Disclaimer: I do not own anything except the idea for this story. All else belongs to the wonderful J.K Rowling.

A/N: I didn't mean to write all of this in one chapter. It just kind of happened. I guess it's probably a good thing cause we couldn't stand a horrible relationship to grow anymore. You'll just have to read to find whom that was about and how it comes to a quick end.

Flirting with danger

The next morning came far too quickly. Hermione got up and gathered her clothes together before heading to the bathroom door. She found it locked and she could hear the faint sound of running water.

She knocked the door and waited patiently for a minute. There was no response so she tried knocking a little bit harder this time. Another minute later and the sound of running water stopped. She tried knocking again but the sound was drowned out by a crash coming from within the bathroom.

"Ron, are you alright?" Hermione called out.

Still there was no response.

"Ron? Please Ron answer me! A groan or grunt will suffice!"

An eerie silence filled Hermione's ears.

"RON?" The silence that prevailed made the hairs on her neck stand up as Hermione began to panic. She rushed over to her bedside table and picked up her wand.

"Alohomora!" She cried with a swish of her wand. The door swung open to reveal a mist of steam.

She carefully made her way into the bathroom to find Ron lying in a heap at the door of the shower, fortunately with a towel tied around his waist. She rushed over to his side and bent down to look into his face.

"Ron, are you ok? Please say your ok!"

She placed her hand on the side of his neck and was just about to bend down further to open one of his eyes when he suddenly rolled over pulling her with him. She sat there on top of him for just long enough to see a smile creep across his face before she proceeded to beat him senseless.

"I can't believe you would play such a horrible trick on me! I was so worried about you! I thought you might have seriously hurt yourself. Do you know how many accidents happen in the bathroom?"

Ron's smile faded when he saw how upset he had made her.

"I'm sorry Mione, I didn't mean to scare you... well not this much."

She just shook her head slightly, finding it hard to stay angry with him.

She looked up at his face and found herself captured in his sweet, soft eyes. After minutes of just staring intently at each other, she felt his wet hands slip around her silky waist. 'Wet hands? Silky waist?' It was only at this point that Hermione realised the awkward position she was in. She was sitting on top of her best friend... yes he was only a friend. Water was still dripping of his bare, muscular chest whilst she wore her cute, but slightly revealing silk pyjamas. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks and saw a matching colour burning brightly on Ron's ears, but still neither moved. They sat there for what felt like forever, but what must have been less than five minutes because Hermione's alarm went off again as she had set it to 'snooze'.

Broken from their reverie Hermione shook her head and quickly said, "I should go turn that off" as she hoisted herself off Ron and ran back into the safety of her room.

When she finally plucked up the courage to go back into the bathroom she found that it was empty. She checked that all the doors were locked and had a quick shower before heading down for breakfast.

When she arrived at the Great Hall she found the only free seat was beside Ron. Ginny and Harry sat opposite and were animatedly discussing Quidditch.

Hermione took her seat and poured out a glass of pumpkin juice. She reached over to pick up a piece of toast. When she was just about to lift a piece a hand rested upon hers...attached to none other that her bashful best friend. She withdrew her hand quickly, deciding that pancakes would be just fine this morning.

"Why do you two look so flushed?" Harry asked.

"No reason, it's just really warm in here, isn't it Ron?" Ron nodded. Hermione had made a conscious decision that morning to stop ignoring Harry. It was stupid and petty, and the only way to fix things was to slowly adjust back into their normal friendship.

After breakfast they collected their timetables.

"I can't believe how easy this morning is! Divination, and then Defence of the Dark Arts with good old Professor Lupin." Ron exclaimed.

"Yeah, well it is just downhill after that." Harry said glumly.

Ron looked further down the day's timetable. "Triple potions before lunch? You have got to be joking. Triple periods should be banned!"

Hermione stared into the distance, thinking about the events of the morning. She had been so happy that she had been chosen for Head Girl that she couldn't even bring herself to tell anyone, just in case it was all a big joke. But now that she was in such close proximity to Ron, she wasn't sure how good this year was going to be. She loved Ron, as a friend of course, and spending time with him was like getting record scores on the exams, but she couldn't even look at him now without thinking about how he looked that morning. 'I'm so glad he took up Quidditch. No! I'm not, I mean... I do not like Ron that way. I mean sure he has a really good body, but what am I thinking? I am not falling for Ron, I have not fallen for Ron, and I never will fall for Ron. Oh, who am I kidding?'

"Mione, are you okay?" Ron asked while peering closely at her face.

"Yes, perfectly splendid... um, I just have to go... return a book to the library. Bye!" And with that she casually ran out of the Great Hall hoping that nobody noticed her crimson colourings.

"What's up with her?" Ron asked he stooped over to pick up his books.

"Don't ask me, I'll never understand girls." Harry said with a far-off look on his face.

Since their first class was Divination it was a while before Ron and Harry saw Hermione again. They wandered into the Defence of the Dark Arts classroom while rubbing the sleep out of their eyes.

"I'm so glad for that nap. I think I might even survive today's classes." Ron uttered somewhat cheerily.

"Even triple potions?" Hermione asked with a sly grin as she took her seat beside her redheaded friend.

"Don't remind me!" Ron groaned.

"Too late." Hermione said as her sly grin stretched to her eyes causing the deep brown and green specks to glint with mischief.

Hermione had spent her last class thinking about her situation with Ron. She had come to the conclusion that over analysing the situation was not going to help. She just had to let it take its course. Perhaps she could subtly ask Ron or Harry how they manage to not think about things.

Their class flew by as everyone questioned Professor Lupin about all the things that had happened to him since he had last taught at Hogwarts.

"It is good to be back, and you'll be especially glad to hear that you won't be getting a homework this evening." Lupin called over the class as they began to pack up though few had bothered to take out their books.

The walk to potions was slow and forced.

"I don't think I can take three periods of Snape, not to mention Malfoy. It's just too much!" Ron moaned.

"Come on now Weasel, we aren't that bad... well not in front of the ladies anyway." Malfoy smirked as he walked past the mended trio.

"I doubt any of your kind would know a lady if they hit you with your broomstick." Ron shouted after.

Sitting down at their usual places they quickly got out of their books before Snape turned around from the blackboard. When he did turn round he had an extra wide smirk on his face.

"Dumbledore has said to me that he would like to see inter-house relations improve – especially between these two houses. As a result I have been asked to assign seats to you all this year." Snape began to call out pairings, telling them to move to an appropriate seat. Hermione grimaced at the thought of having to change partners and when Snape called Malfoy she just knew she was going to have to be his partner. And, as always, she was right.

"Maybe this scheme won't be so bad. At least I'll have a partner who understands some of the ingredients in a potion." Malfoy sneered.

"No such luck for me." Hermione said under her breath, but Malfoy caught it.

"I'll have you know, Granger, my potion mark is very good. Only beaten by you in fact." Malfoy snapped.

'Nothing to do with the fact that you are the teacher's pet' Hermione thought, knowing that voicing her opinions would just start a fight and she would end up in detention with the Ferret.

"Well let's get to work on the potion on the board." Hermione suggested.

They worked diligently and effectively, finishing their work in record time. As it was Malfoy, Snape ignored the conversation that they proceeded to have.

"So are you guys all okay again?" Malfoy asked calmly.

Hermione just stared at him.

"What, why are you looking at me like that? I thought everything was all fine again."

"Well, yeah it is, but I don't think I've ever heard you speak without some tone of hatred, even if it's just the steely look in your eyes." Hermione answered.

"You look in my eyes?"

"Yes, I look in everyone's eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul after all."

"Sounds more philosophical that logical. Somewhere closer to Divination than I dare tread."

"You don't like Divination either?" Hermione queried.

"Does anyone? It's just a bunch of lies and guesswork. Who can actually tell anything from a picture on a card? They just picked it at random... it makes absolutely no sense. I sense that you are in danger...I foresee death in your future." Malfoy said, the last bit with his eyes glazed over much like their Professor. Hermione laughed at his impression, remembering how absurd the predictions were.

Ron reached over to the couple in front of him, tapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Have you seen Hermione and Malfoy? Whatcha think they are laughing about?"

Harry shrugged, turning back to face the front of the class to avoid a lecture from Snape. Ron made a mental note to ask Hermione about it later.

When potions was over Malfoy moved to start collecting borrowed ingredients.

"What are you doing?" Hermione quizzed.

"I'm collecting things up for Snape. I know it makes me seem like a suck but it keeps him off my back about certain things."

"And you always said you weren't the teacher's pet."

"That's cause I'm not. You better hurry up or your friends will go and leave you."

"I'm sure they won't really miss me." Hermione said as she began to help Malfoy. However strange it was that she was helping him, especially since every fibre in her body was saying that she should run away before she caught something from him, she felt compelled to stay. She was having an inner battle with the voice in her head that she wasn't strong enough to win.

After 10 minutes of clearing up Malfoy went to enter Snape's office leaving Hermione alone. As she gathered up her books the room she lifted Malfoy's textbook out of the way and felt a tugging on her navel as she was drawn into a world of spirals and colours. She landed with a thud in a dark, damp room that only had one small window up that seemed miles up as she peered through the darkness.

"Where am I?" She asked the foreboding darkness.

"Ah my dear Mudblood. I believe your exact location is my secret chambers, somewhere in the depths of rural Ireland." Came a high pitched voice from the darkness. Afterwards followed a cackle that pierced Hermione's ears.

Hermione had heard tales of this laugh, a few times from the infamous Harry Potter. She knew that she was in grave danger and that she needed to stall for time. Maybe someone would notice she was gone.

"Who are you?" She asked with an air of innocence.

"I'm surprised a smart witch as yourself hasn't already figured that out, especially someone so close to our dear Harry."

"He's not ours Voldemort. He's certainly not yours."

"So you did know who I was...just playing dumb? Obviously the tales of your intelligence are exaggerated as you freely speak me name."

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. That which we call you by any other name would still be as evil."

"Very witty Mudblood, but your fancy words won't save you from me. And nor will your attempts at fighting me. My eyes are red for more than one reason you know... I can see what you are doing. Accio wand!" Hermione's wand flew out of her ready hand to him and he passed it to his loyal follower.

"Now what should we do with you my dear? I would say leaving a lady in the dungeon is rather inhospitable but then you are only a Mudblood so I'm sure I won't lose much sleep over it. Perhaps if I put some lights on you could spend some more time staring at the tiles? I do know how much you must struggle with these feelings you are having. I'm sure the Imperious Curse you were under didn't help. I must admit that I was a little disappointed when you decided to go back to that Potter boy. I thought you would have been smarter than that. It appears he isn't as good at fighting curses when they involve emotions, especially since it wasn't even me who put him under the curse." With that he left Hermione to ponder.

'What does that mean? Did Harry just want to be with me because of a curse? Malfoy was just being nice to me because of his loyalties to his father. And to think I thought he had changed. I'm really am that stupid!' Hermione took up her worried position with her knees brought up to her knees. She was now trapped in her world of thoughts and the darkness surrounded her. She had forgotten all about her plan to stall Voldemort's plans and now she wasn't even thinking about her own safety. She was deeply embarrassed about her change of attitude towards Malfoy and knew she probably would never be able to talk to any of her own house again. She also felt stupid for actually believing that Harry would feel something more for her, even if only for a short space of time. How could she ever look at him or Ron again after she fell for such a stupid trick?

This was the first time she had thought of Ron. How could she have not told him that she loved him? What if she never got that chance again? Sure, he had held her and they had had their moments, but he never knew how much she felt. Her heart broke as she thought of the stupid tasks that she had undertaken just to make him react. She had even flirted with danger by letting Malfoy in just a crack just to get Ron to have a fight with her. She wanted to get worked up. To hopefully feel something stronger than what was already brewing inside of her. If he gave her a reason to hate him then she could get over it. She wouldn't have to fight the feelings inside of her. She could just bury herself back in her studies without that constant prick of hope in her heart. But now all that hope was gone. She was locked in a dungeon, within the clutches of an Evil Lord, with no chance of escape. What if no one even noticed she was gone? She finally let the tears flow as she thought about her love pushing her disappearance aside and forgetting she even existed. Why would he shed any tears over her?

I don't like sad things but apparently I needed some more character in my story... or at least another character namely Voldemort. I'm glad you read my story, I promise to update soon. Reviews are welcome as writing my next few chapters is paralleled with threading water.

Draco's seceret lover rocks by the way!