Disclaimer: See Prologue!

Here's that List that I promised:

Fossilized- Yes, in the presence of students, Snape addresses Dumbledore as Dumbledore. Who's to say about when there are no students around, though? I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Caliko- Maybe so...however, what happens when they've exhausted their resources when it comes to intelligent insults? Keep in mind that- out of the entire school- Hermione and Draco are the only two who haven't even attempted to be civil and end the "Unity Campaign" which has been going on for two years in this story. Out of the two years, Draco has ONLY picked on Hermione and Hermione has ONLY picked on Draco because everyone else just shrugged it off, not wanting detention. I'll explain more about this Unity Campaign later...so bear with me until then.

XX-Dracos-Dark-Queen-XX- She does tend to seem a bit like Snape or Umbridge, doesn't she? Well, one can hope it'll get better for the students.

Also, thanks to:

Forever-a-Wanderer

Your reviews were much appreciated!

Chapter 3

"I never want to take another note. Ever again." Hermione groaned as she put ice on her swollen right hand. Draco collapsed beside her.

"Quick Quotes Quills are sounding better and better." He murmured...putting ice on his own swollen hand. They had just gotten in from patrolling...and after all of the note-taking that they'd done that afternoon they'd barely been able to hold their wands. The others had been just as bad, nursing sore hands. No less than a hundred points had been taken off that night due to grumpy prefects and insolent first years.

"I think I'm definitely going to invest in a couple." Hermione agreed, sighing.

"Hey, while I'm thinking about it...let's get the first Unity Event planned for this year." Malfoy said, looking wryly down at his left hand, trying to decide whether it was worth deciphering the text later if he wrote in his non-dominant hand.

"Good idea." Hermione pulled out a piece of parchment, quill, and ink, setting them out on the white aspen coffee table. The furniture and the doors were made of the same type of wood, while the stairs were made of polished white sandstone. It was a very wintry setting, really. Hermione scrawled 'Unity Events' down at the top of the paper. "What if we list what NOT to do?" She asked. "That'll narrow down the choices of what TO do."

Draco nodded, dumbfounded at the neatness of her left-handed scrawl. She noticed. "Oh...I broke my right arm several times growing up. My cousins were rowdy. Anyway...I had to learn to write just as neatly with my left hand from an early age." She continued scribbling down things she DIDN'T want to do. When she was finished, she handed the list to him. "Let me know if there's anything you want me to add."

The list was fine-tuned and perfected that night, and then Hermione transfigured a copy for Draco. "Thanks." He said, heading towards his room.

"Hey Malfoy...I just had a thought."

"What?"

"What if we did a Partner's Dance?" She asked.

"You mean like boyfriend and girlfriend partners, right?" He asked, slowly.

"No...I mean like class partners dance. To get into the dance, they have to show up with their partners. It doesn't matter if there are two guys in a partnership or two girls or such...they can meet their real dates inside. However..." She said, smiling and warming up to the idea. "Under veritaserum, they have to be able to recite at least five facts about their partners!"

"WHAT! THAT'S ABSOLUTELY FUCKING STUPID!" Malfoy roared. Hermione, to her credit, didn't flinch.

"WELL IT'S MORE THAN YOU'VE THOUGHT OF! ONE-ON-ONE QUIDDITCH! HONESTLY, HOW THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO PULL THAT OFF? QUIDDITCH, IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED, TAKES SEVEN PEOPLE TO PLAY!"

"THERE'S NO WAY IN HELL I'M GOING TO SHOW UP AT A DANCE WITH FILTH LIKE YOU ON MY ARM! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK NICE AT DANCES! NOT LIKE YOU'VE BEEN ROLLING IN MUD!"

"HERE'S NEWS FOR YOU, ASSHOLE, I DON'T EXACTLY WANT TO BE SEEN ALIVE WITH YOU EITHER! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT AN INBRED, HALF WITTED PRICK WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE BRAINS TO COUNT OUT INGREDIENTS IN POTIONS!"

"I GUESS WE'LL FIND THAT OUT TOMORROW IN SNAPE'S CLASS, WON'T WE, GRANGER! I BET YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CAN'T COUNT!"

"WHO BLEW US UP LAST YEAR!"

"WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HELPING!"

"THAT'S NOT FAIR AND YOU KNOW IT! YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHY I DIDN'T HELP! ACCORDING TO YOU- HELL, ACCORDING TO SNAPE- I COULDN'T DO SHIT RIGHT!"

"YOU KNOW WHAT, MUDBLOOD? YOU STILL CAN'T!" He shouted.

"AT LEAST I ADMIT TO MY MISTAKES!"

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN!"

"OH I DON'T KNOW! HOW ABOUT THAT INCIDENT WITH THE BROOMS AND YOUR GIRLFRIEND!"

"SHE WASN'T MY GIRLFRIEND! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT!"

"HAH! YOU SOUND AS IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY WORRIED ABOUT WHAT I THINK!"

"I'M NOT!"

"GOOD!"

"GREAT!" He stormed into his room and slammed the door.

"I HATE YOU!" She screamed at his door, slamming her own door. A few minutes later, their doors slammed open and both stormed out, towels in hand, to stop short at the sight of the other. Then they began to run up the stairs. "IT'S MINE!" Hermione shouted. "YOU GOT IT FIRST THIS MORNING!"

"SECOND BEST GETS SECOND TURN!"

"KISS OFF, MALFOY! I WANT THE DAMNED TUB FIRST!"

"HEY!" A roar came from a painting at the head of the stairs. Natasha was standing there, hands on hips, glaring at them. They shut up quickly, glancing at each other with loathing in their eyes. "SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!" The portrait screamed. "AND IT'S ALREADY DIFFICULT TO SLEEP STANDING UP WITHOUT TWO STUCK-UP, PETTY STUDENTS SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER!" She motioned jerkily to the bath. "THERE'S A REASON THE BATHROOM IS HUGE! IT'S FOR TWO PEOPLE! IT'S OKAY FOR YOU TO ENJOY A SOAK TOGETHER! YOU'VE BOTH GOT BATHING SUITS, DON'T YOU!" She didn't wait for an answer. "THEN SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME BE!"

She stormed back to her downstairs portrait...the one with the chair. Hermione and Draco looked at each other, suddenly not in the mood for their baths, and turned and walked down the stairs and into their rooms.

"Hey Mione!" Harry and Ron smiled at her as she sat down to breakfast. "How was your night?"

She glared moodily at them and grabbed her usual morning toast and grape jelly, beginning to spread the jelly on top violently. "I hate him. I hate him I hate him I HATE HIM!" She snapped. Will, Ron, and Harry exchanged glances.

"What did Malfoy do this time?" Ginny asked.

"He refuses to let me be first in the Bathroom!" Hermione shrilled. "I hate it! I don't have ANY time to get ready! I couldn't even take a shower this morning!" She glared at the boys, who had leaned away at her last comment, until they gulped and shoved food in their mouths to avoid having to comment. "Because Potions is first and Snape would NEVER forgive my tardiness!"

"Poor Mione...things will get better once the year kicks off. Get up an hour earlier, maybe." Ginny suggested.

"He gets up at freaking FIVE! And he's still in the bathroom when I get up at Six!" Hermione wailed. "And he doesn't come out until seven thirty! I cannot get ready in thirty minutes!"

"So do the same thing to him once, Hermione." Harry suggested. "Wait until fairly late at night and sleep in the bathroom. Lock the door with the strongest spells you know..."

"It's got an anti-unlocking-charm charm on it." Hermione said.

"Well then there you have it! Just lock the door and sleep in there. You're a witch, you can conjure a mattress." Harry continued. "Wake up at six, like normal, take an abnormally long ammount of time to get ready, and let him have a taste of his own medicine." He grinned.

Hermione perked up. "I may do that! Harry, you're a genius!"

"I know." Harry grinned. "Anyway...come on, we may as well get on down to the dungeons. Who knows what Snape has in store for us this year."

"Right...it'll be bad enough as is." Hermione said, shuddering. "Heaven, Hell, and Hades forbid we be late." She stood and picked up her bag.

"I'll see you guys at lunch." Ginny said, hurrying off to find Luna.

Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Will walked into the Potions Classrooms and took seats as the room began to fill up. Professor Snape swooped in right on time, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the Gryffindors. "What are you waiting for?" He hissed, softly. "The ingrediants to go extinct? PAIR UP AND GET TO WORK!" He waved a wand at the chalkboard and writing began to appear on it. When he noted that the Gryffindors and Slytherins were pairing up amongst themselves, he smirked, slowly. "Twenty points from Gryffindor for not listening to instructions! I said pair up! Yes, Miss Granger? I trust that your annoying penchant of always having to be right has not changed and thus it would be useless for me to ignore your blasted hazard of a waving hand?"

Hermione turned bright red as she whispered something. "What was that?" Snape sneered. "Speak up, Girl!"

"I said..." She lifted her bright red face to meet his eyes. "That you told us to pair up. You didn't specify who with."

"I should think that one with your supposed intellect would be able to fathom the fact that I meant with your Unity Partners. However, as that is not the case, I will reiterate." He said...proceeding to list each partnership. When he was finished, he smirked at Hermione where she stood beside Malfoy. "Now, I expect these potions to be brewed and on my desk by the end of class. Get to work." He turned away.

"Way to go, Mudblood..." Malfoy muttered, pale. "We'll never get this done!"

"We will if you shut up and listen for once, and Snape knows it." Hermione muttered, her fingers literally flying as she chopped ingrediants.

"Alright, alright...what do you want me to do?" He asked, voice shaky.

"What's wrong, Malfoy?" She never looked up from her work.

"I can. not. afford to fail this class...Father would have my head and my balls mounted." He whispered back.

"Okay...grind the Dragon Scales. When they're fine powder- fine, not sandy- let me know." She said.

"That's the only task you're giving me?"

"I want it done right...and it's harder than you think." She said. He nodded and obeyed.

"How many scales?" He asked, trying to see the board.

"Three." She said. "That's what the recipe calls for. Can't you see it?"

"Of course I can!" He hissed. "What do you think I am, stupid?"

"No, but you may be nearsighted." Hermione said, beginning to stir the cauldron with one hand, steadily, as she added ingrediants with masterful skill using her other hand. "I'm nearsighted...my parents just let me wear contacts."

"What are those?" He asked, too intent on his grinding to notice that they were being civil...almost nice.

"Muggle Corrective Lenses. Like Harry's glasses...only instead of the lenses being in front of your eyes resting on your nose, contacts actually rest on your eyes." She explained, scooping up another type of chopped ingrediants and tossing it in. "How are you coming with those scales?"

"They're almost done." He said.

"Good. Now, when they're powder...no sand, keep in mind...add two of these..." She handed him a tiny spoon. "Of Unicorn Spittle. No more, no less. Be careful about it...I'm trusting your steady wand hand."

"Right." He said. A few seconds later, he carefully began measuring the spittle. "So...these contact things...how much do they cost?"

"Well, they're not too expensive depending on your budget." Hermione said, slicing the next ingrediant quickly. "You done?"

"Yes."

"Good. Grind Cockroaches."

"How many?"

"Four. They need to be paste."

"How complex IS this potion?" He asked, softly.

"Very."

"Could you...what I mean to say is...is there a way someone like me could get these contact-thingies?" Malfoy asked as he began grinding. The Dragon Scales and Unicorn Spittle went into the cauldron smoothly and Hermione continued to stir.

"Sure." Hermione said, a bit surprised. "You'd just have to go to an optometrist for an appointment."

"A what?"

"An eye-doctor. They live in the muggle world."

"Oh..." He was quiet for a while, smashing and grinding cockroaches. "How do I get an appointment?"

"Um...you're serious about this?" At his nod, she sighed. "I can get you one. All we'd need to do is get clearance to leave campus for a while."

"We?"

"Oh really, Malfoy." She said, picking up another cutting board covered in ingrediants and dumping it in. "How much about the muggle world do you know?" He was silent. "Exactly. You'll need a guide...unless you think Pansy can do any better, you're stuck with me."

He made a choked sound at the thought. "I know...I was just surprised that you would take the time to come with me." He said, softly. "This is done, by the way."

She looked at it. "You missed a couple of legs...there and there. They shouldn't upset the potion too much...but I don't think we want to chance it."

"Oh...thanks..." He continued grinding. "When can we do it?"

"I'll have to owl my mother and ask her to schedule you an appointment...so within the next couple of days. We'll floo to my house and my parents can take us." She scooped one of the last ingrediants into the potion. "They ready?"

"Yeah..." He showed her. She nodded in satisfaction and took the bugs, scooping the paste into the potion with a spoon.

"These are the last ingrediants...I'll finish up here if you'll go get the vials." She said. He nodded and hurried across the room, coming back shortly with a pair of vials. He helped her bottle and label the potions and while she took the cauldron to the sink to be cleaned, he took the vials up to Snape's desk. The entire class jumped at the sound of running water, and they glared at Hermione as she scrubbed her cauldron. Nobody else would be done in time. Snape knew this, and he smirked as he stood up, slowly.

"Since I obviously have only two competent students in this class, I am giving you all a two-foot essay due next class on this potion. You will identify it, its properties, and its main uses. Mr Malfoy, Miss Granger, you may go. Oh. For the two of you, I am assigning a two-foot essay due next class on..." He whispered the potion in their ears and their eyes widened. Hermione looked at Malfoy in shock, and he grabbed her wrist and yanked her out of the classroom before she could comment.

"But where are we going to find information on that potion?" She hissed to Malfoy in the hallway. "It's illegal!"

"I know! Snape slipped this into my pocket..." He pulled out a week pass to the restricted section.

"Why do they want us to research this potion?" She asked, frowning as they walked towards their next class...Care of Magical Creatures.

"Well...I can give you two guesses on why they wanted us to do it together." Malfoy said, bitterly.

"The Unity Campaign." Hermione shook her head. "You'd think they'd have given up by now."

"You'd think." Malfoy agreed. He then sighed. "I'm betting Snape needs to make this potion for Voldemort. I don't get what he stands to gain by having students research it, though..." As if he realized what he'd just said, he stared, stricken, at Hermione, who had both hands clapped over her mouth, staring at him. He grabbed his wand and pinned her against the wall, putting the tip of his wand to her throat. "I never said that." He snarled. "You never heard that, mudblood. I will deny it to the death and beyond."

"You never said what?" She snapped.

"Exactly." He took away his wand. "Meet me in the library tonight at seven." And with that, he stomped off.