Author's Note: I will endeavor to post more soon...Finals are taking their toll. I also was a bit down about only having 9 reviews, but oh well. We can't all have 41 or so reviews like Drucilla even if we are Voldemort. And yes, I'm using the royal we. :]

Might as well visit Drucilla's stuff too since she's so bloody special. She's the Drucilla with 10 stories by the way....the jerk.

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Ron sighed as Professor De L'Enfant's desk was swarmed by over-anxious male students. "So much for asking her my question."

Hermione sighed darkly. "Oh right. Like you had a question."

"For your information, I found her latest lecture on whatever it is to be quite entertaining and---."

Hermione snorted and stalked out of the room.

Harry had to agree with her somewhat. Half of those flocking her desk were certainly not interested in trolls. Draco Malfoy among them. He looked beyond smitten with their Professor. Crabbe and Goyle of course were right behind him.

He wasn't surprised to see Seanmus up there as well. Though in his case asking for help was more than probable. Same thing for Neville.

He had a feeling Ron would have been the first up there if both Harry and Hermione hadn't been in the room.

"Off to Snape's then," Ron said gloomily as though he was being sent to an attic filled with spiders.

Harry had to agree though. Professor De L'Enfant's class was pure bliss compared to Snape's.

They trudged off down the hallway, Ron scowling Harry shrugging.

They were among the first ones there for once. Harry smirked to himself noticing Snape's raised eyebrow at the many empty seats and the punctuality of their arrival. He made no comment but went back to his writing as he waited for more students to arrive.

Harry and Ron sat down. Hermione had her nose buried in A Passion for Potions, a more recent attempt to increase interest in the subject. Harry didn't think anything would interest him in Snape's Potions class.

Ron sunk in his seat, head on his hands and exhaled heavily.

"Oh Ron, come off it," Hermione hissed.

"Easy for you to say, Miss Perfect," Ron muttered.

Snape scowled looking up from his parchment. Less than pleased at the lack of male students in his classroom.

He rose to his feet, crossed his arms and moved over to his podium in a graceful manner of slight indifference and obvious displeasure. Nothing new, but he seemed more unhappy than usual. Harry hid a grin. Malfoy was going to get it for sure now.

Harry glanced up as a flock of sheepish-looking male students entered class.

Snape coughed as they sat down as though they were on cloud nine.

He looked utterly appalled as Malfoy entered the room with a glazed-over look and Crabbe and Goyle bumped into the door frame before figuring out how to get into the room.

"How kind of you, Masters Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle to honor us with your presence," he said with a bitter sarcasm that made the hairs on Harry's neck stand on end.

"Sorry, Professor," Malfoy said in an almost indifferent drawl as he took his seat.

"You can practice your apologies while you serve detention," Snape said in a dark tone. "15 points will be taken from Slytherin as well."

The other Slytherins in the room scowled at Malfoy. He ignored it calmly nodding his head.

"Yes, Professor."

Snape glared at him, eyes forming narrow daggers of displeasure before he began the lecture.

Harry marveled that Snape even made it half-way through his lecture before loosing his patience with the lot of them and assigning them an obscene amount of homework before leaving the room in a fit of rage.

"Understandable," Hermione said in a neutral tone.

"Understandable? We haven't even covered half of this," Ron moaned banging his head on the desk.

Malfoy chuckled. "Oh well. Such a shame for you, Weasley."

"Well, if it isn't Monsieur L'amour himself," Hermione said in disgust. "If anything was shameful, it was your behavior in class today."

She stalked out and Draco's pale face colored to nearly crimson.

Ron and Harry shrugged and followed her out chuckling quietly.

********

"Now, Ron I know we need to do all of this, but...don't you think we should be asking Professor Snape?" Harry asked as Ron dragged him towards Professor De L'Enfant's classroom.

They had been working and working on potions homework for hours now.

"Certainly not, she'll actually help us," Ron said anxiously. "Besides, no matter what happens, I guarantee you we'll do better than Malfoy."

Harry smirked. "True. But bothering her about this seems ridiculous. It's not even her problem."

Ron sighed as they entered the room.

Professor De L'Enfant looked up from the large tome she was reading that practically covered her desk.

"Why hello Mr. Weasley, Mr. Potter," She said pleasantly.

Ron blushed. "I...that is...we..."

Harry sighed. "We were wondering if you could help us...with...some problems that we can't figure out."

She looked a tad confused. "I didn't assign any homework for tomorrow."

"Well, that's the thing," Harry added slightly embarrassed. "It's for Potions."

"Have you...talked to Professor Snape."

"Well, that is--"

"Yes, but he's dreadfully busy," Ron said regaining his composure. "Busy for a long long time."

Harry sighed under his breath.

"Ah. Well, I suppose I can try. Potions was not my strongest subject I admit." She said with a smile.

"Oh thank you," Ron said with childlike joy.

Harry shook his head as she walked with them over to the Potions room.

********

Harry and Ron walked back to the Gryffindor hall happily with all their homework done.

"You know, it almost made sense the way she explained it," Ron said merrily.

Harry shook his head. "I have to admit it that really helped."

"I told you. We just need the proper motivation."

Harry snorted uproariously. "Motivation, eh?"

Ron sighed. "Look, if I wanted ridicule, I'd have asked for Hermione's help or Snape's."

"Okay, okay, sorry," Harry said.

********

Besides those who stayed behind to question Professor De L'Enfant the next day, Harry noticed that several students were missing all together.

Hermione and Ron both had no idea why.

"Could still be doing homework for Snape," Ron said with a shrug rubbing his eyes and yawning.

Harry nodding yawning as well though he didn't feel nearly as tired as Ron looked.

Hermione seemed to be one of the few alert students in the room. She continued to plow her way through whatever latest thick, dust-smothered tome she had found with an unpleasant scowl on her face even as they headed off to Potions.

All of the students were rather surprised to see Snape come in late to his own class. He looked the same as usual but somewhat more tired than usual. He smoothed his hair back and sighed loudly hand covering his mouth although concealing a yawn as he waited for them to hand their rolled parchments of homework to him.

He raised an eyebrow at Ron as he handed Snape his gigantic parchment.

"Been hard at work, Mr. Weasley?" Snape questioned with hawk-like scrutinizing eyes.

"Of course, sir."

Snape waved his hand dismissively and set the parchments down on his desk. He scowled as Seamus and Neville entered the room and turned in their scrolls eyes almost red with weariness.

"Hard at work as well, Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Henley?"

They muttered sleepy apologies and staggered to their seats as Draco waltzed in once more head in a cloud still.

"And our good Master Malfoy has honored us once again with his presence," Snape remarked dryly. "Tell me, will you be gracing my desk with today's homework assignment as well."

Draco blinked a couple of times confusion only growing as even Goyle and Crabbe handed Snape their scrolls.

"That was due today?" He said a bit worriedly.

Snape rolled his eyes. "Turn it in tomorrow, Mr. Malfoy.

"You will have plenty of time to tend to it during today's detention as well," he added with a bitter smirk.

********

"Can you believe that?" Ron said in disgust. "He can turn it in tomorrow."

Harry chuckled. "Who cares? Draco got another detention from Snape. I could die happy."

Hermione smiled a bit. "As annoying as you're been lately--Ron in particular of course-- I'm really impressed with you two. You must have worked really hard on that homework."

Ron had grown angry and now looked a bit surprised. "Is that a compliment?"

Hermione sighed.

"Just joking," Ron said smiling. "Thanks for saying so."

Harry nodded.

"See if you just apply yourself, Ron, you'll do just fine," Hermione added a bit sternly. "Well, see you two later. I have to do some research in the library for Potions tomorrow."

"I still say," Ron whispered to Harry as she left, "that she really needs to get her priorities straight. She lives in that library."

"It really hasn't hurt her so far, Ron," Harry said shrugging.

"Bit of fun never hurt anyone either," Ron said sourly as they headed to their dormitory.

********