Summary: He had somehow become friends with the Great Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. However, still not friends with top witch Hermione Granger. But all that changes when Harry and Ron invite Draco to a private party in one of the Gryffindor rooms…

A/N: er… right… I jus had this urge to write this story. I don't really know where this idea came from… but I like it. ^_^ oh yeah! I might be um… inserting my own thoughts in here. And they're gonna be in parentheses.

Strip Down

A Party is Planned…

By Kristina Chang

It had been a fairly normal day. Harry, Ron, and Draco were hanging out during dinnertime. They had taken to alternate seating at the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables. For the moment, Draco was sitting at the Gryffindor table.

Although it was very commonly known that the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses did not get along at all, the only exception were the three students currently conversing.

Hermione walked over to the trio of friends. She knew for a fact that Draco still did not like her, but she tried to befriend him anyway… or… at least be nice to him. However, try as she might, Draco still called her "mudblood" and various other er… Impolite names. Why he still despised her, but talked to the "Golden Boys"? She did not know. But she was starting to get really sick and tired of taking all the crap he was throwing at her. But she'd never say that… at least not to his face.

"Hello Harry, Ron, Draco. How was your day?" Hermione asked the three politely. She smiled as she said that. It wasn't a forced smile, but a nice and relaxed smile.

Harry and Ron opened their mouths to answer but Draco answered before they could.

"What are you doing here Mudblood?"

'Well… you can't change EVERYTHING you want to change." Hermione sighed and just smiled that smile- they one that said she didn't care about that remark. Although it did give her a slight pang in the heart.

"I'm doing quite well, thanks Draco. And well, is this not the Great Hall? I'm going to eat, of course. Silly Draco. *Giggle* Bye Harry, Ron. Bye Draco." She gave him a wink before walking away to another end of the table to sit with Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny. As soon as she sat down, the girls started talking at once and relaxed into the comfortable atmosphere.

Meanwhile…

"Malfoy, I don't understand why you're still so mean to her. I mean, seriously, man, she's done nothing to you for like the past three years!" Harry spoke to Draco in a somewhat exasperating tone.

"I know, right? I know you got the hots for her. Who DOESN'T?" Ron laughed and Harry joined him. But Draco wasn't laughing at all.

"Weasley. You just don't get it, do you? She's a mudb… muggle. ALL muggle. THAT'S the problem. It doesn't matter to my father if I hang out with you because you're pureblood. And well Potter, you're half, but you'll always be a problem. Just because you're the famous Harry Potter. You're always the problem. Herm… Granger's ALL muggle. That does NOT settle well with my father. At ALL. And besides, she's just too damn smart."

They all laughed at that response.

Back at the girl's end of the table…

Hermione laughed at Parvati's story of discovering Ron and Lavender in the hall closet. Meanwhile a deep crimson color brushed Lavender's cheeks. Ginny was also blushing a bit. But only because she did not need to know of her brother's er… extracurricular activities. (LoLz! Would YOU want to know THAT? I mean, really… I think I'd rather stay in the dark…) Parvati also laughed from remembering that day. But suddenly, Hermione stopped laughing and became serious.

"OK. Now if THAT is settled…" Hermione looked at Parvati who was still laughing.

"Parvati! Shut up!" Parvati quickly shut up. You did NOT want to get on Hermione's bad side. NEVER!

"Well… I've been trying to get Draco to be nice to me… since he became friends with Ron and Harry… but anyway let's have a party tomorrow!"

Lavender, Ginny, and Parvati looked at Hermione strangely, relating to her fast mood changes and sudden topic switches. But then they all smiled and yelled out "yeah!" Hermione didn't pay attention to the weird looks at all, she got them all the time. (He he hey! So do I! ^_^)

"Ok! I was thinking…" Hermione didn't get to finish because Ginny interrupted her.

"Oh NO! Heaven forbid! Hermione was THINKING!… It's not like you don't. And you always think of the KOOLEST parties anyway. Well…continue then."

Hermione rolled her eyes but continued anyway.

"OK. This time it's gonna be an extra special party. Just for eight people. Us four and another four guys. It's gonna be Draco, Harry, Ron, and … Seamus. Oh don't look at me like that Parvati. I know you like him. That's the whole point." Hermione smiled that evil smile of hers. The other girls looked at her, afraid for themselves.

"Umm… Herms… what is this party gonna BE?" Lavender asked hesitantly.

"Oh! I didn't mention that yet? We're gonna make the guys want us." Hermione grinned. "They're gonna want us so bad that they'll go crazy if they don't have us. HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! (evil laugh) Oh! He He. "Oop! Got carried away." She smiled so innocently that you could practically see the halo floating above her head. It barely concealed the imaginary horns sticking from her forehead.

"Uh… right. How exactly?" Parvati asked this time.

"Oh um… well. We're gonna…" Hermione motioned for them to lean in closer so that no one else would hear. "We're gonna … strip." Hermione then laughed gleefully while clapping her hands together.

Lavender and Ginny looked at Hermione incredulously. But Parvati was smiling at Hermione's devious plan.

"I love it!" Parvati exclaimed excitedly. "Oh but Hermione… if we're all taking one person. That means you're gonna be with Malfoy!" She gasped in shock then looked at Hermione in amazement. "You like MALFOY! I can't believe it you fell for the Slytherin King! It's just too funny! The Gryffindor Queen falls for the Slytherin King at long last! *gasp*gasp*wheeze*wheeze*" Parvati was hyperventilating but she didn't care. It was just too GOOD! And not to mention funny too.

Hermione smiled sheepishly. It was true. She figured she couldn't hid it forever. And one of them had to figure it out eventually.

"Alright alright, Parvati. You got me. You figured it out. But anyway, here's the plan. I'm gonna tell Harry and I'll tell him to tell everyone else. Don't make a mention of this little party to anyone! Got it? Good." Hermione crossed her arms in a finite sort of tone.

"Why don't you just tell all four of them?" Ginny wondered out loud.

"Well… in case you haven't noticed… Draco doesn't exactly fancy being in my presence. And besides, I'm not telling the boys what's going to happen. And we'll have costumes and masks so that they won't know who we are. It's funner that way." Hermione smiled. She just seemed to be smiling so much today. "Ok. Since everyone's settled, party's gonna be tomorrow night at 11. Since it's Friday and we don't gotta wake up early and stuff. Alright? Alright." Hermione said without waiting for a reply and stood up from the bench.

"Hermione, where are you going?" Lavender asked, not yet finished with her dinner.

"Oh. I'm finished. I'm gonna go back to the dorm and see what we need to do to set up. Oh yeah! I'd forgotten to mention, the thing's gonna be in our dorm room. So Ginny, come at umm… after dinner!" When Hermione say Ginny nod slightly while in a daze, Hermione left to go back to the Gryffindor tower. All the time, she thought about how much she'd changed since the beginning of last year. She sighed.

'Oop! Better get thinking. Gots lots to do for tomorrow. Let's see… costumes, masks, rearrange furniture, umm…" it got later into the night and Hermione finally drifted off to sleep. She never even noticed the girls come in around 10. From hanging out in the common room, of course.

Authoress's Notes: well here it is. The first chapter. Hope you enjoy.

R&R

Kristina Chang