Hermione woke up, and instantly felt strange. Where was she? She did not recognise her surroundings, nor did she feel welcome there. It took her only a moment to gather herself and remember her quest into the past, but it was a moment too long and a lingering sense of uncertainty stayed with her, even after she'd lifted herself from the bed, greeted Ash and Sally, and dumped herself in the shower.

She couldn't quite believe she had actually gone through with this. The hot water in her shower washed around her, and she tried to relax her tense muscles but with little success. How could she have done this to herself?

She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Ginny, and was she okay. The thought of abandoning Ginny and all the others just when they needed her disturbed her greatly and she pushed the thought from her mind.

I'm trying my best, she thought. I'm doing what I think is right. I'm doing what I think I have to do. I have to try.

She stepped out of the shower and looked worriedly at her hair. It looked different…Oh dear! It was frizzing up again, wasn't it? She peered in the mirror and felt unbelievably anxious. She couldn't afford for her hair to mess her plan up.

Malfoy….Malfoy would have to help her!

She drew the towel around her and, with panicky jerky movements, she threw on a plain black robe and little else and ran to the boys' dormitory before freezing. What was she doing? She couldn't just march in there and demand Malfoy to tame her hair! Tom was in there! She had to stay cool, stay calm-

"Ahh!"

A pale finger had tapped her on the shoulder, startling her, and she swung around to face the smirk of certain snake-like Weasley.

"Alright, Zabini?" he sneered.

She took in a shaky breath, not quite gathering as much air as she would have liked, and nodded. "Law," she said and was glad not to detect a quiver in her voice. "Could you do me a favour? I wish to talk to Draco. Do you think it possible that you could fetch him for me?"

"Perhaps," he said, his smirk widening, "if you tell me why you wish to see him."

Nosey git! I wish to see him so he can fix my uncontrollable hair!

"I wish to grant him a good morning," she said and couldn't quite keep the bite from her voice.

"I'll tell him for you," he said callously, "now, if that's all…"

"I just…want to talk to him, is all, Law," she said. "You know how it is, new school, new faces. I just want to see a familiar one."

"Aw," he said and his tone was mocking, "are you finding it hard here?"

She was, especially at this current moment. Her fingers clenched and unclenched. She didn't know why Weasley was being so difficult, or why he seemed to have taken quite a disliking towards her. Perhaps it was payback for being a bit cheeky with him the night before but Hermione felt that it didn't quite merit this.

"No," she said, and gave a short laugh. She knew better than to reveal any weakness to him.

"Why do you want to see Draco, so?" He was very close, in her face and she very much wanted to hex him.

"What's the problem here, Weasley?" A cold voice echoed down the stairs and all Hermione could make out was a dark shadow, although she knew who it was.

So did Law. "Tom!"

He walked down the stairs to stand beside Law, and looked her up and down. She was terribly aware of her wet hair and her plain black robe and bare legs. His eyes whispered strange things to her and she couldn't quite stand to look at him, her eyes now firmly glued on Law again.

"I wanted to see Draco," she offered, "and Law was just about to get him for me."

Law's eyes narrowed in a way Ron's never would have, but he granted her request at long last, clambering up the stairs.

This left Hermione and Tom alone.

"He's difficult," she said, but good-naturedly.

He smirked. "Most people are," he countered.

"But not everybody," she said and finally looked at him. He met her eyes with a smile, one she had never seen or imagined on him.

"Are you?" His tone was both amused and serious.

She opened her mouth to answer, she wasn't sure what, but, at that instant,

Malfoy came down the stairs. His hair was perfect as always, but the rest of him looked like he'd just gotten out from bed.

"Zabini," he greeted.

Hermione put immense effort into forcing her eyes from Tom and failed. "Malfoy," she said, but she and Tom were still looking at each other.

"Is there a problem?" Hermione couldn't see Draco, but she was pretty sure he'd just risen an eyebrow.

"No," she said and finally looked away from Tom to meet Malfoy's grey questioning eyes. She could still feel Tom's eyes on her. "Care to go for a quick walk?"

"Of course, Hermione."

"Meet you back here in ten minutes?"

"Yes. See you then."

Hermione couldn't quite risk a look at Tom as she turned to leave, but she thought he might have been frowning.

She tried her best to keep her hair tame before seeing Malfoy and, when they met the ten minutes later, she was fully dressed and fresh, and her hair was getting out of control.

"Malfoy," she said desperately, "look at my hair!"

Thank Merlin the common room was empty, because the jerk started laughing at her. Pointing and…giggling. She wanted to slap him, but what if anybody saw? All she could do was glare and wait for him to subside.

He did, eventually, then took out his wand and performed the spell he used on his own hair every morning to make it slick and easy to manage.

"C'mon then," he said, laughter still lingering in his eyes, "we still have to go for that walk, otherwise Tom will be suspicious."

They left the common room and walked together. It was slightly awkward on Hermione's part but Draco seemed completely at ease. She was also very aware of people staring at them.

"Here, you can let me off here," she said. "I'm going to go to the library before classes. Just to familiarize myself with it."

Draco smirked. "Going to be a know-it-all here as well then?"

"Of course," she replied stonily, and left him to enter the comfort of her books.

He watched her go, shaking his head and laughing. Even fifty years into the past, she was still the exact same. He found the thought to be amusing, not as annoying as he would have thought.

Draco returned to the Common room to find three people waiting for him. Ash was by the fire, and her eyes were glittering strangely from the flame. Law was on the edge on a chair, looking bored. Tom looked completely at ease, sprawled out on the couch made to seat three.

"Where's Hermione?" Ash asked.

"At the library," he replied, but he couldn't help but feel he was being questioned. "Not an uncommon hang-out for her."

"She resides there often?" Tom's face was hidden by the darkness.

"Yes, too often."

"Is there something going on between you and her?" Weasley asked out frank.

"Why do you want to know?" Draco asked, and he knew he was hiding his discomfort well.

"Curiosity." A glint of teeth from Tom's direction.

"Why so curious?" Draco questioned to Tom. It was a well-known Slytherin tactic, keep asking 'innocent' questions until the other gave up.

Hermione chose that time to enter the Common Room. She must have only stayed in the library for ten minutes, and yet her arms were full of books.

"Law?" Tom said. "Why don't you help Hermione with her books?"

Law couldn't hide his scowl but did as he was told. Hermione offered Tom her gratitude in a smile, a smile, Draco noticed, Tom returned.

Ash followed after Hermione into the girls' bedroom.

"There's something about her," Tom said to Draco in confidence, black eyes glinting with life. "I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about Hermione Zabini."

Tom stood up to leave but, just before exiting the Common Room, he looked over his shoulder at Draco and said, "I don't know what it is yet, but I'm going to find out."

Draco couldn't quite hide the shudder that crept up his back at those words. Tom was suspicious of Hermione and interested in her, which meant that Hermione was in trouble.

Just about five pages. Sorry it's so short, but I'm starting write the other chapter now so it should be up soon! What do you think so far?

I live for reviews. Let me live:)