoughts, I would not associate myself with this girl, it was insane of me to even think such things. The strange voice calmed it's attack on me once I had seen reason.

The dungeons looked different than I remember them being. I always thought potions to be an adequate subject but I never cared for the dank spot where the class resided. I was top of my class every year, I expected to be in the head of the pack here as well, the time travel will not change my strive to be the best. Students began to trickle into the dungeon. They didn't seem to take notice of me and left me alone. Idiotic children. They had no idea who was sitting mere seats away from them, if they did people would take notice of me. Fear would cripple them and I would draw strength from it like I always did.

Some of the students came up to Granger and gave her a greeting. Her only response every time was a small wave or a slight smile. Not once did she use words with her peers. In fact, I had not seen her talk to anyone but me since I had arrived. She was furious when she found out I would be the Head Boy to her Head Girl but still she only pounded her fists against the desk. I would have to watch her and see what I discover. The room was full now except for the seat next to me and the one next to Granger. The bell rang signaling the beginning of the class. The teacher walked in and I recognized him at once as Professor Slughorn. It was so strange to see a familiar face in such strange surroundings.

He walked up to the front of the class and clasped his hands together in welcome. "Good morning class! I would like to give you a warm welcome to the advanced placement NEWT potions class! I see many faces I have seen before and some that are new." He scanned the room and his eyes froze in terror when he spotted me. He stumbled for words a couple of times before he stopped to regain his composure. He straightened his tie and wiped sweat from his brow. Horace Slughorn was always a complete imbecile, the fact that I brought terror to his face made me forget all about Granger for the time being.

I gave the teacher an evil smile, he stumbled to find words once more. "Ah... I.. uh... partners! Turn to face the person next to you and say hello to your new potions partner for your last year of Hogwarts!" He looked over me and Granger. "Ah, Mr.?"

"Redford, sir." I used the voice I used on all the teachers, it gave the effect that I was a 'honorable boy'. He cowered slightly as recognition of my voice increased his fears.

"Right Mr. Redford you will be partners with Miss. Granger."

I looked over to the girl, she wore a look of utter outrage and disgust but did not say anything to try and change what was happening. At that moment I knew she didn't talk to anyone... but me. I rolled my eyes and walked over to her. I placed my things on the floor and sat in the chair next to her. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. The silly little girl looked like someone had just put her in a timeout. Pathetic.

Slughorn gave us a 'review potion' to complete before the end of class. Hopefully Granger would not interfere too much and allow me to do this quickly and effectively. I never had a partner before because I didn't need one. I worked better on my own. Like I figured, the stubborn girl set about to get the ingredients and start to boil water in her cauldron (considering I didn't have a cauldrom we had to you her second hand one). She began to read the directions. I watched as her chocolate brown eyes scanned the page. She picked up a bottle of sorts and made to dump some of it's contents into the boiling cauldron. I stopped her inches before she dumped the liquid into the water. She glared daggers at me as I held her wrist. I was surprised that I did not feel the painful burning sensation in my hand from the touch of her skin.

The last two times (the only two times) I had touched her I felt as if my skin was on fire. This time nothing. I snapped out of my memories and removed my hand from her wrist. "I think I'd better do that."

She scoffed at me. "I think I know how to make a simple strengthening potion just fine without you distracting me and possibly causing an accident." She leaned in close to me. I assumed she was trying to intimidate me but was failing miserable. "Tell me. Along with being a vile, murderous monster are you also suicidal?"

She snapped her head away from me and her attention was back on the task at hand. I couldn't help but grin at her hateful, witty comment. I wiped it off my face quickly, hoping Granger didn't notice. What was this girl doing to me? "No I'm not." I stated simply. I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration. I watched closely as she added the Re'em blood. I read the next step in the directions and selected a snake fang. I placed it gently in the cauldron so it would not cause an explosion. The potion was now a bright red color which met that we were brewing it correctly. I saw her eyes drift to me as I read the directions.

"What?" I asked gingerly, not even bothering to look up at her, it would be a waste of time. She grabbed a piece of a lavender plant and placed it into the pot.

"I didn't say anything." She spat.

"No, but you were looking at me. What is it Granger?" She rolled her eyes and refused to answer. We worked on in silence. We finished first out of every one in the class and Slughorn came to check over our work.

"Well done." I noticed he was addressing Granger and not me when he said this, honestly this man was a complete git. He walked away from us and over to a table were two students from Hufflepuff had managed to blow up their potion. It figures that it was Hufflepuff's that screwed up. If you were in Hufflepuff you were automatically a moron.

Granger bottled up our potion and went up to place it on Slughorn's desk. She made to grab the cauldron but I beat her to it. "I've got it." I wrinkled my forehead at my own words. In my right mind I would never have had offered to help a mudblood, ever.

"Why?" She asked confusedly.

I had no idea why I offered to do it. I could possibly be suffering from head trauma I had received last night when I hit my head? There was no reasonable explanation for my actions. Granger was staring at me, waiting for an answer. I thought quickly. "Because your hands are dirty Granger, just like you blood. Move aside." I pushed past her and over to the sinks. I could feel the heat of her anger floating over to me. What was happening? Why was I acting like this? All my questions came back to one answer: Granger.

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The rest of my classes were a waste of time. Hogwarts must have lowered it's standards over the years because every student in my advanced NEWTs classes was unintelligent and positively primitive. Well all of them except one. The only person that could even be considered close to being in my league was Granger. She was still a silly girl but a silly girl who had a lot of knowledge.

I made my way back to the Head's dorm after classes. I didn't like being around the other students, they made me feel dumber every second I was near them. I said the password and walked through the portrait of a knight. The common room was empty. Good, that meant Granger was out gallivanting with other lowly people like herself. I went over to the little kitchenette the dorm had and grabbed a glass of water. I turned around and saw that unfortunately my assumption about Granger being out was wrong. She was sprawled out on the couch with that childish muggle novel in her hands. She looked up at me and grimaced. She returned to her book without a word to me.

I pursed my lips at her. "I need to study." I told her.

"Fine." She said, not really paying attention to what I was saying. I let out an angry sigh.

"Go away." I told her forcefully.

"I think not. You go away."

"No!"

"Well I'm not going." She said stubbornly.

"Well neither am I." I hissed through my teeth. I would have used the crucio curse on her but my wand would not obey my command even if I did cast the spell. Damn.

"Fine." She said. Granger was trying very hard not to lose her temper, I could tell. What she would accomplish if she keep her cool I had no clue.

"Fine." I snarled. I sat down on the couch opposite to hers and took my books out of my bag. The History of Magic professor assigned an essay about the pixie crisis of 1980 that was due next week. Considering that I hadn't even been to 1980... yet I had to brush up on my 'history'. I could hear Granger tapping her finger on the book as she read. I let out a deep breath and tried to ignore it. The tapping continued for five more minutes. I had not been able to take in anything I had read for the past ten pages. I threw the book across the room. It hit the wall and made a loud crashing noise. She jumped at the sudden movement, she was half sitting with her hand in her wand pocket. Ha, as if she could even be challenge for me.

"Will you desist, mudblood!?" Her eyes went wide at my comment. She threw down her book as well. She walked around the coffee table and stood inches from my chest. I was sure she was going to attempt to hit me once more but she didn't. Her fists clenched tightly and her jaw was locked. I could tell she wanted to scream at me but she never did.

She let out a growl before storming away from me and back to her couch. She sat back down and opened the book again. Her lack of response made me even more frustrated and angry with her. She should have yelled, she should have tried to hit me but nothing. I walked over to get my book. It had landed on the floor right near her spot. I bent down to get it and looked up at her. "I should have killed you when I had the chance." I hissed. My eyes were narrow slights by this point, the 'creature' side of me was taking control and Tom Riddle was spilling away. She smile slightly. Something I was not expecting to see. She put the book marker in the book and laid it on the coffee table. She leaned in close to were I was kneeling. Her eyes were filled with hate and something else. I couldn't exactly identify the emotion that resided there but it seems along the lines of sadness.

"Yeah you should have." she growled lowly. She flew up from the couch and headed to the stairs that led to our rooms. She stopped on the last step. I heard her take a deep breath before turning around to face me. "But that is just one mistake we both will have to live with now."

Next thing I know I hear the slamming of a door. I sat on the floor where the Gryffindor left me stunned. I have never been stunned before in my life. I never allowed myself to be. But Granger had managed to do the impossible things when it came to me. I had no idea how Granger had managed to weasel her way into my head. She was just a huge question mark. Despite all I did not know about her there was one thing I knew for certain: Granger had nothing to live for.

thanks for reading! let me know what you think. reviews keep me from sucking! =]