After Draco was sure he had completely lost his entire dinner, he decided to go work on some of his potions assignments. Sitting down at the couch with his potions book, he noticed Professor Phillips in the fireplace. "Hello sir. Do you have anything of importance to talk to me about?" Draco asked in a polite but impatient tone. "Well Draco. I just wanted to let you and Miss Granger know in advance that auditions have been rescheduled." "Yes. Let me get Granger then," Draco said before getting up and going to Hermione's door. Professor Phillips saw Hermione return into his view with Draco. "Hello Professor. Do you need me," Hermione asked meekly. "Oh no 'Mione. I just wanted to tell you that audition for Romeo and Juliet have been rescheduled. If you want to try out for the minor roles you can come after school tomorrow. Otherwise, you can just find out who is going to be who on Monday morning. By the way, Romeo and Juliet will receive 100 points extra credit." "Well sir. I think I am going to need those 100 points so you know I'll try out. When do I audition again? Unless I'm too late that is." "Oh, don't worry. Auditions haven't already ended. And I have a feeling you have a great chance of being Juliet. Of course all of the teachers will be judging. I hope to see you Saturday night at the ball. Oh no! It's already Thursday. I still have to work on my mask. Goodnight Hermione. Draco," and with a bop, Professor Phillips's head was no longer floating in the amber flames of the fireplace. "So you're going to try out huh Granger?" Draco asked. "Well I guess so, however they're going to stage auditions that is. Knowing Stephen's bloodline, things should be interesting," chuckled Mione. "Right Granger. Whatever. So while you were on your little vacay, Dumbledore told me we are to figure out a plan for the Yule Ball and that it has to be, and I quote, 'the most original, romantic, neo-classical, mind-boggling event that Hogwarts has ever seen. And besides decorating, you two have to work on it alone. We'll all expect to be surprised.'" At the thought of all this work Dumbledore assigned in addition to her work and the work she needed to catch up on, Hermione fell onto the couch, "And this was the year I was going to completely let lose and party." "Sorry Granger," Draco said walking towards his bedroom, "well, goodluck on coming up with a theme. I'll help you if I have time when I'm done with my mask. Night!" "Night?" sighed Hermione in an interrogative manner, "when am I going to sleep?" and with that she pulled out parchment and a quill and began to think up of Yule Ball ideas. At least she had finished her mask. Later that night: "That's It! I have the perfect idea! No one will be able to argue with it. I can't believe I was thinking of having a stupid Muggle-influenced dance. This Ball is going to be amazing. Love of the Cold. Perfect. Now for the details." Mione's words began to blur together as she continued to write. SMACK, SMACK, SMACK. Something was banging at her window. She opened the window to see a beautiful black owl fly through with a parcel wrapped in brown paper. "Midnight, finally, you've brought my dress." Mione said to the owl Harry had given her for Christmas last year. She placed midnight in her case, unwrapped and hung her dress, than slowly drifted off to a dreamless sleep. The following day went well for Hermione. Catching up on the gossip with Lavender and Pavarti seemed to take up most of her morning. She had never been on for meaningless rumors, but being locked up in her room made her realize she might as well bask in the fun, anyway, she was just letting lose. The rest of the morning she spent with Ginny getting the truths behind the gossip and telling Ginny what had happened over summer. "OH MY GAWD! You went that far with him? You know that is practically sex with a guy you only knew for like two weeks! Daymn gurl. You're good. If I could only have that effect on guys. But of course I don't have that perfect body, and beautifully tanned skin as you. Tell me more about this Ryan guy, was he built?" Ginny began to squeal. "Yumm. He had the best bod I've ever seen on an American. So toned from all that surfing and weight lifting. I could spend hours just running my hand up and down his chest. Hehe. But that wasn't all I did." Hermione giggled. "I also," she began than whispered something to Ginny which made her squeal again. "Don't look at me that way Gin, I told you I want to have fun. And that's what I had. but I guess that was all I had," Hermione felt tears well up again. "Mione, common don't cry. You'll find someone new. Anyways, there are so many cute guys here. You'll have to have fun tomorrow night." "I guess. Well, who knows. Are you going to lunch?" "Yea. But why, it's not for another fifteen minutes," Ginny piped, Eyebrows questioning Mione much more than her voice was. "Need to finish some stuff. Tell Harry and Ron I'll see them at dinner." And with that Mione got up and left the Gryffindor common room and entered her own. When people are somnambulistic and living in their own world they don't realize that they've changed. When they awaken, they often fall back into their bad habits. This is exactly what happened to poor blind Hermione. When Mione entered her common room she noticed Draco going over her notes for the Yule Ball. "Excuse me? Why the bloddy hell are you going through my stuff you draft prat?" mione exclaimed. A countenance of pure astonishment flashed across the features of Draco, before being covered by anger and pride. "Who are you to talk to me like that? I better watch what you say, Miss. Some of us actually have the power to fight back." Draco drawled with an air of arrogance. He plastered on that devilishly handsome, yet terribly annoying smirk and added, "anyroad, I was just taking a glance at the horrid ideas you came up with for the Yule Ball." "So you think my ideas are horrid," exclaimed Hermione, "well if I wasn't a good witch I'd." " Calm yourself down Granger. Actually they aren't that bad for someone of your class. Where is the class of Mudblood anyways Granger? I mean Muggles are so primitive I couldn't say their highest class is anywhere near that of Welfare Weasleys. And you certainly aren't in the Pureblood wealthy catgegory, so where, pray tell, do you lie?" Seeing that his rambling had only caused her to raise an eyebrow, he continued, "I mean where do you lie, except for in the bed of any piece of red meat you come across." Hermione seethed with frustration. He was absolutely conceited and inexcusably rude. But like the new American affected witch she had become, Hermione had a reply for Malfoy's childish attempt at an insult. "oh Draco, Draco, Draco. Why so edgy lately? Just because I'm the only girl in our year who hasn't become your sexual prey and you haven't gotten a good roll in the sheets since the end of last year doesn't mean you have to get mad." Ouch. She shot. And she hit him straight in the royal jewels. "Close Granger, actually its only been a couple of months since I've had a fuck. Sharon Dubert, mmmm, oh well, she wasn't that great anyways" Draco had mumbled, but Hermione heard it clearly anyways. "WHO? What was that name? IwasDumpedForAGirlWhoYouDon'tEvenConsiderAGoodFuck.IhaveHalfAMindToGoAndHexT hatBloddyFoolHalfwayThroughTheEarth'sCoreAndBack.AndI'llLeaveHisTinyArseDick ToMeltInTheRadioactivity! AHH! Malfoy, you are such a pig-head you know? Yet somehow you manage not to be the total scum of the earth. Excuse me, I have to go send a horrible curse to an ex-boyfriend." With that and a lovely fake smile, Hermione left to her room. Draco must have stood there dappled for at least a quarter of an hour. by the time he had fully perused over what had happened he heard clamor coming from Hermione's room. He just walked out of the common room and to lunch. At least he knew he could find some cute girls there who didn't talk about incoherent feelings. Because the one that did managed to give him a headache just by making him think. But there was more to it. She didn't just make him think, she made him feel. And that was the most confusing part of it. While Draco was on his was to visit his many admirers, he was unfortunate enough to stumble among some first-year Gryffindors fighting with some Slytherin. "Well, if you were smart enough to ever leave those wretched confinements of those mildew-infested dungeons, maybe you'd be able to think of a name that much more original than Mudblood. I've recently read Hogwarts: A History, and I seriously believe they should add that those who live above ground seem to be less evil than you," a Gryffindor girl was saying to some dumbfounded Slytherin. But that didn't stop her male companions from beginning to fight with the Slytherin boys. Draco just stood there watching the oh-so-familiar scene. That was until the tallest Slytherin boy said, "Come on. You can't beat me. I know Dark Magic, and I'll use it to murder you weaklings." "Hello Jeremy, "Draco addressed the young Slytherin. "Ten points from both houses and you shall come with me to see Dumbledore." Draco began marching off to the Great Hall and Jeremy had to follow in order to keep up with him. Draco didn't appear to be anything except riley. Jeremy was surely in for it now. Just being near Draco like this gave him the shivers. The truth was everyone who was in the same hallway as Draco felt the icy madness enveloping him. The oddity of it all was that Draco had no idea why he was so much more mad at this delinquent than he had ever been. Until a few days ago, Draco might have actually laughed along. Jeremy was going to ask Draco why he had to go see the Headmaster, but they had already reached the Great Hall. As Draco proceeded to the Professor's table, with Jeremy trailing him, the crowd dichotomized, giving Professor Dumbledore the perfect view of the two boys from the opposite end of the hall. "Maybe we should take this to my office," the Headmaster offered. "No need, sir. I just wanted to inform you that young Mister Goldman committed offenses beyond that of which I am allowed to provide punishment for," Draco stated plainly. "How so, Mister Malfoy?" inquired Dumbledore. "He was not only fighting with the probable use of magic, but he threatened to use Dark Magic to cause bodily harm to a fellow student. He is at your disposal for punishment." Draco turned to leave the hall when the Headmaster addressed him one more time. "So then Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore began, "if you were to punish him, what would you do?" "At first I would want to give him a transfer notice to another school. But my instinct tells me that that would be an incompetent decision which would also be known as the easy way out. I think Mister Goldman needs to expand his knowledge of the school. In addition to one hours worth of detention every night with either Mister Filch, Professor McGonagall, or Professor Snape from now until the Winter Holidays, I would have him attend classes with Hufferpuffs until Winter Holidays, attend classes with the Gryffindor until the Spring quarter, than with the Ravenclaws for the rest of the year." "Good idea. Mister Goldman, you've heard your punishment. You may leave. Draco please follow me to my office,"