A/N: Is no-one entering chapter 8s comp.? Well I don't blame you, it was pretty crap, OK I'm warning you now, the next chapter could get nasty – it's up to you.

Thank you:
Natsuyori: I'm still writing
latinachikita: thank you for a lovely review!
PinkAphid: LOL
witchintraining: this OK?

Choice

Hermione tried to prise the letter from its envelope, expecting another note, but there were only two words on the parchment, the ink barely dry:

He knows

Hermione repeated the words to herself, but she already understood: Lord Voldemort knew Severus wasn't dead and he knew that something was going on between them.

"Happy now Mudblood?" a cold voice drawled behind her, Draco Malfoy was alone, "I mean once I threw that feeble Memory Charm off I went straight to father, he's told a few of his friends, naturally. But then the Daily Prophet this morning? I just knew it couldn't be true, and father has lists of those that, that…suffer unfortunate accidents, he's hiding somewhere, you and I both know that, but how long before I find out where?"

"I…I don't know what you're talking about!" she spluttered,

"Shut up! You know it all perfectly well! Where is he?"

"I don't know! Why would I?"

"Give me three guesses,"

"Look! I have absolutely no idea of where he is, please just leave me alone."

"But Granger, would you rather the rest of the school knew what a little slut you really are? You'd get expelled! Can you think of a worse fate?" he chuckled to himself,

"Please Malfoy, I don't know where he is!" she pleaded with him,

"Looks like it's on to plan B then, so who am I going to tell first? McGonagall?"

"No! Don't!" tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes,

"Well, you could always do me a favour then…"

She lifted her head slightly, puzzled, their eyes made contact and he smirked grimly, "you see, we in Slytherin, we like to be on top of everyone else and the current competition is to see who can lose their virginity first." He paused, "is that too much to ask from a slut like yourself?"

She stared at him horrified, wanting more than anything to turn back and run as far away from this monster of humankind as she could.

"Well, then looks like it'll be the juiciest gossip in school in no time, then I suppose you could come and meet my father…he could invite some of his friends over too, couldn't that be cosy?"

"Malfoy? If I did, I mean say I did just –"

"- Have sex with me -"

"Yes, then you wouldn't tell anyone else about me and him, ever? And you'd stop threatening me, and you'd leave Harry alone?"

"Oh, poor Potter! Does he know that his best friend is infatuated with his hated Potions master?"

"Shhhhh! Not so loud,"

"Well, I suppose you offer fair terms, minus the Potter thing, how could I possibly give up a lifetime of hatred for one little fling?" she looked back to the ground, "so it's up to you; sleep with me and I'll say no more, though I can't promise father hasn't already done something, or refuse and I tell everyone, I'll give you until tomorrow lunchtime."

Hermione wandered back up to the castle and packed her bag for Double Charms, followed by Potions. She spent the entire lesson looking at the clock, gazing out the window out onto the grounds where the last rays of summer sunshine were glimmering as they prepared to enter October in a few days.

"Miss Granger! Miss Granger!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, "may I have a word?" she looked around, he eyes widening to see the empty classroom, and nodded. "Have you been feeling well recently? It's just that several of my colleagues have reported you missing or not paying attention in lessons for the last few weeks. I know you've just had a hard hit," he winked slightly, "but this is not the state of mind to begin your sixth year with, please try harder, I know you can do so well, and we don't want you to be sent to Professor McGonagall or even Professor Dumbledore now do we?" he smiled at her kindly, "now off you go."

She ran to follow her classmates to the dungeons where they met an extraordinary looking man; he had a pudding-bowl haircut, wore square spectacles and beneath his tweed robes it was almost certain that he was hiding a pair of bow-legged limbs. He was your stereotypical old English schoolboy.

"Welcome everybody, I am Professor Valgus Infelix, I shall be teaching you Potions for a period," he gave an immature little snicker at the last word, the class looked on scornfully, "so you're all doing this for NEWT then? Great, there's a potion on the board, ingredients on the desks and I'm going to come round and get to know you."

The class began to mutter as they arranged their cauldrons and ingredients but soon they were happily chatting away, quite different from the harsh, cold silence of Snape's lessons. Malfoy kept trying to signal to Hermione across the room, but she ignored him, until he arrived in front of her, "I've got some Fly Agaric – enough will make you do it easily and enjoyably, and then not remember it, one galleon a cap?"

"I'm not stupid Malfoy," she hissed, "Fly Agaric is a poisonous fungus, of course I'd not remember it – I'd be dead wouldn't I? And I will report you to Professor McGonagall; no-one especially Prefects should be dealing illegal substances,"

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Just watch me,"

"I was only kidding," he said, hastily shoving the red mushrooms back into the pocket of his robes and sauntered off.

"Hello! And you are?"

"Hermione Granger," she muttered,

"Oh, I say, I have great expectations of you Miss Granger, I have heard much about you," she blushed deeply and he grinned, "so how're you doing with the potion?" he leant forward to check her cauldron, knowing the rest of her ingredients all over the floor, "very good, but could you clear this up please, we want a tidy laboratory don't we?"

"But sir…laboratory?" she'd certainly never heard the dungeons being called that before. Professor Infelix proceeded to knock two cauldrons over and trip up on the benches four times.

The end of the day was greatly anticipated by all, the three of them sat silently in the common room, doing their homework as quickly as possible and then wandering to their dormitories. Hermione finished first; muttering goodnight to the boys she ascended the staircase leading to her room and was soon asleep.

When she woke up she began the monotonous morning tasks, and got downstairs to a pile of present on her favourite chair by the fire, Harry and Ron beside it. "Oh you shouldn't have…" Ginny joined them in a rendition of Happy Birthday and soon she was sitting on the chair with wrapping paper all around her. There was of course a pile of books, chocolate, a scarf (made by Mrs Weasley), a Quidditch League magically changing wall chart (a disappointing last attempt of Ron's to try and get her into the game) and a collection of luxury quills from Harry. The boys soon left her for Qudditch practise so she and Ginny sat chatting by the fire, enjoying the Saturday morning. Several cards arrived at breakfast, including one scruffily signed,

S. xxx

They went down to the Great Hall for lunch where they had agreed to meet Harry and Ron, Ginny wondered down the table to speak to a friend and Hermione was left alone.

"This seat taken?" came a familiar drawl,

"Malfoy! This is Gryffindor's table,"

"So? What do I care? What I care about is your decision…"

"But I, it's my birthday! I can't do this…"

"Yes or no?"

"I…guess it's going to have to be…"

A/N: Attention! I need a poll – please review and in your review say whether she should, cos I can't decide, I need YOU! So what else can I say? Anyone who knows Latin – what does the new teacher's name mean? 