DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns everything (except for maybe Isabel, Dean Henley, and N.Y.M.P.H.S.). Oh, and the reviews I getfromthis chapter (HINT HINT HINT).

Chapter Four: Double Trouble

I'm a nightmare, a disaster

That's what they always say

I'm a lost cause, not a hero

But I'll make it on my own

I've gotta prove them wrong

Me against the world

It's me against the world

– Simple Plan "Me Against The World"

Hermione let out a breath of relief as soon as she saw her name on the bronze plaque nailed to the door. Strangely, she didn't bother to turn the doorknob or even knock against the polished wood. There were more pressing matters in her mind. Instead, Hermione strode up to the wall beside the door and banged her head roughly against it.

How. Did. This. Happen?

First off, why in the world would Malfoy be in America, studying to become a qualified healer? This did not make sense at all; Malfoy wasn't supposed to be gallivanting around in New York City! He was supposed to be under house arrest back at Malfoy Manor! He was supposed to be kissing the ground Voldemort walks on! BACK IN BRITAIN!

Secondly, why, oh why, did she suggest that ridiculous truce? Did she seriously think that that evil ferret would heed her white flag and leave her alone? Knowing Malfoy, he was probably back in his room right now, thinking up ways to embarrass her and make her stay here a living hell! At this, the color drained from her face because this time she would be all alone, vulnerable to his verbal abuse without Harry and Ron by her side...

At the thought of Harry and Ron, she stopped banging her head and felt all choked up as if she was about to cry. Even though Harry had been quite supportive of her decision, it was Ron who hadn't been too happy. The morning after she told everyone, Ron had pulled her aside, asking her what the hell she was thinking by leaving. "How can you leave when you know Harry needs us now more than ever?" he had raged, looking positively livid. Unfortunately, Harry had walked in on them and heard everything. Now, to top it all off, Harry was mad at Ron for trying to guilt her into staying for him, and Ron was angry at Harry for simply being "a bloody idiot" as he so eloquently put it.

And it was all her fault.

"I thought I heard knocking out here!"

Hermione snapped her head back just as the door to Room 88E flung open. A petite, Asian girl was standing in the doorway, looking expectantly at her. "Hi, I'm Isabel! You must be Hermione! It's so nice to meet you!" Still a bit shocked at the unexpected interruption, Hermione simply shook the girl's hand dazedly. On closer inspection, she noticed that the girl uncannily resembled Cho Chang– the same long, straight hair and that pretty face that drove men wild.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Hermione responded politely, stepping nervously into the room. To her delight, it was all so charmingly decorated. Two beds were perched side by side on her right, made up neatly by scarlet sheets and white satin pillows. The walls were painted a lovely shade of burgundy and there was a nice, black border that ran along the top and bottom. On the opposite side of the beds stood two ebony study tables, one for each occupant, as well as two ebony wardrobes. But the best part of the whole room was the cozy bay window overlooking a fantastic view of New York City.

"It's so beautiful..." Hermione breathed out, running a hand across the smooth surface of one of the study tables.

Isabel nodded along and jumped on one of the beds, "I know! Isn't it great?" Hermione moved along to the bay window and watched the crazy traffic happening right below her. Isabel was still talking, "I got here ages ago! I was wondering when you would show up. Oh, and I hope you don't mind if I take this bed." She patted the bed that she was perched on and Hermione realized it was the one closest to the door.

"That's fine," Hermione agreed, smiling already. She was already planning the nights where she would just curl up next to the bay window, gazing out at the New York City skyline.

"Great!" Isabel hopped off the bed. "I need to use the bathroom, like, at least five times during the night, so this way it's a lot easier for me." At Hermione's puzzled look, she added, "The bathrooms are at the end of the hallway. I checked and there's only about six shower stalls, eight toilets, and eight sinks in there. There's, like, twenty of us on this floor, so we'll all have to share." Isabel frowned, studying Hermione closely, "You okay? You're looking kind of faint..."

Hermione simply stared in response. "There's TWENTY of us on this floor?" She was thoroughly shocked; twenty students was equivalent to a double class at Hogwarts!

"Yup," Isabel answered, giggling slightly at the look on her new roommate's face. "Don't worry about it. That was my initial reaction, too. Think of it as a race with all the other people on our floor. Whoever gets there first, wins. Whoever gets there LAST...well, that's their problem." Her eyes twinkled with mischief at this and Hermione couldn't help but laugh. She reminded her so much of Ginny...

Maybe her stay here won't be so bad after all.

00000

And maybe Hermione may have spoken too soon.

As she made for the Dining Hall after the welcome assembly, Dean Henley caught up with her. Her stomach immediately sunk down to her toes. She had completely forgotten about her punishment.

"Miss Granger, a word." Hermione told Isabel to go on ahead without her. She followed the older woman back into the now-empty Assembly Hall where she could make out Malfoy's fine-colored hair standing out like a beacon in the semi-darkness. Hermione automatically scowled as she approached him. Just because they made a truce didn't mean she had to be nice to him. 'Why do I have to lose my temper when I'm around that ferret?' she thought bitterly, escaping a small sigh.

"Granger," he drawled out in welcome, arms crossed in front of him.

"Malfoy," Hermione spat, also crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

Dean Henley looked at them in silence for a moment then shook her head, "Well, this is certainly more of a progress. At least now you two aren't yelling yourselves hoarse..."

"Please, Professor, just tell us what we need to do. The sooner you tell us, the sooner I won't have to breathe the same air as Malfoy," Hermione cut in snidely, glaring daggers at the blond boy. Draco merely smirked.

"Very well, then. I have spoken to Dean Wilkes, and both of us have decided on double punishments for you two. We think doing your punishments together will do you both good since both of you brought this upon yourselves."

"NO!"

"You don't understand, Professor! We can't–"

Dean Henley cocked an eyebrow but shook her head all the same. "I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger, but this is the only way. Who knows? Maybe you two will behave civilly to each other by the end of this." At both teenagers' disbelieving stares, she continued briskly, "You can both proceed to the Dining Hall now. You will receive notes tonight, detailing your first punishment. It will take place first thing tomorrow morning. Is that clear?"

Hermione was too shocked to say a word. She opted for nodding instead. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Malfoy jerk his head slightly as if it pained him to nod in assent. She rolled her eyes. Same old Malfoy.

After bidding goodnight to Dean Henley and ignoring Malfoy, Hermione made her way towards the Dining Hall, fuming all the way. She had been forced to forge a truth with Malfoy, so they would stay out of each other's way for nothing! Now that they were both going to do detentions together, it would be nearly impossible for them to avoid each other.

Scowling, she entered the Dining Hall, fully prepared to track down Isabel and wolf down her dinner, when she stopped dead in her tracks at the sight that beheld her. A tiny breath of awe escaped her lips. The Dining Hall was humongous. The Great Hall back at Hogwarts was nothing compared to this! Spectacular, floor-length windows ran along all three sides, showing a lovely view of rolling hills and the twinkling stars. (Hermione suspected that it was bewitched to show the countryside instead of the less-than-scenic view of Manhattan traffic.) The ceiling was high and covered with ancient Roman moldings, adding to the classical touch of the room. The atmosphere was brightly lit with what looked like hovering flames trapped in floating golden bubbles.

In short, it was literally breath-taking.

"There you are!" Hermione felt herself being dragged to the side by a very curious Isabel. "What happened? What did that dean lady want to talk to you about?"

She tore her eyes from the mounds of food arranged on one of the long tables and shrugged at Isabel, "Nothing. She needed to talk to us about our detention arrangements." Isabel's brown eyes grew as big as dinner platters.

"WHAT? You got detention on the FIRST DAY?" she shrieked, looking at Hermione with a mixture of disbelief and admiration. "That is NOT nothing! And who's 'us'?"

"Well, it's quite a long story," Hermione said apologetically, avoiding her roommate's accusing stare. When she saw that Isabel wasn't about to drop the subject, she sighed and gave in. "I got into a... fight earlier in the West Wing before I came to our room. It was really stupid and probably not worth it, but Dean Henley gave us both a week of punishments, anyway. She was just telling us the arrangements for the first one."

Isabel nodded slowly, registering her words, but her eyes were still narrowed in suspicion. "Uh huh, right. But you still failed to mention who you fought with." At that precise moment, Malfoy decided to strut into the Dining Hall, not even pausing to admire the beauty of the room. Hermione couldn't help but snort. Typical, spoiled, pure-blooded Malfoy.

Isabel looked at Hermione questioningly, but she turned around and followed her death glare straight to...

"Him?"

Hermione snapped back to attention, "Huh?"

"You know him?" Isabel was still looking at Draco with...was that lust in her eyes?

Hermione brushed the thought away. "Yea, we went to school together. He's such a prat."

Isabel wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at Hermione, "A HOT prat, whatever prat means. Me like!" Hermione looked disgusted and practically had to drag Isabel away from pouncing on Malfoy. "I suppose it won't be so bad if you're stuck with him for a couple of hours," she said dreamily, still trying to get a glimpse of the blond-haired hunk.

"He's absolutely terrible!" Hermione persisted, steering both of them towards a table laden with food. She continued when Isabel opened her mouth in protest, "And I don't want to talk about him." Her roommate rolled her eyes in consent and started busying herself by piling food onto her plate.

Hermione sighed in what felt like the thousandth time that night. Tomorrow was going to be a LONG day.

00000

Draco plopped back onto his bed fully-clothed, not even bothering to take off his shoes first. His gray eyes were tired and dull; not to mention droopy and heavy from fatigue. He felt like he hadn't slept in days. And the whole detention-with-Granger arrangement was the icing on his hellish cake of a life.

Groaning, Draco got up and crossed over to his half-unpacked trunk. Normally, he would have left the unpacking until tomorrow, but since he would have to spend his morning with that stupid Mudblood, he might as well get it over with tonight. Draco pulled out a bunch of identical black robes at the bottom of his trunk and threw it into his open wardrobe. When he reached back in for a second pile, his hand brushed against something blazing-hot.

"ARGH! Bloody hell!" Draco yelped, withdrawing his right hand quickly. What the hell was that? His light-colored brows furrowed in confusion as he removed a pair of silk boxers out of the way. There, sitting in plain view, was a glowing, red snow globe.

Draco had totally forgotten about it.

Cursing fluently under his breath, he hurriedly wrapped a stray robe around his hand and reached out for the glowing sphere. As soon as Draco had the object safely in his covered hand, it instantly glowed green and a cool sensation spread through his fingertips. It glowed green for a couple of more seconds before turning completely clear, displaying a miniature version of Severus Snape's head in lucid view.

"Draco!" Mini-Snape barked, his hair looking greasier than usual. "Where the hell have you been!"

"Sir," Draco merely replied cooly, setting the snow globe onto his dresser and slowly disentangling the material from his hand. He had never gotten used to calling Snape by his given name even though Snape had allowed him to. To Draco, Severus Snape would always be his Potions teacher back at Hogwarts, no matter how many times Snape saved his arse.

"I have been trying to contact you for HOURS!" Snape growled dangerously. Draco merely watched lazily as an angry vein throbbed in Snape's sallow forehead.

Draco simply looked amused. "Ah, that would explain how it got so hot."

Snape narrowed his black eyes at him then hissed in a low voice, "Listen, Draco. Do not take this lightly. You MUST be there to answer me when I contact you. It is most crucial that you do."

"I know," Draco said, annoyed. "I just got back from dinner with the other students. Surely, you can understand the predicament I am in, sir. What would people say if I carry around a snow globe in my pocket?"

Snape looked even angrier by his sarcasm since his voice now held a furious tone, "You are not there on a vacation, Draco! Don't you understand? You cannot afford to screw this up! I will not be there to save your sorry arse this time!" Draco's slate-colored eyes hardened as he gazed at Snape's miniature head. Snape had no doubt struck a nerve in the boy.

Snarling, Draco took a step forward, his stormy eyes ignited in rage, "I don't NEED you to be here! I've got this under control! I am perfectly capable of carrying out an order without ANYBODY'S help!"

"Draco, you have no idea what you're doing! You're only eighteen–"

But his words were cut by Draco's low, threatening growl. "You'll see, Snape! Once I present Hermione Granger to the Dark Lord, you'll see!"

Snape didn't say a word after Draco's outburst; just regarded him quietly with something like pity in his black eyes. Still with that same look in his eyes, he said softly, "Very well, Draco. I only wanted to see how you were doing, on your mother's request, and to inform you of her well-being. I thought you deserved to know that she's been a wreck since you've been gone." And with that, Snape's head disappeared and the orb automatically glowed blue, leaving Draco seething and lonelier than ever.

A/N: Alright, I know that this chapter is completely BORING, but it's just a filler for the next chapter where the fun REALLY begins (hehe). But I just needed to make a couple of key points in here which are: Hermione and Draco would be doing detentions together and that Draco has a means of communicating with Snape. Oh, and even though I know the chapter is totally crappy, PLEASE READ AND REVIEW ANYWAY! ;D