Synopsis: Well, Draco's getting some advice from the ladies
Disclaimer: Not mine
A/N: I'm rrrrrreeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllyyyyyyyyy sorry about the wait, but, now that I have a job, I think it might take me a bit longer to post. I'm also trying to plan more carefully where the plot is going, b/c the story is honestly beginning to annoy me a bit

Maya took Draco over to a secluded corner of the Common Room, and they sat down on plush chairs facing eachother. Ginny decided it was better to leave them alone. Maya sat for a moment, looking at Draco.

"Look, no offense Maya, but I don't really how you could know more than Ginny."

She nodded silently, and continued to look at him, not speaking. Then, she shut her eyes, and cocked her head, as if trying to hear a very faint noise.

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but she put her hand up, pre-empting him. Draco looked confusedly at the closed-eye girl in front of him. She finally opened her eyes back up. He suddenly realized what she was doing.

"You're-?"

Maya nodded, "A Seer. Dumbledore just told me the other day. BUT, I'm not trained yet, so I can't really see the future. It just manifests itself in extrasensory perception of the present, obviously."

"Wow," Draco said, obviously awed.

"Right, so, before we get down to business... you can't speak, or you'll interrupt my train of thought. You do not know about me. I know what kind of powers I have, I don't have a problem using them here, because this is not a universe-altering thing, and I'm just kind of giving you my opinion. But, please, do not tell anyone, I'm already in danger because I'm a high-profile Mudblood, ok?"

Draco cringed at her use of that word, but nodded.

Maya thought for a moment and spoke in a very frank tone, as if summarizing a chapter from a history book, "She honestly has no plans on speaking to you. I don't think she will before the conference." She paused again, and `listened' some more, "She's been looking at your notes during the night, so she knows what she has to do and where to fill in, and she knows that she doesn't have to talk to you about it." She inhaled deeply, "You broke her heart, and she thinks she was wrong about you all along. But, she's not upset by her public reputation, so to speak, but the fact that she thinks you were saying what you really felt to Pansy... I know you didn't mean it, by the way." Maya furrowed her brow, "Yes, that's it... you've broken her heart, not her mind, she'll ignore you till it kills her emotionally, but she feels that that's what she has to do. I can't offer you any suggestions on how to solve it, that's not fair. But, I can say that I know you have it in you. Finis."

Draco sucked in a breath through his teeth, "Impressive, Jackman, impressive. Broken her heart... that's a pretty big deal."

"It's an especially big deal for Hermione, Draco. How many times do you think anyone has considered that she actually has one? Everyone focuses on her mind, and leaves out her other human emotions."

"But she's not going to talk to me?"

Maya shook her head, "No, I'm almost positive. I know you thought you had her on the conference thing, but, like I said, her brain is in top form."

"Right, well, I guess that's it for now-"

"No, stay, we should talk about you, too."

"Me? Well, I don't really want to talk about me."

"I know, too bad. I did you a favor, you do me one."

"Fine. But, if you're the Seer, then this shouldn't have to be a two-sided conversation," he said with a smirk.

She smirked right back, "Ah, excellent. You're much easier to read than Hermione anyway!"

"I am not!"

"Shh, no interrupting!" She smiled at the put-off Draco. "Well, let's start with your attitude. You're kind of... mood-swingy, and it really brings everyone else around you down. You've got a very strong "if I fall, you're going down with me" disposition. Aaaaaaaaand... the reason for THIS is because you've got such a dominating personality, which you have to overcompensate for your numerous insecurities, don't interrupt me, I know you're thinking about it."

Draco scowled at Maya, but did not interrupt

"You're- oh my! You're totally afraid of Hermione, aren't you? You are... completely afraid of her, because, besides your family and the people that look up to your last name, SHE'S the only one who really cares about you and respects you, and you know it. And you're really worried that you've fucked it up royally this time."

She looked up at Draco and shrugged. "Well, you have. That's it for now, I'm completely wiped. This takes a lot out of me."

Draco stood up, "Thanks a lot, Maya."

"No problem. Oh, and Draco? You spare me the Professor Trelawney comments, and I won't tell anyone you like Gryffindor colors better."

Draco opened his mouth to say something, but thought the better of it. He grinned at Maya, and left.

It was not for lack of attempts on Draco's behalf that they still were not talking in a week and a half. He'd attempted to talk to her many times, she'd ignored him. He picked up her books for her when she dropped them, she promptly snatched them out of his hands, threw them on the floor again, and picked them back up.

And so, 6 pm on January 25 rolled around with no improvement in the situation, as Maya said. Draco, Hermione, Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Sirius, Narcissa, Lily, Ron, Harry, Maya, and Ginny were gathered in the front hall.

"Now, the portkey is right outside the door," Dumbledore began, "It will take you directly to the train station in Belgium. The train should be there upon your arrival. You'll meet the Belgian delegation at the station. You'll stop in Paris on the way to Italy to pick up the Beauxbatons delegation, then go straight on to Venice. Say your goodbyes quickly, you've got to get the portkey in about five minutes."

Draco and Hermione went around, thanked their teachers, and said goodbye to their friends. Hermione was giving Maya and Ginny a huge hug, when Maya squealed.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"Nothing! It's nothing, I just thought to a funny joke." Maya said.

Hermione nodded and turned to Harry and Ron, too late to see Maya wink at Ginny.

In a few minutes, Hermione and Draco went outside with their compacted, weightless luggage to get the portkey. They saw an object lying in the grass, and walked over to it. It was a large carving of the Gryffindor and Slytherin house seals.

Hermione sighed, and took hold of it, Draco followed. He looked up into her face and smiled hopefully.

"This is pretty exciting, huh?"

She looked expressionlessly back at him, and checked her watch. Draco was going to say something else, when the portkey tugged them forward.

Hermione's feet landed with a thud on stone pavement, and she lost her center, and toppled forward, skinning her knee.

"Are you ok?" Draco asked, concerned, and offered his hand to her.

Hermione glared at him, and stood up on her own. Brushing herself off, she muttered a spell to fix her bleeding knee, and repair the hole in her tights. She grabbed her bags, and marched off towards the train, Draco following.

They were directed to their compartment, the train was set up just like the Hogwarts express, Hermione noted. The duo settled in, and Hermione stared quietly out the window, watching the landscape roll by.

"So, I wonder when we'll meet the Belgians. Don't you think that's weird, I mean, a Belgian school of Magic? I know about Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, but there's all these tiny ones in weird countries."

Hermione snorted, and rolled her eyes, "Are you ALWAYS so ethnocentric?" she finally spoke to him.

Draco looked slightly hurt, "No... does this mean you're talking to me?"

Silence.

Draco sighed, and unearthed a book from his bag, and started reading. Hermione's curiosity got the best of her, and she covertly peered at the cover. He was reading the Pride and Prejudice she'd bought him for Christmas.

"Yes, I'm using my gifts, Hermione. Have you burned yours yet?" he asked, only half-kidding, not looking up from his book.

"Of course not," she mumbled begrudgingly. What he didn't know was that she slept in the Cannons shirt almost nightly, and she treated the book with more reverence than all of her text books combined.

They fell back into silence, but a knock soon came at the door. It opened, and two girls walked in.

The tall redhead spoke first, "Hi, I'm Marine, we're from Flanders Field Academy."

The shorter brunette spoke up, "I'm Eleanor, it's nice to meet you!"

Draco stood up, and extended his hand to the girls, "I'm Draco Malfoy, it's my pleasure."

Hermione followed Draco's lead, "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger, we're both from Hogwarts. You go to Flanders? Isn't that primarily for the study of History of Magic?"

The girls nodded, "Yes," Marine said, "That's what we're presenting on. What are you doing?"

"Modern Defense Against the Dark Arts," Draco responded.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and the other girls left.

"How do you know about the other schools?" Draco asked her, only half-expecting a response.

Hermione shrugged in response, and laid her head back on the seat. After a half hour, she was asleep.

Draco fell into a state of ponderance watching her. `What did Jackman mean I'm afraid of her? How could anyone be afraid of Hermione? Look at her, she's so... well, she's just non-threatening. If anything, I'd think that she should watch out for people threatening her, but if anyone ever tried anything, I'd kill them with my bare hands! She better stay with me in Venice, she doesn't know her way around. Hmm, well, I guess that's if she talks to me... Her hair looks blonde in the sunlight, that's kind of odd, blonde Hermione... I really blew it this time, didn't I?"

Draco silenced his thoughts, and stared out the window. The Seine River Valley rolled by, and lulled him to sleep.

Hermione awoke a half hour later, and carefully glanced at Draco. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady. He'd fallen asleep with the book splayed across his chest. She was curious as to where he was in the plot, so she carefully picked the book up, and scanned the text.

"Ah, Mister Darcy isn't dancing with `slighted women.' Can't say I know what THAT'S like," she muttered sarcastically.

As she put the book back on his chest, he moved slightly, and his hand fell on top of Hermione's. She gasped quietly as his soft hand idly passed over hers. She quickly pulled her hand out from under his, and sat back. She turned her head abruptly to face the window.

She did not see Draco raise his eyelid only slightly and allow himself a small smile. `That was fun,' he thought to himself, `Scared her, didn't I? She's got awfully soft hands... She didn't burn the gifts, either. She can't hate me that much then, can she? She's said eight words to me in the past few hours, that's an 800% improvement rate from the previous three weeks! Well, and that comment about Mister Darcy... what's that supposed to mean anyway?'

Draco felt the train roll to a stop. Feigning grogginess, he sat up and stretched. He looked out the window, and saw that they were in a train station, all the signs on the wall were in French. Some one knocked at the door, and opened it.

"Mister Malfoy, Miss Granger, we will be staying in Paris only for a few minutes, if you wish to get out, you have a quarter hour," an attendant told them, then left.

"Are you going to go outside?" Draco asked Hermione hopefully.

She, needless to say, said nothing. Her eyes remained fixed out the window.

Draco was beginning to get irritated, her calm composure was like a thousand little pricks under his skin. He looked at her, her jaw muscle was clenched, and she was steadily focusing on a fixed point through the class. He didn't think he could take it anymore.

He stood up, "You know what, Hermione, you can't ignore me forever! You can't hold this against me forever!"

"Oh, yes, I can Draco Malfoy, and your arrogance in thinking I can't simply astounds me!" she yelled back, standing up to match him.

"What the hell would have had me say? `Yes, Pansy, I really really LIKED kissing Hermione, as a matter of fact! We've actually started being friends, I can't believe I'd ever even called her a Mudblood before! The very thought repulses me. The past few months I've spent with her have been the greatest in my life!' Did you want me to say THAT Hermione? Tell her the truth? Well, I couldn't, I can't, I am a Slytherin, you are a Gryffindor. Lucius Malfoy or not, there are some things that are not done, I would expect you to understand." He was yelling so loud that his face was a brighter red than Hermione had ever seen.

"You're afraid of your own damn heart Malfoy, you know that? They don't control you, and you're too weak to realize it. And for that, I cannot be your friend, and I cannot talk to you. Please leave me alone." She opened the door and stomped down the corridor to an empty compartment.

She'd been gazing out the window, when a boy and a girl walked in.

"'Ello, are you going to zee confairence?" the boy asked in a thick accent.

Hermione turned her head to the strangers, "Yes, I'm Hermione Granger from Hogwarts, pleasure to meet you."

The boy smiled, "I am Guy Duras."

"And I am Sophie Letourner, eet eez very nice to meet you. Are you here by yourself?"

"No, my partner is in compartment one twenty-one, we don't get along."

"Oh, I am very sorry to hear zat," Guy said

Hermione shrugged, "C'est la vie," she said with a smile.

Sophie gave a little laugh, "Do you speak French?"

"Oui, but not very well," Hermione said.

"We'll have to practice sometime, but we should go meet your friend now, yes?" Guy motioned towards the door.

"Au revoir," Hermione said, and the French duo left.

As she watched the river valley fade into rolling hills, the yelling match she'd had with Draco hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Oh my God!" she whispered to herself, "He said he liked kissing me!"

She thumped her head against the window, "This is going to be a long trip."

A/N: OK, well, here we are...

OK, that whole flame thing was kind of just a joke, I don't care if people flame me! Go ahead, the only reason I had an issue with it is because it wasn't even constructive. I certainly did not mean to imply that people aren't allowed to flame me, I just found it odd that some one would read 30 chapters of something that was bad! I certainly wouldn't! Really, my feelings won't be hurt if people don't like this, I don't like it myself! I'm sorry if anyone was offended by what I said in response, but, really, I think saying "this sucks" does nothing, at least tell me what sucks! I was not complaining, I am THRILLED to have as many positive reviews as I do, please don't think I don't appreciate them, I sincerely do, and I read them all.

Many thanks to:

~Christine, MariLeyle, Halfling, anixiel, luckieme07, hopeless-romantic, p.e.n.n.y, Chrissy, allee kat, Rugi Gwena, starbrite, June Selphia Melody Tudor, Queen Dork, ^-~, Naurhen, lukestwin, `mione, Dark-angel, DMRox, Relena of Rivendell, Draco'z chick, siya, Drakangel009988, LadyLiyl, Rugi, Beauty full, Draconita Riddle, kitty, mimi, Volcana, Mrs. O-Town, animemelonhead, sarah, Reena, someone, porkypop, Draco's Angel, Kat097, Shaz Kay Gee Bee, Trippinwithcats, krissy, Lady Knight, Sugar Plums, Bobyn, VanillaLily, jennyKT, Jessie, Amaiko, Kristina, Fainting Maid, AngelzGaze, Lizzi, Kearie, Gryphon, Christine, Lena, katelyn, Rachel Hunt, LilyAyl, michee, akiri pie-chan, Jenie, Nedesico, Mionee, blueearthgoddess, G*Ness, and Veronica.

seeker4reality- Eep! OK, I posted!! Sorry!! I'm not really sure who gets Hermione. Though, I firmly believe that Hermione and Snape are soulmates, though as of right now, I'm not good enough to write a Snape fic.
Holly- Maya the Bee was a cartoon on Nick Jr. when I was little, it was v. cool
Ryoko- I don't know what you're talking about, truth be told, lol. I've never taken offense to anything you've said in reviews! You're one of my faithful, for which I am eternally grateful!
Star123- Why would I be insulted about the Princess Bride thing? I love that movie (watch out for those land wars in Asia)
teethshaver- I honestly have NO clue how I get so many reviews. It's kinda funny b/c at first, I posted 1 & 2, and then, I got one review, and I was so happy, that I posted 3 that same day, and I look at how many I get now, and I STILL get that excited, even after 1400 reviews!
Sweet'n'Sour- LOL, that's so funny about your friends! Tell them I said hi!
Epequa- What part of A Walk to Remember? OMG, I just saw that and can we say `bawled my eyes out'? Oh, it was SO sad!!
Dasani Black- Wow! You printed me out? How nice!
Alanna Roseguard- LOL, well, I hope no one's hurting you for doing the LoPotter's posting dace :^P
Han- you know, reading that review really made my day! I think being quoted is one of the most flattering things ever to happen to me!
moon- I'm 18, I'm glad you enjoy my taste in music!!
aerion- good call, they are v. mood swingy, but I kinda think it's appropriate, but you ARE right, I'm trying to get this back on track...
Cally- Errrr... I don't really know what to say to that, I never said it was finished, sorry, I think? I'll write when it's finished on the summary.
Avalon- oopsies! I know I said that, but... well, I've been going off on horrid tangents, they'll kiss relatively soon, I promise!
Aaren- It was called "Sunday Morning" after the song by No Doubt "You came in with the breeze on Sunday morning, you sure have changed since yesterday without any warning. I thought I knew you, I've got a new view." Were the lines in particular that I was thinking about, it's a great song.
little green faerie- people at your school talk about me?!?!?!?!!? Wow, that makesme feel SO immensely cool, you have NO idea! I'm majoring in History and Middle Eastern Studies, by the way.
Jade- I certainly don't deny that `me' had a right to flame, I just meant to say that, in all honesty, I'm sorry they wasted their time. I wouldn't ever read 29 chapters of something that sucked, and I was just pointing out that it was pointless for them b/c they didn't even offer me anything to better the story with. But I see what you mean.
Fleur- LOL, as usual... liked the comment about holding Pansy in the toilet. Don't worry, guys don't chase me down the hall either...
Jenna Malfoy- OOOHHH I'm so sorry!!! I hate it when I do that, it makes me feel so bad, so sorry!
firefaerie96- lol, I think they make strawberry shampoo... Sunday Morning is by No Doubt, the Snape fic should be out within 2 weeks, the fred fic will prolly never be out at this point!!
Hannah Reitman- Mean rebukes? Never! I agree with you 100%, I'm starting to blather, I know it, and I need to stop! Eek! Ummm, well, I think that she didn't punch him b/c I don't really think it's Hermione's style, but I dunno... maybe she'll end up punching him, lol, if she does, I'll dedicate it to you! Thanks for your honesty, I REALLY do appreciate it!
and
~~***~~*~*~*~Squinny~~**~~*~*~*- You're a lap-sitting goddess, what can I say? Love you much*

PLEASE R/R!!!

Ummm I'll try to have 32 out ASAP, no promises, I'm really sorry this is taking so long, but I'm starting work this week, and I have a LOT of reading to do. I'll really try to do it as quickly as possible! In the mean time, check out my favorites list, find something fun there! Also, you can go to [1]www.witchfics.org/riley/ptq for one of the BEST damn Hermione/Snape fics out there!

References

1. http://www.witchfics.org/riley/ptq