A/N: yay! Another chapter! And it only took two days to get it out…mhm…well, remember to drop a review and enjoy the chapie!

Chapter Fifteen: the Calm Before the Storm

Hermione was livid. 'Upset' was the understatement of the century…she thought comparing her to 'upset' was rather like comparing Voldemort to having a 'slightly grumpy' attitude. On the whole, Hermione was not a happy woman.

At the moment she found herself pacing in her lavishly decorated dorms. The red hangings and curtains were doing nothing to improve her mood. Red-the color of blood. She thought, looking angrily around for something to throw. Her blood. The blood she had spilled on the account of one smirking git. The color red did not bode well in Hermione's demanding mind.

As the days had passed, Hermione began thinking of nothing else than her revenge, though she did not let any others onto her thoughts; in fact it had not been mentioned since the day Tonks had confronted her about it, but that had been nearly a week and a half earlier. Hermione allowed Tonks to believe that she had forgotten about it…nearly everyone assumed that Hermione was perfectly content with the ongoing war against the Dark Lord, she lulled them into the security that she was on their side; she wasn't. Hermione had her own battle, her own war. Her dreams were plagued with his smirking face, his ruff manor and cold eyes. There was a new war afoot, one that no soul apart from the two it revolved around were aware of: one sadistic the other sarcastic. Hermione Granger could not wait to put her plan of horrendous revenge into motion.

Since that fateful day of the confrontation with Tonks, Hermione had sat in on many Order meetings. She knew, for example, that a week from tomorrow the Order was sending out scouts to watch and survey all the main Death Eater posts around the country. They were ordered not to attack, not to reveal that they knew the location of the Death Eaters posts. They were simply watching and waiting for opportunity and information…Hermione, of course, had volunteered to help. Her wish had been denied. Either Dumbledore knew Hermione had other intentions than 'staying put and watching the Death Eaters' or he simply thought she just wasn't ready for that kind of interface.

She hoped it was the latter.

Either way, she had been denied and she was furious. Not for long though, she was going one way or another: she would attempt to talk to Dumbledore about it and if that doesn't work…its invisibility cloaks and broomsticks from here to Malfoy Manor.

0o0o0o

The sadistic of our two was currently leaning over a heap of reports. Deaths, attacks, victims, enemies, and prisoner profiles…it was all lying on his desk. Draco leaned a bit closer to view the photo of Remus Lupin properly. He had been having his men follow the werewolf as of late- this particular photo showed Lupin emerging from an abandoned lot of trees; what he was doing there Draco hadn't the faintest.

He leaned back and sighed. Life hadn't been particularly difficult lately, Draco had simply gone about doing his job as a faithful Death Eater though his thoughts were constantly interrupted by a pair chocolate eyes in his minds eye, gazing fearfully up at him. When this happened he would shake himself and quickly return to the task he had previously been doing. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her. To make her pay- pay for being a bossy know it all, pay for being a Mudblood, pay for escaping. Oh he would make her scream his name in agony; she would beg for his mercy to find that he had none. But he would not kill her, not yet. She was just too amusing to be disposed of.

Draco knew he had to wait patiently though. He knew that she would come for him, that she would walk into his hands only to find that he readily and greedily awaiting her arrival. She would be playing into the hands of the enemy. And Draco knew- the enemy was no longer Voldemort- it was him.

He felt honored.

0o0o0o0o

Dumbledore surveyed the young lady before him over the rim of his half-moon spectacles.

"You wish to accompany us on this trip?" he questioned again. He failed to see why Hermione wished to put herself in this type of danger. Perhaps her loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix was more vigorous than he had first believed.

"Sir- I understand that you have already told me that you wished for me to remain here, but I must express to you my opinion on this issue." She started. Hermione had emerged from her red room hours later much calmer then when she had entered it. She was now ready to negotiate.

"I see." Was all that Dumbledore replied. He had indeed expressed to her his wish for her to remain stationed at headquarters. What reason has she to challenge his requests? Before he could further question her, she began again.

"Sir, I could be of enormous assistance on this mission. I do not want to challenge your decision, but I do want to negotiate." She took a breath. However her voice did not quiver, she was indeed nervous speaking to her former Headmaster in the manner she currently was. "I rather think that my talents would be wasted upon the smaller posts though, one Order member is more than enough to handle those." She drew in her breath, here it was, the beginning of her plan; she could only hope it would work. "I do think, however, that my talents would be put to better use on a larger post. I feel that one member might have a hard time covering the entire of Azkaban, don't you agree?" Dumbledore smiled.

"I do." Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "That is why I am sending two agents to Azkaban." Dumbledore continued, now beaming. Hermione could not contain herself.

"Who?"

"Shay Arlington and yourself." He replied, still beaming at her radiant face. She kept her surprise and pleasure to herself, but inside she was positively writhing with joy and excitement.

Her plan was working.

And it wouldn't be long before she could wrap her hand around his pale neck and here him scream.

Ah, revenge was sweet.

0o0o0

Dumbledore surveyed the retreating back of Hermione Granger, his most brilliant student to date. He really would rather not have her accompany Shay Arlington to such a dangerous place as the headquarters of the Dark Lord. In fact, if he hadn't been positive that she would find a way there whether he allowed it or not, he would have forbid her of going. But honesty, what good would that do?

Being the brightest witch to pass through Hogwarts in centuries, she would have found a way, and he would rather have Shay right there to guide her should anything go amiss.

He had placed his very valuable trust in the young girl, and he could only hope she would not attempt anything so foolish as revenge. Because, if that was what she was after…Dumbledore could not bare to think of such things.

If it came down to it, Draco Malfoy versus Hermione Granger, she would not come out on top. For Draco Malfoy was too practiced in the dark arts, something no matter Hermione's intelligence, she knew nothing about. To beat your enemy, one must know your enemy.

And Hermione Granger did not know the evil of Draco Malfoy in the slightest. And for that Dumbledore was thankful. If she did however, she might be tempted, and the Order could not lose such a brilliant mind to the side of darkness.

A/N: I know I know, no Pansy scene, I'm sorry! There WILL be one, no worries, but I cant make any promises as to when because of the plot. …. So, what'd you think of this chapter? It was kind of a…calm before the storm. This is the chapter that warms you up to the idea that they (Draco and Hermione) are going to confront each other soon, and that will be very fun. What do you think will happen? Well, I know, but its fun to hear your ideas and hey- maybe one of them will trigger an idea in the insane mind of mine. Hehe. Well, please make sure you review, its what makes me want to write more and I LOVE to here your thoughts and ideas.

Hermione: I'm going to DIE aren't I?

Draco: only if you don't dress up in leather and do a pretty little jig for me

Harry::pokes a ladybug and giggles:

Me::cackles insanely: