The First Meeting

"Bloody hell is right! It's about time you stood up to that…that boy!" Ginny exclaimed vehemently once Hermione had finished her story. "I bet he was scared. Did he cry? I bet he cried."  At this the redhead began to laugh, rather manically. In fact, Hermione grew a little bit scared and had to shake the girl to get her to shut up.

"Sorry," Ginny mumbled, looking a little bit embarrassed. "So where's my dear brother now? I bet he didn't take this very well."

"No, he didn't. He told me he was going for a fly with Harry, and I haven't seen him since," said the slightly crestfallen brunette. "I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid. You know how he gets when he thinks he has to protect me."

Suddenly, Hermione and Ginny both jumped at a loud noise that came from the portrait hole. A tall boy with flaming red hair climbed through in an obviously bad mood. The people in the Gryffindor common room all looked up, again, to see yet another sixth year about to set off on a tirade.

"I swear, I'll hurt him! I'll rip off his head then I'll throw it on the ground and then stomp on it! And then I'll take a picture so I can relive the moment over and over again!"  Ron shouted while making violent gestures in the air. "What!?" He said as he rounded on his girlfriend, who was trying to get his attention.

"Ron, I know you're angry, but you really need to stop yelling," Hermione said, feeling like a hypocrite. "It's all fun and games until you actually make a first year cry." Sure enough, a little girl in the corner had broken down into tears when she heard Ron's outburst. Upon seeing this, the redhead looked decidedly guilty and softened visibly. "I'm sorry," he uttered, almost incoherently, more to himself than Hermione or the little girl.

Then Ron turned towards his girlfriend and said, "Look, I just really, really can't stand that stupid git, you know that. And I don't want you to get hurt or taken advantage of during this project. I'm only upset because I care about you."

"It's alright, Ron. I know you do. Just try to calm down a bit. I won't let Malfoy ruin this for me," replied the collectively calmer prefect. "And now I think I just want this day to end, so I'm going to turn in." With this promise, she bade goodnight to Ginny, gave Ron a small peck on the cheek, and went upstairs to the girls' dormitories.

2.2.2.2

The next morning, a certain blonde Slytherin woke up thinking about a certain brunette Gryffindor. Actually, he was thinking about how he was dreading of thinking about having to actually talk to her to set up a meeting that he was also dreading to think about. And now, on top of all this dread, Draco Malfoy had a headache from trying to follow the most confusing train of thought he had ever had. "Stupid Mudblood," he muttered to himself, "I haven't even started the project with her and she's already ruining my life." Then as an afterthought he added, "Ok, well maybe not my life, but certainly my morning." Begrudgingly, Draco pulled himself out of bed and got a shower for the day; after all you can't very well be the "Slytherin King" and smell like an old sock.

After most carefully stowing away his rubber ducky, Draco got dressed and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, ready to face the inevitable: setting up a meeting with none other that Hermione Granger to work on their project. Oh joy.

As Draco reached the enormous doors of the Great Hall, he had one last disturbing thought, "This is it. The beginning of the end."

2.2.2.2

"Oh, no. This is it. The beginning of the end," Hermione Granger thought as she saw Malfoy strut over to the Gryffindor table. "Either he is going to say something totally out of line to me or ask about a meeting…I don't know which is worse." Nonetheless, when Malfoy reached the table, she looked him straight in the eye. She would not let him get under her skin.

"Granger, we need to set up a meeting for this oh-so-enthralling project," he said in his usual bored voice. "I'll meet you in the Charms classroom tonight at eight. Do try not to be late. See you then…unfortunately."

"Oh, can't wait!" Hermione replied in a sarcastic, false cheery voice. "You always manage to bring sunshine to my day, Malfoy" At these words, the blonde boy didn't know whether to feel offended or horrified, so he just turned on his heel and stomped of towards the Slytherin table to ponder this over his bacon and eggs.

"That, my dear, was brilliant," Ron said to the brunette, once Malfoy was out of earshot. Hermione simply sighed and said, "Yes, I know."

2.2.2.2

Luckily enough, the trio didn't have any more run-ins with Malfoy. Their first lesson, History of Magic with Professor Binns, was as usual, mind numbingly dull. Nevertheless, Hermione managed to pay enough attention to take precise notes while Ron and Harry slept nearby. Professor Flitwick planned a practical lesson with Animation Charms, which gave them free time to talk. By the end of the lesson, Hermione had successfully made several spoons do the can-can while singing a lively rendition of "I Feel Pretty" from West Side Story. Ron and Harry, however, only managed to make their forks attack Seamus Finnigan while screeching random lyrics to the British National Anthem. They were given extra homework. It was shaping up to be a thoroughly uneventful day. That is, until they got to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Ok, everyone, get into your seats," said none other than the metamorphagus Nymphadora Tonks. She had suspended her Auror duties in order to help Dumbledore, who was finding it increasingly difficult to find teachers for the supposedly cursed position. "Today we're going to be working on…" But what exactly they would be working was never to be found out because at that exact moment, a tremendous noise came bursting in from the corridor.

Professor Trelawney, who had obviously been drinking, or "clearing her inner eye" as she would put it, came stumbling into the classroom. Abandoning her usual attire of shawls and beads, she wore instead a hot pink cocktail dress that reminded Harry horridly of one Aunt Petunia would wear. "I like—hic—elephants that—heh—dance the polka!" Professor Trelawney said, her voice devoid of its usual mistiness. "I also think—hic—that Snape is—heh—absolutely smashing!" At this, the class collectively shuddered and Parvati Patil actually gagged.

"Ok then, Sibyll" Tonks said as if she was talking to a five-year-old, "How about you just have a bit of this nice coffee, and then we can get you on your way!" Tonks handed her a cup of coffee that she had conjured up. And, from the look on Professor Trelawney's face as she drank it, it had a strong Sobering Potion added in it. "There you go, now why don't we get you back to your tower. Seamus, please escort her back. Thank you," the today pink-haired woman added after Seamus had taken the slightly dazed woman out of the classroom.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," Hermione whispered. Ron and Harry looked shocked and revolted, and Ron said, "I think I've been scarred for life."

Just kidding! This is what really happened.

The loud noise had actually come from a very furious man. "Where is my son?! I demand to see him!" Lucius Malfoy screamed as he stormed into the classroom. He spotted Draco, sitting in the back by Goyle, and stomped over to the seemingly unaffected boy. "Draco, what is the meaning of this?" Lucius asked in a strained voice.

"The meaning of what, Father?" Malfoy replied, looking entirely unfazed.

"The meaning of why Professor Snape informed me that you were working with that—that Mudblood!" the blonde man practically spat.

"Father, it wasn't my decision to work with it," Malfoy started to explain, "The stupid oaf Hagrid and Dumbledore put us together, and believe me I was just as infuriated as you are. I've already tried to get reassigned, but the Headmaster would hear none of it," he replied coolly. In an undertone, he added to his father, "And besides, I know quite a few things I can do to keep it in check."  At this, Lucius simply gave the trademark Malfoy smirk and said, "Very well." Then he strode pompously out of the classroom, without even acknowledging the fact that he interrupted Tonks' class.

The class was totally silent for a few moments. That is until Ron jumped out of his seat, whipped out his wand, and practically threw himself at Draco Malfoy screaming, "You dirty bastard!" and other incomprehensible curse words. By this time, Malfoy had also gotten out his wand and was staring daggers at the redhead, while Crabbe and Goyle stood by waiting for Malfoy's cue to step in.

"Expelliarmus!" Nymphadora Tonks shouted, just in the nick of time. The wands of Malfoy, Ron, Crabbe and Goyle all flew out of their hands and into the stretched out one of the teacher. "You will all receive detentions for attempting to fight with another student."

"Fine," Ron said. "But if you ever regard Hermione in such a derogatory way again, I swear next time I will bloody kill you," he added to Malfoy, who was very nonchalant for a guy who just got threatened twice in the same amount of days. After this, the class resumed with Hermione whispering comforting words in Ron's ear and everyone else learning about the effects of Dementors on the human body.

"Next class, we'll be learning about the theory of the Patronus Charm," Tonks called after the students, who were filing out of the room. "I need a martini," Hermione joked in her best tired, old lady voice. It was half true though, she was indeed tired and dreading the inevitable: she would have to meet the Satan incarnate in 4 hours' time.

2.2.2.2

At seven thirty, Hermione left the Gryffindor common room carrying Betty, who had taken up room under the brunette's bed, and with a foul mood in tow. As she approached the Charms classroom, she uttered a short reprise to herself, "Just please don't let me die."

"Ah, and here's the Mudblood now," came the slow drawl of Draco Malfoy. "And you've managed to make it on time," he added as he glanced at the clock on the wall. He then smirked at a flushed Hermione, who was clutching Betty a little too tightly. However, she seemed determined not to let him get to her.

 "Good evening, Malfoy. I thought we could start with figuring out a diet for Betty," the prefect said without missing a beat. "I figured we could start with a bunch of different foods and see which ones she will eat. From there, we can make a list and eventually start studying her behavioral habits."

"Whatever, Mudblood. Just be sure to stay five feet away from me at all times," Malfoy retorted. The next hour and a half passed at an excruciatingly slow pace, with Hermione doing most of the work with Betty and Malfoy sulking in a corner, only talking to point out Hermione's mistakes. The whole time, they had managed to stay away from each other, until Betty escaped Hermione's grasp and ran off towards the other end of the room. In the process, Hermione accidentally ran right into Malfoy and fell over.

"Granger!" the Slytherin cried. "Get your filthy hands off me! I mean I know you think I'm dead sexy and want my body, but, honestly, I wouldn't touch you with a ten foot broomstick." At these words, it seemed that the brunette had had enough.

"I can't stand you Malfoy! You are such an arrogant little—SHEEP!" Hermione cried.

Malfoy, who seemed to look rather confused, said, "Hey! Sheep aren't very threatening…"

"Why do you think I used it?" Hermione replied with a smirk. Then she picked up Betty and flounced off towards the Gryffindor tower. Malfoy cleaned up all the food then walked out after her.

"I can be threatening," he said to himself as he walked down the corridor. At this, a portrait said sleepily, "Of course you can, dear."

A/N: So what do you think? Should I keep going or abandon all hope?