Disclaimer: This disclaimer now applies the rest of the story. The characters, names etc. belong to J.K. Rowling, not me; I have no ownership of them.

Summary: A new year has arrived when Hermione, although she tries to escape, finds herself spending more and more time with Draco unintentionally. As prefect duties call and a new student arrives, how close will their relationship become? DMHG and others.

Author's Note: As inspired by SweetMary who wrote "Detention with the Devil" (check it out, it's really good) I have decided that Pansy will not be a suggestive, clingy, draco- obsessed Pansy, but more of a friend to Draco. :) Even if he shows little/no compassion towards her. Thanks again!

Without Intention

Chapter Three: Mystery and Misjudgements

Hermione's day had been very uneventful after the Potion's incident. Afterwards, all of Hermione's classes had involved very little work as they only covered revision and had only received little homework.

After dinner, Hermione had sat down with Ginny in the Common Room to finish her Potion's homework that she had mostly written before dinner.

Love Potions are currently illegal, as the Department of Potions and Other Magical Liquids finds it inhumane to force love upon another, despite that the victim of the Love Potion will not truly be in love with the person once the potion's effects have worn off.

Dotting the end of her conclusion with her feathered quill, Hermione summoned her stationary and homework items to her dormitory and sat with her arms crossed examining Ginny as she pondered the day's events.

Ginny's head was bowed over several sheets of Parchment and her eyes were fixated on the words, as she re-read and edited her notes from class. Almost abruptly, Ginny become conscious of Hermione examining her, so her head slowly lifted from the parchment, her gaze fixating now on Hermione.

"It's rude to stare, you know," Ginny said in mock exasperation as she rolled her class notes and tied them neatly together.

Hermione apologised, "Sorry, I'm really out of it, I've just been thinking…"

Ginny asked.

"Classes, homework… the usual," she explained to Ginny who nodded slowly, indicating for Hermione to continue, "And prefect duties, of course."

"Speaking of Malfoy, how's Elise, have you seen her?"

Hermione shook her head, her gaze now fixated on the table, only half-paying attention to what Ginny was saying, "No actually, but I'm giving her a tour of Hogwarts on the weekend…"

Hermione paused, before changing the topic of conversation immediately before letting loose of the real matters that were plaguing her mind, "Malfoy's such a prat, I can't believe I have to patrol with him, I mean, can you believe it-?"

Ginny laughed, rolling her eyes, "You have only complained about him at Breakfast and at Dinner, I do in fact believe it now, actually."

A light pink flushed Hermione's cheeks, she felt ashamed for having let Malfoy plague her thoughts so long. "Sorry…" she apologised again. "Wait, Ginny, why did you really leave so early for breakfast this morning?"

"Oh…" Ginny paused, her eyes averting to other things in the room other then Hermione, "It's kind of complicated, Hermione, I really wouldn't expect you to understand, sorry."

Hermione raised her eyebrows at her friend, "When have I not understood a situation you've been in, Ginerva Weasley, honestly?"

Ginny paused, for a moment her mouth opening before closing again, she was unsure of how she should respond.

"Hey Gin," a fifth year girl close to Ginny called from across the room, "Bec's in hysterics over Jake again, could you come give me a hand?"

Ginny's eyes quickly flashed an apologetic look at Hermione before she grabbed her class notes and rushed over to her friend, "Yeah sure, Rach."

Furrowing her brow in confusion, Hermione pondered to herself, so it hadn't been studying after all… What could I not understand?

Still confused, Hermione stood from the desk, pushed in the chair, and left for her dormitory, hoping a good night's rest would solve her concerns.

The next day came and even after breakfast and three classes, Hermione felt in her last class of the day, Transfiguration, time would not help in solving her concerns at all.

She sat drumming her fingers along her desk, seated next to Harry, who had been arranged to sit next to her that day, after McGonagall decided because work was becoming harder, she would chose random places for students to sit, so that they would be less distracted by friends.

Somehow, the Professor's logic had failed her, why would she sit two best friends next to each other?

Just as class was set to begin, Hermione saw Elise Cantane enter the classroom, apologising to the professor and asking for the location of her seat in the class. McGonagall pointed to the other desk next to Hermione and Elise silently sat at it, not before greeting Hermione in a bright whisper.

"'Ello Hermyknee! It is nice to see you again!"

Hermione smiled at Elise, as Professor McGonagall demonstrated the class prac, something Hermione had done many times before, but did not want to miss.

Not wanting to seem rude, Hermione quickly whispered, "It's nice to see you too – is Malfoy treating you well?"

Hermione kept her eyes fixed on the front of the classroom, but listened to Elise, "Oh yes," Elise smiled, her accent present in her speech, "He introduced me to some Slytherin girls and has been very kind helping me settle in, he even gave me a lesson on elgeesh! It was very been...benefittal."

Hermione's bookworm side took over instantaneously correcting Elise, "-beneficial," she said as Elise nodded, correcting her mistake, "That's good, I'm surprised he's been so kind."

Hermione gave a sidewards glance at Elise, who looked very puzzled.

"I'm sorry, but why are you surprised?" Elise asked.

"Malfoy and I aren't very close to say the least; he's not a very nice person. Once you settle in you will realise his real personality, he's just fooling you."

Elise seemed taken aback and offended by Hermione's words… "Oh," Elise blanched, "I must disagree though, Hermyknee, I find him to be quite charming."

Suddenly the Professor called from the front of the classroom, "Seeing as you are talking Ms. Cantane, you must have already memorised and mastered the spell, would you care to come to the front of the class and preform it on this vase for your fellow peers?"

McGonagall and Hermione were alike when it came to strictness, to some degrees. Harry and Ron could sometimes swear Hermione sounded very much like McGonagall.

They were also alike when they had automatically assumed Elise was a klutz-y foreign girl. As they had both interoperated Elise's personality incorrectly.

Elise stood from her desk, walking to the front of the classroom, not displaying any fear, which surprised Hermione.

"I'm sorry, Profeszor," she began, "But you would prefer me to preform ze advanced or simple version of spell?"

McGonagall's eyes enlarged slightly, "No Elise, we are only learning techniques to work up to the simple version of the spell, but if you would like to preform the advanced spell…?"

The Professor crossed her arms, watching Elise with amusement.

Elise nodded her hand and raised her wand, reciting the spell, "Contentment Animalia Transferro!"

With some complicated wand movements above the average sixth grade level, Elise had turned an ordinary bronze vase into a large lion, which roared with pride at the rest of the class.

Several students backed their desks further away from the lion, while several others, girls in particular, screamed.

McGonagall repeating the spell to transfigure the Lion back into the bronze vase and nodded simply at Elise, trying to hide her surprise, but failing. "Very Well, Ms. Cantane, 40 points to Slytherin for an excellent advanced performance."

If it had been physically possible, the bottom of Hermione's jaw would have dropped to the floor in amazement. Hermione had thought she was the only one in the class who could master such an advanced spell; it took of lot of experience and practise.

Hermione could not believe Elise of all people had managed to achieve it!This was the same Elise who could not read Malfoy's character correctly and who had been unable to see through Malfoy when he had been sleazy or suggestive towards her! Perhaps Hermione was not a good judge of character like she had thought!

Some students clapped and cheered for Elise as she confidently returned to her seat and McGonagall continued, "Now, to preform the spell similar to how Elise preformed it, you must have complete and utter control of your wand, using the correct movements and visualising the animal in your head-."

The Professor's words became meaningless to Hermione had she stared in shock at Elise who had her full attention now turned to the Professor, Harry leaned into Hermione's ear and whispered, "Too bad she's in Slytherin."

Hermione's eyes were still enlarged and all she could do was agree with her friend.

That night in the Slytherin common room Pansy Parkinson was seated upon the floor and drawing useless pictures upon parchment as she looked up at Draco, who was sprawled upon a green lounge in the Slytherin Common Rooms.

It was not like Draco Malfoy to insist on tutoring someone, but when Snape had ordered Draco to, he had done so. In fact, it was his second year as a tutor to Pansy and the past year had seem some disastrous occurrences.

For example, when Draco had brewed Polyjuice potion, Professor Snape has suggested he do so, to demonstrate its effects and purposes to Pansy, he had allowed Pansy to collect the hair from another student.

However, it hadn't been the hair of another student; it had been the fake polyester fur off a Muggle toy that belonged to the Muggle Studies Department.

Of course such things did not effectively work in Polyjuice potions, but still Draco suddenly grew thick fur and had to be excused from classes for a week.

Whether Pansy had done such a thing with intent, he did not know.

"Did you get the notes from today's class?" He asked with a sigh.

"Well, yeah, but I'm not sure if they're right…" She said as she flicked hastily through the sheets of parchment, "Could you possibly read through them?"

Pansy batted her eyelids innocently, before Draco's eyes flashed quickly, resting of the charmed wall-clock in the Slytherin Common Room.

"No, actually, sorry Pansy," he apologised, standing up and gathering his cloak from the edge of the lounge chair; "I've got Prefect rounds now with the Mudblood, but finish your homework, okay?"

"Alone time with Granger?" she giggled, and then winked, "Have fun!"

Too tired to respond, Draco merely shrugged and waved his hand towards Pansy's direction, before with effort reluctantly forcing his body out of the warmth of the common room.

An unwelcoming cool breeze flowed through the school's halls, sending a cold shiver down the Slytherin's spine.

As his body carried him towards the Charms Classroom where he was meeting Granger, his thoughts rested upon the beginning of the year and how he had interpreted the rest of the year to be in comparison to his previous years at Hogwarts.

He had no idea what he planned to do with his life once he left Hogwarts, where he would live, his occupation… It seemed so far away, but in reality it was getting closer.

He did not yet know if he wanted to be a death eater like his father. However, at the moment he preferred avoiding anything that involved serious commitment. Lucius Malfoy never mentioned the Dark Lord when in his son's presence, in fact, he never had.

Although Draco knew of his father's association with Voldemort he really couldn't care less. He felt dispassionate about the matter, unlike Potter, Weasley and Granger who had risked their lives fighting for "what they believed".

It was okay to agree to both sides, was it not?

Dumbledore had mentioned in his "beginning of year speech" that all had to chose a side, but Draco did not want to. The war should not really have to make him chose; he preferred living life without having to make such trivial decisions.

Obviously Granger already has, he thought as he approached Hermione outside the doors of one of the Charms Classrooms. She was on Potter's side, fighting the "Dark Side", or whatever it was called.

Seems like something out of a cliché "good-versing-bad" novel, Draco thought.

"You ready, Granger?" he asked as though he was daring her, unsure of what emotion should arise out of the question.

"It's not a hard task, Malfoy, of course I'm ready," Hermione rolled her eyes, "Shall we head towards that way, then?" She said pointing up one of the moving staircases.
"Yeah… okay," he simply replied.

Draco was almost sincere when tired, even rude remarks that usually almost flowed off his tongue with little effort or thought weren't constantly snapping from his mouth.

He didn't even know why he was tired, but a sudden drowsiness had instantaneously hit him after dinner.

Once the pair had travelled up the staircase, Draco stared down the long corridors as he stood at the entrance.

The corridor was dark and Draco squinted, his eyes searching for any source of light, but he found none.

He then enquired, "We are allowed to patrol these areas, right?"

Draco had stupidly not realised previously the floor that they were now on was the third floor. Students were not allowed to enter; this had been a stressed yet over spoken of rule at Hogwarts.

All the sixth years no longer cared, no longer wondering as to why they were disallowed to enter the corridor.

Hermione hesitated before nodding, "I was told so, yes, but we can't enter any of the rooms," she warned, "They are actually banned for a reason, you know."

Malfoy raised his eyebrows, "You know this because of experience, right?" he asked, "Dumbledore told us that you, Potter and Weasley entered and had an encounter with the Dark Lord, but he never did completely end of suspicions…"

This was a hint towards Hermione, Draco had hoped that she would suddenly explain the event, but not to Draco's avail, she shook her head.

"I've been in there, but I'm not telling you why, Malfoy, it's really none of your business," she finished lamely, before entering the corridor with confidence, rather than cautiousness.

As she entered, enchanted candles lit up a small area of the hall behind and in front of her. However, as she continued to walk the previous candles dimmed, then another series of candles were magically lit.

She had been in there twice in first year and since then she had learnt advanced and complicated spells, if they did encounter anything other than Flich's cat, she knew how to react.

Draco tailed her; still anxious to know why she had entered the corridor. "Sure you don't want to tell me...?"

"Nope." She replied simply.

"Really, Granger?"

"Yes, really."

Draco became easily annoyed, he then ordered "Mudblood, tell me!"

"No please and thank you, Malfoy?" she asked as she inspected the halls, something which Malfoy should have also been doing, "Really, you have no morals."

"I do so-," he said argued childishly, "I was raised well."

She paused before looking him up and down, "Not well enough, obviously."

Was she insulting my body? He wondered.

"Are you implying there are faults with my physical features?" He posed it as a threat, but when she rolled her eyes he cautiously looked down on himself.

He then continued, "Because you certainly can't compare to my features."

"No Malfoy, you're right, I can't compare to your male features," she smiled bitterly, turning a corner still inspecting the corridor "I meant your morals and personality, you idiot."

"-Do quidditch skills count for personality?" He asked hopefully.

She rolled her eyes, and then sighed exasperatedly, "No, Malfoy."

Draco narrowed his eyes pensively, reviewing his personality.

Then suddenly he realised the hypocrisy in Granger's words and retorted back, crossing his arms, "Morally, you're stupid to run off with Potter trying to get yourself killed, and personality wise, you're a know-it-all bookworm who tries to hard to get attention."

Hermione scoffed at his words, only feeling slightly hurt by his words, but not hurt anymore than some of his previous comments had managed to make her feel.

"Morally, you're an idiot who gets high off other peoples' lows and who insults others and personally wise, you're a cold, malicious, evil Slytherin." She retorted.

He did get high off other peoples' lows, but did not everyone? Who couldn't admit to laughing at someone tripping over in a corridor?

He was cold, yes, malicious, maybe, evil, perhaps not that far… At least the Slytherin part was completely true.

"I think you'd be lucky to find many who fully agreed with your opinion of me, Granger," he stated.

She scoffed again at his comment, but did not reply, but only continued to look hopelessly for someone who did not belong in the corridor to appear so she could display some authority and ignore Malfoy's comments.

The silence continued for another half an hour, until Malfoy sighed.

"Granger," he whined, "This is boring. Nothing's going to happen, I know it. Can't we just go back to our common rooms, I'm tired."

"-But Malfoy, it's only ten o' clock! We only have an hour and a half to began and you could be wrong something could happen."

"Only?" he asked, "Nothing never happens around here."

She was shocked at his statement, had he suffered from a memory charm?

"You're kidding, right? Every year something bad happens!" Hermione argued.

"Yeah, which is good for you and Potter, but nothing happens to us, the Slytherins, I mean."

"-And you would actually want a death in your house? Or a monstrous beast to petrify you?"

He shrugged, "If it meant a little bit of difference around here, maybe."

"You're so stupid, Malfoy," she spat, "Fine, if you want, we'll split up, go back to your common room if you must. At least I won't have put up with your idiocy anymore you."

Malfoy smirked and considered returning to his common room, as it would be to his avail. Rather than return, he was annoyed Granger was not returning to her common room as well.

He felt as thought Granger was saying she was stronger because she could tolerate a mere two hours, unlike him.

So he surprised her.

"No, I don't want to go to my common room," he said, changing his mind, "I can last just as long as you, Granger."

She blinked slowly, registering Malfoy's idiocy. She had proposed such an idea so they would both receive what they wanted, but he had rejected it because of his pride?

Male.

She was not doing it to prove she was stronger than he was, she could not care less!

"Fine, but you're going that way," she pointed towards another hall on her left, "If you find something, use the Lumos Fendendro spell."

She said stalking off with no further ado down the original hall they had been plotting together.

The Lumos Fendendro spell was a complex version of Lumos, the spell that enables light to erupt from one's wand. When in trouble, to alarm the desired person you would cast spell. Then, a bright red light would erupt from the wand of the caster and it would find the desired person and lead them towards the caster of the spell.

Malfoy watched as Hermione almost vanished into darkness, as the candle flames disappeared.

He could still hear her footsteps as she travelled further down the hall, so he called out in mock melancholy, "No goodbye, Granger?"

All he heard was a scoff as he began to saunter down the hall just as Granger had suggested him to do so.

Hermione sighed, she had made the eventual decision after an hour of walking solemnly alone that she would be lucky to discover a student in the third floor corridor. Perhaps Harry, Ron and her had been amongst the few students who had ever disobeyed the school rules and entered the corridor.

Whilst she walked, she thought of Elise, Ginny, Malfoy and all the other concerns that were plaguing her thoughts.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a large buzzing sound coming from behind her, alarmed, she grasped her wand, prepared to harm anything that was approaching…

As the noise came closer and closer the place where she was standing lit up with red light and as a large ball of light approached her, she realised the noise had only been the Lumos Fendendro spell, had Malfoy found something?

She certainly hoped so, she would not be impressed, to say the least, if it had been some prank of his.

The red light hovered slightly, buzzing and moving towards the direction it had originally come from, insinuating Hermione was to follow it. Hermione obeyed the wishes of the light and had to almost run to keep up with its fast pace.

She trailed the light for almost half an hour before finally, the light led Hermione to Malfoy, who was tousling his blonde hair with his hand anxiously. He paused, before noticing Hermione, "Granger, I sent the spell out at 11, just so you would get back in time, did you even look at your watch? It's 11:30, now."

Hermione blinked slowly, mentally scolding herself for not noticing the time on her wristwatch, "No, sorry, I was slightly dazed…" She said, unsure of what else to say, after all, she refused to admit she, Hermione Granger, had not realise the time after sauntering down the hall ways pensively.

"Well, let's get out of here, I'm tired."

The pair eventually returned to their meeting place, the second floor and Malfoy summoned a piece of parchment and quill from his common room.

"You're lucky I'm responsible, Granger," he noted before scribbling out the details of their patrol on the parchment, "Otherwise I would have left you in there, or worse, not even noticed the time at all."

Hermione rolled her eyes, was she not allowed to have flaws?

He then continued after handing the parchment to Hermione, "I'd expect you to give it to Dumbledore tomorrow morning. I'm tired, I'm going."

"Fine," Hermione said with a sigh, "You're doing it next time!" She called out as quietly as possible as he left for the Slytherin common rooms.


Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please review if possible! I'm not posing it as a suggestion or threat, but if I receive little reviews I will most likely abandon the fiction, I need ideas! Critique is welcome. Thanks for reading!