AN: This chapter is going to read a little weird because it covers the chapters 11, 12, and 14 of The Half-Blood Prince (The Gryffindor Quidditch trail,the Hogsmeade trip where Katie gets cursed by the necklace, and the first Quidditch game),and I don't want to copy too much of the book. So just bare with me, the next chapter will be written a little better

Chapter 5

The rest of the month went fairly quickly, Hermione spent her time doing her work, making sure Ron and Harry did theirs, and getting to know her brother and Daphne with Ginny. Like a dutiful best friend she went and cheered on Ron and Ginny as they tried out for the Quidditch team, which included Confunding McLaggen during the practice. "I still can't believe you did that." Harry told Hermione as he came in from his detention with Snape, Ron was currently up in their dorm.

"I still stand by the thought it was a good idea and that you did not need someone like McLaggen on your team. He's rude and talks horribly about Ron and Ginny, and quite frankly I did not want to listen to Ron moan for the next month or so about how you didn't let him on the team, or worse, him not speak to us at all. You know he's already upset that he's not part of the slug club."

"That might be so but you still should not have done it Hermione, doing that made your Slytherin heritage shine through." With that Harry walked up stairs, leaving a very mad Hermione in the common room. A few minutes after Harry left Ginny sat down beside the still mad Hermione. "What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"I confunded McLagggen so your brother would get on the team, and Harry found out and said doing that made my Slytherin heritage shine through."

"First, seriously Hermione? How could you, you know that was wrong. Second, Harry shouldn't have said that either, so both of you screwed up. Now I'm going to bed, you should rethink your actions." With that Ginny walked up the stairs and Hermione groaned.

Over the next few weeks Hermione and Harry kept on ill terms, but after noticing this seemed to push her toward spending more time with Daphne, Harry let the incident with McLaggen drop. Finally it was the weekend of the first Hogsmeade trip. The morning started with another argument about the Half-Blood Prince, Harry tried out a spell he read and it caused Ron to float upside down by his ankles. The rest of the day the trio tried to enjoy their time together, occasionally joined by Theo and Daphne as they enjoyed their date day. That night, after telling McGonagall all about Katie Bell and trying not to yell at Harry for blaming Malfoy for it, Hermione met with Theo and Daphne in the library. "I don't see why you're friends with them." Daphne told Hermione after Hermione caught her up on the events of the day. "He has to be very dense to still think Drake is behind this after being told, by McGonagall, that he was in detention."

"I know," Hermione agreed. "He seems convinced that Malfoy is a Death Eater though, won't listen to me, Ron, or Ginny when we try to convince him otherwise." Hermione rubbed her head missing the shared look between Theo and Daphne.

"I still don't understand why you're friends with them." Daphne said, changing the subject. "All you do is complain about Weasley, why be friends with them?"

"They were my first friends at Hogwarts," Hermione said. "We've been through a lot, I can't just drop them because they annoy me." Theo and Daphne just shake their heads in response.

"Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, stay after class." Snape said looking between Hermione, who had started on her homework, and Malfoy who was just playing with his wand absentmindedly. "I wonder what he wants." Ron whispered to Hermione who just shrugged. After class Hermione and Malfoy walked up to Snape's desk and waited. "I have noticed, over the few months, that you two always seem to finish first, and around the same time."

"If I didn't you'd fuss at me, and I'm sure Granger is such a snot that." Malfoy started.

"You treat her with respect." Snape snapped at the teen. "Incase you forgot, you are both my godchildren, I will not tolerate you speaking like that."

"Thank you Professor, but I can take care of myself, as I'm sure Malfoy knows after third year." Hermione said, glaring at the blond who snarled at her.

"Anyway, since I don't want you two just sitting around doing nothing, yes Miss Granger I know you do homework, I have decided to give you two a project." Draco goraned. "I want you two to research what makes spells and potions 'dark' and how you could work around that." Both teenagers looked at Snape in confusion. "You will only be working on this project during class so it won't interfer with your homework and any other...projects. Now go."

"Yes sir." Malfoy said as he started out of the classroom. Hermione just nodded as she rushed to catch up with the blond.

"We need a plan." She said catching up with him. "I think we should share a desk, that way we can know when the other is done."

"I am not sharing a desk with you." Malfoy said.

"Fine, we'll sit across the aisle from one another, but we are doing this project, I refuse to risk a bad grade because you are stubborn." With that Hermione walked off.

"You are not doing a project with that ferret." Ron practically yelled when Hermione told them.

"Yes I am, Professor Snape told me to, and I am not going to disobey a teacher, much less my godfather."

"But he's Malfoy." Harry protested. "He'll make you do all the work."

"No he won't, I'm sure ProfessorSnape won't let him." Hermione said.

"I still don't like it." Ron said.

"Well I don't care, its a project for class and I will treat it as such." With that Hermione walked to meet Theo, Daphne, Neville, Ginny, and Dean for the study group.

"What's this about you and Draco working on a project?" Daphne asked Hermione as she sat down.

"Yeah, that's why Professor Snape wanted us after class, he assigned us a project since we always finish our work earlier than everyone else."

"Only by a little," Theo muttered. "That stupid git has always been smarter than me."

"Well now you have a sister that is smarter than him." Hermione reassured her brother. "Now let's do our homework."

"How do you feel about the project?" Ginny asked Hermione. "You'd have to actually work with Malfoy."

"I'm not happy about it, but it's a class project for Professor Snape, I can't not do it you know?" Hermione responded. "Now do your homework, you have to get it done before Quidditch practice otherwise it won't get done."

The rest of the month followed a similar action, Hermione and Harry fought over the Half-Blood Prince, towards the end of the Defense Against of the Dark Arts class time Hermione and Malfoy would go to the library and work silently on their own, passing their notes instead of actually talking, and between lessons and dinner Theo and Hermione would meet to do their homework together, either by themselves or with Daphne, Ginny, Dean, Neville, and Luna. Towards the end of October Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle started joining. "Draco doesn't have time to help them anymore." Blaise told Theo the first day they joined. "And Pansy will hex them if she tries to help them." Theo just nodded in understanding. Eventually it was the weekend of the first Quidditch match. "Are you coming to the quidditch match tomorrow?" Theo asked Hermione as they packed up their bags after a study session.

"I have to, Ron, Ginny, and Harry are all playing. Have to support my friends." Hermione answered. "If they weren't playing I wouldn't be there, I hate Quidditch."

"You don't like Quidditch?" Theo asked in shock. "I think you're the first witch I've ever met that doesn't like Quidditch."

"Theo," Ginny said, coming up to the twins. "Do you care if I steal my friend? I need to rant about my brother."

"What did he do this time?" Hermione asked, saying bye to her brother.

"He caught me and Dean kissing in a corridor and started freaking out, like I did something really bad. We were just kissing."

"You know how protective Ron is," Hermione said. "Add that to the fact he's stressed about the match tomorrow, he probably just took it out on you instead of trying to deal with his emotions like a normal person."

"See, this is why you're my best friend, you help me work this stuff out so I don't choke my own brother, see you at breakfast." With that Ginny walked up to her dorm. A few minutes later Ron came down.

"Coming to the match tomorrow?" He asked Hermione.

"Yes, but one thing first." Hermione answered glaring at her friend. "You're sister is her own person and a teenage girl, if she wants to snog her boyfriend she can, you have no say in the matter."

"She doesn't have to do it where people can see it though." Ron argued. "And why is it any of your business, she's my sister. You're just a friend."

"Excuse me? I thought I was like a sister to the two of you, but I guess I was wrong." With that Hermione went up to her room.

The day of the Quidditch match Hermione sat with Theo and Daphne, and she spent most of the match chatting with Daphne. "I was thinking," Daphne told her. "The Slytherins are still hesitant about you, so I thought next weekend at Hogsmeade you'd spend the trip with me and my housemates and Theo spends the day with your friends." She paused as cheers erupted around her. "That way you can both get to know each other's friends."

"That sounds like a great plane Daphne, though I'm pretty sure my friends would be more welcoming than yours." Hermione said.

"I have a plan, don't worry." Daphne said with a smirk.

"Hey Hermione," Hermione turned to see Padma and Pavarti sitting behind her. "Is it true that you're Nott's sister?"

"Yes, why Padma?" Hermione asked, eyeing the twin sisters behind her.

"Does that mean you are going to start going by Nott instead of Granger?"

"Our parents hope so." Theo interjected.

"I still haven't decided Padma, but trust me, when I do decide it will be known."

"Okay, thanks Hermione." With that Padma returned to talking to her sister and Hermione returned to talking to her brother and Daphne. Cheering when Gryffindor scored and when Harry finally caught the snitch.

"That sounds like a great plan." Ginny said that evening as the Gryffindor house celebrated their win. "I wouldn't mind helping Theo get to know us. I wonder what Daphne has planned for the Slytherins."

"I have no idea, but I am worried, Daphne seems to have a mind of her own. Do they have to do that here?" Hermione and Ginny looked in disgust at Ron as he and Lavender made out in the middle of the common room. "No offense Gin, but I don't want to sit here and watch your brother make out with someone. I'll see you later." With that Hermione walked out of the room and towards the library. "What's wrong sis?" Theo said appearing beside her as she entered the library. "I would have thought you would be celebrating with your house."

"Ginny's upset because Ron is being hypocritical, he gave her crap for snogging Dean in an empty corridor but is snogging Lavender in the middle of the crowded common room, and that's one family dispute I refuse to get in the middle of."

"I respect that," Theo said. "So are you agreeing to Daph's plan?"

"Yeah, though you have to promise me to go with the me the trip in December so we can get Christmas presents for our parents, I have no idea what to get them."

"That works, I should return to my house before they send the search dogs for me. I'll talk to you later." With that Hermione started her return to the Gryffindor common room, lost in her own thoughts causing her to run into Malfoy. "Watch it." He snapped.

"Why are you even about, I thought you were sick." Hermione asked him.

"None of your business, you might be my friend's sister but you are still the Gryffindor dork I've always known you as." With that he walked away, Hermione groaned as she went into an empty classroom, where Harry found her.