Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter or any of the characters in this book, do you think that I would be living in place where it's minus 30 degrees Celsius. No. I would be on some beach. SO, if I can't afford sand and water è I do not own the book.

Enjoy

~~~~~

The next day, Hermione found the common room empty and decided to eat inside her room. She had a small bowl of cereal and did some reading for the classes ahead before heading towards her first class. Gryffindor must have been cursed if they had to suffer through Potions with the Slytherins.

She quickened her pace to the dungeons, remembering that Gryffindor students had to be in class twenty minutes earlier because they were Snape's favourite students. Potions at eight in the morning was similar to being entertained by the Dursley's as Harry said; or being eaten alive by a troll according to Ron.

            She seated herself next to Harry, sending a sympathetic look to Ron who was Neville's partner. Thirty minutes passed and Snape was already ten minutes late for class.

            "Snape is never late for class," Pansy Parkinson said.

            "Good for us," Dean Thomas mumbled behind us, "A break from that bugger."

            "So how was the first night living with Malfoy," Harry asked.

            "Not as bad as you would think," Hermione said truthfully.

            "Com'on," whispered Lavender, turning around in her seat, "Draco Malfoy is a god."

            "Puuuuuuuuleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssseee," Ron spat.

            "If I was you Harry, I would keep an eye on Hermione," Lavender said, "Cause if I were her, I'd pounce on him the second we were alone together in that room…."

            Seamus, Lavender's boyfriend, cried out "You're mad! If he dares to step one foot next to you, I'll kill him!" One kiss from Lavender and his plans were ancient history.

            "Draco looks better with each day," said Lavender, ignoring Ron's sniggering.

            Parvati nodded, "That hair is so perfect and when he looks at you-," she said touching her chest, "With all that anger and that rebellious look of his… I'd kiss him in a minute, shag him in a second."

            Hermione rolled her eyes, "I'd rather kiss a tadpole."

            "Is that so, Hermione," Draco said, emerging from behind one of the ingredient cabinets. Lavender reddened, knowing he had every word. Parvati appeared as if she'd have an orgasm just by seeing him.

Nonetheless, his gaze was focused primarily on Hermione, "I would think quite the contrary. Funny how we," he paused, his tone become colder, "Forget so easily."

"What are you talking about?" Harry fumed, this time being held back by Ron.

"Perhaps your girlfriend can enlighten you on the details … of our encounter during the summer," he muttered before returning to his seat to await Snape's arrival.

"What's he talking about Mione?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Don't know," Hermione said, deep in contemplation, "We never met-." Her eyes widened.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, moving her face towards him so he could see her face clearly.

'Of course,' she cursed herself for her stupidity. 'Should have noticed it a long time back.'

His eyes stared back at her malevolently from the Slytherin tables, waiting for her to strike.        

"SIT AT YOUR PLACES, AT ONCE," Snape yelled, striding into the room. "Unfortunately for you, time is short. This is the year for your N.E.W.T.S and considering you puny heads I suggest you listen and write each word in order to have a chance –if there is a chance at all," he said glancing in Harry and Neville's direction, "to pass this course"

Everyone faced the front of the class and began taking notes, except for Hermione. Luckily for her, Snape was too busy to notice.

"If you have been doing your reading over the years which I'm sure many haven't than you won't have any difficulty finding the specifics of the experiment," she heard him say, "You may begin."

While passing Harry, "Let's hope you can surpass last year's failing grades Mr. Potter… Ms. Granger will not be there to obtain your NEWTS." Snape examined the Gryffindor tables for something being done incorrectly. Spotting his latest victim, he smirked to himself, "Longbottom you are to add dragon scales, not Gillywater. Next time, put your head in it before you kill us all." Snape walked away from Harry and Hermione's table to inquire about the honorable amounts of points to be deducted and detentions awarded for the damage. 

"I added the scales to the liquid… now what?" Harry said to Hermione. There was a long pause of silence. "Hermione?" Harry murmured, finding Hermione intently staring straight into oblivion. He repeated her name while shaking her gently.

"What," she asked.

"What should I add next?" Harry asked, puzzled with Hermione's behavior.

"I don't know," replied Hermione, unaware that Snape was nearby.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Ms. Granger found off guard," he said, relishing in the moment. Everyone, excluding the Slytherins, flinched at his tone.  Flipping through her notebook, he commented, "Confident enough to not take notes?" The notebook flung across the room. Hermione sat rigidly in her chair, ignorant of Malfoy's scrutinizing glare.

"Sir I don't-,"she said, the rest of her sentence inaudible.

"WHAT?" Snape barked.

"I'm not feeling well," she said more forcefully.

 "Not paying attention in class is not a reason to be sick," Snape jeered.

She stood up, her face awfully pale. "The Hermes potion requires the feather of a phoenix to reach its equilibrium point. It is the third and final ingredient for a simple experiment as long as you remember that the feather must be burned previously, and its ashes added at the precise moment that the mixture of dragon scales and slug grease bubbles," she said, quickly adding, "Which is approximately 8 minutes. Leaving Harry and I, six more minutes to add it." The whole class was astonished by her sudden memory outbreak, including Malfoy. The Gryffindors gleamed at the sour face on Snape's face. After spending several years in Snape's class, they wouldn't mind him removing points for this occasion because they had the privilege of seeing him squirm.

"Now if you don't mind, I'd like to leave," she said, her voice cracking.

Snape towered over her, "You will most certainly not leave this class with my permission after speaking to me in that tone!"

"Fine! Then I'll leave without it," she snapped, picking up her stuff and slamming the door before exiting.

Harry packed his books and left the room without another word. The class looked expectantly at Ron as he threw his books in his bag.

"Mr. Weasley, inform Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger that anyone who walks out of my class is not welcomed back!" Snape said with his hands shaking in fury. 

"Good," Ron sneered, "Thank heavens." The door slammed behind him, nearly knocking down the jars on the shelves. _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Snape charged into Dumbledore's office, obviously furious with the occurrences in his class.

            "I want Potter, Weasley and Granger removed from my class at once," said Snape, pounding his fist on the headmaster's desk.

            "Before you do anything that you'll regret," Dumbledore said, motioning to Snape to sit. "Ms. Granger has been fighting a severe fever which I suspect began during your class."

            "Surely you don't think that I –,"

            "No Severus, but I believe that Malfoy did according to Ms. Granger's friends, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley."

            "I demand how," Snape asked resolutely.

            "Draco mentioned to Hermione something about their encounter during the summer to which Mr. Potter says Hermione would have said something to them."

            "Yes, and?" Snape said, growing impatient.

            "You do remember me telling you of Ms. Granger being the only survivor of the August massacre in Manchester… and her fortunate escape?"

            "Yes of course. Surely connections cannot necessarily be made," Snape remarked.

            "She's been talking in her sleep again. The only other time was right after the attack. I want you to question him about his words before she fell ill."

            "Don't you think that will be too… ineffective," Snape asked.

            "I'm afraid we cannot help her if we do not have all the answers. We can only hope that things will work out by themselves… with some aid from us."

            Snape gazed at Dumbledore, questioning if he knew more than he was saying.

            "Understand Severus?" Dumbledore said, returning to his books.

            Snape nodded, wondering how he would go about his task without raising suspicion from Draco Malfoy.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Hermione woke up, pulling the wet cloth from her forehead. Ron was snoring in a chair near her. A little nudge in the shoulder and he woke up glancing in both directions with his wand prepared, "WHAT? WHAT?" He saw Hermione and hugged her, "Sorry about that."

She shrugged, happy to see him, "How long have I been here?"

"Only two nights," Ron said.    

            She hit her head on the pillow, thinking about all the homework she would have to catch up on.

            "Don't think it's enough time for Snape to forgive us, especially you," Ron said, grinning. He patted her on the shoulder.

            "First of all, Snape and the word 'forgive' don't fit together in the same sentence," Hermione growled, remembering the incident. Ron nodded, wondering if he should get Pomfrey. "Where's Harry?"

            Ron reddened, "Umm I don't think that he. I mean he umm he.. you see he had this ummm project to ahhh attend to."

            Hermione looked at Ron doubtfully and sat up in her bed.

            "Ms. Granger," Mrs. Pomfrey said, coming into the room, "You're looking much better today." The nurse checked her temperature and finally decided after ten minutes that she was fit to leave.

            "Lots of rest is needed," Mrs. Pomfrey reminded her as she was leaving with Ron.

            Ron supported her till they reached the Head room.

            "Are you sure that you don't want to join us for dinner?" Ron asked as she said the password.

            She shook her head and walked into the common room. Draco was not to be seen since he was probably eating in the Great Hall.

            "Is there anything you need?" Ron asked.

            "No," she said, "Need to prepare myself for Snape's wrath."

            Ron smiled, "I'll visit you later." He waved goodbye and closed the door to the common room.

            After asking for a slice of pizza from Dobby, she sat on the couch eating. Snape wasn't the only person she didn't want to see. Eventually she would have to deal with Draco. Besides, they had to compare their Prefect timings. Then again, she was not exactly sure if it really was him. 'Oh get a grip on yourself,' she said to herself, 'you know that it is.'

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Draco's POV

            Pansy sat on his lap, trying to kiss him for the hundredth time. He pushed her head to the right and watched as Weasley ran to the Gryffindor table.

            "Ohhhhhhhh Draco," Pansy purred, cuddling her neck next to his chest.

            "What the fuck," he said, "Are you some animal?" He threw her off him and observed the scene at the Gryffindor table.

            "Zabini," he said to the boy who was busy eating on his right, "Find out what Weasley's telling Potter." The boy nodded and quickly left.

            "Sweety," Pansy whined, "Why do you have to hurt me? Don't you loovvvvvvvvvvve me?" He shifted his head frantically so that he could see past her enormously huge head.

            "For the last time, get it in that thick skull of yours! I never loved you and I never will," he said. She stared at him as if he hadn't said a word. He pushed her off and hauled her under the table. He took her plate and shoved it underneath the table.  

            "What is it?" Draco asked Blaise impatiently as soon as he returned.

            "The mudblood is awake. She's in your common room," he said, taking a sip from his goblet.

            He gazed upon the Gryffindor table again. 'Wonder if Hermione knows that Potter only bothered to visit her once while she was there. He seems to have other important things on his mind…'

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Hermione's POV.  

            She stared at her half eaten pizza. It seemed to have become hard as rubber since the last time she took a bite… fifteen minutes ago. She walked towards the garbage container at the corner of the room to throw it out. A hand knocked the plate out of her hand, sending it shattering to the floor while another forced her against the wall.

Draco.

He forced her chin up to look at him. She spat in his face, infuriating him more. Throwing her against another wall, "Watch it, mudblood."

"Take your fucking hands off me," she shouted in desperation, knowing that no

one could possibly hear her. She started cursing him until he forced his tongue into her mouth, kissing her roughly.

            When their lips separated, all she could say, "It was you."

            Draco smirked at her pale face. He kept a strong grip on her shoulders so she wouldn't fall to the floor. The nauseating feeling returned and she glanced up at him, looking at him furtively.

            "What did you tell them," he asked quietly.

            "Tell who?" she said, trembling.

            He slammed his fist against the wall, making her jump. "I didn't tell anyone," she stammered.

            "Then explain to me why Snape is questioning me?" he asked, his hands wrapping around her neck.      

            Her tears flowed down to his hands, "I don't know."

            Draco grabbed her by the hair and hurled her across a table, "You did it to get me in trouble, didn't you? Snape somehow thinks that I have something to do with you getting sick… which might be true but that's beside the point"      

            "I didn't say anything," she said, gasping for air. Her fingers pressed into his arm, pleading for him to believe her

He stared at her for a long time, as if seeking the truth in her eyes. His grip on her slowly weakened until he finally released her.

 She fell to his feet, wrapping her arms around her legs. Bending down, he looked at her through his disheveled hair, "If you tell anyone, including Potter and Weasley, about what happened… or even that I'm Death Eater, you'll wish that I had killed you when I had the chance."

He left the room, flinging the patrol papers at her.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry I took so long, I was writing my other fic. Hope you enjoyed it! The next chappie is my favorite! Till then, bye!