Author's Note: Hmm, where is this story going? I haven't the slightest idea, so be prepared for an interesting fanfic. PLEASE REVIEW! Also, has anyone ever noticed that one of the words most often used to describe Malfoy is "malicious"? Weird. ~Moondream

"Oh my gosh," Hermione gasped, ignoring Ron's profuse cursing. "How could we have missed it?" She put her hands to her face, and tried to think.

"What do we do?" Ron asked nervously.

"I suppose we'll have to go to the Owl Post Office and send a message," Hermione decided.

She grabbed his arm and started running down the street. They finally reached the door of the Post Office, and gazed in. It was dark.

"Oh, no," Hermione panted, "No, no, no, no, no! This cannot happen! Not now, not here."

"Someone's bound to realize we're missing," Ron said, thinking logically, "Ariele, or Harry, or Professor McGonagall."

Hermione nodded, but she was skeptical. What if they didn't? What if they had to stay the night?

Ron must have read her thoughts, because he said, "They'll notice we're missing before bed time. Remember, Harry and I sleep in the same room."

"Well, let's see," Hermione said thoughtfully, "The Three Broomsticks stays open most of the night. We could start there."

"Or," A voice from behind them sneered, "You could start explaining." They whirled around and faced, the one and only, Severus Snape. And for once, Hermione was happy to see him.

"Professor," She began excitedly, "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"We missed the bus, and the Post Office was closed, and we were just going to down to the Three Broomsticks to ask to use someone's owl, and--" Ron rambled on and on.

Snape's face screwed into joyless grin that make Goosebumps run up and down Hermione's back.

"Detention!" Snape decided, "Yes, for both of you."

"But Professor," Hermione protested, "We lost track of time--"

"Buy a watch," He snapped. Then he extended his arm, which Ron grabbed. Hermione held Ron's hand, and they were quickly apparated back to the castle.

~~~~*~~~~

"This is so unfair," Ron muttered under his breath, and he cleaned bedpans in the Infirmary.

"Quit complaining," Hermione admonished and she changed sheets on the beds, "At least we're back."

It was nearly midnight, and their detention had begun immediately. Finally, Ron stood up.

"I'm finished," He proclaimed, "Let me help you." They completed the last bed quickly, then retired to their common room. Ariele was waiting patiently by the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Ariele!" Hermione exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you ever," Ariele's eyes narrowed menacingly, "Ever, make me go out with Malfoy again."

"Ariele, I--" Hermione began.

"That, that scum is the most horrible creature to walk the planet." Ariele had a disgusted expression on her face.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"You want to know what happened? Let me tell you."

"We should probably move," Ron suggested, "Someone might come by."

They rushed out of corridor and into the History of Magic classroom, which was nearby.

"Well?" Hermione prodded.

"All right," Ariele began, sitting down on a bench, "You saw how it started out. We had butterbeers, I left, he hung around for a while, he left--Do you follow?"

They nodded, and Ariele continued.

"Then we walked up to the Shrieking Shack, and he held my hand the whole time we walked around it."

"Ugh," Hermione wrinkled her nose.

"That was bad enough," Ariele frowned, "But then, we decided--actually, he decided--to go to the Cinema. Obviously, we ended up seeing the same video you guys did. I put my head on his shoulder and pretended I was enjoying myself. Then we wandered around for a few minutes before catching the bus and riding back here. Of course, I had to sit by him. Then he led me to my common room entrance, and tried to kiss me goodnight."

Ron's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, and Hermione almost gagged.

"What did you do?" Hermione asked, "You didn't let him…Did you?"

"Are you kidding? Of course not! I pretended to trip, just as he leaned forward, and then he pretended to catch me, then I pretended I had to get to bed. Needless to say, we did a lot of pretending."

"That's to bad," Hermione said, but she couldn't restrain a giggle. "I can just imagine him. You did an excellent job, though."

"But, you're going to have to go out with him once more," Ron said, "Just to make it seem like you're really going out with him."

Ariele looked at him with daggers in her eyes.

"We'll talk tomorrow," Hermione decided. "We've got to get to bed." They went their separate directions.

"Halfsprite," Hermione whispered to the Fat Lady. The door swung open, and they climbed in.

"Goodnight," Hermione smiled at Ron. He leaned over and kissed her again. Then she watched him walk up the stairs to his bed.

"What'd he do that for?" A voice from by the fireplace asked. It was Harry.

"What are you doing up?" Hermione scowled.

"Who cares why I'm up," Harry said, "Why did he do that?"

"Do what?" Hermione stalled.

"Don't play dumb," Harry crossed his arms, "You know what I'm talking about."

Hermione shrugged. "I-I don't know," She stuttered.

"Why did he do that?" Harry demanded.

Hermione was suddenly angry. "It's none of your business who I kiss! I don't monitor when Cho kisses you!"

Harry blushed, and Hermione had a feeling that Cho never had kissed him.

"Harry, just lay off." She said and she stomped up the stairs to her bed. "Just lay off."

As soon as she was under her sheets, she began to think.

Why did Ron kiss her? Just the thought made her shiver with pleasure. She wanted to keep it to herself, never tell anyone. But she thought of someone who would be hurt if she didn't. She began a letter.

Dear Rose,

You won't believe what happened today…

She wrote three pages on what had happened, and how Hogwarts was. Then she folded it up. She'd mail it in the morning.

~~~~*~~~~

"May I use your owl?" Was the first the Hermione asked Harry, when he came to the breakfast hall the next morning. He ignored her.

"Harry!" She began to repeat the message. "May I use your owl?"

"Wh-what?" He stammered, shaking his head, as if pulling himself from a daydream.

"May I use HEDWIG?" She practically shouted. A few heads at the Gryffindor table turned and looked at her, but then resumed their conversations.

"No you may not," He replied sharply, giving her a Look.

"Ron," Hermione sighed, "May I use your owl?"

Ron was stirring his cereal absentmindedly. He didn't answer. With her fists clenched, Hermione stood up and stormed toward the Ravenclaw table towards Ariele who was buttering toast.

"Hey, Ariele," She tapped Ariele's shoulder. "You don't, by any chance, have an owl…Do you?"

Ariele looked up at her.

"Nope, sorry," She replied with a regretful smile. "We didn't use them in Dremwick, and I haven't gotten one yet."

"That's okay," Hermione told her. Then a voice from behind startled her.

"I do," It said. It was a girl with curly black hair and blue eyes. She couldn't be more than twelve.

"Would you like to use him?" The girl continued.

"Thanks…" Hermione said slowly. Then she straightened up. "Sure, thanks! Are you finished with breakfast?"

The girl nodded, curls falling over she shoulders.

"Then lets go to the Owlery!" Hermione exclaimed.

They rushed out of the Great Hall and to the Owlery. The girl selected a tawny colored owl, with a green and silver ribbon around its ankle.

"What's your name?" Hermione asked the girl abruptly. "Which house are you in?"

"Sierra," The girl stated. "Sierra Brooke. I'm a…A Slytherin."

Hermione froze. Here she was, conversing with a Slytherin. A horrible, disgusting, Slytherin!

Wait a second, Hermione thought. Not all Slytherins are horrible! Sierra is quite nice…

Hermione head another voice inside her head.

She's a Slytherin! It said. A lowdown scum, probably like Malfoy himself.

All Slytherins are NOT horrible! She fought back. They just have a bad reputation.

She kept arguing with herself, in her head. Sierra was watching with interest.

"Are you okay?" She asked with raised eyebrows. "Here's my owl--Tamore--you can use him now."

Hermione shook herself away from the fighting.

"Thanks," She said, "Thanks a lot."

She proceeded to give the letter to the owl, who clutched it between its beak and disappeared.

Hermione thanked Sierra again, briefly, and mentioned something about seeing her around. Then she scuttled off to her classes.

One Month Later

"Any tips?" Ariele asked Ron and Hermione as the trio walked toward the Entrance Hall. "Anything I should make sure to do, or not to do?"

It was October, and time for the second trip to Hogsmeade. It also happened to be Halloween. The first and second years were staying behind (of course) for a Halloween party. Most of the other students were going on this trip. Ariele was going as Malfoy's date--something she wasn't too pleased about. Harry would be accompanying Ron and Hermione. He didn't know anything about their plan to embarrass Malfoy (nicknamed Operation: Malfoy). All he knew was that Ariele was going as Malfoy's date ("She's going with that scum?" He'd growled).

Hermione and Ron began firing answers to Ariele's question. They kept finishing one another's sentences.

"Don't call him Malfoy, say Draco," Ron suggested.

"Laugh more--" Hermione said.

"But not too much--"

"Or he'll think you're--"

"Weird." Ron completed.

"Well aren't you the specialist in this area!" Ariele teased him, winking at Hermione.

Hermione grinned, that looked forward.

"There's Harry!" She pointed. He was surrounded by a sea of students, looking around him. They ran over to meet him.

"Hi, Har--Harry what happened?" Hermione gasped. His left eye was black and blue.

"Malfoy," He muttered. Ariele put a hand to her mouth, eyes wide and glasses askew.

"That snake!" Ron said menacingly. "That rotten, good-for-nothing, SNAKE!"

"Ron-" Hermione began in her school-teacher tone, but was interrupted by Ariele.

"Don't say rude things about people behind their backs," Ariele completed. Hermione couldn't help smiling.

"You know me too well," She said.

"Don't you--don't you think you should go to Madame Pomfrey?" Ariele asked Harry timidly. She become friendlier to him as time passed, but was still amazingly shy.

"No," Harry snapped. Hermione raised her eyebrows and murmured a "Touchy, touchy," under her breath. She was astonished when Ariele glared at him and retorted,

"Don't YOU talk to me like that!"

"Is something wrong, Ari?" A voice drawled. It was, of course, the infamous Draco Malfoy. He came up behind Ariele and threw his arms over her shoulders, tossing a satisfied smirk in Harry's direction, and a look of pure hatred in Hermione's. Ariele looked as though she'd like to pull Malfoy's arms off and knock him unconscious with them, but she tactfully replied,

"Nothing, Draco, nothing at all."

"Then let's get going!" Malfoy linked his arm in Ariele's and they walked out the open door, but not before she turned and looked at Hermione with a pained expression.

~~~~*~~~~