A/N: When did everyone suddenly decide that Draco likes mai tais? I've seen about fifty billions stories that mention it in the summary. The first place I saw it was FictionAlley, Cassandra Claire was the author. Since then, whoa. But it doesn't really matter.

Another question. If Harry and the others are in seventh year (which they are), what year is Malcolm Baddock? And what kind of name is that, anyway? It's not trivia, I really want to know what year he's in.

I'm making the assumption that each person has a few uniforms, because if they had to wear the same one every day, then ew. I've never had to wear a uniform, but I just don't think there would be a place where you only have one, right? So… yeah.

To clarify: Hermione's new look officially started when she changed into her Hogwarts uniform on the train. She was still in her regular clothes at the prefect meeting. Her older regular clothes, not her new-look-regular clothes. Er… right. Time for the story.


The Negative Side


Slytherins

At breakfast on the second day of school, Hermione sat facing the Slytherin table. She had gone down early, and the Great Hall was mostly empty. Students trickled in as time went on. About half an hour before their first class would start, Harry and Ron joined her. They both looked incredibly sleepy and grumbled as they sat. They heaped their plates with most of the food within reach.

"Sleep well?" Hermione asked. Ron glared at her, and Harry shrugged while looking at his food.

"How long have you been up?" Ginny asked. She had just arrived.

"Two hours," Hermione answered. "I've been so excited for this year, I could barely sleep at all. I can't believe you aren't more enthusiastic, Ron. This is your last year at school. And you, Harry. You'd be able to start Auror training almost immediately when the year ends."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Draco sit down to his table. She could tell he was looking at her for the first few seconds, and then he turned away. Well, she told herself, you did want to be noticed.

New, more stylish clothing was only a part of what Hermione had changed. She had looked through the magazines sent by Parvati and Lavender, reading each cover to cover as she would any book, and memorized all the useful spells in them. The ones she got the most use out of were the hair spells. There were spells to straighten, to smooth, to curl, to soften, and change color, and Hermione knew them all. Makeup spells went as far as simple eye shadow and lipstick, but she preferred to apply makeup the Muggle way.

Realizing that during school she would not be wearing her new clothes so often, she had adjusted her uniform. All the skirts were adjusted either adjusted in length, to be miniskirts, or in width, to make them hang more elegantly around her legs. She had made sure the shirts and sweaters were more fitted than she had worn them in the past.

All she wanted was… she wasn't really sure at the time. "Stop staring at me, Harry," she said for the eleventh time. She had counted.

Looking embarrassed, Harry glanced at Ginny, who gave him a half smile, before proceeding to stare down his plate. Hermione raised her eyebrows at this, then exchanged glances with Ron, who shrugged half-heartedly. They both knew Harry was still upset about Dennis.

Thankfully, their class schedules arrived, providing a new topic for conversation. Even Harry was distracted. "We have Defense every day except Tuesday. Four days a week, that's… a lot," he said excitedly.

"Great," Ron said. "The day we start class is the only day we don't have DADA."

"It's not that big a deal. We can visit Professor Lupin in his office later today," said Hermione.

"I wonder why Lupin wasn't there for the start of term feast," Ron said.

"You do?" Harry asked.

"Well, yeah. Don't you?"

"Last night was the full moon, Ron," Hermione explained patiently. "He couldn't have shown up in the Great Hall."

As quickly as he could find a topic, Ron changed the subject with a groan. "Aw, we have Potions today. And double on Friday morning - with the Slytherins again! Who makes up these things?"

"That's quite something," Ginny said, looking at her brother's schedule. "You have Potions two days a week, and DADA four. I would kill for a schedule like that."

"Why, what do you have?" asked Hermione. Ginny handed her timetable over. Hermione scanned it, reading aloud. "Double Potions Monday - ooh, sorry Gin - and regular Wednesday and Thursday. Defense Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday- my god, when are the rest of the years having DADA? It seems like they're taking up all the time with sixth and seventh years."

"We'll be leaving the school earlier. I guess Dumbledore just wants us to be prepared," Ginny guessed.

"Hey, free period, last class on Friday," Ron exclaimed. "Nice. That's what you have, right?" He looked up at the rest of them.

"What was that?" Harry asked, bringing his head up. "Oh, yeah. Free period Friday. I've got that."

Hermione shook her head. "Not me. I have Ancient Runes."

"You're still taking that?" Ron whined. He sounded more disappointed than surprised.

"Of course. It's one of my favorite classes." Ron frowned. "Oh, come on. You'd probably just be playing quidditch or chess while I bother you about doing homework. You won't miss me."

"Don't be too sure of that," muttered Ron. Hermione made a confused look in his direction.

"Ah, guys," said Harry suddenly. He was staring at his schedule, looking over it very carefully. "Look at this. Anyone else notice something strange?" No one knew what he was talking about. "Well, just look. DADA - with the Slytherins. Charms - with the Slytherins. Transfiguration with the Slytherins. Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins. Herbology is the only time we get away from them."

"You're right," Ron said, his voice incredibly annoyed. "What the bloody hell is going on, here?"

"I don't know," replied Hermione, shaking her head.

After dinner that night, the four of them made their way to Professor Lupin's office. Hermione, in the lead, knocked, and called out, "Professor Lupin?"

"Come in," they heard him call. They opened the door slowly and filed into the office. Lupin looked up with a smile. "Hello, Harry. I was wondering when you would be coming."

"Well, we would have been here sooner," Ron said, "but we had classes and things."

"I don't doubt that you came as soon as you could, Ron," Lupin said. "And Ginny. If I remember correctly, you weren't part of this tight-knit group back when they were in their third year."

"No, Professor. I joined them after the incident in the Department of Mysteries."

"Ginny!" Ron hissed.

"What? Oh, Harry, I'm sorry."

"It's all right." He waved down their concern.

Lupin observed this exchange, then smiled warmly at them all. "Would any of you like some tea, or anything? I was just about to make some for myself."

"No, thanks," Ginny said. Ron shook his head. Harry nodded with a weak smile, and Hermione answered, "Yes, thank you, Professor."

When the tea had been handed around - Ginny ended up taking some - Lupin got down to business. "Did you four have any particular reason for coming here, or is it just a social call? Bear in mind, I am glad for your company either way."

"Actually, Professor," Hermione said, leaning forward in her seat, "there is something we want to know."

"We were wondering why you came back, after all that happened four years ago," Harry said. "If you are comfortable telling us, that is."

There was a pause as Lupin had a sip of tea. "There's not actually as much of a story as you might think," he answered slowly. "Dumbledore was having a hard time finding someone for this position, after what happened to the last one. I told him that if it weren't for my condition, I would gladly do it. Therefore, he managed to convince the school board and the parents that their children would be perfectly safe, and told me that I had the job." He shook his head. "I didn't think he would actually take me seriously."

"Are you saying you weren't eager for the job?" Hermione asked. It would be disappointing if he wasn't. She loved having him as a teacher.

"Don't get me wrong, Hermione. I love teaching, especially such an important subject. But you all know that this school has a bad history for this particular job, and I was worried about what parents would think of having their children taught by a werewolf."

"Professor, you're the best we've ever had. They should be more concerned with the quality of the teaching than whether you turn into a wolf one night out of a month," Ron said. The others all looked at him. "Well…"

"Quite thoughtful of you, Ron," said Lupin, his mouth twitching in the corners.

"Anything you can tell us about the class this year?" Harry asked, changing the subject to suit his curious nature.

Lupin cleared his throat. "I think you should wait until tomorrow. It's not as long as it seems. I can tell you that the seventh years will have a different experience than everyone else. We are doing something completely new."

"Will it be dangerous?" prompted Harry. There was a note in his voice, that he must not have noticed, of excitement. Hermione knew he did not want any more danger, because he felt that he put people in life-threatening situations, but he couldn't help how he was made. Harry was the kind of person who thrived on danger. Perhaps that was why he wanted to be an Auror.

"Some of it will be, I will not lie to you. But the four of you should leave before I give away something I shouldn't." He ushered them out, despite their expressed longing to stay and talk. Trudging up to their dorm, Harry, Ron, and Hermione speculated on what they could possibly be doing in DADA that Lupin wanted to keep so secret from them.

"What did you do, Ginny?" Harry asked.

"Not that much. It was only the first day." She shrugged.

"So you refuse to help us, then?" Ron said.

"Hey, Lupin even told us that the seventh years are doing something different. It wouldn't tell you anything about your own class." She pulled ahead of them as they ascended toward the Fat Lady.

"You see?" Ron said, pointing to his sister. "Never helpful."

"Oh, shut up, Ron," Hermione told him, rolling her eyes.

She climbed through the portrait hole, Harry and Ron behind her, Ginny a bit ahead. "Ginny, wait a minute," she called. The redhead stopped and turned, waiting for Hermione to catch up. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? No, not really," Ginny answered, looking wistfully at something in another part of the room.

Hermione gave Ginny an expectant and smug look. "You're watching Harry, aren't you." The way she stated it was not exactly a question.

"What? No, I -"

"It's okay, Ginny. I've known that you still like him for a while."

Ginny sighed. "I had thought I was more careful than that."

"Oh, Harry has no idea, and neither does Ron. I'm just observant."

"So I've noticed." She peered toward the couch where Harry was sitting with Ron and Seamus, laughing at some joke or other. "Hermione, do you think -?"

"No," Hermione cut her off.

Ginny whipped her head around to look at Hermione. "You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Sure I do."

Ginny shook her head again, and started for the dorm. "You know what, tell the others I said goodnight. I'm not in the mood to hang out down here right now." Hermione could tell she was annoyed, and wasted no time to make her point.

"Harry's never going to make a move," she said.

Slowly, Ginny turned. "So you were aware of my question. You really think, never? Not even if I give him all the signs?"

"Ginny," Hermione began, a serious countenance dominating her words, "Harry would not do anything like that. First, he's too distracted to notice any signs from you. I'm not sure why, exactly." That was a lie; Harry was distracted because of Dennis, and his guilt. "Second, even if he thought you would let him, Ron would kill him if he touched you."

"Why wouldn't I let him? He was my first crush."

"Well, you have been dating since fourth year, you know. Seeing other boys, to put it technically."

Ginny crossed her arms. "It's not like that's a crime."

"Of course not, but Harry doesn't know you're still interested. What I am trying to say is that you have to let him know how you feel in the most direct way possible."

"You mean - you think I should kiss him?" Ginny asked incredulously.

Hermione considered this, then shrugged. "I couldn't hurt," she said. Ginny's face scrunched for a moment. She continued up the stairs to her room, glancing back once at Hermione.

"What was going on with Ginny?" Harry asked once Hermione had rejoined them.

"Oh, nothing. She was just tired. She had a long day with her classes, plus - but I shouldn't be telling you that."

"Telling us what?" inquired Ron suspiciously.

She looked between them. She shouldn't, really, but Hermione was nothing if not curious, and she had decided to make the new Hermione adventurous. What would happen if she did say it? There was only one way to find out.

"Well, if you insist. She's kind of having guy problems. You know, nothing unusual, just that she likes someone and he's completely unaware."

"Who the hell is this guy?" Ron sounded slightly angry.

"I can't tell you, but let's just say we all know him very well." She winked at Harry. She yawned dramatically when it seemed like Ron was about to speak. "You know, I'm rather tired. I think I may go up to bed now."

"Are you sure you don't want to stick around?" Harry asked.

"Yes, thanks. I want to be awake for DADA tomorrow morning." She stood, stretching her arms above her head, and ran her fingers through her hair. She looked at the boys, who were all staring at her. She laughed and started toward the dorms. "Goodnight, everyone."

She had barely gone three steps before Ron caught up to her. "Ah…er…Hermione…"

"What is it, Ron?"

His mouth opened and closed a few times, but any actual words were absent. After a while, he let out his breath in exasperation. "Nevermind. Sleep well." He turned and walked to the couch where Harry still sat. She saw him hit his forehead.

Ron had been acting quite strange of late. Their arguments were as usual, but everything else about him seemed to have changed. He picked on her as often as he mumbled incoherent phrases while awkwardly shuffling his feet, and she often found him looking at her. The latter had begun to happen even before she changed her look.

Many ideas had crossed her mind as to why he seemed embarrassed half the time he was around her. None of them were the least bit likely or reasonable, or fair to Ron, for that matter. She had boiled it down to a teenage-boy-hormone deal, and decided to wait until he came to her to make up her mind about any details.

When Hermione reached her room, she went over the homework she had been given that day. It was nothing difficult, just first day stuff. Even Snape hadn't gone too hard on them; a two-foot essay due at the beginning of next Tuesday's class.

Seeing no reason to start any of the simple assignments immediately, she set about arranging outfits and spells. Just because she wasn't doing schoolwork was no excuse not to work hard at something.


After spending much of the night inventing interesting ideas for DADA, Harry was vastly shocked the next day when he came out of that class before lunch.

When they emerged from Charms, Harry was already having mixed feelings. They had to spend the entire morning with the Slytherins, if he looked at it from the negative side. Thinking positively, he had managed to perform the Eraser Charm on his first try. Back in first year, it had taken him an entire class to be able to do most of the charms they learned. It was proof of how far he had come as a wizard.

"Ron, honestly. We've barely begun school and all you can think about is getting away," Hermione was saying when he tuned into the conversation.

"We spend all our time with Slytherins. Can you blame me? Am I right, Harry?"

"Sure. But come on, Ron. We just have class with them. They're not forcing us to spend every waking moment with them or anything," said Harry.

"I need to stop at the bathroom," Hermione told them.

"We only have ten minutes before Defense. You'll be late."

"I won't be long, Harry. Save me a seat?" she instructed, and ran off.

"That's not the way to the bathroom," Ron noticed.

"Has Hermione seemed a bit odd lately?" asked Harry as they sat two desks from the front.

"So you see it too? Good, I was afraid I was the only one."

"What do you think it is?"

"Hi, guys," Neville said as he sat down at the table behind them.

"Hullo, Neville," Harry answered. "You seem in a better mood than usual."

"I'm having a good morning," shrugged Neville.

"Don't worry, it won't last," Malfoy interjected. He was sitting at the table behind Neville, next to Blaise Zabini. Harry and Ron both glared at him.

"Shut it, Malfoy."

For an answer, Malfoy gave them an expression between a sneer and a smirk. His face melted to blank when Hermione sat down in front of him. "Hi, Neville," she said breathlessly. "Did I miss anything?"

"Only the snotty remarks of an imbecile," Harry told her, truthfully as he saw it. He made a slight face at Malfoy.

Hermione rolled her eyes - that was one thing she hadn't changed - and began to set her books on the table. "How many times have I told you to ignore him?"

"Hey, he was the one who cut into our conversation," defended Ron. Harry and Neville nodded emphatically.

It was just about then that Harry looked around the room and found a sight that was somewhat surprising. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting at a desk one to the left and two to the front of Malfoy's. For them, that was pretty far away from him. He had been under the impression that their few brain cells only worked if they were within three feet of Malfoy. And yet he was behind Hermione, next to Blaise.

He had no time to think about this before Professor Lupin entered, taking his place at the front of the room. The talking died down while he waited.

"Good morning," Lupin started. "In case you don't remember me, I am Professor Lupin. I will be teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts for the year. I must prepare you as much as possible for what is waiting for you out in the world by the time you have to take your N.E.W.T.s."

"Before we begin, I want you to forget anything you might have heard from your friends or siblings in younger years about this class. Anything they've told you will not hold true for you. As seventh years, you are going to be doing something completely different and new. Your tasks may be fairly dangerous, and you will be trusted with more responsibility."

"Through the course of the year, you will have many assignments. Most of them you will do with a partner. You will have one partner for the entire year."

Harry and Ron glanced at each other. They would be more than willing to do DADA projects together for the whole year.

Lupin lifted a blue silk top hat for all to see. "Dumbledore was kind enough to lend me this hat. I have written each of your names on a slip of paper and placed them into it. When I call your name, you will come up and pick a name out of the hat. The person whose name you draw will be your partner for the year."

Apparently, Lupin had decided to start at the end of the alphabet, because Blaise Zabini was first. He stuck his hand in the hat and drew out a single strip of white paper. He read the name aloud. "Granger."

"After you have been assigned a partner," Lupin said as Zabini returned to the back of the room, "sit with them at the same desk. Your seat for the year will not change. You will sit next to your partner for classwork reasons."

Zabini took the seat Neville quickly vacated, dropping his books onto the table. Hermione glared at him. Harry gave her a sympathetic look. Ron was next, and he got up crossing his fingers. He ended up pulling Seamus's name, which Harry was sure Ron would be able to live with. Ron took his things and moved one desk to the left, where Seamus was sitting. He glanced at Harry and shrugged.

"Harry, you're up."

Harry stood. As he walked to the front of the room, where Lupin held out the top hat, time slowed, and he began to worry. Both of his best friends had already been chosen. It was more likely that he would get stuck with a Slytherin partner than a Gryffindor. Of course, he would never let the class know he was worried.

He stared at the name on the paper for what seemed an eternity, then looked up and read it out in dead tones. "Draco Malfoy."

The faces of every Gryffindor there fell. They looked toward the back of the room, where Malfoy was reclining in his chair with his hands folded behind his head. "Well, come on, Potter. Take a seat." He slapped the chair to his right. "I'm not moving."

Gritting his teeth, Harry gathered his books and moved to the table in the back. He sat down, and glared. Malfoy greeted his hostile look with a smirk that he couldn't read.

…TBC…

Reviews are nice… review and I'll make sure I update again before the end of the month.