Hermione woke up the next morning and checked her watch. She was just on time to take her shower and get ready. She stepped out of bed and into her fuzzy slippers. She pulled her bathroom caddy and a towel out of a bureau draw and moved her way into the bathroom. She slipped out of her pajamas and into the shower.

The hot water was like heaven, but she didn't trust how long it would be before Draco would come in, so she quickly washed her body and hair and shaved her legs. She turned the water off and grabbed her towel. She wrapped it around herself and stepped out of the shower.

She moved to the mirror that she had claimed as her own, there were two- one for each of them. She brushed her teeth and scrubbed her face. She pulled out her wand and performed a tricky little spell that caused her hair to dry and straighten at the same time. It was true that she could always curl it into ringlets but she loved it when her hair was straight and easier to take care of. Curls were nice for some occasions, but for the everyday she didn't want to bother with the upkeep.

After she had just picked up her pajamas and put her bathroom caddy at her sink and mirror, Draco marched in. He was at least partially clothed this time, wearing a pair of blue and green plaid pajama bottoms that showed of a nicely shaped six-pack and muscular arms that were just right in size. Not humongously big and gross, but not skinny and brittle looking. But Hermione was very aware of her body at that moment and well aware she was still in a towel. She blushed furiously and swept out of the bathroom quickly.

Draco could only stare after her. He wouldn't even allow thoughts to come to his head before he jumped into the shower. As the water beat down upon him the only thought that came to him were those that Pansy would be at the days lessons. Pansy... He shuddered. She would be going on and on about how she "understood he was just going through a phase yesterday" and that she knew he "didn't mean what he had said". Then she would him invite him to the Slytherin Common Room for some fun. He wouldn't this time. It wasn't worth it. Not anymore at least... He mentally shook himself. He couldn't let his thoughts stray to that. Not anymore. Not for awhile. Not if he was going to live with her this year.

While Draco fought with himself over control of his thoughts in the bathroom, Hermione was getting ready for class in her room. She was standing in front of her bureau looking at her outfits trying to decide what to wear. She pulled out a short denim skirt, a thick, black belt, a white camisole and a light pink button down pinstripe blouse. She changed into the outfit and put on a pair of chunky white sneakers to go with it. Instead of putting her robes on right away she put them on her bed and went down to the Common Room and lay down on a sofa to read.

She was lying down and reading with one leg bent up over her ass when Draco came out of his room. He was wearing a pair of calf length khaki shorts and a black t-shirt that was just tight enough to make out the lines in his stomach that were the abs he worked so hard to get. His robes were on, but he hadn't fastened it all the way up yet. "You might want to get ready, we're supposed to be at breakfast in about 10 minutes," he said to her. Hermione stood up quickly. She adjusted her skirt. She nodded to him, picked up her book and walked into her room.

Draco stared after her. Not because of the way she looked this time. He was getting very used to that by now, although he never missed a chance to stare. No, this time he stared because he had seen the distinct line of a thong protruding over the top of her skirt as she was lying on the couch. He couldn't help but think she certainly had changed over the summer. He shook himself, finished fastening his robes, pulled on his hat and grabbed his bag of books and left to go to breakfast.

In the Great Hall Draco walked to the Slytherin table and served himself some bacon and eggs. He had half choked down his breakfast when Pansy sat down next to him and began jabbering in his ear, like nothing had ever happened. He gritted his teeth. He had known she would do this, act as if nothing had happened. Pansy sensed his tension, "What's a matter, Dracy? Living with that mudblood whore got you down? You could always-"

"No," he said suddenly and slightly louder than he had expected to. He lowered his voice and continued. "No way. I told you yesterday. We are through. Completely and 100 through. I'm not playing your games anymore, I'm not excepting anymore of your offers for what you call 'fun'. Seeing you like that is not 'fun' it's completely disgusting and repulsive. I wouldn't be surprised if someone went blind."

Pansy stared at him with a look of pure malice on her face. "You'll regret that."

"No, the only thing I regret is not saying this sooner. I broke up with you a year ago. You may deny it, but we have been over for an entire year. I don't want to talk to you, see you or even think about you anymore. And if you come near me or anyone else I care about ever again... well lets put it this way. All those so-called pretty things you own? Consider them gone."

Pansy gave him a final stare before getting up and sweeping away to the absolute other end of the end of the table. Blaise Zabini, one of Draco's very good friends-if not best, sat down next to him almost as soon as Pansy left. "What was that?" he asked.

"What?" Draco asked.

"You just telling off Pansy. She was offering a free fuck and you turned it down. This may seem like a dumb question but Why?"

"Do I really have to answer that? Just look at her. She's fat, ugly and a whore. She's barely one step over a mudblood. She's worse. I know mudblood's who are smarter, prettier and more conservative."

"No way. I can understand how you wouldn't want to look at Pansy, so I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to fuck her, but damn. What mudblood's have you been talking to? Even Pansy is better than one of them. I mean it must horrible living with that Hermione girl this year. Biggest know-it-all and mudblood in the entire school."

Draco waved a hand. "Eh... She's not so bad. Have you seen her this year? If you just look at her and forget what she is... I mean look, there she is now," he said and pointed. Hermione had just walked in. Blaise looked and raised his eyebrows. "She looks better without that robe on. Especially in a towel," Draco said raising his own eyebrows.

Blaise laughed out. "Awww, man you didn't? Not already, have you?"

Draco laughed, "Nah, just walked in on her after she had gotten out of the shower. Oh and last night while she was standing in her bra and a pair of boxer shorts. That was a good view too," he said with an evil grin. "Why would I do anything to her? She may be good to look at but she's certainly not worth a night. Heck, not worth a quickie. But then, word is you're not doing too much better."

"Hey, at least I got a girlfriend. And she's a pureblood at least. I mean, from what I can tell, you're hot for a mudblood."

Their conversation continued through out breakfast and was quite amusing. On the other side of the great hall Hermione sat down next to Ginny Weasley, easily her best female friend. They squealed at the sight of each other and hugged. "Oh my God, Hermione look at you! You look so good! I wish I hadn't gone on that exchange trip this summer, I totally missed helping you look like this!" she said.

Hermione left. "I should be the one to talk. You look so great! America treated you so well!" Ginny had left with copper red hair to her butt and a small frame. She now had her hair cut up to her shoulders with bleach blonde streaks through out them. Her small frame was not as thin anymore and look more natural. Her clothes, from what Hermione could see, were very similar to those that Hermione was wearing. That did not surprise her though, Ginny had always dressed like that. "Where were you yesterday? I saw Ron and Harry but not you."

Ginny smiled. "I was already on the train. Getting... reacquainted with someone," she said. Her smile turned to a grin that was filled with lusty thoughts.

"Oh my God! Who is he?"

"Look over at your roommate," Hermione did. "Now look to his right. Who do you see?"

"Blaise? Blaise Zabini?" Ginny blushed crimson. "It is! Oh my God is it! When? How?"

Ginny's laugh interrupted her stumbling questions. "We had flirted on and off all last year and then sat together on the train. By the end of the train trip back we were definitely together."

"What do you mean you were definitely together?"

"Well, he asked me to be his girlfriend and by the time we got to Kings Cross my shirt was off," she said laughing and blushing at the same time.

Hermione laughed and said, "Jeeze, does Ron know about him yet?"

"About who?" Ron's voice came from behind them.

Hermione turned to face him. "Oh, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. There's a rumor going around that this one might actually last," she said nervously. She knew Ron wouldn't like to hear that his little sister had gotten to second base on the train ride home.

"Oh, yeah. I've heard. Ginny, I still can't believe you did that to your hair. And you gained weight. You're not as thin."

Harry laughed and sat down besides Hermione. "Ron, you just hate change. It looks fine. Its a good look for her."

"No way. It makes you look like you want boys to be looking at you. I know what boys think, I am one. You don't want that," he said to his sister.

"Actually Ron, I do. Don't you want me to grow up and get married?" she said laughing. Ron was silent and sat down. "I can't wait to see what its like when you have a daughter. With you this protective of me the only way that poor girl will have some fun is when she comes to see me."

Ron turned as red as his hair and muttered to himself. Harry turned to Hermione and asked "So, how's living with ferret boy?"

"Oh and that too!" Ron yelled. "Did you really think you couldn't tell us?"

"Ron, calm down. No, I didn't think that. I didn't tell you because, A. I didn't want you guys mad that I wasn't going to be in the Common Room anymore. B. You guys don't care all that often anyway, so I just figured that it would come up when it came up. And C. I didn't talk to you guy at all this summer so I couldn't tell you. And I know that not seeing you guys isn't your fault and that I'm completely to blame but I didn't have the time."

Ron and Harry just stared. They were awe struck. "Hermione, we didn't mean-" Harry started. "I mean, we knew you were busy. Ron's just nervous. He's got big plans and is really nervous, that's all. He wasn't trying to get you to say anything, just trying to let off some steam." Ron could only nod like an idiot.

"Oh. Right. Well, anyway, since we didn't see each other much over the summer, would you guys mind if I came by the Common Room tonight to hang out? Another night with Draco might make me explode. Or make him explode on my doing."

Harry and Ginny automatically said that they wanted her there to talk and catch up. Ron was quiet and turning red. He looked like Neville when he was trying to answer a particularly nasty question in Potions. He was playing with the hems of his new robes. Over the last year Mr. Weasley had been promoted to Minister of Magic. The new flow of money allowed them to buy new school books and robes for Ron and Ginny, along with muggle clothes for leisure and under the robes. It also allowed Ginny to spend the summer on an exchange trip to America.

They checked over their schedules and learned that they had several classes with the Slytherins. Including their first class of the day, a double Potions. After that for the day they had Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration. Ron and Harry groaned but Hermione remained silent. They would have Potions and Transfiguration with the Slytherins and Care of Magical Creatures with Hufflepuff. It wasn't a terrible situation. It was quite doable.

When the schedules arrived at the Slytherin table Blaise and Draco's thoughts were similar. Potions and Transfiguration with the Gryffindors would suck, but they could deal with it. Blaise said that if he was lucky he would get a class with Ginny. Draco agreed that if he was lucky he could. He personally knew that he would have classes with Hermione. The year could only get more interesting from there.