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The Third Hour

            Hermione finished her book and set it aside. No sooner had the book touched the table, Draco go up, and picked it up. He flipped through a couple pages, not letting his eyes wandering further than a few lines per page. Hermione didn't look up at him, though it was plain knowledge that she was itching to smack him.

            "You read this shit, Granger?"

"You're such a spaz, Malfoy," Hermione hissed.

            "Enlighten me?"

            "You're scared of your own father," she continued, leveling her gaze with him.

            "That's it! You Mudbloods are so smart," he smirked, seeing her flinch at the harsh slang he used. Harry was glaring at him now.

            "Shove off, Malferret," he snapped, sending a sympathetic glance in Hermione's direction, before returning back to his hate glare.

            "Nice come back, Pothead. Nothing I haven't heard before," Draco shrugged, his eyes lingering on the door of the classroom. "I wonder," he smirked, walking away from the desks. Harry and Ginny exchanged looks. Cho still had her head buried in her arms. Hermione was the only one who was watching Draco carefully, as she should

            "What are you doing?" she asked, when he pulled out his wand, as he stood in front of the door.

            There was no answer.

            "Don't do anything stupid," she warned, pulling out another book to read, as she went back to ignoring him.

            Three out of six screws fell out of the door's hinges. No sooner had the old, rusty metal bolts hit the floor, then a high pitched wail sounded through the room. Everyone looked at Cho, but for once, it wasn't her.

            "FIX THE DOOR!" Hermione screamed above the racket.

            "What?" Draco demanded. "What will that do?"

            "It's an alarm, you moron." She ran over, taking her wand out. "Benniters Drawaion," she said, waving her wand about the door. Immediately the sound went away. "Get in your seats," she hissed to them all. "Snape will be here any minute."

            Of course, the instant they had all sat down, the Potions Master came storming through the door.

            "What's going on in here?" he hollered, staring at Harry more than anyone else did. "Well, Potter? What was going on?"

            "I don't know sir," was the response he was given.

            "Well?" Snape demanded of Ginny. "Speak up, Weasley! What happened? Why did that alarm go off?"

            "We were all doing our homework, sir. It startled us. None of us have left our seats since the beginning."

            "I'm sure," he sneered, his eyes lingering over Draco, then finding Cho, seated behind him.

            "You," he shouted. "CHANG! What went on in here?"

            Cho didn't say a word. She barely lifted her head off of the desk. Draco looked at her, then shook his head. "She doesn't care to speak, Professor."

            "I'm sure she can tell me in her own way, Mr. Malfoy." He paused, still watching Draco. "CHANG!"

            She squealed loudly, before thunking her forehead back down on the table. Snape looked around the room, inspecting everyone. Lastly, he came to Hermione. "Who has the screws, Miss Granger?"

            Hermione put her book down, slowly. She raised her eyes to meet Snape's dangerous gaze. "How would I know, sir? I was only reading, nothing more, nothing less." Snape's fist came down in a fury right in front of her book, nearly hitting the work of literature. Hermione jumped, shocked by his outburst and loss of control over his emotions.

"Tell me what happened! Where are the screws?"

"Excuse me, but I don't see why anyone would want to steal a screw, Professor," she commented, picking her book up again.

"Watch your tongue, Ms. Granger. I don't need any of that attitude from you. It is that know-it-all attitude that will be your doom," he promised. "Now give me the screws you stole and I won't be forced to give you another Saturday's detention," he held out one of his long, pale, gangly hands.

"I don't have it, sir," she told him, her eyes straying from the book to his hand.

"I tire of this game, Ms. Granger. Give me the screws!"

"I don't have it...screws fall out all of the time, the world's an imperfect place," Draco spoke up suddenly. "Perhaps they are outside the classroom."

Snape glared at them all, especially Draco. Hermione was too shocked to say anything and resumed reading her book so she wouldn't have to see the Malfoy's knowing glance.

"Fine, you hooligans. Stick together. But the next one of you that steps out of place will be mine! Understood?" No one spoke a word. Snape made his way to the door.

"Eat my shorts," Draco muttered under his breath.

Snape stopped, pivoted around, and in one fluid motion was back by Draco's table. "Would you care to repeat that, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Eat my shorts!" Draco yelled, right in his favorite Professor's face.

"You just received another Saturday, Mister Malfoy."

"Oh Salazar," Draco rolled his eyes, giving off the sign that he could care less whether he was stuck inside the room or not.

"How dare you speak ill of your House Founder's name. You just got another one for that comment," Snape was so mad now, his face was flushing. He almost looked human, instead of as pale as death.

"Well, I'm free the Saturday after that...beyond that, I'm gonna have to check my calendar! Being so popular around here and all, I tend to fill up with social events," he yelled sarcastically. All the commotion was getting to Hermione, who looked up from her novel to take in what was going on.

"Good! It's gonna be filled, we'll keep going!  You want another one?  Say the word, just say the word!  Instead of going to Azakaban Prison, you'll come here!  Are you through?"

"No," hissed Draco, leveling his gray stormy eyes with Snape's own. It was something no one had ever seen him do. Everyone in the room, including Hermione and Cho, were watching in awed fascination. Never had a Slytherin student, or any other, for that matter, talked back to forcefully to Snape.

"I'm doing this school a service."

"So?" Draco shrugged, propping his feet up on the desk. Snape smacked them off, earning another hard glare from Draco, who placed his feet back in the same position.

"That's another one, right now!  I've got you for the rest of your natural born life if you don't watch your step!  You want another one?" Snape asked, not seeing the avid audience he was holding hooked onto every one of his words

"Yes," Draco nodded, not seeming to be worried in the least.

"You got another one, right there!  That's another one, Mister Malfoy!"

"Knock it off!" Hermione cried. Draco's attention snapped to her face. "Stop it," she mouthed to him. His gaze flickered back to Snape, who was more than enraged now.

"Are you done yet?"

"Not even close, bud," Draco spat.

"Good, you just received another one, right there," Snape pointed a shaking finger at him. He was so angry he could hardly hold himself up straight.

"Sorry Professor, but I don't think you're grasping the concept of the lesson. I don't give a shit," Draco said the last part slowly, as if he was speaking to someone who didn't understand English well. Hermione rolled her eyes, smacking her forehead. Why couldn't he just knock it off?

"That's eight," Snape told him. "I have you for two months. Do you want to go on?" Silence. "Are you quite through now?" Silence again. "Done being a dirty spot on my career?"

"I'm a dirty spot? What can I say? I'm thrilled!" Draco smiled with mock pleasure.

"Oh, I'm sure that's exactly what you want these people to believe, Mister Malfoy.  You ought  to spend a little more time trying to do something with yourself and a little less time trying to impress  your father.  You might be better off." He straightened up, fixing his robes and his greasy hair. Harry, Ginny, and Cho returned to their former positions. "All right, that's it!  I'm going to be right outside those doors.  The next time I have to come in here...I'm putting the Crucio curse on the whole lot of you!"

As he said it, Hermione noticed that Draco was once again playing with his dagger. He mouthed, "I'm putting the Crucio curse on the whole lot of you," in sync with Snape. A small smile formed on her lips, before she went back to reading.

The door shut, as Snape left. When the clicking of the door locking and the wards going up sounded, Draco raised his face, shouting an extremely loud, "FUCK YOU!"

Once again, another hour passed. Everyone was sitting down, doing something. Harry and Ginny were having a half-hearted conversation. Cho was sleeping. Draco was fuming at Snape. And as usual, Hermione was reading.

A/N: Like? Hate? Want More? Your choice! Review and tell me! ~ Nev