Sitting on the little couch they warmed themselves in silence, watching the flames dance in the fireplace. Hearing Lily come out of her room, they turned and watched her walk to James' door and knock

"Have you got everything James?" she called through his bedroom door.

"Relax" James replied, opening the door and casually leaning against the frame.

Lily sighed. "We need to go study. We have that potions essay to do and the arthrimancy one aswell" she insisted.

James pulled out a piece of parchment and tapped it with his wand.

"Mischief managed" he muttered, staring at it intently.

Over on the couch, Draco pulled Hermione's hair away from her ear "Think you have a kindred spirit there" he whispered, his lips ever so slightly grazing her her earlobe causing her to shudder involuntarily.

"Funny, Malfoy" she responded, trying to suppress the little tingle that was currently working its way around her body into places she didn't even know existed.

"Ah, there they are" James cried before pocketing the parchment "You go on ahead Lil', me and the boys have some stuff to take care of first" he told her, planting a chaste kiss on her lips. Lily huffed in annoyance.

"We need to study!" she complained.

James just grinned.

"FINE!" she huffed, before grabbing her bag and books and heading for the portrait hole.

Hermione grabbed Draco's arm. "Come on then!" she cried.

Draco wore an amused grin on his face. "Typical! You hear study and you smell library and off you go!" he laughed as a scowl played out across her features.

"It has nothing to do with that! You know we have to stay with what we are being show!" she cried. "Although...while we are there we should see if we can find out what kind of magic is in that diary and how we get back"

Draco ceased laughing and creased his forehead. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to go back. Here was easier. He didn't have his father breathing down his neck, and he could indulge in his heart's desires.

.

Draco slouched in one of the chairs, watching Hermione as she meandered through the rows, fingertips lightly brushing the books as she searched through the titles. She bit her bottom lip, narrowed her eyes in thought, and pulled a great tome from the shelves. Plonking it down on the desk she dropped into the chair next to Draco, her arm bumping his. He involuntarily flinched and she scowled at him before opening the text. Settling back to his initial position, he watched as she ran her finger down the index. His arm came to rest next to hers and a tingle passed through him every time her arm brushed his. Seemingly not noticing, she turned the pages over, scanning the text, absorbing all the information.

"You know you could help" she sighed, turning over a page, her eyes never leaving the page.

Draco scowled. "The library is more your domain, Granger" he drawled.

She worked through the pages silently as Draco fidgeted. He shifted in his chair from time to time as she turned over the pages, making her way systematically through the text. Occasionally he would huff and sigh but she didn't react. He even whistled to himself at one point and every now and then Hermione caught him staring at her out of the corner of her eye before he shifted his gaze, blushing slightly, knowing he had been caught.

Finally with a huff he turned to her and opened his mouth to speak.

"Dark Arts section, shelf four" she interrupted before he could utter a single word, her eyes still scanning the text.

He glared, considered a retort, changed his mind and then huffed as he shoved his chair back, the legs scrapping the flagstone flooring.

A small smile played across her lips.

"Predictable as always" she thought.