Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters

I apologize for this being so short. It seemed longer when I wrote it.

CHAPTER 1

"He's up to something" Harry said quietly as he paced back and forth before the crackling fire.

Hermione and Ron nodded. Harry always thought that Malfoy was up to something and Hermione usually thought he was overreacting… but this time she agreed with him.

The three friends were in the Gryffindor common room. It was late and everyone had gone to bed. Harry had been preoccupied with Malfoy's actions toward Hermione earlier all afternoon and hadn't stopped talking about it.

"So he just said 'Good game'? That's all?" Ron asked again, scratching his head. Hermione groaned in exasperation. She had been asked that a hundred times already.

"Yes… and without a sneer." Hermione replied, the annoyance clear in her voice.

Harry stopped pacing and turned to look at Hermione. "Are you sure it was Malfoy? Maybe it was someone who looked like Malfoy… like a ferret." he laughed.

Hermione shook her head, giggling. "I'm pretty sure" she joked back. She looked over at Ron who looked like he was half asleep. He saw her looking at him and winked playfully. Hermione laughed.

"Well, I'm going to bed" Ron yawned, pulling himself up from the chair. "We'll talk about this more later" The remaining two watched him trudge up the stairs, tripping halfway.

Hermione realized she was exhausted, too. She looked over at the large, mahogany grandfather clock next to the fireplace. 1 AM. They had lost track of time. She stretched and got up. "I'm going to head in, too… are you coming?" she asked Harry.

"This Malfoy thing just has to do with the whole Room of Requirement business. He's definitely plotting…" Harry muttered, ignoring Hermione.

Hermione shrugged and took that as a no. She climbed the stairs to the girl's dormitory, her mind tired but busy. She reached her bed and undressed. After getting into her pajamas and crawling into bed, her mind drifted back to Malfoy. She analyzed the memory of his face, trying to figure out what he was planning. Harry was right. He was plotting. She needed to be on guard.

***

On the other side of the castle, Draco lay in his bed as well. He had no idea how to go about doing this. He and Granger had an awful relationship. It was almost as bad, if not the same, as his relationship with Potter. She wasn't an idiot. She was smart. Really smart. There was no way he would be able to trick her. The impossibility of this plan succeeding was causing him to have doubts. It wasn't just shagging a girl, it was shagging Granger. If anyone found out it could cause him great harm. If the Dark Lord found out he had been close with Potter's best friend, he could easily be killed without a second thought. It wasn't worth it. He'd have to turn tell Zabini and Nott he couldn't do it.

And then he sat up. A factor he had not realized had just flown into his mind. Hermione wasn't ugly, but he was pretty sure her only boyfriend, if you called him that, was that Krum character. And they definitely did not have sex. Well, if they did Hermione would be a lot different in his eyes. If he was right, then Hermione would be… a virgin? And imagine, just imagine, what that would do to her. If her worst enemy, who was in league with who she was fighting with all her might against, took her virginity? That would destroy her. And it would destroy Weasley, and even Potter. Draco felt a smile play on his lips. He had his motivation.

Now it was time to think up a plan. To get her in bed. In ten days. He couldn't be too nice. He had to be subtle. To be civil with her. And he needed to spend a lot of time with her. A new idea sprung into his head.

***

Draco sat at his desk in Transfiguration. He kept looking over at Granger who was sitting with Weasley. He waited for his plan to get set in motion.

"You will be partnering up for a few days every class to complete an in-class assignment." Professor McGonagall announced. The classroom started to automatically pair up, but McGonagall cleared her throat. "I have already chosen the partners. And, from a suggestion of a student, you will be partnered up with someone from another house so you can meet new people."

Draco chuckled as the class mumbled in disappointment. He had been the student who suggested that. He bit his lip, praying that he would be paired up with Granger and not someone like Weasley or Potter.

McGonagall took out a scroll and began to read. "These following people will be partners. Abbott and Parkinson, Weasley and Crabbe, Malfoy and Granger"

Draco stopped listening after he heard their names. He sighed in relief and looked over at Hermione. She was looking disgusted and shaking her head. Weasley was looking over at Crabbe, who was picking his nose. Draco chuckled.

After all of the partners were announced, the class began to grudgingly separate into pairs. Hermione picked up her books and carried them over to Draco's desk. She dropped them loudly on the table and pulled up a chair roughly. Draco smiled to himself, occasionally looking over at his new partner.

"Well... we should get started" Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"But the teacher hasn't given out the assignment yet" Draco said, trying to sound light.

Hermione glared at him, and then turned her attention to McGonagall who had started to speak.

Draco wasn't listening, however. He was examining his target. He hadn't been this close to her since she punched him three years ago. He face was pretty, and her front teeth seemed smaller than he remembered. She had a few freckles scattered around her face. He also noted her lips were actually quite attractive. He moved his gaze down to her body. She was thin with some curves, not too bad. She also had pretty nice breasts… not too big, but full. Although he really couldn't tell with the robe she wore. Suddenly he felt a kick. He looked up to see Hermione's annoyed face.

"What are you doing?" she asked, obviously irritated.

Draco smiled. "Nothing"

"Were you even listening to what Professor McGonagall said?"

Draco shrugged, still smiling slyly.

Hermione huffed and pointed to Draco's open textbook. "Page 492. We need to turn this spider into a horse."

"Okay" Draco said nodding, his smile fading. He needed to get down to business.

***

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was sure that Malfoy had been looking at her body. But why? She felt embarrassed. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued reading. She was surprised at Draco's serious turn. He was studying the text intently and biting his lower lip. She hadn't been this close to him since she punched him in face a few years ago. 'He really does look a bit like a ferret…' she thought. He was actually very attractive. She wasn't attracted to him, however, and she felt violated when he had looked at her like that.

***

Draco pretended to read the textbook, but his mind was elsewhere. He was constantly scheming on what to do next.

The rest of the class went by without a hitch. Draco was helpful and he tried to be civil and not snap at Hermione, even when she was bossy, which really was the whole time. Her annoyance with him seemed to ebb off as the time passed, and by the end they had seemed to develop a mutual tolerance for each other… for the most part.

Draco walked out of the classroom, feeling like he was making progress. He looked at Hermione when he passed her, smiling slightly. She looked taken aback.

He smiled to himself as he walked down the hall, heading for the Great Hall for lunch. As usual, the Great Hall was beautifully decorated, the slightly cloudy sky looming overhead. He was late, and the food had already been served. He walked briskly over to the Slytherin table, where he sat down with Crabbe, Goyle, Nott, Zabini and a few others. He quickly filled his plate with some bread pudding and sausages and then turned to Nott.

"How's Mission: Shag the Mudblood working out?" Theodore asked, picking at his tooth with his fork.

"Well, I've been civil to her. And I convinced McGonagall to make us partners for her class. That should help. Do you realize that she's a virgin?" Draco added the last bit, hoping that they would possibly make an extension for him because of it.

Blaise burst into laughter, spitting food out in the process. "Fuck!" he exclaimed, wiping his watering eyes. "How do you know that?"

"Have you ever seen her with a guy? Other than that fruit Krum? Unless it was over summer holiday, I'm pretty sure"

Blaise shrugged. "Damn. This will be harder than I anticipated. You still up for it?" he asked, smirking.

"I'm not going to chicken out. I'm shagging her. Ten days is easy"

"Oh? Then why don't you do it today?" Theodore said.

"Today? Today is a lot less than ten days." Draco said, and he felt his stomach flip.

"Fine. Two."

"I'm sticking with ten"

"You said ten was easy"

Draco was silent. "Seven days" he said.

"Three"

"Six"

"Four. Take it or leave it"

Draco clenched his jaw. Four fucking days? How was he supposed to do that. He looked at Theodore, who raised his eyebrow. Nott wasn't going to back down. Draco sighed in defeat. "I'll take it. But that mudblood is uptight."