Hey Everyone! I now have 37 reviews! I'm so happy!!!!!!!!!! Sorry I didn't get the fourth chapter out sooner. I've had a lot of stuff going on with Winterguard and school, so I didn't have much of a chance to write. But, now that we're on spring break I'll have many opportunities to write. Chapter five WILL be out by Wednesday, so be sure to look for it. I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to REVIEW! =D

Thanks to pinkchicklet, Anarchy Star, Yaika, TriGemini, Wytil, Hota-chan, ErInWrItEs, plastic, SnOwAnGeL, Nikki, Sam, sarah, Lee Weasley, avri, and Xirleb70 for reviewing!

disclaimer: all Harry Potter related stuff goes to the lovely JK. The D'Evereuxs, manor, and the plot are all mine.

It had been two weeks since Hermione and Draco's encounter in the library that night. Draco was lying on his bed in his room, running over those words she had spoken to him over and over again.

"He's beaten you in everything.........You can't stand the fact that he's better than you."

Draco clenched his fist. 'He's not better than I am,' he thought to himself.

He wasn't going to let her words get to him. He had to prove her wrong.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hermione sat in the library, a stack of books in front of her. It was now a mere two weeks until school started, and she still had to go and get her supplies from Diagon Alley. 'I haven't even gotten a letter from Hogwarts to say whether or not I made this year's Head Girl,' she thought.

She hadn't spoken to Harry since her birthday. She was still confused at what to say to him. Should she tell him everything? 'No, you'll lose him if you do,' the nagging voice in the back of her mind stated. But she had to let him know sometime. 'I'll worry about it later,' she decided.

That had been the only thing bothering her since her birthday. Ever since that night in the library, she had felt more confident in herself then she ever had before. Finally standing up to Draco Malfoy was something she had always wanted to do. She had done it once before in her third year, (she slapped him in the face), but he had continued to taunt her. This time, she had left him utterly speechless, and she was proud of herself.

Draco had crossed her mind many times since that night. 'Maybe I was too mean to him,' she thought. 'Then again, he did bring it on himself. Besides, he's always been a jerk to me. Why should I feel guilty about making him feel like dirt? Now he knows what I've always felt like whenever he spoke to me.' Before she could ponder on the subject any more, a jet black owl glided in through the large open window on the other side of the room, and landed softly on the armrest next to Hermione.

"Why hello there," she said, petting the owl.

"She untied the letter from its leg before watching it soar back out the window. Flipping it over, she saw the Hogwarts seal and eagerly opened it. Her heart beat faster as she read its contents.

Dear Miss Hermione Granger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as this year's Head Girl. We hope that you will hold your new position with dignity along with this year's Head Boy.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we shall see you in two weeks.

Sincerely,

Professor M. McGonogall

Deputy Headmistress

"YES!" screamed Hermione. She reread the letter over and over again, elated that she had just been chosen as this year's Head Girl. Grinning as though she had just been awarded ten thousand galleons, she sprang from her chair and set off looking for Gregoire and Giselle to tell them the good news.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Gregoire, He would like to speak to us now." Giselle was standing in the doorway of her bedroom, looking at her husband walking down the hallway. Gregoire nodded, and made his way into the room. Once inside, he locked the door, and sat down on the bed. In less than a minute Voldemort's head was floating inside the fireplace, looking intimidatingly at the D'Evereuxs. "You wanted to speak to us my Lord?" asked Giselle.

Voldemort's floating head nodded. "I need you both up here tomorrow night. We need to finish the plans."

Giselle and Gregoire nodded.

"The elements are still with the girl?"

"Yes my Lord. She never takes them out of her sight."

"Does she know she has them yet?"

"No sir, we are very careful to not mention them in her presence."

"Good, good. Be here by 6 o'clock tomorrow evening. Oh, and you might want to pack a few things. You will be staying for 3 weeks."

Giselle and Gregoire stood and bowed deeply. "Yes my Lord," they said in unison.

With a sickening "pop", He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name's head vanished without a trace.

"We better start getting everything together. The Dark Lord will want to see everything we've come up with so far," said Gregoire.

Giselle nodded and went over to a portrait of an icy-blue rushing river surrounded by rolling green hills and giant trees, and whispered "Enivar". Instantly, the portrait opened revealing a neat stack of paper, and a list of people to contact once everything had been finalized. Giselle grabbed everything inside the hidden vault, locked and sealed it, and then proceded to place everything inside a large box.

"Gregoire?"

"Hmm?" he replied. He was busy recovering the other half of their "project" from a trick drawer in their dresser.

"We're staying for three weeks correct?"

"Mm hm."

"What are we going to do about Hermione?"

Gregoire stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at his wife. "Well it's obvious, isn't it? We'll just send her to stay with Lucius and Narcissa."

Giselle looked confused. "But aren't they going too?"

"No, we're the only ones who were assigned this part of the project remember? I'll owl Lucius right now and ask him. I'm sure he won't mind."

Giselle nodded. "I'll go find Hermione and tell her the news."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hermione, still giddy about her letter, ran down the hallway towards her parents' bedroom. "Mum! Dad! I've got something to tell you!" As she rounded the corner, she ran smack dab into Giselle.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Hermione and the other figure.

"Mum? I've been looking for you! Are you okay?" Hermione asked rubbing her forehead.

"Yes, I'm alright," replied Giselle in turn, also rubbing her forehead.

"Guess what? I got accepted as Head Girl!"

"Oh Hermione that's wonderful!"

Hermione grinned as she hugged her mother. "Oh, I've got something to tell you as well."

Hermione pulled away slightly and looked up at her mother. "Yes?"

"Your father and I have to go away for three weeks on business, so you will be staying with the Malfoys."

"WHAT?!" Hermione quickly stepped back.

"I'm sorry dear but you must. We can't let you stay here all by yourself."

"I'm seventeen! I think I'm old enough to stay home alone."

"Hermione no. I'm sorry, but you will be staying with the Malfoys. Now, we leave tomorrow at 5 o'clock sharp. Be ready." With that, Giselle retreated back to her room and shut the door.

15 minutes later, Hermione was lying on her bed staring up at the ceiling. 'Two whole weeks living in the same house as Draco Malfoy,' she repeated in her head, over and over again. She was in a bit of a shock. 'He shouldn't be as big of a problem as he normally would be. And, just because I'm going to be staying in the same house doesn't mean that I have to spend every waking hour with him. Besides, I'll have to go to Diagon Alley at some point, and when I do I'll get to see Harry again.' She smiled at this thought as she reached up to turn off the lamp next to her bed, the only light that was on in the room. She attempted to push Draco out of her mind and focus on Harry, but she couldn't. He just kept popping up, flashing his silver eyes maliciously, and smirking at her. "Merlin! I hate that boy!" she said through gritted teeth. Little did she know that in just a few hours' time, her thoughts would begin to change.

Well there you have it, chapter three. I hope y'all enjoyed it!!! Once again, I'm sorry for it being boring (and pretty short), but sometimes short boring chapters are necessary in making the story go. I WILL have chapter five out by Wednesday, I promise! (Unless the server goes down). Until then, please review! I love to hear your feedback! Oh, and if you're confused about what's going on between her parents and Voldemort (and the mention of the "elements") you should be! =) Don't worry, you'll find out soon enough.

**Emerald Smoke