Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

I groaned, hitting off on my alarm. What had possessed me to stay up so late playing truth or dare when we had classes the next morning? Oh that's right. Ginny Weasley. My so called best friend. As if on cue, a snore came from the mouth of said red head. I rolled my eyes and punched her in the arm. "Wha?" "Ginny get up it's time for breakfast and then classes." "Ughhhh" was the only response I got.

I brushed my teeth, got dressed, and managed to make my hair to look presentable. My hair wasn't nearly as bushy as it used to be; now it fell in neat curls down my back. I walked down to the common room to wait for Ginny and was greeted by a bright eyed, way too happy for the morning Blaise Zabini.

"Hiya Granger!" I raised an eyebrow. "Or should I call you Hermione. Isn't it a lovely day?" I growled. "How the hell are you so cheerful in the morning." He grinned like the Cheshire cat. "It's all part of the Zabini charm." "The same charm that almost got snogged by Professor Trelawney?" He paled. "Damnit Granger why'd you have to rain on my parade!" It was my turn to smirk now. "I thought it was Hermione." He gaped at me. I kept on smirking, this was going to be a good day.

I could not have been more wrong. I had already given out twelve detentions, been told by Mcgonagall that Malfoy and I would have to patrol every night after the prefects finished their patrols just to make sure they did everything right and to check for late night stragglers who knew when the prefects ended patrol, and to top it all off I remembered that I have to put up with the ferret all day. To say I was angry was an understatement. At least my first class was charms; Professor Flitwick was one of my favourite professors.

"Good morning seventh and eighth year students and welcome to NEWT charms! This class is my absolute favourite as the charms get much more complex, impressive and exciting! Now today's lesson is going to be on sticking charms. If you will turn to page 12 of your textbooks you'll find all the instructions you need to stick this piece of paper to your desk. Off you go!"

Within a few minutes I had managed to stick the paper to my desk. I looked around to see who else had managed and saw that Draco, and to my surprise Ginny, had managed it successfully as well. Noticing my surprise, Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I'm actually quite smart you know." I was saved having to answer by Terry Boot absolutely messing up the spell.

He had been sitting directly behind Malfoy and me so we got the brunt of whatever he had managed to do to the spell. There was a loud bang and a flash of light and suddenly I was holding hands with Malfoy. "Get your filthy hands off of me Granger." I rolled my eyes and pulled my hand away but found that it was stuck. We looked at each other in horror. "Professor! Terry's spell backfired or something and now Malfoy and I are stuck holding hands." "Oh dear." Flitwick managed as he walked over to us, was he smiling?

After several minutes of him trying spell after spell to wear off the spell he started laughing. "Professor? Are you alright?" I ventured. "Congratulations Mr. Boot this was indeed some extraordinary magic. You see, in very special cases, when the sticking charm backfires the way it has it lands on two people who hate each other for reasons that the spell deems unworthy. Only when the both of you can look past your hatred and become friends, will the sticking spell come off."

We gaped at him. "But Professor, how will we sleep!" Draco protested. Oh no. I hadn't thought about that. There was no way I was sleeping in the same bed as him. "And I'm Quidditch Captain!" Flitwick looked like he was rather enjoying this. "Then I guess you'll have to find a way to stop hating each other quickly."

Lessons went by well, considering we sat beside each other and were partners for everything so it wasn't until lunch that we came upon our first problem. "Well cmon Granger." Malfoy said and started dragging me to the Slytherin table. With a ton of effort I just managed to stop him (damn those Quidditch muscles). He looked back at me. "No way. There is no way that I am sitting at your table." He rolled his eyes at me. "If we're going to fix this we're going to have to be mature and that means splitting meal times between our two tables. We'll eat dinner at your table."

I wanted to protest about it but he was being very mature about it. "Fine. But I refuse to sit beside Parkinson." He let out a laugh. "Alright." I sat down beside him. I felt like I was in a snake pit. Which I guess I was. I went to start eating and then realized that I was right handed. And his hand was stuck to my right hand. "Malfoy?" He looked up at me. "I'm right handed." I said shaking our hands. He smirked. "Well doesn't that suck." "Malfoy!" "If you say please I might be able to help." I glared at him. Stupid ferret. "Please." "That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Hmph. So how exactly do you propose I eat?" He looked at me weirdly. "Just drag my hand with yours." So I did. He swore when I 'accidentally' banged his hand against the pumpkin juice, but otherwise said nothing. "Hello Hermione. Fancy seeing you here." "Blaise." I replied. He took the seat beside me and I was relieved. While a little annoying at times, he was quite friendly and mostly harmless. Unlike some of the other students in his house. Malfoy gaped at us.

"Since when are you two so buddy buddy?" I smiled. "Since yesterday. If only I had been stuck to Blaise, the spell would have worn off almost instantly." I teased. Malfoy glowered. I started eating again, dragging Malfoy's hand with mine. "Um, is Malfoy feeding you?" Blaise asked. I glared at him. "No. I am feeding myself. His hand just happens to be stuck to mine." Blaise smirked. "Still got a thing for Quidditch players eh Hermione?" I seethed. The git! How dare he. Without missing a beat I awkwardly pulled my wand out with my left hand, pointed it as his pants and muttered reducio. His eyes bugged out of his head as his pants became un-naturally tight in all the wrong places. Malfoy guffawed. "That's….priceless!" He managed in between gasps. I smirked, feeling very proud of myself.

Seeing that Malfoy was done eating, I stood up and pulled him with me. "Well we're off to potions. See you there Blaise!" With that I dragged Malfoy with me, pausing when we were out of sight so he could catch his breath. I found myself watching him. He looked good when he laughed. The stony expression was gone, replaced by the most endearing smile I've ever seen and his grey eyes reflected the mirth. "Take a picture. It'll last longer." He startled me. "You should laugh more often." Was my reply. He was so shocked that the entire walk to potions was silent.

"…and those are the laws of the draught of living death potion. Now today we are going to start your final project. I know it's early but this potion takes two months to brew as it is very complicated. You and your partner will be making Amortentia. If you work hard but mess up your potion you will not lose as many marks as if you don't work on it and mess up. This is for a large portion of your grade so do not take this project lightly. You may use any ingredients you require, however you will have to ask me before taking any from my private stores because I am the only one who is allowed in there. Any questions? No? Good."

I groaned. Amortentia? Really? Malfoy seemed to be thinking the same thing. He sighed. "Alright Granger. Let's go get some ingredients." I obliged and we made our way to the back to get the ingredients we needed for the first portion. "Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, why are you both back here? Are you holding hands?" Seeing me start fuming, Malfoy took charge. "You see professor, there was a malfunction of the sticking charm in charms today and now we're stuck together." He raised an eyebrow. "I see." Was all he said.

"Grr." "Calm down Granger he didn't know." I sighed. "I guess you're right. But if we're going to break this spell I think we should use our first names. Y'know, make it friendlier." He looked at me. "Alright…Hermione." We looked at each other. "Well that was weird." I commented. He nodded. "Definitely."

More trouble came when we started our potion. "Gra..Hermione can you cut these roots up while I stir?" "No, I can't. Sorry Mal..Draco but in case you've forgotten I'm right handed and if I try to cut them up with your hand attached to mine it'll be a disaster. So I'll stir and you can cut up the roots."

Potions ended without anything else happening, thankfully, and we were finally on to our last class of the day. Transfiguration. We were the first ones to walk in to the class room. McGonagall raised her eyebrow when we walked in but said nothing. However, halfway through the class, when we started practicing the review of how to turn needles into pin cushions, she made her way over to us. "I have no problem with the two of you holding hands walking into my classroom but this has gotten ridiculous. I forbid you to continue holding hands while casting spells." "Professor do you honestly think we'd hold hands by choice? A sticking charm malfunctioned in charms class and now I'm stuck holding hands with Malf..Draco." "I see. And did Professor Flitwick mention how to break this charm?" "We have to stop hating each other and it has to be legitimate, we can't fool it with fake friendship." Her mouth twitched. "And that would be why you were eating lunch at the Slytherin table?" "Yes ma'am." "Well this charm is a good show of house unity if nothing else. You're fortunate you're head boy and girl and share your own dormitory, or things might have gotten trickier later tonight."

I flushed at what she was implying, and Malfoy turned paler…if that's possible. Transfiguration ran very smoothly after that to which I was very grateful. Now it was time for dinner at the Gryffindor table. I was so relieved when I saw Ginny sitting there. I made a beeline for her and then realized that it was impossible for me to sit next to her with Malfoy on that side of me so I settled for two seats away, forcing Malfoy to sit beside her. He did not look happy.

"Hey Mione how's your day been?' She asked innocently. I glared at her. "You know very well how it's been, you're in all of our classes!" Yes but I wasn't with you at lunch today. Now tell me, did you have anything to do with Zabini practically running out of the Great Hall with obviously much too tight pants on?"

Malfoy snorted. "He insinuated that she liked me, because, and I quote, 'still have a thing for Quidditch players, eh Hermione?'" Ginny burst out laughing. "Oh Merlin that's great. The idiot. He should've known better than to cross you." Suddenly, Ginny's entire face lit up with a smirk. "What?" I cautioned, she could be very scary when she wanted to be. "Oh I was just thinking about how from now on Malfoy's gonna have to sit through our girl talks." He paled. "Oh no. No way. Nu uh I will never sit in on them." I giggled. "So Ginny you never did tell me about Harry sending you off on the train." "NO. NO NO NO NO NO." Malfoy shouted.

And with that, he dragged me out of the Great Hall with him. This time when we paused it was because I needed to control my laughter. I noticed he was watching me. "What?" I asked him. "You should laugh more often." He repeated my words from earlier. I was speechless. That was weird.

"Dobby." He muttered at the door, which swung open for us almost immediately. He stopped in the middle of the room. "So Gr..Hermione, what do you want to do now?" "Homework?" I suggested. He nodded. "Sure." Some hours had gone by and we were finished our homework. I looked up at him. "Soo obviously the spell hasn't worn off yet which means we're going to have to stay in the same bed. Don't look at me like that Hermione you know it's true."

"We could sleep on the couch. And by we I mean I sleep on the couch and you sleep on the floor." "Not gonna happen." "Please Draco?" He caved. "Fine. But only because I was raised to be a gentleman." We made it up to the bathroom when I realized something. "How are we supposed to get ready when we're attached?" "Obscuro." He answered as if it was obvious. "And muffliato for going to the bathroom." I shrugged. "Alright. But I'm taking your wand from you when I'm changing so you can't reverse the spell on your eyes." He rolled his eyes. "As if." But he made no complaints. An awkward half hour later we were both ready for bed. We made our way down to the couch and turned off the lights. "Goodnight Draco." "Night Hermione."

Just as I started to fall asleep, I felt an intense pain in my hand. It felt like it was being tortured. "What the bloody hell, Hermione do you feel that too?" "Yes." I answered. I sat up and swung my legs off the couch. "Let's go see Professor Flitwick." "Okay."

We made it to his quarters quickly and silently. I knocked lightly. "Professor?" There was no response. "Move." Draco pushed past me and all but banged on the door. "Professor Flitwick?"

This appeared to have woken up the little old Professor because seconds later he opened the door. "Ah Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy what can I do for you?" "You see Professor, we tried to go to sleep but we got intense pains in our hands that felt like the cruciatus curse." He smiled. "I see. And how were you sleeping?"

"I was on the couch and Draco was on the floor." "Yes well that would be problematic for the curse. You see you have to spend every part of your day close together, which means sharing a bed." We groaned. "There is no other way. Now goodnight Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy." And with that he shut the door, leaving us gaping at each other.

We walked in silence for a while until Draco spoke up. "So whose bed are we going to sleep in?" I shrugged. "I don't care. How about yours, since it's further away from the door way so we might hear anyone who might come in to see how we're sleeping." "And by anyone you mean Weaslette or Blaise." "Yes. But don't call her Weaslette."

Once upstairs, we both stood there for a minute, staring at the bed. He cleared his throat. "Alright then I guess we'd better get to it." We moved around restlessly for what felt like hours trying to find a position where we could sleep far away from each other. After awhile we gave up and I sighed. "Alright Draco we've got to get close. Which is going to be incredibly awkward but I don't see any other way around it." "Okay." He whispered, and pulled me into his arms, our top hands comfortably resting on top of us, still joined.

His arms felt oddly safe around me and if I was being honest I kind of liked the feeling. I inhaled his scent and felt myself fall into a deep sleep.