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A/n-- oh my gosh! I am updating again! What is wrong with me? Lol... maybe im just in the mood to write... well u guys got lucky..lol... no reviews caught my eye.. but thanx u guys made my day! Care to do it again??? Lol.... On with the story!

Chapter 6—adjusting

Hermione Granger sighed as her alarm sounded for the fourth time that morning. She rolled over and hit the snooze button for the final time. Sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face, she let her mind drift to t he previous evening. She sighed as she realized why she ached all over.

Lupin, although he was normally friendly and considerate, did not take it easy on them the night before. She slowly got out of bed and trudged to the entrance of the bathroom she shared with Draco.

She pushed on the door to find it locked. "Are you in there ferret boy?" Hermione said in more of a mumble.

"Yes, I am luvy!" He said in a sarcastic tone.

Hermione let out a yell of frustration and trudged to her wardrobe to get herself ready for the day, as much as she could without showering first. Classes started today, so she opted for a khaki skirt and black tee under her school robes. She groaned as the minutes passed, growing closer to when she needed to start patrolling.

'Stupid ferret!' Hermione thought exasperatedly.

'You could always go in there and make sure he didn't drown... or something.'

'May I ask why in the world you would suggest that? He is MALFOY of all people.'

'Just a suggestion.'

'Why I- just- why am I talking to you anyway?'

Hermione shook her head and pounded on the door yet again. "Draco Malfoy if you do not remove yourself from our bathroom I will hex you into oblivion!" She shouted in aggravation. She heard a click and the door opened to reveal Draco himself dripping wet in nothing but a towel. She blushed as her eyes wandered to his defined stomach.

Her blush now evident had Draco muttering his same reply. "I know I look good, you don't have to stare." He said meeting her eyes and winking before making his way across the bathroom to his own room.

Hermione shuddered as she realized that she had about five minutes to shower and dress and without another thought she ran to the shower.

later on... dinner in the great hall

Hermione sat pushing the remnants of her dinner around on her plate as she listened to the droning of Harry talking about the try-outs for the new quidditch season. As the captain, he felt the urge to talk about it at every opportunity.

"Mione, what's up? You look distracted." The youngest Weasley said, obviously bored with the topic of conversation as well.

"Ginny, it's nothing. Well it's something, but nothing that I can discuss with you as of yet. Head girl things." She said with a sigh.

Ginny nodded, turning from her to look at her boyfriend longingly. Envying her for the briefest of moments, Hermione let her mind wonder to Seamus. He was absent from the great hall at the moment. She was getting up from her seat to find him when she turned around bumping into a strong chest.

"Granger, as much as I hate to interrupt your view, Professor Snape would like to see us in his office, well, five minutes ago." Draco said with an indignant smirk on his face.

"Right away your highness!" Hermione seethed, pushing her way to the Dungeons, doing her best to avoid any conversation with Draco.

As she neared the door to the potions classroom, she slowed her frigid pace and came face to face with the blonde bugger himself.

"May I inquire as to why you insist on making my life a living hell?"
Hermione demanded staring him in the eye showing no sign as to backing down.

"It's one hobby that is just too much fun to give up. Highly enjoyable if you ask me." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.

She rolled her eyes and shoved him out of her way and knocked on the door. As she expected Snape stood by the door of his office, gesturing them to follow them.

As Hermione took her seat next to the roaring fire, she noticed Snape was paler than usual, and that was saying something. He also had numerous cuts on his face. Hermione inhaled expectantly, knowing that this was going to be bad news.

Draco stood in the corner of the small bleak office, staring intently into the face of his head of house.

As she turned back to Snape the potions master began to speak in a slow firm voice. "As you both now, I am a spy for Dumbledore. At a rally tonight I found out that there is a spy in our midst. This concerns you because the spy is here to spoil the prophecy. Yes, apparently Voldemort knows of it as well, and as cocky as he may be, he takes no chances. He wants you dead. Therefore, I am moving up our lessons. Lupin will train you Mondays, Wednesdays, And Fridays, and I will have you Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturday. Sunday will be your day of rest, but we expect you to practice never the less" He finished with a shallow breath and looked expectantly at the two before him.

He had a scowl on his face, but although theses two students wouldn't have been his first choice to save the world, they were the prophecy, and required support in all areas. He sighed and continued. "I have the utmost faith in you; I know you can do this." He said with a slight upturn at his lips.

He stopped talking and watched as the ranger girl opened her mouth and closed it several times, obviously trying to respond in some way to what he had said. Finally she found her mind again "Thank you for the information sir. We won't let you down. As tonight is to be our first lesson, should we head to the room of requirement?" She said in a matter of one breath.

Severus Snape nodded to the girl and she turned to leave, but not before he could get in a few last minute instructions. "I will expect both of you there in a matter of minutes, in appropriate attire." He finished, looking the students up and down. "Comfortable attire, sweat clothes or anything you can move in. We will start with dueling tonight, and if you two are capable of learning what I have planned we will move on to your other abilities. You are dismissed." He said with a flick of his wrist. They headed out of the door and Hermione turned to say something when Snape shot back "Miss Granger, are you incapable of following simple instructions? I do believe I said you are dismissed." He hissed.

Hermione nodded and in a short time they were seated in the room of requirement awaiting instructions from the angry instructor.

"As you will remember in second year the dueling club?" He paused as the students nodded in answer. "This will be a variation of that. Same stance, just more complex. For example, Mr. Malfoy care to face me? Not like you have a choice in the matter, stand." He demanded and Draco stood up coolly, putting his back to the professors.

They each took ten steps immediately drawing their wands and turning to face each other. "Expelliaramus!" Draco shouted. The spell missed his mark giving Snape the opportunity to shout a simple "Stupefy!" and the duel was over.

They did several rounds, Hermione doing a little better than Malfoy due to her vast knowledge of different spells and curses. They practiced for hours and once they were ach able to defeat Snap, much to his surprise, they sat on mats for a lesson in mind reading.

"Now Miss Granger, what you must do is concentrate on my mind. Imagine a pensieve, if you must. Imagine picking thought from it. I will fight you for entrance, so you must be persistent. Ready?" He asked.

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes focusing on the man in front of her. She started to sweat as she concentrated. It was harder than it looked. It took a lot of energy. Snape was a strong opponent, if he could get through his mind, it would be simple to get through others as well. She imagined herself walking up to a door. The door representing the entrance to Snape's mind.

She pushed on the door only to find it being pushed in her direction. She focused harder, groaning a little as her head started to ache. She pushed the door open, but blacked out as she did so.

Draco had his turn as well, with a similar reaction. Snape awoke the students and addressed them as he left. "I am surprised at the amount you have learned this evening. You both defeated me in a duel; mind you I wasn't using full strength, not to mention gained access to my mind. We need to work on your staying power once you gain entrance. You are dismissed. See you Thursday." He said with a polite nod.

The two students stood shakily and slowly made their way to their dorm. Draco and Hermione civilly bid their goodnights, both too tired to be stubborn, and made their way to their rooms.

Draco changed and climbed into his bed, his thoughts drifting to the know it all Gryffindor, in the room across from his. She had been tolerable once they left Snape's office.

'She must've been scared.' He thought smugly.

'She wasn't the only one, Mr. im so brave.'

'What do you know?'

'I know you shouldn'y put on the act around her, she could draw comfort knowing you feel the same as she does.'

Draco thought this over and with a sigh replied to his own mind with a simple ' Whatever' and started to fall asleep. He rolled onto his side, unable to get comfortable. He fell out of the bed and on to his face as a high pitched scream resounded from the Hermione's room.

Hermione's POV starting when she left Draco

Hermione smiled as she remembered all she had accomplished. She defeated the loathed potions professor, had broken into his mind on the first try, even if she had passed out, plus she had gotten along with Malfoy.

She pushed open the door to her room and removed the t-shirt, and started to head for her bed when a figure in death eater robes and mask disappeared with a pop. She screamed as loud as she could and started to panic.

A deatheater in Hogwarts? What about the apparition wards? She questioned herself profusely, as Draco bounded into the room in a pair of red??? Boxers. "Hermione" He breathed, obviously he had run to her room when she had screamed. "What happened?" He finished with a breath.

She screamed again as she realized she had taken her shirt off less than five minutes ago. She scrambled around and pulled the blanket off of her bed, sending a piece of parchment to the floor.

"Draco!" She cried, relieved not to be alone, she was still frightened and fell onto the bed, tears filling her eyes.

He watched her for a moment before timidly placed a hand on her back, rubbing small circles, trying to comfort her. "What happened?" He said in a smooth voice.

"There. Was. A. Deatheater. In. My. Room." She said in between her sobs. "He left when I entered though." She noticed the parchment on the floor for the first time, and picked it up. She opened it and quickly read it, shoving it into Draco's hands and ran out of the room.

Draco began to read it slowly.

Mudblood bitch! Two down two to go. Talk to mommy and daddy lately? I highly doubt it. You're next!

Draco swallowed and followed Hermione's example and headed to the headmasters office.

It was obvious who had put the letter on the bed. A deatheater. But how did he get into the school. If the wards had been tampered with, what would be the dark lords next move?

a/n ... omg.... Scaaarrryy.... I know what is going to happen... and you will too, if you review. If I get enough reviews...long ones... I will update .. possibly tomorrow night... I am getting into this.. please let me know what you think. Thanx always

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