Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing but the plot.

Author's Note: I'M BAAAACK! Sorry I was gone for so long. Before you know it summer is over and school has been rolling right along and then a month turns into two months and so on and so forth. Sorry for my lame excuses. I don't mean to be a bore. Anyway…

Lady-Sanctuary: Thanks again for the wonderful review you left. You've been so faithful, it's so awesome! Jasmine: Trust, you'll have to wait this one out a little. It will all be ok. :) Lynn-50670: Thanks! You don't know how flattered I am to hear that! Inandout: You're just too cool for words. Yes, I love the roses. I guess I also have a thing for bugs, because these next two chapters are like…bugish. Hehe, new word! Person who knows the drill: haha! Xoxox-xoxox: Wow, you're name took a while to type right! Sorry, your suggestion did not go unheard; I might do a little tweaking to my thing though. At the moment, it's not Lucius we have to worry about hating Hermione. I've put a little spin in about Narcissa and Hermione though. Egyptian-Princess: Thanks. You rock so much! RazzaR, Nay, and Maddy: Here ya go! Here's a brand new chapter!

Without farther ado...

The Beautiful Bug

Hermione shut her trunk and heard it snap closed. She smiled to herself as she charmed her bags to be weightless. If she hadn't put the charm on them then each of them would have weighed more than Hermione herself! Hermione turned and looked at herself in the mirror.

Frizzless hair, check. What little make up she did wear, check. Shoes tied, check. Clothes ironed and not messy, uh...check. Hermione gazed down at her oldest uniform she owned. It wasn't too old but did kind of look it. It didn't have stains it, but its once sharp blackness had faded to a dull gray over the years. Hermione loved this uniform the most because it was worn to perfection. She straightened her tie and started the check list again.

Confidence, she thought. Definitely not a check. She was so nervous about meeting Draco's mother and going to their mansion where she could run in with Mr. Malfoy if fate was against her that she about backed out of going. The thought of spending Christmas Holidays with Draco though convinced her that she should go. Mrs. Malfoy, Hermione had met only briefly at the Quidittch World Cup nearly three years ago. Hermione frowned deeply at the thought. Hopefully Narcissa had changed since then.

Hermione turned toward the bathroom when she heard a shout of rage. She grinned evilly at the door and waited for it to burst open. One...Two...Thr--

"Granger!" Parvati screamed throwing open the door to the lavatory. "What in the hell did you do to my foundation?"

Hermione looked at Parvati's face and burst out laughing. Instead of being the golden brown that made Parvati fawned over by many guys her face had turned into an ugly shade of purple with lime green dots here and there. Parvati's scowl deepened as she stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "I'm sorry, I didn't do that," Hermione explained through fits of giggles. She wasn't lying exactly. She wasn't the one who did that...Pansy was. Sure Hermione had been there, but she wasn't the one who put the charm on the foundation.

"Well fix it!" Parvati screeched in hysterics. "I need to meet Ronnie downstairs! I'm meeting his entire family for bloody sake! Fix it, Granger!"

Hermione picked up her wand and laughed in her head. What a stupid, stupid girl, she thought as she waved her wand back in forth and muttered a spell. Parvati didn't have time to glance in the mirror before she took off down the stairs. At the bottom of the steps she turned and looked back at Hermione. "It looks ok now?"

Hermione smiled from ear to ear. "You look like a beautiful..."

But before she could finish her sentence Parvati had taken off down to the Great Hall to meet everyone. "Bug." Hermione finished following as close behind Parvati she could. On the walk to the Great Hall Hermione snickered. Parvati of course couldn't hear her, but many of the students did. Parvati looked around quizzically at everyone as they smiled and laughed as she walked by. Hermione knew that Parvati didn't have a clue what they were laughing about.

Hermione turned the corner and saw Draco leaning on a post in the Hall waiting for her. He was looking at Parvati, a sneer already on his lips. "Did you get sick?" he asked her as she strolled by looking for Ron and Harry.

She glared at him and continued to look for them throughout the packed Great Hall. People either goggled at her or laughed out loud. Parvati found Harry and Ron and quickly ran to their sides demanding loudly for them to tell her what was wrong.

Blaise and Pansy had joined Hermione and Draco by then. They both were slightly out of breath. If it was from laughing or hauling their bags up from the dungeons Hermione didn't know. "I guess it worked then?" Pansy wheezed beside Hermione. Hermione nodded as she heard Padama explain that she needed a mirror to see. Padama retrieved a mirror from her purse and handed it reluctantly to her sister.

The whole hall waited in silence until a shriek was heard. Parvati let out a scream that sounded like a banshee and a cheerleader mixed into one. Needless to say it was the most horrible sound Hermione had ever heard. "GRANGER!" she bellowed running toward Hermione. People instantly parted out of her way. No one wanted to get in the way of Parvati when she was mad. Hermione doubted that even Voldemort would stand in her way.

"Look what you did!" she screamed at Hermione pointing to her violently bright orange hair and purple and green face.

"I see what I did," Hermione explained smiling. "Like I said you look like a beautiful bug."

"You never said I looked like a bug, you wretch!"

Hermione smiled wider at the petty insult. "You didn't let me finish my sen--" Hermione was again cut off as Parvati launched at her. Parvati barely had time to raise a fist toward Hermione before Draco's fast quidittch reflexes stopped her from hitting Hermione. Hermione looked over toward him and smiled a quick thanks.

"Watch yourself, Patil," Draco sneered at her. "You don't have your lapdogs at your heels. You wouldn't want to get caught up in something you can't handle, would you?"

Parvati looked from Hermione to Draco. She turned to look behind her expecting Harry and Ron right behind her but instead they were standing a down farther looking at her like she was crazy. "Ronald! Harry! What's wrong with you? You're supposed to help me!"

Harry looked over at Ron and Ron nodded. They both came waltzing over toward the group. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Taking orders from her now?" Hermione asked looking at Harry.

"Better her than you," he answered smirking at her. Hermione let hurt flash through her eyes for a split second and quickly turned her hurt into anger.

"She's not the only one with back up, ya know," Blaise said looking at Harry and Ron. Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle all took steps toward Hermione and Draco. Ron looked absolutely terrified and Harry looked like he just swallowed a melon.

"Train your dog, Weasle," Draco said letting go of Parvati's hand. Parvati rubbed her hand as if Draco had hurt her.

"Are you ok, Love?" Ron asked her looking at her hand. Hermione saw nothing wrong with it. It was a bit red from where Draco had no doubt grabbed tightly. The red hand wasn't as distracting as the hair or face though.

"He bloody grabbed me! Are you going to do anything about him?" Parvati wailed looking on the verge of fake tears. Ron, Hermione knew, would rather face Voldemort and his deatheaters than face Malfoy. Although Ron talked a lot about how he wanted to teach Malfoy a lesson, he knew that he would never be able to. Ron's mouth opened and closed a few times like a fish.

"Cat got your tongue, Weasle?" Pansy provoked flipping her hair over her shoulder.

Still Ron didn't answer. He seemed to be looking past all of them to the great beyond...maybe seeing the truth and understanding something that no one else in this world could understand. Or maybe it was because Professor Snape came up from behind Malfoy.

"Is there a problem, here?" his cold voice drawled looking back and forth between the group of students. Hermione quickly shook her head not wanting to get into trouble.

"Yes, sir!" Parvati exclaimed. "Malfoy just groped me!"

Draco's eyes flashed with anger and Hermione knew that she had pushed a button that should never be pushed under any condition. Both Pansy's and Blaise's mouths dropped open. Hermione gasped in shock. Bitch! She thought angrily.

"No, sir!" Hermione defended Draco. "Patil was trying to break the Hogwarts Code number thirteen by hitting another student on school property and Draco stopped her from doing so."

Snape sneered down at Hermione with hate in his eyes. His eyes darted to Draco and his expression, if it was even possible for Snape to do so, softened. "Be that as it may, Ms. Granger, you must have done something to provoke her," he glanced at Parvati's face and hair. "And it seems that you have. You both will be serving detention when you arrive back from Christmas Vacation. And for the rest of you," he looked back and forth between Harry and Ron and Pansy, Blaise, and Draco. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

Ron looked redder than a tomato when Snape didn't take any points away from Slytherin. He almost voiced his thoughts, until Harry elbowed him in the ribs to remain quiet. Snape nodded curtly and spun on his heel leaving the students in the hall.

"I can't believe you got me detention!" Parvati wailed the instant Snape was out of view. Before anyone could even roll their eyes at her stupid immatureness she had slapped Hermione across the face. A sting rose up in her face as she felt where she had been slapped.

What was her problem? Hermione had never really done anything to her before! Even when Hermione was still friends with Harry and Ron they were somewhat friendly with each other. Now it seemed like Draco and she had switched positions on attitudes.

Instantly Draco jumped forward toward Parvati. Hermione put a hand out to stop him and Draco looked torn. He wanted to get Parvati back for her foolishness but he didn't want Hermione angry at him. He decided to stand by Hermione's side and glare daggers at the group of Gryffindors. Ron took this moment to take Parvati aside and whisper to her fiercely. She looked a little frightened for a moment then whispered something into his ear and they both nodded, smiling in a sick way.

Harry stood there all the while, and unreadable expression plastered on his face. He glanced at Ron and Parvati for a moment but saw that they were somewhat occupied at the moment. He turned toward the group of Slytherins and Hermione and decided it was best for him to leave. He snuck away quickly, going over to converse with Dean and Neville.

"That bitch!" Blaise said after they had all left. "She needs to be taught a lesson."

Pansy nodded her head, a smile on her lips. "But you sure did show her, Hermione. I loved that hair!"

Hermione, forgetting the incident for a moment, took the time to laugh with her friends about the ridiculousness of it all. Draco slid his hand into hers and she squeezed lightly at it. The train came and they all boarded, going to a compartment toward the back.

As they sat they talked without a care in the world. They talked like there wasn't a war going on. The talked like their parents, who they secretly did care for, were not in the most danger of their lives. They even talked as if their lives were not in danger. Hermione felt free. She liked the feeling of no stress.

She was quickly reminded that she was going to stay at a death eaters house though the instant the train stopped at King's Cross Station. Draco led Hermione away from the compartment for a moment.

"Are you nervous?" he asked taking both of her hands in his own. Hermione laughed slightly before hiccoughing. "Scratch that, I can see you are."

"I'm a little nervous about what your mother will think of me, a mudblood, a Gryffindor, a former friend—"

"Don't worry about it. My Mother will love you. She's nothing like my Father, Hermione. Trust me. She's like heaven compared to him."

Hermione was still reluctant. "If you say so."

Hermione looked to the floor, studying her feet intently. Draco put a fist under her chin and made her look up. She tilted her head slightly and Draco looked at the slap mark Parvati had left. His leaned in and kissed it lightly. He muttered a spell and the mark went away. Hermione smiled her appreciation to him and he led her out of the hallway.

They said their goodbyes to Blaise and Pansy, wishing them a Happy Christmas before they began their search for Draco's mother.

They found her not long after starting their search. She stood alone, leaning against a banister, looking at the floor. She had a hat placed neatly on her perfect hair, shielding her eyes from view. Her dress was very pretty and well kept. Hermione blushed remembering her worn uniform she was wearing.

"Mother," Draco called. Her head snapped up and she semi smiled at her son. She walked slowly toward him and pulled him into a careful, protected hug.

"It's good to see you, Draco," she said pulling away remaining in her calm mode.

Draco reached for Hermione's hand and brought her into view. Narcissa's smile fell a little, but she still had a fake polite smile on her lips. "This is Hermione," Draco said. "Hermione, this is my Mother."

Hermione smiled weakly. This will be fun, she thought miserably.

Author's Note: Please review! Yell at me for being so lazy and not updating. I'm sorry.