I am so sorry for updating so late, and I have a load of excuses, but I won't use them, just because I know that it won't make a difference. The gist of it is, I've had a busy week. Too make it up too you guys, I hope to update again by Friday! Yay! Well, I'll try! Thank you guys for all the reviews! There have been more than I ever could have hoped for, so thank you guys so much, and thank you for reading!

mali56- Somehow, I doubt that her plan will work as well. ;) Thank you for the heads up about tenses, I realize that and I'm trying to do better, but I don't have a beta, mainly because it takes longer to post chapters if I do.. I will try to improve with that though!

KeepMovingForward- Trust me, I'd love to skip right to that part, but sadly, I can't. I make no promises it will be soon, because what is a Dramione story without a little drama? ;D But it will happen! Eventually...

BookyGurl- I know, I'm still very depressed about that. It is a huge blow to my ego, though I admit it is a little bigger than it should be... :)

Tammy143- Thank you so much! Knowing that people think my pacing is great, because, as a writer, that is one of my worst fears, that my stories will be too fast or drag on to long! I love the nightmare too, I tend to write those a lot in my other stories (which aren't fanfics) so I might do quite a few in this story. I'm not sure yet... Thank you so much!

Chapter 9

Fancying Granger

Draco stayed in his room while Granger showered, changed, then left for the dining hall. It wasn't until he was sure she was gone did he enter the bathroom again and turn on the shower. The bathroom was still steamy from Granger's shower, a damn long one at that.

He had the image of Granger burned in his mind's eye, standing in the middle of the bathroom, eyes wide open with astonishment. He hadn't been lying when he said Weasel was a lucky guy. Beneath her robes, the mud- muggle born, has a very attractive body. Frankly, he doesn't understand why she hides it beneath too-large clothing, she's hot.

With those thoughts, he turns the water to freezing when he steps into the shower and tries to rid himself of such thoughts. This is Granger he is thinking about. The know-it-all nerd who busy hair and buckteeth.

Not that her hair is very bushy anymore... And she hasn't had buckteeth for a while...

Stop it, Draco. He chides himself, shaking his head. Focus on finding your mate. His mate. That is going to be a problem. It's not like he can just go around and kiss every girl in the school, especially if he has the same reaction he had to Pansy.

Merlin, Parkinson is going to be annoying this year, even more so now that he has officially dumped her. About time to. Just the thought of kissing that pug-faced slut makes him gag.

Well, it shouldn't be too hard find his mate. She is bound to be in Slytherin, since most purebloods are, and it wouldn't be weird for him to make out with random Slytherins. After all, he is a Sex God.

Yet, the thought of even getting anywhere near the girls of his house makes his stomach churn. That is definitely not normal.

He shuts off the water and wraps a towel around his waist as he steps out of the shower.

"Draco, what the bloody hell is taking you so long?" A voice shouts from outside the bathroom. It is only the first day of classes and Draco is already regretting giving Blaise the password to the dorm.

"Shut it, Zabini!" He snaps back, grabbing his robes from where he tossed them on the floor and quickly pulling them on.

"This is what I get for being nice enough to wait for you to go to breakfast? Next time I won't even bother." The voice on the other side of the door sighs dramatically.

He ignores this, instead choosing to straighten himself up and mess up his hair. Just because no girl at Hogwarts seems remotely appealing to them, doesn't mean he doesn't like their attention.

"So, how is it living with Granger?" Blaise speaks up again a few minutes later as Draco exits the bathroom and grabs for his bag.

"Not as boring as I thought it would be." He replies with a smirk. His Italian friend grins back wickedly.

"Something I should know?"

"Nothing really, besides that I walked in on her in the bathroom this morning." The smirk widens as the pair trail down the staircase an out the portrait, ignoring the glare of the mermaid following them as they leave.

"Bet little miss locked-legs loved that."

Draco barks out a laugh, "She threw a brush at me and nearly hit me with a stunning spell."

"Sounds like you've had a good morning." He grins at his blonde friend, "So it Granger engaged to Weasel doesn't bother you anymore?"

The change in the Veela is instantaneous, his entire demeanor changes at the mention of the most talked about engagement of the century. "Who says it ever did?" He forces the words out, hating the feeling the comes over him at the thought of Granger and Weaselbee.

"Come on, Drake, you were practically shooting lasers at him yesterday with your eyes. I swear, if looks could kill, the Weasel would be dead three times over." The dark-haired boy points out. "It's not that hard to see. Do you fancy Granger? I mean, I get that the war is-"

"Shut it, Blaise!" Draco hisses as they enter the Great Hall and head towards the Slytherin table.

"Merlin, you do! I never-"

"I said shut it, Blaise!" The blonde shouts, causing a few looks to be shot their way, but they ignore them as the pair take their seats.

This causes the Italian to chuckle under his breath, but he doesn't say anything more on the subject, instead opting to observe his friend.

The Veela, relieved when the topic is dropped, piles his plate with eggs and sausage, then tucks in. But he can't get his mind off the conversation. More specifically, Granger.

His eyes fly to where Granger is sitting at the Gryffindor table, chatting away with her friends. A feeling that is foreign to him bubbles up in his chest as the Weasel wraps an arm around the tiny brunettes shoulders. The urge to break the redheads arm and steal the witch away to somewhere that no one else will be able to touch her is so powerful, it is all he can do to not act on it.

Merlin, Blaise is right.

He fancies Granger.

DHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDHDH

Hermione has never been a good liar, so imagine her surprise when her friends don't question her story about her foul mood having to do with miss placing her copy of Hogwarts, A History.

The ease of which they accept her clumsily crafted lie astounds her, especially since they know how dearly she holds said book. Then again, that could be why they find it so believed. That, and that she never lies. Ever.

"Merlin, Hermione! How many classes did you sign up for?" Ginny exclaims, taking in the sight of her friend's schedule compared to her own.

"Not as many as third year." She replies airily, scanning the parchment that she had just received.

"You've got to be mental! Why are you taking so many?" Ron asks, , draping an arm around his fiance's shoulders as he glances between the two schedules. Hermione's is at least twice as long as all of her friends.

"Because this is own last year! I plan to make the most of it!" She exclaims, shaking her hair as she quickly memorizes the class list.

After muttering under his breath, Ron turns to Harry and Ginny to talk about the Quidditch tryouts coming up.

Hermione, never one to enjoy Quidditch all that much, tunes her friend out and instead thinks of her classes. She really has a number of them, but everyone she feels is important. This is her last year at Hogwarts, her last year to learn as much as she can!

Just glancing at the parchment, she knows she will have quite a homework load, and that this year will be spent in the library and her dorms, but she wouldn't want it any other way. Not that the war is over, this year, for the first time at Hogwarts, should be a boring one. And she plans and making up for all the excitement with loads of boredom.

Because that is exactly what she needs to heal after the war.

Then again, there is never a boring year at Hogwarts, but one can hope.

Of course, some drama is almost guaranteed considering who the Head Boy is, and how jealous Ron has been acting ever since he proposed.

"So, 'Mione, how's living with Malfoy?" Harry's voice pulls her out of her thoughts.

"Oh, fine." She lies, choking a little on her toast. Thankfully, he doesn't seem to notice.

Ron, who seems to have forgotten their spat the day before, doesn't even glance up from his plate when he replies, his moth still full of food. "You sure? Harry and I can straighten him up if he does anything wrong. after all, we can't let anything happen to our girl."

"Thanks, R-" She begins, but is cutoff as Ron finishes talking.

"I mean, if you were gone, who would help us with our homework?" It is meant to be a joke, she knows that. Ron is grinning widely at her, not realizing just how much that hurts.

"Is that all I am too you, Ronald? A homework machine?" She asks, raising an eyebrow at her husband-to-be.

Backpedaling quickly, the redhead quickly denies it, "No, not at all, 'Mione! Your my-"

"Because it seems like that is all you want me around for."

"No! Hermione,-"

"Save it, Ronald." She huffs, gathering her books and schedule before standing and hightailing it out of the Great Hall.

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