Draco entered the potion's classroom with a limp. During Care of Magical Creatures class that oaf Hagrid had brought in some new creature, half dog, have teenage boy. He had a strange interest in Hermione, howling and giving her bedroom eyes. A lot of jokes came from the Slytherins about Hermione's taste in men, until of course Draco mentioned something about it stealing Potter's girl. The dog-boy took at as a challenge to his new mate, and attacked Draco. No jokes from the Slytherins on that one.

Hermione was already there, looking very upset about having to spend yet another day in detention. 'Get used to it, my little witch, because you'll be here all week' Draco thought to himself. Trying his best to hide his limp as he made his way to Snape's desk, Draco could feel Hermione's eyes on him. Draco turned on his good heel and glared at her. "See something you like?"

"You in pain? Yeah, I am really enjoying it. How about you, see anything you like?" Hermione smirked.

"Knowing that I've got you all night, and that I plan to make you do everything perfectly, yes, I am enjoying it." Hermione's smirk disappeared, replaced by a pure look of hatred. 'That's more like it' Draco thought smugly.

"Now," Draco plopped himself into Snape's desk, "You can start by brewing this potion," he tossed a piece of parchment at her, "and then you need to restock and organize the potion's cabinet."

"Is that all?" Hermione opened the parchment and looked at it. It was the same potion as yesterday, but with a slight alteration in the ingredients.

"Maybe. Get to work." Draco sat back in his chair and put his feet up his desk. He watched as Hermione gathered all of her ingredients and started working. He felt a little nervous, knowing how serious it was that she gets this potion exactly correct. For her it only meant another day of detention, but for him, it could mean his life.

When Hermione finally stood in front of the cauldron filled with a deep blood red potion, she sighed. 'Finally' she thought, carefully bottling the potion. She looked over at Draco, and found the he had dozing off again. Seeing her blessing, she went about cleaning the potion cabinet as quietly as she could, hoping not to wake him. It was nice not to have to deal with his constant taunts and glares.

Yet when she finished, Draco was still asleep. She wanted so badly just to turn and leave, but she knew that would only get her another night's detention. She needed to know if there was anything else she had to do. She walked over to Snape's desk and leaned in toward Draco, watching him sleep. This way he looked so fragile, so innocent. Too bad she can't just knock him out permanently. Regretfully she shook him, trying to wake him.

Draco stood upon a platform. Nearly a hundred men surrounded him, all standing perfectly still in the dark night air, black cloaks hiding their faces from view. One man stood in front of all the rest. Silently he handed Draco a black wand. "It is time to take your place among us, Lord Draco." Draco took the wand wordlessly, holding it in front of him, inspecting it. There was a disturbance in the back of the crowd. Two cloaked figures advanced, dragging a black haired man. They shoved him roughly down at Draco's feet. The same man that had given him the wand spoke again. "Now is your time to prove yourself. Now is the time to take your revenge. Enjoy it, my lord." The man on the ground spit blood at his feet then slowly raised his head. "Please," the man said, his face covered in blood and his lightning shaped scar glowing gently. "Please, don't do this. Please, Draco... Draco... wake up you insufferable prick. DRACO!"

Draco jerked awake, nearly falling off his chair. He lashed out to grab something, and caught Hermione's hand. Quickly he regained his balance ad released it, acting disgusted to have touched a mudblood.

"What do you want Granger?"

"To get the hell out of here." Hermione sighed at looked at him oddly. "Are you ok?" Draco looked up at her and was shocked. She actually looked concerned.

"None of your business. Get back to work." Draco didn't like how she was looking at him, or that strange way it was making him feel. He never wanted to look fragile in front of anyone, especially a know-it-all Gryffindor who was always showing him up. The last thing he needed was for her to have leverage on him.

"I'm done. Can I go now?" Draco looked over at the Potion's cabinet. It was spotless, everything was organized and restocked. He couldn't think of anything else for her to do, so he might as well send her back. Plus it was almost midnight. Once he took the potion he would no longer need her around.

"Fine, go ahead. I'm sure your lovely Pothead is dying for you to come climb into his bed. Or maybe the Weasel. Or do they both climb into yours?"

Hermione first looked angry, but then amused. "No, I'm sure they would be too worried about their safety. Apparently I have a protector when it comes to men. But you already know that, don't you Draco?" She glanced at his injured leg before looking back at Draco, a confident smile on her face.

"Oh, so you sleep with the dog-boy, do you? Got a taste for dogs?"

"All men are dogs Draco, and no, I don't have much desire either in my bed." Hermione smirked at Draco's surprised face. "Night Draco. I would love to stick around, but I have someone who is waiting up for me." She smiled again and turned swiftly on her heel, leaving him to stare after her.

There is this really cool thing, called a reveiw, and it makes authors feel all good and tingly inside....