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xxx

WE COLLIDE

#3: You said you wanted world peace

"Mione! Anyone home?" Ron began waving in front of Hermione's face furiously. But Hermione just stood there, and had not Ron been holding her, she would probably have collapsed.

"Mate?" Ron threw a worried glance at Harry, who was standing just as dazedly staring at Hermione. Harry slowly turned round and looked at Ron. Quick as a flash, Hermione snapped out of her trance.

"Come on boys. We wouldn't want to get into trouble with Snape." She grabbed both boys by the arms and marched down the corridor in between them.

"What's the matter Mione?" Harry looked at her worriedly.

"Yeah, you okay?" Ron loped along on her right.

"Oh nothing. I just realized I've haven't done McGonagall's essay for Tuesday…"

"Oh come off it, Mione. Today's Friday! You have the entire weekend! And besides –" Harry just frowned at Hermione with a disbelieving look on his face.

"We'll talk later." Harry muttered to her as they entered the Potions classroom.

xxx

He was sitting at his usual seat at the far end of the classroom when they burst through the door. His gaze immediately attached itself to a certain bushy-haired Gryffindor in the centre.

A certain irritating bushy-haired Gryffindor in the centre. Who was currently looking extremely preoccupied and was followed by an equally preoccupied Potter.

And as usual, Weasley was completely oblivious to the state of his two best friends and was talking animatedly about Quidditch, no doubt.

Stupid. That's what the whole lot of them were. Just stupid. Especially that ugly stick of a know-it-all.

"Why, Granger. Did Weasley dump you on the way? Why the long face?"

She glanced up at him and immediately flared up.

"Ron and I are not together! And at least my face is not pale, long and pointy." She snapped, narrowing her eyes. Weasley sniggered.

"Whatever you say Granger."

"Here here what did you mean by that, Malfoy?" Weasley squared his shoulders and was now standing in front of him.

"Stay away from me, Weasley. I just bathed this morning." He flicked invisible lint off his shoulders to reinstate his point.

"How dare you Malfoy! You filthy little piece of –" just as she stepped out next to Weasley, she was cut off as his favorite professor entered.

"What seems to be the problem Mr. Malfoy?"

"Oh professor, Weasley was attempting to spreading his germs to Crabbe and Goyle here. I was merely attempting to defend them, professor" he stepped aside and gestured at his two so-called friends.

"But professor! Malfoy was antagonizing us! He was –" she attempted to defend her idiot of a friend.

"Touching, Miss Granger. Ten points from Gryffindor! I expect you to respect another fellow pupil's personal space."

"But –"

"Five points!" and he watched in glee as she sank down into her chair, her thin frame quivering with righteous indignation, no doubt.

Potions had begun.

xxx

"Class. Today we will be learning how to make a Fithrus Potion. Does anyone know what –" Hermione's hand shot up into the air.

"Oh. Why do I bother. Yes, Miss Granger?"

"A Fithrus Potion when consumed gives the drinker an immediate feeling of weightlessness. This means that the drinker would be able to float around as if he or she were weightless."

"Charming, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor." Snape added grudgingly.

"So. Today you will all be put into pairs and will be preparing this potion. Today's work will count for ten percent of your entire grade this year." There was a unanimous groan in the class and Hermione started looking panicky.

"Oh no Ron! Harry! I am going to fail this year! I haven't prepared for this class!"

"Granger. Shut up. None of us have." Draco rolled his eyes and put his legs up on his desk. Hermione tossed her hair and flashed Draco the dirtiest glance she could muster.

"Ah. Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy. Would you kindly be the first pair?" Snape glanced at Hermione's red face. Without waiting for an answer, he shooed Hermione over to Draco's table. Harry flashed Hermione a sympathetic glance, while Ron was attempting (and failing) to murder Draco by glaring at him.

He just smirked at them.

xxx

"Ok Malfoy. Let's just call it truce for now. I want to get this potion done perfectly and done right. And this way, it not only benefits me, it also benefits you –" she took a deep breath and continued, "So either way it's a win-win situation okay? So this truce means that – " he rolled his eyes at her. She was really annoying.

"Look. Just shut up. My ears hurt."

"Look. Malfoy. I am trying to make peace here. I know we don't get along and –"

"Don't get along? That's an understatement."

"Malfoy. I am trying to be a mediator –"

"Mediator? Don't you need a third party to mediate?"

"ERH. MALFOY. WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN?"

"Listening." He smirked and picked up a mangrove root.

"Okay. Let's just try to be civil to each other so we can get this done with. So you read the instructions and I'll do the potion so you won't botch it."

"Botch me? Me? Goodness, Granger. I'm the one who comes from a wizarding background and you expect me to do worse than you?"

"Fine. Let's just split the work. You chop the roots, I'll prepare the Flobberworm droppings and –"

"Whatever." He picked up the Flobberworm on purpose and waited for her reaction. He was not disappointed.

"Malfoy! Weren't you listening to what I've been telling you for the past few minutes? I said –"

"Yeah yeah I know. You said that you wanted world peace and that I'm damn sexy."

"What? Why you little – little – butthead!"

"Wow Granger. That hurt me so deeply."

"You know what? I give up!" she huffed and began chopping the skankfly wings furiously.

"Chopping me up eh?" she glared at him and gave a little snort. She tossed her ugly hair over one shoulder and continued.

He smirked at her. This was going to be fun.

xxx

Finally, their potion was completed. However, not before Hermione scolded Malfoy for "accidentally" dropping her chopping knife into the deep cauldron. She had spent a precious five minutes attempting to stick her hand in before Malfoy had not-so-kindly reminded her that she had a wand.

But that was not the end. After that, they had quarreled over whether it was correct to put the mangrove roots or skankfly wings in first. Unfortunately for her, Malfoy had won. She was actually quite put out by it.

"Fine. I knew that." She had said.

"Oh really Granger. Then that's really funny that moments ago you insisted that the skankfly wings goes in first."

"I – I was just – testing you!" she had finished triumphantly.

"You're a lousy liar Granger."

Now all Hermione wanted to do was to pound his face in with her bare hands. Even after that argument, they had another go at each other. This time it was about their housemates.

"That was really noble of you. Besides, Gryffidors are famous for trying to be heroes and doing the stupidest things in the process."

"We are not stupid!"

"Then look at Longbottom! Oh no! He is actually a Hufflepuff in disguise!"

"How dare you! Why all you Slytherins! Sneaky, cunning, devious –"

"Thank you Granger. Glad you noticed."

"And all your stuck up Pureblooded rubbish. Oh! Let's preserve tradition!"

"Shut up Granger." Draco had turned dangerously quiet. But Hermione had ploughed on.

"All you guys are is a bunch of incestuous –"

"I said SHUT UP!" Here Draco had looked extremely furious and would probably have punched Hermione had she been a male.

They had both glowered at each other and Hermione had stalked to the teacher's table and banged their vial of Fithrus potion and had sauntered back to her original seat.

She had sat there and refused to look at Draco. There was something bothering her about Malfoy's attitude, but she could deal with that later. Hermione started cursing Draco in her head with every single dirty word she knew.

xxx

And here's another chapter.

Please R/R!

And I want recommendations to a good Harry/Hermione fic. Anyone?