Chapter 5

A/n: I own some pretzels and a painful pair of stilettos, but no, I do not own HP and co. (Revised and re-edited on March 3, 2006.)

x-x-x-x-x-x-

Hermione stared. There really was nothing else she could do. She was mesmerized.

"Um... Hermione?" Draco asked. "This is a bit awkward, in case you didn't notice."

She got up blushing and apologized. But no longer was she mesmerized. She was pissed. Right when she thought things could only get better for her, Draco had to go and open his big mouth.

Sighing, she realized he did not know how she felt, so it was not really his fault. Hermione said good night with resignation, and practically threw herself out of the Room of Requirement and inched herself towards the common room.

x-x-x-x-x-x-

On Sunday morning at breakfast, Hermione sat with few other students. It was still early and most people were still sleeping.

She was eating porridge with honey and a glass of apple juice when the Slytherins all entered. She watched with little interest, still groggy from sleep. But she immediately became alert when Malfoy ditched his friends and headed for the Gryffindor table.

The Slytherins and Gryffindors stared, but the other houses seemed not to notice. There were only insomniacs, and they were in their own little world.

"Hermione, meet me by the lake when you're done eating. There's something we definitely need to talk about."

"Umm, alright, I guess."

He turned around and sat back down, and grabbed a piece of toast, refusing to answer his housemates' questions.

Hermione poked at her porridge, wondering if it was just a scheme of his to embarrass her, or if he genuinely needed to discuss something with her.

She decided she would wait to see if he went there first. She did not want to be stood up by a bloody Slytherin!

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Seeing Draco at the lake relieved her by leaps and bounds. She sat next to him, but did not say anything. If he wanted her here, he would initiate the conversation.

"Um... well..." He seemed flustered for some reason. "Last night I... I... I talked to Professor Snape, and he got me a list of all the students that attend Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons, and the other schools around the world, whose birthdays are on September 10th, 1980." He handed her the parchment that was disfigured by Snape's spiky scrawl.

She read it. Then reread it. She could not believe her eyes. Out of the dozens Witchcraft and Wizardry schools, only six students had that birthday, and out of those six, they already knew two names on the list!

Hermione Noelle Granger (Female)
Viktor Jacques Krum (Male)

Neville Theodore Longbottom (Male)
Draco Matthias Malfoy (Male)
Pansy Janessa Parkinson (Female)

Sun Mal Lin (Male)

"You're kidding me! Parkinson is one of the Pure Children! That's insane!" Hermione rolled on the ground laughing. When she had finished and wiped the tears from her eyes, she looked to Draco and said, "Now. Where's the real list?"

He said quietly, "This is the real list. It's the only list there is."

"So we need to cut one of the boys. Vikki and Neville and Sun, whoever he is-"

Hermione was interrupted by a snort. "Vikki!" Draco asked incredulously.

"What? I've always called him that since he calls me Herm ninny."

"If you say so."

"But like I was saying, we have to narrow it down to one. Is there a way we can do that before they know about it?"

Finally, Draco thought, she was thinking like a Slytherin.

x-x-x-x-x-x-

Kinda short, but I have like, NO inspiration at the moment. Sorry y'all!