A/N: Enjoy the first installment of Shannon and Raine's fanfiction, Fate Decides. Please tell us what you think.

"Chapter 1~Close Encounters"

Pansy had finally gotten over her futile crush on me, the one that she'd had since 4th year. Now we were close friends, ones who talked to each other. She wasn't as stupid as she appeared in the classrooms. Father was right, she was everything that the perfect death eater's wife embodied; she hated mudbloods, and was extremely proud of her heritage, being a pureblood that is, and she adored the Dark Lord. I hated it when my father was right. He always had managed to be when I was younger, but as I grew, I began to notice that about certain things, he was wrong. Like about Hogwarts. That place was more home to me than my own, and he perceived it as the very pit of hell. How wrong he was, and how happy I was not to be sent to Durmstrang. Like I would ever want to go to a place as cold as that. I don't mean cold, as in cold outside. I mean cold as in personality. Sure, Krum may have warmed up to Granger, but when I met the boy, he was downright rude. To me, of all people. Tsk, tsk. Deplorable manners.

I continued my train of thoughts as I wound my way up to the transfiguration classroom. Perfect. I would have plenty of time to fall asleep, considering there wasn't a thing that McGonagall could teach that I didn't already know. Transfiguration and potions, my two best classes. Unfortunately, they were also her best classes. By Merlin, why was she so smart?

At that very moment, the person I was bitching about (mentally, of course) crashed into me. I grasped her arms as a reflex to steady the both of us, but upon seeing who it was, we both flung ourselves away.

"God, that it had to be you, Malfoy! You should have just let me fall!"

"On the floor is the only place for your kind, anyway."

"What was that?" her loyal two protectors came to her rescue.

"Shut it, Potter. Weasley." I sneered at them, and swept into the classroom, the very image of my detested father. At least he left me with something, I thought bitterly.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" asked Ron.

"I'm fine, really you guys. I can take care of myself occasionally, you know."

"Yeah, but still," Harry said, "it's the male's job to take care of the females."

"Chauvinist," muttered Hermione under her breath. She swept into the classroom before the two of them, head held high.

"What'd she say?" asked Ron, scratching his head.

"I think it has something to do with us wanting to protect her," Harry replied, "but I'm not sure. Let's go to class."

"Ugh, McGonagall's class. Can't we skip?"

"You most certainly will not, Mr. Weasley," came a disapproving voice from behind. Harry and Ron turned, dreading who it was - Professor McGonagall. "As a matter of fact, you two can help me with the lesson today."

Harry and Ron groaned simultaneously. "This ought to be SO MUCH fun!" they muttered in chorus.

"Let's go, gentlemen." Harry and Ron slouched into the classroom, taking the seats reserved for the day's helpers. Normally it was Hermione that was asked to be the helper, or myself, as we were the best students in the class.

This ought to be fun, I thought, watching the two of them make fools of themselves.

Poor Harry and Ron, thought Hermione, I know just how much they hate this class, probably because they, quite frankly, suck at it. Well, it ought to be worth a laugh. I mean, if you can't laugh at your best friends, who can you laugh at?

end of "CHAPTER ONE - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS"