Eh! Thanks for the wonderful reviews and props to Ms. Lippy for the awesome possum idea! Now that is a review I was looking for!

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"Miss Granger?"

"Miss Granger?"

"Miss GRANGER!"

Hermione bolted up from her dreamless sleep. Peering open her eyes, Hermione shrieked at Professor McGonagall's head in her fireplace.

"Miss Granger! What in the world are you doing? The faculty meeting began 20 minutes ago!"

Sleepily, Hermione peered over at her hot pink alarm clock. It was 10 am.

"Oh! Fu- OH! I'm sorry! I'll be right there! I'm SO sorry Professor! FU- AGH!" Trying to get out of bed and apologize to a face in the fireplace was certainly not easy. Hermione, being the clumsy one she was, fell face flat on the floor.

"Mother F- Ow."

"Miss Granger? Are you alright? Please hurry up and come now. We've all been waiting for your presentation."

Presentation? What presentation?

"Oh… right… the presentation. I'll be right there. I'm so sorry." Hermione said, racking her head to remember what presentation.

Slipping on her sneakers as she ran down the stairs, she bumped, and fell into a body.

"Agh! What the hell- Oh! Harry! Ron! How nice to see you!" Hermione grinned, breathing heavily.

Harry waved. "Hi Hermione! We just-"

"Hey, look. I'm in a rush right now, so get back to me later okay? Gotta go- Bye!" Hermione punched Harry slightly on the arm and sprinted towards her forgotten meeting and mysterious presentation.

As Hermione sped down the corridors, students of all grades turned back to look at their Transfiguration professor run past them with nothing but her dorm wear- a black cami and red and pink silk boy boxers. It only took minutes until Hermione screamed and ran back to her room.

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"Hi."

The old aging and wise professors looked back at her. Waiting for her presentation.

"Well… I'm sorry I'm late…"

Those stares.

"Haha. You know… it's a Saturday, and I'm used to sleeping late and everything."

"Miss Granger, if you may, we are waiting for your presentation on the difference of action by this year's seventh years and last years. As I recall, you've agreed to do it instantly due to the fact that you only graduated last year, yes?" Professor McGonagall saved her.

"Oh! Right! Hem Hem. Well. Hi."

When did I ever agree to do that?

Then, she remembered.

After Ginny had left, Hermione sat on her bed thinking.

What if Malfoy liked Ginny?

So what? Who cares?

I do.

I do?

"Hello, Miss Granger, how are you?"

Hermione pivoted around until she saw Professor McGonagall in the fireplace.

"Hello. I'm fine. You?"

"I'm very fine as well. I hope you are finding everything comfortable?"

"Yes I love-"

"Yes. Miss Granger, or, Professor Granger, I was wondering if you would like to do a presentation this Saturday during our monthly faculty meeting. Since you have just graduated and you would know everything that was going on in your year last year, I thought it would be best for you to do a presentation comparing last year seventh years and this year's seventh years. Could you do that?"

"Sure. Why not?" Hermione muttered sarcastically. No thanks Professor.

"Great! That is fabulous! Of course, it will be a yearlong assignment but please have your first presentation ready by this Saturday. Nothing special is required. Good night." And in a pop, she was gone.

It's not like she wanted to do it. But she just couldn't go up to Professor McGonagall and say, "Hi, I was being sarcastic when I said that I wouldn't mind doing the presentation thing. I really don't want to do it and I think it's stupid."

So now, Hermione was stuck with her project.

"Anyway. From the first impression of the seventh years, I didn't notice anything special; just little stuff here and there." Hermione smiled.

They were still staring.

"Um… first of all, they were noisier and had a higher feeling of superiority than last year seventh years." That should do it.

But those old wise men and women were still watching her every move.

"Er… After the first homework assignment, I realized that only a little less than half the class didn't do it at all. I think they are being disorganized and trying to push the borders with me."

Professor Sprout grinned and looked down at her notes. One down, 20 more to go.

"And… I'm seeing a lot more bullying and segregation of rich to poor, muggle to pureblood, smart to dumb, cool to nerd, and popular to not popular. I've realized that there is a small group of elite students who look down at everyone like they are royalties."

Six heads went down.

"On the first day of school, many of my students have not even glimpsed inside the books. I was very disappointed. They don't listen to me and some of them are even falling asleep."

Only Snape and McGonagall were left.

"My final point so far is that there are more students here that think school is a joke and last year, there were only a few."

"All right, thank you Professor Granger." McGonagall announced as she applauded her.

Hermione beamed.

It was only one week and Professor McGonagall was already impressed.

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"…so Harry here came in the Auror place and was like 'I'm wondering if I can sign up for the training.' But he comes in and sees Cho and he's like 'Whoa' and he stops talking and when she kept asking him to sign the paper, he couldn't stop staring at her. When she finally tapped him on the shoulder, he grabbed her and kissed her when her boss came in! And her boss was like 'Whoa' and Harry was like 'Bloody hell' and Cho was frantically trying to explain and two aurors come in and try to grab him out when Harry yells, 'It's me! Harry! Cho! It's me! Harry Potter!' and Cho's like 'Oh…?' and I'm standing there laughing when Harry reaches out and grabs me! He drags me out and I'm yelling 'Bloody hell!' and the aurors thought he was attacking me so they pounced on him and kicked him out, with me in his hand of course. They guys were trying to save me but I insisted that I was his friend and I would leave with him too. Then, Harry, being as stupid as he is, lifts up his hair and shows them his scar and he's like 'It's me, Harry Potter. I would like to see Cho Chang please' like he's the best or something, and one of the auror guys come up, holds up a ring on his fourth finger and says 'It's Cho Mince now, and she's my wife.' You should have seen the look on Harry's face!" Ron exclaimed, overly excitedly rambling about the story of how they got kicked out of the Auror Training place.

Harry's cheeks were bright red.

Hermione laughed. "Oh, Harry… you are so dumb!"

"Hey, she looked HOT! My brain wasn't functioning properly!" Harry said defensively.

"Yeah yeah… what ever, Harry. Hey, Hermione. How's Ginny? She's not… going out with anyone is she?" Ron gulped.

Hermione smiled and the "no" was on the tip of her tongue when she remembered Draco.

"N-no."

That no seemed to assure her better than Ron.

Wait… no. Hermione didn't care. She was just worried that Ginny would be in deep trouble with Ron and her family of they found out about her little fling with Draco.

Besides, WHY would Hermione care? It's not like she liked Malfoy or anything.

Of course! He's never done anything special that made her impressed with him.

Except the most incredible kiss in the planet. And the fact that he was the only one in his class that actually looked at his book. And that he was one of the very few who did the homework. Ginny didn't even start on it, but Hermione took pity on her confused soul and didn't punish her severely for that.

Just gave her a zero.

Like the rest of the class.

"Earth to Hermione! Hello? I was asking you a question…" Ron snapped in front of her face.

"What? Huh? Oh, hi."

"Well, me and Harry…" Hermione glared at Ron. "Or… Harry and I were wondering…"

"Yes…"

"Well, the thing is…"

"Well, you know how we got kicked out from Auror Training?"

"And we told Mrs. Weasley that we would stay in the dorms they provide…"

'And we don't really want to go back until she cools down after she finds out we screwed up."

"But we were wondering… maybe… we can…"

"GRANGER- I NEED HELP-" Draco froze at the doorway.

His Transfiguration teacher was sitting on a desk in a black shirt and short, red and pink silk boxers. Harry and Ron were standing in front of her, looking down at the ground.

So the story about Granger running down the halls in her nightwear was true!

"What do you want, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Yeah, what do you want, Malfoy?" Harry spat.

"Yeah, what do you want?" Ron snapped.

"I… needed help."

How embarrassing.

Hermione grinned. "What is it, DRACO? Do you need help with your homework? Do you not understand what we are learning? Is it too hard for you?"

Draco glared at her.

"Oh, Draco, you just can't look at your professor like that. Five points from Slytherin."

Draco opened his mouth.

"Do you really want to say that?" Hermione teased.

Groaning, Draco turned back to leave when he got another glimpse of the little Red's brother.

"I was going to ask about the little Weasley but… I see you're busy."

Hermione's taunting smile faded into a frown. Her eyes grew wide. "What about Ginny?"

"Never mind. Obviously, you don't want me to ask you." He said, glancing at Ron's confused yet furious face. Draco smirked. Weasley could be so thick sometimes; Draco didn't have to give a small poke to enrage him.

Draco's impromptu plan was working. He knew Weasley would think that he was having something with Ginny. But, he knew he couldn't kiss and tell or his social level would drop severely.

Plus, Malfoys didn't kiss and tell.

They kissed and shagged.

"Why don't you just go back and do you homework, ferret? You don't want to retake this year, do you?" Harry piped in.

Silly little Potter. Thinking that it would affect Draco…

It did.

A lot.

Draco straightened up. Was it a habit? How could he become like his old, thoughtless, stupid, cold, and whore-like self in just a second? Draco was not like that. He was not going to be. He was going to concentrate on his studies and books.

"I'm sorry." He muttered to Hermione and ran out of the classroom.

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Why did he have to do that? Why did he have to say sorry? Does he realize what he had just done to me?

Since the very moment Draco had softly uttered those two words, he had bombarded Hermione's thoughts with himself. But that was not the only proof of her…suspected and developing feelings.

She had talked to Harry and Ron and told them to go talk to Dumbledore. While she thought about Draco.

They skipped back in announcing Professor Dumbledore agreed to let them in.

Under one condition.

Their job was to help Mr. Filch. Mr. Filch was grown old and tired. They were to be the caretakers everyday except on weekends when Mr. Filch would take over. Hermione was happy for them, although she would have been terribly embarrassed if that happened to her.

But strangely, Hermione felt a bit of… something when they excitedly told her the good news.

Almost like she didn't want them there with her.

Shaking that thought away, Hermione had decided to take a walk.

Unfortunately.

Outside, Hermione enjoyed the bright heat of the September sun and the aroma of the exotic flowers that grew along the school. There were groups of friends chatting in the shade, or wading in the lake. A perfect way to spend their weekend. Hermione searched for Harry, Ron and Hermione's tree to find it occupied with a couple making out on the grass. Young love.

Hermione smiled and walked past them when she got a glimpse of red hair.

THE red hair.

The UNMISTAKABLE red hair.

Hermione came to a halt. As she suspected, it was Ginny. If only Ginny would know that her brother was here, in the same campus, at the most a hundred yards away.

But Hermione was not interested in that, suddenly. She felt a burst of curiosity to see who this lucky boy was to be able to snog the most popular and loved girl in school.

Draco Malfoy.

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'I need a walk.' Draco thought as he ran out of Hermione's classroom. Seeing her sitting there, laughing and talking with her friends had left him with the feeling in the pit bottom of his stomach.

So deep, he didn't realize what it was.

Granger had certainly done some redecorating in the two days that he didn't have her.

When he had first walked into her class, it had been the simple classroom; teacher's desk in the corner, rows of long desks for students, black board, and a projector. It sort of looked alike to the Potions dungeons, with the windows wide open.

But when he had walked in that day, she had rearranged everything. There was a wall of shelves that was packed with books. Packed. She had separated the desks to make it into two's. Her windows were slightly covered with blue curtains. Her desk was at an angle to face the whole class and not only one side of it. On the walls, there were framed artworks, pictures, a signed poster of Bill Tinkle (a famous wizard author) and a large poster of a shirtless Orlando Bloom and Brad Pitt.

Anyway… he had tried to make a choice. He knew he wanted her but he didn't want to admit it. Whether it was the kick that she gave him or the O on the homework, he wanted her.

And then, there was Ginny Weasley. He knew she wanted him. He knew that she'd never been kissed that well before. He knew she was popular and pink and perfect. He guessed he should want her.

But he didn't.

The person he wanted had pushed him away. Ditched him, rejected him, repulsed him, hated him, loathed him, and spit at the sight of him.

His heart tingled when he saw and talked to her. He felt embarrassed when he messed up in front of her. He tried his best to get her attention.

Yes, it was a crush.

But Draco did not and could not admit that.

He entered the sunny Saturday afternoon outside. Theodore was serving his detention with Snape for talking back. What an idiot.

He strolled down the grass to the golden tree. Or, that was what it was called last year. It was Potter, Weasley, and Granger's tree. Nobody went there and nobody tried. It wasn't like they were going to go out and get you like what Draco and his gang would have done. It was as if they were scared of their perfect ness.

Draco sat down. It didn't feel different than another tree. But, he could smell Potter and Weasley. He could sense Granger's smile and the smell of her book.

"Seeing how the tree feels, huh?"

Draco looked up. He knew it wasn't Granger. But he looked up.

Ginny Weasley

Draco didn't reply.

"My brother and Harry are here. They didn't come after me, I know, but they're here and I'm scared."

Draco remained silent.

Ginny sighed. "I just don't understand you. One minute, I hate you, and the next, I can't stop thinking about you."

Draco looked at her. She looked forward at the lake.

"I didn't want Ron and Harry to come. I wanted this year to be brother free. Harry free. But they come back. To hover over me. Well, they probably came for another reason. But I know what Ron is thinking. He's going to make sure I don't go around flirting with boys and such." Ginny paused. "Malfoy? I'm going to retaliate. I like you and I will have you. I don't care what my brother and his friend says."

Draco looked at her in total bewilderment. A girl to profess her feelings like that; it was his first.

Before Draco can reply, Ginny leaned in and kissed him. It was… nice. She brought her hands up to his face and pressed him closer to her. With automatic reflexes, he felt his hands slither toward her waist.

When he felt it.

He felt Hermione. He sensed her near him. He smelled her, he heard her, and breathed her.

Then, he saw her. She was windswept and so earthly, she was ethereal. Her wavy brown hair flew across her face and she was peacefully watching the foolish little second year's splash around in the dangerous lake. Her hands were jammed in the pockets of her light blue denim pants. He knew that in just a second, she would tear her eyes away from the children and see him. With Ginny

As he began to withdraw his hand, Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned him down to the fresh new grass. Again, from his reflexes, he felt his eyes grow dimmer as his tongue met Ginny's teeth. There was the smallest moan.

Ginny pulled back slightly to give him a satisfied and lovesick grin. Draco opened his eyes and realized that Hermione had just been there. Turning his head slightly to the side, he found her.

Hermione Granger watching him with Ginny with the tint of jealousy… and hurt.

The feeling that Draco had been burdening on his shoulders.

Succumbing to the moment, his eyes made contact with Hermione's before Ginny's lips landed on his once more.

That second when the gray sparkle in his eye met Hermione changed everything.

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Eh, I think I need to expand my vocabulary. I said 'saw' or 'embarrassed' like fifty times already. This chapter was pretty pointless but it was a chapter and I really don't know what else to write about. I never had a plan of the story line when I started this story. Please give me ideas or this story will have no point and end the next chapter. That could work too… They might realize how much they like each other and get together.

Please give me ideas!

Toodles

Youngwriter56

P.S. Don't worry! This will NOT be a Draco/Ginny fic!