A/N: As always, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. A quick reminder, ALL THE SEVENTH YEARS HAVE TO TAKE MUGGLE STUDIES. Dumbledore announced it at the feast, because they all need to prepare to stay with muggles. So that wasn't me just randomly just going off on something! :)
WALLY- here you go, thanks for reading and keep reviewing!
PinkTribeChick- Thanks so much! Hopefully it'll get even better once they get in the 'muggle world' ;)
Funness- I'm sorry you didn't like it. As I already said above though, all the seventh years did have to take muggle studies together. Harry and Ron may have been non-canon, I didn't even notice probably because I don't particularly like them. I'll make more of an effort to not make any character OOC. Also, all the titles of my chapters and the title of this story are random lyrics from different song. "You're so Last Summer" is by Taking Back Sunday, and usually they're just random lyrics from songs that I'm listening to while writing. I didn't particularly like Rabidstraw's name either—before I had her Professor Mobstank but my beta made me change that one. I'm not the best at making up names, especially since everyone at Hogwarts happens to have very different names. "Sister Mary Elephant" is a clip, it's by Cheech and Chong I think, my friend showed it to me and I downloaded it because I thought it was hilarious. Not many people have heard of it though. Unfortunately, I don't sympathize with you about Rabidstraw's plight, as I didn't particularly like her in the first place. Thank you for the feedback though, and I hope you like this chapter better. Keep reviewing!
CrystalDragonfly- Thanks so much! Party for Draco on coffee! (Let's just hope he doesn't discover expresso shots, shall we?) :D
Jakalaki- Harry and Ron aren't exactly going to ditch Hermione, they're just kinda caught up they're own lives right now. They wont be in the picture too much however, with the trip and all. Thanks so much, I kinda figure Hermione and Draco getting together would be funnier than it would be Drama, especially if it's after Voldemort. They'll eventually be nicer to each other, but it can't just happen over night. Gotta keep that tension of them not really knowing what they're doing! ;)
FriesWithThat- thanks a bundle! Everyone seems kinda thrown off by the Sister Mary Elephant thing… er, maybe we should just forget about it. Or look it up. It's by Cheech and Chong. Thanks for reading, and keep reviewing!
Paprika90- Haha thanks so much! I think Hermione needs to make her own identity too… I'm thinking the muggle world will be a good opportunity ;). Although Harry and Ron aren't going to be in the story so much, they're still going to be a part of her life. They've been friends for what- 7 years? I think I would be going a little too non-cannon if I split them up, no matter how amusing it would be. :)
Piedermort- thanks so much! Keep reviewing! Love the name btw, entertainment at its best ;)
Zoltaire- I'm glad you spared you're keyboard from that horrific end. Check out my summary credited to you ;)
Chapter 6- with the lights out its less dangerous
The next two months passed in a blur between a rapid increase of work, replacement tryouts for Quidditch (Hermione had to endure Harry, Ron, and Draco complaining about it nonstop), Muggle Studies with Professor Rabidstraw, and of course Neville asking Blaise Zabini out. It had been extremely entertaining to watch Neville plan out each day how he was going to woo Blaise, and made time speed by rather quickly for most of the seventh years. Of course only Malfoy seemed to not quite approve of Blaise agreeing to be Neville's new girlfriend, taking his neglected feet personally. However, it turned out that he had nothing to worry about as Pansy and about twenty other wenches quickly filled her place. Hermione grinned at the memory of Pansy causing Draco to have to change their password at least ten times a week.
"GRANGER!" came a familiar yell. Hermione sighed, turning away from her last look at her beloved Head Girl room.
"What?" she huffed, as she heaved her rather heavy and large leather trunk down the stairs. It was November the first, and all seventh years were supposed to be out on the carriages to take the train to their Muggle families for the next three months. Draco's annoyed face met her at the bottom of the stairs. His eyes were blazing as he did some sort of strange dance.
"Your damn cat won't let go of my leg!" Draco snarled, giving his leg another shake. All right. Not some weird dance. Hermione grinned.
"Crookshanks baby!" she cooed, releasing her trunk and bending over to try to detach her cat from Draco's now compulsively twitching leg. "Don't you dare hurt my cat!" she growled angrily as Draco tried the shaking effect again and nearly kicked her in the face in the process.
"OW! He's digging his claws into me Granger! Tell your excuse of a cat to go hump someone else's leg!"
"He is NOT humping your- Crookshanks! NO! Bad Crookshanks! Very, very, bad Crookshanks!" Hermione tugged harder on Crookshanks, causing him to dig his claws into Draco.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Draco screamed in a high pitch voice just as Harry and Ron strolled into their common room. They both stopped short at the sight before them. Malfoy screaming bloody murder, Hermione trying to wrestle his leg…
"Get away from her, Ferret!" a still quite blond Ron yelled, oblivious to the fact that Hermione was the one causing Malfoy pain. He pulled his wand on Draco and giggled madly as he successfully managed to hex Malfoy's robes into a girl's uniform. More specifically, he was hexed into wearing Hermione's. Unfortunately Hermione's robes didn't just duplicate.
"RON!!!" Hermione screamed, letting go of Crookshanks as she found herself in only her undergarments. Seeing the three boys in the room eyeing her rather curiously she screamed in frustration and ran back into her room, slamming her door violently. Which was now empty of clothes because her suitcase was in the common room. Another scream was emitted from Hermione' room. Harry, Ron, and Draco cowered. Crookshanks scampered off, no longer interested in Draco's leg. Ron coughed.
"Er- sorry Hermione! Won't happen again! Heh… I promise!" he called up the stairs nervously.
"Nice going Weasel, now we're never going to make it to the carriages!" Draco snarled, while reversing the hex so his robes were reverted to their original state and Hermione's were returned to their original person. After long minutes of tense silence Hermione finally shoved her door open, hitting the wall hard. Grabbing her suitcase, she lugged it out of the room as dignified as she could with twice her weight trailing behind her. She didn't say a word as she passed the boys, who were trying not to look at her.
"If it helps Hermione, you don't have anything to be ashamed of… from what I saw, I mean!" Ron shouted as Hermione reached the hall. He ducked as a shoe went flying. Picking up Hermione's shoe, Ron led Harry and Draco to the carriages, forcing Hermione into an enclosed area with them. Hermione stared determinedly at the wall. Draco snorted.
"Stop being huffy, Granger. Its not like you have anything any of us haven't seen- with the exception of Weasley here of course. Anyway, it's your own fault for giving our password to your epileptic friends."
"Hello! Her 'epileptic friends' are sitting right here you know!" Harry reminded Malfoy with a glare from behind his thick glasses.
"Well it's not my fault! I was correcting their homework in our common room with them and they overheard the password!" Hermione rebuffed, fixing her gaze on Malfoy.
"Heh… Potter don't tell me you get Granger to do all your homework for you and you still get a 'T' in Advanced Potions! Because no offense, but that's just really bad…"
"I don't do all his homework!" Hermione yelled, throwing her hands up in defense.
"How did you know I got a 'T'?" Harry snapped, fixing his gaze on Malfoy.
"You just told me, genius." Draco grinned happily as dead silence filled the carriage the rest of the way to the train station.
Draco was the last to enter the Hogwarts Express, as Potter and Weasley had made it a point to shove past him. Draco had retaliated by tripping them, laughing as he watched them fall over each other and crash in a mess on the road. Hermione had then proceeded to kick him, causing him to fall himself. That hadn't been funny. So now he was following the trio, consequentially being the last seventh year to board the train. He was not in a good mood. Especially since Professor McGonagall had to, of course, come aboard the train and try to shut everyone up so she could give instructions or something. The insides of the Hogwarts Express were transformed into a similar arrangement as the Great Hall so everyone could be in the same place at once. Draco was about to shove past Harry to search for Blaise when he realized she would be sitting with Longbottom. With Crabbe and Goyle gone and Pansy urgently ushering him over to sit next to him, Draco grimaced and opted to sit next to the nice… plant.
"Quiet everyone! Now, it is very important everyone listens up, or you won't know what to do when we get to your homes. We have allowed the fifth and sixth years to join us until we reach muggle London, at which point they will depart and will be picked up at the end of the day. All seventh years will then be given a letter informing them whom they will be partnered with, and brought to their separate locations. You may communicate with your friends while you are away, however it must be through Muggle methods. All owls must be left at Hogwarts so not to attract attention. Cats and other small animals are permitted. Your host families have been told they are receiving students from a prestigious Muggle boarding school and that you want the opportunity to actively participate in a different community. Therefore, each of you will be responsible for getting some form of a job. We want you to interact with Muggles as much as possible in the little time we have, as for some people this may be their only chance. You will all be able to, of course, keep the money you earn, and the partners who earn the most money will win a trip to any country of their choice for a two-week program, all expenses covered. No one under any circumstances may tell their Muggle family their identity, and will consequently experience some unfortunate side effects if they happen to forget this. Everyone will be allowed to come back to the castle for two days for Christmas, but then must return until February the first. Partners and homes were chosen randomly, and are non-negotiable. Please don't be rude to the Muggles, and don't get into trouble, or the ministry will be on our case. No Magic. Good luck to you all."
Draco stopped staring at the wall. Hmm he thought. Wonder what she was going on about.
Hermione jumped up as the Hogwarts Express returned to its state of normalcy with the usual compartments. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she whirled around to find Ron looking at her nervously.
"Listen, Hermione, I'm sorry about before. I don't want us all to be mad at each other… I mean we're not going to really see each other again until Christmas. Can you just… forget you're mad at me until we come back in February?" Hermione regarded Ron with a smile.
"Sure Ron, but only because I know I am going to miss you and Harry so much."
"I wonder who we're going to be partnered with?" Harry interjected, looking around as if his partner was going to have a big sign to indicate whom they were. Hermione snorted, giving a half-hearted look around the room.
"We'll find out soon enough. I just hope-"
"Harry! Harry!"
"Ronald!" Hermione looked down at Ginny and Luna, who had decided to pop out of nowhere. Wondering how Harry and Ron could deal with the annoying sixth years, she groaned as they pulled Harry and Ron into an empty compartment, following cautiously. Ginny caught the look on her face immediately.
"What's up, Hermione? Oh my! I'm sorry! I forgot! You're still single! Don't worry though, me and Harry won't do anything! Neither will Ron and Luna… right guys?!" Hermione rolled her eyes. She really hated stupid people. She wondered if she had always had this strong urge to punch Ginny's smiling face or if it was a recent development. She is usually such a pacifying person. Hmm.
"No problem Gin, I wasn't even thinking of that at all! How nice of you to point it out… I was merely wondering why… erm, that wall doesn't have any decorations! Don't you think they should re-decorate this place?" Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna shook their heads as one. Hermione sighed and sat down next to Harry just as the compartment door opened again, this time allowing Neville, Blaise, Parvati, and Lavender in. Personal space… personal space! Hermione shouted in her head as she was jostled to the side.
"Hi guys! Can we join you! Wow, this project is so weird! Can you believe we're going to live with Muggles?" Neville chirped, guiding Blaise to sit next to him and Hermione. Blaise smacked Neville's hand. Hermione grinned.
"Like, oh my God. Do you think there will be any hot Muggles?" Parvati gasped. Hermione resisted the familiar urge to slap her. She seemed to be developing a violent streak.
"Obviously there will be the same ratio of hot boys to ugly boys as there are the wizarding world, Parvati," Hermione snapped. Parvati glared at Hermione.
"You might want to curb that temper, Hermione. There is a reason your still single, you know." Hermione's jaw dropped open. When was a new law added to the Gryffindor handbook stating that under no circumstances are you to ever be single?
"That's enough, Patil," Ginny snarled in Hermione's defense. Hermione was torn between gratefulness someone had stood up for her, and the urge to kill Ginny for feeling she had to come to her defense. Which was kind of stupid. Lavender coughed nervously. Blaise decided to break the silence.
"Hey, Hermione, if you are still single, then we should all play truth or dare or something! Dares could be quite interesting for you…" Ginny, Parvati, and Lavender all gasped and squealed in delight. Harry, Ron and Neville looked as though they were looking for a place to barf.
"How juvenile," Hermione dismissed the topic. There is no way in hell…
"Lavender, you go first! Truth or dare? Parvati squealed, leaning forward in her seat. Hermione snapped her eyes shut. No bloody way…
"Truth!" Lavender decided, after a glance at Blaise's face. Parvati scrunched up her face for a moment.
"What's the kinkiest thing you've ever done?" Parvati asked. Harry, Ron and Neville looked up eagerly. Lavender squealed and was about to launch into a story about her and someone's broomstick when Hermione screamed.
"I don't want to hear this! You evil, evil, dirty people go somewhere else if you want to play your evil, dirty games!" she cried out frantically.
"Prude," Blaise coughed into her shoulder as everyone in compartment burst out laughing. Parvati smirked, knowing things were about to get much more interesting.
"Come again?" Hermione glared at Blaise. Blaise glared back. Neville put a protective arm around Blaise.
"I said," Blaise repeated slowly, "prude. P-R-U-D-E. As in McGonagall is a prude and so are you." Hermione sat stunned as visions of her growing up as a mini Professor McGonagall passed before her eyes.
"I am not a prude!!" she yelled, standing up with her eyes blazing.
"Prove it," Blaise challenged, a smirk playing across her full lips. It was unfortunate that Hermione would never let herself be wrong. Could never just back off, be the bigger one, let things rest…
"Dare." Hermione stated, her eyes meeting Blaise's. Ginny gasped, very nervous. Blaise and Hermione were just not a very good combination, and Ginny had an idea that Hermione would do anything right now to prove herself to Blaise…
"Let's forget about this Hermione, Blaise. We can play exploding snap or something!" Ginny tried, frantically.
"No," Blaise said softly, "the girl wants a dare, so I'm going to give her one she can't refuse. It's up to Granger to seduce our very own, Draco Malfoy before we get off the train." The dead silence was broken by Hermione's hysterical laugh.
"Wow, won't that be hard, Zabini? Malfoy's turned on by anything that moves, believe me, I think he was getting off on my cat this morning. Can't you think of anything more original?"
"I don't want Hermione trying to seduce any ferrets!" Ron snarled, jumping out of his chair. Luna grabbed his arm.
"Why Ronald? You already have a girlfriend of your own. Anyway, I think Hermione and Draco would look good together." This time the silence was deafening. Everyone in the compartment merely gaped at Luna's words. Faintly surprised, Luna shook her shoulders. "What? I honestly always thought they would get together sometime or another…" Hermione choked on her spit.
"Excuse me? I have a dare to seduce him, I'm certainly not planning on following through with it!" Hermione screeched. Luna shrugged her shoulders again and carelessly flicked off a piece of lint from her robes.
"That's just my opinion!" she snapped, annoyed as everyone continued to stare.
"So, you give up?" Blaise questioned condescendingly, turning her attention back on Hermione. Parvati laughed.
"Stop being mean to poor Hermione, Zabini. No need to be such a hag just because Hermione couldn't seduce a lamp post." Hermione bared her teeth.
"Watch and learn, Slytherin," Hermione commanded, slamming the compartment door open. Blaise smiled as Hermione left the room, leaning against Neville. Gryffindors are so easy to manipulate.
Hermione had left the compartment in a rage, cursing her idiot friends under her breath. How could Neville even stand to be near that whore? And Parvati, sticking up for her like she was a charity case who couldn't get a boyfriend. Well she'd show them, she'd get Draco… Shit. The white-hot anger that had been surging through Hermione moments before had evaporated as quickly as it had come. This is Draco Malfoy. DRACO MALFOY! How the hell am I supposed to seduce that… thing! How does one even go about, 'seducing'? Hermione thought frantically. The only experience she had with boys had been with Victor Krum, who she had never had to go after herself. And Malfoy… God damn it! I can't back down; I'll never hear the end of it. Must be strong… must… not… kill… Blaise! God I am never going to hear the end of this… she inwardly groaned, as she headed down the train, peering in each compartment with a sinking heart. Please don't let him be here! Please let him have fallen out of a window! Oh please oh please oh please… crap. Hermione stopped abruptly in front of the door from which a blonde haired albino was lounging within, reading something or other. Using the window to check her reflection as she figured a 'seducer' would go about doing, Hermione attempted to push her hair down fruitlessly. Curls my ass, she thought grudgingly as she remembered one particular Saturday afternoon where Lavender had actually complimented Hermione's, 'for once reasonable curls'. Hermione sniffed at her last failed attempt to push the frizz back down and shoved the compartment door open. I can do this, I can be brave, I am in Gryffindor… must… be… strong…
"What the hell were you doing, checking out your reflection in my window, Granger?" Draco demanded, not looking up from his book. Hermione's jaw dropped open.
Genius, she thought, angrily. Who would have thought he would have been able to see me through his window! Brilliant me…
"I have no idea what you're talking about, as I would never do anything as preposterous as checking my reflection in anybody's window," Hermione snapped, before remembering that she was supposed to be seducing him. Shit!
"Of course," Malfoy conceded, "I must have been hallucinating. I mean, your ugly face staring at me through the window is just too hideous to actually believe, so it must not have happened."
"How could I have been 'staring at you' and 'checking myself out' at the same time?" Hermione rebuffed. Draco raised an eyebrow, finally tearing his attention from his book.
"Well I'm sure you must have figured it out by now, with all that practice since no one would even consider even looking at you, never mind check you out."
He just can't make this easy for me, Hermione thought, exasperated.
"By the way," Draco continued as if he hadn't said anything in the least bit offensive, "what are you doing in here? Potter and Weasley got fed up with you?"
"I can't do this!!" Hermione screamed. Draco blinked. Laughter could be heard from down the hall.
"And just what exactly can't you do, Mudblood?" Draco asked startled. Hermione shook her head. She would not fail!
"…Keep my feelings about you secret any longer, Malfoy," Hermione snapped through gritted teeth. Draco smiled.
"Don't worry Granger, I think I have a pretty good idea of what you think about me, not really a secret here." Hermione counted to ten. The only time she had seen people 'seduce' other people had been on the television when she came home for summer vacation. And they always eventually ended up kissing. So why not just skip to that part, instead of embarrassing herself with her failed attempts to sweet-talk Malfoy? Hermione walked up to Malfoy slowly. I cannot believe I am doing this. She thought frantically. Draco seemed to have finally figured out what she was about to do. His eyes widened in shock as she pressed her lips to his.
Draco muffled a cry as Hermione kissed him. He had realized what she was about to do barely a second before she had done it. What the bloody hell is going on? Draco's mind cried out, as Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting his head to deepen the kiss. Draco Malfoy was not one to be controlled, especially in situations like the current one. He could tell Granger was hesitant, yet persistent. Well if she insists… all further thoughts left Draco with this decision, and the tables turned. No longer the submissive one, he opened his mouth a little wider, plunging his tongue into Hermione's mouth. Hermione shuddered.
What the bloody hell is going on? Hermione thought frantically, as she melted into her enemy's kiss. She vaguely wondered who exactly was supposed to be seducing whom. Draco's arms encircled her, pulling her body even more closely to his. She felt the heat emitting from him. This surprised Hermione, as for some reason she had always thought Draco would be cold to touch. Emitting a slight sigh, she mimicked Draco's tongue actions with her own while running her hands through his hair, letting the silky strands slide between each finger. Suddenly reality snapped back. She's Hermione Granger and he's Draco Malfoy. This was not even halfway right.
Draco felt Hermione tense in his arms, jerking him back into reality. Disbelief spread across his face, as he realized with a jolt that he had lost himself kissing Hermione Granger, of all people. Hermione was the first to move, taking a small step back, a blush creeping on her face. Draco was too stunned to take much notice to the awkward silence that hung between them. Hermione coughed nervously, and Draco quickly planted a placid expression on his face.
"So, Hermione, please enlighten me. Did Potter and Weasley put you up to this, or are you just extremely horny?" Draco smirked down at Hermione. Hermione felt the awkwardness shatter.
"Actually, your dear friend Zabini did. She felt you needed a pity visit, and I must say I agreed." Draco almost grinned at the ingeniousness of Blaise. She really knew how to play people, although Draco wasn't use to actually being one of her pawns.
"Of course. Tell dear Blaise that I give my thanks, and that the hardness for the moment was driven away with your help," Draco suggested. Hermione glared up at him.
"Don't think I don't know what your talking about, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione warned, hitting Draco on the arm. Malfoy smirked. There was a moment's pause, which was of course, quickly interrupted by the cart woman. Smelling coffee within ten miles of him, Draco sped out of the compartment without so much as a backwards glance at Hermione in his mad attempt to get to the cart woman. Hermione rolled her eyes, heading back to her original compartment. Vaguely confused at the feeling of disappointment rising in her stomach, she decided to push all thoughts of Draco out of her head once and for all.
A/N: How super sketch is it that I'm posting this at like, one in the morning? Oh well, I felt really bad because even though this hasn't been through my second beta reader, I really haven't put anything out in SO LONG (mainly because I'm trying to work while finishing my summer homework before school actually starts). Fun stuff. Hope you liked, please drop a review!! :D