Thanx to:
Stress overload: that really made me feel great.
mRsHeRmIoNeMaLfOy:I hope I keep you wanting more with this chapter..it gets better later but I want to move slow…
Dynastydragons02:the story is really original I will keep it that way. Im sick of reading the same stuff aren't you?
sexyslytherin27:I'll try harder with the proof reading but I'm just naturally bad with spelling… sorry…but feel free to correct it and let me no so I can make the changes…
carlsberg-ice:hope its better now and see comment above…
jonadark: hope this gets a better review from you
Very Important:
As I said before, I don't spell very well and if you leave me a review of misspelled words it would help me out a lot… and it will be revised…thank you…
Chapter # 2: The Beginning
"Yes but our young Mr. Malfoy turned his in yesterday…" Snape's smile grew larger look of disgust on her face.
Hermione shot a quick glance at Malfoy from over her shoulder. He was talking to Blaise
and Pansy with a bored look.
He eyed her slightly then looked away again. His expression held no hint of smugness or of even a secret plot.
Snape cleared his throat "Now if you please." He began as he gestured to her seat, "I would like to begin my class at some point." He finished rudely as he began to silence the class.
Hermione walked back to her seat and fell onto it blankly staring ahead trying to process if that had really just happened to her. She blinked once then shook her head slightly convincing herself that it was no big deal.
Snape's voice came back to her "Now if someone would please read the first paragraph."
Hermione's hand shot into the air, waving slightly.
"Anyone at all…?" Snape continued as though Hermione were non existent. He did another run over the class and was about to call on Hermione when-
"I'll read professor." Draco's voice was heard saying.
"Go on Mr. Malfoy" Snape said and Draco began to read as Hermione slowly let her hand fall back to her desk. She couldn't believe it. She had never once seen him participate… ever.
'Okay, calm down.'
She thought. She focused her attention on the words in the book. But as she followed along she could here his voice. The intelligence, and intellect, it irked her.
Then his voice stopped and she looked up at him. He didn't even glance her way; he just sat there staring up at Snape as though he were actually…paying attention?
"Thank you Mr. Malfoy, now if you could tell us a summery of what you just read for those who have yet to comprehend anything extending past their own nose." Snape drawled, glancing at Neville.
"According to the passage, in order create the proper potion, you must…" Draco began and Hermione was taken aback by the brilliance that spewed from his mouth. It seemed so unreal. He seemed so… smart.
Yet annoying.
This wasn't right, him sounding so stuck up and arrogant in her field of work. It was outrageous!
'Just forget about it'
She began to read the next paragraph of her book on her own, tuning out Malfoy completely. By the fifth she was calm, cool, collected and concentrated again, but best of all she had school work back on the brain.
That's what a great book could do for you. It was a habit of hers to open any random book near by when ever she needed to clear her head of negativity and it always worked.
She looked up at the board where Snape had written the assignment for the day.
READ TEXT BOOK
ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-40
She pulled out a peace of blank parchment and began to do so. She only tuned in later for a moment when she heard Snape call on Neville (who was sitting next to her) to read the last paragraph. By now she was on question 20.
D.P.O.V.
Longbottom had just started reading the last paragraph clumsily. I looked over at him then to his right at Granger who seemed content with doing her work. I must admit that I was starting to feel a bit disappointed with her uncaring behavior. At the beginning of class I had watched out of the corner of my eye at how aggravated she'd seemed. How when she had looked at me I'd shown no smugness. She was so confused at how serious I presented myself to be.
This attitude of mine would do well. Not showing any arrogance will keep her from fighting back to much. If she knew what I was after she would try harder not to let me get a rise out of her. Being and staying civil with Granger couldn't be too hard. Right?
I turned my gaze back to Longbottom as he came to a clumsy finish. Snape began to explain the assignment. I looked down at my parchment. I had already completed the assignment after reading the first paragraph.
Last night I had taken the liberty of reading the whole chapter, in fact I read the next three chapters. To make sure I would be ahead. Though I figure Granger had already read the whole book by now. With two weeks of school already past, I bet she has already read all her books cover to cover.
I looked up at her again. Still doing her work peacefully, just sitting there pretending to have forgotten that I had turned in my essay before her. How upsetting, but she won't have peace for long.
I raised my hand and Snape approached my desk.
"Yes?" Snape questioned in a bored tone.
"I've already completed the assignment" I spoke as though it were an everyday thing. Even as I said it, I knew it sounded smug. Well, aside from that slip up, I'd definitely try harder to keep a lid on my ego.
Everyone in the room had fallen silent and was looking from me to Granger.
'It's her line' I laughed to myself as I looked in her direction and saw the embarrassment brighten her face a shade of red.
Turning away from her I directed my gaze back to Snape and tried as hard as I could to look normal. (An even harder task then you may think.)
It worked. She just turned away, looked down and continued her incomplete work.
"Well done Mr. Malfoy." Snape spoke as he collected my parchment and returned to his desk.
Everyone in the room was still looking from me to her. Some people looked shocked, others amazed and some confused. Then there was Weasel and Potty who were staring as though ready to attack.
The looks were priceless. All of them, and I think the best thing about this plan is that by the end of it all, I'm going to be even more popular than I was before. If that were possible.
By the end of dinner everyone will know. But I've got to keep a lid on my ego when the rumors start. Don't want to go bragging and ruin the whole 'innocent' look.
(Ya I know I have an ego problem. If you were me, you would too.)
Either way, no one will touch me whether they know I am making Granger look bad on purpose or not. She won't let them.
She'll know that the only way to beat me is to out smart me. She'll want to prove herself because when it comes to being a 'know it all', Granger is the most arrogant person I know. She will challenge me and lose. Then soon enough she will break down and stay broken.
It's fool proof.
By the end of class Snape began collecting the assignment. Granger had held on to hers. Probably to embarrassed to raise her hand, just to claim second place, especially to me.
Snape walk over to Hermione's desk and collected her paper. The look in his eyes revealed the amusement he would not dare show to his class. This was a first for everyone. Hermione not turning her assignment in first and as if that were not shocking enough, Granger holding her paper till the end of class?
She knew what he was thinking. She knew what they were all thinking…and it was okay.
It was only Malfoy after all and everyone in there right mind knew that Malfoy was not smarter than her.
She was sure he was doing this on purpose. What other reason could he have for showing her up like that…wanting a good grade?
She highly doubted it.
"Hermione?" she heard Neville call.
She turned his way. He looked unsure of what to say, but she knew what was coming.
'Don't call attention to it Neville. Don't ask about Malfoy'
When finally it seemed that he had sorted out the right thing to say, Hermione beat him to the punch.
"I'm fine Neville." She whispered putting on her best 'don't worry about me, I can handle it' smile.
He understood and went back to packing up his bag.
The bell rang soon after and everyone filed out of the class. She told Ron and Harry to go on ahead. She had been so lost in thought that she'd forgotten to pack up. She began to slowly put her things away. There was no need to rush because it was lunch time.
"Miss Granger, I don't have all day to wait on you…" Snape said rudely while standing next to the door.
"Yes Professor, sorry," Hermione sighed pulling her bag over her shoulder.
"Oh, forgive me I've forgotten you seem to be a bit slow today." Snape said lightly.
Hermione restrained herself from giving him an evil look and continued to walk past him without a word.
"The silence suits you Granger." Snape called.
Hermione stopped, but thinking better about what she wanted to say continued once more down the corridor.
Hermione walked into the great hall and as she expected the chatter died out slowly as she reached the Gryffindor table. She could feel eyes watching her.
He was probably enjoying this she thought and glanced at the Slythrin table. She couldn't find him at first but then realized that he was hidden behind his transfiguration book.
They had a transfiguration test next period and by the looks of it he seemed to be studying.
For the second time that day she felt disgusted with him.
Here she was being stared at and talked about because of his dirty schemes and he wasn't even going to look up at her from his book and gloat or admire his handy work. Not even a smirk. No eye contact at all.
'Look at him sitting there pretending to study…'
He wasn't fooling her. Two could play at this game.
She turned to Ron and began a conversation as though everything were normal. Soon enough everyone in the hall went about their own business again.
Lunch finally ended and Hermione made for transfiguration. She would be there first just like she always was.
She turned the corner into the class and was greeted with Malfoy sitting at his desk still engulfed in his transfiguration book.
Hermione continued to her seat without showing indifference to it all, though she was burning up inside.
No matter, she told herself. Transfiguration was his worst class. Most everyone new that and there was no way he was going to show her up here.
Class began a few moments later and Hermione was ready to answer anything.
D.P.O.V.
Transfiguration is the worst class in existence. Could someone please explain to me how or why learning to turn a cow into a towel benefits my future?
I could see that even with Granger's new found nonchalance she was eager to win back her pride. But no matter how terrible I happen to be at transfiguration, I won't let her win.
Professor Gryffindor bitch began the class.
"We will begin with a review for the test." She announced.
I could feel Granger's eyes on me but I wasn't about to look back at her. I'm just an innocent student trying to get a good grade I reminded myself, over powering the erg to send her a smirk.
"Let's start with a simple transfiguration." The bitch announced.
She did a run over the class before her eyes stopped on me.
"I hear your on the ball today Mr. Malfoy, would you like to come to the front and demonstrate spell 243B from the book?" she questioned with a knowing look.
She must have heard the rumors. Never would have guessed she'd pull a stunt like this. Putting me on the spot. This was more like something I would expect from Snape.
Spell 243B? It was a good thing I spent lunch reading that book or I would have no idea what she was talking about. Turning an eagle into a bike. One of the most idiotic and pointless things I'd ever heard of a spell doing.
"Why of course professor." I was glad my voice hadn't sounded as rude as it could have. I stood from my seat and walked to the front. Knowing all eyes were on me, which would have been a good feeling if I were sure I wasn't about to look like and idiot. I glanced at Granger who looked as though she were about to burst from excitement.
I had never even practiced this spell. Wasn't this harassment? That dirty bitch, if only I could…
But it's too late for that now; here I am with an eagle in front of me without a clue of how this could turn out.
A/N: hope you like this one better the last I WILL be updating this story as soon as I type up the chapters I have written. R&R.