A/N: I know I have no business starting another story when I have two - three? - stories in progress, but this idea came to me during a long, hot weekend that included a Harry Potter marathon. So here we are.

Please review and favorite and follow and all that jazz.

*.*.*.*.*

One

The First Task of the TriWizard Tournament is days away and the whole castle is abuzz with excitement. Everyone is talking animatedly before the beginning of class, before McGonagall would arrive and put a pin in their anticipation.

It is an interesting time at Hogwarts this year, with the TriWizard Tournament and the two other magical schools residing in the castle and the problems between Harry and Ron. With the rift in their friendship, Harry follows Hermione around now more than ever. She can't seem to get a moment alone, and she just wishes they could make up and give her a minute of peace.

Another person who isn't giving her peace is Viktor Krum. She'll be in the library, look up, and notice him skulking in a corner, watching her. It's a big distraction, and it's a little creepy. She hasn't told Harry about it because he has enough on his plate. Even though he knows about the dragons and has almost mastered the Summoning Spell, she can tell that he's stressing over all the things that could go wrong.

Ron's been using her as an owl. He gets all his information through her. Since "The Split," Neville is the one who's been speaking to Harry, while Dean and Seamus are trying to decide between Harry and Ron.

Hermione finds the whole thing rather pathetic. Although she isn't the best of friends with Lavendar and Parvati, they'll talk before bed and support one another. They don't ask for Hermione to do their homework, like Harry and Ron do, but they ask for the occasional help. They're teaching her how to manage her bushy hair, mostly with braids and buns, and how to apply enough makeup to not look overdone.

She supposes this is all traditional puberty stuff, even though she turned 15 in September. She never focused on it, but it's nice to be taught by girls who know what they're doing.

In their Transfiguration class last Friday, they had finished a unit on the Vanishing Spell, and Hermione is eager to learn what they are going to learn now. While everyone continues chatting, she notes who is in the room.

Since the 4th Year group is rather small — you can blame the First Wizarding War on limiting the number of children born — there are only about 40 of them. Only half of that amount Hermione really interacts with. For example, the only Hufflepuffs she really knows are Justin Finch-Fletchley, Terry Boot, Hannah Abbott, and Susan Bones. They always sit towards the middle of the room, and they sit together. The Ravenclaws typically cluster together as well, mostly towards the front. It's the Slytherins and Gryffindors who spread out and mingle with the other houses. The Slytherins most prominent are Malfoy, Goyle and Crabbe (they only have one brain cell between the two of them so they are referred to as one being), Parkinson, Nott, and Greengrass. They usually stick together, and they pick their seats based on where Harry sits that day. It was like Draco always wants to be an integral part of Harry's day, mostly to just bother him.

While being best friends with Harry Potter, Hermione typically spends every year trying to avoid being killed, and despite that, she's still the best in the year. And if she isn't mistaken, Draco Malfoy is right behind her, and she thinks it bothers him. The fact that a Muggleborn is better at things than he, a Pureblood, is.

Hermione's thinking is disrupted by the boy she was just thinking about. He is clearly trying to get Harry's attention, but since she's sitting between the two, she gets caught in the crosshairs. Her face reddens only slightly, feeling awkward for thinking about him, and looks away. She doesn't know why she feels that way. "Pst, hey Potter!"

"What Malfoy?" Harry leans over and says, "What do you want?"

"I'd like it if, on Thursday, you could please lose so I could win a bet."

"Very original Malfoy, did Crabbe tell you that one?" Harry bites back. Hermione rolls her eyes. Draco notices.

"Even Granger thinks that was a bad comeback."

"That's not what I think," she finds herself saying.

Before either of them can ask what she really means, McGonagall comes out of her office with a stack of parchment. The class quiets down and she begins speaking.

"Now that our unit on the Vanishing Spell is over, it is time for something new. We will take the next week learning the basics of a certain spell and then, for this next month before the Christmas holiday, you will be working with a partner on a rather large project. It is due the last class before break."

Once McGonagall mentions partners, the room is overcome by whispering. There's plenty of glances in Harry's direction, and Hermione can't help but roll her eyes. Partners means two people work together to complete a project, but Hermione easily bets that whoever she's partnered with will expect her to do all the work.

"Don't get too excited, everyone, I have chosen your partners." McGonagall smirked at the rolling of the eyes and the huffs. "The topic of your project is Cross-Species Switches. You will do a report on the history of the spell, and the report will contain information regarding both species for the switch. You will attempt the spell three times, each time recording the result and write how to improve."

It actually sounds like an interesting project, to Hermione, while the rest of the class groans and gripes about the amount of work. They have a month to prepare the report, so if the work is spread evenly between the partners, it really would't be too difficult.

"Okay," McGonagall regains her attention as she moves up and down the aisles, "here are the partners: Abbott and Longbottom, Weasley and Bones, Brown and Thomas, Goyle and Parkinson, Nott and Greengrass, Finnegan and Boot, Finch-Fletchley and Reynolds, Potter and Patil, Malfoy and Granger —"

"I'm sorry —" Hermione interrupts, raising her hand.

"No wait —" Draco says from his seat.

"Professor, I —" She pleads.

"There's no way I'm —" He scoffs.

"Professor!" They shout together, stopping McGonagall in her tracks.

"No, Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy, there is no changing of partners. You are working together, that is final."

"But …" Hermione whispers and looks at Draco disdainfully.

Harry mumbles, "I'm sorry Hermione."

Draco looks back at her with disgust. "Do we really have to work together?"

"If we want to get a passing grade, yes, I suppose so," she responds stiffly.

"This is bloody ridiculous."

She agrees, but then thinks of something. "Well, just because we are partners doesn't mean we have to really work together."

"What do you mean?"

"We can divide up the work, evenly, and then put it together when we're done."

"But who will do the attempts and record the results? I'd certainly be better at it than you."

"I highly doubt that."

"You can all work things out with your partners later —" McGonagall interrupts — "for now, we will begin the lecture."