A/N – Okay wow! I've almost double the amount of reviews I have. Then again it's been almost a year since I've updated and I must apologize for that. I have been so busy with school and then I forgot where I wanted this to go and then I was grounded and I'm still not quite sure where I'm taking this yet, but we'll see how it goes. I hope that you can all forgive me for my bad skills at updating. I will try to update within the next month, no promises, but I'm gonna try.

Summary – A play is being but on at HSoWaW. And you'll never guess who gets what parts. A funny little fic about how opposites attracted. A bit AU now after HBP

Rating – Still PG-13,

Disclaimer – Harry Potter, not mine… Romeo and Juliet, not mine… a lot of the info about R&J, not mine. HP belongs to JKR… R&J belongs to a long gone dead man named Shakespeare… and the info, most of it comes from Sparknotes… Yes I know I've cheated… so sue me!

Chapter 5 -Coping

Hermione looked at her bruised wrists the next morning. A chill ran up her spine as she recalled the roaring fire in his eyes. Shaking off the shiver she pulled her robes on, thanking the Goddess they were long sleeved. Sighing, she left the Heads Common Room, making sure to avoid waking Malfoy as she made her way to the Great Hall. There was hardly anyone there, considering it was six AM and no one was up.

She sat down, sighing heavily and pulling some food to her. Shuffling it around on her plate, she gazed out to nowhere, her mind drifting. Life had gone from busy to stressful; not only did she have three extra classes along with her Newt Level, she had head duty, was in charge of the Prefects, Assistant director and now lead in the school play. Add Malfoy being a dick and it didn't help much.

"You don't look so hot." Hermione looked up to find the youngest Weasley sitting across from her.

"Well thanks for the compliment," she replied sarcastically, dropping her fork with a clatter.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Ginny asked.

"Everything it seems… and a certain Slytherin," she said heavily.

"What you need is a break from it all. Let me organize something with the other Prefects k? No head boy or head girl business. I'm sure Ron'll help." Ginny suggested.

"What're you planning," Hermione asked skeptically.

"Something to get you to relax a bit, I just need your consent," she said. Hermione sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

"As much as I know I'm gonna regret this but fine. Just… don't wreck the school okay?" Ginny jumped up in excitement.

"You won't regret this! Believe me! Thank you so much!" she then hugged the stressed witch. "I'll announce it at the next meeting. You and that pain in the ass won't need to do a thing." She smiled widely and walked away, bouncing in her shoes.

Hermione pushed her plate away and stood up, leaving her stomach empty and plate full. She stalked off, not knowing where to go. Her haven, the library, was out of question; never know who you'll run into. The Head Tower wouldn't do because the person she wanted to avoid most is right there.

She decided instead to travel to the Gryffindor Common Room. Not many people would be up and she'd have some time to think hopefully before Transfiguration. Upon entering the room, she saw no one of interest up and sat down in her squishy arm chair to think.

Malfoy is an ass; it's as simple as that. But the real question was, why did she let his asinine personality get to her? Why did she let him scare and intimidate her? Why did she actually like his body close to hers? She shivered again as she remembered the feel of his warm breathe against her neck, the warm smell of cinnamon and the feel of his very well built body against hers.

She was surprised at herself. She shouldn't be having these thoughts, especially about Malfoy. She sighed again as she heard people starting to come downstairs. Her peaceful thought time was over. She quietly got up and got out of the common room, heading who knows where.

Malfoy paraded through the halls, his anger showing on his normally impassive face. He couldn't seem to get his mind off of a certain little Mudblood. She had now invaded his mind and he couldn't' seem to get her out. Everything reminded him of her.

"Goddamnit!" he yelled, punching the wall with his fist. Numbing pain shot up his arm as his hand collided with the cold stone wall. Blood trickled down his knuckles and he looked at his still balled up fist almost proudly. He then shoved his tingling fist into his pocket and continued his march. Luckily for him, he didn't really have to put up with her until Saturday, and even then it wasn't enough to bother him… he hoped.

Unfortunately for both of them, they forgot about Double Potions and the Poly Juice Potion. They came into the room and sat down next to each other in the back. They were both aware of the others presence the moment they walked into the room.

Hermione was very aware of Malfoy's leg almost pressed up against her own as they worked on the potion. They both dreaded the day that they would have to test the potion on each other, which they knew was bound to happen.

"Malfoy," Hermione said tersely, "we need to add more lace wings."

"I already did that Granger."

"Yea, thirty minutes ago."

"And that's all we need for today!"

"No Malfoy, we need more… see!" She pointed to the book.

"Yea, but look here!" he pointed at his own page, which had the step they were fighting over crossed off. Hermione looked at it disdainfully.

"Doesn't prove a thing."

Hermione, ever stubborn, picked up a few lace wings and held them over the cauldron, giving him a defiant look.

"Granger," he growled, glaring at her with steely eyes.

"Malfoy," she replied calmly. She lowered her hand onto the cauldron again.

"God Damnit!" he growled and grabbed her wrists tightly in his hand. Hermione gasped and pulled away quickly, dropping some of the lace wings into the cauldron.

"Fuck Granger!" he said, grabbing the strainer to try and fish them out. "What the fuck is your problem?" he asked, looking towards her. She had the sleeve of her robe folded back and was rubbing her wrist, wincing in pain. A wave of sympathy swept over him as he saw the bruises he had left there yesterday.

He just starred at her arms for a while, and then turned back to the potion, trying to fix it.

"What's wrong Granger?" he asked, trying to sound like his normal uncaring self. But for some reason, the biting sarcasm that was normally there wasn't.

"None of your business Malfoy," she retorted, yanking her sleeve down, praying he didn't see. Malfoy's face lost all the concern and sympathy that had been there previously.

"Good, then you can try to fix this damned potion," he said, the indifference back in his voice. Hermione glared at him as she looked from the book to the potion.

"It seems to be the correct color. I think it should be fine," she said sternly.

"Whatever, if the potion is messed up, it's your fault."

Hermione rolled her eyes and they continued on with the potion. She also hoped that the potion was okay. If it wasn't… well she didn't want to find out what the side effects could be. She rubbed her temples. Why did her life have to be so stressful?

Class ended and they both left, trying hard to ignore the other one. Giving each other one more glare, they huffed and head off to lunch; Hermione with Harry and Ron and Draco with his cronies. Hermione tried hard to keep her eyes off of Malfoy but she couldn't help but glare at him on their way out.

"Guys, I'm really not that hungry," Hermione said as the reached the main hallway. "I think I'll skip lunch."

"But 'Mione, we didn't even see you at breakfast!" Harry replied, almost worriedly.

"I ate earlier you guys… I woke up around six in the morning," she lied, knowing very well that she didn't eat a damn thing earlier. She just didn't have the stomach for it. It had been in knots ever since Malfoy walked into the potions room.

"Whatever Mione… just make sure you eat okay?" Harry says, patting her back.

"Yea, what he said," Ron added stupidly, following Harry. Hermione sighed as she walked off to the library. She hoped that Malfoy would be like the rest of the men she knew and follow his stomach to food.

She walked off to the library, the only place that could calm her down. The minute she walked in the smell of old books calmed her knotted stomach and soothed her headache a bit. She walked off to the back, collapsing in a plush armchair near one of the fires. Sighing heavily she closed her eyes, feeling better already.

"She forgets she's sucky at lying," Harry commented as the entered the great hall for lunch.

"What do you mean Harry?" Ron asked, he never really was that bright.

"Ron, you're so dense! Can't you tell that Hermione was lying! She obviously didn't eat anything! Something's bothering her, I can tell."

"I didn't notice anything different…" Ron answered as he started piling food onto his plate.

"And you call yourself her best friend! Pfft…" Harry said, shaking his head, unable to stop worrying about her. She was his best friend, one of the only people he could talk to who would understand him. It unnerved him that she couldn't do the same.

Hermione had lost track of time and fallen asleep on the oh-so-comfy chair in the library. Malfoy had come in a while ago to look for a book for potions class when he saw her. He came over, thinking he could start some mischief, but then he noticed that she was asleep. He couldn't help but stop and look at her. She had changed a lot over the years.

Her hair had grown out a bit and was not so frizzy. He could even see some natural blonde highlights in it from the sun. Her skin was an olive bronze color, almost like Italians. Her legs were long and smooth he could tell. Her eyelashes were long and dark and he could almost see her honey brown eyes.

He shook his head, waking out of a trace almost and reminded himself that she was a mudblood. A very pretty mudblood… but a mudblood all the same. He then smirked as he remembered that his little mudblood just happened to be his Juliet and he her Romeo. Not in the literal sense, but he could definitely have some fun with private practices for the school play. And knowing the ever "Perfect Prefect" Granger, she would want to perfect her role; and that includes the kissing scene.

Walking away he decided to leave her alone… for now. Let her rest, but only because he liked his victims to scream. He smirked again as he went to check out and leave the library.

MUCH DESERVED THANK YOU'S

dan4me – Wow! You seem a bit passionate about my story huh? So sorry to have kept you waiting for the update… hope you still love it

Azera – thank you for the wonderful comments… I'm glad you liked it so much!

ScRibBLrOfDrEaMs – Thank you so much for your flowering comments. I am glad that I can combine your two favorite stories together. And yes, I thought that Draco and Hermione fit well as Romeo and Juliet too… just a hint to you, there was a reason they're doing R&J winkwink zips my lips I cant say anymore!

Nicole-HP-fan – well I'm glad I could help with the whole bold thing… and I'm sorry you cant understand it, I never really could either unless I had a sort of Shakespeare dictionary next to me! lol

LilDixie – Thank you so much for telling me what a Trellis is. It just escaped my mind when I was writing that chapter. I'm glad you enjoy my story so much! Although I'm sure there are many better ones out there.

xAmayAx – I'm glad you liked it! And I'm sorry that Draco is weird, but I'm hoping he wont be as weird this chapter

And a big thank you to all of you who will actually keep reading this story after my terrible updating pattern!