A/N: Alright, everyone, welcome to chapter 5 of Untitled. Yep, that's the official name for this story. You may have noticed a couple chapters ago that I shortened it from "Untitled Until I Think of One" to just plain old "Untitled", but now I have decided that Untitled will be the official name of this story. I was batting around 2 ideas for a title, well, 3 if you count Untitled. Option 1 was the name that I had originally started this fic with, well over a year and a half ago when I started pounding out chapter one in a different form (if you email me, I can provide you with the uncut primitive version). That title was Musings of a Malfoy. The other title idea I was batting about was Granger's Follies, but neither one seemed to fit the fic, at least not yet. Mind you, I have not even begun to write chapter 5.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am just a poor high school student trying desperately to get her license to drive. Don't sue me. All you will get is my tuition bill, my poor old car which won't run, even though there is nothing wrong with it (you can even ask the mechanics. They can't find anything wrong, either. It's just refusing to run.), and my angry parents, which if they walk back the hallway will be even angrier because I am writing this at 3:56 AM. Mind you, I was supposed to be asleep 6 hours ago. Eek on my part.
School had been in session for more than 2 weeks, and Hermione and Draco had been paired up for every class they had together and every project, too. They had done the work, and had passed the projects. Little did they know that soon they would get a project that would force the two of them to actually get to know each other.
Professor McGonagall laughed to herself as she filled in Professor Kent, the muggle studies professor, as to what she wanted him to do. Now, the headmistress rarely intervened, but she thought this was necessary. After all, there was that prophecy to think about…
"Mahlon, I want you to assign a class project. Now, I know that you have all of the 7th years for Advanced Muggle Studies and Muggle Studies, so, I have drawn up a little plan. Even though You-Know-Who is not a current threat, we still need to further house unity." She began.
"What would you like for my classes to do, Headmistress?"
"Professor Kent, I have designed a project. The students will be separated into pairs. Each pair will consist of 2 students from different houses. Now, this gadget," she said, pulling out a small cup not unlike the Goblet of Fire, only far less immense, "Will pick 2 compatible students from different houses. Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy will be paired up." She said. Mahlon Kent nodded, and McGonagall continued.
"Now, what I need for you to do is announce this project to your classes. I will draw up the pairs according to what I think is best, house wise." She said, and dismissed the young muggle-born professor.
A dark shadow came out from a corner of the office where he had been standing, unseen. "Minerva, do you really think that this is wise?" he asked.
Without looking over her shoulder, she said, "Yes, Severus, I do. You know the prophecy. However, if You-Know-Who is still reigning, it will never come to be, and it must, to defeat him." She said this as she used her wand to conjure a slip of paper with every 7th year student's name one it. Except, of course, Draco and Hermione; they were already paired.
The small class called Advanced Muggle Studies shifted uncomfortably. Professor Mahlon Kent had just announced that they would be doing a new project, and since half of them were muggle born, or had muggle parents, and half of them were pureblood, that this project would work out for the best.
"Now, each of you has been paired with someone from a different house and magical background. I will call out the names, and you will each go to sit with your partner. After we have all paired up, I will explain the purpose of this project and what I want done." Professor Kent said.
He started to call out pairs, "Millicent Bulstrode (Slytherin) and Terry Boot (Ravenclaw); Dean Thomas (Gryffindor); Hannah Abbot (Hufflepuff) and Sally-Anne Perks (Ravenclaw); Blaise Zabini (Slytherin) and Lisa Turpin (Ravenclaw); and lastly," he said, smiling at the two remaining students, "Hermione Granger (Gryffindor) and Draco Malfoy (Slytherin)."
Hermione stared at her professor. Surely he was kidding? Absently she felt eyes on her back, and turned to see Malfoy looking just as stricken as she. They had avoided each other like the plague since The Night Of when he had cried unabashedly into her shoulder. Hermione moved and seated herself at the desk they would share.
"Now," Professor Kent said, magically passing out guide sheets. "Each of you is to interview your partner, using the questions I have given you, and your own curiosity. Since you have been paired with someone of a different magical background, and this is Muggle Studies, I want to hear about their muggle upbringing versus your own magical one. Now then, I am releasing you early to go and meet in a private place to begin your project. You may choose to stay here, but I think it would be more comfortable for you if you chose your own interviewing place. Also, please read the handouts!" he said, dismissing the class.
Hermione and Draco headed back to their tower. Hermione glanced at her list. "Jeez, what kind of bloody questions are these: Favorite color, first favorite toy? This is so dumb." She said, and continued to rattle on.
Draco absently looked at the list… 'Short synopsis of the diversity between muggle and magical upbringings'? He couldn't do this. This was too much. He was snapped out of his thoughts when they reached the portrait of Maihre-Aislin Jeannette Knowles. "Password, please, dears." She said, examining her diamond tiara. "That horrible Fat Lady wanted to wear my tiara… Oh, dears, I think she's bent it!" she said. "Cerulean," Hermione said. The lady nodded, and swung her fancy frame forward.
As soon as they entered the room, Hermione rounded on Draco. "Malfoy, what's your favorite color?" she asked. He stared at her, and then started for the stairs. "Malfoy, get back here! This project is due in 4 days!" she yelled. He shrugged, and descended the stairs. Hermione followed.
"Draco Malfoy, I want to get this project done now so I can spend as little time with you as possible. You're insane! I mean, first you…" she started to mention The Night Of, and stopped. "Let's just get this stupid project done, alright?" she said.
"What were you going to say, Granger?"
"When?" she responded.
Malfoy stared at her. "Before you said you just wanted to finish." He said.
Hermione blushed furiously. "I, nothing…"
Draco screwed his face up. "Granger, tell me."
She shook her head. "No way."
Draco growled in his frustration. "Damnit, you bloody filthy mudblood!" he yelled. Hermione was taken aback. This came out of no where.
"I am not filthy! Stop calling me a mudblood!" she yelled.
"No! You are. You're just a filthy mudblood who doesn't know how to just fudge a dumb project like this one!"
"I will not fudge homework!" she responded. "I will not fudge homework just because you don't want to tell me your favorite color or draw up a synopsis of your childhood as a wizard!" she yelled.
"Did you ever think maybe I don't want to share my childhood with you?" he yelled, throwing a book at her. Hermione dodged it.
"What's the big deal? It's not like he asked for details! I mean, you are such an arrogant, egotistical, frigid, hard-assed son of a bitch that can't think of anyone but himself! Did you ever stop to think that maybe your grade, as well as mine, rides on this damned project! Just because you don't care about your grade doesn't mean you can sabotage mine! I refuse to let that –"
Hermione stopped short. She had to. She couldn't very well speak with a pair of Slytherin lips on hers. Hermione pushed him away.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" she yelled, flushed with embarrassment.
"Granger, you're a filthy mudblood, but did anyone ever tell you that you're gorgeous?" he asked. Hermione blushed again and slapped him.
"You can't just do that to make me bloody shut up, Malfoy! You egotistical, frigid asshole!" she yelled, and started to climb the stairs. Calling up after her, she heard Malfoy shout, "I'm not an asshole!"
Hermione stomped up to her room before remembering what he had said. He had said she was beautiful! No, he had said she was gorgeous… What in the world did that mean? She said down on the edge of her bed. Boy was she confused. He acted like he hated her, and had avoided her after she had comforted him, and now he had kissed her. Hermione Granger was in well over her head, and for once, she didn't know what to do.
Hermione slipped into her bathroom, and drew a hot bath of chamomile bubbles. When the tub was so full she thought she would slip underwater if she sat in it, Hermione stopped the tap. Slipping her clothing off, and pulling out a towel, Hermione sank into the bath. The tiny ruby set into a golden bar shimmered under the water from her navel. Absently she played with it, and thought.
In the bottom of the tower in his dungeon dormitory, Draco Malfoy was also thinking. He had… Oh, god. What would happen when the school found out? He felt like he had been punched in the stomach. First this stupid project that would delve into his personal self (something he didn't even know about), and now he had kissed the mudblood Gryffindor Queen.
Draco sat on the edge of his bed. He couldn't believe what he had done. He couldn't believe what he had said! Oh, god. What would happen when the Dark Lord found out? Draco ran his fingers over the ugly black brand on his arm. Suddenly, it burned intensely, and Draco ran up to the common room.
Grabbing a handful of Floo Powder (that was supposed to be used for traveling to other common rooms exclusively), Draco threw it into the fire, turning it into green flames, and yelled, "Shrieking Shack!" loudly.
Hermione, upstairs, thinking, playing with the stud in her abdomen, and listening to Mozart that she conjured, did not even hear the youth leave. Nor did she hear him return for his black robes and mask, then return to the Shrieking Shack to apparate to the Dark Lord's hideout.
