This chap is a little shorter, but the content is still pretty good. Hope you guys like it! I'll try to update as soon as i can! Please review if you have any comments, suggestions, or if you liked it! Lots of love:
English-Foxlette

Chapter 4

[Previously]

"Fine. Since the essay is due by Friday, we should start working,"

"I suppose so," Draco said, sighing.

"Good! Now let's go to the library!" Hermione said, feeling utterly cheerful at bringing his spirits down. She grabbed his hand and led him towards the library. She smiled at the touch. Eric's hand was warm, but that was it. Just warm. Draco's hand was warm and...she felt safe holding it. Of course these were all subconscious findings. If only Hermione knew...

[End]

Hermione set Draco down on a chair and sat across from him, slamming down some books she had picked out onto the table.

"Alright, let's get to it!" Hermione said, picking up a huge cloth-bound book and opening it up to the index.

"Who are we looking for again?" Draco said, taking a book off the top of the stack.

"Bridget Wenlock," Hermione said, not looking up from her book. Draco grunted and pulled out some parchment along with a quill and some ink.

Hermione had already found her supplies and was currently scribbling furiously on her parchment. Draco scanned over the pages slowly.

'Bridget Wenlock was born in the early 1200's and was and is still, the best arithmancer known to the wizarding world...' Draco read, scribbling the paragraph verbatim on his scroll.

On a whim, he glanced over at Hermione's parchment. It was already ¾ full of facts. His was barely ¼ done. He felt a little embarrassed that once again, she was getting ahead of him.

Hermione felt eyes on her, and she looked up. Draco's eyes were currently staring at Hermione's paper, then snapped back to his own. Out of curiosity Hermione leaned forward to look at his. He only had a few facts. Hermione shook her head sadly and kept working.

Together they worked for the better part of an hour, scribbling here, yawning and stretching there. Finally, Draco looked at the Grandfather clock in the corner and slammed his book shut. The abrupt noise startled Hermione, who jumped slightly in her seat.

"I have to go. I have muggle studies in a few minutes. We can work on this later," Draco said, stuffing his things in his bag and getting up to leave.

"Alright, see you later," Hermione said.

'Hmm, he's being civil now,' she thought.

'He's probably just tired. It's hard to be mean when you're tired,' her subconscious said.

Hermione yawned and looked at the clock herself. It was well past three o'clock, and she hadn't seen any of her friends in a while.

'Maybe I'll go pay Ginny a visit,' she thought, packing her things up and leaving the library.

Hermione walked down the familiar corridors towards Gryffindor Tower. Students bustled by, occasionally nodding or waving at the Head girl.

Hermione entered the 7th floor corridor and passed through the various studying areas. She stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. The woman in the portrait smiled at the young girl she had seen grow up before her very painted eyes. (AN: I'm assuming they're painted..or maybe I'm just crazy) Hermione smiled fondly back at the portrait she had seen most every day of the school year.

"Password?" the Fat Lady inquired. Hermione's eyes grew wide.

'Oh no! They change the passwords every year! And I don't know it!' Hermione thought frantically.

"Um...I don't know," Hermione admitted in embarrassment.

"Then I can't let you in. Sorry, dear," the Fat Lady responded sadly.

Hermione turned around, and made her way out of the halls. It was a sad moment when even she didn't know the password to her old common room. She passed through the study area slowly, winding around the various bookshelves. Off in a corner, she could hear something. Slowly, she tip-toed closer and peered around a bookshelf.

"Ginny?" Hermione cried out, startled. The two bodies that had been pressed together, kissing madly separated immediately.

"Hermione! Um, what're you doing here?" Ginny asked, a dark red blush creeping up her cheeks. Hermione looked at her young friend wearily. She turned to see the boy Ginny had been snogging trying to sneak out.

"And just where are you going, Mr. Finnegan?" Hermione questioned tartly. Seamus froze in mid-step, and turned to look at Hermione.

"Oh, heh, I uh...need to go to the bathroom," Seamus stuttered. Hermione smirked, she could have a little fun messing with him.

"Seamus, it's ok. You're not in trouble," Hermione laughed. Then she suddenly stopped and turned serious, "Yet..."

Seamus gulped.

"Oh Seamus, lighten up. I'm completely fine with you two, but I'm just going to warn you, some of the prefects lurking around aren't as nice as I am," Hermione said, turning with a wink, and walking out.

She could talk to Ginny at dinner about the password, and Ginny was a little 'busy' at the moment anyways. So instead, Hermione chose to wander around the school until dinner, which was less than an hour away.

Draco exited his advanced muggle studies class. He sighed angrily as he dodged some crazy Hufflepuff girls who were exiting the same room at top speed.

'How the hell am I supposed to make a model of a muggle living room? I'm not a bloody muggle!' Draco thought angrily as he turned a corner and –WHAM-

"Agh! Second time today! I'm sorry!" he heard a voice mutter. He looked down and saw the Head girl spilled out on the floor.

"Watch where you're going Granger," Draco said, helping her up.

'Being civil once more?' his conscience questioned, but Draco ignored it.

"Sorry," Hermione muttered, taking his hand and pulling herself up. She brushed off her robes and felt her books being shoved into her chest. Draco let go and Hermione caught them.

"Thanks," Hermione said.

"Yeah, whatever. Let's work on the essay after dinner tonight. I need to get it out of the way so I can work on a model. Later," Draco said over his shoulder as he stalked down the hall. Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

'More civility? Maybe he's sick...' she thought.

Draco walked down the hallway, passing by the boys' lavatory. He heard a door open and close, but paid it no mind.

"Oi! Draco!" a voice called from behind. Draco turned around to see Blaise Zabini run up to his side.

"Isn't that muggle studies project gunna be a pain in the arse?" Blaise commented.

"Yeah really. You know anything about muggle living rooms," Draco asked idly.

"You're barking up the wrong tree mate, or did you forget? I'm a pureblood just like you, Malfoy," Blaise said, rather crossly.

"Sorry, I was just wondering," Draco said as the two squeezed by a gaggle of Slytherin girls. One winked towards Blaise who smiled cutely.

"Yeah...Look I'll catch up with you later at dinner, alright?" Blaise said, not even waiting for Draco's answer, as he sped off towards the girls they had just passed.

Draco shook his head. Blaise was such a player. Even if Draco was known as the Slytherin Sex God, at least he had class. Not only that, but he was just called that because he was so damn sexy. He'd only been with a few girls, one being Pansy Parkinson, who had mellowed out the last year. He hadn't been with anyone recently, and frankly he didn't care all that much.

Draco stopped walking when he saw he was outside of the library.

'This project isn't going to finish itself,' he thought. 'Damn Granger, only been with her two days and already her studious habits are rubbing off on me!'

Draco stepped in and picked out a few books about muggles. He set the stack of three books down and seated himself. Immediately he started flipping through the book, scanning the text here and there. He had detailed descriptions of what some muggle items were, but he had no idea how to arrange it.

'This is so stupid! How am I supposed to know where to put all these things? I mean, how am I supposed to know if you can put a rubber duck on top of a television or not?' he thought angrily, closing the book and opening another one.

This was one of the few times in his life that he regretted not having a picture book. All throughout his youth, he had always read books without pictures in it, on the insistence of his father, who didn't want him to grow up 'soft.'

An hour later, Draco closed the last book angrily.

"Arggh!" he grunted angrily, standing up and shoving his seat back under the table. He had had enough of muggles to last him for a lifetime.

"Stupid muggles," he muttered under his breath as he stalked into the Great Hall. The room was about half full, as most had already finished their meals and had retired to their common rooms. Draco sent a fleeting glance towards the Gryffindor table. Apparently Hermione was one of them.

Draco sat down and ate alone. All his 6th and 7th friends had already left. He quickly scarfed down a few buffalo wings and a roll, took a swig of pumpkin juice, and left.

Hermione was sitting alone in the Head common room, laying out the format of the essay when Draco burst through the portrait hole. He uncouthly threw his bags and books on the floor and flung himself on the couch.

"Took you long enough," Hermione said, staring at his back. Draco was lying face down with his head propped up by a pillow. A muffled curse could be heard and Hermione laughed as she got up.

"So what took you?" she asked as she sat on the arm of the chair. Draco rolled over slightly.

"I hate muggles," he sighed. Hermione grew a little angry at the comment but decided to ignore it.

"Hmph...Now, I've already set up the format for the essay so all we need to do is insert the facts and we'll be done," Hermione said. She smiled to herself. It was the first week of school, and she already had established good habits for herself. Draco grunted.

"Oh come on, it'll only take a few minutes," Hermione insisted. Draco sat up and ran a hand through his hair, mussing it slightly.

"Fine. The early we start, the earlier we finish, and the earlier we finish, the earlier I get to bed," Draco said.

Together they pulled out their notes and edited the essay. Hermione read it over and smiled. Not bad, not bad indeed. She set the paper down and turned to see Draco retreating into his room.

"I'm going to bed. Night, mudblood," Draco said, shutting his door. Hermione rolled her eyes. She hated being called that, but she had started to get used to it.

She yawned and looked at the miniature magic hourglass that sat on one of the bookshelves. Judging by how little sand there was in the top portion, Hermione decided to turn in.

She stacked up the papers and pushed the chairs in before she too retreated into the confines of her room. She removed her robes and put on her pajamas and laid on top of her blankets. It was warm in the room.

But despite the slightly uncomfortable temperature, Hermione soon fell into a deep sleep; into a black pit of dreams and nightmares. She rolled over in her sleep, and reached out a hand to the edge of the bed.

"Wait..." she whispered sadly, her fingers curling to the grip the sheets below her. Sweat once again beaded on her forehead.

"Don't do it..."

Ooh, what's she dreaming of now? Hehehe, keep reading to find out! Please review! I'll post more later!

English-Foxlette